Pales In Comparison

Deregulation, Mr. McCain?

Well this certainly pokes some holes in John McCain's calls for deregulation:

Facing a firing line of questions from Washington lawmakers, Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman once considered the infallible maestro of the financial system, admitted on Thursday that he “made a mistake” in trusting that free markets could regulate themselves without government oversight.

Palin's Couric Interview

Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric can be summed up in one word.  I might pick vacuous. You might pick horrifying.  We would both be right.

After watching the interview this morning, I remain convinced that McCain's asking for a delay for Friday's interview is not because McCain is afraid to debate Obama, but because he and all his handlers know that there is NO Possible Way that Sarah Palin will ever be prepared to debate Joe Biden. There's no possible way that Sarah Palin will ever be ready to answer a question that isn't narrowly scripted and for which she's memorized her talking points (review the interview). 

Everyone from Laura Bush to John McCain says that Sarah Palin is a quick study.  Really?  I didn't see it.  In this interview, she looked slower than molasses in a northern Maine winter.  She's been tutored by the leading Republican minds for three straight weeks and she still can't talk off the cuff about the mortgage crisis, John McCain's record on financial markets or. or. anything. 

And John McCain picked her to be President in Waiting?  Country First? Absolutely not.  He's willing to potentially squander our entire future on woman that he won't even let debate Joe Biden. 

We deserve the Presidential Debate tomorrow and we need to see Sarah Palin in a debate. 

UPDATE: Via Andrew Sullivan--I'm selling the same story as the  anonymous liberal ...and in full disclosure mode he posted it first.  No wonder I'm a two bit blogger.... :)

McCain's Flip Flop on the Financial Crisis

Via Huffington Post

John McCain's Remarks on The Economy

John McCain's Remarks on the Economic Crisis
New York, NY
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system. We must pass legislation to address this crisis. If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy. People will no longer be able to buy homes and their life savings will be at stake. Businesses will not have enough money to pay their employees. If we do not act, ever corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen.

Last Friday, I laid out my proposal and I have since discussed my priorities and concerns with the bill the Administration has put forward. Senator Obama has expressed his priorities and concerns. This morning, I met with a group of economic advisers to talk about the proposal on the table and the steps that we should take going forward. I have also spoken with members of Congress to hear their perspective.

It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the Administration's proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.

Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.

I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved. I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.

I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so.

Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now. Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country.

I wish I could see the suspension of his campaign as anything but a well-timed political move. 

Dire Times Call for Dire Measures

"We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself."

-- The 2008 Republican Party Platform, adopted earlier this month.

But in the face of overwhelming data to support a revision of a position, having the courage to do so should be recognized. If only Bush had that courage regarding Iraq.

Thought For Today

“On a day when the Congressional Budget Office warned of looming deficits and a grim economic outlook, when the stock market faltered even in the wake of the government’s rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, when President Bush discussed the road ahead in Iraq and Afghanistan, on what did the campaign of Senator John McCain spend its energy? A conference call to denounce Senator Barack Obama for using the phrase ‘lipstick on a pig’ and a new television ad accusing the Democrat of wanting to teach kindergartners about sex before they learn to read.”
Thomas Friedman, in today's NYTimes, quoting a WaPo Editorial.

This Is Completely Maverick

Ok, it's not maverick,  but it's really gutsy (says she who has and who approves expense accounts):

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business. 

Granted, Palin has spent far less on travel than her predecessor, but she evidently thought something wasn't quite kosher with the above because:

She wrote some form of "Lodging -- own residence" or "Lodging -- Wasilla residence" more than 30 times at the same time she took a per diem, according to the reports. In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem.

She did however, keep the money.  If you cheat on your expense account, you'll cheat at almost anything...