Fox News's Bernard Godlberg says: Palin is out of her league

Israelis for Obama

Who is Sarah Palin?

Sarah Palin Embarrasses herself With Katie Couric

Katie Couric talks with Gov. Sarah Palin about her foreign policy experience and Alaska's proximity to Russia.

Republican columnists unhappy with Sarah Palin

Republican Collumnists unhappy with Sarah Palin, to put it mildly.

In August David Frum writes: Palin the irresponsible choice?

But the selection of Sarah Palin invites the question: How serious can he be if he would place such a neophyte second in line to the presidency? Barack Obama at least balanced his inexperience with Mr. Biden's experience. What is Mr. McCain doing?

In September George Will wrote: Impulse, Meet Experience

But is there any evidence that she has thought about such matters? McCain's selection of her is applied McCainism -- a visceral judgment by one who is confidently righteous. But the viscera are not the seat of wisdom.

Then David Brooks wrote:

She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness

.

After Palin's interview with Charles Gibson followed by her appearance with Katie Couric, Katleen Parker Writes: Palin Problem, Shes Out of her League

Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.

Watch a clip of Palin's interview with Couric and see what you think.

John McCain's ads are LIES. Here's the video proof.

Bonus links: FactCheck.org: McCain-Palin Distorts Our Finding
Those attacks on Palin that we debunked didn't come from Obama.

Sarah Palin Loves earmarks

Bonus link: McCain criticized Wasilla earmarks in 2001 via CNN

Palin billed Alaskan taxpayers for nights she spent at home

The governor charged a per diem allowance meant to cover meals while traveling on state business. Her daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel.

ANCHORAGE -- 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.

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. Her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

This makes her a maverick I guess.
Read more on Palin gets paid for staying home via Los Angeles Times

Sarah Palin, Speaking in tongues

Pastor: GOP may be downplaying Palin's religious beliefs
For more than two decades, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was a practicing Pentecostal.
Gov. Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin asked church members to pray for $30 billion natural gas pipeline in Alaska.

She belonged to the Wasilla Assembly of God church in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. But though she attended the church from her teenage years to 2002, the Alaska governor hasn't talked much about her religion since joining the Republican ticket.

Palin's former pastor, Tim McGraw, says that like many Pentecostal churches, some members speak in tongues, although he says he's never seen Palin do so. Church member Caroline Spangler told CNN, "When the spirit comes on you, you utter things that nobody else can understand ... only God can understand what is coming out of our mouths."

Some Pentecostals from Assembly of God also believe in "faith healing" and the "end times" -- a violent upheaval that they believe will deliver Jesus Christ's second coming.

Read more on Fundamentalist Sarah Palin via CNN
Bonus link: Judge warned Palin in 2005 to back off brother-in-law's job. via CNN

Elect Obama, and Lower your Taxes

Obama and McCain Tax Proposals
According to a new analysis by the Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are both proposing tax plans that would result in cuts for most American families. Obama's plan gives the biggest cuts to those who make the least, while McCain would give the largest cuts to the very wealthy. For the approximately 147,000 families that make up the top 0.1 percent of the income scale, the difference between the two plans is stark. While McCain offers a $269,364 tax cut, Obama would raise their taxes, on average, by $701,885 - a difference of nearly $1 million.

Read the article, Elect Obama, and Lower your Taxes see the chart

Bonus link : How much will you save under Obama's tax plan

Cindy McCain's $300,000 Outfit

One of the persistent memes in the Republican line of attack against Barack Obama is the notion that he is an elitist, whereas the G.O.P. represent real working Americans like Levi “F-in’ Redneck” Johnston.

Laura Bush
Oscar de la Renta suit: $2,500
Stuart Weitzman heels: $325
Pearl stud earrings: $600–$1,500
Total: Between $3,425 and $4,325

Cindy McCain
Oscar de la Renta dress: $3,000
Chanel J12 White Ceramic Watch: $4,500
Three-carat diamond earrings: $280,000
Four-strand pearl necklace: $11,000–$25,000
Shoes, designer unknown: $600
Total: Between $299,100 and $313,100

read more on Cindy McCain's elitist dress via Vanity Fair

Sarah Palin is George Bush in Lipstick

A core Democratic talking point against Sarah Palin is beginning to take shape: she is, critics say, the female counterpart of the current President of the United States, not only in terms of policy and social conservatism, but even personality.

"She's not a pitbull in lipstick," said one female Democratic operative, referencing a line from Palin's convention speech. "She's George Bush in lipstick."

From her hard-right stances on abortion and contraception and the deep affection she engenders from conservative evangelical leaders, to her involvement in a possible "abuse of power" scandal in Alaska and even her charming demeanor, some see in Palin the second coming of the 43rd president.

Read more about George Bush in Lipstick Via Huffington Post

Sarah Palin: For the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it.

She even got the T-shirt.

"I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere," Palin told the cheering McCain crowd, referring to Ketchikan's Gravina Island bridge.

But Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it.

The Alaska governor campaigned in 2006 on a build-the-bridge platform, telling Ketchikan residents she felt their pain when politicians called them "nowhere." They're still feeling pain today in Ketchikan, over Palin's subsequent decision to use the bridge funds for other projects -- and over the timing of her announcement, which they say came in a pre-dawn press release that seemed aimed at national news deadlines.

In September, 2006, Palin showed up in Ketchikan on her gubernatorial campaign and said the bridge was essential for the town's prosperity

"We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative," Palin said.

She eventually did say no to the bridge, but kept the $227 million anyway.

Via Anchorage Daily News

John McCain: Reformed Maverick

Bush/McCain Acceptance speech

Surely, the change John McCain wants to bring to Washington is different than the change George W. Bush wanted to bring

Daily Show : Republicans before and after Palin

Republicans criticizing the treatment of Sarah Palin. It's the same treatment they were giving the Left. OOPS! Jon Stewart has the video

Cindy McCain parts with Palin on abortion, sex ed

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The wife of Republican presidential nominee John McCain doesn't agree with vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's opposition to abortion in cases of rape and incest.

Cindy McCain also parts ways with her husband's running mate on sex education.

Palin opposes abortion and rejects the view that pregnancies caused by rape and incest should be exceptions.

Cindy McCain tells ABC's "Good Morning America" that "I don't agree with that aspect, but I do respect her for her views."

Palin has opposed funding sex-education programs in Alaska.

Cindy McCain tells ABC that she advocated abstinence as a part of sex education at her children's school. "I believe that it's twofold and I think all of it should be taught."

Via Yahoo News

Sarah Palin: What republicans really think

Transcript follows

Chuck Todd: Mike Murphy, lots of free advice, we'll see if Steve Schmidt and the boys were watching. We'll find out on your blackberry. Tonight voters will get their chance to hear from Sarah Palin and she will get the chance to show voters she's the right woman for the job Up next, one man who's already convinced and he'll us why Gov. Jon Huntsman.

(cut away)

Peggy Noonan: Yeah.

Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys -- this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it's not gonna work. And --

PN: It's over.

MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.

CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.

PN: Saw Kay this morning.

CT: Yeah, she's never looked comfortable about this --

MM: They're all bummed out.

CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives --

CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.

MM: I totally agree.

PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.

MM: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.

CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.

MM: Yeah.

Via Talking Points Memo