Stumpin’ for Democrats? Say it isn’t so, Sarah

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she plans to return to the national political stage — stumping for conservative issues and even Democrats – giving a brief glimpse into her plans just a week after abruptly announcing her departure from the governor’s post.

“I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation,” she said

“People are so tired of the partisan stuff –  even my own son is not a Republican,” said the 45-year-old Palin, who stunned the political world earlier this month with her decision to step down as governor July 26 with 18 months remaining in her term.

She has made no secret of the fact that both her son, Track, 20, an enlisted soldier serving in Iraq, and her husband, Todd, are registered as “nonpartisan” in Alaska.

Palin confirmed signing a book contract — rumored to be $6 million or more. She declined to discuss other employment prospects, including becoming a television commentator, according to a fascinating three page report in the Washington Times.

BHO lectures Russians: “States must have the right to borders that are secure”

The UK’s Telegraph reports on President Barack Obama’s speech to students at the New Economic School in Russia. Oddly, he lays out for them what he and his Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, refuse to institute for the United States of America — the right to sovereign, enforceable, national borders.

“State sovereignty must be a cornerstone of international order,” said Obama. “Just as all states should have the right to choose their leaders, states must have the right to borders that are secure, and to their own foreign policies.”

Then came his obligatory apology for America and the requisite ethnic references.

“By no means is America perfect,” Obama informed the Russian students. “Independent media have exposed corruption at all levels of business and government. Competitive elections allow us to change course. If our democracy did not advance those rights, I as a person of African ancestry wouldn’t be able to address you as an American citizen, much less a president.”

“Little Shop of Horrors” brought McCain votes

Todd S. Purdum has written a particularly scathing article about Gov. Sarah Palin in the August issue of Vanity Fair magazine. In the lengthy piece, It Came from Wasilla, the author low-rides on anonymous sources from within the former McCain presidential campaign, who unload on the onetime Republican Vice Presidential running mate.

In view of the fact that many credit Sarah Palin with returning recalcitrant Republicans to the fold and bringing their much needed votes with them, Purdum’s absurd slam lacks resonance.  Living in Washington. D.C., he might have missed seeing the numerous bumper stickers on cars driving around McCain’s home state of Arizona that had pointedly cut the name ‘McCain’ off.

The Alaska governor, whom Purdum refers to as the “first indisputably fertile female to dare to dance with the big dogs,” came onboard at the request of Sen. John McCain, who was looking to expand his base and recoup the woman’s vote, which had been steadily slipping from his grasp.

It’s worth remembering that Purdum, the magazine’s national editor, is married to Vanity Fair contributing editor, Dee Dee Myers, a committed liberal who was Bill Clinton’s White House Press Secretary — clearly exposing this venture as an all-in-the-family, left-leaning gambit.

Strange bedfellows: The Republic becomes apologist for Jeff Flake

In an editorial today, A dad’s tough call on historic vote, Doug MacEachern, struggles to give cover to Congressman Jeff Flake. MacEachern does his best to explain away Flake’s absence from the crucial vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act – better known as the Cap-and-Trade bill, intended to restrict carbon emissions by imposition of exorbitant penalties against the U.S. which other nations are able to skirt.

The bill passed by a slim margin, 219-212. The legislation is often called “historic” since its effects are far reaching and disastrous to American manufacturing.

Juxtapose the immense proportions of that against the fact that Flake’s 18-year-old daughter Alexis, was a contestant in a beauty pageant in Mobile, Alabama.  Flake opted to attend the pageant, although the contest finals were not held until the weekend. He attempted to put a fatherly face on his egregious action, writing on his site: “I’ve let my daughter down enough over the years, and I felt I just couldn’t let her down again.”

It might have been a good opportunity to teach young Alexis a lesson about the seriousness of responsibility — while still showing up for the main event.

The vote was on the most sweeping environmental bill in U.S. history — an expansive measure that aims to undercut American industry by placing severe restrictions on carbon-emitting fuels which liberals blame for the questionable science of global warming. China, our largest debtor nation, and India, among a host of other countries, have no such restrictions, allowing them to further hamstring the United States in the competitive global marketplace.

The final vote total is here. 

As we noted on Friday, syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin lists the eight turncoat Republicans and calls out the two Republicans who weren’t available to vote: Arizona’s own Jeff Flake and John Sullivan of Okalahoma, who is undergoing alcohol rehab. Dem. Rep. Patrick Kennedy was pulled out of rehab to cast his vote.

More news than we want. It’s time to step down, Mark

 Admitting he lied about his lies, he wants to feed us the same load of horse pucky he tried to serve up to his wife.  She apparently isn’t buying and neither are we. And the people of South Carolina, who deserve better than the abandonment and spectacle in which Gov. Mark Sanford appears to be reveling, should show this fool and his stories of  “sparking” and “crossing the line…but never the ultimate line,” (with anyone but his Argentine girlfriend, Maria) – the door.

His wife, Jenny said that he actually asked her several times to visit the mistress and she refused.

Good for her.

The Post and Courier carries the update to this pathetic saga.

It’s true: Jacko was a weirdo

Death is final and brings sadness.  But the insane hoopla over the recent death of Michael Jackson is indicative of the swoon-mentality and pathos of group mourning that took root with the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales and continues with this veneration of the strangest man to reach the heights of stardom and depths of perversity.

Michael Jackson should be remembered as the cute kid who was part of the Jackson Five in the late 1960’s, later going solo and becoming a dominant figure in popular music.  Instead, his eccentricities, millions in payoffs to accusers of pedophilia, and bizarre plastic surgeries resulting in a grotesque mask of a face, take center stage.  He will be remembered for dangling one of his oddly conceived children named “Blanket” over a balcony and surrounding himself with bodyguards from anti-white, racist and anti-Semitic, Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam.

Michael Jackson became a parody on a path of self-destruction.  He was to be pitied as an effeminate man/child. To remake this creepy eccentric into an icon defies logic.

Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson.

Ah, the joys of belonging to a teacher’s union

Approximately 700 New York City public school teachers accused of offenses ranging from insubordination to sexual misconduct are being paid their full salaries of $70,000 or more, to sit around all day playing Scrabble, surfing the Internet or just staring at the wall, if that’s what they want to do. They practice yoga, work on their novels, paint portraits of their colleagues — pretty much anything but school work. They also have summer vacation just like their classroom colleagues and enjoy weekends and holidays through the school year.

Because their union contract makes it extremely difficult to fire them, the teachers have been banished by the school system to its “rubber rooms” — off-campus office space where they wait months, even years, for their disciplinary hearings, ABC News reports.

The city Department of Education estimates the practice costs the taxpayers $65 million a year to pay full salaries to these non-working teachers. The department blames union rules.

“It is extremely difficult to fire a tenured teacher because of the protections afforded to them in their contract,” according to a spokeswoman.

But New York isn’t alone. The Los Angeles and Chicago districts, also bound by unions, employ the same paid banishment.

“But only I’m the President of the United States”

The press corps laughs as Barack Obama entertains. Remember when President George W. Bush was mocked for saying “I’m the decider.”

POLITICO notes the startling omissions during Obama’s press conference. Among the surprising words missing from President Barack Obama’s 55-minute news conference: “Iraq,” and “Afghanistan.”  Also MIA: “Korea,” “Pakistan,” “soldiers,” “surge” and “war” — as well as the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

The omissions were partly a result of the short attention span of the press, which did not ask about those topics after the president did not mention them in his opening statement, they write.

The omissions can also be attributable to the fact that the MSM are Obama’s willing and gleeful lapdogs, even in view of the critical issues facing the world and the impact they portend for the United States, as Korea threatens missiles at Hawaii and Iran erupts after questionable elections with demonstrators killed for protesting against what are considered flawed results.

Really, Senator?

Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday, Sen. John McCain said his opponent in last year’s presidential campaign, Barack Obama, has “done well” in his first five months in the White House.

The Arizona Republican says that using a legislative scorecard to judge the presidency so far, Obama has achieved all his legislative goals.

On the down side, McCain says that Obama’s successes in Congress have come with little or no Republican support.

We would hope that would be the case, Senator.  Obama is quickly attempting to socialize the United States of America.  There are still some Republicans who do not revel in being “bi-partisan mavericks,” and actually stand for conservative principles.

McCain criticized Obama for setting a date for closing the detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay without first developing a comprehensive plan for what to do with its prisoners.

And, Arizona’s senior senator did concede Obama should “speak out more” in support of protesters in Iran, myway news reports.

“The Prez” and the Hawk

Remember when the White House and the executive office buildings were places of decorum? Remember when the President of the United States regarded the Constitution with respect and our capitalistic-based economy and  representative Republic  were the envy of the world?

With the current occupants ensconced at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, those days are gone. Now, the cool dude who has access to the Oval Office ensured skateboarder Tony Hawk was given official permission to skateboard through the White House grand foyer and the hall of the Old Executive Office Building.

Hawk, who Twittered of his exploits, joined other dads, athletes and celebrities at a Father’s Day forum hosted by President Barack Obama. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay helped man the barbecue grills for a White House picnic for the attendees, which included NBA players Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Etan Thomas of the Washington Wizards.

“The Prez addressing all of us fathers before we split up to visit DC charities,” Hawk twittered. “D Wade & Etan T make me feel short.”

 (H/T to Yahoo News.)