Sarah Palin's Magical Book Tour

Cheap shot! Demeanng displays by the radical left
such as the editors of Newsweek distract from the real
liabilities Sarah Palin presents that should concern
all Americans who fear where Obama-Nation is
taking us.
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So what message resounds loud and clear from Sarah Palin's big book tour appearing on almost every TV show imaginable that does interviews: Oprah, Barbara Walters, Bill O'Reilly, and anybody short of Charlie Gibson, Katy Couric, or David Letterman -- figures with whom she has outstanding grievances?

Why's everybody always picking on me?

Cry me a river, Alaska girl! Her own words are often her worst enemy as she illustrated being interviewed in Grand Rapids by CBN. Palin asserted,

"These are probably some lonely people, some shallow people who want to take a shot like that and we need to pray for these people for one.."

Trying to make sense of Sarah Palin is like trying to find warmth in the Alaskan winter. To her credit, she really rattles the exact people on the left who need to be rattled. It's unbelievable to watch the obsessive Sarah Palin derangement syndrome in action. The Associated Press assigned eleven reporters to fact check Palin's book. And how many fact checkers did they turn loose on some recent books by prominent Democrats. Al Gore's Inconvient Truth would be a good place to start.

How about the image of Norah O'Donnell from MSNBC attempting to interview Palin loyalists in Grand Rapids desperately trying to invoke editorial comments in her questions?

Give Sarah Palin credit, she's sure good at getting everybody at each other's throats including conservatives.

Bill O'Reilly's interview is the most revealing interview of her yet. O'Reilly has played his roll about as neutral as possible. While to some, Palin may have had all the right answers, her answer showed little reflection and were mostly just fill-in-the-blank responses. She showed a total lack of nuance or perspective.

Beneath the bubbly, friendly "aw shucks" demeanor is a person who appears to see things in very personal terms. That the public admires her folksy ways, "she's one of us," is not a good thing. She almost appeared boastful talking about how she and her husband eloped to get married. Okay, we all did some wilder things when younger, don't we look for some stability and maturity in our leaders?
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The real danger Sarah Palin poses is her uncanny knack to become the issue and thus diverting attention from the crucial issues so important to our nation's well being.
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The timing of Sarah Palin's grand expose couldn't be worse. At the very time the Obama administration decided to try the most dangerous terrorists in Federal Court in New York and the Senate pushes forward the government seizure of medicine, the opposition to these dreadful developments are enthralled in Palin-mania. While Palin gives lip service to numerous conservative positions, she is doing little to foward these issues because the focus is on her -- her relationship with the media, how she deals with her critics, her family situation, and a variety of themes which are becoming a real life soap opera.
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Conservatives and all conscientious citizens have a lot of tough work to do in the months ahead. The business at hand of working to make sure Obama's seizure of the nation's medical system never happens and that his other extremist agenda items likewise must be soundly defeated. That agenda includes vicious weakening of national security and defense no better illustrated that trying the worst terrorist thugs in civilian court. On economic matters, the administration is mounting an all out attack on free enterprise and for profit enterprises through more regulation and taxation. The environmental policies seek more to tie the hands of business having to conform to stifling regulations with huge noncompliance penalties rather than making environmental improvement a profitable enterprise that benefits all.

Sarah Palin is not the leader who can stand up against these outrageous goals of the most dangerous presidency in American history. She is a horrible distraction from moving forward with the nation's business and helping the next generation of Republican and conservative leaders emerge.

We offer Sarah Palin a plush going away present. Please go away.

Remembering Robert Novak: A Voice of His Own

Right Minded Fellow sadly notes the death of Robert Novak, long time Washington political columnist and pundit who provided a compelling conservative voice long before the talk show became the medium for expression. Not only were his column insightful and his opinions sharp, he stood out as a rugged individual, a tough spirit, never afraid to go against the tide of the establishment view in Washington, DC.

Novak’s first big exposure came when he teamed up with Liberal journalist Rowland Evans to create the Evans-Novak Political Report, a six times a week column syndicated to newspapers nationwide. He was originally a Democrat supportive of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, but learning the ways of Washington and seeing the abuses of big government, he became a powerful advocate of limited government and low taxes much more in the Libertarian perspective than that of the conservative Republican outlook. Reflecting this viewpoint, he championed the campaign of Ron Paul for President in 2007.

For many, he was first introduced to them on the Evans/Novak program in the early days of CNN, not as confrontational as Crossfire, as both men had a long established working relationship; it was more like the granddaddy of Hannity and Colmes, two professionals who had lots of positive energy despite their opposing points of view. He was a frequent right-side voice on Crossfire and a regular panelist on The Capital Gang, both landmark programs in the growing cable news industry. Catching Novak’s commentary and observations was one of the few places in nationwide media where a strong conservative voice could be counted on.

Early in his career, a fellow journalist dubbed him as “the Prince of Darkness,” a legacy he’d affectionately carry as an identity. Novak was a truly independent voice never towing any implied conservative party line. He was his own man in recent years who was sharply critical of the conduct of the war in Iran.

Novak became embroiled in the Valerie Plame episode where he revealed her role in the CIA. This revelation led to the makings of a major scandal speculating on who revealed her identity to Novak. The Washington left-wing media and Democrats were screaming for blood sensing Karl Rove could be brought down in the process. It yielded the neck of Vice President Chaney’s Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby who got caught in a perjury trap under very aggressive prosecution. For all the intensity of this scandal, it sure petered out unceremoniously when the real source of the leak, Richard Armitage. While the whole incident was one blown way out of proportion, it did have the effect of tangling up the Bush White House in devoting tremendous resources to defend itself against the all out press of its critics attempting to implicate everyone in the White House food chain. All the while, Novak stood his ground professionally and maintained his journalistic stance refusing to name sources.

Palin Post Mortem: It's All Over but the Shouting

Sarah Palin hits the road, finally

but isn't shouting Sarah Palin's one stock in trade?

Sarah Palin: It’s Over

Yesterday, amidst much politicking and hoopla, Sarah Palin handed over her position as Alaskan governor to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell. Her final ceremony was a good old fashioned, campaign rally fundraising style picnic, an opportunity for the ex-Alaskan Governor and former Vice President Nominee to level some parting shots and engage in lots of self-congratulation.

The focus of her remarks was certainly timely admonishing her audience to beware of big government. With a true sense of self-importance she told the crowd, "With this decision, now, I will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right, and for truth. And I have never felt that you need a title to do that.."

And there in lies the big self-deception, while she may not need a title, the only title that qualifies her to look beyond is holding the governor’s office in Alaska for only 2 ½ years. While she would argue Alaska, given it’s unique geography, its massive size and not bordering on any other states, presents some unique challenges, it is also one of the nation’s smallest states in overall population with only North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming having fewer citizens. Alaska does not have many of the typical kinds of problems that help define major national issues. The Alaskan economy is more dominated by a single industry, oil, than any other state depends on a single source for its economic health. With Anchorage as its largest population center with 279,243 municipal residents in 2008, and 359,180 residents within the Metropolitan Statistical Area, few of the issues surrounding urban and major metropolitan areas impact the state’s political situation.

Add it up, Ms. Palin’s experience amounts to nothing and her lack of experience is now further enhanced by witnessing how lack of experience is one of many factors that is making the Obama administration such a dangerous disaster.

For the Republicans to offer America a good alternative to the incompetence, inexperience, and radical ideology of the Obama administration, they must field a candidate with significant experience who has proven the ability to get results, not just give red meat speeches that appeal to some factions of the Republican base. Sarah Palin is a superb role model for the anti-abortion constituency given her personal decisions and her daughter’s, but this is not the issue that will rally moderate voters, attract independents or alienated Democrats. While Sarah Palin can address issues such as health care and economic reform, she does so only as a commentator not someone who has the depth of knowledge or experience to manage efforts to deal with such efforts.

The bottom line is America has already seen her upsides and they simply are not going to be enough to sustain her. Poll results show her popularity slipping. She’s still strong with the so-called Republican base, but her appeal is sliding away elsewhere with unfavorable ratings rising into very dangerous territory. In a Washington Post/ABC poll, her overall favorability has fallen from 58% to 40% with a 28 point drop-off from Moderates and noteworthy 16 point reduction among conservatives. Worse, her overall negative rating is up to 53% with 40% still seeing her positively.

Perceptions about her being a quitter, unable or unwilling to take the heat, and her lack of experience are getting louder and louder regardless of how many conservative commentators and handful of Republicans defend her. Her defense is not coming from Republicans currently holding office.

Right now, Sarah Palin has little problem getting media exposure. Tune in Fox news for more than a couple hours and count how much talk she gets. It’s quite substantial and questions about her are directed to most major conservative and Republican figures. However, how long will this last?

Being a governor, gave her an anchor, a position from which she had potential credibility, Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska. From this point forward, she is “Former one term Governor who resigned having completed only 2 ½ years.” While she still might have some value as a fund raising speaker, talk alone won’t make her relevant, and she has given up the one platform she had to gain experience and gather accomplishments.

She guards her public appearances carefully fearful to face the national media which has been highly critical of her, but any candidate seeking leadership in the Republican ranks must come to terms with the media and show tact and toughness in interviews and Sunday morning talk show exchanges. Appearing on conservative talk shows and Fox news and speaking before obviously sympathetic audiences which provide instant good photo ops will never build bridges to any audience she needs to reach to gain wider appeal.

The longer we see her in action, the most dominant impressions are her shrillness, lack of substance, self-pity, and quickness to dwell on blaming others for her problems rather than having strong positions and a unifying message to rise above the rabble.

The 2012 Presidential election is still a long ways off. By the time the primary season heats up, Sarah Palin will be yesterday’s news. She might be hosting a talk show somewhere or write a column for some conservative action group. She will not be drawing crowds or taken seriously as a contender. She is rapidly losing her ability to serve as a draw to help Republican candidates in the 2010 midterm election. This election will be decided on specific issues and fear of what the radical overhaul of American society the Obama administration has so rapidly attempted to heave upon us is destroying the country. The economy will be front and center. How is Sarah Palin uniquely qualified to raise consciousness on these issues?

Sadly for her sake, all she can do is make a lot more noise and that noise is becoming more and more irrelevant and cacophonous with each passing day. Her pages in the history book are all but written. She will be relegated as a unique curiosity, that someone from Alaska, largely considered outside the political mainstream, would be the Republican’s first female candidate for national office.

Conservatives and Republicans Need to Wake Up About Sarah Palin's Substantial Limitations

It’s hot in the kitchen and Sarah Palin couldn’t handle the heat. What she still refuses to be able to comprehend, what smelled burning wasn’t anyone else’s problem, it was her own rear end ablaze.

Does America need more reminding Sarah Palin is a waste of time and her decision to resign from the Alaska’s governorship reveals her unpreparedness for higher political office considering she is still serving in her first term as governor slightly longer than half of one term, the one and only source she has for credentials for higher office? Her inexperience is further enhanced by the high price America is paying for electing Barack Obama, a first term, largely absentee senator from Illinois. Between his radical left ideology and dreadfully inadequate experience, the United States continues to pay a terrible price for endorsing a “change we can believe in.” With Sarah Palin, the country would certainly gain a person with much more acceptable values and beliefs than President Obama, but operating out of a largely rural, bucolic state, Alaska, the third lowest in population, how can anyone suggest Palin comes close to acceptable experience for high office.

It’s time for Republicans and conservatives to take a step back. We have had our cages rattled and come rushing to Sarah Palin’s defense for good reason as the attacks on her personal life and character have reached a horrible low in the pop-media culture and some Democrats. From another point of view, is anyone surprised she would be savaged in such a horrible manner? President Gerald Ford, a former athletic standout was ridiculed as a bumbling klutz during his tenure. From early on, the same media attempted to portray Ronald Reagan as too old and possibly senile to be President, a characterization that Reagan wisely pushed aside during a debate with challenger, Walter Mondale, assuring America, he would not hold the former Vice President’s youthful inexperience against him. With each passing decade, the left-wing attack dog media gets more vicious and fictitious in their character assassination techniques. President George W. Bush was cast as a totally ignorant fool capable of only being able to attempt to satisfy the whims of his handlers while Vice President Dick Chaney was cast as the archetypal fascist right wing dictator, a cruel and calculating tyrant.

Did anyone think Sarah Palin would be treated differently? Being an energetic, relatively young woman, with lots of Alaskan lifestyle interest that make her little more than a warped modern day Annie Oakley with lots of other red meat issues ready for the shredding once stepping onto the national stage. No issue is more fearful to the left than anti-abortion, pro-life positions to where many insist that abortion is as absolute right up to the point of delivery of a fully developed baby. It’s one thing to talk the anti-abortion talk, but Ms. Palin gave birth to a special needs child and provided for her teenage daughter to complete her pregnancy with both parents being mere teenagers.

The attack would be harsh and persistent. Would anyone expect otherwise? The extent to which it was personalized and aimed at false accusations and hateful character attacks was astonishingly cruel and contemptuous.

What Sarah Palin failed to do is separate herself from her critics being able to respond in a firm, honest manner, dismiss the attacks and get on to her campaigns and causes. So much of her camera time got reduced to addressing the latest wisecrack from a late night comic or scathing attack from a major liberal newspaper’s columnists. Most of the fervor generated from them was just the typical treatment pointed at all those who don’t embrace radical secular humanism. David Letterman’s sicko remarks not withstanding about her daughter being knocked up by Alex Rodriguez and characterization as having a slutty flight attendant appearance, these sources hit her with what should have been foreseen. We’ve commented on the “gotcha” Charlie Gibson pulled about the Bush Doctrine which viewers aware of media currents would have understood and a sharp politician should have been able to address simply by saying, “I’m not aware of anything the President has addressed as his doctrine. Could you address what policies of his you’d like me to address?” Sarah Palin was caught off guard. Was Katy Couric supposed to serve her up a fluff ball interview? Hardly, Couric’s interview was what it should have been, tough and difficult. She surely wasn’t trying to cross up Ms. Palin. Quickly Sarah Palin was on defense whining about being kicked too hard. Welcome to real politics in the lower 48. It’s bad enough she wasted so much camera time on crying about her harsh treatment, but the conservative media, most of the Fox news pundits, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, and others ran in like big brothers protecting their threatened baby sister. During these episodes, Palin lost valuable time to advance her causes while her allies were stuck defending her not providing the much needed criticism of Obama.

What transpired in the blogosphere and gossip press was an entirely different matter. Their attacks on Sarah Palin were vile, slanderous, and hateful with no regard for the truth or human character. The wise candidate handles refuting such abuse by spokesmen and staffers. Palin seemed to have trouble distinguishing between legitimate though biased journalism and the slime media. However, on closer reflection, Ms. Palin was confused by a lot of things.

Now that she’s quit, did anyone expect David Letterman to remain quiet? Should anyone be surprised a Washington Post columnist, Sally Quinn, would criticize her demonstrably? While many would refute Quinn’s arguments, they certainly are legitimate topics for discussion in assessing Palin’s character and leadership ability.

Sarah Palin does not understand the most fundamental rule about bullies and predators. Showing anger, fear, and resentment toward such adversaries only gets them more fueled up and ready to attack. The nicest dog can go into attack mode toward a creature or person that is afraid of dogs. The world of Sarah Palin is a cluttered mess of kind-hearted conservative supporters banging into each other to stand up for their embattled leader. That this kind of chaos exists and Sarah Palin can’t detach herself successfully from her critics shows a more alarming aspect of her qualifications for higher office – she simply does not possess the maturity or strength of character to create a believable image of her as a capable leader for all the people beyond the Republicans and Conservatives who are members of the choir for whom she is so greatly admired.

The more one identifies leadership abilities and effectiveness defining issues. The more we see Sarah Palin perform, the more her weaknesses suggest she doesn’t have the character or personal qualities required for leadership. Serving more time as governor of Alaska won’t address those issues. If it’s not there to be cultivated, where can it come from and be developed.

We’re watching and waiting for evidence to suggest otherwise, but we will not allow this to be a distraction uniting behind those who are truly capable warriors to overthrow the Obama-Nation.

233 Years Ago, They Knew, but What Have We Forgotten?

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Here it is America. Read it and weap. This is the very essence, the definition why we exist as a nation. Silently, one measure at a time, we are being robbed of what Thomas Jefferson envisioned . If "cap and trade" isn't taxation without representation, what is? Who are all the Czars in the White House and what are they mandating without being empowered by the populace?

From zero tolerance in our schools to zero common sense on Capitol Hill, it's time for every American to wake up, rise up, speak up, and stand up.

233 years ago, Thomas Jefferson and some brave patriots understood. Every citizen must read this sacred test at least once a year...

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

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He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
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He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

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He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

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He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

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He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

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He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
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He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

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He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
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He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
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He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
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He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
-For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

-For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
-For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
-For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
-For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
-For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
-For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
-For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
-He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
-He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

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He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock
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New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Paul Harvey -- A Fond "Good Day"

Paul Harvey died today at the age of 90 still doing his famous radio work to the fullest extent possible. His passing is a true loss that I shall reflect on personally because Paul Harvey has been a part of my life as long as I can remember as a kid born in 1953.

My Grandfather came from Michigan, a good old Michigan Republican and American history buff who took great joy in sharing his love of American history traveling east to visit his grandchildren in Baltimore's northern suburbs, an easy day trip away from all kinds of famous historical sites from colonial days, the Revolution, and the Civil War. Grandpa was keen on certain programs. He'd faithfully watch "Meet the Press" every Sunday morning, and would tune in Paul Harvey for his daily "Paul Harvey: News and Comments" and of course, "The Rest of the Story."

Who could not recognize Paul Harvey instantly with his rural-American wholesome voice, his awkward pregnant pauses, his sense of restrained enthusiasm, and the sound of pages of paper flipping beneath his microphone. Who didn't hear his broadcast and not wind up doing their own impressions of his signature closing line, "Good day!"

I was held spellbound by his "Rest of the Story" segments. He was the ultimate storyteller laying out some fascinating, almost anecdotal, narrative on some famous figure that was never part of the official historical record of those figures. I'd always try to guess who was the subject of his tale anxiously anticipating.... that it was...... he'd name the person.....and now you know....THE REST OF THE STORY!......Good DAY!!!

My grandfather died in 1974 when I was in college. For many years, I'd love listening to Paul Harvey when I could find his program on the radio dial. Listening to his "Rest of the Story" was almost like spending time with my grandfather who probably did more to kindle my passion for American history than anybody. Listening to Mr. Harvey tell his tale had the same soothing magic as my grandfather's company had years ago.

There was Paul Harvey long before Rush Limbaugh and his apostles. He was a conservative voice with a fervent passion but always a sense of decency. Finally, in 2005, he was granted the Presidential Media of Freedom. A long list of noteworthy conservatives and Republicans have served as substitutes for this American legend including Tony Snow, Fred Thompson (who will host the "Radio Factor" since Bill O'Reilly decided to dedicate his work only on his television program), Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney. Some would criticize Harvey for how seemlessly he'd transition from his news and commentary right into advertizing. One should find no irony in the one publication that really slammed him was Salon, a mouthpiece for the left-wing Hollywood crowd who are so full of their warped ideology and disrespect for America, they'd never understand the simple elegance of this great American legend.

In later years, Harvey's health was failing but his dedication to radio soldiered on. He frequently referred to his wife he called Angel, who was his producer, and was the first producer inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. On May 17, 2007, he sadly announced to his radio audience that Angel was stricken with leukemia. She died almost a year later on May 3, 2008, her death announced in his absence as he was standing by his wife of 68 years.

In 1940, an aspiring young man working his way up in radio married his angel, Lynn Harvey. In a twist of convention, he would take his wife's last name as his professional name. The man millions of patriotic traditional Americans knew as Paul Harvey, was really Paul Aurandt.

With apologies to the craft of this wonderful man, now you know.....the rest of the story. Good DAY!!!

If the GOP Thinks Palin is the Answer, What's the Question?

Say it isn’t so! It’s hard to watch any news channel recently without Sarah Palin getting some coverage.

Why?

If she had something to say, that would be one thing, but most of it consists of a lot of whining about how horribly she was treated during her candidacy for Vice President. There’s no question some press coverage, especially in the entertainment and tabloid media, was vicious, false, and totally uncalled for. The rumors about her son, her daughter’s pregnancy and other vulgar insinuations were completely out-of-bounds and it is appalling the extent to which the mainstream media tolerated it.

Does Ms. Palin have a grievance? Of course she does, but how she handles it also matters for it reflects whether or not she has the right chemistry to be an effective leader.

An effective leader needs to know how to stay above the fray and to recognize what the fray is and what sources of conflict require engagement. While it would have been appropriate for her to acknowledge that some media coverage was very hurtful for her family and her to endure, she needed to say a few words and then move past it not to dwell on it. A good piece of wisdom is, “Never argue with an idiot. They’ll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience every time.”

The true story of Sarah Palin is that she lacked the maturity, experience, and intellect to deal with the legitimate media altogether and she made herself look ridiculous not the interviewers who she feels were too harsh on her. Katy Couric is capable of being much tougher than she was with Ms. Palin. In fact, on balance, as biased as the media was favoring the Obama campaign, they weren’t particularly nasty with Ms. Palin. If she had anything important to say, she would have gotten some measure of coverage. The only really idiotic question asked of her was her opinion of the “Bush Doctrine.” The so-called Bush Doctrine was the construction of the elite Washington Media, the kinds of chatterers who dominate the Sunday morning news programs that evolved to mean different things as President Bush’s foreign policy objectives changed over time. President Bush never identified anything as specifically being his doctrine of foreign policy, middle east engagement or anything like that. Ms. Palin’s fumbling with that concept only showed that she did not tune in to the “inside the Beltway” chit-chat which is its own world with its own language. Quite possibly, a good measure of her appeal was that she was not a part of that world, but it was also one of her weaknesses.

The more one hears Sarah Palin, the more one-dimensional and totally unsuited for higher office she becomes. Yes, she seems to be a good person though obviously pretty full of herself. It was surely a moral and brave decision to continue her pregnancy when she knew her child would have Downs’ Syndrome. She is a good roll model for post-feminist America where family responsibilities can be restructured by mutual agreement of both spouses so the necessary family duties are fulfilled but both spouses are free to pursue their lives, personally and professionally, to its fullest.

What Sarah Palin lacks, besides experience, is intellect. The more she is interviewed, the more she reveals there is not much of a deliberative process at work. She’s good with some facts and figures, but to analyze and synthesize the broader picture and to see things in a meaningful context is beyond her intellectual grasp. She is a high energy person who works very hard, but in the great beehive of political activity, she is much more the worker bee not the queen bee.

Why does she give the impression that she is owed some higher honors as some kind of entitlement as a result of how she was wronged during the 2008 election?

Make no mistake about it, the McCain organization handled her poorly. They had no sense of how to maximize her good qualities and reduce her negatives, but what else is new? The McCain campaign was one of the biggest political disasters in Post World War Two politics. What is really remarkable is that he didn’t lose by a much wider margin as the campaign never established a unifying message and refused to play hardball in an effective manner on the myriad of conspicuous liabilities that made Barack Obama totally unsuited to be President of the United States. They refused to deal with the Jeremiah Wright fiasco and only brought in the issue of Bill Ayers after the media more or less forced it one them. They never had anything compelling to say about Obama’s lack of experience and horrible extreme left wing influences and associates.

Against this backdrop of an incompetent organization, and quite likely, the Palin appointment was yet another manifestation of this incompetence, defining Sarah Palin as one heart beat away from the President became a difficult task. As only a recently elected governor of Alaska having little long term political grooming, they absolutely obliterated their biggest advantage against Obama: experience. Sure, the comparison of the Presidential candidate to the Vice Presidential Candidate is not a direct correlation. However, did the voters not have in the back of their minds that John McCain was the oldest man ever to run for President and had previously been stricken with cancer?

Rightly or wrongly, it was easier to think of Palin being a Vice President who’d have a much greater chance of becoming President than Obama’s veep selection, or the Presidencies of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, or George H.W. Bush for whom age could not be made an issue.

To think of Buffy the Moose Killer as Madame President is a horrifying thought. Her casual language of never pronouncing an “ing” along with all the “didja’s, won’t cha’s, and gonna’s” surely made her seem lacking in any kind of prep school or collegiate grooming expected of the managerial class. Yet she never had the gravitas and character to be a modern day folk hero who could get away with it.

Even conservative commentators pointed out her total lack of intellectual curiosity. She’s not a person who has any sense of nuance or subtly. She lives in a world of clear, literal answers, yes and no questions, and crudely defined, intellectually detached notions of right and wrong.

So now she has thrust upon us “Sarah PAC,” the typical first move of someone wanting to run for the big prize, the Presidency. She’s making the rounds as if she is the new face of the Republican Party, and unless the GOP can come up with some new faces, she will win that honor by default. Clearly, John McCain, by losing the election and being so quick to ally with Democrats on the Senate floor cannot claim that honor. There are plenty of Republicans who have scores to settle with the Arizona Senator for not supporting them in their fall election campaigns under his false hope along with Sarah Palin who played into the same mantra to be more of an independent candidate.

Give Sarah Palin credit for being a hard worker, but the more we see her, the less we like her as her limitations become more and more apparent with each engagement. From her nomination until election day, what we did not see was any evidence of growth on the campaign trail. Her greatest performance was her convention speech. The best she had to offer hence was essentially mini-encores of that speech. She has a lot of learning to do and needs to amass some very serious experience if she is to have any hopes of being a Presidential candidate or even a good Vice Presidential candidate. Hard work and experience will only get someone so far if the person in question lacks the true intellect and judgment to be an effective leader in the first place. Clearly, Ms. Palin lacks the depth and gravitas to be taken seriously.


In her own words:

On “Roe b. Wade”

"Well, let's see. There's ― of course in the great history of America there have been rulings that there's never going to be absolute consensus by every American, and there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So, you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but ―"

October 1, 2008: Interview with Katy Couric

On the Vice President’s Role in the Senate, Badly Mistaken

"[T]hey're in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom."

October 21, 2008, KUSA, Denver, Colorado, TV interview

Okay, This was a long time ago, but… (DUH!!!!)

"I don't believe in interracial relationships, I was born in Idaho and raised to believe
that whites and blacks shouldn't mix or date each other"

(1986)


Were There Dinosaurs in Alaska?

"I want creationism as the only theory taught in our schools"
(2001)

Yeow, What is Her Middle Name?

"He can say he is a Christian but as far as I'm concerned, Obama is a Muslim, look at
his middle name"

(2007)

Hmm, Has She Ever Looked at a World Map?

“They are also building schools for the Afghan children so that there is hope and opportunity in our neighboring country of Afghanistan.”

Fundraiser, San Francisco, October 5, 2008.

Would "Universal Eye Care" Help the Blinking Problem?

“I answered him yes because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can’t blink, you have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission, the mission that we’re on, reform of this country and victory in the war, you can’t blink.”

ABC interview September 2008.

Omnipotent Mayor?

“I'm the mayor, I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can't.”

As quoted Former City Council Member Nick Carney in response to his questioning her on the lavish renovation of the Wasilla mayor’s office.

Keen Insight on Foreign Affairs

“I don't know a lot about Iran, I just heard that they are bad people"

(2006)

Michael Savage: Autism and the Big Lie

Michael Savage, Autism and the Big Lie: “There is no definitive medical diagnosis for autism. None.”


Right Minded Fellow has no use for Michael Savage. Savage is unquestionably one of the most controversial and dangerous figures blabbing over the airwaves today. Conservative talk show hosts, including Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, with no expertise in child psychology have frequently made assertions about the extent to which children are being medicated for various different behavioral issues suggesting that drugs have become a substitute for proper discipline in schools and the home making sweeping claims about the nature of adolescent behavioral and learning difficulties offering nothing more than anecdotes and opinion to establish their platform.

Are schools quick to recommend parents go to pill doctors simply because the modern secular politically-correct school with inconsistent and ridiculous behavior policies cannot tolerate behavior that is little more than boys guilty of nothing more than being boys? ABSOLUTELY.

The failure of public education to effectively guide student behavior is a topic for another day.

To frame this conversation let’s first establish something in clear black and white, though Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have used their status inappropriately spreading false assumptions on the appropriate use of psychotropic drugs for specific medical conditions that affect behavior, the extent to which they use their pulpit inappropriately is mild compared to Michael Savage’s extremism. Limbaugh and Hannity are quite articulate spokesmen on numerous conservative issues generally supporting their contentions with demonstrable fact. They are completely out of their element discussing child and adolescent psychology. Michael Savage on the other hand, is a dangerous demagogue who lives on exploiting the fears, prejudice, and ignorance of his audience. Though his starting point might often be mainstream conservative issues, where he takes his rhetoric is a hateful place.

Let’s let Savage’s own words show how extreme and his malicious outlook on autism, a severe affliction affecting thousands of children creating tremendous hardship and heartbreaking difficulties for their families, truly are. Sadly, the public is horribly uneducated on this unfortunate misery which affects perhaps more than one child out of 150. Even allowing for degrees of severity, this is a somber reality requiring thoughtful, clear-headed thinking not vile bigoted assertions.

Here are some of the outrageous comments from Michael Savage’s radio broadcast from Wednesday, July 16.

“Now the illness du jour is autism,”…. “You know what autism is? I’ll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out. That’s what autism is.”

“What do you mean they scream and they’re silent?” … “They don’t have a father around to tell them, ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’ ”

As if being totally off-base on autism, Savage further shows his mean-spirited bigotry trying to associate autistic behavior with problems from single parent fatherless homes. Stereotyping family situations further confuses the issue. How would Mr. Savage account for the thousands of cases from two parent houses? What about autistic kids whose parents are the people of faith who live inspired and motivated by their faith and conviction? There are plenty of strict loving fathers who struggle to provide for families ravaged with the day-to-day misery of finding appropriate treatment for their autistic children.

How many parents of autistic children has Mr. Savage interviewed to develop his conclusions? Raising an autistic child can be pure frustration and hell. Parents of such children have had to put all pretenses of a normal life on hold to work with their children and fighting the system which is often ill-prepared to help them deal with their children’s difficulties.

"It is the falsely diagnosed, the misdiagnosed and the outright fakers who want the benefits, who must be found out and must be turned out, so that the money can go to the truly needy in this particular field…"

In this quote, Savage resorts to his typical bully technique of unfounded accusations with no specifics to back his ridiculous claim. For an issue as widely studied causing tremendous disruption and misery in many American families exactly who are the “outright fakers?” Oh they must be “found out?” Where’s the evidentiary trail? This smacks of the kind of sensationalist garbage that is routine fare for the so-called “Savage Nation.”

“What do you mean they scream and they’re silent? They don’t have a father around to tell them don’t act like a moron, you’ll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up! Act like a man! Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’”

As if the above statements are not enough to turn one’s stomach, eventually most demagogues go for the big lie:

“There is no definitive medical diagnosis for autism. None.”

Michael Savage would have to be living under a rock to make this assertion. World renowned psychiatrist and physician, the late Dr. Leo Kanner began his explorations in to child psychology in the 1930’s at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Known at the father of child psychiatry, Kanner published the primary work, “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact,” (1943), identifying autism which set forth the framework and study of the disease moving forward. Kanner would continue his pioneering work through the 1950’s until his retirement in 1959. Since Dr. Kanner’s authoritative work, much study has been conducted worldwide on all aspects of this troubling disorder.

Sticking to his guns after significant pressure from the outraged public, Savage tries to weasel around his comments by saying:

“My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as "autistic."

Pitiful, Michael Savage is accountable for his vicious lies for the children and families who deal with the intense challenges of autism every day. Further, Savage has cruelly disparaged the efforts of thousands of professionals, doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, social workers, and school based personnel who have put tremendous effort and heart in their profession to help children suffering a vexing and terrible disability where compassion and understanding is sadly lacking.

That hate-talker Michael Savage would serve to enhance wretch stereotypes, vicious prejudices, and demonstrably false claims about autism, more than one out of 150 children, is deplorable conduct that has no place on our nation’s airwaves. This is a far more serious issue than the Don Imus "ho" low blow that created a national outrage. Savage proclaims to be knowledgeable about a situation he shows totally ignorance about. Misguided free-speech advocates might see ridding the airwaves of Savage's blather as a matter of censorship. It is not. Radio stations pay entertainers to provide a commercially viable product suitable for the tastes and sensibilities (or lack of) of the radio audience.

Carrying Michael Savage might draw significant ratings in some markets where prejudiced and insecure listeners find justification for their lack of education and sophistication championed by hate-mongers like Savage. To what extreme will radio station programmers go to rack up ratings by appealing to the worst qualities in their listening audiences? Advertisers and responsible members of the broadcasting profession are hereby called upon to withdraw their support of the Savage Nation and provide for more responsible thought provoking talk radio.

The government could have an answer for programs like Michael Savage, the "Fairness Doctrine." What could play into the hands of the radical left in Congress seeking to muzzle traditional conservative expression than holding up hate mongers like Michael Savage as their prime example why government censorship of the airwaves could be justified. Sadly, such action would not pick off just the rogue broadcasters like Savage but quality programming like Laura Ingraham, Larry Elder, Neil Bortz, and many others could be casualties as well.

Radio stations must be responsible for providing honest, thought provoking programs regardless of where their ideas fall on the left-right continuum. Ignorant flame-throwers viciously stereotyping mentally disabled children and their family situations serves no positive purpose at all.