Sunday News Digest -- "Unbelievable!"

By Carol Gee

(yoyo photo)

The country is getting back to political normalcy, now that the Democratic and Republican conventioneers are going home. It has been unbelievably crazy, according to my blog friends. Two of them send me good stuff that I just need to share, regarding a number of facts, issues, Republican shenanigans, and shameful things not already covered completely here at The Reaction. I am posting the longer items in more or less chronological order, newest first.

"Sarah Palin Would Hate Rosa Parks,"# by Van Jones @ The Huffington Post (9/7/08). This post is about those of us who pursue the noble cause of community organizers and activists. To quote:

Sarah Palin and the GOP had great fun this week belittling Barack Obama's background as a community organizer. But in doing so, they were not just putting down one person.

They were attacking the (small "d") democratic traditions of the United States, itself.

"Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is “Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean,”# by Charley James @ The LA Progressive (9/5/08). To quote this revealing article's conclusion:

. . . [Palin's offensive racial slur deleted for this post] may be everyday language up in the bush. Whether it – and the outlook, politics and world view Palin reflects when she says such things in public – should be part of a presidential campaign is another thing altogether. The comment says as much about McCain as it does about Palin, and it says a lot of things about Americans who overlook such statements (as well as her record) and vote anyway for McCain.

"Are Evangelicals Really Sold on Palin?"# @ Time Magazine, 9/5/08: To quote:

. . . To a degree, that's true. Palin's pro-life credentials are impeccable — she opposes abortion in all circumstances, even in cases of rape and incest, except when a delivery will result in death. And her strong, open religious faith will make her the perfect person to reach out to conservative Evangelicals, who still don't fully trust the Republican nominee. But McCain and his aides may not want to say hallelujah just yet. While Palin is inspiring rhapsodies from the lions of the Christian right, her appeal to more moderate and younger Evangelicals — as well as independent swing voters — may be limited.

Lost in the stampede of social conservatives to embrace Palin this past week is the fact that she is culturally outside the mainstream of Evangelicalism. Over the past few years, a growing number of Evangelicals have been consciously distancing themselves from the more extreme stands of the Christian right.

"About Sarah Palin: an e-mail from Wasilla"# -- by Anne Kilkenny @ Crosscut Seattle (9/2/08): It is absolutely fascinating and well worth the read. One very interesting section it called, "Claim vs fact." To quote:

A suburban Anchorage homemaker and activist — who once did battle with the Alaska governor when Palin was mayor — recounts what she knows of Palin's history.

Editor's note: The writer is a homemaker and education advocate in Wasilla, Alaska. Late last week, Anne Kilkenny penned an e-mail for her friends about vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, whom she personally knows, that has since circulated across comment forums and blogs nationwide. Here is her e-mail in its entirety, posted with her permission.

Quick Takes on the McCain-Palin buzz --

• @ Yahoo! News, 9/6/08: "Palin: More and less than she seems."#


• These from betmo @ leftinaboite, 9/6/08: "Caribou Barbie Sequestered Again," and "More of the same" at bobceska.
  
• @ Yahoo! News, 9/5/08: "SARAH PALIN, QUEEN OF THE NOBODIES."#


• @ Think Progress, 9/5/08: "McCain Campaign Plans To Keep Palin Away From The Press."#


• @AlterNet, 9/5/08: How My 7-year-old learned about sex from John McCain."#


• "Oops!," from betmo. It's @ Talking Points Memo, 9/5/08: "Mystery Solved" When is Walter Reed not Walter Reed?


• @ AlterNet, 9/5/08: "Country Club First: Walking Around in the RNC's Wonderland." A visit inside the GOP bubble mindset.


• "Whew!" from betmo. It's @ pridepress, 9/5/08:"Real World Experience from Alaskan Educator." Very specific background on Palin.


• @ The Huffington Post, 9/3/08: "McCain was against Palin"# and "Big News Page - Sarah Palin."#


• "Osmosis?," asks betmo. It's @Think Progress, 9/3/08: "McCain-Russia-Alaska.


• @Think Progress, "McCain Campaign Plans To Keep Palin Away From The Press."#

Reference key to links -- sent by my regular contributors, #Jon and *betmo.

(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)