The Past Week: Recaps & Random Thoughts, September 14-20 (Dog Activism; The Palin Wars; More McCain Offices Open; Joe Biden; We Need 30%; Odinga Revisited; A “Comment” on Congress)

It’s been a grueling week, hasn’t it?  The polls have shifted and the Palin bashing is intolerable.  And then there’s the little matter of the financial mess…I’m feeling a little panicky these days about the political situation all of a sudden…

You may have noticed that I put up a new picture in the blog header. I took it on September 15, the date of the last full moon.  I stood outside and watched the moon rise rapidly from behind the Organ mountains and, by some good luck, caught it in a shot that lines up perfectly in the header. The moon represents the feminine and every time I see it when I open the page, I feel something powerful…

Speaking of pictures…Courtesy HillBuzz, approved by Toro, Tico, and Slicker.

Now, a quick look back…

The Palin Wars took a few twists this week…

Bill Clinton opined about Sarah Palin and, unlike many in the media and the Obama camp, showed her some respect, a rarity these days. Pagan Power has the video in case you missed it…

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You know, I’m surprised someone hasn’t dug up a video of a weeping Sarah Palin yet so it can be used to further tear her down.

So, check out Part 3 of CNN’s program, “Joe Biden Revealed,” which Mountain Sage posted early in the week in 6 parts. Watch as Biden talks about the loss of his wife (starting at about 5:11 minutes into the video).  Biden, reading a passage from his biography,  obviously chokes up with intense emotion over the memory of his first wife and describes how meeting his second wife, Jill, “gave him permission to be me again.” It’s an extremely moving moment.  But, can you imagine if Sarah Palin had revealed that sort of emotion?  What do you think the reaction would have been? Admiration or derision?

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On Tuesday, Riverdaughter posted this piece, The 30 Percent Solution: Why Democratic Women Are Voting for McCain/Palin which references Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s book, “Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated. This passage grabbed me:

McCain and the Republicans are willing to elect a woman to the Executive Branch for the first time in the history of our country. They are advancing the 30% Solution. Obama and the Democrats are not, and are not. Do you get it now, Obamans?

It is time to make the Democratic Party take women seriously, for the first time since Mondale put Geraldine Ferraro on the Presidential ticket. It is time to acknowledge that, as Hillary said, Womens’ rights are human rights. And it is time to cast your vote for a woman this Election Day. I am casting my vote for two women, McKinney/Clemente, unless McCain comes close enough to win New York, in which case I will vote McCain/Palin at the top. And after this election, I am only casting my vote for women, unless I have no alternative.

I’m pretty much on the same page, and in New Mexico, if things are close, I may be doing the same thing in order to stop Obama and his odious machine.

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Another example of something odious is The Democratic Underground, which I donated to and which became my second home (after Buzzflash).  I haven’t visited either site in ages, so I admire Texas Hill Country for braving it and reporting on what’s going on at that cesspool in his post, Democratic Underground – Bastion Of Sexism?

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In my post from a couple of days ago discussing the advent of Sharia Law in Britain (see “This Week’s Posts,” below, for the link), I made passing reference to Barack Obama and his “cousin” Raila Odinga, who is a proponent of Sharia Law. What’s interesting is that a post I did back in April which delves into the Obama-Odinga relationship as well as Odinga’s interest in Sharia Law, is actually one of the top 3 active posts on this blog, according my blogstats; it’s still getting hits every day.  So, here it is, revisited:

Obama-Odinga:50-50 Split Demands Sound SOOOO FAMILIAR…

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On Monday (9/15) an article titled “McCain Team Hustles Amid Rising Interest” caught my eye:

The exploding interest in Sen. John McCain’s campaign, fueled in part by the addition of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to the ticket, has his staff scrambling to expand events.

A loosely organized and sometimes ad hoc approach to campaigning has been part of Sen. McCain’s political persona. But after he announced his running mate two weeks ago, thousands have been attending the rallies that have replaced Sen. McCain’s intimate town-hall meetings.

The campaign is expanding the number of Pennsylvania offices to 30 from 14, and its Ohio offices to more than 35 from 18. The formerly lean McCain campaign and Republican National Committee payrolls have doubled in size in recent weeks, an expansion that can be attributed in large part to Gov. Palin joining the team.

The intense final stretch is also driving expansion of the already large campaign operations of Sen. McCain’s Democratic opponent, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. But the McCain campaign, which 15 months ago was in disarray, faces a steeper climb.

One top Republican operative compared the McCain operation to a group of young talents who plan an ad-hoc musical in a 1940s film. Every morning, campaign organizers get together “and say, ‘Hey, let’s put on a show!'” the operative said.“This campaign is emboldening our target-state strategy with expanding, but measured growth, which is much better than Barack Obama’s retreating 50-state strategy,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds. “So if someone believes that’s a problem, we are glad to have it.”

So, the GOP believes Palin has energized its base and many more offices are being opened in key states. What do you make of the last comment about the “target-state strategy” expanding in “measured growth”? Obama appears to have stopped McCain’s momentum for the moment, so we’ll have to see if McCain can regain it with the moves described in the article.

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Yesterday, I posted the press release from the new “Democracy in Sufferage” PAC, whose goal is to stop Obama.  Just a reminder to help spread the word on this effort…

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Ready for some humor?

This video is meant to put down Sarah Palin, of course, but it’s still funny to see Michael Palin’s qualifications for President via a bunch of Monty Python clips…

On the other hand, you might enjoy this joke courtesy kenosha Marge more!

A Joke from kenosha Marge

An old country preacher had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession. Like many young men his age, the boy didn’t really know what he wanted to do, and he didn’t seem too concerned about it. One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy’s room and placed on his study table four objects.
1. A bible.

2. A silver dollar.

3. A bottle of whisky.

4. And a Playboy magazine.

“I’ll just hide behind the door,” the old preacher said to himself. “When he comes home from school today, I’ll see which object he picks up. If it’s the bible, he’s going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he’s going to be a business man, and that would be okay, too. But if he picks up the bottle, he’s going to be a no-good drunken bum, and Lord, what a shame that would be. And worst of all if he picks up that magazine he’s going to be a skirt-chasing womanizer.”

The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son’s footsteps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.  The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room, he spotted the objects on the table With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm.

He picked up the silver dollar and dropped into his pocket.

He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink, while he admired this month’s centerfold.
“Lord have mercy,” the old preacher disgustedly whispered.

“He’s gonna run for Congress.”

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I’ll wrap up this roundup with an update on the gardening situation here in Southern NM. I ripped out all my lima beans and spent a couple of hours shelling and freezing them and have prepped the bed for planting my winter greens.  Soon, I’ll put up the plastic for the “greenhouse” and I look forward to some good crops collards, kale, broccoli and mustard.  This year I’m also trying turnips.

Out in the arroyo, the earth moving machines have destroyed a lot of habitat as the stream bed is being redirected and widened to prevent further damage to the slopes on the side of the arroyo across from me. I don’t know when the bunny and quail populations will return…it’s really shocking to see how much was destroyed. They only good thing is that the native plants WILL grow back relatively quickly.  Maybe I’ll put up a picture after the work is completed to give you an idea of what’s been happening on the other side of the wall.  My squirrels are safe, however, since they have their burrows up the slopes…and they are raiding the tomatoes with gusto!

THIS WEEK’S POSTS

*By kenosha Marge

“Democracy in Suffrage” PAC Formed, Press Conference 9/26…Goal: To Defeat Obama

While Hillary and Sarah Get Trashed in the U.S., Muslim Women in Britain Get Sharia Law

SHILLING and CHURNING–the State of the Media and the “Mass Production of Ignorance” (A Double Post by kenosha Marge and InsightAnalytical-GRL)

*American Media Shills for Obama
“Flat Earth News” The State of ‘Churnalism’”

McCain LIVE at the Clinton Global Initiative, Obama by Satellite (Too Busy Cramming for the 1st Presidential Debate the NEXT DAY?)

Sarah, Joe and Liza the Chicken

*Sarah, the Mooseburger Mom

The Past Week: Recaps and Random Thoughts, September 7-13 (Where’s Obama’s Empathy?; Body Language a la Clinton/Obama (Experts on THE HANDS); Lower Pay the Obama Way; And a Finger Back at ‘Ya, Barack!)