Political Punch
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper

« Previous | Main | Next »

Obama on Palin: 'Mother, Governor, Moose-Shooter'

September 08, 2008 7:04 PM

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- At a town hall meeting at North Farmington High School outside Detroit this evening, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., offered a new schtick to his attacks on the Republican ticket.

In a now-familiar riff on how the Republicans spent their convention talking about personalities and not about issues, Obama praised the biographies of both Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"You notice, at their convention, they spent a lot of time talking about John McCain’s biography, which is compelling," Obama said. "They talked about Sarah Palin’s biography, which is compelling."

When some members of the audience laughed at the notion that Palin's biography was compelling, Obama insisted he was being serious.

"No, no, it’s an interesting story," Obama said. "No, no, look, I mean that sincerely. I mean, mother, governor, moose-shooter, I mean, I think that’s cool, that’s cool, that’s cool stuff."

Obama's larger point, he said, was that the Republicans "didn't talk about the issues. And so, that gives you a sense of what the strategy’s going to be over the next eight weeks."

-- Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller

September 8, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (175)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

She has a spotty record as mayor
and governor. Her Doomsday
worldview is way out on the fringe.
Her understanding of global
warming is that she has no
understanding of it at all. She
is not an evironmentalist. She has
no regard for wildlife and protection
of endangered species. Her social
views on abortion and women's issues
are backward-looking. She stands
for censorship and the banning of
books she does not approve of.
She doesn't understand the principle
of separation of church and state and
that public schools are off-limits
for religious indoctrination of
schoolchildren. Politically she
is a secessionist - a treasonous
offense. As a campaigner she bends
the truth every time she speaks.

The Dems should hit her hard on these
points. They shouldn't pull their
punches because she is a woman.

Posted by: anon | Sep 9, 2008 10:17:35 AM

It appears that our troops are safer in Iraq than they would be in Chicago.

Posted by: roosterzz | Sep 9, 2008 10:15:40 AM

Here is the truth about Sarah Palin and the special need funding,
Gov. Sarah Palin and state lawmakers have gone ahead with an overhaul of Alaska’s school funding system that supporters predict will provide much-needed financial help to rural schools and those serving students with disabilities.

The plan, enacted in the recently concluded session of the legislature, is based on recommendations issued by a legislative task force last year. It will phase in a greater flow of money to districts outside of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, over the next five years.

Advocates for rural and remote schools have lobbied for years for more funding, in particular noting the higher fuel, transportation, and other costs associated with providing education in communities scattered across the vast state.

A second part of the measure raises spending for students with special needs to $73,840 in fiscal 2011, from the current $26,900 per student in fiscal 2008, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

Unlike many other states, Alaska has relatively flush budget coffers, thanks to a rise in oil and gas revenues. Funding for schools will remain fairly level next year, however. Overall per-pupil funding across the state will rise by $100, to $5,480, in fiscal 2009. Total K-12 funding will rise to $1.2 billion from $1.1 billion, when transportation, energy, and other state funds are included, according to estimates from the governor’s Office of Management and Budget.

The state also agreed to add another $216 million to fill in shortfalls in its teacher-retirement system, the budget office said.

Carl Rose, the executive director of the Association of Alaska School Boards, praised the changes in funding for rural schools and students with special needs as a “historic event,” and said the finance overhaul would bring more stability to district budgets.

Posted by: roosterzz | Sep 9, 2008 10:11:45 AM

Clear to see that Obama is a sexist.

What happened to the democratic party??

It used to be the party of tolerance-- not any more. Obama and his crowd took the democratic party to new lows (that's for sure). What a shame.

Hillary 2012
McCain/Palin 2008

Posted by: NielPA | Sep 9, 2008 9:55:48 AM

Rachel Maddow = Olbermann wearing a skirt and getting a tingle up his leg.

Posted by: marylou | Sep 9, 2008 9:52:14 AM

270 electoral votes needed to win.

Obama 273

Mccain 265

Posted by: anon | Sep 9, 2008 9:50:40 AM

Shrill Sarah is turning people
off at an alarming rate. Women
are moving away from her. Men
think she has no experience.
She is too shallow.

Republican hopes are going up
in flames.

Posted by: anon | Sep 9, 2008 9:48:19 AM

Gov. Palin was picked to distract us from the real issues that they cannot make good on.

the bottom line is that the republicans had their chance to do right by us 8 years ago and we all know what happened.

With Palin now they are turning this election into 5 ring circus to keep us children entertained so when voting day comes you are not thinking about the real issues but instead they have you thinking about how unfair the media was on Gov Palin.

And when she and Mccain take office for a third Bush term than we can all go back to complaining that things haven't changed and they will most likely get worse.

And we will forever keep making the same mistakes because we are misguided by a group of people that don't want change because change that is good to us the hard working people of this country does not work in their favor.


Posted by: Jen and manny | Sep 9, 2008 9:46:16 AM

Obama's ego can't handle that a "sweetie" has stolen his thunder!

Posted by: marylou | Sep 9, 2008 9:45:31 AM

Obama is a complete loser and a sexist.

Now he is joining in the pile up of Palin. Why is Obama so intolerant of women? mother gov.???? what next???

Obama totally tossed Hillary Clinton to the curb, Obama's vile crowd always seemed to pile up on Hillary every change they got-- and now Obama expects her to join his rhertoric--seems Obama just can't win on his own--Hillary should really distance herself from Obama, and let him lose on his own.

His (Obama) remarks about his own grandmother left something to be desired.

The DNC really screwed this election this time. They just seem NOT to get it--ever.

Posted by: NielPA | Sep 9, 2008 9:42:29 AM

He's a warmonger.
She's a Doomsday church mom.

Together they spell DOOM.

Posted by: anon | Sep 9, 2008 9:34:49 AM

McCain/Palin make reform in Washington 100% believable.

As opposed to Obama who chose a 35yr.Washington insider as VP, and is up to his neck in the Daley machine in Chicago.

What has Obama done to fight corruption in Chicago except turn his back and let it happen.

Posted by: sally | Sep 9, 2008 9:12:44 AM

Cara Prado,

Just say no to the childish Bullwinkle (Palin) and her flying squirrel Rocky (McCain).

Obama/Biden 08!

------

Moose aside, do you want another 4 years of George Bush?

Posted by: Common Sense | Sep 9, 2008 7:59:21 AM

Alaskan,

Thank you for the information and doing your part in preventing the "dupe squad" from getting re-elected!

--------
I demand from the MSM that they have a good look at Palin's records as mayor and governor.

To an outsider, it would seem hard to do, but Wasilla (an oil-rich town with zero debt on the day Palin was inaugurated mayor) was left saddled with $22 million of debt by the time she moved away to become governor – especially since nothing was spent on things such as improving the city’s infrastructure or building a much-needed sewage treatment plant.

So what did Mayor Palin spend the taxpayer’s money on, if not fixing streets and scrubbing sewage?

For starters, she remodeled her office. Several times over, as a matter of fact.

Then Palin spent $1 million on an unnecessary, new park that no one other than the contractors and Palin seemed to want.

Next, Sarah doled out more than $15 million of taxpayer money for a sports complex that she shoved through even though the city did not own clear title to the land; now, seven years later, the matter is still in litigation and lawyer fees are said to be close to at least half of the original estimated price of the facility.

She also worked hard to get voters approval of a $5.5 million bond proposal for roads that could have been built without borrowing. Anchorage may not be the center of the financial universe but, like good Republicans everywhere, Sarah Palin knows how to please Alaskan bankers and bond dealers.

For good measure, she turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots.

---------

Obama 08!

Posted by: Common Sense | Sep 9, 2008 7:50:20 AM

Tip to Obama - every time you make a slimy, scurillous, (sexist) remark about Governor Palin you make more independents and women voters switch to Palin.

You think you have fund raising troubles now? Wait for the coming weeks.

Hillary and Bill are smiling. They have been blessed with Gov. Palin.

Posted by: Zank | Sep 9, 2008 7:19:29 AM

Hillary, yesterday in Florida -

After someone in the audience yelled, “Tell us about Palin,” Mrs. Clinton replied: “I don’t think that’s what this election is about. Anybody who believes that the Republicans, whoever they are, can fix the mess they created probably believes that the iceberg could have saved the Titanic.”

Posted by: margie | Sep 9, 2008 7:19:10 AM

Sarah Palin claims to be a "tough fiscal reformer" but Alaska leads the NATION in leeching off Washington. We can't afford Ms Palin.

Posted by: Chuck | Sep 9, 2008 7:16:34 AM

I demand from the MSM that they have a good look at Palin's records as mayor and governor.

To an outsider, it would seem hard to do, but Wasilla (an oil-rich town with zero debt on the day Palin was inaugurated mayor) was left saddled with $22 million of debt by the time she moved away to become governor – especially since nothing was spent on things such as improving the city’s infrastructure or building a much-needed sewage treatment plant.

So what did Mayor Palin spend the taxpayer’s money on, if not fixing streets and scrubbing sewage?

For starters, she remodeled her office. Several times over, as a matter of fact.

Then Palin spent $1 million on an unnecessary, new park that no one other than the contractors and Palin seemed to want.

Next, Sarah doled out more than $15 million of taxpayer money for a sports complex that she shoved through even though the city did not own clear title to the land; now, seven years later, the matter is still in litigation and lawyer fees are said to be close to at least half of the original estimated price of the facility.

She also worked hard to get voters approval of a $5.5 million bond proposal for roads that could have been built without borrowing. Anchorage may not be the center of the financial universe but, like good Republicans everywhere, Sarah Palin knows how to please Alaskan bankers and bond dealers.

For good measure, she turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots.

Posted by: Alaskan | Sep 9, 2008 7:07:47 AM


[ X ] McCain = Counrty First

[ ] Obama = Blame America


.

Posted by: HawkTheSlayer | Sep 9, 2008 6:54:35 AM

" Life begins at conception" Joe Biden said on Meet the Press


"The surge has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams" Barak Obama told Orielly

How do you libs feel about your candidates taking the same position as McCain/Palin on those issues?

Posted by: neville | Sep 9, 2008 6:25:42 AM

Post a comment





 

POLITICAL VIDEOS