Political Punch

Governor Palin,

On August 17, you attended a sermon by David Brickner, the executive director of Jews for Jesus. Mr. Brickner has described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.

Why haven't you denounced Mr. Brickner's views?

Having read them all, I vote for these, posted above:

1. since you've criticized Barack Obama for his work as a community organizer on Chicago's southside, please explain what a community organizer does and why it's inconsequential.
2. Your daughter is underage and pregnant. Do you think sex education should be taught in public schools?
3. Unemployment is the highest it's been in 5 and a half years. How should we solve this problem?
4. McCain has said the Republicans have failed the American people in the last 8 years. Do you agree and if so, how has your party failed us and what do you believe should be done differently?

Gov. Palin,

Do you believe America should go to war with Iran?
If we remain in Iraq, how will you and Sen. McCain raise the necessary troop levels?
How do you think America can repair our frayed alliances with the countries that did not support us in Iraq?
How do you and Sen. McCain plan to address the rising economic power of China and India?

Under what conditions do you think a war is just?

Governor:
Your running mate, John McCain, had said about your speech: "You know what i enjoyed the most? She took the luxury jet that was acquired by her predecessor and sold it on eBay — made a profit," How does this make you feel, since both of the claims are false?

In what ways has your daughter Bristol's future opportunities and choices been impacted by your personal opposition to sex education and birth control for teenagers?

How can I make sure my daughter's future opportunities and choices are not limited by a McCain/Palin administration?

"Governor, in which policy areas do you expect President McCain to seek your advice? What do you know that he does not?"

--TP

OK, one more:
As mayor of Wasilla you fired your librarian for refusing to ban some books. What books did you request to be removed?

Another question if I may:
Gov. Palin, you present yourself as a fiscal conservative yet when you left office as the mayor of Wasilla you left it millions in debt even though it had received 27 million in earmarks during your term. Why weren't you able to balance that budget?

Here is my question:
In your speech you stated that Obama had not authored one single piece of legislation. That is patently false (he authored a government transparency act, a nuclear non-proliferation act, an immigration reform act, a government ethics act and more). Why did you tell millions of Americans a falsehood?

Governor Palin, you and Senator McCain have argued that you are better prepared than Barack Obama to bring real change to Washington, but Senator Obama claims that John McCain has voted with President Bush at least 90% of the time. Can you please name three Bush policies that you and Senator McCain disagree with, and how you would change them?

A few additional questions for Governor Palin: According to your state Department of Education and Early Development, the graduation rate for high school students not receiving special education services was under 70% for the last 5 years. That statistic alone puts the state below the national average, but it doesn't include special education students, of whom only 39% graduate. How do you explain the discrepancy in graduation rates within your state? What accounts for Alaska's below-average graduation rates? What major initiatives have you advocated to address the problems of low graduation rates in your state and/or in specific Alaska communities? What specifically have you done to advocate for improved special education services to increase graduation rates for students with learning or other disabilities? Finally, does the state of Alaska report graduation statistics according to the standards adopted by the National Governors Association in 2005?

I would her to answer questions on hiring lobbyists for Wasilla (With ties to that great guy Jack Abramhoff) as well as needing to hire a "GHOST" Mayor named John Cramer.

Governor, the Republican party is the party of Lincoln who, as you know, despised secessionists. A war was fought over those who wanted to secede from the Union. As a Republican, I'm deeply concerned about you and your family's involvement in the Alaska secession movement. I view this as extremely un-American and unpatriotic. I would wonder if, should you one day become president, one of your first acts might be to help Alaska secede, taking all of its oil with it. Can you please explain to me how this secessionist movement is NOT unpatriotic and un-American, why you're involved, and if this country could have a president or vice-president who is a secessionist?

A very negative aspect of the Palin feint is that the media is obsessed with access to her, while they've neglected their job of scrutinizing McCain. Get back on message. There are tomes of flip flops out there in 26yrs of records, and several recent examples of McCain caving to the religious right on issue after issue.

Get back to work.

Here's my question: "Do you approve of the intensity of the media's scrutiny of Barack Obama over the last 19 months has been justified?"

Follow up: "Given that you are even less familiar to most Americans than Barack Obama was when he embarked on his candidacy, is there any reason why you would not expect the media to hold you to a similar standard?"

1.)You have a job interview with the American people. Would you hire someone who didn't show up for their job interview?

2.) Why does the McCain campaign feel have to be "tutored" on how to answer media questions?

Here are some questions I'd like to ask Governor Palin: 1) Other than the bible, what books have deeply influenced your personal and political philosophy? In what ways have they influenced you? 2) Given your lack of experience at the national level, what do you believe makes you qualified to negotiate with foreign leaders? Can you point to some specific examples of your personal skills in winning consensus on challenging issues? 3) What, if any, actions have you taken in public office that you subsequently decided were mistaken? How did you deal with your errors? 4) You've been criticized for your approach to dissenting views expressed by public officials and citizens. Can you explain why, as mayor, you fired people you thought weren't sufficiently "supportive"? How tolerant you would be of dissenting views in the people who work for and with you if you were Vice President? What evidence can you offer from your public service as governor or mayor that contradicts the case that you are politically vindictive?

Gov. Palin,

Why is the Democrat Party allowing themselves to be taken over by the radical liberal left faction within their ranks...Do you think it is because that faction controls the money via the George Soros crowd?

Governor:

Why do you think Senator McCain believes you are more qualified to be President than Senator Joe Lieberman?

Indy voter...

Why did Obama, Biden, Hillary, Edwards, Dodd all refuse to do a debate sponcered by Fox News during the Democratic Presidential Primary?

Personally, I believe many Americans will enjoy watching the media whine for a while.

Delaying a newsconference for Palin will also build up anticipation for it when it does take place.

neville,
You are drinking too much Republican cool aid. Palin IS avoiding the press. If Biden, Obama, and McCain can all appear on trusted news shows why not Palin? The reason is avoiding tough questions is simple....she is being coached by her handlers on how to answer them. Until she has answers that will play with the America public she will this media is bad game. If the media is so bad why do the others appear? They have all had bad press at one time or another. Your argument holds no water.....same as the Republican argument that she is experienced in foreign policy because Alaska is near Russia. It is absurd.

Jake...Here is a question to ask Palin.

Mrs. Palin, Why do you think so many journalists have lost their professional and ethical responsibility to remain neutral and use their vocation to promote their bias for liberal candidates in the Democrat Party.

PS. Jake seems to be professional and true to his ethical responcibilities

Palin is NOT avoiding the media. She is out in the public daily and being covered constantly by the media.

McCain is showing good judgement in the scheduleing of campaign to become President.

The motivation of many in the "media" to have Palin conduct a lengthy newsconference so they can destroy her with bias, insulting or "gottcha" questions.

Rangerider -

The messiah? It's Sarah who now has that role for the McCain campaign. It's HER run that will unravel soon, thanks to scandals that are unfolding daily. And if the questions have indeed been answered online, they show that she is in the wrong.

McCain clearly didn't know her when he met her. That scares me.

You have become President. There is a crisis in the Middle East. You know that ordering a nuclear strike will bring on a nuclear war which will result in the second coming of Jesus. If you do not order the strike, nuclear war will be avoided and Jesus will not come. What do you do?

When Barack Obama was 24 years old he became a community organizer for local churches, helping with job training and education preparedness.

What were you doing when you were 24?

Last post, then I'm going to sleep:

You and John McCain are claiming to be agents of change. Why, then, are so many of the people behind your campaign either former Bush operatives and/or campaign workers, including speechwriters, advisers, and analysts? Don't you feel that having these people on board -- and using them in policy positions -- gives the lie to your claims that you are "different" from the present administration? Why should the public believe that a McCain/Palin administration would be any different from the Bush administration when the advice is coming from the same old crowd?

Thought of a couple more:

Why did you feel a sports complex was more important to your town's future than a sewage treatment plant?

Why do you use deficit spending -- borrowing money for infrastructure projects -- rather than using the "tax bonus" provided by oil companies? Do you feel giving away this money to residents is an efficient use of those dollars, or might that practice not be purely a cynical political exercise to boost your ratings with the public?

The questions I'd like to ask Governor Palin are these:

You were elected mayor of a town of 5,000+ people. You even had a deputy mayor to help.

Why, then, was it necessary to hire a City Administrator? What duties could you not fulfill that this administrator took on?

Do you find it offensive that the McCain campaign is keeping you sheltered from the press, indicating he doubts your ability to play with the big boys?

Dr. Dobson said in his book Adolescent Rebellion that teenage pregnancies are caused by parental neglect. How would you respond to that? Do you find it hypocritical that given that statement, he endorses your candidacy?

Given that you said just a few weeks ago, "I'm a hockey mom from Alaska, they aren't going to ask me to be vice president." (indicating that you felt you weren't qualified) why do you think they asked you to be on the ticket?

Why have you not corrected John McCain when he said you sold the plane on eBay at a profit?

Why did you initially say you would be cooperating with the "Trooper Investigation" and now are refusing to do so.

Whose idea was it to disparage Community Organizers in your acceptance speech? Was it given to you to read? Or was that your idea? Given that Jesus was a community organizer, do you regret your comments?

Have you ever cc'd your husband on State business e-mails, and if so, why?

It is unlikely, but possible, that something could happen to put you in charge almost immediately. William Henry Harrison died after he'd been in office only a month in office. If it should fall to you to form a Cabinet and group of advisors, please give us some names of the people you would want to consult or consider asking to join you in the following areas: national security, economics, health care reform, environment, and housing and urban challenges.

I would like to ask her what she would do in a Terry Schiavo situation. Does she believe in a person's right to die?

I want to know if she would punish a woman and/or her doctor for abortion.

And, does she believe that every fertilized egg has a soul? Would she outlaw fertility clinics for destroying fertilized eggs?

I would like to ask her what she would do in a Terry Schiavo situation. Does she believe in a person's right to die?

I want to know if she would punish a woman and/or her doctor for abortion.

And, does she believe that every fertilized egg has a soul? Would she outlaw fertility clinics for destroying fertilized eggs?

The ONLY question to ask is DID SHE SUPPORT THE 'BRIDGE TO NOWHERE' PROJECT AT ANY POINT IN THE PROCESS?

Her answer will either be A LIE or YES. If it's YES, then the FIRST SPEECH she ever gave to her constituents as GOP VP Nominee was a LIE.

The SECOND question, which must be hammered away at until she gives an outright and unabiguous anwser, MUST BE, why did she lie?

Then THIRD, for good measure, WHY should the American people support her for VP when she's a confessed LIAR?!

YOU, people in the media, have the power to direct the agenda instead of just transcribing lies from ANONYMOUS sources.

UNBIASED coverage does not mean you hear the Democrats speaking the truth about issues and then offer the Republican LIE in response and offering no comment to allow the reader choose which side they like to believe in. Facts are stubborn things, act like it for once. Please!

As the American people struggle to find out about Sarah Palin, it’s becoming more and more apparent that she has not been honest and is good at flip flopping on issues that she purports to support. In her acceptance speech she vowed to become an advocate for mothers’ with special needs children. However, in the Alaska FY Operating Budget for 2008 and 2009 she cut spending for special needs schools by 62% Could it be that since she now has a special needs child, she is suddenly going to become an advocate? Just another example of Palin’s dishonesty and is just another example of political maneuvering as she attempt to pull in voters who have special needs children.

Ms. Palin .. it is reported by Time Magazine that you attempted to fire the Wisela, Alaska , City Librarian because she refused to ban books for you. My question is .. exactly what books would you like to see banned from American libraries .. ?

If this woman cannot engage American journalists with dialogue that is productive, then certainly the American public cannot trust her to have conversations with foreign leaders and diplomats.

We cannot let Senator McCain's campaign get away with the media farce regaring Governor Palin. After all, Senator McCain has always called the media "his base". Somehow, everything changed when we and the media wanted questions answered about Governor Palin. We must not be bullied by these people. It's un-American, we are not communist. We cannot sit by a and watch one of the greatest hoax ever played. What's worse, Senator McCain had a similar hoax played on him during is last presidential campaign, and now he's doing the same thing.

Those of you sick and tired of Carl Rovian politics, let's work hard to get Senator Obama elected to end these divisive dirty politics once and for all.

We should boycott the media. If McCain does not want Governor Palin to answer any questions, McCain and is campaign should not get any media coverage, not picutes or videos, just the date and location they are campaigning should be cited.

Obama/Biden 2008

When is she dropping out
of the Republican ticket?

1. since you've criticized Barack Obama for his work as a community organizer on Chicago's southside, please explain what a community organizer does and why it's inconsequential.
2. Your daughter is underage and pregnant. Do you think sex education should be taught in public schools?
3. Unemployment is the highest it's been in 5 and a half years. How should we solve this problem?
4. McCain has said the Republicans have failed the American people in the last 8 years. Do you agree and if so, how has your party failed us and what do you believe should be done differently?

"I sure wish Obama would give a REAL press conference. It's been a long long time since he's fielded questions by reporters."

I guess you missed him on Bill O'Rielly the other night.

Oh wait, you are having a flash-forward to when he will be speaking from the W.H. press room.

Soon enough, soon enough.

Personally, I think she's a hologram.

God doesn't want her talking to people who ask too many questions.

I'd like to ask Ms Palin something in light of my experience as woman and a lawyer. I'd like to ask her how it feels to be waltzed into a position of amazing power and authority by an old guy who needed a boost; which in effect, promoted over many more qualified women such as Kay Bailey Hutchison, for example.

I'd love to know how it feels to be Cinderella.

[rolls eyes]

One more for Palin:

A lot of the McCain campaign advisers and conservative pundits are calling it sexism when people try to get answers out of you about your past. Isn't that just "whining," as you had accused Hillary Clinton of doing under the same circumstances?

Sarah Palin,

As a mother, an Evangelical, a Republican and a "family values" proponent, why, in the name of all that is holy. did you out your own daughter and reveal her pregnancy to debunk rumors about you rather than produce DNA test results and a birth certificate?

Governour Palin:

Did you really say you have a lot of reading to do...so you can find out what your positions are?

Uh...isn't it a little late to be cramming for the vice-presidency of the United States?

Need some No-Doz?

Ms. Palin,

It seems you are being briefed/taught/prepared by former "Bushies".

If (God forbid) McCain dies while in office, who will guide you in foreign affairs?

Should we assume Bush's foreign policy would continue, seeing as how you are a student of Bush's advisors and policy right now?

I'd like to ask Palin:

1) Are faith-based community organizers also deserving of your ridicule?
2) You turned a budget surplus into a huge deficit as mayor of Wasilla. Why should we believe you'd be a change from Bush if you were in the White House?
3) You're stonewalling an investigation that you had earlier agreed to cooperate with, and you're trying to hold it off until after the election when you hope to make it go away completely. Why should we believe that you'd be a change from Bush if you were in the White House?
4) Do you still drive your kids to hockey practice? If not, how many years has it been since you were actually a hockey mom?
5) Why have you been afraid to sit down for an interview with the press?

Ms. Palin,

How do you reconcile your refusal to release emails under a citizen's public records request, on the basis of "executive privilege," when you had already copied another member of the public - your husband Todd - on these emails?

Since the records had been given to one member of the public already, how could you possibly deny another member of the public his rightful legal access to those records?

And, under what authority did you copy your spouse on official government business that was apparently so confidential that you felt you could invoke executive privilege?

A question Sarah Palin will actually get on her first interview:

A lot of honest, patriotic, hard-working, church-going Americans feel as though you are just like them.

Can I have your autograph?

Wow! Is all that I can say to those asking questions. The majority of those questions have been answered, so I suggest that you get online and look.

Sarah will get her message out and continue to impress. In about a month ya'll will be wishing that she wpold be quit. Ya'll have seen the unravelling of the messiah run. Good on ya'll

Gov. Palin

If by some chance you became President, and you thought God sent you a message telling you to, would you press that new-clear button?

A question for Sarah Palin--

In 2000 Senator McCain called George Bush a Pat Robertson Republican, and criticized leaders of the religious right as "agents of intolerance" and "corrupting influences on religion and politics." At the time, did you agree with Senator McCain regarding these sentiments?

How do you see those statements of Senator McCain today?

A question for Sarah Palin--

In 2000 Senator McCain called George Bush a Pat Robertson and other leaders of the far religious right, calling them "agents of intolerance" and "corrupting influences on religion and politics." At the time, did you agree with Senator McCain regarding these sentiments?

How do you see those statements of Senator McCain today?

Gov. Palin,

If you had your way and abortion was made illegal even in cases of rape, what punishment should the state impose on a rape victim who terminates a pregnancy that occurs as a result of that rape?

Gov. Palin,

It has been reported that while mayor of Wasilla, you asked the city librarian if she would be okay with the idea of removing objectionable books from the city library. It has also been reported that after she objected to this idea, you attempted to fire her.

Are these reports accurate? Did you ask the city librarian if she would be okay with banning books from the library? Did you ask her to remove any books? And finally, what books were you considering having banned from the library, and why did you find them objectionable?

Mrs. Palin can you explain how you left a town with $0 debt when you entered office in 1996 with $22 million in debt when you left office in 2002 even though you hired a Jack Abramoff associate to lobby for your town in Washington and he - along with your friend Ted Stevens - managed to get Wasilla $27 million in federal pork while you were mayor? Can you explain why three of these pork projects wound up on Senator McCain's annual wasteful spending list? How does this jibe with your claim that you are a reformer who is against pork?

Gov. Palin,

Do you accept the prevailing scientific consensus that the universe is billions of years old, and that the earth itself is more than 4 billion years old?

Governor Palin, did you ask Senator McCain for any conditions in order for you to accept?

If so, did you ask Senator McCain to yield on his opposition to opening ANWR?

If not, why not?

also

Do you support passing a national "Right-to-Work" law that would greatly reduce the impact of unions in Alaska and elsewhere?

Mrs. Palin - If your ticket loses this year, do you plan on running for president in 2012? If so, do you expect the people you'd be running against in the GOP primaries (Romney, Giuliani, Huckabee, et al.) to attack you on your experience, your family life and other issues about which they've defended you over the past week, or do you think they'll campaign against you based strictly on your policy positions?

I'd like to know about her college history as well.

Gov. Palin why do you mock "community organizers"? Do you feel this is not an important job? Did you know John Adams and MLK were community organizers?

Jake,

I'd ask her "What does a Vice President do?" Eight days, do you think she knows by now?

Governor Palin, Senator McCain has promised to use the veto in support of the public's interest. Can you explain how your veto of following programs have served the public good:
$600,000 for Senior citizen's programs
$4,527,500 for health care/hospitals
$396,000 for schools/education

tobie--

Is anyone claiming that Palin refuses to do interviews? Does anyone really think that she will not talk to the press?

While mayor of Wasilla, several earmarked projects appeared on Senator McCain's famous pork-list. Please reconcile your stated position against earmarks with this fact.

Here's what I'd like to know. Does Gov. Palin, especially given that she may be given the energy "portfolio," believe in geologic time?

Ted -

How in the world can you say that Obama promotes bigotry and separatism when Ms. Palin's husband was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party? In case you're not familiar with it, this is a group that promotes separatism - as in let's separate Alaska from the United States. Is this someone who has put country first?

And bigotry? Ms. Palin was in church when a talk that was very derogatory towards Jewish people was given.

Let's face it. EVERY slur that people throw out against Obama can now be thrown right back against Ms. Palin.

I want to know why Governor Palin hired a Washington Lobbyist to secure $27 million in earmarks for her small town of Wasilla while she was mayor. And I would also like to know why she left the town with $20 million of debt. That's not a small amount for a town the size of Wasilla. Especially because of her claim to be a Washington outsider. Washington outsiders don't hire Washington insiders to do their dirty work.

QUESTION TO GOV PALIN--

What is the nature of you and your husband's association with the Alaskan
Independent Party?

Was the airplane sold on Ebay and was it sold for a profit as you stated? Can you provide documentation?

Are you against the use of earmarks and if so, how do you explain your record of requesting significant earmarks while mayor and governor?

What is your position on global warming?

sally,

Thanks for summing up everything I have feeling over the past year. Bravo! My family has always voted for a democrat. I was told that no self respecting black person would do otherwise. When I see the DNC today, I don't know who those people are. They sound like hateful angry people.
The things that were said about the Clinton and Jesse Jackson, the race baiting. Then Edwards and Condit. Give me a break. This mayor of Detroit is a joke. I did not see anyone to admire and I voted for Hillary but when she lost it was over for me and the DNC.

I spoke with some family members and they felt the same way. My uncle actually was offended about the McCain age geriatric jokes that were being made by Obamabots, he was also offended by Obama's use of race in the campaign.

I just said to myself I like McCain better and it just happened. I am okay with my decision in November.

My own feeling is that as long as Governor Palin refuses to do press conferences or sit down for interviews with the mainstream press corps, the press should simply ignore her scripted appearances. Showing these orchestrated appearances, when Governor Palin has yet to answer questions, amounts to airing campaign propaganda as if it were news. Let each campaign pay for its own ad spots. The press's role is not to broadcast a campaign's commericals for free.

Ted-Sally,

I think Hillary would have had an easier time winning also. However, I doubt that you are dems because the democratic party has never been about party discipline or total lockstep loyalty, which is why we have had a hard time winning the presidency. Party discipline and lockstep voting is the hallmark of the republicans and why they win elections. Their followers question nothing and they vote as they are told.

I wanted Hillary, I believe she was the stronger candidate. I know she was ready and would have done a fantastic job.

However, as my ideals are more aligned with the democratic party, that is how I will vote and I suspect most who identify themselves as dems will vote Obama also. He has 50,000 NEW donors after the Palin speech, I was one of them. That says a lot about the dems unifying.

I am pretty sure neither of you are really dems as you are too unfamiliar with the realities of this crazy, flaky, party.

I am concerned with the fact that she has a degree in journalism and a minor in Poli-Sci. That is just very thin on education. I would prefer someone with a high IQ in office for a change of pace from the last 8 years.

That isn't elitist. The second highest office in the land should require a good education. I am not of the school that I want someone just like me in office. There is no way 99.9% of us are qualified to be president and it astounds me that people would want someone like themselves in office. That's just nuts.

Realistic Lib-

If the press isn't going after it, it's likely because there is no hard evidence that any of the rumors are true.

Much like the accusation that Palin had an affair with her husband's business partner. Also, the mainstream press did not go after her on the Alaska Independence Party, which it turns out her husband belonged to but apparently she did not.

The media should not cover stories that are nothing more than innuendo. I would love them to stick to the facts. I would love to never hear about Bristol Palin's pregnancy again until she gives birth and then wish her well. It is no one's business. BUT, Palin's record is our business.

McCain is running saying his administration will be transparent. If his campaign is not transparent then how can we believe his presidency will be?

This blog is not about Obama, it is about Palin. Diversionary tactics won't work. Stay on subject please.

AL:

What are talking about? Who did Odinga kill? Odinga won the election in Kenya square and fare and the ruling party (Kabila) rigged the election. The United Nations and the African Union interfered through Kofi Annan. What in the world are you talking about? When did Raila Odinga become the villain?

Palin,

You went to 5 different unreputable colleges in 6 years.

Why? What went wrong?

Republicans are terrified of Palin being vetted.

Thus... they're spamming this blog with rumors and defamation about Obama in order to muddy up the questions for Palin.

And just look how many of them there are... Republicans are getting desperate. I think the electoral college numbers are scaring the crap out of them... and all these red states that are all of a sudden up in the air this election.

Tom,

Barack Obama has a bachelor's degree from Columbia University in International Relations. I would call that a fairly decent foundation in Foreign policy, which has been bolstered by his position as a United States Senator. His temperament is also an important factor regarding foreign relations. He is very level headed and thoughtful. McCain is reckless and quick to anger. When it comes to foreign policy I am going based on a level headed temperament over the guy who sings little ditties like "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" into a live mic.

Now tell me what McCain's qualifications are in regard to the economy? Anything other than his own admission that "I don't know much about the economy."

RealisticLib,

If you didn't notice, this is a blog about questions for Palin.

If you have questions for Obama, go to one of the infinite blogs and articles written for that purpose.

Distracting people from discussing Palin isn't going to disguise the fact that she's got some seriously ugly stuff she's trying to hide.

bev,

For her own good, she should clear some of these things up... or a lot of people are just going to assume that her fellow Alaskans know her best, and that she is a white supremacist.