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Clem's Chronicles: SARAH PALIN/MICHAEL JACKSON/BIDEN IN IRAQ
July 03, 2009 9:54 PM
HAPPY 4TH FOLKS-DON'T HAVE THE VIDEO LINKS TONIGHT. SORRY ABOUT THAT. HAVE A NICE WEEKEND.
SARAH PALIN-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said this afternoon that she is stepping down from her office July 26. She didn’t give a reason why she was resigning. No hyperbole from David Wright on WORLD NEWS who called this “nothing less than a political bombshell”. Well she’s just clearing her plate for a run at the presidency in 2012 isn’t she? Maybe but maybe not. Cokie Roberts found the timing odd-“It’s mystifying,” Roberts said in Wright’s WORLD NEWS piece. “It was a bizarre statement. It didn’t make a lot of sense and it doesn’t seem like something someone would do if you’re running for president.” How was Palin perceived in the GOP? Wright notes that “many Republicans saw her as the ultimate outsider. A fresh face who understood them. A charismatic leader with a big future in 2012.” But there was a downside to Governor Palin-Gary Langer notes that “An unusually large number of Americans express an unfavorable opinion of Palin, a legacy of her difficult run for vice president. In the latest data, a CNN poll last month, 46 percent expressed a favorable opinion of her overall, 43 percent unfavorable….. This is the most basic measure of any public figure's popularity, and having your unfavorable score approach your favorable rating is not good at all.” Then there’s the lampooning. Wright reminds that “Palin drew plenty of snipes-from SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and elsewhere-for seeming ‘not ready for prime time’ on the issues.” Palin addressed that today Wright notes “denouncing what she called the ‘superficial, wasteful, political blood sport’ and suggested it might have been a factor in her decision to bow out.”
MICHAEL JACKSON-
MJ/DRUGS-We still don’t know what might have been in Michael Jackson’s body at the time of his death but if the plethora of drugs found at his rental home is any indication, there’s likely to be a great deal of interest when toxicology results are finally released. One drug stands out-Diprivan. Ryan Owens, filing for WORLD NEWS, notes that “it’s a sedative so powerful it renders patients unconscious for surgery.” And it sure isn’t intended for home use-Owens says “diprivan is usually delivered thru an IV, under the watchful eye of an anesthesiologist.” But the pharmacopeia taken from the house contained more stuff. “Powerful painkillers-Oxycontin and Demerol-along with a laundry list of other medications prescribed by multiple doctors to different names.”
MJ MEMORIAL-will be held Tuesday at Staples Center. David Muir noted on WORLD NEWS that “17-thousand 500 seats will be given free to the public”. You think there’s interest? The website set up for people to register for the lottery crashed almost instantly today, receiving in excess of 500-million internet hits. Muir added that “Despite the limited seating, police say they will need 25-hundred officers to control the estimated 750-thousand people who will try to get in anyway. The program begins at 10 a.m. pacific time.”
VICE-PRESIDENT BIDEN IN IRAQ-Vice President Joe Biden continues his trip to Iraq where he’s been discussing a variety of issues with Iraqi leaders. It’s his trip to Iraq since President Obama made him the point person on policy in Iraq. George Stephanopoulos accompanied the Vice-President on the trip and was asked by David Muir on WORLD NEWS his impressions: “President Obama gave Biden this job because he wants to put a sharp focus on the issues here in Iraq and wants the Iraqis to know that the United States will remain engaged even though US troops are withdrawing.” Muir asked what issues concerned the US government most with Iraq going forward---Stephanopoulos: “3 or 4 political issues…how to deal with the situation up in the north where kurds and arabs are fighting over the city of Kirkuk. How to integrate the former al-Qaeda fighters (who ended up siding with the government) fully into the army and the national services to make sure they don’t switch sides again. And how to deal with the issue of oil and to make sure the oil revenues here are shared equitably with all Iraqis.” Vice-President Biden sits down with Stephanopoulos and you’ll see the fruits of that on Sunday’s THIS WEEK broadcast.
LADY LIBERTY RE-OPENS HER CROWN-Tomorrow sees the re-opening of the crown of the Statue of Liberty to visitors for the first time since 9/11. Security at the site, Kate Snow noted on WORLD NEWS, will be much more than it was back in the pre-9/11 days. “Rangers will be posted up and down the spiral staircases…security cameras are everywhere..and an elevator for emergencies runs as high as the statue’s shoulder.” But don’t expect to walk on up there without some planning-“Just 30 people an hour will be allowed to see the view from the Crown…280 people a day…about 2 percent of the 12 to 14 thousand who visit on a busy summer day. Tickets are already sold out through next winter.” Nuts. The official re-opening ceremony is held tomorrow morning at 8:45am ET.
AFGHAN OFFENSIVE-In southern Afghanistan, US Marines push deeper into Taliban territories, trying to complete their objective to win the support of tribal elders, while running the Taliban out. Mike Boettcher reports from southern Helmand, “The Americans advanced slowly…harassed by small arms fire, mortars and IED's. But the Marines, noted for their ferocity in battle, rarely fired back. The reason - Strict orders to avoid civilian casualties.” These marines are only allowed to return fire if a positive ID is achieved which one can imagine would be frustrating when taking random small arms fire. Boettcher also noted the humanitarian element of the American offensive-“A Marine medic doing his best to help a very sick 2 month old baby. Marines hope that word about good deeds will spread through the towns and villages here.” (thanks to Faisal Jamil for this entry)
HONDURAS-The Honduran Supreme Court has rejected the OAS ultimatum to reinstate President Manuel Zelaya. Jose Miguel Insulza, who heads the Organization of American States, flew to Honduras in an attempt to persuade the forces that ousted Zelaya to take him back in the face of overwhelming international condemnation and economic sanctions. He met for two hours with Jorge Rivera, president of the Supreme Court that authorized the military to seize Zelaya on Sunday and fly him into exile. Obviously that meeting didn’t change Mr. Rivera’s mind on the matter. Insulza, who had downplayed expectations prior to taking this trip, had no comment. The OAS has called an emergency meeting for tomorrow afternoon in Washington.
July 3, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (15)
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watch out Palin has a few scores to settle, starting with ABC, CBS, NBC. MSNBC, N.Y.TIMES, go Sara go.
Posted by: tony sacco | Jul 3, 2009 11:05:15 PM
be warned on how you celebrate the "4th of July". Do not display flags, Do not use fireworks, etc. It is VERY important that you don't offend others (there are immigrants, some illegal even, that might be offended by a display of a USA flag). Often the use of fireworks, flags, etc are actually illegal!.
Posted by: Ed | Jul 3, 2009 11:46:47 PM
I will celebrate the 4th however I want. I am an American born Vietnam vet. If they don't like the flag or fireworks go the hell home!
Posted by: Herkybird | Jul 4, 2009 12:17:15 AM
As much as I can't stand the woman. I will give Sarah Palin some credit for resigning. At least she will take the focus off of Jackson. I got tired of that crap an hour after he died!
Posted by: Herkybird | Jul 4, 2009 12:27:05 AM
Sarah Palin said she did not want the tax payers of Alaska to have to continue to pay every time some nut filed an ethics complaint, just to keep being governor.
Posted by: rcb | Jul 4, 2009 4:05:26 AM
Gov. Palin gave a 43 minute speech without a teleprompter or preselected questions. She looks you in the eye when speaking. I am a Florida democrat and would vote for Gov. Palin.
Posted by: rcb | Jul 4, 2009 4:16:22 AM
Joseph "Lying Joe" Biden in Iraq? Why not.
The media should have done as much digging into the Manchurian candidate, Obama. What made him more qualified than McCain or Palin, other than the media being in love with him?
I'm neither Republican nor Democrat, a middle of the road independent, but it didn't take me long to see through the bad joke that is Obama and Biden.
Posted by: tx281 | Jul 4, 2009 5:04:00 PM
"Gov. Palin gave a 43 minute speech without a teleprompter or preselected questions" LOL!! Most every mainstream reporter said the speech was in comprehensive and yes she used note cards for the speech according to some who were there. If she didn't then that is why it was so incomprehensive. You claim to be a Fla Dem. Just curious Did you vote for Crist?
Posted by: Herkybird | Jul 5, 2009 2:38:17 AM
It's about time Palin realize she can't be an effective mother and a politician at the same time. Her family was too unstable.
Posted by: Rochelle | Jul 5, 2009 10:46:03 PM
" What made him more qualified than McCain or Palin, other than the media being in love with him?"
His intelligence!!
Posted by: Herkybird | Jul 6, 2009 1:39:25 AM
"His intelligence!!" - Herkybird
Smart is as smart does Herk.
The jury is still out but it isn't looking good so far.
Posted by: Noz | Jul 6, 2009 8:24:16 AM
Palin = Quitter. If you can't stand the heat, git outta the kitchen! If she cannot stand the heat in frigid Alaska, she has no chance in the humid boiler rooms of Washington DC. Palin is a quitter. A featherweight politician. Thin-skinned. When the going gets rough, the weaklings go fishing.
Posted by: Donald Ochoa | Jul 7, 2009 6:38:31 AM
She doesn't have what it takes to survive in DC. She gives up too easily. The best thing she can do is go home and take care of her children and family and be a decent mother for the first time in her life. It's all her fault for exposing her children's private lives to the predatory nature of public office and exposing them to paparazzi. For once, they deserve some privacy.
Posted by: rcb | Jul 7, 2009 6:47:11 AM
maybe her husband Todd is having an affair with a waitress at a local restaurant. Palin has a broken dysfunctional family, she needs to fix it asap
Posted by: Rushbo | Jul 7, 2009 6:53:14 AM
"Smart is as smart does Herk.
The jury is still out but it isn't looking good so far"
McPain was in the bottom 1% of his class at the Naval academy. Failin went to 4 different colleges before she got it right. Obama was the President of the Harvard Law Review as were 4 previous US Supreme court justices. Your point is???
Posted by: Herkybird | Jul 13, 2009 2:17:14 AM
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