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An unworthy choice
Republican Sarah Palin continues to show that she’s unfit for the vice presidency
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.
After enjoying an initial popularity surge, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is now considered a drag on the ticket she shares with presidential nominee John McCain, according to the latest Pew Research Center poll. She was viewed unfavorably by 49 percent of the respondents. The reasons are obvious.
Palin continues to show that she is not the reformer she purports to be. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the Alaska governor billed her state more than $21,000 so her children could travel with her, even to functions where they were not invited. Palin indicated on expense reports that her children were with her on official business, even though event organizers said they were surprised when the children showed up.
She has been found by an investigator for the Alaska Legislature to have violated state ethics laws by attempting to get her former brother-in-law fired from his state trooper’s job. For someone running as a self-described maverick who vows to clean up Washington, Palin hasn’t proven that she can uphold the high ethical standards that the vice president should have.
Just as important, Palin has demonstrated that she has neither the experience nor the command of complex issues to be the proverbial heartbeat away from the presidency. Further evidence came this week when Palin showed she doesn’t even fully understand the role of vice president.
In an interview with a Denver television station, she was asked to respond to a question from a third grader as to what a vice president does. Palin said that in addition to supporting the president’s agenda, the vice president is “in charge of the United States Senate, so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes,” which she said would benefit the child, his family and his classroom.
Excuse us, but that stretches the definition of what a vice president does, which is to replace the president, if necessary, and to vote only to break ties in the Senate. The vice president doesn’t run the Senate. Maybe McCain should have shown Palin the fine print in the Constitution before naming her to his ticket.
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This editorial is essentially the same as the one written by Jealous Queen Neff for the LV R-J.
Obama sent the same talking point to both papers.
Queen Neff and the LV Sun instead of talking about the economy are talking about "style" over substance.
Queen Neff said "Maybe equal pay laws are unenforceable."
But here the point Barack Obama is only paying woman on his Senate staff 83 cent on the dollar compared to men on his staff.
Obama should not need a law to do the right thing and provide equal pay for women.
John McCain without the law is paying equal pay to his Senate staff women.
McCain is doing the right thing, and Obama is not.
For the LV Sun to believe that the VP's Senate role is to vote only to break ties in the Senate, shows how out of touch the Editors are with the U.S. Consitution.
The LV Sun can not accept that Sarah Palin stood to protect her father from death threats in accordance with the State's own guideline, that were not being enforced.
On another Jealous Queen Neff point, it is true that Powell who is Black is voting along with 95% of Black people for Obama. Meanwhile most women will be voting for policies they support, like a McCain jobs program, being pro-life, and success in Iraq.
The lib media, like the Sun, is always giving Biden a free ride.
Why do they give him and Obama a free ride?
It is very simple. They politically support Biden and Obama.
It is either bias corruption or just incompetence/laziness.
It has to be one or the other.
Biden: "as vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there's a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit."
Wrong: The VP can preside over the Senate anytime that they want to. It is explicit in the Constitution and in Senate rules. There are many times that they choose to preside over the Senate and not cast a vote. The joint sessions of Congress traditionally have the VP preside over the Senate. I also believe that the first day of a Senate is normally has the VP presiding over the Senate. According to Biden, the Constitution explicitly forbids this from happening.
Biden: "The idea he doesn't realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch"
Wrong: Article I defines the Legislative branch and the role of the VP as President of Senate is define in that section.
Article II defines the Executive Branch and it takes about the VP becoming Prez incase the Prez is dead.
Constitution Article 1 Section 1
"All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. "
Constitution Article 1 Section 3
"The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided."
To help educate the Media, like the Sun and Biden here are the Senate rules on who gets preside in the chair over the Senate.
"1. In the absence of the Vice President, the Senate shall choose a President pro tempore, who shall hold the office and execute the duties thereof during the pleasure of the Senate and until another is elected or his term of office as a Senator expires.
2. In the absence of the Vice President, and pending the election of a President pro tempore, the Acting President pro tempore or the Secretary of the Senate, or in his absence the Assistant Secretary, shall perform the duties of the Chair.
3. The President pro tempore shall have the right to name in open Senate or, if absent, in writing, a Senator to perform the duties of the Chair, including the signing of duly enrolled bills and joint resolutions but such substitution shall not extend beyond an adjournment, except by unanimous consent; and the Senator so named shall have the right to name in open session, or, if absent, in writing, a Senator to perform the duties of the Chair, but not to extend beyond an adjournment, except by unanimous consent. "
It is very clear the VP can assume to preside over Senate sessions any time that he/she wants to.
The LIBERAL media is using the same despicable tactics to demean Sarah Palin as they did with Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris during the 2000 contraversial election. Prior to Sarah Palin, has the media ever criticized a vice-presidential candidate for the cost of their wardrobe? NEVER!
future2012, jfnance32, news1950, are all paid shills for the rove-fascist party.
The three of you are nothing but hypnotized kool-aid drinking goose-steppers.
Just like jerko joe the plumber, you guys will actually have it better when joe the elder loses.
But your delusion is non-logical.
William....Do you have anything of substance to say?
I quoted exact words from Biden and the Constitution.
Hey William, calm down! Obviously, you enjoy being an imbecile with an infantile mentality for NOTHING!
Hey jfinance32 - Did you notice LIBERALS (like William) can't answer legitimate questions, but only respond by screamimg talking-points gleaned from the Daily Kos, MoveOn.org and other left-wing SMEAR sites?
Why did the democrats outsource their calls to a foreign country? Save money? American jobs my butt. They aren't even spending their donations here. http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/...
Hey but she can sure shop now can't she.........and this is how she proves to us how much she can 'relate' to the working class....ya right -
And don't ya just wish your toddler was wearing a $100 outfit? - hell, don't you wish YOU were wearing a $100 outfit? - I know I am (wishing, not wearing) LOL
"The LIBERAL media is using the same despicable tactics to demean Sarah Palin as they did with Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris during the 2000 contraversial election. Prior to Sarah Palin, has the media ever criticized a vice-presidential candidate for the cost of their wardrobe? NEVER"
Actually, wasn't John Edwards critiziced for his $400 haircut?