McCain's attempt to smear Andrew Sullivan will backfire. Big time!

This may be the most facinating development in the entire Sarah Palin / Trig Palin saga.

Today Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post wrote an article in which he included e-mails that Andrew Sullivan had sent to the McCain campaign. The two emails read:

"I'm very sorry to say, it's come to this: can you confirm on the record that Trig Palin is Sarah Palin's biological son? . . . Since this is a crazy idea, it should be easy for you or someone to let me know, the most popular one-man political blog site in the world, what the truth is."

"I asked a simple question akin to asking whether you can confirm that the sky is blue. Here's the question in case it got lost: can you confirm on the record that Trig Palin is Sarah Palin's biological son? Can I please get a response of some sort, even if it is that you will not respond?"

So how did the McCain campaign respond? By passing Andrew’s inquiries on to Kurtz to publish. They did not respond to Andrew, did not supply any evidence as to the birth of Trig. They simply attempted to smear the messenger and ridicule his legitimate questions.

Anyone, ANYONE that does not now believe that McCain campaign is the sleaziest in modern history is either asleep or dead . And the attempts to humiliate Andrew are nothing more than further evidence that the campaign has become a bunch of unhinged henchmen ready to destroy anything that gets in their way.

Something is brewing, I assure you. And the McCain campaign is in pure panic mode. Whatever delusions they once fostered have been replaced by overwhelming, toxic fear. Fear, the basest of human emotions, causes humans to react in the basest of ways.

When historians reflect on the exact moment the campaign slipped beyond the reach, overwhelmingly they will conclude that the campaign’s utter contempt for, and disregard of, a free and unbridled press was the decisive point of no return.

Responding to cries of more transparency with increased opacity only leads to two things: The first is heightened suspicion and the second is a steely resolve to affirm that suspicion with evidence.

If this is the game the McCain campaign wants to play, that is certainly their prerogative. But it is a game they will most certainly lose.

Therefore, I will include a post from last week since none of my questions from that post have been answered:

As many have said before, the reason Sarah Palin is so important, and the reason that there is such a focus on her, is because she shows how reckless John McCain’s judgment is and her lies, as we are discovering each day, prove that she was not vetted AT ALL.

Andrew Sullivan has done a wonderful job at disseminating all the facts on Sarah Palin.

But there are more questions that need to be answered. Let’s start with these:

** Bristol Palin, the 17 year old unmarried pregnant daughter of Sarah and Todd, was out of school for a significant amount of time last year (anywhere from 5-8 months) with “mono”. The maximum a child is normally out of school for such a thing as mono is less than three months. Did she have a rare strain? Was she, as one would assume, quarantined so as to not infect others? If so, could someone find out the dates she was out of school? Surely, with such an infectious disease, she would not be having sex while infected? She has been pregnant for, what, five months according to Sarah Palin?

** When Sarah Palin realized she was going into labor, why did she go ahead and make a speech at a governors’ conference in Texas? She says she was leaking amniotic fluid? Who is her doctor and why did they tell her it was ok to make an eight hour trip back to Alaska, on a PLANE? Did Sarah tell any of the flight attendants she was in labor? Did the pilot know? The governor of Alaska was five weeks premature with a special needs child and yet all the powers that be told her it was A-OK for her to travel? On a plane? Leaking amniotic fluid? Why wouldn’t they, for the sake of the baby, do what is in the best interest of the child and deliver in Texas so as not to risk more harm to little Trig? Todd Palin said they wanted the baby to be born in Alaska because “You can’t have a fish picker in Texas?” First of all, what does that even mean? And secondly, they were willing to risk further harm to the baby just so he could have Alaska as his place of birth?

** When she arrived back in Alaska, why weren’t there medical personnel waiting there to whisk away the governor? Why did she drive an additional 45 minutes to get to the hospital when there were others closer?

** Where are Trig Palin’s birth records? This is a legitimate question. After all, Trig had his own webpage on the governor’s state-run website. Where are Sarah Palin’s medical records? Mat-Su, the hospital where Palin gave birth, does not even list the birth of Trig the day the Palins claim. They don’t list the birth at all. Why is this?

** Sarah Palin returned back to work just three days after giving birth to her 5th child. Did her doctor, the one that is apparently MIA, allow this too? Or did Sarah go against her doctor’s wishes? I admit, I am no Sarah Palin. I’m a sissy-boy faggot that can barely move after a week with a slight cold. Sarah Palin, on the other hand, can shoot 437,000 caribou before dusk. But it seems to me that just 72 hours after giving birth to a child with special needs and she returned to work? Am I the only one that finds this not only remarkable, but also hard to believe?

I am sure there are very obvious answers to all these easy questions. Could people just give them to me? In the comments please list the answers if you have them. List the source as well.
Psst. Snopes does not count as a “source”

Also, if there are more questions that I have not listed, list them in the comments.

Oh, and I am fully prepared for the comments calling me crazy, unhinged, reckless. Say what you will. I don’t give a shit. I just want the answers. We deserve the answers. And one way or another, the answers will come out.

The odd circumstances of Trig Palin's birth. Just because the story has gone away does not mean there is not a story

As many have said before, the reason Sarah Palin is so important, and the reason that there is such a focus on her, is because she shows how reckless John McCain’s judgment is and her lies, as we are discovering each day, prove that she was not vetted AT ALL.

Andrew Sullivan has done a wonderful job at disseminating all the facts on Sarah Palin.

But there are more questions that need to be answered. Let’s start with these:

** Bristol Palin, the 17 year old unmarried pregnant daughter of Sarah and Todd, was out of school for a significant amount of time last year (anywhere from 5-8 months) with “mono”. The maximum a child is normally out of school for such a thing as mono is less than three months. Did she have a rare strain? Was she, as one would assume, quarantined so as to not infect others? If so, could someone find out the dates she was out of school? Surely, with such an infectious disease, she would not be having sex while infected? She has been pregnant for, what, five months according to Sarah Palin?

** When Sarah Palin realized she was going into labor, why did she go ahead and make a speech at a governors’ conference in Texas? She says she was leaking amniotic fluid? Who is her doctor and why did they tell her it was ok to make an eight hour trip back to Alaska, on a PLANE? Did Sarah tell any of the flight attendants she was in labor? Did the pilot know? The governor of Alaska was five weeks premature with a special needs child and yet all the powers that be told her it was A-OK for her to travel? On a plane? Leaking amniotic fluid? Why wouldn’t they, for the sake of the baby, do what is in the best interest of the child and deliver in Texas so as not to risk more harm to little Trig? Todd Palin said they wanted the baby to be born in Alaska because “You can’t have a fish picker in Texas?” First of all, what does that even mean? And secondly, they were willing to risk further harm to the baby just so he could have Alaska as his place of birth?

** When she arrived back in Alaska, why weren’t there medical personnel waiting there to whisk away the governor? Why did she drive an additional 45 minutes to get to the hospital when there were others closer?

** Where are Trig Palin’s birth records? This is a legitimate question. After all, Trig had his own webpage on the governor’s state-run website. Where are Sarah Palin’s medical records? Mat-Su, the hospital where Palin gave birth, does not even list the birth of Trig the day the Palins claim. They don’t list the birth at all. Why is this?

** Sarah Palin returned back to work just three days after giving birth to her 5th child. Did her doctor, the one that is apparently MIA, allow this too? Or did Sarah go against her doctor’s wishes? I admit, I am no Sarah Palin. I’m a sissy-boy faggot that can barely move after a week with a slight cold. Sarah Palin, on the other hand, can shoot 437,000 caribou before dusk. But it seems to me that just 72 hours after giving birth to a child with special needs and she returned to work? Am I the only one that finds this not only remarkable, but also hard to believe?

I am sure there are very obvious answers to all these easy questions. Could people just give them to me? In the comments please list the answers if you have them. List the source as well.
Psst. Snopes does not count as a “source”

Also, if there are more questions that I have not listed, list them in the comments.

Oh, and I am fully prepared for the comments calling me crazy, unhinged, reckless. Say what you will. I don’t give a shit. I just want the answers. We deserve the answers. And one way or another, the answers will come out.

Fogey dust and Palin's Pearls of Special Needs...Forgetting Andrew Sullivan for a moment

I am going to get off the one-track Andrew Sullivan coverage for a moment. I would note, however, that though he is back to what appears to be regular posting, most of the posts don't include his usual commentary. But moving on.

There is a phrase -- actually, it's a theory -- called the "Willing suspension of disbelief". In very simple terms it basically means that humans often suspend their disbelief of something in order to be entertained.

This phrase (or theory) is often used with movie goers. A movie goer watches a fantastical movie while willingly suspending their disbelief that what is occurring on the screen is actually real. The theory goes that if one were to watch a movie without the suspension, they would not enjoy the movie simply because they would be analyzing how unbelievable it all is.

As children, my cousin and I felt we were growing too old for cartoons. We did not want to be perceived as children any longer. But secretly deep within, we still liked them. So what did we do? We watched the cartoons while loudly decrying their unbelievability. "The smurfs are in no way real. Little blue people. That's just stupid"... "There is no way Punky-power is real. I bet little kids think Punky power is real. They're so stupid"... "He-Man is sooooo fake. There is no way! But look at those muscles. He looks yummy"

Ok, the last one we did not say but I certainly did think it! The point is, whether we are willingly suspending or willingly not suspending our disbelief, we do it for a reason. We do so to either be entertained or, as in the case of my childhood, to feel some sort of superiority.

Enter McCain and Palin.

For the past week, especially at the Republican National Convention convention, we have been told that Palin and McCain are the agents of change that will mend the broken corriders of Washington. The Maverick and the Pit-Bull are going to fly into Washington and shake things up. They are the change that we have been waiting for.

Of course, as everyone knows, there are just a few problems with that scenario. George W. Bush is a republican, republicans have have held both houses of Washington for six of the last eight years and most, if not all, of our nations woes have been at the hands of republicans.

But instead of apologizing for it, McCain and Palin are actually asking us to willingly suspend our disbelief that they represent change. We are to believe that they are not republicans or even conservatives. And the saddest thing is that many Americans are suspending their disbelief of the campaign and republicans in general in order to be entertained. Or, and this is most likely the case, in order to not feel how badly these last eight years have hurt. They want to believe the unbelievable because they need something to believe in again.

Now, you might ask, what about Obama? He brings such freshness and hope. Why aren't Americans gravitating to him more than they are?:

The far-right has put so many pieces of untruth in the minds of voters concerning Obama that voters have been looking for permission to not vote for him. The right-wing has smeared him so much these last 20 months that the voters have a lot of doubts and they want permisson to vote for more of the same. And their permission is Palin.

Forget her record (suspend), forget her lies (suspend), forget her extreme views (suspend). Instead look at the fresh face and keep in mind her genatalia. She's a woman. That's all they want you to know.

And when you don't forget, they turn to page two of this years right-wing playbook:

When the press gets tough, have Sarah and her surrogates clutch their pearls in unison and cry. Cry so loud and for so long that that the press will do anything to quiet you, including quieting themselves.

When Obama makes a reference to a pig and lipstick, scream that he is referencing Sarah. And when the public ask "What..." cut them off and tell them to forget (suspend) that McCain said the same thing about Clinton last October as well as laughed and answered the question "How do we beat the bitch?" from a supporter earlier this year.

And when Obama uses the word "old" in any context wail that he means McCain. Old fish=McCain, old ways of Washington=McCain, old lies=McCain.

And make sure the public believes that taking on either McCain and Palin is either ageism or sexism.

If Obama says the economy has been slowing down for so long that we are, in fact, in a recession respond with: How dare he bring Sarah's son Trig into this! She chose life! Life! He is a down-syndrome child, not slow!

If Obama says the war in Iraq is not working respond with: You want to know who's not working? The executive chef to the governor of Alaska is not working. Now that's not working we can believe in!

If Obama mentions McCain's embrace of Bush respond with: How dare Obama mention John McCain's embrace. Everyone knows John McCain has trouble embracing people ever since he was a POW! He was hurt very, very badly (DON'T SAY TORTURED!) by very, very bad people. He can hardly embrace a thing. I cannot believe Obama would use John McCain's injuries as a political weapon! (Clutch pearls)

Fogey dust and Palin's pearls. That's their strategy heading into November.

In the end, though, all it really is is dandruff and plastic beads.
Will we suspend our disbelief? Let's hope to He-Man we don't!