Gov. Palin, that impulsive rabble rouser (or so the media would have us believe), recently took the lead on urging health care protestors to remain sensible and respectful:
A few days after suggesting that Democratic health care proposals being debated in Washington may imperil the life of her son, Trig, Sarah Palin on Sunday urged reform opponents to not give the opposition fodder by disrupting town halls.
Palin’s comments, posted on her Facebook page, come after weeks of raucous town halls in which conservatives have shouted down members of Congress.
“There are many disturbing details in the current bill that Washington is trying to rush through Congress, but we must stick to a discussion of the issues and not get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment,” Palin wrote. “Such tactics diminish our nation’s civil discourse which we need now more than ever because the fine print in this outrageous health care proposal must be understood clearly and not get lost in conscientious voters’ passion to want to make elected officials hear what we are saying. Let’s not give the proponents of nationalized health care any reason to criticize us.”
Sarah’s instructions make sense, as Dems and the media will harness every opportunity they get to paint the protesters as “manufactured and organized by right-wing groups looking to tear down President Obama and his agenda”.
Chris Cillizza has written a nice article on likely candidates for appointment to Mel Martinez’s Senate Seat. The individuals he named: Jim Smith, former Florida Secretary of State and Attorney General, Bob Martinez, former FL Governor, Allan Bense, former FL House Speaker, George Lemieux, Crist’s chief of staff during his tenure as state AG, and Jeb Bush. Interesting point to note: two of the mentioned candidates – Smith and Martinez – switched parties in the 80s. I agree with Matthew Miller – that appointing Jeb would provide Crist with the greatest possible gain from the situation – as long as Jeb agrees to not run for a full term for the seat (something Jeb apparently does not want to do).
And lastly, today Hugh Hewitt penned an article for Politico, in which he ruminates on the possibility of Obama choosing another running mate in 2012 (thanks to Biden’s loose lips) and how possible replacements for Biden could affect their attractiveness with their performance in the health care debate. Some key excerpts:
The obvious trade of Slow Joe for Hillary will be endlessly analyzed as the months go by, but there’s still no love lost between the organizations, and even if the big switch worked November magic, the 2016 campaign would begin the day after the president’s reelection, undermining his agenda and effectiveness in the traditionally difficult second term.
Governors and former governors like Tim Kaine, Kathleen Sebelius and Janet Napolitano who have joined the administration may offer easy choices if their success is widely recognized, but their electoral pull in a particular state will be less than any sitting elected official, and, of course
, members of the administration won’t be able to bring to the 2012 ticket any promise of new initiative or new perspective.
The biggest pop would come by the addition of a very visible, charismatic centrist Democrat who will be able to argue that a second Obama term will be defined by a move back to the center and the delivery of the much-promised bipartisan approach that has obviously been thrown overboard in the first six months of the Obama presidency.
Which brings us to the most interesting question of all: If you are a Democratic senator or governor nursing the dream of being asked to replace Slow Joe on the ticket in three years, do you vote for Obamacare or work for its passage if you don’t have a vote?
Or do you cast a no vote, take some heat, but put down a serious marker that distinguishes you as someone who saw it coming and tried to help the president by preventing the passage of the bill that became a political burden of enormous weight?
If you are Evan Bayh, for example, or Michael Bennet, from key states Indiana and Colorado, respectively, and both facing campaigns in 2010, does a “no” vote on Obamacare help not only your current campaign but also your positioning for the big audition? If you are North Carolina’s Kay Hagan, sitting in another potential swing state but also one that just won’t care for Obamacare, doesn’t a “no” vote now pay certain dividends when reelection rolls around in 2014 and perhaps make you a very interesting Joe replacement in 2012?
Obamacare is splitting the Democratic Party before our eyes, but the most interesting ramifications from September’s votes won’t be who isn’t invited to the White House in late 2009 but who is invited in 2012. The short-term pain of a “no” vote now could bring independent Democrats valuable political capital for years to come.
August 10th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
“There are many disturbing details in the current bill that Washington is trying to rush through Congress, but we must stick to a discussion of the issues and not get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment,” Palin wrote.
Hmm, Death Panels anyone?
Personally I am glad that there are loud, angry protesters at the town hall meetings. These senators and congressman need to fear for their jobs.
August 10th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Some on our side see “death panels” as a winner and have now doubled down on it. This ad is now being played on nationally on cable. David Kurtz TPM seems to agree that the narrative is devestating for Obama and has dubbed the ad “brutal.”
Don’t pay for health care reform on the backs of our seniors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUVM5pDvQ4s&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftpmdc%2Etalkingpointsmemo%2Ecom%2F2009%2F08%2Fnew%2Dad%2Dhealth%2Dcare%2Dbill%2Dwill%2Ddeprive%2Dseniors%2Dof%2Dcare%2Dif%2Dtheyre%2Dnot%2Dworth%2Dthe%2Dcost%2Ephp&feature=player_embedded
August 10th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
It was stupid to pick biden as a veep…kinda of comical actually since obama was running as a change agent but hey this is a guy who rode the black separatist chicago thing with rev wright than flipped to a mainstream dem in the ILL senate 2004 primary…than ran with howard dean’s 2004 anti war coalition in the 2008 dem primary but keep george w bush sec of defense after getting elected, the guy is full of it but hey the mainstream media will let him roll with it for awhile… at least this guy has caught on:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/opinion/09rich.html?em
problem with the hardcore libs is there philosophy doesn’t work, sure its easy to bash big business but big govt is worse…problem with repubs is they betray conservative principles to keep power which works in the short term but eventually will bite them in the tail…back to biden, the guy should be dumped in 2012 but i suspect obama wants to name his current un amb sec of state but the only way to dump biden is to push him into to the sec of state job…not to mention the clinton agenda, does obama really want to pick a veep who could possibly run in 2016 and p’off the clinton organization…easy solution is to put hillary in as veep and biden as sec of state
August 10th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
H. Clinton Goes Crazy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMknKXfbyt8&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnews%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2Fnews%3Fned%3Dus%26ict%3Dlbe%5Fca&feature=player_embedded
August 10th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
White House Frustrated, Confused By Palin, Limbaugh And Hannity
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/10/white-house-frustrated-co_n_255927.html
“Senior White House aides expressed utter bewilderment and a bit of frustration on Monday with criticism of their health care agenda from conservative figures — particularly former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.”
August 10th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Sarah Palin Calls for…Restraint?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2009/08/sarah_palin_calls_forrestraint.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Levi Johnston: Marriage problems and money made Sarah Palin quit
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/08/levi-johnston-says-marriage-and-money-problems-made-sarah-palin-quit.html
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/08/exclusive-interview-sarah-palin-resigned-due-marital-troubles-says-levi-johnston
August 10th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Pat Buchanan’s tongue-in-cheek advice to Todd Palin:
Pat Buchanan’s Advice To Todd Palin: Drown Levi Johnston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhy13Qzyc4s&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fthinkprogress%2Eorg%2F2009%2F07%2F13%2Fbuchanan%2Dlevi%2Djohnston%2F&feature=player_embedded
August 10th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Legislature overrides Palin’s veto on stimulus
The Alaska Legislature voted Monday to override former Gov. Sarah Palin’s veto of $28 million in federal stimulus money for energy cost relief.
http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/893955.html
August 10th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
GOP rebranding effort flames out
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=0687FA0C-18FE-70B2-A8E0519716820CA8
August 10th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
State Democrats Fear That Paterson Is Liability
New York Democrats Face an Unexpected Opponent — Paterson
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/nyregion/11dems.html?hp=&pagewanted=print
August 10th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Senate Republicans offer up hypothetical 2012 ballot
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/10/senate-republicans-offer-up-hypothetical-2012-ballot/
August 11th, 2009 at 7:45 am
I just find anything Palin says about Healthcare not credible. She knows little about the subject, other than sound bites, did NOTHING in her state during her short tenure for health care and actually had the honors of having a portion of Medicare for elderly and disables shut down by the evil ‘Fed’s’ due to mismanagemet. Fish rots from the head. 227 people dead from mismangement. thankfully, my mother does not live in AK.
August 11th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Panel sees race bias in health care bill
Provisions designed to help underserved areas
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights says some little-noticed provisions in the House health care bill are racially discriminatory, and it intends to ask President Obama and Congress to rewrite sections that factor in race when awarding billions in contracts, scholarships and grants.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/11/panel-sees-race-bias-in-health-care-bill/print/
August 11th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Romney’s interview on Health Care with Hugh Hewitt. Man with ideas and with what it takes to get the job done.
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/talkradio/transcripts/Transcript.aspx?ContentGuid=63230960-17de-4ecf-a990-bad100034c72
August 11th, 2009 at 9:32 am
FACT CHECK: No ‘death panel’ in health care bill
Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin says the health care overhaul bill would set up a “death panel.” Federal bureaucrats would play God, ruling on whether ailing seniors are worth enough to society to deserve life-sustaining medical care. Palin and other critics are wrong. Nothing in the legislation would carry out such a bleak vision. The provision that has caused the uproar would instead authorize Medicare to pay doctors for counseling patients about end-of-life care, if the patient wishes.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/08/11/fact_check_no_death_panel_in_health_care_bill?mode=PF
August 11th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Aaron. I can’t stand Keith Oberman, but what he said in the first few minutes of his daily rant last night about Palin’s death panels was right on. Go find it.
August 11th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Clinton has lost it. She is a frumpy grumpy old woman.