"Nice place you have here. Shame if anything 'happened' to it." is also just rhetorical.

Did she just call Hillary Clinton an "old wife"? I think so! Fire! Fire! Someone telegraph Drudge!

Palin was just concerned about all the impressionable young minds that would be misled by Darwin's The Origin of Species.

But...but...Palin is telling the truth, as long as Ms. Emmons is an old wife.

Seems to be a pattern is emerging here. No interest is learning about things, like the reasonable limits on the political office she is occupying. Oh, and also the denial, once things begin to go south.

Being a pathological liar must have been high -- if not the only thing -- on McCain's list of VP-picking criteria.

After all, it worked so well for Bush.

Wow, she lies a lot. It would be interesting to know which books she wanted to see banned.

I think her star will start falling very soon.

Wait! Who is she calling an old wife?!?

several other people have beaten me to it, but what's up with the "old wive's tale" business? here i thought governor palin was a feminist icon....

This works very well. Those who want to ban books knows she's on their side. And those who don't want to ban books heard her say she never tried to ban anything. All things to all people.

In the McCain campaign spirit of taking things out of context, does Sarah Palin just hate old wives or is she contemptuous of all wives? Perhaps she only feels threatened by gay wives? So many questions needing answers.

Elected mayor with major backing from her church.
Introduced church ideology into small town government.
Inquired about process of censorship at library.
Got slapped down.

Even if old wives tell it, it doesn't make it untrue.

Palin's rationale, which is well on its way to getting a free ride, is even more absurd. She said constituents came to her inquiring about the procedure for book banning, and she was obliged to check into the situation. Rather than, you know, tell her constituents that book banning is not something we do in modern, civilzed democracies.

You know, in a way, ordering the police to look the other way during Kristallnacht was just 'constituent service'.

Aside from the book banning, doesn't anyone find it mighty peculiar to fire the town librarian for insufficient *support* of the mayor? What's up with that? Who thinks of the librarian as political enough for the mayor to even care about? Unless that mayor happens to be incredibly petty.

Separately, unless Palin is caught in a huge lie, I don't see this issue helping us a whole lot. The Pal-unatics who support her probably think that books about gay kids should be banned, so it doesn't hurt her support. If anyone who cares about freedom of thought wasn't already terrified by her creationism and Bush-like anti-intellectualism, I don't think this story gets through to them either. Unless we find a way to package it better.

Choosing which books should and should not be in a public library is not the same as banning books.

it is quite something how easily and reflexively this individual lies: the sign of someone defensive, to be sure; insecure; and yes, not living up to the ideals of her religion

my guess is that her high school colleagues already had figured this out about her ("barracuda")

imagine her as president and visions of a secular apocalypse come very quickly to mind ...

Those old wives, they knew a thing or two . . .

unless Palin is caught in a huge lie, I don't see this issue helping us a whole lot.

It's part of a pattern. Palin doesn't see herself as part of a democratic republic. She sees herself as "the decider". And as decider, she's petty, vindictive, manipulative and dishonest. Would you want someone with this profife to be VP after Cheney?

Steve--

Don't you get tired of having to post all these "dog bites man" items? I'd suggest you just kick back with a few cold ones and relax until a story comes through when Palin is caught telling the truth, although I don't want to be responsible for damage to your liver.

Choosing which books should and should not be in a public library is not the same as banning books.

Neither is it the job of the mayor, anywhere outside of Calvin's Geneva Commonwealth.

The Latin on our coins will need an upgrade. Goodbye E pluribus, unum, hello cuius regio, eius religio.

I think "Guliani in a skirt" pretty much describes her leadership style.

unless Palin is caught in a huge lie, I don't see this issue helping us a whole lot.

Um, the base will never budge in its support. That one's a rule of physics, so forget about it. The objective is to wake enough other people up to the fact that Sarah Palin is an ignorant crazyperson to keep her out of the White House.

Anybody keeping a list of Caribou Barbie's lies?

I think McCain has pulled ahead because the public doesn't know that he represents more Bush and badder Bush, and because they don't know what Obama's policies are.

I think Sarah Palin will make a difference only if the Democrats let themselves be distracted by her. She's energized the Republican base, all right, but that gets them only 28%. The problem is that she's energized all the Democrats into obsessing over her, to the point where Obama's message has been completely drowned out. And if that continues much longer, McCain's increased support will solidify, and Obama will lose.

the issue is press narrative. the taboo against using the word "liar in the press is a strong one. To get there, you have to cross a certain threshold and it is rarely passed. The combination of McCain and Palin are jointly crossing that threshold. In fact, you could argue that without Palin it would have been impossible for McCain alone to cross that line given the affection for him in the press.

Thus, you will only at first see judicious usage by the Obama campaign of the word lie or liar. I think you should view the press statements they issue as trial balloons for advertising. If they call McCain a liar in a press release and there is strong pushback in the press, then you cant yet run similarly themed ads. If, as is the case now, I believe, the press is not objecting to those terms in the press releases and surrogate statements, then Obama will likely start to ramp up ads with more explicit references to "lies" as opposed to "distortions."

The more McCain and Palin go in this direction, the more stridently Obama can fight back in the event the press gets antsy about "liar" ads.

"Choosing which books should and should not be in a public library is not the same as banning books."

That's a true comment. And if Mayor Palin's question been: "how do you go about choosing books...", it would also be a relevant comment.

"(Palin reversed course on Emmons's dismissal after a local outcry.)"

Proof positive that we MUST always speak out when we see this kind of abuse going on.

The press will always give the pols the benefit of the doubt. It's up to the people to challenge the Sarah Palins of this world, who will try to get away with lots of crap, hoping that citizens will keep quiet and treat their elected officials with deference.

A lot of the things she did and believed are no longer something she wishes to remember.

This woman, a reactionary of the first order, is a scary far-right winger. Burning books, intimidating enemies, and looking very askance at Jewish people. There is reason to be scared. Calling someone a Nazi has lost some of its emotional impact, but for God's sake, replace Liberal for Jew in their emotional rants and you'll see there is little difference. Read some Kafka tonight. . .

Maybe her run for the White House is also rhetorical.

BTW, STEVE (!!!!), why doesn't this site remember personal info anymore?

:rolleyes:

"She (Palin) did not demand that books be banned from the Wasilla library. Some of the books on a widely circulated list were not even in print at the time. The librarian has said Palin asked a 'What if?' question, but the librarian continued in her job through most of Palin's first term."

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html

http://www.cityofwasilla.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=516

Look - what no one seems to even be asking is WHY would anyone in modern day America even inquire about this? I mean - even if you think she was merely trying to get clarification on the policies, what does that say? It is like someone asking about clarification on what exactly are the rules in regards to Women having the right to vote.

I don't understand why this librarian is not talking to the press. It is really her duty to explain exactly what happened. I would imagine if it would show the Gov. in a favorable light she would be have been more forthcoming.

The librarian isn't talking because she probably likes her private life and isn't up to being harassed by people who think librarians should be "supportive" of the mayor or what the local citizens don't want in the library.

Also, rhetorical questions are things like "who doesn't like ice cream?" or "were you raised by wolves?" not "how do I go about banning books my congregation has decided they don't like?"

If the Palin spokesman had bothered to go to the library to look up the word "rhetorical," perhaps that would be clear.

How is it possible to ask a rhetorical question about book banning? What possible conversation could ensue in which that made sense as a rhetorical question?

an "old wives tale?"

isn't that a misogynist, sexist remark.

i think so. you can put lipstick on it, but i think it is still the same old pig you started with.

It is sad that someone professing to be a Christian is being exposed as a big liar. She should not be running for VP but rather should go back to sunday school and learn the 10 commandments. "thou should not lie". I am terrified at the thought this country could possibly end up in her hands.

It is sad that someone professing to be a Christian is being exposed as a big liar. She should not be running for VP but rather should go back to sunday school and learn the 10 commandments. "thou should not lie". I am terrified at the thought this country could possibly end up in her hands.

um, Albert? maybe you're the one who needs to go back to Sunday School. there IS no commandment against lying--only one about "bear[ing] false witness" against your neighbor.

It's an old wives' tale

Wow - pretty sexist statement coming from a candidate who whines incessently about sexism.

Don't you think?

And if Palin was truly opposed to censorship, the appropriate thing to do as mayor would have been to approach the church and tell it to lay off. Or issue a public statement saying there will be no banning of books from the library.

The fact that she said nothing adds credence to the charges.

Aside from the book banning, doesn't anyone find it mighty peculiar to fire the town librarian for insufficient *support* of the mayor?

Excellent point. I think we've all gotten tragically accustomed to this crap under Bush.

Which is going to dominate? The propaganda theme-driven Washington political media or the currently growing journalistic feeding frenzy surrounding Sarah Palin and spreading to the McCain campaign?

Bush has pulled even or ahead this last week largely because of

1. the normal convention bounce.
2. the novelty of choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate.

The bounce was extended because Palin permitted the Social Conservatives to abandon their objections to McCain and buy into him as their "leader." The excitement of the Social Conservatives has fed back into the McCain campaign and the campaign is doing whatever it takes to extend that process even further, hopefully for another eight weeks.

But the Palin choice was high risk with low vetting and no broad consensus that she could carry as heavy a load in the campaign as has been thrust on her. The secrecy of her selection and announcement was bought at a very high price.

Everything now has to focus on shoring her and the social issues she represents up as the central focus of the campaign. It's like shoring up a badly damaged building the inspectors have already declared totaled. That's where all the lies are coming from. They know so little about her that there are no prepackaged defenses for the various faults that keep popping up. So they are reduced to making stuff up.

But they are stuck with her, since without Palin the McCain campaign is reduced to explaining why they do not represent four more years of Bush/Cheney. That is clearly a losing position as the recent switch to a campaign theme of "We're for change also." demonstrates.

It doesn't help any that the choice of Pain as his running mate is an admission that to get elected President McCain has had to completely surrender to the Republican extremist religious right. The McCain camp has to "dogwhistle" to the right-wing religious extremists in ways that the independents don't catch on to.

This is complicated by the fact that the McCain campaign has been unable to roll Palin in under the McCain media themes to protect her. The media really is treating her differently from the way they treat the already "well-known" McCain. By "well-known" I mean that the media already has an accepted set of themes to apply to McCain. Those themes have simply not spread to Palin.

I'd speculate that the McCain camp has been shocked to find that they could not just roll Palin in under the protection of the McCain media themes. But she made too big a splash with her selection and acceptance speech for that to be possible. The news audience wants details and the media (those not tasked with the propaganda function of defending her - FOX, etc.)are trying to meet the audience demand.

Now the declining elements of the media who consider themselves to be non-propaganda journalists have found enough blood in the water to begin the journalistic equivalent of a shark frenzy. To counter that the propaganda elements of the media and the McCain campaign are throwing out everything and anything that might tamp down the journalistic frenzy. It's desperation. That's the source of the lying. They have eight weeks and they are in the sprint to get past the finish line before they are buried by their lies.

I don't think it is going to work. The same journalistic norms of going along with the pack that make the media themes such a powerful a way to avoid contradictory new information are now beginning to work in reverse. Those norms are escalating the journalistic frenzy.

So in the next eight weeks, the real question is which is going to dominate the media? Will it be the journalistic pack frenzy or will the theme-driven propaganda media be able to regain control?

In many ways the fate of America and of the world depends on the answer to that question.

"The librarian isn't talking because she probably likes her private life and isn't up to being harassed by people who think librarians should be "supportive" of the mayor or what the local citizens don't want in the library."

She is also still a librarian in Alaska. If she gets a reputation as someone who trashes a Mayor she previously worked for, it is unlikely that she will ever work as librarian in Alaska again. Since her statement would be picked up by the national media, she might find she could never work as a librarian anywhere in the U.S. again.

http://www.todayinfuture.com