"We shouldn't be asking 'Why us?' We should be saying 'Well, why not us?'"

Last month Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gave birth to her fifth son, whom she has revealed has Down syndrome. There's a good article in the Associated Press today about the situation:

The results of Gov. Sarah Palin's prenatal testing were in, but the doctor's tone was ominous: "You need to come to the office so we can talk about it."

Palin, known for a resolve that quickly launched her from suburban hockey mom to a player on the national political stage, said "No, go ahead and tell me over the phone."

The physician replied "Down syndrome," stunning the Republican governor who had just completed what many political analysts called a startling first year in office.

[...]

The 44-year-old governor waited a few days before telling her husband Todd, who was out of town, so she could understand what was ahead for them.

Once her husband got the news, he told her: "We shouldn't be asking 'Why us?' We should be saying 'Well, why not us?'"

There was never any doubt the Palins would have the child, and on April 18 she gave birth to Trig Paxon Van Palin.

"We've both been very vocal about being pro life," Palin said. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential."

Glenn Beck, who is also the parent of a child with special needs, talked about Sarah and Trig Palin on his show the other day:



Great story.

(Unrelated, but the following line from the article gives me pause about a VP bid for Palin: "She stood up to the powerful oil industry, and with bipartisan support in the statehouse she won a tax increase on oil companies' profits." Hmmmm....)

Jonah Goldberg touts Palin for Veep

Writing over at NRO's The Corner, Goldberg says (emphasis mine):

I'm more and more keen on Sarah Palin. [...] Palin is tackling the establishment in Alaska, including the oil and gas industry (much to the chagrin of some of my relatives!). She's attractive (former Ms. Alaska). She could get some real profile out of this polar bear lawsuit. She reinforces McCain's outsider-reformer-Western credentials. And, for the moderate soccer mom types who were all jazzed about Hillary being the first woman president, she might win a few suburbanite female swing-voters for the same reason. Obama is going to have to pick a boring white guy precisely because he's not one. McCain doesn't need to pick a boring white guy because he's got that locked up already.

Part of the reason I feel that it is so important that McCain chooses someone like Gov. Palin or Gov. Bobby Jindal are the multiple polls showing generic Republicans losing to generic Democrats. In the mind of the public, "generic Republican" means a white, probably Southern, older man. Like it or not, McCain needs to choose someone who's not a white man as the veep. And, preferably, it will be someone like Palin who is a true conservative.

Huckabee vs. Palin: VP Madness Final Round!

CQ's VP Madness is (you guessed it) in the final round, and it is between Gov. Mike Huckabee and Gov. Sarah Palin.

Right now, Huckabee is ahead of Palin 54% to 45%.

If Huckabee wins this thing, I will lose all faith in humanity, so go there ASAP and vote for Sarah Palin.

Gov. Palin goes after Pres. Bush

She is suing the U.S. government to keep it from listing the polar bear as a threatened species, a move which was designed primarily to destroy capitalism rather than help polar bears:

“We appreciate the Secretary’s recognition that oil and gas activities are already regulated under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to prevent impacts to the polar bear and do not pose a threat to the polar bear,” Governor Palin said.

[...]

“While climate change is a significant issue, the Endangered Species Act is not the right tool to address impacts to a species from climate change,” Attorney General Talis Colberg said.

“Inappropriate implementation of this listing decision could result in widespread social and economic impacts, including increased power costs and further increases in fuel prices, without providing any more protection for the species,” Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin said.

“While the state is challenging the listing, we remain committed to assuring Alaska’s polar bears are conserved,” Governor Palin said. “The state will continue to monitor Alaska’s polar bear populations and their behaviors in relation to changing sea ice conditions.”

This is what a real maverick looks like, Sen. McCain.

vote for palin for vp...

...at this hotair.com post.

right now gov. sarah palin is in 2nd place with 23%, behind mitt romney. i consider that a first place finish since mccain hates himself some mitt romney and would never choose him.

UPDATE: voting is now closed.

Trig Palin

Yeah, I don't get that name either. But anyways, Gov. Sarah Palin gave birth to a new son yesterday morning. Hopefully she can be ready to go if Sen. McCain chooses her for his vice president. We now have confirmation that she'd like that job, by the way.

You can send her congratulations here.

el rushbo on gov. palin

rush limbaugh took a call from a palin for vp supporter on his show yesterday.

more veepstakes discussion...

over at the campaign spot. geraghty spends a good deal of time talking about govs. bobby jindal and sarah palin. worth a read.

AK-House GOP primary polling: Rep. Young vulnerable

Despite Rep. Don Young having 24 times his cash on hand, Alaska's Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell is tied or beating the incumbent in most polls:

Republican Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell stands a strong chance of defeating Young in the party’s Aug. 26 primary, according to recent polls and analysts, which would provide Democrats with a new opponent for the general election.

Young has drawn wide support over the years for his advocacy for his home state, but critics argue that his connections to a federal investigation into Alaska oil services company Veco Corp and its ties to political figures in the state have made him vulnerable for re-election this year. Opponents also note that the House has called for an investigation into an earmark for a Florida transportation project, which Young is accused of changing to possibly benefit a major supporter. Others believe Young’s well-known rough-hewn manner is diminishing his effectiveness in the House and reflecting badly on the state.

Parnell, a lawyer and former state lawmaker, entered the House race just two months ago, but is backed by popular Republican Gov. Sarah Palin . Recent polls show Parnell besting or nearly breaking even with Young.

“It’s time for a new messenger in Congress in Alaska,” Parnell told CQ Politics.

[...]

Parnell is campaigning on issues such as resource development, job creation, the nation’s economy, establishing a natural gas pipeline and fixing high gas prices, in addition to what he calls “restoring trust issues,” all things on which Parnell believes he can be more effective than the congressman.

“Voters appreciate the years he’s given, but we also think it’s time for new leadership,” Parnell said of Young.

Parnell's kind words stand in deep contrast to Rep. Young's response when he found out Parnell was challenging him. A refresher:

"Sean, congratulations," Young said. "I beat your dad, and I'm going to beat you."

Pat Parnell ran as a Democrat against Young in the 1980 general election. Young received 114,089 votes to the elder Parnell's 39,922, according to the Division of Elections.

Gesturing with his finger toward Parnell, Young said that if Parnell had wanted the U.S. House seat, he should have run two years ago.

"If you wanted to run for this job, you should have done it two years ago instead of running for lieutenant governor," Young said. "You wanted that job. Stay where you are, and that's where you're going to be."

A real class act.

I've never been to Alaska, but I think that if Parnell takes this seat away from Young, it would be the one bright spot in an otherwise disastrous election season. So, shill away I must.

Contribute to Parnell's campaign here.

(h/t RedState)

Why I'm against a Jindal vice presidency in two words.

Mitch Landrieu. He is the current Democratic lieutenant governor of Louisiana and brother of Sen. Mary Landrieu.

If Gov. Bobby Jindal joins McCain's ticket, all the progress he has made in the last few months won't be worth anything. The state will just be run by another Democrat hack from a legacy political family.

I think its best that we let Jindal incubate in Baton Rouge for a while, and have him run in 2012 or 2016. If McCain wants a reform-minded, non-boring, non-white guy governor on his ticket, he should go with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. She has all of Jindal's positives, more experience governing, and is heading a state not at risk of falling into Democratic hands.

the washington post looks at a vp palin

i couldn't agree more.



(h/t captain ed)

election 2008 link dump: mccain edition

- sean hannity will be having a one hour interview with sen. john mccain tonight on hannity & colmes tonight at 9pm eastern. hannity is saying he's going to ask all the questions we want answered. i wonder if hannity will ask about juan hernandez' role in his campaign?

- has the mccain campaign been buying up domain names that suggest he is vetting alaska gov. sarah palin to be his vice president? (related: mccain's vice presidential search officially began today.)

- new poll results from suggest a close race for mccain. however, i think that the most most enigmatic person to ever win a presidential nomination in either party ever, sen. obama, is who he will be challenging. once obama's dirty laundry comes out, i think things will turn in his favor.

- rob port highlights an article on mccain's role in the senate during pres. bush's first term.

- obama attacks sen. mccain for wanting to keep tax cuts. yes sen. obama, let's raise the issue of how you would raise the taxes of most americans. that could be a fun discussion.

19 rules for McCain's running mate...

Over at RedState, Dan McLaughlin has a list of veepstakes do's and don't's. It's a handy little list, albeit one that completely takes any dark horses or otherwise interesting picks off the table.

The "Don't's" list eliminates consideration of the following people:

- Sen. Joe Lieberman
- Sen. John Thune
- Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchenson
- Sen. Lindsay Graham
- possibly Rep. Marsha Blackburn
- Rep. Eric Cantor
- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
- former Representative and SEC Chairman Chris Cox
- former Representative and OMB Chairman Rob Portman
- former Sen. Fred Thompson
- former Sen. Phil Graham
- Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri
- Gov. Bobby Jindal
- Gov. Sarah Palin
- Gov. Matt Blunt
- former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele
- former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina
- NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani
- Gov. Charlie Crist
- former governor and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge
- Rep. Ron Paul
- possibly Sen. Tom Coburn
- Sen. Chuck Hagel
- Gov. Haley Barbour
- former Rep. JC Watts
- former Rep. John Kasich
- former Gov. Jeb Bush
- Sen. Elizabeth Dole
- Gov. Linda Lingle

The "Do's" list leaves the following three people:

- former Gov. Mitt Romney
- Gov. Mark Sanford
- Gov. Tim Pawlenty
- Gov. Jon Huntsman

Naturally, since this is RedState, they seem to be focused on the most boring choice possible: Mitt Romney. What is interesting about this is that Mitt Romney breaks several of the "don't's" they have listed. Despite his looks, the man is 61 years old, he would have lost the governorship in 2006 had he chose to run for re-election, and he is a one-term governor. And let's face it: the only reason conservatives even flocked to him at all was because he was seen as the anti-McCain. Choosing Mitt would be a bad idea.

UPDATE: David Freddoso points out another possible VP for McCain : Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. I added him to the list.

“There are so many things we need to do in our state."

the new york times has a story up on republican bobby jindal's first few weeks as governor of louisiana:

Mr. Jindal said Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had presented him with a unique moment in his state’s history to enact reforms; as he put it, the storms “caused people to rethink how they wanted their social institutions to be designed, how they wanted services to be delivered, what kind of state they wanted to call home.”

i am growing more convinced that (if they don't run themselves) any republican presidential nominee in 2012 would be a fool not to have gov. bobby jindal or gov. sarah palin at the bottom of the ticket. both are competent, extremely intelligent, reagan conservatives who could bring in new voters and ruin the democrat message that the gop is racist and sexist.

at this point i am more excited about 2012 than 2008.

how did i miss this?

alaska gov. sarah palin met with sen. john mccain last week in DC about the need to reduce pork spending in her state. i wonder if that's all they talked about...

From the people who brought you "Shilling for Amnesty"...

The Wall Street Journal has a piece up extolling the virtues of U.S. Securities and Exchange Chairman Chris Cox, and what he could bring to the GOP ticket as Sen. John McCain's vice presidential nominee:

At 55, he's youthful and confidence-inspiring, with ample experience to serve as understudy to a well-traveled 72-year-old. He has a reputation as a serious and sober minded politician. He earned both a law and business degree from Harvard. He's fluent in Russian -- before entering politics he started a company that translated Soviet publications into English. He served a stint in the Reagan White House, then ran successfully for Congress from Orange County, serving nine terms and amassing a strong record as a fiscal conservative and tax cutter. He also led a bipartisan Congressional commission that wrote the book on Chinese technological espionage.

The former California Congressman is a good and decent man. I had the pleasure of meeting him and hearing him speak while at my internship last spring in DC. That being said, the ticket needs someone exciting and different who can help raise funds and has a commitment to fiscal restraint. While I think Cox has the latter, I am hesitant to believe he can do the former. McCain will be running against the Obamessiah himself in the fall. We need someone who can match that excitement.

Also, in the hopes of providing an inspiring story, the author mentions this:

At age 25, Mr. Cox faced the possibility that he might never walk again when a Jeep he was riding in flipped over and pinned him to the ground. His spine was crushed. It took him six months and a steel brace that he wore around his chest before he regained the ability to walk. Today, he still suffers severe pain, especially if he sits for long periods of time, so he often uses a desk that allows him to work while standing up.

While it is good that he survived and has accomplished all he has while in this condition, "having constant immense pain" is not something I look for in a vice presidential candidate.

My choice, of course, is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, even though I think the chances that will happen are slim to nil.

In case you didn't notice...

I didn't really do any blogging today. Yeah, I know, I'm lazy. I had a choice between waking up at 7:30 am, going to a job interview, coming back and sleeping, or doing the interview and then blogging. Sleep won out.

What else would you expect from a moron?

I might blog form work tonight if something catches my eye, but otherwise you're on your own until tomorrow.

In the meantime, head over to CQ for round 3 of VP Madness. It's narrowed down to 8 (my choice is emphasized): Mike Huckabee vs. Mark Sanford, Tim Pawlenty vs. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Sarah Palin vs. Bobby Jindal, and Rob Portman vs. Charlie Crist.

photo of the day

rep. bobby jindal (r-la) is now gov. bobby jindal (r-la).

he will be someone to watch, especially if the dems win the presidency in '08.

jindal/palin 2012 has a nice ring to it.

(h/t RedState)

old white dude-white old dude '08!

i hate identity politics and i have grown fond of mitt romney, but i'm still very hesitant about this:

Mitt Romney said in his first interview since departing the GOP race that he would accept the number two position on the ticket and that there is no lingering bitterness between him and John McCain.

“I think any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee, myself included," Romney told FOX's Sean Hannity in a broadcast set to air tonight. "Of course this is a nation which needs strong leadership. And if the nominee of our party asked you to serve with him, anybody would be honored to receive that call … and to accept it, of course.”

eh. mccain has hinted that he is only going to be a one-term president, and logically his age would lead some to consider running against him in 2012 primary even if he were to try to be re-elected. i have been unabashadly shilling for sen. mccain to pick alaska gov. sarah palin as his running mate. however, i would still be happy if mccain chose someone else who was younger and had at least a bit of experience.

let mitt romney be the secretary of treasury, commerce, or something else along those lines. give the vice presidency to the future faces of the party.

vice president preggers?

gov. sarah palin announces that she is seven months pregnant.

this pretty much kills her chances for a vp position this time around, i'd think, but congratulations anyway!