Peoples Press Collective

I hate the wind. Ok, not really hate so much as dislike intensely, especially when it forces you to drive 10 miles under the speed limit through a rather boring stretch of South Dakota. Yes--I drove (won't be a green convention for this blogger!). However, lest you think I shirked my blogger duties, here is a sample of what I saw along the way, which included a stop in the Black Hills of South Dakota and a visit to the Crazy Horse Monument (which likely won't be finished in our lifetimes, but is entirely financed through--shocker--private enterprise) and, of course, Mount Rushmore: BFE, Wyoming. Custer, SD Crazy Horse Monument "Authentic," but waaay overpriced. A preview of how the mountain will eventually look, sometime around 2500. Just kidding (not really). Made in Denver. Just in time for the evening lighting ceremony. Come on, Vogue! All lit up. When I was last here in 1994, there was a much smaller, old-school National Monument building and very little improvements (since the 1960s). A larger parking lot and entrance, enhanced museum, new amphitheater, and this flag-lined walkway all augmented the decidedly patriotic experience. I'll have video from the lighting ceremony tomorrow. First, we watched a Mount Rushmore "Cliff Notes" video on the four Presidents represented, and then members of the audience who were veterans of our armed forces (or a representative) were invited to the stage for the nightly flag lowering, carried out with much dignity.  Our ranger narrated the Star-Spangled Banner's first 3 verses, and sang the final verse quite beautifully.  It was clear from the tone of her voice that she was truly overcome with emotion, and this feeling permeated the audience. On a cool night on Labor Day weekend following the week of hell (temperatures and my poor feet) that was the DNC, it was an outstanding opportunity to reflect on the greatness of our country, the eloquence of our Founding Fathers, and the immense gratitude we should have for our rights and for the ability to exercise our freedoms in a manner unmatched almost anywhere else on this rock.  Sandwiched as it was between the DNC and RNC, my visit to Mount Rushmore reinforced the necessity of an educated and engaged citizenry that is politically active and civically oriented. But that's not why you're here, is it? On to the convention schwag! RNC schwag bag--"refresh, recycle, re-use."  Surprisingly, there wasn't a Coke product inside. The logo may be much-maligned, but the message is important--water is essential for convention survival! Cool! Mac & Cheese  . . . hey--wait a minute! We are Republicans.  Where is my RNC filet mignon? Can the Republicans weather the storm that is Hurricane Gustav? Fellow Coloradan Brad Jones from FacetheState.com (bookmark it) arrived a little earlier in the day, and managed to snap a few photos of those protesters arrested Sunday and the arrival of the Colorado delegates. Check back in at FTS for updates throughout the RNC. Meanwhile, Gateway Pundit details the moonbat protesters of the "RNC Welcoming Committee" raided over the weekend and arrested for possessing devices meant to "disable" delegate buses. Same crap (literally), different city/convention. Oh, it's gonna be a fun week. I'll have updates tomorrow, including more details on the reduced and mainly "procedural" first day of the RNC.

Tags: democratic national convention

Meanwhile, on the other side of the looking glass…

Remember, kids: shiny side out!

WOW!! Record crowds turn out to see SARAH PALIN and John McCain in Missouri!

Click on Photo to see Video From Missouri--

(Reuters Photo)
20,000 in Missouri rally with McCain and Palin!

WOW... Just Wow!
It looks like Missouri approved of McCain's VP pick!

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks at a podium as vice presidential candidate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, listens during today's rally. (KSDK)

KMOV reported on the Missouri rally:

McCain spotlighted Palin at the suburban St. Louis rally -- giving her the clean-up speaking spot on a stage erected over the ballfield's home plate. She got an enthusiastic reception from the crowd that filled the infield bleachers and spread from the dirt base paths into the outfield grass. At various times, they chanted, "Sarah, Sarah."

The ball team's president said the stadium holds about 15,000 for such concert-style events. Republican consultant John Hancock, who served as master of ceremonies for the event, estimated there were about 20,000 people.

KSDK in St. Louis has video of McCain's speech today in O'Fallon.

Bob McCarty has an excellent roundup from the rally today.

Tags: democratic national convention

And one last bizarre DNC juxtaposition. First up, Jack Benny! A two-parter: "The Fright-Wig Murder Case" (25 January 1942); and part two (2 February 1942). The juxtapo: At the pro-troops rally at Pioneer Monument last Sunday, it was hard not to notice this guy: Didn't realize it at the time, but that's Mike Jones, destroyer of Pastor Ted Haggard and an occasional subject of D-blog "humor." Never mentioned him in the context of the DNC, though. When worlds collide.

Tags: democratic national convention

Slapstick Politics has been selected as an Official Blogger to the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul from Sept. 1-4. While this is a distinct honor and incredible opportunity to represent the center-right of the Colorado blogosphere on a national level, there is also a substantial cost associated with travel and accommodations.

If you've enjoyed SP's coverage of the DNC (and there will be plenty more in the coming weeks, I can assure you) and you are willing and able to help SP cover the costs of the trip, know that it is greatly appreciated. If you have a business or are a candidate this election and would like to help by sponsoring SP in return for advertising space, then please contact me by email.

SP will feature the usual news roundups, but will also bring you photos and video straight from the RNC--a view from the "other side," with interviews and backstage access.

If you have Colorado-related questions for GOP bigwigs you'd like answered, leave them in the comments or shoot me an email.

First SP just has to make it out of Denver and the DNC alive!

My, they sure are having a difficult timing attacking this pro-gun, pro-Life, conservative mother of 5 who enjoys an 80% approval rating as Governor of Alaska. (Flickr) The latest lib smear is that Palin did not oppose the "Bridge to Nowhere". The Left is already starting to lie about Sarah Palin. But, sadly, it is the Left, once again, who is lying. They have such a difficult time with reading comprehension. Here is what the Anchorage Daily News reported today:

"I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere," Palin told the cheering McCain crowd, referring to Ketchikan's Gravina Island bridge. But Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it. The Alaska governor campaigned in 2006 on a build-the-bridge platform, telling Ketchikan residents she felt their pain when politicians called them "nowhere." They're still feeling pain today in Ketchikan, over Palin's subsequent decision to use the bridge funds for other projects -- and over the timing of her announcement, which they say came in a pre-dawn press release that seemed aimed at national news deadlines. "I think that's when the campaign for national office began," said Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein on Saturday. ...McCain also claimed to have found, in Palin, "someone with an outstanding reputation for standing up to special interests and entrenched bureaucracies" and "someone who has fought against corruption and the failed policies of the past" and "someone who has reached across the aisle and asked Republicans, Democrats and independents to serve in government." On those scores, Palin can fairly claim credit, according to Alaska political leaders and others who have followed her career here. She did fight corruption as a whistle-blower, even before an FBI investigation burst into public view. She also stood up to "party bosses," as McCain claimed, running against Republican incumbents as an outsider -- though she has yet to unseat her nemesis, Randy Ruedrich, as state party chairman. Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Saturday that as projected costs for the Ketchikan bridge rose to nearly $400 million, administration officials were telling Ketchikan that the project looked less likely. Local leaders shouldn't have been surprised when Palin announced she was turning to less-costly alternatives, Leighow said. Indeed, Leighow produced a report quoting Palin, late in the governor's race, indicating she would also consider alternatives to a bridge.

There you have it. Sarah Palin opposed the "bridge to nowhere". It's so sad to see the Left stoop to deceit in order to discredit the popular Palin. They are having such a difficult time bashing this woman and mother. It's really too bad.

Tags: democratic national convention

It looks like Michael Moore's prayers to the great earth god were answered. Don Fowler and other liberals will surely get a kick out of this... The RNC Convention was cancelled for tomorrow night. Chron Watch reported:

Virtually all of the Republican National Convention's Monday night program, including an address by President Bush, will be canceled as national attention focuses on Hurricane Gustav, party officials said today. "It is doubtful that there will be any kind of program tomorrow night" when the four-day convention was scheduled to commence, House Minority Leader John Boehner told reporters. "The convention is going to be handled on a day-to-day basis." Boehner, of Ohio, the top Republican in the House, said the convention is concerned about potential victims of the storm, "and the best way we honor that is to help Americans who are in need." "There will be efforts to engage the delegates, alternates and our friends in relief efforts." John McCain, who will formally receive his party's nomination for the presidency, said today that the GOP is turning its focus on those who are facing the storm's impact. "I pledge that tomorrow night, and if necessary throughout our convention, we will act as Americans and not as Republicans, because America needs us now," McCain said. "We must redirect our efforts from the really celebratory event of the nomination of the president and vice president of our party to acting as all Americans," he said.

There was a mandatory evacuation ordered from New Orleans today. Our thoughts and prayers are with people on the Gulf Coast.

Tags: democratic national convention

Well, this was pretty sick. Far Left pro-choice TV host Alan Colmes attacked Governor Sarah Palin on her prenatal care! A man who has absolutely no problem with Palin killing her own baby feigns concern about the delivery of her baby earlier this year. Nuts. Kim Priestap at Wizbang has the story. Colmes accused Governor Palin of not taking enough care of Trig when he was an unborn baby. Oh brother-- The Left sure is stretching to bash the Alaska governor. BTW-- Colmes already yanked the post.

Tags: democratic national convention

Yesterday, we posted video of Vets For Freedom founders Pete Hegseth and Dave Bellavia crashing the antiwar, anti-military "Bush Legacy" bus.
The anti-Bush exhibit is traveling the country promoting an insurgent snuff film of an attack on US soldiers.
Here is the video- Click on the photo:

The director of communications of the "Bush Legacy" bus was nearly in tears after the pro-American, pro-Victory veterans confronted him on the insurgent filth that the bus is promoting.

Well... We obviously hit a nerve because late last night, the curator of the Soros-funded propaganda bus, Jeremy Funk (who appears in the video) posted a comment to the original thread for this video.
Here is his comment:

I’m the “loser” that with the “irrational rage” and “lack of objectivity” and “bottled-up anger” in the video. Here I thought I had I given an Iraq War Veteran the utmost respect he deserves. Here I thought I treated him like the hero he is. Here I thought I was respectful, conciliatory, humbled, and open-minded to his opinions.

But, personal stuff aside, it boils down to serious a difference of opinion. Like the majority of the American people, I don’t want to see one more of our brave men and women dying in the crosshairs of an Iraqi civil war. I don’t want to see another mother suffer, like the mother of Sgt. Patrick R. McCaffrey. Sgt. McCaffrey’s mother reached out to us with her son’s story of how the Pentagon lied to her about her son being killed by the same Iraqi forces he was training. She donated his combat boots to the Bush Legacy Bus in hopes that not another mother would feel the same pain and betrayal.

I want our troops to come home from Iraq as quickly and responsibly as possible, and I want the eye back on the ball in Afghanistan where the real threat is – where the terrorists that actually attacked us on 911 are thriving once again. Even Ambassador Ryan Crocker admits that Afghanistan, not Iraq, is the central front against Al Qaeda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH57bOZbJ3o

We’ve heard a lot from the “liberal media” you folks decry so much about the so-called “success” of the “surge.” The reality is, civil strife is still flaming every day: just one example this week, a suicide bomber killed 28 police recruits in Quaragh Tappah:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSLP67913620080826

But you probably didn’t hear about that or any of the other deadly civil bombings this week or last or the week before. Certainly, the increased troop presence has helped decrease violence on U.S. forces, thank God, but terrible Shiite on Shiite violence continues every day, and a good deal of the overall decrease in violence is credited to a cease fire agreement, albeit a fragile one, between radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr and Shiite Iraq PM Maliki.

Shiite on Shiite violence has been nothing new. And, in the last several months, the U.S. government has taken one side of a bloody, religious, sectarian civil war – spending $12 billion a month and many U.S. dead and wounded in the process. That’s where Veterans for Freedom/John McCain and Americans United for Change, the American people, and the Iraqi government disagree. VFF and McCain want to keep our soldiers in harm’s way of a civil war indefinitely until they achieve some undefined, unattainable “victory” whether it takes 100 years or more. But, our troops have already done everything they’ve been asked to do and a lot more serving 2-3 or more tours. My best friend Dan Burke is in Iraq right now serving a second tour.

Now that the Iraqi parliament and PM Maliki have publicly called on us to leave and are close to a deal with the U.S. government for a timetable for withdrawal, it’s time that Vets for Freedom and John McCain of 2008 concur with the John McCain of 2004 who when asked what he would do if a sovereign Iraqi government asked us to leave said: “it’s obvious that we would have to leave because — if it was an elected government of Iraq, and we’ve been asked to leave other places in the world. If it were an extremist government then I think we would have other challenges, but I don’t see how we could stay when our whole emphasis and policy has been based on turning the Iraqi government over to the Iraqi people.”: http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2008/07/in-2004-mccain.html

Even President Bush has agreed to “time horizons” and his administration is reportedly set to agree to a status-of-forces agreement with Iraq that begins the safe and orderly withdrawal of most U.S. troops by the end of 2011. While stomping about the Bush Legacy Bus and complaining about our fact-based Iraq exhibit, I didn’t once hear Veterans for Freedom call President Bush a “traitor” or a “cut and runner.” Why not?

Jeremy J. Funk, Americans United for Change

Of course, if Jeremy and the staff of "Bush Legacy" bus wanted to give the veterans "the respect they deserve" they'd TAKE DOWN THEIR FILTHY INSURGENT SNUFF FILM!

And, if they really wanted respectful dialogue they would accept the undeniable truth that the Bush Surge worked, that violence is down to record levels, that the benchmarks are being met, and the war is being won.

But first they'd start by TAKING DOWN THEIR TERRORIST FILM!
What a disgusting shameful bunch.

Tags: democratic national convention

More good news... A young Iraqi does a backwards dive off the platform at the grand re-opening of the Mithaq Pool Complex, Aug. 30, 2008. The boy was competing in a diving competition to celebrate the pools opening. The pool complex is an important hub for recreation in the Thawra 1 neighborhood. (DVIDS) The Sadr City pool opened this week. DVIDS reported:

The District Advisory Council and the residents of the Thawra 1 neighborhood of the Sadr City District of Baghdad celebrated the re-opening of the Mithaq Pool Complex with prizes, competitions and music, Aug. 30, 2008. Representatives from the DAC, Ministry of Youth and Recreation, Iraqi army and community organized and oversaw the celebration, amid improved security conditions. The festivities included guest speakers, a swimming and diving competition and swimming-related gifts for the younger Iraqis in attendance. Iraqi Lt. Col. Yeayah Rosoul Abdallah al Zubadie, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 42nd Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division, was a guest speaker at the re-opening and welcomed the attendees and thanked the many people who were involved in the important event. “The Iraqi army is here to serve the people of Iraq. The community leaders here today, with the help of the Government, have a chance to make a difference for their people,” said Yeayah. “The re-opening today is an example of all of us together working together for our people.”

A young Iraqi does a front somersault off the platform at the grand re-opening of the Mithaq Pool Complex, Aug. 30, 2008. The boy was competing in a diving competition to celebrate the pools opening. (DVIDS)

Tags: democratic national convention

The One... Minus One.

Tags: democratic national convention

Forget energy, health care, education or taxes!  Who is Sarah Palin? And can she help Senator John McCain win the west and the important battleground state of Colorado?  Also, we all want to know which celebebs will be rubbing elbows with Republicans in the twin cities? Those are just a few of the hot issues  we will kick around on our 2 1/2 hour, live Republican National Convention edition of Independent Thinking.  Some of the best and the brightest from the Independence Institute will join me for this panel event to discuss all things RNC including Health Care Policy Center Director Linda Gorman, Education Policy Analyst Ben DeGrow, Property Rights Project Director Jessica Corry and columnist Jay Ambrose. Tune in to KBDI Channel 12 on Tuesday night from 7 to 9:30 p.m. for the most engaging, live and local analysis on the Republican National Convention.

Tags: democratic national convention

There are three things you can say for sure about Sarah Palin:
1) Her selection as John McCain's running mate was a huge surprise
2) She has less experience than any candidate on a major party ticket than anyone I can think of...maybe less than anyone in the history of the country. (Certainly the Democrats will try to portray it that way.)
3) The choice has given the McCain campaign a short-term boost in terms of attention paid to it and money contributed to it, and put a pitchfork into Obama's recent ownership of TV news coverage.

Let's look briefly at Governor Palin's weaknesses and strengths:

Weaknesses

By far, Palin's biggest weakness is her lack of experience. Although some may try to paint this with the "political outsider" brush, there is no way to make Palin's thin political resume anything other than a substantial net negative, particularly running with a candidate who would be the oldest president ever at the time of taking office. Not only does her lack of experience open Palin to criticism, but it makes it very difficult for the McCain campaign to go after Obama's dismal and short record.

That said, it bears mentioning that two of the best political minds I know believe that the experience argument "won't work where a woman is concerned", basically because there are so few women with strong resumes who could be selected that relative inexperience is likely to be the case at this point in time for a woman. This choice is a huge step forward for women overall, and therefore risky to criticize, they believe.

Her second biggest weakness should barely even be mentioned in the same article as her experience because it is so much less significant. It revolves around an inquiry into Palin's firing of a public employee who had himself refused to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law who apparently had a nasty divorce (his fourth) from Palin's sister. The brother-in-law also appears to have had a far-from-stellar record as a police officer and was accused by the Palin's of alcohol abuse and of threating Palin's sister, father, and others. My guess is that McCain asked Palin about this directly, i.e. whether there was a political motivation behind the firing, in addition to whether she had any other skeletons that would embarrass the campaign, and he must have been satisfied with the answer.

A third indirect weakness is that her selection lets people try to characterize John McCain as a gambler...something which can't be helpful. This is somewhat offset by the fact that people will be hesitant to attack a successful female politician.

Something which is both a weakness and a strength is that she's the mother of five children, the youngest of which has Down Syndrome. It will make her more appealing to women voters who aren't committed liberals. But Obama supporters are also asking publicly whether she can be a good parent and a good VP at the same time. And while that question is something that would never be of a man in the same situation, I can imagine that it would stick in some people's minds...sort of the way that the McCain ads comparing Obama to Paris Hilton were possibly unfair but certainly effective.

Governor Palin's strengths are more in number but individually (and maybe in the aggregate) less important than her major weakness.

Strengths

Roughly in order of importance...

She has a solid reputation for being for good government, for fighting corruption and waste, particularly within her own party, so she adds to the "maverick" reputation of the ticket. I (and I presume many others) were impressed when she endorsed a primary challenger to Congressman Don Young. (As I write this, several days after the Alaska primary, the winner of that race has still not been determined.)

[She should continually contrast her record of fighting waste and corruption, even if that record is short, with Biden's 30 years of big spending in the Senate and with Obama's consistent support for the corrupt Democratic Party Machine and wasteful spending in Illinois.]

The experience she does have is executive, rather than legislative, and I don't think any of the other three people on the tickets have executive experience. This can somewhat neutralize the experience argument, especially versus Obama.

She's a woman, so she might appeal to the segment of disaffected Hillary voters who care more about whether the candidate is a woman than if she's a liberal. I believe that's a small fraction of Hillary supporters (i.e. most of them would only support another liberal), but in elections this close even a small fraction could make a big difference.

Despite her short tenure so far as governor, she is already more credible than any of the other three candidates on the major party tickets on the issue of energy.

Her social conservative credentials will help McCain with the GOP base, but she doesn't seem like such a fire-breathing social conservative that moderates would rule out voting for McCain because of her.

She's not bad looking.

There's a big difference between an inexperienced candidate for VP and an inexperienced candidate for president. However, John McCain's age makes this distinction less than it otherwise might be.

Other minor issues

Although her husband's primary job is as a commercial fisherman, be certain that the liberals will play up his other job...working for a major oil company.

She's very hard to pigeon-hole: She and her husband are both union members. She's a hunter, known for shooting and eating moose. She seems both quite intelligent and down to earth, but knows little about foreign policy. You can bet she's being coached on that and other policy areas as many hours a day as she can tolerate.

Putting it all together

McCain's choice of Sarah Palin is a very big gamble. It was probably a good tactical move, in the sense of bringing some excitement to the GOP side of the campaign, rather than having the entire thing being about Obama, despite Obama's protestations that it's not about him. It helped raise some money. It crushed Obama's media cycle for the long holiday weekend like a boot grinding out a lit cigarette.

If the election were tomorrow, I'd say it was probably a brilliant choice.

But the election isn't tomorrow, and I think the markets have it right when they show basically no change in McCain's chances of winning between 24 hours before the Palin announcement and 24 hours afterward.

Sarah Palin comes across well on TV when talking about things she knows about, such as Alaska's energy production. However, it remains to be seen whether she can keep up with the well coiffed, highly polished, and very experienced (especially on foreign policy and certain law enforcement issues) Joe Biden. One has to also remember that Democrats, including Biden, seem perfectly happy to plagiarize or lie even in front of a large audience, which can make it more difficult for a debater who is speaking only what she believes to be accurate information or her own opinion (rather than someone else's masquerading as her own.)

Governor Palin will have to be nearly flawless during the last two months of the campaign, and particularly in her debate(s), in order for her selection to be a long-run net positive, despite the obvious short-term benefits to McCain. It is not easy for even the best politicians to be that good for that long. While I have no reason to think that Palin is one of the best, the fact that she has high popularity ratings in Alaska and is, at first glance, quite appealing on many levels, certainly means that she could be a long-term positive surprise as well as a short-term one. Maybe she can pull it off, but it would be like a baseball player hitting safely for 20 games in a row. It can be done, and even by players that you might otherwise never think of as particularly special, but it sure isn't easy.

Despite the risks of choosing her, I believe I understand why McCain did it. Romney had some clear positives, the greatest of which is his obvious superior knowledge and talent in the areas of business and economics...an area where McCain, Obama, and Biden are all weak. But he would not have been an exciting choice, he carried some baggage (his religion, his socialized medicine plan in Massachusetts, and his relatively recent convenient move to the right on social issues), and he probably wouldn't have made anything like the difference in short-term news coverage that Palin has. Also, there are consistent rumors that Romney and McCain just don't like each other very much. (For the record, the people I know who have met or worked with Romney all like him very much and the people I know who have met or worked with McCain think he has a big ego and generally don't like him on a personal level.)

So, after possibly too many words, my verdict on McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as running mate: Conceivably the best move he could have made, but primarily because most of his other possible choices were not obviously politically winning choices and because his campaign was suffocating. Despite all the understandable short-term excitement, it would not surprise me if Republican Party faithful and McCain supporters end up writing campaign post-mortems saying "If only he had picked Romney", particularly if the choice of Palin doesn't seem to bring in many women's votes. The good news is that Biden is probably not much better a choice than Palin, strategically speaking.

I hope that I'm wrong about Palin possibly being a better short-term decision than long-term (and I reiterate that smarter people than I think she's a "brilliant choice"). The more I hear from Obama, the clearer it becomes to me how dangerous a person he is and how, despite his flowing and occasionally patriotic rhetoric, his political and economic views are more anti-American and anti-capitalist than any major party candidate of my lifetime.

Tags: Rossputin, Syndicated

El Marco has an excellent collection of DNC photoessays available here, including the best photos I’ve seen of the Malkin incident at the Mint.

We're not talking about Chicago politics here folks. "Change You Can Believe In" Via The Jawa Report-- You can order yours HERE.

Tags: democratic national convention

Saudis Overwhelmingly Hope Obama Wins Election The Arab News reported:

There is overwhelming support among Saudis and expatriates here in the Kingdom for Democratic candidate Barack Hussein Obama as the next US president. A cross-section of both groups told Arab News yesterday that they wanted Obama to succeed George W. Bush. One Saudi said Obama was preferred because he is black while an expatriate felt his middle name suggested a willingness to tackle the contentious issues facing the Muslim world. On Aug. 27, the Democratic Party nominated Obama as its presidential candidate and Joe Biden as his running mate. On the following day, Republican candidate John McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Some Saudis said the US elections were a non-event for them, as it had nothing to do with their day-to-day lives. “I really did not know there was a presidential election in the United States in the first place. “Some believed Obama is a Muslim because of his middle name. All the blacks so far in power at various levels have shown their commitment and determination to serve the country and the world without discrimination of color and religion. However, the track record of whites has been to side with Israel rather than with Muslim countries. We now have a ray of hope in Obama. We expect him to solve the problems facing the Muslim world, including those in Iraq, Palestine and Kashmir. What has happened after Sept. 11, 2001, is that Muslims are being dubbed terrorists. We extend our support to Obama or anyone who will be able to solve problems related to the Muslim world,” said Yousuf.

Tags: democratic national convention

Random "thoughts" on the convention just past:

If Recreate-68 isn't bitterly disappointed in the turnout for their protests, they're even more delusional than I thought. After months of predictions of up to 50,000 (and with occasional backtracking), they never mustered more than a few hundred people for any one rally, except the first "major" protest on Sunday with Cynthia 'n' Cindy 'n' Wart ('n' Griff Jenkins, Battlin' Journo!). That drew maybe 800, and that was the high point.

One of these days, the demonization of Fox News by the MSM and the left (but I repeat myself) is going to get a reporter or cameraman killed. Every time I saw a crew it was being swarmed, pushed around and screamed at. Could have gotten really bad.

But R-68 still didn't come close to 9/11 troofer and all-round (literally) conspiracy psycho Alex Jones in his attempts to incite a riot against Fox News' Michelle Malkin. (More pics from El Marko heah.)

The eponymous Mr. B, out here visiting and something of a newcomer to evil leftoid scum-watching, after seeing R-68 co-founder Mark Cohen interviewed on Denver Open Media: "They'd absolutely be violent if they had the strength."

There are several Denver Open Media channels, by the way. They had a lot of DNC stuff, and appear to be frequent moonbat roosting places.

Snaps is owed an apology, by me (Christ that's hard to say), for poo-pooing her belief that the guy immediately to Wart's right in this pic: is former CU ethnic studies instructor Benjie Whitmer of the filthy Try-Works blog. It probably is. He just grew hair. Almost as big a poser as Wart, "ain't" he? On the other hand, gotta dig the go-to-hell fedora with Indian band the fake Indian is wearing.

Snaps also notes the similarities between the incident with Griff Jenkins, Battlin' Journo, and the brouhaha known to history as "The Genocide of Benjie's Hand" (h/t: the mincing pirate with the Play-Doh parrot), starring Heath Urie of the Boulder Daily Gamera.

Amazingly, by the way, Benjie Whitmer once again escaped arrest during the R68 protests. Come to think of it, he never gets arrested at the Columbus Day protests, either. In fact, for a violence-advocating militant he's pretty passive. Probably can't take the chance of his irascible boss discovering he has an evil alter ego.

The combination of senile theatricality and old-womanish fear that makes Ward think he needs a bodyguard--let alone one the size of Godzilla (is that you, Charley Arthur?)--is bizarre. Nobody cares enough to harass you, Ward (except Griff Jenkins, Battlin' Journo!).

Ward didn't look too good. Gut. Still smoking. A little bluish, like the blood isn't around very well. I know the look. My father had it the last couple of years before he died of a heart attack. He also did zero marching, too (Ward, not my dad, though for that matter my dad did zero marching too.)

Better quit the cigs, old boy. (Think any of his rad pals or co-creeps ever says that to Ward? Me neither.)

Despite all the whining from the likes of Larry Hales (and, admittedly, perhaps a few overreactions by the cops), there were only 154 arrests during the convention. We've had more than that at a single, entirely homegrown Columbus Day protest. We'll see what comes of the usual threats to sue.

Left logic by the ridiculous Larry Hales (from the link above):

Larry Hales, a leader of the Recreate 68 Alliance and of the youth group FIST (Fight Imperialism Stand Together), noted that any violence that has occurred was initiated by the Denver police. Recreate 68 demands all police be removed from the park. Hales stated that since Recreate 68 has a permit to hold its activity in the Civic Center Park, the police have no business there.

Rigggghhhht.

Biggest disappointment? My apparently failed attempt to broadcast live web teevee reports from Obama's Invesco speech--"apparently" because I haven't bothered to look (too embarrassing). Even if it had worked it probably would have been boring (I'm no Ted Koppel), but I interviewed, among others, a Cherokee from Oklahoma who'd never heard of Ward Churchill and was a former Hillary supporter; an older black gentleman speaking about Obama's nomination ("never thought I'd see it in my lifetime"); and Lucifer and an angel--over-rehearsed perky "kids" trying, allegedly nonpartisanly, to get out the youth vote for an organization called "Trick or Vote." They sucked. I also got shots of lines lining, flags waving, knotheads speechifying, etc. Sniff.

Greatest fun? The Rage Against the Mechanism march on Wednesday. By far the biggest march of the convention, and the PPC was all over it (just scroll; it's all good). Best part of the march, though, was when protesters, having accomplished nothing but a promised meet with unnamed Obama aides (we'll never hear about that again), began filing out of the pen they had filed into:Protester One (halfway back in the protest line): "What's happening up there?" Protester Two (coming from the head of the line): "We lost." Pithy.

Tags: democratic national convention

Sarah Palin Pick Pays Off For McCain-- Already, the McCain Camp has raised $7 million in contributions since the announcement of his running mate yesterday. The Trail reported:

Sen. John McCain has taken in $7 million in contributions since announcing Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, a top campaign aide said today. The money bounce may owe to Palin's appeal with conservative donors, many of whom said privately they had planned on sitting out the campaign this year. The money comes in just under the wire -- after McCain accepts the GOP nomination Thursday, he will accept public funds and no longer be permitted to raise private money for the campaign. That will not, however, stop McCain and Palin from raising money for the Republican National Committee. In coming weeks, McCain will host four megafundraising events in major cities aimed at bolstering the accounts of the party. Palin, meanwhile, will be sent out to headline more than a dozen fundraising events for the RNC.

Governor Palin enjoys an 80% approval rating in Alaska.

Tags: democratic national convention

Tags: Syndicated

While PPC has this past week focused on the DNC convention in Denver, it has always been our intention to continue the site afterwards. So, stay tuned as we retool PPC over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, however, check back this week as our very own El Presidente covers the RNC convention on-scene from St. Paul, with photos, bloggage, and live streaming video. Other PPC affiliates will be providing their own coverage of RNC events and election-related news, as well.

Minnesota officials discover pi$$ bombs, anti-bus weapons devices and weapons at an apartment in Minneapolis last night during a raid. The apartment belonged to members of the RNC Welcoming Committee. TwinCities.com reported:

Ramsey County sheriff's deputies found weapons and devices to disable buses - among other items - in searches in the Twin Cities last night and today. Authorities said the items came from "key members of the RNC Welcoming Committee," a self-described anarchist group. Five people have been arrested and four properties have been searched, according to the sheriff's office. At 8 a.m. today, the sheriff's office executed search warrants at three Minneapolis homes - 2301 23rd Ave. S., 3500 Harriet Ave. and 3240 17th Ave. S. The FBI, Minneapolis police and the Hennepin County sheriff's office assisted them. "The 'Welcoming Committee' is a criminal enterprise made up of 35 anarchists who are intent on committing criminal acts before and during the Republican National Convention," said Sheriff Bob Fletcher in a statement. "These acts include tactics to blockade and disable delegate buses, breaching venue security and injuring police officers. They have recruited assistance in their criminal conspiracy from other anarchists groups throughout the country. Through their plans and actions they have exhibited a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of others." The statement said the items found in the searches included:

Materials to create "sleeping dragons" (PVC pipe, chicken wire, duct tape), which is when protesters lock themselves together Large amounts of urine, including three to five gallon buckets of urine Wrist rockets (high-powered slingshots) A machete, hatchet and several throwing knives a gas mask and filter Empty glass bottles Rags Flammable liquids Homemade caltrops (devises used to disable buses in roads) Metal pipes Axes Bolt cutters Sledge hammers Repelling equipment Kryptonite locks Empty plastic buckets cut and made into shields Material for protective padding An Army helmet.

The five people being held at the Hennepin County jail are under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to riot, conspiracy to commit civil disorder and conspiracy to damage property. Arrested at the 17th Avenue home were Monica Rachel Bicking, 23, Erin Chase Trimmer, 23, and Garrett Scott Fitzgerald, 25, Nestor said. Nathanel David Secor, 26,was arrested at the 23rd Avenue South home. Erik Charles Oseland, 21, was arrested an undisclosed location, the sheriff's office said. "Conspiracy to riot was the charge used against the Chicago Eight in 1968 as part of a politically motivated prosecution," said Bruce Nestor, president of the Minnesota chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. "It is a charge that is essentially used for preventive detention."

Tags: democratic national convention

I must say I’m glad I initially had the wrong information about who John McCain’s running mate would be. Sarah Palin was the best pick. What’s everyone else saying? Well, it’s rare to see such unanimous sentiment asserted. Here goes: Steven, the New Conservative, who long has been championing Palin to be McCain’s running mate, now [...]

Tags: democratic national convention

Politicians are about principle, not power. Obama is genuinely concerned that McCain is an old Washington insider that’s been in the Senate too long. And McCain is genuinely concerned that Obama is too young and inexperienced. That’s why Obama picked a running mate that’s been in the Senate even longer than McCain, and [...]

Tags: Syndicated

and apparently it is funny...

It is amazing what will be said when people think the cameras aren't rolling. This video is of former National Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Don Fowler and Congressman John Spratt

Now I am a partisan fellow but this is pretty cold...really cold. But I have always maintained that Politics is a religion to liberals, while it is a necessary evil for conservatives.

From REDSTATE (who was on the plane behind them) they made fun of Sarah Palin for several minutes, Fowler calling her "Dan Quayle" on steroids and Spratt creatively describing her as "just terrible." They both agreed that, "Other than the simple fact that she's a female," she has nothing to offer.

Then they started talking about the upcoming hurricane. You think they would use a hurricane for political points?....they did it before.



Read it all at RED STATE:

So you see, it's funny. That New Orleans will get a hurricane. That's funny because it is due to hit when President Bush is scheduled to speak. Isn't that cool?


We all know Democrats used and use Katrina as a political football as callously as possible. Here's a candid moment showing some can hardly wait for another one.

All Class.

Tags: democratic national convention

OBAMA CAMP BUSTED!! The Obama Campaign is behind the Sarah Palin Smear Website! Here's the Sarah Palin Supports Gay Rights website: It was set up by the Obama Campaign and Charles Johnson has the proof. Charles Johnson busted the Obama Camp for setting up anti-Palin websites:

Interesting. There’s nothing else on the page. This sure looks like the work of the dastardly right-wing anti-gay attack machine, doesn’t it? But look who’s really behind this. In the Linux console, if you enter the following commands, you can learn the secrets of a political dirty trick. First, look up the host of ‘sarahpalingayrights.com’ to get the site’s IP address. host sarahpalingayrights.com sarahpalingayrights.com has address 74.208.74.232 Then use the same command to look up the domain name pointer of that IP address. host 74.208.74.232 232.74.208.74.in-addr.arpa domain name pointer obamadefense.com Well, well. “Obamadefense.com,” eh? And what happens if you enter obamadefense.com on your browser’s address line? Why, you’re redirected to none other than FightTheSmears.com, the official Barack Obama site that’s supposed to be defending him against smears. Looks like they may have a second purpose: to generate a few smears of their own. (Hat tip: sk.)

It all leads back to The One. Amazing. Charles Johnson has found 3 more attack websites set up by the Obama Camp. ObamaTaxCut.com: McCainFailure.com: And, John McCain Prefers War.com: They even used the same template! Keep it Classy, Barack Obama! UPDATE: Via LGF commenter Galloping Granny adds this:

re: #84 jcm Whois search return. Interesting. Very, very interesting. The company that owns those is 1&1 Internet Inc. They also have a UK branch called 1&1 Internet Ltd. And they appear to be dirty as all hell - [Link: www.chaparyan.com...] Still wading through links, but there are some disturbing allegations.

UPDATE: Charles Johnson adds this:

Doing a little free research. From DNS Stuff's search, we get: For complete domain details go to: http://who.godaddy.com/whoischeck.aspx?D omain=SARAHPALINGAYRIGHTS.COM So, enter that URL, so go down, and we get the admin contact. I won't post the address here, as that's not nice. But, go drop that address into a reverse address lookup (411.com) and you get: Hendrix, Suzanne Job title: President Company: Details Contract Furnishings Scottsdale, AZ 85260-2581 Now, do the same for obamadefense.com gives the same street address. From CNN's Blog's, there is a poster there saying this Suzanne is a Republican. I'll end research there while I try to figure out more.

Another connection to the "Obama Smears" Website, via Locke/Demosthenes at LGF:

I have no idea if this means anything, but you mention that Suzanne Hendrix is the head of Obamadefense.com as well as sarahpalingayrights.com. The CNN blog you link to says that she is also the head of pumapac. Pumapac.org was registered on June 4, 2008. Guess what else was registered on June 4? fightthesmears.com

Charles says Szanne Hendrix has nothing to do with the websites he linked to.

Tags: democratic national convention

During Governor Sarah Palin's terrific speech yesterday in Dayton, Ohio, MSNBC ran a "Breaking News" headline under her photo asking how many houses she adds to the McCain Campaign! Amy Procter captured the screengrab: Amy Procter has more.

Tags: democratic national convention

Vets for Freedom founders Pete Hegseth and David Bellavia boarded the anti-Bush Legacy propaganda bus this week parked outside the DNC Convention at the Pepsi Center. This nasty collection of anti-Bush slander on wheels, that is funded by George Soros and others, has an extremely offensive Iraq collection where these shameful Far Left hacks show US Soldier snuff films that were taped by insurgents as part of their propaganda! Watch as Pete Hegseth and David Bellavia crash this outrageous anti-American display of enemy propaganda. This is an exceptional video by Founding Bloggers. You will be very impressed with the professionalism and people skills of these two VFF members as they confront the staff. It is Amazing Video: Did you catch how the staff member asked the two US veterans to leave when he found out they were pro-Victory? How sad it is that today's Left stands for US Military Defeat... And, how disgusting it is that they Hard Left will not even admit the gains of the Bush Surge or the fact that we are winning this war today. ** It must really suck hoping and wishing that your country loses on the battlefield. Founding Bloggers has much more on this encounter including this:

Thankfully, there are more responsible elements out there that are taking the time to educate people about how the war is really going. Those people include Pete Hegseth and David Bellavia of Vets For Freedom. They just returned from Iraq and generously took the time to visit your Founding Bloggers. Together we all ventured into the liberal fever swamp of the Soros-funded, hyper partisan, Bush Legacy Bus. Of course, we had our camera in tow. The result? A polite yet challenging encounter with the curators of the exhibits. What happens when distortions, spin, and talking points are surrounded by hard firsthand facts? Check out the video and see for yourself.

The anti-Bush Legacy bus will travel to Minnesota this coming week. UPDATE: (10 AM CST) It looks like this video struck a nerve. This comment from a liberal reader was posted a few minutes ago. He wants to see the US troops come home in body bags. Click to Enlarge Not just antiwar--- But, threatening violence and wishing the US troops would die. That's today's American Left. Disgusting.

Tags: democratic national convention

The media continued its smear campaign today against Sarah Palin after its sexist attacks from yesterday. The Washington Post even interviewed the chief fired by Palin in its lead story. You can bet that's fair and balanced! Flopping Aces has the lowdown on the latest smears and distortions against Governor Sarah Palin. More... CBS and NBC found it necesary to point out that Governor Palin is a conservative but didn't feel the need to point out that Biden was a Far Left surrendercrat. HotAir has more on the desperation of the Democrats. Doug Ross has more reaction from the nutroots.

Tags: democratic national convention

Congratulations to all of the members of the People's Press Collective. This group of conservative bloggers in the Denver region organized to cover the Democratic National Convention this week. Here a group of PPC members gathered to report on the pro-Hillary Clinton event at Cheeseman Park earlier this week. The PPC members were able to blanket the protests in the streets of Denver this week and even used new technology to post livestreaming video from the different venues. This was something that had not been attempted by either liberal or conservative groups until now. John from Drunkablog (left) and Michael from Slapstick Politics were scouring the protest sites for newsworthy items this week. John covered the Obama bash at Invesco Field from inside the stadium. Here- undercover guest member of the PPC, Jason Mattera from Young America's Foundation, works the crowd at the (illegal) immigrant protest in Denver. Jason put together several hilarious videos for HotAir from the protests and worked with the People's Press Collective during the week. Congratulations to all of the People's Press Collective for a job well done.

Tags: democratic national convention

I offer for your enjoyment and education this excellent article by Lisa Snell of Reason in which she discusses the results of a new study about the (non-)impact of state-run pre-kindergarten programs.

Please see More Evidence that Universal Preschool Doesn't Offer Lasting Benefits
By second grade the benefits of one of the nation's 'best' universal pre-K programs are gone
http://reason.org/commentaries/snell_20080822.shtml

Universal pre-K is one of the more insidious ideas of Nanny State liberals, not simply because it's extremely expensive, and not simply because it will have the effect of coercing more parents to get their kids into government schools earlier, but also because one of the main unspoken goals is to force pre-K programs to employ only teachers who are union members.

It's obvious that liberals don't care about quality of education, especially for low-income kids. If they cared, they wouldn't fight vouchers, charter schools, and merit pay as aggressively as they do. No, their real motivation is to do everything possible to increase the membership of teachers' unions, some of the Democrats most reliable funding sources.

Tags: Rossputin, Syndicated