ICYMI: U.S. Representative Heather Wilson On The Selection Of Gov. Sarah Palin

"You know, Governor Palin has more executive experience than Senator Obama, Senator Biden, and Senator Schumer combined because those guys have never run anything." -- Rep. Heather Wilson

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM)

MSNBC

August 29, 2008

MSNBC's Peter Alexander: "There were several women spoken about as possible vice presidential candidates, Kay Bailey Hutchinson from Texas, Meg Whitman from eBay, Carly Fiorina, why Governor Palin?"

Rep. Heather Wilson: "She's a chief executive of a state. She's a governor, former mayor of a city in Alaska. She's been a businesswoman. She helped her husband run the family fishing business. She's a mom of five and she's a reformer. She's not a Washington insider. She's been a reformist governor and very strongly supported in Alaska."

"You know, Governor Palin has more executive experience than Senator Obama, Senator Biden, and Senator Schumer combined because those guys have never run anything. So I find that quite amusing."

"I was very disappointed with Senator Obama's choice of a running-mate. He chose somebody else who's a Washington insider from the East Coast who knows nothing about the west and Senator McCain surely does. I'm also very pleased that he's chosen as his vice president, the chief executive of the oil producing state in America, strong energy credentials and the energy issue is very important to Americans."

Watch Rep. Heather Wilson

Governor Palin's Acceptance Remarks

Governor Sarah Palin delivered the following remarks after John McCain announced that she was joining the ticket as the nominee for Vice President.

Governor Sarah Palin: "And I thank you, Senator McCain and Mrs. McCain, for the confidence that you have placed in me. Senator, I am honored to be chosen as your running mate. I will be honored to serve next to the next president of the United States.

"I know that when Senator McCain gave me this opportunity, he had a short list of highly qualified men and women, and to have made that list at all -- it was a privilege. And to have been chosen brings a great challenge. I know that it will demand the best that I have to give, and I promise nothing less.

"First, there are a few people whom I would like you to meet. I want to start with my husband, Todd. And Todd and I are actually celebrating our 20th anniversary today, and I promised him a little surprise for the anniversary present, and hopefully he knows that I did deliver.

"And then we have as -- after my husband, who is a lifelong commercial fisherman, lifetime Alaskan -- he's a production operator. Todd is a production operator in the oil fields up on Alaska's North Slope, and he's a proud member of the United Steelworkers Union, and he's a world champion snow machine racer. Todd and I met way back in high school, and I can tell you that he is still the man that I admire most in this world.

"Along the way, Todd and I have shared many blessings, and four out of five of them are here with us today. Our oldest son, Track, though, he'll be following the presidential campaign from afar. On September 11th of last year, our son enlisted in the United States Army. Track now serves in an infantry brigade. And on September 11th, Track will deploy to Iraq in the service of his country. And Todd and I are so proud of him and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform.

"Next to Todd is our daughter Bristol; another daughter, Willow; our youngest daughter, Piper; and over in their arms is our son Trig, a beautiful baby boy. He was born just in April. His name is Trig Paxson Van Palin.

"Some of life's greatest opportunities come unexpectedly, and this is certainly the case today. I never really set out to be involved in public affairs, much less to run for this office. My mom and dad both worked at the local elementary school. And my husband and I, we both grew up working with our hands.

"I was just your average 'hockey mom' in Alaska. We were busy raising our kids. I was serving as the team mom and coaching some basketball on the side. I got involved in the PTA and then was elected to the city council and then elected mayor of my hometown, where my agenda was to stop wasteful spending and cut property taxes and put the people first.

"I was then appointed ethics commissioner and chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and when I found corruption there, I fought it hard and I held the offenders to account. Along with fellow reformers in the great state of Alaska, as governor, I've stood up to the old politics as usual, to the special interests, to the lobbyists, the Big Oil companies and the 'good old boy' network.

"When oil and gas prices went up so dramatically and the state revenues followed with that increase, I sent a large share of that revenue directly back to the people of Alaska -- and we are now -- we're now embarking on a $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.

"I signed major ethics reforms, and I appointed both Democrats and independents to serve in my administration. And I've championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress thanks, but no thanks, on that "Bridge to Nowhere." If our state wanted a bridge, I said, we'd build it ourselves.

"Well, it's always, though, safer in politics to avoid risk, to just kind of go along with the status quo. But I didn't get into government to do the safe and easy things. A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built. Politics isn't just a game of competing interests and clashing parties. The people of America expect us to seek public office and to serve for the right reasons. And the right reason is to challenge the status quo and to serve the common good.

"Now, no one expects us to agree on everything, whether in Juneau or in Washington. But we are expected to govern with integrity and good will and clear convictions and a servant's heart.

"Now, no leader in America has shown these qualities so clearly or presents so clear a threat to business as usual in Washington as Senator John S. McCain. This -- this is a moment when principles and political independence matter a lot more than just the party line. And this is a man who has always been there to serve his country, not just his party.

"And this is a moment that requires resolve and toughness and strength of heart in the American president. And my running mate is a man who has shown those qualities in the darkest of places and in the service of his country. A colleague once said about Senator McCain: That man did things for this country that few people could go through; never forget that. And that speaker was former Senator John Glenn of Ohio. And John Glenn knows something about heroism.

"And I'm going to make sure nobody does forget that in his campaign. There is only one candidate who has truly fought for America, and that man is John McCain.

"This is a moment -- this is a moment when great causes can be won and great threats overcome, depending on the judgment of our next president. In a dangerous world, it is John McCain who will lead America's friends and allies in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"It was John McCain who cautioned long ago about the harm that Russian aggression could do to Georgia and to other small Democratic neighbors and to the world oil markets.

"It was Senator McCain who refused to hedge his support for our troops in Iraq, regardless of the political costs. And you know what? As the mother of one of those troops and as the commander of Alaska's National Guard, that's the kind of man I want as our commander in chief.

"Profiles in courage, they can be hard to come by these days. You know, so often we just find them in books. But next week when we nominate John McCain for president, we're putting one on the ballot!

"To serve as vice president beside such a man would be the privilege of a lifetime, and it's fitting that this trust has been given to me 88 years almost to the day after the women of America first gained the right to vote.

"I think as well today of two other women who came before me in national elections. I can't begin this great effort without honoring the achievements of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, and, of course, Senator Hillary Clinton, who showed such determination and grace in her presidential campaign.

"It was rightly noted in Denver this week that Hillary left 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America. But it turns out the women of America aren't finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all.

"So for my part, the mission is clear. The next 67 days I'm going to take our campaign to every part of our country and our message of reform to every voter of every background, in every political party, or no party at all. If you want change in Washington, if you hope for a better America, then we're asking for your vote on the 4th of November.

"My fellow Americans, come join our cause. Join our cause and help our country to elect a great man the next president of the United States. And I thank you, and I -- God bless you, I say, and God bless America. Thank you."

found here

Reform. Prosperity. Peace.

Don't those three words give you a sense of serenity?

For some reason, it does me.

Reform. Prosperity. Peace

Wow....what a concept!

It's a Girl!

Well, woman, actually. Senator John McCain announced his choice for his campaign running mate, side kick, whatever you want to call the Number Two position this afternoon. Coming out of the blue is Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

I am just blown away that McCain would make such a surprising, awesome, interesting choice. Like most people, I have only a limited knowledge of Governor Palin. When I saw the name on Fox, it rang a bell, and I figured McCain had chosen Palin, but my first thought was, I kinda sorta know the name, but who the heck is this person?

My jaw actually dropped when I realized he had chosen a female to run with him. I've long been a feminist in the sense that I love to see women who are qualified for a job achieving success. I never want to see a woman succeed simply because she's a woman, or even in spite of the fact that she's a woman. Men are chosen for the VP position for what they can bring to the ticket. Well, the obvious first thought is that she can bring the woman's vote. Well, shoot, George Clooney could do that! Not on the Republican ticket, of course, but I think you get my drift.

I'm also thrilled that Palin has actually executive experience. It may have only been for twenty months, but being the Chief Executive Officer - governor - of a state is similar in many aspects to being president. As governor, she has to be concerned with the state budget, the Alaska National Guard, the education system, taxes, energy, land use and conservation, housing, and the list goes on. I don't know how much foreign policy experience the governor of Alaska (Palin or anyone else) gets, but I know that a governor has to deal with the imports and exports of their state. They have to deal with other states (okay, I'll agree that dealing with Kansas or Michigan may not be the same as dealing with Russia or France). It can become very involved, and frankly, on a level near, if not a par, with the Federal government. As governor, Palin has more executive experience than Obama or Biden, and even McCain, who have served their political careers in the House and/or Senate. Give me a governor who has run a state, even for less than two years over a multi-term senator anytime!

See, that's another thing. Senators spend their careers dealing with the making of laws. Governors are the Chief Executives of their state and have to enforce the laws, not only of the state, but also Federal, county, and city laws, and ordinances. As governor, she's spent time working with all kinds of groups (from Federal to social) who want to use the land this way or that way. The governor has to figure out what is best for the state.

She's a hockey mom (of five!), pro-life, a life-long NRA member, a former businesswoman, and a former mayor. She's attractive, a good speaker (from what I've heard), spirited, pro-drilling, ethics reformer, and has earned her own maverick status. But does any of this give her what's needed to be a heart-beat away from the Oval Office? Honestly, I don't know, but what I've seen so far, I'd say she is just as qualified, if not more so, as the Democratic Presidential candidate himself.

As ever, I reserve the right to change my mind as I get additional information. I may be back here in a few weeks, saying anybody but McCain-Palin! But at this point in time, the McCain-Palin ticket has my vote.

Let's see if they can keep it.

bio here

Lou Dobbs: 'My Colleagues in the Media Are Absolutely Biased'
By Noel Sheppard
Created 2008-08-25 09:50

An astonishing thing happened on CNN Sunday evening: Lou Dobbs told his guests, "My colleagues in the national media are absolutely biased, in the tank supporting the Obama candidacy while claiming the mantle of objectivity," and they agreed.

I kid you not. [audio clip available here [0]]

Joining Dobbs in this extraordinary discussion about liberal bias at America's leading press outlets were syndicated columnist and CNN contributor Diana West, syndicated columnist Miguel Perez, and Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf.

Readers should prepare themselves for an alternate reality (partial transcript follows, h/t NB reader Chris John):

LOU DOBBS, HOST: You know, it's really not working because the fact is we have a tied race here. You know, with all the national media, as I've been saying here for months, in the tanks. My colleagues in the national media are absolutely biased, in the tank supporting the Obama candidacy while claiming the mantle of objectivity. Whether they're in the front page of "The Washington Post," "The New York Times," whether it's any one of the news casts, I mean, it's ridiculous.

Now we have a situation where everything is tied up here, Diana. Is it possible, however, for Senator McCain to actually gain a significant lead here?

DIANA WEST, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think it is possible. I mean, it's really, it's really hard to say exactly how these things are going, but this kind of superficial attack from the Obama campaign is not helping him at all. You have to remember that this particular attack came within 24 hours of another Obama ad that was trying to link McCain to Ralph Reed, to the convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

DOBBS: They have 527s. They've got 527s all over the town -

WEST: Exactly, and the McCain campaign came back with another huge response talking about if you want to play guilt by association, let's talk some more about former weatherman -

DOBBS: What happened to the post partisan lofty elevated discourse we're going to have, Miguel?

MIGUEL PEREZ, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: I'm still waiting for it, unfortunately.

WEST: But who wants it?

PEREZ: Look, what the media has failed at here is putting pressure on Obama, especially, because McCain wanted to do those meetings together with Obama, those public forums.

DOBBS: The town hall meetings.

PEREZ: Yes, and Obama has really evaded the issue and the media has not been after him for it. And I think that's disgraceful.

DOBBS: Well, I think the way the national media in this country right is performing, is disgraceful. And I mean, when we - "The Washington Post" had the courage to admit that it - Deborah Howell, the public editor, the ombudsman for the "Washington Post" ran a piece this past Sunday acknowledging that "The Washington Post" has put Barack Obama on the front pages of the Washington Post three times as many times as Senator McCain. "Time" magazine has run seven covers with Obama. McCain two. I mean, this is not close, folks. And it is ugly. It is nasty. And I guarantee you, we are watching a shift in the way in which the media in this country, which is already reviled by the public, I believe it's going to be even worse.

I'm an advocacy journalist. I'm an independent populist. When I speak, people know where I'm coming from. When these news organizations are doing this and trying to pretend cloaking themselves in the mantle of objectivity, you know, they're silly, (trulish), absolutely in my opinion, despicable phonies. They need to step out, they need to be objective or get their opinions out where it can be examined. We're going to be right back. Next, Hank Sheinkopf. He'll tell us about what he thinks of media bias. We'll be right back.

DOBBS: Well, we're back and I want to take a look at the "Time" magazine cover. Seven times, seven times in the past year, Barack Obama has been placed on the cover of "Time" magazine. Now, John McCain twice. Hank Sheinkopf, that is rather typical of the inundation of affection, the inundation of Barack Obama with the affection of the national media. What is your reaction as a democratic strategist?

HANK SHEINKOPF, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good for democrats, not so good for the nation in the long term. Barack Obama is interesting, he's new, therefore he is news. OK. The fact that a black man can reach that pinnacle of success, raise the amount of money, run this kind of organization, beat Hillary Clinton is big news. At some point there has to be some fairness in the discussion. The problem here from the beginning is from day Obama showed up, I was wondering when the reporters will start chiseling his face on to Mt. Rushmore and the guy hadn't even won the nomination yet. That's the danger here, Lou. And people know it and they're not stupid. Average guy says wait a second, I want news and he isn't getting it.

DOBBS: He's not getting it. He's not getting it for a lot of reasons, and she's not getting it. We're not getting it, because budgets have been cut by corporate, main stream media. We have fewer people making any point of fact, in many cases, making less money to do even bigger job in a more complex society. Miguel, your reaction?

PEREZ: Oh, look, in reaction to what both of you are saying, and what Hank just said about what's new. I went to journalism school. I teach journalism. You have to put aside what's new in terms of, when it comes to fairness. And when you're covering an election, you definitely have to be fair to both sides. And what's new is not a valid argument for the media. So you know, as a member of the media, I can tell you it's wrong to be doing that, you know, absolutely wrong.

DOBBS: I mean, I've said for some time, Diana West, that I believe, because I issue from time to time, like you, a few strong opinions. But as I say, everyone knows where I come from and I'm making no bones about what I'm doing. I'm an advocacy journalist. But I truly believe, Diana West, that every - I like you all to think about this, maybe every reporter on television, every editor, every reporter in the newspapers and magazines and on the web, there ought to be a little identification like we put on the lower third of the screen for an elected official, D or republican from Iowa or Des Moines or whatever, put that under there, we're journalist, declare yourself.

PEREZ: That's why newspapers have an opinion page.

DOBBS: Right.

PEREZ: It should be, opinions should be left to that page, not to the front page.

DOBBS: Right. Well, you and I know that. The editors of "The New York Times," "The Washington Post" and "The Los Angeles Times," it's a crying shame. "The Washington Times" as well, Diana West.

WEST: Well, you know, "The Washington Times" is - certainly has been covering news from a more conservative angle. But in terms of the -

DOBBS: I think that's a gentle way to put it. That's like saying "The New York Times" has a more liberal angle.

WEST: Well, yes. I mean -

DOBBS: Come on, you're -

WEST: If you actually - No, no, no. I don't actually work for "The Washington Times" anymore.

DOBBS: I know that. But you should have an independent view.

WEST: I do. I have a very independent view.

DOBBS: Go get them.

WEST: I would say if you had a tally of that news room, you would find that it probably represents a conservative democratic split that's much closer to the national average than any other of the other news rooms you're talking about. That said, what we're seeing with the Obama - I think it will eventually ricochet on Obama. I think that people are getting very distressed and irritated about it. But the bias continues and, you know, it even came out with the coverage of these back and forth on gas this week in terms of the Ayers connection, because most of the papers was reading, "USA Today," "The Associated Press," they were not covering the challenge that the -

DOBBS: We got to wrap this up very quickly.

Absolutely amazing. Bravo, folks.

~~~~~~~~~~

find the story here

Lou Dobbs is my hero today. I don't really care that media is biased toward Obama. I'm offended that they are biased toward anyone. The reporters are certainly allowed to have their personal opinions, but they are paid to present the facts, not slant the facts or present only what makes their candiate look good. I would be as offended if the media fawned over McCain the way they seem to fawn over Obama.

When listening to or reading a news story, I should not be able to tell that the reporter, the station, the paper, the corporation, or anyone connected with the corporation the reporter works for, prefers one candidate over another.

Under usual circumstances, the media should present essentially the same number of stories about the candidates. Now, if one candidate is found in bed with a goat, or his hand in the proverbial cookie jar, I understand all bets are off and that candidate will be the focus of the media for a while, and the other candidate will not be reported on except to comment on the other candidate. It's when the media positively fawns over a candidate, reports only what will help that candidate or fails to report what will help the other candidate, that a problem occurs.

There are people who don't want to think for themselves. They want to be told who is the better candidate. These are lazy minded people who shouldn't be allowed out in public, much less vote for what could be the most important office in the world. We must take a test to legally drive a car, but we allow almost anyone to vote. On the other hand, those who are too lazy to make up their own minds are usually too lazy to get to the voting booth.

It used to be that a reporter reported the facts and commentators provided opinion of those reported facts. That's what I expect from the media. Give me the facts. I can decide which candiate best fits my ideal of who should occupy the Oval Office for the next four years.

As I said, reporters certainly have the right to their opinions, but when they are working, I shouldn't know what that opinion is.