Socialist Sarah Palin and her Socialist Pals.

Here's a Pic of Brian Mason with Sarah Palin from January 2008. Mason is an MLA in the Alberta Legislature and a member of the New Democrat Party (NDP) in Canada. Who are the NDP? Well the New Democrats are one of Canada's National Political Parties that run on a platform of socialist and social welfare values. They recently ended up with 36 seats in the National House of Parliament and are one of the official opposition parties in the Canadian Parliamentary governing system.

So why was a Socialist like Brian Mason meeting with Sarah Palin? They certainly don't share ideological principles. Perhaps though they do. Mason was up in Anchorage to learn from Sarah Palin how the Alaska system of issuing a four figure check to every man, woman and child in Alaska works. A Check that is possible from royalty payments made my large Oil companies drilling in Alaska.

The Alaska government likes to spread this wealth to it's citizens through regular payments to citizens and in fact, Palin spread even more wealth since becoming Alaska Governor increasing the payments to over $3200 per year to each Alaskan.

All this spreading the wealth sounds like one of the basic tenants of Socialist ideology. It's curious that Governor Palin and Senator McCain like to endlessly natter on about Joe the Plumber, Tito the Jackson 5 builder and (for all I know Dora the Explorer) while at the same time painting Barack Obama as an evil socialist who wants to spread the wealth around.

Only a few weeks before being named the Vice Presidential Nominee, Palin was defending her Socialist principles:

“we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs.”


Does Senator McCain know he has a socialist on his own ticket???

Darcy Burner and the politics of degrees

Much has been made the last week or so about the Degrees of Dem Darcy Reichert and incumbent Repub Dave Reichert. Reichert, with a new war chest of campaign funds has launched an agressive campaign against Burner claiming that she in effect lied about her "degree in Economics" from Harvard. slumping in the latest polls, Reichert is looking for anything to attack Burner on and if it is over the education qualifications of his opponent, so be it.

What's galling about this is not that Reichert is flat out wrong in his assertions but that his own educational background is wrong - what with stating incorrecting in numerous places that he has a BA when in fact he has an AA degree from a small luthern junior college.

The best response I've though is from this letter to the Seattle Times that clarifies that yes Darcy has an Economics specialty within a Harvard Computer Science degree: Point for burner I think:


Not an exaggeration
As recent Harvard graduates, we have a shocking revelation we would like to share with your readers: Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner may have received a degree from Harvard in 1996, but she was neither a computer-science major nor an economics minor, and she was certainly not both ["Darcy Burner's claims of a Harvard econ degree an exaggeration," News, Oct. 22].

The terminology our university uses can be tricky. Graduates of Harvard College (which is part of Harvard University, but actually predates it), receive artium baccalaureus (A.B.) degrees, also known as Bachelor of Arts in English, and instead of majors, we have concentrations. We call teaching assistants "teaching fellows." And despite last year's addition of secondary fields, there was and is still nothing called a minor at Harvard.

As her profile on The Seattle Times' Web site correctly states, Burner's education is, "Harvard University, B.A. in computer science with a special field of economics, 1996." And as she explains on her own Web site, at Harvard, Burner "earned a degree in computer science and economics." There is no contradiction here, no exaggeration, and certainly no lying.

At Harvard, we have joint concentrations, which are like double majors. As of this year, we also have primary and secondary fields, which is like a major and a minor. And to make matters even more confusing, when Burner was at Harvard, the computer-science department required students to choose an area of specialization. Burner chose economics. As a result, Burner completed five upper-level economics courses, in addition to significant course work in computer science and mathematics. Burner's course of study was almost certainly more intensive than that of the majority of economics concentrators at Harvard.

Voters in Washington's 8th Congressional District have more important issues to worry about than the terms in use at Harvard. We hope that The Seattle Times recommits itself to investigating issues that really matter as the election draws near.

-- Jean Yang, Cambridge, Mass., and Seth Flaxman, Switzerland

Darcy Burner - the Real Message

Here's a good video in response to Dave Reichert lies about Darcy Burner's academic background. Support Darcy! Turf Reichert!

You can help Darcy here

7-11 Store Poll Shows Big Obama Lead

A poll at 7-11 convenience stores shows Obama at 59.68 percent and McCain at 40.32 percent.

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McCain Loses It: Calls Americans 'My Fellow Prisoners'

Yes when you are running for President nothing works better than referrring to your audience as "my fellow prisoners" What on earth is going on in this man's head?

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Cheney and the big love

It should come as no surprise that Vader Veep Dick Cheney isn't big on all the touchy feely stuff. Apparently though his lack of compassion has no bounds.

According to Barton Gellman in his new book; Angler: the Cheney Vice Presidency, George Bush asked Cheney to spearhead a cabinet level task force days after Hurricane Katrina hammered New Orleans, Cheney refused and indicated that the extent of his interest in Hurricane Katrina devastation would be to go on a fact finding mission if requested by President Bush.

Besides his reluctance to cut short his vacation when Katrina hit, and his continued downplaying of the Katrina devastation, reports suggest that Cheney has tried to kill proposals increasing aid to Hurricane Katrina Victims.

Can't you just feel the Cheney love!

“Jesus! Where will it end? How low do you have to stoop in this country to be President?”

Hunter S. Thompson

Finally a Great Obama Ad

The Obama campaign hasn't been doing the best job with their TV and on line video spots right from the get go. They tend to the traditional tired voice over of boring facts and stock images that have been the hallmark of political campaigns for decades. But lashing back over the mcCain camps lipstick false outrage and the repellent "Sex Education for kindergarten" ad, the Obama Campaign finally has shot back with a smart tough snickering ad about McCain.

This is how it can be done - showcasing McCain as continually out of touch, a relic the 1980's, a rich Washington insider that won't embrace that the times have indeed changed. More of the same out of touch politics.

Lipstick on a Wing Nut

Brilliant take on the Palin hypocrisy and some pretty tough questions that she should have to answer. Of course with Palin there are many many more questions that need to be asked (Why did you cut funding to teen mothers?, What rationale is there for billing rape victims for rape kit examinations?, How much pork is too much for Wassilla?, How do you reconcile your per diem charges for living at home?, How crazy is the Church you are a member of? and on and on and on......

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Crowd Control

Here's a new spin on finding out where all the beautiful people are. A new on line application called citysense. It uses GPS and Wifi to pinpoint where the crowds are gathering and senses activity in the city and shows you a "heat map" of where everyone is congregating. Plans are for an alarm clock to let you know when things get hopping or not. Testing in San Francisco and rolling out to NYC and Chicago. Free Download available for BlackBerry's, iPhones and other devices.

I can't decide if this is really cool and the next great techno lifestyle toy or just something that desperate aging clubbers use to find the next big moment. Can see it working with trendy eateries -Can I get in without a reservation? How busy is it? but not sure retailers would really want to promote that (a) no one is in the store and the clerk is filing her nails or (b) H and M is packed with fashion wannabes ripping finery from the fixtures....

and what if the heat index works out to gravitate to a place with um....people that ain;t that hot?

Dear John McCain Letter

To: Senator John McCain
info@johnmccain.com

RE: Little Pink Houses


Dear John;

Been a bad week hasn't it? The campaign trail is certainly starting to wear on you and I know just how you feel. It was just this week that I realized I had no idea how many pairs of socks I had. Then here I was at my local best buy purchasing another copy of ABBA Gold CD only to get home and find out I had another two copies at home! I laughed and laughed over that senior
moment.

So I can feel for you. Those multiple house questions can really be a bitch. Is it 4 or 5? 7? 8? It gets tricky trying to keep them all straight. At least you have your staff to keep track for you - Oh wait no. Even they are not so sure. They figured 7 but the others say 8. Oh well what's a house here and there amongst the electorate huh?

Don't get me wrong. We all have senior moments. And I'm sure that being confused about your real estate holdings can't be a comment on your ability to lead right? Or your man of the people image. After all all those people facing foreclosure on their one shack will certainly understand that you are one of them what with your multiple addresses and 10 million in property.

It makes me wonder. How do you get into each of them? Do have like one of those big key rings on your belt - the one with the retractable cord so you can open all those doors? Maybe you have a staff member carry them for you. Or perhaps Cindy drags em around in her Gucci Clutch. I'm assuming they are color coded. With those little colorful key covers from home depot to remind you.

I've attached a map showing all the properties just in case you need a handy reference. Perhaps one of your staff members could print it out for you? You can fold it up in your wallet or something for safe keeping - never know when you might get lost! I would point you to "the Google" maps - but I think it is best if you go with the tried and true low tech approach.

Just for the record I have one house. That's it - I feel so insignificant. But! I do have two Fridges. One for every day brie and another where I keep the un-wooded chardonnay chilled. But that's just me.


Your elitist single house friend;


Mark Patten

Bush Plans to Make The Endangered Species Act Extinct

It amazes and saddens me to no end that the Bush cronies continue to come up with ways to gut perfectly fine legislation in order to suckle at the teat of Big Oil and Corporate rape and pillage policies. Now here we go with gutting the Endangered Species Act, allowing developers and federal agencies to review impacts as an optional activity.

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Map Quest: Online Only Video: The New Yorker

Colorful artistic video of the electoral college map

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Edmonton and Democrats Abroad

Isn't it great when local newspapers can write such a positive article about some enthusiast ex pat democrats up here in north? Cheers to the Edmonton Journal for writing and publishing this article (and click to read the whole thing)
Fourth of July party in the park helps Americans feel at home

Greenwald Rebuttal of Obama's New Statement on FISA

This statement has so many equivocations and vague claims as to be worthless. In a society that lives under the rule of law, government officials and corporations which break our laws are held accountable by courts of law, not by vague promises from politicians of some future "review" and "recommendation" process

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'Get FISA Right' group is largest on Obama's social network

Barack Obama supporters urging the Illinois senator to vote against a pending surveillance law have formed the largest group on the Democratic presidential candidate's social networking site, my.barackobama.com.The group, "Senator Obama - Please Vote NO on Telecom Immunity - Get FISA Right," had more than 14,500 members as of Thursday morning.

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George Bush Breaks a New Record

…previously held by himself. LaTimes: "The survey found public approval of the president’s job performance at a new low for a Times/Bloomberg poll: 23%, compared with 73% disapproval."Way to go bushie!

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Presidential Lefties

According to a number of articles yesterday there is an interesting propensity for left handers to sit in the white house. Now with 10 to 15% of the population left handed, it is quite a surprise that Gerald Ford, Ron Reagan, Senior Bush and Bill Clinton were all lefties. Plus James Garfield and Harry Truman. Now Reagan there is some dispute - was he a leftie then a rightie? Rightie then a leftie? It's a bit of a muddle. Still here's the kicker:
Obama and McCain are both lefties!
So ANOTHER leftie in the White House this fall.
Who'd of thunk it.

Bush III

Man here's an image from zaisnation that pretty much sums up the McCain quest to be Bush III. It's a horrifying image for a Monday morning, or any morning for that matter.