It's nice to see a journalist doing her job

Even if it cost CNN's Larry King an interview with John McCain. From the New York Times:

"... Ms. (Campbell) Brown had sharply questioned Tucker Bounds, a campaign spokesman, after he said that the role of Mr. McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard was an example of executive experience that Senator Barack Obama of Illinois did not have.

"Can you tell me one decision that she made as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard, just one?” Ms. Brown asked.

Mr. Bounds responded, “Any decision she has made as the commander of the National Guard that’s deployed overseas is more of a decision Barack Obama’s been making as he’s been running for president for the last two years.”

Ms. Brown pressed again, saying: “So tell me. Tell me. Give me an example of one of those decisions.” To which Mr. Bounds said, “Campbell, certainly you don’t mean to belittle every experience, every judgment she makes as commander.” The argument devolved from there, with no real resolution."

I know the Right will say that she was hounding him, but all Bounds had to do was answer the question. He couldn't or wouldn't, so he tried to spin it that Brown was somehow "belittling" Palin. It was a legitimate question and voters deserved an answer -- and answer that could have possibly strengthened Bounds' argument. If he really had an argument.

I'm usually the last to hold television journalists in high regard, but Brown did well. I wish there were more like her.

bk at the Technocrat calls the election

Here's a taste of what he has to say:

So pardon me for calling the election on September 2 but within the last day the first polls showing Obama with 50%+ started showing up. I’ve long held that lots of America’s choose not to decide until after Labor Day. They can’t be bothered to, it’s just not in their blood like us partisan types. Every cycle just as the decidedly undecides starting tuning in to make their decision they use two events to judge the candidates - the convention acceptance speech and the Presidential candidate’s first executive decision on VP candidate. ...

Click here to read the rest.

From Wasilla to the White House

Two years removed from being mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. 5,470), Sarah Palin could sit a heartbeat away from running the United States of America. So now everyone who attacked Barack Obama for his thin resume needs to be silent. Never mention it again.

But some of these same people are actually claiming that Palin, who has been governor of Alaska for the past year and a half, has more experience than Obama. (She was a city councilwoman before she was mayor, you see.) I don't know why I find this so surprising. After all, this noise is coming from the same camp that thinks the past eight years haven't been so bad.

So here's the Hail Mary pass, Palin. It's tossed up there for you bitter Hillary Clinton supporters to grab, those of you who say you refuse to support Obama. I wish I had more confidence that this angry mob couldn't possibly be so blind that they would vote for a woman whose reproductive organs are all she has in common with Clinton. But McCain clearly thinks they can be swayed.

It was going to be a close race for the presidency, and I think it still might be. Palin could help win Alaska, and it probably will sway a few disgruntled Hillary supporters. But it should move rational moderates away from McCain. Should.

I have a lot of admiration for McCain, and there was a time when I even considered voting for him. He is an honorable man. But should anything happen to him, we would be saddled with someone two years removed from being mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. 5,470). If this is what it takes to be vice president, then this country is in more trouble than I ever imagined.

50 Children Died -- Think About This

It's easy to dismiss the numbers from a war. The casualties. Even the dead children. In this country, we like to draw some imaginary distinction between our "intentions" and the "results" of the endless war we willfully propagate.

So maybe it's easy for you to see this headline, and gloss over it:

Afghan President Assails U.S.-Led Airstrike

Maybe it would matter to you if "terrorists" had killed 50 children. But if we did it, by mistake, maybe you can go back to your life, your TV shows, your mortgage, your prescription medication, the yellow ribbon you put on your gas-guzzling SUV to support our troops, who are protecting our oil interests in the name of democracy so you can pay four fucking dollars a gallon.

(Note that there are no photos of this atrocity.)