Palin to Couric: I CAN quit you + Bonus Videos!

By GottaLaff

Blogger McCan'tWrite is giving "perky" Katie the cold shoulder. She's not vindictive at all. I guess she was worried that Couric would ask her what she watches on Tee Vee:

Sources tell Hotline OnCall that Katie Couric's producer sent two requests to Sarah Palin's publisher for interviews during the Going Rogue book tour, and so far, Couric has been denied.

"It's not surprising -- Palin has not agreed to sit down with more than a small handful of mainstream media interviewers -- but the move looks to be part of a larger Palin blackout from CBS News and Entertainment."

Drat that liberal CBS. What a savvy move by Palin to avoid tough questions like, "What are you wearing?"

But it's all good. Blogger McCan'tWrite can see CBS from her profound idiocy!

Palin's mistakes

By GottaLaff

Newsflash! Grandma Also admits nothing:

In an interview with Human Events, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) was asked about the biggest mistake she made in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Said Palin: "The biggest mistake made was that I could have called more shots on this: the opportunities that were not seized to speak to more Americans via media. I was not allowed to do very many interviews, and the interviews that I did were not necessarily those I would have chosen... But if I would have been in charge, I would have wanted to speak to more reporters because that's how you get your message out to the electorate."

Meanwhile, Washington Whispers notes a mistake Palin made after the campaign: She didn't return two phone calls from former President H.W. Bush.

Perhaps she thought they were prank calls.

Let's break that down. When Grandma Also did speak to the media, she was an inarticulate, blundering sack of ignorance. When she attempted to get out her message, it was one big smear campaign that egged on hate speech, violence, and lies.

The reason the interviews were ones she wouldn't necessarily have chosen was that they weren't all with Fox/sympathizers. As a result, she was either stumped by the simplest of questions, or rambled until her words got so convoluted that she somehow sounded coherent to herself. Nobody else, just herself. See: Fey, Tina.

Here are a few more details about that Bush 41 call:

...Whispers hears that former President George H.W. Bush is a bit miffed that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hasn't returned his phone calls of congrats for a good effort in the presidential election. [...] When the subject of Palin came up during their chat, Bush told of twice phoning her office but never receiving a call back. The first message was left at McCain HQ after she was picked to be Sen. John McCain's veep; the second with the governor's office after the election was over. ...[O]ur source says he was clearly perplexed. A Palin aide says the guv didn't get the message, as odd as that sounds.

She fouls up everything she touches, she just can't seem to help herself.

Now imagine her finger on that Big Red Button. That would be one mistake she should never have the opportunity to make.

Big business, lobbyists had IWRC* Palin's ear

By GottaLaff

Here's the sub-headline of the blog post title:

Alaska's governor met with them at least 36 times, according to her calendar. Other groups were not as fortunate.

Oh dear. She's not nearly as mavericky and outsidery as she claimed! Does that make her a liar? Or just someone who suffers from ethics lapses?

Big business was granted wide access to Sarah Palin's office during her first 20 months as Alaska governor, but she rarely met with labor, environmental or other groups pressing alternative views, her official calendar shows.

On at least three dozen occasions, Palin, now the Republican vice presidential nominee, spoke with executives and lobbyists working for an array of energy, mining and tourism firms with major investments in Alaska.

Among those who visited Palin's Juneau office multiple times were the chief executives of Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, as well as several dozen other top oil and gas company officials.

Bush III, Cheney II.

In an August interview with National Public Radio before being named John McCain's running mate, Palin declared: "I've had about two lobbyists, two, maybe three lobbyists who have snuck in [to her statehouse office] with a group of people. So I can't say they've never been in, but we don't invite lobbyists in."

According to her calendar, however, Palin has met with more than a dozen registered lobbyists since taking office in December 2006.

Maybe it simply means she can't count. I wouldn't doubt it, considering she also doesn't read.

[...] Palin's aides were aware before the meetings that lobbyists would be coming.

"My personal experience is they've always welcomed discussions," Reed said.

In several cases, registered lobbyists met with Palin and returned for second sessions.

But... but... IWRC said that she doesn't invite lobbyists in. Gosharootie! What's a voter to believe now?

The Times obtained Palin's calendar under a Freedom of Information Act request. The governor's office turned down a similar request for calendars and schedules pertaining to her husband, Todd Palin, who reportedly has played a prominent role in her decision-making.

Gov. Palin's office said her husband does not keep a calendar.

In addition to meetings with big business and lobbyists, Palin's calendar indicates that she filled her daily schedules with dozens of media interviews.

That access seems a far cry from her recent complaints that the national media has "filtered" her message as a vice presidential candidate.
According to aides, Palin wooed reporters in Juneau with plates of brownies and telephone calls on their birthdays.

My stars! Would ya look at that? IWRC was so anxious to get noticed that she made brownies for all those snoopy, filtery reporters! She must have had more coherent answers back then... way back in the old days... so, so, long ago... when she was still reading newspapers and answering questions.

"She craved publicity and the poll ratings that came with it," said Larry Persily, a former Alaska journalist who worked for Palin in Alaska's state office in Washington until earlier this year.

The calendar also details Palin's frequent stays at her home in Wasilla, Alaska -- which became a source of controversy when it was learned that she collected per diem allowances while away from the governor's mansion in Juneau.

Toast.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

AUDIO-- IWRC* Palin: "Our lives are an open book", but not Obama's

By GottaLaff

Continuing her tour among friendly-only interviewers, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) appeared on the Laura Ingraham show today.

Paging Planet IWRC* Palin. Come in, IWRC. Earth calling. Is anyone out there? Nope, didn't think so. Listen to the audio above and see if there's a way to make sense of it.

PALIN: Laura, it’s so important for your listeners to start asking those questions and demanding answers of candidates. We certainly — John McCain and I — our lives are an open book. We’re called on the carpet every day, demanded of us to answer questions and I don’t see that on the other side. I don’t see the other ticket being asked to be truthful and give these details that American voters are deserving and your listeners have gotta have these questions too.

Seems that IWRC is popping a few of Cindy McMealTicket's pills, because she is obviously hallucinating.

Palin has refused to give a single news conference, and has taken open questions from her traveling press corps just once — and for fifteen minutes. Though she has granted right-wing Sean Hannity three interviews (better compared to infomercials), she has yet to talk with NBC, CNN, or MSNBC.

Let's not forget about Hugh Hewitt. What a challenge that must have been for her. Coda:

When Ingraham invited Palin to appear on her show every week until election day, Palin replied noncommittally: "You're cool."

Omigod, IWRC's sewwwww totally awesome cuz, like, she thinks Laura's kewl.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

VIDEO: U.K. piece on IWRC* Palin, book banning, and more

By GottaLaff

Via Alaska blogger Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis, "the first video of an interview with Anne Kilkenny I've seen and the first video that actually traces the "book banning" issue through all of the players, including an interview with Howard Bess." For background on Anne Kilkenny, go here.

This is the first time I've seen the faces of some of the people I've posted about. It's good to hear from the actual sources. Too bad IWRC* Palin won't give us the same courtesy:


*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

VIDEO: Newsflash! IWRC* Palin does interviews!

By GottaLaff

You'll be surprised to know that IWRC* Palin does interviews daily. Who knew? And who with? Sean Hannity? Hugh Hewitt? Certainly not Wolf Blitzer:


H/t: Alec

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

"No media filters" = IWRC* Palin runs to Fox for next interview

By GottaLaff

IWRC* Palin may claim she doesn't blink, but she sure winks a lot. Did I detect a wink when she claimed, "I like being able to answer these tough questions without the filter, even, of the mainstream media kind of telling viewers what they've just heard"? Why, I think I did!

Some took this as an indication that the she intends to abandon the high-profile interviews that have proved unhelpful to her cause, to say the least.

Fox News announced that Carl Cameron interviewed Palin this morning, and the network will air bits and pieces of the interview throughout the day. [...]

UPDATE: The first segment just aired, and Palin offered some harsh criticism for Couric.

“Honestly, the Sarah Palin in those interviews was a little bit annoyed, because it’s like, ‘Many, no matter what you say, you’re going to get clobbered. If you choose to answer a question, you’re going to get clobbered on the answer. If you choose to try to pivot and go on to another subject that Americans want to hear about, you get clobbered for that too.

“In that Katie Couric interview, I did feel that there were a lot of things that she was missing, in terms of an opportunity to ask what a V.P. candidate stands for, what the values are represented in our ticket. I wanted to talk about what Barack Obama increasing taxes, which will lead to killing jobs. I wanted to talk about his proposal to increase spending by another $1 trillion, some of his comments that he’s made about the war, that I think may, in my world, disqualify someone from consideration for Commander-in-Chief.”

So basically, Palin was annoyed that Couric saw that her job was to flush out for the American people more information about the character of a relatively unknown candidate for the vice presidency, and not to provide Palin with a nationally-televised forum for spouting McCain campaign talking points?

You got clobbered, IWRC, because you were a meandering, unintelligible, clueless Twinkie.

*In What Respect, Charlie?"

Bush II sets example for Palin/McBush III: Ignore the press

By GottaLaff

Froomkin nails it again:

And here is what you might call the "money quote": "[M]y administration is focused on meeting these challenges. The American people can be sure we will continue to act to strengthen and stabilize our financial markets and improve investor confidence. "

Anbody reassured? I didn't think so.

His remarks, made just outside the Oval Office, lasted less than two minutes. Nothing he said changed the growing awareness in Washington that, despite being the nation's first MBA president, Bush has been and remains largely AWOL as the nation's wealth dwindles away.

And of course, he took no questions.

On Tuesday, Bush ignored a shouted question while touring hurricane damage in Galveston. "Mr. President, what are you going to do about AIG?" Tabassum Zakaria of Reuters yelled out. Bush shot back: "We're here talking about the people of Galveston, Texas. They've got a great mayor and they're working hard."

Yesterday, Bush ignored Associated Press reporter Deb Riechmann's request for comment during a photo op with Panama's President Martin Torrijos. The exchange was not reflected in the official transcript of his newsless event. But Cox News Service reporter Ken Herman captured it on video, and provided his own transcription:

"'With all due respect,' [Riechmann] said with all due respect, 'you haven't taken any questions since Aug. 6.'

"'I can't hear what you said,' Bush responded, with all due respect.

"'This way please, through the Rose Garden,' a pool wrangler said, with all due respect.

"'You got to speak with a louder voice,' Bush said, with a smile and all due respect.

"'I can't hear you,' he added. 'I'm old.'"

And Ben Feller writes for the Associated Press this morning: "As he finished his very brief statement and turned to walk back into the Oval Office, a reporter asked if he believed the economy was still sound. The president kept walking."

George W. Bush is a despicable little cretin who has accomplished two things in his unfathomably failed presidency: Deteriorating America to the point of its being nearly unrecognizable, and being the perfect mentor to Gramm-pa Sid and his granddaughter, Rookie McLipstick.

I say this with all due respect.

Biden blasts McCain/Palin for not facing press

By GottaLaff

I can't find the video yet, although I'm betting Paddy can. Until that happens, here is the text of a speech in Akron, Ohio, by a fired up Joe Biden ripping his opponents for not talking to the media:

"I got asked a question by the press this morning, er, yesterday," Biden said, referencing Kate Snow's pre-taped interview for today's "Good Morning America."

"I’ve done a lot of press, I’ve done, I don’t know, I was told I did 68, 70 press conferences, and the person says, "What do you think about Sarah Palin?" I said, “When she does three, I’ll let you know." I don’t know! I don’t have any idea! I don’t know! I don’t know!" Biden said as the crowd rose to their feet.

"You know, I mean, look, and it’s not, look guys, it’s not just Sarah Palin," he continued. "When’s the last time John, when’s the last time John’s had a press conference? I’m serious.”

Biden then turned to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who introduced him.

"Ted, you and I know, when an elected official stops having press conferences, it ain’t because he’s found a way to communicate," Biden said. "It’s because he doesn’t want to communicate. Look folks, I mean, I, I, it’s just, if I sound angry it’s because I am angry. I mean, it’s like I don’t get it, I don’t get it!”

We do, Joe. It's because 1) Palin/McCain have nothing of any worth to offer/say; 2)Their positions remind us all that they are nothing but Bush III, Cheney II; and 3)If they get into a real conversation, they'll embarrass themselves into 20% poll numbers.