Heritage Foundation's Haiti Cover-Up

By GottaLaff

(via)

My pal Allen McDuffee has a post up about "Rush's own party that's looking for opportunities in Haiti." And then scrubbing the word "oppotunities" from the Heritage Foundation's website. Not appalled enough yet?

Here's a sample:

The post, written by one of its fellows, Jim Roberts, showed one of the more calloused reactions from within the Beltway.

Here was the original introduction which has since been removed:

In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S. response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti earthquake offers opportunities to re-shape Haiti’s long-dysfunctional government and economy as well as to improve the public image of the United States in the region.

Forget relief. Opportunities are to be had, according to Roberts.

There's your tease. Here's the whole story.

Andrew Sullivan: "[Republicans] have gone to war against the president."

By GottaLaff

Sully on the Republican strategy:

Andrew Sullivan: "I have to say even I am a little taken aback by the force of the Republican assault. Even in a downturn as swift and alarming as this one, even after an election that clearly favored one approach over another, even after the most conciliatory efforts by an incoming president in memory, these people have gone to war against the president. The president should stay cool. The rest of us should realize what motivates the GOP: the opportunism of selective ideology."

Utterly oblivious. If they want to turn this into a successful P.R. war, they might want to think about acquiring some ammunition first

Palin notices butter on the toast

And being the true brainiac she is, even sees which side it's on....

Sarah Palin, who was the harsher member of the Republican ticket, has softened considerably on Obama, and here's the latest, from a Wolf Blitzer interview:

Well, you know, we've got make sure there too that Barack Obama surrounds himself with strong commanders who understand that our boys, our girls, with their boots on the ground -- their lives, my son's life, is in his hands.

And I do have faith in this new administration that they are going to look out for America's finest, those in uniform, who are protecting us and our freedoms.

Vetting Sarah Louise Palin: "I'm just amazed at your grasp of issues and facts"

By GottaLaff

A HUNTING TROPHY: In this undated photo, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and one of her daughters pose with a caribou she shot. A woman in an exceedingly macho state, Palin has not always been taken seriously. But opponents cross her at their peril.

We here at The Political Carnival are happy to vet S Lou, since John Sidney McCain apparently didn't have enough time. Here are some informative little excerpts from this morning's long L.A. Times piece:

"There's always been a little bit of an air of an opportunist about the governor," said state Sen. Hollis French, a Democrat, who has been a strong advocate for the public getting a larger slice of Alaskan oil and gas revenues. [...]

"There's a real question whether she's a Republican or a Democrat," said GOP state Rep. Mike Hawker.

Huh? Okay, I'll let that one pass.

Both French and Hawker said Palin has not paid attention to other critically important issues.

"Her administration had the appearance of paying absolutely no attention to any of the rest of the unglamorous side of government," said Hawker, "whether it be dealing with human services, public services, highways, all the routine aspects."

Rep. Hawker, she's a former beauty pageanter. What did you expect? I understand her hunting outfit comes with a flannel sash that says, "Miss Guided".

French faulted Palin for not helping the Legislature pass a bill to raise the benefits threshhold for children and pregnant women from 175% of the poverty level to 200%. (Most states set them at 200% to 250%.) "She said she wanted to help us raise it," French said, "but couldn't be bothered to do anything in the closing days of the Legislature, when she could have helped it through."

How conservatively compassionate and women's righty of her.

Indeed, Halcro said, those qualities meant that debating Palin was an exercise in frustration. The day after a debate in Fairbanks, they found themselves in conversation at a breakfast in Anchorage.

"She said, 'You know, I go to these debates, and I'm just amazed at your grasp of issues and facts. You show up with no notecards; you just kind of spurt it out. But I look out over the audience, and I wonder: Is that really important?' " Halcro said. "And you know, I'm a policy guy, and I'm thinking, 'Yeah.' But people didn't care. She has a way of walking in a room and filling the room with her presence, so people suddenly forget about their concerns about healthcare or education or anything else."

And then she asked, "What does a vice president do, again? I forgot my notes."

Palin has found herself accused of crossing ethical boundaries in office. In 2002, when she was mayor of her hometown, Wasilla, she was accused of arranging campaign travel from her office and of using her secretary to pen thank-you notes to campaign contributors.

Uh-oh. She's multi-scandalous.

She is also embroiled in a controversy now over alleged improper interference with the job of an Alaska state trooper named Mike Wooten, who is divorced from her sister.

Stay tuned. The vetting has only just begun.