Experience isn't the issue

By GottaLaff

Dan Conley, a former speechwriter for Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, writes the following:

The debate over Gov. Sarah Palin has devolved into something very typical -- jokes about her relative inexperience, followed up by righteous indignation over the "condescension" being shown towards her. Both sides are missing the real point.
We voters simply do not -- and will not -- know enough about Governor Palin by election day to make an informed decision about her.

By choosing a candidate with no public record on any foreign policy issues and most domestic policies, McCain has insulated his campaign from any attacks on his Vice Presidential ideology. Palin is known purely for her positions on Alaskan issues and a few cultural issues she has decided to become known for.

Now that she's the VP nominee, Palin will just assume all of John McCain's positions on foreign and domestic policies. It's what a VP candidate always does. But in this case, when she has never been asked to express her opinions or her thinking behind those views, we're left with a terrifying national scenario -- if John McCain were to die shortly after taking office, we would elevate someone to the Presidency who could be in support of anything ... fill in the blank.

If the McCain campaign is being truthful and did in fact vet Palin fully, then they are guilty of hiding Palin. Unlike other longshot candidates like Bobby Jindal, she was kept off the campaign trail and away from the Sunday talk circuit. What they've done is taken the well-developed GOP strategy for Supreme Court justices ... drop them into Circuit Court slots shortly before tapping them for the top job ... to avoid a paper trail which could cause a public backlash.
This strategy is cynical, undemocratic and frankly, unpatriotic. Americans have a right to know who they are elevating to the Presidency. The McCain campaign is using Gov. Palin for tactical political gain with no regard for the voters' right to select a candidate who they know and trust.

So many negatives, so little time. Another underhanded approach that goes unmentioned anywhere in the corporate media.

UPDATE: On MSNBC right now, John Sidney McCain is pledging action! Action! on Gustav. "We'll act as Americans, not as Republicans..." He's milking it for whatever it's worth.

John Sidney McBigOil's Bobby Jindal: "Drilling alone is not enough"

By GottaLaff

J Sid's not just slimy, he's downright oily:

It should come as no surprise that the McCain chose to visit a Chevron-owned drilling platform, considering that lobbyists for Chevron both fundraise and work for his campaign:

Wayne Berman: Berman, the managing director of lobbying firm Ogilvy Government Relations, is McCain’s national finance co-chairman and has bundled over $500,000 dollars for his campaign. Berman has lobbied for Chevron since 2004.

John Green: Green, who also works for Oglivy, has been the McCain campaign’s chief Congressional liaison since March. Green has lobbied for Chevron since 2005.

Richard Hohlt: Hohlt, who is the leader of a group of Washington, DC insiders called the “Off the Record Club” that includes top McCain strategist Charlie Black, is a fundraiser for the McCain campaign. Holht has lobbied for Chevron since 2005.

In June, McCain went before oil executives in Texas to reverse his position on offshore drilling and lay out a set of policy proposals that add up to a big fat kiss to Big Oil. Since then, the oil industry has flooded McCain with money and McCain has begun promoting the advice of “the oil executives.”

Update: The Chevron oil rig McCain is visiting is a joint venture with Exxon, which owns 38.38 percent of the project. Lobbyists for Exxon also work and fundraise for McCain's campaign.

He should just come to his next town hall meeting drenched in black goo with his pockets stuffed with kajillion-dollar bills. Then he could get his elitist, environmentally disastrous message out without uttering a word, thus removing any chance of another verbal gaffe.