The Respectfully Republican Conversation

Rosemary - We are taking our camera and I will try to post the pics!

I don't give any weight to the National Enquirer Story - they were following John Edwards - they probably did not even know Sarah Palin existed until last Friday. You have to wonder who their sources are - heard one is the ex-brother-in-law! Give me a break. She shook up her own party - I am sure there are plenty of people with an ax to grind and a lie to tell for a few bucks. I watched PBS coverage last night and after the speech the talking heads they had on - the looks on their faces was priceless! I am sure they had their pre-written she was a disaster spiel and for the first time in a long time - they were at a loss for words - they knew she had hit a home run - and they couldn't lie and say she didn't.

I am so sick of the media in this country trying to tell me what to think. They should just televise the conventions and the speeches without giving their "take" on things. They would do us a favor to just report the news and keep their opinions and viewpoints out of it. "World News Tonight" should get a new name. Going by the "news" they present you would think the "world" consisted of the U.S., Israel, Iraq, Iran, Russia and now Georgia. When we really want to watch the news we tune into the BBC - it should actually be required for high school students - they might learn some world geography and do better on those tests that they give every now and then. My daughter was reading the news on Yahoo and apparently there is a piece complaining about Bristol being on stage at the convention and how if they didn't want media attention she should not have been there. Can you see the headlines if that happened - it would be "Gov ashamed of unwed pregnant teenage daughter, hides her for convention". Also there is a video on Megan McCains blog of the youngest daughter taken on the campaign trail where she says "vote for my Mommy and John McCain" so that also apparently says that makes the family a media target. My dd fired off a letter to the writer asking - why the double standard?- Obama says lay off my family - and you lay off - Michelle and his two daughters were on the stage in Denver - does that make them media targets now. We all know there are questionable things in Obama's background but no one dares go there. I now know why he does not want anyone going after his wife - Google her Princeton thesis online and read it. My 11-year-old can write a better paper. Princeton's reputation has dropped in my books. It is also curious how her salary at the University of Chicago Hospital went from around 120,000 before he was elected senator and up to over 300,000 after he became senator - hmm he got an earmark of a million dollars for the hospital.

Just read an article on how "white" the audience was. Watched the convention last night with my daughter who is "of color" (Bangladeshi-American and so very proud of it - dh is from Bangladesh) and she remarked on the two black speakers by saying Wow - those guys are really brave (and gave excellent speeches). I remember when Pres. Bush first chose Colin Powell as Secretary of State and we all thought what a great role model and then it came out in the media that somehow because he was a Republican he was somehow not "black" enough. I found that very sad - same with Condoleeza Rice. It is no wonder there is a problem when people are perceived that way. Did Clinton appoint anyone of color to a high office? I don't think so. I think Pres. Bush has had the most diverse administration ever but of course because they are Republicans they are wolves in sheeps clothing.

Gotta run and take dd to class and then get some work done around here.

Welcome Pansy---Nice to see so many new voices here.....

Alaska Deb- Just wanted to echo that my thoughts and prayers will be with you Friday........

Have never been much into politics - I'm registered as an independent, but always seem to vote Republican :-)  Last night was the first time I've watched ANY convention, and I must say how impressed I am with the Republican Party ticket.  Rudy's and Sarah's speeches were amazing - hope my daughter was watching!

(as an aside - my daughted IM'd me the day after the DNC with a link to Obama's speech, asking me to watch it. She said it was so good it inspired her to register to vote. While we differ tremendously in our political views, I'm thrilled that she wants to be a part of the process)

Well, all the moms at school were rootin and high fivin' Sarah this morning!!!  During drop-off, you could here the names:  Sarah and McCain all over the place!!   The principal was in on the action saying how if you can make a small town run like a top, then run a state and have their approval, what will you do with a country!!!!!!  And all the moms were loving Piper and Trig ... holding that baby and fixing his hair.  Everyone loved the pitbull and hockey mom joke!   And how she will pay attention to kids with special needs. 

Of course, she doesn't have the Washington experience:  she is  A CHANGE. She already is an executive.  She is there to make decisions not to be PRESENT.  LOL.  And how about the fact that Obama can find time to write two books but not a bill?  He couldn't make a decisioon over 100 times, except to say, "Present" ????   

I love the line that said Change is not a destination and Hope is not a stategy by Rudy!!!!!!!  OMG, he could be in stand up! 

Those Obamamaniacs must be having a hard time eating their Cheerios this morning since it looks like someone peed in them!  I am so energized by her speech and McCain's choice.  It was lovely to see Cindy and see her tear up.   The other night she teared up when the other little girl from Mother Theresa's orpanage was on the stage.

These people are real.  Cindy has worked hard bringing life changing surgeries to children. They adopted a child not of their race. John has a disability.  Sarah certainly is a typical mom with kids.  These people are us.  

I am voting for the HERO not the ZERO.  

I keep remembering things I heard yesterday.  I'm happy it's not in the middle of the night that I remember this.

Yesterday, the Reps who are sitting in congress over the oil drilling issue, had a Q & A with the press.  What they said that caught my attention, was the money we get in from drilling will pay for the other alternative fuel proposals, to get them going.  Thus it won't cost us any money. Drilling becomes even more important. 

 I'm still dumbfounded that this is an issue.  This is just common sense to drill.  It's an economic issue, national security issue, all our wealth is going somewhere else.  We have to borrow from China to pay for oil we import from other countries.  It's just senseless not to drill.

Here are Clinton's cabinet appointments.  Far, far more African Americans than Bush, Jr.  Also, Colin Powell was fired because he disagreed with Bush and Cheney, and Rice was put in his place, so that's actually one black appointee.  Honestly, not trying to start a war here, and I usually only post if I notice a mistake in fact.  There's no way anyone can compare Clinton's appointees (federal judges as well) with Bush's appointments.  Clinton had to appoint his first black judge when the Republicans were on vacation; they objected so vehemently. If we go back to Bush, Sr. or Reagan, an outsider would have assumed there were no African Americans in our country.  Please note also the number of women Clinton appointed:

Cabinet Members Under Clinton
Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher, 1993
Madeleine Albright, 1996
Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Bentsen, 1993
Robert E. Rubin, 1995-1999
Lawrence H. Summers, 1999
Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, 1993
William J. Perry, 1994
William S. Cohen, 1997
Attorney General Janet Reno, 1993
Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, 1993
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, 1993
Dan Glickman, 1995
Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown, 1993
Mickey Kantor, 1996
William M. Daley, 1997
Norman Y. Mineta, 2000
Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich, 1993
Alexis Herman, 1997
Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala, 1993
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry G. Cisneros, 1993
Andrew M. Cuomo, 1997
Secretary of Transportation Federico F. Pena, 1993
Rodney Slater, 1997
Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary, 1993
Frederico F. Pena, 1997
Bill Richardson, 1998
Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, 1993
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown, 1993
Togo D. West, Jr., 1998 

Kelly--I agree.  I wrote Giuliani's line down, "Change is not a destination and hope is not a stratgy," as I thought it was the best line of the evening.  I suspect it will get on a bumper sticker or into a McCain ad.  I love good lines even when they come from the other side. 

And about the only one, and that was because Thurgood Marshall had died and Marshall's seat  was considered the African American seat so Bush looked for the least qualified Republican African American to appoint to the Court.  There were a number of brilliant--and I am not using hyperbole here--AA's who were qualifed but he picked a man who had, as I remember a 500 on his law boards, which wouldn't get one into a second rate law school, yet got CT into Yale due to  affirmative action, something most Republicans were absolulely against except for  this one candidate apparently.  And then Thomas came out against affirmative action!  I know the history well on this one.  It was just this week, in going over old papers, that I threw out hundreds of articles on that appointment.

Thomas has written no important decisions, never talks at decision hearings, and almost always, if not always, follows Scalia on every one of his votes.  So he is, in my opinion, and in the opinion of most, probably all, constitutional scholars, the worse appointment in the history of the Court.

What Obama said about Clinton, which is disgusting in my view, and untrue, had nothing to do with why I responded to the earlier post.  What was suggested was wrong about Clinton's administration and I wanted to correct the record. 

Hi everyone!  I am really enjoying your posts and learning a lot!

A co-worker of mine taped Gov. Palin's speech for me last night and all I can say is "WOW"!  She was perfect!  She is a straight-shooter indeed. I also loved watching her family on camera while she was giving her speech.  I am not one to get emotional over a political speech, but I almost lost it when she spoke of her son being deployed to Iraq on Sept. 11.  My gosh, I cannot imagine the pressure that woman is under with everything that has happened in both personal and professional parts of her life-- most people wouldn't last a day under all that, but she is handling it with grace, dignity, confidence and compassion, and IT SHOWS!  I LIKE HER!  

Does anyone know if Palin will debate Biden?  I sure hope so... Oh boy, he won't stand a chance in Heck! 

Mary Jo 

Hi Gals:

I seldom get in these chats

political ones.

but saw some of Palin last evening

and thought she was Very Good

Will watch McCain tonight

what time I wonder, hope not too late

 I hope to follow the elections more now

Sierra )

Anne, I think when you look at minority appointments by GWB you have to take into consideration that most minorities are registered Democrats.  I don't think they would have taken an appointment in a Republican presidency.  I do think the Republican party has made some inroads and was pleasantly surprised to see quite a few minority faces as the camera's spanned the audience last night.

Palin must have done very well - Obama came out and did an unscheduled meeting with the press.

Interesting to read everyone's thoughts today   Brenda

Hey ladies,

WOW John MCCain did a fantastic job tonight, and they were saying he wasn't going to try and out do Sarah, well I think he was very encouraging...Hope you guys don't mind that I jumped in here, I don't ususally give my political opionins, BUT I just love that John selected Sarah, and I really like Rudy.(He would have been my first choice)....

    Lets just hope and pray that the rest of the country gets it right too....

MY favorite part is the stand on drilling too...We have so much land here..We need to rid ourselves of the "people who don't even like us" I too will take a button "Hero not a Zero" I have always believed in having a military president, he certainly has fought for our country...Hugs and thanks for letting me join in...KLynn

p.s. don't even start me on John Edwards ugghhhh..I won't go to the negitive side  heheehe 

Country first!!

I actually e-mailed local McCain office and asked for bumper sticker and lawn sign, something I've never done.

Pretty brave, as we have a lot of Dem neighbors. A core member of Hillaryland lives behind me (in a 16,000SF house) and Hillary's signs are still up. There was a big meeting there this week........

Hillary's strong campaign only enhances Sarah's run for VP, despite inevitable comparisons.

Whatever the outcome, we are in for an interesting campaign!!!!

Chief Deb, get better quick so you can help your home girl Sarah!!!

I LOVED it!  I too think McCain was brilliant!  He knows the direction we need to get us back on track. 

Shirley, I did catch a little of the O'Reilly/Obama taping.  I noticed how far forward Obama was sitting almost touching O'Reilly.  What's up with that.  I was expecting O'Reilly to tell him to sit back and get out of his face.   Obama himmed and hawed and skirted around many questions and O'Reilly being O'Reilly was throwing them at him left and right and insisted on a straight answer which Obama was not giving him.

I am so excited about this election.  I want to get bumper stickers too.  

To Deb.  You are in my thoughts and big time prayers for you.  I hope you are resting well.  I bet you are so very proud of your wonderful Governor.   She is amazing.  

I muted the media morons as soon as McCain was done.   He is also amazing.

I too know McCain will make a great President!

Sahalie