Comedy gold from the Red State Update guys:


via Hot Air.

OK, I've spent much of the past two days absorbing as much information as I can about Sarah Palin.  Clearly, her nomination has touched nerves throughout the political spectrum.  Republicans rank-and-file, as judged by smaller bloggers and commenters on larger blogs, are enthusiastic in a way I've not seen in the Republican Party since the days of Ronald Reagan.  Big-name bloggers are more cautious, but most of the right-blogs are anywhere from approving to enthusiastic.  There are some who aren't as impressed, of course.  These tend to be the more inside-the-Beltway types, who obsess obsessively about Palin's inexperience.  More on that in a bit.

On the left, there's an odd mix.  The PUMAs are delighted that McCain, through Palin, is stickin' it to the Man (Obama).  Much of the rest of the left side of the blogosphere is, from what I can see, is in full-blown panic mode.  I think they see the threat that Palin (and, to a much lesser extent, McCain himself) holds for them.

You see, Palin's entire political career is a Good Government campaign.  She blew a whistle when she was on an Alaska energy commission regarding another commissioner's ethical lapses, and when she was ignored by the Governor, took on both the Governor and the entire good-old-boy network of the Republican Party in Alaska, and wound up as Governor herself.

Palin is potentially an existential threat to Washington's good-old-boy network, too.  If I was McCain, I'd tell the country at next week's GOP convention that Palin's job #1 after the election would be to do precisely that--go after the rampant corruption, waste, and abuse of government power eminating from that swamp on the Potomac.   Shine the light of exposure on the cesspool that our Federal Government has become--in both the Executive and the Legislative branches.  Expose all of the lobbyist connections.  Call people to account.  Prosecute all you can get the goods on.  Shake up Washington as much as you possibly can.

You know that Biden and Obama won't do it.  McCain and Palin just might.

And here's where the attacks on Palin come in.  She's what Washington fears the most:  the voice of the American People.  She's the ultimate outsider.  If she can crash the party in Washington, who knows?  Maybe the party will be over.  Or, maybe they'll just turn the noise down a bit so the rest of us can get on with our own lives.  A guy can hope.

That's what Todd Palin says about his wife, Sarah, in a People Magazine interview.

Go read . . .

Stolen in full from Redstate.com. Quite revealing, I think:

	Sarah Palin	Barack Obama
Office being sought	Vice President	President of the United States and Leader of the Free World
Full name	Sarah Louise Heath Palin	Barack Hussein Obama II
Nickname	Sarah Barracuda	Barry Obama; "The One"
Public opinion	Smoking hot in a "naughty librarian" sort of way	May be The Messiah
Age	44	48
Children	5: two sons, three daughters	2: two daughters
Religion/Church attendance	Evangelical Christian; attends Juneau Christian Center when in Juneau and grew up attending Wasilla Assembly of God	Attended Trinity United Church of Christ for 20 years, a "black liberation theology" church formerly led by Rev. Jeremiah Wright and governed according to the Black Value System
Current Job	Governor of Alaska	Junior Senator from Illinois
Previous Public Jobs	Mayor of Wasilla, AK (1996-2002); President of Alaska Conference of Mayors; City Council member (1992-1996)	State Senator (1997-2004); Community Organizer
Executive Experience	Governor for 2 years; Mayor for 10 years	None
Foreign Relations experience	Governor of state that borders two foreign countries (Canada and Russia)	Chaired Senate subcommittee on Europe but never called it into session; once gave a speech to 200,000 screaming Germans
Military Affairs experience	Commander in Chief of Alaska National Guard; Son is enlisted Infantryman in U.S. Army	None
Private Sector Experience	Sports reporter; Salmon fisherman	Associate at civil rights law firm
Speaking ability	Beautifully executed initial stump speech in Dayton, OH hockey arena without a teleprompter	An enter...wait--did you say without a teleprompter??
Spouse's name	Todd Mitchell Palin	Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama
Spouse's occupation	Salmon fisherman; Former North Slope production supervisor for BP Oil	Vice President for Community and External Affairs at University of Chicago Hospitals; former Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago; former Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies; former Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago; former associate at Sidley Austin law firm
Reaction to spouse's political success	Quit 17-year BP oil job when BP became involved in natural gas pipeline negotiations with wife's administration	Promoted and given 160% pay raise by UofC hospitals within months of husband's election to U.S. Senate; Employer received $1,000,000.00 federal earmark, requested by husband, after her promotion
Coolest thing about Spouse	Tesoro Iron Dog Snowmobile race champion (longest snowmobile race in the world); In 2008, while defending his championship, was injured when he was thrown 70 feet from his machine. He was sent to the hospital but still finished in fourth place	Sister of Oregon State University head basketball coach Craig Robinson
Most Courageous Moment in Public Service	Resigned in protest from position of Ethics Commissioner of Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders, including the former state Attorney General and the State GOP Chairman (who was also an Oil & Gas Commissioner), who was doing work for the party on public time and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail.	Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators in Hyde Park in 2002
In Current Office Because...	Upset sitting Governor in GOP primary due to public support for her efforts to clean up corrupt government establishment	Republican opponent, who was leading in the polls, was forced to leave race after unsealing of divorce records exposed a sex scandal
Theme:	Change and Clean Government	Hope and Change; "Bringing Change from Outside Washington"
What they've done to live that theme:	Replaced entire Board of Agriculture and Conservation because of conflict of interest; Resigned from position of Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose corruption among members of own party	Selected 36-year incumbent Senator as running mate
Family Affairs	May have removed State Public Safety Commissioner as part of effort to protect sister in messy divorce and child custody battle	Often says, "I am my brother's keeper"; Brother lives in a hut in Nairobi on $12 per year
Union affiliation	Union member, married to Union member	Endorsed by a union
Iraq and Troop Support	Formerly (pre-surge) critical of apparent lack of long-term strategy for Iraq; Visited wounded U.S. soldiers in Germany; visited AK National Guard soldiers deployed to Kuwait; Son deploying to Iraq on 9/11/08 as Army infantryman	Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators; almost visited wounded troops in Germany, but decided to go shopping in Berlin instead
Bipartisan/"maverick" credentials	Married to a non-Republican; Exposed corruption within own party; Campaigned for Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell against corrupt GOP congressman Don Young; Called out Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK) to "come clean" about financial dealings that are under fed investigation	Talks about bipartisanship
Legislative Record	Passed a landmark ethics reform bill; Used veto to cut budgetary spending; Prevented "bridge to nowhere" that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.	Voted "present" over 100 times as IL state senator
How they dealt with corrupt individuals in home city/state	Exposed legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders; Campaigned against corrupt GOP Representative; Ran against and defeated corrupt incumbent governor in GOP primary	Launched political career in home of unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers (and still refers to him as a part of "mainstream Democratic Chicago"; Purchased home with help of convicted felon Tony Rezko
Guns	Lifetime member of NRA and avid hunter; video can be found on YouTube of Palin firing an M4 at a military firing range	Worked to pass legislation in Illinois that would prevent all law-abiding citizens from owning firearms
Earmarks	Opposed "Bridge to Nowhere" project; Said Alaska should avoid relying on federal money for projects; Campaigned against porker Don Young (R-AK) in 2008 primary	Secured federal earmarks for wife's employer and for campaign bundlers
Abortion	Pro life; gave birth to 5th child knowing that he would have Down's syndrome	Pro-choice; only IL state sen. to speak against the Born Alive Infant's Protection Act, which required medical care to be given to live infants who survived abortions
Energy	Believes energy independence is a matter of national security; For drilling in ANWR, which is in her state	Says Americans should "get tune-ups" and "check tire pressure"; Says "we can't expect the world to be okay with" our use of heating and air conditioning
Environment	Chair of Alaska Conservation Commission (2003-4); Announced plans to create sub-cabinet group of advisors to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in AK	Talks about the environment a lot
Athletic prowess	Runs marathons	Has reporters tailing him to the gym

Numerous reports have John McCain picking Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential pick.

The AP reports that "numerous" Republican officals are "shocked."

Good.

The Republicans need a good jolt.  Maybe McCain and Palin can finally end the disastrous Congressional addiction to "earmarks" that are sucking cash out of the Federal Treasury at a truly alarming rate.

From BoingBoing:

Average income in the U.S. has finally climbed above the 2000 pre-9/11 peak:

Average income fell sharply in 2001 and in 2002, when it dropped to $51,870, off nearly 10 percent from 2000, tax data show. The average grew slightly in 2003.

Average income grew significantly in 2004, rising $2,291, and again in 2005, when the average increased by $2,210. Income growth continued in 2006, but at a much slower pace, increasing by $1,369 over the 2005 average once inflation is taken into account.

Salaries and wages, by far the largest source of income, nearly returned to the 2000 average in 2006. However, among the highest-paid workers, both total and average wages fell, an indication of how the Internet bubble had concentrated gains among a relatively few workers.

And just today, I heard Obama say that average income was down $2000.  I'm not sure where he's getting his numbers, but the New York Times--a decidedly liberal news source, seems to disagree.

The one south of Russia, Michael Totten gets briefed on what's really happening there:

TBILISI, GEORGIA – Virtually everyone believes Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili foolishly provoked a Russian invasion on August 7, 2008, when he sent troops into the breakaway district of South Ossetia. “The warfare began Aug. 7 when Georgia launched a barrage targeting South Ossetia,” the Associated Press reported over the weekend in typical fashion.

Virtually everyone is wrong. Georgia didn't start it on August 7, nor on any other date. The South Ossetian militia started it on August 6 when its fighters fired on Georgian peacekeepers and Georgian villages with weapons banned by the agreement hammered out between the two sides in 1994. At the same time, the Russian military sent its invasion force bearing down on Georgia from the north side of the Caucasus Mountains on the Russian side of the border through the Roki tunnel and into Georgia. This happened before Saakashvili sent additional troops to South Ossetia and allegedly started the war.

Regional expert, German native, and former European Commission official Patrick Worms was recently hired by the Georgian government as a media advisor, and he explained to me exactly what happened when I met him in downtown Tbilisi. You should always be careful with the version of events told by someone on government payroll even when the government is friendly as democratic as Georgia's. I was lucky, though, that another regional expert, author and academic Thomas Goltz, was present during Worms' briefing to me and signed off on it as completely accurate aside from one tiny quibble.

Goltz has been writing about the Caucasus region for almost 20 years, and he isn't on Georgian government payroll. He earns his living from the University of Montana and from the sales of his books Azerbaijan Diary, Georgia Diary and Chechnya Diary. Goltz experienced these three Caucasus republics at their absolute worst, and he knows the players and the events better than just about anyone. Every journalist in Tbilisi seeks him out as the old hand who knows more than the rest of us put together, and he wanted to hear Patrick Worms' spiel to reporters in part to ensure its accuracy.

Essential reading if you want to understand the new imperialism of Russia, and cut through the disinformation of the Russians and their apologists.

UPDATE:  There are reports that Totten's web site is being cyberattacked.  I wonder who could be doing that?

I'm sorry.  I tried.  I really did.  I sat in front of my big-screen TV, on my Big-Ass Sectional couch in the basement, with a large mug of Coke Zero at my arm, and I tried to watch the Democratic National Convention--on C-Span, to get by the blathering of the news channel talking heads and actually listen to what the convention speakers had to say.

I lasted about five minutes.

There really are two Americas--two worlds.  There's the one where the Democrats live, and the other one, where I live.

The Democrats' one is where health care, education, racism, sexism, whatever-ism are, now and forever, the main issues to be addressed.   Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor is, now and forever, the single policy prescription to solve all of those problems.  Economics and human nature both can be changed, if only we believe hard enough.

That's the philosophy of Dorothy in Oz.  Click your heels together and say "I want it to be better, I want it to be better, I want it to be better."  Hey guys, remember that Oz was a fever dream of Dorothy's.  It wasn't real--even in the movie, it wasn't real.

What the Democrats want is not Change.  What they want is all too familiar--we've seen it before.  What the Democratic Party wants is, exactly, Marxism.  "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."  That is a policy prescription that has been proven over and over and over by history to be disastrously wrong.  It destroys the very thing that it seeks to save--human dignity and individual liberty.

The ONLY change I see to the decades-long cry of "workers of the world, unite!" is the overlay of watermelon environmentalism (green on the outside, red on the inside) giving an additional veneer of save-the-worldism to the tired bromides of socialism.

The seductive siren song of collectivism will always be with us.  And it must always be opposed, for the sake of the least of us--for the sake of all of us.

Read it in full here.  Extended excerpt:

Henry started 15 years ago, and now he has 17 employees whose families are fed because he does a great job. He is in church on Sunday and seldom misses his kids’ Little League games. Sometimes he has to miss a game because some poor soul has their AC go out in the 96-degree Tennessee summer heat, but Henry makes sure they are served. He is, by all standards, a good man. He is, by all standards, what makes America great.

Henry and I are friends, and so he asked me some financial questions last year. I learned in the process that his personal taxable income last year was $328,000. I smiled with pride for this 70-hour a week guy because he is living the dream.

At the stop light that evening, I also thought of another guy I know—and that is where the anger flash came from. We will call him John. While John does not have the same drive Henry has, I can say that he, too, is a good man.

John also graduated from high school and did not attend a big-name university. He went to work at a local factory 15 years ago. When 5:00pm comes around, John has probably already made it to his car in the parking lot. He comes in 5 minutes late, takes frequent breaks, and leaves 5 minutes early. However, to his credit, he is steady and works hard.

Over the years, due to his steadiness and seniority, he has worked his way up to about $75,000 per year in that same factory. He seldom misses his kid’s ballgames, but most nights you will find him in front of the TV where he has become an expert on “American Idol,” “The Biggest Loser,” and who got thrown off the island. When he is not in front of the TV, he spends a LOT of time and money bass fishing on our local lake. He never works over 40 hours a week and hasn’t read a non-fiction book since high school.

This is America, and there is nothing wrong with either set of choices. Nothing wrong, that is, until the politicians and socialists get involved.

At one time, what Ramsey says here was common sense.  Perhaps it will be again someday.