Too bad she didn’t articulate it quite as succinctly when she announced.  I listened to her speech and found myself wondering what the primary motivation really was.  (However many reasons are given when one is speechifying, there Continue reading...]]> John Fund at the WSJ says he talked to sources close to Palin and knows why she quit:  the tremendous political and personal cost of thousands of FOIA requests and related ethics investigations, and the stress on family caused by uncivil public discourse and a venomous media.

Too bad she didn’t articulate it quite as succinctly when she announced.  I listened to her speech and found myself wondering what the primary motivation really was.  (However many reasons are given when one is speechifying, there is nearly always a primary driver for these things).

It is a shame that we have become so accustomed to the casual defamation of political figures that we often focus more on the person’s inability or unwillingness to tolerate the abuse than on the scourging itself:

Karl Rove acknowledges the unusual battering Ms. Palin has endured in recent months, but told Fox News that GOP leaders are still puzzled by her decision. “If she wanted to escape the ethics investigations and save the taxpayers money, she’s now done that,” he said. Unfortunately, he added, her decision “sent a signal that if you do this kind of thing to a sitting governor like her, you can drive her out of office.”

I suppose.  But should we focus more on the “signal” Palin sent to her attackers – that making false accusations and being nasty can pay big political dividends – or should we drill down on the abusive behavior itself?

Regarding Rove’s comment, John got one takeaway quote that resonates:

But Palin friends say such commentary misses the real point. “The Beltway media can’t understand someone not consumed with presidential ambition,” one told me. “Maybe Sarah Palin won’t run for president and maybe her family situation made it tougher to handle the barrage of attacks that come with that territory. The real issue that should be asked is why a mean-spirited system has to treat people who run like that, instead of why someone may choose not to go through it.”

I say we have an obligation to call for an end to the vicious slandering of, and base and baseless litigation against, our public figures on both the left and the right.  It is one thing to investigate and ask questions; it is quite another to set your sights on the destruction of a person’s political life, which cannot help but bleed over into the personal.

 As John Fund of the WSJ is so fond of saying, it is very likely that Election Day is going to turn into election month.  Fifteen thousand lawyers have laptops:  will travel.  

 How long it will take all these attorneys to wade through the voter registration fraud problem in 10+ states is anybody’s guess.  (There’s a punchline in there somewhere.)

 As I wrote last week, ACORN’s Nevada offices were Continue reading...]]>

 As John Fund of the WSJ is so fond of saying, it is very likely that Election Day is going to turn into election month.  Fifteen thousand lawyers have laptops:  will travel.  

 How long it will take all these attorneys to wade through the voter registration fraud problem in 10+ states is anybody’s guess.  (There’s a punchline in there somewhere.)

 As I wrote last week, ACORN’s Nevada offices were raided by federal law enforcement as part of a voter registration fraud investigation. Among other violations, ACORN-Las Vegas allegedly employed felons in their voter-registration projects not to mention filing gobs of bogus registrations.

 Here and in other parts of the country, multiple voter-registration applications have been filed for single voters; voter registrations have been filed for dead, underage, imprisoned, or ineligible voters; identities have been manufactured and/or signatures have been forged and/or addresses have been faked on registration cards; and in some voting districts, registration now stands at more than 100% of the voting-age population.

 And what else else would we expect from ACORN and similar groups, really, since they pressure their workers with aggressive registration quotas?  Such tactics are bound to breed corruption. 

 We are already in a mess for this election, but for next time:  why not simply pass a federal law that all voters must (1) register at least 90 days prior to the election and (2) show a valid photo ID at their voting location? 

 This would give election officials the time they need to weed through any fake registrations, and give election monitors the opportunity and means to verify who is standing in front of them.

(I’m now acquainted with both John and Grover and they are not only articulate and knowledgeable, but also gracious and accommodating - and at times, quite funny.  In a word (or two):  True Gentlemen.)  

I’m looking forward to meeting Michael Brodkorb, the mind behind “Minnesota Democrats Exposed” who has been chosen to receive the conference’s annual Blogger of the Year Award. 

Also will be very happy to finally shake hands with Blue Collar Muse and the Much Younger Trophy Wife I have Continue reading...]]> E!! is going to be offline thru Sunday while I go have fun in my role as Media Liason for the Conservative Leadership Conference (and also try to catch a few panel discussions) here in fabulous Las Vegas.

I’m looking forward to meeting Michael Brodkorb, the mind behind “Minnesota Democrats Exposed” who has been chosen to receive the conference’s annual Blogger of the Year Award. 

Also will be very happy to finally shake hands with Blue Collar Muse and the Much Younger Trophy Wife I have heard so much about, as well as with Eric Odom.

A few other speakers/attendees I hope to catch a word with (there are too many to name them all): WSJ writer and author John Fund, Paul Seidler of the Nuclear Energy Institute, Steve Miller of NPRI, instructor Michael Tanner of The CATO Institute, Grover Norquist and Sandra Fabry of Americans for Tax Reform, Joel Mowbray, Pat Toomey of the Club for Growth, Roger Hedgecock, Lt. Col. Allen West, Bob Barr, Richard Viguerie, Ward Connerly of the American Civil Rights Institute, Rich Galen of Mullings.com, Chris Simcox of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin, NV GOP Chairwoman Sue Lowden, David Keene of the American Conservative Union, and AZ Rep. John Shadegg.