Sarah Palin

[Zim]

I'm sure you could explain it to her ...

[Badger]

Some pretty hefty mud-slinging from Palin...

BBC News: Palin makes Obama terrorist claim



US Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has accused the Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, of associating with terrorists. She said he had been "palling around" with an ex-member of US-based militant group Weather Underground, which opposed the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

Mr Obama once served on a charity board with a member of the group, but he has denounced its activities. A Democratic spokesman accused the Republicans of gutter politics.

"What's clear is that John McCain and Sarah Palin would rather spend their time tearing down Barack Obama than laying out a plan to build up our economy," Hari Sevugan said.

Commentators say Mrs Palin's attack forms part of a broader Republican strategy to attack Mr Obama's character. Speaking to supporters in Colorado and later in a Los Angeles suburb, Alaska Governor Palin said the time had come to take the gloves off.

She attacked Senator Obama over his link to Bill Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground, which waged a violent campaign against the Vietnam War. The group was blamed for a number of bombings in the US in the 1960s.

Mrs Palin described Mr Obama as someone who saw the US "as being so imperfect... he is palling around with terrorists who would target their own country".

Mr Obama served on a charity board several years ago with Mr Ayers, who is now a professor at the University of Illinois.

The White House hopeful, who was a child when Weather Underground was active, has denounced Mr Ayers' radical past.

[Melvin]

She is unreal and the sad thing is some people will just hear her say it and believe it.

Re Marriage and Civil Unions/Partnership, the parties don't wany gays to be 'married' and believe 'marriage' is for straight couples only. It is the definition of marriage that is the sticking point. A pretty insignificant point in my opinion.

We have civil partnerships in the UK, which give you same rights as a married couple.

Me and my husband were married by a registrar in a civil wedding ceremony, as we didn't want a religious/church wedding as we felt it was hypocritical. We as a straight couple have the same legal rights as a gay couple would have with a civil partnership.

[mkl]

Originally Posted by Melvin

Re Marriage and Civil Unions/Partnership, the parties don't wany gays to be 'married' and believe 'marriage' is for straight couples only. It is the definition of marriage that is the sticking point. A pretty insignificant point in my opinion.

We have civil partnerships in the UK, which give you same rights as a married couple.
.

I did a little more research on this, since it seems like both candidates DO NOT SUPPORT gay marriage.
So what do straight people who get married get over civil unions?
-If a US citizens gets married to a foreign person, that person can not be sponsored to become a US citizen. Civil unions do not allow this.
-Civil Unions are NOT recognized for any tax purposes from the federal government. So no ability to file jointly, or be eligible for any tax breaks for married persons.
-Some of the benefits supplied by the federal government that apply to marriage don't apply to civil unions. I could not find a definitive list of which ones do/do not apply. These are things like sick leave to take care of ailing partners, veterans benefits to survivors,etc.

So basically, to me, Obama saying he supports civil unions and not marriage is just creating a second class of gay citizens who don't get all the benefits that straight people do.
Not that McCain is any better. Both candidates suck on this issue.

[dEadERest]

Originally Posted by motownguy

I'll play

Ben Bernanke, Chairman Ben Bernanke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donald Kohn, Vice-Chairman
Frederic Mishkin
Kevin Warsh
Randall Kroszner*
Elizabeth A. Duke
(and a vacancy)

Henry Paulson is Sec Treas Henry Paulson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Board of Governors, there's also the FOMC which I think is public knowledge. The shareholders are a little foggier but I found some sources saying mainly Citi and all are US banks. Maybe not as nefarious as I previously suspected . . maybe

[juliofromny]

Originally Posted by motownguy

I'll play

Ben Bernanke, Chairman Ben Bernanke - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donald Kohn, Vice-Chairman
Frederic Mishkin
Kevin Warsh
Randall Kroszner*
Elizabeth A. Duke
(and a vacancy)

Henry Paulson is Sec Treas Henry Paulson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by dEadERest

Board of Governors, there's also the FOMC which I think is public knowledge. The shareholders are a little foggier but I found some sources saying mainly Citi and all are US banks. Maybe not as nefarious as I previously suspected . . maybe

Thanks for curing me of this ignorance

[motownguy]

Originally Posted by dEadERest

Board of Governors, there's also the FOMC which I think is public knowledge. The shareholders are a little foggier but I found some sources saying mainly Citi and all are US banks. Maybe not as nefarious as I previously suspected . . maybe

But not being nefarious isn't the same thing as being impartial or fair ...

Capital Research Center:

[Melvin]

Originally Posted by mkl

I did a little more research on this, since it seems like both candidates DO NOT SUPPORT gay marriage.
So what do straight people who get married get over civil unions?
-If a US citizens gets married to a foreign person, that person can not be sponsored to become a US citizen. Civil unions do not allow this.
-Civil Unions are NOT recognized for any tax purposes from the federal government. So no ability to file jointly, or be eligible for any tax breaks for married persons.
-Some of the benefits supplied by the federal government that apply to marriage don't apply to civil unions. I could not find a definitive list of which ones do/do not apply. These are things like sick leave to take care of ailing partners, veterans benefits to survivors,etc.

So basically, to me, Obama saying he supports civil unions and not marriage is just creating a second class of gay citizens who don't get all the benefits that straight people do.
Not that McCain is any better. Both candidates suck on this issue.

If the same legal rights don't apply to marriages and civil unions if this goes forward in the US then that is very sad and everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves.

[standardman]

Palin guilty of abusing her power

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is guilty of abuse of power, according to a probe by the state legislature.

Mrs Palin was accused of sacking a senior state official, Walter Monegan, in connection with a family feud.

She allegedly fired him for refusing to sack a state trooper who was in a bitter custody battle with her sister.

The verdict of the state legislature could have a significant effect on Republicans hopes of winning the US presidential election next month.

Mrs Palin, who is John McCain's running mate, denies any improper behaviour.

"I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110 (a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act," investigator Steve Branchflower concluded in the 263-page report.

But Alaskan state Senator Gary Stevens, a Republican, said there were "some problems" with the report.

"I would encourage people to be very cautious, to look at this with a jaundiced eye," said Senator Stevens, after it was announced the report would be released.

Injustice?

The investigation into the affair began before Mr McCain selected Mrs Palin as his running mate in August.

Critics say Mrs Palin used her power as governor to settle a personal feud.

Several Republican politicians attempted to have the investigation stopped on the grounds that it was politically motivated.

The Republican vice-presidential candidate says she fired Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner, Walter Monegan, in July over a budgetary dispute.

But Mr Monegan maintains he was dismissed for resisting pressure from Mrs Palin and her husband, Todd, to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten, Mrs Palin's former brother-in-law.

Todd Palin has admitted he did publicise what he called the "injustice of a violent trooper keeping his badge".

But he said his wife then told him to drop the matter. Mrs Palin has not given evidence to the inquiry.

Mr Monegan said he simply wanted the truth to be made known.

"The governor did want me to fire [Mr Wooten], and I chose to not," he told the Associated Press news agency.

"He didn't do anything under my watch to result in termination."

Speaking last month, Mr Wooten denied being a violent person or having threatened the Palin family during his divorce battle.

"I don't go around threatening people," he told The Associated Press.

"If that's the type of person I was, I think - at least I would hope - there would be a lot more in my file saying this guy is a threat to society."

'False story'

The McCain campaign on Thursday issued its own report, written by its staff, stating that the Alaska governor was not guilty of any wrongdoing.

"The following document will prove Walt Monegan's dismissal was a result of his insubordination and budgetary clashes with Governor Palin and her administrators," campaign officials wrote. "Trooper Wooten is a separate issue."

The 21-page report suggests that the allegations against Mrs Palin stem from a conspiracy planned by a former campaign opponent of hers, Andrew Halcro, and Mr Wooten.

"It is tragic that a false story hatched by a blogger over drinks with Trooper Wooten led the legislature to allocate over $100,000 of public money to be spent in what has become a politically-driven investigation," it concludes.

In what the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington describes as a clear attempt to deflect any potential criticism, the McCain campaign says the inquiry has been muddied by innuendo, rumour and partisan politics.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7662820.stm

[ababuu]

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