Howling Latina

So sayeth Jeralyn of Talk Left; and nope, no link.

Repugs are always welcome...let's make that distinction clearly, she writes.

Hell, No Quarter has more traffic and better insight, anyway. And even when PUMAs were welcome, we were always scolded like little children and told to toe the line and behave; that is, worship at the altar of The Chosen One and join the fun and games designed to make us laugh.

But all that conjuring up and guessing as to when Sarah would disappear soon grew old. After all, how wrong could one person be, everyone but Jeralyn knew the Palin pick by McCain was a stroke of genius.

Palin has not dropped out and is doing quite well: packing rallies for McCain just like Obama used to do way back in the day when everyone loved him except those who didn't.

Like California wildfires in early fall, rumors about Biden quitting the Democratic presidential ticket refuse to die.

Eleven days ago (a lifetime in blog years), Howling Latina mentioned the growing buzz and lo and behold, today Fox News has a post about the "Internet rumor [that has been] surging through inboxes and discussion boards...Joe Biden will drop out as Barack Obama’s running mate."

Geez, can't imagine why; things have been going so splendidly for Obama and Biden...

Foxy Fox notes how Fight the Smears, a site especially designed to quash any falsehood making its way through the Internet has failed to weigh in on the matter.

Hell, even "Snopes.com, a site devoted to picking apart online rumors and urban legends, has labeled the status of the claim 'undetermined.'"

The way this whole presidential election has unfolded with the losing candidate receiving the most votes in the Democratic primary, absolutely nothing would surprise H/L. And yes, that includes McCain's latest flip-flopping on the debate.

The sad details are here.

And a very shrewd commenter reminded people that Osama used the same strategy on the Soviet Union; and it worked!!!

Here's some of the dialogue for the show to be aired tonight.

H/T The Swamp.

Howling Latina has to call it as she sees it and this latest bit of news about McCain skipping the Friday debate unless a bail-out deal is inked in Congress sounds more than a bit self-serving, contrived and awfully stupid to boot.

Self-serving in the sense that McCain's poll numbers have been plunging; and even though the debate was supposed to be on foreign policy, presidential candidates were bound to have to answer a question or two on the subject of the latest Wall Street debacle. As most can surmise, McCain hasn't exactly lit the Jeopardy board with his economic message during the last couple of weeks.

Contrived in the manner that calling the debates off with his polls in the toilet is oh, just so convenient that practically every person in the universe sees it for what it is: a devised distraction to take away the focus from his half-baked banal answers to the momentous financial meltdown.

For stupid, please refer to self-serving and contrived as explicated above.

Update: H/L has a bullshit meter that usually pays off dividends. Talk Left reports that McCain is still planning to attend the "Global Initiative in New York on Thursday" but is way, way too preoccupied to attend the Friday debate at the University of Mississippi.

According to some, if the Supreme Court refuses to halt the execution of Troy Davis, it's Hillary Clinton's fault, of course.

What...you didn't you get the memo?? Every outrage in the world is her fault.

Oh, oh. Three months after Hillary "ended her bid and threw her support to Obama," her supporters are still refusing to drink the unity kool aid.

CQ Politics reports that Obama has failed to move the needle in three months with only 58 percent of Hillary supporters favoring Obama today -- the exact number as in June. What's more, "the share of Clinton supporters saying they'll vote for Republican John McCain grew from 21 percent to 28 percent, with the number of undecided staying constant."

So much for all everyone falling in line behind The Chosen One -- especially after Obama rejected Hillary as his running mate.

Oh Obama, why did you forsake 18 million voters??

Leave it to good ol' Mountain Mama to sum up in three words an entire campaign theme.

At a well-received rally in Pikeville, KY., Hillary told a cheering crowd yesterday that it was time to stop asking the wrong question on Election Day.

Rather than asking themselves who they are for, Clinton said, voters should ask “who is for me? Who is for me and my family, my community, my schools, my job in the coal mines, my veterans, my young people serving in the military right now?”

Hillary was swinging through Kentucky and rallying her supporters to vote for Bruce Lunsford who is running against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

No shrinking violet, Mr. Lunsford hammered McConnell and the Republican Party for their ill-advised economic policies: "[D]eregulate when times are good and bail ‘em out when times are bad – not you but them – every time.”

What a great tribute to Hillary it would be if Mitch McConnell were to lose on Nov. 4, just as Lunsford reminded his enthusiastic fans; and after listening to Obama's uninspiring circuitous drivel, mygawd, couldn't we just all cry when we realize that this whole election could have easily been wrapped up long ago with Hillary as the candidate and four little words: Who is for me??

If poor blameless Obama loses in November, it's all those low-information, inbred racist Hillary supporters that will have cost him the race.

That's right; it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Obama has thugs for pals, an oversized ego, the flimsiest of resume, no moral authority, a racist for a preacher and a myriad of other deficiencies such as his meaningless blather about hope and change without any specificity attached to his words; nope, it's not Obama's fault if he loses.

You see, only "59 percent of Clinton’s white Democratic supporters wan[t] Obama to be president." And that can only mean one thing. Racism. Why, imagine the sheer audacious impudence of them not to drink the Obama kool aid.

But don't just take the media's word for it. Here's a little scientific evidence designed to really convince you.

To detect unreported racial biases, the study, among other metrics, sat those interviewed in front of monitors, using black and white faces to “measure implicit racial attitudes, or prejudices that are so deeply rooted that people may not realize they have them.” The survey then used statistical modeling to estimate how representative those interviewed were of the electorate overall.

Hmmm, not convinced yet?? Don't feel bad; you're not alone and you're not insane. On the other side of the ledger, here is what one commentator from an earlier WaPo column about "racial prejudice" had to say on the subject that just might make more sense.

This man, Barack Obama, who has used the most corrupt variety of politics in an inordinately cynical and perverse manner throughout his own career to undeservedly leap-frog his way ahead, is now set to bring the greatest disappointment of a generation.

Not because he is black.

Because he should never have run in the first place.

He is far too inexperienced to be the top of the ticket.

And here's another point to consider from the same column:

If Obama loses, and it's a real possibility given his tissue thin resume, then, Mr. Kennedy, you'll understand the pain and frustration felt by the 18 million people who invested THEIR hopes and dreams in Hillary Clinton's historic candidacy.

And another one:

"Sellout" more appropriately describes the politics of Barack Obama, who is changing, refining, re-defining, nuancing one policy position after another in his quest for the presidency. A case of rather forsaking integrity to win the election.

The Washington Post reports that Obama is relying on the Clinton A-team to school him on economics.

So much for all that childish prattle about President Bill Clinton not being a transformative power and really what the hell did he ever do for his country while in the White House.

Yep, that kind of rhetoric has been thrown under the bus along with Obama's grandma, brother, spiritual adviser, Senate Dems, FISA, gun control, town hall debates, and hell, yes, even hope and change.

In the debate about what to do in the latest financial crisis, WaPo observes that "Obama appears to have one clear advantage" over Mc Cain and it's got nothing to do with "change."

His campaign has been able to bulk up quickly, bringing in an array of major players from the Clinton administration who helped guide the nation through market upheavals, including the crises in Russia, Argentina and Southeast Asia and the collapse of the massive hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management. In the past few weeks, an eclectic and largely low-profile team of economic advisers at the Obama campaign headquarters has been practically taken over by the Clinton A-team.

Oh, and what's this the Post is also saying...?

Why it seems the Clinton administration tried to "increase regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac" back in those non-transformative days of the 90s. Never mind the transmutation business, how's that for a whole lot of discernment from a person who knew what the hell he was doing?

Howling Latina sure hopes 'I haven't got a clue' Nancy and Harry. Donna and Howard, Jesse Jr., and Clyburn and the rest of the fun bunch who brought us Obama are paying close attention. We've got a crisis on our hands and the most talented and ablest person is politically marginalized because of YOUR STUPIDITY!

Nevertheless, Hillary refuses to be sidelined; and Anglachel's Journal helpfully posts Hillary's statement on the ungodly financial mess, which is more logical than anything else the howler has seen or read.

Polls show McCain beating Obama by a comfortable lead in Ohio.

Toledo Blade reports that "[i]n the battle for Ohio's 20 electoral votes, Republican presidential nominee John McCain holds a 48 percent to 42 percent lead over Democratic opponent Barack Obama."

Guess the howler doesn't need to remind folks that Dems don't win presidential elections without Ohio, does she...?

So much for Donna Brazille's new electoral map; looks a lot like Rove's math in '06.

TOTAL BOGUS.

After Morgan Stanley lost 39 percent of its value in one week, Bloomberg reported that Sen. Hillary Clinton urged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to ban the short-sale of Wall Street brokerages to stop panic sell-offs.

Well, lo and behold, a few days later, the SEC followed Clinton's advice according to The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have been missing in action with their deafening silence on what to do. Ditto for Nancy and Harry. Fortunately though, there is a guy with some balls in Congress.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is quickly moving a bill through Congress that would "authorize purchases of up to $700 billion in mortgage-related assets at any given time and giving the department sweeping authority for at least two years to carry out the enterprise.

Yikes! Seven hundred billion is an awful lot of $$$ and future red ink. And speaking of red, there goes that little red bike for Xmas we had hoped to give to our grandkids in the future.

Included in the Dem proposal is relief for homeowners with "foreclosure-relief language" and language that "impose[s] compensation limits on Wall Street executives." No golden parachute for executives; this is a Dem bill, after all.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is resisting any restrain on executive perks, of course. But one good question to ask Mr. Paulson is why in God's green little acre should executives be paid for miserably failing while taxpayers are left footing the bill of their incompetence?? Nah, let them enjoy the fruits of their mismanagement by joining the same unemployment line as other Bush cronies.

One final honorable note: President Herbert Hoover, er, George Bush has been silent on the economic import of the mortgage meltdown as well.

H/T Not Your Sweetie.

Donald Trump, who "donated to Hillary Clinton, according to records posted by the Center for Responsive Politics" is endorsing McCain and reproaching Obama for not picking Hillary, Politico writes.

I don't understand why Hillary wasn't chosen [for vice president],” Trump said. “She was really winning. I have a friend that came to this country and was here for the last four weeks of that whole election. He said: How did she lose? She won every primary? He didn't understand it.

“The fact is, that Obama went limping across the finish line. He should have chosen Hillary, It would have been a much different race, I believe. Right now, it looks to me like McCain is probably winning.”

Howling Latina is no fan of Trump; he's a pompous gasbag; and anytime he's on television, she usually switches the channel. Nevertheless, Trump didn't get rich by being an idiot. And the man is right on the money with his observation on Obama's choice. It showed lack of vision and a certain vindictiveness to which Palin is now being accused of (and may well be guilty of as well).

Gotta love how the pots are calling the kettles black. Ooops, didn't mean to pull the race card, Donna.

Franci was fascinated with farms and particularly milk cows as a young person. After moving to the valley with her folks, she was immersed in a community filled with many farm families. Not surprisingly her fascination with cows and farms eventually introduced her to her future husband, the son of dairy farmers. Franci has seen, first hand, the challenges that Alaska dairy farmers experienced and wanted a change - a good and positive change. One where farmers not only made a descent living, but were respected for their hard work, knowledge and contribution to the social and economic fabric of Alaska.

The Wasilla High School yearbook archive now doubles as a veritable directory of state government. Ms. Palin appointed Mr. Bitney, her former junior high school band-mate, as her legislative director and chose another classmate, Joe Austerman, to manage the economic development office for $82,908 a year. Mr. Austerman had established an Alaska franchise for Mailboxes Etc.

If Obama loses Ohio, which the howler thinks is very likely, he'll only have his own little self to blame. No shenanigans of the Kerry kind in '08.

Politico reports that Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunne has issued an edict. No one will be removed from voting rosters unless each voter is given a hearing. Current law requires a registered letter be sent to every voter in order "to keep a list of voters whose mail is returned as undeliverable."

Well, you can keep all the lists in the world, Ken Blackwell lieutenants but no one is going to be purged. And just a wild prediction by the howler; betcha Cuyahoga County, Hamilton County and Franklin County will have plenty of voting booths with a Dem guarding the hen houses.

Larry Johnson of No Quarter reports that No Quarter has more hits than FireDogLake, Talk Left and Taylor Marsh. In fact, he's almost up to MyDD numbers.

Go figure...

Republican operative Ed Rollins of CNN recently stated the obvious. If Hillary had been on the Democratic ticket, none of this business about plunging polls numbers would've ever seen the light of day. Obama was dead wrong to "spurn Hillary."

Ten days ago, Sen. Joe Biden was the most brilliant vice presidential pick imaginable. He was going to add the experience and foreign policy credential that Sen. Barack Obama's thin resume was missing.

The so-called expert commentators were arguing that blue-collar Joe was going to guarantee Pennsylvania (because he was born in Scranton) and other states and get Catholic voters because he is a pro-choice Catholic.

I guess they forgot that Joe didn't do so well with Iowa Catholics (23 percent of the population) when he campaigned there for more than a year in the Democratic caucus race. But then getting less than 1 percent of the vote and coming in fifth place showed he didn't do real well with any voter group in Iowa. Nor did he do well anywhere else, other than Delaware.

[...]

If Obama had done the smart thing, he would have picked Sen. Hillary Clinton for vice president. If he had, he would have united his party for sure and energized his base.

He just couldn't do it and maybe thought he didn't need to do it. He was wrong. That choice would have meant that McCain probably wouldn't have picked Palin. And if McCain had picked anybody else from his shortlist, the Republican convention would have been boring, and the party's base would not have been motivated.

The one thing we know for sure -- the selection of Biden did the least to enhance any ticket since George H.W. Bush picked Dan Quayle back in 1988. This is turning out to be another election the Democrats were convinced they couldn't lose. So far, the selection of Palin has been a game-changer and has energized my party like no one since Ronald Reagan did four decades ago.

The polls are back to even again. The only difference is the Republicans now have a communicator to match Obama and the Democrats have on their ticket an older veteran of Washington politics to match McCain's experience. The reformer Obama who was going to be the candidate of change is now running with Mr. D.C. establishment.

McCain, the maverick who is surrounded and advised by the D.C. establishment, has somehow picked the real reformer who has altered the Alaska political landscape by throwing out the establishment "good old boys" of both parties.

H/T Without Party.

With McCain's best pal Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut in real danger of losing his chairmanship in the next Congress, McCain will no doubt tap the former Democratic vice presidential candidate to help him run things at the White House.

But that ain't all...

NewsMax reports that McCain has pledged to appoint more than just one token Democrat, which of course would be one more than Mr. War President ever did.

Republican John McCain pledged if elected president to appoint Democrats to his Cabinet, saying there's nothing partisan about tackling the nation's toughest problems.

"I don't know how many, but I can tell you, with all due respect to previous administrations, it is not going to be a single ... 'Well we have a Democrat now.' It's going to be the best people in America," the GOP presidential nominee told CBS' "Face the Nation," in an interview taped Saturday that will be broadcast in full Sunday.

How's that for a little unity, DNC?? Gone is the exclusive mantle of change by Obama and the hits keep on coming.

Every now and then Howling Latina comes across a post that brilliantly spells out what she's thinking; and today she came across a post written by Dr. Lynette Long that charts Long's internal thinking in choosing Sarah Palin over Biden in November.

Now no need to add commentary; the howler is simply inserting a few paragraphs from the post and strongly urges EVERY person who reads this to visit Alegre's Corner and read the full piece.

After the last Democratic Primary was over...I personally explained to Senator McCain that women comprise well over half of the population, yet are underrepresented in every branch of government. I asked him loudly and clearly to choose a woman for the VP slot and to increase the number of women in the cabinet and on the Supreme Court. Senator McCain listened respectfully to my request...

After the Democratic Primary, I was personally in contact with a member of Obama's Finance Committee. He left several messages on my office phone, "urging" me to support Senator Obama. We had numerous contentious conversations and I finally told him I would be happy to vote for Senator Obama and rally other Hillary supporters to vote for Obama but in return I wanted Obama to pledge gender parity in the cabinet..."What if there aren't qualified women you still expect us to appoint half women to the cabinet?" he replied. I was confused. "There are 300 million people in this country; you're telling me you can't find ten qualified women?" He responded, "You can't have that." We had no further conversations. There was nothing more to say.

...Children incorporate many of their perceptions about gender by age five. Little girls won't understand if Sarah Palin is pro-life or pro-choice, believes in gun control or is a member of the NRA, but they will know the Vice-President of the United States of America is a girl and that alone will alter their perceptions of themselves.

Yes, Obama, earmarks aside (which news to earth, rank way below just about everything important to women), Hillary supporters are so stupid that we think voting for Sarah Palin might be just the right ticket. It's the X factor, like Dr. Long avows. Boys and girls, go read the whole thing...

Say what you will about Barbara Boxer, but the California senator is dead-on with her response to McSame's address at the Republican National Convention.

Last night at the Republican National Convention, John McCain used the word "fight" more than 40 times in his speech.

In the 16 years that we have served together in the Senate, I have seen John McCain fight.

I have seen him fight against raising the federal minimum wage 14 times.

I have seen him fight against making sure that women earn equal pay for equal work.
I have seen him fight against a women's right to choose so consistently that he received a zero percent vote rating from pro-choice organizations.

I have seen him fight against helping families gain access to birth control.

I have seen him fight against Social Security, even going so far as to call its current funding system "an absolute disgrace."

And I saw him fight against the new GI Bill of Rights until it became politically untenable for him to do so.

John McCain voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007 and 100 percent of the time in 2008 -- that's no maverick.

We do have two real fighters for change in this election -- their names are Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

How's that for a not-so-gentle slap across the face??

H/T The Thinking Woman.

Today we have a lovely item by good ol' Anne E. Kornblut of Washington Post. Supposedly, the premise of her article is to underscore how Republicans are crying "sexism" when the gentle lady from Alaska is only getting a taste of the national sandwich served to Hillary with pepper sauce ever since she arrived at the national canteen when hubby was running for president in the early 90s.

For most of the article, Kornblut meanders from one meaningless observations to another before she gets to the heart of the banquet. If Obama loses in November, it will be Hillary's fault and her army of loyalists.

Now, not "every awkward detail of Palin's personal life is an acceptable target", Kornblut warns, and Democrats, reporters and bloggers should not "pursue Palin in all of the aggressive ways that Clinton has been grilled for most of her political life." However, let's get one thing straight. Hillary's strident media coverage was partially her fault. You see, she didn't "always openly answe[r] questions about her own record" and gasp, she also had the temerity to "manipulate", yes, "manipulate her femininity to her advantage when it suited her political needs."

Moreover, and here comes the most damning indictment, why isn't Hillary out there campaigning for Obama, 24/7??

Clinton has been surprisingly quiet in the days since Palin was nominated. She issued a bland statement the day McCain announced his surprise pick...Last Thursday, Clinton put out just her second statement about Palin, saying she wanted to "slightly amend" one of her best zingers in Denver: "No way, no how, no McCain-Palin." And while Clinton is scheduled to stump in central Florida Monday on Sen. Barack Obama's behalf, the trip is not, according to people in both Democrats' camps, designed as a direct response to the debut of the second female vice presidential nominee in U.S. history.

Of course, if Hillary were the Democratic vice presidential candidate, things would look a whole lot different, wouldn't they, my little kool aid drinkers...

But thank the divine keepers of political discourse that Obama's campaign doesn't have such a divisive person as Hillary on their presidential ticket. In the meantime, Obamanation better get used to the idea that everyone in the entire country and world knows they screwed up big time when they didn't choose the most qualified candidate with the most votes who was a woman; and how very clever of McCain to take advantage of Dem stupidity by snapping up a woman of lesser mettle in Hillary's stead.

Earth to media gasbags and blogger boyzz and girlzz, this is "why Palin's emergence has given the increasingly tight 2008 campaign a kind of symmetry", the great equalizer, if you will, as even Anne recognizes at the end of her article. Please leave Hillary and her supporters out of this Obama fiasco.

Update: Patty Davis begs Hillary to please do SOMETHING, ANYTHING to save the day; it's a very scary world.

Corrente provides a superlink that subsequently links to stories about Alaska's lady governor from The McClatchy Company via Anchorage Daily News. You see, McClatchy happens to own the Anchorage.

From Troopergate to polar bears, it's all there, folks.

H/T Corrente.

This time from CBS. And it's still early September, boys and girls.

Yes, we can. Lose, that is. And we will. All because we refused to listen to the will of the people as registered in votes -- not caucuses -- during the primaries.

November is starting to look more and more like Sugar writes: "Unless we find out that Governor Palin and her husband have a crack cocaine operation in the basement of their Alaska home, John McCain and Sarah Palin are going to win this thing hands down."

H/T Without Party.

Despite media claims that it's just doing his job in hounding Gov. Sarah Palin and her family to find out the "truth" about this and that, Hillary supporters are refusing to drink the kool aid.

Politico reports that Clinton aides agree with Republican assertions that the media has been sexist and unfair toward Palin.

Oh, and so do "leading academics." In other words, any clear-thinking person with their head out of their anal cavities clearly sees what poor Obamazoids can't visualize due to the fatal illness of Barackamitis.

“There’s no way those questions would be asked of a male candidate,” said Howard Wolfson a former top strategist for Clinton’s presidential campaign.

A leading university professor without a dog in the fight also notes how media media coverage up to date has dripped with overt sexism.

Deborah Tannen, a Georgetown University professor and best-selling author on "gender differences" observes that "prominent voices in the news media...cross[ed] a line by speculating about whether the Alaska governor is neglecting her family in pursuit of national office."

“What we’re dealing with now, there’s nothing subtle about it,” said Tannen. “We’re dealing with the assumption that child-rearing is the job of women and
not men. Is it sexist? Yes.”

When talking about Palin, Ed Schultz of Air Obambi happily riles his drones by alerting them of a "bimbo alert." Sally Quinn of "Hillary is a tortured person" fame as well as other goodies from the past takes time out from her hosting duties in Georgetown to chime in about Palin. It's gone from the bitch who wouldn't quit to the uppity bitch who clings to guns and refuses to take care of her family.

Palin may be a “bright, attractive, impressive person,” but...“is she prepared for the all-consuming nature of the job?”

Of course not.

“Her first priority has to be her children,” Quinn wrote. “When the phone rings at 3 in the morning and one of her children is really sick what choice will she make?”

All well and good except the howler doesn't remember Quinn condemning Edwards when he continued to run for the roses after Elizabeth's cancer came back. Most in the media, as Politico reminds us, "praised [Edwards] for his perseverance" and didn't worry too much about any "misplaced priorities."

Oh, ye of double standard...

No doubt about it; read between the lines as reported by the Washington Post.

Former Democratic presidential candidate and former govenor of Alaska, Mike Gravel, sends his love to Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate; and along the way, he wishes her the best.

Counterpunch has the scoop on the poop; and here are few morsels to go with your meal:

On rare occasions our nation has been lucky when new political leaders were selected from obscurity by circumstance. They weren’t indebted to the party bosses or special interests, but they rendered unusual and historic service in times of need. Washington, Lincoln, the first Roosevelt and Truman come to mind.

[...]

Foreign policy experience? Thank god she has none beyond that of a normal citizen subject to the militarization of our culture over the past 50 years, particularly so in Alaska with its strong military presence. The three other would-be leaders have tons of experience among them. But whether liberal or conservative all three are committed to a policy of American imperialism with the self-appointed role of world policeman. This role of trying to influence the world with our military might sustains bloated defense budgets that profit the few and impoverish the social and economic needs of the many.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, we learn Hillary supporters are still not falling in line, courtesy of The Confluence. Even after Obama's greatest speech since, well, since his next to last one, 20 percent of Hillary supporters still refuse to back him.

There is nothing Obama can say to gain our votes. His actions have spoken louder than any pretty speeches he could make. There is also nothing Hillary can say. She has done more than enough, and I support her very strongly, but I do not agree with her on everything, most notably her at-gunpoint support of Senator Obama. (Gasp!)

Some of us are leaving the top of the ticket blank, some are voting McKinney/ Clemente, some of us are voting Nader, and some of us are voting McCain. But just as we said long ago, we are NOT voting for the illegitimate, unqualified and unelectable Barack Obama.

No Quarter reports that Greta Van Susteran's hubby who backed Hillary during the Democratic presidential primaries has jumped the shark and gone to swim with the barracuda. He's supporting McCain in the general election.

Can't imagine why...

When something goes awry, it's never Obama's fault.

Don't believe...? Here's a link and a few passages from Politico that absolutely prove it.

Just hours after his campaign issued a first statement Friday ripping the addition of Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket, Barack Obama backed away from that statement — or at least its tone — and said that his own campaign had misrepresented him.

[...]

When asked about his campaign’s attack on Palin, attributed to top spokesman Bill Burton, at a Friday afternoon media availability at a Pennsylvania biodiesel plant, Obama referred to a statement he and running mate Joe Biden had since issued that hardly touched on policy issues and called Palin “an admirable person and … a compelling new voice.”

Obama disavowed his campaign’s first response, telling journalists that “I think that, uh, you know, campaigns start getting these, uh, hair triggers and, uh, the statement that Joe and I put out reflects our sentiments,” he said.

Nothing is ever Obama's fault. Nothing. Not even words coming straight out of his mouth.

To be or not to be, that "was" the question.

It's too late. The Dems chose Barack over Hillary with the full-throttle aid of identity politics.

Well, Cannonfire lets loose with a powerful post, which the howler is not only linking to but giving you his most potent point from her perspective, of course.

The Obots made a big mistake -- bigger than they could have guessed -- when they made this election about identity politics. To put the matter crudely, there are more women than African Americans in this country. The Democratic party has taken both groups for granted for too long. Now they may lose one -- the larger one.

Yes indeedy. How they sneered and laughed at those bitter femenistas who really had nowhere else to go until...

Enter Sarah Polin; and the rest as they say will be HISTORY! It's not personal, Obama; it's the new change agenda, we're sure you don't mind if we borrow your catchword.

The media had it right; just not the way you, Michelle, Nancy, Donna and Howard envisioned. Like it or not, get used to it.