McCain seemed happy to have Palin along for their first joint town hall, asking her to jump in on the conversation, notably on energy issues, which McCain's campaign has been promoting as Palin's strong suit. When asked by one voter how and where oil from offshore drilling could be secured, Palin cited her experience on energy issues in Alaska, saying she would work to make the resources that "belong to the people" available.

"It's a matter of Congress allowing these lands to be tapped -- the offshore drilling -- the allowance given there, also, for safe, reliable and ethical drilling of these resources," Palin said. "Yes, the oil companies have the leases, the right to develop; they also have a duty to develop when it's economic, when people are hurting, they need to tap those resources and get those sources flowing. That's part of the reform that we're going to usher in to D.C., and we did that up in Alaska."

But when asked how she would help keep any new domestic oil produced in the United States, Palin gave a less-than-well-articulated non-answer.

"Oil and coal? Of course, it's a fungible commodity and they don't flag, you know, the molecules, where it's going and where it's not. But in the sense of the Congress today, they know that there are very, very hungry domestic markets that need that oil first," Palin said. "So, I believe that what Congress is going to do, also, is not to allow the export bans to such a degree that it's Americans that get stuck to holding the bag without the energy source that is produced here, pumped here. It's got to flow into our domestic markets first."

Warszawa wrote:<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/exHmGv8PemI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/exHmGv8PemI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Laexile wrote:

dajafi wrote:Maybe the saddest thing I've seen about the Darth Vaderization of McCain:

Town hall was screened

Granted, there was an understandable reason for it:

Sen. John McCain's town hall style meetings "are generally open to the public where anyone may wait in line on the day of the event and come in without an advanced invitation," according to Fox News.

However, at last night's 3,500 person townhall in Michigan -- "the first time Palin is taking questions from the public -- only ticketholders are allowed in. People had to pick up their tickets at local GOP offices after RSVPing for the event."

While openness to the public and a willingness to answer all questioners is important and admirable, it pales in significance compared to the imperative of protecting the delicate flower of Alaskan womanhood...

Seriously, why are these guys so terrified of Palin having to face questions from journalists or voters?

The campaign views Palin not as someone running for something, but as someone who can help McCain get elected. So they are rolling her out slowly. In all fairness, how long was Obama on the campaign trail before he even did a town hall? Do you really expect them to throw her to the wolves in her first town hall? And really, who cares if they do or don't? It's John McCain the Dems are focused on.

I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

Monkeyboy wrote:

Laexile wrote:The campaign views Palin not as someone running for something, but as someone who can help McCain get elected. So they are rolling her out slowly. In all fairness, how long was Obama on the campaign trail before he even did a town hall? Do you really expect them to throw her to the wolves in her first town hall? And really, who cares if they do or don't? It's John McCain the Dems are focused on.
.

Throw her to the wolves? Really? Since when is a townhall throwing someone to the wolves? What's the matter, are you afraid she can't handle it? You want her to be VP, but she can't handle a few unrehearsed question and answers? If you have such doubts, and you're a McCain supporter, imagine how the average American must feel.

Oh, and I care. And I'm sure many many others care. If this woman wants to be a heartbeat away from the most powerful job on the planet and she can't handle some questions, then I care about that. It's made especially important since McCain is looking pretty feeble, IMO, and refuses to release portions of his medical records. Even a member of his own campaign staff said that "Most doctors" believe McCain will be alive at the end of his 1st term. Most doctors?!?! MOST?!?! 1st term!?!? I can only fill in the logical conclusion that some doctors don't think he'll make it. And the 2nd term is, I guess, completely up in the air.

So her ability to handle a few questions without spending weeks preparing for them is kinda important, you know. How can a serious candidate for any public office behave this way and expect us to take him/her seriously?



Edit: Oh, and it's the Reps who have put her front and center. If you want her front and center, following McCain around and helping him get people to his rallies, then she has to be fair game. You can't have it both ways.

pacino wrote:

Laexile wrote:I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

ptk is not a democrat. anyway, that was a pointless description of him.

so people w/o homes can't vote?

pacino wrote:

Laexile wrote:I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

ptk is not a democrat. anyway, that was a pointless description of him.

so people w/o homes can't vote?

Laexile wrote:

pacino wrote:

Laexile wrote:I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

ptk is not a democrat. anyway, that was a pointless description of him.

so people w/o homes can't vote?

I believe you need a home address in order to vote. You're supposed to bring in the card they mail you. If you are homeless and live under a bridge, as most Democrats do, then you can register the homeless shelter as your home address. Or you can put them all on Joe Biden's 4.2 acre compound that's somehow not part of his net worth.

Whether ptk is a Democrat or not he can still get all his news from the DNC.

Philly the Kid wrote:I knew this would be you reaction Lax. I knew you would try to justify it. Rather than recognize how 'out of step' it is to even think this stuff up? Why are republicans making concerting efforts to find ways to disenfranchise voters. I'm not getting in to your game of nitpiking over whether those people still live there. If they show up to vote at their normal precinct, they surely haven't strayed far -- it's a maliciousness of republicans to come up with these plans. What do you say about the business of forcing 5 hour lines in African American neighborhoods/ You have an answer for everythning, I'd respect it more if you just said, republicans will do anything to win, and they scheme this stuff up to get an edge.

Philly the Kid wrote:

pacino wrote:

Laexile wrote:I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

ptk is not a democrat. anyway, that was a pointless description of him.

so people w/o homes can't vote?

He didn't mean DNC, he meant DemNow -- i'm a Democrat in name only. Yes. I still would like to know that everyone that wants to vote can vote. And not hear about technicalities or self-righteous when darn well know it's about dis-enfranchising people and targeting only Dems and people of color mostly. Will they hit the poor whites that have had foreclosures? Reps that go to church?

TenuredVulture wrote:Dudes, must I remind you--ball game, pennant chase, phillies--ring a bell?

Laexile wrote:

Philly the Kid wrote:

pacino wrote:

Laexile wrote:I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

ptk is not a democrat. anyway, that was a pointless description of him.

so people w/o homes can't vote?

He didn't mean DNC, he meant DemNow -- i'm a Democrat in name only. Yes. I still would like to know that everyone that wants to vote can vote. And not hear about technicalities or self-righteous when darn well know it's about dis-enfranchising people and targeting only Dems and people of color mostly. Will they hit the poor whites that have had foreclosures? Reps that go to church?

You make it sound like the Republicans control every single voting commission in the country. Some of the people doing these things are Democrats. I have no idea if poor whites are being stricken from the rolls. I don't know that poor blacks are either. You need a home address in order to vote. That's not a technicality. That's the way voter registration is done. Oh. i mentioned registration. Another plot to disenfranchise blacks I'm sure.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband has refused to testify in the investigation of his wife's alleged abuse of power, and key lawmakers said Thursday that uncooperative witnesses are effectively sidetracking the probe until after Election Day.

Todd Palin, who participates in state business in person or by e-mail, was among 13 people subpoenaed by the Alaska Legislature. Palin's lawyer sent a letter to the lead investigator saying Palin objected to the probe and would not appear to testify on Friday.

"The objections boil down to the fact that the Legislative Council investigation is no longer a legitimate investigation because it has been subjected to complete partisanship and does not operate with the authority that it had at the time of its initial authorization," McCain-Palin presidential campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said.

phdave wrote:If McCain-Palin want to demonstrate that they are different than the Bush administration, it's not going too well:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband has refused to testify in the investigation of his wife's alleged abuse of power, and key lawmakers said Thursday that uncooperative witnesses are effectively sidetracking the probe until after Election Day.

Todd Palin, who participates in state business in person or by e-mail, was among 13 people subpoenaed by the Alaska Legislature. Palin's lawyer sent a letter to the lead investigator saying Palin objected to the probe and would not appear to testify on Friday.

"The objections boil down to the fact that the Legislative Council investigation is no longer a legitimate investigation because it has been subjected to complete partisanship and does not operate with the authority that it had at the time of its initial authorization," McCain-Palin presidential campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said.