Blogging Blue

Obviously I’m not a fan of conservative radio talker Michael Savage, but I found it interesting to hear what he had to say about Sen. John McCain’s decision to choose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate (emphasis Savage’s):

McCain has thrown the election. It is clear now with his choice for Vice President that he has no desire to win in November. Why else would he chose an inexperienced woman, whose only apparent qualification is that she won a beauty pageant in the 1980s? Why else would he refuse to say Barack Hussein Obama’s middle name? Why else would he run an ad praising Obama and congratulating him for winning the nomination?

If McCain had chosen Mitt Romney, a man with real leadership ability, real charisma, and real experience, he might have stood a chance. He could have made up for his lack of energy in confronting his opponent, his useless pandering to liberals, and his refusal to expose Obama’s leftism and inexperience. Instead he trumped inexperience with more inexperience. Obama, for all his far-left socialism, picked a running mate who is perceived as giving the ticket more experience. McCain, in defiance of all logic, undermined his strong suit by selecting a political neophyte who waters down his key advantage over Obama.

Of course, I can hear the calls already. Mike, you should give her a chance, she’s a real conservative. Mike, he’s just doing this because he knows he has to pander to win. Mike, isn’t it great that he picked a woman. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Picking someone because of their sex instead of their ability is the same kind of affirmative action insanity that the Democrats have shoved down our throats. We don’t want a panderer, we want a president. If he had chosen a woman who was a real nationalist with a real resume, I would have said, “Right on, John.” But McCain has dropped the ball, thrown in the towel, and raised the white flag. And a generation of Americans will pay for his mistake.

Now I’m loathe to say I agree with Michael Savage, but I do agree with one point he made: picking a running mate simply because of their sex is pandering, plain and simple.

H/T to James Rowen at The Political Environment.

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On Thursday, Wisconsin State Assembly candidate Glen Brower announced he had received a key endorsement of his candidacy for the State Assembly. The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO endorsed Brower, who issued a statement on the endorsement:

***For Immediate Release***
August 28, 2008

With the Labor Day weekend quickly approaching, Glen Brower candidate for the 21st Assembly District receives Wisconsin State AFL-CIO endorsement.

With an Economy in peril, gas prices hovering near $4, and news every day of more jobs being lost or shipped over seas, we need strong leadership perhaps more than ever before. The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO has long been a leader in protecting the rights of workers as well as their quality of life, but their still a lot work to be done.

They need the support of strong and proven leadership to ensure that the working men and women of our great state have a voice in Madison. Therefore, recently the AFL-CIO threw its support, along with 1,000 of their affiliated groups, behind Glen Brower.

“As Labor Day approaches I am honored by the endorsement of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO along with its 1,000 affiliated unions. Labor groups such as these have been vital in the creation of our middle class and the quality of life now enjoyed by many of our citizens. We need to make sure that the working men and women of this state are paid livable wages, have job security, and can afford good healthcare for their families.”
- Glen Brower

The Son of a Machinist and a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Army, Glen knows the value of hard work and the many challenges that come with it. Because of Glen’s background and understanding of these values, we know we can count of him to fight for our working class.

Contact Person:
Scott Dettman
Brower for Assembly
Campaign Manager
sdettman@ymail.com
414-530-0725

To be fair, Rep. Mark Honadel has received two endorsements since August 4th, with one coming from Pro-Life Wisconsin (no surprise there) and the other coming from the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

This endorsement is huge for Glen Brower, and it’s just another example of the momentum his campaign has.

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Do you know a progressive you think would make a great candidate for elected office? If so, visit Draft a Progressive and draft that person to run for office one day. If you draft someone, Draft a Progressive will post their name on the DaP website and their state staff will contact the person you drafted.

It’s an interesting concept, and it’s worth a look!

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Yesterday marked the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of the Gulf Coast, as well as the near-destruction of New Orleans. 1,836 people were confirmed killed, with 705 more people deemed missing, and Katrina caused an estimated 81 billion dollars in damage. Vast swaths of New Orleans were completely flooded, and to this day New Orleans still hasn’t completely recovered.

Now comes news hurricane Gustav is bearing down on the Gulf Coast, with a hurricane watch having been issued on Saturday afternoon for an area from southeastern Texas to the Alabama-Florida border. Currently a Category 4 hurricane, Gustav is still gaining strength and could be a Category 5 hurricane with winds above 155 miles per hour. Residents all along the Gulf Coast - including thousands of residents of New Orleans - are fleeing the coast for inland areas.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those folks who might not make it inland in time, because they’re going to need all the prayers they can get.

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I have a simple question for my 4.6 readers, and I’m hoping a few of the more conservative folks who read from time to time might weigh in with their opinions:

Would you consider the following candidate to be qualified to serve as president?

Candidate #1:
• Lawyer
• 4 terms in state legislature
• One term in U.S. House of Representatives

Is that candidate qualified to serve as president?

How about this candidate:

Candidate #2:
• Lawyer
• 7 years as a State Senator
• 4 years as a U.S. Senator

Edit: I’ve edited this to include candidate #2.

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