Nope, didn’t kill anyone.

However, after some thought, I made online contributions to support the Republican National Committee and the McCain-Palin ticket, after deliberately boycotting anything having to do with the national Republicans for about two years now.

I believe that good behavior, especially in politics, should be rewarded. They got me.

I’m going to take a shower now.

I found a very funny site which has many similarities to the one used by Mike Huckabee so effectively last year during his long shot presidential campaign (often starring Chuck Norris). The site has a treasure trove of “little known facts” about Republican folk hero and now vice-presidential pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

They’ve obviously been having a field day since Friday morning’s announcement. Here’s some of the”facts” which I liked the most:

Sarah Palin isn’t allowed to wield the gavel at the convention because they’re afraid she’ll use it to kill liberals.
Sarah Palin once won a competitive eating contest by devouring three live caribou.
Sarah Palin once carved a perfect likeness of the Mona Lisa in a block of ice using only her teeth.
Sarah Palin will pry your Klondike bar from your cold dead fingers.
Sarah Palin doesn’t need a gun to hunt. She has been known to throw a bullet through an adult bull elk.
Sarah Palin drives a Zamboni to work.
Sarah Palin got Tom Brady pregnant, and then left him.
Sarah Palin is the only woman who can make Tony Romo WIN a playoff.
Sarah Palin will give birth to the man who will lead humanity’s war against the machines.
Sarah Palin wears glasses lest her uncontrollable optic blasts slaughter everyone.
Sarah Palin’s presence in the lower 48 means the Arctic ice cap can finally return.
Sarah Palin is the “other” whom Yoda spoke about.
Sarah Palin is allowed first dibs on Alaskan wolfpack kills.
Sarah Palin is on loan from the Justice League.

Besides the site at http://www.palinfacts.com, there is also a competing site at http://www.sarahpalinfacts.com, which allows users to submit new “facts.”

“Time is Running Out” = “I’m Sharpening My Axe”

Governor Carcieri welcomed Chief Justice Williams’ reference to the urgent fiscal concerns facing the state and the need to expedite the mediation and arbitration process to resolve the issues with Council 94’s contract.

“While I am hopeful this expedited process will result in a ratified agreement, I continue to have an obligation to balance the budget. The longer we are without an agreement with Council 94 and the other unions, the only options I have to recoup the cost savings are more severe and impactful to employees than the co-share changes. Time is running out. I cannot delay much longer,” the Governor said.

Source: Office of the Governor

The beauty of Palin’s pick: the backtracking by Obama and the Dems has already begun.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was just asked about the conflicting statements from his campaign on Sen. John McCain’s, R-Ariz., pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate — first, an attack by a spokesman, then a congratulatory statement by Obama and running mate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

“I think that, you know, campaigns start getting these hair triggers,” Obama said at Pennsylvania Biodiesel Inc. in Monaca, Pa. “The statement that Joe and I put out reflects our sentiments.”

Here’s the video from this morning’s VP announcement:

I’ve communicated or heard from a number of conservative leaders today, mainly in regard to McCain’s choice of Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. I think “giddy” would be the right word to describe the mood. We’re still in shock that he got this so right (pardon the pun). That certain people on the left are belittling or demeaning her choice and even her family is proof he was right. Great pick!

To paraphrase Michelle Obama: “For the first time in a long time, we are proud to be Republicans!” Barack who? Ha, ha, ha!

(Minneapolis, MN) - David Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative Union, has issued the following statement on Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain’s pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

“The selection of Governor Palin is great news for conservatives, for the party and for the country. Her dedication to principle, her courage both before and after her election as Governor of Alaska and her personal qualities make her a perfect choice for Vice President. I predict any conservatives who have been lukewarm thus far in their support of the McCain candidacy will work their hearts out between now and November for the McCain - Palin ticket.”

This is an unbelievably great choice!

Official statement from the McCain campaign:

U.S. Senator John McCain today announced that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and to serve as his vice president.

Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington.

Governor Palin has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us – Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.

In Alaska, Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.

As the head of Alaska’s National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, Governor Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.

Governor Palin has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.

I actually forced myself to watch the speech. I also read the prepared remarks which were available online, just before it all began. The delivery fell short of the prepared text on quite a few occasions. As for the scene, it was certainly a sight to behold. I’m struggling to find the exact word to describe it all (and it was quite a lot to visually absorb), but I think it might be “hubris.”

The only thing particularly memorable about the whole thing was the over-the-top made for television stage behind him. We’ve been told that it was created by Britney Spears’ own set designer, but it looked a bit more like something designed by Albert Speer (of course, I’m not drawing any direct parallels about policy).

The main words I remember, because it was repeated so often was “I, I’ll, and I will.”

…I’ll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America.
…I’ll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars.
…I’ll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy — wind power, and solar power, and the next generation of biofuels…
…I’ll invest in early childhood education.
…I’ll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries, and give them more support.
…I’ll ask for higher standards and more accountability.
…I will end this war in Iraq responsibly and finish the fight against Al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
…I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts, but I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.
…I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation, poverty and genocide, climate change and disease.
…I will restore our moral standing so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

What ever happened to all that “we” stuff?

I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a temporary “bounce” in the polls, but I think it is very likely to be short-lived. I really think it’s going to backfire in the end.

There is one particular line that I think is going to come back to haunt him:

“If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.”

And then he tried to do just that. It’s exactly what Obama and his followers have been attempting to do, by repeatedly trying to link Senator McCain with President Bush. There will surely be plenty of material for the GOP to “work with” at the Republican National Convention next week. I’m sure they’ve already started. Stay tuned.

The Obama campaign of hope’nchange is totally miffed that this information is starting to leak out just before Obama’s highly anticipated speech at Nuremberg, er, Denver. There are also reports from good sources that all of the major GOP vice-presidential hopefuls are currently en route to Ohio for a very big rally tomorrow, where they will present a unified front of support for Sen. John McCain.

Just to rub it in a little more, Sen. John McCain has this brand new ad out heartily congratulating Obama on his winning his party’s nomination. Good move.

Who knows what the Obama campaign was thinking here (and hiring Britney Spears’ set designer, to boot). This is just going to be a great night! Coronation at 10PM!

DENVER - Democrats will kneel before the “Temple of Obama” tonight.

As if a Rocky Mountain coronation were not lofty enough, Barack Obama will aim for Mount Olympus when he accepts his party’s nomination atop an enormous, Greek-columned stage - built by the same cheesy set team that put together Britney Spears’ last tour.

John McCain’s campaign mocked the massive neoclassical set created for Obama’s speech at 75,000-seat Invesco Field. Some Republicans have dubbed it the “Barackopolis,” while others suggested the delegates should wear togas to fit in among the same Doric columns the ancient Greeks believed would stroke the egos of Zeus and Athena.

“It’s only appropriate that Barack Obama would descend down from the heavens and spend a little time with us mere mortals when accepting the Democratic nomination,” said Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz.

The McCain campaign quickly dispatched a memo calling the stage the “Temple of Obama.”

“We would have expected to read something like this in The Onion. Fortunately for us, it’s true. Unfortunately for Obama, it’s true,” a McCain adviser told The Post…

Read More: The New York Post

Several press outlets are reporting that Sen. John McCain has decided on a running mate, whom he will apparently announce on Friday. We’ll see.

Let’s state the obvious: McCain has an “enthusiasm gap.” It’s not lethal to his campaign, but it has to be a consideration. Despite all the names you’ve heard in the press — and there have been a lot — I really think it is going to come down to three people: former MA Gov. Mitt Romney, MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and VA Rep. Eric Cantor (and here’s why):

As a former Mitt Romney delegate candidate, I would personally prefer that Sen. McCain select Mitt, for all the many, many reasons I’ve mentioned in previous posts. However, they do have some history with each other. Let’s face it: he’s a Mormon, too. That can be both a plus and a minus. Selecting Mitt certainly would open up McCain to further attacks from Democrats, especially in regard to their financial successes (as if that’s a bad thing!). However, those attacks are not unexpected, and you can always plan contingencies for what you expect. Even if Mitt’s not the VP choice, I’m almost certain he would be very active in a McCain Administration (Secretary of the Treasury, perhaps?).

I think that given McCain’s — shall we say — unpredictable nature, it is more likely that it would be someone like MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Of course, it doesn’t exactly hurt that Tim would be in his home state of Minnesota for the convention, would it? He’s an evangelical Christian, and a successful, energetic, relatively young, but experienced Republican governor in a generally “blue” state with “working class” roots (if you may recall, Minnesota was the only state that Ronald Reagan did not win in his 1984 electoral landslide). I think it could work.

Rep. Eric Cantor is one of the few Jewish Republicans in Congress. He has a very consistent conservative record with all the different factions within the party. He’s the GOP’s Chief Deputy Whip in Congress, and you don’t usually get to that level by being a wimp. Virginia may be close in 2008, so that may give his choice some extra consideration. Of course, the VP choice may in fact be someone completely out of the box (and that means we’ve all been duped). It might be a woman (Sarah Palin, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and even Condi Rice come to mind).

No matter what you’ve heard, it will not be PA Gov. Tom Ridge, CT Sen. Joe Lieberman, or any other RINO or DINO. They might make good cabinet members, but not a VP for a Republican. If it is either one of these, McCain’s done … like stick a fork in him done. It would be an absolute mess of a convention, and probably lead to a real floor fight, and all his advisers know it. The first rule of choosing a Vice President is just like medicine, “First, do no harm.”

This is an absolutely excellent Glenn Beck parody. What better time to post this than on the eve of the glorious coronation at the Temple in Denver of our new and improved, bright and clean, Lord and Saviour of Change and Hope, Obama Christ. Sing along!

OBAMA ANTHEM LYRICS

All hail the Messiah
Obama, Obama
The path to the new socialist motherland
Our Savior, our Savior
Obama, Obama
The leader more famous than Lindsay Lohan
Bow down and praise the One
Give Him your money and your guns
Give us a country
That makes your wife proud
Lord Barry heal the bitter ones
White and clinging to faith and to guns
Hope for the change of the hope of the change!

Just in case you don’t immediately recognize that catchy tune, it is based on the Hymn “Gimn Sovetskogo Soyuza,” the National Anthem of the former Soviet Union.

The gloves are off … if they were ever on in the first place.

John McCain’s campaign launched a new attack ad Wednesday against Barack Obama in an attempt to destroy the Democratic presidential candidate’s credibility during the same week he accepts his party’s nomination.

McCain’s ad, entitled “Tiny,” is designed to undermine the theme of Democratic convention’s third night, national security.

It highlights comments Obama made during the Democratic primary season when, defending his foreign policy, he called the comparative threat from Iran to the former Soviet Union “tiny,” and said the Islamic republic “doesn’t pose a serious threat.”

The new ad cites terrorism and Iran’s desire to destroy Israel, asking, “Those aren’t serious threats?” before declaring that Obama is “dangerously unprepared to be president.”…

No matter how much Bill Clinton tries, his speech tonight won’t really be about Barack Obama, it will be about him (and maybe he’ll fit his wife in there, too). He will try his best. We’ll see what he says tonight, and then read between the lines to see what he actually meant.

One has to feel just a little bad for VP hopeful Sen. Joe Biden. He just has to hope Bill doesn’t talk for so long, that it moves him out of prime time (not that anyone will really be paying attention anyway).

We’ll have some addition comments after his speech tonight.

We can only hope Bill helps Obama, just like he helped Hillary.

It’s 3AM … and Senator McCain has another great ad out featuring Sen. Hillary Clinton on the subject of Sen. Barack Obama. It’s kind of funny actually … Senator Clinton says more about Obama in this short ad, than she did during her entire well-delivered, but very generic speech at the DNC on Tuesday night!

Oh, boy. Are we going to have fun with this! They’re going to coronate their would be Demi-god in a neo-Pagan temple (this should help stave off those pesky Antichrist comparisons)! This is almost too good to be true. Just hope it doesn’t rain. We wouldn’t want to ruin the torchlight procession afterwards.

DENVER (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s big speech on Thursday night will be delivered from an elaborate columned stage resembling a miniature Greek temple.

The stage, similar to structures used for rock concerts, has been set up at the 50-yard-line, the midpoint of Invesco Field, the stadium where the Denver Broncos’ National Football League team plays.

Some 80,000 supporters will see Obama appear from between plywood columns painted off-white, reminiscent of Washington’s Capitol building or even the White House, to accept the party’s nomination for president.

He will stride out to a raised platform to a podium that can be raised from beneath the floor.

The show should provide a striking image for the millions of Americans watching on television as Obama delivers a speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination.

Politicians in past elections have typically spoken from the convention site itself, but the Obama campaign liked the idea of having their man speak to a larger, stadium-sized crowd not far from where the Democratic National Convention is being held, at the Denver pro basketball arena…