Shannyn Moore for President!

It looks these days like Alaskans are backwards, in-bred trailer trash, judging by the corrupt and incompetent actions of the like of Stevens and Palin. But there are shining beacons among the rubes. Shannyn Moore is one of those bright lights. Her blogs have taken down a governor and faces legal action, as futile as that might be. Moore has shown that a few lonely voices, shouting loud enough, can strike fear and loathing into the hearts of conservatives.

She's not perfect, though. Her insuations of an 'embezszlement' charge against Palin seem to be groundless. She raised my hopes and dashed my pride. That's OK. Something will turn up.

FBI says Palin not under investigation

Bummer! Looks like l'il Sarah was just having a bad day when she quit her state for the bright lights. Remember, it's all about Trig. Just to show she's serious, her lawyers have indicated they are going to sue those nasty bloggers who dared insult the Palin clan. It just gets funnier.

A Katharine of a different stripe

The Washington Post was once published by a grand lady named Katharine Graham. She was ethical, moral and knew how to run a newspaper. Today, all we have are Aspers and Murdochs instead of class and objective news. And now we have Katharine Weymouth at the Washington Post. Though she's only been at the helm of the Post for 17 months, her fingerprints on the paper are already coming up suspicious. Fred Hiatt still runs a right-leaning crew of miscreants, but no matter the political persuasion, this is a paper of corruption and money. Weymouth is a career penny counter. Her explanation today of the Post's attempt to bribe the media falls flat. It does not explain her money-grubbing plot to influence power instead of reporting on it.

'Only dead fish go with the flow'

You've been flushed, Palin. Bye. Even dull-witted Mark Steyn is surveying the carcass. Of course, he blames the media. They're so mean. This sudden bit of empathy from the same asshole who wants all brown-skinned people, especially foreigners, to cease to exist.

Most of those who sneer at Sarah Palin have no desire to live her life. But why not try to - what’s the word? - “empathize”? If you like Wasilla and hunting and snowmachining and moose stew and politics, is the last worth giving up everything else in the hopes that one day David Letterman and Maureen Dowd might decide Trig and Bristol and the rest are sufficiently non-risible to enable you to prosper in their world? And, putting aside the odds, would you really like to be the person you’d have to turn into under that scenario?

Yeah, Steyn, but we're not all crooks like Palin and Sanford and the whole conservative mindset. Keep swimming, Steyn and Palin, in your own filth. More than anything, Steyn and the conservative crew's reaction to Palin's obvious cowardice shows the gullibility of those who write for the right. They are not just corrupt, they are stupid. This is not about Trig, Bristol or Letterman. It is not about being a victim. It is about embezzlement, stupidity and greed. Pure and simple.

Steyn sees the world as he wants it to be: rich, white and above the law. It's all about them. The world does not work that way. Even children know that.

UPDATE: A collection of gullible quotes about the quitter from the elite media, courtesy of TPM.

Sarah Palin soon to be charged with embezzlement?

Brad Blog is doing a great job of keeping us abreast of the Palin news, via Alaskan reporter Shannyn Moore. Latest news is that federal indictments are coming in Palin's scheme to build her house and the infamous sports complex from the same funds. All this is speculation from sources close to Palin so nothing is in concrete, so to speak. Think Progress has more:

Though Todd Palin told Fox News he built his Lake Lucille home with the help of a few “buddies,” according to Barrett’s report, public records revealed that SBS supplied the materials for the house. While serving as mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin blocked an initiative that would have required the public filing of building permits—thus momentarily preventing the revelation of such suspicious information.

Just months before Palin left city hall to campaign for governor, she awarded a contract to SBS to help build the $13 million Wasilla Sports Complex. The most expensive building project in Wasilla history, the complex cost the city an addition $1.3 million in legal fees and threw it into severe long-term debt. For SBS, however, the bloated and bungled project was a cash cow.

Abbey Road to London Calling Rubik Cube style

TOP 10

H/T: Daily Dose

Palin caves to fame. Discards Alaska for the national stage.

If you can't take the heat ...

Like the Sanford scandal, there's much more destined to come out at a later date. Could it be some of those ethics complaints have some validity, after all? Anybody say iceberg? Maybe a scandal "not of a family nature" as Shannyn Moore of HuffPo intimates? Remember, Palin resigned so suddenly her family didn't know about it until she spoke. Maybe this is such a scandal that Palin's cronies are correct when they say she has left politics for good.

Josh Marshall puts it this way:

[T]his clearly happened so quickly that Palin hasn't even had a chance to come up with a coherent cover story for her resignation. ... Remember that based on the public record, Palin is a wildly unethical public official, guilty at a minimum of numerous instances of abusing her authority as governor. And a lot of very damaging information has come out about her in the last few days --- though mainly embarrassing information about her character rather than new evidence of bad acts. I would not be surprised if this latest round of revelations shook something else loose that we haven't heard about yet."

A poem from the rooftops of Iran

Stunning.

NOW, the wingnuts love Helen Thomas

The right has conducted a hate campaign against Helen Thomas forever. They don't like her asking impertinent questions of their presidents. But now Thomas is a new heroine in a movement that has few heroes. Helen is pissed off that an Iranian got to ask a question of Obama during her time. You know, it's all about her and the press. Upstart Huffington Post asked a question. The only way a blogger could get a seat at the exclusive Beltway table was to prearrange that it would be allowed one. That was done and a question was asked and it was a good one. But Thomas, like the rest of the cocktail wienie crew feel that their privilege is being infringed upon. I like Thomas. She's colourful and confrontational. We need more of that in the press corps down south. But she is wrong on this issue.

The press has deeply failed us all the last decade. They were AWOL when despicable acts were being conducted under their noses. They chose to ignore illegal and immoral acts. Giving a question to a popular blogger is not unethical. It is essential for better reporting. We need more intelligence and more choice in access to the news. Helen Thomas gives us little choice.

Those people in the press room, especially in the front row, have not distinguished themselves in their careers. Yes, they have made some easy cash and got some small fame. But they have not served their country or the world with any responsibility. Thomas needs to look around at her fellow journalists and explain better why a question from an Iranian, during the a crisis in their country, is not allowed a place at the banquet.

The right wing today is full of praise and awe for Helen Thomas because they too believe an Iranian and a blogger do not deserve to be singled out for the public benefit. These pundits and bloggers are agog with bon mots for Thomas. At least, it is refreshing to see them praising her for raising her voice against authoritarianism. That she is wrong does not matter. It's just good to see so plainly their hypocrisy and Thomas' true intentions shown so clearly. No Helen, it is not all about you.

Sanford's 'I did not have sexual relations' with that woman' moment

It would seem Sanford is attempting to use the Clinton defence to address the confession of his dallying with women other than his wife or that Argentinian woman. Except in this case, Sanford has been amending the Clinton Defence to replace 'that woman' with 'those women'.