"Orphan Annie" Palin

Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.

But in this case, Sarah Palin may have earned the role of the failed McCain campaign's Orphan Annie.

Not to pile on, but the nation needs to know how close it came to electing this cartoon-of-a-candidate as the president-in-waiting.

Thanks to Newsweek's release of the highlights of their Special Election Report, we now know that Sarah Palin didn't know that Africa was a continent, couldn't name the U.S., Canada and Mexico as the countries in NAFTA... in short there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked "a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency." (HuffingtonPost)

Of course, we must halt right here. Just why didn't the campaign know she was borderline ignorant about matters of national import? But that is another story. This one is about orphan Sarah.

The $150,000 spending spree on clothes?.... it was Sarah who spent the money, and it was much more than reported. One campaign aide characterized it as , "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast."

Newsweek learned that "...Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent 'tens of thousands' more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband."

The embarrassing interview with Katie Couric?.... her staff wanted to prep her but she refused, and then when she bombed she turned on them. She read all her press clippings, throwing "tantrums" over the more critical ones.

"Palin was apparently a nightmare for her campaign staff to deal with. She refused preparation help for her interview with Katie Couric and then blamed her staff, specifically Nicole Wallace, when the interview was panned as a disaster. After the Couric interview, Fox News reported, Palin turned nasty with her staff and began to accuse them of mishandling her. Palin would view press clippings of herself in the morning and throw 'tantrums' over the negative coverage. There were times when she would be so nasty and angry that her staff was reduced to tears." (HuffingtonPost)

It was reported that "McCain himself rarely spoke to Palin during the campaign." So he was evidently worse than surprised when "Palin launched her attack on Obama's association with William Ayers before the campaign had finalized a plan to raise the issue. McCain's advisers were working on a strategy that they hoped to unveil the following week, but McCain had not signed off on it, and top adviser Mark Salter was resisting." (HuffingtonPost)

So, is this just campaign-insider sour grapes from the losing McCain camp? Anyone who watched Palin's pathetic Couric interview knows better. Palin, perhaps deservedly, is the perfect orphan of McCain's failure.

But unlike Orphan Annie, Palin seems to be permanently separated from Daddy Warbucks McCain. As for the country.... leapin' lizards, that was a close one!

Media Misses Mark on Silly Sarah

Richard Cohen says it so well today in "Debate's Biggest Loser" (WaPo) ....

"Reading William Kristol's column in yesterday's New York Times, I discover that Sarah Palin and I have something in common. Kristol, who was once Dan Quayle's chief of staff and therefore, shall we say, has a Mister Rogers approach to certain politicians, got Palin on the phone and reported that 'she doesn't have a very high opinion of the mainstream media.' This is where we are in agreement. On account of Palin, neither do I."

The far-right's swooning at Palin's peppy presentation in her vice presidential debate with Sen. Joe Biden last week left them ecstatic and declaring her up to the job a heartbeat away THE job.

Never mind she didn't answer the questions, misrepresented her opponents records and overall acted as if she was a pageant contestant trying for Miss Congeniality.... a crown her surly sidekick McGrumpy McCain says he'll never receive from his fellow legislators just before he declares he's the one to reach across the aisle to get things done.

Embracing Sarah's antics is to be expected from a party that has lost its way and is desperate for someone who's so upbeat she suspends reality.... infusing the anything-goes faithful with the hope that winks and high jinks are the same to voters, especially in this toxic economic environment, as well-thought-out public policy.

What is unforgivable is that same breathless, fawning attitude from the media.

Cohen opines... "Can you imagine the reaction of the press corps if Hillary Clinton had given the audience a 'hiya, sailor' wink? Can you imagine the feverish blogging across the political spectrum if Clinton had claimed credit for stopping a bridge that, in fact, had set her heart aflutter? What if she had shown that she didn't know squat about the Constitution, if she could not tell Katie Couric what newspapers or magazines she read or if she had claimed an intimacy with foreign affairs based on sighting Russia through binoculars?"

There is more than a double standard here, there seems to be no standard at all. The media takes whatever the McCain campaign spews whole cloth and too many times addresses only the style of delivery.... the cuteness factor, the "Joe six-pack" condescending that voters already saw through with Hillary's desperate and futile "shots and beer" waning-campaign gasp.

Hopefully in tonight's debate between McCain and Barack Obama, McCain will bring his grown-up game, not the surly, smearing campaign tactics of the past week.

McCain Stops Progress

Over a week ago the financial health of the country went Code Blue. Emergency measures were needed.

George Bush's administration proposed a $700 billion bailout. The Senate and House held immediate hearings with Treasury Secretary Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke. The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee Christopher Dodd worked almost around the clock with the ranking Republicans on his committee to forge a framework for going forward, as did the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Barney Frank who worked tirelessly with Republicans on his committee to forge a compromise. A consensus was being hammered out, things were going forward until.....

John McCain, sensing a stage-center moment, said he was going to swoop into D.C. and save the day. Suspend his campaign. Call off Friday's debate. All of this while the last big test of his judgment, Sarah Palin, continued her take-your-daughter-to-work UN photo-ops and tour of New York City complete with ditsy "U.S. Has Achieved 'Victory' in Iraq" (WaPo) interviews CBS's Katie Couric.

Even though McCain said only ten days ago that the fundamentals of our economy are strong.... even though he has allowed that he doesn't know much about the economy.... even though he admitted to WKYC-TV in Ohio just this Tuesday that "I have not had a chance to see [the Bush administration bailout proposal] in writing. I have to examine it.".... and, even though when ranking GOP Senate Banking Committee member Richard Shelby was asked this morning on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" if McCain had called him before arriving in D.C..... Shelby had to admit he had not heard from McCain but did "spend a couple of minutes with him yesterday."

So far what has McCain accomplished by his grandstand play? He didn't have much to say in the White House meeting of leaders of both parties yesterday, he has no role in negotiations today. But, he stopped progress and created a climate where bipartisan agreement is even more difficult.

Good job, Johnnie.

November.