Imagine Sarah Palin a Heartbeat Away from the Presidency! (c) Lauralyn Bellamy

OK, I'm going to break a taboo here.
I'm going to talk about the proverbial "elephant in the living room."
And I challenge MSNBC's CHRIS MATTHEWS and all the other TV "pundits," and the Brahmins of print journalism, to educate the voting American public about
this TABOO subject as it relates to Senator McCain's choice of a Vice Presidential candidate.

The problem with a promising but totally unprepared, unseasoned young elected official like Alaska's Governor, Sarah Palin, being a heartbeat away from a McCain presidency is NOT the fact of his advanced age!

If he were 50 years old and as robust as he appears now, this taboo fact would still make McCain's choice of veep far more important to our nation than Senator Obama's.

And yet, Obama had the integrity to make his selection of Senator Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on the basis of the WISDOM, depth of knowledge about US foreign policy and world politics, and Biden's firsthand personal communication with world leaders. Obama, whose health and age would seem to make the question of who would be a heartbeat away from assuming the presidency merely pro forma, showed the American people how deeply he respects the office of the vice presidency.

The TABOO that the press is not telling us about IS the fact that John McCain has suffered MULTIPLE recurrences of MALIGNANT MELANOMA, the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer; and, with each recurrence, the chances increase that he will have another. The possibility that a President McCain will experience another attack of malignant melanoma in his first term of office is significant and makes the selection of vice president deadly serious.

I dare to get this topic out in public view because I AM a melanoma survivor (stage 1, excised 6/8/00) and have had to become intimately familiar with this cancer.

Even if McCain catches it early and only undergoes surgery, there is the likelihood of a temporary transfer of power to the Veep. Does anyone with a functioning intellect think this potentially gifted young politico is ready to assume the responsibilities of the most powerful political leader on earth?

Even more troubling, what does her selection say about McCain's openness to having an equally experienced, knowledgeable partner as his Veep to provide expert consultation and feedback?

And if McCain honestly believes that the women who supported Senator Clinton will switch to him because of Sarah - that's reallllly insulting!

This lovely young woman -

• who has been governor of Alaska LESS THAN 2 YEARS, and before that
• served Wasilla City as a member of their city council (1992-96), and
• Mayor (1996-2002);
• who shares McCain's anti-choice position on a woman's right to a medically safe and legal abortion;
• this self-professed "soccer Mom"

- is supposed to lure Hillary's "sisters of the travelling pantsuits" over to Daddy McCain?? McCain reveals a desperate politico's willingness to pander to an alarmingly crass and ignorant degree.

Worse, McCain insults all the professionally qualified Republican women senators, US Reps and governors with truly impressive political credentials for working in the White House. He must feel threatened by a woman who is his professional equal.

Gov. Palin makes an excellent protege for an aging and wise mentor. But America cannot afford to have her do her internship at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

OBAMA CHOOSES BIDEN -WOOOHOOO!!

NEW YORK TIMES (of course!) broke the story minutes ago - 1:02 AM Eastern.

So glad to know Sen. Joe Biden's impressive intellect, straight talk & extensive knowledge of US foreign policy will be guiding President Obama!

Take a moment to see this short video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmUUYo9o9eg

10 Things McCain & Obama Could Do to Win My Vote! (c) by "Raising Kane"

10 Things McCain & Obama Could Do to Win My Vote!©
‏By “Raising Kane”

[[Editor’s note: “Raising Kane” is the pen name of an actual Gen Y male, with MBA & highly lucrative financial career, who supported Rudy financially & otherwise until he dropped out. He sent me this e-mail with permission to reprint it anonymously. He is currently UNDECIDED as to whom to vote for. An amazing development to him and me!]]

Obama:
10.Talk about one area where you'd cut government spending significantly.

9. Emphasize that while McCain was marrying into money and sitting around in Washington for year after year, you were working with real people in a real city.

8. What are your thoughts about the Fed. Govt. taking on mortgage risk? ‘Cause if current housing/mortgage trends continue, it's quite possible that 3yrs. from now nobody will be talking about the Social Security/Medicare fiscal crisis in 20yrs; it’ll be about the trillions of rotting mortgage securities that the govt. has/is taking on!

7. The vote to go into Iraq is 5yrs behind us. Right now, given all that's happened, what are your plans? What are the repercussions of pulling out?

6. When Republicans say something stupid, don't get offended or flustered or prissy: mock it. If McCain says your vote against Bush tax cuts was putting ambition ahead of country, laugh and say that must be why McCain voted against them, too!

5. Don't get knocked off stride by McCain jabs. In debates, jab back and watch him get prickly and Dole-like.

4. Emphasize managerial competence. Neither of you have much track record in executive positions beyond your campaigns.

3. Take out the stiletto! [Ed. - a narrow, deadly knife, not a shoe] You're savvy enough to defeat stupid attacks with smart, quick humor. Watch old Giuliani speeches.

2. Repeat again and again that you'll be willing to veto the Democratic congress if they add to the deficit (i.e. prioritize fiscal responsibility).

1. Not pick Hillary as VP! ('Cause if you picks her, the odds of my voting for you drop to less than .001%.)

McCAIN:
10. Stop with the anti-intellectualism. Stop complaining that American students are falling behind the rest of the world, while simultaneously joking about how you were 2nd to last at Annapolis. Intelligence isn't a character flaw.

9. At every campaign stop and in every speech, remind me how Pelosi and Kennedy are running Congress, and how divided govt. works best.

8. So you believe in the Bush tax cuts now. Uh-huh. Convince me. And then, convince me how you'll be able to overcome a (veto proof?) Democratic Congress to hold onto them. Uh-huh...

7. Gas tax holiday? Please. It's embarrassing.

6. “Straight-talk”-up: someone needs to tell Americans to start saving money; that credit card debt eventually has to be paid back; houses are not ATMs. Getting Americans to save will make the economic downturn worse, but make it a lot shorter, too, and be good in the long run.

5. Pick a running mate that I'd be excited about voting for as President in 2012 or 2016. Preferably one that knows how to get on the internet.

4. Emphasize that you'll veto any bill from the Kennedy-Pelosi congress that adds to the deficit. Say that you're, "itching for that fight!"

3. Choose a smart VP who has private sector experience and/or really, really understands macroeconomic issues. The economy is going to be a drag until 2011, at least. Monosyllabic answers like "lower taxes!" or "Drill! Drill! Drill!" are not going to cut the mustard.

2. For goodness sake - stop! STOP! STOP! insisting Obama's votes that you don't agree with show he was "putting ambition ahead of the country." That's a moronic, weak, and despicable tactic. Perhaps the only lower approach would be to say, "Any vote I disagree with shows he's putting Satan's interests first!" It cheapens you.

1. Trick Obama into picking Hillary as VP.

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Barack Obama | Lauralyn

Post from Lauralyn Said That?!:

He's Choosing a Veep, Not a Menage a Trois!
By Lauralyn - Aug 1st, 2008 at 8:12 pm EDT


I voted for Sen. Obama in the Georgia Primary. I've been voting since 1968 and never before entered the voting booth still UNDECIDED. My head and heart were convinced that the arc of history was now bending toward Obama; but, my head and heart were also grieving that Sen. Clinton had missed an opportunity to frame her campaign in similarly passionate, visionary, historical terms.
How had it come to pass that voting for the first female presidential nominee of the two major political parties (I'm old enough to remember, with awe, Rep. Shirley Chisolm's 3rd party effort) was seen as voting for the status quo? But, it had. Yet, why not participate in that bit of history by at least voting for her in the primary? Back and forth I went - for weeks - right up to the moment I logged onto the voting machine. And then I, literally, took a deep breath and voted for Obama.
On reflection, I could see how Sen. Clinton had missed the opportunity: it's the price many of us "professional women" paid in the 1960's and '70's to be effective in a "men's club" business setting. (And the US Senate is THE most exclusive "old boy's" club!) We cultivated the ability to become "one of the boys" in manner and dress. We avoided being perceived as "emotional," learned how to speak in a lower register voice to be taken seriously, and wore our pants suits with fierce pride.
But once it became clear that Obama will be the official nominee of the Democratic party, it was equally clear that no one in their right mind could seriously believe Hilary Clinton would be an effective Vice President in an Obama administration. Why?
Aside from her own steamroller ego needs (which is fine if you're the Prez), she's married to a recent US President - DUH! The integrity of Obama's actions and policies would become political "chum" for the news media as "political pundits" and lazy reporters who cling to them, in symbiotic harmony, circled the choppy waters in a Potomac Fever-styled feeding frenzy, speculating how much was Bill's behind-the-scenes manipulation and how much was Hillary's.
Avoiding a B'illary Vice Presidency should be a no-brainer, folks!
And if Hillary had any willpower left to keep her political ambition in check, she would have removed her name from any further consideration for the Veep long ago in a gracious and absolutely unequivocal public statement. As she hasn't, I can only send my voice to the inner circle that advises Obama, and Obama himself, to have the - uh - integrity to state clearly that she is NOT being considered as his running mate for the obvious reason that it would be untenable to have a standing vice president triangulating the inner workings of the US presidency with a former US president! Period. Simple. Don't take it personally, Hillary.
To Hillary supporters who want to see her as Veep, or are threatening to vote for Sen. McCain - WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? (Or smoking, drinking, snorting, injecting?) You would be willing to vote for a man who has gone on record as opposing a woman's right to a safe and legal abortion; a man who has stated his determination "to stay in Iraq 100 years in order to win the war"?! I would hope that your loyalty to our Constitution would trump this cult of personality thing y'all got goin' for ya!
Do I wish Barack will choose a female governor, senator or congressional rep. as his veep? Of course! But, ultimately, I want who he chooses to be a vital asset to winning the White House more than making my wish come true.
Thanks for listening!