MotownSports.com Message Board http://www.motownsports.com/forums MotownSports.com is a Detroit Sports fan site with the latest team news and information for the Tigers, Lions, Pistons, and Red Wings. Also home to one of the largest message board communities on the Internet! en Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:16:33 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.motownsports.net/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg MotownSports.com Message Board http://www.motownsports.com/forums Around the league: NFL Week 1 non-Lions discussion. http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64585&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:58:07 GMT * Two Monday night games? * I hate Green Bay. * Still hate Farve too. * Chris Berman looks like a leather bag someone left in the sun for a month. Pick from these if you want, or adlib...
  • Two Monday night games?
  • I hate Green Bay.
  • Still hate Farve too.
  • Chris Berman looks like a leather bag someone left in the sun for a month.

Pick from these if you want, or adlib... ]]> National Football League Shinma http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64585 9/7/08 -- Detroit Tigers (Lambert) vs. Minnesota Irish Twins (Perkins) -- 2:10PM http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64584&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:25:58 GMT





Coming to you LIVE from the cold, dreary abomination that IS the Hubert Horatio Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota...



It’s Your

DETROIT TIGERS





versus the

Minnesota Twins, eh?





PITCHING MATCHUP:


Detroit – Chris Lambert, RHP (0-1, 6.75)


Lambert will get at least one more turn through the Tigers rotation after he was recalled from Triple-A Toledo for his second Major League start Tuesday against the Angels. He left with three runs allowed on six hits over four innings in a no-decision, but didn't get much help from his defense with a fly ball that fell in between three fielders as part of a two-run opening inning. Sunday will be the former first-round draft pick's first outing on the road.








Minnesota – Glen Perkins, LHP (12-3, 4.08)


Facing the Blue Jays in his last start, Perkins was clearly not at his best. Although he received a no-decision in the Twins' loss, the left-hander allowed four runs on 10 hits over just five innings. He walked one, struck out one and surrendered two home runs during the affair. In three starts against the Tigers this year, Perkins is 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA.









Notes: Curtis Granderson could eventually move to the middle of the lineup, but Leyland isn't likely to move him out of the leadoff spot in the immediate future. The skipper said he would only move Granderson down in the lineup if Detroit had someone to replace the center fielder as a leadoff hitter. "That guy is not here, let me put it that way," Leyland said. ... Leyland believes Miguel Cabrera's average will rise in the coming years: "I think he can hit .330," Leyland said. "He's special." ... Carlos Guillen didn't travel with the Tigers to Minnesota. Leyland said he isn't sure when Guillen will return to action, but the manager had earlier indicated that it would be early next week. "We just felt like the turf wouldn't be good to move around on and walk around on," Leyland said. "We just left him home. We wanted him to do some baseball activity, which he is going to do. But we didn't want to do it here, because of the turf. So he is going to do baseball activity at home." ... Matt Joyce will start in left field on Saturday and Marcus Thames will start on Sunday, according to Leyland.







BROADCAST:
– – –


Extra Innings Schedule


LET'S GO TIGERS!



]]> Detroit Tigers JayVee7777 http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64584 Veterans http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64583&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:00:23 GMT As Vets Take to the Streets to Protest the War, McCain Snubs IVAW at the RNC
By Liliana Segura, AlterNet

When retired Army First Sergeant Wes Davey arrived, in uniform, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul to deliver a letter to fellow veteran John McCain, it didn't take long for him to be turned away. "They wouldn't even meet me," he said later, standing on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol, on what was to be day one of the Republican National Convention. Instead, the 28-year veteran of the Army Reserve and former St. Paul police officer was escorted off the premises.

Davey had come to the site of the RNC along with 60 fellow members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, who marched in formation, chanting cadences and leading hundreds of peaceful fellow protesters, including members of Veterans for Peace, Gold Star Families for Peace, and others who came to stand in solidarity with the veterans. Unlike IVAW's action in Denver a few days earlier, in which they scored a conversation with Obama's national veterans liaison, Phil Carter, who said he would try to set up a meeting with the campaign to discuss their goals of immediate withdrawal, benefits for veterans, and reparations for the Iraqi people, IVAW's objectives when it came to McCain were slightly more modest. "We actually chose not to pressure him on the issue of withdrawal," T.J. Buonomo, one of IVAW's Philadelphia-based organizers said. "There's nothing that's very controversial about the things we were asking. There's nothing that's very controversial in asking that people get the discharge they deserve, that people with PTSD not have it held against them."

Indeed, the letter from IVAW, addressed to The Honorable John McCain, focused on the medical needs of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, two wars that McCain has never flinched from supporting. "It is often said that a nation's character can be judged by how it honors its veterans," the letter read. ". We honor veterans by offering them full benefits, adequate healthcare (including mental healthcare), and other long-term supports."

"Enclosed with this letter is a list of recommendations which we believe will support those veterans still serving and those veterans who have taken off their uniforms and re-entered civilian life. It is our belief that most Americans would endorse these recommendations as we hope you will after careful thought and consideration.

Prior to the RNC, IVAW had mailed, faxed, and personally delivered invitations to the McCain campaign to meet to discuss the recommendations. Yet the campaign ignored them, refusing to send anyone to meet with Davey, let alone address IVAW as a group. For the man who has built his presidential candidacy almost entirely on war hero mythology, McCain's snub was only the latest in a series of refusals to acknowledge the needs of a new generation of veterans. His record has become an ugly symbol of the hypocrisy of the Republican party.

IVAW members seemed unfazed at McCain's snub that morning. "I was really delighted to hear that the police went and escorted (Davey) out," former Marine Sgt. Liam Madden smiled wryly, "He was either going to get arrested or he was going to be escorted."

"I'm not surprised that McCain is not responding," said Rebecca Hansen, an IVAW member from Madison, Wisconsin. " . I don't think (Republicans) want the American people to know that vets and active duty soldiers are not in support of the war anymore."

As for Davey, a 28-year veteran with a child who has served two tours of duty in Iraq, he shrugged. "It looks bad on them, not on us."

"If McCain says the VA's not working, it's in part because he hasn't funded it properly."

With the presidential election kicking into high gear and McCain's love affair with the press (reportedly) waning, the media has yet to take McCain to task for his dismal record on veterans' issues. McCain's opposition to Virginia Senator Jim Webb's GI Bill earlier this year -- which sought to provide veterans with college educations and which finally passed in May -- was just one of many displays of indifference the senator has shown towards soldiers returning from the wars he so unyieldingly supports.

In the spring of 2006, McCain voted against two components of an emergency Iraq supplemental that would have provided more funds for veterans' healthcare. One was an amendment to increase funding for medical services by $1.5 billion, "to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes." (That amendment, very similar to a 2004 amendment McCain also voted against, failed, 54-46.) The next month, McCain joined a handful of senators who voted against providing $430 million to the VA for "outpatient care and treatment for veterans."

But it was the Webb GI Bill that met with the most outrage, not only offending veterans, but galvanizing them. In April, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America delivered a petition signed by 30,000 veterans to McCain's office, urging him to get behind the GI Bill. McCain refused, and on the day of the vote, rather than vote "nay," he skipped it altogether. (Incredibly, McCain later went on to applaud and take credit for the new law, saying that the educational opportunities it represented were valuable in "incentivizing people to stay in the military" -- a complete reversal from his earlier stance.)

Not surprisingly, McCain has reacted aggressively when confronted on his record. Responding to criticism from Obama on the GI Bill this summer, McCain sneered and pulled his POW trump card: "Unlike Senator Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge. I think I have earned the right to make that claim." Faced with veterans who question his record, McCain has responded with similar pique. At a town hall meeting this summer, McCain made a show of selecting a self-identified veteran from the audience, who ended up questioning the senator's lack of support for the Webb GI bill, along with other legislation. " . We haven't heard an explanation of why you voted against your colleagues' proposals to increase healthcare funding in 2004, '05, '06, and '07, when we had troops coming back from two wars," he said. McCain's response was defensive and convoluted:

"Uh, my friend, I . all I can say is I don't know what you're pointing to but I received every award from every major veterans' organization in America. I've received every organization in America, their awards . Now, sir, I don't.I don't know what you're referring to ."

When the questioner elaborated -- ".The votes were proposals by your colleagues in the Senate to increase healthcare funding of the VA in '03, thru '06, for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and you voted against those proposals. I can give the specific Senate votes, the numbers of those Senate votes, right now ... " -- McCain's reply was sarcastic: "Well, I thank you and I'll be glad to examine what your version of my record is."

More recently, McCain has been promoting his plan to privatize veterans' healthcare, one that has been widely criticized by the same veterans' groups whose support he lays claim to. "We need to relieve the burden on the VA from routine health care," he said in a speech the National Forum on Disability Issues in July, arguing that veterans' needs would be more effectively met by private hospitals. Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, recently told Think Progress that McCain's plan was no substitute for the funding the VA desperately needs. "Sen. McCain has consistently voted against expansion of VA funding," Reickhoff said. "So if he says the VA's not working, it's in part because he hasn't funded it properly."

There's no question the Department of Veterans Affairs has serious problems. Its hopelessly inadequate care and, worse, shocking maneuvering to block veterans' benefits has generated a lot of bad press, most recently in a devastating exposé in The Nation, which chronicles the attempts of some veterans to sue the VA for the benefits they deserve. Among the materials in the packet prepared by IVAW for McCain were a book excerpt and a news article that described the lethal role of the VA in the deaths of two Iraq war vets, both of whom hanged themselves after months of struggling with alcoholism, depression, and PTSD. Both soldiers had repeatedly turned to the VA, only to be turned away, at the very moment they were in the most dire need of help. With veteran suicides set to break record numbers this year, the need to provide veterans with adequate, reliable healthcare could not be more pressing.

"People are so afraid to speak the truth"

Sitting on the Capitol steps after the march, Rebecca Hansen, who served as a specialist from '95 to '04 but never deployed, explained the primary reason she was in St. Paul. "Basically because I've seen a lot of my friends come home that aren't getting their needs met . It's just gotten to the point where some people are so frustrated, it's impairing their life. They can't lead a normal life." For many, the frustration compounds a sense of betrayal from realizing that the war in Iraq was waged on false pretenses. ""It's not the war that they told us we'd be fighting," says Hansen. "We're not fighting for freedom. We're taking other people's freedom."

Her feelings echoed what many members of an older group of veterans had said the day before, at a heavily policed march through downtown St. Paul and organized by Veterans for Peace. Leah Bolger, a 20-year Navy veteran, came to St. Paul from Corvallis, Oregon. She served from 1980 until 2000 in four different countries and is now among the leadership of Vets for Peace. Dressed in a T-shirt and baseball cap, Bolger was wearing two stickers featuring two numbers: 4,150 and 1,255,026. The former, she explained to me, is the number of U.S. fatalities in Iraq. The latter is the best estimate of how many Iraqis have died. "Not one of these people is a baby," she said, pointing to the 4,150 number. "I think if we had our senators showing big pictured of dead babies, the world would immediately demand an end to the war." Of course, in an election season, showing concern for dead Iraqis is likely to result in accusations of being unpatriotric. "That's the problem; people are so afraid to speak the truth," says Bolger. "This world does not revolve around the United States of America. Until we start valuing all of humanity like our own, I don't think you can appeal to people's best selves."

Perhaps the most arresting image among the marchers at the RNC -- both at the Vets for Peace march and the IVAW march, among numerous other demonstrations - was that of Carlos Arredondo and his wife, Melinda, who walked behind a flag-draped casket with military fatigues dog tags, and a pair of boots resting on top. Arredondo's son, Marine Lance Corporal Alexander Arredondo was killed in Najaf in '04; his parents had driven from Massachusetts to Minnesota with the casket sticking out from the back of the car. "We purposely rode for 24 hours," Melinda told me, "so that people who want to forget and instead go shopping can't." Particularly, she said, "our audience is people who justify the war . and the Republican party itself." Carlos and Melinda are members of Gold Star Families for Peace; they told me that Alex had been targeted by military recruiters since he was a young teenager. He signed up at 17 and, according to Melinda, "September 11th happened two weeks later." Alex fell into three categories that are targets of military recruiters, Latinos, kids with divorced parents, and poor people. "Alexander fell into the trap of all three."

Another father, Juan Torres, whose son, Juan Jr., was killed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, told me that his son had not died in combat. He died in the shower from a gunshot to the head. The U.S. military deemed it a suicide, but Torres believes his son was murdered. Carrying a sign with his son's picture, along with one that read "Bush-McCain The Same," Torres said that he supports Obama, "but not 100 percent." "We're here to stop the war in Afghanistan, too."

As the march winded down and the protesters were blocked off by police at Washington and 6th, I asked Melinda what she thought of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who often invokes her son's military service in her pro-war speeches. "I say God bless her son," she said. "And I hope that she does not become a Gold Star parent."

Liliana Segura is a staff writer and editor of AlterNet's Rights & Liberties and War on Iraq Special Coverage. ]]> Political Discussions Team Mom http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64583 Sarah 527 http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64582&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:01:18 GMT
Quote:
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin began building clout in her state's political circles in part by serving as a director of an independent political group organized by the now embattled Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.

Palin's name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state. She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings.

Palin's relationship with Alaska's senior senator may be one of the more complicated aspects of her new position as Sen. John McCain's running mate; Stevens was indicted in July 2008 on seven counts of corruption.

Palin, an anti-corruption crusader in Alaska, had called on Stevens to be open about the issues behind the investigation. But she also held a joint news conference with him in July, before he was indicted, to make clear she had not abandoned him politically.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the...of_embatt.html ]]> Political Discussions Firewaltz http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64582 Florida republicans boycott Oprah..... http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64581&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:09:36 GMT A republican womens group in FLA has decided to boycott Oprah.


Why?


Because she won't have Sarah Palin on her show as a guest.


She hasn't invited Joe Biden on either.



So there you go, ladies.......Sarah's being treated equally.


Oprah wil not have any of the Presidential candidates (or their running mates) on her show before the election. While she will campaign for Obama, she will not do it on her show.



I'm sure the FLA boycott will devistate Oprah financially. ]]> Political Discussions Motor City Sonics http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64581 Positional Analysis: Defensive Backs... http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64580&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:28:20 GMT http://dave-lionsandtigers.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 7, 2008
Positional Analysis: Defensive Backs...
Quote:
Cornerbacks

1. Leigh Bodden: At 6'1", 193 lbs, Bodden has the ideal mix of speed and size to matchup with other top receivers. He comes from the Browns, which means he doesn't have alot of experience with the cover 2, but he's a perfect match for what the Lions need. He has had a problem of staying on the field, so he needs to stay healthy to keep the extension bonus he signed for.

2. Brian Kelly: At age 32, Kelly is an old warhorse for a corner, but he's got plenty of talent around him, as I would bet the Lions would want to groom others behind him to take over. He's showed a great deal of moxie, and adds a presence that is needed for the Lions to succeed.

3. Keith Smith: Smith finally started to come into his own last year, as he's an adept cover corner. He's improved with his tackling, but still has work to do. He flashed last year, when his interception for a TD beat the Bears. He has excellent ball skills.

4. Travis Fisher: Largely underappreciated due to his horrific ball skills, Fisher is the top Nickel corner the Lions have, due to his solid tackling ability. He's almost 29, so he's a vet, but doesn't have too much time left. One thing to note is that he's played in the cover 2 for his entire career, so he knows what he's doing, and can play any corner. He has 9 career INT's, but only 2 the past three years.

5. Ramzee Robinson: If he's proven anything in his time with the Lions, Robinson has proved that he's a really tough cookie who will get everything out of his talent base. His play in the preseason was so special, that he beat out athletically superior Dovonte Edwards, who production was as bad as Robinson's was good. Here is a case where the Lion's coaches got it right.

Safeties

1. Gerald Alexander: Always at the right place at the right time, Alexander is an example of what coach Rod Marinelli preaches. Not a flashy player, but always uses the correct techniques, whether it be in coverage or in tackling. He doesn't miss many tackles. He and Dan Bullocks should man the safeties for a long time in Detroit.

2. Daniel Bullocks: Just as he was blossoming into a star, Bullocks blew a knee. He's being slowly added back to the mix, as the Lions are pretty deep with Dwight Smith and Alexander both starting, but when he's one hundred percent, he should be starting as he is a better overall player than Smith.

3. Dwight Smith: Smith is valuable to the Lions, since he not only is a capable starting safety, but is also a terrific backup at nickel corner. He's been a pretty consistant ballhawk, as he's taken 22 picks in his career. He's not going to wow you with big hits, but he's always good for a few picks.

4. Kalvin Pearson: Known as a special teams dynamo, Pearson got to start one game in 2007 and made 16 tackles, which is pretty impressive. He'll be needed on special teams coverage units more than in the Lions defensive backfield.

Positional Analysis: The Lions defensive backfield is in the best shape it's been in a long time. Theres great size and athleticism all around, as the Lions are relatively stacked right now.
]]> Detroit Lions cruzer1 http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64580 A Note by Anne Kilkenny http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64579&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:53:45 GMT I know this will be ignored by those on the right but it's worth a read anyway...surprised it hasn't been posted here already but maybe I missed it.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/kilkenny.asp
Quote:
ABOUT SARAH PALIN

I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.

She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because she is a "babe".

It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months.

She is "pro-life". She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.

She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.

She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.

Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans.

Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.

She's smart.

Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative." During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later — to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.

While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.

These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.

As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.

In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's surplus, borrow for needs.

She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.

While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys". Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal — loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop (see below).

As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he "intimidated" her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.

She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.

Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.

When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).

As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.

As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects — which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance — but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as "anti-pork."

She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.

Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.

As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as "AGIA" that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.

Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned "as a private citizen" against a state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar bears as threatened species.

McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President.

There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she.

However, there's a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.

CLAIM VS FACT o "Hockey mom": true for a few years
o "PTA mom": true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
p "NRA supporter": absolutely true
o social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
o pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
o "Pro-life": mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation.
o "Experienced": Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska.
No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
o political maverick: not at all
o gutsy: absolutely!
o open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
o has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
o "a Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
o fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
o pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
o pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents.
o pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
o pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn't make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.

WHY AM I WRITING THIS?

First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.

Secondly, I've always operated in the belief that "Bad things happen when good people stay silent". Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.

Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she can bump me out of. I don't belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.

Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah's attempt at censorship.

Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.

CAVEATS

I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall — they are swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.

You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from my "about 5,000", up to 9,000. The day Palin’s selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90’s.

Anne Kilkenny
August 31, 2008

Origins: Of all the articles (both positive and negative) about Alaska governor Sarah Palin that began circulating via e-mail forward in the immediate aftermath of her selection as the 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate, the one reproduced above was the one that by far garnered the most attention. It purportedly offers a viewpoint of the candidate written by a resident of Wasilla, Alaska (the town where Sarah Palin served as mayor).

The article was indeed written, as claimed, by a Wasilla resident named Anne Kilkenny, who says she has known Sarah Palin since 1992:
Recently, we received a note about the Web post, "Letter from Anne Kilkenny," about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee. We thought for sure it was not really, "a resident of Wasilla, Alaska"
who has known Palin since 1992 as the post claims.

So, we checked it out. Kilkenny does exist, and she does live in Alaska. We reached her by phone and asked if she wrote the rather long note that calls Palin "smart" but also questions her abilities.

We asked Kilkenny, "Did you write that letter?" She replied skeptically, "Well, I don't know. Read me parts of it. I'll tell you if it's mine or not."

After we read it to her, she said, "Yes, I wrote that." She sent it out to 40 people, brothers, sisters and friends, on Sunday — two days after U.S. Sen. John McCain announced Palin as his choice. On Wednesday, if you enter Kilkenny and Palin's names on Google, about 200 sites refer to this letter.

Why did she do it? Kilkenny told The Daily Journal she wanted to offer people information and her experiences. She does not flatter Palin, but she said she did vote for Palin when she ran for city council.

"How affirming it has been," she said. "I am pleased to know how idealistic Americans are. They want information not just the politics of destruction."
Last updated: 5 September 2008
]]> Political Discussions DaBishop http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64579 Michigan Ad Tying Detroit Mayor To Obama http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64578&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:14:44 GMT http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/17404524/detail.html

Quote:
LANSING, Mich. -- An ad tying Democratic presidential candidate to Barack Obama to disgraced Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is set to run on cable news channels in Macomb County.
Freedom's Defense Fund, a Washigton-based group that funds Republican candidates' campaigns, says it will spend about $25,000 to air the ads over the next 10 days.
Executive director Todd Zirkle says it's fair to run the ad showing Obama praising Kilpatrick before speaking to the Detroit Economic Club in May 2007. At the time, Kilpatrick was not involved in a text messaging scandal that led to his resignation Thursday.

A message seeking comment was left Friday afternoon with the Obama campaign's Michigan spokesman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SODIFZXIPA

Seriously? ]]> Political Discussions tigerbomb13 http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64578 Happy Birthday dettigfan222! http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64577&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:05:18 GMT

I hope your birthday's not a wipe out! ]]> MotownSports Bar and Grill wingedwheel http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64577 Happy Birthday JustABlondeMom! http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64576&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:01:53 GMT Image: http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/FIP/HB-00199-C~Happy-Birthday-Cowgirl-Blonde-and-Palomino-Posters.jpg I hope you have a great day!

I hope you have a great day! ]]> MotownSports Bar and Grill wingedwheel http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64576 9-6-08 Minor League Box Scores http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64575&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:33:19 GMT *_ROUNDUP_* *L*: South Bend 3 at *West Michigan* 2 (South Bend wins series 2-1) *W*: *Oneonta* 2 at Vermont 0 - Season completed ROUNDUP

L: South Bend 3 at West Michigan 2 (South Bend wins series 2-1)

W: Oneonta 2 at Vermont 0 - Season completed ]]> Minor League Box Scores http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64575 What Are Small-Town Values? http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64574&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:30:30 GMT GOP delegates explain:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/in...ll-Town-Values ]]> Political Discussions Firewaltz http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64574 Granderson pumps up his production http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64573&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:00:04 GMT Granderson pumps up his production
Posted by Thor Nystrom on Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:11:00 EDT.

Because of his increased run production, manager Jim Leyland is considering moving Curtis Granderson down in the order. The Tigers could use some of those runs in Sunday's finale vs. the Twins.

More... ]]> Detroit Tigers RSS Feeder http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64573 Unearned runs help eliminate Whitecaps http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64572&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:00:04 GMT *Unearned runs help eliminate Whitecaps* Posted by Whitecaps Media Dept. on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:39:44 +0000. COMSTOCK PARK – South Bend scored two unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning en route to a 3-2 victory, which eliminated the Whitecaps in game three of a first round playoff... Unearned runs help eliminate Whitecaps
Posted by Whitecaps Media Dept. on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:39:44 +0000.

COMSTOCK PARK – South Bend scored two unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning en route to a 3-2 victory, which eliminated the Whitecaps in game three of a first round playoff series.

More... ]]> West Michigan Whitecaps RSS Feeder http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64572 McCain Camp Lied About DNC Flags http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64571&goto=newpost Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:50:07 GMT ---Quote--- (Political Animal) THE BOGUS FLAG STORY.... It seems Fox News and some far-right blogs are excited about the latest in a series of lies from the McCain campaign -- the notion that thousands of American flags from the Democratic convention were going to be thrown away. Like far too many...
Quote:
(Political Animal) THE BOGUS FLAG STORY.... It seems Fox News and some far-right blogs are excited about the latest in a series of lies from the McCain campaign -- the notion that thousands of American flags from the Democratic convention were going to be thrown away.

Like far too many of the stories pushed by the McCain campaign, and embraced by Fox News and far-right blogs, it's not true.


Days before the anniversary of September 11, on the same morning that John McCain and Barack Obama released a joint statement pledging to avoid politics in light of the anniversary of the terrorist attacks, McCain's campaign accused Democrats of throwing away 12,000 American flags."The campaign says the flags were recovered from Invesco Field after the Democrats concluded their convention there," Fox News reported, "and they are going to be used as part of the warm-up ceremonies before McCain takes the stage" for a rally in Colorado Springs, Col.

But according to a senior official involved in organizing the Democratic convention, the McCain camp is simply lying about the flags.

"All of the flags at Invesco were picked up and put in bags and into storage, along with the unused flags and campaign signs. The flags were going to be donated, and the signs were going to be sent out to be used elsewhere," the official said, speaking anonymously since he was not authorized to talk to the press.




The "story" -- I use the word loosely -- has been promoted by Fox News' Carl Cameron, perhaps best known for promoting fabricated nonsense about John Kerry four years ago.

In other words, consider the source.

A Democratic convention official told the Huffington Post, "It's pretty reprehensible on their part. Someone made an assumption, took the flags, and essentially lied about what was going to happen to them. I mean, c'mon, we were never ever going to throw out flags."

It's hard not to get the impression that Republicans are looking for some kind of symbol to help them avoid discussing substance. For a while, it was arugula. Then flag pins. Then Paris Hilton. Soon after, it was tire gauges. Now, it's convention flags. Whether it's true or even coherent is apparently irrelevant.

"This election is not about issues," McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said this week. I thought Davis was offering an assessment, but it was apparently some kind of promise.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n4422762.shtml ]]> Political Discussions Firewaltz http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64571