Clinton as Secretary of State?…And macroscopic protists!

Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the nomination for secretary of state after additional discussion with President-elect Barack Obama about the nature of her role, two confidants of Mrs. Clinton said Friday. 
[Clinton to Accept Secretary of State Nomination, Confidants Say via NYT]

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I can’t wait for Obama’s historic inaugration in January! Security is being heavily intensified for the record turnout (4 million?). I’m expecting a crowd of most epic proportions.

“…the overwhelming demand to attend the swearing-in ceremony has caused online scalping at sites like eBay’s ticket venture StubHub and Craigslist for prices reaching as much as $40,000.” [eBay bans sale of Obama inauguration tickets via The Register]

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Speaking of epic proportions:

This article alerted me about paper in Current Biology that I had to hunt down:
Matz et al., Giant Deep-Sea Protist Produces Bilaterian-like Traces, Current Biology (2008), doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.10.028

Scarce fossil evidence in the Precambrian makes it difficult to pin down when organisms with bilateral symmetry first arose. Did it occur before, as molecular evidence suggests, or concurrently with the massive speciation during the Cambrian? Matz et al. suggests that trace fossils currently assigned to early Bilaterians could also be attributed to megaprotozoans.

The thought of gargantuan amoebas lumbering along the ocean floors, leaving Bilaterian tracks and fooling paleontologists all the while, makes me chuckle – what a wonderful oxymoron!

I <3 unicellular organisms.

Victory Speech at Grant Park, Chicago IL

Not long after the last polls closed in California, as more battleground states turned over to Obama, the election was called (early) by every major network and news radio station. McCain, overwhelmingly defeated, made a concession and our victorious presidential elect rose to speak to a sea of exhilarated voters.

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[Images via The Chicago Tribune]

…I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory. And I know you didn’t do this just to win an election. And I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century…

…What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can’t happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let’s remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those — to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That’s the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we’ve already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow…

[Full transcript of Obama's victory speech available via CNN]

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CHANGE IS HERE! An amazing win (with party switches in seven states).

Waiting on the House/Senate results.

The Peanut Butter & Jelly Socialist

Two weeks of midterms came to a close and I can finally focus back on the election. Countdown is ONE DAY! The projections are reassuring…waiting on those battleground states.

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The Obama campaign picked a great director for “American Stories, American Solutions”, the 30 minute campaign ad/infomercial that aired last week. The music and the mood is perfect (love the faux Oval Office). It definitely felt like a throwback to Ronald Reagan’s “Morning In America Again” campaign ad back in ‘84, except in reverse. 

It’s hard to believe that Obama got his ad to air on seven networks in prime time on the same night, at the cost of roughly $1 million per network, I’m guessing. On the other side, McCain only managed a meager final appearance on SNL.

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“Lately, he’s called me a ’socialist’ for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. I don’t know what’s next. By the end of the week, he’ll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I – I shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

There are so many things I like about Obama: his way of speaking, his calm demeanor, and his sense of humor. He is a clear leader; his policies reflect how deeply in touch he is with the modern world.

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“Far more important is this: Science is a way of governing, not just something to be governed. Science offers a methodology and philosophy rooted in evidence, kept in check by persistent inquiry, and bounded by the constraints of a self-critical and rigorous method. Science is a lens through which we can and should visualize and solve complex problems, organize government and multilateral bodies, establish international alliances, inspire national pride, restore positive feelings about America around the globe, embolden democracy, and ultimately, lead the world. More than anything, what this lens offers the next administration is a limitless capacity to handle all that comes its way, no matter how complex or unanticipated.

Sen. Obama’s embrace of transparency and evidence-based decision-making, his intelligence and curiosity echo this new way of looking at the world. And that is what we should be weighing in the voting booth. For his positions and, even more, for his way of coming to them, we endorse Barack Obama for President of the United States.” [via SEED magazine]
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INVESTING IN AMERICA’S FUTURE
BARACK OBAMA AND JOE BIDEN’S PLAN FOR SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

• Restoring integrity to U.S. science policy to ensure that decisions that can be informed by science are made on the basis of the strongest possible evidence.
• Doubling over a 10 year period the federal investment in basic research by key science agencies, with a special emphasis on supporting young researchers at the beginning of their careers, and backing high-risk, high-return research.
• Making a national commitment to science education and training by recruiting some of America’s best minds to teach K-12 math and science and by tripling the number of the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowships.
• Encouraging American innovation to flourish by making the R&D tax credit permanent, streamlining our patent system, eliminating the capital gains tax on start-ups and small businesses, and promoting the deployment of next-generation broadband networks.
• Addressing the “grand challenges” of the 21st century through accelerating the transition to a lowcarbon, oil-free economy, enabling all Americans to live longer and healthier lives, and protecting our country from emerging threats to our national security.

The Al Smith Charity Dinner

McCain and Obama traded jokes instead of negative attack ads. Obama’s comedy routine made me smile.

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I do love the Waldorf-Astoria, though. You know, I hear that from the doorstep you can see all the way to the Russian tea room…

In the last few weeks, John’s been out on the campaign trail and asked the question, who is Barack Obama? I have to admit I was a little surprised by this question. The answer is right there on my Facebook page. But, look, I don’t want to be coy about this. We’re a couple weeks from an important election. Americans have a big choice to make, and if anybody feels like they don’t know me by now, let me try to give you some answers. Who is Barack Obama? Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jorel to save the Planet Earth. Many of you – many of you know that I got my name, Barack, from my father. What you may not know is Barack is actually Swahili for “That One.” And I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn’t think I’d ever run for president. If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it’s possible that I’m a little too awesome…

Here’s another revelation, John McCain is on to something. There was a point in my life when I started palling around with a pretty ugly crowd. I’ve got to be honest, these guys were serious dead beats. They were low lifes, unrepentant, no-good punks. That’s right. I’ve been a member of the United States Senate…

Then at one of these campaign rallies, someone in the crowd started yelling, No-Bama, announcing to everyone in the room that I shouldn’t be the Democratic nominee because there were far more qualified candidates. I really wish Joe Biden hadn’t done that. [Barack Obama]

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Events are moving fast in my campaign. And, yes, it’s true that this morning I dismissed my entire team of senior advisers. All of their positions will now be held by a man named “Joe the Plumber.” Already – and already, my friends, my opponents have been subjecting Joe to their vicious attack machines. His veracity has been questioned by Barack Obama’s running mate Joe the six term senator. He claims that this honest, hardworking small businessman could not possibly have enough income to face a tax increase under the Obama plan. What they don’t know – what they don’t know is “Joe the Plumber” recently signed a very lucrative contract with a wealthy couple to handle all the work on all seven of their houses. This campaign needed the common touch of a working man. After all, it began so long ago with the heralded arrival of a man known to Oprah Winfrey as “The One.” Being a friend and colleague of Barack, I just called him that one. And he – my friends, he doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he even has a pet name for me – George Bush…

So, you know, I had fun with the media and we all know the press is really an independent, civic-minded and nonpartisan group, like ACORN…In case you haven’t been following my opponent’s get out the vote campaign, ACORN is helping to register groups previously excluded, overlooked and underserved – second graders, the deceased, Disney characters. In Florida, they even turned up an ACORN registration form that bore the name of one Mickey Mouse. We’re checking the paw prints. Although, I might let that one go, I’m pretty sure the big rat’s a Republican. Anyway, we all know that Senator Obama is ready for any contingency – even the possibility of a sudden and dramatic market rebound. I’m told that at the first sign of recovery, he will suspend his campaign and fly immediately to Washington to address this crisis. [John McCain]

Presidential Campaigns, The Economy

“…the latest news from the presidential campaign trail, along with the upcoming congressional races and other political stories from around the country”

[It's All Politics': NPR's Weekly News Roundup via NPR]

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“To help you make an informed decision in the presidential election, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric will be focusing a lot of energy until Election Day to explaining exactly where the candidates stand on major issues – from energy to the economy, from health care to homeland security. Each piece will be an in-depth look at the issues facing the 44th president…”

• Income Tax – How three different families would fare under McCain and Obama’s tax plans. 
• Ending the War – The candidates’ plans to withdraw troops and end the war in Iraq.
• Housing Costs – Breaking down what the candidates would do about the mortgage crisis. 
• Small Business – From loans to healthcare to taxes, the candidates’ plans affect small business. 
• Environment – Taking a closer look at the candidates and climate change. 
• Health Care – How the candidates would handle skyrocketing health insurance costs. 

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Barack Obama and John McCain soon will begin prepping for their final debate, set for Wednesday. Meantime, both nominees and their running mates are putting in full days of campaigning. Obama is mining for votes in states that have been GOP turf, leading McCain to intensify his attacks, asking voters whether they really know what kind of leader Obama would be.[Obama Campaign Marches Into GOP Battlegrounds via NPR]

In the battleground states of North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana, polls show that Sen. Barack Obama is gaining ground against his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain. That may be partly because the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee so far have outspent McCain and the RNC on TV ads in those states by $14.4 million to $5.7 million.
[Obama Outspending McCain On TV Ads via NPR]

With recent polls showing Sen. Barack Obama’s lead increasing nationwide and in several GOP-leaning states, some Republicans attending John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign rallies are showing a new emotion: rage.[Rage rising on the McCain campaign trail via CNN]

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A graphic comparison of bear markets:
The bear market is already among the worst in history. Here is how it lines up – in losses and in length – with those of the last 80 years. [How This Bear Market Compares via NYT]

Plummeting stocks in the world markets do not amuse me.

The First Presidential Debate; The Palin Problem (& SNL’s Take On Both)

For those that missed the live broadcast, the 97-minute Sept. 26 Presidential Debate is available via MSNBC, complete with a timeline (legend + keywords) so you can jump around to a particular topic. I’ve also embedded a YouTube version and linked a few debate analyses. 

• Fight Night: McCain, Obama Spar on Economy, Foreign Affairs via ABC News
• A few jabs, but no knockout in first debate via CNN
• No Solid Winner or Loser in First Presidential Debate via FOX News

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Here are the Saturday Night Live sketches [via NBC] that are absolutely on-point, referencing Palin’s botched interview with Katie Couric and the first presidential debate.Tina Fey’s portrayal of Sarah Palin is perfect! Also included is a link to the popular SNL opener featuring “Palin” and “Clinton.”

• “Gov. Palin and Katie Couric get real and adorable“ 
• “McCain and Obama go head to head“
• “Gov. Palin and Senator Clinton address the nation“

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Gov. Sarah Palin says she is “looking forward to” vice presidential debate; Joe Biden’s campaign is playing up Palin’s debate skills. [VP hopefuls in debate prep mode via CNN]

Apparently, Palin did so poorly in her mock debates that she’s having to undergo a bit of a debate training with McCain’s top aides. Everyone I know is looking forward to this Thursday’s VP debate!

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“The McCain campaign moved its top officials inside Gov. Sarah Palin’s operation Sunday to prepare for what is certain to be the most important event of her vice-presidential campaign: her debate on Thursday with Democrat Joe Biden. Additionally, at the urging of the Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, Gov. Palin will leave late Monday for his Arizona ranch to prepare for the high-stakes debate. The moves follow several shaky performances by Gov. Palin last week and come amid concern and grumbling from Republicans, and even a few queries from her husband, Todd Palin, according to campaign operatives and Republican officials.” 
[Game Plan for Palin Is Retooled Ahead of Debate via Wall St. Journal]

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“As we’ve seen and heard more from John McCain’s running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn’t know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion…Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League. No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted… “
[Palin Problem via National Review]

Deal or No Deal? Political Limbo for Bailout

“The day began with an agreement that Washington hoped would end the financial crisis that has gripped the nation. It dissolved into a verbal brawl in the Cabinet Room of the White House, urgent warnings from the president and pleas from a Treasury secretary who knelt before the House speaker and appealed for her support…By 10:30 p.m., after another round of talks, Congressional negotiators gave up for the night and said they would try again on Friday.” 
[Talks Implode During Day of Chaos; Fate of Bailout Plan Remains Unresolved via NYT]

The economy is in shambles, mirroring and eclipsing a wrecked Galveston, TX. McCain supposedly is placing priorities over politics: suspending his campaign, rushing to work on the $700B bailout plan, and declaring (early this week) that he will not attend Friday’s presidential debate until a deal is made. In the midst of an economic crisis, this is a poorly disguised political stunt. I am confident that the debate will go on – there’s no reason for it not to.

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“It’s my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess,” Obama told reporters at a news conference in Florida. “It’s going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once.”

The prospect of postponing Friday’s debate rankled network executives, who have invested substantial resources in the infrastructure needed to carry the event live. Finding another block of TV time would be difficult. The coming month is crowded with fall television premiers, National Football League games and Major League Baseball playoffs. “Every network in America has that time laid out,” Fox News anchor Shepard Smith said on the air Wednesday. “There are thousands of people en route to Oxford, Miss., at this point. For seven months they’ve been working on this.” [John McCain seeks to postpone debate via LA Times]

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Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist, said the debate is the most important thing the candidates could do right now. “It’s preposterous that we can’t have a presidential debate in the middle of this economic crisis. We had a presidential campaign in 1864, when Sherman was marching on Atlanta. We had a presidential election in 1944, when D-Day was going on in Normandy,” he said. “We can have a debate on Friday. In fact, it’s probably the most important thing McCain and them could be doing, would be to debate the issues.”…

Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden on Thursday accused the Republicans of looking for a “distraction.” …Democrats have also implied that McCain is trying to buy more time for vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. McCain suggested having the presidential debate take the place of next Thursday’s vice presidential debate, and moving that one to a later date. [McCain's move: Putting priorities or politics first? via CNN]

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“I have never seen a presidential or vice presidential nominee, in my lifetime, be so inaccessible to the national media,” said Howard Kurtz, a Washington Post and CNN media critic. This week, Palin met with international leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations’ General Assembly meetings in New York, but once again, she was largely shielded from reporters.”
[Palin mingles with media in rare Q&A via CNN]

Palin is being babied and shielded from the media. On her little tour to meet and greet with world leaders, reporters and photographers were allowed in for all of five minutes, before being ushered out. I tire of seeing her on the news (coverage of Palin generally lacks substance). Her unscripted sit-down interview with Katie Couric was a complete embarrassment. I pity her.

When asked for an example of McCain (in his 26 years of being in Congress) leading the chargemore regulation on Wall St, she replied, “I’ll try to find you some and I’ll bring them to you.” See below for interview transcript excerpts:

• Katie Couric Interviews Alaska’s Governor On The Ailing Economy
• Katie Couric Interviews The Candidate About Watching Russia, Her New Passport, And Her Opinion Of Obama 

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See also:

• President Bush’s Speech to the Nation on the Economic Crisis via NYT
• WaMu is largest U.S. bank failure via Yahoo News

 

September Wall Street Woes

Failing investment, insurance, and financial giants are selling themselves like no tomorrow. As if our housing crisis (so many foreclosures) wasn’t enough – there goes our national economy. The next president has a lot of work to do.

On the up side, Bank of America, now has largest brokerage in the world after the acquisition of Merrill Lynch. I’m glad that my bank is doing well, unlike WaMu), for example. Anyway, here is the month of September, as presented by a selection of Breaking News Alerts from the The New York Times.

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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Stocks Plunge; Dow Off Nearly 450 Points
Stocks fell sharply as the Federal Reserve’s rescue of the giant insurer A.I.G. failed to calm jittery financial markets; prices for Treasury bills, gold and oil rose sharply.

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Fed to Give A.I.G. $85 Billion Loan and Take 80% Stake
In an extraordinary turn, the Federal Reserve agreed Tuesday to take a nearly 80 percent stake in the troubled giant insurance company, the American International Group, in exchange for an $85 billion loan.

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Fed Leaves Key Interest Rate Unchanged
The Federal Reserve said the strains on the financial markets have increased significantly, but it kept its key short-term interest rate unchanged at 2 percent.

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Monday, September 15, 2008
News Alert: Dow Closes Down More Than 500 Points
The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 500 points on Monday in the first day of investor reaction to some of the most dramatic developments in the history of high finance.

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Monday, September 15, 2008
Crude Oil Declines, Trading Below $100
After more than six months in triple-digit territory, oil prices dropped sharply, falling under the symbolic $100-a-barrel threshold as financial woes raised concerns about slowing oil demand.

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Monday, September 15, 2008
Dow Falls 300 Points Within Minutes of Opening
The Dow Jones industrials fell more than 300 points shortly after the open as the markets reacted to turmoil at major Wall Street investment banks.

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Monday, September 15, 2008
Lehman Brothers Announces It Will File Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Lehman Brothers, the storied Wall Street securities firm, announced on its Web site early Monday that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

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Sunday, September 14, 2008
A.I.G. Seeks $40 Billion in Fed Aid to Survive
The American International Group is seeking a bridge loan from the Federal Reserve as it faces a potential downgrade from credit ratings agencies.

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Sunday, September 14, 2008
Bank of America in Talks to Buy Merrill Lynch
Bank of America is in advanced talks to buy Merrill Lynch for $25 to $30 a share, people briefed on the negotiations said on Sunday.

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Lehman Sees $3.9 Billion Loss and Plans to Shed Assets
The struggling investment bank Lehman Brothers said that it would report a $3.9 billion loss for the third quarter and would sell a majority stake in its investment management unit as it struggles to stay afloat.

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Monday, September 8, 2008
U.S. Takeover of Mortgage Giants Lifts Markets
Following rallies in Asia and Europe, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 340 points, or about 3 percent, within two minutes of opening.

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Friday, September 5, 2008
Government Preparing Plan to Seize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Officials Say
Senior officials from the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve informed top executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage-finance giants, that the government is preparing a plan to seize the two companies and place them in a conservatorship, officials and company executives briefed on the discussions said.

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Friday, September 5, 2008
Economy Shed 84,000 Jobs in August; Unemployment Rate Jumped to 6.1%
The government said Friday that the American economy lost 84,000 private nonfarm jobs in August, the eighth straightmonth of job losses. The unemployment rate jumped to 6.1 percent in August, the highest in nearly five years. Both figures were worse than economists had forecast.

Looking Forward to the Debates.

[via Steve Greenberg's Cartoons]

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The Debate Schedule!

September 26, 2008: Presidential debate with domestic policy focus
October 2, 2008: Vice Presidential debate
October 7, 2008: Presidential debate in a town hall format
October 15, 2008: Presidential debate with foreign policy focus

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The Presidential Forum [link to transcript] at Columbia University was a cozy nonpartisan discussion on the anniversary of 9/11. I enjoyed hearing their unified messages about the importance of both civic (and military) service.

Obama: “America is the greatest country on earth. But it didn’t just happen on its own. It’s not a gift only, although it is a great blessing that we’ve received. It is also a responsibility. Part of what makes America work is the fact that we believe in individual responsibility and self-reliance, but we also believe in mutual responsibility, in neighborliness, in a sense that we are committed to something larger than ourselves. Now, that can express itself in a whole range of ways, but what has built this country is people sense, through voluntary associations, but also through public service in government, that we have commitments that extend beyond our immediate self-interest, that aren’t always motivated by profit, that aren’t simply short-term, that we’re thinking long-term, to the next generation.”

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Charles Gibson snuck in some “tricky” questions during The Interview With Sarah Palin [link to interview transcripts/excerpts]. Some of her gaffes = wow. I was amused to discover that she softened her stance on global warming (she doesn’t believe climate change is man-made) even though it’s obvious she’s in complete denial.

GIBSON: Is that a yes? That you think we have the right to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government, to go after terrorists who are in the Waziristan area?

PALIN: I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell bent on destroying America and our allies. We have got to have all options out there on the table.”

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Good luck to those weathering the storm over along the Texas coastlines. Hurricane Ike is one massive Category 2.

Alaskan Resident’s Personal Opinion of Palin

(Anne) Kilkenny sent out an e-mail earlier this week to friends and family answering, from her perspective, the question Outsiders are asking any Alaskan they know: “Who is this Sarah Palin?”
[Palin asked Wasilla librarian about censoring books via the Boston Herald]

I urge you to read the letter wrote on the Mayor-turned-Governor Palin that she has known:

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“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 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…”

[Excerpts from A Letter About Sarah Palin from Anne Kilkenny via Mudflats and verified by Snopes]

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Backing up Kilkenny’s perspective can be found in other articles such as this:

“But in the first major race of her career — the 1996 campaign for mayor of her hometown, Wasilla — Palin was a far more conventional politician. In fact, according to some who were involved in that fight, Palin was a highly polarizing political figure who brought partisan politics and hot-button social issues like abortion and gun control into a mayoral race that had traditionally been contested like a friendly intramural contest among neighbors.” 
[Mayor Palin: A Rough Record via Time]

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An different take on Palin, from the POV of an Iranian immigrant:

“Right after the Revolution in Iran and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the Iran-Iraq war was started…One of the problems the government faced was opposition from legions of mothers whose sons had been maimed or died in the war. To confront this problem, the government-controlled TV would parade a mother whose son had died in the war in front of the TV on a regular basis. Invariably, this “show mom” would be carrying an infant child and a few other siblings with her. And invariably, she would say something to the effect that “I have given one child to this ’sacred’ war, and I am ready to give the next one.” Almost always, there would be an adoring crowd who would follow her statements by chants…Sarah Palin was much better dressed than the average show mom paraded on Iranian TV more than 20 years ago. The show moms were typically dressed in a black veil. But that’s about the biggest difference. The rhetoric was eerily familiar. When she was finished, I knew I had seen her before. Only that it wasn’t her. It was her ideological predecessors at a different time in a different country.”
[Where Have I Seen Sarah Palin Before? by Arash Kamangeer]

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John McCain is a good man and a great Republican nominee for the presidency, but there’s just something that doesn’t ring true about his Vice Presential pick, Sarah Palin. I’ve had a bad feeling about her from the very start.

I think that Palin, as a politician or simply as a representative “media image”, attracts an interesting base of voters. All the frenzy & hoopla surrounding her various ’scandals’ makes her an even more sympathetic figure to those voters and (for Democrats) are serving as distractions from real problems against her. I’m laughing hard now, but I’m seriously hoping that I’m not underestimating her. On the bright side, her speech from the RNC raked in about $10 million on Obama’s behalf.

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Excerpt of the latest Policy Alert from the American Association for the Advancement of Science:

Republican VP Pick Supports Teaching “Both Sides.” Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain’s choice for his running-mate, has expressed views on a number of issues of interest to scientists. In a televised debate during the Alaska governor’s race in October 2006, Palin, in response to a question about teaching creationism in public schools, replied, “Teach both. You know, don’t be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it’s so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both.” As governor, Palin has opposed the federal government’s decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species because of climate change and shrinking sea ice with an op-ed in The New York Times and a suit in federal court. She believes that human activities are not responsible for global climate change, favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and opposes federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research – all positions that conflict not only with the Democratic platform but also with positions McCain has taken in the past.