Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

The slimy Republican surrogates noted that Dukakis did not "look like" so many Americans.  

In 2004 the swift boat campaign was launched against a decorated war hero of the Vietnam War on behalf of a candidate in George W. Bush that initially ducked away from combat as his well connected father got him a coveted position in the Texas National Guard, then disappeared from his unit.  

An analysis of available records reveals that Bush apparently went AWOL.  Bush never reported to what was to be his next National Guard unit in Alabama.

Then there was 1992, when George Bush the Elder's surrogates sought to slime Bill Clinton with ill-defined treason innuendos as Republican operatives violated federal law by obtaining the Arkansas governor's State Department file.  

In the first candidates' debate Bush was directly confronted by Clinton and effectively demolished after an accusation of Clinton's "helping lead" an anti-U.S. demonstration abroad, meaning participating in the kind of anti-war protest that was becoming increasingly frequent both in America and abroad.

So now McCain has scuttled that presumed compact he made with America's voters six months ago regarding issues oriented, civil campaigning.  

He makes the kind of questionable statement that could well be laced with racist innuendo when he asks, "What do we really know about this Barack Obama?" while carrying on in the same vein as New York City's slaphappy former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and his demeaning Republican Convention comment of Obama, get this, being a "community organizer".

At this same convention McCain chose, amid relentless lobbying from the zealots of the religious right, Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin to be his appropriately "maverick" running mate and indeed, she is one ornery critter to say the least.  

When she is unable to provide the name of one newspaper she reads and cannot name one U.S. Supreme Court decision with which she disagrees aside from Roe v. Wade, she does the familiar.

As a member of the hate brewing, invective tossing Republican right Palin blames the left wing media, in this case fire breathing radical Katie Couric, who asked what most citizens thought of as simple questions designed to draw out the candidate.

So now the soccer mom who asked of Joe Biden before their debate "Can I call you Joe?" is now politically attacking him while he attends the funeral of and grieves over the recent death of his mother-in-law.

Palin chirps and smirks in her traditional Republican attack dog manner as she questions the patriotism of Barack Obama for flirting with a terrorist who wanted to destroy America.  The New York Times and other sources have investigated the charge of Obama association with Bill Ayers, which has been familiar fodder by Sean Hannity on the Fox scene, and found it wanting.  

The conclusion of those who have actually investigated the charge is that Obama barely knew Ayers.

Meanwhile Republican kooks in Palin's hate-filled audiences call out words such as "terrorist" and "traitor".  One enraged loony shouted "kill him" in an apparent reference to either Bill Ayers, the former Weather Underground terrorist, or Obama.

Nice going, Senator McCain.  You picked a wonderful "maverick" to be your running mate, someone to curry favor with the basest element of American society.  There is nothing like revving up the old fundamentalist right wing Republican base by delivering words that are sure to warm what passes for the hearts of Ku Klux Klan members.  

Give Palin a little more time to warm up to her task, which she appears to relish, and she will make bigots everywhere forget about David Duke.

Meanwhile has there been any repudiation over the hate-filled comments shouted at Palin rallies?  Actually no.  Nor was there repudiation of the bigotry displayed by the yahoo law enforcement official, the hate spewing sheriff from Lee County, Florida when he called out Obama's middle name with obviously bigoted intent.

The question that needs to be asked now more than ever is, "Are you, Sarah Palin, a terrorist?"

Governor Palin, there is a man by the name of Joe Vogler living in your state.  He has led this organization called the Alaska Independence Party.  Guess what, Governor Palin, your husband Todd, Alaska's self-designated "first dude" has held membership in it.

You remember the organization well since you addressed one of their recent conventions and wished those Alaskans well.

Indeed, you wished them well, and you call Barack Obama someone who consorts with a known terrorist.  Let us examine your vulnerability in that area.

Organizations are known and recognized by their leadership.  As for this Joe Vogler, what does he think about the America that you are seeking to convince the nation's voters that you are ready to lead as president or vice president?

Sarah, if you become vice president or perhaps president, should circumstances dictate, would you follow the lead of Vogler and spearhead an effort by your own state of Alaska secede from the union?  Does this sound like Civil War II?

Have you read, Sarah, what Vogler has said about America on the Alaska Independence Party's website?

Here are Vogler's stinging words:

"I'm an Alaskan, not an American.  I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."

Do you support those words of the leader of the party you wished well and that your own husband joined, Sarah?

Sarah, don't those words of Vogler's sound like a ... like a terrorist?