Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State

At long last, the Democrats may have found their Sarah Palin, a Republican Vice Presidential candidate much criticized for having said, probably not in jest, that one could see Russia from Alaska. In an extensive interview with Hartford online radio network’s “ On The Horn ”, 5th District U.S. House candidate Chris Donovan several times referred to North Korean dictators as monarchs (not butterflies), a flub that would portend alarming ignorance in lesser Republican candidates. Mr. Donovan called both the elder Kim Jong IL  and his peachy-cheeked son “kings.” Here is a transcription of Mr. Donovan's remarks on Korea: "Horn: We have things going on in North Korea I want you to comment on… What do we do with places like North Korea, where we have the boy king? "Donovan: Well, it’s still pretty much of a mystery right now. We’re seeing more of North Korea than we’ve seen in decades. I mean, the stories that were told to the populace about the former king and his ex...

Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, as everyone knows by now, is a lightning rod for progressive dissatisfaction. At some point during her campaign for the Vice Presidency on the Republican ticket, one of her more enterprising critics produced a tea shirt emblazoned on the front with a misogynistic, not to say rude, message: “Sarah Palin Is a c**t.” Some were dissapointed when the tea shirt was not roundly denounced by Mrs. Palin’s usual critics, many of whom were graduates with advanced degrees from the feminist school of politics. There is no sign of a let-up of Palinphobia among her more respectable critics. A Freedom of Information request having been submitted more than a year ago for the release of e-mails written by Governor Palin, the Washington the Post on Sunday morning offered to its on line readers “a full searchable text… [of] Sarah Palin's e-mails from her time as governor of Alaska from 2006-2008.” For the politically prurient, here is a partial list of topics...

Former Governor of Alaska and Republican nominee for Vice President Sarah Palin snaked her way into Massachusetts through Connecticut with minimal notice. But when she arrived in the Patriot State, she was besieged by ill-wishers after she had “ mangled ” a historical reference to Paul Revere’s ride. In a 2’fer, an assassination “joke” by “comedian” Christopher Titus targeted both Sarah Palin and the Kennedy family. Mr. Titus joked that if Sarah Palin became president, he would “hang out on the grassy knoll all the time, just loaded and ready," after which he offered an apology: “While sitting in a comedy club with another comedian doing a podcast after listening to Sarah Palin’s stupid comments about Paul Revere -- something we all learned about in the first grade -- I popped off. More than anything, I made a joke about a horrible tragedy that befell a great President. To the Kennedy family, my heartfelt apologies. To Ms. Palin’s family, this would infuriate me if it were s...

Victor David Hanson writes most persuasively about war and peace, more often than not two sides to a similar coin: Long periods of peace in history often follow decisive wars. Here Mr. David Hanson scrolls out some highly objectionable quotes from President Barack Obama – nice to have in an rhetorical ammo dump (please forgive the metaphor) when recent converts to bi-partisanship begin to chafe under assaults (forgive the metaphor) from their opponents: “There is much talk that Sarah Palin’s ‘crosshairs’ ad pushed Loughner over the edge. But if sloppy use of gun metaphors can drive anyone to shoot congressional representatives, think what we are up against when the president of the United States invokes violent imagery to galvanize his supporters. What are we to make of Obama’s warning of ‘hand-to-hand combat’ if the Republicans take over; or his comment that one of his supporters could ‘tear [Sean Hannity] up’; or his Untouchables boast that ‘if they bring a knife to the fight, w...

Ann Coulter, universally despised by left wing Democrats, became a bit cuddlier when she demanded in one of her columns that Linda McMahon, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate go back to wrestling, her spot on the ticket to be taken by Rob Simmons, who stopped campaigning officially after the Republican nomination convention folded its tent. Coulter has called upon Sarah Palin, whose relationship with the Tea Party Patriot movement remains strong, to rally to Simmons’s side. In Connecticut, part of the movement seems to be drifting in Peter Schiff’s direction. The likelihood of Palin supporting Simmons is remote. But following Coulter’s column, it may now be safe for the Connecticut resident to return to UConn or Canada as a public speaker .

Fox News has signed up yet another foxy news contributor --  Sarah Palin . According to Politico : “Fox said Palin will provide political commentary and analysis for Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FoxNews.com and Fox News-produced special event political programming for Fox Broadcasting. “Palin will also host periodic episodes of Fox News’ “Real American Stories,” a series exploring inspirational real-life tales of overcoming adversity throughout the American landscape that will debut in 2010, the network said.” Move over Katy Couric.

Yes, pretty much. Socialism arrived in Europe with the Christian message, tucked inside an embarrassment of Beatitudes. There are two sets of Christian Beatitudes. Mathew (5:1-12) is toothless, because none of the blessings in Mathew are accompanied by the red in tooth and claw curses found in Luke (6: 20-26). “Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God… But woe to you that are rich: for ye have your consolation.” And there is this hard to swallow beatitude: “Blessed shall ye be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake… Woe to you when men shall bless you; for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets.” That last might serve as a testament useful to column writers. You cannot go far wrong when you take up arms against the world, which belongs to Satan and, for the moment, at least in Connecticut and Washington DC, to the Democratic Party. At it ...

Yes, pretty much. Socialism arrived in the West with the Christian message, packed inside an embarrassment of Beatitudes. There are two sets of Christian Beatitudes. Mathew (5:1-12) is toothless, because none of the blessings in Mathew are accompanied by the stinging curses found in Luke. Luke (6: 20-26) is red in tooth and claw. “Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God… But woe to you that are rich: for ye have your consolation.” And there is this hard beatitude to swallow: “Blessed shall ye be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake… Woe to you when men shall bless you; for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets.” That last might serve as a testament useful to column writers. You cannot go far wrong when you take up arms against the world, which belongs to Satan and for the moment, at least in Connecticut and Washington DC, to the Democ...

A Politico critique of Sarah Palin’s critique of the health care bill approved this week by the Senate Finance Committee is described by Politico as “wonky,” and decidedly non-vituperative, which is another way of saying that she can no longer see Russia from Alaska. Of course, anything written or said by Palin is bound to cause apoplexy among her critics, who are legion.

Hell hath no fury like a media commentator whose narrative has been scorned. This is the way things were supposed to go: Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin would abide the pelting of a pitiless storm of law suits filed by her political opponents in Alaska, all of which have been turned aside by the courts; then she was supposed to run either for president or for some other national office, at which point the pelting would begin all over again. As the Fourth of July approached, Palin announced that she was retiring as Governor of Alaska, and shortly thereafter the speculation hit the fan. Vain speculators on the left, a good many of whom apparently read Vanity Fair, thought that Palin resigned because she could not bear the heat pouring out of the political kitchen. The Vanity Fair article, ten thousand words long, drew the veil off some of the infighting that occurred in the John McCain political camp after McCain picked Palin to run as his vice presidential candidate, on the whole not a ...

Andrew Sullivan , no Republican Party stooge, compares Caroline Kennedy, the presumptive senator from New York, and Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, finding one of them wanting: “I was struck by this story in the NYT this morning: “As the day wore on, the carefully maintained silence surrounding her campaign-that-isn’t cracked, then shattered under the weight of the intense public interest her bid has drawn. She declined any questions in Syracuse, grudgingly answered a few in Rochester, and then gave what almost felt like — but was not — a full-fledged news conference in Buffalo, joined by the mayor there, Byron W. Brown. "Remind you of anyone? "In fact, Sarah Palin was more qualified to be vice-president than Caroline Kennedy is to be a Senator. Both are celebrities, but Palin made her own way herself, winning election as mayor and governor without the kind of raw nepotism now on display in New York State. The model now, of course, is similar - finding a way to get elected...

President Barrack Obama’s cabinet is firming up, and Markos Moulitsas, the progressive firebrand at DailyKos, is not on the list. Aiming for a cabinet of rivals , Obama has included New York Senator Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State, an appointment that has caused some controversy in the progressive barracks. It is supposed that Hillary the warrior was chosen to prosecute Obama’s military ambitions in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the government of which – at least that portion of it that remains uncorrupted – is on shaky grounds. Arnaud-de-Borchgrave advises against a re-deployment of troops to Afghanistan and, along the way, provides a delicious quote from outgoing President George Bush: "I know you believe you understood what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize what you heard is not what I meant." Back home in Connecticut, the Journal Inquirer reports that leaders of the Connecticut Community Providers Association, a group of non-profit agencies that d...

Jim Shea, the funnybone tickling guy at the Hartford Courant , spoke for the entire paper when he said in a recent column: “After shooting fish in a barrel for so long, Obama is going to be tough. Right now, other than the jug ears, I got nothing. Hopefully this will change. In the meantime ... I don't know about the economy, but right now, people in my business are about to enter a depression. We're going to have a hard time trying to put food on our families.” That little prepositional confusion was a black tribute to outgoing President George Bush, who tended to slur his ideas. But really, this comedy stuff is serious business. Asked by some tortured politician in the golden age of Greek comedy whether he “took anything seriously,” Aristophanes responded, “Of course, I take comedy seriously.” Twenty percent of voters this year followed the election through the rose colored glasses of comics, usually liberal ones like Gary Trudeau, the star studded cast of Comedy Central and ...

The report on the ethics probe exonerating Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin of any ethical wrongdoing in the so-called “troopergate” investigation was tucked away inconspicuously in the Hartford Courant . The paper's front page on Election Day was devoted to a bidding made by a company that had been implicated in the ancient Rowland scandal, which occurred several years ago. On the Courant internet site, the brief unadorned story was accompanied by an advertising box asking, “Is Sarah Palin Dumb?” Verily, the age of Obama is upon us. No doubt the Courant burried the story because it did not wish to disturb Bill Curry and other of its columnist who gave such play to the politically motivated story on the day of the election. The paper has endorsed Obama as president. Not a good day for the progressive Palin hunters at the Courant, Colin McEnroe among them, though they can consol themselves by reflecting that the report exonerating Palin will not be seen by those wh...

The investigation concluded there was no "probable cause" that Palin violated the state's executive ethics act in dismissing Walt Monegan as public safety commissioner. It also cleared her of ethics violations in respect to her dealings regarding Michael Wooten, the trooper involved in a contentious divorce and custody battle with the governor's sister.

Al Quada, Non-partisan in American Election Al Qaeda is trying its best this Halloween to be non-partisan, according to a recent Reuters report . “’O God, humiliate Bush and his party, O Lord of the Worlds, degrade and defy him,’ Abu Yahya al-Libi said at the end of sermon marking the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr, in a video posted on the Internet. “Libi, a top al Qaeda commander believed to be living in Afghanistan or Pakistan, called for God's wrath to be brought against Bush equating him with past tyrants in history.” For months, militants on al Qaeda-linked websites have been debating the significance of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama or Republican John McCain, but the politically savvy leadership has been careful not to be as partisan as, say, CNN. Why the reticence? "To support a particular candidate,” wrote Rita Katz, the director of SITE Intelligent Group, a terrorist monitor, “would debase al-Qaeda's long-standing argument that the United States gov...

Most reporters in Connecticut appear to think that John McCain, should he buck the odds and become president, will die in office approximately 30 seconds after he has been sworn in, leaving Vice President Sarah Palin to discharge the awesome duties of the presidency. They speculate that she will not be up to the task, and four of them, according to a report in the Hartford Courant by Mark Pazniokas , have brought their worries to Sen. Joe Lieberman, a McCain supporter. Lieberman consulted some actuaries and told the reporters that reports of McCain’s imminent demise, to paraphrase Mark Twain, have been greatly exaggerated. Naturally, this did not convince the reporters. “Lieberman initially sidestepped a question about Palin's readiness to be president on day one. "’She's not going to have to be president from day one because McCain is going to be alive and well. I've been talking to actuaries and doctors,’ Lieberman said. ‘He can be expected to live to his mid-80s and...

The day after the great debate between Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, everyone was prepared to pass judgment. I didn’t catch the debate. My wife Andrée had arranged for us to see at UConn the Bolt play, “A Man For All Seasons.” And so when the two bumped heads, we found ourselves in the sold out Nafe Katter Theatre's packed house watching Michael McKensie, playing St. Thomas More, scowling at Thomas Cromwell’s pragmatism: “ALICE: They say he's a very penetrating lawyer. “MORE: What, Cromwell? Pooh, he's a pragmatist-and that's the only resemblance he has to the Devil, son Roper; a pragmatist, the merest plumber.” McKensie spat the word “pragmatist” far out into the second row. It is an explosive line and ought to remind us, in this the age of pragmatism and cynicism, that once there was something more honorable than reasons of state. After viewing the debate, what strikes me most forcefully is how wrong everyone was about Palin, except of course the peo...

The gaffe meter is running, said one reporter for a state-wide newspaper. Gaffs there will be, sure as shooting, in the debate, so called, between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, the Republican and Democrat nominees for vice president. And writers for the late night comics will be watching eagerly, pen in hand, to record every misstep. The show must go on; material must be fed into the comic machine; attention must be paid. The experience vs inexperience topic still resonates among commentators and reporters. Of course, the most experienced political player in the political game right now is current all-time gaffer champ President George Bush, the Yogi Berra of presidential gaffers, and those people who have been accustomed to beating Palin over the head with their “lack of experience” comic blatters don’t like him at all. Apparently, there are two kinds of presidential experience: the good kind and the bad kind. No less an authority on things political than Woopie Goldberg has pointed ou...

“On the last night of the Republican convention,” Jim Geraghty observed in the latest issue of National Review , “MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann reacted in outrage to a comment by Hawaii governor Linda Lingle... Said Olbermann: 'I’d love the governor or anybody else repeating those talking points to give us the names of those news organizations that have actually questioned whether or not mothers have a right to sit in office. But we haven’t heard that list yet.' His colleague Chris Matthews agreed: 'I sit here waiting for that list of major news organizations who have questioned her motherhood or her right to become vice president, given her motherhood. I don’t think it has ever happened.' “Glad to oblige.” And oblige he does. NBC News anchor Brian Williams: “Are [working women with several children] wrong when they express fears or doubts that she should be able to do this, that she should be doing this?” Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn: “And I think if you’re talking ...