From Red State:

On a plane from Denver to Charlotte following the Democrats’ convention, I found myself seated behind former National Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Don Fowler and Congressman John Spratt of South Carolina. Their conversation was interesting to say the least.

For example, they made fun of Sarah Palin for several minutes, Fowler calling her “Dan Quayle” on steroids and Spratt creatively describing her as “just terrible.” They both agreed that, “Other than the simple fact that she’s a female,” she has nothing to offer.

And then comes the video, which according to Palmetto Scoop, goes like this:

“The hurricane is going to hit New Orleans about the time they start,” Fowler says while laughing. “The timing is, at least it appears now, it will be there Monday. That just demonstrates God is on our side.”

Fowler fumbles through some papers for a few seconds before smirking at Spratt and saying “everything’s cool.”

Uh, Spratt, everything is most certainly NOT cool when a hurricane is bearing down on an American coastline or, for that matter, any coastline anywhere in the world. You see, gentlemen, there’s this thing called being humane and caring…and these sentiments pretty much entail that when a catastrophe threatens, you think of the people who may be harmed and hope that it doesn’t happen…appearing to be happy about it … well, that’s just the action of a monster…or, as it is, a Democrat who, like most senior Democrats, puts Party before not just country, but every damned thing in the world.

South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson responds:

The outrageous behavior of two of the Obama campaign’s highest profile supporters in the south is despicable, a cynical politization of life and death. I call on Barack Obama to immediately denounce Fowler and Spratt and demand sincere apologies from these members of the Democratic leadership.

But do you want to know what Democrats will do about this? Blame Bush, blame McCain, blame everyone but themselves and they won’t do anything about it unless these two jokers look like they risk what is for Democrats the only bad thing which can happen – a Democratic electoral loss.

The kook left seems, at least in some instances, to be turning towards terrorism:

Weapons and devices to disable buses – among other items – were found in searches in the Twin Cities last night and today by Ramsey County sheriff’s deputies.

Authorities said the items came from “key members of the RNC Welcoming Committee,” a self-described anarchist group.

Five people have been arrested and four properties have been searched, according to the sheriff’s office.

At 8 a.m. today, the sheriff’s office executed search warrants at three Minneapolis homes – 2301 23rd Ave. S., 3500 Harriet Ave. and 3240 17th Ave. S. They were assisted by the FBI, Minneapolis police and the Hennepin County sheriff’s office.

“The ‘Welcoming Committee’ is a criminal enterprise made up of 35 anarchists who are intent on committing criminal acts before and during the Republican National Convention,” said Sheriff Bob Fletcher in a statement. “These acts include tactics to blockade and disable delegate buses, breaching venue security and injuring police officers. They have recruited assistance in their criminal conspiracy from other anarchists groups throughout the country. Through their plans and actions they have exhibited a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of others.”

And this, my friends, is the result of years of leftwing lies about President Bush and the War on Terrorism. Plenty of screwball lefties really think that the 2000 and 2004 elections were stolen and that Iraq was cooked up to provide contracts for Bush/Cheney cronies and that we’re actually out there torturing people and deliberately killing innocent people. If you are really convinced about such things, then what would you do to stop them from happening? I said some years ago that the way the left is acting regarding President Bush is the stuff with which civil wars are made, and my prayer then was that no one would resort to violence…well, it looks like some were determined on violence, and there may be others out there, undiscovered.

Additionally, this is why we really need to get a full accounting of Obama’s friendship with unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers, as well as Obama’s other connections to radical leftists. We need to know, with certainty, just what Obama has said and done when conferring with kook leftists, and whether or not Obama has or does subscribe to any of the insane leftwing theories about what happened on 9/11, in Iraq and throughout the Bush Administration. There is no place in American politics for the purveyors of paranoia and conspiracy theories, and all of those who in any way, shape or form subscribe to such things must be forced out of our politics, lest they poison it irretrievably.

As IMAO notes, the news for conservatives just keeps getting better:

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is skipping the Republican National Convention this week in Minnesota to manage an ongoing budget dispute in Sacramento. Republican officials say Fred Thompson will take his place in the prime-time lineup Monday night and onetime presidential candidate will have nearly three times longer to speak than he was originally given for his speech on Tuesday.

Schwarzenegger hinted that he might skip the convention at a press conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “The work for the people of California, and to solve this budget problem, is the most important thing right now for me,” he said.

Thompson, who is launching a new political action committee — FredPAC — in conjunction with the start of the convention, will now have twenty minutes to speak rather than seven. Other speakers Monday night include Vice President Dick Cheney and President George W. Bush.

Thompson, Cheney, Bush – yeah, I’ll be tuning in…

Our lefties are still sticking to the idiot talking point that Governor Palin is less qualified than Barack Obama – on the strength of Obama’s “community organising” and 150 days of active Senate work, Obama is held to be better prepared for the Presidency than the “former mayor of a town of 9,000 people” is for the Vice Presidency. I find this rather odd – as Obama hasn’t been so much as dog catcher in a town of 900. If Obama had at least run a McDonald’s at some point in his career, he’d have some executive experience.

At any rate, let’s have a look at Alaska and see what Governor Palin’s responsibilities have been for the past 22 months, per the Alaska Constitution:

The governor shall be responsible for the faithful execution of the laws…

Whenever the governor considers it in the public interest, he may convene the legislature, either house, or the two houses in joint session.

The governor shall, at the beginning of each session, and may at other times, give the legislature information concerning the affairs of the State and recommend the measures he considers necessary.

The governor is commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the State. He may call out these forces to execute the laws…

The governor may proclaim martial law when the public safety requires it…

Subject to procedure prescribed by law, the governor may grant pardons, commutations, and reprieves, and may suspend and remit fines and forfeitures…

The governor may make changes in the organization of the executive branch or in the assignment of functions among its units which he considers necessary for efficient administration. Where these changes require the force of law, they shall be set forth in executive orders…

Each principal department shall be under the supervision of the governor.

The head of each principal department shall be a single executive unless otherwise provided by law. He shall be appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by a majority of the members of the legislature in joint session, and shall serve at the pleasure of the governor…

When a board or commission is at the head of a principal department or a regulatory or quasi-judicial agency, its members shall be appointed by the governor…

The governor may make appointments to fill vacancies occurring during a recess of the legislature, in offices requiring confirmation by the legislature. The duration of such appointments shall be prescribed by law.

And now let us turn to Obama’s responsibilities over the past 22 months:

Talking and voting, from time to time, in the Senate.

While there is also a story out there of Hillary supporters now going for Obama because McCain choose Palin (surely the most asinine bit of spin ever created, but no way to disprove it), this part rings true, and will prove verifiable as time goes on:

Here is one from an Ohio source I know to be reliable:

Speaking about GOP grass roots on fire, here in Cuyahoga County we have four victory centers, and in mine alone in the all-important city of Parma, I had 47 calls between 12:30 and 2 p.m. yesterday, all asking how they could volunteer and how they could get a yard sign…

The RNC, clearly hoping to push this angle, has also sent over an internal memo from Political Director Rich Beeson with their own examples. This one, from Waukesah County, Wisc., stands out. The rest are after the jump:

Today in Waukesha we had a woman come in who was volunteering for the first time. She told me that she heard that Sarah Palin was McCain’s choice for VP, and that she could immediately relate to her. Like Gov. Palin, our volunteer is also a mother of five, and is also a “hockey mom.” She told me that she was sitting at her table (which she said also serves as her office), and that she realized that Gov. Palin’s urging others to “get involved” was meant for her. She told me that she heard that and immediately drove to our headquarters. She stayed for over two hours making phone calls, and said that she will be back every week from now until Election Day.

Conservatives have been looking for a reason to back McCain, and he gave them one in Sarah Palin…hard core Hillary supporters have been looking for reasons to not back Obama, and I can’t imagine that someone in such a frame of mind would become an Obama supporter because the GOP has a talented, female candidate for Vice President. I’m sure the DNC will be able to dredge up a few on command, but the very concept is, well, stupid. I’m sure that PUMA will continue forward in spite of efforts on the part of Obama and his Democrats to make it go away.

Nevada Pundit gets into the kitchen with Barack Obama, and sees a recipe for disaster.

From Iowahawk:

Speak to me, O Muse, of this resourceful man

who strides so boldly upon the golden shrine at Invescos,

Between Ionic plywood columns, to the kleig light altar.

Fair Obamacles, favored of the gods, ascends to Olympus

Amidst lusty tributes and the strumming lyres of Media;

Their mounted skyboxes echo with the singing of his name

While Olbermos and Mattheus in their greasy togas wrassle

For first honor of basking in their hero’s reflected glory.

Who is this man, so bronzed in countenance,

So skilled of TelePropter, clean and articulate

whose ears like a stately urn’s protrude?

So now, daughter of Zeus, tell us his story.

And just the Cliff Notes if you don’t mind,

We don’t have all day.

Read the whole thing.

Nothing like a self-absorbed liberal Democrat when one is looking for something to make fun of…

Flopping Aces has the details. Short version:

A creep of a State Trooper got himself into trouble long before Palin even ran for governor – the creep of a State Trooper’s boss, a Palin appointee, was canned for various reasons and then came out with the story that he was fired because of pressure placed on him by Palin to fire the State Trooper. The story is being pushed by the person Palin beat in order to become governor.

Big non-story. Have at it, liberals…you’ll only look like fools when all is said and done.

Completely understandable:

Republican officials said yesterday that they are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul because of Tropical Storm Gustav, which is on track to hit the Gulf Coast, and possibly New Orleans, as a full-force hurricane early next week.

The threat is serious enough that White House officials are also debating whether President Bush should cancel his scheduled convention appearance on Monday, the first day of the convention, according to administration officials and others familiar with the discussion.

For Bush and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, Gustav threatens to provide an untimely reminder of Hurricane Katrina. A new major storm along the Gulf Coast would renew memories of one of the low points of the Bush administration, while pulling public attention away from McCain’s formal coronation as the GOP presidential nominee.

Senior Republicans said images of political celebration in the Twin Cities while thousands of Americans flee a hurricane could be dubious. “Senator McCain has always been sensitive to national crisis,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds, noting that the senator postponed announcing his presidential candidacy in 2000 because of the war in the Balkans. “We are monitoring the situation very closely.”

Matt Burns, a spokesman for the convention, said that as of last night, it is scheduled to open on time. “We are planning for our convention to open on Monday,” he said. “Like all Americans, we are monitoring the situation closely in the Gulf.”

Yes, indeed we are – and while our prayer is that Gustav will fizzle into a little light rain before it makes landfall in the United States, the crucial thing now, for the people of Louisiana, is that they have a Republican governor who won’t fall apart in a crisis, like the Democratic governor did during Katrina, ultimately causing all the problems which were entirely unfairly laid at President Bush’s feet. Michael Moore has been quoted as saying that this new hurricane developing around the GOP convention is proof there is a God…and he might be right, but not in the way he thinks…the American people will see a Republican response from the get-go, and will be able to compare and contrast to the Democratic response three years ago.

And I’m actually sorry it has to be this way – but it was the Democrats who turned Katrina into a nasty, slanderous, partisan political attack. Democrats cooked this nasty broth, and now they might just have to drink it to the dregs.

Michelle Obama goes Orwellian on the abortion issue:

Speaking of her husband, Michelle Obama said: “He’ll protect a woman’s freedom of choice, because government should have no say in whether or when a woman embraces the sacred responsibility of parenthood.”

So, parenthood is a “sacred responsibilty”, but if you decide to kill your unborn child you’re not violating anything sacred nor denigrating the status of parenthood? Only in the weird and depressing world of the left could anyone apply the word “sacred” to a defense of killing unborn children…

If you read further into the linked news story, you’ll also see how the gathered pro-abortion fanatics listening to Mrs. Obama were angered over President Bush making it possible for medical professionals to abstain from abortion on matters of conscience – to the pro-abortion fanatics, this denies the right of women to obtain an abortion…which means, of course, that the pro-abortion people believe that medical professions have an obligation to perform a task for another human being. Only in the Left’s alternate universe could a human right (which they claim abortion is) require the participation of other people against their will.

Words to describe this: Stupid. Hateful. Anti-Human. Insane.