If your rock-solid beliefs and party platform ardently support abstinence-only sex education, abortion only to save the life of the mother, and no easily obtained birth control (assuming they actually know what that is and how it works) then you have to factor in (and accept) the fact that accidental/unwanted pregnancies and children will be born. Doesn't it seem that in order to further these ideals you might want to not only fund these post-birth programs but bolster them? Lumping them in with other hand-out programs seems counter-productive at best, hypocritical at worst.

This has long been a criticism of the religious right, only caring about the "unborn" until they are born. But maybe all of this celebration of teenage pregnancy only applies to families that can financially afford to support the errant teens?

My guess is that if those line-items were disclosed for the whole budget, Sarah's priorities will not be as noble as some are painting them.

That was just puzzling. I think some of these guys (Lieberman, Romney) were driven insane by their disappointment over losing out to Gov. Palin in the "race" for that wonderful VP job.

Between Joe and Mitt some pretty vapid stuff.

I almost wish Obama would take note of Reagan's tactic against Carter, that cheerful yet dismissive, 'There you go again,' kind of response.

I know what you mean about cringing, but the vision of McCain's head blowing off in the middle of a debate with Obama pulling that line out really gave me a much-needed grin.

I really hope at some point SOMEONE asks McCain/Palin some real specifics for all of this change they say they are going to bring. They are really gliding along on (dare I say it) Palin's celebrity. Hopefully the curiosity phase will pass.

And I agree about all of the ummms and "you knows" when Obama answers questions. It will not come off well in the debates as McCain sticks to his scripted, declarative statements.

JT

would we ever get old softball Charlie to ask questions like these.

I think I'm past even being disappointed at this point.

JT

When I was still in medical school I assisted in the birth of a term stillborn infant. I already had a toddler of my own (after several miscarriages) and even after > 20 years I can still remember the details.

Everything had been fine until a routine exam failed to detect a heartbeat -- the young woman was brought to Labor and Delivery, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a large inner city birthing suite. She was assigned to one of the interns because this was clearly low-risk (not requiring more senior supervision) and she and I spent all night at her bedside -- in one of the back rooms. It was surreal as the pain of childbirth is often tempered by the knowledge that a magnificent "prize" made it worthwhile -- but of course, not in this case. It was excruciating and the final delivery of a physically perfect, beautiful full-term girl into a completely silent room is an image I still carry. The nurses were tremendous -- bathing the child and swaddling her. They had strongly encouraged the parents to hold their little girl and though I never saw the parents again, I felt that they had started the healing process in the room that morning.

I hope that they had the strength to try again as did Ms McCracken -- to finally experience the joy of a baby's first scream at the end of a long labor.

And kufir77 --- I hope that your parents (who presumably had high hopes that they had raised a decent human being) are not too disappointed with the ugly person that you have become. Your post was one of the most reprehensible I have seen in a long time.

JT

Then she should not have claimed that Washington "needed" McCain (not Obama) to come and fix everything because he is a "maverick".

That's what led to Couric's trying to get an example of when he had previously demonstrated his facility with establishing regulatory policy.

It's pathetic and beyond cynical that he made this decision to foist her on the electorate.

By the way, why isn't anybody pointing out how absurd it is that McCain suspended his campaign in order to haul ass back to D.C. for White Knighting of the Senate and prodigious photo opportunities while also sending Palin out for a nationally televised one on one network interview the first two days of the suspension?

Probably because we are now lost among all of the absurdities of this campaign. Or just numb after watching those Palin interviews.

That was actually a *great* moment as the realization dawned that what Fey was saying sounded familiar...

My teenager turned to me and said "Wait, I think she's using Palin's real answer as part of a comedy sketch!" Sigh.

If only the whole nomination was a comedy sketch and not reality. The idiocy of this choice is mind-bending.

JT