Check out the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html

"Religion, however, was not strictly a thread in Palin's foreign policy. It was part of her energy proposals as well. Just prior to discussing Iraq, Alaska's governor asked the audience to pray for another matter -- a $30 billion national gas pipeline project that she wanted built in the state. "I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that," she said."

Some have claimed that Obama's recently improved poll numbers reflect the how his acceptance speech snowed the electorate. I call bullshit on that. The poll swing was not very big. It was just a baby bump.

Feminist or shop window manakin?

Boinic Repub or brainy beauty contestant?

YOU make up YOUR mind.

what the hell!

Perhaps if Palin herself hadn't boasted of her parenting skills as one of her qualifications for VP, it wouldn't be mentioned so consistently in articles about her? Every president and VP in my memory has had some serious scrutiny given to their families. To act as though this is unique to Palin is beyond the pale. Bush and Reagan both caught flack about the behavior of their daughters, while Chelsey stood up under a barrage of negativity (some from McCain himself) at a very young age and matured beautifully in spite of the jerks.

I'd like to see us move away from the Palin-mommy madness and focus on her readiness, her judgement, and her experience. Unfortunately, the media loves garbage, and so does the public. I would've hoped she and her husband had thought that through before they exposed her daughter to this kind of scrutiny.

During the DNC it was mentioned alot how Biden raised his children and how much money we claims to have made in the last few years. Holding Palin responsible for what goes on in her house goes to the old saying "if you can not take care of your own house how can you critize mine?" Palin's supposed views do not allow for a pregnant unwed teen. That is why she is being taken to task.

must stop talking about Palin's motherhood. Of course a woman can be a good mother and a hard-working politician. Even if one of her kids has special needs. And even if one of her kids falls short of ideal expectations.

Why is anyone talking about that?

Do talk about Palin's politics. And talk. And talk. There is plenty of moose crap to shovel through.

Can you guys grow up? She's the freshman governor of a tiny, remote state with no experience whatsoever on national issues. Zero. None. She is completely unqualified. There's nothing to talk about.

Shop window manakin says it all...

Although I, too, have been cringing at some of the analysis of Palin as a mother, I have to say I don't have much sympathy for her. I would certainly be railing against this kind of coverage right along with Price and Juliebird if the McCain campaign and Palin herself had not put her family life front and center as an integral part of her qualifications for the job. Palin and the McCain campaign wanted her story and her role as a mother to be central to their campaign narrative, and now they are feeling the backlash from that. When they decided to run Palin on "character" and "biography", they accepted the risk of increased scrutiny on those aspects of her life.

I think it is important to know that the McCain campaign and it's surrogates have cited her motherhood as one of the main reasons she is qualified for vp. They say that her *choice* (even though she and McCain do not believe the rest us deserve to choose) to raise a child with downs syndrome shows that she has the character to be vp. They deflected internet rumors about Trig's parentage by revealing her 17 year old daughter's pregnancy. They are putting her children and her role as a mother front and center in this campaign. How do we not address it along with the fact that she is utterly unqualified for the position?

While I wonder if people would be as worried about a man balancing work and family, I don't think we have had any cnadidate in this situation before. She has a 4 month old with down syndrom and a pregnant teenage daughter - that is a lot to deal with for any parent yet a parent about to embark on a grueling campaign. It is a very unusal situation for any presidential or vice-presidential candidate, regardless of gender. And let's remember many people criticized John Edwards for continuing his campaign after his wife's diagnosis. Sometimes we do hold male candidates responsible for their families.

It also makes me concerned about her stance on policies regarding work/life balance, maternity/paternity leave, and equal pay. She went back to work 3 days after giving birth. Does she expect all women to follow her lead on this? I don;t ahve the answers because the McCain campaign is keeping her far away from the press.

Of course a mother can be VP or even POTUS... But when she's the veep candidate of a party whose members tend to distrust women in general, and powerful women in particular, I think that mother needs to be called to task for her hypocrisy. The conservatives are the ones who have been saying for years that a woman's place is in the home, popping out kids, to be "a brood-mare for the state" (in the words of the late George Carlin). Palin doesn't fit that mold... and more power to her! Great, in fact. But she also doesn't REPUDIATE that attitude, either. Thats my problem with her.

The republicans have for years been the party of "do what as we preach, not as we act" so this hypocrisy doesn't surprise me at all. But that doesn't mean she gets a free pass on it.

As fun as it is to bash Sarah Palin over the head with a moose carcass - and believe me, it is WAY fun - too much of a good thing means an inevitable backlash of wingnuts and media sycophants will start coming to her defense.

Which means a unintended, and undeserved, boost for her and Grampa McSame.

Which is very, very bad.

So while I'm getting my fair share of schadenfreude watching the blogger world dig the Gov an Alaska-sized grave, I can't help but think it's all too much, too soon. Chris Matthews may get a chubby by beating up on women but voters don't like to see a girl gettin' outnumbered by bully boys. (See: Clinton, Hillary, New Hampshire.)

I'm thinkin' dial it back, at least a smidge.