Weird that Palin's "lawyer" has her same writing "quirk" of "needless" quotation "marks". Or, is it a "writing" quirk of needless "quotation" marks?

Surely a "political Genius" would realise that threatening to sue over a story that hasn't yet broken is a sure way to ensure that it hits the front page of every publication?

I mean a rumour has now become a story - the story is now the attempt to ban the story, not the story itself. You can't sue a report on that...

for going on vacation! I was in northern Maine all last week: no internet, no tv, no cel phone, and only annoying right-wing radio (no running water either, but that's another story). I hear this headline as we're on the way home this morning.

What's her "higher calling" that's more important than serving her term? Because unless (actually, even if,) it's a stint at the Sorbonne, I doubt it will help her political career.

Maybe it's just Christmas in July?

it's the malicious propagandists like that barebacking fascist Andrew Sullivan and hypocrite Huffington who should be concerned.

While I do not share Palin's political views I respect her right to hold them....this is still a democracy, no? Journalists need to go back to being journalists rather than carrying water for one politician while demonizing his/her opponents. That's not reporting ...that's propaganda and should be left to campaign managers not to professional journalists in a democratic society.

Good for her. Let this be a wake up call to the media. Check and double check your sources ...don't just fabricate and slander like a bunch of junior high schoolers and try to pass it off as news.

But I tell you who you should be worried about. Colin Powell. Watch.

" . . . backer John Coale (the husband of Fox News' Greta Van Susteren, and allegedly a Democrat) tells the New York Times: "She has a following that will jump in front of a plane for her . . . " WTF?? Is this not the silliest metaphor you've ever read?? I had to read it twice. Jump in front of a plane?? Are we watching a rerun of Miami Vice or something?? This guy is allowed to opine?? Somebody actually thought this guy had something to say??Fox News' Greta Van Susteren?? Who cares who's husband he is. The guy should be put on the 'no-talk' list. Jaysus-on-a-stick already.

Sarah is scary, but the fact that she actually made it to the 'bigs' is scarier. Really, what it boils down to is that she is totally out of her league. Maybe regional head for an Amway distribution, but a serious politician?? What is it about Americans that this seriously silly woman could become anything more than just a two-bit small town crook? Really, these are the kind of folks that would be swiping change from the church's donation box . . . .

...by Van Flein.

Do you suppose he knows how much harder he has made any potential defamation claim by his client to succeed by sending out this idiotic letter? Probably not. This is borderline malpractice, IMHO.

Confidential to Van Flein: Re-read New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and subsequent cases in that line. You might learn a thing or two!

virtue001: "Gary Kamiya depicts Palin as a dominatrix here: http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/09/09/mistress_palin/"

The graphic shows Palin as a dominatrix, which is nothing more than an amusing image (and would be equally amusing if the subject were a man). The story itself uses the dominatrix concept to communicate a political idea about Palin's persona and how it taps into GOP strategy, the conservative psyche, etc.

THE VERDICT: Not misogynist.

virtue001: "Cintra Wilson calls Palin a fuckable Christian Stepford wife here: http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/09/10/palin_feminism/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/feature"

Cintra Wilson is a humorist. Wilson makes all sorts of fun of Palin. She also makes all sorts of fun of men she's writing about. The jabs she takes at Palin are no worse and no fundamentally different than the jabs she takes at male politicians. Go ahead, look up Wilson's other writings. Please come back and report your findings.

THE VERDICT: Not misogynist.

virtue001: "Tracy Clark-Flory on the Salon "broadsheet” posts "Sneak Peek: The Palin Porno" here: http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2008/10/20/palin_porn/index.html"

Clark-Flory was reporting on the existence of a video that plays off of the fantasies that were obviously in a lot of people's minds when Palin emerged on the scene. Clark-Flory wasn't promoting the video, nor was she promoting the fantasy. Just reporting on them.

THE VERDICT: Not misogynist.

The larger issues are these:

(1) How are you defining "misogyny"? I define it as a hatred of or hostility to somebody on the basis of her being a woman. If you look carefully at all of the Salon attacks on Palin, you'll find few or no cases where anybody is insinuating that Palin is not qualified for office because she's female. In fact the vast majority of liberals who object to Palin do so on the basis of substance: She repeatedly attacked Obama as "palling around with terrorists," she lied about saying she "said thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere," and her policies seemed indistinguishable from George W. Bush's.

(2) Sarah Palin IS a character, and her character has elements that are inseparable from her style of womanhood. Palin embodies a number of female qualities that are associated with various social roles, such as a librarian look (with the glasses and firmly clipped hair). You can't fault anybody for having fun satirizing Palin's character or style. Here's why: Because if a male candidate came along who also was quite a character, and whose style also had personality elements that people reacted to in similar ways, he would be subject to exactly the same kinds of satirization.

(3) That is not to say that misogyny does not exist against Palin. Only that Salon hasn't been a part of it. Nor is Joan Walsh responsible for the viewpoints of every single poster in the message sections. I will say this: People using the word "c-nt" are losers, whether left or right politically. (At times I am inclined to think some of these comments are written by conservatives who want to point them out later as examples of liberal bad behavior, but who knows.) But I would say that misogyny is the exception and not the rule among those who object to Palin. In any case, if you're this concerned about misogyny, then are you willing to apply your concern equally to everybody else? (For example: Misogyny against Hillary Clinton, misogyny against Joan Walsh, etc.)