Palin-Clinton: The Battle Begins

Sarah Palin, a builder in more ways than one.

Gov. Sarah Heath Palin welcomes home Alaska troops who fought in Iraq. Gov. Palin's 18-year-old son Track is an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers her concession speech on Saturday in DC.

"Sarah Palin is no ordinary mortal."

"We may be seeing the emergence of someone [Sarah] who's Mt. Rushmore material."

As the world rightly focuses on the McCain-Obama contest, a battle is shaping up behind the scene -- one that pits two powerful women -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gov. Sarah Heath Palin -- against one another. Why is Sarah Palin the woman the Democrats fear most? I'll try to answer that today (Sunday). If you scan through the previous columns, you'll find comments on both women.

Sarah Palin may very well be John McCain's choice for V-P on the Republican ticket. Barack Obama apparently doesn't want Hillary to be his V-P choice, but for purely political reasons he may choose her anyway.

Why do the Democrats fear the presence of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket? In part, it's her legendary toughness (they don't call her "Sarah Barracuda" for no reason). But her main strength is her strong appeal to critical groups of voters. Consider:

Married women: Sarah's marriage to Todd Palin gives every evidence of being a model relationship. Sarah and Todd were childhood sweethearts, and they eloped shortly after she graduated from high school. As with so many issues, the Palins take no "stand" that is in any way at variance with the way they conduct their lives.

Young people: Sarah is only 44, and she exude youthfulness and energy. She has children ranging in age from 18 (son Track) to a few weeks (son Trig).

Military families: Sarah and Todd are a military family. Their son Track enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry on September 11, 2007. It's extremely likely he will see combat duty in either Afghanistan or Iraq, or both.

Families with children: The Palins have five children, three of them teenagers, as well as daughter Piper, age 7, and baby Trig (a Norwegian name).

Reagan Democrats: Palin has the highest approval ratings of any major elected official in the U.S. -- in the 90% range. That means she's gained approval from the vast majority of Democrats.

Women professionals (journalists, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and businesswomen): Sarah is the consummate female professional, having served as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and as governor of the state. Her college degree is in journalism. Her parents both served as public school teachers.

Working families: Sarah's husband, Todd, has labored his entire adult life as a commercial fisherman and an oil field production worker. The couple's links to working families go far beyond the usual political rhetoric.

Gun owners: Sarah is an avid hunter and a life-member of the National Rifle Association.

Pro-Life social conservatives: When Sarah found out that her unborn son, Trig, had Down Syndrome, she and her husband elected to have the child. Her point was that God has a purpose for every human being. When Trig was born, the Palins' press release began with thse word, "God has blessed us . . . ." The fascinating point was that they meant every word of it.

Evangelical Christians: Sarah is an evangelical Christian. However, she doesn't wear her religious faith on her sleeve. She is not anti-gay and does not scapegoat people who disagree with her.

People concerned about energy and the environment: As governor of Alaska, Sarah is among the best-informed elected officials on both issues. She's head of the energy committee at the Republican Governors Association and is a strong advocate of level-headed conservation of natural resources.

Overall, there's no other Republican that brings more to the table than Sarah Palin. She has exceptionally wide appeal. She would help John McCain with many groups with which he's currently weak (including young people and women professionals).

Of supreme importance: Sarah could be particularly helpful in battleground states with large numbers of working class voters, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey, and Michigan. I've suggested that McCain should "park" Sarah in those five states until Election Day. If Republicans win just three of those states, John McCain will be President-elect.

In 2012 (if Obama wins this year or if McCain elects to serve just one term) or 2016, the presidential face-off could pit Sarah Palin against Hillary Clinton. One imagines that it would be a battle royal.

Note: I hope everyone will visit my Hillary Supporters for McCain column. Today, it contains a guest column by a Black woman from North Carolina -- a Hillary supporter -- who is now strongly backing McCain.

JOHN MCCAIN: CHOOSE SARAH PALIN!

My friend Cindy in New Mexico, whose main blog is ThePinkFlamingo, one of the most popular sites on the Net, has written a remarkable essay recommending that John McCain choose as his vice-presidential nominee Govenor Sarah Heath Palin of Alaska. Her essay appeared at BlogCritics.org, and the link is here. I urge everyone to go to the essay and leave a comment.

As you may know, Gov. Palin, who celebrated her 44th birthday on Feb. 11, recently announced that she is 7 months pregnant, news that amazed everyone, including her staff. Cindy's argument is that her pregnancy should make her an even more attractive V-P nominee. Sarah now has four children, including a boy, Track, who's an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army.

I've reprinted Cindy's essay following this paragraph. I'll comment on it at the end of this column. I hope you'll read the material below, because it's some of the most important that's ever appeared on this blog.

Why Isn't New Mommy Sarah Palin Qualified To Be Vice President?

By S. J. Reidhead

Right now you are very fortunate that I have given up profanity for Lent. While I was reading my usual sources this morning, low and behold I discovered a certain conservative male on a very reasonable site which is political but fair to both sides of the aisle. I must also add that it is one of my ‘must read’ sites every day.

Oy (and that’s not profanity)...Lo and hehold (no profanity please), some Neanderthal wrote on the site that Sarah Palin, the very competent and very pregnant (seven months) governor of Alaska is probably out of the running for VP because she will be a new Mommy and would probably want to stay home with baby (no profanity please – it’s Lent)!

I must also disclose that I am a fan of Governor Palin and have advocated for her potential as a VP right here at Blogcritics.If Governor Palin were a new, first-time Mommy I might give some credence to that mindset simply because she would need time to get adjusted to the whole situation.

But Governor Palin is expecting her fifth – count ‘em – fifth child. Sarah and Todd’s oldest son Track is 18 and serving our country. Their daughters are Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 6. I think Governor Palin’s been there and done that. Considering her age, she has had all the proper tests and everything evidently looks very good. She even knows the gender of the baby but is not telling. She knows what she is doing.

What better way for my beloved GOP to show how beautifully modern and progressive we truly are than to facilitate and encourage John McCain, our nominee, to select Sarah Palin as his choice for Vice President?

Baby Palin is not expected to make an appearance until mid-May, which is plenty of time for Mommy and baby to bond.Proclaimed “America’s Hottest Governor” by an understandably prejudiced Alaska Magazine, Palin is the perfect choice for VP.

Not only is she conservative, she is considered a “maverick” which would make her and GOP nominee John McCain a highly compatible duo. She was born in 1964 which would add just the right May/December touch to McCain’s seasoned 71.

Not only would she bring a much needed bundle of joy to the ticket, she would also bring her 90% approval rating along with her!What could be better? It is quite obvious we Republicans are going to have a serious financial deficit to deal with when it comes to fund raising. If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, he has nearly a hundred million dollar financial advantage over John McCain. Can you imagine the publicity her selection would generate? We’re talking F-R-E-E publicity, fawning and gurgling over a brand new baby Palin.

This is like one of those Ronco infomercials. It gets even better. Not only do you get ‘The Hottest Governor in the US’ with her 90% approval rating AND all that FREE publicity, you get even more. This is two for one here. Wait — not only is it two for one with Mommy and Baby, but you get even more — more, I tell you!

For just the addition of Sarah and Baby Palin you get the added advantage of completely mutilating the feminist movement!If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, Sarah Palin counters any feminist appeal Hillary Clinton might have. Having her on our ticket reeks of equal rights for all.

If Barack Obama is the nominee, just having Baby Palin on board helps cut into all his millions upon millions of dollars he can spend on advertising. If the Democrats manage to provide every Republican with their fantasy of a brokered convention with Al Gore waiting to step in as an alternative candidate, Sarah Palin can go to battle against his insane environmental policies.

You want family values? She has it.You want patriotism? She has it. Track Palin enlisted in the Army. He wants to head to Iraq. You want a ‘maverick’? She has it. She took out Alaska’s corrupt power structure.She doesn’t like special interests. She is something of an idealist. She has enough executive experience to appear young and fresh to counter anything the Obama campaign might throw at John McCain. She is a champion of ethics reform.

Have I mentioned that she is young (44) and pretty? Unfortunately, there are those, liberal and conservative alike, who now think just because the woman is pregnant she is disqualified to become the Vice President of the United States of America! Can you image such a Neanderthal thought process? (I want to apologize to any Neanderthal who might be offended by this politically incorrect slur upon their mental capacity.)

In a world where working mothers are celebrated (I personally stand with Dr. Laura on the subject), but want to be near baby, what could be a better arrangement? Surely my Republican counterparts cannot object to a VP discretely nursing a cute little baby in her EOB VP suite. Who could possibly complain if she brought baby to work? After all, a VP is whatever the President wants her to be.

Let’s follow the thought process here. We have new mommies who go off to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one says they can’t do that. Women have babies every day, and go back to work in situations where they must either put their children in day care, or leave them entirely to the graces of lest than optimal situations.

This would not be the situation with Baby Palin. The little tyke would have every advantage any baby in the world would have. He or she would be the most publicized baby since the birth of Prince William. The child would be a super-star, sucking up every iota of good will and free publicity a cash-starved Republican campaign needs.

Honestly, this would be enough to give any pregnant parent pause. Would Sarah and Todd Palin want to subject a new baby to this sort of publicity? We can only hope they will answer in the affirmative. After all, they’ve done a very good job of balancing politics and family thus far. Why not take it a step farther?

Seriously, as a woman and a loyal Republican, I find the very though that a woman who has recently given birth being excluded from the VP list insulting. Unless something goes wrong with the the whole process there is no reason for Sarah Palin not to be considered for such a position.

Who said a new mommy cannot be Vice President of the United States of America?

Steve says: The best site to learn more about Gov. Sarah Palin is at: http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/. It's the blog "home" of Adam Brickley, a 20-year-old college student in Colorado Springs who founded the Draft Palin Movement, one that's been incredibly successful in generating positive publicity for Mrs. Palin.

I've written many essays about Gov. Palin, who is one of the very few political figures who could provide real help to John McCain in his efforts to win the presidency. Sarah Palin has a great chance, in 2012 or 2016, to become America's first female President. By the way, she's the only current U.S. governor who has a child in the military.

Sarah Palin. Track Palin, Heather Wilson, & William Russell: Brothers and Sisters Under the Skin

NOTE: YOU CAN CONTACT WILLIAM TROWER WILSON, AN ARMY LT. COL. WHO SERVED IN IRAQ, WHO'S RUNNING AGAINST JOHN MURTHA BY CLICKING ON HIS WEB SITE ON THE RIGHT (OR BY SCROLLING DOWN TO FIND HIS WEB SITE LINK AND E-MAIL). HE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT.

On September 11, 2001, Lt. Col. William Trower Russell and his wife, Kasia, were in the Pentagon when the structure was attacked by fanatical terrorists. On September 11, 2007, Track Palin, 18-year-old son of Alaska Governor Sarah Heath Palin, enlisted in the U.S. Army -- and is now (along with his friend John Bates) training for the infantry. Throughout the 21st century, Rep. Heather Wilson has been one of the strongest supporters of the U.S. military in its War on Terrorism.

Sarah is in Alaska's capital of Juneau, Alaska. Track is at Ft. Benning, Georgia. William Russell is in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he's preparing to run against -- and to defeat -- 17-term congressman John Murtha. Congresswoman Heather Wilson -- an Air Force veteran and Rhodes Scholar -- from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is serving her constituents and country in Washington, DC.

Geographically, these people are far apart, but spiritually they're very close together, "brothers and sisters under the skin." Track Palin is one of very few offspring of high-ranking governmnet officials who's in the military. Heather Wilson is the first female veteran elected to Congress. William Russell is one of the first veterans of Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom to run for Congress.

These are the kind of tough, courageous, patriotic people this country absolutely needs to represent us at the state and federal levels. When Sarah Palin's son enlisted in the Army, she said to him and his enlistee friend that their friends and their families "had their backs.'

It's time for all of us who love this country to "have the backs of these candidates." Sarah Palin has a chance to become -- in 2012 or 2016 -- the first female President of the United States. Heather Wilson is the favorite to become the first female U.S. Senator from New Mexico -- and is herself a potential vice-president or President of this nation. William Russell is a candidate who might end the long -- and thoroughly dismal -- reign of John Murtha, "The Prince of Pork."

In Russell's case, he knows that the lobbyists Murtha has served -- and enriched -- will pour millions of dollars into his political coffers. But William also knows that, in politics, sometimes enough is enough. "Murtha's millionaires" have a lot of money, but very few of them are people who live in the 12th Congressional District. Instead, they reside mainly in mansions in suburban Maryland and Virginia.

In a previous column, I cited an exchange Sarah Palin had with the Anchorage Daily News:

ADN: "But I think you are also talking about the activities in the gray area -- the business relationships with, you know, a senator or congressman or a state legislator. Between someone with interests in the public process and the people running the public process." [Note: The ADN is asking if it isn't somehow okay to cut moral corners]

SARAH PALIN: "Right. Well, that's why I think we need more real and normal and hardworking and blue-collar Alaskans to want to run for office and serve in these positions that are making decisions. Again, I will personalize this. I am not from that other world. My dad as a school teacher wasn't a mover and shaker developer making big bucks in the state of Alaska off of property development. My husband [a commercial fisherman and oil field worker] isn't that way. I am not raising my kids to be that way.... If you want to be in public service, it is being willing to serve Alaskans for the right reasons. It is having to have a servant's heart when you come into these positions. It's not to get rich."

In fact, those "normal and hardworking and blue-collar" people include Sarah herself, Heather Wilson, and William Russell. (Note: also included among them is staunchly pro-military Melissa Hart of PA's 4th congressional district.)

As Americans, we all need to decide who we want representing us. If we want deal-makers whose votes basically go the highest-bidder, we'll select people like John Murtha. If we want people who, in Sarah's words, "have a servant's heart," then we'll support -- with our votes, our public advocacy, and our contributions -- individuals like Sarah, Heather, and William.

In politics, we get the representation we deserve. Clearly, we deserve better than a consummate deal-maker like John Murtha. In fact, Murtha is a symbol of everything that's wrong with America -- and William and his family of everything that's right. The best way to support our troops is to back Lt. Col. William Trower Russell

Trower
William T Russell
PO BOX 630
Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15907
http://www.williamrussellforcongress.com/ (Web site, please visit)
william.russell@williamrussellforcongress.com (E-mail)
(814) 248-3435

NOTE TO SARAH HEATH PALIN: I appeal directly to you to do the following: (1) Bring William Russell's candidacy to the attention of your supporters (especially your contributors); (2) Let the members of the Republican Governor's Association know that William is running against John Murtha, and that he intends to win. As you're aware, the early stages of a campaign are the most important. William Russell intends to do to Murtha exactly what you did to Murkowski and Knowles. (For those who aren't fully aware of Sarah's history, she defeated in the primary incumbent Republican Governor Frank Murkowski and in the general election won against former Democratic Governor Tony Knowles.)

BULLETIN TO MEDIA & DEMS: U.S. WINNING IN IRAQ!

I'll be writing over the next month -- generally on Mondays and Tuesdays -- about how Republican candidates and activists should frame arguments in seeking support. Republicans often fail to make statements that are meaningful and memorable, while Democrats are somewhat better at doing so. A column on the subject will appear tomorrow (Tuesday), and I urge you to read and comment. Thanks.

Here's my response to Christopher(see comments) regarding the column below: Christopher: The endless talk about what a "jerk" (supposedly) GWB is regarding Iraq is an exercise in pettiness and demagoguery. The War on Terror is going to cost many American lives, and there's nothing we can do about it other than transform ourselves into ostriches.

One problem is that the Dems (and too many Republicans) have no understanding of who our soldiers are and what motivates them (including courage and love of country). I realize that the American people are disturbed by the signs of casualties they see regularly on TV, but the alternative is to let al Qaeda train and mobilize in the Middle East so they can attack American "interests" (including the civilian population of the U.S.).

They've been here before, and they want nothing more than to kill people here again. Certainly, al Qaeda is not the only group causing problems in Iraq, but the defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq, which is very possible, would be a major blow to terrorists worldwide. We need to get across to voters that a vote for the Democrats is an exercise in denial that will not stand up to reality.

If we don't eradicate al Qaeda and other groups like them, they will eventually get their hands on weapons of mass destruction, and the results would be catastrophic. Anyone who "supports our troops" had better start supporting their efforts to kill or capture followers of bin Laden.

steve maloney, ambridge, pa


Monday, 3:50 p.m.: Octavia Nasser, a CNN Arab affairs expert, has listened to bin Laden's new audio tape, and she interprets it as a "sign of weakness" on the al Qaeda leader's part. She adds that he appears to see al Qaeda's effort in Iraq as "a failing proposition." Steve Maloney

Note: The following column is dedicated to former Army Captain Albert C. Labriola, a professor at Duquesne University, who was awarded the Silver Star for valor in Viet Nam and to Pvt. Track Palin, now at Ft. Benning and a fine representative of a family that symbolizes everything good about America.

Why did Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards say they couldn't "guarantee" U.S. troops would be out of Iraq by January, 2013 (that's four-and-a-quarter years from now)? One reason may be that it's finally dawned on them that the Petraeus Strategy is working -- and the U.S. is winning in Iraq.

The next word we hear from those three, also known as "See no evil . . . Hear no evil . . . and Evil," many be that they've really been For the War right from the start. We may yet see Hillary Clinton on Halloween outfitted in a military uniform.

Of course, the MSM "spin" on Iraq has been that everything is a mess -- and probably getting worse. As the War increasingly goes in the U.S.'s favor, the media is increasingly silent on the situation. The theme seems to be: "If you don't have anything bad to say, don't say anything at all."

For a sane view of the War -- and how America is winning big-time -- check out Jack Kelly's column in today's (Sunday, October 21) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Forum." You can find it at: http://post-gazette.com/forum. Gp there and scroll down to Jack's column and read both this week's and last week's pieces on Iraq.

Of course, some in the media, unable to find bad news, will make some up. Kelly quotes Qasim Zein of the McClatchey Newspapers, who says last week: "A drop in violence around Iraq has cut burials in the huge Wadi al Salam cemetery [in Najaf] by at least one-third in the past six months, and that's cut the pay of thousands of workers who make their living digging graves, washing corpses, or selling burial shrouds."

Maybe Moveon.org might take up the sad case of the burial workers? Or perhaps the people pushing the big hike in funding for SCHIP might advocate covering them under an enhanced health care plan?

Jack Kelly says the Washington Post and New York Times might consider publishing articles and Op Eds by people who actually know something about how the War is going. He says, "If the goal of the Washington Post were to inform its readers of the situation in Iraq now, one would think its editors would make more an effort to publish the views of soldiers and Marines who are serving in Iraq now." Don't hold your breath, Jack.

In fact, Kelly cites a Marine sergeant writing from Fallujah (!!!) to the milblogger "Blackfive": "Peace is breaking out all over the place, and no one knows what to do. I spent the day with [the regimental commander]. We rode straight through Fallujah without incident and down to Amiriyah to check on a police transition team. The TTs [transition teams] are quickly becoming the main effort."

If this kind of information comes as surprising news to you -- well, you've been derelict in your duty to read people like the on-scene milbloggers and Jack Kelly.

Check out the reports from a Baghdad from a once fiercely-contest neighborhood: "Once abandoned streets are now filled with families and entrepreneurs who continue to open new small businesses every week." Those are the words of battalion commander James Crider, speaking to super-milblogger (and former Special Forces solider) Michael Yon.

The political implications of the rapidly improving situation in Iraq are huge. We might even see the political version of a resurrection from the dead by President George W. Bush. Clearly, really good news from Iraq is not good news for the Democrats, including their presidential candidates.

If you truly want to know what's going on in Iraq, turn off CNN and CBS -- and ditch the Post and the Times. Then, go read Jack Kelly, Michael Yon, and David Petraeus. Also, because you still might be able to get good odds, bet the Republican canidate for President.

(And remember that one candidate for vice-president, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has an 18-year-old son (Track Palin) training at Ft. Benning for service in the infantry.)

Sarah Palin Information: Last Wednesday, Adam Brickley, who founded the Draft Palin Movement was on Political Pistachio radio, a popular Internet-based program. Adam did an absolutely superb job of explaining why Sarah is the best possible candidate for the vice-presidency. If you go to Adam's site: http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/ you can get a link to his "Pistachio" appearance.

WILLIAM RUSSELL: NEW OPPONENT FOR JOHN MURTHA

Last night (October 3) at Diana Irey's fundraiser for her reelection campaign for Washington County (PA) Commissioner I met William. He's an Iraq War Vet from Johnstown, PA (also Murtha's homestown). I told William I'd offer him whatever support I can, although I will favor Diana if she runs against Murtha in 2008. The following is a long e-mail I sent to William about some other people at the event, including Diana, former Congresswoman Melissa Hart, and former Senator Rick Santorum. Melissa will run next year to regain her seat, now held by Jason Altmire.

E-Mail Follows:

William {Russell], you've met Melissa Hart, who was my congresswoman from the 4th CD, and of course you saw Rick Santorum.

It might be instructive to go to opensecrets.org on the Web and plug in the names of Diana Irey/John Murtha, Rick Santorum/Bob Casey, and Melissa Hart/Jason Altmire. It shows the funds the various candidates raised.

Murtha raised an obscene amount for one congressional district, $3.5 million, while Diana raised just another $900,000 -- an amazing amount for someone facing an entrenched candidate. Murtha won by 60-40, with Diana getting nearly 80,000 votes.

Okay, Santorum raised an amazing $27 million, and Casey raised about 40% less (still a huge amount). I believe Rick "misspent" about every dollar -- on high-priced campaign people and on TV advertising that didn't work. Casey beat him 59-41, really a terrible showing for Rick. I'm not an egomaniac, but I believe if I'd been Rick's campaign manager I could have gotten him 44-45% of the vote by spending half the money. (Basically, I would have spent several million having people go door-to-door.)

Rich has a "hot" personality, a slightly abrasive style that doesn't come across well on TV. He probably spent $10 million on TV, and it seemingly didn't gain him a single percentage point.

Melissa Hart spent a million dollars more than Altmire -- who had significant TV support from outside groups, the "527s" that poured in "hate" ads against her, including one featuring a (partially?) disabled serviceman. Melissa didn't stress her independence enough, and the opposition beat her over the head with the unpopular Bush-Santorum tandem.

Melissa is a "turn the other cheek" Christian, and thus she had a hard time responding to what she described (correctly) as a "pack of lies." As a soldier, you know that when you're facing someone who fights dirty, you have to do what is necessary to protect yourself.

I don't believe Melissa will have to outspend Altmire to win, and I do believe she will win. She needs about 50-75 (hopefully the 75) staffers and volunteers who are totally dedicated to her winnng. Those people can knock on 50,000 doors and/or make 50,000 phone calls.

On portraying yourself as an independent, a good thing to do in a state with a big Democratic edge: check out the wikipedia.org story on Heather Wilson, a congresswoman from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a veteran (Air Force), and she is not any more of a "maverick" than Melissa.

However, her district is 45% Hispanic, and she absolutely MUST get the Independent vote, just as Melissa must because of our district's Democratic registration edge. As the Wikipedia story points out, Heather got a lot of ouside help from "mavericks," especially John McCain, who saluted Heather for her independence. Heather's opponent is ALWAYS a Hispanic, once a man (Richard Romero), once a woman (Patricia Madrid).

The Dems pour money into the district to defeat her, but she wins by a "nose."

Diana's campaign was largely Internet-based, with several web sites supporting her, including my relatively tiny one. She had strong support, including Web sites, from veterans groups (Vets4Irey) and, especially, Free Republic. She raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the Internet, and she had more individual contributors (7,000) than Murtha (6500). Melissa will need to make more use of the Net this time, because she won't be a sitting congresswoman with all sorts of access to nice PAC money.

Murtha got most of his money from DC, VA, and MD, which means he got it from lobbyists. He got $140,000 from UPMC, which was basically paying him back for establishing the Windbar facility, which enabled many $200,000 a year doctors to become $300,000 a year doctors. It created lots of "jobs" for floor moppers and bedpan disposers.

You live in a "bring home the bacon" district, as Melissa also does to a degree. Those districts believe that you really can get something for nothing. John Murtha has been there for 33 years (in Congress), and I don't notice that he's turned Johnstown or Washington or Monongahela into Beverly HIlls.

I don't think Diana's TV advertising -- you can probably find some of it -- was very effective. A lot it featured Murtha, not a good idea, apparently involved in some dirty dealings, but it was hard to hear and didn't make good use of text crawling across the bottom of the screen.

No one in unbeatable. But it does take money to run. I'm a great believer in two things: (1) door to door campaigning; (2) defining the "enemy" in very few devastating words. Read the Wison Wikipedia article to see how she demolished her 2004 opponent (Romero) in about 15 words. It had to do with his opposition to capital punishment. I may send this to Melissa at some point. There's nothing here I wouldn't say face-to-face.

If you get a chance, read the Fred Barnes article on Gov. Sarah Palin (one of my favorites) of Alaska. I believe Diana and Melissa would be the only people in politics who would merit a similar piece. http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/851orcjq.asp?pg=2 - 30k -


Sarah Palin's 18-year-old son, Track, enlisted in the Army on 9/11/07 and is now at Ft. Benning. She is the real deal.

William Russell's web site: http://WilliamRussellforCongress.com/
William Russell's e-mail: williamrussellforcongress@williamsrussellforcongress.com

Please check out his site. He would really appreciate it if you sent him a small contribution. Thanks.

If you'd like to contribute to Melissa Hart's campaign, please contact me and I'll tell you how to get it to her. She'll have a web site up soon.

Sarah Palin on Son and Friend: "We've Got Their Backs"

The following is the AP story about Sarah's and Todd Palin's son, Track, age 18, leaving for basic training at Ft. Benning, GA.

Here's the link to the story and comments: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/9313876p-9228870c.html



Palin's son leaves for Army boot camp

TRACK: Governor supports enlistment "for the right reasons."

The 18-year-old enlisted last week on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Track is the oldest of Palin's four children and her only son.

"I support my son's independence, and I am proud of his decision because he made it for the right reasons -- to serve his country," Palin said.

In July, Palin went to Kuwait where she visited the Alaska Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 297th Infantry, a unit that is made up of about 575 Alaska men and women.

She said she wanted an up-close look at the sacrifices made by Alaska-based troops in the Middle East so she accepted the offer of a two-day tour sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Ultimately, it may have been a closer look at what awaits Track.

Palin said she has come to terms with the idea that Track could be deployed next year to Iraq, Kuwait or Afghanistan, where thousands of U.S. troops are based.

Last week President Bush approved a gradual reduction of U.S. forces, which stand at the highest level of the war, about 168,000 troops.

"With this quasi draw down, there may be shorter deployments, which is encouraging for Track; in fact, that's encouraging for all of our troops," Palin said. "But more likely than not, Track will end up in the Middle East."

Since her son enlisted, Palin said, she has received several e-mails from women whose sons or daughters have either enlisted or are serving overseas.

While proud of their children's decision to enlist, they have not lost sight of the prospects of losing a loved one in the war.

"I certainly have thought about it; the mixed emotions we all feel will be something that binds us together," Palin said. "But we don't regret that our son or daughter has made this decision."

Track Palin joins Wasilla High classmate John Bates at Fort Benning. The Palin family threw the teens a party on Sunday evening.

Palin said the party was not a farewell, but a thank you for the young men's commitment to serve.

"We want the boys to know that we support them and we've got their backs," Palin said.

The following are some comments from the Anchorage Daily News about the above story:

enlistment
Its admirable that with all the options open to a governors son he has chosen to serve his country, and even more admirable that he's chosen to do it as an enlisted soldier. I think it speaks volumes that he hasn't chosen to take an easier route in life.
An Inspiring Act...
...that demonstrates great personal courage, true patriotism, and independence. I've been serving in the Army for over 23 years. I have the greatest admiration and respect for this fine young man and all of his brothers and sisters in arms. God Bless the USA!
enlistment
A man has to do what he feel right. It is alaskans like him and his family that set us alaskans apart from the rest of the states. I will keep him and all service members in my prayers. God Bless the USA and expecially Alaskans.
enlistment
Good luck to you Track and God bless all the young women and men serving this great country of ours. By the way Sarah, I think you have done a great job since you have been in office. I do believe you will have their back's.

CANDIDATES' KIDS AND WHY YOU SHOULD READ ME RATHER THAN ARIANNA HUFFINGTON

The best blog piece I've read in the past week is Sanity 102's remembrance of 9/11. You can find it at: http://outsideofthebox.townhall.com/

In the week of September 17 (today) through September 23, I'm going to write about a variety of political issues and personalities.

One of the my subjects (see the previous column) will be Track Palin, Sarah's 18-year-old son who has enlisted in the U.S. Army. Adam Brickely, the brilliant young political analyst and operative, has written (on http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/) that he doesn't believe it's proper to discuss elected official's children. I understand his point, and in fact I believe that Gov. Palin -- who refuses to comment on (publicize) Track's decision -- probably agreed with Adam.

However, since this is my year to be disagreeable, I'm going to take a different approach. One blogger (Hartford, CT independent journalists) has asked why Barbara and Jenna Bush aren't in the military, if the WOT is as critical as their dad says. Some bloggers and old media journalists have asked similar questions about Mitt Romney's five boys, especially given their father's constant emphasis on the centrality of the WOT.

I believe those questions are quite appropriate. I don't think it's going to happen, but I'd recommend that George Bush and Mitt Romney suggest that their children follow Track Palin's lead. If the future of our civilization rests largely on the shoulders of American fighting men and women, then elected officials' children shouldn't be "sitting out" the war.

George Bush's daughters played significant roles in one of their father's campaign: 2004. Romney's five boys have campaigned hard for him several times, and with their "FiveBrothers" site are big factors in his presidential race.

Frankly, the number of children of top federal and state officials in the military is pitifully low. There are 535 members of Congress and 50 Governors, and the number of their offspring current in the military is about five. (It might be six -- I'm still checking.) Whatever the exact number, it's disgracefully low.

The chances of one of Ted Kennedy's offspring or relatives joining the military is about the equivalent of their setting up a memorial at Chappaquidick. The one liberal with a child in the military is Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia. There are no others, and the chances of there being another one are close to zero.

Another subject I'll discuss is CNN's "Howard Kurtz Show" that appears on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. There's no evidence that the show -- supposedly designed to examine media reporting and analysis -- is anything other than an exercise in left-wing manipulation of viewers.

Today's show featured a discussion of liberal and media criticism of Gen. David Petraeus. The guests included one (moderate) conservative: David Frum of National Review Online. It also had one center-left person, Ann Compton, of ABC News. It also had two extreme liberals, Jamie MacIntyre of CNN and the thoroughly obnoxious Arianna Huffington of "The Huffington Post."

Kurtz -- himself a liberal who never does anything to offend the Beltway-View-of-Life -- generally has one conservative on to "balance" the usual Huffington-type liberals. In fact, the conservative guest (sometimes it's Mary Katharine Ham of Townhall, sometimes Debra Saunders of the San Francisco Chronicle) functions as a fig-leaf to cover programs that are relentlessly liberal in their outlook.

This week I'll focus on Arianna Huffington, who blog Technorati ranks as the 5th-most-popular in the blogosphere. My own blog is far superior to Huffington's frankly, but I draw perhaps as one-hundredth of one percent of the visitors she generates.

My blog is center-right but often criticizes officials and commentators who are themselves conservative. I regularly point out where conservatives are taking positions that might pay short-term political dividends but cause major long-term problems. Ms. Huffington is far-left and never criticizes liberals -- except, occasionally, for not being liberal enough.

In Arianna's blog, you're never going to read a discouraging word about the "Kurtz" show. On my blog, you're going to read exactly that. On "The Huffington Post," the only material you're going to read about Rudy Giuliani will consist of personal attacks. On this blog, you'll read about Rudy's 50-state-strategy and what it means for the future of the Republican Party.

The "Huffington Post" attracts millions of visitors. Unless they're going there only to get their "left-wing fix," they'd be much better off visiting me (and other quality blogs).

Stephen R. Maloney

Track Palin, Sarah's Son, Enlists in Army

BULLETIN FOR ALL FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF ALASKA GOV. SARAH PALIN:

"September 11, 2001, was a day that changed America forever. The magnitude of that attack was terrible, its motivation inexplicable, and its result shocking. Those whom we lost on that fateful day will forever hold a place in our hearts and in the history of our great country."- Governor Sarah Palin

The Anchorage Daily News and other outlets have reported that Track Palin, 18, son of Todd Palin and Alaska Governor Sarah Heath Palin, has enlisted in the U.S. Army. (See his picture on right.)

Young Palin will report to Fort Benning, GA, this week, along with John Bates, his friend and a fellow graduate of Wasilla High School. The ADN headlines reads, "Alaska's First Son will Soon Trade His Hockey Uniform for Khaki." (Track has been an All-Alaska hockey star who also played part of his senior year in Michigan.)

Palin and Bates enlisted on September 11, 2007, the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the U.S.

The mission of the Fort Benning infantry divisions is "to focus on the close, personal, violent Infantry fight," says Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski, the chief of infantry..

Track has three younger sisters: Willow, Bristol, and Piper (see picture of Piper on right).

On Gov. Palin's recent visit to soldiers in Kuwait (see picture on right), she noted that Track had expressed an interest in military service. She added that he had her support in pursuing such a career.

Currently, only 5 members of Congress (including presidential candidate Duncan Hunter) have offspring serving in the military. It's not known if any other Governor has a child serving in the military.

Gov. Palin has declined to comment. The Palin family wants to keep private some aspects of his decision, spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said.

Track was adamant about not wanting publicity, according to a military spokesman.

The young man's only public statement has been as follows: "Joining the military is something I've been considering for a while now. I've always been competitive and look forward to the challenges that will come as I answer the call and serve my country."

Note from Steve: As Governor Palin knows, the people who support her for the vice-presidency and, ultimately, for the presidency, wish only the best for her and her family. Track continues a tradition where the the name "Palin" stands for everything that is best about America.

Stephen R. Maloney -- Ambridge, PA