it's not a question of who is rght or wrong but what is right or wrong that counts.
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  		today

today

Friday 5th September, 2008



World & National News

McCain's Acceptance Speech

Although Republicans in Springfield were quiet during John McCain's acceptance speech, when he finished, they said they felt confident that he was a solid leader.

One of those was Tom Carlisle, a lawyer from New Berlin. He was among about 30 people who watched the speech at Sangamon County GOP headquarters last night. Carlisle said great thought had to be given to what McCain has been through.

TV Ratings Beat Obama?

Presidential candidate John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention drew more television viewers than his rival Barack Obama attracted at the Democratic party's event last week, according to preliminary ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

Across all broadcast networks Thursday, Sen. McCain’s speech ended the night with a 4.8 rating/7 share, compared to Sen. Obama’s 4.3/7 average, according to overnight numbers from metered households in 55 U.S. markets measured by Nielsen. These ratings are preliminary, however, and are subject to change.

CBS Poll: McCain, Obama Tied

John McCain and Barack Obama are now in a dead heat in the race for the White House, with each candidate garnering 42 percent of the vote, according to the latest CBS News poll.

That’s a significant change from a CBS poll last weekend, which showed the Obama-Biden ticket ahead of McCain-Palin by a margin of 48 percent to 40 percent.

The new poll was conducted from Monday through Wednesday, before McCain’s Thursday night speech at the Republican convention. But the number of McCain supporters who say they are enthusiastic about their candidate rose from 25 percent last weekend to 35 percent in the new poll.


Unemployment to 6.1%

The U.S. lost more jobs than forecast in August and the unemployment rate climbed to a five-year high of 6.1 percent, a sign that the economic slowdown is worsening two months before Americans elect their next president.

Payrolls fell by 84,000 in August, and revisions added another 58,000 to job losses for the prior two months, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The increase in the jobless rate sent the misery index, which adds unemployment to inflation, to 11.7 percent, the highest level since 1991.


Southeast braces for Hanna

Tropical storm watches or warnings were posted Friday from Georgia to New Jersey, and forecasters said Hanna could still become a hurricane before its expected arrival on U.S. shores.

A tropical storm warning was in effect stretching from Altamaha Sound in Georgia northward to Chincoteague, Va., just south of Maryland. And a tropical storm watch was in effect for areas between Chincoteague and Sandy Hook, N.J., including Washington.

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours. A watch means tropical storm conditions are expected in the area within 36 hours.

A hurricane watch remained in effect for Edisto Beach, S.C., to the Outer Banks of North Carolina near the Virginia border.

Gates, Seinfeld, Yada, Yada

Microsoft officially launched its $300 million ad campaign featuring Jerry Seinfeld by airing the first commercial during the NFL's first regular season game last night. So what do you get for $300 million? A pair of shoes called "Conquistadors" and a churro. And you get to see Bill Gates shake his money maker—not that there's anything wrong with that.

The 90-second ad (which you can find on YouTube or Microsoft's Website) takes place in a discount shoe store called "Shoe Circus: Quality shoes at discount prices." Seinfeld sees Gates in the store and, eventually, ends up helping Gates pick out a pair of size 10 Conquistadors.


Rice Arrives in Libya to Meet Gadhafi

Putting to rest 40 years of enmity, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to visit Libya Friday with a pledge to develop broad strategic relations with the government of Col. Moammar Gadhafi, once seen as among the world's most dangerous.

Ms. Rice's trip to Tripoli, the first by a U.S. secretary of state since John Foster Dulles in 1953, will mark the culmination of five-years of back-and-forth diplomacy between Washington and Tripoli. Libya is in the process of being reintegrated into the global community after Col. Gadhafi renounced terrorism and his pursuit of nuclear and chemical weapons in 2003.

Detroit Moves on...

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s resignation is leaving metro Detroit residents with mixed emotions.

After pleading guilty to felony charges in his perjury case and no contest to an assault charge, Kilpatrick will spend four months in jail, pay up to $1 million in restitution, serve 5 years probation and forfeit his law license and his pension from the state Legislature.

“I think he made the right decision to step down at this point,” said Jim Goodney of Wixom. “He probably should’ve done it months ago; it would’ve saved a lot of grief and a lot of money for the state and the city.”

Agreeing with Goodney, Detroit resident Michael Teat referred to this moment as a “sigh of relief.”

He Said/She Said
BIG DILEMMA: OPRAH BALKS AT HOSTING SARAH PALIN; STAFF DIVIDED

Oprah Winfrey may have introduced Democrat Barack Obama to the women of America -- but the talkshow queen is not rushing to embrace the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket!

Oprah's staff is sharply divided on the merits of booking Sarah Palin, sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

"Half of her staff really wants Sarah Palin on," an insider explains. "Oprah's website is getting tons of requests to put her on, but Oprah and a couple of her top people are adamantly against it because of Obama."

Oprah Blows off Palin

Oprah has issued a statement to TMZ -- she won't put Sarah Palin on her show until after the election.

Here's the statement: "The item in today's Drudge Report is categorically untrue. There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show. At the beginning of this Presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates. I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over."

Palin Power: More Popular Than Obama, McCain

A week ago, most Americans had never heard of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Now, following a Vice Presidential acceptance speech viewed live by more than 40 million people, Palin is viewed favorably by 58% of American voters. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% hold an unfavorable view of the self-described hockey mom.

The figures include 40% with a Very Favorable opinion of Palin and 18% with a Very Unfavorable view (full demographic crosstabs are available for Premium Members). Before her acceptance speech, Palin was viewed favorably by 52%. A week ago, 67% had never heard of her.


Democrats Spreading Misinformation and Lies

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Thursday blamed supporters of the Democratic presidential ticket for spreading "misinformation and flat-out lies" about her and her family.

But her spokeswoman said Obama's campaign was not responsible, even though a Palin fundraising letter named the Democratic ticket with the words: "the Obama-Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain."

The Obama campaign has raised questions about Palin's qualifications based on her six years as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and less than two years as governor, but Obama himself has said her family should be off-limits. He also said he would fire any staffer who talks about it.


Whiplash for Liberals

Within the first few minutes of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's speech Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention, my phone started to light up with text messages. I could instantly tell that my liberal friends (and there are many) were nervous.

Palin, the future president and next vice president of the United States, had something to say.

The messages started with simple admissions, like, "She's doing well." As the humor-filled speech unfolded, my text messages increased: "She's doing well" became, "Wow!" The evening ended with scared muses and hostile phrases like, "We still have two more months," and "But how many hockey moms could there actually be in America?"

The liberals were scared. How could one speech completely change their minds and make them go from laughing at Palin to fearing her?



Metcalf Still on Amazon Shorts 'Best Seller List'

Back in January I had my third book posted to Amazon Shorts.  'Will in Acquinistere' it is a novel about a young boy with cerebral palsey who goes on a Tolkein like adventure to a far away place to save the world.

I was delighted to learn the story made it onto Amazon's 'Best Seller' list on Amazon Shorts. They update it every hour so I could be in #2 or #14 position depending on when you check.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/334884011

I encourage you to please check out the story which I feel is much more than just a 'childrens book'. It is serialized into five downloads and is very inexpensive.  Please sample at least the first part and let me know what you think.
Will in Acquinistere - Part 1


Form and Substance
    By Geoff Metcalf
“Important principles may, and must, be inflexible.”
--Abraham Lincoln

The selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as the GOP Vice Presidential nominee is brilliant. Strategically and tactically, she is the perfect compliment to Senator John McCain, and “perfect storm” for the perpetually whiny Democrats. 

“As a Democrat, I am reeling,” said Camille Paglia, the erstwhile and current cultural critic. “That was the best political speech I have ever seen delivered by an American woman politician. Palin is as tough as nails.”

Democrats will need a chain saw to cut through the hypocrisy this year.

So now we have the party tickets for the ’08 Presidential Wannabes.  Buckle up!

Perception versus reality is the challenge in most political theater.  Obama has offered form over substance as an art form he has mastered. He is a highly skilled orator, expert at sparking warm and fuzzy feelings. However, demonstrated performance remains (for him) an elusive promise…if or when he is anointed.

In the wake of the usual Cecil de Milleish choreography of the DNC extravaganza in Denver, the GOP has thrown a hard curveball into the process.  The announcement that the GOP Vice Presidential pick is Governor Palin has sent shockwaves through the ranks of the chattering class elite (and the DNC).

Governor Palin is way more than just a pretty face or just a political maverick. She is the real deal! Unlike her running mate or their opponents, Palin is the personification of both substance and principles…a for real “doer of deeds”. She has earned a reputation as a tax-cutter and corruption buster and (get this) has demonstrated “…it’s not a question of WHO is right or wrong (partisanship), but WHAT is right or wrong (principles) that counts.”  HOOAH!

Democrat surrogates are sniping at her lack of experience (despite Barack’s painfully thin resume). They are dissing her ability to be Commander in Chief (ignoring her Command of the Alaska National Guard for two years). Candidly, Democrats are recycling most of the routine GOP criticisms of Obama. The obvious difference is that Palin is being offered as a complement to the GOP presidential candidate, whereas Obama is the Democrats candidate for President.

If it is possible to set aside partisan rancor for a brief moment and clinically analyze the Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/and Threats of all the candidates, some interesting parallels develop.
1.    GOP:
a.    McCain brings heavy Senate Experience, Military Experience, Maturity, partisan maverick, and yeah, that POW credential that seems to annoy those who don’t have those scars.
b.    Palin is skinny with experience on the national scene; however, she is a bona fide strong partisan maverick, VERY conservative principles, doer of deeds who gets stuff done.
c.    Neither McCain nor Palin are partisan hacks. Both have been decried as RINOs. Both have significant accomplishments and compelling personal stories.
2.    Dems:
a.    Obama lacks experience in Senate, has no executive experience, VERY liberal policies, zero exposure to military. He may be a gifted speaker, but is way thin on demonstrated performance.
b.    Biden has heavy senate experience, maturity, partisan sycophant with a propensity for major gaffs. Oddly, he personifies the stereotype of the kind of “change” Obama rails against.

The Ketchikan Daily News recently observed, “Voters will be deciding in the general election whether they prefer an experienced president and less experienced vice president, or what the Democrats offer: a rising star for president and seasoned vice president. It won’t be far from anyone’s mind, either, that McCain is the oldest presidential candidate ever. … There are chinks in her armor. But she has a tendency to just move past them and continue to fight for what she believes in. Palin is energetic.”
Those Republicans who have struggled with “holding their nose and voting for the lesser of available evils” have to be jazzed at the introduction of a for real conservative, who not only talks the talk, but has routinely walked the walk, on matters both political and personal.

Principles matter. Many of my long time readers remain angry I could or would suggest McCain as the solution to Obama mania. I have tried (unsuccessfully) to explain that the republic is in distress because of liberal incrementalism which has consistently eroded our Constitutional gifts. Before we can restore the republic we have to slow and then attrite the liberal gains that challenge us.

Obama is anathema. Obama/Biden is an abomination. The Democrats offer a team of two rabid liberals. The Republicans offer a team of two principled conservatives of varying intensity.

Herman Melville once wrote, “The grand principles of virtue and honor, however they may be distorted by arbitrary codes, are the same the world over: and where these principles are concerned, the right or wrong of any action appears the same to the uncultivated as to the enlightened mind.”



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