Carol What did you say? “I went through this with you before”? Okay. Am I being scolded? LOL, whatever. I didn’t, nor would I, deny anyone their right of free speech. Go for it, be disparaging if it pleases you, I don’t care, it is just not my choice. I don’t think you are an unfair person, but you are also very dedicated to your candidate, as you should be. Fine with me. I didn’t say much about Gov Palin but you used it as an opportunity to open up and skewer her. So let’s take some of these points one at a time. 1. The abuse charges. Are you referring to Troopergate? When she got mixed up in the politics of law enforcement? Wanting someone fired because they tazered an 11 year old? The Trooper in question being her brother-in-law who had threatened her father’s life? That one? I think it is a good question, why wasn’t he fired? Was it that his boss didn’t like a woman telling him what to do? She was the Mayor, she could fire him if she wants to. I am not conversant with all the details, maybe you can supply a couple of links to the papers you are reading, to get to the truth of the situation. 2. I have heard from several sources, different stories on the rape kits, so I don’t know what the truth is. Maybe we can find a judicial link. 3. Earmarks have become a big campaign issue and it makes me laugh since they all take money from special interests. Many states with large economies that contribute far more Federal taxes to Washington, request programs for their states. New York, California and Alaska is another one, send in large tax revenues, and the ratio of fed $$’s that come back to their state are not in pace what is needed. Take for instances monies for infrastructure maintenance. California’s, Alaska’s and New York’s contributions go to many other states. That’s is how it works. Alaska is not the only place that got earmarks, every state does. How many did Illinois get? Sen Obama has been saying he wants to straighten out and change the Washington culture and the influence of special interests. So if she says she is against it, yet receives them, and he says the same, what is the difference? 4. “She never negotiated trade deals.” Need more info regarding why you have discontent about this. 5. I am wary about the censorship issue. 6. She has a lot of growing up to do about sex education. She must face her own inconsistencies. So did President Clinton, but in another way, and did he ever really grow up about it? 7. Neither you nor I know whether or not she had “the talk” with her daughter. That is her private business. 8. What proof do you have that she didn’t work in a bi-partisan manner? Is that evidence from political enemies? 9. Who was hired and who resigned and why? What are all the facts? 10. Gay rights - she could have led an initiative against it. Other governors in other states have done that, and she didn’t. She is a conservative. Why would her position surprise you? 11. She mentions alternative energy quite a bit. It is always in any paragraph or sentence that has to do with energy. As that stands, we are not close enough to expansive and viable alternatives for energy, so Sen Obama would have to get in line with drilling as well. Especially if we want to become energy independent and get out of the middle east. The polls say that the vast majority of Americans want to become energy independent. Let’s bring our soldiers home. 12. I saw the interview with Charlie Rose, and yes, she talked about energy, because that is what she knows. Gov Napolitano was fabulous as well, but she is a democrat, so Sen McCain would not have chosen her. 13. I know that she didn’t answer most of the questions in the debate. I wish she would have. 14. She didn’t say that she likes the Cheney model. She named her areas of interest, just as Al Gore was interested in the environment in the Clinton Administration, and Pres Clinton let VP Gore lead the way on that. I was happy about that. Cheney was a counselor and advisor. I can’t see her as that for McCain. I don’t know what is going to happen in this election, but I know that economically our country has just been hit by a Tsunami, so whatever anyone has campaigned on, from this point forward there is no way they can do much except totally concentrate on putting our country’s finances back on straight. I do not believe that either of them can destroy our country. That is why we have checks and balances. I am more focused on the congressional races. I would like to see many new representatives. I wish we could clean house.

Oh, Susan just noticed your vision for the day. I’ve lived with one-a-day since the early 1980 (got me through some terrible times 1 even a short, frightening marriage, which I ran did not walk, from) … so today, as I await the arrival of a daughter and SIL with their children from NM (she’s a geoscientist - go figure - not like her Mom except politically), I’ve already been envisioning whirled peas and “whirling butterflies” (that I can see right now out my window). Thank you dear. On another note: Many of “us” believe Sarah’s a victim, which is part of her drive; however, we also see Bi-Polar needing meds adjustment. it’s all very sad that in America someone, especially a woman, would be grabbed up by someone who perceives themselves as powerful to keep their ship from sinking. Anyone who falls into such gut-level, somatic “cultural” practices that incorporate magic, money, and mental anguish merely needs to be removed from that milieu for a while to re-gain perspective. Certainly, everyone has their own levels of spirituality, in some form, and it’s a no-no to judge in my opinion (I’ve know people from all sorts of believes, and cultures, which is not be the same as ethnicity, and there’s never been a missed step in our relationships) however, when such riles the innermost anger and potent for cruelty in others as she has done on this ticket, in America, it must be stopped. It cannot be permitted to go on. We, as a people, must do everything we can to prevent the hatred her outbursts has created “on the trail” - we can only hope for the best at this point. In closing, I feel sad for McCain. He’s bitten off more than he can chew with his unethical committee, wife and Palin. Like Plath, he’s trying to stop the train but “there’s no getting off”, the poison was released in the open throughout our society.