Sarah Finds Her Inner Mickey

Although he is far too modest to boast about it (or has too keen a sense of self-preservation), Mickey Kaus seems to be the inspiration for a key part of Sarah Palin's new WSJ op-ed on health care reform.

From Ms. Palin:

Now look at one way Mr. Obama wants to eliminate inefficiency and waste: He's asked Congress to create an Independent Medicare Advisory Council—an unelected, largely unaccountable group of experts charged with containing Medicare costs. In an interview with the New York Times in April, the president suggested that such a group, working outside of "normal political channels," should guide decisions regarding that "huge driver of cost . . . the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives . . . ."

Given such statements, is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by—dare I say it—death panels? Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans. Working through "normal political channels," they made themselves heard, and as a result Congress will likely reject a wrong-headed proposal to authorize end-of-life counseling in this cost-cutting context. But the fact remains that the Democrats' proposals would still empower unelected bureaucrats to make decisions affecting life or death health-care matters. Such government overreaching is what we've come to expect from this administration.

And Mickey, writing last August 12:

If, as Harold Pollack argues, "rationing of life-saving or life-extending care" would not really be a priority for the "effectiveness" panels--such as the Obama-endorsed IMAC--then it was all the more stupid to bring the topic up, no?  Here's the first graf from a Bloomberg account of an early Obama health care foray back in April:

April 29 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said his grandmother’s hip-replacement surgery during the final weeks of her life made him wonder whether expensive procedures for the terminally ill reflect a “sustainable model” for health care.

Gee, where could the misinformed town hall crazies have gotten the idea that Obama was thinking about saving money by denying expensive procedures toward the end of life? ... [via Dish]  ... 1:49 P.M.

Mickey had it all - the suspicious public, the fateful April Obama interview, even the IMAC panels.  Sarah must be a smart lady to be reading Slate (OK, as if...)

Comments

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Wasn't mickey responding to the "death panels" thing Sarah wrote on Facebook? She made it clear (see, eg, here) she was talking about the rationing issue.

[clarice]

Anyone who--like Sarah--can look at that unholy mishmash which professor Jacobson says is legal gobbledygook, unreadable and meaningless, capture the most objectional part of it, freeze it, name it and attack it is a winner.
She did it.
Mickey did it.
Here's who didn't do it--practically everyone else you can think of.

[Jack is Back!]

Remember, it's the Hippocratic Oath (i.e. Do no harm) that Ezekiel says is the problem & with that you build the narrative without having to mention "death panels". Pretty slick but not slick enough for a stupid moose killing hockey mom.

[Porchlight]

I think Charlie is correct. Palin's first two Facebook posts on the subject, which quite obviously kicked off the national discussion on rationing and end-of-life counseling, were dated August 7 ("death panels") and August 12 (follow up).

Not that I don't love Mickey, because I do, and he gets extra credit since he's on the left. But Palin led the charge, so I think TM is not quite on target when he suggests that her op-ed today was inspired by Kaus' sharp work in the rear guard.

[hrtshpdbox]

Palin publishes her editorial on the day of Obama's speech...and the White House can apparently think of nothing else, they must respond right away, i.e.:
"Every non-partisan organization that has looked at her claims say they are false. And the ideas in her op-ed are both scary and risky. Eliminating Medicare and giving our seniors vouchers instead is a bad idea that we shouldn't adopt."
Now, I've read Palin's editorial, and although the words "Medicare" and "voucher" are indeed used in the same sentence, I don't think eliminating Medicare and replacing it with vouchers is even remotely what she was saying. I wonder if Obama will be able to restrain himself tonight - he might just abandon his usual "some people are saying" strawman approach and switch to shouts of "Sarah Palin hates the idea of health care reform!".

[clarice]

Why do you suppose she gets under his skin so easily?

I think he does have problems with women especially white women (viz his abandoning mom and "typical white person" grandma)-- but I think it's more than that.

[Original MikeS]

Sarah's "death panel" remark caused the press to report the President's health care statements which in turn revealed his ideas and attitudes toward health care rationing to the public. That's my idea of a public plan.

[Jane]

The Eagle has landed. I think the earth moved.

[jwest]

I’ve got to sympathize with Obama.

Who could possibly figure out white women?

[Extraneus]

I think it's because she ridiculed him.

When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.

Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.

[snip]

I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.

Maybe you have, too
.
We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.

And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.

But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform -- not even in the state Senate.

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al-Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much ... he promises more.

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them.

[MayBee]

Will Obama be able to just dismiss this as "silliness about Death Panels"? I think he'll try, but it would be nice if someone would ask him to actually address the concern she mentions here.

Why do you suppose she gets under his skin so easily?

Isn't it odd? Ben Smith says she is the only Republican mentioned by name in the WH's distributed talking points tonight.

Is he afraid of her political power?
Is he really irked that she was so unswayed by his charm?
Is he jealous that she disrupted his mojo for a while?
Does he think it's easy to turn people against her, as with George W Bush?

[boris]

He's got his MoJo workin' but it just don't work on her.

[bgates]

Ahhh, Palin is too stupid to be part of government. We need more like this guy:

Assemblyman Mike Duvall of Yorba Linda made the comments to another man during a break in a committee meeting at the Capitol over the summer, and they were caught on a microphone at his desk.

In a recording of the hearing broadcast by KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, the 54-year-old lawmaker talks about a recent sexual escapade with a woman he says is 18 years younger than him.

"I like spanking her," he is heard to say on the videotape. "She goes, 'I know you like spanking me.' I said, 'Yeah, that's cause you're such a bad girl.'"

He then brags about an affair he is having with another lobbyist.

If you don't know the next part without reading it, I'm disappointed:

Duvall, a father of two, received a 100 percent rating from Capitol Resource Institute, a conservative advocacy group, for his votes on legislation considered pro-family during the 2007-08 legislative session.

Of course he did.

[maryrose]

Envy is his true emotion toward Sarah. People listen to her and she speaks for average Americans-the group that clings to guns and religion. The ones Obama could never carry in the primaries. These are the people immune to his charms and realize what his true agenda is for the country. The fear factor operates big time alsoin regard to Sarah. She can shine a bright light on the One.

[Extraneus]

And not only did she ridicule him, she called him out.

For an over-inflated ego like his -- for a man who is incompetent but doesn't know it -- this is unbearable.

People who are competent, or even those who are incompetent but know their limitations, cannot be so deeply wounded by such criticism or attacks. But Obama isn't one of those people. And like Clarice, I suspect that in his case, it's even worse coming from a woman, and worst of all a white woman.

[Porchlight]

I thought for sure Obama would be smart enough to press on and not respond directly to Palin. Looks like I misunderestimated him again.

Meanwhile Marc Ambinder begs the media to ignore her. Because, you know, she's so ineffective. Could they be any more transparent?

[Carl Pham]

She gets under his skin because all his abortion rights universal health care community organizer teacher's union multi-culti everyone's above average bullshit -- which he himself gags on, since by nature he's an ambitious elitist who wants to tell other people, particularly dumb "breeder" women, what to do -- is supposed to make her want to get into his pants. But it doesn't.

Sensitive lefty guys are like this. They adopt their attitudes, despite considerable secret personal arrogance, because it's supposed to make all the hot girls want you. When it doesn't, it sure is humiliating. They feel totally neutered. Not surprising that they end up hating those women with a deep passion.

[Jack is Back!]

I think this health care debate and legislation or no-legislation is coming down to which side can scare the seniors the most. That is always the Dem's tactic politically to raise the specter of social security or medicare just disappearing in the back of some fat cat republican senator's town car. But now the flip side is playing and it has the Dem's themselves scared. Without the seniors you get zip since the only way, when you are $13 trillion (God I love that number) in debt, is to cut medicare, ration services and raise taxes. If printing money without assets to back it up makes it worthless then how is the extra revenue from taxes adding to the countries net worth?

[Shezam.]

Naw, it hasn't anything to do with white or woman, it's a culture war, and he's about to start losing.
==================================

[bgates]

If printing money without assets to back it up makes it worthless then how is the extra revenue from taxes adding to the countries net worth?

Pete Stark explained it to me, but I chiseled the part of my brain that contains the memory of that experience out of my skull with a meat thermometer. On the bright side, following that operation, his explanation makes a lot more sense.

[PeterUK]

He will end up frequenting Miss Lashworthy's Establishment for Correctional Education.

[clarice]

I think she really unnerves him because he knows inside she's better than he is--she's more beautiful, has accomplished more, is braver ,smarter,and more fearless than he is. And deep inside he knows his "accompishments" are phony and exaggerated and her's are not. And, yes, because she is impervious to his charm which is all he really ever had going for him.

[Rob Crawford]

Why do you suppose she gets under his skin so easily?

She lacks the proper credentials -- Ivy League degree, a published book -- yet demonstrates a level of intelligence and empathy he can only mimic poorly.

She belongs to a church that teaches tolerance, peace, and good-will. He belonged to a church that teaches hatred, envy, and anger.

She's real; he's fake.

[Jack is Back!]

For all of you at JOM who don't have Obama Bingo cards but still have a pad and pen, then you may want to do as Keith Hennessey suggests and do a check off. LUN

[Well, I think so, anyway.]

Naw, c, he and his are simply afraid of her and the power of her political movement. They will bury him, and soon.
==================================

[Porchlight]

I think she bothers him because she represents the kind of Americans he secretly despises.

[Rob Crawford]

I think she bothers him because she represents the kind of Americans he secretly despises.

"Secretly"?

[PeterUK]

I think she really unnerves him because he knows inside she's better than he is--she's more beautiful, has accomplished more, is braver ,smarter,and more fearless than he is"

And he will never get to wear the red shoes in public.

[Porchlight]

I almost said "not so secretly" but deleted it...

[They're not even trying to be subtle any longer.]

Thomas Friedman reveals his inner authoritarian in his article today. Paraphrasing, one party rule can push a society in the direction it needs to go.
=========================================

[DebinNC]

Palin serves as a useful foil against whom Obama can rally his base now that Bush and Cheney are gone and there's no focus of hate in Congress like Tom DeLay. I don't think Obama and the Dems are afraid of Palin, and the idea of Obama the uber-narcissist thinking she's better than he is unimaginable imo. She is, of course, but he's not in touch with reality enough to ever give that idea a passing thought.

[clarice]

That, too, PUK..the red shoes..

[Jack is Back!]

DebinNC,

I agree with you. Very interesting cause and effect diagnosis of narcissism at LUN. I defy anyone to show how the Once is not an uber-narcissist.

[PeterUK]

DebinNC.
Yes,Obama is afraid of Sarah Palin. Just as Mom and Gran knew what made him tick,as does Michelle,they were impervious to his charm and guile,so he fears Sarah Palin is likewise impervious.
He is a manipulator,one thing that really frightens that kind of creature is the unmaniplable.

[Gregory Koster]

I have to confess, with embarrassment, that I had (and still do) reservations about SP, reservations that caused me to underestimate her, seriously, when McC picked her and when she first started campaigning as Veep. So, I can say there's an easy way for The Once and the Left in general to combat her: learn from her. Of course that means taking her seriously, shutting out such IQ- and rabies-test failing zanies like Sullivan. It means passing up Martha's Vineyard or Paris, and maybe spending a vactaion at Six Flags in Texas. It means humility....why are all of you laughing and jeering?

Oh. Yeah, I guess I was injecting it into a vein instead of smoking it.

I must correct the proprietor of this arena by saying that the only notable figures on the Right who read SLATE are Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito, when they've confessed to a particularly odious opinion, and the confessor sez, OK, boys, here's your penance, and trots out Dahlia Lithwick's latest 200 proof concoction of lies, laced with cynicism...

The GOP is not doing the country any favors by bringing up Medicare. However helpful hollering "they're gonna cut Medicare! They're gonna cut Medicarer!" is now, it only reinforces the "sacred cow" status of Medicare. This cancer will grow without ceasing, until the day comes when the kiddies, fresh from listening to The Once's latest effusion of "Study hard you little racists!" and hauled to the assembly line of Government Motors, and chained to the assembly line, while Robert Byrd sits in his wheelchair, trying to remember if he was supposed to crack the whip, or yell "Faster! Faster!" (Both actually, but you can't expect a Senator to do two things at once.) I'm almost---almost---tempted to say, let the Dems pass this mess, and then find they have to cut Medicare. If our vessels of Superior Wisdumb thought the tea party town halls were ferocious...

Sincerely yours,
Gregory Koster

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I think it's more than that.

What could be more of a threat to his malignant need for acclaim than to be repeatedly beaten intellectually by a cow-college hockey mom?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Who could possibly figure out white women?

having dated asians of several extractions and two black women, I suggest that is too restrictive.

[clarice]

bgates--

Statement from Assemblyman Mike Duvall regarding his resignation from office today:
September 9, 2009
"I am deeply saddened that my inappropriate comments have become a major distraction for my colleagues in the Assembly, who are working hard on the very serious problems facing our state. I have come to the conclusion that it would not be fair to my family, my constituents or to my friends on both sides of the aisle to remain in office. Therefore, I have decided to resign my office, effective immediately, so that the Assembly can get back to work."

[clarice]

Narcissists all know deep down that they are phonies--everytime she speaks she reminds him how inauthentic he is.

[clarice]

Fear of exposure--and she exposes his inauthenticity regularly--haunts narcissists.

[Ignatz]

--Fear of exposure--and she exposes his inauthenticity regularly--haunts narcissists.--

Bingo, clarice.
Fear of exposure is the sole motivating factor behind all of a narcissists pathologies.
They project extreme arrogance and superiority as a pre-emptive mask of their total self loathing and insecurity. They view exposure of their real self, which they believe to be overwhelmingly inferior and defective, as an existential threat, not just an embarrassment.

[Sue]

Drudge is flashing the siren...dems do not have the votes to pass health care.

[clarice]

Hurrah, Sue!

[linda juanita]

I just know they were tearing at their clothes and pulling at their hair doing a line by line of the WSJ OP-ED by Sarah Palin.

Tonight's speech is being revised, er, re-calibrated.

Can you see them all wild eye, foaming at the mouth...

[Porchlight]

Thanks for that cheery note, Sue - I love the Drudge siren.

Are any of you watching this little rhetorical sortie tonight? I don't even know when it starts.

[Neo]

I think she really unnerves him because she sounds like his mother

[Neo]

The ball is in President Obama's court to reach out to Republicans if he wants a bipartisan bill on healthcare reform, House GOP Leader John Boehner (Ohio) said Monday morning.

Boehner told reporters that the president has not invited House GOP leaders to the White House for meetings on healthcare reform since the end of April.

Earlier this year, GOP leaders sent a letter to the president in May stating that they would like to work with the administration to find "common ground" on healthcare reform.

But the administration responded with a tersely worded letter indicating that they had healthcare reform under control.

[DebinNC]

Porchlight, the speech is 8-9. I heard a bit of Rush today quoting Tapper's puzzlement at the WH early released copy of the speech. Tapper asked Gibbs why the speech didn't seem to have anything new, and Gibbs responded something like "Not everyone has heard Obama make these points." If Obama simply rehashes prior points, with some rhetorical red meat thrown to the base, that would be incredible to me.

[PeterUK]

This should put the s*its up Obama.

[Porchlight]

test

[Porchlight]

Thanks, DebinNC. One interesting thing I just saw at Tapper's - that "medical malpractice reform" would be discussed tonight "in a gesture of bipartisanship." But this comes apparently from Gibbs at the WH, not from Tapper's own reading of the speech.

[clarice]

Weekly Standard blog reporting rumor that Hillary will resign as Sec of State to run for Governor of NY.

[Fresh Air]

JiB--

I'm not much of a bingo fan, myself. But how about Jeopardy?

"I'll take sentences that begin with "I" for $200, Alex."

[daddy]

Bishop,

Just FYI, (since you follow this sort of stuff, and not of any big consequence)

Yesterday, "Conservative" Dan Fagan's entire rant was on Levi's supposed statement in Vanity Fair about Sarah supposedly saying, she didn't want to hold her "Retarded" baby, instead she wanted to hold her "Normal" grandkid. Fagan thought this was outrageous that Levi can get away with saying such stuff, and the big point, "Where is the Media standing up and taking him to task for saying this stuff?---Is it okay for anybody to say anything about Sarah Palin, no matter how despicable, and nobody in the Media stands up to defend her?" I'm not joking. Here "Conservative" Fagan's done the Left Wing Media's dirty work slamming her for 10 months straight, approvingly posting anti-Sarah Maureen Dowd columns on his Conservative website, and chopping off at the knees anyone who tried by print or phonecall to make a single statement in support of Sarah. Yet now he criticizes those he criticized unmercifully, for not now doing what they were damned for 10 months for doing, because he now realizes what a hell of a mess the country is in and that we need Conservative voices speaking out about what our elected leftists that he helped elect are doing in Washington. It's infuriating, but oh well. And at the same time Andrew Halcro was back guest hosting AM 650, and now that Sarah's gone, he's suddenly slamming Begich, Dem's, and Health Care. Just thought I'd pass this bit of insanity on as a For What It's Worth comment. It's best to take none of these guys seriously, but unfortunately I don't always take my own advice, which is why all my hair is yanked out.

[DebinNC]

So, just like the visuals of Obama with school kids yesterday, Obama wants visuals of Dems and Reps both applauding his speech at different points. His image is everything to him.

[hit and run]

What he said:
Tapper asked Gibbs why the speech didn't seem to have anything new, and Gibbs responded something like "Not everyone has heard Obama make these points"

What he meant:
"We're still under the impression that it doesn't matter what he says, just that he say something, anything in that smooth baritone mellifluous siren of a voice to lull voters into believing he's bringing them hope and change and a health care unicorn."

[bishop]

Great AT article, Daddy, is Fagan, kidding, he has the nerve to say that, now. Halcro,I thought he gave up his show, It's kind of worked out for the best, there's no way, the stream of complaints would have stopped whenever she gave an opinion from the likes of MacLeod and Co. She's been the only public official who really challenged
his very reason for being, and she reaped
a worldwind for that. "You don't talk about about fight club," and you don't diss community organizing

[Bruce]

Liverpool Care Pathway - NHS Death Panel.

Drug 'em, starve 'em, and deny them fluids.

Free up a bed.

"Rosemary Munkenbeck says her father Eric Troake, who entered hospital after suffering a stroke, had fluid and drugs withdrawn and she claims doctors wanted to put him on morphine until he passed away under a scheme for dying patients called the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP). "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6156076/Daughter-claims-father-wrongly-placed-on-controversial-NHS-end-of-life-scheme.html

Death Panels are real. They kill hundreds per year in the UK.

Get used to it.

[raaa]

It's astounding. Those even remotely supporting the President or his health reform use intelligence, rationalism, and facts.

Those against the President and health care monger fear, lies, slander, and filth.

The fact that death panels is propaganda is indisputable. The living will provision has been accepted for over 20 years. The inclusion into the health care bill was made by two republicans. There is no rational way to justify any discourse on the issue.

I am disgusted at these reptilian-minded rednecks who supported GW Bush -- among the worst presidents in American History while he took away our liberties, gave away our surplus, and led us into near destruction. Any opposition to his Will was met with wiretapping, black lists, and Extraordinary rendition.

Yet, an army of 50,000 paid insurance industry employees are spreading lies and "teabagging" across America IN BAD FAITH and calling for violence against the standing president?

This is bad faith. And we need to litigate against big insurance on a class-action level for their crimes.

For those lying republicans encouraging revolution -- this is high treason. They need to be shamed -- and possibly arrested.

For the redneck ignorant bloggers who are NOT paid trolls (are there many of them) -- you are in the minority, but you have the right to your uneducated hateful opinions. How many of you are there? Probably 5% of all pro-insurance bloggers.

The rest are trolls.

[apophis]

Obama made a deal with the insurance companies and the pharmaceuticals buy some
new talking points, It's the complete lives
system that's at the heart of this, by the way to many a's

[Ignatz]

--Posted by: raaa--

Would that be the Egyptian moron god?

[Stephanie "the Ice Pick"]

OH, raaa don't make a middle aged woman laugh that hard. Might just get all wee-weed up...

revenge...

Sarah's response to the White House's response to her editorial...

I'm pleased that the White House is finally responding to Republican health care ideas instead of pretending they don't exist.[1] But in doing so President Obama should follow his own sound advice and avoid making "wild misrepresentations".[2] Medicare vouchers would give everyone on Medicare the chance to decide for themselves which health plan to use, rather than leave that decision to government bureaucrats. Such proposals are the kind of health care reform that Republicans stand for: market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven.

The White House talking points leave the rest of my arguments unanswered. They don't respond to the idea that all individuals should get the same tax benefits received by those who get coverage through their employers; that we must reform our tort laws; and that we should allow Americans to buy insurance across state lines. The White House also fails to respond to the Nyce/Schieber study indicating that wages will fall if the government expands coverage without reducing health care inflation rates.

One last thing: after President Obama's speech tonight, listen for which pundits use the words "false", "scary", and "risky" in describing the proposals I put forward. That's how you'll be able to tell who the White House counted as "allies" worthy of receiving its talking points.

-Sarah Palin

A shot at the WH and a blow to the media all in one!

[bishop]

The response to the response, to the pre-response, this is all getting too meta.

[hit and run]

Let's rethink this...

Those even remotely supporting the President or his health reform use intelligence, rationalism, and facts.

Those against the President and health care monger fear, lies, slander, and filth.

Hmmm...

Fear: "Any opposition to his Will was met with wiretapping, black lists, and Extraordinary rendition." [you know, either you didn't oppose his will, or you survived your rendition]

Lies: "an army of 50,000 paid insurance industry employees"

Slander: "calling for violence against the standing president"

Filth: "teabagging" across America"

Real Men of Genius: We salute you over-earnest, self-contradictory, delusional man.

[bgates]

Not everyone has heard Obama make these points

I think he was talking about these guys:

(Karnak: Who are 3 dudes who have a clearer understanding of the health care debate than raaa?)

[Bill in AZ]

heh - I'm a redneck.

[Nancy in Texas]

Although I feel that perhaps I OUGHT to watch tonight's performance, I won't, since I cannot stand the sight or sound of O'Marxist. I'll be purging my cats' litterboxes instead.

[Captain Hate]

NiT, it's a much more productive, and less disgusting, use of your time.

[EBJ]

Teabagging across America? The new Girls Gone Wild video?

I'm not sure if raaa is the guy behind GGW or Tom Friedman. Or maybe Tom Friedman is the GGW guy?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

The fact that death panels is propaganda is indisputable.

Which is why the Senate took them out.

[Extraneus]

Is there going to be a Republican response to the grand speech tonight?

(I realize that one could only fantasize that the R's would put Sarah up for this, despite the fact that it would be their best possible move.)

[PeterUK]

"The living will provision has been accepted for over 20 years."

Slavery used o be the big thing with Democrats,but they were stopped.

[sbw]

How do you flash a siren? Pull down your pants?

--

The narcissist's deepest secret: The Once is not enough.

[hit and run]

Oh, that's great. typepad ate one of my comments, and it wasn't the one responding to raaaa.

Here's the unlinked, shortened version.

Palin writes an op-ed.

Ambinder says she's a policy lightweight...sure, Obama had a ghostwriter for his op-ed too, but you just know he knows what he's talking about and you just know Palin never will.

HuffPo writer wants to wager that if you put Palin in a room for an hour, she couldn't come up with anything worth reading

We learn that Obama spent the holiday weekend writing the speech. He came back with a bunch of hand written notes to give to the speechwriters

Tapper calls Gibbs out because there's nothing new in the speech.

So.....put Obama in a room for an entire weekend and he just repeats the same stale, rote talking points that have people lining up in protest across the country -- for his big, game-changing hail mary for his signature domestic legislation waterloo?

Bottom line: even MoveOn.org has started drafting a petition calling for Obama to get some new material.

But sooooome people think Palin is the lightweight...uh, huh...sooooome people are still smoking the hopeyweed.

[hit and run]

Extraneus:
Is there going to be a Republican response to the grand speech tonight?

It's a rep from Louisiana. He's a surgeon.

Gird your loins Guard your tonsils and limbs!

[Stephanie "the Ice Pick"]

Go Melanie Oudin!

[willem]

Taking Palin head-on seems dicey enough, but imagine the crossfire from Michelle and Valerie Jarrett. Whatever resentment the Prez may feel toward Sarah jumps several orders of magnitude with the Queens who rule the White House.

The "idealizing Van Jones" buffoonery revealed there may be more than one prospective case of NPD in the White House.

Excellent series by Pat Santy on Kohut's Personality of Self LUN.