Breaking news! John McCain (donate here) has picked Palin as his VP.

This is a brave choice.  He was never the most popular of the Pythons, and spent most of his time in the shadow of John Cleese and Eric Idle.  Though, to some extent, I always did prefer him over Idle.

Here are some of Palin’s greatest achievements:
Arguing government against a King:

Palin debating Biden:

Years of economic experience:

In any event, I’m looking forward to seeing his new BBC documentary, Around the US with an Old Fart, once this election is over.  Though I don’t think he’s actually allowed to run for VP, seeing as he wasn’t born in the US.  Gilliam would have been an acceptable choice.

Oh well, live and learn.

Saw this article in the Guardian.  Worth a look. And quite funny.

To sum up, the new Republican VP pick belonged to a political party, the AIP, that wanted Alaska to secede from the Union.

Oops.

Here’s the funniest part:

Yet it is the AIP’s motto, “Alaska First, Alaska Always”, that may cause the most trouble for McCain. The Republican’s campaign slogan this year is “Country First”.

I’m confused by this NY Times post.

Obama said:

“John McCain says he’s about change, too – except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s not change. That’s just calling the same thing something different. You can put lipstick on a pig – it’s still a pig.”

So the McCain camp responded:

Palin campaign spokesman Maria Comella: “Barack Obama’s comments today are offensive and disgraceful. He owes Governor Palin an apology “

Does that mean that they’re conceding the idea that Sarah Palin is a pig?  Does she have a hidden porcine past that we don’t know about?  (Insert joke here about “bringing home the bacon”).

Why else would they take offense at an expression that, as McCain should know, is older than dirt?

As you know, McCain is one of the few things in the world older than dirt.

I don’t get into the politics as much as Xeno, but this crap the Republicans are hoisting right now really pisses me off.  This summarizes alot of what I’m thinking:

From the Times of London:

In an election campaign notable for its surprises, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice- presidential candidate, may be about to spring a new one — the wedding of her pregnant teenage daughter to her ice-hockey-playing fiancé before the November 4 election.

Inside John McCain’s campaign the expectation is growing that there will be a popularity boosting pre-election wedding in Alaska between Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, her schoolmate and father of her baby. “It would be fantastic,” said a McCain insider. “You would have every TV camera there. The entire country would be watching. It would shut down the race for a week.”

So–when the media first found out about Palin’s pregnant daughter, everyone went ape inside the campaign and said that she was off-limits (Even though it was a clear example that an abstinence-only education is laughable and worthless when preventing teen pregnancy).  Now they’re considering pimping her out to the media in order to change the subject for a week?  I need to go back to my “signs you’re losing the argument” post..

This could help them firm up the gun-rights advocate base, though, since it would confirm McCain and Palin as pro-shotgun wedding.

On the subject of changing the subject, I’ve heard unsubstantiated reports that the McCain group is hoping that Jesus will return on a cloud of glory before November 4.  Maybe he’ll show up to the Vice Presidential debate and protect Sarah from witchcraft.

Actually, from the Boston Herald:

The video of a Kenyan bishop asking Jesus to protect Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin from “witchcraft” has turned into a political witch hunt, says one Harvard expert who found “nothing unusual” about the blessing.

“He was giving an African prayer to an American Christian,” said Jacob K. Olupona, a Harvard African studies professor. “His prayer reflects his own background and his own training and his own world view. America may not believe in witchcraft, but witccraft is a reality (in Africa).”

Catholic League President Bill Donohue echoed that sentiment, saying witchcraft is a “sad reality” in Kenya that has resulted in scores of deaths.

“Nothing unusual” in an anti-witchcraft blessing?  Did Superman spin the world around and we’re suddenly back in the 17th century?  Man, where did I put my copy of the Malleus Maleficarum?  Witchcraft is a “sad reality“, but only in Kenya?  (Is Bill Donahue in touch with reality?)  I guess it will be a shock to Bill when this here Texan boils up my magic cauldron later this morning and curses him with erectile dysfunction and boils.  (Though I think some witch has already beat me to the punch to curse him with baldness.)

But, first I’ve got to finish my coffee.