Commerce Secretary Gregoire?!?

The following post is reprinted from an entry on Progressive Alaska's blog...

From a Friend in Washington State

From my interview just now with Gregoire spokesperson Laura Lockard:

Q: Is Governor Gregoire going to be Obama's nominee for Commerce
Secretary?

A: “We’re not able to speak to that so we’ll do a release in the
morning.”

Q: Where is she?

A: “She’s out of state.”

Q: Is she in the country?

A: "I’m not allowed to say.”

Q: Is she going to continue as Governor of Washington State?

A: "I’m not allowed to say.”

Like everyone, I await tomorrow's announcement. But I will say—and
again this is just tea leaves—that Lockard didn't sound like a staffer
who was mourning some sort of personal tragedy in her boss's life.

And, not to get too far ahead of things, but: Governor Brad Owen?

UPDATE: It looks like the blog entry I reprinted was actually originally from a Stranger Slog entry by Eli Sanders.

FINAL WORD: Turns out that she is going to visit WA State troops in Iraq. Phew! Because Brad Owen scares me.

Snow & Dynastic Politics

I got up early this morning in anticipation of the snow storm that was supposed to arrive. However, it seems that there is snow all over the Puget Sound except in Seattle. It has been cold though, we're not used to staying below freezing for so long (see picture above of a frozen waterfall at Tulalip Casino). Supposedly this afternoon we might see some snow here in the city though. My fingers are crossed.

Since I was up, I made a pot of coffee and read some news online. What particularly caught my eye this morning were some discussions on Slate's XX Factor blog about Caroline Kennedy's possible bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, especially what Emily Yoffe had to say:

This country is ever more becoming a nation of haves and have-nots. By "haves" I don't just mean the rich. If you are lucky to have caring parents who are good role models and nurture good habits in you, you have an advantage in life—but you still have to work to make something of yourself. But there are many kids who have nothing—some of them go to the New York public schools Caroline Kennedy raised money for—who think there's no point making an effort because everything is already wired for the haves. They think that when the haves want something, all they have to do is pick up the phone and life's opportunities are handed to them. So Caroline Kennedy picks up the phone and announces that for her first full-time job, she'd like to be senator from New York, and thus is annointed. That's a bad message to send.

Caroline Kennedy is certainly qualified according to the three rules laid out by the U.S. Constitution, and I don't doubt that she would do an adequate job. But I think Emily has a really good point when she brings up the message that Caroline's appointment would send. Is it enough of a reason to prevent her from being appointed? Not really. But it is definitely a subject worth talking about further.

(Note: I also should mention that I was rather disturbed by the "Live Developing Story" tagline on CNN's website this morning saying that Ben Affleck was addressing the United Nations. And then it was suddenly replaced by Robert Redford speaking out against Bush's plans for public lands. WHAT DID BEN AFFLECK TELL THE U.N.? DON'T TEASE ME AND THEN NOT TELL ME!!!)

Cabbage Patch Palin

There's really no escaping Sarah Palin right now, is there? For instance there is the Sarah Palin Cabbage Patch Doll that will be auctioned off on Ebay along with Obama, McCain, and Biden dolls.

And then I was also reading one of the main articles this morning linked to MSN's home page about Matt Lauer's interview with Palin that aired today. She seemed a lot more likeable now that the election is over and she wasn't giving such divisive speeches. And I'm sure that having Lauer interview her in her kitchen with her family while she prepared a meal was meant to convey her "down-home" qualities. However, reading about it did make me feel like it could have been a little overly Martha Stewart to have the Governor of Alaska making a salmon and halibut casserole on national television. Not that she shouldn't be cooking, but isn't it a little contrived? Is she playing up the whole "supermom/governor" angle or is that really who she is? And does that mean that Matt Lauer is also going to do an interview with Joe Biden while he fires up the grill? I don't know how to feel about the obvious gender stereotyping that Palin seems to represent.

"Sarah Palin: So Far Right She's Wrong"

I admit that I was rather fascinated by McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his VP pick initially. She was so new to the national political stage that it seemed like a potentially hopeful moment for women in politics, even if I could tell that I didn't agree with her point of view. Well, what a difference a month or two makes! Any optimism I had about her has vanished now that she has been exposed as a figure who has about as much background (and interest) in foreign policy as I do. Plus, her extremely divisive speeches on the campaign trail seem calculated to whip their intended targets into a frenzy of righteousness.

She's still a fascinating character to watch, but I would be scared to have her anywhere near the White House because I strongly disagree with her political agenda and also believe she would be too easy for others to control--which is probably why she was picked in the first place.

Anyhow, I ran across a bulletin on MySpace (I know, MySpace is SO 2005) that was talking about an anti-Palin rally in Anchorage, Alaska. I guess it took place in mid-September and was quite possibly the largest political rally in Alaska's history. There were about 1400 anti-Palin demonstrators and perhaps 100 pro-Palin folks as well. Looking at the pictures in the article on Huffington Post or reading the article in the Washington Post, I really got a sense of community from this grass roots effort.

My favorite homemade sign?

"Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was
a governor."

Plasticized Palin

I'm sure this is going around already but I didn't want to be the LAST person to blog about these stupid dolls. Anyhow, if you weren't aware of this yet, you can buy Sarah Palin action figures here and here. Scary. (Note: the second link also features "Beach Blanket Obama!")

Don't ask me WHY anyone would want a doll of Sarah Palin dressed up like Britney Spears in her very first video. I can think of reasons myself, and I would rather not dwell on them.

"McCain and the POW Coverup"

Ran across a reference on Slate to an article by Sydney Schanberg about McCain's involvement in the covering up of evidence of U.S. prisoners of war left behind in Vietnam. First paragraph is below. The rest of the article is really good if you feel like reading it... AND it is by a really well-respected journalist as well.

John McCain, who has risen to political prominence on his image as a
Vietnam POW war hero, has, inexplicably, worked very hard to hide from the
public stunning information about American prisoners in Vietnam who, unlike
him, didn't return home. Throughout his Senate career, McCain has quietly
sponsored and pushed into federal law a set of prohibitions that keep the
most revealing information about these men buried as classified documents.
Thus the war hero who people would logically imagine as a determined
crusader for the interests of POWs and their families became instead the
strange champion of hiding the evidence and closing the books.

And from CNN's Cafferty File was a great blurb about how the Wall Street Journal is blasting McCain's position on the economy. And it appears that McCain graduated 894th out of a class of 899? Not so great...

Sarah, Palin and Tall

I have yet to become particularly energized by the presidential elections which seems to be something I should be ashamed of admitting since I live in activist-central-land (Seattle). Obama never really inspired a great deal of trust in me, although I liked what he had to say. I liked Hillary a little better, but also wasn't necessarily wowed by all of her actions. Still, she is well-connected and for good or bad, would probably get some things done. McCain is just soooooo old. I mean, he's a couple years older than my dad. And my dad is not at a stage of his life where he would be successful as President of the United States of America.

Most likely, I would vote Democratic. Especially in light of McCain's role in crafting our current Iraq policy. And I would like to believe in the audacity of Barack Obama's hopes for our nation. The choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate however, struck me as a very crafty and smart move. For some reason, as soon as I heard that news yesterday, I had a gut feeling that McCain would end up winning. But hey, as I said, it is just a hunch.

Palin does seem to be a choice that will motivate people in one direction or another. Conservative Christians are delighted with the choice. Liberals are frightened by her strong religious views that result in a strong antiabortion stance and preference for teaching Creationism in schools. I don't know quite what to think of her yet except that she seems to be one of those women with superhuman abilities. You know, like Martha Stewart. (Just see the photo above for her transformation from beauty pageant runner-up to feisty "gal governor.") And although all of the buzz right now is about how "McCain chose a woman!", Bryn feels that the election will ultimately come down to race. If change is inevitable, and this race will be about whether a (half) black man or a white woman will be making political history, it will be an interesting election. (If American history repeats itself, I'd bet the white woman will be the first to break a barrier.)

I turned to Slate's XX Factor blog to find out what some smart women think about the hoopla. Hanna Rosin drew attention to Palin's source of energy: "Faith without a Doubt." She also goes on to say, "So strong is her conviction, so unwavering her faith that she could take down the whole dark army on a Monday afternoon, if only her middle one weren't running a fever. So busy is she that she never stops to contemplate the obvious contradictions: that she believes in the patriarchy but doesn't live it, that she disdains feminism while taking full advantage." Although I'm not impressed with Palin's faith-based leadership, I have to agree with Anne Applebaum that Hillary and Sarah may be signs that, "Women make progress in today's world because they are needed and wanted, not because they can successfully pass equal-rights legislation or stage a protest march." And Melinda Henneberger noted that while Palin said, "we both grew up working with our hands," in her speech announcing her position on the McCain ticket, she now sports a flawless french manicure.