memeorandum: Vetting of Palin is raising questions (Los Angeles Times)

4:10 PM ET, September 3, 2008

Top Items:

The War Against the Press — I've talked to many political professionals over the years who were mad at the media, or me in particular. — But I've never quite had a conversation like the one Tuesday night with Steve Schmidt. — He was absolutely furious as he unloaded on the journalistic community …

Discussion: The Field on the Narcosphere, National Review, Don Surber, I Don't Like You Either, The Daily Dish, Martini Revolution, The New Republic, StephenBainbridge.com, Wonkette, Achenblog and PoliticalBase.com Blog

ABCNEWS:

Another Controversy for Sarah Palin — Former Police Chief Says He Was Fired for Challenging Palin's Campaign Contributors — Gov. Sarah Palin is already facing ethical questions over her firing of the Alaska public safety commissioner, and now she faces questions over the firing of a longtime local police chief.

Discussion: Confederate Yankee, The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, Comments from Left Field, JammieWearingFool, Riehl World View and Three Wise Men

Los Angeles Times:

McCain had criticized earmarks from Palin — Three times in recent years, the Arizona senator's lists of ‘objectionable’ pork spending have included earmarks requested by his new running mate. — WASILLA, ALASKA — For much of his long career in Washington, John McCain has been throwing darts …

Discussion: Media Matters for America, Washington Monthly, New York Times, Spin Cycle, New York Times, The Daily Dish, Christian Science Monitor, Outside The Beltway, Liberal Values, Kevin Drum and American Street

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

McCain Strategist Blasts Media — Top Aide Says News Organizations Are ‘on a Mission to Destroy’ Palin — Sen. John McCain's top campaign strategist accused the news media Tuesday of being “on a mission to destroy” Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin by displaying “a level of viciousness and scurrilousness” …

Discussion: Kevin Drum, Media Blog, American Street, The Caucus, TVNewser, Think Progress, NewsBusters.org, Tennessee Guerilla Women, Commentary, The Huffington Post and Sweetness & Light

Mike Allen / The Politico:

McCain: Palin more qualified than Obama — Mounting a ferocious defense of his embattled running mate, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he is buying a TV ad arguing that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has more experience than the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

Discussion: Associated Press, The New Republic, Stop The ACLU, democracyarsenal.org, Hot Air, Wizbang, Spin Cycle, Wake up America, Christian Science Monitor, Comments from Left Field and Yahoo! News

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

PALIN REFUSES TO TESTIFY — It didn't take long. We've already brought you news of the official investigation into Gov. Palin's firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. Steve Branchflower, the lead investigator, began trying to arrange a deposition of the governor days before her veep selection.

Discussion: The New Republic, TPMMuckraker, Anchorage Daily News, rubber hose, Balloon Juice and MyDD

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

FIRST THOUGHTS: AMERICA, MEET SARAH PALIN — From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro — ST. PAUL, MN — And we thought Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton would give the most highly anticipated convention speech. Well, that was before McCain selected the first-term governor …

Discussion: The New Republic, Patterico's Pontifications, Washington Wire, Washington Post, Democracy in America, Open Left, The Moderate Voice, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, unbossed.com, Spin Cycle and Commentary

Michelle Cottle / The New Republic:

Palin's Handling of Other People's Pregnant Teens — Obviously, from the perspective of a progressive, there is much to dislike about Sarah Palin's politics. But this tidbit in today's WaPo strikes me as particularly offensive: … I'm sorry, but a politician who opposes abortion …

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog, Hot Air, Washington Monthly, NO QUARTER, Political Machine, Think Progress, The Reaction and MoJoBlog

Hope Ditto / Political Radar:

Dems Call Palin Experience Ad ‘Ridiculous’ — ABC News' Teddy Davis and Hope Ditto report: A McCain ad contrasting Sarah Palin's experience with that of Barack Obama was called “borderline ridiculous” on Wednesday by a top adviser to the Democratic presidential nominee.

Discussion: Ace of Spades HQ, Little Miss Attila, Post Politics, Hot Air, Commentary, Washington Monthly and www.redstate.com

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
FINELY AGED WHINE

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Democratic Strategist

Washington Post:
Before Speech, Running Mate Gets Some Coaching

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Caucus, Los Angeles Times, Argghhh!, Newsweek Blogs, NY Daily News, TRAIL BLAZERS, Donklephant, PoliticalBase.com Blog, TIME.com, The Democratic Daily and MSNBC

Joe Klein / Swampland:
Angry Amateurs

Discussion: Scripting News, Broadcasting & Cable and TPM Election Central

Jack Shafer / Slate:
MCCAIN CREATES A DISASTER STORY FOR THE NEWS-STARVED PRESS.

Discussion: The Anonymous Liberal

Marc Ambinder:
The Palin Pick: What We Know, Don't Know And Just Assume

Discussion: PoliticalBase.com Blog

Autumn Brewington / Washington Post:
Putting Words in Palin's Mouth

Discussion: Daily Kos, Welcome To The PalinDrome and Emptywheel

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs: Schmidt: No more answers on Palin vetting

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
Palin's Speech: What Does She Need To Do?

Discussion: Think Progress, Washington Monthly and Taylor Marsh

David Von Drehle / Time:
For Palin, Showtime About to Begin

Discussion: Hot Air and Booman Tribune

Los Angeles Times:
Vetting of Palin is raising questions

Discussion: The Huffington Post and MinnPost

Patrick Buchanan / Real Clear Politics: McCain Pick is Paying Off Big Time

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
McCain lashes out at press over Palin

Discussion: The Swamp, Associated Press, The Reaction, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Top of the Ticket, National Review, Reuters and Daily Kos

The New Republic: Are the Attacks on Palin Sexist?

Byron York / The Corner:

What Palin Will Do Tonight — I've been talking to a member of the McCain/Palin team this morning about what to expect from Palin's speech to the convention tonight. These speeches often feature a lot of biographical material, introducing an unknown candidate to the world.

Julia Keller / Chicago Tribune:
Palin faces a cultural crucible

Discussion: The Swamp

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Well, I Did Something Right — Thanks to Stephen Hayes:

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog, Booman Tribune and Weekly Standard

Drlaura / Dr. Laura's Blog:

Sarah Palin and Motherhood — I am extremely disappointed in the choice of Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential candidate of the Republican Party. I will still vote for Senator McCain, because I am very concerned about having a fundamental leftist, especially one who is a marvelous orator, as President.

Discussion: Marc Ambinder and Macsmind

Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:

A Clear and Present Danger To the American Left — Notes from the convention: — Drafts of John McCain's acceptance speech have been bopping around the inside of the campaign for at least a few days, and a question is whether or how much it will be changed to account for the hurricane in New Orleans and the Gulf coast.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, AMERICAN DIGEST and Hot Air

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

“I'm the freaking Governor of Alaska. I didn't get there by just eating mooseburgers and popping out kids.” — This is brilliant. (You will hear “f**k”... once):

Discussion: Post Politics

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

Bush: “McCain Wasn't ‘Tortured’” — I checked the transcript this morning and the biggest bombshell in this campaign so far, in my opinion, is the following section of Bush's speech: … Now have you ever heard someone recount what was done to John McCain in the Hanoi Hilton and not use the word “torture”?

Discussion: Real Clear Politics

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
The Angry Left

Discussion: Swampland, Jezebel, The Daily Dish and Outside The Beltway

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:

An Ideology for White People — I was only able to attend this morning's Politico event with Rich Lowry, Rick Santorum, and Tom DeLay very briefly, but Lowry started out with a joke about how it was incongruous to be the editor of a conservative magazine located in “very liberal New York City.”

Alexander Burns / Yahoo! News:
DeLay says Dems better organized

Discussion: Associated Press and Jack & Jill Politics

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Obama Met With Fox News Executives — At a secret meeting with Barack Obama three months ago, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes says, he tried to clear the air with the Democratic senator by saying that his organization was determined to be fair but would not be “in the tank” for Obama's campaign.

Discussion: The New Republic and NewsBusters.org

Amanda / Think Progress:

Michael Moore responds to Lieberman. — Yesterday in his address to the Republican National Convention, Sen. Joe Lieberman (R-CT) tried to demonstrate the “maverick” appeal of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) by invoking filmmaker Michael Moore. He said that “if John McCain is just another partisan Republican …

Michael Moore:
Michael Moore Responds to Joe Lieberman

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!

AndrewHalcro.com:

The real politics of the Bridge to Nowhere.... With all the debate surrounding the Bridge to Nowhere earmark, I offer you a campaign photo from 2006 when the Bridge to Nowhere was considered the Bridge to Somewhere by one candidate seeking votes from the people of Ketchikan.