Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Don’t expect peaches from an apple tree.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

Biden: Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

If you are still in the GOP, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

Somebody needs to explain to DeSantis that nobody needs to do anything to make him look bad.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

You are here: Home / Iron nails ran in

Iron nails ran in

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What the fuck is she talking about?

In addition to the suggestion that government officials would consider hastening the death of the infirm or handicapped, she began her remarks with a puzzling commentary on the design of newly minted dollar coins.

Noting that there had been a lot of “change” of late, Palin recalled a recent conversation with a friend about how the phrase “In God We Trust” had been moved to the edge of the new coins.

“Who calls a shot like that?” she demanded. “Who makes a decision like that?”

She added: “It’s a disturbing trend.”

Update. I see the next two paragraphs answered my question

Unsaid but implied was that the new Democratic White House was behind such a move to secularize the nation’s currency.

But the new coins – concerns over which apparently stemmed from an email chain letter widely circulated among conservatives – were commissioned by the Republican-led Congress in 2005 and approved by President Bush.

It’s fun to hate on Politico, but Jon Martin’s understated arch tone here is perfect.

Reader Interactions

144Comments

  1. 1.

    aimai

    No one should make any decisions. Its a disturbing trend.

    This woman isn’t a political actor. She’s political plankton.

    aimai

  2. 2.

    calipygian

    “Who calls a shot like that?” she demanded. “Who makes a decision like that?”

    Uh, Bush ibn Bush did.

  4. 4.

    soonergrunt

    She’s complaining that the phrase “In God We Trust” has been moved to the perimeter edge of the coin, instead of the blocked text it used to be in.
    Of course, this is a change that was proposed and cleared in 2007. It takes a while for a coin design to make it to pressing, after all.
    I can’t decide if Palin is a grifter or an idiot or both.

  5. 5.

    gocart mozart

    Wasn’t it always on the edge? At least he didn’t change it to “In Allah We Trust” because that would be theocratic.

  6. 6.

    El Cid

    Next paragraphs, same article:

    Unsaid but implied was that the new Democratic White House was behind such a move to secularize the nation’s currency.
    …
    But the new coins – concerns over which apparently stemmed from an email chain letter widely circulated among conservatives – were commissioned by the Republican-led Congress in 2005 and approved by President Bush.

    Look, just because it was something that George W. Bush did doesn’t mean it has anything to do with anything George W. Bush decided. Duh.

  9. 9.

    El Cid

    Oh, by the way — remember the Republicans wanted to replace FDR with Ronald Reagan, hallowed be His name.

  10. 10.

    gocart mozart

    Palin recalled a recent conversation with a friend about how the phrase “In God We Trust” had been moved to the edge of the new coins. “Who calls a shot like that?” she demanded. “Who makes a decision like that?” She added: “It’s a disturbing trend.”

    I’m gonna guess that it was the coin Czar.

  11. 11.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    I love the fact that even Politico had to call her on trying to blame Obama for this one.

    I don’t think she quit being governor because it was hard work. I think she quit because too many people were telling here that reality didn’t match what was in her head.

  12. 12.

    El Cid

    @El Cid: On the dime, I mean. At the time, Reagan was a dirty fucking hippie supporter of Democrats. Two centuries later when He single-handedly rescued da Urf from the USSR, He was clearly a Republican because he saw Morning in America.

  15. 15.

    Keith

    This is going to be one of those incidents where she responds with “I never said the Democrats did it, but my point is valid because the possibility rings true with my ‘readers’, much like claiming that Brad Pitt is John Lithgow’s nephew”

  17. 17.

    Calouste

    Well, if you believe that the Earth was created in 6 days, it’s no wonder that you’re unaware that redesigning currency takes a few years normally.

  19. 19.

    Zifnab

    In addition to the suggestion that government officials would consider hastening the death of the infirm or handicapped

    SCOTUS ruled on that a while ago. State can kill whomever it wants. Blind, handicapped, retarded. Death penalty is equal opportunity (and in many states, affirmative action).

  20. 20.

    Andre

    Shorter Palin: “I’m not saying that Obama hates Jesus, I’m just wondering about it.”

    Personally, I think the irony of having religious references on currency is staggering. If the wingnuts ever managed to get Jesus’ face on money, can you imagine how hard it would be to explain the point of the “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s…” speech to kids?

  21. 21.

    WereBear

    Being paranoid doesn’t mean that the perfectly ordinary workings of government aren’t evil.

    And this is the dollar coin, only seen by people getting change for the subway, and they are already Big City Latte Sippin’ Liberals.

  22. 22.

    Bubblegum Tate

    @soonergrunt:

    I can’t decide if Palin is a grifter or an idiot or both.

    Idiot-grifter
    Idiot grifter
    Idiot/grifter

    This is to say that she is both an idiot and a grifter and that she is a grifter of idiots. It’s a Mobius strip of stupid.

  24. 24.

    kay

    She read a chain email and the contents made it into her weird, disjointed, rambling comments. I don’t think it’s any more complicated than that.

    It is amusing to watch the press continue to treat this clown as if at any moment she may decide to buckle down, get serious and come up with something coherent.

    They’re going to be waiting a long time. It’s been a year of nearly daily coverage, and she’s middle aged. This is as good as Sarah Palin gets. She’s not going to get any smarter.

  26. 26.

    ChrisZ

    The existence and propagation of chain e-mail is why I am able to believe that 25% of the U.S. are just completely credulous idiots. My favorites are the ones that say “Snopes approved!” when they are in fact debunked on Snopes.

    (Yes, that was a little tangential, but I get a lot of chain e-mail from my aunt and grandparents and need someone to complain to.)

  27. 27.

    calipygian

    This is as good as Sarah Palin gets. She’s not going to get any smarter.

    More importantly, and I’m trying not to be sexist when I say this, but not only is she not getting any smarter, but as the years go on, she’s less and less likely to give the likes of Bill Kristol and Rich Lowry a hard-on.

    Which was her primary qualification for VP in the first place.

  28. 28.

    Andre

    @kay:

    Of course, the people that vote for her like her precisely because she’s not smart, and because she falls for this crap. It’s “down to earth”, apparently, as opposed to, you know, knowing something about what you’re talking about.

  30. 30.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Chuck Butcher:

    yes, but that would mean noticing that the most ignored words in the Bible are Christ’s. (no not the FL guy)

    And at least when I was growing up, they were all in red. You’d think that would make them more noticeable.

  32. 32.

    El Cid

    @Andre: Trying to know what you’re talking about makes you an ‘elitist’. That’s the what-for for the whole Colbert ‘goin’ with yer gut’ thing.

  33. 33.

    jl

    Politico even mildly called her on the death panels claims, called them ‘inaccurate’. Too mild. It is damn lie, at and I hope the Politico style manual permits ‘lie’ if not ‘damn’.

    If social democratic healthcare they have in Canada, Europe, Oceania and Japan kills old people, how come most of them have longer life expectancies at age 65? And most of them smoke and drink more than we do (though their populations are not worked to death). And if medically impaired youngins are killed in the socialist healthcare systems, how come the US perinatal, infant and child mortality rates are higher than almost all of them. It ain’t because the docile Europeans are obedient little angels (Swedish pregnant women like to drink and smoke about like we do in the US).

    US life expectancies have dropped like a rock relative to other high income countries, ever since the early 1980s. So ‘death panels’ deserves more than being tutt-tutted as inaccurate, IMHO.

    /end rant

    People need to start seriously pushing back on media enablement of extremist scaremongering. Call Politico and their crony media friends and tell them to stop with letting the BS slide.

    I guess I should give them credit, they had the guts to point out the coin nonsense. Baby steps, baby steps… crawl then walk…

  35. 35.

    Comrade Dread

    But the new coins – concerns over which apparently stemmed from an email chain letter widely circulated among conservatives – were commissioned by the Republican-led Congress in 2005 and approved by President Bush.

    History is for elitist pussies.

  36. 36.

    J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford

    @ChrisZ:

    I get the same stuff from my right-wing dad. The other day he sent me the Michelle Obama has more staffers than any other First Lady email. Usually, I send him the link to MyRightWingDad.net and he quiets him down for a week or two.

  38. 38.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Chuck Butcher:

    You do understand the geo-political implications of such a thing don’t you?

    Well, they say the Christians were the first communists. :)

    Acts 2:42-46:

    42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

  39. 39.

    New Yorker

    Not The Onion, huh?

    Fuck it, let’s go all out. In addition to putting “In God We Trust” back where it belongs (wherever that might be), it’s time we changed all the faces that appear on our currency.

    Lincoln was a tyrant who oppressed the South, even though the Bible clearly says that slavery is OK. Remove him from the penny and the 5 and put Glenn Beck on instead.

    Jefferson was a godless secular-humanist. Replace him on the nickel with Michelle Bachmann.

    FDR was a commie. Put Joe Wilson on the dime.

    Washington might have also been a godless secular-humanist. Replace him on the 1 and the quarter with Reagan.

    Hamilton was a foreigner (probably from Kenya). Put Palin on the 10.

    Jackson can stay on the 20…..

    Grant was a general in Satan’s army who subdued the righteous rebellion of the South. Put Hannity on the 50.

    Ben Franklin was

    also

    a godless secular-humanist. Limbaugh belongs on the 100.

    Any I missed?

  43. 43.

    Roger Moore

    @ChrisZ:

    My favorites are the ones that say “Snopes approved!” when they are in fact debunked on Snopes.

    This is a simple example of Applied Mimetics. One of the few things that can slow down a chain letter is if readers check it out on Snopes and discover that it’s been debunked. If you don’t want your readers to do that, you just add a “Snopes Approved” stamp in the hopes that it will make them think somebody else already did the research and found out it’s true. Apparently it must work well enough that people do it.

  44. 44.

    Mark S.

    I’d say the entire article is pretty critical of Palin. But maybe such statements as this would put anyone on edge:

    It is so bogus that society is sending a message right now and has been for probably the last 40 years that a woman isn’t strong enough or smart enough to be able to pursue an education, a career and her rights and still let her baby live.

    I’m strong enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me are not going to let me have an abortion.

  45. 45.

    Leelee for Obama

    @Andre: That’s been left by the wayside, I thin. I was watching a program about Patrick Henry College, pretty much a college for the home-schooled Christianist kids, and one of them stated, w/o a doubt in his mind, that the Bible says they shouldn’t have to pay property taxes. Along with all the other stuff I’ve heard from these folks, that one just blew me away. I keep wondering which chapter and verse. He didn’t say.

  46. 46.

    kay

    @Andre:

    The only thing more boring than reading a crazy chain email is listening to someone repeat the contents of a crazy chain email.
    This is what she reads. She’s someone who announces: “I got an email and Obama is…..”
    They wanted her as Vice President.

  47. 47.

    Warren Terra

    It’s practically a crime that this thread doesn’t have any input from occasional commenter Thomas Levenson, who literally wrote a book on this subject (well, on decorating the sides of coins, and other anti-counterfeiting measures, and Isaac Newton).

    Also, it’s my understanding that is you fill these letters on the edge of the coin with ink and roll the coin along a piece of paper to read it – the message “In God We Trust” comes out backward! Sarah is on to something! Also!

  48. 48.

    ChrisZ

    @J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford:

    I used to try to actually research them and send back a reply with links and such to demonstrate that they were not in fact true, but when this had no effect on the frequency of receiving them I decided that some people just couldn’t be reached.

    I usually get the “OMG people can steal your car if you lock it electronically!” and “WOW look at this interesting fact that isn’t actually true! Isn’t learning fun!” e-mails more often than the myrightwingdad.com style e-mails (thanks for the link, both of you, should be good endurance training for reading idiocy), but they all betray the same kind of complete credulousness that I have never understood.

    Also, WTF is Derek Jeter winning another gold glove for? Is range no longer an important skill for a shortstop?

  49. 49.

    jl

    I guess I should join the Great Orange Satan, or FDL, or maybe even the really super earnest lefty blogs, what with my earnest outraged rants on healthcare. But I think any person, with common sense, and who can rcompare numbers and read graphs (probably leaves out the wingnuts and media news actors) who looks at the numbers, and understands the dumb excuses don’t wash (FAT FAT FAT in the USA, for instance) would be shocked at what looks like a public health and healthcare death machine we have developed here in the US over the last 25 years. And it is covered up with what can only be called lies. I guess that makes me shrill. Just as bad and Beck and Limbaugh, fer sher.

  50. 50.

    kay

    “Palin recalled a recent conversation with a friend about how the phrase “In God We Trust” had been moved to the edge of the new coins.”

    She made that part up, I bet. Crazy chain email readers always attribute the information to something someone said, because they don’t want to cite a crazy chain email as a source.

  52. 52.

    Brick Oven Bill

    This is my favorite picture of Sarah. There is something about a woman with fish-guts on her hands that makes me all tingly.

    Sarah Palin is hot.

    It is too early to put Glenn Beck on his coin New Yorker. American currency is not the Nobel Peace Prize.

  53. 53.

    jl

    @New Yorker: I’ll take some of those Limbaugh 100s. They could do one of those 3-D image tricks and make him huff up and down like he does when he gives speeches. That would be cool.

  56. 56.

    Elizabelle

    First off, this woman is a dumb ass, and we are giving her far too much attention.

    Second: you know Jonathan Martin enjoyed inserting this phrase:

    “a general manner of speaking that often veered into rhetorical culs-de-sac.”

    Third, story closes with comment by this fellow:

    “In the line on the way into the event, a gentleman wearing a Harley-Davidson fleece pull-over and jeans joked to his friends that he was going to ask Palin to marry him, summing up his devotion this way: “She thinks like I do, she’s absolutely gorgeous and Democrats are afraid of her – what’s not to like?”

    Which loops back to my first point. Take away the attention and their perception that Democrats “fear” this insane creature and you have — a loon far better out of government than in it.

    We all suffer for her beauty. You think they would be listening as intently to someone who looks a little more like, say, Barbara Mikulski or even Phyllis Schafly?

  57. 57.

    gnomedad

    @Bubblegum Tate:

    It’s a Mobius strip of stupid.

    More like wave / particle duality. Until she’s actually interviewed, she’s a superposition of idiot and grifter, which is why she avoids it. Schroedinger’s Barbie.

  59. 59.

    New Yorker

    We need to address other important issues besides our currency.

    Why do the Washington Nationals have all those traitorous presidents in the presidents’ race? Can’t they just have 4 Reagans running instead?

  60. 60.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Leelee for Obama:

    I keep wondering which chapter and verse. He didn’t say.

    Probably the one about “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to God that which is God’s,” which was actually a trap from the Pharisees and pretty clearly says the opposite of what your fundie friend said:

    15Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”…
    18But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”…
    21″Caesar’s,” they replied. …
    Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” …
    22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. …

  62. 62.

    LD50

    @Roger Moore:

    This is a simple example of Applied Mimetics. One of the few things that can slow down a chain letter is if readers check it out on Snopes and discover that it’s been debunked. If you don’t want your readers to do that, you just add a “Snopes Approved” stamp in the hopes that it will make them think somebody else already did the research and found out it’s true. Apparently it must work well enough that people do it.

    It’s almost like the chain letter developed a mutation that allowed it to live longer and reproduce at a greater rate.

  63. 63.

    kay

    @Elizabelle:

    I don’t think she’s tough enough to run an actual campaign.

    She speaks exclusively to adoring crowds, and she ran away the moment Alaskans turned on her. This is a person who fell apart under the brutal questioning of Katie Couric. Palin and Glenn Beck. Road kill before Katie Couric.

    She’s a real hard ass on Twitter, though, and when she’s trashing the 19 year old father of her grandchild.

  64. 64.

    The Populist

    No one should make any decisions. Its a disturbing trend.

    This is why they are going after Rep Anh Cao of LA hard. He voted to help his DISTRICT not some party b.s.

    Good on him. Maybe he isn’t so dumb.

  65. 65.

    Elizabelle

    Mark S: Palin makes me fear my fellow Americans far more than her.

    Some of these weasels did enable two Bush-Cheney administrations.

    The stupid walk among us far more than we would like to know.

    And a note on “independents”. How many are truly independent (maybe Libertarians), and how many are GOP voters who want to duck their culpability for having voted twice for Bush the Lesser?

    Because when I hear about “independents” and their deep concern about the deficit: those are mostly GOP concerns, aren’t they?

    How could healthcare rank third or less? (Unless you’re on Medicare or independently wealthy?)

  66. 66.

    The Populist

    Palin recalled a recent conversation with a friend about how the phrase “In God We Trust” had been moved to the edge of the new coins. “Who calls a shot like that?” she demanded. “Who makes a decision like that?” She added: “It’s a disturbing trend.”

    Honestly…like it fucking matters. God, there are more pressing concerns in the world and they worry about this stupid bit of symbolism.

    Trust me, if Jesus came back and saw all this idol worship of him, he’d start a new religion. He never wanted ANY of the things his “followers” seem to be practicing.

  67. 67.

    ChrisZ

    @LD50:

    It’s almost like the chain letter developed a mutation that allowed it to live longer and reproduce at a greater rate.

    Yes but this mutation was DESIGNED! Therefore FSM made the world and everything in it!

  68. 68.

    Roger Moore

    @LD50:

    It’s almost like the chain letter developed a mutation that allowed it to live longer and reproduce at a greater rate.

    I’m pretty sure that it’s actually evidence that the letters were created by an intelligent designer who wanted them to spread as far and wide as possible. Oh, who am I kidding. I know that they were actually created by the random keyboard banging of a team of trained monkeys cheeto-eating wingers.

  69. 69.

    bemused

    Palin will never be ready for big time politics & I don’t think she is even capable of learning to navigate that road. If she had learned anything from being in the campaign, she wouldn’t be responding every time the daddy of her grandchild talks about her. She would look a lot classier & polished if she said nothing & tried to create the impression she is above it all.

  70. 70.

    Elizabelle

    Kay: I suspect many Alaskans had no idea of their governor’s other side and deeds (Wasilla, etc.) They just took her at her word she was a reformer, and economic times were more plush.

    Hard to say how she’d do in another statewide election.

    It is just sad this woman is a feature of current politics. Demeans us all.

  71. 71.

    jl

    Pic of Tunch on all of our holy monies.

    That would fix things up real good. People would mind their spending with that stern, serene and implacable visage staring out at them. No one would question it.

    Need other critters for the flip side.

    One with a turkies on it. And a billy goat.

    Buffalo (or bison, or whatever it is). Pigeon. Locust.

    Great Northern Loon, so Palin won’t say Alaska is slighted, and to show solidarity with Canada (please the wingnuts and s o s h u l i s t liberals).

    One with a big ‘ol bear.

    No more wingnuts questioning our monies with God’s creations put right on them. And Tunch, whoever made him, not sure about who that would be.

  72. 72.

    The Populist

    The stupid walk among us far more than we would like to know.

    Maybe not as stupid as stubborn and lazy. I firmly believe there are two types of Palin/Bush voters:

    The ones that are so dumb they need their church and Rush to tell them what to think and those who are greedy, selfish, stubborn and lazy. Too greedy and selfish to vote for something that may benefit their own self interest in the long haul, too stubborn to realize they are hurting America with this party first bullcrap and challenge the status quo in their party and too lazy to research and engage their own party members to make the right stands for issues that actually matter.

    In the end, when the middle class is all but obliterated these will be the same idiots who take their guns and form militias to terrorize those that don’t walk lock step with them (aka Warlords).

  75. 75.

    The Populist

    This is my favorite picture of Sarah. There is something about a woman with fish-guts on her hands that makes me all tingly.

    Sarah Palin is hot.

    It is too early to put Glenn Beck on his coin New Yorker. American currency is not the Nobel Peace Prize.

    Okay…you…you are dumb. What the heck are you blathering on about?

    Sarah is an ugly hag. Sorry, nothing “hot” about that. I’ve seen better looking GOP women than her, that’s for sure.

    What the hell are you talking about regarding the Nobel? Bitter that your heroes get rebuffed? Ahhhh, I sense jealousy.

    I get it, you troll…good for you.

  78. 78.

    Comrade Dread

    While I don’t presume to speak for God, can I just say that I’m not entirely sure that God would want his name on our currency given the evils said currency has spawned or bought and paid for.

  80. 80.

    JK

    The perfect stocking stuffer for BJ readers

    The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Elite Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star by Matthew Continetti

    Product Description
    After her dazzling convention speech in August 2008, Sarah Palin was on track to win John McCain the presidency of the United States. Never before had a vice presidential candidate gotten such a strong response. Then Katie Couric and Tina Fey came along…

    Sarah Palin spent more than a decade making her town and her state better-she slashed government spending and corruption and encouraged economic growth. In 2008, she took to the national stage to bring her successful vision to the entire country. America quickly embraced her message, and Palin became the hottest rising star the country had seen in years.

    Palin was a strong and popular conservative with traditional values-work, family, and religion-and Washington Democrats and their allies in the so-called mainstream media decided she had to be destroyed. These elite liberals attacked everything from Palin’s clothing to her parenting style to her church. They spread one malicious and untrue rumor after another, including claims that Palin:

    * Had been a member of the separatist Alaskan Independence Party (New York Times)
    * Had been a supporter of Pat Buchanan (MSNBC)
    * Fakes giving birth to Trig Palin, who was supposedly her grandson (Atlantic Monthly)

    In addition to spreading lies and distortions, the media treated Palin with such insulting condescension that it frequently lapsed into mockery. Palin was routinely ridiculed and vilified-and so was her family.

    The liberal media did not succeed in one way: It was able to give the election to Barack Obama, a man with dangerous and radical ideas. However, despite the media’s disdain, Palin persevered and remains one of the most important figures in the Republican Party. Because she speaks for Main Street America on issues from energy to health care, her star will only continue to rise.

    “Matthew Continetti has written a touch, revealing look at how the bias or habits of liberals in the media led them to assault a political figure who shared neither their values nor background. Whether you like Sarah Palin or not, this well-researched and meticulous volume strips the bark off influential players in journalism.”
    -Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush

    “A compelling account of journalistic malpractice on a grand scale. Those called out in the book should not be allowed to forget what they did.”
    -Brit Hume, senior political analyst, Fox News

    “What set off the media feeding frenzy over Sarah Palin’s place on the 2008 Republican presidential ticket? Was there something wrong with Palin? Or something wrong with the media? In The Persecution of Sarah Palin, Matthew Continetti finds the answer-and exposes the media’s worst excesses.”
    -Byron York, chief political correspondent, The Washington Examiner

    “If every member of the anti-Palin media was simply forced to read and understand just the first page of this book, what is left of journalism in this country would be greatly improved. If every voter had done so prior to the election, we might have a different president right now.”
    -John Ziegler, creator of the film Media Malpractice

    “During the 2008 campaign the ‘mainstream media’ wrote a narrative about Sarah Palin that had very little to do with the facts. Now Matthew Continetti, who told us the truth about the Republican machine in The K Street Gang, tells us the truth about how Palin was chosen by John McCain and how so many in the press set out to destroy her.”
    -Michael Barone, resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute; coauthor, The Almanac of American Politics

    “Matt Continetti has not only written a great book about Sarah Palin, he has also written a classic study of the modern political press, complete with the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly. This book should be required reading for political journalists.”
    -Yuval Levin, editor, National Affairs

  81. 81.

    AnotherBruce

    “Who calls a shot like that?”

    Who notices stuff like this?

    How much concentrated dementia does it take to conclude that moving the “In God We Trust” slogan on a coin is some kind of left wing conspiracy?

    Aaargh! I got an accidental look at wingnut unleashed and am nearly blinded by the stupid.

  82. 82.

    gocart mozart

    @The Populist:
    If we don’t have “In God We Trust” on our coins when Jesus comes back during the Rapture, how will he know he can trust us? Idiot liberals and your naive foreign policy.

  83. 83.

    bemused

    I just ordered “Molly Ivins, A Rebel Life”.
    I wish she was still here. I often think how much I would love to be reading her take on Palin & everything else. She could make me laugh out loud more than anyone else.

  84. 84.

    slag

    In fairness to Palin, it is surprising that GW Bush was the one firing the first shot in our new War on Currency.

    He seems more like a lover than a fighter.

  85. 85.

    calipygian

    @JK:

    -Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush
    -Brit Hume, senior political analyst, Fox News
    -Byron York, chief political correspondent, The Washington Examiner
    -John Ziegler, creator of the film Media Malpractice
    -Michael Barone, resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute; coauthor, The Almanac of American Politics
    -Yuval Levin, editor, National Affairs

    Where is the late, great Spy Magazine when we need it?

  86. 86.

    jl

    I just looked at a nickel. The slogan was moved to *the left*.

    On Jefferson’s (the first Reagan) coin. Gadzooks.

    Getta load of that. Obvious.

  88. 88.

    Tsulagi

    were commissioned by the Republican-led Congress in 2005 and approved by President Bush.

    Insignificant details. In fact, it was setup as a trap to show a potential Democratic president’s true colors. Obama fell for it now clearly showing his intentions.

    Instead of outcrying and lower lip quivering Beck while refusing to do so, he happily ordered his Department of Money, down the hall from the Dept. of Law, to shove God to the periphery. What real American president would do that? In fact, it’s just Obama’s first step. Next in collusion with the Chinese is replacing the greenback with a new red commiedollar. Palin’s duo sister, Bachmann, has been on top of that story riding it since the beginning showing no signs of getting off yet.

  89. 89.

    JasonF

    I’ve never understood people whose faith is so fragile that they need their currency to pray with them — let alone the inherent inappropriateness of Christians being focused on aligning money with God.

  92. 92.

    slag

    @JasonF:

    let alone the inherent inappropriateness of Christians being focused on aligning money with God.

    I think it’s meant to give you something to contemplate as you’re spending all your cash on hookers and blow. And abortions. Also.

  93. 93.

    bayville

    How cruel are this kid’s parents?

    After she concluded her remarks – and presented the organization with an over-sized, $1,000 check – Palin signed autographs for some of the few hundred people who surged toward the dais.
    Alissa Maerzke, 12 and wearing a “Palin 2012” t-shirt, was elated that she got the former governor’s signature.
    After collecting a congratulatory hug from her mom, Maerzke recounted that she asked Palin if she was going to run for president. “She just smiled,” said the girl.

    And it’s heartening to see Palin’s message is being well received by the valuable 13-and-Under voting demographic.

  94. 94.

    geg6

    This woman is too stupid to be alive. Which is exactly the selling point she has with so many of the idiots here who adore her. They are even more stupid than she is. And just imagine people who are stupider than a person too stupid to be alive. Oh wait. You don’t have to imagine. You’ve all been exposed to BoB and Makewi. So you know.

  96. 96.

    Chuck Butcher

    @Tsulagi:

    Palin’s duo sister, Bachmann, has been on top of that story riding it since the beginning showing no signs of getting off yet.

    Oh this begs for use of the colloquial term for “completely wrong.”

  98. 98.

    JK

    @calipygian:

    I miss Spy too, but Sarah Moosekiller Palin and Michele Bachmann Turner Overdrive are making late night comedians less relevant. At what point does it become impossible to parody a parody?

    Matt Continetti is a pocket protecting, hall monitor with a hard on for Palin.

  99. 99.

    soonergrunt

    You have to remember–Palin and other wingnuts have a real problem. Their primary motivation is to get the uppity fucking ni**er out of the whitehouse, in a body bag if necessary, but they cannot say that under any circumstances. So they come up with bizarre conspiracy theories, and simultaneous screams of soc ial ism and nazism to explain their hate and give them excuses for the shit they so desperately want to see happen.
    It’s OK to hate and want to kill a Soc ialist Nazi secret muslim who moved “In God We Trust,” while it is not OK to hate the guy because of his skin tone. But we all know the real reason. At least, those of us who live down here do, anyway.
    Just spend a few minutes looking at this site if you don’t believe me.

  102. 102.

    Bubblegum Tate

    @Elizabelle:

    I suspect many Alaskans had no idea of their governor’s other side and deeds (Wasilla, etc.) They just took her at her word she was a reformer, and economic times were more plush.

    Also, she gave them bigger checks from the oil companies, which is so totally NOT soshulizm.

  103. 103.

    Mike in NC

    I can’t figure out if the substance on the orange gloves is dirt or fish guts. In either case, it has the power to resonate with people who work for a living.

    Guess that leaves you out in the cold, right B.O.B.?

  107. 107.

    General Winfield Stuck

    Looks like our little busy beaver wingnut conspiracrazy AJ Strata is connecting all the rabid dots to tie Obama and democrats to the attack at FT, Hood.

    In the previous post I speculated that someone put an end to the investigation of Major Hasan once he hit the intelligence trip wires in December – and into 2009. Another ‘theme’ is hitting all the news outlets, which could be a coordinated PR effort by some folks who might be at the epicenter of questions on why the US defenses that held so well under President Bush let one threat through under President Obama.

    Once fairly reasonable winger Strata, now full frontal crazy motherfucking mouth breather. Expect more of this shit from these idiots.

  108. 108.

    dfd

    I honestly thought the Sacajawea was the last attempt at a dollar coin. I have never seen this new currency.

    Oh well, learn something new everyday.

  110. 110.

    joes527

    @Dreggas: following the link leads to the best comments evah:

    proposed captions: PALIN NOT PLEASED WITH RIM JOB and PALIN: I WANT IT ON THE FACE

  111. 111.

    SilverOwl

    I have a 5 month old puppy that makes more sense than Palin when he talks. He doesn’t even speak any human language.

  115. 115.

    Elizabelle

    Completely off topic, but on my mind:

    Virginia’s execution of “the Beltway sniper” is set for tonight. While John Mohammed is probably precisely the reason we have a death penalty: a series of stranger murders, random shootings — I am feeling squeamish about the execution.

    His actions were terrible. But he is very human (I felt that way about T McVeigh as well).

    One juror reported they’d gone for the death penalty to protect the sniper’s prison guards.

    I dunno. I have a misplaced sense of sympathy for the Lacey-murdering husband, too — whatever his name is — because he got the death penalty (methinks) primarily because of the media hoopla following the case.

    Anyone else from the DC area want to chime in?

    It’s odd, because I remember running into a theatre from my car that year, wondering if a sniper was watching the lot. Like prey.

  116. 116.

    dSquib

    Are we to take it that “disturbing trend” indicates that the next step will be that “In God We Trust” will simply be bounced off the coin altogether, and this will be less noticeable than it would have been had they not pushed the words to the edge of the coin first? Sneaky.

  119. 119.

    SpotWeld

    Here’s the thing.
    She’s got to have a staff. Even a small one, working for her. Setting up some of these events, handling the logistical details, putting out feelers for other everts. Just like any other political player.

    No one she talks to stopped her and said something like “You know Mrs. Palin, I don’t think that’s true. I’m pretty sure it was just one of those Urban Legends”. I mean anyone can fall prey to a ernestly forwarded email (if only for a little while.)

    But Sara Palin as no one on her side backstopping her against reality.

  120. 120.

    Mark S.

    @Elizabelle:

    I don’t live in the DC area, but I agree with you on the death penalty. Philosophically, I am not opposed to executing guys like Ted Bundy or Osama bin Laden, but in the real world, it doesn’t deter murder and for the most part, only poor people get it. I’d be content with life in prison and getting out of the death business altogether.

    @SpotWeld:

    I think she has a pretty dumb staff, judging by all the canceled appearances. Maybe they’re getting better at it, but it really looked like amateur hour. Since she has so little substance, she needs all the help she can get in the image department.

  121. 121.

    numbskull

    I’ve never understood why the wingnuts thought Democrats were scared of Palin. I still don’t. I have good friends who are very close to being wingnuts (and on any given day are full-blown nutty) and they positively, absolutely thought Democrats were scared of Palin.

    They still are dazed and amazed that all the data suggest that she was a net drag on an election at the national level.

    That is, when they even acknowledge the data.

  122. 122.

    El Cid

    @numbskull: Still, I think it’s entirely plausible that had the Bush Jr. administration somehow managed to put off the economic collapse for another 3 months, a President McCain transitioning to a President Palin wasn’t that unlikely.

  123. 123.

    numbskull

    El Cid,

    Yeah, but even in that scenario, why would you think Dems are scared of Palin as a political rival? They honestly didn’t see, still don’t see, what a drag on the ticket she was. Nor do they see how hopeless she is as a national candidate. And getting worse.

  124. 124.

    numbskull

    And when I say “you”, I mean that generically – why would one think Dems are scared of Palin?

  125. 125.

    El Cid

    @numbskull: I wasn’t “afraid” of Palin as a competent candidate — I’m merely aware that elections at times can be weird things, and people can on occasion make some pretty insane choices.

    It’s a different matter now, though — yeah, there was a small time period last fall when the illusion simply had to hold together long enough. It’s too late now — she’s known to all but the insane 28-percenters as a crazy, stupid, lazy, corrupt joke.

  127. 127.

    ilsita

    @numbskull:

    They don’t really think that. They always say that we’re afraid of their things because they’re afraid of everything. It’s just another way of saying, “I know you are, but what am I?” Which is about as clever as they get. And also, there’s no arguing with that kind of dumb.

  128. 128.

    DougJ

    Regarding: INRI (Iron Nails Ran In)

    I was trying to be Joycean. As Carla said once on “Cheers”, if Joycean means stupid, then I succeeded.

  130. 130.

    Brachiator

    @soonergrunt:

    I can’t decide if Palin is a grifter or an idiot or both.

    Grifter. As a VP candidate, she flubbed the few interviews she submitted to, never held a press conference, and yet she has some people believing that she is prodigious politician. She bailed on the governorship of Alaska and yet has some people thinking that she is the greatest chief executive ever.

    She has never demonstrated that she has a substantive thing to say about anything, but gets paid huge amounts of money as a speaker, largely because she can use her limited experience as a TV sports reporter to read words written for her.

    Grifters don’t have to be geniuses. They just have to be smarter than the suckers they take for a ride.

  132. 132.

    Brachiator

    @DougJ:

    I was trying to be Joycean. As Carla said once on “Cheers”, if Joycean means stupid, then I succeeded.

    Would this, then, make Palin an example of stream of unconsciousness?

  133. 133.

    ilsita

    @DougJ:

    Oh god I wish I had that Carla quote handy when I was taking my Joyce class. I got voted most immature because it made me snork when someone said, “Professor, that was spoken like a true Joycean!”

    No wonder I missed it.

  134. 134.

    ksmiami

    And this is why the political party that lined up behind her should be staked then burned to the ground. They don’t deserve to be elected to national office ever again, period.

    ps. I am hoping that Crist goes Independent (I am getting rumors here in Miami that he probably will) and crushes Rubio – Kendrick Meek just is not a good enough candidate this time around.

  137. 137.

    Paris

    Who is going to start a competition to create the most outrageous chain e-mail. The first one Palin mentions, wins!

    Michelle Obama aborted her own Down’s syndrome child?
    Flouride in the water?

  138. 138.

    mclaren

    From now on, I’m going to refer to Sarah Palin as “the drivel geyser.”

    Palin…the gift to liberals that keeps on giving. Boy, won’t 2012 be fun if the Repubs nominate her…

  139. 139.

    slippy

    @JasonF: The louder one shouts his affirmations of faith, the feebler his adherence to those beliefs turn out to be.

    Witness the sexually deviant religious leaders, ministers, televangelists, priests, etcetera who are exposed or caught in flagrant acts year after year after year after year and immediately go on tv and bawl about forgiveness for their sins, who were the week before promising eternal torment and damnation for everyone else BUT themselves.

    I always think of this Tool song . . .

    Standing above the crowd,
    He had a voice that was strong and loud.
    We’ll miss him.
    We’ll miss him.
    —
    Ranting and pointing his finger
    At everything but his heart.
    We’ll miss him.
    We’ll miss him.
    We’re gonna miss him.
    We’re gonna miss him.
    —
    No way to recall
    What it was that you had said to me,
    Like I care at all.
    —
    But you were so loud.
    You sure could yell.
    You took a stand on every little thing
    And so loud.
    . . .
    Standing above the crowd,
    He had a voice that was strong and loud and I
    Swallowed his facade ’cause I’m so
    Eager to identify with
    Someone above the ground,
    Someone who seemed to feel the same,
    Someone prepared to lead the way, and
    Someone who would die for me.
    —
    Will you? Will you now?
    Would you die for me?

  140. 140.

    Obama Death Panel Chairman (formerly glocksman)

    The one thing about the new coins that I find vaguely disturbing is the fact that the word ‘Liberty’ was left out despite it being on practically every other US coin ever minted.

    ‘In God we Trust’ is only 50 or so years old by contrast.
    Also.

  141. 141.

    Tom Levenson

    @Warren Terra: Dear Warren — thanks for the shout-out. I reveled in this thread, but couldn’t come up with anything more wonderful than Aimai’s line “She’s political plankton.”

    All higher cognition stopped right there as the grin split my face.

    With a night’s sleep, I can add that the notion of decorating coins — or rather changing decoration at intervals – was (a) standard operating practice to raise the cost of counterfeiting; (b) became possible through the technical advances of mid seventeenth century Europe that were the distant early warning signs of the industrial revolution to come and (c) always had much less to do with the message than with the degree of difficulty a design would present to its suborner.

    The English started out with “decus et tutamen” — a decoration and a safeguard…which strikes me as just as much a hope rather than a statement of fact as “In God We Trust.”

  143. 143.

    deadrody

    I wonder when (never) an update with Palin’s position will arrive. Nothing like the “unsaid” part of the post. BRILLIANT!!!!

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