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McCain and Palin Rush to Gulf Coast to Do ... Something

Posted by Georgia10, Daily Kos at 11:45 AM on August 31, 2008.


How do you spell photo-op?

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It wasn't enough that the president Republican nominee jumped headfirst into the Russia/Georgia crisis, going so far as to dispatch his Secretary of State Senators Lieberman and Graham to Georgia on his behalf.  

No, now, as Hurricane Gustav roars towards the U.S.,  the Republican president nominee and his newly minted Vice-President running mate are rushing down to Gulf Coast to...well, do something:

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are traveling to Mississippi on Sunday to check on people getting prepared for Hurricane Gustav. [...]

Aides say McCain and his wife Cindy will join Palin in traveling to Jackson, Miss., Sunday at the invitation of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour because of concerns about people threatened by the storm [...]<

The McCains and Palin will receive a briefing at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency — a permanent operations center monitoring hurricane response

Given that, well, the real President isn't heading down there, and since I suspect the Governor of Alaska and the Senator from Arizona probably don't have a lot by way of hurricane disaster relief to offer, one would think that this trip were nothing more than a photo opportunity aimed at demonstrating that the former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska can at least exude the aura of a federally elected official, while proving that McCain can understand how scared someone can be about losing their one and only home...if he tries really, really hard.

But really, McCain has already told us what he would do when another natural disaster hit the U.S. He wouldn't laugh on the tarmac holding a giant birthday cake. No, nature has given McCain a mulligan, and he's going to take advantage of it, dammit. McCain and Palin will rush bottled hot water to dehydrated babies, because that's what presidents and vice-presidents do in times like these.  Now smile for the cameras.



(click to enlarge)


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Tagged as: mccain, palin, gustav


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what a couple of twits
Posted by: hurricane hugo on Aug 31, 2008 12:56 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kinda off-topic, but:
ATTENTION, ALTERNET EDITORS/anyone reading this who may be associated with the Obama/Biden campaign

This happened on FoxNews yesterday sometime between 5PM and 7:30PM: some Fox pundit actually said, and I quote, that Sarah Palin "has more executive experience than ABRAHAM LINCOLN did when he became President".

Find the video, post it, use it in ads, whatever you have to do!

jdfu!

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Inevitable
Posted by: QQOblivion on Aug 31, 2008 1:22 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Oo, I can't wait to see the inevitable video of McCain and/or Palin yelling orders through a bullhorn.

I am going to puke now.

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GUSTAV OR THE CONVENTION? WHAT TO DO?
Posted by: VZEQICVA on Aug 31, 2008 1:31 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
For some reason or other I don't believe that McCain is thrilled about the convention. Early on he wanted to postpose it because of the Hurricane. The Obama/Biden extravaganza will be a tough act to follow. The Repubs are simply not as fired up as the Dems. For myself, I'd like Ms. Palin to be scrutinized before she's nominated. I don't like the rush to nominate her. Thanks, ANNA

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Presumptuous
Posted by: QQOblivion on Aug 31, 2008 1:40 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I would suggest that Barack Obama also go down to the Gulf Coast (to yell orders through a bullhorn, if need be). But if he did that, then he (but not McCain) would be accused of being "presumptuous" and acting "too presidential".

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fabulous graphic
Posted by: johnnyfarout on Aug 31, 2008 4:43 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Off they rush to the oil spills and the flooded churches and schools and the homes of floating debris. The desert baron and his noble compradre from el norte. I hope they manage to do some good. Slap some skeeters and eat BBQ. 5 star hotels look out here we come. Mississippi hot and sweaty with long green roads south. Is there blues in Arizona and Alaska? Well they sure are going where there's some now a brewin'. If they bring some skills to help the workin' man's tasks and make them lighter...then I'm sure they are welcome. C'mon back now, y'all hear!

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I've gotta a photo op for you!
Posted by: foreverhope on Aug 31, 2008 6:35 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sarah Palin, flag bikini gun totin mama:

linked text

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Does the PTA Count?
Posted by: millvalleygramma on Aug 31, 2008 9:31 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Did you catch that John McCain cited Palin's work with the PTA as "executive experience" that helps qualify her to be Veep? See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#26486142. It's about 3:35 into the Brian Williams interview (NBC Nightly News 8/31/08).

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» RE: Does the PTA Count? Posted by: ranchero42
» RE: Does the PTA Count? Posted by: Blondinista
They call themselves Presidential!
Posted by: djnoll on Sep 1, 2008 9:01 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is the most insane thing yet, but at least it detracts from the fact that no one of any note was coming to St. Paul for their party! These two have shown the following attributes:

A. They have more money than they have sense - while it is very nice to be able to fly delegates back home to be with families, how many average Americans can charter planes or buy up large blocks of tickets on short notice? Makes them seem out of touch with real people, again.

B. This is an area preparing for a huge emergency, and they have neither the authority nor the ability to make decisions on how people should proceed. They are just under foot and not actually doing anything useful except trying to find media geeks with cameras to document their presence.

C. Where is Palin's husband? She sent him home to Alaska with the children or did he stay in St. Paul to make sure things are not said about his corrupt, soulless wife and the mother of his children?

It would seem that the Obama/Biden camp did a more practical thing by asking their supporters to provide money and supplies through local agencies for use in the evacuation areas and to help in the aftermath. They were given the same info as McCain/Palin by phone, and their actions were more in keeping with their present position as NOMINEES, NOT ELECTED PRESIDENTS, and more reasonable in terms of what they could have actually done there than McCain/Palin. This shows just the level of judgment between the two camps, and makes me wonder about whether McCain and Palin have the kind of judgment necessary to actually handle a crisis or if they would just see it as another photo-op!

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busymomagain
Posted by: Jody Kay on Sep 1, 2008 10:59 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Whose babysitting Palin's brood? School starts soon (here in the lower 48 anyway)... shouldn't she be out buying pencils and shoes? I'm curious, will they all move to DC and show us how easy and admirable it is to raise that special baby? Maybe McCains daughter will babysit so the Palin's can attend state dinners.

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Liam on the Left
Posted by: Liam on Sep 1, 2008 1:13 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If the voters elect these two clowns in November they will deserve everything they will get. We are at the tipping point of history. A point at which bad decision after bad decision cannot be recovered from. Grampy McBush will finish off the job the idiot president started and next year we will be continuing down the toilet - only faster!

And the Republican Party is made up totally of crooks, incompetents and hypocrites! But ya gotta ask "Why can't the Democrats win?" One word "WENNIES!"

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Can You say: Photo Op?
Posted by: madmax427 on Sep 1, 2008 11:10 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If McCain ain't singing "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" He & Palin will be doing a duet of "And another one bites the dust"! Besides, They HAVE to protect Their Buddies that stole the money for Katrina Victims now that the Victims have been ZONED out of the area!

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Can You say: Photo Op?
Posted by: madmax427 on Sep 1, 2008 11:12 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If McCain ain't singing "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" He & Palin will be doing a duet of "And another one bites the dust"! Besides, They HAVE to protect Their Buddies that stole the money for Katrina Victims now that the Victims have been ZONED out of the area! www.whatsyourlifeworth2.info

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