Sarah Palin: "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"

Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, holding their beautiful and "perfect in every way" child, Trig

And that, pro-choicers, is checkmate!

And yes, John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate was every bit a powerful "check" and maybe the political checkmate of the entire election season.

But to the more important issue of little Trig Palin whom Sarah and her husband chose NOT to murder in the womb, she has been a solid and loyal member of Feminists for Life who walked the walk in April when she gave birth to a son, shown by genetic testing to have Down's Syndrome.

"I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," she said of her son, Trig. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"

She went on to say, "We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed."

And so is America, Sarah, and the 10% of parents who learn that their child is likely to carry the Down Syndrome chromosome--and decide to carry the child to normal birth!

God creates nothing but PERFECTION in every embryo and no crazy political beliefs can change that marvelous and absolute fact ... in this, His entire created universe.

I probably would disagree with her overall attitudes on Big Oil, but surely understand the possible need to begin exploring the possibilities of bringing billions--maybe trillions--of barrels of natural gas south to the rest of the United States which is so dependent on Middle East for its needs for oil. If nothing else, her attitudes towards energy, like McCain's are likely to be more grounded in reality than some of the Democrats' kookier positions.

And that goes for their foot-dragging on nuclear energy too.

But from a broader political viewpoint, McCain's pulling the Sarah Palin bunny out of his magician's hat while the entire world was still marvelling in the glow of Obama's (admittedly very well delivered) acceptance speech was simply the most powerful political "check" to the Obama bandwagon imaginable and yes, possibly ...

Checkmate!

How he could have found a savvy, socially conservative, female executive (considerably more "executive" experience than either of the presidential candidates and Joe Biden too, I believe) only a week after the Democrats threw Hillary under the bus is certainly beyond my small mind. And it is likely to be looked back on in the years ahead as the most brilliant political move of the early 21st Century.

A likely candidate as the Chief of Staff of the First Lady's Executive Offices for Cindy Hensley McCain

Hillary would step smartly to the head of the line, if asked to help the new First Lady with her duties, I'm sure!

Hillary Clinton's eight years experience as First Lady with Bill in the White House would serve her well in helping Cindy McCain get off to a rousing start in January. McCain's reputation as someone who will work across both aisles of Congress assures Hillary that she would get the nod over others who crave the post.

Look for Hillary Rodham Clinton to be selected in late January (or earlier, if her services are needed during the transition phase) to be Cindy Lou Hensley McCain's first Chief-of-staff of the Executive Offices of the First Lady in the East Wing.

Remember! You heard it from Mediawingnuts first.

The question now is, "Can John McCain choose Joe Biden to be his Secretary of State in January of 2009?"

Joe Biden, Democratic nominee for VEEP in 2008 and Secretary of State for John McCain in 2009

Sounds good to me! He has both the experience and the "right stuff." Mr. McCain should think about Mr. Biden during the transition phase in December and early January. Hopefully, Mr. Biden won't say anything during the next couple of months that he will regret having said during the two months or so after McCain is declared the winner in November.

I truly expect John McCain to abide by his promise to reach across the aisle after becoming President.

After watching CNN's "McCain Revealed" and "Obama Revealed," I have to ask, "Why can't I vote for both?

And besides all else, I am reading both of the above autobiographical (more or less) books and am really quite moved by the passions, ambitions and early life experiences of both men.

Neither are really political books, per se, but should be read by every American intending to vote in this coming November's election. The same can be said for watching at least one of the (likely endless) reruns of this evening's "McCain Revealed" or "Obama Revealed" documentaries.

I certainly had tears in my eyes several times while reading portions of both books and the same can be said of this evening's experience while lying in the bed watching CNN's marvelous documentaries on the two men. Even my irascible cats (leaping endlessly on my chest from the window sill) couldn't break the spell.

In particular, I saw (and read in-depth for the first time) the strong influences of the early parental and grand parental (especially in Barack Obama's case) relationships for the two men vis-a-vis their current ambitions.

Just as the Hanoi Hilton and its influence on the emerging John McCain is relevant to his potential as our President, so were the efforts of Barack Obama on the south side of Chicago--and his multi-racial, multicultural roots--relevant to his potential as our next President.

They are both noble, dignified men, great politicians and talented writers. I am reading both books simultaneously and that is not easy--since I have to put one or the other down in order to pick up where I left off in the other. I am trying to follow their lives coincidental with their ages in the books and do not want to put either book down. These books are wonderful insights into the makings of these men of unusual and refreshing character.

Both McCain's and Obama's stories bring laughter, tears and wonder; both books bridge ages, genders, races and creeds; they both draw up memories of my own coming of age.

I might disagree with Mr. Obama's "pro-choice" views or his foot-dragging on pushing nuclear energy in the 21st Century and with Mr. McCain's harsh rhetoric relating to what I believe to have been an unnecessary war in Iraq and his support of George Bush's regressive tax "cuts," but I'm truly left wondering why we can't have an Obama-McCain or a McCain-Obama ticket in November.

Interestingly, since they are both still in the Senate, that may be what we, in actuality, will get if the loser will help the winner to solidify Congress to help unify the White House and both sides of the aisles in Congress during the difficult years ahead.

Looking deeply into Putin's soul, Mr. Bush might now get a glimpse of ... Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn threatening to nuke Poland ... or worse!

Another day older and what do I see? Sixteen (mega)ton of ... Cold War diplomacy and a rebirth of the second half of the Twentieth Century raining down upon an ill-prepared and leaderless Twenty-first Century West.

Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Russia's own Donald Rumsfeld and a 100% pure-blood NEO-con of the First Cheney Order, said yesterday that Poland was making itself a "target" by agreeing to host the Patriot anti-missile system which is now being planned to bolster Poland's defence against ... who else? He went on to state that such an action "cannot go unpunished!"

"Poland, by deploying [the system] is exposing itself to a strike - 100 per cent," he was quoted as saying, before explaining that Russian military doctrine sanctioned the use of nuclear weapons "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them."

Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Russian Armed Forces' Deputy Chief of Staff (a.k.a. Putin's soul)

And on another, seemingly unrelated note, it should be mentioned that in today's "debate" at the Saddleback Church, John McCain simply replied. "Defeat it!" when asked how he would tackle evil in the world. To his credit, Barack Obama suggested that it should be "confronted," and then added that it should be confronted thoughtfully and with humility.

Probably unrelated, but I thought it worth mentioning in the context of unfolding world events.

Maybe Mr. Edwards' love-child or Hillary's name being included in the roll-call vote in two weeks aren't the most earth-shattering news events!

Peeking behind page one of the Daily World (our local rag in Grays Harbor County), I realize that some little things are happening in our world that escaped my notice while I was dipping my toes in the cold surf in York, Maine and rushing about this week trying to get my classes caught up after a ten day vacation.

Yeh, little things like a possible reawakening of the Cold War over what appears to be an all-out invasion of one of our staunchest Iraqi Allies (Georgia) by Russia, the likely ouster one of our staunchest head-of-state "friends," President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan (the only Muslim nuclear power) and our announcement of the placement of missiles in Poland--probably related to Mr. Putin poking Mr. Bush in the chest in response to our "insisting" that he remove Russian troops from Georgia.

All of these are discussed in your headlines and throughout Google's tentacles, but ignored almost entirely by Mediawingnuts as the Edwards affair and the Democratic Convention occupied my feeble mind for two weeks.

What else is happening that I happened to miss?

Where is Planet X this evening?

It's been said that race is likely to be the "ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM" during the Democratic Convention ... but think again ...

Take a closer look, Mr. O.; it ain't the color of your skin ... it's Hillary who will be the "elephant in the room" in Denver!

The picture might be a rather Freudian view of Hillary as the elephant, but ... oh well, it's in the can, so they says!

There really is no way today to predict what might or might not happen in early November. Between Obama's skin color (sadly true) and his shabby treatment of Hillary (sadly true), the November election will either be a 100-plus electoral vote victory for John McCain or a crapshoot if Mr. McCain drools too noticeable during the debates.

But as for the Convention in two weeks ... that's easy to predict: A Clinton bonanza footnoted with a grandiose Baramoration before God-know-how-many adoring fans in Mile High Stadium. Basically, between Michelle Obama's likely excellent tone-setter on Day One and Mr. O's "we is the change, baby!" display of narcissism on Day Five, there will be ample time for Hillary (Day Two now) to get down to brass tacks and issues--she will be introduced by Chic Chelsea, I've heard--and Bill (Day Three or Four, I guess) to attempt to reawaken America to its serious situation--thus far hidden by the empty rhetoric spewing from the empty suit and our infatuation with the historical nature of Mr. O's skin color.

But the Clintons' messages will be of little avail.

Oh yes, the Clintons will have their faces in front of America, and some might even listen, but the attention of most Americans throughout the week will be on Day Five and The One!

Anyone who even half follows politics knows that John McCain has already pulled into a dead heat with Mr. O only two weeks after the Barama-bomb's amazing (and it was good in every way) Middle Eastern and European tour.

The Democratic Convention will leave the polls still looking too close to call and after that, it will be up, up and away for the wrinkly white-haired guy with Paris Hilton's energy plan.

Those damnable Keys to the White House will be the ultimate winner ... and maybe Hillary who will have an opportunity to try to hold Mr. McCain to a single term come 2012.

On the other hand ... there's always the unexpected events that have marked 2008 from the git-go. What next?

From "Father of the Year" in 2007 to "I am not the Father!" in 2008 ...

Former Senator John Edwards (Dem., N.C.)

To be honest, I feel terribly sorry for the man--but even more so for his lovely wife, Elizabeth, suffering with cancer and already having lost a child some years ago.

He stated that he had become "increasingly egocentric and narcissistic" in one of the most narcissistic and self-serving "apologies" I've ever read in his textual statement shown on on public television.

Still, even more than the personal tragedies for John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, is the thought that he really must have believed that he would somehow escape the scandal unscathed as he pushed on to run for President in the year following his tryst with Rielle Hunter, an unknown filmmaker whom he "hired onto his staff," so to speak, in 2006.

It still remains to be seen whether he is or is not the love child's father ... and oh yes, there are also some questions about large sums of money paid to both Reille Hunter and Andrew Young, who claims to be the child's real father (questionable at this point, but certainly possible).

Where this leaves Edwards and where this leaves the race for the White House just ahead of the conventions is entirely unknown to Mediawingnuts and just about everyone else.

At last report, the Olympic Games in Beijing will go on as planned, Barack Obama will continue to vacation in Hawaii and John McCain will continue to repeat, "my friends, we are winning the war in Iraq!"

But what will be the next bombshell to explode in this, the most memorable of Presidential campaigns ever?

Lighten up, Mr. Obama ... take a cue from the Clintons!

Wipe that smug look of disdain off of your face, Mr. O.!

Listening to your recent speeches on just about anything lately (energy, the economy ... even John McCain's joking about your celeb status) makes me realize how much you need to lighten up a bit. This may be getting to the point where you REALLY need the Clintons more than they need you. The "Keys" are definitely turning towards John McCain since about the time you returned from your unassisted three-pointer with our young troopers in the gymnasium in the Middle East.

I'd suggest you ask Hillary (or Bill, if you don't like "asking" a woman) while the asking is still an option. I think that the scene on the podium in Denver in front of upwards of maybe 250,000 adoring Democrats (plus millions more watching the scene on TV) will be a lot more exciting with the Clintons at your side than, say, Joe Biden or Sam Nunn. So would the two months running up to November! I was hoping you'd make it at least close for those of us who enjoy horse races.

On the other hand, if you do it "your way," you might actually have a shot at getting in the White House (as Hillary's VP pick) in 2012. Hmm ... maybe you're only appearing to be a poor campaigner ... deliberately looking unelectable and somewhat stupid ... like a fox!

Take a cue from the Clintons and smile more!