grandma and grandpa irresponsible

Agreed. The lives of the children should not be political fodder. I must remind you of a John McCain quote (he told it as a joke), "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." That was 10 years ago when Chelsea Clinton was 18 years old. I guess a decade is long enough for folks to forget, that besides being a senile tyrant, McCain's a sexist homophobe.

The lives of the parents, especially if they want to be the Vice-President of the United States are another matter altogether. If, as a parent, Governor Sarah Palin didn't have the sense to tell her 16-year old daughter about birth control, then she (the GOP VP-nominee) acted irresponsibly and has absolutely no business anywhere near the White House. None. She wants to be a Charismatic Christian. Fine. Great. Sunday morning or around the kitchen table, Praise the Lord, Pass the Biscuits. But not on the White House lawn. Debate creationism? Sure. But in the religion, not the science, class. Just don't expect to take this myopia to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It has no business there.

As a parent, who once had a 16-year daughter, I was all about suggesting that sex at that age wasn't a good idea but...please if you must, use birth control. And while you're talking, please also tell your children that it's not a good idea to drink, do drugs, and skip school. Good luck with all that Grandma Palin.

But for God's sake folks, Sarah Palin wants to be Vice-President of the United States! She was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. A town of 5,000 people when she was elected. This was a mayor who's idea of progress was a big box store, a Target, and lo and behold, she stood up to the powers-that-be and got one! WhooHoo, what a reformer. Now the main street family businesses can expect to shrivel up and die. Her son is being shipped to Iraq and this qualifies her to be a National Security Advisor? and possibly the Commander-in-Chief? We, as a country, are not that friggin' crazy. Not yet. Anyway.

I've heard some conservatives say that because of the way she's handled her family affairs, they're excited about having someone who's had the same kind of problems they've had. That tells me that a lot there's a lot of shotgun Republican weddings, but again, I remind you, bad luck and dumb mistakes are not good qualifications for the Presidency.

This whole thing just underscores to me how cynical the Republicans are about these matters. It doesn't matter who's in the White House, because the fat cats run the show and everyone else (including if need be, the Vice President) isn't relevant.