Palin's Daughter... Seventeen... Pregnant... Not Married!!

"I would ask that each one of us commit to join together to aid those in need as quickly as possible. As John has been saying for the last several days, this is a time when we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats." -Cindy McCain

The Republicans Are Regrouping

So the sniper teams are ready to go, the protests have been kinda lame and people are hoping that the spirit of the RNC will pick up after media outlets pulled their press from convention coverage yesterday. Even Radio Row has been slow... too many guests, not enough radio personnel.

An American Carol

There are however, interesting people who are still roaming the Xcel Center. I had the opportunity to meet David Zucker who will be releasing his much anticipated (at least within the "inside the beltway" crowd) new film "An American Carol," soon. The Weekly Standard writes that, "An American Carol is unlike anything that has ever come out of Hollywood. It is a frontal attack on the excesses of the American left from several prominent members of a growing class of Hollywood conservatives. Until now, conservatives in Hollywood have always been too few and too worried about a backlash to do anything serious to challenge the left-wing status quo." http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/385rlkfy.asp

Anyway, others that got in on this project include: Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen, Trace Adkins, Denis Hopper, James Woods, Robert Davi, Geoffrey Arend and Jon Voight.

Foreign Policy with Ilan Berman
Ilan Berman thinks Iran is at the center of the foreign policy agenda and that there really is no escaping this issue for two reasons specifically: the very real prospect of a nuclear Iran and that the Iranian regime is opposed to American values. The question, according to Berman, is which candidate is going to actually have a strategy for Iran. Who has come up with a better model? Well, he says that talking isn’t a strategy and that bombing Iran is actually an end game. Berman believes that McCain’s plan is better developed and that it recognizes the immediate danger that a nuclear Iran poses. He also believes that McCain’s plan recognizes that a nuclear Iran is a “game changer” for the entire Middle East. Barack Obama’s plan is to talk to Iran, using dialogue as an entrée to build a coalition. But Berman asks, “A coalition for what?” Dialogue requires time, which Berman doesn’t believe the world has. Many here at the RNC believe that nuclear clock is ticking and that Iran is quickly moving forward with its nuclear program. The issue for both the GOP and the Dems is how to stop a nuclear Iran.

Ilan Berman is Vice President for Policy of the American Foreign Policy Council http://www.afpc.org/ in Washington, DC. An expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation, he has consulted for both the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense, and provided assistance on foreign policy and national security issues to a range of governmental agencies and congressional offices. Mr. Berman is the author of Tehran Rising: Iran’s Challenge to the United States (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005), co-editor, with Michael J. Waller, of Dismantling Tyranny: Transitioning Beyond Totaltarian Regimes (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005), and- most recently- editor of Taking on Tehran: Strategies for Confronting the Islamic Republic(Rowman & Littlefield, 2007).

BIG NEWS: SARAH PALIN'S DAUGHTER IS GETTING MARRIED (COMING SOON)But not soon enough! Forget the Hurricane! Palin's 17 year old daughter is pregnant! There is soooo much media coverage on this... Apparently McCain knew about this before Palin was offered the job of VP. There's not much to say about this story that no one can stop talking about. I actually was privy to this information before the media broke it (cool, right?)... okay so I actually do have a life and it usually doesn't include me gossiping about pregnant teens. The most interesting part of this may be how the GOP has attempted to spin this story: Route 1, This is none of your business! Route 2, They are a normal American family... with common American "problems." The route they are not taking: addressing the abstinence education vs. sex/family planning education in schools and at home issues. Bristol Palin is planning to marry the father. We all have problems, enough said.

Palin, Palin, Palin…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090103127.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090103148.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090100710.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090102564.html

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2008
The 2008 Republican National Convention today announced the program of events for Tuesday, Sept. 2. The program will feature speeches by U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson. Their remarks will reflect the convention's overall theme, "Country First," and the theme for Tuesday's events, which is "service." "We are excited to announce Tuesday's featured speakers, who will share John McCain's remarkable record of leadership and service with millions of Americans tonight. We are looking forward to showcasing John McCain's life-long record of putting his country first," said Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan. "From his days as a POW who refused early release to his 20-year career in the U.S. Senate, John McCain has always put country first. Tonight's program will reflect his unmatched commitment to service and his vision for increasing Americans' participation in service and volunteer activities," said Rick Davis, McCain 2008 campaign manager. Among the other speakers announced today are President George W. Bush (via satellite), First Lady Laura Bush, U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio), U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.), and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.). The program of events follows. Biographies for participants will be available on the 2008 Republican National Convention Media Portal this afternoon. To access the media portal, go to portal.gopconvention2008.com. An announcement about additional program participants is forth-coming. Service "Love of country, my friends, is another way of saying love of your fellow countrymen." --Sen. John McCain John McCain's commitment to his fellow Americans, a commitment forged in service to his country, is one of the defining hallmarks of his life. Tuesday's events will highlight John McCain's record of service and sacrifice and reflect his commitment to serving a cause greater than one's own self-interest.

Speakers will include:
President George W. Bush (via satellite)
First Lady Laura Bush
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.)
Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)
U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)
Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee
Jo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Committee on Arrangements

* http://portal.gopconvention2008.com/speech/default.aspx
eventually speeches should be posted at the above link

McCain on the Issues:

http://www.johnmccain.com/?s=gopconv/- main page

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ba2f1c-c03f-4ac2-8cd5-5cf2edb527cf.htm- health care

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ce50b5-daa8-4795-b92d-92bd0d985bca.htm- education

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71df58.htm- human dignity and the right to life