Thursday, October 23, 2008

Will the embarrassment never end?

Governor Palin is applying for a job, and she doesn't even know what it is. When asked by a third-grader what the vice president does, Sarah Palin said:
[T]hey’re in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom.
I thought she was reasonably intelligent, but now I'm beginning to have my doubts. What happened to her brains? It's like as soon as she was chosen as McCain's running mate that she's been zombified, turned into the Alaska Barbie everybody makes jokes about. I mean, come on!

The full story comes from ThinkProgress (thanks to Michelle for tipping me off on this). Here's what the Constitution says about the role of the Veep in the Senate:
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.
So, Gov. Palin has embarrassed Alaska yet again by demonstrating that she doesn't understand the difference between the Executive and the Legislative branches of government. (I suppose that's fitting, given that GW Bush doesn't understand them either.) More on this at the Raw Story:
Palin also apparently did little to study up after fumbling a question about her prospective duties during this month's debate with Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden.

"I'm thankful the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate," she told the debate audience.

Asked to explain what she meant, Palin continued into the realm of the fanciful, endorsing Cheney's position of a more powerful vice presidency while crafting interpretations of the office even he didn't seem to have envisioned.

"Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. ... So I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there," she said. "And we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation."
My aunt and cousin used to live in Wasilla, back when it was an Alaska town and hadn't been taken over by the box store/strip mall worshippers like Palin (it was under her mayorship that the runaway box building really got going). Wasillans should be cringing by now. I hope.

3 comments:

Ishmael said...

They are cringing and crying....

akfnp said...

all alaskans should be cringing.....

Alaskan Dave Down Under said...

When people down here asked where I was from, I'd always say Alaska. Now... Well... I don't say Alaska... sigh...