Rick Davis

A Hurricane of Another Kind?

September 11, 2008 by admin

As I prepare to begin my last 16 hour work-day here in Texas, I have one little anecdote, and one bit of "what to watch for" later today.

First, last night, coming out of a restaurant with a business associates, I saw it. Obama support - it was a woman in a "got hope" tee-shirt. I pointed and started walking over to her. She looked a little frightened. I explained how great it was to see Obama support. Her discomfort turned out to be the fact that she works for the IRS, and was afraid that I was someone she had audited. We laughed and spent a few quality moments talking hope and change, before it was time for me to go back to work. AH JOY!

Palin Again Recites Lie About Bridge To Nowhere

September 9, 2008 by admin

Unchastened by the multiple media outlets who have pointed out that Sarah Palin's claim to have said "thanks but no thanks" to the Bridge to Nowhere is a lie, she repeated the falsehood again today on the trail today in Lebanon, Ohio. Here's her quote:

"You're gonna hear a lot about the abusive practice of earmarks in Congress from our good senator here. We championed in Alaska reform of the old earmark process. I told Congress, `Thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge To Nowhere up in Alaska. If our state wanted a bridge, we were gonna build it ourselves."

As Josh notes, the falsehood has now been debunked by everyone from Newsweek to the Associated Press to the Wall Street Journal. But here's Palin keeping up with it anyway.

McCain aides clearly think they can just keep pushing this lie until the news orgs tire of pointing out that it's false -- or, as McCain campaign Rick Davis might put it, until the news orgs start treating her with "deference."

Memo To Charlie Gibson: Here Are Some Tough Questions For Palin

September 9, 2008 by admin

The Anchorage Daily News, which knows Sarah Palin as well as anyone, weighs in with an editorial today posing some tough questions that Palin should be forced to answer:

* Why have you reneged on your earlier pledge to cooperate with the Alaska Legislature's investigation into Troopergate?...

* As governor of Alaska, you have not pushed for laws or regulations that put your personal views on abortion, same-sex marriage and creationism into public policy. As vice president, will you push to outlaw abortion, restrict same-sex marriage and require the teaching of creationism?

* If you were a fully qualified vice-presidential candidate from the get-go, why did you wait more than 10 days to face reporters?

*McCain spokesman Rick Davis told Fox News the media didn't show you enough "deference." How much deference do you expect to get from Vladimir Putin or Hugo Chavez?

* You have said victory is in sight in Iraq. In July 2007, when you visited Kuwait, you said, "I'm not going to judge the surge." In the March 2007 issue of Alaska Business Monthly, you were asked about the surge and quoted saying:

Sarah Palin To Do Real Live Press Conference?

September 8, 2008 by admin

A nice catch from Ben Smith: In an interview on MSNBC today, McCain spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker appeared to suggest that Sarah Palin will do an actual press conference with reporters one of these days -- really and truly she will:

It was nice to see MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell swat aside Hazelbaker's snide aside about the media's "great interest in planning her press strategy." Hazelbaker quickly walked this back with some boilerplate about how the McCain campaign of course understands that the press performs a vital function and hence will eventually make her available.

Bull-bleep. The McCain campaign isn't going to grant any real media access to Palin because McCain advisers, out of the goodness of their hearts, know that the public deserves an unfiltered look at her and that this is key to making our Democracy function.

Palin Says Yes to ABC

September 8, 2008 by EverydayCitizen.com

It's official - Governor Palin will allow Charlie Gibson from ABC to her later this week. This is interesting news, as the McCain campaign has been slow to allow its VP candidate to speak with the press, citing "media bias":

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis complained that the media has focused too much on 44-year-old Palin's personal life. Many of those stories came after McCain's campaign announced that Palin's unwed 17-year-old daughter was pregnant. News reports also have questioned her record as a reformer in Alaska. "She's not scared to answer questions," Davis said on Fox News Sunday. "But you know what? We run our campaign, not the news media. And we'll do things on our timetable."

Gibson is best known as the co-host of the somewhat popular Good Morning America and his friendly rapport with guests. He has also indicated that this interview won't be mean spirited:

"Once you know about her daughter's pregnancy, once you know about her husband's political interest in the Alaska Independent Party, once you know about the special nature of their latest child, I think that's enough," Gibson wrote. The relevant questions about Palin all related to her experience and policy positions as a mayor and governor of Alaska.