Sarah Palin–I really don’t get her. No matter how many different angles I view her from, I just don’t get her. And just when I think that she will not go any further in politics, and I’m starting to relax just a little bit, along comes the next installment on her move toward the national stage, again.

From the earliest days of her campaign for the vice presidency, she addressed the rumors that Trigg Palin was not Bristol’s baby, and we were to conclude from her press release, via a spokesperson, that Trigg was her baby. That seems to be the normal modus operandi for Sarah Palin-you don’t come out with the facts straight on; you kind of work around them. You state some things and then let people assume something from what you said. It is just odd to me when people do not address issues directly, with facts that can be substantiated, and put a questionable issue to rest. There must be a reason for not doing that–for letting rumors go on and on, all the while whining about being the victim of “gotcha” journalism and those darned internet bloggers. To that I say, just present proof–end of story, unless…

You want to be in the press, constantly, front and center, so keep controversies going. If proof was presented and the story ended, you might miss some news coverage. So, aside from never having presented any proof of who the mother of Trigg is, where is any evidence that Tripp exists? Do you realize there hasn’t been any? No pictures of the Governor’s new grandson? According to the source that broke the news of the baby’s birth, People Magazine, the Palin’s first grandchild is now over a month old, and not a picture to be found anywhere—nowhere. Not one viewing in public of baby and parents, or grandparents? Really, unless the baby is sick, how is a baby lost in a small town for a month? And the governor’s first grandchild? That really moves from the hard to believe into the realm of not being logical. Where is this child? Is there a child? We know that SP finally broke her “no comment, it’s private family business” and told us there was.

The moral of this story, as with so many other things with SP, we have her word for something–no proof, nothing anyone is able to verify, just her word. When we let a potential Presidential candidate (God forbid) use her word only as proof of something, we put that person out of the normal and in a class where feelings of being above the law can be cultivated. That’s a dangerous condition for a person in a leadership role. It didn’t work well for Blagojevich, and it shouldn’t work well for anyone else, either.

Is the baby story evidence of someone who feels above the law? Not necessarily, unless there have been lies that would go beyond ethics and into the realm of insurance fraud. Lying to the American people during a campaign isn’t a positive attribute either, especially if the lie involved parading your unwed teenage daughter as pregnant and almost using a Down’s Syndrome baby around as a campaign prop to help you garner votes from people with special needs. Even if Trigg is Bristol’s, having a grandson with special needs would have been acceptable as a tie-in to other parents, so that wouldn’t be the reason for a deception.

I agree with another blogger who queried “Why can’t anything with the Palins just be straigt forward?” Why can’t a birth certificate be produced, or even pictures? Why can’t any doctor, nurse, or other patient at the hospital simply supply stories to verify anything the Palins say about the birth of these babies?

I just finished reading John Grisham’s “Street Lawyer”, and although it was published nearly 10 years ago, I found the statistics about homelessness fascinating even then. When we consider where the economy is, and where it is heading at the moment, the idea of not dealing with the issues of people living on the streets is just crazy. Here are a few paragraphs from the book:
“Do they arrest them?”
“Every day, and it’s stupid public policy. Take a guy living on the streets, in and out of shelters, working somewhere for minimum wage, trying his best to step up and become self-sufficient. Then he gets arrested for sleeping under a bridge. He doesn’t want to be sleeping under a bridge, but everybody’s got to sleep somewhere. He’s guilty because the city council, in its brilliance, has made it a crime to be homeless. He has to pay thirty bucks just to get out of jail, and another thirty for his fine…..Here’s the asinine part: It costs twenty-five percent MORE per day to keep a person in jail than to provide shelter, food, transportation, and counseling services…and that doesn’t include the cost of arrests and processing.”

Wow. And to think that you could start a conversation in many places where you would hear people agree that we should not be spending so much money on those poor, lazy street people. Those same people think that government should do less, and spend less, yet I would put money on the fact that those same people do not object to locking people up in jail. It keeps our society safer, and let’s face it, prettier when you think of the homeless. The police do sweeps...“They’ll target one area of the city, shovel up all the homeless, dump them somewer else. Atlanta did it before the Olympics–couldn’t have all those poor people begging and sleeping on park benches with the world watching….they don’t have any shelters. They simply moved them around, dumped them in other parts of the city lake manure.”

I realize that the US is not the only place that does that. China just did similar things to pretty-up Beijing before these past Olympics. But we need to address the issue here in our country, in our states, in our towns and cities. More and more people will become homeless through no fault of their own. They will lose the medical insurance they, and their families had, so will not be able to obtain some treatments for mental issues that they previously would have and their needs will be greater. To think that it is more popular with our society to jail people rather than help them is a perplexing concept. The following is from an ABC news story from 2007 about Santa Barbara, California (http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2919916&page=1)

And now the city has a new class of resident, not quite homeless — but doesn’t have a home either. They are the working poor who live in their cars, trucks and campers. Call them the mobile homeless.

“We’ve lived in the homeless shelter, and it’s full of people that are drunk and on drugs,” said Carlos Cortez.

Working but too poor to afford rent in this expensive city, Cortez and his wife, Naomi, scraped together enough money to buy an old recreational vehicle they can live in.

It’s a phenomenon that is happening all over the country as people are priced out of local housing and have nowhere else to go where life might be better.

California alone has about 350,000 homeless people. Santa Barbara has 2,000, some still trying to make it in the working world.

“Some work in the service industries, some work in the local hotels and motels,” said Gary Linker, director of New Beginnings Counseling Center, which works with the homeless. “Some of them work for the city and county,” he said….

But even while the mobile homeless were wandering in search of a safe place to park, many of Santa Barbara’s downtown parking lots were empty all night, every night. That was until New Beginnings worked with the city to open the municipal parking lots.

Now the mobile homeless are allowed to come home from work in peace and park overnight under something called the Safe Parking Program.”

I guess the real core of the question is what our outlook on the homeless is. Are they crazy people who will always live on the edge, or maybe lazy people who just need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get a job? Get a job? Yesterday, alone, over 40,000 layoffs from major companies were announced on the evening news. Homelessness is just a problem that we cannot ignore. We can either deal with it, or just try to make it go away by increasing the number of laws against it. Some cities have added laws to make it illegal to lay on a park bench after a certain hour, no blankets allowed, etc. While that might be good for the city, ignoring the idea of where those people go instead of the park is not good for anyone and it falls into the category of generalizing about who the homeless are. As with alcoholism, most of society thinks of the bums on skid row when they think of alcoholics, when most people with drinking problems wear suits and ties, or are at home raising children. Maybe thinking otherwise puts each and every one of us closer to the problems. Oh, but for the grace of God, go I.

Obama’s Inaugural AddressJanuary 20, 2009

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As of this moment, I can’t seem to get the video of this news conference from Fox News today to play, so here is the text of just one of the things he did today:
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN WELCOMING SENIOR STAFF AND CABINET SECRETARIES TO THE WHITE HOUSE

1:18 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Please be seated. Still getting used to that whole thing. (Laughter.) Please be seated. Thank you so much. I wanted to get everyone together on the first day to welcome you to the White House.

From our vantage point yesterday you couldn’t help but be inspired by the sight of Americans as far as the eye could see. They were there because they believe this is a moment of great change in America, a time for reinvigorating our democracy and remaking our country. They’ve entrusted all of us with a great responsibility. And so today I’d like to talk with you about our responsibility to keep that trust.

In a few minutes I’m going to be issuing some of the first executive orders and directives of my presidency. And these steps are aimed at establishing firm rules of the road for my administration and all who serve in it, and to help restore that faith in government, without which we cannot deliver the changes we were sent here to make — from rebuilding our economy and ensuring that anyone who is willing to work and find a well-paying job, to protecting and defending the United States, and promoting peace and security.

However long we are keepers of the public trust we should never forget that we are here as public servants and public service is a privilege. It’s not about advantaging yourself. It’s not about advancing your friends or your corporate clients. It’s not about advancing an ideological agenda or the special interests of any organization. Public service is, simply and absolutely, about advancing the interests of Americans.

The men and women in this room understand this, and that’s why you’re here. All of you are committed to building a more responsible, more accountable government. And part of what that means is making sure that we’re spending precious tax dollars wisely and cutting costs wherever possible.

During this period of economic emergency, families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington. And that’s why I’m instituting a pay freeze on the salaries of my senior White House staff. Some of the people in this room will be affected by the pay freeze, and I want you to know that I appreciate your willingness to agree to it, recognizing that it’s what’s required of you at this moment. It’s a mark of your commitment to public service.

But the American people deserve more than simply an assurance that those who are coming to Washington will serve their interests. They also deserve to know that there are rules on the books to keep it that way. They deserve a government that is truly of, by, and for the people. As I often said during the campaign, we need to make the White House the people’s house. And we need to close the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely, and lets them use their time in public service as a way to promote their own interests over the interests of the American people when they leave.

So today we are taking a major step towards fulfilling this campaign promise. The executive order on ethics I will sign shortly represents a clean break from business as usual. As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any other administration in history. If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years. When you leave government, you will not be able to lobby my administration for as long as I am President. And there will be a ban on gifts by lobbyists to anyone serving in the administration, as well.

Now, the new rules on lobbying alone, no matter how tough, are not enough to fix a broken system in Washington. That’s why I’m also setting new rules that govern not just lobbyists, but all those who have been selected to serve in my administration.

If you are enlisting in government service, you will have to commit in writing to rules limiting your role for two years in matters involving people you used to work with, and barring you from any attempt to influence your former government colleagues for two years after you leave. And you will receive an ethics briefing on what is required of you to make sure that our government is serving the people’s interests, and nobody else’s — a briefing, I’m proud to say, I was the first member of this administration to receive last week.

But the way to make a government responsible is not simply to enlist the services of responsible men and women, or to sign laws that ensure that they never stray. The way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable. And the way to make government accountable is make it transparent so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they’re being made, and whether their interests are being well served.

The directives I am giving my administration today on how to interpret the Freedom of Information Act will do just that. For a long time now, there’s been too much secrecy in this city. The old rules said that if there was a defensible argument for not disclosing something to the American people, then it should not be disclosed. That era is now over. Starting today, every agency and department should know that this administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information but those who seek to make it known.

To be sure, issues like personal privacy and national security must be treated with the care they demand. But the mere fact that you have the legal power to keep something secret does not mean you should always use it. The Freedom of Information Act is perhaps the most powerful instrument we have for making our government honest and transparent, and of holding it accountable. And I expect members of my administration not simply to live up to the letter but also the spirit of this law.

I will also hold myself as President to a new standard of openness. Going forward, anytime the American people want to know something that I or a former President wants to withhold, we will have to consult with the Attorney General and the White House Counsel, whose business it is to ensure compliance with the rule of law. Information will not be withheld just because I say so. It will be withheld because a separate authority believes my request is well grounded in the Constitution.

Let me say it as simply as I can: Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.

Our commitment to openness means more than simply informing the American people about how decisions are made. It means recognizing that government does not have all the answers, and that public officials need to draw on what citizens know. And that’s why, as of today, I’m directing members of my administration to find new ways of tapping the knowledge and experience of ordinary Americans — scientists and civic leaders, educators and entrepreneurs — because the way to solve the problem of our time is — the way to solve the problems of our time, as one nation, is by involving the American people in shaping the policies that affect their lives.

The executive orders and directives I’m issuing today will not by themselves make government as honest and transparent as it needs to be. And they do not go as far as we need to go towards restoring accountability and fiscal restraint in Washington. But these historic measures do mark the beginning of a new era of openness in our country. And I will, I hope, do something to make government trustworthy in the eyes of the American people in the days and weeks, months and years to come. That’s a pretty good place to start.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

(The executive order and directives are signed.) (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Lisa, our schedule now — the swearing-in is going to be taking place, and the Vice President is going to be carrying that out? Okay.

Before the Vice President does that, let me just say how proud I am of all of you. This is an extraordinary collection of talent, and you inspire great confidence in me. I think the more the American people get to know you, the more you will inspire great confidence in the American people. All of you have made extraordinary sacrifices to be here. Many of you have brought your families here; they’re making extraordinary sacrifices.

But what a — what a moment we’re in. What an opportunity we have to change this country. And for those of us who have been in public life before, these kinds of moments come around just every so often. The American people are really counting on us now. Let’s make sure we take advantage of it. I know you will. So thank you for your commitment.

Given by the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, an Episcopal priest from New Hampshire, before the start of the “We Are One” concert/celebration in Washington, D.C., yesterday. Over 750,000 people gathered between the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial at the other end of Reflection Pool. HBO had the exclusive rights to televise the concert, but they say the Inaugural Committee made the decision to have this prayer said “pre-concert”, and thus not be part of the televised event. That decision has drawn criticism from some people because this bishop is the first openly gay priest in that church, and from many other people who just found it odd not to hear the invocation. Any way you look at it, it was an unfortunate mistake not to have included this eloquent call for God’s grace to be upon us.

A Prayer for the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama

By The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire

Opening Inaugural Event
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
January 18, 2009

Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.

O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

AMEN.

America’s Song

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Somethings can best be said in pictures.   We Are One,We Shall Be Free, This Land is My Land……..hope………an estimated 750,000 people united in song and celebration.  Hooray.

January 18, 2009

I had an interesting, but brief, conversation with two men today about the war in the Delta region of Nigeria.  It started when I asked one of them about the design on the t-shirt he was wearing.  Even after I read it, I had to ask for an interpretation.  Some of us, I’m afraid, are not as up-to-date on world politics as others are.

According to these men, the southern part of the country has the oil fields, and the workers;  whereas, the northern part has the power.  He said it is the Christian people in the south who are tired of being victimized by the Muslims in the North who run the government.  They take the profits from oil and do not use it for infrastructure projects.  (I haven’t verified those statement, by the way.)

To expand my knowledge of world affairs, I have done a little research which I found interesting:

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) is fighting for a greater share of oil wealth to be spent on the Niger Delta region’s impoverished civilians….There is an inevitable and serious conflict of interest between Delta communities that bear the environmental damage of oil extraction and the rest of the nation for which oil money is essentially a free good. Delta populations, clearly a minority, regularly lose these struggles. Had they some authority over environmental issues, many current problems might be more manageable. Lacking this, and given the federal government’s control over all subsurface resources as well as “ownership” of all land, all Delta issues inevitably become national issues. The national government has failed to resolve these. In its campaign to “buy off” Delta discontent on the cheap, earlier administrations frequently corrupted Delta community leaders. There is a deep distrust in the Delta concerning the federal government and a feeling among local populations that most other Nigerians care little for their problems, so long as the oil flows. Delta populations constantly campaign for a larger share of the federal cake, most of which originates in their homelands

This leads me to thoughts  about mankind and its responsibilities to every member of the “family of life”….and to the role of money……lots of it…….the more the better…..profit is king.  I wrote a previous post entitled “When is enough, enough?” which dealt with those questions.  So for now, I look more toward our responsibilities to one another.  If the guy at the top of the food chain makes a million dollars a year, let’s say, what should his attitude be toward the guys at the bottom of the food chain?  Does he have any moral obligations to them, or are they merely poor, uneducated, lazy people who should be glad to be employed for any amount of money?   Not that I think we lowly working people are lazy (How can working people be considered to be lazy?);   poor (poorer, for sure than the CEO); uneducated (maybe not, and certainly not always less skilled than the boss); satisfied working for any salary (Get real).

So, the big guy drives his luxury car (which was built by the little guys), from his multi-million dollar home (which was built by the little guys), to the office (which was built by the little guys), so that he can begin his day.  His whole business exists because a whole lot of little guys way down the food chain buy a product, or use a service, that his company provides.  Without the little guys, this big guy would be a little guy, too.  Did he forget that?  Maybe he is smarter, or more clever, or has more ambition, or was lucky enough to have those all-important connections that helped him rise about the ranks of the little guys.  Or maybe he is just one hard worker who created his own opportunities and took full advantage of all of them.  No matter how you look at it, big guys exist only because of little guys.  Big guys should kiss the feet of every little guy who helps him drive that nice car and live in that expensive house, etc.  There should be an air of gratitude and thanksgiving toward the people who are helping you create success.

Unfortunately, mankind rarely seems to function from that perspective, however.  I never liked history classes because it always seemed that it was  story after story of how mean and cruel people could be toward other people.  I honestly just don’t get it.  Why are people so mean to one another?  Why can’t the money generated by the oil production in Nigeria be somewhat equally divided among all of the people in the country?  When is enough, enough, for the big guys?  How can they sleep at night knowing that what they have is at the expense of even the most basic needs of the little guys?

Here are some comments from a blogger from Nigeria:

What is actually needed in the Niger Delta and indeed Nigeria is a total transformation of lives into that which is worth living. The targets should include letting clean water run in every home, to provide decent schools for the children, good roads and modern hospitals.

Really, is that too much to ask of anybody in any country?

The antics of the conservatives recently leaves little that I should be surprised at, but somehow, I am still amazed some days at the things they do. Just this past week, it was announced that the infamous Joe, the Plumber had been chosen to be a war correspondent in the Middle East for pajamastv.com. Here is some of what they say about themselves on their website:

Pajamas Media (PJM) was established in 2004 and is a network of about 100 bloggers that covers news and issues of the day in a refreshingly thoughtful and civil way.

On their biases page, they make this comment:

To avoid the simplicity of polarization (left versus right)

I find it interesting that in trying to avoid polarization, that these are the only people they reference as people they interviewed during the campaign. Why, they all seem to be from the same party, don’t they? At least, in another sentence on pjm, they say they are bias. I don’t know quite how you relate their two statements, but I’ll leave that up to you.

Pajamas Media’s coverage of the 2008 US presidential election has included interviews of various key figures, including Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Fred Thompson.

“A refreshingly thoughtful and civil way”. Wow, that’s impressive. Of course, I doubt that any media source would consider itself in any other way. Maybe PJM will be able to uncover some media bias in the moguls of the industry, and I would applaud them for that. But, I have trouble with any media source who chooses Joe, the Plumber, as a overseas reporter anywhere. But he is a Christian and is being sent to “connect with the man on the street” in a war-torn area of the world. In Joe’s own words in his interview after being chosen, he said that God will protect him….his Christian god, of course. His conservative, evangelical beliefs have, hopefully, taught him tolerance and love for his Jewish and Muslim brothers, or PJM will be aiding and abetting him in his own destruction.

Just as a refresher of just who Joe is (and I can’t believe that we are even discussing this man anymore–or that we ever did talk about him), let’s look at the background and character of this “correspondent” who will be helping shape thoughts of some conservatives in this country.

From the NYTimes Political Blog, December 16, 2008:

Turns out that “Joe the Plumber,” as he became nationally known when Senator John McCain made him a theme at Wednesday night’s third and final presidential debate, may run a plumbing business but he is not a licensed plumber. His full name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher. And he owes a bit in back taxes.

An official at Local 50 of the plumber’s union, based in Toledo, said Mr. Wurzelbacher does not hold a license. He also has never served an apprenticeship and does not belong to the union. (The national plumber’s union, the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters, and Service Mechanics, endorsed Mr. Obama, it should be noted.)

“He’s basically playing games with the world,” Thomas Joseph, the local’s business manager, said in a telephone interview Thursday morning.

But he became the hero of conservatives and Republicans….

Unlike some other states, Ohio does not have a formal statewide licensing system for plumbers. But the city of Toledo and other municipalities do, Mr. Joseph said, and Mr. Wurzelbacher has not met those requirements.

“All contractors are licensed, and he does not have a license, either as a contractor or a plumber,” the union official said, citing a search of government records. “I can’t find that he’s ever even applied for any kind of apprenticeship, and he has never belonged to local 189 in Columbus, which is what he claims on his Facebook page.”

So, as a hero of the Republicans during this past campaign, here you have a man who appears to not be of good character or have integrity. His version of who he is doesn’t coincide with what legal documents say, so he doesn’t tell the truth. He fabricates stories in his one brief moment of fame? At least, it should have been his one, barely noticed, moment on a local news report in Toledo, but John McCain propelled this liar to stardom during one of the Presidential debates. Amazing. The bad guy gets rewarded, not punished. In my world, when your wrong deeds are discovered you should receive negative consequences, not rewards. Where are we in this country when we not only tolerate such things, but many people choose to applaud the person….well, because “He’s one of us”. What? Are we a country of people who don’t believe that telling the truth is admirable and the only respectable to act? What precept do you use when raising your children? “It’s OK if you cheated on that test, because everybody cheats. And good for you for getting that A.” Not in my world is it OK. It shouldn’t be OK in anyone’s world.

But if you’re reading pajamastv.com, you will find one of their fans who left this comment:

“Joe is a very intelligent man. The reason the main stream media is responding with such negativity is that they are afraid that he will connect with the everyday man in the USA and they will lose. I would rather listen to the straight facts from a plumber or an electrician than from someone who puts the liberal spin on the truth. Thanx, -Phil M., Forest, VA”

Straight facts. Joe, the Plumber? Think again.

I just read a comment on a blog that hits on some interesting points about Sarah Palin’s call to People Magazine, etc., to clear up some misinformation. The press was stating that both Bristol and Levi Johnston are high school dropouts.

• “Also, let’s think about this. Why would SP feel a need to clear it up with People and in her press release about the birth of Tripp that Bristol and Levi are still in school? Could it be because Levi should not have his apprentice job without a diploma or GED, or that Bristol should not be on Sarah’s gov’t insurance if she is 18 and not in school? It does appear that SP is anxious to make it clear that both are in school. Why?”

And from another blog:

• “So.. how is it again… that we know this then? Let’s review: It turns out that the alleged baby has an alleged great-aunt (who doesn’t even live in Alaska, but hey, minor details) who got an alleged email from the alleged grandpa and then somehow (this is totally unclear) talked to People.com. (So how was it, just out of idle curiousity, that alleged great-aunty got Saturday and Sunday mixed up? Was the initial email from Chuck “Sarah’s Water Broke” Heath wrong? Mistaken? Oh never mind. There’s no point in even asking.) Great-aunty has actually admitted that she hasn’t really TALKED to anyone in the family, but again… minor details.

• But then, today [Dec. 31st], just when I thought surely it could not get any worse, it does. People is now reporting that Gov. Palin called them today… and left a message. Hmmm.

• And on that message was the earth-shattering info that: Levi and Bristol are not really high school dropouts. Gov. Palin wanted everyone to know that. She wanted it to be abundantly crystal clear. She even says it right out. “They are certainly not high school drop outs.” Hmmm.”

I, also, read that there has been a lot of online traffic about the possibility that Levi Johnston seems to have entered his apprenticeship program ahead of a lot of other people who are on a waiting list. I don’t have any verification of that, however. Because Todd Palin (per www.themudflats.net) did not finish high school, maybe it isn’t, or at least, wasn’t, necessary to have a diploma to work in the oil fields.

Any way you look at it, Sarah Palin seems adamant about the “reputations” of Bristol and Levi, but is still incredibly silent about any details about her first grandchild. That’s odd….very odd to me. Still, the only proof that this baby exists is from statements from an out-of-state great aunt, and from the governor in a press release that finally came about 5 days after the baby’s birth:

• Bill McAllister, the governor’s office communications director, adds: “The governor’s office previously declined to comment to honor the family’s wishes that the event remain as private as possible. However, the high volume of press inquiries, along with some erroneous information that was published, prompted the governor to make a statement.

_____________________________________

Now that seems odd to me…..”previously declined to comment to honor the family’s wishes that the event remain as private as possible.” What? After you, SP, pushed the couple into the world’s spotlight?

But this part of the announcement also doesn’t ring true to me:

• Bristol begins her final semester of high school next week where she’ll get her last credit needed to graduate. She looks forward to continuing her record of good grades and high achievement. Levi is continuing his online high school work in addition to working as an electrical apprentice on the North Slope.

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Now that seems odd, too….Bristol traveled, albeit out of sight, on the campaign trail with her mother all of last Fall. She, also, was out of school for several months in the Fall of 2007 because of an extended case of mono, according to the family. So, maybe she is a real “high achiever” if she is on track to finish high school by only taking one class her last semester. I know enough about high school education to know that there is more to that story than meets the eye. If she has been doing independent study classes, the first thought that comes to my mind is that most of those classes are usually done at a remedial level as they are often intended to be used as credit recovery classes after a student has failed the class in the regular classroom. That may not always be the case, as with teen mothers, social issues, or illnesses, but graduating because of half of your schooling being done independently, would make me put a BIG question mark after the word “high achiever”.   Also, one must remember that all of online classroom work other than in-person testing, if required, can be done by someone other than the student.  All class submissions could be done by “a friend”.  By the Governor’s silence on the campaign trail as to how Bristol was still actively engaged in being in school set the example to other students in Alaska that actually being in the classroom was …..well…. not as important as traveling around the country on a political campaign? Or maybe babysitting for Mom who was on the campaign? I don’t downplay the possible education of being part of a Presidential campaign, but why did SP keep Bristol so hidden all that time? It does make me wonder, but so does just about everything SP does. Was Bristol writing a research paper on politics, perhaps?  Call me cynical, but I’m not a believer in that one.