Louisville, Ky - Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a writer for the Neoconservative branch of the Republican party.

Each week he carries the water or makes excuses for his Republican party and their leadership. Navarrette does all he can to make sure that everyone knows he's of Hispanic origin, and that he's a "real-deal-conservative". Well, if you consider wannabe-Neocons "real-deal", have at it. He likes being the token. And a poor one at that.

Anyhow, Navarrette, in all his glory, is defending Gov. Sarah Palin. What a load to carry.

From his CNN commentary (10/24/08):

       I thought liberals were supposed to be good-hearted, open-minded and non-judgmental. Tell that to the angry Left's favorite piñata, Sarah Palin. As far as liberals are concerned, Palin can do no right just as Barack Obama and Joe Biden can do no wrong.

In fact, Biden is catching more passes than an NFL wide receiver. As Palin herself pointed out in a recent CNN interview, imagine if she had been the one to imply that electing Obama would invite calamity. Biden does it, and the media shrug."

Let's look up the word "Faux"
While Palin may be a real woman, she isn't a real woman "for women". That's the problem. She's another of the Neoconservative anti-woman, women. This is also a real shame. Who would have thought the second female to be put up for the office of Vice President wouldn't support reproductive freedoms, choice, and seeks to write her morality into national law. This is disgusting.

Also, you could have hired an actress...a good one...to play her part. She doesn't have the experience, or the judgement to be an executive. Not to mention, she had to go to 4 places of higher-learning to get one minimal degree. She's basically been a right-wing baby factory, and she's passing this along to her children...which is obvious. On her own, she brings nothing to the ticket, except something pretty to look at. A trinket with a big mouth. She's not fucking qualified. Didn't  Navarrette watch the Brian Williams interview?

She wouldn't call an abortion-clinic bomber a terrorist? Isn't that the definition of terrorism? The use of violence to further a political goal, or force policy change, or make people live in fear? Are you kidding me? Anyone else scared?

He goes on to write:

       I also thought the Democratic Party was supposed to go to bat for the little guy, the everyday Joe the Plumber. Tell that to Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio resident who got his 15 minutes -- and 40 lashes -- because he dared question Obama about his tax plan. Obama insists that the plan would raise taxes only on those Americans earning more than $250,000 per year.

It was then Obama made his clumsy "spread the wealth" comment. What was Joe thinking: that we live in a democracy where everyday Americans who pay the salaries of elected officials can dare question their policies?

That just isn't done. To prove it, the elites who run the Democratic Party -- along with their surrogates in the media and organized labor -- went after the plumber.

We now know that Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher owes back taxes, doesn't have a plumbing license (he told the Associated Press he doesn't need one because he works for someone else's company), and may not be registered to vote.

Commenting on a CNN.com story, one condescending reader wrote that Joe the Plumber should pipe down and "get back in my bathroom and unclog the toilet." Even Biden and Obama got in a few licks. Biden quipped to Jay Leno that Democrats wanted to take care of "Joe-the-real-plumber-with-a-license," and Obama sarcastically asked supporters, "how many plumbers do you know making $250,000 a year?" The implication being that Joe the Plumber isn't who he pretends to be."

Well, Ruben, if you'd been paying attention, you'd know that this guy doesn't represent anything other than lower-class, white, men. Nothing more. He doesn't represent "the middle class" eventhough he may be firmly in our ranks. He is one of these "NASCAR-types" who supports conservatives, eventhough it's they who have wrecked this nation. He is uneducated in how this stuff works. Fine. I won't begrudge him that. "Joe SixPack" is right. And then he beats his wife, right?

Sam "Joe" Wurzelbacher is loving every minute of this. He has mentally-redacted neocons sending in checks to "help with his taxes", is shopping a book deal, and being interviewed at every opportunity. "Joe" is doing OK.

Don't forget: The guy is a liar.

He stepped up to Obama and asked a question. He wasn't attacked. He just asked a question and then stated that he was "about to buy" a business from his boss. And that would put him in the "$260-270k range". This was a complete lie. Sam didn't have anything in place to buy a business. His boss certainly didn't know anything about it. So, name-lie, job-lie, future-intent-lie, Republican plant? Maybe.

Also, I don't remember Sen. Barack Obama bringing this guy up, only retorting. McCain invoked this guy, invaded his privacy (which I am sure was fine with Sam), and turned him into a campaign tool. He got the "tool" part right.

If you feel sorry for this guy...you haven't been paying attention. 

We all know that Sam has a house. So what does he represent? What about the single mothers out there? What about the people who are lucky to even have an apartment, much less a house of their own. The poor. What about them? Does "Joe" represent inner city children who have very little chance at a vocation because social programs have been gutted since 2001? 

What about the $150,000 Sarah Palin spent on clothes for her family? 5 kids, her, and a husband.  $150,000 is $23,000 more than "Joe's" home is worth. Clothing worth more than an American home. Who's the elitists?

So, to answer the question: No, "Joe" isn't who he pretends to be. It's conclusive. Happy Ruben?

      What worries me is that the Democrats aren't what they pretend to be. Obama supporters like to talk about how the Democratic presidential nominee has lived the American Dream.

So why is it to so hard for them to conceive of a situation where someone dreams of earning more money a few years from now than they earn today. Has Barack Obama consumed all the social mobility this country has to offer, so there isn't any left for the rest of us?

Now, the Obama-Biden boosters have refocused their attention on their earlier irritant, Sarah Palin. The latest media template is that the vice presidential nominee is a drag on the GOP ticket. Pundits detect a backlash, not just among Democrats who love to hate Sarah Palin but also among women, independents and seniors.

They cite polls showing Palin with an unfavorable rating of 50 percent. So what? We're in the post-Clinton, post-Bush era of polarization where any politician with a pulse -- Sorry, Joe Biden -- will be loved by half the country and hated by the other half.

It's surreal. Before McCain put Palin on the ticket, he was getting 200 people at campaign rallies, and now, when he appears when Palin, he gets 20,000. Yes, definitely a drag.

I really liked the line: "So why is it to so hard for them to conceive of a situation where someone dreams of earning more money a few years from now than they earn today."

Ruben, Ruben, Ruben... Why do you expect us to fall for this? Democrats have historically fought for "the little guy". As John McCain himself said, you aren't rich until you have 5 million dollars.John McCain, your party, and their members, seem to only be interested in helping out multi-million-dollar "small business".

"Joe" nor his boss would benefit under the McCain plan. This is the classic "Southern Strategy". Tricking voters into voting against their own self-interests. Democrats, generally, want people to have greater tax breaks in lower incomes to raise them into higher incomes. It's pretty simple, Ruben. When you give tax cuts to the rich, they don't hire more people, they buy boats. Poor and middle-class people buy food, gas, clothing. And I don't mean $150,000 from high-end retailers. 

How nice that Sarah Palin has brought out 20k people in some cases. When they pull in the 70k-100k that Obama gets...let me know.

This is not a Christian nation. This is a nation based on religious freedom. That's the whole reason we had the pilgrims in the first place. Remember?

McCain wanted a woman on the ticket. There were many to choose from. Many capable women on the Republican side. He made the mistake that many boys in high school make: He went for "pretty". 

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is more qualified to be McCain's V.P. - I mean that. She is at least aware of the world around her. She is at least aware of modern events. Now, she'd arrive at all the wrong conclusions, in my opinion...but she's at least aware. 

       McCain oversold it when he said Palin was the most qualified vice presidential candidate in recent history. Better than Dick Cheney? Could she be worse?"

Man...you got that one right. Let's not forget to mention that the entire state of Alaska has about the same number of people as Louisville, Kentucky. Her whole state has a medium-size city population. So, Louisville mayor Jerry Abramson, and his 20+ years of civic service, has more executive experience than Sarah Palin. Think about that.

And on the clothing scandal, he writes: 

       Then there is the faux-scandal that the Republican National Committee shelled out $150,000 in the past several weeks on Palin and her family for campaign wardrobe, accessories, makeup, etc. Many Americans don't see why it's a story.

Fellow hockey mom Page Growney of New Canaan, Conn., asked The Associated Press, "What did you want to see her in, a turtleneck from L.L. Bean?"

Still, we're told, this tempest in a Gucci bag has some Republicans worrying that shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue might undermine Palin's everywoman image.

To think, just last month, the criticism was that Sarah the Moose Hunter wasn't sufficiently sophisticated or glamorous. Now her wardrobe signals the hockey mom is high-maintenance."

Though I've already commented on this, to Ruben, "Wouldn't it have been ultra-shrewd of her to make sure her entire wardrobe consisted of clothing bought at Wal-Mart? Wouldn't that have really helped to sell the bullshit line of "regular person"?"

What an opportunity the Republicans missed with that! Imagine how that would have gone over in the deep south?

       Just how many more caricatures -- some of them contradictory -- can we expect the left to throw at Sarah Palin before time runs out on this election?"

Ruben, it depends on how much talking she does, doesn't it?

Why not be a critical thinker for once? This isn't a person whom you should be defending. She isn't authentic. She isn't 'real'. I think you would be just as worried as I would be if somehow she ended up America's first female President. Think about that: If McCain died in office...THAT would be our leader. 

Are you just sucking up, praying for a McCain victory, and hoping for a job? I am sure Fox News could use a few more water-carriers. Why don't you submit your resume? Or...are you CNN's token? Yeah, I think so.

-Chuck

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