By David Cay Johnston
davidcay@mac.com

1. What are the reasons that you only released your tax returns for 2006 and 2007 -- and not from your years as the paid mayor of Wasilla?

2. How did your family build up more than $1 million in assets, given that as mayor you made $64,000 and your 2006 and 2007 income tax returns show that you and your husband together earned $128,000 in 2006 and $166,000 in 2007?

3. How did you finance the construction of your home, which you value at a half million dollars?

4. Will you show us the invoices from the contractors who built your home and copies of the front and back of the checks with which you paid them?

5. While you were running for state-wide office, your husband told Fox News, he "built" the home with his "contractor buddies." Will you make available your husband's travel records during the campaign?

6. How many hours between the start and completion of construction did your husband spend in physical labor such as pounding nails and fitting pipes while he "built" your home?

7. As governor you charged taxpayers for travel by your children, so as vice president would you also expect their travel expenses to be paid by taxpayers and, if so, what is your rationale?

8. Since you did not report these travel funds on your tax return as income, which a number of tax experts say is required, what is your rationale for this? And have you checked, since the release of your tax returns revealed this, whether you made the proper decision and, if so, with whom did you check? If you did check with a tax advisor will you authorize them to speak about this matter?

9. When elected Wasilla's mayor you announced you were taking a pay cut, from $68,000 to $64,000, and then hired the city's first professional city administrator at $50,000; what are the reasons that you hired a professional to do the work that previous mayors had done?

10. During your term as mayor a Wasilla sales tax was begun and the city went from being nearly debt-free to owing more than $22 million; please explain how this squares with your describing yourself as a fiscal conservative.

Governor Sarah Palin's personal finances, and those of the city and state that she has run, have received little scrutiny from reporters. Obvious issues have not been examined, including two items on her 2006 and 2007 tax returns that suggest the Pains cheated on their federal income taxes.

By merely picking up the telephone, reporter Wayne Barrett discovered that some of the contractors who worked on the Palin home were the same ones who built the City of Wasilla's hockey rink, the biggest municipal building project in that small city's history and one loaded down with at least $1.3 million in legal expenses because construction began before the city had title to the land underneath it. The responses some contractors gave Barrett suggested that they do not have records of invoices and payment, raising the question of whether they built the home so that they would get the hockey rink contracts.

How the Palins handled their income taxes, and how she made use of public funds, are legitimate questions of public interest and have been raised with candidates since before the founding of the republic, yet journalists covering this year's campaign have not filed reports indicating that they examined these issues beyond regurgitating official statements by the Palins and the McCain campaign.

David Cay Johnston is a former tax policy reporter for the New York Times. He is author of Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill) and Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich — and Cheat Everybody Else. E-mail: davidcay@mac.com

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your questions Posted by gene wiley 10/23/2008, 03:28 PM When are you going to start asking Biden the same questions? Gene Wiley

Really? Posted by Eric 10/23/2008, 03:50 PM Well, for one, Biden has lived in the public eye for decades, so it's not as if he's never been vetted before. But this isn't a game of anti-GOP gotcha. These are questions that every would-be public servant of any ideological stripe should expect to face.

Mr. Posted by An Intelligent Person 10/23/2008, 04:07 PM Gene, are you serious? When evidence that Biden had his home constructed by someone that built a public building pop up. Or when Biden builds up a massive networth on a couple of years of 5 figure salaries. Or when Biden's tax returns show tax evasion. Or when Biden hires a senator to run his office. Are republicans this stupid? It's not about asking the same questions of Joe Biden. It's about trying to find something out about a woman that lies out of both sides of her mouth about anything and everything and has for her entire life.

Thanks for the heads up! Posted by Blue Man in a Red State 10/23/2008, 04:27 PM It's amazing how when someone from the GOP's integrity is questioned how the hackles go up! But it's fair game to thow verbal darts at the opposition. Joe Biden has been under public scrutiny for years. Prior to Ms. Palins emergence as a Vice Presidential canidate most of us in the lower 48 hadn't even heard of her. It's nice to have a heads up about what might really be going on in the great white north! Thanks David!

Posted by raoule 10/23/2008, 04:44 PM suggest u fact check barrett's piece. seriously flawed. and im struck by how many of ur questions stem from AP reporting. ur point that these issues didnt receive serious scrutiny seems odd given their work.

Posted by former journalist 10/23/2008, 05:43 PM What do you mean "suggests the Palins cheated on their federal income taxes." How about I "suggest" that you're nothing more than another liberal media hack? You present nothing to prove your case. Typical.

Captain, Journalists Concerned About Fair Treatment Posted by Frank 10/23/2008, 05:45 PM Given the Pew analysis of so many negative stories about Mr. McCain v. Mr. Obama -- how would you rate the news media's performance this season? POOR REALLY POOR MR. PULITZER IS TURNING OVER IN GRAVE

Concerned voter Posted by Garbanzo 10/23/2008, 05:57 PM The simple truth is that Palin has been in the public eye for less than two months and the average voter deserves to know more about her is she's one heartbeat away. To label this partisan is ridiculous, as if Obama made the same choice, the calls would be equally as valid. I'm actually very surprised how quickly the ethics investigation new died -- again, if a similar report came out accusing Biden of abusing his office you'd be sure that would be the subject of attack ads until the end of the campaign. The only thing partisan about this is that the answers to these questions and others about Palin are not flattering and will not help McCain's cause, no matter how much spin is put on it.

No, concerned voter, you are wrong Posted by former journalist 10/23/2008, 06:26 PM I have no problems with questions. I have problems when they only get asked of one side. How did Obama amass a fortune of $4.5 million? The "simple truth" is that Obama has been in the public eye for about 18 months and the MSM hasn't taken a hard look at ANYTHING in his life. Fact is, in two months we know more about Sarah Palin and her family than we have learned in 18 months about Obama. We all know who to blame. There are no ethics; there is no fairness; there is no "both sides of the story." The MSM is dead. RIP.

Posted by sanford sklansky 10/23/2008, 06:46 PM I would imagaine that Obama has amassed most of his money through sales of two books. He was also a professor at Harvard. Raoule did you fact check Barrets article? What mistakes did he make. Not to say he didn't make any. Reporters are not always right and do make mistakes. Show us where Barret was wrong.

Pointing fingers at Biden and Obama is pretty stupid Posted by 10/23/2008, 06:58 PM Both Biden and Obama have been in the public far longer than Palin. Where did Obama's money come from? Well, considering both HIS WIFE and Barack himself have top of the top of the line law degrees leads me to believe that they have no problems building assets. STARTING salary for ONE person with a Harvard Law Degree is $150 K. So the fact that Obama AND his wife have the potential, to earn $300k per year at the BEGINNING of their careers makes it a pretty easy leap that 10 years later they could make more than that. So, one member in the Obama household could easily be earning more than both members in the Palin household. As for Biden, he's only been in the public eye (ie held office) for 35 years. Yeah, I'm sure the GOP has missed out on attacking his financial position. Attack away folks, but I'm pretty sure Biden has already faced these kinds of attacks. Hence, it seems perfectly reasonable to ask these questions of the Palin household ESPECIALLY considering the existing politicians in Alaska.

Wrong again Posted by former journalist 10/23/2008, 07:02 PM Obama was NOT a professor at Harvard.

pointing fingers in the wrong direction Posted by former journalist 10/23/2008, 07:10 PM Boy, you folks are easy. First wrong about Harvard. And where did Obama get his money? You THINK he might have gotten it because of his Harvard degree. But gee, I thought he was a low paid "community organizer." Point is, you DON'T KNOW where the money came from. And the reason you don't know is because the MSM hasn't bothered to dig into Obama's finances. Is this the best you can come up with?

You reading comprehension is pretty low. Posted by 10/23/2008, 08:00 PM Obama's wife was NEVER a "low paid community organizer" . . . Quite easily the Obama household could be earning +200k per year WITH Barack ONLY earning 30K per year. Also, Barack worked as a professor at University of Chicago (yeah, I'm sure that was cheap). His degree was from Harvard where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was head of the famous Harvard Law Review. Somehow, I don't think a good salary has ever been a difficulty for a smart guy like that. Obama entered Harvard Law School in late 1988. At the end of his first year, he was selected, based on his grades and a writing competition, as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. In February 1990, in his second year, he was elected president of the Law Review, a full-time volunteer position functioning as editor-in-chief and supervising the Law Review's staff of eighty editors. Obama's election as the first black president of the Law Review was widely reported and followed by several long, detailed profiles. During his summers, he returned to Chicago where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley & Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990. After graduating with a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago. The publicity from his election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations. In an effort to recruit him to their faculty, the University of Chicago Law School provided Obama with a fellowship and an office to work on his book. Obama directed Illinois' Project Vote from April to October 1992, a voter registration drive with a staff of ten and seven hundred volunteers; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African-Americans in the state, and led to Crain's Chicago Business naming Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be. Beginning in 1992, Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years (!!!!), being first classified as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and then as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004 (YEAH, That was cheap). He also, in 1993, joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a twelve attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for 3 years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004. For you that don't understand, working as counsel is a highly paid EXPERT position. OK, you can do better.

More background on the Obama household Posted by 10/23/2008, 08:11 PM Following law school (at Harvard earning a JD in 1988), Michelle Obama was an associate at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin, where she first met her husband. At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual property. Subsequently, she held public sector positions in the Chicago city government as an Assistant to the Mayor, and as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development. In 1993, she became Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. She worked there nearly four years and set fundraising records for the organization that still stood a dozen years after she left. In 1996, Obama served as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago, where she developed the University's Community Service Center. In 2002, she began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals, first as executive director for community affairs and, beginning May, 2005, as Vice President for Community and External Affairs. She still holds the position, though she is working part time in order to devote more time to being a mother. Moreover, Michelle served as a salaried board member of TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE: THS), a major Wal-Mart supplier with whom she cut ties immediately after her husband made comments critical of Wal-Mart at an AFL-CIO forum in Trenton, New Jersey, on May 14, 2007. She serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. According to the couple’s 2006 income tax return, Michelle's salary was $273,618 (Um, no savings from that, right?) from the University of Chicago Hospitals, while he had a salary of $157,082 from the United States Senate. The total Obama income, however, was $991,296 including $51,200 she earned as a member of the board of directors of TreeHouse Foods, plus investments and royalties from his books. Now, tell me again how Sara Palin's income makes sense and Obama's doesn't?

the boss Posted by Current journalist 10/23/2008, 09:40 PM As someone who distrusts both sides, it's so easy to see who supports which side. The funny thing that stands out is the comments prove that you only pay attention to the positive attributes of the one you support and the negative side of the one you dislike. If you pay attention to MULTIPLE news sources you probably find most, not all, of the information has been released. Take a step back, breathe and reassess.

Posted by Mike Laughlin 10/23/2008, 10:10 PM "...two items on her 2006 and 2007 tax returns that suggest the Palins cheated on their federal income taxes." Wow. What a self-serving leap! My parent's little 2-bedroom home bought for $5,000 after WWII sold for $120,000 last year. That the Palins estimated their nice home at half a mil is hardly exceptional in high priced Alaska. So, that leaves $500,000 in "net worth." That's not "suspicious" either, for successful, hard working, middle-aged Alaskans, or for many of us modest-income Nebraskans, for that matter. Recent stock market plunge knocked me out of that category. Oh, well. At least no one promoting his books will "suggest" Nurse Carol and I cheated on our income taxes.

Posted by Yawn 10/24/2008, 08:40 AM BREAKING NEWS: SHOCKER - Former Tax Hack of the New York Times Finds Fault With Sarah Palin. This article is just as irrelevant as the NYT itself. You Yankees look down at the rest of the country and have been running and gunning for the GOP candidates in such an unfair and uneven fashion that your own mothers don't even trust you to be credible. Why no questions for Obama? Or Biden?

Quit sniping at each other and ask questions Posted by fmr journalist biz woman 10/24/2008, 09:43 AM Makes perfect sense to me that we need to ask probing thoughful important public interest questions of all our candidates...good for the goose, good for the gander, etc.etc. I'm sure it does no good to shoot at each other, rather than at abuses wherever they reside. While it's easy for me to say I'm far more concerned about newly-emerged Palin and the lack of scrutiny, who cares what I think about that. Right answer: Persistence in seeking disclosure on finance (AND MEDICAL HISTORIES)of candidates is the press' job. Get on with it!

Hey, Yawn Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/24/2008, 09:51 AM Yawn, maybe us "Yankees" look down on the South because your high school dropout rate is the highest in the nation, because your divorce rate is the highest in the nation, your ratio of tax money used to tax money generated is the highest in the nation. And you overwhelmingly voted for the worst president in modern history, George W. Bush. TWICE. That's just for starters. The numbers don't lie: the South is dumb, hypocritical and lazy. As such, you deserve little respect. Now that we've gotten that straight, maybe you can acknowledge the possibility that one campaign might be sleazy and the other reputable? McCain was a member of the Keating Five. Do you know what that was? He's proven corrupt. You probably don't read the newspaper so I'll break a little news for you: Palin was recently found by a bipartisan committee in Alaska to have broken ethics rules. That is proven corrupt. Obama and Biden have spotless records; no smoke, no fire. Now do you see why the press is inquiring about McCain and Palin?

Where did Obama get his money? Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/24/2008, 10:06 AM This speculation by "former journalists" about where Obama got his money is idiotic. There is a reason why they are "former" journalists. The man has written TWO BEST-SELLING BOOKS. But of course, dim-witted little minds would rather fire off ill-informed opinions about where the money came from. After all, facts, not to mention reading books, are strictly for the northeastern elite. So you see, Obama came by his money the All-American way -- with hard work and talent. (Unlike McCain, who committed adultery on his crippled wife so he could marry into money and further his political ambitions. "Country First," my foot. And yes, it's true, look it up.) Obama's wife held a very high-paying position and they lived modestly; that's how you save money. In fact, she made enough that she won't get a tax cut under Obama's economic plan. Greedy, reactionary dim-wits might say that's foolish; more thoughtful people would call it noble.

Posted by Scott 10/24/2008, 12:42 PM In a town of 6,000 I'd suspect there aren't many contractors. it would be surprising if there wasn't overlap between those hired for a major public project and those working on a residenal development.

Reply to Scott Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/24/2008, 01:58 PM Scott, that would be a good point if Wasilla were the only town in Alaska. However, it stands to reason there are plenty of capable contractors elsewhere in the state, like Fairbanks or Barrow or Juneau, etc. If the Palins used the same contractors who built the ice rink, that would be more fishy than Kachemak Bay.

Media Watchdog Posted by GEAH 10/24/2008, 03:37 PM These questions belie a serious lack of knowledge of the subject. Please try again, but do some research first.

Posted by SamTyler 10/24/2008, 04:20 PM Mickey Mantle spewed: "The numbers don't lie: the South is dumb, hypocritical and lazy. As such, you deserve little respect. Now that we've gotten that straight, maybe you can acknowledge the possibility that one campaign might be sleazy and the other reputable? McCain was a member of the Keating Five." Good to see liberals have changed their minds about stereotypes; they do save time, don't they? Of course, try to apply one to anything but a conservative Christian Southerner and see how suddenly sensitive they get. What MM won't tell you is that McCain was acquitted by the Senate in the Keating Five investigation. The only reason he was there was as a hostage of the Dem Congress. Of the five, he was the only Republican involved under questioning and the Dems were desperate to spread the stink around. And BTW, Joe Biden's not "spotless." He's a plagiarist. That's why he quit in 1988, remember? You can look it all up.

reply to SamTyler Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/24/2008, 04:46 PM Again, the statistics on the South don't lie. Obviously not all Southerners are dumb, hypocritical and lazy but as a region, the South does not merit much respect. Southerners whine the loudest about high taxes, but they get far more taxes from the Federal government than they put in, and they foolishly spend it on roads for their gas-guzzling SUVs and pick-up trucks, not mass transit. Case closed. As far as the Keating Five, McCain himself has admitted it "was the worst mistake of my life." He and his family vacationed annually at Keating's mansion in the Bahamas and accepted rides on Keating's private jet even as McCain was supposed to be regulating Keating's industry. The Senate Ethics Committee reprimanded McCain, noting he exercised "poor judgment." McCain himself admitted that meeting with regulators was "the wrong thing to do." Again, it's all true, look it up. And are you really equating Biden's admittedly pathetic plagiarism of a speech with a serious breach of Senatorial ethics that nearly caused the collapse of the savings and loan industry? Is that all you have? Sir, you are desperate indeed.

journalist Posted by David Cay Johnston 10/24/2008, 05:19 PM Let me respond to some of the posts above. -- Mr. Wiley and Blue Man in Red State, elsewhere at this website you will see my questions for Mr. Biden. -- former journalist, contrary to your post I gave an explicit example of what appears to be tax cheating by the Palins in failing to report the per diems as income. Each of the tax experts I spoke with (and I sort of known for my expertise in this area) believed she could NOT exclude this from reported income. If you can cite statute or case law that she was not required to report this money then do so. Notice also that I asked if, after the issue was raised by others, she sought professional counsel -- what objection do you have to that? If told you may have done something illegal would you just stick your head in the sand? Also, funny you missed that I did not specify the second suggestion of tax cheating -- the Palins took a $1,000 deduction for donating used goods they listed as having a purchase price of $400. That case is less clear, since we do not know what used goods and whether they may have increased in value 2.5 times since being purchased and used. -- current journalist is quite right about multiple sources, which is why I read 40 magazines from the National Review to The Nation, from Reason to Mother Jones, as well as science, art and other magazines. -- Yawn would benefit from following current journalist's advice and from reading my questions for Biden, which shows how fact-free Yawn's post is. --GEAH suggests my questions lack value, but does not give any indication of the reasons he or she has drawn this conclusion, making for a post that is emblematic of mindless blather that infects so much of the web. Whether you like or dislike Governor Palin is not the point. Democracy is based on he idea of a marketplace of ideas and you have to shop the whole market to keep your freedoms. These are legitimate questions about her finances that, as I posted originally, have precedents that go back to before the first American Republic and have been raised throughout the second. Ditto the questions I posed about Senator Biden that at this website. Perhaps some of those here prefer lapdog reporting that just regurgitates the official version of events, I do not. And my clips show I have for four decades asked the same hard questions of people regardless of their political ties, social status or official position.

Mickey Mantle equates smarts with liberal policy Posted by SamTyler 10/24/2008, 06:06 PM Ah yes. Why oh why can't those stupid Southerners embrace the racial tolerance of Boston, the crime rate of Detroit, and the convenient mass transit of Los Angeles! I've never understood the liberal worship of mass transit and anti-individualistic loathing of the car (speaking as a metro NY'er who doesn't own a car). MM, the McCain "Keating Five" scandal is a dry hole. There's nothing left there. OTHO, there are many unknowns about Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers. And if you want more Biden scandal, why does he keep implying that his helicopter was shot down over Afghanistan when it was only "forced down" by a snowstorm.

reply to SamTyler Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/24/2008, 06:22 PM SamTyler doesn't understand the value of mass transit? How about the self-evident fact that is massively more energy efficient and non-polluting than driving individual cars? Does SamTyler support needless pollution and excessive dependence on oil? Decreasing pollution and oil dependence are not just liberal values, they are mainstream values. Also, the Keating Five scandal is a "dry hole"? Why, because it's a historical fact and historical facts are the exclusive province of the northeastern elite and their stubborn obsession with something called "reality"? Again, McCain himself has admitted his behavior in the Keating Five scandal "was the worst mistake of my life." That's a direct quotation. He and his family vacationed annually at Keating's mansion in the Bahamas and accepted rides on Keating's private jet even as McCain was supposed to be regulating Keating's industry. The Senate Ethics Committee reprimanded McCain for exercising "poor judgment." McCain himself admitted that meeting with regulators was "the wrong thing to do." Again, it's all true, look it up. And there are "many unknowns" about Obama's connection to Ayers? Like why Obama would be in the same room as a man who was named Chicago's Citizen of the Year in 1997? Or why he would work with a nationally respected University of Chicago professor who was selected by leading Republican donor and McCain supporter Walter Annenberg? Talk about a "dry hole." Sheesh.

One more thing re: SamTyler Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/24/2008, 06:26 PM John McCain is officially reprimanded by the Senate Ethics Committee and nearly helps bring down the savings and loan industry in the Keating Five scandal and Sarah Palin is found guilty of ethics violations by a bipartisan Alaska state committee... and the best you can come up with is a claim that Joe Biden might have hinted that his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan??? Take a step back and look at yourself. You're really desperate.

All we need to know about "Mickey Mantle"... Posted by SamTyler 10/24/2008, 06:31 PM he calls terrorist Bill Ayers a "respected University of Chicago professor." That would be University of Illinois at Chicago. But nevermind that: You respect a person who didn't think he bombed enough military bases as a youth? Who posed stepping on an American flag? Who is married to someone even more bloodthirsty than he is? Who wants to infect schoolchildren with his radical views? The man who host the coffee that launched Obama into polite society? BTW, mass transit works better when you have, like, population density in urban areas, which you find in the South. It's not like Dallas and Atlanta don't have mass transit. The McCain schtick is getting tiresome. He paid for whatever he did (and the Democratic Senate let him off, unlike 3 of the Democrats IIRC).

Mantle: Joe the Plumber < Terrorist Bill Ayers Posted by Sam Tyler 10/24/2008, 06:34 PM am I right?

reply to SamTyler Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/24/2008, 07:17 PM The reason some southern cities have a low population density is because they have consistently rejected mass transit, WHICH WAS PRECISELY MY POINT. That's why Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, doesn't even have a subway system. But they sure spend a lot of money on more and more highways, promoting more and more oil consumption, just like the rest of the South. Ayers' crimes were committed 40 years ago and he has since become such a respected citizen that Chicago named him Citizen of the Year in 1997. Look it up. The Republican-appointed lead prosecutor in the Ayers case even said he is "amazed and outraged that Senator Barack Obama is being linked to William Ayers’s terrorist activities" and is "very pleased to learn that [Ayers] has become a responsible citizen." Again, talk about a "dry hole." Give it up, you're desperate. Because McCain paid for what he did, we should conveniently forget that he nearly helped bring about the collapse of the savings and loan system? Especially now, when the economy is such a pressing issue? And you still haven't managed to explain how Biden possibly hinting about a helicopter shootdown could ever compare to Palin being guilty of an ethics violation or McCain being reprimanded by the Senate Ethics Committee. It's tough to lose, isn't it?

Maybe Houstonites don't want to live packed like rats... Posted by SamTyler 10/24/2008, 07:28 PM ...ever thought of that? geez, it's all bottom-line with these bureaucrat-minded liberals. No respect for individual freedom. I believe Houston remains the one large city without zoning. Sounds great. Biden's helicopter comment marks him as either deluded or deceitful as trying to portray himself as a hero. That doesn't bug you at all? And if you are damning Palin for trying to remove from the force a man who tasered his step-son, more power to you. Sure to play well among normal people. That plus your worship of the terrorist thug Ayers makes you more deluded than Biden. By your reckoning, Ayers' crimes of 1969 are ancient history and to be excused, but McCain's missteps (which he has owned up to, unlike Ayers, who is proud of his despicable crimes) in 1987 are relevant? That makes no sense at all.

reply to SamTyler Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/24/2008, 07:45 PM Your weak and defensive answer denies reality, which is that we can't keep living the way you allege that Houstonites prefer to live. Things have to change -- deal with it. You lose on this one. I have yet to see any documentation of the Biden helicopter remark but yes, if true it would bug me... somewhat. But for the third time, this alleged remark is miniscule compared to McCain and Palin's ethics violations. You lose. Palin did not have to abuse her power to remove a problem cop. That's why a bispartisan state committee found her guilty of ethics violations. You lose again. You are lying when I say I "worship" Bill Ayers. And thus you forfeit your credibility on this argument. Again, you lose. OK, so we can pardon McCain for his crimes? Let's pardon Chicago's Citizen of the Year for 1997 William Ayers too. You lose. Mickey Mantle 5, SamTyler 0.

This looks fun! Can I play too! Posted by SamTyler 10/24/2008, 07:59 PM my last comment got eaten, trying again... Powerhungry much? Who gave you the moral authority to tell Houstonites or anyone else what to do? How smug. News flash: politicians get rapped with technical violations all the time. Are Senator Dodd, Senator Kennedy, President Clinton...criminals as well in your worldview? No one who respects the terrorist Ayers deserves to have his opinion respected. It is funny that you put so much stock in corrupt Chicago politicians naming Ayers Citizen of the Year. The city of Al Capone tips its hat! How naive are you? You're lying when you say McCain didn't commit any crimes, and thus you forfeit blah blah blah...man, you are really pompous.

what I meant to say, in the style of the pompous MM.... Posted by SamTyler 10/24/2008, 08:08 PM "You're lying when you say McCain committed a crime, and thus you forfeit your credibility on this argument." See, I can drum people out of polite society too! The fact that you can like Ayers while hating McCain, Palin, Joe the Plumber, and people who respect freedom is very disturbing.

reply to SamTyler Posted by Mick 10/25/2008, 03:42 AM SamTyler, you're like a lot of right-wingers these days, desperately inventing facts in a vain attempt to back up your ill-informed beliefs. I feel sorry for you; it must be very frustrating to have strong opinions that aren't supported by the truth. The truth is, America's oil-dependent energy use just isn't sustainable. Even Bush has finally acknowledged that. So yes, sprawling cities like Houston will have to change if they want to survive. That's not my personal edict, that's reality. Contrary to what you say, I never said McCain or Palin were "criminals." Show me where I said that. Whatever transgressions Senators Dodd and Kennedy, as well as president Clinton, may have committed don't cause the ethics violations committed by Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin to disappear. Two wrongs just don't make a right, so you can safely abandon that childish, intellectually bankrupt line of argument. Your dismissal of the entire city of Chicago (pop. 2.8 million) is very telling. It doesn't get any more desperate or nonsensical than that. Chicago, the city of John Ashcroft, Betty Ford and Donald Rumsfeld? "The city of Al Capone"? You mean the Al Capone who died over 60 years ago? Are you serious? Again, it's pathetic that you've sunk to such depths. Contrary to your assertion, I do not "hate" John McCain, Sarah Palin or Joe the Plumber Who Is Not Actually A Licensed Plumber And Does Not Actually Make Anywhere Near $250K A Year. (Look it up.) Again, I defy you to show where I said that. Yet again, you're just making things up to try to support your factually bankrupt argument. Nor do I hate people who respect freedom. You have asserted something I never said or implied. And that makes you... well, you know what that makes you. You're kind of a sad character, SamTyler, and it's depressing to read your angry rants, which get more and more absurd as you dig yourself into deeper and deeper holes. I'm not going to encourage your pathetic displays any longer. You can have the last word, and if that word is anything like all your others, it won't withstand the almighty test of truth.

Mantle lies again Posted by SamTyler 10/25/2008, 07:56 AM Mantle denies calling McCain a criminal. Wrong. Relevant quote from Mantle: "OK, so we can pardon McCain for his crimes?" I wasn't dismissing Chicago, as any close reader could tell. I was dismissing Chicago politics. You may have heard that Chicago has a history of corruption. Houston won't "survive" if it doesn't get mass transit, huh? That's a bit apocalyptic, doncha think. And why would you care whether or not those "dumb, hypocritical, and lazy" Houstonites survive or not? Pretending to be compassionate all of a sudden won't work after all the garbage you'd thrown at them. You haven't challenged my assertion that you have more respect for the terrorist Ayers than Joe the Plumber, so I'll assume that's the truth. In conclusion (?), thanks for letting me have "the last word," though I suspect you're lying abut that as well.

Posted by Mickey Mantle's Gay Lover 10/25/2008, 05:12 PM I love the New York Times. We even grew up reading it in the South. Our favorite part? The obits :) Mick...seriously...your liberal bias is laughable.

A view from the center Posted by Centerfielder 10/25/2008, 11:01 PM Allow me to point out some fundamental flaws in the arguments from both the righties and the lefties: Each side treats their opponents' flaws as having equal value, but that's not true. Example: tax evasion by Palin, IF proven, is a crime; plagiarism by Joe Biden (proven) is unethical, and even you you argue that it's a violation of copyright law, it is not an equivalent offense. (That's just one example; please don't take it as support for Biden the candidate.) Similarly, countering "your man lied" with "your man lied too" is not proof of a moral advantage. It just proves that ALL politicians either lie or withhold info at some point in their careers. Also, blanket labels about idiot Republicans or clueless liberals or the untrustworthy MSM not only ignore gradations of character, they also don't advance either sides' argument. That's why the Internet is filled with extremists on both sides; the rest of us -- the true silent majority of us -- know how to disagree without being insulting. The rest of you yell at one another and assume that since that's all you read -- insults, invective and incivility, even if in your minds you see it as reasoned argument -- that's all there is. But consider this -- that's all there is because the rest of us, regardless of political ideology, are so disgusted by you all that we just keep our mouths shut. Now let's see who's first to insult me.

OK, Centerfielder, I'll bite.... Posted by SamTyler 10/26/2008, 08:10 AM I suspect you're a little left of center, given that you went right by Mickey Mantle labeling John McCain a criminal (he's not) while he shows such respect for "citizen of the year," domestic terrorist Bill Ayers (who not only never paid for his crimes, he's proud of them). And the biased MSM is very much part of the discussion, because it is advancing Obama's cause as we speak. I can disagree without being insulting, but when MM slimes Southerners (I'm native Southern) as "dumb, hypocritical, and lazy," I get my back up, strangely enough.

Kudos to Centerfielder Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/26/2008, 01:00 PM I agree with Centerfielder. It's not right to make light of the South's general inclinations toward ignorance and sloth; those are the result of decades of educational and fiscal neglect and one would be hard-pressed to expect its victims to have the wherewithal to transcend the situation. It will take some smart northeastern Democrats to step in and remedy the situation once Obama is elected. Because it's really time that the South shoulder its share of the federal tax burden, not to mention lower those nation-leading divorce, out-of-wedlock birth and gun-death rates. As far as the ill-fated McCain/Palin campaign goes, well, the devastating poll numbers, the right-wing newspaper endorsements of Obama, the concession of major states like Michigan, the scurrilous robo-calls, the daily stream of jaw-dropping gaffes, the shameless jingoism and demagoguery, the desperate and groundless accusations, and most of all the pitiably aimless policy stances all speak for themselves.

McCain/Palin campaign in disarray 10 days before Election Day Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/26/2008, 01:43 PM ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) -- With 10 days until Election Day, long-brewing tensions between GOP vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin and key aides to Sen. John McCain have become so intense, they are spilling out in public, sources say. Several McCain advisers have suggested to CNN that they have become increasingly frustrated with what one aide described as Palin "going rogue." A Palin associate, however, said the candidate is simply trying to "bust free" of what she believes was a damaging and mismanaged roll-out. McCain sources say Palin has gone off-message several times, and they privately wonder whether the incidents were deliberate. They cited an instance in which she labeled robocalls -- recorded messages often used to attack a candidate's opponent -- "irritating" even as the campaign defended their use. Also, they pointed to her telling reporters she disagreed with the campaign's decision to pull out of Michigan. Video Watch why the campaign is fighting » A second McCain source says she appears to be looking out for herself more than the McCain campaign. "She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else. "Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."

Palin and fruit flies Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/26/2008, 02:13 PM Just to get back to the original topic of this page, which is Gov. Palin's appalling lack of qualifications for the job of president of the United States of America. Friday, Gov. Palin made her first major policy speech, supporting federal funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Palin rightly stated that we need to do more for children with disabilities such as autism. Then she went on to say that federal funds often "go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not." Actually, federally funded fruit fly research is giving us a better understanding of the causes of… wait for it… autism! Now, Gov. Palin has said a lot of dumb things, but this might take the prize. Fruit flies are a standard subject of scientific research, right up there with rats and mice and monkeys. Any junior high school student knows this. Why doesn't Gov. Palin? Oh, and it was just revealed that Gov. Palin's highest-paid staffer is her make-up artist. Maybe the money would be better spent on a speechwriter who knows about science. It's safe to say Sen. McCain exercised extremely poor judgement in choosing Gov. Palin as his running mate. Anyone who would make such an important decision in such an impulsive and cynical manner would make a very poor president. Even strongly conservative-leaning newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News and the Salt Lake Tribune – as well as a score of other like-minded major American newspapers -- all agree that Palin is a major factor in their rejection of McCain and have endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States of America.

When did the NY Daily News become "conservative"? Posted by SamTyler 10/26/2008, 03:12 PM They've long been the liberal tabloid here. Mistakes like that don't boost your cred, MM. On the bright side, good that that Think Progress talking point about the fruit flies came in, wrong thought it is. The olive fruit fly research Palin discussed was about protecting California olive groves, as its sponsor noted. It had nothing to do with autism or any human health issue. Read more here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/02/pork.spendi ...

BTW, is Mickey Mantle a "Bell Curve" liberal? Posted by SamTyler 10/26/2008, 03:14 PM With his unironic talk about smart Yankees and dumb Southerners, it sounds like he worships IQ as much as that "racist," Charles Murray.

reply to SamTyler Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/26/2008, 04:26 PM SamTyler, as usual, you are trying to falsify reality in order to fit your preconceived opinion. In fact, the Daily News endorsed George Bush in 2004 and is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who also owns Fox "News." How's that for conservative? And how about that Chicago Tribune, endorsing the first Democratic candidate in its 161-year history. That's gotta hurt. And I'm sure you wouldn't stoop so low as to claim that the only reason they're endorsing Sen. Obama is because he's from Illinois. After all, that would be ridiculous. "McCain failed in his most important executive decision," wrote the Tribune. "Give him credit for choosing a female running mate--but he passed up any number of supremely qualified Republican women who could have served. Having called Obama not ready to lead, McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. His campaign has tried to stage-manage Palin's exposure to the public. But it's clear she is not prepared to step in at a moment's notice and serve as president. McCain put his campaign before his country." Ouch. And surely you don't believe that protecting California olive groves has, as Gov. Palin claimed, "little or nothing to do with the public good." Because that would mean you're anti-business. Finally, you know nothing about my views on IQ tests yet you strongly imply that I "worship" them. Yet again, you're concocting facts to support your groundless opinions.

Mantle is confusing the NY Daily News w/ the NY Post! Posted by SamTyler 10/26/2008, 06:58 PM geez. this isn't hard. You understand there are two big tabloids in New York, the Daily News, owned by Mort Zuckerman, and the Post, owned by Murdoch? And the fruit fly research Palin condemned had nothing to do with autism, despite what Think Progress says.

*sigh* Posted by Centerfielder 10/26/2008, 09:57 PM see what I mean? i'm slapped with label -- "left of center" -- because i chose to cite one example over another -- as an example, not a statement of ideology. then the other side uses my argument to further his insults. hopeless. both sides.

Oh, look, the Anchorage Daily News endorsed Obama Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/26/2008, 10:28 PM "Yet despite [Palin's] formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range." http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/567867.html ...

Oh, look, the Financial Times endorsed Obama Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/26/2008, 10:31 PM "[McCain's] choice of Sarah Palin as running mate, widely acknowledged to have been a mistake, is an obtrusive case in point. Rashness is not a virtue in a president." http://tinyurl.com/5sq7bw ...

Oh, look, former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell endorsed Obama Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/26/2008, 10:38 PM "[Palin is] a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired. But at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Sen. McCain made."

Ms. Posted by GammaRae 10/26/2008, 11:27 PM Senator Obama made good salaries after he went to law school and got more lucrative jobs than community organizing; he also wrote a couple of best-sellers, which is responsible for most of his current wealth. Michelle also earns a good salary, also as an attorney. Palin? Too many unanswered questions, and WAY too many folksy-aw-shucks-divert-your-attention non-answers for my liking. She's a tool designed to appeal to the basest of the base. Epic fail.

Oh, look, National Review columnist, former McCain speechwriter and conservative royalty Christopher Buckley endorsed Obama Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/27/2008, 12:28 AM 'And finally, not to belabor it," Buckley writes, 'there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?" http://tinyurl.com/3ll6e4 ...

Reply to SamTyler Posted by Mickey Mantle 10/27/2008, 12:48 AM I love how SamTyler uses the typical right-wing debate tactic of seizing on a minor error and then using it to insinuate that the entire argument is wrong. Talk about the politics of distraction. In this case, he tried to use my incorrect assertion that Rupert Murdoch owns the New York Daily News, which endorsed Sen. Obama, to somehow obviate the fact that about 25 other conservative-leaning papers have endorsed Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States of America. (For a complete listing of endorsements, go here: http://tinyurl.com/5o7hfh. ...Right now, Obama leads 160-59.) OK, so Mort Zuckerman is the owner of the New York Daily News. But the billionaire Zuckerman is a well known and self-described conservative, as evidenced by his writings in US News & World Report and the Daily News, as well as his frequent appearances on the McLaughlin Report. And as stated, the Daily News endorsed George Bush in 2004. Thus it remains quite remarkably damning to Sen. McCain that the Daily News endorsed Barack Obama. Submit a comment - Jump to top of list