Political rant II, plus Peggy Noonan on the election

A few laughs, courtesy of Deacon Greg's boss, who does a great job in these interviews. Seriously, Katie Couric is not engaging in gotcha journalism. She is asking questions that need to be asked. Sarah Palin is not being persecuted, she is being vetted, having her measure taken. This is important if you want a high position in a democracy and it is the news media's job, as the fourth estate in a democratic republic of 300+ million people, to do this. Obama, being a new comer and relative unknown last year and earlier this year, certainly went through a similar process. Who remembers Rev. Wright and charges that Michelle Obama is not patriotic because she had the audacity to suggest that black people feel a bit disenfranchised in our country? I think the Straight Talk Express ran off the road somewhere in the vicinity of Wasilla, Alaska where it took a dangerous swerve to the right.

Also, before I get any overreactions, I, too, believe abortion should not be legal in cases of rape and incest. I realize that this sounds horrible, but it ties into something Jon Stewart says when talking to Peggy Noonan, who certainly shares that POV with Gov. Palin and I. The tie-in is about saying what you are for and why. Give your answer the seriousness it deserves. Let's remember that to have compassion for another means to suffer with that person. In many cases, abortion only adds weight to what is already an unimaginably heavy burden. Let's explore why as if we were asked that question:

1) Life begins at conception for all human beings, not just some
2) The in utereo child is innocent, as is the child's mother, who, in cases of rape and incest, is a victim
3) So, what rationale do you use to take the child's life, especially given that, whether the woman gives birth or not, she is still the victim of rape and in certain cases also of incest, a trauma that even having an abortion cannot undo and may well add to?
4) I believe in reserving punishment to perpetrators of crimes

Editorialist Roger Cohen points out in Nixon, Palin, Bush: "John McCain rolled the dice on Sarah Palin. I’m grateful to Bob Rice of Tangent Capital for pointing out that the actuarial risk, based on mortality tables, of Palin becoming president if the Republican ticket wins the election is about 1 in 6 or 7". This gives us something to think about while striving to arrive at a prudential judgment.

I don't care what your political leanings are, Peggy Noonan is a great lady. She is a Republican, why didn't Sen. McCain choose her? Anyway, here's a little hope for me n' Marie: