Sarah Palin is a disgrace to the United States

Just a few hours ago, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin delivered a mean-spirited speech almost entirely devoid of substance - filled instead with pathetic, schoolyard taunts and low blows aimed at Barack Obama.

Here is a sample of her rhetoric:

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.

I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.

Then there were the lies:

I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.

That was about her own record - and it's not true.

She also lied about Obama:

We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.

And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.

But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform -- not even in the state Senate.

"Not a single major law"? Let's review the record, shall we, Sarah?

While in the United States Senate - since January 2005, when he took office as the junior senator from the state of Illinois - Barack Obama has prime sponsored one hundred and thirty one bills. He has cosponsored six hundred and nineteen bills.

But enough numbers. Let's talk specific examples.

One of the bills Sarah conveniently overlooked in her speech was the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which Obama cosponsored and contributed substantially to. It passed the Senate unanimously and was signed into law on September 26th, 2006. Ironically, Senator John McCain was also a cosponsor, and even more ironically, he publicly thanked Senator Obama for being involved with the bill and working to ensure its passage.

Sarah also apparently hasn't heard about the Lugar-Obama proliferation and threat reduction initiative, which Dubya signed into law on January 11th, 2007. A press release from Lugar's own office credits Obama with having "authored" the law:

Authored by U.S. Sens. Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL), the Lugar-Obama initiative expands U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expands the State Department’s ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction.

“The United States should do more to eliminate conventional weapons stockpiles and assist other nations in detecting and interdicting weapons of mass destruction. We believe that these functions are underfunded, fragmented and in need of high-level support,” said Lugar, Republican leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“The Lugar-Obama initiative will help other nations find and eliminate conventional weapons that have been used against our own soldiers in Iraq and sought by terrorists all over the world,” said Obama.

Gee, that sure sounds like a pretty importance piece of legislation.

Barack Obama authored it with a senior Republican senator, worked to get it through the U.S. Senate, and George W. Bush himself signed it.

What was that you were saying, Sarah?

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms...

Wow, apparently Barack Obama has already made it as a Washington reformer in Sarah Palin's book. All it took was some bipartisan collaboration in our nation's capitol. His name appears on a major law - the Lugar-Obama initiative!

He must be one of those people who has used his entire career to promote change. Real change, not the kind of lip service we hear from Sarah Palin and John McCain.

Next!

How about the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2005 (PDF), which Obama was the primary sponsor of. It was cosponsored by twelve other Senators, including four Republicans.

Dubya signed it into law on December 22nd, 2006.

I could go on, but I've made my point.

Sarah Palin lied to the American people about Barack Obama's record earlier tonight. She lied about Obama's accomplishments as a legislator by saying he doesn't have any. She mocked his years of selfless public service.

She derided his success. She impugned Obama's character by accusing him of not truly caring about the working families he seeks to represent.

Palin practically spent the evening projecting her own contempt for true American values and ideas onto Barack Obama. That is, when she wasn't falsely claiming that our corporate traditional media is a tool of the left.

It was a disgusting, sickening example of Rovian-style deviousness and manipulative, divisive Republican rhetoric. No legitimate criticisms, just hateful and spiteful attacks. It was right wing, Orwellian doublespeak at its finest.

The delegates undoubtedly thought Palin hit a home run with her speech chock full of red meat. But people watching are appalled. Appalled.

Republicans can't stand being backed into a corner; it seems rather obvious they've been smarting from Barack Obama's speech for days. Tonight, Sarah Palin tried to strike back by going for the gutter... being as nasty and unfair as possible.

Guess what, Sarah? I've got a newsflash for you. Your mean-spiritedness isn't going to put a damper on our optimism. Your attacks on our party and our nominee are only going to strengthen our resolve. Your hate-filled rhetoric isn't just drawing our condemnation, it's drawing our determination.

Readers, the best way to fight back is to turn words in action. Sign up to volunteer for a Democratic campaign - now. Pledge to help a candidate. Get involved.

I just did tonight - I'm going to be out there in my legislative district working to help return Roger Goodman to the State House of Representatives and send Republican Toby Nixon, his challenger, packing.

Nothing irritates Republicans more than to have to put up with resilient Democrats who won't back down or roll over.

I know firsthand - I've had Tim Eyman's sugar daddy, Michael Dunmire, scream obscenities in my face in the halls of the John L. O'Brien Building in Olympia.

He was mad because he didn't like my activism.

Judging by Sarah Palin's remarks tonight in her acceptance speech, we Democrats touched a nerve last week with our Convention.

No, make that several nerves.

Now they're trying to go on offense with a ferocious, poised counterattack. No matter; we can answer their assault by launching maneuvers of our own. In every state, every congressional district, every municipality, we can pick up our telephones, our walking shoes, our clipboards, our literature...and do our part to make a unified Democratic juggernaught victorious in 2008.