| Recently the mainstream media was howling with | | | | spelled out in 2008, according to a George W. |
| derision over the fact that Sarah Palin had written a | | | | Bush-negotiated arrangement, the Status of Forces |
| few words on the inside of her hand to remind herself | | | | Agreement, and is unfolding exactly as written. So |
| of the key themes she wanted to address in her | | | | Obama doesn't even deserve credit for "ending" the |
| speech at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville last | | | | war in Iraq. |
| week. | | | | Saying that Iraq could be one of the great successes |
| Admittedly, one would have expected subjects such | | | | of the Obama administration is like saying that the |
| as Energy, Tax Cuts, and Lift American Spirits to be | | | | stagehand who pulled the curtain on the debut of |
| top-of-mind for Palin, who has consistently and | | | | Così Fan Tutte is responsible for one of the |
| admirably embodied these stances throughout her | | | | great successes of the Metropolitan Opera House. |
| career, including her 2008 vice-presidential run. | | | | Then there's Biden's nutty defense of the Justice |
| What the MSM did not explain was how Obama's | | | | Department's decision to read Christmas Day bomber |
| ubiquitous reliance on his TelePrompTer, including at a | | | | Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab his Miranda rights after |
| recent pep talk with sixth-graders in Falls Church, | | | | just 50 minutes of questioning. Biden noted that the |
| Virginia, somehow reflected a greater skill at | | | | Bush administration gave the same treatment to shoe |
| extemporizing or a more masterful command of facts | | | | bomber Richard Reid in 2001. Unfortunately, Biden is |
| on his part. | | | | blissfully ignorant of the fact that the military |
| The Associated Press chided Palin for relying on a | | | | commissions to detain Islamic terrorists had not even |
| memory aid after having mocked Obama's use of his | | | | been set up by the time the shoe bomber had struck. |
| TelePrompTer. It's true: Palin did jot down a few notes | | | | Reid attempted his attack three months after 9/11, |
| to help her stay focused during her 40-minute Tea | | | | whereas Abdulmutallab attempted his attack eight |
| Party Convention keynote address, the second-most | | | | years and three months after 9/11. |
| important speech of her career. Was Obama's | | | | Let's not forget that Biden was one of the chief |
| five-minute chat with 11-year-olds at Graham Road | | | | opponents of the Afghanistan surge Obama |
| Elementary School so important to his legacy that it | | | | reluctantly ordered in late 2008. Biden had argued |
| required twin, six-foot-tall TelePrompTer monitors to | | | | behind the scenes for increasing drone attacks to pick |
| help him get every word right? | | | | off Al-Qaeda members, and against sending more |
| Meanwhile, Joe "Gaffe-tastic" Biden has continued to | | | | troops to fight counterinsurgents. Fortunately, Obama |
| demonstrate his propensity for committing more | | | | didn't listen to Biden, and the surge is already |
| blunders in any given week than Palin has made in her | | | | demonstrating results, as in Tuesday's apprehension of |
| entire life. Appearing on Larry King last week, Biden | | | | Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the most significant |
| stated that the Iraq War "could be one of the great | | | | Taliban capture in over eight years. |
| achievements of this administration." | | | | This has been the pattern for a year-and-a-half now: |
| This is the same Iraq War, you'll recall: (a) that Obama | | | | Palin makes true statements-that the Vice-President is |
| voted against, (b) that Biden voted for but later turned | | | | the head of the Senate, that the health care bill would |
| against, and (c) whose troop surge Obama and Biden | | | | require panels of bureaucrats to ration care-that are |
| voted against and denounced throughout 2008, even | | | | denounced as "gaffes" and "lies," while Biden regularly |
| after it had demonstrably worked. In 2007, Biden | | | | weaves twisted fantasies out of cotton candy and is |
| condemned General David Petraeus as "dead flat | | | | heralded as the voice of wisdom and experience. |
| wrong" for wanting to go through with the surge rather | | | | The clincher that the MSM held Palin to a higher |
| than immediately withdrawing our soldiers and | | | | standard than Biden throughout the 2008 presidential |
| partitioning Iraq into three ethnic regions. | | | | campaign is that they constantly compared her record |
| It would be one thing if circumstances had improved | | | | to Obama's, not Biden's. ("The Republicans' #2 doesn't |
| dramatically in Iraq since Obama took office, and the | | | | have that much more executive and business |
| administration had acted quickly to remove troops | | | | experience than the Democrats' #1!") |
| ahead of schedule, thus saving the U.S. time and | | | | It takes a serious degree of intellectual dishonesty for |
| money and improving relations with Iraqis. But the | | | | Democrats to claim we are safer with Biden as Vice |
| drawdown of 90,000 troops currently taking place was | | | | President than we would have been with Palin. |