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Saturday, October 11, 2008

Palin's speech in Johnstown: With Update

Three generations (me, my daughter, and my granddaughter) went to hear Palin in Johnstown. Here's the only online footage of the speech I can find:

C-Span

If you listen carefully, when she mentions Obama voting against the BAIPA, you can hear me yell "Four times!"

Notice the huge cheers she got when she spoke of the value of kids with special needs. (Though I have to wonder about the idea of just throwing more money to their education. That tends to build up a Special Needs Industry, which I don't want to see. I want to see organic community support that requires less professional, government-sponsored intervention. It's better for the kids as well as cheaper, and it spreads the blessings and joys outside the sphere of those paid to be involved.)



And -- Here's PIPER!



UPDATE: The Tribune Democrat coverage wasn't bad, though they insisted on having a spokesperson for the Obama campaign comment on everything Palin said. I don't know if they do this when Obama speaks.

On one occasion, though, this did help Palin and hurt Obama:

“Every child has something to contribute to the world if we give them that chance,” she said.

From there, she referenced a comment Obama made earlier this year at Greater Johnstown High School during a campaign stop.

“He said that a woman shouldn’t be, quote, ‘punished with a baby,’ ” Palin said.

“And ladies and gentlemen, he said that right here in Johnstown. It’s about time that we called him on it.”

....

It is an issue that could cause trouble for Obama in this area, where some socially conservative Democrats remain staunchly opposed to legalized abortion.

The Obama campaign did not backpedal on the issue Saturday, with senior adviser Anita Dunn saying Palin’s comments show that “the right to choose hangs in the balance” in the upcoming election.

...

The campaign also objected to Palin’s use of the “punished with a baby” quote.

While Obama was responding to a question about abortion during the March 29 rally in Johnstown, the campaign contends he was speaking in the context of sex education.

Obama representatives on Saturday issued the full text of the Democratic candidate’s Johnstown quote:

“Look, I’ve got two daughters – 9 years old and 6 years old,” Obama said at the time. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn’t make sense to not give them information.”


Thanks, Obama spokesperson, and thanks, Tribune Democrat for reminding the conservative Democrats of Johnstown that Obama not only considers a baby "punishment" but likens babies to STDs!

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