Palin: 'Guys and gals' shoulda' read bill

Anyone who knows anything about legislation -- i.e., almost no one who speaks on the topic -- knows that reading the entirety of a bill like this is not only uninformative, but counterproductive.

Legislative bills are not written in cohesive narrative format. Instead, they amend various laws that are already on the books. To dispense $10 billion for school infrastructure, the bill might amend 20 different code sections. In short, it's not very helpful to read the bill.

Instead, people read summaries that are put together by nonpartisan staffers. The summaries are not only accurate, but they are helpful. I have no doubt that the bill summaries have been made available to the entire Congress.

This whole episode reminds me of something attributed to President Carter. His approach to changing tax policy was to attempt to read the Internal Revenue Code end-to-end. As anyone who's ever read even parts of the Tax Code knows, such a task would not only be unenlightening, but it would be an awful waste of time.

All the Republicant Congressmen are fully aware of the above -- and surely Gov. Palin is too, no matter how dumb she may be. They are merely positing disingenuous talking points because the red meat crowd they cater to are too stupid to deal with anything more complex.

You betcha a blinkin.

Well put.

Ms. Palin should refuse the money until she's read the bill!

I was going to read it ....but since I read all the media available to me...I just didn't have the time. You know...there are just so many I can't tell you which ones.

Palin is a non entity. She's meaningless and was less that forthright with the American people. She's one of the reasons old man McCain was smeared all over the map on 11/04/08. She has no chance in the world of ever being elected anywhere outside Alaska. But then you have Fox Lies and others who slobber and drool all over themselves about her.

Interesting that "shoulda" is in the title, yet I was unable to find Gov. Palin actually uttering the word in the text of the blog entry. I have no problem with people using short-hand when speaking. When I pointed out that Obama had done so (only to highlight the double standard), I was called a racist. Yet Mr. Silva continues the conventional media attempts to belittle Gov. Palin - this time by suggesting she said something which wasn't even uttered. I care not if the blind Obama supporters call me a racist or a twit, but I will continue to call out the hypocricy and double standards exhibited by mainstream troglodytes such as Mr. Silva and his Tribune cohorts. Belittling opponents does not make your preferred person any better - it just says more about you than anything else.

The behavior of the Congressional leadership in ramming this bill through without even allowing fair opportunity to read it is flatly criminal. Given the inevitable damage this will do to the American economy, Pelosi needs to be tried for treason. She has unequivocally repudiated her oath to support and defend the Constitution.

Thank you, Mr. Silva, for putting up the most pertinent part of last night's interview.

The President should VETO this bill.

And yes, blinkin', lawmakers should read it. What a bunch of croc, that they should not read it.

Haven't you ever heard the wise advice, "Never sign Anything until you've read it"?

Particularly a $787 billion spending spree. That is the largest in our history.

I guess you wrote all your book reports based on the Cliff Notes version.

BTW, I am an Independent voter who does my own taxes, pays all my taxes, and am SICK and TIRED of people like you throwing around the RED MEAT insult.

I have a BA in Communications/Journalism and can understand complex issues very well, thank you very much.

And Governor Palin absolutely knows what she's talking about - from experience. If you did any of your own research instead of being force-fed by the Obama-media, you would know that she has used her VETO pen as governor to VETO excessive spending in Alaska.

And excessive spending is what this bill is all about ...

"Palin: 'Guys and gals' shoulda' read bill"

This woman is such an idiot. I hope she's the Repug Prez nominee in 2012.

The Repugs didn't read the bill but somehow they managed to spend two weeks complaining about "pork" and "earmarks" that were supposedly in it?

Idiots...all of them

hrh40 I can guarantee you've never read a legislative bill. You have literally no idea what you're talking about. None.

Every year the Congress passes, and the President signs, appropriations bills. They are thousands of pages long, and no one reads them end to end? Why? 1. It's not an informative read; 2. It would be a waste of time. They read the summaries, which convey the essential information in a useful way.

Stamp your feet all you like, HRH. You're still incorrect.
Want proof? I'm sure the Bill is available online. With your BA in Journalism (which is my undergrad degree too), and your self-professed ability to " understand complex issues very well" (you insecure twerp) will be fast asleep in about ten minutes. Grow up.

Keep in mind, Bemused, that Palin intentionally exaggerated her "down home" ways and slang, etc. during the campaign, including her wink in the debate with Biden. So she gets what she deserves. As do you, considering all the names you have called me, though I've never called you racist or a twit. Nice to see ya.

a blinkin - I am calling you out for the lying, bleeding heart, socialistic loser you really are. Find a job and contribute to society for once in your life.

If you did any of your own research instead of being force-fed by the Obama-media, you would know that she has used her VETO pen as governor to VETO excessive spending in Alaska.
And excessive spending is what this bill is all about ...

Posted by: hrh40 | February 17, 2009 2:11 PM
....

Yeah, I remember when Bible Barbie said "thanks but no thanks to that bridge to no where in Alaska".....except that she never said that until she started campaigning with Grampy McCain....and then she quit saying it only after it was pointed out to her that she was lying and everyone knew it.

"Fox News Channel's On the Record - where the governor's 18-year-old daughter Bristol spoke of her own pregnancy" I can not understand how anyone could feel comfortable with this family in a high office. Publisizing and even politicising her daughter's pregnancy is about as low as Palin could go. This poor child will go through life knowing it was a mistake. Palin comparing a teenage pregnancy to a congressional bill is just stupid.

From the article:
Caught up in all the conversation about pregnancy and the Palins, we overlooked the message that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had for President Barack Obama.
-
Imagine that - "overlooked" is an understatement when it comes to Palin, or for that matter, most people that have any opinion that doesn't require mass qantities of Obama kool aid- a better word choice would be ignored.

The title is really an odd passive aggressive, unecessary shot at Palin in what we all should assume to be a journalistic forum- Interesting, when Silva actually owns up to his underreporting of the real issue, he still uses the story to take another shot at Palin's speech patterns. Again-this has been the standard Palin coverage format. not too creepy!

Yes Bruce,

We're all amused and bemused at the hobgoblins that torture your wing-nut mind.

Sarah The Destroyer, who accused Obama of "paling around with terrorist", and referred to the red states as "Real America" deserves our upmost respect and admiration.

Still, we hate to see you suffer so, professor. Have you considered a Limbaughtomy?

http://extras.sltrib.com/bagley/

Flo,
Don't listening to Bemused, he's still sucking on his thumb and crying about Hillary. As the last remaining PUMA member on earth he sits in his basement and throws Cheeto's at his computer everyday in protest of not getting his way, just like a petulant child.
If it was up to me Obama wouldn't have appointed Hillary to anything.

if noone is going to read it then why did we waste tax payers money writing it. If it is TOO big to read why not just write the synopsis to start with. This is BS bureaucracy in action. Let's just make the documentation so unweildy that noone even bothers to try. Great stratedgy - great government.

I didn't stamp my foot, blinkin. I defended myself against your knee-jerk "anyone who supports Palin is a redmeat simpleton" attitude. Which is untrue, unfair, unjust, and insulting.

But the point remains that the Bill is irresponsible. And the rush, rush, rush was totally disingenuous. Was it so that Pelosi could rush to Rome on her private jet, and Obama could rush to Chicago to play hoops? ...

And wait FOUR DAYS to sign it.

So why didn't they take the time over the weekend to read the summaries, fine, along with the specifics of any section that had to do with their constituents directly? And wait to vote on it until today?

Was it because of some false deadline designed to associate Obama with Presidents' Day and the symbolism of being one month to the day since he was inaugurated? I think yes to both.

Sorry, if you don't like someone who's been insulted defending themselves. But I will continue to defend myself and Governor Palin from irresponsible journalists who encourage their readers to be just as disrespectful in the comments section.

No stomping necessary.

To dtface at 3:16 pm:

How is "real America" more insulting than saying some Americans "cling bitterly to their guns and religion"?

Could it be because you don't happen to own guns or aren't very religious?

So it's OK to insult people who are?

I'd call that a tie between Palin and Obama regarding insulting fellow Americans.

Funny, how I never hear Obama supporters mention his insulting comment re: "bitter, clingy Americans" whenever they trumpet Palin's "real America" comment.

a blinkin - I am calling you out for the lying, bleeding heart, socialistic loser you really are. Find a job and contribute to society for once in your life.

Posted by: Karl | February 17, 2009 2:57 PM

Coming from you that really hurts, Karl.

Funny, how I never hear Obama supporters mention his insulting comment re: "bitter, clingy Americans" whenever they trumpet Palin's "real America" comment.

Posted by: hrh40 | February 17, 2009 3:32 PM
...

I agree, and please, please, PLEASE! Make sure that nutso Palin is the Repug Prez nominee in 2012. As a Dem I'll even donate money to her 2012 campaign, just tell me where to send the check.

if noone is going to read it then why did we waste tax payers money writing it.

Posted by: Steve | February 17, 2009 3:19 PM

Good point- well said.

Thanks, pla, for proving my point. Oh, and if you think I'm the only one out there, get a load of this site:

http://www.hillaryis44.org/

mmmm...cheetos!

You may be right about the cheetos, Bemused; but propaganda on pink is still propaganda.

How, appalin !! The legislatures didn't read the entire bill. They only discussed it for two to three weeks !! So they didn't read the table of contents, what a shame !! I wonder if she will try to have that censored too, from Alaska's libraries !!? Or will she use the stimulus funds, if she intends to accept them, to complete the " Bridge to Nowhere " ? Thank God, she's still around, for a little amusement, because the other Republican's have become sore losers !! Who would have thought, they would have taken their loses so hard !! That's too bad !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

One just knows that these Pug governors would have loved to squeeze additional tax funding from constituents for their state projects, and they are happy for Obama to have done the dirty work for them. Pug govs spent zero of their own political capital for extra funding and can cry fiscal restraint (since when?) while their coffers are filled with deficit-spending tax money from all. Sweet.

Vivian: you're right--the Republicans knew the bill would pass, so they didn't have to vote for it. That way, they get to eat their cake and have it too--they can benefit from the stimulus bill, which contains many things they lobbied for, and still complain about it, and try to fool their constituents that the reason they opposed it was because it wasn't good enough.

a blinkin,

If you can say that you believe that 24 hrs is all that should be required to review and consider the biggest spending bill in U.S. history, and that actually reading it doesn't matter...

...which as far as I can tell is pretty much what you did say...

...do you really, really believe it? Or are you just twisting somebody's tail?

I'm just curious.