Hey Palin, I'll See You Your First Amendment Rights, and Raise You Our Eighth!

Ignorant and stupid doesn't begin to cover the latest ramblings from The Wasilla Whiz Kid.

Now, it seems rather obvious, that Mommy Moose was tossing a shout out to the Base with this "both-feet-in-mouth" view of our First Amendment, you know, get'em riled up that a severe injustice is being perpetrated against her, and the Stumblin' Fly Boy.

It's actually a "twofer", bashing both Barack Obama and the media.

What is it, you ask?

Palin Fears Media Threaten Her First Amendment Rights

ABC News' Steven Portnoy reports: In a conservative radio interview that aired in Washington, D.C. Friday morning, Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin said she fears her First Amendment rights may be threatened by "attacks" from reporters who suggest she is engaging in a negative campaign against Barack Obama.

"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

WTF!

Is this what she really thinks, and/or, believes?

I suppose, if the Dead Campaign Express is successful, and they do win, Palin can, as the Vice President who runs the Senate, can just have the whole gang to roll up their sleeves, and get to workin', and fix that little nasty First Amendment, darn good, so she, and future Republicans can run smear campaigns, worry-free, from getting any negative press, or, for that matter, merely asked about it.

Glen Greenwald nails it good

If anything, Palin has this exactly backwards, since one thing that the First Amendment does actually guarantee is a free press. Thus, when the press criticizes a political candidate and a Governor such as Palin, that is a classic example of First Amendment rights being exercised, not abridged.

According to Palin, what the Founders intended with the First Amendment was that political candidates for the most powerful offices in the country and Governors of states would be free to say whatever they want without being criticized in the newspapers. In the Palin worldview, the First Amendment was meant to ensure that powerful political officials such as herself would not be "attacked" in the papers. Is it even possible to imagine more breathtaking ignorance from someone holding high office and running for even higher office?

So, if she wants to play this game, I believe we can trump her on it.

The Eighth Amendment.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment.

It is documented, overwhelmingly, in both the media, and in polls, it has been absolute torture seeing, and hearing Mommy Moose on the campaign trail.

Her Hockey Mom BS, the winking (sorry Rich Lowery, we know you go to heaven with it), the "gosh gollies" and "gosh darn its", the unabashed, complete naked, out-and-out lying, the obfuscation, the gutter-based smears, the fraud, the ignorance ...

Torture, pure torture.

Worse than fingernails scrapping down a blackboard.

Waterboarding, sans the water, as one's breath is stunted, stopped, labored, watching her on the campaign trail.

The Eighth Amendment clearly outlaws this kind of torture;

In Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972), Justice Brennan wrote, "There are, then, four principles by which we may determine whether a particular punishment is 'cruel and unusual'."

The "essential predicate" is "that a punishment must not by its severity be degrading to human dignity," especially torture.
"A severe punishment that is obviously inflicted in wholly arbitrary fashion."
"A severe punishment that is clearly and totally rejected throughout society."
"A severe punishment that is patently unnecessary."

As you can see, the GOP Clothes Horse, out, in public campaigning, hits, at minimum, two of these four principles, the "A severe punishment that is obviously inflicted in wholly arbitrary fashion," and "A severe punishment that is clearly and totally rejected throughout society."

You can also argue, which numerous REPUBLICANS have, that "A severe punishment that is patently unnecessary," as the debunked Maverick should have chosen someone other than Palin, someone with a minimal amount of intelligence, so her being on the ticket is certainly "patently unnecessary".

If you looked at the papers today, you would see that a majority of the country believes that to be true

Growing Doubts on Palin Take a Toll, Poll Finds

All told, 59 percent of voters surveyed said Ms. Palin was not prepared for the job, up nine percentage points since the beginning of the month. Nearly a third of voters polled said the vice-presidential selection would be a major factor influencing their vote for president, and those voters broadly favor Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee.

While a majority viewed Ms. Palin as unqualified for the vice presidency, roughly three-quarters of voters saw Mr. Obama’s running mate, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, as qualified for the job. The increase in the number of voters who said Ms. Palin was not prepared was driven almost entirely by Republicans and independents.

So there, Mommy Moose, are these people that took part in the poll infringing on your First Amendment rights?

Gosh Darn It, I don't think so ...


Bonus Palin WTF! Riffs

Eric Zorn: Wow!

The Toot: Free speech is a threat to free speech

Jason Zengerle: Alert the ACLU!

Steve Benen: AS NASTY AS SHE WANTS TO BE...