McCain's VP pick

On Friday, John McCain shocked everyone (and by everyone, I mean a some people) by announcing his running-mate, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin. As a virtual unknown on the national scene, many people were left wondering, who is Sarah Palin?

Here's some basic background, courtesy of MoveOn.org:

-She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.

-Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.

-She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000.

-Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.

-She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.

-She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.

...I don't know about you, but this doesn't exactly inspire my confidence for a woman who is a heartbeat away from the presidency--the highest office in the United States. She does not have the judgment, the experience, or the record to hold this office, and it is shameful that McCain chose her with (seemingly) the sole intention of attracting disappointed Clinton supporters. Sarah Palin stands on the opposite end of the political spectrum from Senator Clinton; fighting against choice, against responsible sex education, against science-based education, against Clinton's passion for affordable healthcare. Clinton and Palin both represent women who have had great success in the old boys club known as politics--but the similarities end there.

Here are some other interesting links to articles about Sarah Palin.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/the_palin_meltdown_in_slomo.php
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/cindy-mccain-on-abc-today_b_122759.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/2/16501/55338/100/583660
http://www.akip.org/platform.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/2/163845/8978/122/583646
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/2/16501/55338/100/583660