The choice of Sarah Palin has many pundits scratching their heads, trying to figure out what to make of her candidacy. Some are calling her the “anti-Hillary,” as choosing her seems an obvious ploy on McCain’s part to lure women who want to see that last “glass ceiling” shattered away from the left with a female candidate who is diametrically opposed to just about every major feminist cause.

Palin’s supportive of McCain’s health care package, which seems to be a glorified tax credits program. She’s virulently anti-choice, which besides putting her outside the mainstream of most of America, is a slap in the face of the feminists who had so much invested in the dream of a progressive woman president. And here’s the kicker — Palin, 44, has five children, the youngest of which, born less than a year ago, has Down’s syndrome. Already we’re hearing some in the disability rights community thinking this might give Palin an instant sympathy with our issues, but the kid’s not even a year old, and the only “points” Palin gets is she kept the baby, which is her choice.

And where on earth do I start with McCain? Yes, the guy has a disability, and he’s given lip service to the ADA and the new ADA Act Amendments. But he’s pledged to put even more right-wing extremists on the Supreme Court and federal courts, and this will mean more anti-ADA and generally anti-civil rights rulings. So he tells those of us who are for civil rights that he supports the ADA, and yet he gives the ol’ wink-nod to those on the right by pledging to seat judges who’ll undo all of our – and Congress’ – good work. Sure, he may be gunning for Roe v. Wade, but experience says justices who are pro-life are also generally anti-civil rights.

And McCain is stubbornly, publicly against the community choice act. Why in the name of all that is good does he hold such an indefensible position? The irony here is that the CCA, formerly known as MiCASSA, was first sponsored by Newt Gingrich, who as we all know engineered the Republican take-over back in ’94. What on earth is McCain’s game? He says he’s for disability rights, for the ADA, for integration, and yet his actions declare just the opposite.

McCain/Palin and Pro-life(3). Senator Obama, while in the Illinois Senate, bottled up a bill in committee that would have protected babies born alive after botched abortions. He was afraid such a bill would affect the interpretation of Roe v Wade. He is against any ban on partial-birth abortions also. Is legalized general infanticide far off? Josie brought up the Down's syndrome of Palin's youngest child. The Wikipedia article on Down's syndrome cites references from 2002 indicating that over 90% of unborn babies diagnosed with Down's syndrome were aborted. Clearly, people are getting rid of unwanted babies because they are have a disability.

McCain/Palin and Pro-life(5) It's a kind of eugenics by abortion. Who knows, the next cultural push could be getting rid of the elderly who can't take care of themselves, or kids with a disability. After all, they're inconvenient and they cost money. It's not too far fetched to think like that, either. On the basis of eugenics, Hitler and his doctors exterminated (got rid of) tens of thousands of people with physical and mental disabilities with lethal injections and gassing. Abortions are not much prettier. In 2002, Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, debated Harriet McBryde Johnson, one of the members of our community. Prof. Singer is well respected by many; he argued that killing of infants with disabilities is justified in some cases. He does not consider such infants as persons. We in the disability community ought to be fighting to protect those who cannot protect themselves. If we don't, we may soon lose our own protections.

McCain, Obama and Government Programs for the Disabled(1) Josie complains that McCain has opposed the Community Choice Act. As far as I know, he opposes it because of its cost. Maybe the Congressional Budget Office overestimated the cost of this bill, as was testified recently in Congress by Prof. LaPlante and his colleagues from UC San Francisco. In any case, McCain has indicated that new federal programs should be based on the best experience of the States. Federal welfare reform has been successful because it was based on a model adopted and proven first by a state. Speaking to the recent AAPD forum in Ohio, Senator McCain mentioned pilot programs in Arizona that have successfully provided incentives for people to stay in their own homes rather than be in a nursing home.

McCain, Obama and Government Programs for the Disabled(2) Andy Imparato of AAPD stated a while back that he was going to support Senator Obama, because Obama indicated he was going to fully fund every program of interest to the disability community. That's not too surprising, because Obama has indicated he is going to fully fund just about every government program imaginable. How is he going to pay for all this? He claims he is not going to raise taxes, but don't count on it. In the Senate, he never voted against any proposal with a tax increase. Higher taxes are going to affect those who wish to care for loved ones with disabilities, and who would rather pay for good things and get them now, rather than wait in line for the poor things they might get from the government much later.

I read that Palin claims she will be an advocate for special needs because of her baby's disabilities. I don't think she has any idea what needs there are and is not likely to find out what the average family must cope with in terms of medical care, equipment, supplies, insurance fights, giving up jobs to caretake, etc. How can she be an advocate when she cares so much about cutting the budget, giving tax breaks to the wealthy, and deregulation?

Great post Josie! I believe that the McCain promise to appoint more Justices like Antonin Scalia means the ADA would be gradually gutted, as would any other disability related anti-discrimination laws. Promises to support the ADA Restoration Act are meaningless if one appoints judges who will neuter the Act. I am truly surprised how many comments are willing to gamble on McCain/Palin

"Unbreakable"--The "Mother Theresa" story is false. Yes the McCain's adopted a child with a cleft palate from Bangladesh in 1991. But the McCain's never met Mother Theresa in 1991--they made the story up! And as for Palin--yes she had a child with Down's syndrome. But is she taking care of the child? No! Instead she chooses to gallivant all over the country running for Vice President. Use the kid with a disability for photo ops, and let somebody else raise it. Even Dr. Laura thinks this is wrong, and she has said so in her blot saying "I'm stunned - couldn't the Republican Party find one competent female with adult children to run for Vice President with McCain?"

"Shark7"- You might want to write Snopes.com then, because they are under the impression that the Mother Teresa aspect of the McCain's adoption is true.

I agree. Especially about Palin.

"unbreakable" As you acknowledge, the McCain's story about adopting a child "at the behest of Mother Theresa" is false. Your story about George Hussein Onyango Obama being Barack Obama's brother is also false. George Hussein Onyango Obama, age 26, is Barack Obama's ½ brother. On another issue, if you are extremely rich, then McCain IS your man! McCain's proposed income tax plan would increase tax cuts to the ultra-rich. Obama's proposed income tax plan would raise taxes on the ultra-rich and lower taxes for middle, and lower income workers.

"unbreakable" Good point. I just re-visited Snopes.com: http://www.snopes.com/politics/mccain/cindy.asp Sopes.com says the "Mother Theresa" part of the story is false. "...the summery errs when it says "Mother Theresa implored Mrs. McCain to take the baby with severe cleft palate."...it appears Mother Theresa was not there when Cindy McCain made that trip; instead she was in Mexico, and then California."

I do not consider myself as republican or democrat, but my political views and beliefs are mostly republican. Personally, I do not want either candidate in office, because I think no matter who gets elected as president there will hell to pay. As a gimp I firmly believe in the ADA, but in my experience no matter who gets elected they always go back on their promises they made during their campaign speeches. Besides if we do not agree with our president we can always protest, make a petition or write/call/email our congress person. Aren't they the ones that make the laws anyway? Plus they can override the president's veto. As a Christian, I am pro-life and proud of it! I'm glad that McCain chose Palin as his running mate even though I do not agree with McCain.

By choosing Palin as a running mate, McCain drew a line in the sand--"Are you for civil rights or not?" As to "family values", Palin's 17-year-old-daughter, who is unwed and pregnant, points out how well the idea of teaching "abstinence only" in sex education (doesn't) works.

"Shark7"-Ok, I read that update to the story. Mother Teresa did not PERSONALLY ask the McCain's to adopt the child. However, you left out the part where the orphanage the child came from was founded by Mother Teresa. Also I think the main point of this is the adoption itself. While the McCain's took in a strange girl from third world squalor and paid for surgeries for her, how has Obama treated his own brother, George Hussein Onyango Obama? Why should we expect better treatment from an Obama administration when he discards his own blood relations?

I agree with Obama -- campaign kids are off limits.Palin's policies are misguided, but let's leave her daughter out of this.

So any judge on the Supreme Court, say, who upholds the U.S. constitution is a "right-wing extremist" but one who creates new legislation is mainstream? Are you for real? And Zerobama, who "taught constitutional law for 11 years" and doesn't even know what's in it is your pick for president?

McCain's Chocie of Palin

Josie's blog doesn't have much sympathy for McCain's choice. As governor, Sarah Palin has had enormous responsibilities, none of which Senator Obama has had. When she was in government, he was a community organizer. She took tough positions against corruption in her own party, but Senator Obama played politics as usual with the Chicago Democratic Machine. She's also got the right judgment. She doesn't think, like Senator Obama does, that Iran is a minor irritant. She knows that the surge worked. She supported that. Senator Obama to this day refuses to acknowledge that the surge has succeeded. She's been commander-in-chief of the Alaska National Guard and has been to Kuwait with her troops. It's common in political campaigns to assume bad motives. Josie seems to think that McCain's choice of Palin was an anti-Hillary ploy to lure women's votes. I don't know what McCain's motives were. But Palin has a lot more sense and guts than a lot of male politicians!

McCain/Palin is one of the best presidential tickets for the disabled community. John McCain and his wife adopted a child from Bangladesh with a cleft palate at the behest of Mother Teresa. They then paid for the necessary reconstructive surgeries. This child is part of the McCain houshold. And of course everyone knows about little Trig Palin and his affliction with Down's syndrome. I say actions speak louder than words. What Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin have DONE for REAL, LIVE disabled HUMANS speaks louder than empty promises about hope and change.

Josie, if you want to talk about real "bad news for us" and "us" meaning the disabled community, check out this clip of Joe Biden displaying some "sensitivity" to State Senator Chuck Graham-D of Columbia, Missouri. Biden asked Mr. Graham, a paraplegic, to "stand up". Maybe next he'll ask you to take off your sunglasses, Josie? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRV5Y1JCGRI

The writing is on the wall. The way disabled and elderly are treated now, one can only guess what is coming with more 'help' from the Government. Imperfect? Then discard or abort if it's in your way'... Warehouse those disabled and elderly in nursing homes as they aren't supporting the tax base so what good are they. Out of sight, out of mind... Government medical care for everyone...(has anyone tried to get a new Doctor that accepts Medicare lately)? Every moral value that I was taught has been discarded. The results were predictedable. Do we really want to continue along this road? McCain-Palin may not be perfect but they have good values morals and ideals for this great Country. Not just rambling words meant to sway voters but in the life they have led and are leading. (Christian, pro-lifer here)

McCain/Palin and Pro-life(1) Josie's blog states that Palin is "opposed to just about every major feminist cause" and that she's "virulently anti-choice". (It sounds like poison is spilling out of Palin's mouth.) She talks about McCain putting "more right-wing extremists on the Supreme Court and federal courts." (It sounds like he's a McCarthy-ite.) Josie also states that being "anti-choice" puts Palin "outside the mainstream of most of America". So she's doing a good job of painting McCain and Palin as part of The Fringe. Does Josie know how many hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Americans are pro-life? What are the numbers?

McCain/Palin and Pro-life(2) Whether or not pro-life sentiment is the majority view in America, it's not a good idea to put one's faith in what the mainstream is doing, especially on moral questions. Just look at the South before the Civil War. Even the Supreme Court, in the Dred Scott case of 1857, said that slaves had no Constitutional rights; they were regarded merely as the property of the slaveowner. Here we have an analogous situation: is an unborn child merely the "property" of the mother? Ultrasound images of the unborn convinced Dr. Bernard Nathanson, cofounder of the abortion rights organization NARAL, that he had made a huge mistake. The unborn are human just as much as a slave was. It may be inconvenient to take care of an unwanted child, but doing without slaves was also an inconvenience Southerners didn't want.

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