McCain & Palin Take on ‘Gotcha Journalism’ in Dual Interview With Katie Couric

Dear Mr. Obama

This is Joe Cook, one of our brave heroes and son of Bob Cook who was director of Arkansas Parks and Wildlife Dept. for years and only recently retired.

Let's Talk Qualifications

Here it is almost three weeks since Senator McCain made the stunning announcement Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin would be his running mate. The initial excitement may have subsided somewhat, shifting our attention to the troubled economy.

But the naysayers are still out there, and they will continue their monotonous drumbeat that Governor Palin is simply "not qualified" to be the proverbial heartbeat away from the presidency. Every time Sarah speaks, she demonstrates her mettle and validates John McCain's confidence in her abilities. The Wall Street Journal - Online offered the following rebuttal to those critical of Sarah's resumé.

RUNNING ALASKA

One rap on Sarah Palin's qualifications to be Vice President is that she governs one of our least populated states, with a budget of "only" $12 billion and 16,000 full-time state employees. On the other hand, it turns out that the Governor's office in Alaska is one of the country's most powerful.

For more than two decades Thad Beyle, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina, has maintained an index of "institutional powers" in state offices. He rates governorships on potential length of service, budgetary and appointment authority, veto power and other factors. Mr. Beyle's findings for 2008 rate Alaska at 4.1 on a scale of 5. The national average is 3.5.

Only four other states -- Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia -- concentrate as much power in the Governor's office as Alaska does, and only one state (Massachusetts) concentrates more. California may be the nation's most populous state, but its Governor rates as below-average (3.2) in executive authority. This may account in part for Arnold Schwarzenegger's poor legislative track record. The lowest rating goes to Vermont (2.5), where the Governor (remember Howard Dean) is a figurehead compared to Mrs. Palin.

In Alaska, the Governor has line-item veto power over the budget and can only be overridden by a three-quarters majority of the Legislature. In 1992, the year Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was elected President, his state budget was $2 billion and among the smallest in the country. Compared to that, Sarah Palin is an executive giant.

I Am Sarah Palin

When John F. Kennedy uttered his historic words "Ich bin ein Berliner" in 1963, he used these words to declare US solidarity with Berliners (and by extension the entire German people). The speech resonated among freedom-loving Germans who were experiencing Communist oppression and living behind an almost impenetrable Berlin Wall.

Today, I offer a new phrase ... "I Am Sarah Palin." With these words, I declare solidarity with the 2008 Republican nominee for Vice President. I am a Christian. I am a wife (to one man for 39 years) and mom (of 4) and grandmother (of 5). I am a pro-life, pro-gun, small government, lower taxes, free enterprise-loving conservative. And, from time to time as the need required, I have stood toe-to-toe against the status quo (though never from high-profile positions like mayor or governor).

I Am Sarah Palin. I have a lovely (and loving) Down Syndrome niece who turned 20 last Spring. I've also heard the words "Mom, I'm pregnant" coming from my 16 year old daughter's mouth, becoming a grandmother for the first time before my 43rd birthday. I Am Sarah Palin.

Across the nation, there are women who see themselves in Sarah Palin. Every hateful, critical or dismissive comment, rumor and innuendo making its way through the old media, the leftist blogosphere, and late-night comedy routines will backfire because many women in so-called "flyover" land identify with Sarah Palin. On November 4th, we will vote. Our votes will demonstrate the truth: I Am Sarah Palin.

UPDATE: The speech is over and people are pumped. The genuineness of Sarah Palin continues to resonate, and she has struck a familiar chord others are echoing. Check out this link.