It drives me crazy when people try to convince us that John Kasich is a "better" Republican.

Hah! Fooled you.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Ohio is prohibiting doctors from performing abortions in cases where tests reveal the fetus has or likely has Down syndrome. 

Republican Gov. John Kasich signed the legislation Friday and the law goes into effect in 90 days. "The governor is pro-life and supports policies that protect the sanctity of life," press secretary Jon Keeling tells CNN.

The law prohibits abortions after prenatal tests reveal Down syndrome in a fetus or if there's "any other reason to believe" the fetus has the genetic condition. 

A person performing an abortion in such a case could face a fourth-degree felony charge, and physicians could lose their licenses. The woman seeking the abortion would not be held accountable, according to the legislation.

Sure Kasich may seem relatively reasonable when compared to the Donald Trump's of this world but he is still a Republican willing to tell women what they can do with their own bodies and condemning them to raising a child they may be ill equipped emotionally or financially to parent. 

Taking care of a child with Down Syndrome, or any other challenging diagnosis, can bankrupt families, destroy marriages, and negatively impact the other children in the home.

This is simply NOT a decision that anybody other than the mother and father of the child should be involved in making.

The fact that John Kasich does not respect that is why nobody should respect his criticisms of the Republican party or Donald Trump.

There is a story about Down Syndrome and abortion so Fox News dusted off the old Sarah Palin and put her on camera to compare pregnant women to Nazis.

Here is the CBS report that Palin was referring to:

With the rise of prenatal screening tests across Europe and the United States, the number of babies born with Down syndrome has significantly decreased, but few countries have come as close to eradicating Down syndrome births as Iceland. 

Since prenatal screening tests were introduced in Iceland in the early 2000s, the vast majority of women -- close to 100 percent -- who received a positive test for Down syndrome terminated their pregnancy. 

While the tests are optional, the government states that all expectant mothers must be informed about availability of screening tests, which reveal the likelihood of a child being born with Down syndrome. Around 80 to 85 percent of pregnant women choose to take the prenatal screening test, according to Landspitali University Hospital in Reykjavik.

Whether you agree with the choices made by these women or not, the important thing is that the women of Iceland, and in most places in America, have a CHOICE about what do with their bodies and their future. And whatever that choice it certainly does not put them in the same category as Nazis!

This is just more hateful rhetoric from Sarah "This is not even my real child" Palin.

In her interview Palin kept talking about "snuffing out the life" of the fetus, but in fact until the baby is born it does not yet have an actual life to be snuffed out.

It is still a fetus, living inside its host body, and the host is calling all of the shots.

Palin also kept referring to these children as not looking like normal every day children, but in fact it is not their appearance which determines the life they will lead, it is their many disabilities.

And let's talk about the life of a child with Down syndrome, a population that I work with quite often.

Yes, they can have relatively normal lives and even become contributing members of society.

That happens. Sometimes. 

But their parents will never really have what could be considered a "normal" life since their child will typically ALWAYS be dependent upon them.

It is very helpful if you are wealthy, like the Palins, but if you are not, the financial burden of endless testing, doctor's visits, and special accommodations can be overwhelming.

If you do not think that you are ready for that kind of responsibility, than you probably are not.

Sarah Palin is not somebody who should be giving ANYBODY shit about their life choices, period!

And if Palin is looking for somebody to compare to Nazis, well she is in luck.

Because we have the perfect examples. 

Bristol Palin is now using Down Syndrome Day to promote her crappy weight loss product?

Family time with my favorite little guys as we celebrate this World Down Syndrome Day. I'm relying on my @teamiblends Energy tea to give me the energy I need to keep up with these two! Can't wait to start detoxing again once the baby comes 💪🏼 Use my code BRISTOL for $ off your tea! #teamimommi #thankyouteami #teami

A post shared by Bristol Meyer (@bsmp2) on Mar 21, 2017 at 5:47pm PDT

Wow, I think she has even outdone her grifting mother on this one. That is pretty damn low.

Speaking of low, as you may have heard the protective order against Track Palin has been dismissed and the case has been ordered confidential.

As for his child custody case with Jordan Loewe it appears that it has also been settled, and yes the court ordered it to remain confidential as well.

If you are wondering if there was some kind of pay off I think that would be a safe assumption, though it is unlikely that we will ever hear any details.

And finally yes Dakota did say in an online Facebook Q&A that he is moving to Austin, Texas, and yes it appears that Bristol and the kids are going as well.

That is all I know about this right now.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence signs bill making it illegal to get an abortion based on fetal abnormalities.

Hey I don't care how deformed your baby might be, I'm telling you to have it anyway.

Courtesy of Fox 59:  

Gov. Mike Pence signed a bill Thursday that prevents women from aborting a fetus due to Down syndrome or other genetic abnormalities. 

The measure also prohibits abortions sought on the basis of gender or race. 

Abortion providers could face wrongful death lawsuits or professional sanctions if an abortion is performed solely on the basis of a genetic condition.

First off I want to say that I could not imagine feeling that I had any right to insist that a woman give birth to a child with birth defects, Down syndrome, or any other disability.

Secondly does Mike Pence not realize that the children born with these challenges also place a heavy burden on the states in which they live, and on the government as a whole?

It is NOT only the families of these children who are forced to meet what can sometimes be overwhelming challenges, but they also need Medicaid to help them pay for services, the public schools to accommodate their child's educational needs, and access to mental health facilities, nurses, physical therapists, caregivers, physicians, and many other services the bill for which the federal or state government must pay.

Now of course THAT is no reason for a woman to choose abortion over taking her baby to term, but for a so-called "fiscally conservative Republican" you would think that might factor into forcing a woman to give birth to a baby she may be unfit or unable to care for effectively.

I'm sorry, was I being too logical again?

No, he doesn't.

One more picture for World Down Syndrome Day!! Love seeing my newsfeed filled up with so much love for these kids ❤️ PS can you guess which kid insists on picking their own clothes 😎 #theluckyfew #TrigPaxson #T21

A photo posted by Bristol Palin (@bsmp2) on Mar 21, 2016 at 6:11pm PDT

The above is a picture of Tripp Johnston and Trig Palin taken from Bristol's Instagram page.

Aren't they adorable?

Anyhow I thought I would take a moment to address another of the most frequent comments that I get and which I typically reject as idiotic.

And that is the comment which says some version of "Wow, I can't get over how much Trig looks like Levi. Clearly that is his dad."

No, there is nothing that clearly suggests that Levi is the father of Trig. And no matter how many times you say that, it does NOT make it true.

Look folks in the beginning I was right there with you.

We were all piecing together the evidence and certain assumptions made sense, the primary one being that Trig is Bristol's child by her teenage boyfriend Levi Johnston, and Sarah Palin faked a pregnancy to cover up the scandal.

It was such a neat theory and it tied the whole thing together in a perfect little package. Since we knew that Palin faked her pregnancy it made perfect sense.

The problem was that the more we learned the least likely that scenario seemed to be.

First off NONE of the Johnston family members that I have spoken to think that Trig is a member of their family.

Second Levi did not spend $100,000 dollars in court to fight for him, like he did Tripp.

And third THIS is what Levi's children look like.

Now Down syndrome certainly has an impact on a child's physical features, but it does not impact hair color. And as you can see his three children all have blonde hair,

As he himself did as a child.

Levi's children all have blue eyes as well, while Trig has beautiful brown eyes.

Now none of this absolutely proves that Levi is not the father, but it also means that evidence which people think they see in photographs of Trig is purely subjective, and making claims based on that "evidence" really says more about you than about what is actually there.

Once again if I find any real evidence I will report it here. Just like I have been doing for the last eight years.

Bristol Palin uses Trig as bait so that she can play the outraged card. In the meantime Dakota Meyer does the unforgivable.

So Bristol posted this picture of Trig wearing a Trump hat in celebration of Down syndrome day on her Instagram page. 

Anybody with half a brain could see what happened next coming a mile away.

Courtesy of People: 

"Yep that's Trump's target demographic," the fan wrote, which prompted Bristol to lash back in response. 

"I wish I knew who you were, hope you don't happen to be a nurse with any child with Down syndrome. You are pathetic," the protective older sister wrote. 

First I have no idea why Bristol mentions being a nurse, because that is way out in left field.

But secondly putting a child with Down syndrome in a Donald Trump hat during perhaps the most vicious and divisive political season in history, was OBVIOUSLY going to attract negative comments.

Which I contend is exactly why Bristol did it.

Just like her mother she likes to make provocative statements, and then hide behind innocent children so that she can play the victim/protector on their behalf.

A sort of modification of the Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome.

Interestingly enough while Bristol was begging for attention by following in her mother's footsteps, her ex was making even more distance between himself and all things Palin.

Courtesy of Dakota Meyer's Instagram page:

Today was supposed to be another landmark occasion for our president in his efforts to normalize relations with Cuba. In his speech today he took pause prior to any other matters of business to recognize the death of United States Marine Staff Sgt Louis F. Cardin of Temecula, California in Iraq this past Saturday. I would like to take this time to say thank you President Obama for not only taking the time to acknowledge his death but to make it a priority.

As we all know saying anything nice about President Obama is a cardinal sin to the Palins.

Which may have been the point.

(And before anybody asks me, yet again, no I do not know if Dakota saw his daughter, or how that visit went.)

It is really a challenge to find a more pathetic media outlet than Facebook, but Sarah Palin managed to find it. Welcome to Newsmax TV.

The first part of his "interview" just has Palin vomiting forth her opinion of the President and giving her advice on dealing with ISIS, which is so ignorant and ill informed that hearing it murders brain cells by the truckload.

After that Palin once again dances around the question of a possible return to politics, after which she gets to once again feign emotion and talk about sacrificing her life to save Down syndrome children from Daesh.

"Something came out today (This is clearly an older interview.) about ISIS declaring death to children with Down Syndrome. I read that and I kind of got choked up about it.  (Cue the phony clearing of the throat.) I said to myself something like that is over my dead body will ISIS ever be able to destroy the American way of life, which includes embracing children with special needs like Down Syndrome." 

Seriously how often can somebody milk this before the udders simply break off in your hand?

You know it dawned on me while watching this that if Palin is REALLY so concerned about special needs children then HOW can she possibly be an anti-government conservative?

Those two things simply do NOT go together.

I work with special needs kids as well, and virtually ALL of our funding comes from government programs like Medicaid.

And as everybody knows when folks like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz talk about doing away with "government handouts" THAT is exactly the kind of thing they are talking about.

If Palin's favorite politicians were actually able to take over the running of this country, kids like Trig and many other special needs children would find their necessary supports stripped away. (Oh sure unlike most special needs parents Palin could pay for them out of pocket, but would she?)

Without this money for services, their challenges would be virtually insurmountable, their quality of life would suffer dramatically, and let's face it even their life expectancy would be reduced by several years if not decades.

If that were to happen then Daesh would not have to murder children like Trig Palin, because the Sarah Palin endorsed small government policies would for all intents and purposes do it for them.

But somehow I think that never occurred to Snowdrift Snooki. 

Sarah Palin really seems determined to get murdered by Daesh.

Source

First off, as mentioned earlier, this story about Daesh killing children with Down syndrome is not exactly airtight.

Secondly I think we all know that no Middle Eastern terrorist is going to drag themselves all the way to Wasilla, Alaska just to kill the crazy lady by the dead lake just to make a point.

And no amount of praying will change that, so stop right now.

Thirdly it appears to me that Palin actually stole this idea from a certain "Not the baby's father" who did it a year ago.

Wonder if any ISIS members want to drop by and join my book club @ScoutMedia pic.twitter.com/Wft72YYM0I

— Dakota Meyer (@Dakota_Meyer) December 3, 2014

Really is a shame this whole wedding thing did not work out, they seemed like such a perfect fit.

(Dakota and Sarah I mean, not Dakota and ole mattress back. That was doomed from the start.)

And fourthly if ANYBODY actually thinks that Sarah Palin would risk her own precious life to protect anybody else, especially her no longer useful political prop, I have some old Bibles signed by the author Himself I would like to sell you.

My assumption is that after watching the Republican candidates frothing at the mouth over killing terrorists on stage last night, that Palin woke up today and decided that she wanted to puff up her inflatable chest and act like a bad ass on the internet as well.

And let's face it she is just as tough and dangerous as any of the GOP presidential candidates, which is to say not at all.

In EXTRA interview Sarah Palin defends the 2nd Amendment and cheers the fact that Donald Trump is "kicking butt."

I almost spit up my coffee when Palin called guns a "tool" and compared them to a knife or a fist.

This interview was before Trump's recent remarks about keeping Muslims out of the country, but I am not at all certain that Palin's opinion about his "butt kicking" has changed any.

Palin also addresses the upcoming birth of "Sailor" (Poor kid.) and suggests that she expects to spend Christmas with Bristol who will be in labor. (So Jesus is coming back as a female?)

At one point Palin gives Donald Trump yet another pass for mocking that disabled reporter, which is especially hypocritical since she recently had her ghostwriter type up this statement about an upcoming "docu-series" on Down syndrome from A&E: 

I love this so much! My kids sent me clips of this upcoming show while I'm here on the road for my book tour. It brought tears to my eyes, in a good way! The kids were so happy to see this, too. They had shown Trig the show's clips, trying to discern if his reaction reflected any recognition of his beautiful brothers and sisters beautifully showcased on his iPad screen. (Trig isn't very verbal, but signed to his siblings that he was very irritated they'd interrupted his Nat Geo baby animals documentary at the time, and demanded they just turn it back on. So, yeah... that.) 

Pop culture now gets another powerful look at how valuable every innocent life is. I'm so glad to see the celebration and tolerance of beautiful people who may look "different" than what societal standards want to tell us is perfect or even acceptable. 

When I discovered very early on in my pregnancy that my son Trig had an extra chromosome, that he was a child with Down syndrome, it rocked my world. I was scared of the unknown. But, as I write in my devotional, Sweet Freedom, with this situation and with all the fears and trials life may hit us with, I knew I could I desperately call out to God for Truth in the situation. God tells us in the Psalms that He knits us together in the womb, and that we are 'fearfully and wonderfully made.' God say, "I've got this!" 

The minute Trig was born, God answered my prayers with changed eyes to be able to see my son as a gorgeous perfect gift for the Palins. And He exchanged my fear with a heart full of a curious, excited anticipation for what all Trig would be teaching us. 

I'm so happy to have him; so blessed to be gifted a really cool, unique, fun, challenging, loving, sometimes exhausting, very special little guy who's changed our lives for the better! God values the sanctity of every innocent life, no matter how small, no matter how many chromosomes. 

A show like this will strive to influence pop culture so more people may embrace all of God's creation. If we support these efforts, the show's message and meaning will resonate and succeed in helping make the world a better place. 

And not to rub it in, but viewers are going to see that those of us who have loved ones with special needs like Down syndrome will see why I say, “We won! For, my kid has more chromosomes than your kid!”

So much BS, so little time.

Source

By the way is that the Nazi Iron Cross around her neck?

Wonkette takes notice that Bristol Palin's story about exactly when she knew that Trig had Down syndrome keeps changing.

First off I have to say that I love the title of Wonkette's post, "Bristol Palin So Glad She Didn’t Abort Her Mom’s Baby."

Something about that makes me think that the folks at Wonkette are among those of us who know the truth about Sarah Palin's fifth pregnancy.

As for the actual article, Wonkette at first relays the story told by Palin about her flirtation with abortion and when she claims to have first learned that Trig had that pesky extra chromosome don'tcha know.

It made her a “pro-life” hero. And then her fail-spawn Bristol also “chose” not to do the thing they believe no one should choose, and she was a “pro-life” hero too! And they were all so happy they’d both chosen not to do abortions to their babies, hooray! 

Then Wonkette takes note of the fact that Bristol is having a fairly difficult time keeping the story straight about just when SHE learned that Trig was going to be the intelligent one in the family.

One version from a 2013 post on her ghostwritten blog says this: 

When I found out Mom was pregnant with a baby who would have Down syndrome, I confess. I was scared. I didn’t know what it would mean for his life or for ours. 

But then in a more recent blog post, she said this:  

We (the kids in my family) didn’t know Trig was Down Syndrome until after he was a few hours old. Looking back now, I’m glad we didn’t know. We would’ve built up preconceived ideas about what our brother would be like and worried too much about it. Trig is one of our biggest blessing (along with Tripp of course) and really is the light of our lives!

That version of course more closely jives with the Willow diagnosed him at first sight story that all of us have heard in the past.

I actually wrote about that 2013 post myself when it first showed up, so we have already covered the fact that the Palins cannot keep their stories straight. (Kind of like when Palin herself forgot that Trig was supposed to have been born in the Valley and not in Anchorage.)

You see that's the problem with lies.

It is just so hard to keep them all straight in your head.

ESPECIALLY when you tell as many as the Palin clan is famous for telling.

(BTW do yourself a favor and meander through some of those comments over on Wonkette. Those folks are having a field day!)

Sarah Palin congratulates Ohio Governor John Kasich for signing bill that takes away a woman's sovereign right over her own reproductive system.

Courtesy of Susan B. Acrimony's Facebook page:  

Yes! This is GOOD! When a nationally known and respected leader like Gov. Kasich takes a stand it gives us hope. The heart of the nation is still good. 

Ohio Gov. John Kasich told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" that he would sign the bill currently debated in his state banning abortion in cases where the child is diagnosed with Down syndrome. 

Yes!!! Thank you Gov. Kasich; thank you Ohio! 

Palin then links to this CNN article which explains how Kasich just pissed away the female vote.

One of the things about Sarah Palin that angers me the most, and trust me the list is long, is her complete ignorance of how women gained rights in this country.

She seems to think that women always had the right to vote, hold public office, and control their own bodies, when that is in fact totally wrong.

Thousands of women took to the streets to fight for the rights that Palin seems to think were gifted to her from God.

Millions of women died due to complications from back alley abortions or from the abortions themselves, and millions more were rendered sterile or were mutilated by the procedures.

Roe vs Wade helped to put a stop to that. 

And as for forcing a woman to give birth to a Down syndrome child that the mother is unable, or unwilling to care for, what kind of life does John Kasich and Sarah Palin think that child will enjoy?

How many families do they think are lining up to adopt Down syndrome babies if the mother gives them up. What do they think is the cost for the child and the parents if they are forced to keep it, even though they are unequipped financially or emotionally to deal with the constant difficulties?

I work with this population, trust me it is not easy even for the most attentive and dedicated of parents.

And who is Sarah Palin, who hired a caregiver from the moment of Trig's birth to care for him, and who abandons him for weeks or months at a time, to tell ANY other mother that she must give birth?

The word "hypocrisy" is simply not damning enough. 


I also found this picture on the post highly disturbing.

It is bad enough that Palin continues to use Trig as a political prop, after all that is why she has him, but she should definitely leave Levi's son out of her political pandering.

Sarah Palin serving up mounds of word salad this morning on CNN. Update!

Courtesy of CNN: 

Sarah Palin knows the position she wants in a Donald Trump administration: Energy secretary. 

"I think a lot about the Department of Energy, because energy is my baby: oil and gas and minerals, those things that God has dumped on this part of the Earth for mankind's use instead of us relying on unfriendly foreign nations," she told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview that aired Sunday on "State of the Union." 

But Palin, the GOP's 2008 vice presidential nominee, might be the first potential cabinet member to openly speak about dissolving their office. 

"I'd get rid of (the Energy Department). And I'd let the states start having more control over the lands that are within their boundaries and the people who are affected by the developments within their states. If I were in charge of that, it would be a short-term job, but it would be ... really great to have someone who knows energy and is pro-responsible development to be in charge."

Get rid of the energy department, what a moron.

But that was not the dumbest thing that Palin said by any measure.

She actually defended the idea that Mt. Denali should continue to be called Mt. McKinley, the park being called Denali was good enough she said, and attacked the President for wasting the resources and time to come up here to "rename a mountain."

Palin also attacked Obama over his attention to climate change, and claimed that his data was flawed.

Palin also weighed in on the Bush/Trump Spanish language kerfuffle:

"Let's speak American."

Almost immediately afterward she claimed that the GOP was not racist: 

" No because I can't think of any Republican I know who would have that in their heart. I think Republicans, and Independents, that is the party of tolerance. It certainly doesn't matter the color of your skin"

Yep, she actually said that.

Another part that really caught my attention was when Palin addressed the fact that Ohio was going to introduce legislation that would forbid women from ending a pregnancy due to their baby being diagnosed with Down syndrome.

"Hmm, do I think it should be legal for a mom to snuff out the life of her baby just because the child has one extra chromosome?"

Obviously Palin answered no to that, and then later Palin trotted out her Trig mythology:

"When I was pregnant and very early on, at twelve weeks, got the diagnosis that Trig would be born with Down syndrome, I know what moms go through when they are given that, at the time, to be honest with you, kind of devastating news. You know what, it makes your world stop spinning for a bit there, and there is some fear there in the unknown. Certainly there was some fear in my heart about..um...you know how in the world are we going to be able to handle the challenges up ahead?" 

Well of course the answer to that last question is that she pawned the care of Trig off onto others, as she went ahead and lived her life as if he did not exist.

And as we all know this entire last statement is pure mooseshit, as we have already proven beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Well at least in my opinion.

By the way this might have been Palin's unofficial audition because according to NewsCorpse she is supposedly joining CNN for their election coverage.

Which if true finally answers that question as to who was impressed by her week long appearance on OANN?

Update: Here is the CNN State of the Union Twitter page which covered this interview as it was happening. 

Bristol Palin wants you to know that she doesn't care if people stare.

From Brancy's blog.

First Nancy French links to this story about the mother of a special needs child dealing with the stares directed toward her daughter with Down syndrome.

Then she goes on to type up a little "woe is us" victimization piece for Bristol:  

We have had lots of people staring at my family my whole life. I am so thankful that instead of letting their stares distract us, we have carried on and focused on the joys of just being together! (Mostly!) This mom’s post is a great reminder.

Okay here's the thing.

The mother in the article was sharing a story about her daughter attracting stares due to her Down syndrome, however I would be willing to bet up to a thousand dollars that when the Palin family draws stares from others, Trig Palin is the very last member of the family to catch their eye.

Picture courtesy of Bristol's Instagram account

After all it is not like these people are trying to blend in.

 I mean if they do not want to be stared at perhaps they should stop mutilating their faces.

 Or gaining weight when such a thing is physically impossible.

Or losing weight until they look as if they might drop dead at any moment.

In other words if you don't want to be stared at stop doing things that concern, horrify, or repulse the people around you.

Oh and Bristol, stop blaming poor Trig for drawing attention. He is just a little boy living his life, it's really you and your mother who cannot live without the attention of strangers.

The Sarah Palin Channel has a free video up which seems determined to show Palin as a good mother. Can you say epic fail?

Click bored children to watch video.

My assumption is that this video was supposed to demonstrate a day in the life of a woman parenting a child with Down syndrome. However what it shows is a woman completely out of her depth, who does not have the skill set to effectively care for a child with special needs.

In the very beginning of the video Palin tells Trig that she wants to read him a book. He responds by covering his ears, while Piper carries him to where Palin wants to do this reading, which oddly enough is in front of a giant television playing Sponge Bob Squarepants.

Then Palin attempts to get Trig's attention by reading in an incredibly irritating sing song voice, and showing him pictures that are clearly not nearly as interesting to him as what is on the television screen. Even Piper looks bored out of her mind.

This is not how you get children to engage in story time.

There should be limited distractions and you should invite them to identify characters, colors, and words in the book along with you.  "Red fish, Blue Fish" was one of my daughter's favorite books, and even at two and three she was able to memorize passages and say them out loud with me.

The next sequence shows Palin feeding Trig baby food, which she does while having him watch a portable DVD player. (Apparently Palin uses these electronic devices, TV, DVD players, and I-Pads, to keep Trig calm while she interacts with him.)

During the feeding sequence Palin essentially treats Trig as if he is a toddler even though he is at least six in these videos. (The Sarah Palin Channel has only been up since July of last year.)

I am not sure what Palin was hoping this video would do for her, humanize her perhaps, but what it really does is reveal to the world that Trig did NOT get the therapy that he needed at a very young age, that Palin still does not know how to interact with him effectively, and that she relies on electronic gadgets to essentially baby sit him in order to keep him manageable.

I have worked with a lot of Down syndrome kids over the years, and at Trig's age they are usually able to communicate, eat solid foods, and even read and write on their own.

I am not sure what Trig's actual diagnosis might be, it is possible he has more than just Down's to deal with, but from the outside looking in there are a lot of things lacking in his life that even parents with less money have been able to provide for their children.

And somebody also needs to explain to me how wearing the Belmonts in this video helps Palin with her parenting. Because that was really confusing.

Sarah Palin joins list of potential presidential candidates speaking at NRA meeting in Nashville next month.

Courtesy of The Tennessean:  

Add Sarah Palin to the list of Republicans set to come to Nashville next month for the National Rifle Association's Annual Meeting. 

The former vice presidential candidate has joined the NRA's growing group of confirmed speakers for its Leadership Forum, which will take place on April 10, the first day of the three-day convention at Nashville's Music City Center. 

Palin, the former governor of Alaska who remains a powerful voice among tea party conservatives, joins billionaire businessman Donald Trump as recent additions to the NRA's Nashville lineup. Palin also spoke at last year's NRA convention in Indianapolis. 

Other speakers at this year's Leadership Forum include most of the top Republicans currently weighing presidential runs: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

I don't think there is any doubt that Palin supporters will take one look at that list and immediately convince themselves that she is positioning herself for a run at the GOP nomination in 2016.

Of course we know she is not, but then we are using logic and those people are allergic to logic.

Gee I wonder if she will bring her shiny new Medal of Honor winner along with her to give her a little extra oomph?

By the way crazy eyes must have been checking in with us yesterday and read the comments from all of you calling her out for not posting anything on National Down Syndrome Day. So late last night she attempted to rectify that by doing the least she could do which is to post a link, with no text to accompany it.

Boy isn't she a great advocate for Down Syndrome and everything?

Of course she would do so much more if they would pay her like the NRA is doing to give that speech in Nashville. Don'tcha know?

Uncle of Down Syndrome child tries to give Sarah Palin a pass for posting pictures of Trig standing on a dog. Completely fails for reasons that he may not fully understand.

So Steve Friess, a freelancer writer and uncle of a boy with Down Syndrome, posted the above picture, which I think we can all agree is adorable, along with an article over on the Time Magazine website.

In it he makes the case that the average person may not understand the relationship between a developmentally challenged child and their pet:  

Yes, I cringed, too, at the photos Palin proclaimed to be a terrific example of how we all should live in the year ahead. But then I saw a Facebook post from a close friend–an unimpeachable animal lover and inveterate political liberal—who is also raising a boy with Down syndrome. Along with one of the most adorable photos ever taken of a 7-year-old with his dog.

It should be noted that the boy is not using the dog as a stepping stool but rather cuddling with  him while they sleep. The dog in that picture is also weighs 82 pounds.

Jill does not.

Then the author opens his mouth wide to swallow the Palin mythology and that is when he allows himself to be manipulated by one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated on the public.

That Trig Palin chose to stand on Jill Hadassah–quite a name for a dog, indeed–was decried by many as animal abuse, particularly because his famous lightning rod of a huntress mother touted it with pride but no empathy for the dog. This is, unfortunately, how she’s become conditioned to react to any negative feedback, to become defensive and sharp-elbowed and treat it like any number of other liberal-versus-conservative skirmishes. 

For the sake of other parents of Down syndrome kids, though, she might consider another approach. Her mothering of Trig is, by far, the most admired, most humanizing part of her biography to many, the one thing even her fiercest critics respect. She may not feel she owes anyone any explanations, but she did anoint herself as an advocate for children with special needs at the 2008 Republican National Convention in her first major national speech. The role of advocates, first and foremost, is to educate people so they will understand and then support your cause. 

Those photos show an intrinsic trust between the child and his dog that implies so much about Trig’s relationship with Jill Hadassah. Sheryl worries it’s not a great habit to encourage, if only because Trig might try to stand on someone else’s, less amenable dog and get hurt in myriad ways. But surely Palin knows that, too.

No, no she doesn't know that.

But what she did know is that she could use her favorite prop to deflect criticism and come out looking like the victim here instead of the victimizer.

She used Trig to draw attention to herself, and then used him again to deflect the criticism back on the critics.  And this moron bought the whole act.

"Her mothering of Trig is, by far, the most admired, most humanizing part of her biography."

And therein lies the problem.

Of course as WE know Palin is not Trig's birth mother, she made up the entire elaborate birth story out of whole cloth, and, as our source recently reported, she spends only minimal time with him and does NOT provide for him the therapy that he so desperately needs.

You know people still ask me why I pursue the babygate story after all of these years, and the answer is because that is the key to finally taking Palin down. And due to my somewhat single minded obsession we are closer than ever.

I can tell you right now that if there were a big political scandal that was uncovered to explain why she resigned back in 2009, it  would dominate the news cycle for about one day and then simply drift away into the ether of public apathy.

However, as the Palin family brawl proved without any doubt, the thing that REALLY has teeth are the revelations about her parenting, and facts which undermine the mythology that she has created surrounding her family.

No Track is NOT a  combat veteran.

No Bristol is NOT a virginal victim of a hockey playing Wasilla man-beast.

No Sarah is not the female version of Ernest Hemingway trudging through the Arctic wilderness slaying dangerous animals with her trusty rifle.

And no Trig Palin is NOT proof of Sarah Palin's pro-life commitment and dedication to unconditional love.

As my source said, Palin uses ALL of her children as pawns, and this sap just got pwnd himself.

Well Sarah Palin is feeling ignored so it is time to trot out her favorite prop for a little attention.

First Palin links to this article on Brancy's blog about a man with Down syndrome who "beat the odds" and has now lived to reach 40 years old, which they claim is twice as long as these children are supposed to live.

That of course is incorrect as the life expectancy of a well cared for child with Down's is between 55 and 60 years old.

As for Trig's life expectancy? Well that is another matter entirely.

Palin then goes on to report this on her Facebook page:

I read it again yesterday while waiting for Trig to awaken after eye surgery. So groggy from deep sleep at the hands of a skilled anesthesiologist, our son's surgeon also waited and reassured. And he told me the most fascinating thing about the eyes of a child with Down syndrome. "Compare his eyes to a 'normal' child's. Get a magnifying glass. Look deep. Their eyes are captivating inside! They're different, they're colorful, they sparkle. Surely God made these eyes to reflect what heaven must be." 

If only we all could see into and through the eyes of the innocent! They're God's sons and daughters who may not meet man's standards of perfection but will certainly meet His. Their enduring childlike faith and their patience with the rest of us can teach us what is important. Maybe if we look with those eyes, what a wonderful world we will see.

 - Sarah Palin

You know the thing about Down syndrome children, or ALL children for that matter, is that their care cannot be left up to God. They actually need very involved parents to help them overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams, whatever those might be.

Palin keeps referring to Trig as "childlike" and "innocent" and that may be true right now, but someday he is not going to seem so much like a child, as he will a grumpy middle aged man who gets frustrated that simple things remain so hard for him, and that his life is so much different than that of his peers.

I do not know why Trig required eye surgery, though if I were to guess I would say it was probably to correct his strabismus (crossed eyes).

However it has seemed to me for quite some time that Trig has not been receiving the type of care that he requires as early as he requires it. So if Palin really wants Trig to live a long and full life, she needs to stop being so focused on her own needs as a public figure, and much more focused on the needs of the child that she decided, for whatever reason, to bring into her home.

Bristol Palin, or at least the woman who plays Bristol Palin on the internet, is horrified by mother of 47 year old Down syndrome son saying she wishes she had aborted him.

Okay so just for fun I tool a jaunt over to the Brancy's blog to see what's up in the land of denial.

As it turns out Nancy French and Bristol, assuming Bristol has read what it printed under her name, are very, very upset at an article in the Daily Mail about a 69 year old woman's heartbreaking admission that she wishes she had never had her Down syndrome son, now 47 years old.

Here is what Brancy had to say:

I can’t even believe what I just read. Gillian Relf, the mother of a 47-year-old man with Down syndrome, publicly said she wishes she’d had an abortion. Her son has made her life so difficult, she wishes he had never been allowed to live. 

Can you actually claim to love someone and wish they were dead at the same time? 

If that’s not horrifying enough, she spoke “in support of the 92 per cent of women who choose to abort their babies after discovering they have Down’s syndrome.” Parents of children with Down syndrome (including my own parents!) have shown the greatest demonstration of selfless love I’ve ever seen. To read this mom’s statements that are so opposite is just stunning.

Actually I think that any person who has sat at the bedside of a dying loved one knows exactly what it is like to love somebody and wish them dead at the same time. At some point their pain is just impossible to endure and all you want is for them to find peace, even if it means you will never have them in your life again. 

Brancy goes on to say this: 

My family probably wouldn’t have chosen to have a child with Down syndrome. But God gave us Trig – and our family wouldn’t be complete without him! Now, I realize that kids with Down syndrome are amazing and wonderful – we are soooooo blessed to have him in our lives.

Actually that is a lie. Her family absolutely DID choose to have Trig in their lives. He is not Sarah's child, and I have no reason to believe that he is Bristol's child, so yes he was absolutely brought into the family as a choice. (Hopefully I will have more on that at a later date.)

By the way the woman, Gillian Relf, anticipated this response and this is what she said in the article:

But I'd challenge any one of them to walk a mile in the shoes of mothers like me, saddled for life as I am, with a needy, difficult, exasperating child who will never grow up, before they judge us. They should experience how it feels to parent a grown man, who is no more able to care for himself than a toddler - and at a time of life when your children should, all things being equal, be taking care of you. They should know how it feels to live every single day under a crushing weight of guilt. They should know how it feels to watch Stephen's constant suffering and witness the almost daily destruction wreaked on all our lives. 

As you all know I actually work with children and parents who are dealing with Down syndrome, FAS, ADHD, Reactive Attachment Disorder, PTSD,  Mental Retardation, etc., and I can tell you that wishing not to have had a child with such complicated and disruptive issues is almost universal among the parents.

They don't always say it out loud to support staff, but they certainly discuss it in private, and sometimes you can simply see it written all over their faces.

The idea that all babies are a gift from God and that HE will provide you with the strength to deal with any complications which might arise is happy holy horseshit.

The truth is that sometimes these parents simply have to give up and walk away, and put their children into residential facilities or foster homes. Sometime they mistreat their children out of sheer frustration, even though they realize it is not the child's fault. And sometimes they contemplate, or actually follow through with, plans to take their own lives. (One of the worse cases I ever dealt with.)

We have already seen that Sarah is having significant trouble parenting Trig, and let me tell you that is only going to get worse, especially when he hits his teen years.

I predict right here and now that Trig ends up in a facility, either in state or out, that will care for him within the next ten years or so.

Simply put neither Sarah Palin, or any of her family members, have the intelligence or patience to deal with a Down syndrome child for the long haul.

And that is why judging this poor woman, who has spent the last 47 years selflessly putting her child's needs above her own, should never be done by the likes of Bristol Palin.

OR her internet doppelganger.

Here is video of Sarah Palin's press conference yesterday in Joplin. Bring two forks, as there is plenty of word sausage to go around.

Click authentic faux yellow leather biker old lady jacket to play video.

This is a press conference that Palin did concerning her speech for Lifechoices, an anti-abortion group masquerading as a sex and pregnancy resource center.

Palin pulls out all of the stops here.

First she refers to the "resiliency" of the people, undoubtedly referencing the tornado that devastated the area in 2011, and calls them "overcomers." Which of course makes them sound like habitual masturbators.


Then she goes on:  

"I was happy to be chosen, well invited anyway, because when we talk about less than ideal circumstances, I've been there. I've been there and I'm going to talk about that tonight and speak candidly about it. (Wanna bet?)

Palin then says how happy she is that Lifechoices has asked her to be candid, because most of the time her job is to be political and this time she gets to talk about what is near and dear to her heart. (Wait, she has a job?)

Palin then claims that her family's "hardships" were easier to deal with because of the strong and loving family "network" that is in place. (From what I have heard recently that may be the biggest Palin lie of all.)

She then lists the "hardships" as her own pregnancy, her daughter's"unplanned" pregnancy,  the diagnosis that Trig had Down syndrome when she was twelve weeks pregnant, Track about to be deployed to a war zone, the fact that she was at the time Governor of Alaska, and then of course the call from John McCain to be the vice presidential candidate.

I found it interesting that of all of the "hardships" she rattled off, that really the only one that she did not actually plan was Bristol's pregnancy. All of the others she orchestrated in one way or another.

It is after the last question concerning what she plans to talk about at the fundraiser where some serious word salad gets tossed.

"I'll be able to, even though I'm not going to get political, it's kind of in my blood, I'm going to be able to relate to the tumultuous world that we are in today. People seeking real answers, real hope, they're seeking peace. They're...they're seeking solutions to things that they see and feel that are out of their control. Just like a young mother with that diagnosis you know of being pregnant unexpectedly. A lot of things that she would be feeling too, more centralized of course, more personalized. Being able to, through the experiences that we've gone through, experiences that your clients have gone through, being able to translate that into a bigger picture about what's going on in our world. Less than ideal circumstances how we handle'em. How we can make this world a better place by all of us making healthy choices as individuals, as families, as communities, and then as a nation."

Uhhhhh....WTF?

So if I understand that right, and I have no confidence that I do, Palin is saying that she is going to relate an unexpected pregnancy to a world at war, terrorism making us feel less safe at home, and how we can conquer all of that by following Michelle Obama's advice about making healthy choices?

Is that right?

Is it too early to start drinking?

Well in news that is easier to understand, the Daily Mail, Palin's favorite British newspaper, has posted an article taking note of the fact that she wore her wedding ring to the Roberts fundraiser, after earlier making a big deal over the fact that it was missing, and using that as an excuse to once again talk about the drunken brawl in Anchorage.

So it appears that, though there is little new to report, the brawl lives on in the minds of journalists around the world.

Gotta love that!

Sarah Palin wears her motherhood like a designer flack jacket worn to deflect criticism and attract admiration. But is there any reason that it should?

"Why are they touching me?"

Somebody sent me this link to the Facebook page of a woman named, Lynda Armstrong, who attended Friday's PTSD  event and then wrote about it the day after.

Armstrong also runs the sycophantic US for Palin fansite so as you can imagine she was a little excited.

Get a load of this:

I arrived a little early and found the person I needed to find. I can tell you I had butterflies dive-bombing in my stomach. In a few minutes I would see the lady who lives under the great North Star - the lady we call, "Sarah." 

Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best. Many were waiting to meet Our Sarah. The people around me were so nice. They could not wait to meet her. For some, it was the first time. I was able to talk to some about Sarah Palin's Earthquake Movement. Those with whom I spoke about SPEQ seemed very interested. Then, it was my turn. 

I walked into the room. Sarah looked beautiful. She reached out her hand and we exchanged a few words. I hugged her. If you look at the picture, you can see Sarah is smiling. In her arms, I told her that over 35 people texted me and asked me to give her that hug. The 35 asked me to tell her they love her and they have her back. Sarah said to tell all of you, "Thank you and that she has your back". 

Far too fast, my special moment was over. I was escorted into dinner by a nice looking Marine in full dress uniform. My seat was at table number four. My chair was turned so that I was dead-on in front of Sarah. No one was in front of me. I was in hog heaven. 

Sarah's speech was wonderful. She was more than just a mom talking about her son. Although, she did that, she also encouraged others to step up and fight for those who have and are still fighting for our freedom.

Holy Wing nuts Batman!  That is a whole lot of idiotic idolatry to swallow all at once.

I'm surprised she left out the part where Sister Sarah walked on water and turned turned every day cold medicine in meth.

For some reason that whole "She was more than a mom talking about her son" phrase really bothered me.

Then I read this on Armstrong's Palin fanzine:  

Sarah Palin’s speech was as great as I knew it would be. She spoke about her son, Track who had been at Mighty Oaks for its services. Track served combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He suffers from PTSD. Track now works with other combat veterans. 

Sarah Palin said Christ heals better than any amount of pills or counselling.(sic)

What? Christ heals better than medications and counseling?

The hell it does. And telling people something like that is incredibly irresponsible.

Especially since stories about Track self medicating are as well known in Wasilla as stories about epic snowfalls of the past.

And allow me to remind everybody again that Track could NOT have developed PTSD while in the military because he was not exposed to combat.

See? No Combat Infantry Badge.

So either Palin lying about the FACT that Track suffers from PTSD, or WHERE the trauma occurred, and she is also offering terrible, and potentially harmful, advice to people who are legitimately suffering with the disorder.

NOBODY should be listening to this whack-a-doodle about ANYTHING. But especially not about something this serious.

But clearly Palin has no intention of curtailing her mission of misinformation.