Where are you Big Brother?

How I enjoy the Sunday Times. After a Saturday night of devilish fun - or maybe not - it's nice to relax with a coffee, watch the sunrise, and read "all the news that's fit to print." Wars, corruption, poverty, economic distress - ah yes, some soothing Sunday reading always hits the spot.

Today's New York Times, however, provided little comfort. Not surprisingly, the reason for all the commotion surrounds the lovely Sarah Palin and her charming "boss" John McCain. Indeed, the most striking piece, "Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends and Lashed Foes," was one of the more alarming articles I've read in some time.

The Times finds that, as Governor and Mayor, "Ms. Palin runs an administration that puts a premium on loyalty and secrecy." You thought Bush's antics were something else? HA! This makes George Bush look like George Washington.

So, let's get to it, shall we? While Mayor of Wasilla, she aligned herself with the kooky evangelical powers that be, firing 'progressive' museum employees and chastising local librarians.

“People would bring books back censored,” recalled former Mayor John Stein, Ms. Palin’s predecessor. “Pages would get marked up or torn out.”

Witnesses and contemporary news accounts say Ms. Palin asked the librarian about removing books from the shelves. The McCain-Palin presidential campaign says Ms. Palin never advocated censorship.

But in 1995, Ms. Palin, then a city councilwoman, told colleagues that she had noticed the book “Daddy’s Roommate” on the shelves and that it did not belong there, according to Ms. Chase and Mr. Stein. Ms. Chase read the book, which helps children understand homosexuality, and said it was inoffensive; she suggested that Ms. Palin read it.

“Sarah said she didn’t need to read that stuff,” Ms. Chase said. “It was disturbing that someone would be willing to remove a book from the library and she didn’t even read it.”

“I’m still proud of Sarah,” she added, “but she scares the bejeebers out of me.”

Uh, yeah. Even charter members of the Palin fan club are freaked-out by her closed-mindedness and extremism. Palin's anti-intellectualism is simply off the charts. I mean, censorship of books that help children deal with homosexuality? In the 21st century? Can you image John McCain circa 2000 watching this election unfold? I'm sure he would be just as horrified.

So, how did she conduct her gubernatorial campaign?

Not deeply versed in policy, Ms. Palin skipped some candidate forums; at others, she flipped through hand-written, color-coded index cards strategically placed behind her nameplate.

Ridiculous. Was she running for class president or Governor? Palin was and remains a beauty queen brat, an intense crammer and effortless performer. Skirt the issues, hide from tough questions, and razzle-dazzle the masses with glib cliches and sharp cracks.


On cronyism:

As she assembled her cabinet and made other state appointments, those with insider credentials were now on the outs. But a new pattern became clear. She surrounded herself with people she has known since grade school and members of her church.

The cracks of the whip:

The administration’s e-mail correspondence reveals a siege-like atmosphere. Top aides keep score, demean enemies and gloat over successes. Even some who helped engineer her rise have felt her wrath

Dan Fagan, a prominent conservative radio host and longtime friend of Ms. Palin, urged his listeners to vote for her in 2006. But when he took her to task for raising taxes on oil companies, he said, he found himself branded a “hater.”

It is part of a pattern, Mr. Fagan said, in which Ms. Palin characterizes critics as “bad people who are anti-Alaska.”

Sarah Palin is an unapologetic charlatan and pathological liar. Moreover, she's corrupt and dangerously ignorant. Oh sure, she's tenacious, ambitious and smart, which makes her a fine, if not exceptional, politician - providing the majority of voters are stupid, which they certainly are. But as a leader, role-model, citizen and humanist, she fails miserably.

Although polls show the Republican ticket gaining or at least maintaining ground, I still believe that John McCain's decision will be costly politically. That said, if I'm wrong and he actually triumphs (god help us), then I know that his decision will be costly for the United States and the World. There's no doubting the damage a McCain-Palin administration would bring. America will be at war; ridiculed by the last remaining sensible nations; mocked by its enemies; fall deeper into socio-economic turmoil; and, perhaps worst of all, be in the midst of an Orwellian nightmare.