The biggest threat that she laid out tonight to Dem victory was her appeal to the disabled

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

She will have street cred because she is mom of a child with disabilities.

People with disabilities are one of the most un championed and unrecognized and yet most prevalent sectors of our society that cuts across every single income, race, class, religion, etc. and these people NEED HELP!!!!

The rates on autism are just through the roof.

Of course, the cynicism factor of appealing to this population and their affected families is also through the roof.

Who cuts benefits? Who cuts social services? Who cuts stem cell research? Who is against universal health?

Who will be a real friend in the executive branch?

[skooooo]

1. The way they pass that baby off to the 6 year old..

...and everyone else around didn't look good, imo.

[slinkerwink]

2. too bad she cut state funding for the disabled by 62% in Alaska

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. Well, there you go. That is what has to go out fast. nt.

[sandnsea]

6. Which is so typical

They oppose all assistance until some tragedy hits them personally. Just like Gordon Smith after his son committed suicide. He had oppose teen assistance programs before that, preferring to put money into the justice system. After his kid died, well then he was crying on the floor of the Senate asking for help. I so hate these people.

[vaberella]

19. send it to Obama...She brought it up, he can fight her on that issue alone. Biden will eat her. n/t

[ejpoeta]

38. i hope this gets my sister thinking.

she's republican. watches faux news and all that. she has a special needs daughter who has gotten therapists and all kinds of things thanks to special funding for kids like krystie. i hope that makes her think.

[tekisui]

40. Why didn't she mention that when talking about putting Alaska up on

eBay.

She is a vile person.

[goodgd_yall]

4. I only got the sense that she'll champion her baby's own particular disability

Isn't that the Republican way?

I can tell you, no disabled person, unless their disability involves brain damage, is going to believe the Republicans are going to make their lives better.

[Kool Kitty]

14. No, she won't.

Republicans always cut any assistance to people that need it. I'll bet that her feeling is-she's got money, she doesn't need help. And neither should you.

[goodgd_yall]

25. She'll champion it in different ways

certainly not government funding. It will be her "make America beautiful" campaign (Ladybird Johnson's cause). Doing PR about it, but, yes, I agree, she won't fight for funding or legislation.

[Kool Kitty]

29. Which makes her no champion.

It's just more empty yapping from another typical "Hoorah for me, and the hell with everybody else" republican.

[WinkyDink]

37. Church-based.

[noel711]

42. Church based...? What?

She dissed Obama's church based community organizing...

She's got no cred with me.

She sways with the wind.

[goodgd_yall]

5. Dupe post n/t

[Diane R]

7. Let everyone know she cut funding for special needs kids by 62%

[nini]

8. Health care is the answer don't you think?

And THEY are against it?


liar

[mcctatas]

9. Speaking both as a mother of an autistic child and a person who

is third generation social service royalty (little joke my parents use, we all go into the same field even though the pay is crap), parents and advocacy groups are some of the BEST informed people when it comes to political parties that will serve their own or their loved ones needs. Believe me, most of them will not be fooled by her or her party...

[Bosso 63]

20. Damn right we are.

When Palin said that crap, I was on fire!

[mcctatas]

26. The only thing that sucks for me is that since the agency I work

for receives gov. grants, I am forbidden from proselytizing for any party or cause so I have to be really careful about what I say to families I serve, but most of them bring crap like this up to me:)

[Seen the light]

10. She can talk when she's in favor of embryonic stem cell research

Until then, she can fuck off.

[mcctatas]

13. You're kinder than I am...

even then she can fuck off, slashing special needs funding by 62%? Heartless repug asshat...

[Egnever]

22. Yup

if they think she did well with this they have no clue and clearly neither does sarah she has yet to begin to understand what its like to have a child with special needs.

The idea that she gets it after 4 month of a down syndrom baby is pathetic.

Not to mention her rhetoric belies her record.

[depakid]

11. Apparently, she slashed funding for children with special needs

It's government waste, don't you see?

Until it happens to them personally.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

12. Slashed the Alaska Special Needs Ed budget by 62 PERCENT. Some "friend" . See LINK

at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3915534

[depakid]

31. But that was before SHE had a special needs child

so it doesn't count.

[bettyellen]

15. they'll all hate her when they find out her gutting special needs spending in school

and they will find out.

[faithfulcitizen]

16. Not if we inform voters that under this Admin., kids w/disabilities have SUFFERED tremendously.

THe funding has been slashed so badly, it's an absolute disgrace in this country.

[Egnever]

17. Um she had my wife screaming at her when she tried to push that shit

I don't think that went over well at all and it will especially sting when it gets out she cut special ed by 62%

[kiranon]

18. Not with this mom to 2 special needs kids.

She uses Trig like a prop without any regard for his needs. She slashed the budget for special education in Alaska. She gets no support from me and all the moms of special needs kids I know. What a phoney she is.

[grasswire]

30. I believe they are being cruel to that baby.

The poor thing, with all that noise and commotion. Honestly, who drags an infant to that kind of hysteria??

[yardwork]

21. Palin cut the funding for people with disabilities and teen moms as governor

even though her state is running a surplus. I don't call that street cred.

[enough already]

23. That kid is just a fucking prop

She doesn't give a shit about kids with special needs.

[JimDandy]

28. "Downsploitation", don't cha know? n/t

[mmonk]

24. Sorry but I don't know anybody in the disability community that will buy

that lie.

[JimDandy]

34. I do, and they have, because they are desperate.

That's how the pro-school vouchers group gets a toe hold in the states they target -- by pitching "scholarships", as they call them, (how jaded is that!) to parents of disabled children.

It takes a disproportionately larger share of money to educate a disabled child than it does a non-disabled one, in any school (public or private). But, even though more education dollars are spent on their disabled child, the parents often feel that still more time, money etc. is needed for their child from the local public school.

And in swoop the "voucher hawks" pitching their "scholarships" to these desperate parents. Ultimately they parade these families thru state legislatures touting "concern" for them and, of course, presenting THE SOLUTION--ta da--vouchers, that oh, by the way, will benefit their for-profit private school (and wreck the public education system in America, which is their goal).

The disability community is often targeted by these type of profit-motivated republicans and libertarians who use false concern for their welfare to pad their bottom line. In fact they sometimes deliberately pit the interests of the minority diabled community against the best interests of the majority and democracy as a whole. (Remember the voting machines debacle.)

These are the same republicans that push through the policies and legislation that deny health care, special services, employment etc to the disabled community. Why do they then fall for the repukes pitches and lies anyway? Because they are grateful for what looks like any help - even though it's really arsenic-laced crumbs.

[mmonk]

35. I just don't know any.

I'm a disability advocate for special needs kids in Raleigh, NC and everyone I know is sick of funding cuts whereby we are ALWAYS the first for these cuts.

[JimDandy]

41. I'm so sorry - I know the cuts can be devastating

and, of course, even though we know WHY they happen, (the benefit ratio or dollars/number of people) it's a hard blow never-the-less. Work on restoring the cuts, by lobbying your state legislature yourself. It can be intimidating at first and I've seen it take SEVEN years of going there year, after year until a cut is finally restored. Stay strong and don't fall for the "wolf "benefits offered in sheeps clothing" crumbs, when really what you need is something else.

[mzmolly]

27. Did she say she believes health care is a "personal responsibility?"

No, she didn't.

[texas1928]

32. She does not have a disabled child, her children do.

The only time I have seen her holding that baby is in still photos. Like he is a prop. In video, one of her kids is holding him. She want to bring the point across get a carrier backpack and lug him every where. The perception I get is the kids are raising that baby.

[Tutonic]

33. Just becuase they're disabled does not make them stupid. It won't

get her votes.

[WinkyDink]

36. If people with or a parent of someone with disabilities thinks people who HATE government and taxes

will HELP them more than the the Party of FDR, the Party of the Down-trodden, THEY ARE WILLFULLY STUPID.

[Chrisnreno]

39. Well

Any support she may have gained with the disabled was negated by her swipe at community organizers. She's gonna get all sorts of criticism for that terrible one-liner. I'm going to boldly label her speech last night an epic failure.

[merh]

43. Do you think parent's with disabled children and/or family members

with disabled relatives are that fucking stupid?

A good many have had to become political activists to see that the special needs child in the family is afforded basics and will have a future.

They will see past the presentation (if they haven't already seen past it) and look for substance (a few I have spoken to with are disgusted at the way the son was treated last night, as if he were a prop).

The issues that matter to the families and advocates for the special needs children and adults were not addressed at all last night. Her record of cuts to programs essential to special needs children speaks for itself and it isn't good.