Oh, really? So when I founded a student club at my university and served as its president for two years, I had no "actual responsibilities"? I probably had to budget and monitor more money we were allotted annually than you did for your annual budgets at Wasilla, governor!
(Cross posted at Kos)
As an atheist, I was disgusted by the national reaction to the Pledge of Allegiance "under God" ruling in June 2002. We had a good number of religious-affiliated student organizations at my 16,000-student university but none dedicated to non-religious students; I thought it was time we had one.
I spent that summer and fall recruiting friends to be founding officers.
I wrote our constitution.
I worked with other political clubs I was involved in to advertise and recruit members.
I made, posted and distributed fliers around campus.
I asked my political science professor to be our advisor, and she agreed to help not because she was a secularist but because she believed such a group was needed.
I established a relationship with the religious clubs so we could sponsor events together.
I established a rapport with American Atheists, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Secular Student Alliance and the Campus Freethought Alliance.
I petitioned the student services administration for extra funds when we needed them.
And I made it clear from Day 1: Our objective was to promote church-state separation as a guarantee for religious freedom for all, and to discussing secularist ideas, not to demean or attack others' religious beliefs.
As founding president, I bought pizza for meetings to encourage members to attend. I asked speakers from American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State to visit campus, and they did pro bono. I asked one professor to speak about religion and psychology, and another about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance.
We co-sponsored with the religious clubs debates between experts over the existence of God, church-state separation and intelligent design; all attracted a few hundred people each.
Each time we held a meeting, I worried about how many would show up. Each time we sponsored an event, I worried about turnout. Each time we held officer elections, I worried if enough people were interested to run.
Now, I didn't save any lives, I didn't save anyone's home, I didn't save anyone's job - and I certainly didn't do it alone. But, three years out of college now, I consider founding the club one of my life's achievements; and hopefully we opened a few eyes and a few minds along the way.
But I must've wasted my life because none of that were "actual responsibilities."
...Reviewing the McCain Campaign's bullying, "unprofessional" onslaught against anyone who notes Palin's extreme positions and dishonest claims, Time's Joe Klein urged reporters to face facts:I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God."
By all accounts, Palin faced a huge task in St Paul. She had to prove she was up to the job of commander in chief.
She struck out big-time -- in a biting speech that showed the only job she was ready for is RNC Chair, another ruthless soldier in Karl Rove's army.
That's what happened to Palin in Wasilla. She couldn't manage that small town effectively, and it was during her term that the party pressured her to hire an administrator.
As a "fiscal conservative" she increased government spending in Wasilla by over 30% and left the small city government in debt - when it previously had a surplus.
Sound familiar?