Shortly after this photograph was taken, the gentleman on the right was offered the Republican nomination for vice president. He turned it down to go run Lehman Brothers instead. Thanks to Brian for sending this along.

What a tragic month for our Snowbilly Dingbat! On August 29, just hours after Barack Obama’s stadium acceptance speech in Denver, John McCain waddled out with his exciting maverick veep pick, a nine-year-old child abandoned at the Wal-Mart in some exurban Alaskan gloom-hole. And America loved her! Or, “the Americans who voted for Bush, twice, thought she was better than that liberal Mexican McCain, at least.” And now? The only people still standing up for Our Sarah are the stupidest people in America the world: Socially Conservative Republican Men. MORE »

GEORGE WILL IN THE TANK FOR OBAMA? “Famed conservative columnist George Will told a gathering of Senate aides on Monday that Gov. Sarah Palin is ‘obviously’ not prepared to assume the presidency if necessary.” [Huffington Post]

Ha ha, here is the latest New Yorker cover, which proves Sarah Palin is an idiot. Tina Fey should get royalties. Speaking of New Yorkers, did you people know you can get your picture taken with Palin and some fake dead thing? [New Yorker]

GOOD NEWS FOR YOUR SARAH PALIN: Alaskan nitwit’s dismal interview with Katie Couric maybe wasn’t noticed by many, because of McCain’s dumb muppet stunt and the, uh, New Great Depression. Ha ha, not really, the whole world watched it on YouTube. [LA Times]

Alaskan waterhead Sarah Palin went to Ground Zero! She is really enjoying her first trip to a city, and also probably saw MAMMA MIA and The Lion King, which she found “too liberal.” And you know what’s super-duper tall? The Empire State Building, that’s what! They don’t make ‘em like that in Wasilla, where the tallest building is a Taco Bell arch. Anyway, let’s look at the transcript of Palin’s very brief, very embarrassing bit of give and take with the poor reporters who have to follow this idiot around New York and finally got to holler four questions today. MORE »

…which is why they are so obsessed with these matters of grave national importance. Thanks to Wonkette Operative Brian for bringing this to our attention.
[Washington Post/CNN]

Here’s forgotten Bush Administration tool Condoleezza Rice weighing in on McCain’s goofy pick for veep, Alaskan anger-bear and baby farmer Sarah Palin. MORE »

Guess who hasn’t been mentioned at all tonight? America’s favorite president, George W. Bush Junior! It’s as if Republicans haven’t held the White House for the past eight years. Who can remember that far back? So let’s welcome the new Geraldine Ferraro, “Barracuda Sarah” Palin — her own sister just called her that, on CNN — as she squeaks through a speech destined to give John McCain the SURGE he needs to finish this campaign as a complete sell-out loser who stands for nothing. Go Sarah! MORE »

And South Dakota Clinton supporter Cheryl Chamberlain takes the lead in the “Small Town Voters Who Shouldn’t Ever Talk To The Media” contest: “I won’t vote for Obama… You go on the Internet and see him associated with that church, with the Koran. He won’t wear a flag pin. … After 9/11, there is absolutely no way I’d support someone who is associated with the Koran. I won’t support terrorism.” In case you don’t get it, that mental leap chain is: Obama –> Internet –> Church –> Koran –> No Flag Pin –> 9/11 –> Koran –> Terrorist. [LA Times]

We have seen some “chatter” about the second-straight brilliant episode of Hardball today, and hot damn, this is some seven-diamond comedy here. Matthews is interviewing Republican radio host “Kevin James,” who screams in some white-trash voice about Obama being an appeaser for a couple minutes, before — around 4:00 into the clip — Matthews annihilates him, calls him “pathetic,” says “you don’t know anything,” and does this for several minutes. Nice work. Do it again tomorrow! [MSNBC]