Sarah Palin earned the nickname “barracuda” as a high school basketball player for her aggressive play. Obviously fond of nicknames Palin described herself as a hockey mom aka “a pit bull with lipstick.” This past weekend Palin apparently was apparently seeking another descriptive title as the female version of Freddy Krueger in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Palin accused Barack Obama of “being pals with terrorists” — an accusation which is both outrageous and pathetic. This was the latest (and nastiest) effort by right wing nuts to tie Obama to the 1960’s radical Bill Ayers — a former member of the radical 1960’s anti-war group the Weatherman. Ayers was accused of, but never prosecuted for, bombing public buildings around the time his “pal” Barack Obama was 8 years old.

After the war Ayers settled on Chicago’s Southside and became a professor of education at the University of Chicago and a community activist for educational reform. In the 1990’s he met Obama who was a community organizer at the time. The sole extent of Obama’s relationship with Ayers was attending one fundraiser at Ayers’ home and being a fellow board member for a non-profit organization which promoted low-income housing.

From that Palin accuses Obama of “being pals with terrorists”? I realize the McCain-Palin ticket is desperate and sinking in the polls daily, but is this kind of gutter politics necessary? Maybe this trash has a place in Alaskan politics but not in a presidential race as important as this one.

John McCain has put a premium on honor in his life and he has earned it. For his sake, I hope he doesn’t allow this lightweight, egomanical, narcissistic, emotionless hack from Alaska who doesn’t know the meaning of honor or honesty to take him into the gutter with her.

By Bob Beckel
Democratic Strategist/FOX News Political Contributor

Have we reached the point of mediocrity in this country that Sarah Palin’s debate performance was actually acceptable to her supporters (fortunately, Independents in early polls do not share that view) because she didn’t fall on her face, as many conservatives feared? That’s your standard? No wonder there are still some of you who still think George Bush, the very definition of mediocrity, is a good president.

In a word, Palin’s debate performance was awful. She couldn’t win a high school student council election with those homespun platitudes, repetitive inane comments about the war, and most strikingly her refusal to answer not a few but EVERY question put to her that demanded a direct answer.

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By Bob Beckel
Democratic Strategist/FOX News Political Contributor

I want to thank the hundreds of FOX Forum readers who commented on my last post concerning the arrogance of George Bush. The response from many self-described “Republicans,” “conservatives” and “right wingers,” brought tears to these liberal eyes. The warmth; “you left-wing commie,” the understanding; “you idiot,” the compassion; “screw you” meant more to me then you can possibly know.

Is it my imagination, or are many of you angry? If I were a Republican and facing the rejection of conservatism on an unprecedented scale this coming November, I suppose I’d be angry as well.Perhaps I can help you understand why your political philosophy is about to be rejected by the American people.

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By Bob Beckel
Democratic Strategist/FOX News Political Contributor

Karl Rove, my fellow contributor at FOX News, took a particularly nasty shot at Barack Obama in his Wall Street Journal column on Thursday, June 26. Karl’s central point of attack boils down to this: Barack Obama is an arrogant, self-centered, egotistical politician whose entire campaign is for and about Barack Obama. Rove cites the use of a presidential looking seal displayed at a few of Obama’s speeches (quickly abandoned — fortunately) as a sign of Obama’s arrogance.

Rove returns to Obama’s arrogance again and again in the piece, suggesting, I assume, that this is a disqualifying personality flaw for someone who wants to be president. For Karl Rove, who was the “architect” of George W. Bush’s election and governing strategy, calling another politician arrogant is like suggesting Al Capone was a model citizen.

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By Bob Beckel
Democratic Strategist/FOX News Political Contributor

Barack Obama is taking significant heat from the press, John McCain, right wingers and various good government groups for his decision to forgo public financing for the general election. Obama turned down the $85 million in taxpayer money he would have received and opted to raise his own general election funds. Obama will be the first candidate for president to turn down public financing since the program was started after Watergate.

You would think by the howling of McCain, etc, Obama had opted to take funding from Vladimir Putin.

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