Wasilla: Palin's 'Real America'

My Unusable Signal co-host and fellow Political Machinist Caleb Howe and I were having an argument several weeks ago about Sarah Palin and the Wasilla rape kit policy. Among other defenses, Caleb offered that perhaps Police Dept. policy was outside her purview, or too deep in the minutiae for her to know about or bother with. He gave the Fire Dept. as an example of another of the myriad agencies that a Wasilla mayor would be too busy to micromanage.

It was a silly argument, anyway, since every mayor of every town sets police department policy. Doesn't just know about it, but sets it.

Even so, I was reminded of this argument as I watched the Daily Show last night. Jason Jones did a field report on Wasilla, as part of the "Real America."

The piece is very funny, and very pointed, but the interview with the current Mayor of Wasilla, Dianne Keller, caught my attention. Not only does she say that being Wasilla's mayor is perfect prep for the Vice Presidency, she also tells Jones that Wasilla doesn't even have its own fire department.

There's a companion clip that I'll play after this one. The two clips together really nail the offensiveness of the McCain campaign's current "Real America" vs. "Anti-America" narrative they're pushing. Enjoy.

Tommy Christopher co-hosts "Unusable Signal" , on BlogTalkRadio Tues & Thur at 9pm, and Wed, Fri, & Sat at 11pm. Click here for the Unusable Signal homepage.