Shannon and I have a small garden at the back of our house - we’ve planted tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, and cantaloupe. I picked my first cantaloupe today and it was small, soft, and tasty:

“Democracy first… FIRST, FIRST, FIRST!”

Is anyone else reminded of another beauty queen’s response when listening to these answers? I can see why the McCain camp has only allowed Palin to be interviewed a handful of times (compared to the 80+ interviews Biden has done).

And this is Katie Couric - not exactly a hardball interviewer (in fact, given the “crisis” those questions were all very softball). I can’t wait for the VP debates.

Oh well - at least it would make a neat Disney movie (best quote: “You pucked with the wrong ice president!”).

UPDATE: Oh man, another clip from the interview where she is trying to explain how being close to Russia gives her foreign policy experience. It’s almost comical at this point (until you realize that this person might actually be one heartbeat away from the presidency!).

David Letterman comments on McCain canceling his appearance due to the economic crisis.

We had a few high school friends over for food and fun this past weekend. A full album is coming eventually… for now enjoy this group shot (click to make gigantic):

Politico looks into Sarah Palin’s attendance record as Governor. Of the 397 workdays in her Governorship (578 if you include weekends and holidays), Palin was in Juneau for at most 85 days. We can only say “at most” because this assumes she never traveled anywhere other than her home and the capital (which would make the total days in the capital even less).

We know she was at home for 312 days because she billed per diem to the state of Alaska for her time spent at home. You read that right: she made the government pay her to work from home.

Why does the governor of Alaska need to be in the state capital? There are two big reasons — and probably many smaller ones. The first big reason is that she appoints most of the people who manage the 15 departments of Alaska’s state government, containing more than 100 divisions and employing more than 50,000 people. Nearly all the department heads and division directors are headquartered in Juneau. E-mails and telephone calls alone are not effective for the governor to get advice, give directions and follow up to ensure that appropriate policy is being implemented. It is obvious that the ability to fully monitor the performance of the bureaucracies any governor has chosen to lead is greatly restricted if the governor does not spend significant time on the ground where the operations of government are housed.

But also of great importance is the governor’s ability to work with the legislature to update state policies and offer new programs for improving governance. Any effective governor must work on an ongoing basis with not only the leadership of both houses in the state legislature to build consensus and draft the governor’s proposals into language that both houses can accept, but also committee chairmen and recalcitrant members whose votes are needed to support key portions of the governor agenda.

Heckuva job there, Palin. Must be hard to run a state with a built in surplus from oil taxes.

George Will has been a strong conservative voice for as long as I can remember. I enjoy watching him on the “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” round table discussions, and I also read his columns in Newsweek. His perspective on most issues is usually backed up with common sense and logic.

After his enlightening comments on this past Sunday’s “This Week”, George published an opinion piece about McCain:

Conservatives who insist that electing McCain is crucial usually start, and increasingly end, by saying he would make excellent judicial selections. But the more one sees of his impulsive, intensely personal reactions to people and events, the less confidence one has that he would select judges by calm reflection and clear principles, having neither patience nor aptitude for either.

It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?

Libby was so cute this past Friday when I was mowing the lawn - she wanted to walk along and hold my hand. I really appreciate these “daddy” moments because it feels wonderful to love and be loved this much, but also because I know that Libby’s babyhood (like all things in life) is fleeting.

Aaron Sorkin wrote an excellent op-ed piece for the NY Times, conjuring up a meeting between Obama and fictional West Wing president Jed Bartlett. In my mind I read the whole thing in the voice of the brilliant actor Martin Sheen, which made me miss the television series even more. Here’s a snippet:

BARTLET That was a hell of a convention.

OBAMA Thank you, I was proud of it.

BARTLET I meant the Republicans. The Us versus Them-a-thon. As a Democrat I was surprised to learn that I don’t like small towns, God, people with jobs or America. I’ve been a little out of touch but is there a mandate that the vice president be skilled at field dressing a moose —

OBAMA Look —

BARTLET — and selling Air Force Two on eBay?

OBAMA Joke all you want, Mr. President, but it worked.

BARTLET Imagine my surprise. What can I do for you, kid?

OBAMA I’m interested in your advice.

BARTLET I can’t give it to you.

…