As the anti-Obama, anti-Democrat rhetoric of the right becomes increasingly shrill, it's worth asking why Republicans, having demonstrated a complete inability to govern responsibly, are so shocked to learn that they now reside on the fringes of mainstream thought. Two perspectives today provide some insight.

Anthony DiMaggio points out that "right-wing conservatives and Republican political leaders" view themselves as "the legitimate rulers of the United States and the world."

This basic contempt for anything but one-party rule is manifested in a number of dire threats repeated by the party, with its members promising the end of Western civilization as we know it if they lose their dominant status in government.

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The Alaska Supreme Court has refused to block the legislative investigation and report in TrooperGate. The report should be out today.

The Guardian reports that Gov. Sarah Palin, and some of her employees, may be censured.

In an attempt to mitigate the fallout, the McCain campaign released a competing report. Naturally, the report clears her. (Note: the report is by the McCain campaign, not the Personnel Board.)

The details of her husband Todd Palin's answers in the legislative probe are here. The Court's decison is below, the opinion should follow shortly.

Other than the knowledge gained by keeping a sharp eye on Russia from her hilltop on some Alaskan island, Sarah Palin's only claim to expertise owes to Alaska's abundance of oil. Palin has expertly siphoned off oil revenues for the State of Alaska. That doesn't mean she has the broader expertise in energy policy that she claims.

Palin told a town hall questioner that he did not need to worry about Alaskan oil being exported to other countries.

"In fact," she added, "Congress is pretty strict on, um, export bans of oil and gas especially."

Not so, according to the AP. [more ...]

Time Magazine reports on Gov. Sarah Palin's unclear religious views. Is she a Pentacostal or an Evangelical?

It is this Pentecostal association that most concerns and confuses the McCain campaign. As Minnery makes clear, millions of Evangelicals have accepted Palin because of her membership in a Bible church. But there is no denying that mainstream Evangelicals and Pentecostals, while political allies on many social issues, have historically had significant tensions over theological differences. The Evangelicals' swoon for Palin might fade if it turns out that she continues to hold fast to Pentecostal practices and beliefs.

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Steve Benen discusses Barack Obama's goading of John McCain to "say it to my face":

I suspect Obama is baiting McCain for a reason -- he wants McCain to lose his cool, make personal attacks, and try to change the subject away from the economy. Obama isn't afraid of this scenario, he'd welcome this scenario.

No doubt. The alternative of course is to get McCain to back off of the smear campaign. Either way, Obama wins. If McCain goes there in the third debate, no doubt Obama has a well planned reply along the lines Bill Clinton used in 1992. If the McCain campaign backs off, that's good for Obama too. A good, and dare I say it, obvious tactic.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Nicholas Kristoff calls attention to another substantive policy difference between Barack Obama and John McCain.

Senator Obama supports U.N.-led efforts to promote family planning; Senator McCain stands with President Bush in opposing certain crucial efforts to help women reduce unwanted pregnancies in Africa and Asia.

In other words, Obama supports making birth control easier to obtain. The ready availability of birth control reduces demand for abortions, so you'd think McCain would be on board. Instead, he's on board the right wing aversion to funding any program that makes it easier for women to make choices about their reproductive lives.

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The Help America Vote Act turns out to be the Stop Americans From Voting Act as it's being administered by some states.

[S]ix swing states seem to be in violation of federal law in two ways. Michigan and Colorado are removing voters from the rolls within 90 days of a federal election, which is not allowed except when voters die, notify the authorities that they have moved out of state, or have been declared unfit to vote. Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio seem to be improperly using Social Security data to verify registration applications for new voters.

In addition to the six swing states, three more states appear to be violating federal law. Alabama and Georgia seem to be improperly using Social Security information to screen registration applications from new voters. And Louisiana appears to have removed thousands of voters after the federal deadline for taking such action.

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Warren Zevon version here.

Here are First Dude Todd Palin's sworn interrogatories (pdf) submitted today in TrooperGate. Shorter version: Poor, poor pitiful me.

It is unfair to apply a double standard against my wife just because she is the state's first female governor."

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Joe Biden channeling Hunter at a rally in Florida:

"You know, the idea here that somehow these guys are once again injecting fear and loathing into this campaign is ... I think it's mildly dangerous," Biden said. "Here you have out there these kinds of, you know, incitements out there -- guy introducing Barack using his middle name as if it's some [epithet] or something,"

The latest Ipsos/McClatchy poll has Sen. Barack Obama 7 points ahead of John McCain. Why? The economy and Sarah Palin.

First, voters are ever more anxious about the faltering economy and trust Obama by a 15-point margin over McCain to steer it. Second, their confidence that McCain's running mate Sarah Palin is qualified to step into the presidency if necessary has fallen sharply.

...Palin's sunk since her debate last week with Joe Biden. Before the debate, voters thought her qualified to be president by a margin of 48 percent to 44 percent. After the debate, she was seen as qualified by 43 percent, while those saying she's not qualified rose to 51 percent.

The Alaska Legislature's TrooperGate report will be out Friday.

In lieu of testimony, seven employees, after Republicans lost their lawsuit to have the probe declared invalid, answered written questions under oath.

First Dude Todd Palin had until today to get his answers in.

A legislative panel has scheduled a meeting for 9 a.m. Friday to receive Branchflower's report on Monegan's firing and whether Palin or members of her administration abused their powers in pushing for the dismissal of a state trooper involved in a child-custody fight with the governor's sister.

Who didn't cooperate? Gov. Sarah Palin. [More...]

Michelle Obama is on Larry King Live tonight. She seems very relaxed and conversational. I'm starting to picture her as our First Lady. I think she'll be a terrific role model. She has so much more to offer, and is so much more interesting, than Cindy McCain.

Did any of you see it? Here are the clips:

Not offended by 'that one'

Michelle Obama says she was not offended by John McCain's "that one" comment during the debate.

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