anyone bill their state for travel by their kids lately?

The Associated Press has moved a story tonight documenting dozens of instances where Alaska Governor Sarah Palin billed Alaska taxpayers for the costs of travelling her family to events where the kids had not been invited.

Here's the headline: AP INVESTIGATION: Alaska funded Palin kids' travel

Check out the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081022/ap_on_el_pr/palin_family_travel_12. It seems that Governor Palin's concern for the taxpayer stops at the snowmachine's edge, or is it the 1000 thread sheets at a fancy NYC hotel, or just any old Alaska hootenanany that she could squeeze one, two, or three of her uninvited children into.

Governor Palin may have read some funny cue cards this past weekend while visiting 30 Rockefeller Center. But her presence on SNL still does not advance her beyond her status as a not ready for prime time player.

Who knew?

OK, the Veep debate was civil. Wasn't expecting that. Well, wasn't expecting it to be so civil, so staid, so polite. Well, there was the cuteness, the wink to dad Palin, the shout out to 3rd graders somewhere in Alaska, and humanity, the cracked voice when Biden talked about the loss of his first wife and daughter. But there was no drama, there was no one particular moment, with a great high, or a horrible low. As far as things go, this was measured. Each candidate did much better than expected, though as different instant polls show, Biden seemed to earn a decent victory. Perhaps it was the fact that he answered the questions asked, including what he and Obama might drop given the economic situation we are facing. Palin hung tough, suggesting there's nothing to be cut from a McCain-Palin plan, as they're not affected by the ongoing economic climate. Sure, there were differences on global warming, and on energy issues, but, surprisingly, there was absolutely none on gay rights, which might be a surprise to the McCain staff. All said, a debate that had huge billing, but will become a footnote, probably for 2012 when we next see Palin on a national stage, lights overhead, talking straight to camera with folksy cliches.

Vice Presidential debate viewing tips

Funs things to do during tonight's Vice Presidential debate:

Part I
Take a shot (alcohol or firearm) every time Governor Palin uses the word 'Gwen'
Take a shot each time Senator Biden says 'let me tell you'

Part II
Keep tabs of the total number of references Palin makes to her family. First Dude reference counts as a double score. Down's Syndrome is a triple score, and if she references Bristol's pregnancy, that's a quadruple score.
Count Biden's reference to his children, with double score for son Beau's scheduled departure for National Guard duty in Iraq.
Most references to family does not win, at least right now. That's for America to decide.

Part III
Count references to moose and Amtrak, and see which receives greater mention from each candidate.

Part IV
Listen carefully for the following words or phrases:

inexperienced
out of touch
unfamiliar
false
partisan

Treat it like bingo, marking off each one on a sheet. The first viewer to mark all five boxes gets to turn off the debate and watch the Cubs/Dodgers game from Wrigley.

Part V
See if Palin makes a point about Ifill's race. See if Biden makes a point about Ifill's gender. If any one candidate raises either point, game is over, and you must consume any alcohol not already consumed during part I of this game.