Positively Puzzled

I realize I make this connection very, very late in the game, but it occurred to me this afternoon just how uncanny it is that Aaron Sorkin*, in The West Wing , prefigured Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's portmanteau malaprop " refudiate ". In the episode titled "Disaster Relief", fictional Vice President "Bingo Bob" Russell uses the word "propulgate" at a conference at the White House in the Roosevelt Room. Gary Cole as VP Bob Russell in The West Wing From the West Wing script : VP Russell (played by Gary Cole): Excuse me, Toby, if I may. You're right, Congressman. If we lower cap gains taxes, we reward the small business owners who took a risk for the economy and I'd be the first in line to pat 'em on the back, but the thing is, the Speaker is trying to "propulgate" a tax bill onto an appropriations package. We start allowing that, we're never going to get budgets passed. [Leo, Toby, and ...

Camille Conti (CC) host of "The Cutting Edge" KUDO 1080 , Alaska Progressive Radio, and State Senator Bill Wielechowski appeared on The Thom Hartmann Show , Thursday September 18, 2008. They tell an astounding story. I haven't been able to find any pertinent links, so here's a transcript of Thom's interview with CC: Thom Hartmann: The Republicans are sending lawyers to Alaska to shut down the Troopergate investigation. What's the latest on this? Camille Conti: You know, Thom? I have to tell you, I so appreciate this opportunity, because, really, Alaska needs America right now. What is happening in my city could happen in anybody's city. It is so much bigger than you can ever imagine. The McCain campaign has basically high-jacked our government and they have infiltrated our Department of Law. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life. This anti-terrorism prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York City Ed O'Callaghan...