Palin to speak today on disability issues

I haven't really blogged yet about my opinion on veep candidate Sarah Palin and her claim that having an infant son with Down Syndrome gives people concerned with disability issues a "friend" in the White House. Frankly, I don't find her a credible enough candidate to get very wonky about: I find anyone who believes that the End Times will occur in their lifetime fundamentally unfit to be a steward for the future of my country.

But anyway.

Palin is expected to speak in Pittsburgh today, and according to a Palin advisor she will offer specific policy details of how a McCain-Palin administration will be of any use at all to people with disabilities. It will be interesting to see her pledge her advocacy while simultaneously opposing funding for services to assist disabled people.

Earlier this week in Denver, Palin spoke against a Colorado ballot initiative designed to address the wait list of over 12,000 developmentally disabled citizens needing services like home health care and job training. Although there is reportedly no organized opposition to the initiative, Palin made a point of expressing her lack of support for Colorado disabled waiting years and years for help.

What Palin won't be mentioning in her speech today: McCain's dismal health care plan and how its goal of deregulating health insurance will assuredly shut out many Americans with pre-existing conditions -- like, for example, Down Syndrome. Or McCain's refusal to support the Community Choice Act, a bill designed to break the nursing home monopoly on government-funded health care and allow people to receive care in their own homes.

But let's see if she can play the acronym game. Look for some sort of minimal competency on the ADA, IDEA, and IEPs. See if she can do better than the rote speech on "curing" autism. Listen for even one mention of aid for adults with disabilities, those pesky grownups that should be part of any genuine "commitment to protecting life." If she references her choice to not abort a child with developmental difficulties, wait in vain for her to say what her policy details do for institutionalized disabled girls or women who get pregnant by the rape of their caregivers. Those women (possibly institutionalized due to lack of funding alternatives) would be forced to carry the fetuses of their rape to term under McCain-Palin policies, of course.

Look also for some more baby-cuddling because that's substantive policy we can all appreciate.

h/t several times over to Patricia E. Bauer