TAKING THE “PE” OUT OF FOXY SARAH PALIN

As the wind and rain howled around my zone of Spain yesterday the power kept going off. Rather like the world finance markets I guess. To keep in touch with the economic trends, as power was restored for a few minutes, I’d zap around the TV stations – BBC World, CNN, Sky News and Fox.

I was rather puzzled that every time I arrived at Fox the economic crisis didn’t get a mention. Instead it was concentrating on that day’s theme – is Barack Obama linked to terrorists? They even dragged out a retired cop who gave us his view of world terrorism no doubt as seen through the bottom of a glass in a Bronx or Brooklyn watering hole.

There too was Sarah Palin revealing the low down on Obama’s alleged links to radical professor William Ayers.

This morning it all became clear. Turning on Sky News it reported that an Alaska ethics inquiry had found that Governor Sarah Palin had abused her authority by pressuring subordinates to fire a state trooper involved in a feud with her family.

Fox, bless it, was merely laying the ground in a clumsy attempt to divert our attention. Unfortunately it was “off-message” because on the same day McCain was desperately trying to back track assuring his bewildered supporters that Obama was a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."

Fox prides itself on being “fair and balanced”. Of course it is – all shades of Republican views are catered for. Democratic views aren’t worth a dime, which puts them slightly ahead of the US economy.

Meanwhile actress Penélope Cruz has said in a magazine interview that Barack Obama has to win the Presidential election – he is “intelligent, prepared and open.” Just why a Spanish film star was giving her views on US politics to an Italian magazine I’m not too sure – but that’s the global village for you!

Penélope is affectionately known as “Pe” in Spain, which is rather unfortunate when given the Anglo-Saxon pronunciation. She says that if the McCain and Palin ticket win the elections – she will cry for hours. No doubt Hollywood will at last reward her with the long lusted for Oscar! However in the coming days be preparing for the “Pe” to be taken out of Palin, but not on Fox.