This morning, Fox News hosted right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin to assert tenuous ties between Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) campaign and a viral video about Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) — despite the fact the video’s creator and the Obama camp deny any such link. After the segment, host Bill Hemmer marveled at how “fascinating” the Internet is. As he and co-host Megyn Kelly talked about the “total bunk” that floats around the Internet, Kelly gave a plug for their own medium. “Stick with cable!” she exhorted. “We’re here for you,” Hemmer agreed. Watch it:

Ironically enough, Kelly and Hemmer blame the Internet for passing along the false rumor that Obama is a Muslim — completely ignoring their own network’s central role in perpetuating that lie.

In August 2001, President Bush sharply curbed embryonic stem cell research, funding only research on “existing stem cell lines.” Former HHS Secretary Tommy Thomspson told the World Stem Cell Summit this week that Bush came to the decision after consulting with he and Karl Rove over lunch in summer 2001:

Bush asked Thompson and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove to lunch. “He says, ‘Gentlemen, I want you to debate embryonic stem cells for me,’” Thompson said. “He says. ‘Karl, I know you’re opposed to it, and Tommy, you’re for it. I want to learn about it.’” Thompson said he told the president “every American” has a relative or friend who has suffered from diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. [...]

On Aug. 9, 2001, Bush announced he would allow federal funding for the research of 78 lines of embryonic stem cells. Prior to that, the administration refused to fund any research involving embryonic stem cells, and Rove aimed to continue that policy. “I’m absolutely certain if that lunch had not taken place, the research of the 78 lines would not have taken place,” Thompson said.

In contrast to Thompson’s claim, Bush’s decision was harmful to science — not a small victory. Rove has no background in health care or science. In the past, he falsely claimed that science has “far more promise from adult stem cells than from embryonic stem cells.”

Declaring yesterday that they are “done answering questions” about Troopergate, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and her aides have refused to cooperate with the legislative assembly’s investigation into allegations she wrongfully fired the police commissioner. Instead, they are answering only to the Personnel Board investigation — a board of three people appointed by the governor. (All three were appointed by former Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski, and one was reappointed by Palin.)

Today, the Anchorage Daily News reports that Palin could end the Personnel Board hearing “simply by refusing to cooperate.” State law allows the person who filed the complaint — in this case, Palin herself — to end the investigation by refusing to participate:

Alaska Statute 39.52.310: (i) The unwillingness of a complainant to assist in an investigation, the withdrawal of a complaint, or restitution by the subject of the complaint may, but need not in and of itself, justify termination of an investigation or proceeding.

The investigation, in other words, could end any moment Palin — or the McCain campaign — decides it’s going too far. Alternatively, even if the Personnel Board inquiry is allowed to be completed, its findings could remain secret. “The proceedings of the board are conducted in secret,” the New York Times reported, and according to former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles, it may never release its findings publicly:

“The personnel board would usually take two or three months to take a look at this,” [Knowles] said. “Nothing about the complaints are made public until there is a final report, and even that may not be made public.”

Palin has apparently learned a lot from the current Vice President. That she could suspend the inquiry at any moment or keep its findings — which will likely come out long after the election — secret forever only emphasizes how crucial it is that Palin and McCain stop stonewalling the Alaska legislature’s independent, bipartisan investigation and allow the truth to come out.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) just gave a press conference responding to Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) suggestion that they both suspend their campaigns, postpone Friday’s debate in Mississippi, and return to Washington to deal with the financial crisis. Obama said that he would like to the debate to go forward as planned because “it is going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once”:

With respect to the debates, it’s my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess. And I think that it is going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once. I think there’s no reason why we can’t be constructive in helping to solve this problem and also tell the American people what we believe and where we stand and where we want to take the country.

Watch it:

Earlier, Matt Yglesias made a similar point: “Meanwhile, I think walking and chewing gum at the same time is part of the president’s job.”

In an interview with CNN today, First Lady Laura Bush said that Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) doesn’t have the foreign policy experience the McCain campaign has been insisting she has.

CNN: Do you think she has the foreign policy experience that everyone’s criticizing her about?

BUSH: Well, obviously — Of course she doesn’t have that. That’s not been her role. But I think she’s a very quick study, and fortunately, John McCain does have that experience.

Watch it:

Bush’s comments echo those of Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), who recently said of Palin, “I think it’s a stretch to, in any way, to say that she’s got the experience to be president of the United States.”