She endorsed Sharron Angle
Sharron takes her 2nd amendment rights to the extreme:
She is also a racist:
Thinks separation of church and state is illegal:
Need I say more?
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Showing posts with label Reasons not to vote for Sarah Palin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reasons not to vote for Sarah Palin. Show all posts
Monday, August 8, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Reason #79 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She panders to different religions to get their vote
From Politicsusua
While discussing her Put Me On A Bus But Don’t Call Me A Candidate (Yet) Tour, Bill Maher highlight some serious religious carpet bagging on the part of Sarah Palin, “She’s so disingenuous. And then she wears, look at this, she came to a biker rally she wore a big cross, and then she showed up in New York City the next day with a Star of David. Sarah, why don’t you wear the Star of David to the biker rally? I’d love to see how that…”
Maher then played the infamous Paul Revere clip, and summed it up as “Paul Revere was warning the British about gun control, and Washington apparently was crossing the Potomac to bomb an abortion clinic. It’s just amazing.” Maher made the same point that I have been making that we should never underestimate the ability of the American voter to elect a willfully ignorant Republican to be president.
Despite all of her public claims of faith, former Palin aide Frank Bailey confirmed that he never saw Palin pray or carry a Bible,
Martin Bashir: It’s hard to equate that with her claims of Christian faith. Elsewhere you say I never saw Sarah read or carry a bible on any of our frequent travels nor did she cite verses. We didn’t hold prayers before meals or prior to meetings. So is this claim of Christianity a complete charade.
Frank Bailey: I don’t believe it’s a charade.
Martin Bashir: Every time she makes a speech she says she’s prayed about somethi — prayed about something. You say you never saw her pray or ever saw her read scripture. Is it a charade?
Frank Bailey: For what I saw firsthand, and, again, for some of the things I was involved in that I took part in in the book. I mean, she from her office had me digging up any kind of dirt on somebody who was an advocate in the causes she said she believed in, some of these Christian causes. She had me overturning sex records, sex offender records, you know, criminal records, any kind of dirt I could turn over on this specific person. What kind of person is going to with the FBI and the IRS at their beckon, what kind of leader is that going to make them.
Sarah Palin’s faith is another marketing tool used to further the myth of Sarah. Palin has been proven to be a hunting fraud, and as Bill Maher pointed out she is also a religious opportunist who will pander to any possibly constituency while she carpet bags her way to God. Nothing about Sarah Palin is real. She isn’t authentic. Ambition, not values, is her guide.
Bill Maher caught something that most people let slide. Sarah Palin is a religious carpet bagger. The only genuine elements of Sarah Palin’s character are her ego and ambition.
Sarah you can't be Jewish and a Christian at the same time. Even Jesus had to choose.
From Politicsusua
While discussing her Put Me On A Bus But Don’t Call Me A Candidate (Yet) Tour, Bill Maher highlight some serious religious carpet bagging on the part of Sarah Palin, “She’s so disingenuous. And then she wears, look at this, she came to a biker rally she wore a big cross, and then she showed up in New York City the next day with a Star of David. Sarah, why don’t you wear the Star of David to the biker rally? I’d love to see how that…”
Maher then played the infamous Paul Revere clip, and summed it up as “Paul Revere was warning the British about gun control, and Washington apparently was crossing the Potomac to bomb an abortion clinic. It’s just amazing.” Maher made the same point that I have been making that we should never underestimate the ability of the American voter to elect a willfully ignorant Republican to be president.
Despite all of her public claims of faith, former Palin aide Frank Bailey confirmed that he never saw Palin pray or carry a Bible,
Martin Bashir: It’s hard to equate that with her claims of Christian faith. Elsewhere you say I never saw Sarah read or carry a bible on any of our frequent travels nor did she cite verses. We didn’t hold prayers before meals or prior to meetings. So is this claim of Christianity a complete charade.
Frank Bailey: I don’t believe it’s a charade.
Martin Bashir: Every time she makes a speech she says she’s prayed about somethi — prayed about something. You say you never saw her pray or ever saw her read scripture. Is it a charade?
Frank Bailey: For what I saw firsthand, and, again, for some of the things I was involved in that I took part in in the book. I mean, she from her office had me digging up any kind of dirt on somebody who was an advocate in the causes she said she believed in, some of these Christian causes. She had me overturning sex records, sex offender records, you know, criminal records, any kind of dirt I could turn over on this specific person. What kind of person is going to with the FBI and the IRS at their beckon, what kind of leader is that going to make them.
Sarah Palin’s faith is another marketing tool used to further the myth of Sarah. Palin has been proven to be a hunting fraud, and as Bill Maher pointed out she is also a religious opportunist who will pander to any possibly constituency while she carpet bags her way to God. Nothing about Sarah Palin is real. She isn’t authentic. Ambition, not values, is her guide.
Bill Maher caught something that most people let slide. Sarah Palin is a religious carpet bagger. The only genuine elements of Sarah Palin’s character are her ego and ambition.
Sarah you can't be Jewish and a Christian at the same time. Even Jesus had to choose.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Reason #78 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She's anti-choice, even in cases of rape and incest
Yet she may have had an abortion herself
Yet she may have had an abortion herself
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Reason #77 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
Prisongate
Something doesn't appear to be right at the Alaska's Department of Corrections. Some of the events described below date from April 2008, but one of them is as recent as December 2008. I researched the issues quite fully and could not find references to any substancial changes in procedures or approach since the problems started. As a matter of fact, the excuses offered by the very people in charge suggest that there was never any intention to take any measures to address a number of grievances.
I have separated the issues according to the people responsible, to show the consistency in their responses to criticism. They are: Joe Schmidt, Commissioner for the Department of Corrections, Dr Rebecca Bingham, Clinical Director for the same department and Governor Sarah Palin, who's responsible for the appointments of heads of departments.
I must point out that what brought these issues to my attention was a brief article in the Anchorage Daily News about Governor Sarah Palin choosing Commissioner Joe Schmidt to be next in line to take the reins as governor of Alaska should anything happen to herself or lieutenant governor Sean Parnell. Sarah Palin and Joe Schmidt attended Wasilla High School together and she appointed him to the top job in the Department of Corrections when she was elected governor in 2006.
A comment on another article, (Stumper, by Andrew Romano, Newsweek) prompted some more digging into the problems faced by prison staff and inmates.
Posted By: akcorrec (October 8, 2008 at 1:33 AM)
"I am a female and work at Alaska’s only maximum security prison. Sarah Palin appointed a good buddy of hers to be our Commissioner of Corrections, Joe Schmidt. Joe Schmidt has deliberately made management decisions that have made our jobs, as correctional officers, more life threatening.
We tried going to Sarah Palin with our concerns but she wouldn’t listen to us. We then decided to submit a ‘no confidence’ vote in Schmidt. Out of the 733 correctional officers working in the state of Alaska over 500 of us voted. Out of those, less than 20 said they had confidence in Schmidt. The rest of us voted ‘no confidence’ in his leadership. This was unprecedented. At no time, before Schmidt was appointed as our commissioner, had we ever initiated a ‘no confidence’ vote in one of our commissioners.
Surely now, we thought, our governor Sarah Palin will hear and investigate our concerns regarding Joe Schmidt. That didn’t happen. Rather, she publicly said that she stood by Schmidt and that 97% of Alaska’s correctional officers are just a bunch of "disgruntled employees".
MRSA is running rampant in our institutions and we are deliberately being understaffed. Joe Schmidt is not only allowing understaffing but is actively encouraging it.
Prisoners with MRSA are being treated but not officially diagnosed with the bacterium. By not having cultures done, to determine the presence of MRSA, they are then able to be released right back out into the general prisoner population. If they were officially diagnosed then they’d have to be medically isolated. Consequently other prisoners and staff members keep contracting MRSA.
When a staff member contracts it, we’ve had two new cases in the last month and a half alone at my facility, they are told to "pin point exactly" where in the institution they contracted it. It’s a bacterium that can only be seen under an electron microscope yet we’re supposed to say exactly where we got it???
The department, under Joe Schmidt’s leadership, will not pay medical costs or reimburse leave time used, for any staff members that come down with MRSA unless they can prove that they got it at work. The very same place that contagious prisoners are being treated and then sent back home to their cells to expose every other prisoner and staff member they come into contact with.
We are also constantly under staffed. Rather than calling officers in on overtime, when we’re under manned, we’re left short handed. There are many officers willing to come in and work. All the department has to do is ask.
We also have mandatory posts that are never to be left unmanned. They are being manned by "phantom" officers. Which is to say one officer assigned to two posts. The officer’s name will be filled in, on paper, as filling in a certain post when in actuality he or she is working another one as well.
Twice, in the last year, we’ve had "man down" alarms go off in the facility and not enough officers to be able to allow anyone to respond to the emergency. By the grace of God, both times, the alarms were accidentally set off and no officer’s life was in actual jeopardy. But we may not always be so fortunate. When that happens, whether an officer loses his or her life to MRSA or a prisoner assault, we’ll be able to credit Sarah Palin and Joe Schmidt with murder."
Prisongate, in three parts.
Joe Schmidt
The Alaska Correctional Officers Association gave the state corrections commissioner Joe Schmidt a "no confidence" censure vote on Tue, April 22, 2008. ACOA union members voted 514 to 19 against Schmidt.
Overcrowded prisons, a drug-resistant skin infection being passed around the prisoner population and staff, plus a no-confidence vote for Commissioner Joe Schmidt are some of the problems faced by Alaska's Department of Corrections.
It is accepted that Alaska's jails are filled beyond capacity. But there are differing opinions about whether the state is doing enough to keep the facilities safe and clean.
There are more inmates than ever at Anchorage Correctional Complex. Alaska Correctional Officers Association, which represents officers, says the state is reducing the number of guards patrolling the jails.
Commissioner Joe Schmidt and his deputy commissioners claim the union is playing dirty to get more control over the department and its management. "I felt bullied," he said.
Schmidt claims he has made a lot of difficult changes since being appointed at the end of 2006 - reducing overtime, promoting rehabilitation programs, and pushing aggressively for ways to reduce costs and the state's staggering 60 percent of offenders who end up back in jail. .
Governor Sarah Palin released this statement at the time:
April 22, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today expressed her full support for Department of Corrections Commissioner Joe Schmidt. The Alaska Correctional Officers Association voted today in favor of a "no confidence" measure.
"Commissioner Schmidt has my full support as he and his team continue to bring remarkable reforms to the Department of Corrections," Governor Palin said. "As Commissioner, Joe has emphasized recruitment and hiring new correctional officers, bringing 34 new officers on board in FY 2007 with an additional 43 authorized for FY 2008. Joe’s strength is his respect for the hard work and talent of his department’s employees, and his understanding of the role the department plays in protecting the public, while providing offenders with the opportunity to successfully return to society. Joe has my unconditional support."
Rebecca Bingham
Rebecca Bingham is the Department of Corrections Clinical Director.
MRSA is rampant behind bars in Anchorage. The guards say the administrators are not doing enough to keep them safe in the state's overcrowded prisons. They say the department won't acknowledge dangerous health issues, like constant exposure to MRSA, a difficult-to-treat staph infection.
But the Clinical Director refuted that claim. "Once they are in here, as long as the institution is keeping things relatively clean and the inmates and officers are washing their hands frequently, it really has a much lower level than the outside," said Dr Rebecca Bingham. She also said that although the DOC doesn't track cases of MRSA, she believes there are four unconfirmed cases of the infection.
The state says it is doing its best to keep the jails clean and safe.
A more recent case illustrates Dr Bingham's attitude to prisoners' health.
Joseph Alexie, an Alaska Native, died of tuberculosis on December 9, 2008, while held at Red Rock correctional center in Arizona. Alaska Department of Corrections has a contract with Red Rock to house Alaskan inmates. Although Joseph Alexie was in Arizona when he died, he was governed by the Alaska's department health standards.
"Occasionally villages will have an outbreak of tuberculosis where quite a few people get exposed and go on the INH treatment, but it is pretty rare in the United States for someone to die from it," said Clinical Director Dr. Rebecca Bingham.
Myra Colley, Joseph Alexie's cousin, had a different view."He kept going and trying to get checked up, but they kept sending him away telling him it was bronchitis, or this or that, and they were just giving him a wrong diagnosis every time, without really giving him any medical attention."
His family said no matter what his crimes, he should not have died behind bars from a controllable and treatable disease.
Though bound by federal laws not to talk about the health of specific inmates, Dr Bingham said that if they had known an inmate was that sick, they would have treated him. "Joseph didn't tell anyone he was feeling bad in time."
Joseph Alexie was set to get out of jail in June 2009.
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin has been sued by a prisoner named Berry L Jack, who claimed he was raped for 3 days, treated at a medical facility, and then denied recommended therapy.
Jack brought the suit against Sarah Palin and Debbie Miller, Correctional Superintendent at the Mat-Su pre-trial facility, Palmer, on March 10, 2008.
Berry Jack's claim and amended claim contain the following passages:
"I was raped and beaten for 3 days while in the custody of the Department of Corrections. The Anchorage Sexual Assault Response Team and the State Troopers told the DOC that I needed extensive therapy. The answer was NO.
One mental health worker said to me: "Everyone needs a bit of a stiff dick stuck inside of them from time to time."
I made many requests for treatment and orders came down from Debbie Miller that the answer was no and for me to deal with it.
I wrote a letter to Governor Palin asking for help and her first letter said she supported Debbie Miller. On December 23 I wrote to the governor again and she turned the State Troopers on me.
On March 12 all my evidence court documents were destroyed by the DOC."
The outcome of Mr Jack's civil rights court case, June 2, 2008:
ORDER OF DISMISSAL
Berry L. Jack, a self-represented prisoner, filed a civil rights complaint, which
this Court screened as required under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A.1 Mr.
Jack then filed an amended complaint, as permitted by the Court, but since that
time, mail sent to him has been returned to the Court, and Mr. Jack has filed no
notice of change of address.
It looks like, having made the effort to file a lawsuit, Berry Jack has gone missing while his case was being dealt with by the Court. It's very unlikely that anybody will go to the trouble of finding out what happened to him. Neither Sarah Palin nor Debbie Miller had to respond to his allegations.
***********************
It's interesting to note some similarities in the attitudes of these people in positons of power, as described above.
Joe Schmidt feels victimised and bullied, Dr Rebecca Bingham denies any responsibility for either case and ultimately blames a prisoner for his own death. Sarah Palin famously feels victimised all the time, denies responsibility for anything and is very good at blaming others for her mistakes, ill-judgement and shortcomings. (As seen in her dealings with criticism by members of the media.)
For people who constantly say that they are all about honesty and accountability, they seem to close ranks and collude to deny wrongdoing, suppress any attempts to verify the truth and are very quick to apportion blame to others.
These are the things that seem to define the ethos of Sarah Palin's office. After so many newspapers columns dedicated to Troopergate, perhaps some attention should be given to what, in my opinion, amounts to Prisongate.
**********************
This article appeared on my blog on February 28, 2009. Some readers expressed concern over the fate of Mr Berry Jack, so I did some further research and posted an update:
I found Mr Jack in the system after June 2nd. For court case details, click on link. Navigate through the tabs to find dates, etc. It seems, quite simply, that the prison authoritites couldn't find Mr Jack to deliver mail connected to his civil rights case, but they managed to find him when the time came for him to face criminal charges... he was sentenced to four years behind bars for second degree theft.
Something doesn't appear to be right at the Alaska's Department of Corrections. Some of the events described below date from April 2008, but one of them is as recent as December 2008. I researched the issues quite fully and could not find references to any substancial changes in procedures or approach since the problems started. As a matter of fact, the excuses offered by the very people in charge suggest that there was never any intention to take any measures to address a number of grievances.
I have separated the issues according to the people responsible, to show the consistency in their responses to criticism. They are: Joe Schmidt, Commissioner for the Department of Corrections, Dr Rebecca Bingham, Clinical Director for the same department and Governor Sarah Palin, who's responsible for the appointments of heads of departments.
I must point out that what brought these issues to my attention was a brief article in the Anchorage Daily News about Governor Sarah Palin choosing Commissioner Joe Schmidt to be next in line to take the reins as governor of Alaska should anything happen to herself or lieutenant governor Sean Parnell. Sarah Palin and Joe Schmidt attended Wasilla High School together and she appointed him to the top job in the Department of Corrections when she was elected governor in 2006.
A comment on another article, (Stumper, by Andrew Romano, Newsweek) prompted some more digging into the problems faced by prison staff and inmates.
Posted By: akcorrec (October 8, 2008 at 1:33 AM)
"I am a female and work at Alaska’s only maximum security prison. Sarah Palin appointed a good buddy of hers to be our Commissioner of Corrections, Joe Schmidt. Joe Schmidt has deliberately made management decisions that have made our jobs, as correctional officers, more life threatening.
We tried going to Sarah Palin with our concerns but she wouldn’t listen to us. We then decided to submit a ‘no confidence’ vote in Schmidt. Out of the 733 correctional officers working in the state of Alaska over 500 of us voted. Out of those, less than 20 said they had confidence in Schmidt. The rest of us voted ‘no confidence’ in his leadership. This was unprecedented. At no time, before Schmidt was appointed as our commissioner, had we ever initiated a ‘no confidence’ vote in one of our commissioners.
Surely now, we thought, our governor Sarah Palin will hear and investigate our concerns regarding Joe Schmidt. That didn’t happen. Rather, she publicly said that she stood by Schmidt and that 97% of Alaska’s correctional officers are just a bunch of "disgruntled employees".
MRSA is running rampant in our institutions and we are deliberately being understaffed. Joe Schmidt is not only allowing understaffing but is actively encouraging it.
Prisoners with MRSA are being treated but not officially diagnosed with the bacterium. By not having cultures done, to determine the presence of MRSA, they are then able to be released right back out into the general prisoner population. If they were officially diagnosed then they’d have to be medically isolated. Consequently other prisoners and staff members keep contracting MRSA.
When a staff member contracts it, we’ve had two new cases in the last month and a half alone at my facility, they are told to "pin point exactly" where in the institution they contracted it. It’s a bacterium that can only be seen under an electron microscope yet we’re supposed to say exactly where we got it???
The department, under Joe Schmidt’s leadership, will not pay medical costs or reimburse leave time used, for any staff members that come down with MRSA unless they can prove that they got it at work. The very same place that contagious prisoners are being treated and then sent back home to their cells to expose every other prisoner and staff member they come into contact with.
We are also constantly under staffed. Rather than calling officers in on overtime, when we’re under manned, we’re left short handed. There are many officers willing to come in and work. All the department has to do is ask.
We also have mandatory posts that are never to be left unmanned. They are being manned by "phantom" officers. Which is to say one officer assigned to two posts. The officer’s name will be filled in, on paper, as filling in a certain post when in actuality he or she is working another one as well.
Twice, in the last year, we’ve had "man down" alarms go off in the facility and not enough officers to be able to allow anyone to respond to the emergency. By the grace of God, both times, the alarms were accidentally set off and no officer’s life was in actual jeopardy. But we may not always be so fortunate. When that happens, whether an officer loses his or her life to MRSA or a prisoner assault, we’ll be able to credit Sarah Palin and Joe Schmidt with murder."
Prisongate, in three parts.
Joe Schmidt
The Alaska Correctional Officers Association gave the state corrections commissioner Joe Schmidt a "no confidence" censure vote on Tue, April 22, 2008. ACOA union members voted 514 to 19 against Schmidt.
Overcrowded prisons, a drug-resistant skin infection being passed around the prisoner population and staff, plus a no-confidence vote for Commissioner Joe Schmidt are some of the problems faced by Alaska's Department of Corrections.
It is accepted that Alaska's jails are filled beyond capacity. But there are differing opinions about whether the state is doing enough to keep the facilities safe and clean.
There are more inmates than ever at Anchorage Correctional Complex. Alaska Correctional Officers Association, which represents officers, says the state is reducing the number of guards patrolling the jails.
Commissioner Joe Schmidt and his deputy commissioners claim the union is playing dirty to get more control over the department and its management. "I felt bullied," he said.
Schmidt claims he has made a lot of difficult changes since being appointed at the end of 2006 - reducing overtime, promoting rehabilitation programs, and pushing aggressively for ways to reduce costs and the state's staggering 60 percent of offenders who end up back in jail. .
Governor Sarah Palin released this statement at the time:
April 22, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today expressed her full support for Department of Corrections Commissioner Joe Schmidt. The Alaska Correctional Officers Association voted today in favor of a "no confidence" measure.
"Commissioner Schmidt has my full support as he and his team continue to bring remarkable reforms to the Department of Corrections," Governor Palin said. "As Commissioner, Joe has emphasized recruitment and hiring new correctional officers, bringing 34 new officers on board in FY 2007 with an additional 43 authorized for FY 2008. Joe’s strength is his respect for the hard work and talent of his department’s employees, and his understanding of the role the department plays in protecting the public, while providing offenders with the opportunity to successfully return to society. Joe has my unconditional support."
Rebecca Bingham
Rebecca Bingham is the Department of Corrections Clinical Director.
MRSA is rampant behind bars in Anchorage. The guards say the administrators are not doing enough to keep them safe in the state's overcrowded prisons. They say the department won't acknowledge dangerous health issues, like constant exposure to MRSA, a difficult-to-treat staph infection.
But the Clinical Director refuted that claim. "Once they are in here, as long as the institution is keeping things relatively clean and the inmates and officers are washing their hands frequently, it really has a much lower level than the outside," said Dr Rebecca Bingham. She also said that although the DOC doesn't track cases of MRSA, she believes there are four unconfirmed cases of the infection.
The state says it is doing its best to keep the jails clean and safe.
A more recent case illustrates Dr Bingham's attitude to prisoners' health.
Joseph Alexie, an Alaska Native, died of tuberculosis on December 9, 2008, while held at Red Rock correctional center in Arizona. Alaska Department of Corrections has a contract with Red Rock to house Alaskan inmates. Although Joseph Alexie was in Arizona when he died, he was governed by the Alaska's department health standards.
"Occasionally villages will have an outbreak of tuberculosis where quite a few people get exposed and go on the INH treatment, but it is pretty rare in the United States for someone to die from it," said Clinical Director Dr. Rebecca Bingham.
Myra Colley, Joseph Alexie's cousin, had a different view."He kept going and trying to get checked up, but they kept sending him away telling him it was bronchitis, or this or that, and they were just giving him a wrong diagnosis every time, without really giving him any medical attention."
His family said no matter what his crimes, he should not have died behind bars from a controllable and treatable disease.
Though bound by federal laws not to talk about the health of specific inmates, Dr Bingham said that if they had known an inmate was that sick, they would have treated him. "Joseph didn't tell anyone he was feeling bad in time."
Joseph Alexie was set to get out of jail in June 2009.
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin has been sued by a prisoner named Berry L Jack, who claimed he was raped for 3 days, treated at a medical facility, and then denied recommended therapy.
Jack brought the suit against Sarah Palin and Debbie Miller, Correctional Superintendent at the Mat-Su pre-trial facility, Palmer, on March 10, 2008.
Berry Jack's claim and amended claim contain the following passages:
"I was raped and beaten for 3 days while in the custody of the Department of Corrections. The Anchorage Sexual Assault Response Team and the State Troopers told the DOC that I needed extensive therapy. The answer was NO.
One mental health worker said to me: "Everyone needs a bit of a stiff dick stuck inside of them from time to time."
I made many requests for treatment and orders came down from Debbie Miller that the answer was no and for me to deal with it.
I wrote a letter to Governor Palin asking for help and her first letter said she supported Debbie Miller. On December 23 I wrote to the governor again and she turned the State Troopers on me.
On March 12 all my evidence court documents were destroyed by the DOC."
The outcome of Mr Jack's civil rights court case, June 2, 2008:
ORDER OF DISMISSAL
Berry L. Jack, a self-represented prisoner, filed a civil rights complaint, which
this Court screened as required under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A.1 Mr.
Jack then filed an amended complaint, as permitted by the Court, but since that
time, mail sent to him has been returned to the Court, and Mr. Jack has filed no
notice of change of address.
It looks like, having made the effort to file a lawsuit, Berry Jack has gone missing while his case was being dealt with by the Court. It's very unlikely that anybody will go to the trouble of finding out what happened to him. Neither Sarah Palin nor Debbie Miller had to respond to his allegations.
***********************
It's interesting to note some similarities in the attitudes of these people in positons of power, as described above.
Joe Schmidt feels victimised and bullied, Dr Rebecca Bingham denies any responsibility for either case and ultimately blames a prisoner for his own death. Sarah Palin famously feels victimised all the time, denies responsibility for anything and is very good at blaming others for her mistakes, ill-judgement and shortcomings. (As seen in her dealings with criticism by members of the media.)
For people who constantly say that they are all about honesty and accountability, they seem to close ranks and collude to deny wrongdoing, suppress any attempts to verify the truth and are very quick to apportion blame to others.
These are the things that seem to define the ethos of Sarah Palin's office. After so many newspapers columns dedicated to Troopergate, perhaps some attention should be given to what, in my opinion, amounts to Prisongate.
**********************
This article appeared on my blog on February 28, 2009. Some readers expressed concern over the fate of Mr Berry Jack, so I did some further research and posted an update:
I found Mr Jack in the system after June 2nd. For court case details, click on link. Navigate through the tabs to find dates, etc. It seems, quite simply, that the prison authoritites couldn't find Mr Jack to deliver mail connected to his civil rights case, but they managed to find him when the time came for him to face criminal charges... he was sentenced to four years behind bars for second degree theft.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Reason #76 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She loves guns waaayyy too much
From Ontheissues.org
Sarah Palin stuck to her guns on guns, in her first major public appearance since Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded and six people were killed at a Tucson campaign event. Palin was criticized after the shootings for having published campaign literature that marked some Democratic districts, including Giffords's, with crosshairs, but she pushed back, saying Republicans were being unfairly blamed for the act of a crazed shooter.
Asked if she would support efforts to restrict semiautomatic weapons or multi-bullet clips, like the clips used in the Tucson shooting, Palin responded, "There are already on the books many gun control measures and I do support those that are on the books. I do not support taking away more freedom from the good guy. The people who have no intention of using that weapon to harm another person so, no additional gun control measures could be supported." She added, "Prayers should continue for the full recovery of Gabby Giffords and others who were involved."
Source: Associated Press in ABC News, "Palin Rejects New Gun Laws" Feb 17, 2011
Not far from home, near the Talkeetna Mountains, I learned to hunt. Traveling on skis and snowshoes, we harvested ptarmigan and big game. I love meat. I eat pork chops, thick bacon burgers, and the seared fatty edges of a medium-well-done steak. But I especially love moose and caribou. I always remind people from outside our state that there's plenty of room for all Alaska's animals--right next to the mashed potatoes.
In our northern state, with some communities located hundreds of miles from big grocery stores, Alaskans have for generations lived on local, organic protein sources. Anti-hunting groups are clueless about this. It always puzzled me how some of the people who think killing and eating animals in the wild is somehow cruel have no problem buying dead animals at the grocery store, wrapped in cellophane instead of fur.
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p. 18-19 Nov 17, 2009
The Heath house in Wasilla sat near woodlands of birch, willow, and spruce. The woods were a wilderness playground--the kind of place where kids play out the imaginative adventures of childhood.
In both summer and winter, most of the family's activitie took place outdoors. Sarah said that she appreciates the many outdoor adventures she had as a child. Fitness was a big part of family life. "My parents jumped on the bandwagon of the '70s running craze," she said. The whole family ran together, competing in five- and ten-kilometer races throughout the summer.
When the family wasn't running or hiking, it was hunting or fishing. "We could literally go hunting out our back door," [Sarah's brother] Chuck Jr. said. Sarah shot her first rabbit at age ten not far from the back porch. In her teens, she hunted caribou with her father. The family's freezer was always full of fish and game. Chuck Jr. said he didn't eat a beef steak until he was a senior in high school. Gardening helped fill the family larder.
Source: Hockey Mom, by Kaylene Johnson Sep 9, 2008
Hunts and fishes, as did her father
Her father shot the grizzly bear whose hide is now draped over the sofa in her office. She, too, hunts and fishes. She runs marathons. She delivered her fifth child during her first term as governor. They call her husband, the reigning champion in the annual Iron Dog snowmachine race, First Dude.
Though indisputably Alaskan, she rose to prominence by bucking the state’s rigid Republican hierarchy, impressing voters more with gumption, warmth and charm than an established record in government.
Source: New York Times, pp. A1 & A10, “An Outsider Who Charms” Aug 29, 2008
Hunts as much as she can; freezer-full of wild game
Like many Alaskans, Gov. Sarah Palin is a lifelong hunter and strong proponent of Second Amendment rights. A longtime member of the National Rifle Association, she told USA Today when she was running for governor as a Republican in 2006 that “We hunt as much as we can, and I’m proud to say our freezer is full of wild game we harvested here in Alaska.” Palin’s favorite food? “Moose stew after a day of snowmachining,” she said.
Source: Q&A with Newsweek’s Brian Braiker Aug 29, 2008
Supports ending D.C.’s 32-year-old ban on handguns
Governor Sarah Palin today lauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision upholding the right of Americans to own guns for self-defense, hunting and other purposes. The high court’s 5-4 ruling in District of Columbia vs. Heller affirmed gun rights by striking down the District’s 32-year-old ban on handguns.
“This decision is a victory for all Alaskans and individual Americans. The right to own guns and use them responsibly is something I and many other Alaskans cherish,“ Governor Palin said. ”I applaud the Court for standing up for the Constitution and the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.“
The state of Alaska in February joined a multi-state amicus brief written by the state of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms.
Source: Alaska Governor’s Office: press release, “2nd Amendment” Jun 26, 2008
Lifelong NRA member & champion of right to bear arms
Governor Sarah Palin announced the State of Alaska will join the multi-state amicus brief authored by the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms. The Texas amicus brief in the case Washington, D.C. v. Heller will be filed by February 11, 2008.
Governor Palin, a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, has long been a champion of the constitutional right to bear arms, as well as a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska’s youth.
“I am proud to join the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment,” Governor Palin said. “We need to send a strong message that law-abiding citizens have a right to own firearms, for personal protection, for hunting and for any other lawful purpose.”
Source: Alaska Governor’s Office: press release, “2nd Amendment” Feb 8, 2008
Sarah loves guns so much she spoke at the NRA Convention for free yet took money from religious and pro-life groups. She loves guns more than she loves people.
From Ontheissues.org
Sarah Palin stuck to her guns on guns, in her first major public appearance since Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically wounded and six people were killed at a Tucson campaign event. Palin was criticized after the shootings for having published campaign literature that marked some Democratic districts, including Giffords's, with crosshairs, but she pushed back, saying Republicans were being unfairly blamed for the act of a crazed shooter.
Asked if she would support efforts to restrict semiautomatic weapons or multi-bullet clips, like the clips used in the Tucson shooting, Palin responded, "There are already on the books many gun control measures and I do support those that are on the books. I do not support taking away more freedom from the good guy. The people who have no intention of using that weapon to harm another person so, no additional gun control measures could be supported." She added, "Prayers should continue for the full recovery of Gabby Giffords and others who were involved."
Source: Associated Press in ABC News, "Palin Rejects New Gun Laws" Feb 17, 2011
Not far from home, near the Talkeetna Mountains, I learned to hunt. Traveling on skis and snowshoes, we harvested ptarmigan and big game. I love meat. I eat pork chops, thick bacon burgers, and the seared fatty edges of a medium-well-done steak. But I especially love moose and caribou. I always remind people from outside our state that there's plenty of room for all Alaska's animals--right next to the mashed potatoes.
In our northern state, with some communities located hundreds of miles from big grocery stores, Alaskans have for generations lived on local, organic protein sources. Anti-hunting groups are clueless about this. It always puzzled me how some of the people who think killing and eating animals in the wild is somehow cruel have no problem buying dead animals at the grocery store, wrapped in cellophane instead of fur.
Source: Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, p. 18-19 Nov 17, 2009
The Heath house in Wasilla sat near woodlands of birch, willow, and spruce. The woods were a wilderness playground--the kind of place where kids play out the imaginative adventures of childhood.
In both summer and winter, most of the family's activitie took place outdoors. Sarah said that she appreciates the many outdoor adventures she had as a child. Fitness was a big part of family life. "My parents jumped on the bandwagon of the '70s running craze," she said. The whole family ran together, competing in five- and ten-kilometer races throughout the summer.
When the family wasn't running or hiking, it was hunting or fishing. "We could literally go hunting out our back door," [Sarah's brother] Chuck Jr. said. Sarah shot her first rabbit at age ten not far from the back porch. In her teens, she hunted caribou with her father. The family's freezer was always full of fish and game. Chuck Jr. said he didn't eat a beef steak until he was a senior in high school. Gardening helped fill the family larder.
Source: Hockey Mom, by Kaylene Johnson Sep 9, 2008
Hunts and fishes, as did her father
Her father shot the grizzly bear whose hide is now draped over the sofa in her office. She, too, hunts and fishes. She runs marathons. She delivered her fifth child during her first term as governor. They call her husband, the reigning champion in the annual Iron Dog snowmachine race, First Dude.
Though indisputably Alaskan, she rose to prominence by bucking the state’s rigid Republican hierarchy, impressing voters more with gumption, warmth and charm than an established record in government.
Source: New York Times, pp. A1 & A10, “An Outsider Who Charms” Aug 29, 2008
Hunts as much as she can; freezer-full of wild game
Like many Alaskans, Gov. Sarah Palin is a lifelong hunter and strong proponent of Second Amendment rights. A longtime member of the National Rifle Association, she told USA Today when she was running for governor as a Republican in 2006 that “We hunt as much as we can, and I’m proud to say our freezer is full of wild game we harvested here in Alaska.” Palin’s favorite food? “Moose stew after a day of snowmachining,” she said.
Source: Q&A with Newsweek’s Brian Braiker Aug 29, 2008
Supports ending D.C.’s 32-year-old ban on handguns
Governor Sarah Palin today lauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision upholding the right of Americans to own guns for self-defense, hunting and other purposes. The high court’s 5-4 ruling in District of Columbia vs. Heller affirmed gun rights by striking down the District’s 32-year-old ban on handguns.
“This decision is a victory for all Alaskans and individual Americans. The right to own guns and use them responsibly is something I and many other Alaskans cherish,“ Governor Palin said. ”I applaud the Court for standing up for the Constitution and the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.“
The state of Alaska in February joined a multi-state amicus brief written by the state of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms.
Source: Alaska Governor’s Office: press release, “2nd Amendment” Jun 26, 2008
Lifelong NRA member & champion of right to bear arms
Governor Sarah Palin announced the State of Alaska will join the multi-state amicus brief authored by the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms. The Texas amicus brief in the case Washington, D.C. v. Heller will be filed by February 11, 2008.
Governor Palin, a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, has long been a champion of the constitutional right to bear arms, as well as a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska’s youth.
“I am proud to join the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment,” Governor Palin said. “We need to send a strong message that law-abiding citizens have a right to own firearms, for personal protection, for hunting and for any other lawful purpose.”
Source: Alaska Governor’s Office: press release, “2nd Amendment” Feb 8, 2008
Sarah loves guns so much she spoke at the NRA Convention for free yet took money from religious and pro-life groups. She loves guns more than she loves people.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Reason #75 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She committed perjury in the e-mail hacking trial
She denied using the account to conduct gubernatorial business.
"We know there was an Attorney General's opinion one week prior and a lot of other opinions in the state that, of course, it was proper for me to have a private account," she said.
But the e-mails proved otherwise, watch video:
From KNOXNews.com
This is official proof that she is a liar
She denied using the account to conduct gubernatorial business.
"We know there was an Attorney General's opinion one week prior and a lot of other opinions in the state that, of course, it was proper for me to have a private account," she said.
But the e-mails proved otherwise, watch video:
From KNOXNews.com
This is official proof that she is a liar
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Reason #74 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She and her aides rigged polls to make them in her favor. If she would skewer a poll like that, she will falsify any information, like classified intelligence.
Her highest approval ratings were about 90%. I bet they were rigged too.
Her highest approval ratings were about 90%. I bet they were rigged too.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Reason #73 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
While governor of Alaska she tried to control the media.
From Poynter.org
When Sarah Palin was asked in a 2008 CBS interview what newspapers she regularly read, the Vice Presidential candidate famously was unable to name any.
But last week’s release of Palin’s emails from her partial term as Alaska’s governor suggests she was highly aware of what was being written about her — at least in her own state’s newspapers and in local blogs.
Her messages show that Palin sought to influence media coverage, counter negative stories, and — on at least one occasion — investigate a blogger who criticized her.
“She was pretty well tuned in to what was in the paper or on the website that related to her interest,” Anchorage Daily News Executive Editor Patrick Dougherty said in a phone interview this week. “I don’t know if that was because people were calling her attention to things or she was finding them on her own.”
Dougherty recalled that Palin came into office in 2006 with a “great attitude” and made a strong impression in her first meeting with the Daily News editorial board. But by the end of her two and a half years in office, Dougherty said Palin changed significantly, as she became nationally prominent and faced increased scrutiny over her record.
“Whatever impulse she had toward being open and honest was overtaken by her desire to avoid or deflect or rebut criticism,” Dougherty said.
The newly-revealed messages show that the Daily News – Alaska’s largest newspaper — was a particular irritant to Palin and her staff.
For instance, in April 2008, the paper reported that Palin’s office harvested email addresses from a state database to contact more than 22,000 business owners and urge them to support part of Palin’s legislative agenda. A story by Daily News writer Wesley Loy quoted several legislators criticizing Palin’s “political” use of the database.
That prompted a strong response from Palin’s press secretary, Rosanne Hughes. In an email to Palin, Hughes called Loy “an unprofessional, ignorant reporter,” and she recommended that the Governor stop granting him interviews.
“I’m used to working with mean, nasty, ugly, unpleasant journalists before on Capitol Hill (esp. the New York Times) but at least I could respect them professionally,” wrote Hughes, who had previously worked for Republican members of Congress. “At least they were good journalists. This guy, sorry, I can’t say that about him.”
Palin answered with just two words: “Amen sista!”
Loy – now a freelance journalist and blogger — said this week he remembered a disagreement with Hughes about the 2008 story. But he didn’t know the article caused such a stir among the governor’s staff until an acquaintance told him about Hughes’ email a few days ago.
“
I laughed out loud when I saw it,” Loy told me. “That’s part of the job.”
Concerns about bloggers and reader comments
Of course, it’s not unusual for politicians to tussle with journalists who cover them. The candid correspondence of many officeholders is likely filled with similar invective toward the press.
But Palin’s emails show that she also was conscious of what was being written about her in new media platforms such as blogs.
In a January 2008 exchange with some of her aides, she fretted about an anonymous blogger who seemed to have access to her administration’s press releases and was using them to criticize her policies.
“Makes me sick to my stomach,” Palin wrote. “How would this blogger have received the emailed presser unless he’s a valid media person (and why would a legit media person bother to be a regular blogger?), or one of our folks sent it to him?”
Palin aide Frank Bailey informed her that it would be easy for a “mole” to get on her press release distribution list. “They probably just emailed and asked to get on it,” Bailey wrote. (It’s not clear from the emails if the Administration ever learned the blogger’s identity.)
Later in 2008 – less than two months before she was named John McCain’s running mate — Palin expressed outrage about a reader who frequently posted in the “comments” section of the Anchorage Daily News website. Among the posts that the Governor called “hateful and hurtful” was one that alleged she had an affair with her husband’s best friend.
“Ok dokay (sic) – enough is enough,” Palin wrote to Hughes and other aides. “It’s flippin unbelievable that the ADN allows lies like this to be posted. I’m calling.”
“
Governor, do you know how loved you are?” Hughes responded. “It hurts my heart to hear these horrible people are bringing you down. We forgive them, Lord. Help these people come to know You.”
Dougherty – the Daily News executive editor – confirmed that Palin called him about the questionable posts and he immediately deleted them.
Palin later asked her staff to have her “security guys check into” the person who posted the comments — Sherry Whitstine of Wasilla. (Whitstine told the New York Times in 2008 that one of Palin’s aides called her and demanded she “stop blogging right now.”)
While Palin and her staff may have been repulsed by some of the coverage and comments they received from the Daily News, they also worked to make sure their own point of view was expressed in the paper and on its website.
During a controversial special legislative session in April 2008, Hughes noted that Palin was “getting pounded” on the blogs, and she urged her fellow staff members to mobilize the Governor’s grassroots supporters.
“
We need to get them out there FLOODING that Anchorage Daily News Alaska politics blog. I mean FLOODING,” Hughes wrote.
On a somewhat less weighty issue, Palin took matters into her own hands, writing her own rebuttal to a July 2008 Daily News letter-to-the-editor that criticized her for skipping that year’s Miss Alaska pageant.
But she asked her staff to find somebody else to sign her response.
“I’m looking for someone to correct the letter writer’s goofy comments, but don’t want the letter to ADN in response to come from me,” Palin wrote. (The newspaper published the response with Hughes’ signature.)
“A pretty darn good relationship”
In contrast to Palin’s current image as an adversary of what she calls the “lamestream media,” her emails suggest that she often granted press requests as governor. Her schedules show she sometimes did several interviews a week with local reporters, as well as occasional interviews with national media organizations such as NBC, Forbes magazine, and Bloomberg News.
Even Wesley Loy — the former Anchorage Daily News reporter who inspired such strong criticism from Rosanne Hughes — said he found Palin to be accessible and accommodating during her years in Juneau.
“I don’t remember her having anything but a pretty darn good relationship with reporters at the time that she was Governor,” Loy said, adding that he noticed no difference in the way she treated him even after Hughes suggested Palin stop granting him interviews. “She always gave me all the access I asked for.”
Palin eagerly jumped at a chance to appear on Anderson Cooper’s CNN program in December 2007 (An aide assured her it would be “a great opportunity.”), while in June 2008, she made the rounds of several cable talk shows to discuss oil and gas drilling.
A member of her administration suggested she’d especially enjoy appearing on Glenn Beck’s show, because, “He loves to make fun of everyone and is incredibly good natured. You should laugh a lot with him.”
And then there was this 2007 request from a producer at “The Big Wild Radio Show,” a syndicated program about outdoor recreation:
“We would like to interview Sarah in regards to her fishing experiences,” wrote producer Jon Schoepke.
“The Big Wild has been in syndication for five years and we pride ourselves in being total screw ups! Unlike most outdoors shows we are NOT experts, we laugh at our shortcomings.”
Palin responded quickly from her Blackberry: “This sounds fun! I’d do it.”
Is she really that paranoid of what people think of her? Just imagine if she were in the WH and banned every media outlet except for FOX, National Review, WSJ, Newsmax, and News Busters.
From Poynter.org
When Sarah Palin was asked in a 2008 CBS interview what newspapers she regularly read, the Vice Presidential candidate famously was unable to name any.
But last week’s release of Palin’s emails from her partial term as Alaska’s governor suggests she was highly aware of what was being written about her — at least in her own state’s newspapers and in local blogs.
Her messages show that Palin sought to influence media coverage, counter negative stories, and — on at least one occasion — investigate a blogger who criticized her.
“She was pretty well tuned in to what was in the paper or on the website that related to her interest,” Anchorage Daily News Executive Editor Patrick Dougherty said in a phone interview this week. “I don’t know if that was because people were calling her attention to things or she was finding them on her own.”
Dougherty recalled that Palin came into office in 2006 with a “great attitude” and made a strong impression in her first meeting with the Daily News editorial board. But by the end of her two and a half years in office, Dougherty said Palin changed significantly, as she became nationally prominent and faced increased scrutiny over her record.
“Whatever impulse she had toward being open and honest was overtaken by her desire to avoid or deflect or rebut criticism,” Dougherty said.
The newly-revealed messages show that the Daily News – Alaska’s largest newspaper — was a particular irritant to Palin and her staff.
For instance, in April 2008, the paper reported that Palin’s office harvested email addresses from a state database to contact more than 22,000 business owners and urge them to support part of Palin’s legislative agenda. A story by Daily News writer Wesley Loy quoted several legislators criticizing Palin’s “political” use of the database.
That prompted a strong response from Palin’s press secretary, Rosanne Hughes. In an email to Palin, Hughes called Loy “an unprofessional, ignorant reporter,” and she recommended that the Governor stop granting him interviews.
“I’m used to working with mean, nasty, ugly, unpleasant journalists before on Capitol Hill (esp. the New York Times) but at least I could respect them professionally,” wrote Hughes, who had previously worked for Republican members of Congress. “At least they were good journalists. This guy, sorry, I can’t say that about him.”
Palin answered with just two words: “Amen sista!”
Loy – now a freelance journalist and blogger — said this week he remembered a disagreement with Hughes about the 2008 story. But he didn’t know the article caused such a stir among the governor’s staff until an acquaintance told him about Hughes’ email a few days ago.
“
I laughed out loud when I saw it,” Loy told me. “That’s part of the job.”
Concerns about bloggers and reader comments
Of course, it’s not unusual for politicians to tussle with journalists who cover them. The candid correspondence of many officeholders is likely filled with similar invective toward the press.
But Palin’s emails show that she also was conscious of what was being written about her in new media platforms such as blogs.
In a January 2008 exchange with some of her aides, she fretted about an anonymous blogger who seemed to have access to her administration’s press releases and was using them to criticize her policies.
“Makes me sick to my stomach,” Palin wrote. “How would this blogger have received the emailed presser unless he’s a valid media person (and why would a legit media person bother to be a regular blogger?), or one of our folks sent it to him?”
Palin aide Frank Bailey informed her that it would be easy for a “mole” to get on her press release distribution list. “They probably just emailed and asked to get on it,” Bailey wrote. (It’s not clear from the emails if the Administration ever learned the blogger’s identity.)
Later in 2008 – less than two months before she was named John McCain’s running mate — Palin expressed outrage about a reader who frequently posted in the “comments” section of the Anchorage Daily News website. Among the posts that the Governor called “hateful and hurtful” was one that alleged she had an affair with her husband’s best friend.
“Ok dokay (sic) – enough is enough,” Palin wrote to Hughes and other aides. “It’s flippin unbelievable that the ADN allows lies like this to be posted. I’m calling.”
“
Governor, do you know how loved you are?” Hughes responded. “It hurts my heart to hear these horrible people are bringing you down. We forgive them, Lord. Help these people come to know You.”
Dougherty – the Daily News executive editor – confirmed that Palin called him about the questionable posts and he immediately deleted them.
Palin later asked her staff to have her “security guys check into” the person who posted the comments — Sherry Whitstine of Wasilla. (Whitstine told the New York Times in 2008 that one of Palin’s aides called her and demanded she “stop blogging right now.”)
While Palin and her staff may have been repulsed by some of the coverage and comments they received from the Daily News, they also worked to make sure their own point of view was expressed in the paper and on its website.
During a controversial special legislative session in April 2008, Hughes noted that Palin was “getting pounded” on the blogs, and she urged her fellow staff members to mobilize the Governor’s grassroots supporters.
“
We need to get them out there FLOODING that Anchorage Daily News Alaska politics blog. I mean FLOODING,” Hughes wrote.
On a somewhat less weighty issue, Palin took matters into her own hands, writing her own rebuttal to a July 2008 Daily News letter-to-the-editor that criticized her for skipping that year’s Miss Alaska pageant.
But she asked her staff to find somebody else to sign her response.
“I’m looking for someone to correct the letter writer’s goofy comments, but don’t want the letter to ADN in response to come from me,” Palin wrote. (The newspaper published the response with Hughes’ signature.)
“A pretty darn good relationship”
In contrast to Palin’s current image as an adversary of what she calls the “lamestream media,” her emails suggest that she often granted press requests as governor. Her schedules show she sometimes did several interviews a week with local reporters, as well as occasional interviews with national media organizations such as NBC, Forbes magazine, and Bloomberg News.
Even Wesley Loy — the former Anchorage Daily News reporter who inspired such strong criticism from Rosanne Hughes — said he found Palin to be accessible and accommodating during her years in Juneau.
“I don’t remember her having anything but a pretty darn good relationship with reporters at the time that she was Governor,” Loy said, adding that he noticed no difference in the way she treated him even after Hughes suggested Palin stop granting him interviews. “She always gave me all the access I asked for.”
Palin eagerly jumped at a chance to appear on Anderson Cooper’s CNN program in December 2007 (An aide assured her it would be “a great opportunity.”), while in June 2008, she made the rounds of several cable talk shows to discuss oil and gas drilling.
A member of her administration suggested she’d especially enjoy appearing on Glenn Beck’s show, because, “He loves to make fun of everyone and is incredibly good natured. You should laugh a lot with him.”
And then there was this 2007 request from a producer at “The Big Wild Radio Show,” a syndicated program about outdoor recreation:
“We would like to interview Sarah in regards to her fishing experiences,” wrote producer Jon Schoepke.
“The Big Wild has been in syndication for five years and we pride ourselves in being total screw ups! Unlike most outdoors shows we are NOT experts, we laugh at our shortcomings.”
Palin responded quickly from her Blackberry: “This sounds fun! I’d do it.”
Is she really that paranoid of what people think of her? Just imagine if she were in the WH and banned every media outlet except for FOX, National Review, WSJ, Newsmax, and News Busters.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Reason #72 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She cancels appearances and trips way too often.
Recently she canceled a trip to Sudan she was supposed to take with Franklin Graham and Greta Van Stusteren. Which is actually a blessing in disguise for the poor people of Sudan. Who wants to hear Screechah and her BFFs anyway?
But this isn't the first nor will it be the last time she flakes out on something. Here is an example. And another. Google Sarah Palin cancels speech and you will get over 7 million hits. If she is this unreliable, how is she fit for the White House? Or any other office for that matter.
Recently she canceled a trip to Sudan she was supposed to take with Franklin Graham and Greta Van Stusteren. Which is actually a blessing in disguise for the poor people of Sudan. Who wants to hear Screechah and her BFFs anyway?
But this isn't the first nor will it be the last time she flakes out on something. Here is an example. And another. Google Sarah Palin cancels speech and you will get over 7 million hits. If she is this unreliable, how is she fit for the White House? Or any other office for that matter.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Reason #71 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
ACES which was a signature piece of legislation of hers has been a disaster. Even the Parnell Administration disavowed it.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Reason #70 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She can only write at the 8th grade level.
From AOL Weird News
The huge cache of Sarah Palin's emails released Friday offered not only a chance to see what she was writing about during her uncompleted term as Alaska's governor, but also an opportunity to see how well she writes.
AOL Weird News brought samples to two writing analysts who independently evaluated 24,000 pages of the former governor's emails. They came back in agreement that Palin composed her messages at an eighth-grade level, an excellent score for a chief executive, they said.
"I'm a centrist Democrat, and would have loved to support my hunch that Ms. Palin is illiterate," said 2tor Chief Executive Officer John Katzman. "However, the emails say something else. Ms. Palin writes emails on her Blackberry at a grade level of 8.5.
"If she were a student and showing me her work, I'd say 'It's fine, clear writing,'" he said, admitting that emails he wrote scored lower than Palin's on the widely used Flesch-Kincaid readability test.
"She came in as a solid communicator," said Paul J.J. Payack, president of the Global Language Monitor. The emails registered as an 8.2 on his version of the test. "That's typical for a corporate executive."
An example of Palin's strongest writing came on Jul. 17, 2007 in an email to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell about the controversial Gravina Island Bridge, infamously called the "Bridge to Nowhere."
Although it's like comparing apples to oranges, Payack said that famous speeches like Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was a 9.1 and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" oration rated a 8.8 on the scale.
The Palin emails offer a rare opportunity to see the digital internal communication of a public official. One of the few comparable scenarios was the release of the relatively slim 928-page assortment of former FEMA chief Michael Brown's emails from the days around the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe.
Payack and Katzman restricted their analysis to 60 randomly chosen messages that were at least one paragraph long. They were just 60 among the avalanche of documents released in response to freedom of information requests lodged when Palin was the relatively unknown running mate of Sen. John McCain in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Incoming messages to Palin's gov.sarah@yahoo.com account made up the bulk of the correspondence between December 2006 and September 2008, while the majority of notes Palin penned were too brief to use in the grade-level tests, the analysts said.
Many messages were conjured on her Blackberry, where Palin shortened words in a manner familiar to people who conduct business with their thumbs on a minuscule keypad.
"I'll ck w/Nizich on letter and fwd your ideas," she wrote to Parnell in September 2008 about a conversation he had with Mike Nizich, a former chief of staff to Palin.
Her characteristic down-home manner as the self-proclaimed "Mama Grizzly" that has endeared her to her base and been the subject of ridicule by her opponents shined through in an email from Jan. 2, 2007, soon after she moved into the governor's mansion.
"I am a hunter. I grew up hunting - some of my best memories growing up are of hunting with my dad to help feel [sic] our freezer," she wrote to aides on a bear hunting issue under debate.
But this was a rare example where Palin's writing style matched with the public persona of the rugged frontierswoman that Americans recognize from her recurring appearances on television.
"Given her portrayal of herself as very much an Alaskan I had expected to find a lot of 'Alaskanisms' in her emails," said University of Alaska, Anchorage English Professor David Bowie. "But there were actually very few."
The one regionalism Bowie noticed that popped up was Palin's use of the word "outside" for things beyond Alaska's borders.
[Editor's Note: In the interest of fairness, the writer submitted his own work for scrutiny. His recent piece, on a New York man trying to row across the Atlantic Ocean is on the 8.8 grade level, Payack said.]
While 8th grade level maybe fine for some people, I expect better. She was a journalism major in college so her writing and communicating skills should be at least the college level. The Palinbots think 8th grade level is great. Not surprising considering they can only read and write at the 2nd grade level. Wasilla High and the University of Idaho should ask for their diplomas back.
From AOL Weird News
The huge cache of Sarah Palin's emails released Friday offered not only a chance to see what she was writing about during her uncompleted term as Alaska's governor, but also an opportunity to see how well she writes.
AOL Weird News brought samples to two writing analysts who independently evaluated 24,000 pages of the former governor's emails. They came back in agreement that Palin composed her messages at an eighth-grade level, an excellent score for a chief executive, they said.
"I'm a centrist Democrat, and would have loved to support my hunch that Ms. Palin is illiterate," said 2tor Chief Executive Officer John Katzman. "However, the emails say something else. Ms. Palin writes emails on her Blackberry at a grade level of 8.5.
"If she were a student and showing me her work, I'd say 'It's fine, clear writing,'" he said, admitting that emails he wrote scored lower than Palin's on the widely used Flesch-Kincaid readability test.
"She came in as a solid communicator," said Paul J.J. Payack, president of the Global Language Monitor. The emails registered as an 8.2 on his version of the test. "That's typical for a corporate executive."
An example of Palin's strongest writing came on Jul. 17, 2007 in an email to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell about the controversial Gravina Island Bridge, infamously called the "Bridge to Nowhere."
"We cant afford it, the Feds won't pay for it, the general populace isn't placing it as a high priority … can you diplomatically express that?! Of course we want infrastructure -- and this is NOT a "bridge to nowhere" (that is so offensive), but as it stands today with the highest-cost bridge design selected by the Ketchikan community, we need to find a lower-cost alternative [if] a bridge will be built."
"She's very concise. She gives clear orders. Her sentences and punctuations are logical," Payack said. "She has much more of a disciplined mind than she's given credit for."
Although it's like comparing apples to oranges, Payack said that famous speeches like Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was a 9.1 and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" oration rated a 8.8 on the scale.
The Palin emails offer a rare opportunity to see the digital internal communication of a public official. One of the few comparable scenarios was the release of the relatively slim 928-page assortment of former FEMA chief Michael Brown's emails from the days around the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe.
Payack and Katzman restricted their analysis to 60 randomly chosen messages that were at least one paragraph long. They were just 60 among the avalanche of documents released in response to freedom of information requests lodged when Palin was the relatively unknown running mate of Sen. John McCain in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Incoming messages to Palin's gov.sarah@yahoo.com account made up the bulk of the correspondence between December 2006 and September 2008, while the majority of notes Palin penned were too brief to use in the grade-level tests, the analysts said.
Many messages were conjured on her Blackberry, where Palin shortened words in a manner familiar to people who conduct business with their thumbs on a minuscule keypad.
"I'll ck w/Nizich on letter and fwd your ideas," she wrote to Parnell in September 2008 about a conversation he had with Mike Nizich, a former chief of staff to Palin.
Her characteristic down-home manner as the self-proclaimed "Mama Grizzly" that has endeared her to her base and been the subject of ridicule by her opponents shined through in an email from Jan. 2, 2007, soon after she moved into the governor's mansion.
"I am a hunter. I grew up hunting - some of my best memories growing up are of hunting with my dad to help feel [sic] our freezer," she wrote to aides on a bear hunting issue under debate.
But this was a rare example where Palin's writing style matched with the public persona of the rugged frontierswoman that Americans recognize from her recurring appearances on television.
"Given her portrayal of herself as very much an Alaskan I had expected to find a lot of 'Alaskanisms' in her emails," said University of Alaska, Anchorage English Professor David Bowie. "But there were actually very few."
The one regionalism Bowie noticed that popped up was Palin's use of the word "outside" for things beyond Alaska's borders.
[Editor's Note: In the interest of fairness, the writer submitted his own work for scrutiny. His recent piece, on a New York man trying to row across the Atlantic Ocean is on the 8.8 grade level, Payack said.]
While 8th grade level maybe fine for some people, I expect better. She was a journalism major in college so her writing and communicating skills should be at least the college level. The Palinbots think 8th grade level is great. Not surprising considering they can only read and write at the 2nd grade level. Wasilla High and the University of Idaho should ask for their diplomas back.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Reason #69 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She associates with Ted Nugent, a pedophile and a disgusting person.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Reason #68 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She tried to ban books from the city library and fired the city librarian Anne Kilkenny.
Anne's letter that made the rounds on the internet:
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won’t vote for her can’t quit smiling when talking about her because she is a “babe”.
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months. She is “pro-life”. She recently gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby. She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.
She is savvy. She doesn’t take positions; she just “puts things out there” and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit. Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans. Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters. She’s smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents. During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.
While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once. These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city. As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s surplus, borrow for needs.
She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideasor compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the “old boy’s club” when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys”. Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal–loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State’s top cop (see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla’s Police Chief because he “intimidated” her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska’s top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it’s pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job.
I
n a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the “old boys’ club” when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the “bridge to nowhere” after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.
As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects–which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance–but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as “anti-pork”.
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah.
They call her “Sarah Barracuda” because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah’s mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as “AGIA” that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked toglobal warming. She campaigned “as a private citizen” against a state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior’s decision to list polar bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President. There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she. However, there’s a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.
CLAIM VS FACT
•“Hockey mom”: true for a few years
•“PTA mom”: true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
•“NRA supporter”: absolutely true
•social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
•pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
•“Pro-life”: mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation
•“Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
•political maverick: not at all
•gutsy: absolutely!
•open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
•has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
•”a Greenie”: no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
•fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
•pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
•pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
•pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
•pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I’ve always operated in the belief that “Bad things happen when good people stay silent”. Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don’t have a job she can bump me out of. I don’t belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah’s attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can’t recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall–they are swamped. So I can’t verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from my “about 5,000″, up to 9,000. The day Palin’s selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90’s.
Anne's letter that made the rounds on the internet:
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won’t vote for her can’t quit smiling when talking about her because she is a “babe”.
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months. She is “pro-life”. She recently gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby. She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.
She is savvy. She doesn’t take positions; she just “puts things out there” and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit. Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans. Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters. She’s smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents. During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.
While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once. These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city. As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s surplus, borrow for needs.
She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideasor compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the “old boy’s club” when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys”. Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal–loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State’s top cop (see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla’s Police Chief because he “intimidated” her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska’s top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it’s pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job.
I
n a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the “old boys’ club” when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the “bridge to nowhere” after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.
As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects–which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance–but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as “anti-pork”.
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah.
They call her “Sarah Barracuda” because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah’s mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as “AGIA” that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked toglobal warming. She campaigned “as a private citizen” against a state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior’s decision to list polar bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President. There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she. However, there’s a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.
CLAIM VS FACT
•“Hockey mom”: true for a few years
•“PTA mom”: true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
•“NRA supporter”: absolutely true
•social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
•pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
•“Pro-life”: mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation
•“Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
•political maverick: not at all
•gutsy: absolutely!
•open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
•has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
•”a Greenie”: no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
•fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
•pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
•pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
•pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
•pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I’ve always operated in the belief that “Bad things happen when good people stay silent”. Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don’t have a job she can bump me out of. I don’t belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah’s attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can’t recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall–they are swamped. So I can’t verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from my “about 5,000″, up to 9,000. The day Palin’s selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90’s.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Reason #67 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She was nearly recalled as Mayor of Wasilla
From the ADN
Department heads serve at the pleasure of the mayor under Wasilla's city code. The police chief, however, contends he had a contract with the city and that he could be removed only for cause. Palin counters that the contract isn't valid since it was negotiated with the previous administration.
From the ADN
A recall of Mayor Sarah Palin is off the table, at least for now, according to a group calling itself Concerned Citizens for Wasilla.
The group of about 60 residents was formed Friday in response to Palin's controversial firing of Police Chief Irl Stambaugh. Members say they're concerned about the direction taken by Palin since her election last fall, and discussed a recall. But members of the group decided instead they first want to hear Palin's explanations in person. The group developed a list of 25 questions and plans to ask Palin to meet with them sometime before Feb. 21.
''In all fairness, we need to allow the mayor in her own words answer the questions we have for her,'' said Kathyrn Rounds, the group's acting chairwoman. Among the questions: Why did Palin fire the police chief if she didn't have a better person in mind? Does the city have an ethics code? Would she resign to avoid a recall? The group also wants her to clarify her goals for the city. Palin was non-committal Monday, but seemed resistant to the idea. In an interview, she described her critics as the same ''few disgruntled citizens'' who have been against her since she was elected. She has criticized Stambaugh for not supporting her administration.
''I don't remember any past mayors ... having to face a firing squad,'' she said. Palin, a former City Council member, has been under fire since she took office in October after defeating longtime Mayor John Stein. Questions immediately arose about whether the city staff, some of whom had publicly supported Stein, would stand behind her or whether she would oust her critics.
Four months of turmoil have followed in which almost every move by Palin has been questioned, from firing the museum director to hiring a deputy administrator at a cost of $50,000 a year to a short-lived proposal to move the city's historic buildings from downtown. Critics argue the decisions are politically motivated. Palin says people voted for a change and she's only trying to streamline government.
The matter came to a head a week and a half ago when Palin sent termination letters to Stambaugh and head librarian Maryellen Emmons, accusing them of not supporting her efforts to govern the town.
A day later, she rehired Emmons, saying she felt she now had the librarian's support. Stambaugh, who was not rehired, said he plans to sue. His attorney, Bill Jermain, said Palin violated a federal civil rights law that prohibits retaliation for political activity. Late Monday, the City Council met in executive session to discuss any potential liability for the city as a result of Stambaugh's firing.
The firing spawned the meeting Friday at which Concerned Citizens for Wasilla was formed. Among the organizers was Wasilla City Council member Nick Carney, a longstanding critic of Palin. But after a brief opening statement, other residents directed the meeting.
About 70 people showed up, including some supporters of Palin. Also present in the crowd were Stein, former museum director John Cooper, and a city employee who asked not to be identified but who said she took Palin's word that employees could speak freely as long as it was on their own time.
What followed was two hours of sometimes raucous debate, which was occasionally interrupted by an incoherent man in his socks threatening to sue Carrs and the local fire marshal. Residents discussed a recall, but decided it would be more effective and less divisive to try to work with Palin.
Just forming the group may force a compromise, said Laura Miller, a member and 17-year resident of Wasilla. ''At least it will get her to pay a little more attention.'' She added, ''I don't want to start a fight if it was just miscommunication.''
Monday, June 6, 2011
Reason #66 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She refuses to debate other candidates.
From The State Column
What a yellow bellied, spineless, gutless, limp, impotent, pussy! OK limp and impotent pertain to men but in her case I will make an exception. If she cannot handle a simple debate how is she going to handle major decision making in the White House like starting a war? Oh thats right God will tell her what to do.
From The State Column
What a yellow bellied, spineless, gutless, limp, impotent, pussy! OK limp and impotent pertain to men but in her case I will make an exception. If she cannot handle a simple debate how is she going to handle major decision making in the White House like starting a war? Oh thats right God will tell her what to do.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Reason #64 not vote for Sarah Paln for anything
She is buddies with Joe Arpaio who is known as "America's toughest sheriff". However he is also a corrupt bastard.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Reason #63 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She invites herself to events she is not welcome at.
From MSNBC
WASHINGTON — One day after Sarah Palin announced her bus tour, a group sponsoring a Memorial Day weekend event she plans to attend said they never invited her.
"She wasn't invited. We heard yesterday she came out with a press release she was coming to Rolling Thunder," Ted Shpak, national legislative director of Rolling Thunder, told "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Shpak is one of three members of Rolling Thunder's current leadership who says he had no idea Palin was coming until it was posted on her website.
Also at the rally, she uses her fake teleprompter. Memo to Sarah: It's not cute anymore!
Acts like a slut:
Shoves a guy out of the way so she can talk to a reporter:
She and Todd were not wearing their wedding rings again, and Ted Shpak was not pleased that she upstaged the rally and jumped in front of the motorcycle line.
She also wore heels on a motorcycle. WTF!
From MSNBC
WASHINGTON — One day after Sarah Palin announced her bus tour, a group sponsoring a Memorial Day weekend event she plans to attend said they never invited her.
"She wasn't invited. We heard yesterday she came out with a press release she was coming to Rolling Thunder," Ted Shpak, national legislative director of Rolling Thunder, told "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Shpak is one of three members of Rolling Thunder's current leadership who says he had no idea Palin was coming until it was posted on her website.
Also at the rally, she uses her fake teleprompter. Memo to Sarah: It's not cute anymore!
Acts like a slut:
Shoves a guy out of the way so she can talk to a reporter:
She and Todd were not wearing their wedding rings again, and Ted Shpak was not pleased that she upstaged the rally and jumped in front of the motorcycle line.
She also wore heels on a motorcycle. WTF!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Reason #62 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She misused the Alaska Trust Fund
“Some say “Sarah Palin” is in it for the money as she allowed her followers to raise a huge defense fund for her legal battles even though she personally will cash in on a book deal worth over 10 million dollars. Investigators for the State of Alaska are making recommendations to Sarah Palin to refuse to accept any of the money.”
Read more about - Politicol News on:
http://www.politicolnews.com/palin-breaks-ethical-laws/?utm_source=INK&utm_medium=copy&utm_campaign=share&
Read more about - Politicol News on:
http://www.politicolnews.com/palin-breaks-ethical-laws/?utm_source=INK&utm_medium=copy&utm_campaign=share&
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Reason #61 not to vote for Sarah Palin for anything
She is a shameless opportunist who promoted Alaska in her reality show and now is moving to Arizona.
From Rightspeak
arlier this year, Politico reported that Sarah Palin would base her campaign in Scottsdale, AZ if she were to run for the GOP nomination. SarahPac Treasurer, Tim Crawford responded by email with the following comment.
"There has been no decision about where a campaign would be based."
Note the lack of a denial in Crawford's statement. AZ Central is now reporting that the Palins have likely purchased a home in Scottsdale. The Palins have yet to confirm or deny the reports. However, a commenter (nederlandbill) at Conservatives4Palin had the following to say about the news.
"I did the mortgage on a property 2 homes away and owner says she saw the Palins looking at the home."
This means she is definitely running. I know Sarah has been wanting to ditch AK for a long time, she has bled them dry, everyone up there hates her and her family, she has burned all her bridges. I'm sure she will keep her AK residency so she will not have to pay AZ state income tax, which is typical of a Republicunt like her.
Here are pics of the house:
From Rightspeak
arlier this year, Politico reported that Sarah Palin would base her campaign in Scottsdale, AZ if she were to run for the GOP nomination. SarahPac Treasurer, Tim Crawford responded by email with the following comment.
"There has been no decision about where a campaign would be based."
Note the lack of a denial in Crawford's statement. AZ Central is now reporting that the Palins have likely purchased a home in Scottsdale. The Palins have yet to confirm or deny the reports. However, a commenter (nederlandbill) at Conservatives4Palin had the following to say about the news.
"I did the mortgage on a property 2 homes away and owner says she saw the Palins looking at the home."
This means she is definitely running. I know Sarah has been wanting to ditch AK for a long time, she has bled them dry, everyone up there hates her and her family, she has burned all her bridges. I'm sure she will keep her AK residency so she will not have to pay AZ state income tax, which is typical of a Republicunt like her.
Here are pics of the house:
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