Opinions expressed on this site are solely the responsibility of the site's authors and any guest authors whose material is posted here. This site is not authorized or operated by Governor Palin, her staff, or any other candidate or committee.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Help Gov. Palin Spread Conservative Message: Donate to SarahPAC





Logo


Memorandum

From: Meghan Stapleton, SarahPAC
To: SarahPAC Supporters

Greetings from Alaska where the fish are running and the sun is shining late!

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to spend time with Governor Palin as we visited Central New York, Manhattan, Long Island, Washington, D.C. and Texas.

It never ceases to amaze me that every time we travel together, virtually every moment of her time is spent talking to and caring for others, while listening to and learning from them as well - like brave, young Robert whose life we celebrated at the Autism Speaks Walk or the historical voices of the strong men and women upon whose shoulders we stand, including Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony and former Secretary William H. Seward.

Below, I attached a quick note from the Governor which she penned before leaving the country last week. I am attaching it to this memo because I am asking you to help Governor Palin and SarahPAC today!

You have been so incredibly supportive and generous, and now we ask you again for your help - and we ask that you please also encourage your friends and family to give.

SarahPAC needs to be in the position to help fund candidates who are going to fight for what we all believe - smaller government, less spending, and fewer taxes. With your help, we can take the Governor's message and encourage others who also have hope and are firmly rooted in the conservative belief that you know how best to spend your money and not government.

SarahPAC can't do that without your help. Please visit this link and give to SarahPAC today - and encourage others to do so as well.

Sincerely,
Meghan Stapleton
SarahPAC

P.S. Please give before June 30th. Your help is critical. Visit this link to give!




Dear SarahPAC Supporter:

I wanted to drop you a quick note about my trip earlier this month - a whirlwind tour and an opportunity to share a bit more about Alaska. (I am writing this before heading overseas to visit our Troops; I know that will be a most inspiring journey!)

It is such a treat to talk to everyone about Alaska and hear stories of fishing, hunting, and camping. And it thrills me to hear from those who wish to visit our beautiful state! Alaska has much to offer - from her magnificent glaciers to her abundant natural resources to fuel our homes and businesses.

When we travel outside Alaska, the hospitality is always overwhelming, and Todd and I so enjoyed meeting many new people on our recent trip to the Lower 48 - all emblematic of so many across this country who are willing to give of time, energy and effort to help one another.

It was thrilling to see the look on both young and old faces as I traveled to New York, Washington, D.C. and Texas. Words can never express the incredible spirit of all those who dedicate their lives to making even one life more comfortable.

Todd and I always recognize how grateful and proud we are to be citizens of the United States. We are so very blessed.

With an Alaska Heart,



Sarah Palin



Contribute




The Face Of Democrat Insanity





You know, the definition of insanity is doing the same stupid thing over and over, and expecting different results. With that in mind, some Alaska democrats have earned a lifetime stay in a padded cell.

Folks even remotely knowledgeable about Governor Sarah Palin know all about the epic failures Alaskan democrat bloggers and their operatives have experienced in their attempts to smear the Governor. Currently they are batting 16-0 with their ridiculous "ethics complaints." 17-0 if you count the failed "troopergate" attempt. Details are here, here, and here.

So what does Alaska’s official DNC blogger, Linda Kellen Biegel, have up her sleeve now? Well, she’s cooking up another ethics complaint, of course!

You might remember all of the commotion this hateful gal caused when she posted a photoshopped image of Governor Palin and her youngest child. It led everyone to ask why is it OK for democrats to attack small children, especially when they are the children of conservatives.

You’d have thought she’d learned her lesson from the fallout David Letterman experienced after his series of insults aimed at the Governor’s 14 year old daughter. But again, we are talking about the clinically insane here.

Biegel, who blogs as the Celtic Diva eventually took the photo down, and now has pages worth of explaining posted. That’s something else democrats are really good at. They will insult you in the most vile ways, and then "apologize" or "explain" things to you. But mostly they’ll just tell you that you aren’t smart enough to understand the nuance of discussing the rape of a 14 year old girl or how photoshopping a picture of a down syndrome child is some sort of high art form.

And of course, all of them band together to express their outrage when called on their hatefulness. Democrats are the do as I say, not as I do party.

As you know, Biegel, who is rapidly becoming a laughing stock in the sane world, used the image of Governor Palin and young Trig Palin as part of a fund raising effort she has ongoing. She is raising funds to file more insane ethics violations complaints, of course, and says so on her blog. Now, she refuses to disclose donors names, and claims this is not a "political fund" so she doesn’t have to follow the law on this sort of thing. Or file the proper paperwork.

Ironic, because she wants to use this money in an effort to "gain more transparency" from Governor Palin.

No really, I’m not making this stuff up!

So what is Alaska’s self appointed "ethics chief" caterwauling about now?

Well, people who keep up with the Governor will tell you that she made a trip this weekend to visit Alaska National Guard troops during a training exercise off the coast, and then spent time at Camp Bondsteel Ferizaj, Kosovo and then visited wounded troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

This is Governor Palin’s second trip abroad to visit her Guard troops. In 2007, not long after she was elected, she traveled to Kuwait and then Germany.

Funny thing, that wasn’t an ethics violation back then. But of course, she wasn’t the odds on favorite to unseat Barack Obama in 2012 either.

At any rate, as Commander-In-Chief of the Alaska National Guard, Sarah Palin was well within the scope of her duties on this trip. And as Maj General Craig Campbell, who accompanied the Governor on the trip pointed out in this interview, Governor Palin takes these duties quite serious.

The issue?

It seems our poor misguided Diva now fancies herself a constitutional scholar. Of course so do these two!

Was able to pull this off of her website:

"NEW VIOLATION BY PALIN!!!

Found this on palingates (emphasis mine):
Frank said...

BlackMountain wrote on 06/27/2009 03:27:42 PM:

Something for the Palinbots to think about- Palin violated the US Supreme Court Greer vs. Spock decision which banned partisan political speeches or rallies on military bases. Palin also caused every soldier to violate a military directive that bars service members from attending partisan political speeches either in uniform, on duty, or at any military base/facility.

Isn't it just a doozie that Palin would violate a US Supreme Court Decision - and top it off with having our soldiers violate military directives!"

Now I won’t even pretend to be a constitutional scholar, even though it seems that pretty much anyone can get away with saying so! But I will claim that I have a reading comprehension at or above the third grade level.

I took a look at Greer v Spock. This is a case from the 1970's.

Without quoting chapter and verse, here is a synopsis of the case:

"Fort Dix, a federal military reservation devoted primarily to basic training for newly inducted Army personnel, and over which the Government exercises exclusive jurisdiction, permits free civilian access to certain unrestricted areas. However, post regulations ban speeches and demonstrations of a partisan political nature and also prohibit the distribution of literature without prior approval of post headquarters. Pursuant to these regulations, the commanding officer of Fort Dix rejected the request of respondent candidates for President and Vice President to distribute campaign literature and hold a political meeting on the post and the other respondents, who had been evicted on several occasions for distributing literature not previously approved, were barred from reentering the post. Respondents brought suit to enjoin enforcement of these regulations on the ground that they violated the First and Fifth Amendments. The District Court issued an injunction prohibiting the military authorities from interfering with the making of political speeches or the distribution of leaflets in areas of Fort Dix open to the general public, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. "

So basically this case was about the distribution of partisan election materials without prior approval. The case was upheld. It states that a military commander MAY restrict political speech as well as printed material. MAY is the key word here. Maybe it’s too many years pouring over the old NHRA rule book, but one tends to learn what words like "may" and "shall" and "must" mean.

The ruling goes on to leave us with this gem:

"As to the regulation governing the distribution of literature, a military commander may disapprove only those publications that he perceives clearly endanger the loyalty, discipline, or morale of troops on the base under his command, and, while this regulation might in the future be applied irrationally, invidiously, or arbitrarily, none of the respondents even submitted any material for review, and the noncandidate respondents had been excluded from the post because they had previously distributed literature there without attempting to obtain approval."

Now you can watch Governor Palin’s speech to the troops, but unless you are a complete loon, or a member of the Obama Administration, a Governor thanking her troops for their hard work and sacrifice is hardly "dangerous" to the troops loyalty, discipline or moral! In fact, from the loud cheers she elicited from the troops, I’d say the Governor was a great boost to moral!

So where does this leave us?

Well, as we know, Linda Kellen Biegel is a seriously deranged woman void of all reason or self-restraint. So you can bet she is cooking up a way to file this ethics complaint! Of course, she may not do it herself. She has many surrogates like Andree McLeod or Sondra Tompkins, or Theodore "Chip" Thoma!

But her MO will be the same as always. Before she even files the paperwork, or gives it to a "designated hitter" to file, the details will be all over the internet. All of the various blogs will put it out, and the three hate bloggers from the Huffington Post, Amanda Coyne (whose husband conveniently works at the Anchorage Daily News), Jeanne Devon (AKMuckraker) and Shannyn Moore will most certain have star placement over at Arianna Huffington’s rag.

You know, these people are why we cannot get good and decent men and woman to take part in the democratic process in our country. Just as soon as a real leader emerges, folks like Biegel, and the rest pull out their tattered copies of Saul Alinsky’s "Rules For Radicals" and go to town.

It seems that all liberals are given a copy of the old communist "community organizer" from Chicago’s book, at birth.

So far, these miscreants have cost the state of Alaska around $300,000 and have run up a personal legal tab of around a half million dollars for Governor Palin.

What can you do?

Get involved! This woman is an official blogger for the Democrat National Committee. She is also endorsed by the democrat party of Alaska. And enjoys a premium placement on their official website.

Conservatives 4 Palin has a great list of contacts that you can get in touch with. One can certainly ask them if this sort of economic terrorism is something they really want to endorse. Or for that matter, see it used against them in the future. More and more conservatives are reading Alinsky these days!

You can also help spread the word through friends and on the various blogs you frequent. If nothing else, when these loons try to come out with this "complaint" everyone will already know that it is bogus!

And one thing more, this isn’t just about Governor Palin. These aren’t the only underhanded democrat operatives out there. Even if you aren’t one of Governor Palin’s strong supporters, remember this, if they’ll do this to her, sooner or later, they’ll do it to someone you do care about! This sort of character assassination and economic terrorism is standard operating procedure for the modern democrat party. Just ask David Axlerod or Rahm Emanuel!

This is as good a time as any to draw a line in the sand! Enough is indeed enough!

I’ll leave you with this thought from Pastor Martin Niemöller the German anti-Nazi activist:

"In Germany they first came for the Communists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me —

and by that time no one was left to speak up".

It is a time to choose.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

One more time on federal energy funds -- by Sarah Palin

By Gov. Sarah Palin
Spectrum
Published in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman on Saturday, June 27, 2009 10:12 PM AKDT


It is important for Alaskans to know that while state legislators resolved to accept all federal stimulus funds, I vetoed $28.6 million for state energy programs because it came with conditions. Many have looked at this money and did not see any strings. I can assure you, if we accept these funds there is great potential for Alaska to find itself on the hook (Palin, 2009, ¶1).

Let me set the record straight: Alaska has made significant investments to reduce energy costs. In fiscal years 2009 and 2010, we committed more than $600 million for renewable energy, weatherization, home energy rebates, power cost equalization and heating assistance (Palin, 2009, ¶2).

In addition, Alaska will receive $18.5 million for weatherization and $9.6 million for energy efficiency from the federal stimulus package. But the other $28.6 million comes with strings attached (Palin, 2009, ¶3).

Statements made by Congress and the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) on conditions for receiving the stimulus funds are available in statutory language and guidance. These statements highlight that: (Palin, 2009, ¶4)



  1. Before the stimulus bill passed, it was clear Congress intended to tie the funds to adoption of new energy building codes (Palin, 2009, ¶5).


  2. When Congress passed the bill, section 410’s language was clear: governors had to certify in writing that their state or all local jurisdictions with authority to adopt building codes would “implement” the new energy building codes or their equivalent (Palin, 2009, ¶6).


  3. After the stimulus passed, the USDOE confirmed in their March 12 and April 24 guidance manuals that funding was only available if governors would confirm in writing that the state or all local jurisdictions with authority to adopt building codes “will implement” the target codes or their equivalents (Palin, 2009, ¶7).


  4. After Alaska pointed out that its requirements were unreasonable, USDOE admitted the requirements were “not appropriate” for every state and offered to accept instead, a promise by the governor to promote the target codes on Alaska communities (Palin, 2009, ¶8).


  5. On June 6, 2009, USDOE’s contractor developing measurement and reporting requirements related to energy building codes repeated in writing the position that all local communities without the target codes or an equivalent had to adopt the target codes (Palin, 2009, ¶9).




The bottom lines are: (Palin, 2009, ¶10)



  • My administration was well-justified in its interpretations of what section 410 and USDOE statements were requiring as conditions to qualify for the funds. In some cases, the conditions were greater in scope than what the Legislature found (Palin, 2009, ¶11).

  • While USDOE admitted that their requirements were not appropriate for every state, the department was still requiring the governor to push the target codes on Alaska communities (Palin, 2009, ¶11).

  • In the June 6, 2009, draft compliance document, USDOE again put a position in writing that codes must be adopted. USDOE appears to be giving inconsistent verbal statements on its position. The fact that USDOE cannot settle on a position is cause for concern particularly regarding what USDOE will ultimately require from states who accept the funds (Palin, 2009, ¶12).

  • Section 410 requires adoption of the 2009 International Energy Code for residential buildings and the Standard 90.1-2007 for commercial buildings or their equivalents. So, it is a single standard for energy savings that must be met by all communities. In that sense it is a one-size-fits-all type requirement. Communities may have some leeway to shape their specific codes, but they still have to adopt a code that does not drop below the federally mandated “floor” for energy savings (Palin, 2009, ¶13).




It is unclear what changes could be made and still reach the minimum savings level set by the feds. This intrudes on the authority of local governments (Palin, 2009, ¶14).

While the draft guidelines are voluntary for now, Alaskans should not be complacent. These guidelines could very well become mandatory over the next few years and be used by the USDOE to conclude that a particular state is not in compliance (Palin, 2009, ¶15).

Alaska is already a leader among states in pursuing conservation, weatherization, and renewable energy. We’ve done so largely with state funds and without infringing on the local authority of Alaska communities (Palin, 2009, ¶16).

Sarah Palin is governor of Alaska.

Commentary



It's too bad, Sarah Palin is not President of the United States, though in many respects she is doing his job for him and doing it very well, as we have seen with her overseas trip.

Governor Palin built a strong, cogent case as why she vetoed this poisoned money -- it comes complete with breaches of the Tenth Amendment. Local Alaskan communities manage their energy matters just fine without federal interference and its concomitant costs.

References

Palin, S.L.H. (2009, June 27). "One more time on federal energy funds." Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Retrieved June 28, 2009 from: http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2009/06/28/opinion/columnists/doc4a4707cbc96ed839059305.txt



En Español:

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enes

한국어 (Korean)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enko

עִברִית (Hebrew)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=eniw


日本語 (Japanese)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enja

繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enzh-TW

Saturday, June 27, 2009

June 27, 2009 Synopsis of Governor Palin's Accomplishments

Governor Palin is in the midst of an overseas trip to Kosovo and Germany, where she is inspecting and promoting her troops, mourning the fallen, and visiting the wounded in hospitals. She is assessing her troops' readiness for future missions.

A Conservatives4Palin-sponsored webathon in coalition with numerous bloggers and websites is ongoing and has thus far raised $130,875 for the Alaska Fund Trust to retire $500,000 in legal bills incurred fighting ethics complaints. Governor Palin has $369, 125 in legal bills remaining.

Speaking of ethics complaints, the 16th such complaint was dismissed. The complaint, filed by Andree McLeod against Anchorage Office Director Kris Perry, alleged Perry used her official position for personal gain by traveling with the governor on three occasions.

Governor Palin appointed 23 people to 9 boards during the past 10 days, bringing her total to 91 appointments and re-appointments this year, including two judicial appointments, an attorney general, and one state senate appointment. In the 178 days that have passed this year, she has averaged one appointment every two days.

The Governor made a surprise visit to Sailors and personnel onboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) on Monday during the military joint-training exercise Northern Edge 2009.

Governor Palin signed domestic violence legislation and legislation requiring booster seats for young children traveling in motor vehicles.

Governor Palin lauded a US Supreme Court ruling allowing the Kensington Gold Mine project to proceed.

The Governor supported Iranian protesters against a fraudulent election, specifically the women who are leading many of the protests, and one woman -- Neda Soltan, who was murdered during a protest.

Governor Palin signed a boating safety memo of understanding with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Governor Palin held ceremonies declaring 2009 the "Year of the Non-Commissioned Officer" and June 14 as "Day of the Non-Commissioned Officer."

The Governor broke ground on the Goose Creek Correctional Center, a medium security prison to be built near Point Mackenzie.

The Governor sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to initiate a federal-state land exchange, so that a needed road can be built.


Complete stories at:

http://sarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com/

En Español:

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enes

한국어 (Korean)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enko

עִברִית (Hebrew)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=eniw


日本語 (Japanese)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enja

繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enzh-TW

Three Governors, One President: One Leader Among Them

The events of the past six months involving three governors and a president deserve some analysis and thought. Of the four, only one is a true leader.

Mark Sanford (R), South Carolina

As is widely published in several news accounts, Governor Sanford mysteriously disappeared on a trip to Argentina "recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money." (Smith, 2009, ¶4). Governor Sanford was also involved in adultery and went on this trip to conduct the affair, which had been ongoing for a year (LeBlanc & O'Connor, 2009, ¶1). During his absence, there were concerns about who was governing South Carolina (Smith, 2009, ¶3).

In summary, Governor Sanford abandoned his job to commit adultery without appointing his second-in-command to take over. By his own admission, this man was unable to cope with the stress of handing the stimulus package for his state, a project he failed miserably at.

As of this writing, the shenanigan cost Governor Sanford his chairmanship in the Republican Governor's Association (Barr, 2009, ¶1).

David Paterson (D), New York

The New York State Senate is embroiled in a weeks-long power struggle between Democrats and Republicans. Governor Paterson forced the state senators to convene. State senators from both parties simply yelled at each other, and otherwise got nothing done. Governor Paterson was left powerless and did not know what to do (Scott & Dicker, 2009, ¶2).

The New York Post criticized both the state senators and Governor Paterson in an editorial titled, "Clowns Have More Dignity." The NY Post routinely chides Governor Paterson's leadership skills and refers to him as "hapless."

Barack Obama (D)

North Korea threatens to annihilate us. A woman -- Neda Soltan -- whose first name literally means "voice" was murdered in the streets of Iran protesting a fraudulent election. A US Army recruiter is murdered by a Muslim terrorist in Oklahoma. Where is our Commander in Chief? Absent -- only to issue semi-eloquent pronouncements days into a crisis. Meanwhile, about the only area that he is exercising leadership in is nationalizing businesses and destroying our republic.


Sarah Louise Heath Palin (R), Alaska


The 2009 Legislative Session was an all-out war against Governor Palin with legislators from both parties not acting on her bills, getting locked in battles with her over an attorney general and a state senator appointment. The stimulus bill sparked numerous battles. Governor Palin was targeted with multiple ethics complaints; a family crisis involving her eldest daughter was used in an attempt to make her a laughingstock. Mid-March to Mid-April was a rough time for her. How did she handle it?

Governor Palin ultimately appointed a state senator everyone could agree on.

She compromised on key points with the stimulus bill, but still walked away with substantially what she wanted. Ultimately, she would veto $28.6 million in stimulus funds, was threatened with a veto override, which never came to pass. She won that battle.

Governor Palin took her loss with the attorney general, but ultimately appointed someone who may have proven to be an even better choice, being 100% aligned with her leadership methodology and taking on a difficult case involving oil leases within hours of being sworn in. She recognizes fully that sometimes victory takes a circuitous path.

The Governor secured most of the funding she requested for an intra-state pipeline.

Some bills were delayed till the 2010 legislative session, but following the session, she has signed numerous bills all aimed at improving her constituents' lives. Governor Palin signed many of these bills in classrooms and at other locations directly affected by them, bringing the political process to the people to witness. She signed nine bills alone on Memorial Day.

Governor Palin performed a humanitarian mission, delivered speeches, received honors and awards, toured military installations, and tended to a disaster area.

In one speech, she introduced the man who described her as the resurrection of his father in a woman's body, confirming that she had been summoned to carry his torch. Nary a week later at a dinner she was twice invited to and dis-invited from, everything stopped upon her arrival and in a moment that will forever be remembered, she was again summoned -- this time -- simultaneously beckoning us to follow with a simple turn of her head behind her.....

On a day she signed six bills and prepared to secure disaster funding, the same hand that signed those bills wrote numerous thank you cards to supporters -- of whom this author is proud to be one.

Every ethics complaint against her was dismissed and she has secured nearly one quarter of the amount required to pay off her legal bills defending the baseless charges.

Governor Palin opened a Twitter account and went from rank newbie to being the Queen of Twitter, with over 36,000 followers and counting. Her tweets concisely and cogently leave no doubt as to where she is at any given time, in themselves build a dossier of her accomplishments. The Governor's tweets of June 22, 2009 read like the words written by a president.

She has appointed 91 people to boards, commissions, councils, including her state senator and attorney general appointments, and two judicial appointments.

In 2010, we will get to read about the life and times of someone who is likely the last living Pioneer, when Governor Palin's autobiography goes on sale.

Her work on the AGIA project is turning a 30-eyar-old pipe dream into a pipeline to transport natural gas from the North Slope to Alberta, Canada, thence to the Lower 48. The AGIA project could be considered the pinnacle of Governor Palin's achievements -- a project that not even a president from either party can take credit for.

These are the accomplishments that this author remembers -- and Governor Palin is owed an apology -- because there are many more that were not listed.

During this time, she worked upwards of 120 hours per week and never took a day for herself, still found time to fulfill her familial obligations. She has been married 20 years, never committed adultery (despite the attempts by the left and some so-called conservatives to sully her as a woman), is the mother of five children and the grandmother of one. She functions on three hours sleep and massive doses of sugar and caffeine in the form of mocha lattes.

Conclusion

Three Governors and a President. One leader. The facts speak for themselves as to who the leader is. We have three men who failed miserably and were impotent in the face of crisis -- when strong leadership is most needed.

We have one woman who never tired, never lost perspective, never missed a beat, and accomplished so much in the face of such bitter opposition and overwhelming odds.

As for the Republican Governor's Association, they might consider a chair-woman's position this time around, because sometimes, the best man for the job is a woman.....

References



Smith, G. (2009, June 24). Sanford met in Atlanta after returning from South America. The State. Retrieved June 24, 2009 from: http://www.thestate.com/local/story/838823.html



LeBlanc, C. and O'Connor, J. (2009, June 24). Sanford admits affair; wife Jenny responds. The State. Retrieved June 24, 2009 from: http://www.thestate.com/sanford/story/839231.html



Clowns have more dignity. (2009, June 24). The New York Post. Retrieved June 24, 2009 from: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06242009/postopinion/editorials/clowns_have_more_dignity_175760.htm



Scott, B. and Dicker, F. U. (2009, June 24). "Albany's dueling dolts." The New York Post. Retrieved June 24, 2009 from: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06242009/news/regionalnews/albanys_dueling_dolts_175801.htm



Barr, A. (2009, June 24). "South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admits affair." Politico. Retrieved June 24, 2009 from:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24146.html






En Español:

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enes

한국어 (Korean)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enko

עִברִית (Hebrew)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=eniw


日本語 (Japanese)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enja

繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese)

http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com%2F&langpair=enzh-TW

The ‘Cuda Goes To Kosovo


In a week that saw Sarah Palin’s youngest child attacked by Alaska’s official Democrat National Committee blogger in an attempt to raise money to fund more personal attacks on the Governor, Palin finds herself pretty busy.

She was on a “secret trip” to a foreign land.

First stop was visiting the troops participating in Northern Edge 2009, Alaska’s largest military training exercise. Governor Palin and her husband first met with Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, Alaskan Command Commander, 11th Air Force; and Rear Admiral Mark A. Vance, USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Strike Group Commander, before heading out to the USS John C. Stennis.

From there it was a short trip over to the USS Stennis to observe the exercises.

Next stop Camp Bondsteel; Ferizaj, Kosovo

The troops Governor Palin is visiting are members of the Alaska National Guard.

There is some cool raw video of the Governor landing and making some comments. One notes she carries her own gear.

During this stop she quoted Ronald Reagan:

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Given the current situation in America, I’m not sure the Governor could have picked a better Reagan quote to use.

Here is a full version of her speech. At the end she gets a little shot in at Senator John Kerry, who served in Vietnam, much to the delight of the troops. This was a bit of payback for Kerry’s poor attempt of a joke made earlier in the week. Kerry has made a habit out of this sort of thing over the years.

I’m sure detractors will have something to say about all of this, but the fact is, Governor Palin takes her job as Commander-In-Chief of the Alaska National Guard and the Alaska Defense Force very seriously. The Governor made her first trip overseas to visit her troops in 2007, not long after her election. Being a lifelong hunter, she even took time to get in a little weapons training while in Kuwait.

As longtime Guard commander Major General Craig E Campbell pointed out in a September 2008 interview with Fox New’s Greta Van Susteren, Palin is one on the ball C-I-C. Saying that she was one of the best he had served under. That she actually cares about her responsibilities to the Guard.

In addition to the normal duties, Palin makes a point of attending every overseas deployment ceremony, and is at the airport to greet every single returning serviceman and servicewoman.

Alaska’s National Guard is unique, as it is the only state force that is on permanent deployment.

The 176th Wing, of the Alaska Air National Guard trains with and is part of the United States Air Force. They are vital to our air defenses, and are the first line of defense should Russia, North Korea, or China decide they want to become aggressive.

Governor Palin has has shared strategic command of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion.. And also commands the Alaska Defense Force, a federally recognized militia that is part of Homeland Security’s strategic plans. Palin also enjoys a top level of security clearance and receives regular security briefings.

Alaska is home to much of our missile defense systems. Governor Palin has been one of President Barack Obama’s strongest critics as he seeks to make major cuts in our missile defense dollars at the same time North Korea is fueling up long range ICBM’s and threatening nuclear war. North Korea is threatening a missile launch on the 4th of July with Hawaii as the target.

The Governor's next stop will be Germany.

Sarah Palin to the Rescue

The article below (hat tip @wmiar) is a delightful parody by none other than Lloyd Marcus, the songwriter and singer of the Tea Party Anthem. The current version is called We the People. An earlier version used for the April 15 tea party can be viewed here. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Lloyd toured with the Our Country Deserves Better PAC's Stop Obama Tour. Two of the songs he wrote and sang for that tour are Sarah Smile and Living in America. Sarah Smile is a remake of the Hall and Oates song by that name but featuring Sarah Palin instead. Marcus has captured the essence of the promise of a Palin presidency in his article.

June 26, 2009

Sarah Palin At High Noon

By Lloyd Marcus

American Thinker

I just watched the classic movie "High Noon" (again). Gary Cooper played a brave sheriff who brought law and order to his town. As one woman said, "He made it safe for a decent woman to walk down the street". A recently released outlaw was coming back to town on the noon train to deliver vengeance against the sheriff who put him away. His gang of three arrived early to help their leader take out the sheriff.

Fully aware of why the bad men were in town, the sheriff could not arrest them because they had not broken any laws. Waiting is not illegal.

Desperate, the sheriff interrupted a church service to solicit help. After much debate, the ungrateful town folks declined. They even suggested the sheriff "get out of town" hoping the trouble would follow him. The sheriff contemplated their recommendation. He began saddling his horse, but something inside would not allow him to run away. Heroically, the sheriff faced the bad guys and won!

I thought of another strong, gutsy, bold, stand-on-principles hero, Sarah Palin, in her own modern day version of High Noon. Sheriff Palin rode into America Town on a white horse with conservative guns blazing and saved a dead McCain campaign. She brought hope to weary and battered conservative town folks and gave them a reason to vote.

Outlaw Obama and his posse, the hate filled liberal media/Democrat gang, came to town a gunnin' to politically eliminate Sheriff Palin. They ambushed her at Miss Katie Couric's CBS saloon. Though wounded numerous times, Sheriff Palin survived.

She bravely stood tall and rode high in the saddle while ungrateful, weak kneed Republican town folks ran for cover, hid in their homes and peeked nervously through the curtains.

Why are Obama and his gang so committed and desperate to destroy Palin? Could it be they recognize her destiny, like that of Moses, to set her people free? And why is she so despised by them? Obama's gang hate Palin for all the reasons we love her. Sheriff Palin is a good, decent and strong character driven conservative leader. Palin also believes in God. Such humility and virtues are as repulsive to liberals as showing Dracula the cross.

Something that sticks in the craw of many liberal women is that in their youth, they brought into the feminist rhetoric that women's liberation means no husband and family. Tragically, they find themselves aging and alone. Meanwhile, this conservative woman has it all: great career, fine family and a husband who loves and respects her. Adding insult in injury, Sheriff Palin looks mighty fine in her jeans.

Recently, the libs sent an old washed up gunslinger, the Letterman Kid, to challenge Sheriff Palin to a shoot out. Palin planted two bullets between the pathetic old dude's wrinkly eyes before he could un-holster his gun.

Despite Sheriff Palin's courage and willingness to fight, Obama and his posse rule America Town. They are in the process of taking over everything! Obama took over the livery stable and banned horses. While he and his posse continue riding horses, we town folks are forced to ride miniature ponies.

But in the spirit of what has made America Town great, an uprising is a brewin'. A huge conservative posse is building daily. Our first battle will be in 2010 to win back America Town's House and Senate. Then, in 2012, God willing and the creek don't rise, Sheriff Palin will lead us to victory in the battle of Little Big Washington DC. Years earlier, another great lawman cleaned up America Town, Sheriff Ronald Reagan.

After Sheriff Palin sweeps out the Obama gang, perhaps once again, we will be as what Sheriff Reagan affectionately called us, "a shining city on a hill".

Lloyd Marcus is the Singer/Songwriter of the "American Tea Party Anthem" and President, NAACPC (National Association for the Advancement of Conservative People of Color).

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/06/sarah_palin_at_high_noon.html


See also:

Living in America - Lloyd Marcus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr-3cLeh8hc

Lloyd Marcus http://www.lloydmarcus.com

Original America Tea Party Anthem by Lloyd Marcus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2H8xHFXC8U&feature=player_embedded

Our Country Deserves Better PAC http://www.ourcountrydeservesbetter.com

The Stop Obama Tour http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2008/10/stop-obama-tour/

Stop Obama Tour Reaches New Mexico http://newsblaze.com/story/20081019132912zzzz.nb/topstory.html

Sarah Smile by Lloyd Marcus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIkZiEp8460&feature=related

We the People (current America Tea Party anthem) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sCN34fyXEQ&feature=player_embedded

Friday, June 26, 2009

It's Time to Take a Stand


There has been a lot of conjecture about the motivation of the liberals who have launched personal attacks on Governor Sarah Palin. Some have cited guilt quickened by watching Sarah Palin walk the walk and adhere to the conservative values that liberals scorn. Others have cited the bias and misinformation generated by liberal media. I think that both of these are true, but there is also a strong political component to these attacks.

Sarah Palin has been a strong and responsible governor who has managed her state’s resources wisely and upheld strong ethical standards. In fact, she cleaned up the good-old-boys establishment before she ever entered office. Her
reimbursement of the State of Alaska for her children’s traveling expenses was well above usual expectations for one in her position. Although she had followed the precedents set by the two previous governors for family travel and the Alaska Personnel Board found no wrongdoing, Governor Palin agreed to pay for 9 trips for her children. Her attorney, Thomas Van Flein, made this remark in an e-mail, “The rules were, and are, being changed in midstream for Governor Palin. However, as noted in the agreement at the time 'the Governor wants to exceed minimum legal standards.'"

It is known that Obama was directly involved in the “Troopergate” investigation, and it is suspected that Democrat operatives are heavily involved in the attacks and smears against Governor Palin. All you have to do is go online to see them at work. The liberal bloggers daily pollute the Internet with ridicule and outright lies in an effort to belittle and demean Governor Palin. It should be obvious to anyone that the intensity of these efforts demonstrates how much of a threat Sarah Palin is to their status quo.

Hollywood and the late night shows have joined in the radical left’s efforts to belittle this godly woman. After all, it is the celebrities that party in the White House and that raised tons of money for Obama’s campaign. Never in my lifetime have I seen any political figure attacked so intensely on such a personal basis. Not satisfied with their attacks on Governor Palin, they have now turned to demeaning and belittling her children. This has to stop. This is America, and we just don’t allow people to be treated this way, especially someone so undeserving of these attacks as Sarah Palin is.

It is time for those with conscience to stand up and say enough is enough. We won’t put up with character assasination attempts on an outstanding governor and the crude attacks on an ethical, morally upright woman’s children. The protest against David Letterman was just the beginning. No longer can we be silent in the face of such evil. With modern technology, we have the means to register our protests, to boycott when appropriate, and to stand up to politically-motivated personal attacks against Governor Palin and her family. Let’s roll!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Not Content To Just Attack Women, Liberals Now Go After Small Children. Nothing Is Sacred When It Comes To Hating Sarah Palin.




Just when you thought liberals couldn’t sink any lower, hate blogger Linda Kellen Biegel proves that the levels of depravity from modern day democrats knows no bottom.

I mean we were just treated to the absolute disgusting display by so-called comedian David Letterman a couple of weeks ago, where he and his liberal viewers thought it was quite OK to call the married Governor and mother of 5 a "slut", and then voiced his fantasies that featured Governor Palin’s 14 year old daughter! For an encore, Letterman called the daughter a whore one day later.

His apology consisted of claiming he meant to have a fantasy voiced about the Governor’s 18 year old daughter, and meant to call her a whore. Oh, and insulting those who were too stupid not to know that.

Nice people these modern liberals.

Well, as bad as what Letterman did, which was basically declare open season on women and young teen girls for sexual gratification, Linda Kellen Biegel has put old Dave to shame on the hate-o-meter.

Biegel, who I have written about extensively is part of the cabal of left wingers in Alaska who attack the Governor on a daily basis. She is also one of the driving forces behind all of the harassment "ethics complaints" against the Governor as well. And I am sure that she is not pleased that another bogus complaint was thrown out on Monday. The latest complaint to go down in flames was one by serial complaint filer Andree McLeod.

Biegel is one of the main reasons Governor Palin had to set up a legal defense fund. And her antics have also cost the state of Alaska about $300,000 to deal all of the bogus filings.

So what is Biegel up to now?

Well on her website Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis, she is having a fund raiser to fight for "transparency in government" which is a hoot considering who she supports nationally. And most likely just a way to fund more bogus ethics complaints.

And speaking of this fund raiser, many questions have already popped up wondering if she has actually filed the proper paper work with officials and declared her little piggy bank a political action fund.

Now at this point you might ask "who cares?"


Well, here’s the deal. In promoting her "fundraiser," Biegel took it upon herself to photoshop a picture of Governor Palin and her youngest son, Trig.

Trig Palin, of course, is a downs syndrome child.

Biegel photoshopped the face of local radio host Eddie Burke onto a well known shot of Governor Palin with her son, Trig. The claim being that Burke, an outspoken supporter of Palin's, is somehow "in the tank" for the Governor.

Again totally laughable considering that tonight ABC is airing an infomercial for President Obama’s push to socialized medicine, allowing no dissenting voices, and refusing counter advertising!

And don’t get me started on the rest of the state run media and their slobbering love affair with Obama!

Of course, it was our fearless leader who made a joke about special needs children right after becoming POTUS on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. So I guess that was sort of code to let the liberal hate machine know it is OK to go after special needs kids, like Trig.

For contrast, watch Sarah Palin’s video address to the 2009 Special Olympics meet in Boise, Idaho.

Now if this was just one lone hate blogger, it would personally anger me, but I’d just blow this loser off, but that is not the case with Biegel.

Linda Kellen Biegel is an "official DNC blogger" who covered the 2008 Democratic National Committee’s convention in Denver for Alaska, and along with other hate bloggers, enjoys a prominent placement on the Alaskan democrat party’s official website.

This tells me that the Alaskan democrat party endorses the hate that Biegel, Jeanne Devon (Mudflats) as well as HuffPo regulars Shannyn Moore, and Amanda Coyne serve up on a consistent basis.

And as a Democrat National Committee "official blogger" one must assume they also endorse such egregious behavior.

As does Bob Poe, a potential democrat candidate for Governor, who just granted Biegel an interview. (H/T to our friends at Conservatives4Palin.)

And don’t forget, this woman is one of the feature players in filing all of the absolutely ridiculous "ethics complaints" against Governor Palin.

So one must consider these facts. Barack Obama himself has joked on national TV about special needs kids. A hate blogger, and obviously deranged woman who is trying to make a living attacking Governor Palin, also thinks it’s just peachy to attack the Governor using her special needs child. And by endorsement, both the Alaskan and national democrat parties seem to be fine with this sort of thing as well.

For me, I am sick of this deal. I don’t mind people who want to discuss policies. But liberals really never can. Especially when it comes to Sarah Palin. It is always personal, and very nasty. But in general, liberals cannot compete in the marketplace of ideas, so this is how they operate.

Also, for me, this has moved way beyond America’s Governor.


I make no bones about the fact that I strongly support Sarah Palin. I like what she stands for, and think she is the true transformational leader this nation needs to us get back on track. Her resume speaks for itself.

But at this point, it’s no longer just about her. Liberals have absolutely no boundaries any more when it comes to their smear campaigns. Nothing is sacred. No one is safe.

Lately we have seen massive attacks by the liberals, and the so-called mainstream media on all conservative women. The attacks on Carrie Prejean are well documented. Her stance on gay marriage, which is the same as Barack Obama’s, most certainly played a role in her loss as Miss USA and the eventual loss of her Miss California title. (A state that voted overwhelmingly to outlaw gay marriage!)

Then there was the attack by the Playboy blogger who described his violent rape fantasies against conservative women like Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, and Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann.

There was little effort to go after these haters though. Seriously non-existent push back from our side.

Then came Letterman and his hate speech against women and teenage girls. Thankfully, folks from all sides decided to denounce Letterman, and have caused many of his show’s sponsors to take their business elsewhere. In fact, there is still an ongoing effort to get Letterman fired just as CBS fired Don Imus for a lot tamer remark.

Here’s where I feel we are at as Americans, as conservatives, and as human beings. Are we going to continue to allow the very worst elements of society to smear Americans for no reason other than unbridled hate, and a difference in opinion, or are we going to take a stand?

It’s time we let these people know that enough, is enough!

It’s time to hold these people responsible for their actions.

It’s time to declare war on those who traffic in these disgusting practices.

What can you do?

Well for one, why not ask the Alaskan democrat party why they condone such vile attacks on women and children by one of their official bloggers. Why they think it is cool to attack special needs children. You can contact them online. Or here:

Via Mail :

Alaska Democratic Party

2602 Fairbanks Street

Anchorage, AK 99503

Via Phone :

(907) 258-3050

Via Fax :

(907) 258-1626

Ask the Democrat National Party the same questions. You can contact the Democrat National Committee online. Or here:

Via Mail:

Democratic National Committee

430 S. Capitol St. SE

Washington, DC 20003

Via Phone:

202-863-8000

You might even want to ask potential gubernatorial candidate Bob Poe about his obvious connection to Linda Kellen Biegel.

info@bobpoe.com

You can even ask these key Alaskan democrats if they condone this sort of thing. And put pressure on them to either denounce Biegel, or stand with her.

Senator Johnny Ellis:

Sen.Johnny.Ellis@legis.state.ak.us

Senator Hollis French:

Sen.Hollis.French@legis.state.ak.us

Representative Beth Kerttula:

Rep.Beth.Kerttula@legis.state.ak.us

Bear in mind that French and Kerttula were key players in the failed "troopergate" smear attempt against Governor Palin, and French also has his eyes on the Governor’s seat. I think Americans in general, and Alaskan’s in particular need to know if this guy thinks it’s OK to go after women and children especially if he wants to have Alaska’s top job.

I’m sure readers will think of more people they can contact as well, my list is just a good start. And our friends at C4P are all over this with updated contacts as well.


Being someone who follows politics pretty closely, I am continually asked by friends why we have such poor representation, such pitiful politicians in the State House, Congress , and the White House. Well, one of the big reasons is guttersnipes like Linda Kellen Biegel, and her fellow Alaskan bloggers who trade in hate and lies. Think about it, why would someone want to subject themselves to all of these attacks?

When someone who is actually a decent leader, like Sarah Palin, dares put themselves out there, the liberal hate machine goes into high gear. America deserves better than this.

So here’s the deal. Are you going to continue to allow this sort of thing to go on? Are you going to continue to sit back and ignore attacks on decent people? Are you going to continue accepting vile and hateful attacks on women and children?

Or, are you going to get serious and help put an end to this stuff!

This is indeed a time for choosing.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sarah Palin Is the Favorite Potential Candidate of Both Moderate and Conservative Republicans

In the article below, Public Policy Polling discusses the results of a national poll they conducted last week which compared the popularity among moderate Republicans of Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Newt Gingrich. Their results show that Sarah Palin is the favorite potential candidate among moderate Republicans - just as she is among conservative Republicans. That should pretty much cover the Republican Party, wouldn't you say? At least, I've not been hearing much about any liberal Republicans. It seems like those folks are usually on the other side of the aisle.

PPP refers to a CNN poll in which Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee were compared to Obama for the 2012 election. What they do not mention is that CNN found no clear frontrunner between the three among male respondents. However, Sarah Palin held a 10% advantage over Huckabee and a 12% advantage over Romney among female respondents. (I'm not sure how they did their math, but this sounds like an overall advantage for Sarah Palin to me.) There was a significant change from the CNN poll in December, in which Huckabee polled 2% higher than Palin among females. As Hot Air opined, the tide is turning - in many ways.


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Palin: the moderate choice?

by Tom Jensen


Public Policy Polling



One interesting fact within our national poll looking at the 2012 Presidential picture last week: Sarah Palin is the most popular potential candidate with moderate Republicans.

61% have a favorable opinion of her to 53% for Mitt Romney, 50% for Mike Huckabee, and 44% for Newt Gingrich.

She's generally thought of as the darling of the conservative wing of the party- and she's the most popular there too as 83% view her positively to 79% for Huckabee, 77% for Gingrich, and 69% for Romney- but it may come as a surprise that she's tops with moderates as well.

That popularity with the centrist wing of the party speaks well to her prospects for assembling the coalition of voters she would need to win the nomination...but she continues to poll the weakest in a general election match up, setting up what could be a hard choice for some GOP voters in 2012 between who they like the most and who they think can actually beat Barack Obama.


Posted by Tom Jensen at 9:48 AM




Sunday, June 21, 2009

Anklebiters...or Obama Operatives?

The following article provides a perspective on the anklebiter complaints that have been filed against Governor Palin by a group of Alaskan bloggers. Our author Gary did an excellent job identifying these bloggers and their connections in his previous post. We can only speculate where their funding comes from at this point, but when those dots are connected, it may be an eye opener. Listed beneath the article are several other articles that provide additional details about the anklebiter issue.


Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin receives deluge of ethics complaints

POLITICO

By ANDY BARR 5/3/09 11:28 PM EDT


Since entering the national spotlight, Palin has been inundated by ethics complaints. Photo: AP

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s life has changed in a myriad of ways since she became the Republican vice presidential nominee last August, but one aspect of her newfound fame has been more bracing than the others: Since entering the national spotlight, Palin has been inundated by ethics complaints, most of them filed against her after she agreed to become Sen. John McCain’s running mate.

The complaints run the gamut, ranging from the governor’s use of state funds and staff to the workings of her political action committee and even to a jacket she wore to a snow machine race involving her husband.

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how many complaints have been filed because the state doesn’t keep count and the complaints are kept confidential by the attorney general’s office unless the state moves forward with a public accusation of wrongdoing. But in total there have been more than a dozen, and most of those have surfaced in the last seven months.

That much is clear because the complainants have a habit of notifying the media and bloggers each time they lodge a grievance. It’s evidence, say Palin’s defenders, that there is a clear political component to them.

“As we've been saying, the number of ethics complaints filed against the governor and her staff — as well as the tortured logic they contain — continue to constitute the most disturbing trend in Alaska politics,” said Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow in a recent statement after one ostensibly confidential complaint was sent to the Anchorage Daily News and other news outlets.

“In the past several months, we have seen an orchestrated effort by the governor’s opponents to make differences of opinion and ideology almost criminal,” said Mike Nizich, the governor’s chief of staff, in a statement. “Governor Palin has spent a considerable amount of time and money fighting ethics complaints – and no charge has been substantiated. I hope that the publicity-seekers will face a backlash from Alaskans who have a sense of fair play and proportion. I served six previous governors, and I’ve never seen anything like the attacks against Gov. Palin.”

The deluge of complaints is, in part, a reflection of the ease with which they can be filed. Any Alaska resident can submit a complaint in writing as long as it is signed under oath and contains details of the alleged ethics violation.

Judy Bockmon, who as the state ethics attorney at the Alaska Department of Law conducts the initial review of all complaints, said the state doesn’t keep track of how many are filed. “It’s not information that is useful to anybody,” she said, adding that the number of complaints seems “unusual.”

Many of Palin's opponents have taken advantage of the low bar for filing and used it as a license to highlight their grievances with the governor.

“The number of complaints is a function of the misconduct of Governor Palin, Todd Palin and certain state workers,” said self-described government watchdog Andrée McLeod, who has filed four complaints alone. “Governor Palin constantly blurs the lines between her personal and political interests and the interests of Alaska and Alaskans. Alaskans are fed up and are finally doing something about it.”

Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies, a California-based think tank that studies government reform and campaign finance issues, noted that Palin’s high-profile may be generating the extra scrutiny since Alaska’s ethics laws aren’t all that different than many other states.

‘It’s not just Alaska,” he said. “She’s an interesting official and attracts a lot of attention.”

Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich, who tangled with Palin when both served on the state Oil and Gas Commission before she became governor, said Palin may be more susceptible to attacks on her ethics from opponents because she “raised the ethics issue years before she came into office and made a major point of working to change the state ethics laws and regulation.”

“Some of the complaints over the last several months have been frivolous,” he said, “but others have been brought about by the high level of interest in ethics issues around Palin.”

Former Alaska governors “all did extremely similar things” that did not lead to ethics complaints, Ruedrich added, referring to the number of complaints as “unprecedented.”

The business of defending against the claims has been expensive. In late April, Palin was forced to form a legal defense fund in an effort to pay for more than $500,000 in legal debts accrued by the governor — though much of it stems from the “Troopergate” episode surrounding her attempts to fire a state trooper who was once married to her sister.

"Over the past months it became increasingly clear that supporters of Gov. Palin needed to help defend against the onslaught of frivolous attacks against her,” said Trustee Kristan Cole, a Wasilla native and Palin friend, in a statement. “These baseless accusations are designed to inhibit her ability to focus on the issues Alaskans truly care about and force massive personal debt on her and her family.”

To avoid additional accusations of impropriety, the fund set an unusually low, self-imposed cap of $150 per donation. It also volunteered to disclose the names and dollar amounts of each donor, leading Cole to call it “one of the most restrictive and transparent legal funds in history.”

Three days later though, another ethics complaint was filed — this time against the legal defense fund itself.

An Eagle River resident who had recently joined a federal lawsuit against Palin for failing to issue a proclamation commemorating the Juneteenth emancipation holiday in 2007, complained that Palin is misusing her office and receiving improper gifts by setting up the fund, accusing the governor of intending to raise much more than she needs to pay her legal debts.

“Governor Palin has at least 500,000 supporters between her Facebook, TeamSarah and other groups in support of Sarah Palin,” the complaint read. “If each of them were to contribute an average of $100 it would equate to $50 million. If they contribute an average of $50 it equates to $25 million. If half of them send $10 it equals $2.5 million. That’s personal wealth created for Gov. Palin by putting a for sale sign on our Alaska Governor’s Office.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22022.html


See also:

Sarah Palin 14...Ankle Biters O http://sarahpalininternetcoalitionblogger.blogspot.com/2009/06/sarah-palin-14ankle-biters-o.html

Another McLeod Ethics Complaint Fails - Officially Found to Lack Merit http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1869

Palin Slams 'Bogus' Ethics Complaints http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/palin_ethics_complaints/2009/03/25/196016.html

Who Would Want To Run For Office? http://caffeinatedthoughts.com/?p=2349

Alaskan bloggers brag about their attacks on Sarah Palin http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2009/04/paralyzing-state-government-or.html

More Anklebiter Scheming http://palingates.blogspot.com/2009/06/sarah-palins-tax-questions.html

An Anklebiter’s Letter http://community.adn.com/sites/community.adn.com/files/perry-ethics-complaint.pdf

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Sarah Palin Is a Reformer

This is 8th in a series of articles about Sarah Palin as she emerged as a national political figure. It describes how she took on the oil companies and the "good old boys" and cleaned up Alaskan politics.


How Palin Beat Alaska's Establishment

By KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL

The Wall Street Journal
September 5, 2008; Page A13



If you've read the press coverage of Sarah Palin, chances are you've heard plenty about her religious views and private family matters. If you want to know what drives Gov. Palin's politics, and has intrigued America, read this.

Every state has its share of crony capitalism, but Big Oil and the GOP political machine have taken that term to new heights in Alaska. The oil industry, which provides 85% of state revenues, has strived to own the government. Alaska's politicians—in particular ruling Republicans—roll in oil campaign money, lavish oil revenue on pet projects, then retire to lucrative oil jobs where they lobby for sweetheart oil deals. You can love the free market and not love this.

Alaskans have long resented this dysfunction, which has led to embarrassing corruption scandals. It has also led to a uniform belief that the political class, in hock to the oil class, fails to competently oversee Alaska's vast oil and gas wealth, the majority of which belongs to the state—or rather, Alaskan citizens.

And so it came as no surprise in 2004 when former Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski made clear he'd be working exclusively with three North Slope producers—ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and BP—to build a $25 billion pipeline to move natural gas to the lower 48. The trio had informed their political vassals that they alone would build this project (they weren't selling their gas to outsiders) and that they expected the state to reward them. Mr. Murkowski disappeared into smoky backrooms to work out the details. He refused to release information on the negotiations. When Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin suggested terms of the contract were illegal, he was fired.

What Mr. Murkowski did do publicly was instruct his statehouse to change the oil and gas tax structure (taxes being a primary way Alaskans realize their oil revenue). Later, citizens would discover this was groundwork for Mr. Murkowski's pipeline contract—which would lock in that oil-requested tax package for up to 40 years, provide a $4 billion state investment, and relinquish most oversight.

Enter Mrs. Palin. The former mayor of Wasilla had been appointed by Mr. Murkowski in 2003 to the state oil and gas regulatory agency. She'd had the temerity to blow the whistle on fellow GOP Commissioner Randy Ruedrich for refusing to disclose energy dealings. Mr. Murkowski and GOP Attorney General Gregg Renkes closed ranks around Mr. Ruedrich—who also chaired the state GOP. Mrs. Palin resigned. Having thus offended the entire old boy network, she challenged the governor for his seat.

Mrs. Palin ran against the secret deal, and vowed to put the pipeline back out for competitive, transparent, bidding. She railed against cozy politics. Mr. Murkowski ran on his unpopular pipeline deal. The oil industry warned the state would never get its project without his leadership. Mrs. Palin walloped him in the primary and won office in late 2006. Around this time, news broke of a federal probe that would show oil executives had bribed lawmakers to support the Murkowski tax changes.

Among Mrs. Palin's first acts was to reinstate Mr. Irwin. By February 2007 she'd released her requirements for pipeline bidding. They were stricter, and included only a $500 million state incentive. By May a cowed state house—reeling from scandal—passed her legislation.

The producers warned they would not bid, nor would anyone else. Five groups submitted proposals. A few months before the legislature awarded its license to TransCanada this July, Conoco and BP suddenly announced they'd be building their own pipeline with no state inducements whatsoever. They'd suddenly found the money.

Mrs. Palin has meanwhile passed an ethics law. She's tightened up oil oversight. She forced the legislature to rewrite the oil tax law. That new law raised taxes on the industry, for which Mrs. Palin is now taking some knocks, but the political background here is crucial.

The GOP machine has crumbled. Attorney General Renkes resigned. Mr. Ruedrich was fined $12,000. Jim Clark—Mr. Murkowski's lead pipeline negotiator—pleaded guilty to conspiring with an oil firm. At least three legislators have been convicted. Sen. Ted Stevens is under indictment for oil entanglements, while Rep. Don Young is under investigation.

Throughout it all, Mrs. Palin has stood for reform, though not populism. She thanks oil companies and says executives who "seek maximum revenue" are "simply doing their job." She says her own job is to be a "savvy" negotiator on behalf of Alaska's citizens and to provide credible oversight. It is this combination that lets her aggressively promote new energy while retaining public trust.

Today's congressional Republicans could learn from this. The party has been plagued by earmarks, scandal and corruption. Most members have embraced the machine. That has diminished voters' trust, and in the process diminished good, conservative ideas. It is no wonder 37 million people tuned in to Mrs. Palin's convention speech. They are looking for something fresh.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB122057381593001741.html