Sarah Palin Fact Checks Obama’s Kabuki Theater

Let’s face it guys, yesterday’s ObamaCare summit was nothing more than the theater of the absurd. It was designed by Obama and his minions to embarrass the Republicans, an effort that failed miserably. In fact what it did do is prove the Emperor has no clothes.

In the end, Obama basically threatened to do what the democrats have been threatening to do for some time: use "reconciliation" to circumvent the Senate rules and shove this unconstitutional mess down America’s throat with 51 votes, rather than the 60 it would normally take them to get this kind of heavily opposed legislation done. Obama is basically telling America: "You don’t like this? Tough, I won you lost, deal with it."

What made this Kabuki Theater so absurd was the fact Harry Reid started off making it all look so innocent by saying "Reconciliation? What reconciliation? No one’s talking about reconciliation!" Democrats are really interesting little whizbang creatures aren’t they? They actually think they can lie to people’s face and get away with it. This may work on their base of voters, but that’s a really small base. For the rest of us, that dog don’t hunt.

John McCain weighed in this morning with George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America. McCain said if the democrats used reconciliation, the results would be "cataclysmic" and stressed the fact that the democrats were using Bernie Madoff type accounting.

You can see the interview here.




For her part, Sarah weighed in with a heavy critique of her own, offering up a little fact checking reality:

Fact-checking Obamacare Summit

Today at 12:01pm

We should be thankful for yesterday’s 7-hour health care summit – it was helpful in that it allowed Americans to hear the fundamental differences in approaches to meeting health care challenges. On one side, commonsense conservatives laid out fiscally-sound, free market-based, patient-centered solutions; and on the left’s side we heard about the Democrat’s belief that growing government is the only way to meet challenges.

As the saying goes, "Everyone is entitled to his opinion, but not his own facts." When these "facts" concern one-sixth of our economy and something as important to our personal wellbeing as health care, we’d better make sure they are the real deal.

Please take a look at the compilation below from GOP.com correcting the top five falsehoods from yesterday’s summit. I appreciate their research and revelations compiled here.

- Sarah Palin





TOP FIVE FALSEHOODS

If Democrats Would Start Listening To The American People, They’d Stop Telling Falsehoods



NO ONE’S TALKING ABOUT RECONCILIATION?

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) Claims "No One Has Talked About Reconciliation." "No one has said -- I read what the President has online -- no one has talked about reconciliation but that's what you folks have talked about ever since that came out, as if it's something that has never been done before." ("Transcript: White House Health Summit, Morning Session," Kaiser Health News, 2/25/10)

But Reid Himself Is Talking About Reconciliation. "Harry Reid’s got a gift for hyperbole – and it keeps on giving. The Senate majority leader’s latest gem came in response to hints that Democrats might try to use the fast-track budget ‘reconciliation’ to bypass a Republican filibuster of President Obama’s health care plan. After advising Republicans on Tuesday to ‘stop crying over reconciliation as if it’s never been done before,’ he ticked off a list of legislative feats he contends were accomplished through the filibuster-busting process: ‘Contract [with] America was done with reconciliation. Tax cuts, done with reconciliation. Medicare, done with reconciliation.’" (Jonathan Allen, "Hyperbolic Harry," Politico’s "Live Pulse" Blog, 2/24/10)

"For Some Bizarre Reason, During His Initial Presentation, Sen. Reid Said That ‘No One Has Talked About Reconciliation,’ … But That's Obviously Not True. Everybody's Talking About It. And A Lot Of Dems Would Be Pretty Upset If They Weren't Talking About It." (Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo’s "Editors Blog" Blog, 2/25/10)

* "A Number Of Democratic Senators Have Signed A Letter Urging Reid To Use Reconciliation To Pass The Public Option." (Eric Zimmermann, "Reid: 'No One Has Talked About Reconciliation,’" The Hill’s "Briefing Room" Blog, 2/25/10)

Obama Health Reform Advisor Says The Door Is Open For Reconciliation. "Linda Douglass, the communications director of the White House Office of Health Reform, left reconciliation on the table as an option for passing a health care bill if Democrats and Republicans don't reach consensus during Thursday's summit. … ‘Certainly if that were not to be the case, he would be asking for a simple up or down majority vote and would certainly hope that the Republicans would not try to block that simple up or down majority vote.’" (Carol Lee & Patrick O’Connor, "Douglass Open To Reconciliation," Politico’s "44" Blog, 2/25/10)

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AREN’T INTERESTED IN RECONCILIATION?

Obama Claims Americans Don’t Care About Reconciliation. "You know, this issue of reconciliation has been brought up. Again I think the American people aren't always all that interested in procedures inside the Senate. I do think they want a vote on how we’re going to move this forward." (President Obama, Health Care Summit, Washington, DC, 2/25/10)

But 52% Of Americans Don’t Want The Democrats To Use Reconciliation To Pass Their Government-Run Health Care Experiment. "In the survey, Americans by 52%-39% oppose Senate Democrats using the procedure, which allows a bill to pass with a 51-vote majority rather than the 60 votes needed to end debate." (Susan Page, "Poll: Expectations Low On Health Summit," USA Today, 2/25/10)



DEM PROPOSALS WILL LOWER PREMIUMS?

President Obama Claimed CBO Determined His Plan Would Lower Premiums. PRESIDENT OBAMA: "It's not factually accurate. Here's what the Congressional Budget Office says. The costs for families for the same type of coverage that they're currently receiving would go down 14 percent to 20 percent." SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TN): "The Congressional Budget Office report says that premiums will rise in the individual market as a result of the Senate bill." PRESIDENT OBAMA: "No, no, no, no. Let me -- and this is an example of where we've got to get our facts straight." ALEXANDER: "That's my point." OBAMA: "Well, exactly, so let me -- let me respond to what you just said, Lamar, because it's not factually accurate. Here's what the Congressional Budget Office says. The costs for families for the same type of coverage that they're currently receiving would go down 14 percent to 20 percent." (President Obama, Health Care Summit, Washington, DC, 2/25/10)

But Actually, CBO Determined The Bill Would Raise Premiums For Americans Purchasing Insurance Individually. "CBO and JCT estimate that the average premium per person covered (including dependents) for new nongroup policies would be about 10 percent to 13 percent higher in 2016 than the average premium for nongroup coverage in that same year under current law." (Douglas W. Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), 11/30/09)



INCREMENTAL PLANS ARE UNACCEPTABLE?

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): "[I]naction And Incrementalism Are Simply Unacceptable." (Mike Allen, "Will Dr. Obama Go For Plan B-1, Or Plan B-2? -- Dems' Post-Summit Message: POTUS Was 'Thoughtful, Comprehensive,' Rs 'Insulted The Summit' -- New NYT Expose May Finish Gov. Paterson," Politico’s "Playbook," 2/25/10)

But 56.4 Percent Of Americans Prefer An Incremental Approach. "Moreover, 56.4 percent of people indicated they would prefer Congress to tackle healthcare reform on a step-by-step basis, not take the comprehensive approach as embodied in the legislation that passed the House and Senate last year but has stalled for the past month." (Jeffrey Young, "Poll: Most Americans Think Congress Should Start Over On Healthcare," The Hill’s "Briefing Room" Blog, 2/16/10)



PUBLIC FUNDS WOULDN’T GO TO ABORTION?

Pelosi Said Abortion Wouldn’t Be Funded Under The Plan. "The law of the land is there is no public funding of abortion and there is no public funding of abortion in these bills and I don't want our listeners or viewers to get the wrong impression from what you said." (Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Health Care Summit, Washington, DC, 2/25/10)

But The Bill Allows Federally Funded Abortions. "Under the new abortion provisions, states can opt out of allowing plans to cover abortion in the insurance exchanges the bill would set up. The exchanges are designed to serve individuals who lack coverage through their jobs, with most receiving federal subsidies to buy insurance. Enrollees in plans that cover abortion procedures would pay with separate checks -- one for abortion, one for any other health-care services." (Paul Kane, "To Sway Nelson, A Hard-Won Compromise On Abortion Issue," The Washington Post, 12/20/10)

Pro-Life Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) Calls Obama’s Abortion Language "Unacceptable." "Unfortunately, the president’s proposal encompasses the senate language allowing public funding of abortion. The senate language is a significant departure from current law and is unacceptable." (Ben Smith," Stupak: "Unacceptable," Politico’s "Live Pulse" Blog, 2/23/10)

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) Says 15 To 20 House Dems Who Can’t Support Obama’s Proposal. "Rep. Bart Stupak, the Michigan Democrat who led efforts to tighten abortion language in the House health care bill, said Wednesday morning there are 15 to 20 House Democrats who cannot support President Barack Obama’s effort to bridge the gap between the House and Senate health plans. … He said well over a dozen House members will likely balk, not just on abortion but on the residual tax on so-called Cadillac health plans, which he said the House had already rejected." ("Stupak: 15-20 Dems Can’t Back Obama Health Plan," The Wall Street Journal’s "Washington Wire" Blog, 2/24/10)

Sarah was also on the Sean Hannity show giving her thoughts about this fiasco. Video courtesy Palin TV:





For his part, Allahpundit over at Hot Air put together a compilation of highlights (lowlights?) from yesterday’s dog and pony show. Highlights: The best freak-show moments from the health-care freak show. Please click here to read.

We are winning this fight and winning it big time. Right now everyone’s job is to remain strong and continue to put pressure on the enemies of freedom and liberty. We can stop this unholy mess.

Listen to This!!! A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Good Friday, everyone! For those of you who missed Camille Friend and my radio show last night, I encourage you to click here and listen to the podcast. It was a great show. Camille and I had a great group of guests last night: Eddie Burke, Sheya of Palin TV, fabulous and Alaska State House Candidate Jason Cline. It was a great show, and Camille and I had a blast chatting with these amazing guests.

Have a great weekend!!!

(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice. Click here to follow me on Twitter.)

Gov. Palin Reacts to Health Care Summit

Part I



Part II

Both videos retrieved from PalinTV.

Synopsis

"Michele Bachmann summed it up very well earlier today. She suggested that 'maybe the beer summit was more productive and fruitful than what we saw today coming out of the health care summit. Maybe these guys should have popped some tops of of some MGBs and really gotten down to business.' "

Governor Palin described the summit as "a lot of political posturing" and how Obama "slid from professor at a lectern mode and slid right into the moderator at a meeting mode."

Governor Palin said that the Republicans at the summit did well and will continue to do well if they remain firm on the core issues: small, limited government, free markets, energy independence, and national security. The Democrats, in contrast appeared to be petulant and lecturing and bent on pushing forward a government takeover of one sixth of our nation's economy.

She noted that the Republicans have their own health care solutions, but the Democrats are not interested. Theses solutions, tort reform, and the ability to buy insurance across state lines could be implemented incrementally, rather than as part of a comprehensive package. She said proposals like price controls, as envisioned in the Obama bill would distort and manipulate our free market economy.

Governor Palin re-emphasized that the Republican Party should be reformed from within, that a third party is a bad idea, because we are a two-party system, and creating a third party structure and machine would require much more effort than reforming one of the two.

Ronald Wilson Reagan's Successor: Sarah Louise Heath Palin

"Fundamentally opposed viewpoints on how to meet the challenges in America Today" - Sarah Palin

"No pale pastels, but bold differences" - Ronald Reagan, CPAC, 1974

"A simple answer to the challenge...the TEA Party faces...is to pick a party" - Sarah Palin

"There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers." - Ronald Reagan

"Get the people in the party to understand what has built this great country and what will allow for a brighter future for this country...take over the Republican Party TEA Partiers!" - Sarah Palin

"A new Republican Party, a revitalized Republican Party based on conservative principles" - Ronald Reagan (as quoted by Sean Hannity).

"Get back to the foundation of America, build upon that and we will be a safer, healthier, more prosperous nation." - Sarah Palin

Huffington Post Blows More Smoke (Update: Video - Bill O'Reilly Calls Huff Po Pinheads)

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

The Huffington Post is once again more than willing to make Governor Palin look bad--even if that means they have to spin things to get that job done.

On "Good Morning America" today, in an interview with Bill O'Reilly, George Stephanopoulos brought up Governor Jeb Bush's comments about Governor Palin's readiness for a 2012 presidential run. Bush, whose own name has been thrown around as a potential candidate, said a few days ago:

"My personal belief is that for Governor Palin to be a successful candidate for higher office, she needs to take this charisma she has and also add to it some depth of understanding of the complexity of life that we're living in today. If she had the combination of that, she would be a formidable candidate."

Complexity of life? What does that mean? Has she not been leading discussions on health care, the economy, national security, energy independence? What simplistic issues does he think the governor has been dealing with lately: cookie baking? basket weaving?

Jeb Bush went on to say he doesn't know what Governor Palin's deal is. Well, where has he been then? Her deal is the same deal millions of Americans share. Her deal is what the Tea Party movement has been meeting about, hard-working Americans are concerned about, and a plethora of organizations are scrapping to schedule her to come and talk about. What's not to get? What part of common sense conservatism is causing Jeb Bush trouble? What's his deal?

Now, the Huff Po is consistent, if nothing else. One can always count on them to advance their purposes by any means necessary, so today they half-reported O'Reilly's response to Stephanopoulos's question about Bush's statement.

They wrote:

As for frequent "O'Reilly Factor" guest Sarah Palin, O'Reilly says she absolutely wants to run but has to weigh whether she wants to put her family through the process. And, he added, she needs to study up.

"Sarah Palin needs to go to college," O'Reilly said. "Political college, world affairs college, and she is. She's hired a bunch of advisers and they're giving her a whole bunch of tracks to learn, because it is a sophisticated deal."

O'Reilly, who has interviewed Governor Palin on a few occasions and has spoken well of her afterwards--he who doesn't ask softball questions, as he's wont to boast--should have done a better job dealing with Governor Bush's baseless comment. For reasons I cannot fathom, he didn't speak up about the substantive issues he and she have engaged in, didn't call Bush out for his comment--void of anything resembling fact--and didn't ask, "Pinhead?"

Nonetheless, there was more to the answer he gave than the Huff Po would have you know.

NewsBusters reported what the Huff Po conveniently left out.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Is she ready?

O'REILLY But, Bush is right, the Governor's right in the sense that Sarah Palin needs to go to college, political college, world affairs college. And she is. She's hired a bunch of advisers. And they're giving her a whole bunch of tracts to learn. Because, it is a sophisticated deal. But, give me a break. Nancy Pelosi's a genius? She's the Speaker of the House. She's afraid to come on my program, Stephanopoulos. If she were sitting where you are sitting, she'd be shaking. She can't answer the questions.

STEPHANOPOULOS: I don't know about that.

O'REILLY: She can't answer the questions. All right? So, yeah, Sarah Palin needs a little bit more seasoning. But, don't tell me Harry Reid and Boehner and Pelosi are geniuses. They're not. The country's in a mess. If they were geniuses, we'd be better off.

As I said, O'Reilly did not go into detail regarding the governor's grasp of issues as he has done in the past, perhaps because he wanted to go in a different direction, to make a separate point, which he did. O'Reilly's point was if one wants to talk about someone who's lacking understanding, they need not look any further than the Speaker of the House. It is she, he asserts, who can't answer the questions, so much so that she wouldn't dare take the challenge of being interviewed on "The Factor."

Governor Palin, on the contrary, has no problems sitting down with him and answering whatever question he throws her way because she does know the issues. And while there will be those in the "Vicious press," as O'Reilly called them, who will read into his comment that the governor needs more "seasoning," his point was this: they all need a little more, including Reid and Boehner. But Speaker Pelosi needs a lot more than seasoning, and Governor Palin could definitely take her to school.

Update: Bill O'Reilly on The O'Reilly Factor this evening:


(Video H/T Sheya)

Family Guy Actor: "That [Joke] Bothered Me Too"

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Whereas some people have come out to tell Governor Palin to lighten up about the "Family Guy" episode, insisting it was just a joke and she needs to get a sense of humor, one "Family Guy" actor has come out to express his objection to the joke. Good for him!

Lisa de Moraes of Washingtonpost.com reports:

Not everyone who works on Fox animated sitcom "Family Guy" is standing in solidarity with its Valentine's Day episode's Sarah Palin gag.

Cast member Patrick Warburton told TV critics Wednesday he objected to the joke.

"I know it's satire but, personally, that [joke] bothered me too," Warburton said on a conference call to promote his other primetime show, CBS's sitcom "Rules of Engagement," which returns for a fourth season on March 1. (On "Family Guy" Warburton does the voice of the wheelchair-bound police officer, Joe.)

"I know that you have to be an equal-opportunity offender, but there are some things that I just don't think are funny."

The former Alaskan governor/GOP vice presidential contender and her daughter Bristol lashed out at the show and at "Fox Hollywood" network over the episode, in which a teenaged girl character with Down syndrome say her mother was a former governor of Alaska. Sarah Palin's youngest son has the same condition.

Series creator Seth MacFarlane shrugged it off with a statement about the show being an "equal-opportunity offender."

[...]

Warburton appears to be the first person involved with the show in any way, shape, or form who has publicly broken ranks.

"Look, I have fun. I like Seth. He's got a great comic mind and I think that the show can be fantastically funny. But I do believe that it can be hurtful at times," Warburton said in response to a question about the episode posed by WaPo Team TV's "Family Guy" bureau chief Emily Yahr.

Warburton is to be commended for speaking up on behalf of decency, something that so many others seem to lack whenever it comes to the Palins. It's not easy to take the stand that he has taken when others have voiced an entirely different perspective. Not many others would do it. As for me, if I'm going to call out those who do wrong, I'd better be just as willing to thank those who do right--and I am. I extend a big "thank you" to Warburton for being man enough--and just plain human enough--to do the right thing.

Read the full article and all of Warburton's comments here.

Sarah Palin To Obama: Health Care Bill Is Same Old Song And Dance Only More Expensive

The President and his lunatic Congress simply won’t listen to the American people. America has loudly rejected ObamaCare and any thought of it. The democrat/communist party just lost what has been one of the bluest of blue seats for half a century, based solely on the fact that Scott Brown, the new Senator from Massachusetts, promised to vote to kill ObamaCare!

The democrat/communist party is facing losses in the House and Senate like it has never seen in America’s history. The loses, to use the Obama regime’s favorite buzz word will be "unprecedented!"

And yet, knowing this is a suicide mission for anyone voting to advance this dangerous and unconstitutional legislation, Obama is asking his people to sacrifice their careers to get this monstrosity passed into law.

Never mind these people, including the President, work for us, and never mind 75-80 percent of "us," (according to some polling) have told these people to cease and desist!

To continue to attempt to force this completely rejected crap sandwich down America’s throat is criminal, and in my opinion, those pushing it should be treated as criminals, enemies of the people.

With that said, America’s Governor has weighed in:

More of the Same, Only More Expensive


The President has wrestled control of the health care debate away from Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid by finally introducing his own plan. Unfortunately, the White House’s proposal includes everything we found untenable about the old Senate bill – only this one is even more expensive! This is what you might call putting "perfume on a pig."

What’s in this "new" proposal? It has the unpopular (and arguably unconstitutional) individual mandate that forces people and employers to purchase health insurance – only this time with much harsher fines on employers who choose not to go along with another expensive government mandate. It has provisions that will make employers think twice before expanding their workforce. It has cuts to Medicare Advantage, a popular program which allows seniors to pay a little more money out of pocket for better coverage. And, of course, it still has sweetheart deals – only this time they’ve been extended even more.

We don’t know what the final long-term cost of this will be because the Congressional Budget Office hasn’t had a chance to calculate costs. We do know that the White House recognizes that its proposal will cost tens of billions more over the next ten years than the already-expensive $2.5 trillion Senate bill. The President promised last July that he won’t sign a health care bill if it "adds even one dime to our deficit over the next decade." But he’s now proposing a health care bill with uncertain fiscal repercussions that could lead to endless deficits.

The rising cost of care has driven the entire health care reform debate. So how does the President’s proposal address this central issue? Price controls. That’s right: Washington, D.C. wants to give a panel of bureaucrats the power to cap insurance premiums and prices. As Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute notes, "artificially limiting premium growth allows the government to curtail spending while leaving the dirty work of withholding medical care to private insurers." This leads to rationing. Any economist worth his salt – including the White House’s own Larry Summers – will tell you that price controls lead to all sorts of negative unintended consequences. It’s another step towards government controlled health care and away from the real solution: free market, patient-centered reform.

With a government-growing proposal this bad, it’s no wonder the President wants bipartisan cover for it in an election year. Thursday’s health care summit is already being revealed as little more than a photo-op. The Obama administration still denies the existence of the House Republicans’ health care plan that offers alternative solutions to health care challenges – even though the White House website links right to it.

The President’s proposal doesn’t include pro-free market ideas like allowing people to buy insurance across state lines, giving individual buyers the same tax benefits as those who get insurance through their employers, or instituting real medical liability reform. Despite the "kumbaya" rhetoric, Democrats are making plans to ram this bill through the Senate using a partisan procedural maneuver that will bypass the normal bipartisan debate process.

In the meantime, the White House will continue to ignore Republican reform ideas and cast the GOP as the party of no. That’s a hard sell considering that Democrats still hold the majority in the House and Senate. The only real "gridlock" preventing Democrats from doing what they want is the very real threat of America's voice being heard at the ballot box.

The public is clearly opposed to the Democrats’ health care bills. Americans want to scrap these big-government plans and start over with common-sense, incremental reform. Some on the left have urged Democrats to vote for Obamacare because it’s a foot in the door for universal health care. They understand what’s at stake; so should the rest of us.

The President can perfume this proposal however he wants, but it still doesn’t pass the smell test. Washington should listen to Americans now, or Washington will hear us in November.

- Sarah Palin

As always, Sarah has plenty of links to back her up, and I hope readers will take time to visit each and every one to learn more about the mess Obama is trying to get us into.

One of the things Sarah mentions, that is part of Obama’s failed strategery, is price controls. Governments have tried regulating prices since the time of ancient Rome. It has never, ever worked. It always leads to major shortages of the goods or services being controlled.

In the old Soviet Union, it lead to shortages of food, clothing, and other staples of life. This sort of thinking lead to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Empire. Price controls have destroyed the Cuban economy and are destroying the economy in Venezuela.

Richard Nixon imposed price controls in the 1970's. It caused massive economic problems for the country that lasted for over a decade. Also lead to massive inflation in the end.

Now this fool in the White House and his power mad Congress want to destroy the best health care on the planet in some maniacal scheme they hope will allow them to control the entire economy, as well as lives of all good decent Americans.

You wanna see "death panels"? Wait ‘till you see the massive health care rationing that will take place if this craven plan is allowed to come to fruition. More devastating than all of the dead ObamaCare will leave in it’s wake from health care rationing, is all of those who had hopes that modern medicine would find cures for diseases they suffer from. Obama’s insane Marxist plan will remove any and all incentives to further medical research.

And since Obama will have destroyed the economy and run up our already unsustainable debt to the point of no return, there will be no government money, tax payer money, to fund medical research either. You see communism is all about the equal sharing of misery, not prosperity and happiness.

This is evil, pure evil. These people are completely out of control. Obama and his insane Congress must be stopped and stopped now. Once stopped they must be watched like a hawk watches chickens.

As long as one progressive democrat/communist is in power, at any level, in any capacity, America, and the American people are in danger.

Palin's Spokesperson, Meghan Stapleton, Resigns - My Personal Tribute

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Meghan Stapleton and I in Fairbanks, Alaska

Politico reports that Meghan Stapleton, Governor Palin's spokesperson, aide, and friend, has now resigned:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s senior adviser and spokeswoman, Meghan Stapleton, has resigned, POLITICO has learned.

Stapleton has been a Palin confidante since December 2006 and one of the governor’s most trusted aides since she was vaulted onto the national political scene by being picked as GOP presidential nominee John McCain’s running mate.

Stapleton said she resigned to spend more time with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, Isabella.

“While it has been an honor to help Gov. Palin and her family over the last few years, I am also honored to have this incredible opportunity to stay home with my precious miracle, Isabella,” Stapleton told POLITICO. "[She is] 2 years old, [and] I have missed significant moments in her life, but I look forward with great happiness to celebrating milestones as well as mundane moments with her as I refocus my priorities. I also look forward to seeing my saint of a husband again, too!”

[...]

“While I had hoped to work together on so many more projects, time with my precious 2-year-old has been further minimized with the whirlwind commitments of all things Palin,” she told the SarahPAC staff. “I have done my best to scale back, but Isabella is now resorting to hiding my BlackBerry, and she shouldn't grow up begging for a mother to start acting like a mother.”

Read more of what Meghan had to say here.

Mrs. Stapleton has stood alongside Governor Palin for years and has been a major part of her career and success. She will, no doubt, be missed, but I am happy that she will be able to spend more time with her little girl and her husband. She is to be commended for that decision.

As I have written here many times, I have great respect for Meg.

In June, I wrote:

I will forever be indebted to Meg, for she was the reason I had access to the invitation-only event yesterday where I first met Sarah.

Read about that full weekend when I first met Governor Palin, Todd, and Meghan in New York. Read my account of each of those three days here, here, and here.

I also caught up with Meg in July at the Governor's Picnic in Fairbanks, Alaska, when Governor Palin stepped down and turned the reins over to Sean Parnell. What I wrote after that event is my tribute to Meg today, as it sums up my thoughts.

I wrote:

The other person I wanted to see was Meghan Stapleton, Sarah's Spokesperson. She is the one responsible for granting me the opportunity to meet Sarah in New York, for which I am still most grateful. It was great to see her and talk to her. She has my respect because she is such a good friend to Sarah, is so good at speaking up on her behalf, and just stands by her side. I like that in people. It's called loyalty. So many people just want to make a name for themselves. They don't know how to serve others. In fact, they're offended by the term. But I sense something completely different in Meg. I watched her in New York as Governor Palin prepared to speak at City Hall. Meg is, as Sarah says, "Her right-hand man." It was quite hot, and Meg went in and out carrying bottled water to Sarah and everyone else sitting on the steps of City Hall. Now someone else in that situation--if asked to do what Meg was doing--may have thought, Hey, I'm the Spokesperson; that's not my job. But Meghan served. That may have gone unnoticed to some, but that's the kind of thing that jumps out at me. And I remember how that stood out to me that Saturday morning. Maybe it's my Christian faith, but I always view people with servants' hearts as people of incredible power. It's evidenced by how we live our lives, too. I just believe that true humility is something that is revealed in what we do, rather than what we say--and when we can give ourselves to someone else without feeling like we're losing out...well, it's just something special. Whenever I saw Meghan during that weekend, she was serving: getting water, keeping the crowd from devouring Sarah, standing by her side--whatever, she was loyally serving. In a time when service has become a 4-letter word, an insult to egomaniacal self-seekers, Meghan wears it well--in whatever capacity she happens to be serving at that moment. Service should not be something to be shunned. It's something to be embraced. It reveals true character of heart; that's what I see in Meghan.

Read the full account of that event and see pictures here.

God bless Meghan Stapleton and family.

Join Me on My Radio Show this THURSDAY Night! A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Many of you may already be aware of the big news that I am about to share with all of you. I joined Team Sarah shortly after Sarah was announced John McCain's running mate. Team Sarah is a great community in which to interact with fellow Sarah supporters. When I joined Team Sarah, I had no idea of how politically involved I would become in the months to follow. As the San Diego Regional Organizer for the 2012 Draft Sarah Committee, I have had a blast educating others around my community and online about Sarah and her message of common sense conservatism. I have gotten to know so many wonderful people because of Team Sarah and 2012 Draft Sarah. I have also gotten to know so many amazing Alaskans who have become great friends. Sarah is blessed to live in a state with so many great salt-of-the-earth people.

Many of you know that Team Sarah has an weekly online radio show entitled Join Team Sarah on Blog Talk Radio. The creator of the show, Martha Cano, recently asked me if I would like to host a show once a month. I told her that I would be honored to be a host and thanked her for believing in me. I had a blast hosting the show a couple weeks ago, and I will be hosting the show tomorrow night. Just this week, Martha asked me if I would like to be the new main host for the show, and I accepted. I am honored that she has chosen to put this show in my hands, and I hope I can make her and all of you proud. The show is going to be going through a re-vamping of sorts, and I believe this fresh start will be a good thing. Like Sarah, I have an independent streak, and I always tend to take my own path, listening to God along the way. I hope you will all join me on what should be an exciting journey. I am honored to have Camille Friend who runs the blog The Design Conservative on board as my co-host. Camille is a great woman who supports Sarah and is a great conservative. You may heard her on Pro-Sarah Radio where she is a frequent guest. Camille and I want this show to become a platform of support for Sarah. We also want this show to be a place where conservatives and independents alike can flock to to get the latest political news. I am excited that hosting this radio show will give me the opportunity to put my college degrees in Journalism and English to work spreading the word about how great Sarah is!!!

I am pleased to announce that I have some great guests lined up for tomorrow night's show. First up is Eddie Burke, the #1 Alaska Talk Radio Host. (Eddie's show airs M-F from 5-7 PST on 700 KBYR. Listen online at www.kbyr.com.) The cool thing about this is that Eddie is going to be coming to be interviewed live during his show. Many of you may remember that Eddie was nice enough to do this last month on the show I hosted. This is great format because his listeners and my listeners were able to hear the interview. Eddie is a great friend of mine, Sarah Palin and her awesome family. Camille and I cannot wait to ask him all about the Iron Dog and get the "scoop." We will also be asking him about his recent op-ed.

Second on the lineup is Sheya who runs Palin TV and is a contributor for Conservatives for Palin. Sheya is going to be telling us all about Palin TV. We will also be talking about Sarah.

Finally, we will be chatting with Jason Cline, who is running for the Alaska State House in Anchorage. Like Camille and myself, Jason is a young Republican who is getting actively involved in the political process. You may remember Jason because he was on the show last month. Jason just got back from attending CPAC, so he is going to come on to tell us all about his amazing experience. Camille and I will also get an update on how his campaign is moving along. I am also pleased to announce that all-star blogger and all-around-cool dude Robert Stacey McCain who runs the blog The Other McCain will be joining us as well. Robert has been attending CPAC for years, and Camille and I cannot wait to hear about his experience.

I hope you all will tune into the show tomorrow night (Thursday) at 5p.m. AK standard time, 6p.m. PST, 8p.m. CST and 9p.m. EST. Visit www.blogtalkradio.com/join-team-sarah to listen to the show. Wanna ask a guest a question? Call 1(347)215-6125. If you don't want to call in, but still want to participate, there will be a chat room available.

Thanks so much for listening, and I hope you enjoy the show!!!

(Click to visit Conservative Girl http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwith a Voice and become a follower. Click here to follow Camille on Twitter. Click here to follow me on Twitter.)

Eddie Burke: Critics and Family Guy think Palins are Hillbillies

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Eddie Burke is the man. He calls it like he sees it. He's not worrying about who will stroke him for what he has to say or fretting the vitriol that liberals will throw his way. He stands up for what he believes.

In case you don't know, Eddie hosts the #1 radio talk show in Alaska, heard on www.kbyr.com, where he discusses all things Alaska and all things conservative. He is also a friend of the Palins and does a good job standing by them and calling out the haters.

I had the honor of meeting Eddie first in Alaska this past summer, and he's been a friend ever since. He's had me on his show many times, the most recent being last week to discuss the tasteless "Family Guy" episode, which showed disrespect to Trig Palin and the Palin family.

Eddie wrote an op-ed this week for Red County about that same "Family Guy" show. Did I say he's the man? He's the man! He rendered what can easily be termed both a smackdown and an analysis of what's behind Palin Derangement Syndrome, as evidenced by the television "joke" and other heartless attacks.

Eddie wrote:

Making fun of Sarah Palin's last born child, Trig, is repulsive! Let's think about it. If you had a Down-Syndrome Child, and you were attending a public sporting event, would anyone in his or her right mind publicly make fun of your child? No way! Then why would a national TV show make fun of this child?

Would they yell out jokes about your oldest teenage daughter? No! Would the broadcaster ask if your daughter wanted to have sex with one of the players? No! Has a Vice-Presidential Candidate's children ever been made fun of and mocked like Sarah Palins have? The answer remains the same: No!

Is it right that a scumbag radio Host, Dan Fagan, in Anchorage would say that Track Palin graduating from Army boot camp is "No big deal?” I don't know about you, but every person raising his or her hand in a time of war IS a big deal to me.

If you mildly agree with what I've written, then, you must be asking yourself, what in the world is going on here? Why are Sarah Palin's children treated differently?

What a good question. If you've asked yourself this question before, good for you. If you never have, ask yourself why not? Now answer honestly.

Eddie does ask the question--and he answers it. It's a sad conclusion he comes to, but I believe he speaks the truth, which is actually what makes it so sad.

Here is the answer: Sarah and Todd Palin are nothing more than a bunch of Hillbillies from Alaska with a Down-Syndrome child. Yes, I know-your drink just went down the wrong pipe. Secondly, if you're supportive of Sarah's policies then you are a dumb hillbilly too. This is what the "left" and most in the media think about the Palins AND us.

You see, people make fun of individuals because they think they deserve it, or some make fun of those who are weak and cannot defend themselves. Also, people are often made fun of because it's the "cool" thing to do. But when has it ever been popular to make fun of a mother's Down-Syndrome child? Never!

[...]

As a small radio "host" I look for material to air and think about how I might address a certain subject. Sometimes I might consult with my producer and get his thoughts too. But my show is unscripted and spontaneous, which leaves me open to say the wrong thing or wish I had said something differently.

Family Guy is a large production with many staff members; it's big time! You may be wondering what point I'm trying to make. They discussed the skit. There is a script. There was opportunity to change their mind. Many people were engaged about the material and how it would be said. It was premeditated. After all that, they still decided it was okay to run down a mother's baby who will never understand or be able to defend what they said about Trig. They just did not care. Getting the laugh justified the means.

Why would they do this? Why is this child a target? Why does this continue? The liberal blogs out there say it's because Sarah has brought "Trig out on stage." She has "exploited Trig." "Sarah has used Trig as a "political prop." Are you kidding me? Because a mother is proud of her child and refuses to hide him, they say she's using him?

Lets flip the coin and say Sarah never was public with Trig? Then, the "left" would say Sarah is hiding Trig, and she must be ashamed of him.

Eddie hit the nail on the head. Regarding Governor Palin, it's a no-win situation with some people--and if you've been anywhere on this planet in the last two years, you know that's true. If the haters weren't saying she's exploiting Trig, they'd be saying she's hiding him. She's doing neither. She's his mom. He's her son. She's simply loving him--just like you love those closest to you.

So, Eddie, what does this come down to?

I was hoping to close this op-ed with some profound answer or a solution to this disgusting situation, but unfortunately there is not much to be said about liberals' behavior and their hypocrisy. Here is one thought that I think is true: The left cannot stand that Sarah is Pro-Life. They are mad that she did not abort Trig; furthermore, they are mad that Sarah and Todd are so proud of Trig and that God chose them to share this child with the world.

Liberals and many in the media cannot stand the fact that millions of us all across this country find a connection with Todd and Sarah Palin. These socialists think the Palins are stupid, ignorant people from some swamp behind a beer brewery. There is a huge hypocrisy and double standard when it comes to the Palins as Fox News Anchor, Greta Van Susteren recently wrote about here.

Keep up the fight, my friends! Never quit and always push back. The enemy appears to be strong, but they are weak at the core. As Sarah Palin has said, "This battle is more important than me." It is about a deep set of differences between what our Founders have written and what these progressives want America to become. Americans have always fought and died for freedom for others, but there will be a time when we must fight for our own freedom! Are you ready?

Ready, Eddie!

Eddie Burke's op-ed deserves a complete read. Please click here to do so.

Congressional Democrats Living In Fear Of Sarah Palin

Looking at the prospect of losing both the House and the Senate this year and the White House in 2012, democrats are desperate. The American people have soundly rejected the entire Marxist agenda that Obama and his radical Congress has tried to foist upon them.

Knowing they have almost zero chance of remaining a viable political party after this Obama, Pelosi, and Reid fiasco, congressional democrats are bringing out their bete noire to try and motivate their rapidly shrinking base of supporters.

From the DCCC website:

Recently Sarah Palin declared that she will be getting involved in Republican primaries like she did in her losing effort in last fall’s special election in Upstate New York. At the tea party convention, Palin stated, "Contested primaries aren't civil war; they're democracy at work and that's beautiful." [Sarah Palin, 2/6/10].

To make her job easy, the DCCC is launching "Palin's Primaries" a new site that will track the most divisive and messy House Republican primaries in the country.

Palin will have plenty to choose from: There are at least 55 competitive Republican primaries, many with Tea Party candidates, in Frontline races, open seats, targeted Republican districts, and other races House Republicans are trying to hype. The DCCC will regularly feature the messiest House Republican primary races out there.

Man, they got a nifty little map and all! Hilarious.

Obviously the democrats desperately hope the Tea Party movement will somehow field their own candidates, thus splitting the Conservative vote. I guess they haven’t been listening when Sarah has said third party is not the way to go, and that Tea Partiers need to "pick a party" and work from within to change. In most, if not all cases, that messages resonates with Tea Party members. They understand just how important the up coming elections are. They also understand that it’s easier to take a party over than to start a new one.

It worked for the Marxists in the democrat party!

I am forever tickled by democrats. They run around telling people that strong leaders like Sarah Palin are "inconsequential" or my favorite "dumb." They claim to be our intellectual superiors, knowing "what’s best for us." The funniest thing about our "intellectual betters" is how truly ignorant they are.

As always, democrats tell you who they live in abject fear of. There are no "stop Olympia Snowe before we all die" campaigns out there!

Say what they will, this private citizen, this mother of five from Wasilla, Alaska, has these people scared for their political lives. Frankly, they should be. Time and time again Sarah has proven she has the power to take these people on, and defeat them from her Facebook page! One can only imagine the destroyed democrat political careers that will dot the landscape once Sarah actually hit’s the campaign trail!

Next time you hear a democrat tell you just how "inconsequential" Sarah Palin is, remember what they are really saying is Sarah Palin is a strong and proven leader who scares the bejeezus out of them.

Bristol Palin To Make Her Acting Debut On ABC Family TV

Bristol Palin is about to make her debut on the small screen on ABC Family Television’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager. ABC announced Tuesday Bristol will play herself on the ABC Family show.

According to the network, Bristol will play a friend of the show's main character, Amy. The show has recently focused on how Amy reacts to an unexpected pregnancy.

"I am thrilled to be on this show and to be part of a program that educates teens and young adults about the consequences of teen pregnancy," Bristol said in a statement provided by ABC.

"We're thrilled to have [Bristol] join us, and I think she will bring additional attention to the issues facing teen parents that we've been exploring for a couple seasons now," Brenda Hampton, the show's executive producer, said in a statement.

This is a great move on Bristol’s part. She announced last year that she would focus on trying to help young women understand the consequences of making bad decisions. If there was ever a shining example of a bad decision it’s this guy:





Bristol is showing great maturity by using her status as Sarah Palin’s daughter to do something for women and children by taking a tough chapter in her life and turning it into a positive, teaching moment. Bristol deserves our support for doing this.

Kudos to ABC Family, as well, for taking this tough subject head on.

According to the network, the episode will air this summer.

Hard Hitting and Right On!!! A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

I want to take a moment to thank #1 Alaska Talk Radio Host Eddie Burke for having me on his show yesterday. Eddie is a great host who is not afraid to tell it like it is, which is so refreshing in the this age of Obama. For those of you who missed my conversation with Eddie, we discussed the future of the tea party. I also had the opportunity to call out the Anchorage Daily News for its misreporting. The ADN incorrectly reported that Sarah was not in attendance at the start of the Iron Dog, which was clearly not the case. Directly after I got off the air with Eddie, I noticed that the ADN had corrected its error. It's a bout time a news source retracts bogus information. While this may seem like a trivial piece of information, it is yet another example of just how out of touch the msm is with the people.

I wanted to take the time today to let you all know that Eddie recently wrote an op-ed for Red County in which he discusses the Family Guy controversy. (Click here to visit the op-ed Eddie recently wrote for Conservative Girl with a Voice.) Unlike many individuals, Eddie personally knows Todd and Sarah Palin and their family. I have included some of his article below. Make sure to click the link to read the rest of his hard-hitting and much-needed opinion in this matter. Eddie is a great advocate for Sarah, Alaskans and the rest of America too:

Critics and Family Guy think Palins are Hillbillies

By Eddie Burke


Making fun of Sarah Palin's last born child, Trig, is repulsive! Let's think about it. If you had a Down-Syndrome Child, and you were attending a public sporting event, would anyone in his or her right mind publicly make fun of your child? No way! Then why would a national TV show make fun of this child?

Click here to read the rest of Eddie's great op-ed.

Make sure to catch Eddie's show Monday-Friday on Smart Radio 700 KBYR from 5-7p.m.PST/8-10p.m.EST. If you're outside Alaska, you can listen online here. Eddie can also be found on Twitter @talkradiohost.

(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice and become a follower. Click here to follow me on Twitter.)

Todd Palin & Scott Davis: Steely Iron Doggers (Update: ADN Retraction)

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com




An injury to Scott Davis has caused him and partner, Todd Palin, to withdraw from the Iron Dog.

The Anchorage Daily News reports:

An injury to Scott Davis of Soldotna, the most experienced driver in the 27th Iron Dog snowmachine race, has forced him and partner Todd Palin to scratch at Puntilla Lake in the Alaska Range.

Iron Dog development director Heidi Griffin said the injury happened about 30 miles past the checkpoint Sunday night, and the racers were returning to the checkpoint.

She did not know the nature of Davis' injury and expected further updates later Monday.

Davis, 50, is tied with John Faeo as the winningest driver in race history with seven victories. Partner Palin, 45, has four titles.

Yesterday, the Iron Dog began with a flurry of excitement, as it does every year-- and contrary to ADN misreporting, Governor Palin and family were present to see Todd Palin off. At 2,000 miles, the Iron Dog is the toughest, longest snowmachine race in the world. It takes some steely men--and women, I recently learned--to even prepare for it.

While the nature of the injuries is not yet known, surely it must be bad for this particular pair not to continue. In 2008, for example, Todd suffered a broken arm when he was thrown 70 feet from his snowmachine. He somehow continued the race and managed to finish in fourth place.

Juneau Empire reported then:

Not only is he the First Dude, but Todd Palin is one tough dude.

The husband of Gov. Sarah Palin, or First Dude, as Alaskans have come to call him, survived a high-speed crash on Friday in which he broke his arm and had to be towed across the Chena River finish line in Fairbanks on Saturday after his snowmachine died, but he still finished the world's longest, toughest snowmachine race in fourth place.

Not bad considering that just the day before he was lying in the snow, curled up in the fetal position after crashing into a hidden barrel outside the village of Galena.

Obviously, this team came to the race with incredible fortitude and years of experience. Davis began racing in 1984, the year the Iron Dog was born, and placed second at the young age of 24. Palin has competed in the Iron Dog every year since 1993. The two have been racing together for seven years.

Because they're such fierce competitors, I'm sure there's some disappointment today. However, their veteran decision not to defy the elements further or risk added injury is to be commended. Experience brings wisdom, and they used that wisdom to make the right decision. We applaud them for the training and preparation they endured and for starting a race most would never even dare undertake.

Read more about the Palin-Davis team here and here.

We wish Scott Davis a speedy recovery.

(Photos 1 & 2 courtesy of Tracey)
(Photo 3 courtesy of Ron)

Update: The Anchorage Daily News has now corrected their mistake, which I referred to earlier in this post as "ADN misreporting."

Correction: This story originally reported, incorrectly, that former Gov. Sarah Palin did not make an appearance at the Iron Dog start on Sunday. She was there, seeing off husband Todd and his partner, Scott Davis.

Way to hold 'em accountable, folks.

(Retraction H/T C4P))

Catch Me on the Radio TODAY!!! A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

I just wanted to post a short post to let you all know that I will be a guest TODAY, Monday, on #1 Alaska Eddie Burke's Talk Radio Show at around 5p.m.PST/8p.m.EST. Over the weekend, I attended a tea party in my home state of California, and I will be joining Eddie to discuss the tea party movement. I encourage you all to listen and call in too if you would like. Eddie's show airs Monday-Friday from 5-7p.m.PST/8-10p.m.EST on Smart Radio 700 KBYR in Alaska. If you are outside of Alaska like me, don't worry because you can still listen online here. If you would like to call in with your thoughts on the tea party movement, call 907-274-5297 to share them with Eddie and me.

It was a great day, and I was happy the rain did not dampen the spirits of the many, many patriotic Americans in attendance. As the San Diego Regional Organizer for the 2012 Draft Sarah Committee, I set up a table and had had the chance to speak with many individuals about Sarah and her common sense conservative values. Contrary to popular belief, there are many individuals here in California who adore Sarah and all she stands for.

For more on the tea party I attended, I encourage you to click here to check out Dan Riehl's excellent blog. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Dan wrote about the tea party I attended. It is a great read.

(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice and become a follower. Click here to follow me on Twitter.)

Time for the Iron Dog!

Alaska is a unique place. We have a lot of things here that are not common in the lower 48. We all know that winter is on it's way out when we start having events like the Iron Dog. There is a great deal of interest in the race because of one of it's participants, Todd Palin, husband to Sarah Palin. Here is a little history on the event from the Iron Dog Website:

The first Iron Dog event started in 1984, in Big Lake following the Northern Route of the Historic Iditarod Trail to Nome. The event began as the “Iron Dog Iditarod”, but the name was quickly changed the next year to the “Gold Rush Classic”, in 1990 the race was recognized as the “Iron Dog Gold Rush Classic” for a decade until Tesoro Corporation became a title sponsor, thus recognizing today’s event as the Tesoro Iron Dog.

Today’s Iron Dog course length 1971 miles, starting in Big Lake to Nome and finishing in Fairbanks, making it the World’s longest snowmobile race. Participants must traverse in some of Alaska’s the most remote and rugged terrain while confronting some the harshest winter conditions. Survival skills are essential, making it the World’s toughest snowmobile race. All teams in race classes are a team of two persons and two snowmobiles for safety...
(To see the whole story, follow this link.

The Iron Dog is Alaska's Nascar. The race starts on Big Lake which is very appropriately named because of it's size. This lake covers roughly 13 square miles. Go to Mapquest or GoogleEarth and check out Big Lake, Alaska and you'll see what I mean. The actual race starting line is on the lake near an island that is home to the Islander Lodge. In the summer, you can only get to this lodge by boat but in the winter you can drive to it. Ever seen Ice Road Truckers? What they have is a plowed road system out on Big lake, and that is how you get to the start of the Iron Dog.

Driving on one of the ice roads out to the starting point



The Islander Lodge



There is something of an Alaskan "fair" feeling to this event. People are walking around, running it to others they know and catching up. There are a few vendors and many, many people ride out on their own snowmachines.







Planes with skis also use the lake and were taking off



The Army National Guard is a huge supporter and a strong presence. Here is one of the vehicles they bring out every year





They line up along the chute, which is plowed and has fencing on each side.



The racers are in pairs for safety because this is an extremely dangerous sport. Flying across frozen lakes, rivers, and tundra at speeds of 50, 60, 70+ is dangerous in itself, not to mention the temperatures in the interior can reach -40 degree below zero or more. Going 70 mph in -40 degree weather is punishing on the skin and the body. Racers put duct tape on the exposed skin on their faces to protect it.



They wear very warm gear, have to have a knowledge of arctic survival and have to be able to make repairs to their machines out on the trail. And it can really hurt if you're going 70 mph and hit something and get thrown from your sled. This happened last year to one team only 2 minutes into the race. One team member hit something that was buried in the snow, it stopped his snowmachine cold, and he went flying. The race was done for that team. Even Todd Palin has fallen victim to this. One year he was thrown from his snowmachine and finished the race with a broken arm. Rest is a luxury but there are a few times during the race that mandatory layovers take place. Todd and his partner Scott Davis are pros, though. Todd first won the Iron Dog in 1995. Here is footage of the finish of that race with the interviewer talking to Sarah about how she feels about his racing:



Todd last won this race in 2008, when he was injured. Here is video of that finish:



(Click here to read an article written last year in Men's Journal Magazine about the snowmaching, famous "First Dude")

If you'd like to follow the race, each team has a GPS unit on their snowmachine and you can track their progress by following this link.

I'd like to share some personal photos from last year's Iron Dog. I had the opportunity to speak briefly to Sarah before the race and had my picture taken with her. You can read more about that experience here and look at some of the photos that go along with the story

Sarah arrived to see Todd off and took a few photos with some of the spectators



I even had a chance to speak to Sarah and have my picture taken with Sarah and Trig



Todd Palin and his race partner Scott Davis greeting fans



Last year Todd had all the kid's names painted on his snowmachine, as well as Sarah "The Gov"



And, let the ceremony begin! The Army National Guard presents the colors, the National Anthem is played, and we say the Pledge of Allegience.



Sarah gives Todd and hug and kiss and says goodbye



Sarah wishes all the racers luck and then she and Piper get ready to drop the flag to start the race



Piper got to drop the flag for the start of the race. Sarah's dad Chuck Heath is just to the right of the security guard



After a few other racers, Scott Davis (left) and Todd Palin pulled up to the starting line



And then they got the signal to head down the chute



They are on the trail now. Please keep them in your prayers for a safe return!

UPDATE: To view photos of the Iron Dog start today, check out this link to KMBQ 99.7 Valley Radio

- To see more posts from this author, please check out Finding Myself In Alaska