Discussing Sarah Palin

[rn79870]

So what do we know about Palin. (I realize there are at least two other rumors out there that we don’t need to add until/unless they are substantiated.) These are the documented facts.

She abuses her authority. Troopergate.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/....html

She isn’t cooperating with an investigation into her alleged abuse of powers. http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpoi...e.php

She seeks to ban books from a public library. Never minds that we’re adults, we need to be told what we can and can’t read.http://www.alternet.org/blogs/...brary/

She has an “inspired” method of leadership.zer...eaven

She is pro-life. http://www.alternet.org/blogs/...brary/

She is a creationist. There is no right or wrong answer to this one. It is a personal decision that each person needs to make. The problem is simply that the issue does not to be one that is pushed, either for or against, by any politician. http://scienceblogs.com/afaren...e_ala/

She doesn’t even know what the duties of a VP are.http://outtheotherear.wordpres...vp-do/

She supported Pat Buchanan back when..http://www.prospect.org/csnc/b...orter

She is not a champion of women’s rights. In fact, she is opposed by those organizations.http://us.oneworld.net/article...idacy

She brings the issue of McCain’s age and health to the center of the campaign. Some people are terrified by the thought of her being thrust into the role of POTUS. That will work against McCain even if it doesn’t work for Obama. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/....html

The team investigating Palin’s ethics violations (alleged) moved up the release of that information 3 weeks from the previous Oct 31st. The results of that investigation could be the final nail in the republican coffin. http://www.zimbio.com/Sarah+Pa...+Date

Palin loves pork projects, as long as they come to Alaska.http://seattletimes.nwsource.c....html

The final question is why McCain chooses to continue with this plan. He clearly realizes that his team has made a mistake, a big mistake, yet, he smiles and tells you how happy he is. How can anyone be happy with a the focus of the campaign one about how unqualified his VP is, not to mention the other issues. All the attention McCain previously focused on the Obama/Paris Hilton type ads is no longer available to him. McCain’s team is clearly in damage control mode now that he’s lost the offensive push.

The Obama campaign doesn’t even have to attack Palin, the media has pretty much assumed that task.

[Jimefam]

Every politician has that many controversies atleast. Is she the best candidate in the world for VP? I dont think so but Mccains people know that the american public is pretty stupid so while Mccain panders to moderate republicans and indepentdents she is of convincing the religious right she can walk on water(they are such an easy crowd). Plus it has the added bonus of her being able to play the role of attack dog against the dems but heaven forbid they hurl and insult or two back or bring up anyone of those issues you have up their because every republican is up in arms with accusations of sexism and "personal attacks".

[szh]

Getting desperate, Bob? Polls now show McCain-Palin ahead!

And, many of the sites you posted have refuting content by other people. Like the one about her supporting Buchanan. Buchanan's own sister pointed out otherwise.

Didn't vet your links too thoroughly? Instead of wall of text, we now have wall of links to sites. I am not going to bother finding and refuting all of these - ain't worth the time in a single thread.

Instead of posting positive threads about your candidates, I find it very interesting how much effort you and telcoman spend finding negative things about Palin and (to a far lesser degree) McCain!

Z

[Soravia]

The troopergate actually seems like a bunch of misunderstandings. The interviews with the fired official and the trooper seems to indicate so.

[rn79870]

Didn't vet your links too thoroughly? Instead of wall of text, we now have wall of links to sites. I am not going to bother finding and refuting all of these - ain't worth the time in a single thread.

I'd hide from them too...

Instead of posting positive threads about your candidates, I find it very interesting how much effort you and telcoman spend finding negative things about Palin and (to a far lesser degree) McCain!Z

Isn't it ironic that Obama and Biden are playing no part in discrediting Palin. She has done it all on her own, and it is the media doing the attacking. Read the thread about a letter from a friend in Wasilla if you want to really see her for what she is. It's devistating to her.

[AZhitman]

Bob, your pathetic partisan nonsense makes me sick.

I didn't read past the first sentence of your attempt at a "smackdown" because we've discussed the "Troopergate" issue ad nauseum.

Someone was benefitting from the "good ol' boy" network and she called them out. End of story.

"Abuse of power" my butt.

Every one of those links contains info that can be refuted, explained, or otherwise mitigated by FACT.

[szh]

I'd hide from them too...

Hide? No. I just don't believe in looking at so many crap sites to post innuendo and sling mud.

Try taking the high road sometime. You might find it cleansing.

Read the thread about a letter from a friend in Wasilla if you want to really see her for what she is. It's devistating to her.

"Friend"? Hardly! Just one person's opinion - doesn't change my mind.

Z

[rn79870]

Every one of those links contains info that can be refuted, explained, or otherwise mitigated by FACT.

Several of them feature links to, or actual video of her doing the thing. Others are well documented (like the library fiasco). Still others are things she's admitted to.

Refuted, explained, or mitigated? She hasn't yet.

[telcoman]

The troopergate actually seems like a bunch of misunderstandings. The interviews with the fired official and the trooper seems to indicate so.

How about the Bridge to Nowhere?

Was that a misunderstanding on Palins part or is she trying to scam the American public?

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs....aspx

Both she and McCain just flat out lie to the American people who don't read to obtain the truth.

Telcoman

[Jesda]

She's falling so hard that Fairbanks is hosting a welcome home party for her. Those 80%+ of Alaskans who approve of her performance... they're pounding her to smithereens.

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,While I believe that Gov. Palin being on the ticket was a utterly calculated attempt to reenergize the evangelical base of the GOP, what move by either party does not involve massive calculation.Sen. Biden seemed to be chosen because of his popularity in the pivotal battleground of Pennsylvania. I do question whether him being born in Scranton, PA outweighs his perception of being a "Washington Insider".

From what I have read, McCain was enamored with Sen. Leiberman and Tom Ridge. With both of them being pro-choice, there were problems with him being nominated at the GOP convention. All I can say is since Palin has been on the ticket, people of all stripes seem to be curious. I am 31 and many of my younger friends who simply do not follow politics seem to like her. In spite of knowing nothing about her. I cannot tell you how many people have told me about her opposition to the "Bridge to Nowhere" This is in spite of the fact of her support of "infrastructure improvements" during the election for Governor.

And the fact remains, since the convention, McCain/Palin have surged in the polls. To the point of pulling ahead of Obama/Biden. McCain's chief strategist Steve Schmidt is truly on a roll. How much of this is a convention bump remains to be seen.

I will say that prior to the naming of Palin, I was leaning towards McCain. I honestly like both nominees. Palin scares me however. While I cannot put my finger on it, perhaps the self deigned Pit Bull analogy is apt. I simply do not want a Pit Bull so close to power with a 72 year old Cancer survivor President. The Supreme Court is conservative enough in my estimation.Cheers,ML

[HashiriyaS14]

Why "Volume 1"?

Why can't we just have ONE BIG thread discussing why Sarah Palin is or is not a good potential VP (from either a functional or political standpoint).

We have TWELVE THREADS about Sarah F**KING Palin on the first page of the politics board right now.

Maybe we should think about condensing this discussion to a single thread from now on? There's nothing wrong with a 30-pager on a single subject.

[wingFeather]

How can anyone be happy with a the focus of the campaign one about how unqualified his VP is

Nice try.

The real question is... How can anyone be happy with an unqualified Presidential candidate? Obama is worse off than Palin, and he is the main guy in his campaign. He is the biggest loser

[Jesda]

Why "Volume 1"?

Why can't we just have ONE BIG thread discussing why Sarah Palin is or is not a good potential VP (from either a functional or political standpoint).

We have TWELVE THREADS about Sarah F**KING Palin on the first page of the politics board right now.

Maybe we should think about condensing this discussion to a single thread from now on? There's nothing wrong with a 30-pager on a single subject.

Too much scroll. Zzzzz.

[rn79870]

Why "Volume 1"?

Why can't we just have ONE BIG thread discussing why Sarah Palin is or is not a good potential VP (from either a functional or political standpoint).

It would get far, far too long and far, far to difficult to manage. Especially when they actually let her speak and people start questioning her knowledge and understanding of national events.

[audtatious]

Bridge to nowhere....Let's get a few things straightened out about Mayors and Gov's.

1. As the Mayor of Wasilla it was her job to represent the citizens of the town, ensure public services are available and maintain the budget. Her responsibility was to the town itself and its people, not the state nor Federal Gov. It is her responsibility to lobby for available earmarks if the opportunity is presented to bring tax dollars back into that town. This is a responsibility of all Mayors. 2. As the state Governor, the job is similar but on a state level. Her responsibility is for the state and the citizens thereof. She would be neglect in her office NOT to try and get Federal Gov assistance with projects.

3. State Gov's are NOT responsible for anything to do with the Federal budget. They are responsible for the budget in their state only. If you want to complain about the "bridge to nowhere" being in a Federal budget then look at Congress.

Alaska was trying to get assistance with financing for a bridge. If the Fed Gov was willing to give her money for it then she would be neglect in her duties as Governor to not accept it. As it stands, when she came into office she forced solutions to get additional funds into the state coffers and canceled the bridge project.

[srellim234]

aud- as mayor she exploded the city budget, mismanaged the biggest financial project during her administration (the sports complex), attempted to force her censorship views on the city library, etc. She promoted bigger government and more intrusive government at that level.

As governor, her claim of "Thanks, but no thanks" to the bridge involved still taking the money; she just spent it elsewhere. Her operating expenses portion of the budgets she proposes far outpace inflation. She is a proponent of bigger government.

Standing up to big oil? A windfall profits tax, redistributing the wealth from the investors in the companies back to her constituents. I wonder how many votes THAT will buy. She threatened oil companies to drill even faster and take more oil out of her state, resulting in making more money. Her "God's will" NG pipeline, outsourced to a Canadian firm included $500 million in incentives and subsidies. It was not the pipeline the companies whose products will flow through that pipeline wanted.

She didn't "get rid of" Stefani Marnon (the chef); since Palin decided to still live in Wasilla and commute to she just gave Marnon a new title through reassignment and kept her on the governor's payroll. She proposes bigger government t the state level as determined by her actions. Line item vetos of other's pork projects don't mean diddly when you are grabbing the pork money for your own goals.

What you call good governing as a mayor or governor I call pushing through your own projects, proposing bigger government, but expecting them to be paid for by someone else. As VP (and possibly President), I don't see anything that indicates she will shrink government; only that her plans for bigger government will be shoved through by intimidation and she's going to try to find a way to defer the cost of paying for those projects onto someone else.

What I've looked at about her in the last two weeks doesn't particularly impress me. Change? Yes. But her type of political change is not something I'm willing to trust with my vote.

[audtatious]

As governor, her claim of "Thanks, but no thanks" to the bridge involved still taking the money; she just spent it elsewhere. Her operating expenses portion of the budgets she proposes far outpace inflation. She is a proponent of bigger government.

Before I address this further, be aware I'm against pork spending and was against this earmark.

Of note:- In the fall of 2005, Don Young (R-Alaska) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) earmarked $223 million for a bridge to link Ketchikan to the more remote island of Gravina- Palin became Gov in November, 2006- The "earmark designation" for the bridge had been pulled quite a while before she bacame Gov- The money that was asked for the bridge was still given to the State- The DOT used that money for other improvements as they were directed to- After Palin took office, she DID pull the bridge out of future funding projects

So, based on the timeline above I really don't see why I should care if Palin supported the project or not before she became Gov. The earmark designation of the money for the bridge(s) (it was for two, not one) had already been changed under the term of the previous Gov and the bridge projects were still on the books until Palin pulled them out.

[AZhitman]

Sometimes I *WISH* our Governor would snatch up some of that money for our state, which is operating in a severe deficit... Hell, someone's gonna piss it away, may as well grab it and put it to good use.

[96Qowner]

We have TWELVE THREADS about Sarah F**KING Palin on the first page of the politics board right now.

Maybe we should think about condensing this discussion to a single thread from now on? There's nothing wrong with a 30-pager on a single subject.

NO! No, please, please, let them continue to obsess on Gov. Sarah Palin.

Barack ... who?

I'm lovin' it. It's an amazing thing to watch - like a stone rolling downhill, the entire Democratic establishment, the slimy leftie blogosphere, and the mainstream media are all talking Palin all day, every day. The McCain/Palin ticket is up by 2 points nationally and growing. Palin is a national and cultural phenomenon - amazing - where's she been?

Please don't make them stop!

[wingFeather]

As it stands, when she came into office she forced solutions to get additional funds into the state coffers and canceled the bridge project.

That is a brilliantly played move. Bravo! (and another FAIL for the Democrat mud-slinging babies)

the bridge projects were still on the books until Palin pulled them out.

Again, BRAVO (and again... yet another FAIL for the Democrat mud-slinging babies)

I'm not being harsh or unjust in pointing out that the Democrats continue to fail in their petty attempts to undermine Palin. It is not polite to gossip & lie about someone. These attacks on her & McCain just aren't true

[audtatious]

I havn't looked at the other issues posted here yet as this one is constantly brought up and I chose it first. Time to "put it to bed" and get it off the table as an issue.

[AZhitman]

I think mos of them were addressed in my "sliming" thread (by factcheck.org).

[rn79870]

I think mos of them were addressed in my "sliming" thread (by factcheck.org).

Sorry big guy, I think you were duped by the site's name...

Example of quality of work there...Quoting Factscheck...Obama said: “I will cut taxes ... for 95 percent of all working families.” And he said McCain proposes “not one penny of tax relief to more than 100 million Americans,”

Factcheck said...Obama is right about his plan's effect on working families. More broadly, though, the plan cuts taxes for 81.3 percent of all households in 2009, according to the Tax Policy Center. The TPC also says McCain’s tax plan would leave 65.8 million households without a cut, not 100 million.

I say, Here's the problem...Obama said 100 million Americans, and then the article says 65.8 million households. They changed the unit from "Americans" to "households." That is sloppy, sloppy, sloppy writing and fact-checking. I'll have to assume they have made more mistakes, as it only took me 2 minutes to fins that one.

[ishkabibble]

"the state is continuing to build a road on Gravina Island to an empty beach where the bridge would have gone -- because federal money for the access road, unlike the bridge money, would have otherwise been returned to the federal government."

Funny. That's some "shaking things up" and killing off pork right there.

[The Wicker Man]

Fact Check: McCain-lobbyist connections

[wingFeather]

Fact Check: McCain-lobbyist connections[/url]

Hey now, be fair

Obama lobbyist connections:http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2...onies/ ... m/....html

But I digress. This isn't Google, and I believe the rules of this forum now prohibit simply cutting & pasting or posting a link to erternal articles. So in response to this rule I will state that I am AMAZED by just how rotten Obama is & how he tries to hide it behind a smile. Look at this sample (yet long) list of his LIES!!! He reminds me of the Joker from Dark Knight, except that he isn't so public with his corruption

[telcoman]

She knows how to fill out expense reports to bill the state and taxpayers

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new....html#

A perspective from across the big pond with no US spin

The more kids, the more you can bilk the taxpayers

Is that a form of Alaskan welfare?

Telcoman

[The Wicker Man]

did you even read the article?

Quote »But the bottom line is, both sides have ties to lobbyists, meaning whomever wins will have a hard time backing up the rhetoric about change and shaking up Washington. [/quote]read before you post next time, and try to be more non-partisan

[audtatious]

"the state is continuing to build a road on Gravina Island to an empty beach where the bridge would have gone -- because federal money for the access road, unlike the bridge money, would have otherwise been returned to the federal government."

Funny. That's some "shaking things up" and killing off pork right there.

There was def some shaking up going down with the 6000+ earmarks in which this was only 1 of them. If Palin was Gov then and not simply a mayor I would tend to agree that she has that burden hanging over her head but she was still 6-12 months out of Gov chair when the whole thing blew up on the representatives that were in office at the time.