WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS ALASKAN VIXEN?Sarah Palin, the republican vice presidential nominee, was reportedly chosen because of her 'maverick' sensibilities and history of taking on the waste and bureaucracy in Washington. Even superficial analysis will expose this whacked-out hard right, scandal-embroiled ex-beauty queen as the neo-con she is.
ON HER EXECUTIVE/ MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE:
Every time I hear the McCain camp boasting about Palin's vast experience as governor, I want to insert an asterisk. Palin has been governor for barely two years and Alaska is a tiny state with a total population less than the city of Columbus, Ohio. And while Alaska does maintain a small national guard, once active they are not under the authority of the governor.
Her experience as mayor came from serving two terms in Wisilla, Alaska a town of about 5,000 people... enough said.
ON CREATIONISM AND GOD
Sarah Palin believes that Creationism (which maintains that God created earth sometime around the construction of the Egyptian Pyramids) should be taught in public schools. She stated this belief as recently as 2006, in a gubernatorial debate, adding "don't be afraid of information."
She also told congregants of her evangelical church in June, 2008 (three months ago) that the Iraq war is a "task from God" and part of "God's plan."
OTHER HOT BUTTON ISSUES
Sarah Palin believes that
climate change is not related to human activity.
Sarah Palin is committed to overturning
Roe vs. Wade, and opposes abortion even in cases of rape.
ON FIGHTING FEDERAL WASTE/ EARMARKS/ SPECIAL FUNDING
In 2002, as mayor of Wisilla, again, a town of roughly 5,000 people, Palin hired RM&E, a powerful lobbying firm with connections to Congress, to secure $27 million in
earmarks for the town.
As governor, Palin presided over requests for roughly $750 million in
special funding to Congress--easily the highest per-capita requests in the country.
And while Palin frequently touts her opposition to the '
bridge to nowhere,' (which would become a national symbol for federal waste), she supported it running up to and during her first term as governor, only reversing her position once it was killed in Congress. Worse, Alaska still kept $233 million in funds for "other transportation needs."
SCANDAL
Yes, it's true. Dating back to her days in Wisilla, Palin has been embroiled in scandals involving
unfair firing practices.
In Wisilla, she fired a barrage of city employees, including the town librarian, for "not supporting the administration." A lawsuit was filed but was later dropped.
More famously, Palin recently fired public safety commissioner Walter Monegan, allegedly, because he himself wouldn't fire a state trooper involved in a bitter divorce with Palin's sister. Palin sent a series of emails to the commissioner (recently made public) that complained, over and over, that the trooper had called Palin a "bitch" and that reminded the commissioner "no one's above the law."
Her attorney filed a motion to take the '
troopergate' investigation out of the state Legislature and before the state Personel Board, which were all appointed by the office of....governor; effectively filing an ethics complaint against herself.
Does any of this sound familiar?
