Political Skin Game
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Posted By: June Posted on: Oct. 9, 2008 at 6:36 AM  16 Comments
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Troopergate's become a political cliffhanger!
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Oct. 9, 2008 at 07:44:16 AM
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You betcha, Phaedrus! They hate us for our freedoms, don't cha know! |
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Oct. 9, 2008 at 12:17:14 PM
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Rating for this article
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[This is a reply to comment by June on Oct. 9, 2008 at 07:44:16 AM]
June
Oct. 9, 2008 at 07:44:16 AM You betcha, Phaedrus! They hate us for our freedoms, don't cha... View this Comment I like the idea of the Republican ticket wrapped in the skins of the two lying corrupt smear artists with plenty to hide but who are inept at hiding it.
Will the McCane-Palin supporters please stop whining? Get used to the refreshing new transparency and wave bye bye to the Bu$hite secret government. Just get over it you big crybabies. |
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Anonymous Voice #37142
Oct. 9, 2008 at 01:22:16 PM
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| June, You're completely obsessed with irrelevant minutae. Why not concentrate on important issues like Biden lying about asthma to dodge the draft or Obama lying about FISA and public funding for the campaign. This obsession with Sarah Palin is creepy and bizarre. Not only is Palin smarter and more capable and qualified than you, men are actually attracted to her. You couldn't get a male dog to come near you if you tied raw pork chops around your neck. Get a life, you're mentally ill and obsessed! |
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Oct. 10, 2008 at 08:55:46 AM
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The McSame Truth Squad has preempted the Alaska Legislative Council by declaring Sarah innocent of those abuse of power charges - and the Truth Squad should know, Sarah cooperated with them!Hmmm, that leaves us investigation junkies with the CREW request that the Senate Ethics Committee look into McSame's failure to report his gambling winnings and the Bill Ayres flap.It does seem odd that McSame hasn't won more than $200 in the last 7 years, given his documented long-standing penchant (some say addiction) for high-stakes craps!On the other hand, The Rightie blogosphere is awash in Ayers-Obama shenanigans! Did you know Obama's two books were ghost-written by the intellectually superior and obvously-more-talented Ayers?Here are some other little known nefarious deeds attributed to the once-and-forever terrorist, that Obama-manipulator Bill Ayers, courtesy of Jay Bookman:1.) Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone. The mysterious Man with the Umbrella was actually William Ayers. And if you look closely in the Zapruder film, you can see a two-year-old black child holding what the FBI has long dismissed as a toy gun. Don’t believe it. That second shot had to come from somewhere — those evil madrassas teach kids to shoot before they’re even potty trained.If you want more proof, remember who “covered” the JFK assassination for CBS, who just “by coincidence” happened to be nearby when it happened? That’s right — Dan Rather. Need I say more?2.) You think it’s an accident that the TelePrompter had already been in use for more than 50 years when Barack Obama came along? As his dismal performance in the debates has proved, Obama could never have gotten this far without it. Knowing that, Bill Ayers invented the device back in the ’50s just to throw off suspicion.How could that be true, since Ayers was himself a child back then? Two words: Time machine.3.) You know who was responsible for those butterfly ballots down in Florida that got George Bush elected president? Yup. Bill Ayers again. It was all part of the master plan: To elect Obama, they first had to put somebody in as president who would run the country into the ground and thoroughly discredit modern conservatism.You don’t think this all happened by accident, do you? |
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Anonymous Voice #37247
Oct. 10, 2008 at 02:21:27 PM
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| The Alaska Supreme Court should keep right on...US voters have a right to know WHO IS SARAH PALIN?? Other than being a slanderous rabble-rousing, mud-slinger, WHO EXACTLY IS SARAH PALIN? tHIS MAY HELP: PALIN: “Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was (a fiscally conservative)mayor of my hometown.” REALITY: UNDER PALIN, WASILLA GOVERNMENT SPENDING & DEBT SKYROCKETED. • Total Government Expenditures Increased 63 Percent Under Palin. In fiscal 2003—the last fiscal year Palin approved the budget—the total government expenditures of Wasilla, excluding capital outlays, were $7,046,325. In fiscal 1996—the year before Palin took control of the budget—the expenditures were $4,317,947. The increase was 63 percent. [Wasilla Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 2003, Table 1] • Palin Supported Increasing Wasilla Sales Tax From 2 to 2.5 Percent to Build $14.7 Million Sports Center. “Wasilla residents have given the go ahead to building a new multiuse sports center in town and to raising the city sales tax to pay for it. With the final votes counted Friday, residents voted 306 to 286 in favor of a measure to raise the city sales tax from 2 percent to 2.5 percent to pay the estimated $14.7 million cost of building the center…Mayor Sarah Palin, who supported the measure, said the tight vote will motivate city officials to keep a close eye on the budget for the center.” [Anchorage Daily News, 3/9/02] • Palin Left Behind Almost $19 Million In Long-Term Debt, Compared to None Before She Was Mayor. In fiscal 2003—the last fiscal year Palin approved the budget—the bonded long-term debt was $18,635,000. In fiscal 1996—the year before Palin took control of the budget—there was no general obligation debt. [Wasilla Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 2003, Table 10] PALIN: “It was the spirit that brought me to the governor’s office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau … when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol’ boys network.” REALITY: PALIN HAS A LT. GOVERNOR WHO IS A FORMER OIL LOBBYIST, HIRED WASILLA’S FIRST FEDERAL LOBBYIST (A FORMER STEVENS STAFFER) & HAD THE SUPPORT OF ENTRENCHED ALASKA POLITICIANS DURING HER 2006 RACE. • Palin’s Oil & Gas Appointee Is Former Lobbyist for TransCanada. “Marty Rutherford, who leads Gov. Sarah Palin’s gas pipeline team, made $40,200 in 2003 while consulting in Juneau for a pipeline subsidiary of TransCanada. TransCanada is one of the companies bidding for a state license to build a pipeline to carry gas to market from Alaska’s North Slope. It’s not a disqualifier, but the past connection deserves a second thought.” [Anchorage Daily News editorial, 12/15/07] • Palin “Counting on Her Lieutenant Governor Candidate… Former Oil Lobbyist” to Help Win Oil Industry Support. “The defiantly grass-roots nature of the campaign may have distanced her from certain traditional centers of power in Alaska. The oil industry is one — but the campaign says it is counting on her lieutenant governor candidate, Parnell, a former oil lobbyist and legislator, to help there.” [Anchorage Daily News, 10/24/06] • As Mayor, Palin Hired a Washington Lobbyist to Help Get Earmarks for Wasilla – Lobbyist Was Former Chief of Staff for Indicted Senator Ted Stevens. “And as mayor of the small town of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002, Palin also hired a Washington lobbying firm that helped secure $8 million in congressionally directed spending projects, known as earmarks, according to public spending records compiled by the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste and lobbying documents. Wasilla’s lobbying firm was headed by Steven Silver — a former chief of staff to Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, a key proponent of the bridge project.” [USA Today, 8/31/08] • The Usual Alaska Suspects – Ted Stevens, Don Young, And Lisa Murkowski Fundraised For Palin. “Will we see Ted Stevens stumping for Sarah Palin? Palin said this morning that Stevens appeared at a fund-raiser for her in Ketchikan and gave a speech about ‘moving Alaska forward.’ But does that mean he’ll pop up in any advertisements? (Remember his arguably pivotal role at the end of the Knowles and Murkowski Senate race?) Palin said she doubts it and hasn’t asked… She said Don Young came to one of her fund-raisers two days ago, and she expects Lisa Murkowski at an upcoming event. Tonight she planned to talk with John Binkley, who she says is writing a letter to his supporters on her behalf, and she planned to meet with Frank Murkowski tomorrow morning.” [“The Trail” blog, Anchorage Daily News, 10/13/06] • In Her 2002 Campaign for Lieutenant Governor, Palin Raised ‘About 10 Percent Of Her Campaign Fund’ From Veco, An Oil Company At the Heart of Federal Investigation. “While mayor of Wasilla, Palin ran for lieutenant governor in 2002. She gathered $5,000 — or about 10 percent of her campaign fund — from Veco officials or their wives along the way.” [Anchorage Daily News, 9/6/06] PALIN: “I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.” REALITY: PALIN SIGNED WEAK ETHICS REFORM BILL & HAS HAD NUMEROUS ETHICAL FLAPS OF HER OWN. • Palin Signed Ethics Reform Legislation That Anchorage Republican Bob Roses Said Didn’t Go Far Enough. “An ethics reform package for state officials was signed into law Monday by Gov. Sarah Palin, just minutes after a former state representative was convicted on seven federal extortion and bribery counts. Palin said the law will help re-establish trust between the public and elected officials by improving on existing statutes. … Ethics reform had been a recurring theme throughout Palin’s election campaign, and she pushed hard for the bill to become a bipartisan effort in the Legislature this session. She said she remains determined to clean up Alaska politics. … Rep. Bob Roses, R-Anchorage, who succeed Anderson in the Legislature when Anderson didn’t seek re-election in 2006, said the law didn’t go far enough. Campaign contributions should be available for immediate public scrutiny, he said, and all contributions should be reported, even those below the current $1,000 threshold. ‘Quite frankly, I thought some of the things should have been a little tighter than what they were, but this is a first step,’ he said.” [The Associated Press State & Local Wire, 7/10/07] • AUGUST 2008: Ethics Complaint Filed Against Gov. Palin Over Alleged Involvement in Hiring a Campaign Contributor. In August 2008, former state House member Andree McLeod” filed against Gov. Sarah Palin and her staff today with the Attorney General’s Office. It accuses the governor’s office of using its pull to get a Palin supporter hired to a [Department of Transportation] job in Fairbanks.” McLeod said “ ‘Executive branch employee shouldn’t be getting involved in the recruitment process unless it’s based on merit,’ said Andree McLeod, who wrote the complaint based on a series of e-mails between members of Palin’s team…The complaint accuses Palin, her acting chief of staff and others of breaking executive ethics branch and hiring rules. It centers on the hiring of surveyor Tom Lamal, who once co-hosted a Palin fundraiser, for a state right-of-way agent job in Fairbanks.” The complaint is available at [link:community.adn.com] Ethics Complaint1.pdf [Anchorage Daily News, [link:community.adn.com] 8/6/08; Anchorage Daily News, [link:www.adn.com] 8/7/08] PALIN: “I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.” REALITY: ALASKA HAS REQUESTED $589 MILLION IN PORK SINCE PALIN TOOK OFFICE & AS MAYOR, SHE HIRED WASILLA’S FIRST FEDERAL LOBBYIST TO SECURE EARMARKS FOR THE TOWN. • Over $589 Million in Federal Pork Requests During Palin’s Tenure as Governor. According to Citizens Against Government Waste, www.cagw.org, under Palin’s tenure as Governor the state of Alaska has asked for $589,599,715 in pork barrel projects. [2007 and 2008 Pig Book, www.cagw.org] • Alaska Has Sought 31 Earmarks Worth $197.8 Million in Next Year’s Federal Budget. “But under her leadership, the state of Alaska has requested 31 earmarks worth $197.8 million in next year’s federal budget, according to the website of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.” [LA Times, 9/1/08] • As Mayor, Palin Hired a Washington Lobbyist to Help Get Millions in Earmarks for Wasilla – Lobbyist Was Former Chief of Staff for Indicted Senator Ted Stevens. “And as mayor of the small town of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002, Palin also hired a Washington lobbying firm that helped secure $8 million in congressionally directed spending projects, known as earmarks, according to public spending records compiled by the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste and lobbying documents. Wasilla’s lobbying firm was headed by Steven Silver — a former chief of staff to Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, a key proponent of the bridge project.” [USA Today, 8/31/08] • Under Palin, Wasilla Received $26.9 Million in Earmarks. “As mayor of Wasilla, Palin made regular trips to Washington seeking federal aid. The city received $26.9 million in earmarks during her tenure from fiscal year 2000 to 2003, according to the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense, which tracks pork barrel spending.” [LA Times, 9/2/08] PALIN: “I understand that we must reduce our dependence on foreign energy. I’ve worked with our state’s energy producers to expand our production so that we can have a safe, reliable supply of energy produced here in the United States.” REALITY: PALIN SUPPORTED EXPORTING NATURAL GAS WHILE ALASKA BUSINESSES CLOSED BECAUSE OF SHORTAGES • Palin Backed A Two-Year Extension Of The Export License To Export Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) To Japan And Other Asian Countries—Criticized Because Alaska’s Gas Reserves Are Declining. “Alaska producers can continue shipping gas to Asia after DOE last week approved an extension of the export license for the Kenai liquefied natural gas plant owned by ConocoPhillips and Marathon. The companies will be allowed to export up to 98.1 Bcf to Japan and other Pacific Rim countries over a two-year period through March 31, 2011. […] The application came under fire from local end-users, including gas distribution companies Enstar and the Chugach Electric Association, as well as fertilizer maker Agrium, all of which claimed the exports would exacerbate the problem of declining gas reserves in south-central Alaska. Agrium permanently closed its plant near Kenai due to an inability to find enough local supply for the facility that used 53 Bcf/year. In January, ConocoPhillips and Marathon reached a deal in which they agreed to step up development in the Cook Inlet region in return for the state’s support of the export license extension. The producers also agreed to divert gas from the LNG plant as needed to meet the peak winter supply needs of the local utilities. […] Alaska Governor Sarah Palin welcomed the DOE approval. “In these times of economic uncertainty, this is great news for the state and its residents. This extension will secure a future for the LNG operation and is another step toward ensuring energy supplies and energy security for Alaska,” the Republican governor said. [Platts Inside FERC, 6/9/08] • Agrium Closed Manufacturing Plant Because Of Gas Shortage. “Reserves of gas in producing fields in Southcentral Alaska are declining, posing concerns for supply to local utilities. A manufacturing plant on the Kenai Peninsula owned by Agrium Corp. recently announced it would close because the gas shortage.” [Alaska Journal Of Commerce, 11/25/07] • Gov. Palin: Agrium Closure Is Unfortunate. “Agrium announced yesterday that the plant will close in December due to a shortage in the supply of Cook Inlet natural gas, leaving about 100 of the 140 employees without employment. ‘It’s unfortunate to see the closure of a facility that has provided so many jobs that support families on the Peninsula,’ said Governor Palin. ‘I am heartened to hear that Agrium is willing to keep its options open if sufficient long-term supplies of gas can be found. We know there is more gas to be found and developed in Cook Inlet, so I remain hopeful that those jobs can be preserved.’” [Palin press release, 9/26/07] PALIN: “And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.” REALITY: PALIN IS CLOSE TO THE OIL INDUSTRY • Sierra Club Director Carl Pope Said “No One is Closer to the Oil Industry Than Governor Palin.” “No one is closer to the oil industry than Governor Palin,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club in comments reflecting the views of a cross section of environmental activists. They cite her eagerness to embrace expanded offshore oil development, her lawsuit against further protection of polar bears so as not to hinder oil drilling in Alaska’s ice-filled waters and her ardent support to allow oil companies into the Alaska wildlife refuge. [Associated Press, August 30, 2008] • Palin Took $13,000 from Lobbyists Representing the Oil Industry in Her 2006 Campaign for Governor. The lobbyists who donated to her campaign represent a range of industries, including oil and gas, tobacco, education and the Native Alaskan community. “She’s fought oil companies and party bosses and do-nothing bureaucrats and anyone who puts their interests before the interests of the people she swore an oath to serve,” Mr. McCain said Friday at an Ohio rally to introduce her as his running mate. But since Mrs. Palin leads a major oil-producing state, that industry is one of her top donors. She collected nearly $13,000 from lobbyists who represent oil and gas industries in her primary and general campaigns, according a review of her campaign donations and 2006 registered state lobbyists. [Washington Times, September 1, 2008] PALIN: “Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines … build more new-clear plants … create jobs with clean coal … and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.” REALITY: PALIN CUT FUNDING FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY • 2007: Palin Vetoed $20 Million Toward A Fire Island Wind Farm Project. “[Sen. Hollis] French and [Anchorage Mayor Mark] Begich both lamented the [Palin] veto of $20 million toward a Fire Island wind farm project and connecting transmission lines. That money was part of Railbelt Energy Fund cash that Palin said she doesn’t want to spend until a study on energy needs is finished.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 7/30/07] |
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Oct. 10, 2008 at 06:48:35 PM
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HOO-AHHHHHH! BOOKENDS - HEY, YOU BETCHA!TOP O' THE REPUBLICAN TICKET - GUILTY OF UNETHICAL CONDUCT!BOTTOM O' THE REPUBLICAN TICKET - GUILTY OF UNETHICAL CONDUCT! |
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Cancelled Account
Oct. 10, 2008 at 08:23:23 PM
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| This user has cancelled their account with Voice of North America. | |
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Oct. 10, 2008 at 08:44:03 PM
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[This is a reply to comment by demsliealways on Oct. 10, 2008 at 08:23:23 PM]
demsliealways
Oct. 10, 2008 at 08:23:23 PM June, All of your obsession with Sarah Palin and still no man paying attention to you. But keep up the boring articles! You have a shower massage I... View this Comment
The investigation also found that Monegan’s refusal to fire Wooten “was likely a contributing factor to his termination as Commissioner of Public Safety |
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Anonymous Voice #37290
Oct. 10, 2008 at 09:01:33 PM
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| I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
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Ethics shmethics.
What is the good of having all that power if you can't use it to destroy your political enemies? Dubya, Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot and Palin are all the kind of leaders who understood the real need to use that power to punish and eliminate their foes.
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