Palin Makes Me Puke
Hat tip to Grizzly Bay. Here are some facts about John McCain’s choice for Vice President, Sarah Palin:
(1) She is presently under investigation in Alaska for abuse of power
Sarah Palin is being investigated for abuse of power (7/08) after she fired the Dept. of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. Palin pressured Monegan to fire her sister’s ex husband who is a state trooper. When Commissioner Monegan refused, Palin fired him. Audiotapes released last month reveal that aides to the 44-year-old governor pressured Safety Director Walter Monegan to dismiss Trooper Mike Wooten, after Wooten allegedly threatened Palin’s father during a messy child custody fight with the governor’s sister Molly. Monegan refused to do so and was fired on July 11 and replaced by an official who had previously been suspended for sexual harassment.
Palin said Monegan was let go for failing to fill trooper vacancies and invited a close examination of her role in the matter. The Alaska state legislature obliged, allocating $100,000 to investigate. The results of the probe are expected on Oct. 31, less than a week before the general election.
… We’ve had eight years of a president and vice president who have abused their executive power, using the awesome capabilities of the state to spy on Americans, inserting fake news in the media, pressuring news organizations not to run important stories, silencing protests by penning in all critics in remote “free speech” zones, attacking individual critics with White House-directed campaigns that border on treason, as in the case of the outing of CIA undercover operative Valerie Plume, whose husband had criticized a Bush argument for invading Iraq, and threatening government scientists who wanted to report their legitimate findings on climate change.
We have seen over these past eight years just what abuse of power can do to destroy democratic government and a free society.
So now we have Gov. Palin, whom evidence suggests may have abused her power as governor of Alaska to fire the state’s public security director after he blocked her efforts to destroy the career of a low-level state trooper who happened to be her former brother-in-law, because she wanted to avenge a sister engaged in an ugly post-divorce custody dispute. …
Of All the Reasons McCain’s Palin Pick is Awful, Evidence of Her Abuse of Power is the Worst
… We rely on elected officials not to use the power of their office to pursue personal agendas or vendettas. It’s called an abuse of power. There is ample evidence that Palin used her power as governor to get her ex-brother-in-law fired. When his boss refused to fire him, she fired his boss. She first denied Monegan’s claims of pressure to fire Wooten and then had to amend her story when evidence proved otherwise. The available evidence now suggests that she 1) tried to have an ex-relative fired from his job for personal reasons, something that was clearly inappropriate, and perhaps illegal, though possibly understandable in human terms, 2) fired a state official for not himself acting inappropriately by firing the relative, 3) lied to the public about what happened and 4) continues to lie about what happened.
These are, to put it mildly, not the traits or temperament you want in someone who could hold the executive power of the federal government. Getting Real About Palin
(2) She strongly supports big oil
Palin is aligned with the oil industry on two key issues. She favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and many offshore areas. Palin represents one of the few real petro-states within the United States. Big Oil is big business in Alaska, and the state relies on oil and gas tax and royalty revenues for more than 80 percent of its budget. The state’s coffers runneth over; every resident of Alaska gets a check from the state, a dividend for his or her share of the oil and gas extracted from the ground. Oh, and Palin’s husband works as a field operator for BP, one of the main operators on the North Slope. Oil interests are largely Alaska’s interests.
(3) She is adamantly opposed to reproductive rights for women
Palin Pro-Life Reference Links
Christian Coalition: We love Palin and the GOP’s most pro-life platform yet
Christian Coalition of America Applauds John McCain’s Choice of Pro-Life Governor Sarah Palin www.cc.org/pressrelease/christian_coalition_america_applauds_john_mccain039…
McCain Turns Hard Right, Goes All-In With “Pro-Life” Sarah Palin as Veep
McCain’s Surprising Sarah Palin Selection
(4) She has no federal or international experience. Prior to being governor (for less than two years) she was only the mayor of a small town and a beauty queen!
(5) She believes global warming is not human caused and is opposed to listing the polar bear as an endangered species. Palin denies climate change realities on first day as McCain’s running mate – 29 Aug 08 – What are the ramifications of a US Vice President that is willing to shrug off the scientific realities of global warming?
Guess we’ll find out if John McCain takes the White House. In an interview with Newsmax today, McCain’s vice-presidential running mate Sarah Palin stated that:
“A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I’m not one though who would attribute it to being man-made. ”
Palin Buys Climate Denial PR Spin – Ignores Science
Greenpeace sent out a comprehensive look at Palin’s history on environmental issues
Palin environmental backgrounder PDF
(6) She’s a creationist who believes intelligent design should be taught along side evolution in public schools. McCain’s VP Wants Creationism Taught in School
The legal record suggests that Palin’s approach is not just ignorant of the facts, but a plain violation of the Constitutional boundary between church and state. Recall, for example, the December 2005 United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania decision in Kitzmiller vs. the Dover Area School District.
As reported in the Anchorage Daily News during her race for the governorship of Alaska, Sarah Palin offered up a classic anti-evolution answer when asked during a televised debate whether creationism should be taught with evolution in the public schools:
“Teach both,” Palin said. “You know, don’t be afraid of information… I am a proponent of teaching both.”
John McCain, as you may remember, signed on as the keynote speaker at a Feb. 2007 event at the Discovery Institute, the major lobbying group for Intelligent Design.
Focus on the Family’s James Dobson says he’ll vote for McCain now
(7) She supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and anywhere else big oil wants
(8) She supports Pebble Mine which will destroy the richest salmon run in the world
(9) She supports aerial shooting of bears and wolves in Alaska
(10) She is pro-war
Palin is seemingly unaware of McCain’s Iraq plan
Palin On Iraq
The Thinnest Of Wisps Of Sarah Palin’s Foreign Policy Views Emerge
It appears that McCain has chosen a female Vice President, who is farther to the right than he is. She’s the anti-thesis of Hillary Clinton. To me this looks like a desperate attempt to win the support of women voters and the support of the right wing religious fundamentalist voters. What do you make of his choice?
Update: Here’s more about Palin to consider
Palin didn’t back McCain in the primary. She stayed neutral in Alaska’s January primary — perhaps on account of McCain’s opposition to drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. “A lot of us are sitting back and waiting to see if there will be new players in there,” she said in 2007. “That’s probably why that box that says ‘none of the above’ is so popular right now.”
Oil scandals – In a state whose politics have been defined of late by oil scandals Palin is linked to scandals involving indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (who offered an endorsement of her Friday) and Rep. Don Young. She’s also clashed with McCain over Arctic drilling — she wants drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which he has continued to oppose.
According to an Anchorage Daily News clip e-mailed to reporters, Palin accepted $5,000 in contributions from company executives and their wives during her failed 2002 lieutenant governor’s bid — which represented about 10 percent of her minuscule war chest that year.
Bridge to Nowhere – When she became governor Palin sold Gov. Frank Murkowski’s state-owned jet and canceled Stevens’ much-maligned “bridge to nowhere,” was also a vocal critic of oil field services giant Veco, a major player in Alaska politics that’s now accused of improper relationships with Stevens and Young.
There was also some pandering right from the start. “I told Congress `Thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere,’ ” Palin reported to the crowd in Dayton, Ohio. “If our state wanted a bridge, I said, we’d build it ourselves.”
But the state kept the bridge money.
Sarah Palin supported Ketchikan ‘bridge to nowhere’ during 2006 race for Alaska governor
Palin accused of using ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ issue to gain stature
Stevens and Young, redux. Palin has distanced herself from the state’s two most popular politicians, but both appeared at Palin fundraisers during her 2006 gubernatorial bid.
Palin unqualified to serve as vice president
The environment. As governor, Palin vetoed wind power and clean coal projects, including a 50-megawatt wind farm on Fire Island and a clean coal facility in Healy that had been mired in a dispute between local and state governments.
Palin’s $268 million in vetoes hit dozens of projects across the state. She reduced funding for things like artificial turf at Service and Palmer high schools, expansion of Covenant House for homeless and runaway youths in Anchorage and support of the group Arctic Power’s lobbying in Washington, D.C., to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development.
Palin eliminated other projects entirely. That includes study of a second bridge between Juneau and Douglas Island, a Cook Inlet Housing Authority community center for seniors, Ketchikan Little League batting cages and big utility projects through the Railbelt Energy Funds.
Hundreds of other projects remain in the budget, including $25 million for the Fire Island Wind Farm that she vetoed last year. Palin also left in $15 million each for a UAA sports arena and port of Anchorage expansion.
She also didn’t veto a controversial $2 million for an “academic based” conference meant to highlight arguments that global warming isn’t threatening the survival of polar bears
Palin’s veto ax lops $268 million from budget
She supports Pebble Mine which will destroy the richest salmon run in the world. She supports aerial shooting of bears and wolves in Alaska. She believes global warming is not human caused.
Sarah Palin On The Environment
Mayoral performance. Palin has cited her mayoral work as a central part of her qualification to serve as governor. But at the beginning of her term, asked by the local newspaper how she would run the city without six experienced department heads that she fired, she made the job sound like no big deal: “It’s not rocket science. It’s $6 million and 53 employees.”
Palin, who portrays herself as a fiscal conservative, racked up nearly $20 million in long-term debt as mayor of the tiny town of Wasilla — that amounts to $3,000 per resident. She argues that the debt was needed to fund improvements.
And, maybe, censorship. As noted before Palin she is adamantly opposed to reproductive rights for women. She supports teaching creationism, intelligent design alongside evolution in public schools. According to the Frontiersman newspaper, Wasilla’s library director, Mary Ellen Emmons, said that Palin asked her outright if she “could live with censorship of library books.” Palin later dismissed the conversation as a “rhetorical” exercise.
Lol! American politics from a Canadian only on the world wide web! :) John McCain seems to be grasping. His political ads are poor and high schoolish. He does want to drill in Alaska and I think that is the wrong decision and will lead to more dead animals. There is no such thing as safe drilling. Just like where I live the obsession is clean coal and there really isn’t such a thing. If you’re going to burn it it goes up to the sky and hits the ozone. I feel that Barack is more for the enviroment so I am going with him.
All this entire list says is that she is conservative.SO? Is it suprising that mccain would choose a conservative running mate??? But consider point #4 (obama’s only got 143 DAYS in congress as an advantage over her!)
I sincerely think this will lose him more votes than it will win. I was pretty indifferent to him and was trying to remain so. But, he obviously thinks I’m stupid, along with the rest of America. This makes it seem like he wants to win more than he wants to help this country, and that doesn’t sit well with me. Obama looks better every day.
Timethief–I honestly don’t know what to make of it. I have a hard time believing that Palin’s selection is going to sway any disgruntled Hillary supporters. I see that she might bring forth votes from women (and men) in the *very* conservative right that perhaps might not have voted at all in this election. Surely, McCain isn’t stupid enough to think that women who supported Hillary are going to switch camps (radically) and go with a candidate *solely* due to gender.
I think (hope) that this selection will backfire. What should be on the minds of all voters is that we have a man running for presidency who is 72 years old–who has already had cancer–and his VP must be able to step into this position in a moment’s notice. She is simply not prepared for this huge responsibility. Period. Nothing in her political background has prepared her to take over the presidency–and I am hoping beyond hope that people focus on this. It’s just way too important for the U.S.
Sarah Palin makes me want to puke too. Ugh!
Melinda
** Just another ugly, cynical selection **
Palin is as cynical a choice for VP as Clarence Thomas was for the Supreme Court. And for exactly the same reason.
Thomas would never grow into the shoes of Thurgood Marshall. He was chosen as an African American of the far right who would trample the hard won gains of the civil rights era.
Palin is a few feet shy of the stature to take over the presidency. She was chosen as a woman of the far right who would trample the hard won gains in women’s and children’s rights.
Both of them are small human beings, intellectually and morally. Her xianity is a dishonest ersatz for foreign and public policy.
McCain’s calculated cynicism at the same time betrays his lack of judgment and his frivolous nature. He capitulated to the death impulse of the christo-fascists (dominionists) who now control his party. Those who look forward with glee to nuclear Armageddon in the middle east.
Now, the choice is stark. McPain and a continued assault on the Constitution by ignorant, arrogant “servants” of an imperial presidency. Or, Obama-Biden and a chance to undo the harm suffered by the Republic from the Bush-Cheney thugs.
bipolar2
Is Mr. McCain stable enough mentally to be President? This should be an indication of his mental state.
Fuck this bitch.
She’s like the female Hitler. She has no respect for life at all (except for little fetuses, of course).
I’m with you, Timethief. Not only Palin, but the blatant disregard that McSame (and the entire GOP right-wing fellow-travelers) hold their country – and the world – makes me puke. They think the world is their playground, and their mentality is arrested at the level of 2-to-4 year-olds screaming “Gimme.”
As the next President of the United States said recently, “ENOUGH!”
“Lol! American politics from a Canadian only on the world wide web!”
Well then. Fact is, who America chooses as President affects Canada directly and Canadians like myself are very concerned with who you elect. And, frankly, so is the rest of the world. So let’s watch the snarky comments, please.
You need to add she has horrible judgment when it comes to her last pregnancy. While 8 months pregnant with a known Down’s syndrome baby with it being her 4th pregnancy, she took a 12 hour flight to Texas. Although that in itself shows poor judgment, it get worse.
Her water broke while in Texas, considering what a high risk pregnancy this already was, she then flew back to Alaska to have the baby.
There is not an obstetrician on the planet that would approve either leg of that trip, and the return trip was simply horrendous judgment.
It suggests that maybe she didn’t want the baby to survive.
This was simply horrible judgment.
I wasn’t being “snarky.” I like timethief a great deal and she knows it. In all honesty I don’t view politics in the same way that you do. I have no clue who runs Canada. I don’t care much about American politics. I find more intrest in it only to rid the world of people who want to continue Bush’s agenda. That’s just who I am. What I do care about is when power is given will it be used to help others or oneself. I’m sorry I offended that truly wasn’t my intention. That was more of a message to timethief and I liked the article so much I stumbled it when I happened up on it.
Um yeah, she’s vile!
Well done, lots of data that should support common sense and a Democratic landslide in a few weeks. I thought this best described Palin when her selection was announced last week: Dick Chaney in a Dress.
peace,
mike
Actually the prolonged response to the situation could be one that will distract and detract from the Democratic campaign momentum.
It’s very tempting to dig up dirt on Palin’s family given the amazing amount of attacks and lies coming from the right about Obama and his family. A candidate’s family members should NOT be a variable when it comes to a candidate’s ability to govern.
Obama’s take on the matter: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/01/obama.palin/index.html
What’s important now for Democrats is to stop yammering on this topic and start focusing on Obama’s and Biden’s stands on the real issues. That’s why I’m closing comments on this post.
I received a comment in my Blog Catalog shoutbox from thefly and I’m posting it below.
I was reading your post about Palin on your blog and you closed your comments. Just wanted to say, I share you same sentiment. Her pick is a joke and it insults women of this country to assume they could get the female vote by picking her. Excellent post. Wishing you the best with your head.
All I can say is that you are one BOLD Canadian Gal!!! I love it. Wow! there was a lot here that I did not know. And you know how I feel about the environment and a woman’s reproductive rights. So, that’s THAT! LOL Move over sister; I’m sittin’ right beside ya!!! You’re an amazing human being. Lots of love coming your way! Robin
wow…I love this entry. Very informative. Whats strange is that you cant find much info out there that actually tells you anything about Palin. This helped me greatly, thanks!
luculent
Not sure if comments are still allowed.
Just wanted to say thanks a million for this post. I’ve been depressed with the last two nights of Rep. speeches and delegates’ reactions (“Drill, baby, drill” — I never thought I’d hear such an outrageous chant in my life). Your post gave me heart again to start my day tomorrow with hope. I also hope you are healing….
This bitch is so phony it makes me sick. Her big night speech was prepared for her by the same republican attack dogs Bush used for 8 yrs., and now 2 days later she gave the EXACT SAME speech to a group of people outside at some bogus gathering. Funny thing is Grampa McCain gave the very same baloney too. People think this lady is sooo tough, why? I can get my mother to get up there and tell you what she thinks about the governmaent and u’d prob say she’s pretty tough too. The real reason women are considered tough is because they know they are protected by the law and most of the time they can’t get their fat mouth closed for them with a good right hook like they deserve. Palin is good for one thing and one thing only, to spread em and spit one out…
@luculent
If you check the Blog Catalog forums ( the Political one too) you will find that several conscientious blogger have supplied many links and have written thoughtful posts on the subject.
@Robin
Thanks for your comments lady. I value your friendship very much. When I feel better I will definitely start contributing to it again.
@bilbo
I can’t say that I feel the same amount of venom towards Palin that you do. What I see is a misguided opportunist. IMO Palin has made her ambition her first priority and her family her second priority. To me that’s a sign of moral bankruptcy, whether it be manifest in either a man or a woman.
IMO Palin who lacks the the traits, temperament, record and skills that I want in someone who intends to hold the executive power of the federal government and represent the whole country, as opposed to representing only a minority faction of religious fear mongers.
I hope that those who are wasting their breath beating her up will instead turn their efforts towards converting the undecided voters and getting the vote out.
The Republican Party has been high-jacked by the religious right as McCain’s selection of Palin proves. I thought McCain might bring some sanity to back to the party but it turns out experience does count and he is following the George Bush/Carl Rove play book of appealing to the “Gun tottin, God fearin” political demographic with his choice of Sarah Palin. The least you can say for George Bush is that he picked Cheney, whatever you may think of him, he is no light weight. Another trait about McCain that makes me very uncomfortable is his quick shoot from the hip decision making process. His selection of Palin seems to be a perfect example of this. This seems very similar to George W. Bush’s decision making process which landed us in $3 Trillion and counting war without end. And I’m not a democrat. I voted for Bush the first go around. But McCain just doesn’t seem to have the necessary personality traits to be an effective executive. He lost my potential vote for good with his selection of Palin.
It’s pretty sickening that she actually thinks she is going to get those Hilary votes because she’s a women. She is anti-woman. I don’t get it.
This is one Hillary voter that will not be voting for the this total right wing wack job. I’m just disgusted by her and her politics. She has no regard for anyone’s life or rights. It’s just digusting that she gets to be the representative of women on any ticket.
Here’s an excerpt from a post I would like to recommend. It’s titled The Case Against Sarah Palin
“Palin is campaigning for the vice presidency, but the real issue is her suitability for the presidency. Presidents after all, are mortal, which is why we elect vice presidents too. … She appears to be a great pick for the extreme conservative wing of the GOP, which dominates the convention and cheered her rapturously in Saint Paul last night, but she will make McCain less electable in the eyes of many other voters.” http://markstoneman.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/the-case-against-sarah-palin/
American politics as usual. I’m so proud of my Canadian side.
I’m truly afraid of the consequences of American voters electing McCain and Palin. After 8 years of Bush and his abuse of power it would be a shame if we saw a cynical continuance.
Personally, I’d put her support of big oil ahead of the abuse of power…then, for a U.S. president to support the people who’ve largely caused our biggest problems–global warming and the Middle East situation–IS an abuse of power.
And, by the way, I’m all for Canadians joining in on the anti-McCain Palin bandwagon–in fact, my best Canadian friend is planning on joining me in the cave I’m planning on moving into if they win….
Well okay now that I’ve looked at your line-up I may even be inclined to agree. I won’t be entering a cave. I already live in a blissfully remote location on a little island.
Great article. I wrote about her speech on my blog but you really go into details about her. In regards to global warming, I think the earth is on a naturally slow warming trend that is increasing at an exceedingly alarming rate due to human factors.
Hi Preston, Thanks for commenting.
She is a bad joke that we can’t seem to get rid of. I don’t find her “quaint”, her winking is annoying and her stupidity should be obvious to anyone watching her for longer than 5 min. This is so not the person I want being president, vice president or even in office anywhere. Alaskans don’t care for her either and aren’t backing her and would like her out of office there as well.
@Delaney
I agree with you 100%. This woman is not qualified to be a Vice Presidential candidate. Her smarmy chat and her winking as well as the soccer mom BS is irritating. More irritating still is her lack of ability to speak without looking at her coaching notes and her ridiculous pronunciations of words like “nuclear” that make me grind my teeth. Hopefully, American voters will be brighter than she is ie. bright enough not to vote for her.
I SOOOO Agree! Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to getting all this information together. Luckily she & McCain did not win but who knows what could happen down the road. There is unfortunately, a receptive audience for her values and her approach.
@chandi
Thanks for your comment. Like you I’m apprehensive. We may not have seen the last of her yet and she does indeed have a receptive audience.