Keith Olbermann questions: "Sarah has an Alaskan heart? Cold and desolate?"
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Palin's Claim of Predator Control is False-From a Former Alaskan Board of Game Hunter:
There is a lot of confusion about Sarah Palin and her support of aerial wolf hunting. We are former 20+ year Alaska residents, and my husband, a hunter, was appointed to the Alaska Board of Game by former Alaska Governor Tony Knowles in 2000. The 7 member Board makes wildlife management decisions for the state. The current Board has approved aerial wolf control. http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/index.php
We made the 10 minute video, End Aerial Wolf Hunting, in Jan of 2008 using testimony from Alaska Department of Fish & Game staff, a master hunting guide, and Board of Game members. http://current.com/items/88811075/end_aerial_wolf_hunting.htm Although the video has not been updated since the ballot initiate vote in August of 2008, the testimony, documentation, and research has not changed. The video also references a study done by the National Research Council and the American Society of Mammalogists. http://www.alaskawolfkill.com/Palin_Letter.html
This video exposes the fallacy behind Governor Sarah Palin's claim that predator control is based on sound science. Declarations that the program is for the benefit of subsistence hunters are shattered with documentation showing that sport and trophy hunters take up to 73% of prey in areas where aerial wolf hunting has taken place.
A 4 1/2 minute version of the video can be seen here: http://current.com/items/88816799/end_aerial_wolf_hunting_short_version.htm
Five years in the making, this video exposes the truth about the stranglehold the hunting lobby has on wildlife management in Alaska.
We made the 10 minute video, End Aerial Wolf Hunting, in Jan of 2008 using testimony from Alaska Department of Fish & Game staff, a master hunting guide, and Board of Game members. http://current.com/items/88811075/end_aerial_wolf_hunting.htm Although the video has not been updated since the ballot initiate vote in August of 2008, the testimony, documentation, and research has not changed. The video also references a study done by the National Research Council and the American Society of Mammalogists. http://www.alaskawolfkill.com/Palin_Letter.html
This video exposes the fallacy behind Governor Sarah Palin's claim that predator control is based on sound science. Declarations that the program is for the benefit of subsistence hunters are shattered with documentation showing that sport and trophy hunters take up to 73% of prey in areas where aerial wolf hunting has taken place.
A 4 1/2 minute version of the video can be seen here: http://current.com/items/88816799/end_aerial_wolf_hunting_short_version.htm
Five years in the making, this video exposes the truth about the stranglehold the hunting lobby has on wildlife management in Alaska.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Ashley Judd Attacks Sarah Palin for Brutal Killing of Wolves
Actress Ashley Judd stars in a new campaign targeted at Sarah Palin's alleged "anti-conservation agenda" and her promotion of the killing of wolves and bears in Alaska.
Defenders Action Fund launched the campaign today with a new Website, EyeonPalin.org. In a video, Judd condemns Palin for promoting the aerial killing of wolves and even accuses her of suggesting $150 bounties for the severed forelegs of killed wolves.
"Now back in Alaska, Palin is again casting aside science and championing the slaughter of wildlife," Judds recites somberly.
"Palin even proposed a $150 bounty for the severed foreleg of each killed wolf. And now she is encouraging even more aerial killing. it is time to stop Sarah Palin and stop this senseless savagery."
I read this comment on the Christian Science Monitor and it sure rings true:
"So it’s the WOLVES that are decimating the moose and caribou populations? I guess people are the only ones allowed to feast at the table? How pathetic. I have no issue with getting your own food, in fact I encourage it. But taking out your competitor is typical human behavior. Offering 150 bucks for an appendage takes me back to shouts of “bring me his head!”
They shoot from helicopters, often wounding these animals and leaving them to suffer, trying to drag themselves to cover, while the “hunter” picks off the rest of the pack. And pups? Forget about it! Entire dens are usually beaten to death with a rock or shot in the head. What was it…14 pups in one outing last year? Predator control? I don’t think so."
This is from the Seattle Times I found today and explains what might be the outcome of killing off Predators like Wolves:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008667916_wolves25.html
Wolves last roamed the Olympic Peninsula nearly a century ago. A controversial new study argues the absence of these predators has led to dramatic and often destructive shifts in the area's ecology.
Roosevelt elk splash through the Hoh River in Olympic National Park. Since wolves were eradicated in the early 1900s, some scientists say, overbrowsing by elk has damaged the forest understory and increased riverbank erosion, threatening the ecosystem.
Oregon State University researcher Robert Beschta says the forest understory in the Hoh Rain Forest is unnaturally open, and few young trees have survived to maturity since wolves were killed off and elk multiplied.
But the loss of the stealthy predators in the early 1900s left a hole in the landscape that scientists say they are just beginning to grasp. The ripples extend throughout what is now Olympic National Park, leading to a boom in elk populations, overbrowsing of shrubs and trees, and erosion so severe it has altered the very nature of the rivers, says a team of Oregon State University biologists. The result, they argue, is an environment that is less rich, less resilient, and " perhaps " in peril.
"We think this ecosystem is unraveling in the absence of wolves," said OSU ecologist William Ripple.
More:
Just like Joe the Plumber, Sarah Palin continues to be in the news.
Although Ms. Palin may not prefer to be lumped in with Mr. Plumber Mr. Wurzelbacher, both were a part of the Republican presidential campaign, both are active now in Republican politics, and both are getting a lot of news attention.
Palin, as the governor of Alaska and possible presidential candidate, and Wurzelbacher as adviser to the GOP on the economy (not to mention war correspondent, author, country western singer, and plumber).
Defenders of Wildlife
Regardless, on Monday, the environmental advocacy group Defenders of Wildlife went after Governor Palin for her support of a predator-control program in Alaska.
The reason they’re focusing on her? It’ll make news. According to a statement from the group, she’s a high profile target.
“Sarah Palin isn’t fading into the background, so neither are we,” said Defenders Action Fund President Rodger Schlickeisen in a statement. “Given her known political aspirations, the American public deserves to know what she’s doing in Alaska, and about her extreme anti-conservation policies.”
The policy in question is aerial hunting. Specifically, shooting wolves from helicopters. Defenders calls it cruel. Palin calls it wildlife management.
Eye on Palin
Defenders launched a new website (EyeonPalin.org) and actress Ashley Judd is cause’s spokeswoman.
“I am outraged by Sarah Palin’s promotion of this cruel, unscientific and senseless practice which has no place in modern America,” Ms. Judd said in a statement. “Because she is apparently determined to continue and expand this horrific program, I am grateful that Defenders will aggressively fight to stop her. I am proud to be a part of that effort.”
Predator control
Palin doesn’t see it that way. Although the practice might seem akin to throwing dynamite in a lake for catching trout, in Alaska, they call it predator control.
She says the new commercial perverts the issue.
“The ad campaign by this extreme fringe group, as Alaskans have witnessed over the last several years, distorts the facts about Alaska’s wildlife management programs,” Palin said in a statement.
“Alaskans depend on wildlife for food and cultural practices which can’t be sustained when predators are allowed to decimate moose and caribou populations. Our predator control programs are scientific and successful at protecting vulnerable wildlife.”
“Shame on the Defenders of Wildlife for twisting the truth in an effort to raise funds from innocent and hard-pressed Americans struggling with these rough economic times,” the statement concluded.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
I don't care for Sarah's policies, but this is horrible! I feel badly for her!
Whoever did this is very dangerous! No matter what we feel, violence is never ever the answer! Shame on whoever did this! Why resort to these barbaric tactics? You are just as bad, or even worse than Palin, because you are a hypocrite. What in heavens is this world coming to.
Sarah Palin Church Fire: Palin's Home Church Burned In Arson Incident
RACHEL D'ORO | December 13, 2008 08:25 PM EST |
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin's home church was badly damaged by arson, leading the governor to apologize if the fire was connected to "undeserved negative attention" from her failed campaign as the Republican vice presidential nominee.
Damage to the Wasilla Bible Church was estimated at $1 million, authorities said Saturday. No one was injured in the fire, which was set Friday night while a handful of people, including two children, were inside, according to Central Mat-Su Fire Chief James Steele.
He said the blaze was being investigated as an arson but didn't know of any recent threats to the church. Authorities didn't know whether Palin's connection to the church was relevant to the fire, Steele said.
"It's hard to say at this point. Everything is just speculation," he said. "We have no information on intent or motive."
Steele would not comment on the means used to set the fire.
Pastor Larry Kroon declined to say whether the church had received any recent threats.
"There are so many variables," he said. "I don't want to comment in that direction."
Palin, who was not at the church at the time of the fire, stopped by Saturday. Her spokesman, Bill McAllister, said in a statement that Palin told an assistant pastor she was sorry if the fire was connected to the "undeserved negative attention" the church has received since she became the vice presidential candidate Aug. 29.
"Whatever the motives of the arsonist, the governor has faith in the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good," McAllister said.
The 1,000-member evangelical church was the subject of intense scrutiny after Palin was named John McCain's running mate. Early in Palin's campaign, the church was criticized for promoting in a Sunday bulletin a Focus on the Family "Love Won Out Conference" in Anchorage. The conference promised to "help men and women dissatisfied with living homosexually understand that same-sex attractions can be overcome."
The fire was set at the entrance of the church and moved inward as a small group of women were working on crafts, Steele said. The group was alerted to the blaze by a fire alarm.
Outside temperatures were minus 20 as firefighters battled the blaze.
Steele said a multi-agency task force was being assembled to investigate the fire.
Wasilla, the governor's hometown, is 40 miles north of Anchorage.
Sarah Palin Church Fire: Palin's Home Church Burned In Arson Incident
RACHEL D'ORO | December 13, 2008 08:25 PM EST |
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin's home church was badly damaged by arson, leading the governor to apologize if the fire was connected to "undeserved negative attention" from her failed campaign as the Republican vice presidential nominee.
Damage to the Wasilla Bible Church was estimated at $1 million, authorities said Saturday. No one was injured in the fire, which was set Friday night while a handful of people, including two children, were inside, according to Central Mat-Su Fire Chief James Steele.
He said the blaze was being investigated as an arson but didn't know of any recent threats to the church. Authorities didn't know whether Palin's connection to the church was relevant to the fire, Steele said.
"It's hard to say at this point. Everything is just speculation," he said. "We have no information on intent or motive."
Steele would not comment on the means used to set the fire.
Pastor Larry Kroon declined to say whether the church had received any recent threats.
"There are so many variables," he said. "I don't want to comment in that direction."
Palin, who was not at the church at the time of the fire, stopped by Saturday. Her spokesman, Bill McAllister, said in a statement that Palin told an assistant pastor she was sorry if the fire was connected to the "undeserved negative attention" the church has received since she became the vice presidential candidate Aug. 29.
"Whatever the motives of the arsonist, the governor has faith in the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good," McAllister said.
The 1,000-member evangelical church was the subject of intense scrutiny after Palin was named John McCain's running mate. Early in Palin's campaign, the church was criticized for promoting in a Sunday bulletin a Focus on the Family "Love Won Out Conference" in Anchorage. The conference promised to "help men and women dissatisfied with living homosexually understand that same-sex attractions can be overcome."
The fire was set at the entrance of the church and moved inward as a small group of women were working on crafts, Steele said. The group was alerted to the blaze by a fire alarm.
Outside temperatures were minus 20 as firefighters battled the blaze.
Steele said a multi-agency task force was being assembled to investigate the fire.
Wasilla, the governor's hometown, is 40 miles north of Anchorage.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Palin pardons turkey while others slaughtered
From Associated Press
November 21, 2008 9:22 AM EST
WASILLA, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin has granted the traditional Thanksgiving pardon to one lucky turkey, but the video that shocked some viewers captured what was happening in the background.
As she answered questions Thursday at Triple D Farm & Hatchery outside Wasilla cameras from the Anchorage Daily News and others showed the bloody work of an employee slaughtering birds behind the former Republican vice presidential candidate.
On the video, Palin didn't comment about the slaughter as she answered questions, saying she's thankful that her son's Stryker brigade is relatively safe in Iraq and the rest of her family is healthy and happy. She said she's glad to be back in Alaska.
"This was neat," she said of the outing. "I was happy to get to be invited to participate in this. For one, you need a little bit of levity in this job, especially with so much that has gone in the last couple of months that has been so political obviously that it's nice to get out and do something to promote a local business and to just participate in something that isn't so heavy-handed politics that it invites criticism. Certainly we'll probably invite criticism for even doing this, too, but at least this was fun."
****SEE VIDEO IN NEXT POST!****
November 21, 2008 9:22 AM EST
WASILLA, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin has granted the traditional Thanksgiving pardon to one lucky turkey, but the video that shocked some viewers captured what was happening in the background.
As she answered questions Thursday at Triple D Farm & Hatchery outside Wasilla cameras from the Anchorage Daily News and others showed the bloody work of an employee slaughtering birds behind the former Republican vice presidential candidate.
On the video, Palin didn't comment about the slaughter as she answered questions, saying she's thankful that her son's Stryker brigade is relatively safe in Iraq and the rest of her family is healthy and happy. She said she's glad to be back in Alaska.
"This was neat," she said of the outing. "I was happy to get to be invited to participate in this. For one, you need a little bit of levity in this job, especially with so much that has gone in the last couple of months that has been so political obviously that it's nice to get out and do something to promote a local business and to just participate in something that isn't so heavy-handed politics that it invites criticism. Certainly we'll probably invite criticism for even doing this, too, but at least this was fun."
****SEE VIDEO IN NEXT POST!****
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Sarah Palin Turkey Incident: Does TV Interview While Turkeys Are Slaughtered In The Background
Some videos you just have to see to believe. On Thursday, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin appeared in Wasilla in order to pardon a local turkey in anticipation of Thanksgiving. This proved to be a slightly absurd but ultimately unremarkable event. But what came next was positively surreal. After the pardon Palin proceeded to do an interview with a local TV station while the turkeys were being SLAUGHTERED in the background!! Seemingly oblivious to the gruesomeness going on over her shoulder, she carries on talking for over three minutes. Watch the video below to see for yourself. Be warned, it's kind of gruesome.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Palin Keeps Attacking Obama!
Huffington Post
Sam Stein
November 13, 2008 11:04 AM
Palin Keeps Attacking Obama: "No Present Button":
The presidential campaign is over, but Sarah Palin -- still at the epicenter of media attention -- continues to take digs at Barack Obama.
Speaking at the Republican Governor's Association meeting on Thursday in Miami, the Alaska Governor spoke primarily about the responsibilities of Republican executives in supporting domestic initiatives like tax cuts and budgetary prudence. But then she offered an obvious swipe at the President-elect.
Governors, she said make "tough decisions to best serve the people who hire us. And we are held accountable every day. The buck stops on our desk. We are not just one of many voting yea or nay or present. No. There is no present button in our office, is there? We have to make the tough decisions."
The line about voting "present," of course, is a clear jab at Obama -- lifted from an attack line that the McCain campaign (and the Clinton camp) used repeatedly on the trail. The crowd, it seemed, got the joke.
The dig comes, moreover, after Palin has continued airing concerns about Obama'a associations and readiness to be commander-in-chief in recent interviews.
It's hard to understand just what type of strategy Palin is deploying here. Her popularity rating plummeted as the campaign progressed, in part because of her attacks on Obama, in part because, after the campaign ended, aides to McCain painted her as vapid and out-of-her-league.
As such, she needs to push back against these negative narratives. And so we see her taking all of these national interviews after mostly avoiding press on the trail. But by continuing to take swipes at Obama, Palin seems to be doing little more than reinforcing the image that she is hyper-partisan and bitter over the election outcome.
UPDATE: Reader JMZ points out that in many states legislation can pass without the governor's signature -- the political equivalent of voting present (governors don't have to watch as their vetoes are overturned).
And Arnold Schwarzenegger, what a phony-baloney, two-faced slime-bag, he backpedaled from his campaign-trail joke that Obama has "scrawny little arms":
"Look, I've seen him playing basketball. He's a better basketball player than I am. But I think that no one should take that joke that seriously, because Columbus, Ohio, is the place where they have the world championships in lifting and in body building every year. And so ... you talk about body and legs and skinny and all -- pumping up, and all of those kind of things. So this was not meant to be an insult in any way. It was meant to be to lighten up the place and to make everyone laugh a little bit."
Sam Stein
November 13, 2008 11:04 AM
Palin Keeps Attacking Obama: "No Present Button":
The presidential campaign is over, but Sarah Palin -- still at the epicenter of media attention -- continues to take digs at Barack Obama.
Speaking at the Republican Governor's Association meeting on Thursday in Miami, the Alaska Governor spoke primarily about the responsibilities of Republican executives in supporting domestic initiatives like tax cuts and budgetary prudence. But then she offered an obvious swipe at the President-elect.
Governors, she said make "tough decisions to best serve the people who hire us. And we are held accountable every day. The buck stops on our desk. We are not just one of many voting yea or nay or present. No. There is no present button in our office, is there? We have to make the tough decisions."
The line about voting "present," of course, is a clear jab at Obama -- lifted from an attack line that the McCain campaign (and the Clinton camp) used repeatedly on the trail. The crowd, it seemed, got the joke.
The dig comes, moreover, after Palin has continued airing concerns about Obama'a associations and readiness to be commander-in-chief in recent interviews.
It's hard to understand just what type of strategy Palin is deploying here. Her popularity rating plummeted as the campaign progressed, in part because of her attacks on Obama, in part because, after the campaign ended, aides to McCain painted her as vapid and out-of-her-league.
As such, she needs to push back against these negative narratives. And so we see her taking all of these national interviews after mostly avoiding press on the trail. But by continuing to take swipes at Obama, Palin seems to be doing little more than reinforcing the image that she is hyper-partisan and bitter over the election outcome.
UPDATE: Reader JMZ points out that in many states legislation can pass without the governor's signature -- the political equivalent of voting present (governors don't have to watch as their vetoes are overturned).
And Arnold Schwarzenegger, what a phony-baloney, two-faced slime-bag, he backpedaled from his campaign-trail joke that Obama has "scrawny little arms":
"Look, I've seen him playing basketball. He's a better basketball player than I am. But I think that no one should take that joke that seriously, because Columbus, Ohio, is the place where they have the world championships in lifting and in body building every year. And so ... you talk about body and legs and skinny and all -- pumping up, and all of those kind of things. So this was not meant to be an insult in any way. It was meant to be to lighten up the place and to make everyone laugh a little bit."
Rosie O'Donnell: "I'd Like To Have A Beer With" Sarah Palin
Huffington Post Extra | November 14, 2008 10:43 PM
At last night's Broadway opening of Billy Elliot, Rosie O'Donnell spoke out to "Extra" for the first time since Barack Obama was elected president - expressing her excitement about his historic win and even praising the woman who could have been vice president. Admitting she'd like to meet Governor Sarah Palin, O'Donnell comments, "I'd like to have a beer with her. I'd like to meet her kids. She seems like a pretty nice woman. Although I have to say, I am thrilled her party did not win. [But] you got to give it to her for spunk."
She continues, "I think I probably would like her [Palin] if I met her....She had an amazing life for herself and her family in Alaska. Very successful. Before you knew it, she was the most famous person in the country..." As nice as Palin might seem, O'Donnell exclaims, "If [John] McCain won...I would be in the depression unit of the ICU."
About Obama's victory, O'Donnell says, "It's really beyond what I had hoped could happen...I can't really recall feeling the way that I did about our country. About the promise of democracy....Seems as though the last eight years have been nothing but a dark, funky depression...Hope is possible and change is here. Way to go America!"
Reacting to the passing of Proposition 8, which overrides the decision to recognize same- sex marriages in California, O'Donnell comments, "I was married four years and I was annulled three years ago, so for me this fight is not new. Prop 8 is nothing new for me. This has been a long journey...and eventually the world will catch up."
Rosie O'Donnell's primetime show, Rosie Live, airs on NBC on November 26th.
At last night's Broadway opening of Billy Elliot, Rosie O'Donnell spoke out to "Extra" for the first time since Barack Obama was elected president - expressing her excitement about his historic win and even praising the woman who could have been vice president. Admitting she'd like to meet Governor Sarah Palin, O'Donnell comments, "I'd like to have a beer with her. I'd like to meet her kids. She seems like a pretty nice woman. Although I have to say, I am thrilled her party did not win. [But] you got to give it to her for spunk."
She continues, "I think I probably would like her [Palin] if I met her....She had an amazing life for herself and her family in Alaska. Very successful. Before you knew it, she was the most famous person in the country..." As nice as Palin might seem, O'Donnell exclaims, "If [John] McCain won...I would be in the depression unit of the ICU."
About Obama's victory, O'Donnell says, "It's really beyond what I had hoped could happen...I can't really recall feeling the way that I did about our country. About the promise of democracy....Seems as though the last eight years have been nothing but a dark, funky depression...Hope is possible and change is here. Way to go America!"
Reacting to the passing of Proposition 8, which overrides the decision to recognize same- sex marriages in California, O'Donnell comments, "I was married four years and I was annulled three years ago, so for me this fight is not new. Prop 8 is nothing new for me. This has been a long journey...and eventually the world will catch up."
Rosie O'Donnell's primetime show, Rosie Live, airs on NBC on November 26th.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Here Comes President Sarah!
Are you sitting down?
According to a recent poll, two-thirds
of Republicans said Sarah Palin would
be their choice for president in 2012.
According to a veteran Republican pollster
there is now a "Sarah Palin wing" of the
party which he describes as "grassroots,
anti-intellectual, small town, and culturally
conservative."
Not mentioned is Palin's dedication to
an aggressive form of "christianity" her
spiritual leaders call "spiritual warfare."
Here's where this gets ominous.
Remember when Sarah Palin had an African
preacher - a self-described witchcraft fighter
- lay hands on her in her church in Alaska?
The biggest evangelistic "christian" church
in Nigeria has declared that many children
are in fact witches.
Insane?
Yes, but this pronouncement has resulted in
thousands of children being beaten, tortured,
rejected by their families and villages, and
and even murdered.
What is the connection between this whacko
Christian cult, the African pastor who
fights witches and visited Alaska to bless
Palin, and Palin's dedication to spiritual
warfare?
I don't know, but it merits research.
All I have now is the shortest clip on this,
but it's a start.
- Brasscheck
P.S. Freedom of religion, sure.
But freedom FROM religion too.
The Founding Fathers were equally interested
in both.
- Brasscheck
==============================
Brasscheck TV
2380 California St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
Source: "Saving Africa's Witch Children"
In some of the poorest parts of Nigeria, where evangelical religious fervor is combined with a belief in sorcery and black magic, many thousands of children are being blamed for catastrophes, death and famine: and branded witches.
Denounced as Satan made flesh by powerful pastors and prophetesses, these children are abandoned, tortured, starved and murdered: all in the name of Jesus Christ.
This Dispatches Special follows the work of one Englishman, 29-year-old Gary Foxcroft, who has devoted his life to helping these desperate and vulnerable children. Gary's charity, Stepping Stones Nigeria, raises funds to help Sam Itauma, who five years ago, rescued four children accused of witchcraft. He now struggles to care for over 150 in a makeshift shelter and school in the Niger Delta region called CRARN (Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network).
Gary and Sam introduce Dispatches to some of the rescued children who have been through unimaginable horrors, such as Ekemeni, aged 13, who was tied up with chicken wire and starved and beaten for two weeks, and Mary, aged 14, who was burnt with acid before her mother attempted to bury her alive. Other children display the hallmarks of witch-branding - acid burns and machete scars. Uma Eke, aged 17, has been left brain-damaged after having a three-inch nail driven into her skull.
Hospitals refuse to treat children associated with sorcery, so Sam's centre does its best to provide medical aid.
Influential preachers from the more extreme churches brand the children witches or wizards and exploit their desperate parents by charging them exorbitant amounts of money in return for exorcising the spirits.
The film features extraordinary access to some of the preachers who openly discuss their work.
One preacher who calls himself 'The Bishop,' says he has made a fortune by carrying out 'deliverances' on children. He admits having killed 110 people in the past. Dispatches films him as he administers a mixture of pure alcohol, a substance known as 'African mercury' and his own blood to one child accused of witchcraft.
Exorcism is big business. Preachers can charge as much as a year's salary for an average Nigerian to treat children. They often hold the child captive until the parents can pay up. The Niger Delta area is oil rich - but very few have access to oil wealth; the average life expectancy is around 47.
Shocking and tragic, Dispatches reveals the plight of the thousands of innocent children who suffer intolerable cruelty at the hands of so-called Christian pastors. As Gary, Director of UK Charity Stepping Stones Nigeria, says:
"It's an absolute scandal. Any Christian would look at the situation that is going on here and just be absolutely outraged that they were using the teachings of Jesus Christ to exploit and abuse innocent children."
You can find out more about the work of Stepping Stones Nigeria at http://www.steppingstonesnigeria.org
According to a recent poll, two-thirds
of Republicans said Sarah Palin would
be their choice for president in 2012.
According to a veteran Republican pollster
there is now a "Sarah Palin wing" of the
party which he describes as "grassroots,
anti-intellectual, small town, and culturally
conservative."
Not mentioned is Palin's dedication to
an aggressive form of "christianity" her
spiritual leaders call "spiritual warfare."
Here's where this gets ominous.
Remember when Sarah Palin had an African
preacher - a self-described witchcraft fighter
- lay hands on her in her church in Alaska?
The biggest evangelistic "christian" church
in Nigeria has declared that many children
are in fact witches.
Insane?
Yes, but this pronouncement has resulted in
thousands of children being beaten, tortured,
rejected by their families and villages, and
and even murdered.
What is the connection between this whacko
Christian cult, the African pastor who
fights witches and visited Alaska to bless
Palin, and Palin's dedication to spiritual
warfare?
I don't know, but it merits research.
All I have now is the shortest clip on this,
but it's a start.
- Brasscheck
P.S. Freedom of religion, sure.
But freedom FROM religion too.
The Founding Fathers were equally interested
in both.
- Brasscheck
==============================
Brasscheck TV
2380 California St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
Source: "Saving Africa's Witch Children"
In some of the poorest parts of Nigeria, where evangelical religious fervor is combined with a belief in sorcery and black magic, many thousands of children are being blamed for catastrophes, death and famine: and branded witches.
Denounced as Satan made flesh by powerful pastors and prophetesses, these children are abandoned, tortured, starved and murdered: all in the name of Jesus Christ.
This Dispatches Special follows the work of one Englishman, 29-year-old Gary Foxcroft, who has devoted his life to helping these desperate and vulnerable children. Gary's charity, Stepping Stones Nigeria, raises funds to help Sam Itauma, who five years ago, rescued four children accused of witchcraft. He now struggles to care for over 150 in a makeshift shelter and school in the Niger Delta region called CRARN (Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network).
Gary and Sam introduce Dispatches to some of the rescued children who have been through unimaginable horrors, such as Ekemeni, aged 13, who was tied up with chicken wire and starved and beaten for two weeks, and Mary, aged 14, who was burnt with acid before her mother attempted to bury her alive. Other children display the hallmarks of witch-branding - acid burns and machete scars. Uma Eke, aged 17, has been left brain-damaged after having a three-inch nail driven into her skull.
Hospitals refuse to treat children associated with sorcery, so Sam's centre does its best to provide medical aid.
Influential preachers from the more extreme churches brand the children witches or wizards and exploit their desperate parents by charging them exorbitant amounts of money in return for exorcising the spirits.
The film features extraordinary access to some of the preachers who openly discuss their work.
One preacher who calls himself 'The Bishop,' says he has made a fortune by carrying out 'deliverances' on children. He admits having killed 110 people in the past. Dispatches films him as he administers a mixture of pure alcohol, a substance known as 'African mercury' and his own blood to one child accused of witchcraft.
Exorcism is big business. Preachers can charge as much as a year's salary for an average Nigerian to treat children. They often hold the child captive until the parents can pay up. The Niger Delta area is oil rich - but very few have access to oil wealth; the average life expectancy is around 47.
Shocking and tragic, Dispatches reveals the plight of the thousands of innocent children who suffer intolerable cruelty at the hands of so-called Christian pastors. As Gary, Director of UK Charity Stepping Stones Nigeria, says:
"It's an absolute scandal. Any Christian would look at the situation that is going on here and just be absolutely outraged that they were using the teachings of Jesus Christ to exploit and abuse innocent children."
You can find out more about the work of Stepping Stones Nigeria at http://www.steppingstonesnigeria.org
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sarah Palin Will Never Be President -- Trust Me
The Huffington Post
Frank Schaeffer
Posted November 11, 2008 | 03:00 PM (EST)
The small smear of red on the otherwise blue electoral map looks more like a minor bloodstain on a dirty Band-Aid than anything resembling a national political party. Who voted for McCain/Palin in bigger numbers than they even voted for Bush/Cheney? Only one shrinking group: uneducated white folks in the deep south and a few folks in Appalachia. Take away the white no-college-backwoods-and/or-southern McCain/Palin vote and the Republicans would have been approaching single digit electoral college oblivion.
Sarah Palin will never hold national office nor will any Republican at the presidential level for a long time to come. Why? Because America has uneducated jerks in it but is not a nation of uneducated jerks. The Republicans are done, hoisted on the petard of their own "southern strategy."
The Republican Party is only a step away from becoming the fringe of the fringe, identified more with cross-burning weirdoes wearing hoods, folks like the Alaska secessionist party, all those gun owners stocking up on assault weapons before the "Socialist/United Nations/Obama/Muslim" conspiracy comes to fruition, than with anything remotely like a serious national political force.
The Republican Party--and I speak as a former lifelong Republican who, up through the 2000 primary campaign supported John McCain and even worked for him by arguing his case on various conservative and religious radio stations--is now the toy of the Rush Limbaugh windbags. These folks include outright crazies (such as Sarah Palin's Assemblies of God pals who are waiting for Spaceship Jesus to rescue them and/or rooting out "witches" from their midst), white racists and a few not-very-bright attention seekers, including Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity etc.
Read their blogs! Listen to their talk radio! You'll be in the twilight zone of front page tabloid fantasy on a par with Bat Boy Attacks! headlines. Bill Buckley roll over.
The Religious Right, the racists, the anti-gay hate-mongers are now not only marginalized but thoroughly out of step with even members of their own former constituency. For instance the Gordon College student newspaper (Gordon is an influential Evangelical College north of Boston) endorsed Obama this year. Many young evangelicals voted for the Democrats. James Dobson, Fox News, Limbaugh et al. were utterly powerless to do more than stir up hate. They are losing the next generation of their "base."
Meanwhile many former Republicans--like me--ran to Obama as fast as our legs could carry us and away from our willfully "we're not an elite" moronic former party. Republican commentators such as David Brooks and George Will mourned the loss of the Republican center. Others noted the Republicans have become anti-intellectual. "Anti-intellectual?" They wish! How about simply anti-literate?
Meanwhile the fringe of the fringe is holding meetings where they'll talk to themselves and look at the "facts" of their alternative universe in order to figure out "what went wrong." These are the same "leaders" (like William Kristal) who think Sarah Palin has a big political future!
Sarah Palin will never be president because the right wing of the Republican Party has perfected the art of believing their own bullshit, starting with the idea that is-Africa-a-country-or-a-continent?-Palin has a future. Palin and her fans don't know it yet, but having reduced itself to a grim angry joke, the Republican Party has also divorced itself from American politics and, along with that dirty used Band-Aid, is destined for the garbage can.
What's the best defense against the rube/Palin voters derailing the Republican Party forever? If the statistics of who voted for whom are correct, the education of white people in the deep South and their economic empowerment is the best answer. Maybe it will take a black Democratic president to figure out some affirmative action program that can get our southern born-again white underclass into colleges and thereby save the Republican party.
Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back. Now in paperback
Frank Schaeffer
Posted November 11, 2008 | 03:00 PM (EST)
The small smear of red on the otherwise blue electoral map looks more like a minor bloodstain on a dirty Band-Aid than anything resembling a national political party. Who voted for McCain/Palin in bigger numbers than they even voted for Bush/Cheney? Only one shrinking group: uneducated white folks in the deep south and a few folks in Appalachia. Take away the white no-college-backwoods-and/or-southern McCain/Palin vote and the Republicans would have been approaching single digit electoral college oblivion.
Sarah Palin will never hold national office nor will any Republican at the presidential level for a long time to come. Why? Because America has uneducated jerks in it but is not a nation of uneducated jerks. The Republicans are done, hoisted on the petard of their own "southern strategy."
The Republican Party is only a step away from becoming the fringe of the fringe, identified more with cross-burning weirdoes wearing hoods, folks like the Alaska secessionist party, all those gun owners stocking up on assault weapons before the "Socialist/United Nations/Obama/Muslim" conspiracy comes to fruition, than with anything remotely like a serious national political force.
The Republican Party--and I speak as a former lifelong Republican who, up through the 2000 primary campaign supported John McCain and even worked for him by arguing his case on various conservative and religious radio stations--is now the toy of the Rush Limbaugh windbags. These folks include outright crazies (such as Sarah Palin's Assemblies of God pals who are waiting for Spaceship Jesus to rescue them and/or rooting out "witches" from their midst), white racists and a few not-very-bright attention seekers, including Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity etc.
Read their blogs! Listen to their talk radio! You'll be in the twilight zone of front page tabloid fantasy on a par with Bat Boy Attacks! headlines. Bill Buckley roll over.
The Religious Right, the racists, the anti-gay hate-mongers are now not only marginalized but thoroughly out of step with even members of their own former constituency. For instance the Gordon College student newspaper (Gordon is an influential Evangelical College north of Boston) endorsed Obama this year. Many young evangelicals voted for the Democrats. James Dobson, Fox News, Limbaugh et al. were utterly powerless to do more than stir up hate. They are losing the next generation of their "base."
Meanwhile many former Republicans--like me--ran to Obama as fast as our legs could carry us and away from our willfully "we're not an elite" moronic former party. Republican commentators such as David Brooks and George Will mourned the loss of the Republican center. Others noted the Republicans have become anti-intellectual. "Anti-intellectual?" They wish! How about simply anti-literate?
Meanwhile the fringe of the fringe is holding meetings where they'll talk to themselves and look at the "facts" of their alternative universe in order to figure out "what went wrong." These are the same "leaders" (like William Kristal) who think Sarah Palin has a big political future!
Sarah Palin will never be president because the right wing of the Republican Party has perfected the art of believing their own bullshit, starting with the idea that is-Africa-a-country-or-a-continent?-Palin has a future. Palin and her fans don't know it yet, but having reduced itself to a grim angry joke, the Republican Party has also divorced itself from American politics and, along with that dirty used Band-Aid, is destined for the garbage can.
What's the best defense against the rube/Palin voters derailing the Republican Party forever? If the statistics of who voted for whom are correct, the education of white people in the deep South and their economic empowerment is the best answer. Maybe it will take a black Democratic president to figure out some affirmative action program that can get our southern born-again white underclass into colleges and thereby save the Republican party.
Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back. Now in paperback
Palin Calls Bloggers "Kids in Pajamas"
Huffington Post
Linda Bergthold
Posted November 10, 2008 | 11:55 PM (EST)
In Sarah Palin's interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Monday evening, she referred to bloggers as "kids in pajamas sitting in the basement of their parents' homes" spewing out mean and inaccurate things about her. Well, I am no kid, I am definitely not wearing pajames and I am living in my own house, thank you! And I am seriously depressed about the prospect of this person having a political future.
In the course of the interview with Greta Van Susteren, a softball thrown with great affection by Fox, Palin manages to rebut all the attacks on her without ever providing much, if any, facts to support her position. She never asked for the clothes or the stylists. They just appeared. Nor the clothes for her "eight" member family (eight? I thought she had 5 kids...). She never thought Africa was a country. She was just concerned about Darfur and they discussed "Africa there...the country and the continent". She always knew what countries were in NAFTA. She never thought the crowds were there because of her, it was just because of what she stood or -- just a mom trying to change things.
Pardon me, but I am nearly nauseous by now. There is no acknowledgment by Ms. Palin that she might not have been ready for this job. That there were things she did not know and should have known. That the media intensity revealed her weaknesses -- only that it was mean and unfair.
She deftly avoided the question about 2012, but in a very frightening way to those of us who do not believe God tells what doors to open, she explained that God would reveal to her if she should run. God would tell her if there was a door open with a tiny crack, and she would, "by god", just push through it.
She is also a feminist in the sense of "Feminists for life", which for those of us who believe in the power of women, is not exactly our definition. I actually think she believes women should earn as much as men. But she does not believe government should help women and their families with children, especially special needs children, with any particular programs. Individuals and their communities should do that. Well -- Governor Palin? They do not. And when they do not, why are you in favor of punishing those families when they find they can't make it. They can't support the 24 hour needs of those children without some support. Are they supposed to go out on the street corner and put out a sign that says, "Please feed my special needs child?"
Oh my. We are in for a set of charming interviews over the next few days. The only losers will be the Republican party of "meanies" who have attacked Palin. No one is going to challenge her. No one is going to ask her to be accountable for the leaks from the campaign about her diva personality, her tirades against her staff, her acceptance of all those clothes and makeup and hairdressing, her lack of knowledge of basic facts about American government or foreign affairs. She can just deny it all, smile, wink and we are all ok with it.
Are we?
Linda Bergthold
Posted November 10, 2008 | 11:55 PM (EST)
In Sarah Palin's interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Monday evening, she referred to bloggers as "kids in pajamas sitting in the basement of their parents' homes" spewing out mean and inaccurate things about her. Well, I am no kid, I am definitely not wearing pajames and I am living in my own house, thank you! And I am seriously depressed about the prospect of this person having a political future.
In the course of the interview with Greta Van Susteren, a softball thrown with great affection by Fox, Palin manages to rebut all the attacks on her without ever providing much, if any, facts to support her position. She never asked for the clothes or the stylists. They just appeared. Nor the clothes for her "eight" member family (eight? I thought she had 5 kids...). She never thought Africa was a country. She was just concerned about Darfur and they discussed "Africa there...the country and the continent". She always knew what countries were in NAFTA. She never thought the crowds were there because of her, it was just because of what she stood or -- just a mom trying to change things.
Pardon me, but I am nearly nauseous by now. There is no acknowledgment by Ms. Palin that she might not have been ready for this job. That there were things she did not know and should have known. That the media intensity revealed her weaknesses -- only that it was mean and unfair.
She deftly avoided the question about 2012, but in a very frightening way to those of us who do not believe God tells what doors to open, she explained that God would reveal to her if she should run. God would tell her if there was a door open with a tiny crack, and she would, "by god", just push through it.
She is also a feminist in the sense of "Feminists for life", which for those of us who believe in the power of women, is not exactly our definition. I actually think she believes women should earn as much as men. But she does not believe government should help women and their families with children, especially special needs children, with any particular programs. Individuals and their communities should do that. Well -- Governor Palin? They do not. And when they do not, why are you in favor of punishing those families when they find they can't make it. They can't support the 24 hour needs of those children without some support. Are they supposed to go out on the street corner and put out a sign that says, "Please feed my special needs child?"
Oh my. We are in for a set of charming interviews over the next few days. The only losers will be the Republican party of "meanies" who have attacked Palin. No one is going to challenge her. No one is going to ask her to be accountable for the leaks from the campaign about her diva personality, her tirades against her staff, her acceptance of all those clothes and makeup and hairdressing, her lack of knowledge of basic facts about American government or foreign affairs. She can just deny it all, smile, wink and we are all ok with it.
Are we?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
America Speaks Out About Sarah:
~Sarah Palin and first dude need to learn to become good parents by providing stability to their children. Their children should not have to be dragged around the country so that their parents can enjoy the limelight. She says she will do what God wants her to do; she says her family comes first!!! It is obvious that her ambitions come first. She said the campaign was a "brutal ride" yet she is thinking about 2012 and again subjecting her chidlren and grandchild to another ride. Hockey mom and Todd need to grow up; he needs to teach his future son-in-law about being a father and that hunting, fishing, and kicking whatever does not make a man. Todd needs to encourage Levi to continue his education i(not be a drop-out) n order to provide a better life for his family. It is not enough to be Pro-Life, parents needs to nurture and care for their children and always put their needs first.
~Re: "what is good for her family"-I am waiting for some gutsy, intrepid interviewer to pin her down on her failure to obtain proper medical care for her downs syndrome infant. Therapeutic intervention during the FIRST TWO MONTHS OF LIFE are critical to lifetime functioning of individuals with downs syndrome. This baby's been dragged from pillar to post for the first six months of his life. Where is the responsible adult charged with obtaining state of the art medical/therapeutic testing and care for him?
From an LA Times article:
Pediatric practitioners see it as particularly important that parents like Sarah and Todd Palin seek out and secure services quickly for their children with disabilities, since early intervention can be crucial to improving the function of those with Down syndrome. One study probing the effectiveness of early intervention found that a two-month delay in treatment was associated with lower gross motor, fine motor, language and social outcomes by the time the baby reached 18 months. Another study showed that newborns with Down syndrome who received immediate language intervention had better language development than those who didn't get it until 3 months or 6 months of age.
~I had expressed that you hardly ever saw the Obama children on the campaign trail, because they were in Chicago attending school. They returned their children back to school and they stayed in Chicago with relatives to maintain stability in their everyday lives. I used to complain about her kids always being on the stage with her. Why was that so necessary? They should have been in shcool everyday. Those candidates will visit several cities in one day. Even if she had a tutor, it would have still been difficult to school them on the road. She did not put Country First or those children first. The only thing that is first to Sarah Palin is Sarah Palin. She does not care about education, just look at her own. Attended 5 different colleges, keep switch until you can find one easy enough to pass. That speaks volumes!
~Pearls & Hate Mongering in Florida
Sarah Palin came to Florida and clearly attempted to stir hate. She knew what she was doing and did this with not just malice, but forethought. Replace her at the Governor"s Conference in Miami with Charlie Chris or any other Governor. Do not be part of this crime of silence, pretending that her calling out terrorist and stirring fragile crowds from the podium of power is acceptable in Florida or America.
Did the RNC pay for the pearl necklace she wears and $150,000 in clothing, or was the necklace included in the known amount of frivolous abuse of funds? Why was her sudden home building right at the time of the Hockey Rink? This brings into question why the rink was built, how the contract was issued and what labor and supplies flowed over to her new home, from the Hockey Rink construction that the Alaskan people are still paying for today.
For me it is all about the hate she stirs without even a filtered thought. This woman is simply not qualified to be a national candidate, attention seeking, a disgrace to the highly intelligent woman of the Republican Party and endangers it future. This is my opinion as a 52 year old white woman in America.
~Well, if she wanted to make amends with Alaska, she's doing a piss-poor job of it. She is making it obvious to everyone in Alaska that she is no longer concerned about her state. Fame and fortune await her. Hopefully the Alaskan legislature will do the right thing and continue their investigations into her malfeasance such as her bilking Alaska of per diem and travel costs she's not entitled to. Then there's the pesky problem of that huge house on a lake her husband and a few buddies built in to months right at the time when the Wasilla sports center was being built. Yeah right.
~Sarah is a big red flag waving in our face that forcefully shows us how dangerous, impervious, and mean spirited the far right is. The more she talked the more extreme and incompetent we learned she was. And to have millions of people be "energized" by her is appalling. And yes, I do fear she will be back. She loved all the attention and "the base" thinks she's the cat's meow.
~I believe we are witnessing the re-packaging and re-branding of Sarah Palin by the GOP. It has already begun with her numerous network and cable interviews.
If she is truly a devoted mother, she will spend most of her time in caring for her son with DS. I know parents with DS children who have devoted all their time and energy for the care and education of their children. I can't believe that she and her husband have the time for politics. I can understand if she entered politics so she can further the cause of DS. But as governor she hardly lifted a finger to help the cause. In fact she cut down funding for special education programs in the State of Alaska.
She has tasted the power of being in the national limelight and she likes it. Another power hungry,
m o r a l l y -p e r v e r t e d GOP politician hiding behind religion.
~ The clothes DO stand for what's wrong with the world and the direction this country is headed in. And they stand for what's wrong with her- her hypocrisy.
When she's trying to appeal to "Joe Six Pack", Joe the Plumber, and regular hockey moms and claims she's just a regular small town gal....how many "regular" hockey moms buy $150K in threads from Neiman Marcus? Shows what a big phony she is.
But of course, there's lots of sad things going on in the world...like people losing their homes. So we should ignore this. And ignore the statement that it makes that while these bad things are happening to people, she's out shopping and buying Piper a $7,000 bag!
~Re: "what is good for her family"-I am waiting for some gutsy, intrepid interviewer to pin her down on her failure to obtain proper medical care for her downs syndrome infant. Therapeutic intervention during the FIRST TWO MONTHS OF LIFE are critical to lifetime functioning of individuals with downs syndrome. This baby's been dragged from pillar to post for the first six months of his life. Where is the responsible adult charged with obtaining state of the art medical/therapeutic testing and care for him?
From an LA Times article:
Pediatric practitioners see it as particularly important that parents like Sarah and Todd Palin seek out and secure services quickly for their children with disabilities, since early intervention can be crucial to improving the function of those with Down syndrome. One study probing the effectiveness of early intervention found that a two-month delay in treatment was associated with lower gross motor, fine motor, language and social outcomes by the time the baby reached 18 months. Another study showed that newborns with Down syndrome who received immediate language intervention had better language development than those who didn't get it until 3 months or 6 months of age.
~I had expressed that you hardly ever saw the Obama children on the campaign trail, because they were in Chicago attending school. They returned their children back to school and they stayed in Chicago with relatives to maintain stability in their everyday lives. I used to complain about her kids always being on the stage with her. Why was that so necessary? They should have been in shcool everyday. Those candidates will visit several cities in one day. Even if she had a tutor, it would have still been difficult to school them on the road. She did not put Country First or those children first. The only thing that is first to Sarah Palin is Sarah Palin. She does not care about education, just look at her own. Attended 5 different colleges, keep switch until you can find one easy enough to pass. That speaks volumes!
~Pearls & Hate Mongering in Florida
Sarah Palin came to Florida and clearly attempted to stir hate. She knew what she was doing and did this with not just malice, but forethought. Replace her at the Governor"s Conference in Miami with Charlie Chris or any other Governor. Do not be part of this crime of silence, pretending that her calling out terrorist and stirring fragile crowds from the podium of power is acceptable in Florida or America.
Did the RNC pay for the pearl necklace she wears and $150,000 in clothing, or was the necklace included in the known amount of frivolous abuse of funds? Why was her sudden home building right at the time of the Hockey Rink? This brings into question why the rink was built, how the contract was issued and what labor and supplies flowed over to her new home, from the Hockey Rink construction that the Alaskan people are still paying for today.
For me it is all about the hate she stirs without even a filtered thought. This woman is simply not qualified to be a national candidate, attention seeking, a disgrace to the highly intelligent woman of the Republican Party and endangers it future. This is my opinion as a 52 year old white woman in America.
~Well, if she wanted to make amends with Alaska, she's doing a piss-poor job of it. She is making it obvious to everyone in Alaska that she is no longer concerned about her state. Fame and fortune await her. Hopefully the Alaskan legislature will do the right thing and continue their investigations into her malfeasance such as her bilking Alaska of per diem and travel costs she's not entitled to. Then there's the pesky problem of that huge house on a lake her husband and a few buddies built in to months right at the time when the Wasilla sports center was being built. Yeah right.
~Sarah is a big red flag waving in our face that forcefully shows us how dangerous, impervious, and mean spirited the far right is. The more she talked the more extreme and incompetent we learned she was. And to have millions of people be "energized" by her is appalling. And yes, I do fear she will be back. She loved all the attention and "the base" thinks she's the cat's meow.
~I believe we are witnessing the re-packaging and re-branding of Sarah Palin by the GOP. It has already begun with her numerous network and cable interviews.
If she is truly a devoted mother, she will spend most of her time in caring for her son with DS. I know parents with DS children who have devoted all their time and energy for the care and education of their children. I can't believe that she and her husband have the time for politics. I can understand if she entered politics so she can further the cause of DS. But as governor she hardly lifted a finger to help the cause. In fact she cut down funding for special education programs in the State of Alaska.
She has tasted the power of being in the national limelight and she likes it. Another power hungry,
m o r a l l y -p e r v e r t e d GOP politician hiding behind religion.
~ The clothes DO stand for what's wrong with the world and the direction this country is headed in. And they stand for what's wrong with her- her hypocrisy.
When she's trying to appeal to "Joe Six Pack", Joe the Plumber, and regular hockey moms and claims she's just a regular small town gal....how many "regular" hockey moms buy $150K in threads from Neiman Marcus? Shows what a big phony she is.
But of course, there's lots of sad things going on in the world...like people losing their homes. So we should ignore this. And ignore the statement that it makes that while these bad things are happening to people, she's out shopping and buying Piper a $7,000 bag!
Palin puzzled by late-campaign focus on wardrobe
By GENE JOHNSON (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
November 11, 2008 6:29 AM EST
WASILLA, Alaska - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she was puzzled by the amount of attention her wardrobe got at the end of her unsuccessful vice presidential run.
In an interview that aired on Fox News Channel on Monday, Palin said she neither wanted nor asked for the $150,000-plus wardrobe the Republican Party bankrolled.
"I did not order the clothes. Did not ask for the clothes," Palin said. "I would have been happy to have worn my own clothes from Day One. But that is kind of an odd issue, an odd campaign issue as things were wrapping up there as to who ordered what and who demanded what."
Amid speculation she'll run for president in four years, Palin blamed Bush administration policies for the defeat last week of the GOP ticket and prayed she wouldn't miss "an open door" for her next political opportunity.
"I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door," Palin said in a wide-ranging interview with Fox's Greta Van Susteren. "And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door."
"It's amazing that we did as well as we did," Palin, who was Sen. John McCain's running mate, said of the election in a separate interview with the Anchorage Daily News.
"I think the Republican ticket represented too much of the status quo, too much of what had gone on in these last eight years, that Americans were kind of shaking their heads like going, wait a minute, how did we run up a $10 trillion debt in a Republican administration? How have there been blunders with war strategy under a Republican administration? If we're talking change, we want to get far away from what it was that the present administration represented and that is to a great degree what the Republican Party at the time had been representing," Palin said in a story published Sunday.
Palin has scheduled a series of national interviews this week with Fox, NBC's "Today" show and CNN. She also plans to attend the Republican Governors Association conference in Florida this week.
Palin has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2012. She also could seek re-election in 2010 or challenge Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Still uncertain is the fate of Sen. Ted Stevens, who is leading in his bid for another term but could be ousted by the Senate for his conviction on seven felony counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts, mostly renovations on his home. If Stevens loses his seat, Palin could run for it in a special election.
Palin and McCain's campaign faced a storm of criticism over the tens of thousands of dollars spent at such high-end stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus to dress the nominee. Republican National Committee lawyers are still trying to determine exactly what clothing was bought for Palin, what was returned and what has become of the rest.
Her father, Chuck Heath, said Palin spent part of the weekend going through her clothing to determine what belongs to the Republican Party.
"She was just frantically ... trying to sort stuff out," Heath said. "That's the problem, you know, the kids lose underwear, and everything has to be accounted for. Nothing goes right back to normal."
From Associated Press
November 11, 2008 6:29 AM EST
WASILLA, Alaska - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she was puzzled by the amount of attention her wardrobe got at the end of her unsuccessful vice presidential run.
In an interview that aired on Fox News Channel on Monday, Palin said she neither wanted nor asked for the $150,000-plus wardrobe the Republican Party bankrolled.
"I did not order the clothes. Did not ask for the clothes," Palin said. "I would have been happy to have worn my own clothes from Day One. But that is kind of an odd issue, an odd campaign issue as things were wrapping up there as to who ordered what and who demanded what."
Amid speculation she'll run for president in four years, Palin blamed Bush administration policies for the defeat last week of the GOP ticket and prayed she wouldn't miss "an open door" for her next political opportunity.
"I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door," Palin said in a wide-ranging interview with Fox's Greta Van Susteren. "And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door."
"It's amazing that we did as well as we did," Palin, who was Sen. John McCain's running mate, said of the election in a separate interview with the Anchorage Daily News.
"I think the Republican ticket represented too much of the status quo, too much of what had gone on in these last eight years, that Americans were kind of shaking their heads like going, wait a minute, how did we run up a $10 trillion debt in a Republican administration? How have there been blunders with war strategy under a Republican administration? If we're talking change, we want to get far away from what it was that the present administration represented and that is to a great degree what the Republican Party at the time had been representing," Palin said in a story published Sunday.
Palin has scheduled a series of national interviews this week with Fox, NBC's "Today" show and CNN. She also plans to attend the Republican Governors Association conference in Florida this week.
Palin has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2012. She also could seek re-election in 2010 or challenge Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Still uncertain is the fate of Sen. Ted Stevens, who is leading in his bid for another term but could be ousted by the Senate for his conviction on seven felony counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts, mostly renovations on his home. If Stevens loses his seat, Palin could run for it in a special election.
Palin and McCain's campaign faced a storm of criticism over the tens of thousands of dollars spent at such high-end stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus to dress the nominee. Republican National Committee lawyers are still trying to determine exactly what clothing was bought for Palin, what was returned and what has become of the rest.
Her father, Chuck Heath, said Palin spent part of the weekend going through her clothing to determine what belongs to the Republican Party.
"She was just frantically ... trying to sort stuff out," Heath said. "That's the problem, you know, the kids lose underwear, and everything has to be accounted for. Nothing goes right back to normal."
Palin says she thought election would be closer
From Associated Press
November 11, 2008 8:40 AM EST
WASHINGTON - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she thought the election day contest between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain would be closer. But she added that, in retrospect, "it's really not so much a surprise" that Obama's margin of victory was so large.
In an interviewed aired Tuesday on NBC's "Today," the Republican vice presidential candidate said three factors contributed to her party's defeat:
-"We didn't get the Hispanic vote."
-"We were outspent so tremendously."
-"The anti-incumbency sentiment that was spread across the land and our ticket representing the incumbency."
Obama, Palin said, "did a great job articulating his ability to usher in change. Our ticket represented too much of the status quo."
McCain's loss to Obama last week came an Electoral College landslide that dramatically reorders the divided political map that's been the norm during the last two elections. Obama won in traditionally Republican states like Indiana and gained ground in just about every demographic group, including the fast-growing Hispanic bloc that Republicans have courted.
Asked about rumors of problems between herself and running mate McCain toward the end of the campaign, Palin said: "We had a great relationship. ... There was never any inkling of tension between the two of us."
Still, Palin said, "If your skin isn't thick enough, you're not ready for public office."
Palin says she was puzzled by the amount of attention her wardrobe got at the end of her run, as well as by recent campaign leaks that blamed her for the controversy. "I'm flabbergasted that anyone would say I spent money on clothes for me or my family," she said. "Neiman Marcus and Saks: I've never been in those stores."
In an interview that aired on Fox News Channel on Monday, Palin said she neither wanted nor asked for the $150,000-plus wardrobe the Republican Party bankrolled.
"I did not order the clothes. Did not ask for the clothes," Palin said. "I would have been happy to have worn my own clothes from Day One. But that is kind of an odd issue, an odd campaign issue as things were wrapping up there as to who ordered what and who demanded what."
Palin and McCain's campaign faced a storm of criticism over the tens of thousands of dollars spent at such high-end stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus to dress the nominee. Republican National Committee lawyers are still trying to determine exactly what clothing was bought for Palin, what was returned and what has become of the rest.
Amid speculation she'll run for president in four years, Palin said she prayed she wouldn't miss "an open door" for her next political opportunity.
"I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door," Palin told Fox's Greta Van Susteren. "And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door."
"I didn't know that it would be as brutal a ride as it turned out to be," she said in the NBC interview.
"When those darts and those arrows started flying," she added, "I knew still (that) we were on the right path in terms of offering ourselves up, me and my family, in terms of service to our country."
Palin also said it wasn't fair for people to suggest she brought the ticket down.
"I think the economic collapse had a heckuva lot more to do with the campaign's collapse than me personally," the governor said.
Her husband, Todd, when asked about the controversies swirling about the family, said: "To be honest, we were so busy with the campaign that there wasn't much TV time."
Said the governor: "There were a lot of times I wanted to shout out, 'Hey, wait a minute, it's not true.' It's pretty brutal. You take the good with the bad ... It is, like Todd says, all a part of this beast called politics in America."
Palin has scheduled a series of national interviews this week with Fox, NBC's "Today" show and CNN. She also plans to attend the Republican Governors Association conference in Florida this week.
November 11, 2008 8:40 AM EST
WASHINGTON - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she thought the election day contest between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain would be closer. But she added that, in retrospect, "it's really not so much a surprise" that Obama's margin of victory was so large.
In an interviewed aired Tuesday on NBC's "Today," the Republican vice presidential candidate said three factors contributed to her party's defeat:
-"We didn't get the Hispanic vote."
-"We were outspent so tremendously."
-"The anti-incumbency sentiment that was spread across the land and our ticket representing the incumbency."
Obama, Palin said, "did a great job articulating his ability to usher in change. Our ticket represented too much of the status quo."
McCain's loss to Obama last week came an Electoral College landslide that dramatically reorders the divided political map that's been the norm during the last two elections. Obama won in traditionally Republican states like Indiana and gained ground in just about every demographic group, including the fast-growing Hispanic bloc that Republicans have courted.
Asked about rumors of problems between herself and running mate McCain toward the end of the campaign, Palin said: "We had a great relationship. ... There was never any inkling of tension between the two of us."
Still, Palin said, "If your skin isn't thick enough, you're not ready for public office."
Palin says she was puzzled by the amount of attention her wardrobe got at the end of her run, as well as by recent campaign leaks that blamed her for the controversy. "I'm flabbergasted that anyone would say I spent money on clothes for me or my family," she said. "Neiman Marcus and Saks: I've never been in those stores."
In an interview that aired on Fox News Channel on Monday, Palin said she neither wanted nor asked for the $150,000-plus wardrobe the Republican Party bankrolled.
"I did not order the clothes. Did not ask for the clothes," Palin said. "I would have been happy to have worn my own clothes from Day One. But that is kind of an odd issue, an odd campaign issue as things were wrapping up there as to who ordered what and who demanded what."
Palin and McCain's campaign faced a storm of criticism over the tens of thousands of dollars spent at such high-end stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus to dress the nominee. Republican National Committee lawyers are still trying to determine exactly what clothing was bought for Palin, what was returned and what has become of the rest.
Amid speculation she'll run for president in four years, Palin said she prayed she wouldn't miss "an open door" for her next political opportunity.
"I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door," Palin told Fox's Greta Van Susteren. "And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door."
"I didn't know that it would be as brutal a ride as it turned out to be," she said in the NBC interview.
"When those darts and those arrows started flying," she added, "I knew still (that) we were on the right path in terms of offering ourselves up, me and my family, in terms of service to our country."
Palin also said it wasn't fair for people to suggest she brought the ticket down.
"I think the economic collapse had a heckuva lot more to do with the campaign's collapse than me personally," the governor said.
Her husband, Todd, when asked about the controversies swirling about the family, said: "To be honest, we were so busy with the campaign that there wasn't much TV time."
Said the governor: "There were a lot of times I wanted to shout out, 'Hey, wait a minute, it's not true.' It's pretty brutal. You take the good with the bad ... It is, like Todd says, all a part of this beast called politics in America."
Palin has scheduled a series of national interviews this week with Fox, NBC's "Today" show and CNN. She also plans to attend the Republican Governors Association conference in Florida this week.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Why Was Alaska Voter Turnout So Low?
Alaska's voting turnout puzzling
LESS THAN '04? Total isn't in yet but appears below expectations.
By RICHARD MAUER
rmauer@adn.com
Published: November 8th, 2008 04:30 AM
Did a huge chunk of Alaska voters really stay home for what was likely the most exciting election in a generation?
That's what turnout numbers are suggesting, though absentee ballots are still arriving in the mail and, if coming from overseas, have until Nov. 19 to straggle in.
The reported turnout has prompted commentary in the progressive blogosphere questioning the validity of the results. And Anchorage pollster Ivan Moore, who usually works with Democrats, said Friday that "something smells fishy," though he said it was premature to suggest that the conduct of the election itself was suspect.
With 81,000 uncounted absentee and questioned ballots, some of which will be disqualified, the total vote cast so far is 305,281 -- 8,311 fewer than the last presidential election of 2004, which saw the largest turnout in Alaska history. That was the election where Alaska's selection of George Bush for a second term was a foregone conclusion, though there was an unusually hot Senate race between Sen. Lisa Murkowski and former Gov. Tony Knowles.
Four years later, the lead-in for the 2008 election was extraordinary:
• Unheard of participation in the Democratic caucuses and strong Republican interest in theirs as well.
• A huge registration drive by Democrats and supporters of Barack Obama that enrolled thousands of first-time voters.
• Obama's historic candidacy.
• Gov. Sarah Palin's unprecedented bid for vice president as an Alaskan and a woman.
• A race in which Republican Ted Stevens, a 40-year Senate veteran, was facing voters as a recent convicted felon against Anchorage's popular mayor, Mark Begich, a Democrat.
• A Congressional race in which Republican Don Young, in office almost as long as Stevens, was seeking re-election after a year in which he spent more than $1 million in legal fees defending against an FBI investigation of corruption involving the oil-field services company Veco Corp. Young's opponent, Democrat Ethan Berkowitz, had been filmed on the state House floor in 2006 demanding an end to Veco's corrupt practices weeks before the FBI investigation became known. The news clip played over and over as legislators and then Stevens were indicted and convicted, boosting Berkowitz's status.
"Everyone had a reason to vote," said Shannyn Moore, whose blog on one of the most popular liberal Web sites in the country, the Huffington Post, suggested the Alaska election was "stolen."
"Then people were what, listening to the news and couldn't pull away from their TVs to go vote at the last minute?"
Even conservatives appeared to be short counted, Moore said. The latest tally showed that the McCain-Palin ticket had almost 55,000 fewer votes than Bush-Cheney in 2004, she said.
Moore's blog, posted Thursday, has already been reposted or commented upon around the Internet. But even Democratic Party officials are saying she's jumping the gun.
"Nobody is charging 'shady,' " said Bethany Lesser, spokeswoman for the Alaska Democratic Party. But she said she's also confused about why more Republicans didn't support Palin, let alone Democrats coming out for Obama, Begich and Berkowitz.
"When I look at that vote, where are the people who are her people?" Lesser said.
While Democrats were charged up by Obama's candidacy and volunteered to help in Alaska, some of that effort was redirected after Palin's nomination, when it became obvious that Alaska would vote strongly Republican for president. Lesser said that Obama volunteers in Alaska spent time telephoning voters in swing states like North Carolina and Ohio rather than spend all their time getting out the vote in Alaska.
One volunteer, Jane Burri, said she was asked to address postcards to swing state voters in between registering Alaskans to vote while she attended an Obama rally in Anchorage in October.
"I remember I wrote, 'It's a really cold day in Alaska but we're sitting out there, writing to you, because we need your help,' " Burri said. She wrote that Alaska, with only three electoral votes, didn't amount to much, "but your vote counts."
Moore, the Anchorage pollster, had predicted a victory for Begich and Berkowitz, as did David Dittman, who usually polls for Republicans.
Moore said he's seen anecdotal evidence of both strong support for Democrats, and also low turnout at the polls, so he's waiting for the final count before reaching any conclusions.
Still, with the increase in registration and population since 2004, the total vote this year should have been around 330,000 to 340,000 had it been just an ordinary election, Moore said
"Given that interest in this election could not, under any circumstances, have ever been greater this year than it was in other years, it's almost inconceivable to imagine that the number of votes cast would drop" from 2004, he said. "It smells to me like you had a really, really, really weird turnout where all the Palin mothers and all the Ted Stevens supporters came flooding en masse out of the woodwork to make a point, and the Dems somehow sat on their hands and enjoyed the presidential news as it filtered up from the Lower 48 through the day."
Dittman says that seems to have been what happened, though it probably wasn't Democratic Party members who stayed home -- rather independents who may have been leaning that way because of the corruption charges against Young and Stevens.
Polls published just before the election that suggested strong victories for Begich and Berkowitz, plus cold weather and warnings of long lines at polling places, might have suppressed turnout, Dittman said.
"They didn't see any reasons to endure," he said.
McHugh Pierre, a spokesman for the Republican Party, said Republicans also had reason to not show up.
"A lot of people were torn: How do I morally vote for someone who is guilty of seven felonies?" he said, referring to Stevens' conviction a week before the election. "They don't show up to vote."
Director Gail Fenumiai of the Alaska Division of Elections said someone sent her Moore's blog, but she hadn't had a chance to read it -- she's too busy organizing the effort to count the absentee ballots and the review panels that will look at the questioned ballots. She urged patience before making a judgment on the election process.
"People just need to wait until the last ballot is counted," Fenumiai said.
LESS THAN '04? Total isn't in yet but appears below expectations.
By RICHARD MAUER
rmauer@adn.com
Published: November 8th, 2008 04:30 AM
Did a huge chunk of Alaska voters really stay home for what was likely the most exciting election in a generation?
That's what turnout numbers are suggesting, though absentee ballots are still arriving in the mail and, if coming from overseas, have until Nov. 19 to straggle in.
The reported turnout has prompted commentary in the progressive blogosphere questioning the validity of the results. And Anchorage pollster Ivan Moore, who usually works with Democrats, said Friday that "something smells fishy," though he said it was premature to suggest that the conduct of the election itself was suspect.
With 81,000 uncounted absentee and questioned ballots, some of which will be disqualified, the total vote cast so far is 305,281 -- 8,311 fewer than the last presidential election of 2004, which saw the largest turnout in Alaska history. That was the election where Alaska's selection of George Bush for a second term was a foregone conclusion, though there was an unusually hot Senate race between Sen. Lisa Murkowski and former Gov. Tony Knowles.
Four years later, the lead-in for the 2008 election was extraordinary:
• Unheard of participation in the Democratic caucuses and strong Republican interest in theirs as well.
• A huge registration drive by Democrats and supporters of Barack Obama that enrolled thousands of first-time voters.
• Obama's historic candidacy.
• Gov. Sarah Palin's unprecedented bid for vice president as an Alaskan and a woman.
• A race in which Republican Ted Stevens, a 40-year Senate veteran, was facing voters as a recent convicted felon against Anchorage's popular mayor, Mark Begich, a Democrat.
• A Congressional race in which Republican Don Young, in office almost as long as Stevens, was seeking re-election after a year in which he spent more than $1 million in legal fees defending against an FBI investigation of corruption involving the oil-field services company Veco Corp. Young's opponent, Democrat Ethan Berkowitz, had been filmed on the state House floor in 2006 demanding an end to Veco's corrupt practices weeks before the FBI investigation became known. The news clip played over and over as legislators and then Stevens were indicted and convicted, boosting Berkowitz's status.
"Everyone had a reason to vote," said Shannyn Moore, whose blog on one of the most popular liberal Web sites in the country, the Huffington Post, suggested the Alaska election was "stolen."
"Then people were what, listening to the news and couldn't pull away from their TVs to go vote at the last minute?"
Even conservatives appeared to be short counted, Moore said. The latest tally showed that the McCain-Palin ticket had almost 55,000 fewer votes than Bush-Cheney in 2004, she said.
Moore's blog, posted Thursday, has already been reposted or commented upon around the Internet. But even Democratic Party officials are saying she's jumping the gun.
"Nobody is charging 'shady,' " said Bethany Lesser, spokeswoman for the Alaska Democratic Party. But she said she's also confused about why more Republicans didn't support Palin, let alone Democrats coming out for Obama, Begich and Berkowitz.
"When I look at that vote, where are the people who are her people?" Lesser said.
While Democrats were charged up by Obama's candidacy and volunteered to help in Alaska, some of that effort was redirected after Palin's nomination, when it became obvious that Alaska would vote strongly Republican for president. Lesser said that Obama volunteers in Alaska spent time telephoning voters in swing states like North Carolina and Ohio rather than spend all their time getting out the vote in Alaska.
One volunteer, Jane Burri, said she was asked to address postcards to swing state voters in between registering Alaskans to vote while she attended an Obama rally in Anchorage in October.
"I remember I wrote, 'It's a really cold day in Alaska but we're sitting out there, writing to you, because we need your help,' " Burri said. She wrote that Alaska, with only three electoral votes, didn't amount to much, "but your vote counts."
Moore, the Anchorage pollster, had predicted a victory for Begich and Berkowitz, as did David Dittman, who usually polls for Republicans.
Moore said he's seen anecdotal evidence of both strong support for Democrats, and also low turnout at the polls, so he's waiting for the final count before reaching any conclusions.
Still, with the increase in registration and population since 2004, the total vote this year should have been around 330,000 to 340,000 had it been just an ordinary election, Moore said
"Given that interest in this election could not, under any circumstances, have ever been greater this year than it was in other years, it's almost inconceivable to imagine that the number of votes cast would drop" from 2004, he said. "It smells to me like you had a really, really, really weird turnout where all the Palin mothers and all the Ted Stevens supporters came flooding en masse out of the woodwork to make a point, and the Dems somehow sat on their hands and enjoyed the presidential news as it filtered up from the Lower 48 through the day."
Dittman says that seems to have been what happened, though it probably wasn't Democratic Party members who stayed home -- rather independents who may have been leaning that way because of the corruption charges against Young and Stevens.
Polls published just before the election that suggested strong victories for Begich and Berkowitz, plus cold weather and warnings of long lines at polling places, might have suppressed turnout, Dittman said.
"They didn't see any reasons to endure," he said.
McHugh Pierre, a spokesman for the Republican Party, said Republicans also had reason to not show up.
"A lot of people were torn: How do I morally vote for someone who is guilty of seven felonies?" he said, referring to Stevens' conviction a week before the election. "They don't show up to vote."
Director Gail Fenumiai of the Alaska Division of Elections said someone sent her Moore's blog, but she hadn't had a chance to read it -- she's too busy organizing the effort to count the absentee ballots and the review panels that will look at the questioned ballots. She urged patience before making a judgment on the election process.
"People just need to wait until the last ballot is counted," Fenumiai said.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Palin Once Greeted McCain Staff Wearing Only A Towel
From Newsweek's Special Election Project comes the real Sarah Palin. She met staff members in a towel:
At the GOP convention in St. Paul, Palin was completely unfazed by the boys' club fraternity she had just joined. One night, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter went to her hotel room to brief her. After a minute, Palin sailed into the room wearing nothing but a towel, with another on her wet hair. She told them to chat with her laconic husband, Todd. "I'll be just a minute," she said.
She raised William Ayers before the campaign signed off on it:
Palin launched her attack on Obama's association with William Ayers, the former Weather Underground bomber, before the campaign had finalized a plan to raise the issue. McCain's advisers were working on a strategy that they hoped to unveil the following week, but McCain had not signed off on it, and top adviser Mark Salter was resisting.
And she spent far more on clothes than was reported:
NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family--clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.
Finally, Steve Schmidt (who reportedly picked Palin as VP) would not let her speak on election night.
McCain himself rarely spoke to Palin during the campaign, and aides kept him in the dark about the details of her spending on clothes because they were sure he would be offended. Palin asked to speak along with McCain at his Arizona concession speech Tuesday night, but campaign strategist Steve Schmidt vetoed the request.
At the GOP convention in St. Paul, Palin was completely unfazed by the boys' club fraternity she had just joined. One night, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter went to her hotel room to brief her. After a minute, Palin sailed into the room wearing nothing but a towel, with another on her wet hair. She told them to chat with her laconic husband, Todd. "I'll be just a minute," she said.
She raised William Ayers before the campaign signed off on it:
Palin launched her attack on Obama's association with William Ayers, the former Weather Underground bomber, before the campaign had finalized a plan to raise the issue. McCain's advisers were working on a strategy that they hoped to unveil the following week, but McCain had not signed off on it, and top adviser Mark Salter was resisting.
And she spent far more on clothes than was reported:
NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family--clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.
Finally, Steve Schmidt (who reportedly picked Palin as VP) would not let her speak on election night.
McCain himself rarely spoke to Palin during the campaign, and aides kept him in the dark about the details of her spending on clothes because they were sure he would be offended. Palin asked to speak along with McCain at his Arizona concession speech Tuesday night, but campaign strategist Steve Schmidt vetoed the request.
Palin Didn't Know Africa Is A Continent, Says Fox News Reporter
Okay, thought this was over, but oh my! I need to add some things, I don't want this woman running for president in 2012!
Huffington Post | Nicholas Graham | November 5, 2008 07:40 PM
Now that the 2008 election is over, reporters are spilling all the juciest, and previously off the record, gossip from the campaign trail. Much of it is about the infighting between Palin and McCain's staff, as Newsweek's treasure trove of post-election gossip reveals. However, perhaps one of the most astounding and previously unknown tidbits about Sarah Palin has to do with her already dubious grasp of geography. According to Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked "a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency," in part because she didn't know which countries were in NAFTA, and she "didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself."
***UPDATE*** Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron appeared on The O'Reilly Factor tonight and described in much fuller detail the truly astonishing behavior, and lack of knowledge, of Sarah Palin on the campaign trail, as well as the nasty infighting that resulted from, some would say, Palin's "diva" behavior. (Earlier today, Palin said reports of her "diva" behavior and any tension within the campaign were "absolutely false.")
Cameron relates how McCain aides were terrified of Palin's lack of knowledge of international and national issues, and even basic civics. Cameron reports that Palin was unfamiliar with the concept of "American exceptionalism," and that not only did she not understand that Africa was a continent rather than a single country but also that during debate prep Palin was unable to name all the nations in North America.
Palin was apparently a nightmare for her campaign staff to deal with. She refused preparation help for her interview with Katie Couric and then blamed her staff, specifically Nicole Wallace, when the interview was rightly panned as a disaster. After the Couric interview, Palin turned nasty with her staff and began to accuse them of mishandling her. Palin would view press clippings of herself in the morning and throw "tantrums" over the negative coverage. There were times when she would be so nasty and angry that her staff was reduced to tears.
Huffington Post | Nicholas Graham | November 5, 2008 07:40 PM
Now that the 2008 election is over, reporters are spilling all the juciest, and previously off the record, gossip from the campaign trail. Much of it is about the infighting between Palin and McCain's staff, as Newsweek's treasure trove of post-election gossip reveals. However, perhaps one of the most astounding and previously unknown tidbits about Sarah Palin has to do with her already dubious grasp of geography. According to Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked "a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency," in part because she didn't know which countries were in NAFTA, and she "didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself."
***UPDATE*** Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron appeared on The O'Reilly Factor tonight and described in much fuller detail the truly astonishing behavior, and lack of knowledge, of Sarah Palin on the campaign trail, as well as the nasty infighting that resulted from, some would say, Palin's "diva" behavior. (Earlier today, Palin said reports of her "diva" behavior and any tension within the campaign were "absolutely false.")
Cameron relates how McCain aides were terrified of Palin's lack of knowledge of international and national issues, and even basic civics. Cameron reports that Palin was unfamiliar with the concept of "American exceptionalism," and that not only did she not understand that Africa was a continent rather than a single country but also that during debate prep Palin was unable to name all the nations in North America.
Palin was apparently a nightmare for her campaign staff to deal with. She refused preparation help for her interview with Katie Couric and then blamed her staff, specifically Nicole Wallace, when the interview was rightly panned as a disaster. After the Couric interview, Palin turned nasty with her staff and began to accuse them of mishandling her. Palin would view press clippings of herself in the morning and throw "tantrums" over the negative coverage. There were times when she would be so nasty and angry that her staff was reduced to tears.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
CHANGE HAS COME TO AMERICA!!!!!
I can breath now!!!! Been holding my breath for so long! So long, Sarah, go back to Wasilla!
Monday, November 3, 2008
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