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[ZealousD]

As many of us have noted over the past week or so, John McCain has essentially failed to fully check the background of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin before choosing her as his vice-presidential pick. Because Sarah Palin is incredibly new to the national stage, the internet and media have been digging up the dirt on Sarah and finding all sorts of interesting nuggets of information.

This thread has been created to consolidate the Palin controversies into one giant post for quick reference, and to even clean up the PoliGAF megathread from being nothing but dirt on Gov. Palin.

The controversies and issues listed in the OP are meant to be exclusively about Sarah Palin and the process of choosing her as McCain's VP. I will not be adding the squawking of pundits and surrogates or the latest news about what Bristol's baby's daddy is doing.

Please feel free to bring up the latest stories so that I might add them to the OP. All information must come from reliable sources, such as national newspapers or high-profile blogs like Politico, TPM, or The Huffington Post.

We will not be engaging in baseless smearing or conjecture. That being said, let's begin.

_____________________________________________________________________


EARMARKS AND WASTEFUL SPENDING

Small Town, Big Money - Sarah Palin ran up a $20 million debt for a town of only 5,400 people. That's $3,700 per person. This from somebody who claims to be against pork barrel projects.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12987.html

Earmarks as Govenor - The state of Alaska requested 31 earmarks worth $197.8 million for next year's federal budget. And according to Citizens Against Government Waste, Alaska received $379,669,715 in pork during fiscal year 2008, nearly $100 million more than any other state.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-earmarks1-2008sep01,0,6108885.story

The Gravina Island "Bridge to Nowhere" - "I was for the bridge before I was against it." Palin was originally for the Gravina Island bridge in her 2006 gubernatorial run.
http://dwb.adn.com/news/alaska/story/8269725p-8166465c.html
http://tinyurl.com/6xcfvu

McCain himself Was Critical of Palin's Earmarks - In 2001, McCain's list of spending that had been approved without the normal budget scrutiny, included around $1,950,000 worth of earmarks for Wasilla, Alaska that Sarah Palin herself had requested.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-earmarks3-2008sep03,0,2482434.story


CORRUPTION


Troopergate - Palin allegedly fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan for failing to fire a state trooper who had divorced her sister. The investigation is ongoing.
http://www.adn.com/monegan/story/513137.html

Stalling Troopergate - The McCain campaign is actively trying to stall the investigation so that the final report occurs after the November election. Palin's lawyer has asked the Legislature to drop its investigation. Gov. Sarah Palin's lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, made an absurd threat in his battle to get the Legislature to back off its ethics investigation of the governor and her staff. Van Flein said legislative investigator Steve Branchflower tried to call First Gentleman Todd Palin directly on "a secure and confidential line. This represents a serious security breach that we may be obligated to report to the Secret Service." Lawyers are supposed to vigorously represent their clients, but claiming that a legislative investigator's phone call may be a security matter worthy of Secret Service attention is ridiculous.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5702697&page=1
http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/516641.html

Nearly Recalled as Mayor - Sarah Palin was nearly faced a recall vote as Mayor of Wasilla for firing the Police Chief and Library Director without probable cause. She fired the librarian for allegedly not banning certain books.
http://hatthief.blogspot.com/2008/08/vetting-sarah-palin-irl-stambaugh-walt.html
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837918,00.html

Steven's 527 - Sarah Palin was a director of "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc", a 527 led by Senator Stevens, now under trial for corruption charges.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html

Drill for Oil, Do Nothing Else - Like McCain, Palin believes that oil drilling is the only solution to our energy problems. “I beg to disagree with any candidate who would say we can’t drill our way out of our problem,” she says. She supports more drilling in protected areas of the Outer Continental Shelf and the Alaska Natural Wildlife Refuge, once attacking McCain for his “close-mindedness on ANWR.” Palin rejects clean renewable energy that is an alternative to oil. Earlier this month, she claimed that “alternative-energy solutions are far from imminent and would require more than 10 years to develop.” Gov Palin recently sued the Interior Department over its decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species. In her speech to the RNC, she change her earlier position on alternative fuels.
http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/08/29/palin-oil-champ/

Pouring Milk Down the Drain on the Taxpayer's Dime - Palin fired the whole state Agriculture and Conservation board in July 2007, ostensibly to save a mismanaged state-owned dairy, and replaced it with some folks who had never worked in the dairy business before As a result, the dairy lost more money than it had in twenty years. The dairy, an Alaska icon, closed anyway in two months, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional state money with it.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/3/9330/95523/364/584429


POLITICAL VIEWS AND VALUES

Pledge Was Written By Who? - Sarah Palin thinks the Pledge of Allegiance was written by the founding fathers with the phrase "Under God". "Under God" was added to the pledge during the Cold War to put space between the atheist Soviet Union and America.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/01/palin-on-pledge-of-allegi_n_122965.html

Palin Laughs at Horrible Smears - Palin has repeatedly feuded with the state's Senate president, Lyda Green, over a wide range of legislation. Last January, Palin appeared on "The Bob and Mark Show," whose host Bob Lester despises Green. Palin laughed as she was called a "Bitch," "Cancer," and was mocked for her weight.
http://www.adn.com/opinion/comment/story/295464.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/31/palin-laughs-as-opponent_n_122776.html

Palin's Former Pastor - Palin was formerly a member of the Wasilla Assembly of God church, and addressed her church as recently as June of this year. The church's pastor since 1999, Ed Kalnins, claims that critics of President Bush and supporters of John Kerry would all be damned to hell. He further claims that 9/11 and the Iraq invasion are part of a "world war" over the Christian faith, claiming that Jesus has called for us to die for him in this war.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html

Global Warming? - Sarah Palin believes that climate change is not man-made.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/palin-global-wa.html

Creationism in Schools - Sarah Palin supports Creationism being taught in public schools.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles_of_faith/2008/08/sarah_palin_on.html

What's a VP? – “As for that VP talk all the time, I tell ya, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me, ‘What is it exactly that the VP does, every day?’ I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration and we want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and the for things we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the US before I can even start addressing that question.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pak-rH0dCeA


THE VETTING PROCESS AND MCCAIN'S JUDGEMENT

Inexperience - Presidential scholars say that Palin is the most underqualified person to join a presidential ticket in the modern era. Her presence undermines the central argument of the McCain campaign, that Obama is not ready to the lead because of his inexperience.

The "Vetting" Process - John McCain didn't do jack to vet her. He talked with her once.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/29/how-mccain-chose-palin/

 

[esbern]

gtfo we already have a thread for this and you aren't amirox....you are just trying to be awesome and have a megathread to your name

 

[EviLore]

http://www.politico.com/static/PPM106_palin_doc.html

 

[diunxx]

she is a milf and in a couple of months a gilf.

 

[Amir0x]

So this thread is just about the controversy surrounding Sarah Palin. Not very even handed!

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

http://neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333346

 

[ronito]

get to choppah! I mean the other thread!

 

[ZealousD]

gtfo we already have a thread for this and you aren't amirox....you are just trying to be awesome and have a megathread to your name

This isn't the general PoliGAF thread, this is the Sarah Palin issues thread. We had an entire thread devoted the baby-gate, I think we can have an entire thread for the entirety of Sarah-Palin-gate.

 

[thekad]

So this thread is just about the controversy surrounding Sarah Palin. Not very even handed!

It's only a matter of time before King_Slender makes a thread about how awesome Palin is.

 

[polyh3dron]

I support this thread.. Awesome OP with all the details.

http://neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333346

You obviously didn't read the OP.

 

[rancor]

So this thread is just about the controversy surrounding Sarah Palin. Not very even handed!

its a overwhelmingly liberal forum. why even try and hide it anymore?

 

[Gaborn]

I support this thread... if it means that discussing the palin controversy gets exclusively moved here and there can be a thread where we actually discuss issues rather than flinging shit back and forth.

 

[Tyrone Slothrop]

sexists, the lot of you. have you no shame.

women can reform washington just as well as men. she shoots moose, so you know she executive straight talk. maverick. moose stew.

 

[Amir0x]

This isn't the general PoliGAF thread, this is the Sarah Palin issues thread. We had an entire thread devoted the baby-gate, I think we can have an entire thread for the entirety of Sarah-Palin-gate.

This is the Sarah Palin smear thread of throwing all her controversies into one spot to amplify them.

I don't think much fruitful discussion can occur in such a thread, but you guys are insatiable.

 

[MisterHero]

I'm still wondering why they chose her. They must have a good reason.

 

[polyh3dron]

This is the Sarah Palin smear thread of throwing all her controversies into one spot to amplify them.

I don't think much fruitful discussion can occur in such a thread, but you guys are insatiable.

A "smear" is something like saying her daughter is Trig's real mother. (which is baseless)

EarmarkGate and all this other stuff is real.

 

[JayDubya]

@ OP.

Contain falsehoods: Creationism-gate, Secessiongate, Whinergate.

Also, Champion-for-Big-Oil-gate doesn't even make sense, for many reasons. I'm not even sure I see a scandal in what you wrote, and I doubt "Big Oil" would agree with you too much based on her increased taxation.

 

[Fragamemnon]

I think the Creationism thing is fair game-she has said she supports teaching both side by side.

The AIP thing on her specifically is not true. It should be edited to say that she gave a warm speech to the party while governor of the state, though she never endorsed them.

If she supports offshore drilling and opening of the Arctic Refuge, that's good enough to be a champion of Big Oil. Both serve no purpose except to increase stated reserves of oil companies, whether they use them or not, and increase their stock values. No one thinks that this is part of a serious energy policy.

 

[ZealousD]

@ OP.

Contain falsehoods: Creationism-gate, Secessiongate, Whinergate.

Also, Champion-for-Big-Oil-gate doesn't even make sense, for many reasons. I'm not even sure I see a scandal in what you wrote, and I doubt "Big Oil" would agree with you too much based on her increased taxation.

I went ahead and renamed it "Oil-gate", but I'm going to need specifics for the other three if you want me to correct them.

 

[JayDubya]

I went ahead and renamed it "Oil-gate", but I'm going to need specifics for the other three if you want me to correct them.

Creationism-gate - Explicitly False:

Palin's position is that she doesn't mind if there's a debate about the topic in Biology class but she doesn't push for creationism to become part of the curriculum, so... that's kind of not what you said at all.

Secession-gate - Most Likely False: Her husband was a member. She made a video addressing their convention, calling them "the competition."

She was in attendance to a convention while being a registered Republican. One old dude on YouTube saying something doesn't make it the truth. The AIP is also nothing sinister to begin with, and was the dominant conservative party in Alaskan state politics in the early 90s, but that's another issue, so just on the more superficial level, without getting into why being a member would even be bad in the first place, prove it.

Whinergate - Misleading / False: Women politicians need to be very careful about perceived whining != Hillary is a whiner.

 

[Crumpet Trumpet]

Are there any good-gates? or is that an oxymoron

 

[EviLore]

Are there any good-gates? or is that an oxymoron

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

 

[ronito]

Creationism-gate - Explicitly False:

Palin's position is that she doesn't mind if there's a debate about the topic in Biology class but she doesn't push for creationism to become part of the curriculum, so... that's kind of not what you said at all.

Secession-gate - Most Likely False: Her husband was a member. She made a video addressing their convention, calling them "the competition."

She was in attendance to a convention while being a registered Republican. One old dude on YouTube saying something doesn't make it the truth. The AIP is also nothing sinister to begin with, and was the dominant conservative party in Alaskan state politics in the early 90s, but that's another issue, so just on the more superficial level, without getting into why being a member would even be bad in the first place, prove it.

Whinergate - Misleading / False: Women politicians need to be very careful about perceived whining != Hillary is a whiner.

If only you gave democrats this much benefit of the doubt.

 

[Gaborn]

If only you gave democrats this much benefit of the doubt.

Isn't that what the rest of poligaf is for?

 

[cashman]

Sarah Palin: Not a big deal. In 2 weeks all the stories will die down.

kind of OT: I fucking hate arguing with creationists because they came back to the same viewpoints, and make it evolution out to be some sort of religion.

 

[AtticusFinch]

Why do you insist on naming everything -gate? It reads like molasses. And get back into the politics thread.

Also,

Pastor-gate - Palin was formerly a member of the Wasilla Assembly of God church, and addressed her church as recently as June of this year. The church's pastor since 1999, Ed Kalnins, claims that critics of President Bush and supporters of John Kerry would all be damned to hell. He further claims that 9/11 and the Iraq invasion are part of a "world war" over the Christian faith, claiming that Jesus has called for us to die for him in this war.

So she is to be held accountable for something her pastor said?

In before "Well, they did it to Obama!"
I don't agree with the blame he received for what officials said in his church, either. Neither Palin nor Obama can control what other people say.

 

[AkuMifune]

Oh noes! Obama's thunder was stolen! Let's try to pretend this is more than just a popularity contest!

 

[Illuminati]

Are there any good-gates? or is that an oxymoron

The gates to the Playboy mansion?

 

[JayDubya]

If only you gave democrats this much benefit of the doubt.

Isn't that what the rest of poligaf is for?

Pretty much. I'm also not willing to give her much benefit of the doubt anymore, but fact-checking on all this hearsay ain't going to come from the DailyKOS crowd, and I'll do my part.

Also, if you'll notice I've got nothing to say on the issues up there that actually do matter to me, like wasteful spending, and reliance on federal funds for stupid, local shit.

As she sours further, it becomes more a work of devil's advocacy, though I must admit my initial reaction was highly positive.

 

[ZealousD]

Creationism-gate - Explicitly False:

Palin's position is that she doesn't mind if there's a debate about the topic in Biology class but she doesn't push for creationism to become part of the curriculum, so... that's kind of not what you said at all.

"Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information....Healthy debate is so important and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both. And you know, I say this too as the daughter of a science teacher. Growing up with being so privileged and blessed to be given a lot of information on, on both sides of the subject -- creationism and evolution. It's been a healthy foundation for me. But don't be afraid of information and let kids debate both sides."

Secession-gate - Most Likely False: Her husband was a member. She made a video addressing their convention, calling them "the competition."

One old dude on YouTube saying something doesn't make it the truth.

It wasn't one old dude on YouTube. It was Lynette Clark, the chairman of the AIP, and vice-chair George Clark, talking to ABC News. The video doesn't prove anything because yes, after leaving them, they would become the competition. I'm not alleging that she's still a party member, and I'm not alleging what some are that she's secretly still a member.

Whinergate - Misleading / False: Women politicians need to be very careful about perceived whining != Hillary is a whiner.

I'll concede this point. However, it's an important clip, so I'll be sure to bring it up again if I "perceive" a whine from Palin about her treatment in the media.

 

[Instigator]

Isn't that what the rest of poligaf is for?

Hurray for shameless partisanship?

Thanks for personally keeping standards low.

 

[Dali]

So this thread is just about the controversy surrounding Sarah Palin. Not very even handed!

When did GAF proclaim to be fair and balanced?

 

[Gaborn]

It wasn't one old dude on YouTube. It was Lynette Clark, the chairman of the AIP, and vice-chair George Clark, talking to ABC News. The video doesn't prove anything because yes, after leaving them, they would become the competition. I'm not alleging that she's still a party member, and I'm not alleging what some are that she's secretly still a member.

There's no evidence that SHE ever was a party member. There's some indication her husband was, but not her.

Instigator - Coming from you? that's practically a compliment

 

[Amir0x]

nobody said we're fair and balanced, being hypocritical is what PoliGAF does best

 

[JayDubya]

As for the Creation thing: http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/story/8347904p-8243554c.html

In an interview Thursday, Palin said she meant only to say that discussion of alternative views should be allowed to arise in Alaska classrooms:

"I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."

She added that, if elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state's required curriculum.

Members of the state school board, which sets minimum requirements, are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature.

"I won't have religion as a litmus test, or anybody's personal opinion on evolution or creationism," Palin said.

Palin has occasionally discussed her lifelong Christian faith during the governor's race but said teaching creationism is nothing she has campaigned about or even given much thought to.

As for the other, Lynette Clark admitted that she can't verify anything other than that she was there.

If I were still a Republican, and I wanted to go to the LP convention with my wife, would going make me automatically an LP member?

Again, "most likely false" or at the very least "unverified." She's apparently also been confirmed to have been a registered Republican since... was it 82? Yeah, I guess I'd need a link on that one.


* * *

Also, one more: "What does the VP do?" was fairly obviously tongue in cheek, though I'm sure it draws no shortage of delight / contempt out of some crowds.

 

[Incognito]

Great thread idea.

And for whoever called this simply a "smear" campaign, get real. These are her positions. They should be known, distributed and broadcasted.

National politics isn't all hand-holding and hugs and kisses.

 

[Gaborn]

As for the other, Lynette Clark admitted that she can't verify anything other than that she was there.

If I were still a Republican, and I wanted to go to the LP convention with my wife, would going make me automatically an LP member?

Again, "probably false" or at the very least "unverified."

Actually Jaydub, although she was not a member, her husband was

This afternoon, the director of Division of Elections in Alaska, Gail Fenumiai, told TPMmuckraker that Todd Palin registered in October 1995 to the Alaska Independence Party, a radical group that advocates for Alaskan secession from the United States.

Besides a short period of a few months in 2000 when he changed his registration to undeclared, Todd Palin remained a registered member of AIP until July 2002 when he registered again as an undeclared voter.

 

[JayDubya]

Actually Jaydub, although she was not a member, her husband was

Right. Which is what I was just saying. So, huh?

I'm also glad OP didn't include "Mission-From-God-Gate" so I didn't have to browbeat English comprehension skills into anyone.

 

[Gaborn]

Right. Which is what I was saying. So, huh?

Oh, sorry, didn't read carefully, just providing the link then to back you up.

At the very least though the seceession gate aspect should be at LEAST totally rewritten or removed, Todd Palin is not running for VP.

 

[JayDubya]

At the very least though the seceession gate aspect should be at LEAST totally rewritten or removed, Todd Palin is not running for VP.

Well, Sarah Palin probably shouldn't be either if the financial ones above aren't found out to be false. I so despise hypocrisy. Who knows, when she's getting her talking points from McCain, maybe it's not so much hypocrisy, but she's still the one saying stuff and then her record doesn't back those values.

* * *

Another thing - wanting to drill in ANWR does not imply being in Big Oil's pocket - it's financially beneficial to the people and state of Alaska to make use of its natural resources, and also in the nation's financial best interest. Even if you agree with the Endangered Species Act, and I don't, classifying polar bears as endangered when they're not would be detrimental to industry for no good reason.

 

[Gaborn]

Well, Sarah Palin probably shouldn't be either if the financial ones above aren't found out to be false. I so despise hypocrisy.

Absolutely, if most of these scandals are found to be accurate she should immediately withdraw from consideration. At the same time, certain aspects of these scandals are exagerrations or misinterpretations or are worth hearing her explain them so I at least think information presented here should be accurate.

 

[harSon]

Right. Which is what I was just saying. So, huh?

I'm also glad you didn't include "Mission-From-God-Gate" so I didn't have to browbeat English comprehension skills into anyone.

You get to choose who you marry and whether you stay married to them or not. /GOP

 

[Gaborn]

You get to choose who you marry and whether you stay married to them or not. /GOP

Hurray for shameless partisanship?

Thanks for personally keeping standards low.

.

 

[ZealousD]

I went ahead and took Secessiongate off. I wasn't aware of the full details.

 

[ALeperMessiah]

never change gaf. Never change.

 

[JayDubya]

I went ahead and took Secessiongate off. I wasn't aware of the full details.

No doubt some people will think it's bad enough that her husband was a member or that she's ever been remotely associated; like I said before, I wouldn't care.

Palin was known for being open with third parties where she agreed with them on the issues, which is one of the reasons she was initially in my good graces.

The AIP is okay. They're not great. They're closer to the Constitution Party than the Libertarian Party. I also wouldn't necessarily call them secessionist when their goal is a wholly democratic re-vote.

I don't think the AIP's main goal is logical: their primary contention is that the vote to become a state was mishandled, and thus, illegal or unjust. They have some valid points. The problem is that the vote was 6 to 1. Even accounting for their issues, I don't see how the vote would have gone any other way.

Also, independence seems quite unlikely. The United States bought the land from Russia. Territory status could be the best they could hope for. Of course, some of the AIP simply wish to be a territory like Puerto Rico instead of a state, so... yeah.

 

[harSon]

.

Sarcasm? I already said I don't hold her husbands actions against her yesterday.

 

[Gaborn]

Sarcasm? I already said I don't hold her husbands actions against her yesterday.

Yep, pretty much sarcasm

 

[ZealousD]

No doubt some people will think it's bad enough that her husband was a member or that she's ever been remotely associated; like I said before, I wouldn't care.

I'm not bringing family into this. You'll notice the baby and DUI controversies aren't present.

 

[Gaborn]

I'm not bringing family into this. You'll notice the baby and DUI controversies aren't present.

I give you a lot of credit for that. One other quibble though, there's a HUGE difference between "nearly recalled" and "nearly faced a recall effort." There's absolutely no evidence that if they were successful in starting a recall effort that it would have been successful. (it's a two step process, she nearly faced an attempt to force a recall vote, she wasn't close to being recalled)