Sarah Palin’s vigor and affability has its charm.
A reporter has said,
“I remember Palin as being kind and friendly, in a genuine way. This was not the case for every politician I met or interviewed. Her personality and her charisma are a huge part of her record popularity in Alaska, I think, as much as her policies. … One thing I remember about her was how she uses “progress” as a verb and not a noun, as in “we want to progress these issues for Alaska” instead of “we want to make progress.” It drove me nuts then and still does…”
An Alaska blogger says, “I actually believed that she had our states best interest in heart when I voted for her. I understood she was ambitious and could be a tough as nails when needed, thats what I liked….”
But, Sarah Palin’s record of activity in Alaska, including a charge of gill-netting without a license of all things, is very different than her speeches and very different than the media spin of the Republican campaign.
And information will continue to be uncovered, with many public records becoming available after the Labor Day weekend – such as arranging $600,000 and more to buttress her Bible Belt friends in the takeover of a Wasilla dairy milk operation.
I like the way How Insane is John McCain puts it:
DairyGate: Fired the entire Alaskan Agricultural Commission board, filled vacancies with cronies, kept failing state-owned dairy afloat with public subsidies (which may have been misappropriated), then allowed dairy to fail and ensured that remaining assets were acquired at steep discount by political ally.
Pentecostal Palin, for example:
She exhorted the congregants:
“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. “Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God,” .“That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.”
Another post on Palin’s religious ties: Apparitions for Alaska.
Details from earlier reports are appearing, such as this 2006 Democratic Party research document published at Politico.
* Palin Is Too Conservative for Alaska.
She is not only pro-life but is involved with — steered tax money toward — organizations that give misleading information on abortion. Palin also supported a flat tax, an idea even Bob Dole thought was absurd.* Palin’s Style is to Bully and Demand Political Loyalty.
Palin’s tenure as mayor of Wasilla was marred by tremendous staff turnover, first when she fired most of the top staff — including the city’s librarian — because she questioned their loyalty, and then later when staff quit because of her micromanaging style. Wasilla even lost the opportunity to hire a police chief because he said the job seemed too political.* Palin Increased Taxes.
In 2001, Palin authorized park and recreation capital improvements, signed an ordinance putting the higher sales tax into effect. Lowered tax rate for big box chains and business. ‘I am so sorry I’m such a weasel,” she said.” [Anchorage Daily News, 10/8/00]* Palin Used Town Funds.
Palin arranged campaign travel from the mayor’s office. Administrative assistant, Mary Bixby, said in brief interview with the Daily News in late July that she was directed to perform campaign tasks while on the clock for the city.”* Palin Censoring Books.
Wasilla’s library director Mary Ellen Emmons said Palin asked her outright if she could live with censorship of library books. Palin fired her, but Wasilla voters revolted to restore librarian’s job. Former Wasilla mayor John Stein] says that as mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. “She asked the library how she could go about banning books,” he says, because ‘some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them’. The librarian was aghast.”* Wasilla’s Pension Underfunded
Funded at 73 Percent When Palin Left, as Opposed to Almost Completely When She Became Mayor. Small Wasilla was debt free but more than $20 million in debt when Palin left office.* Palin Penalizes Play.
After opening her Wasilla Skate Park, she forced attendance to raise revenue with a new law forcing skateboards, in-line skates, bicycles, scooters from both public or private property.
* Palin Went to See Ivana Trump at Costco
She said, “We want to see Ivana, who admittedly smells like salmon for a large part of the summer, because we are so desperate in Alaska for any semblance of glamour and culture.”* Palin Made a Campaign Bet With Her Husband where Palin has to get the Big Dipper tattooed on her ankle or Todd gets a wedding ring inked on his finger.” [Anchorage Daily News, 5/26/06]
* Palin Obtained a Business License.
“Asked about the business registered under her name, Palin said, ‘Rouge Cou, it’s a classy way of saying redneck. It’s a French word, rouge is red, cou is neck. It’s for marketing and consulting, in case I wanted to go that route, I’d have my ducks all lined up and have a business license. [Anchorage Daily News, 6/8/05]
I think he’s going to make an intensely political choice, not a governing choice. He’s going to view this through the prism of a candidate, not through the prism of president; that is to say, he’s going to pick somebody that he thinks will on the margin help him in a state like Indiana or Missouri or Virginia. He’s not going to be thinking big and broad about the responsibilities of president. – Karl Rove