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An Alaskan Celebrity
What do we know about Sarah Palin, the presumptive Republican Vice Presidential nominee?
Palin is vehemently anti-abortion (including cases of rape and incest). She thinks the earth is 6000 years old and is all for Intelligent Design education. She doesn’t believe in modern science.
She believes that man-made global warming is a hoax; polar bears are on their own. She believes in wildlife population control, including shooting wolves from the air.
Palin was an ardent supporter of Pat Buchanan in 2000.
She has a degree in Journalism from the University of Idaho, was a member of the Wasilla, AK (population ~9000) City Council before becoming their two-term Mayor. Palin has been the Governor of Alaska (population ~670,000) for just over a year and a half. She was also commissioner of a state oil and gas commission and is a stalwart supporter of drilling in ANWR.
Her only business experience was running a fishing boat with her husband. And she was a television sports reporter. Oh, wait…she was a runner-up for Miss Alaska.
Not too long ago, she said that she didn’t know what the vice president does. (Note to the Obama campaign: Video loop of that statement, please!) And her foreign policy experience consists of her proximity to Russia. （Yes, Fox actually said that!) National Security experience? Non-existent.
Palin has five children, including a near five-month old with Down-Syndrome.
And the oddest part of it all? It’s been reported that McCain has met with Palin, exactly: once before yesterday.
Grand resume for the next Veep, don’t you think? Why do I feel she will be all the Cheney without the dick, Harriet Miers with an updo, and the first trophy Vice President?
Aside from the email problem Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has, ThinkProgress reports that she is already under an ethics investigation for influence peddling in the firing of her ex-brother-in-law (heavy emphasis on the ex part). Talking Points Memo is also on the story, and it appears there is a tape of the pressure her office put on those who be to fire the ex-brother-in-law state trooper. Worse yet, she appointed a man who had a bit of a sexual harassment problem, who had to resign a in short order after being appointed by Palin. And then there was the possibly illegal activity by her office to interfere with a clean water bill. It seems she is already on the right track for Republican more-of-the-same, ethically challenged politics. She’s a maverick alright;is there an industry she doesn’t love?
Apparently, she was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it – but she wasn’t against keeping those funds. And Alaska receives more earmarks than any other state.
Arizona, the second fastest growing state in the nation, will receive just $18.70 per capita in federal earmarks this fiscal year. By comparison, Alaska — with roughly a tenth of Arizona’s population — is set to receive $506.34 per capita, the highest in the nation, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group which tracks earmarks.
The state of Alaska receives about three times as much as Arizona receives in actual dollars, $346 million to $119 million.
Steve Benen at Washington Monthly was confounded by her selection as Veep.
Can anyone, anywhere, explain why Sarah Palin would make a good president? Given that McCain is a 72-year-old man with a history of health trouble, isn’t this a rather important question right now?
Damned good question.
Mark Kleiman has several good articles about Palin, go read them (and don’t forget Digby. She has some doozies, too!) But this one, from Kleiman, struck me the most regarding her stances on issues – they are almost non-existent (information below the fold). Be sure to watch the bonus video below the fold, as well.
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