Defending Against the First Attacks on Sarah Palin
As John McCain has shocked pretty much everybody with his pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, it's important to prepare for the attacks on her that will be launched, starting this afternoon, by the Democrats and the media. For attack they will, relentlessly. And they'll start with these three things:
First - "Palin has no experience". That's an easy one to dismiss. Sarah Palin has had more executive experience, meaning experience in running either a business or a government, than either Barack Obama or his running mate, Joe Biden. She has more executive experience than even her running mate, John McCain. Governor Palin served as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1999 to 2002. She was elected as President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. She was elected as Governor of Alaska in 2006. And she has quite a few concrete achievements, considering the amount of time she's been in office.
Second - "Palin's part of the corrupt GOP establishment in Alaska (Stevens, Young, etc.)". That's an even easier one to dismiss. Governor Palin has always run as the anti-corruption candidate. She served as Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004, when she resigned in protest over the actions of her fellow Alaskan GOP leaders, including then-Alaskan Governor Frank Murkowski. She was furious over the fact that they ignored her reports of rampant GOP corruption. When she chose to run for Governor, the GOP establishment ignored her and supported the incumbent Murkowski. Palin beat him, and went on to beat former Democratic Governor Tony Knowles with no support from Alaskan GOP leadership. She has actively supported and helped the GOP primary opponents of current indicted Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens and Representative Don Young, and denounced both of them often in public.
Oh, and the forthcoming claim that Palin's in the pocket of big-oil? Her ethics complaints were filed against people who really were in the pocket of big oil - she was on the outside, investigating.
Third - "Palin used her position as Governor to get back at the man whom her sister was divorcing, and fired the man who refused to fire her sister's ex-husband". This is the slimiest attack that the Democrats and the media will launch. It concerns a current investigation into allegations that Governor Palin fired former Alaskan Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan because he would not bend to her will.
When Palin fired Monegan, her office gave no reason for her decision. As the Commissioner serves at the discretion of the Governor, no reason is needed. In an effort to save his job and get back at the person who fired him, Monegan claimed that he was fired because he would not fire an Alaskan State Trooper, Michael Wooten, who was going through a messy divorce with Palin's sister. Recently, the Associated Press ran an article about some tapes that surfaced regarding phone calls made by some of Palin's staff worried about Wooten - and worried about the safety of the Palin family:
JUNEAU, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday said at least two dozens calls were made from her staff members to Department of Public Safety officials questioning the employment of a trooper who went through a messy divorce with Palin's sister.
But Palin maintained none was done at her direction, a claim backed up by one administration member caught on tape.
...The Palins have accused Wooten of drunken driving, illegal hunting and firing a Taser at his 11-year-old stepson, Palin's nephew. These allegations led to an internal investigation, which occurred before she ran for governor.
Todd Palin has said the family was concerned about the governor's safety, claiming Wooten threatened to kill Sarah Palin's father and made vague threats to her. Todd Palin has said he took concerns about Wooten directly to Monegan.
So, the tapes seem to prove that Governor Palin was unaware that anyone from her office was aware of this, which should take care of questions about Palin's possible complicity. But we should go past that, and look at the facts of the entire situation. Even if this investigation shows that someone in Palin's office did pressure the Public Safety Commissioner to fire Wooten, this is a fight that we should relish having with the white male hierarchy of the Democratic Party and the drive-by media. Let's get all of the dirt about Wooten out in the open. Show that the police union and the Commissioner were protecting him, and then ask why? What would any American do, if faced with the same situation - an overt threat to their family?
Over the years, many of the allegations against Wooten - including the fact that he Tasered Palin's sister's 10 year old son and threatened the life of Palin's father - have turned out to be true:
Grimes suspended Wooten for 10 days. He also was punished for illegally shooting a moose and using a Taser on his 10-year-old stepson. The trooper admitted to using the Taser on his stepson in a "training capacity" and said he shot a moose on his wife's tag, but didn't think the act was illegal.
...Wall's investigation did find that Wooten threatened Palin's sister, Molly McCann, with shooting her father if he hired a lawyer to represent her. Wooten denied making the statement, but Palin, McCann and Palin's son all confirmed that he did.
Wall said the act wasn't a crime because Palin's father was not present when Wooten made the statement.
Who the heck uses a Taser on a 10 year old kid!? It appears as if Wooten's gotten off scott-free so far, and it's those that are protecting him that should be ashamed. And once the facts of the entire situation come out, the voters will largely agree. I can't wait until Keith Olbermann attempts to use this!
Read as much as you can about Sarah Palin. Her story is remarkable and inspiring. She's about as solid a conservative as you can find right now. There will be many attacks on her launched in the media over the next 60 plus days, primarily because she is such an excellent pick for McCain. A suggestion - don't rely on the ads or the pundits, go to the Internet and read the original source material. Then launch a counter-attack, armed with the facts.
When this year's Presidential campaign started, shortly after the 2006 elections, I felt that this would be the last of the old-guard GOP elections. Regardless of who wins this election, I felt that 2012 and beyond would belong to the likes of Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin. As a matter of fact, I was kind of rooting for a one-term McCain Presidency followed by a Jindal-Palin or a Palin-Jindal ticket.
I'm pleased that the future of the GOP is coming a little early.
found here
3 comments:
Is it sexism to ask the question? “America First” or “Family First” Which will it be?
Governor Palin may be able to take her baby to work with her and nurse during a meeting as Governor of Alaska - a state with a population of 626,000 people. It is a different story being the VP of the United States. I think a woman with children is certainly capable of being the VP or president of the US, but I do question the judgment and “family first” priority of a new mother with a newborn having special needs.
Her husband, Todd, is employed by BP as an oil field operator and works in Alaska's Northslope oil fields nearly 1300 miles away from the Governor's mansion in Juneau, AK. I hardly think he is the one to stay at home with the kids when they are sick or take the the day off for medical appointments. The Alaska media had this to say:
Mr. Palin goes back to Prudhoe
http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=6965360
by Mike Ross
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A decision by Alaska's first family is raising concerns about a possible conflict of interest involving Gov. Sarah Palin and the oil industry.
The governor's husband, Todd Palin, is back on BP's payroll. Gov. Palin says his return will not influence her decisions involving the oil industry, but one former lawmaker who wrote an ethics guideline for the administration believes it's a bad move at the wrong time.
"You know, we've never hidden the fact that Todd had a job and he's created to work," said the governor. "He wants to keep working..."
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And why shouldn't he stay home with the kids? Isn't it a father's duty to provide for his family? Providing for doesn't always mean monetary funding. I don't know their arrangements now, but I somehow doubt that the baby goes to work with Sarah everyday. And what about on the campaign trail? I would think that would be very difficult for any child. I somehow doubt that the Governor took the kids to doctor and dentist appointments. I'm thinking there is some kind of mother's helper.
My guess is that when Sarah moves to Washington, the family will come with her. What will Todd do for work in Washington if..when?...Sarah becomes VP? Don't know. My crystal ball is in the shop.
I do know this: more and more women every day are becoming working mothers. Some because they need the money to take care of their families; others simply because they need or want to be something other than "wife" or "Mom". Whatever the reason, we need to understand that the rules are changing and we all must change with them.
Oh, I totally forgot your question about is it sexism to ask "America First" or "Family First".
Why must it be either or? Seems to me it implies that women have to choose between family and country. Tell that to the female soldiers serving in Iraq and have families at home. If you dare. Personally, I ain't that brave.
But, to answer your question, a question that is asked only of women or only of men, is sexist.
When those questions are no longer asked, or at the other extreme, asked of everyone, it's no longer sexist.
We can have it all, but we may have to break a few more glass ceilings before we're treated as women and not as females with small humans attached to them.
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