Papers won't print the n-word or other racial slurs, but they have no problem putting the word "cunt" in printr???
Yahoo news:Report: Bill Maher doubles down — calls Sarah Palin a ‘cunt’
Despite being criticized and even rebuked by the National Organization for Women, HBO “Real Time” host Bill Maher isn’t stopping with his slurs directed at female conservatives. And this time, he went after Sarah Palin once again.
According to a March 28 post by Arnold Wayne Jones on The Dallas Voice website, a publication that describes itself as the “premier media source for LGBT Texas,” Maher made a Sunday night appearance at the Winspear Opera House and leveled another attack at the former Alaska governor.
“It’s that fearlessness — he acknowledged that some people would probably be uncomfortable with some of his remarks about religion, not to mention calling Sarah Palin a “cunt” (“there’s just no other word for her”) — that makes Maher the most dangerous person in comedy,” Jones wrote. “He’s painfully well-informed, which means he takes no bullshit from anyone. President Barack Obama took it on the chin almost as much as Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. How dare the President say he would not settle for America being No. 2 — America is already out of the top 10 in most international lifestyle and human rights categories (health care, education, social mobility, women in high political positions). ‘I’d be thrilled if we were No. 2,’ he ranted, noting it’s nice to be behind Bosnia in life expectancy (where the chief cause of death is wolfman attacks, he joked).”
On his Friday show, Maher called Palin and Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann “bimbos.” That came one week after he called Palin “a dumb twat.”
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Sarah Palin's all praises for Sonakshi
[Sonakshi Sinha is an Indian actress]
The Times of India: Sarah Palin's all praises for Sonakshi
The gorgeous girl, who debuted in 2010 with Dabangg, already has a loyal fan following and mind you... her fans her not limited to just India or just Indians.
The recent one to join the Sonakshi-smitten gang is the former Republican US governor Sarah Palin. Though Palin hasn't seen Sonakshi's Dabangg, we hear that the lady, who's also touted as the possible contender for the 2012 US presidential election, was impressed by the way Sonakshi carried herself and spoke at an event in Delhi.
Palin was in India for a conclave organised by a media group and when she met Sonakshi, she couldn't help but admire her beauty in simplicity and her impressive way of speaking. Sonakshi's surely the show stealer!
The Times of India: Sarah Palin's all praises for Sonakshi
The gorgeous girl, who debuted in 2010 with Dabangg, already has a loyal fan following and mind you... her fans her not limited to just India or just Indians.
The recent one to join the Sonakshi-smitten gang is the former Republican US governor Sarah Palin. Though Palin hasn't seen Sonakshi's Dabangg, we hear that the lady, who's also touted as the possible contender for the 2012 US presidential election, was impressed by the way Sonakshi carried herself and spoke at an event in Delhi.
Palin was in India for a conclave organised by a media group and when she met Sonakshi, she couldn't help but admire her beauty in simplicity and her impressive way of speaking. Sonakshi's surely the show stealer!
What Sarah Palin should know about Israel
Salon: What Sarah Palin should know about Israel
Her visit to the West Bank city of Bethlehem was stymied by a checkpoint, a daily fact of life for Palestinians [Perhaps if the Palestinians wouldn't send rockets into Israel, there would be no need for checkpoints. Just a thought, Salon!]
Sarah Palin's trip to Israel this week, which included a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, didn't get much media attention amid a heavy news week. One of the more interesting moments of the trip came when, on Monday, Palin and her entourage attempted to go to Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born.
But Bethlehem is in the occupied West Bank. And when Palin and her tour guides arrived at an Israeli checkpoint south of Jerusalem, photographers nearby noticed that Palin's vehicle stopped. At that point -- for reasons that are still unclear -- Palin decided not to go through the checkpoint and on to Bethlehem. The Guardian reported that Palin may have called off the visit because she had not pre-cleared it with the authorities.
Later in the week, there was, for the first time in several years, a bombing in Jerusalem that killed one woman and injured 30 at a bus station. Authorities have blamed the attack on Palestinians, though there has not yet been an arrest. Now, there's talk of heightened security measures -- which could mean more checkpoints and greater limitations on Palestinian freedom of movement.
In light of these developments, it's a good time to get some basic questions answered about the situation in Israel and the West Bank, with a particular focus on checkpoints. To do this, I spoke with Geoffrey Aronson, the director of research at the Foundation for Middle East Peace in Washington. The following transcript of our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you give a brief explanation of what the occupation is?
The occupation began in June 1967 when, in the context of Israel’s war with Egypt, Jordan and Syria, it captured what has become known as the West Bank of the Jordan River, from Jordan. It captured the Gaza Strip from Egypt, along with other territories like Sinai and the Golan Heights from Syria. Israel didn’t annex these places as its own legally -- although it did in some respects -- but generally speaking it assumed the role of an occupying or administering power over those territories. It’s under that characterization that it has remained in the West Bank now almost 40 years.
So there are a number of Israeli troops in the West Bank all the time?
Yes. Israel occupies it, and it for many years had established a military government run by the Israeli Defense Forces to administer the areas it had conquered. That changed during the Oslo years beginning in 1993-94 when the IDF began to share some of those administrative responsibilities with what we know now as the Palestinian Authority. But even now it’s still held by Israeli troops. They are the de facto sovereign force there. It’s run by an Israeli general. And there are troops in the West Bank in numbers depending on the security requirements that Israel feels it has to meet.
How do the settlements factor into this whole picture?
The settlements are in some respects a unique aspect of this occupation, and they relate as much to the history of the conflict between Israel and the Arabs as they do to the situation after ’67. Israel is a self-made entity that began when people emigrated to then-Palestine, now Israel, beginning in the early 20th century. The way in which the Jewish community in Palestine gained a foothold and then claimed sovereignty was by settling Jews on the land. In large part this was a zero sum game, in the sense that by claiming land, that land and those resources and the sovereign energy that the resources represented were made unavailable to Palestinians who also claimed this land as their own. That process works for Israel in the sense that land and settlement led to sovereignty and led to a claim on the land that Arabs and the rest of the world ultimately would have no choice but to recognize. It’s that history that informed Israel’s interest in continuing settlement when it came into control of the land in June ’67 -- which many considered part of its God-given homeland. So in a sense what we’re seeing now is a continuation of the historical effort of the Jewish community in Palestine to expand its sovereign presence and by so doing undermine the ability of Palestinian Arabs to do the same.
But under international law this is considered illegal?
Most international lawyers whom one would consult would consider the settlement of civilians in permanent settlements in areas that are under hostile military occupation to be illegal. Israel, however, has its own view of this. The bottom line is they feel they’ve got a right to do this.
This past week when Sarah Palin was visiting Israel, she went up to a checkpoint to get to Bethlehem, and then abruptly decided not to go through. Can you explain what the checkpoints are?
Checkpoints are a military instrument to control the population that you have some reason to suspect. For the first few decades of the occupation, checkpoints were the exception rather than the rule. That began to change with the beginning of the Gulf War. We’ve seen since then that the Israeli decision to restrict and selectively address the ability of Palestinians to move not only into Israel -- which has been restricted tremendously -- but even within the areas that are under military occupation, has only grown and increased. In large part that is a function of Israel's desire to maintain what it prioritizes as a normal everyday life for Israeli settlers who are now living in these areas. Their needs have become the primary humanitarian or economic concern Israel has. If to preserve the normal everyday life of settlers requires restricting the movements of Palestinians, that is seen to be an acceptable trade-off. As the sense of security threat increases, so do the frequency and rigorousness of these checkpoints.
What physically happens at the checkpoints?
There’s a whole spectrum of checkpoints. From very simple but permanent -- earth mounds, for example, that block access permanently for people in vehicles -- to permanent checkpoints that resemble what was at the Brandenburg Gate that marked the division of Berlin. Each has its own character, each has its own set of operating procedures; sometimes the examinations are more rigorous than other times, sometimes cars are permitted through, sometimes they aren't. Sometimes cars with permits are permitted through and sometimes they aren’t. Ambulances are generally permitted through but oftentimes they’re stopped for examination. One of their signature characteristics is that there’s no transparency, there’s no clarity, there are no standards for operating procedures. So one never knows how one is going to be treated, if one will be able to get through, if it will be open, why it would be closed. That lack of transparency again is part of the essential arbitrary nature of the occupation itself.
And how many are there?
Depending on how you count there are some hundreds of obstacles and restrictions on free movement.
If Palin had gone through that checkpoint to Bethlehem as a tourist, what would have happened?
If she were a VIP she wouldn’t have any problem at all because it would have been coordinated and she would have been waved through. These days, things have gotten pretty loose at checkpoints and Bethlehem, in particular, is one that many tourists use. This is a very important economic corridor, both for Israel and for the Palestinian Authority. So, generally speaking, the standard operating procedures at this checkpoint aren’t as hard-edged as they are in many other places. They don’t want to spook tourists and give them the sense they’re in an armed camp and there’s an occupation. Nonetheless it’s a checkpoint, and its essence is to guard and restrict and constrain. So if you’ve got one young kid who's a soldier, he can keep you waiting there for a while. That’s the way the occupation is: It’s run at the lowest level by young kids. So Palin would have experienced a sanitized version of what Palestinians have to deal with every day.
And what is the unsanitized version?
You can wait under the hot sun for an hour, and then they close the checkpoint. Or you can be there with your screaming kid needing to see a doctor and then get there and the Israelis say, you don’t have the necessary permit, or the doctor signed it a week ago and it’s now expired, so you’ll have to come back. Generally speaking, people aren’t physically abused; that’s the exception rather than the rule.
Can you talk about the economic implications of the checkpoint system?
The primary economic effect of these is to at the very least add to the cost of doing business in every one of its dimensions, whether it be the time taken by employees to get to their place of work, the added cost of special security procedures for goods, to the lack of certainty that informs the whole process. For example, the idea of just-in-time inventory is impossible here because there’s no certainty that the roads will be open or that the checkpoint is functioning well or that it won’t close, and so forth.
Before the bombing this week there hadn't been any bombings in Jerusalem for several years. Was your sense that restrictions on movement had been loosened?
Absolutely. It was much easier to get around the West Bank for Palestinians and third parties alike. It was much easier, it was much more relaxed and there were fewer checkpoints.
What do you expect to happen now?
Certainly if there is an increase in tension I think one of the results will be an increase on the restrictions on movement. I don’t think Israel is anxious to do that, because it imposes costs on them in terms of public relations, which they prefer not to deal with. But in an environment where military security consideration are primary, and those professionals are the ones who set the policy, they understandably always come down on the side of more restrictions, harder lines and so forth. To the extent that tension increases, we begin a reinforcing cascade of decisions that oftentimes only increase tensions, make things worse. We’ve been out of that cycle for a couple of years, at least as far as the West Bank is concerned. The Gaza Strip is another story altogether. But when you don’t fix the problem, the good times last for a while and then you have bad times.
Her visit to the West Bank city of Bethlehem was stymied by a checkpoint, a daily fact of life for Palestinians [Perhaps if the Palestinians wouldn't send rockets into Israel, there would be no need for checkpoints. Just a thought, Salon!]
Sarah Palin's trip to Israel this week, which included a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, didn't get much media attention amid a heavy news week. One of the more interesting moments of the trip came when, on Monday, Palin and her entourage attempted to go to Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born.
But Bethlehem is in the occupied West Bank. And when Palin and her tour guides arrived at an Israeli checkpoint south of Jerusalem, photographers nearby noticed that Palin's vehicle stopped. At that point -- for reasons that are still unclear -- Palin decided not to go through the checkpoint and on to Bethlehem. The Guardian reported that Palin may have called off the visit because she had not pre-cleared it with the authorities.
Later in the week, there was, for the first time in several years, a bombing in Jerusalem that killed one woman and injured 30 at a bus station. Authorities have blamed the attack on Palestinians, though there has not yet been an arrest. Now, there's talk of heightened security measures -- which could mean more checkpoints and greater limitations on Palestinian freedom of movement.
In light of these developments, it's a good time to get some basic questions answered about the situation in Israel and the West Bank, with a particular focus on checkpoints. To do this, I spoke with Geoffrey Aronson, the director of research at the Foundation for Middle East Peace in Washington. The following transcript of our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you give a brief explanation of what the occupation is?
The occupation began in June 1967 when, in the context of Israel’s war with Egypt, Jordan and Syria, it captured what has become known as the West Bank of the Jordan River, from Jordan. It captured the Gaza Strip from Egypt, along with other territories like Sinai and the Golan Heights from Syria. Israel didn’t annex these places as its own legally -- although it did in some respects -- but generally speaking it assumed the role of an occupying or administering power over those territories. It’s under that characterization that it has remained in the West Bank now almost 40 years.
So there are a number of Israeli troops in the West Bank all the time?
Yes. Israel occupies it, and it for many years had established a military government run by the Israeli Defense Forces to administer the areas it had conquered. That changed during the Oslo years beginning in 1993-94 when the IDF began to share some of those administrative responsibilities with what we know now as the Palestinian Authority. But even now it’s still held by Israeli troops. They are the de facto sovereign force there. It’s run by an Israeli general. And there are troops in the West Bank in numbers depending on the security requirements that Israel feels it has to meet.
How do the settlements factor into this whole picture?
The settlements are in some respects a unique aspect of this occupation, and they relate as much to the history of the conflict between Israel and the Arabs as they do to the situation after ’67. Israel is a self-made entity that began when people emigrated to then-Palestine, now Israel, beginning in the early 20th century. The way in which the Jewish community in Palestine gained a foothold and then claimed sovereignty was by settling Jews on the land. In large part this was a zero sum game, in the sense that by claiming land, that land and those resources and the sovereign energy that the resources represented were made unavailable to Palestinians who also claimed this land as their own. That process works for Israel in the sense that land and settlement led to sovereignty and led to a claim on the land that Arabs and the rest of the world ultimately would have no choice but to recognize. It’s that history that informed Israel’s interest in continuing settlement when it came into control of the land in June ’67 -- which many considered part of its God-given homeland. So in a sense what we’re seeing now is a continuation of the historical effort of the Jewish community in Palestine to expand its sovereign presence and by so doing undermine the ability of Palestinian Arabs to do the same.
But under international law this is considered illegal?
Most international lawyers whom one would consult would consider the settlement of civilians in permanent settlements in areas that are under hostile military occupation to be illegal. Israel, however, has its own view of this. The bottom line is they feel they’ve got a right to do this.
This past week when Sarah Palin was visiting Israel, she went up to a checkpoint to get to Bethlehem, and then abruptly decided not to go through. Can you explain what the checkpoints are?
Checkpoints are a military instrument to control the population that you have some reason to suspect. For the first few decades of the occupation, checkpoints were the exception rather than the rule. That began to change with the beginning of the Gulf War. We’ve seen since then that the Israeli decision to restrict and selectively address the ability of Palestinians to move not only into Israel -- which has been restricted tremendously -- but even within the areas that are under military occupation, has only grown and increased. In large part that is a function of Israel's desire to maintain what it prioritizes as a normal everyday life for Israeli settlers who are now living in these areas. Their needs have become the primary humanitarian or economic concern Israel has. If to preserve the normal everyday life of settlers requires restricting the movements of Palestinians, that is seen to be an acceptable trade-off. As the sense of security threat increases, so do the frequency and rigorousness of these checkpoints.
What physically happens at the checkpoints?
There’s a whole spectrum of checkpoints. From very simple but permanent -- earth mounds, for example, that block access permanently for people in vehicles -- to permanent checkpoints that resemble what was at the Brandenburg Gate that marked the division of Berlin. Each has its own character, each has its own set of operating procedures; sometimes the examinations are more rigorous than other times, sometimes cars are permitted through, sometimes they aren't. Sometimes cars with permits are permitted through and sometimes they aren’t. Ambulances are generally permitted through but oftentimes they’re stopped for examination. One of their signature characteristics is that there’s no transparency, there’s no clarity, there are no standards for operating procedures. So one never knows how one is going to be treated, if one will be able to get through, if it will be open, why it would be closed. That lack of transparency again is part of the essential arbitrary nature of the occupation itself.
And how many are there?
Depending on how you count there are some hundreds of obstacles and restrictions on free movement.
If Palin had gone through that checkpoint to Bethlehem as a tourist, what would have happened?
If she were a VIP she wouldn’t have any problem at all because it would have been coordinated and she would have been waved through. These days, things have gotten pretty loose at checkpoints and Bethlehem, in particular, is one that many tourists use. This is a very important economic corridor, both for Israel and for the Palestinian Authority. So, generally speaking, the standard operating procedures at this checkpoint aren’t as hard-edged as they are in many other places. They don’t want to spook tourists and give them the sense they’re in an armed camp and there’s an occupation. Nonetheless it’s a checkpoint, and its essence is to guard and restrict and constrain. So if you’ve got one young kid who's a soldier, he can keep you waiting there for a while. That’s the way the occupation is: It’s run at the lowest level by young kids. So Palin would have experienced a sanitized version of what Palestinians have to deal with every day.
And what is the unsanitized version?
You can wait under the hot sun for an hour, and then they close the checkpoint. Or you can be there with your screaming kid needing to see a doctor and then get there and the Israelis say, you don’t have the necessary permit, or the doctor signed it a week ago and it’s now expired, so you’ll have to come back. Generally speaking, people aren’t physically abused; that’s the exception rather than the rule.
Can you talk about the economic implications of the checkpoint system?
The primary economic effect of these is to at the very least add to the cost of doing business in every one of its dimensions, whether it be the time taken by employees to get to their place of work, the added cost of special security procedures for goods, to the lack of certainty that informs the whole process. For example, the idea of just-in-time inventory is impossible here because there’s no certainty that the roads will be open or that the checkpoint is functioning well or that it won’t close, and so forth.
Before the bombing this week there hadn't been any bombings in Jerusalem for several years. Was your sense that restrictions on movement had been loosened?
Absolutely. It was much easier to get around the West Bank for Palestinians and third parties alike. It was much easier, it was much more relaxed and there were fewer checkpoints.
What do you expect to happen now?
Certainly if there is an increase in tension I think one of the results will be an increase on the restrictions on movement. I don’t think Israel is anxious to do that, because it imposes costs on them in terms of public relations, which they prefer not to deal with. But in an environment where military security consideration are primary, and those professionals are the ones who set the policy, they understandably always come down on the side of more restrictions, harder lines and so forth. To the extent that tension increases, we begin a reinforcing cascade of decisions that oftentimes only increase tensions, make things worse. We’ve been out of that cycle for a couple of years, at least as far as the West Bank is concerned. The Gaza Strip is another story altogether. But when you don’t fix the problem, the good times last for a while and then you have bad times.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sarah Palin Goes On Offense Against Lamestream Media: 'Reload Or White Flag?'
Huffington Post: Sarah Palin Goes On Offense Against Lamestream Media: 'Reload Or White Flag?'
A day after Sarah Palin suggested that she was done taking on the unfair "lamestream media," the former Alaska governor took to Facebook to say that she had no intention of retreating. Referring to one of her most inconic slogans, Palin signalled that she was, in fact, ready to "reload."
"Friends, too often conservatives or Republicans in general come across as having the fighting instinct of sheep. I don't," Palin wrote on Thursday. "I was raised to believe that you don't retreat when you're on solid ground; so even though it often seems like I'm armed with just a few stones and a sling against a media giant, I'll use those small resources to do what I can to set the record straight. The truth is always worth fighting for. Doing so isn't whining or 'playing the victim card'; it's defending the truth in fairness to those who seek accurate information. I'll keep attempting to correct misinformation and falsehoods about myself and my record, and I will certainly never shy from defending others who are unfairly attacked. This is in the name of justice."
Some had interpreted Palin's restrained demeanor in an interview with Fox News earlier this week as a sign she might be folding the so-called "victim card" that some conservatives had accused her of playing so frequently. In her Facebook post Thursday, the former Alaska governor appeared to try to reframe her battle with the 'liberal media' by using a different tone.
"We must always remember the big picture. The media has always been biased. Conservatives - and especially conservative women - have always been held to a different standard and attacked," Palin said. "Let's just acknowledge that commonsense conservatives must be stronger and work that much harder because of the obvious bias. And let's be encouraged with a sense of poetic justice by knowing that the 'mainstream' media isn't mainstream anymore. That's why I call it 'lamestream,' and the LSM is becoming quite irrelevant, as it is no longer the sole gatekeeper of information."
Palin also took the opportunity to respond, albeit indirectly, to an insult directed at her by Bill Maher over the weekend, in which the comedian called her a "dumb twat." Asked on Fox News Wednesday evening for a reaction, Palin declined, surprising some observers by saying that she was "through whining" about the media's liberal bias.
"Upon my return from an outstanding and productive trip to India and Israel, I've been inundated with requests to respond to petty comments made in the media the past few days, including one little fella's comment which decent people would find degrading," she wrote on Thursday. "I won't bother responding to it though, because it was made by he who reminds me of an annoying little mosquito found zipped up in your tent; he can't do any harm, but buzzes around annoyingly until it's time to give him the proverbial slap."
A day after Sarah Palin suggested that she was done taking on the unfair "lamestream media," the former Alaska governor took to Facebook to say that she had no intention of retreating. Referring to one of her most inconic slogans, Palin signalled that she was, in fact, ready to "reload."
"Friends, too often conservatives or Republicans in general come across as having the fighting instinct of sheep. I don't," Palin wrote on Thursday. "I was raised to believe that you don't retreat when you're on solid ground; so even though it often seems like I'm armed with just a few stones and a sling against a media giant, I'll use those small resources to do what I can to set the record straight. The truth is always worth fighting for. Doing so isn't whining or 'playing the victim card'; it's defending the truth in fairness to those who seek accurate information. I'll keep attempting to correct misinformation and falsehoods about myself and my record, and I will certainly never shy from defending others who are unfairly attacked. This is in the name of justice."
Some had interpreted Palin's restrained demeanor in an interview with Fox News earlier this week as a sign she might be folding the so-called "victim card" that some conservatives had accused her of playing so frequently. In her Facebook post Thursday, the former Alaska governor appeared to try to reframe her battle with the 'liberal media' by using a different tone.
"We must always remember the big picture. The media has always been biased. Conservatives - and especially conservative women - have always been held to a different standard and attacked," Palin said. "Let's just acknowledge that commonsense conservatives must be stronger and work that much harder because of the obvious bias. And let's be encouraged with a sense of poetic justice by knowing that the 'mainstream' media isn't mainstream anymore. That's why I call it 'lamestream,' and the LSM is becoming quite irrelevant, as it is no longer the sole gatekeeper of information."
Palin also took the opportunity to respond, albeit indirectly, to an insult directed at her by Bill Maher over the weekend, in which the comedian called her a "dumb twat." Asked on Fox News Wednesday evening for a reaction, Palin declined, surprising some observers by saying that she was "through whining" about the media's liberal bias.
"Upon my return from an outstanding and productive trip to India and Israel, I've been inundated with requests to respond to petty comments made in the media the past few days, including one little fella's comment which decent people would find degrading," she wrote on Thursday. "I won't bother responding to it though, because it was made by he who reminds me of an annoying little mosquito found zipped up in your tent; he can't do any harm, but buzzes around annoyingly until it's time to give him the proverbial slap."
Sarah Palin's Support For Potential Presidential Campaign Slipping: Poll
Huffington Post: Sarah Palin's Support For Potential Presidential Campaign Slipping: Poll
Gallup:
Mike Huckabee tops a large list of potential GOP presidential candidates in current support for the party's 2012 nomination, with 19% of Republicans saying they are most likely to back him. This gives Huckabee a slight edge over Mitt Romney (15%). Sarah Palin is now at 12% after receiving 16% support in three prior Gallup polls.
Gallup:
Mike Huckabee tops a large list of potential GOP presidential candidates in current support for the party's 2012 nomination, with 19% of Republicans saying they are most likely to back him. This gives Huckabee a slight edge over Mitt Romney (15%). Sarah Palin is now at 12% after receiving 16% support in three prior Gallup polls.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Why Did Sarah Palin Wear a Star of David in Israel?
The Atlantic: Why Did Sarah Palin Wear a Star of David in Israel?
Updated 7:06 p.m.-- Over the weekend, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin arrived in Israel, where she was photographed wearing a Star of David around her neck.
The Star of David or Magen David is a symbol associated with Jewish texts far back as the 11th century and has been used by European Jews to symbolize their faith since the 17th century. As Zionism developed as a European philosophy, the Star of David came to represent the movement and later became the defining symbol on the flag of the state of Israel. In contemporary urban America, wearing a Star of David on a chain generally marks the wearer as Jewish.
So what was the most decidedly not-Jewish Palin doing wearing one in Israel? Not appealing to American Jews -- that's for sure. Most American Jews, being Democrats, can't stand her. And one visit to Israel, a nation many American Jews have mixed feelings toward, anyway, isn't going to change that.
Rather, by wearing the Star of David, Palin was reaching out to American evangelical Christians -- and also being one herself.
According to David Brog, the (Jewish) executive director of Christians United for Israel, "it is increasingly common" for evangelical Christian supporters of Israel -- who follow a fairly common Israel-centric strain of American biblical interpretation -- to wear Stars of David as symbols of solidarity with the Jewish state.
"A lot of the folks in my organization, they wear Stars of David," he noted. "Mainly the women."
In CUFI circles, indeed, "it is increasingly common to wear one all the time," Brog noted, and not just while visiting Israel.
To do so is seen as an expression of being "pro-Israel" and "philosemitic," part and parcel with worshiping Jesus as a Jewish carpenter and honoring the Jewish roots of Christianity.
CUFI says it is the biggest pro-Israel organization in America, bigger even than the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, though the groups measure members differently. The Founder and National Chairman of CUFI is Pastor John Hagee, who during campaign 2008 raised the ire of the Catholic League, which condemned him as a "bigot" after Hagee endorsed Palin running-mate John McCain. Hagee and the Catholic League have since reconciled.
CUFI was not involved in Palin's trip to Israel.
Updated 7:06 p.m.-- Over the weekend, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin arrived in Israel, where she was photographed wearing a Star of David around her neck.
The Star of David or Magen David is a symbol associated with Jewish texts far back as the 11th century and has been used by European Jews to symbolize their faith since the 17th century. As Zionism developed as a European philosophy, the Star of David came to represent the movement and later became the defining symbol on the flag of the state of Israel. In contemporary urban America, wearing a Star of David on a chain generally marks the wearer as Jewish.
So what was the most decidedly not-Jewish Palin doing wearing one in Israel? Not appealing to American Jews -- that's for sure. Most American Jews, being Democrats, can't stand her. And one visit to Israel, a nation many American Jews have mixed feelings toward, anyway, isn't going to change that.
Rather, by wearing the Star of David, Palin was reaching out to American evangelical Christians -- and also being one herself.
According to David Brog, the (Jewish) executive director of Christians United for Israel, "it is increasingly common" for evangelical Christian supporters of Israel -- who follow a fairly common Israel-centric strain of American biblical interpretation -- to wear Stars of David as symbols of solidarity with the Jewish state.
"A lot of the folks in my organization, they wear Stars of David," he noted. "Mainly the women."
In CUFI circles, indeed, "it is increasingly common to wear one all the time," Brog noted, and not just while visiting Israel.
To do so is seen as an expression of being "pro-Israel" and "philosemitic," part and parcel with worshiping Jesus as a Jewish carpenter and honoring the Jewish roots of Christianity.
CUFI says it is the biggest pro-Israel organization in America, bigger even than the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, though the groups measure members differently. The Founder and National Chairman of CUFI is Pastor John Hagee, who during campaign 2008 raised the ire of the Catholic League, which condemned him as a "bigot" after Hagee endorsed Palin running-mate John McCain. Hagee and the Catholic League have since reconciled.
CUFI was not involved in Palin's trip to Israel.
Andrew Breitbart says White House 'beneath' Sarah Palin
Politico: Andrew Breitbart says White House 'beneath' Sarah Palin
The highest elected office in the land is apparently “beneath” Sarah Palin — or so says Andrew Breitbart.
“I think the presidency is beneath her,” the conservative media activist told GQ. “There's more power in being Oprah Winfrey than in being Barack Obama. It would be my goal for Palin to become Oprah and be the ultimate kingmaker for 20-odd years.”
If he had to choose, Breitbart said his dream 2012 ticket would feature Rep. Allen West of Florida and Michele Bachmann.
“If the media is out to destroy a person in the political realm — and it's always a conservative Republican — then that person must be someone they fear greatly,” he said of Bachmann.
The highest elected office in the land is apparently “beneath” Sarah Palin — or so says Andrew Breitbart.
“I think the presidency is beneath her,” the conservative media activist told GQ. “There's more power in being Oprah Winfrey than in being Barack Obama. It would be my goal for Palin to become Oprah and be the ultimate kingmaker for 20-odd years.”
If he had to choose, Breitbart said his dream 2012 ticket would feature Rep. Allen West of Florida and Michele Bachmann.
“If the media is out to destroy a person in the political realm — and it's always a conservative Republican — then that person must be someone they fear greatly,” he said of Bachmann.
Barack Obama Would Crush Sarah Palin in 2012
US News & World Report: Barack Obama Would Crush Sarah Palin in 2012
The last week like every other week has been interesting one for Sarah Palin. She wouldn’t have it any other way even if her actions diminish her stature. As long as the media spells her name correctly, she’s a happy camper.
The former half-term and half-baked Alaska governor is taking a world tour which includes stops in Israel and India. Is this trip a prelude to a presidential campaign or is it just a way of keeping her name before the public? Either way it’s not working out well for her. In India, she spoke at a press conference and she announced that she would not criticize the American president while she was on foreign soil. Then without taking a breath she proceeded to criticize him. This is a classic example of why most Americans dislike Palin. She says one thing and then does another just like the establishment politicians she mocks. Americans are looking for consistency and stability in a president and commander in chief and for most Americans she falls short on both counts. [See political cartoons about Sarah Palin.]
Charlie Sheen’s mania is one of the few things that is rising faster than Palin’s negatives. National polls indicate that the former Republican vice presidential candidate is the most unpopular political figure in the United States. If Palin ran for president, she and her party would be crushed by Barack Obama and the Democrats. No wonder that the conservative GOP political guru Karl Rove is scared to death that she might be the Republican nominee. [See photos of Palin and her family.]
But Palin is not the GOP’s biggest problem, she is just a symptom of the challenge that confronts Republicans. The big obstacle in the party‘s effort to topple the president in 2012 is that the party activists who dominate the presidential selection process are right wing zealots who are always sure of themselves but never right. Palin probably won’t run but the remaining candidates are tripping all over each other trying to fill the vast right wing vacuum that Palin would leave open if she doesn’t run. While the shadow of Sarah Palin hovers over them, the GOP candidates move further and further to the right. Meanwhile Barack Obama will rush in to fill the void at the center of American politics. [See editorial cartoons about the Tea Party.]
With an enemy like Sarah Palin, Barack Obama doesn't need many friends and he may not have many unless the economy gets better soon.
The last week like every other week has been interesting one for Sarah Palin. She wouldn’t have it any other way even if her actions diminish her stature. As long as the media spells her name correctly, she’s a happy camper.
The former half-term and half-baked Alaska governor is taking a world tour which includes stops in Israel and India. Is this trip a prelude to a presidential campaign or is it just a way of keeping her name before the public? Either way it’s not working out well for her. In India, she spoke at a press conference and she announced that she would not criticize the American president while she was on foreign soil. Then without taking a breath she proceeded to criticize him. This is a classic example of why most Americans dislike Palin. She says one thing and then does another just like the establishment politicians she mocks. Americans are looking for consistency and stability in a president and commander in chief and for most Americans she falls short on both counts. [See political cartoons about Sarah Palin.]
Charlie Sheen’s mania is one of the few things that is rising faster than Palin’s negatives. National polls indicate that the former Republican vice presidential candidate is the most unpopular political figure in the United States. If Palin ran for president, she and her party would be crushed by Barack Obama and the Democrats. No wonder that the conservative GOP political guru Karl Rove is scared to death that she might be the Republican nominee. [See photos of Palin and her family.]
But Palin is not the GOP’s biggest problem, she is just a symptom of the challenge that confronts Republicans. The big obstacle in the party‘s effort to topple the president in 2012 is that the party activists who dominate the presidential selection process are right wing zealots who are always sure of themselves but never right. Palin probably won’t run but the remaining candidates are tripping all over each other trying to fill the vast right wing vacuum that Palin would leave open if she doesn’t run. While the shadow of Sarah Palin hovers over them, the GOP candidates move further and further to the right. Meanwhile Barack Obama will rush in to fill the void at the center of American politics. [See editorial cartoons about the Tea Party.]
With an enemy like Sarah Palin, Barack Obama doesn't need many friends and he may not have many unless the economy gets better soon.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
RetroNews: 29 August, 2008: McCain taps Alaska Gov. Palin as vice president pick
CNN Politics, 29 August 2008: McCain taps Alaska Gov. Palin as vice president pick
Sen. John McCain announced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate Friday, calling her "the running mate who can best help me shake up Washington."
"She's exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second," the presumptive Republican nominee said at a Dayton, Ohio, rally of about 15,000 supporters, who welcomed the surprise pick of the relatively unknown politician with cheers and flags.
"She's got the grit, integrity, good sense and fierce devotion to the common good that is exactly what we need in Washington today," McCain said.
Palin, 44, described herself as a fighter against corruption and a bipartisan reformer in her first appearance as a candidate for vice president, an office she said she never expected to seek.
"I was just your average hockey mom in Alaska" before getting involved in politics, she said. "When I found corruption there, I fought it hard and brought the offenders to account."
Palin told the crowd, "To have been chosen brings a great challenge. I know that it will demand the best that I have to give, and I promise nothing less."
Palin is a first-term governor who unseated incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary in 2006 and went on to defeat former Gov. Tony Knowles, a Democrat, in the general election.
Campaigning for governor, she described herself as a "conservative Republican, a firm believer in free-market capitalism" and "a lifelong Alaskan who grew up hunting and fishing."
She boasted of eliminating taxes as mayor in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. She also was a City Council member in the town and was chairwoman of Alaska's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates oil and gas resources.
Palin will be the first woman to be nominated for vice president as a Republican and only the second to run for vice president on a major party ticket, after Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984.
Palin also will be the first Alaskan to be on the ticket of either party.
She described herself Friday as "commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard" and noted that her oldest son, Track, is a U.S. soldier scheduled to deploy soon to Iraq.
But there also are aspects of her biography that make her unusual for a Republican candidate. McCain introduced her as a former union member and the wife of a union member, a nod to Ohio's strong organized-labor culture.
Sen. John McCain announced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate Friday, calling her "the running mate who can best help me shake up Washington."
"She's exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second," the presumptive Republican nominee said at a Dayton, Ohio, rally of about 15,000 supporters, who welcomed the surprise pick of the relatively unknown politician with cheers and flags.
"She's got the grit, integrity, good sense and fierce devotion to the common good that is exactly what we need in Washington today," McCain said.
Palin, 44, described herself as a fighter against corruption and a bipartisan reformer in her first appearance as a candidate for vice president, an office she said she never expected to seek.
"I was just your average hockey mom in Alaska" before getting involved in politics, she said. "When I found corruption there, I fought it hard and brought the offenders to account."
Palin told the crowd, "To have been chosen brings a great challenge. I know that it will demand the best that I have to give, and I promise nothing less."
Palin is a first-term governor who unseated incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary in 2006 and went on to defeat former Gov. Tony Knowles, a Democrat, in the general election.
Campaigning for governor, she described herself as a "conservative Republican, a firm believer in free-market capitalism" and "a lifelong Alaskan who grew up hunting and fishing."
She boasted of eliminating taxes as mayor in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. She also was a City Council member in the town and was chairwoman of Alaska's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates oil and gas resources.
Palin will be the first woman to be nominated for vice president as a Republican and only the second to run for vice president on a major party ticket, after Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984.
Palin also will be the first Alaskan to be on the ticket of either party.
She described herself Friday as "commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard" and noted that her oldest son, Track, is a U.S. soldier scheduled to deploy soon to Iraq.
But there also are aspects of her biography that make her unusual for a Republican candidate. McCain introduced her as a former union member and the wife of a union member, a nod to Ohio's strong organized-labor culture.
RetroNews to start in 2008!
I'd intended to share news articles here on Palin written from the very first time she appeared in the news until today. However, most of the early news is from Alaskan newspaper websites that have private archives.
Other dates are too hard to find because the Google search algorithm seems corrupted - I do a search for Jan 1, 2000 to Jan 31, 2000, and although the results have those dates on them, the actual articles are from 2008 onward.
SO I give in and will start from 2008 - on the day Sarah Palin was first introduced as Joe Biden's running mate.
Other dates are too hard to find because the Google search algorithm seems corrupted - I do a search for Jan 1, 2000 to Jan 31, 2000, and although the results have those dates on them, the actual articles are from 2008 onward.
SO I give in and will start from 2008 - on the day Sarah Palin was first introduced as Joe Biden's running mate.
Kansas City Star: Sarah Palin visits Israel
Kansas City Star: Sarah Palin visits Israel
JERUSALEM | Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin visited a Jewish holy site in Jerusalem on Sunday soon after arriving in Israel on a trip that has raised speculation she is honing her foreign policy credentials before a run for the U.S. presidency next year.
Palin, who also visited India, rarely travels abroad and has been criticized for a weak foreign policy record.
Although the trip is private, she was to meet today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
JERUSALEM | Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin visited a Jewish holy site in Jerusalem on Sunday soon after arriving in Israel on a trip that has raised speculation she is honing her foreign policy credentials before a run for the U.S. presidency next year.
Palin, who also visited India, rarely travels abroad and has been criticized for a weak foreign policy record.
Although the trip is private, she was to meet today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Los Angeles Times: Sarah Palin traveling to India and Israel
Los Angeles Times: Sarah Palin traveling to India and Israel
Reporting from Washington— Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin makes two high-profile overseas stops this weekend amid continued uncertainty about the Republican's political future.
On Saturday evening, Palin will deliver the keynote address at the India Today Conclave in New Dehli, a gathering that also features Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed El Baradei and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The theme of the conclave, in its 10th year, is "The Changing Balance of Power." Palin's speech is entitled, "My Vision of America," according to the program.
"I'm very excited to visit India," Palin said in a statement to the Indian press. "Americans have a great respect for the world's largest democracy and the U.S. are partners in trade and business affairs. Working together our two nations can build a more peaceful and prosperous world."
On Sunday, Palin will travel to Israel, where she reportedly will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss "key issues," according to a statement from her office. She follows a long list of potential candidates who have made the pilgrimage to meet with the Israeli leader.
Foreign policy has been considered a weak point for the former vice presidential nominee; her portrayal on "Saturday Night Live" saying she "could see Russia from my house" was one of the 2008 campaign's iconic moments.
Domestically, Palin has continued to limit her public appearances largely to hits on Fox cable channels and comments through social media outlets. Last week she attacked President Obama over gas prices in a Facebook posting, where she also teased readers about her future.
"2012 can't come soon enough," she closed the posting with.
But she has made targeted appearances. In February, Palin delivered a speech at a Long Island business conference. She's set to travel to Florida next week for the Naples Town Hall distinguished speakers series, an event that is open only to local reporters.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week showed Palin's favorable rating among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents had dropped to just 58%, while more than a third view her unfavorably.
An average of public polling by RealClearPolitics shows Palin ranks third in a national horserace of Republican candidates, behind former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Reporting from Washington— Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin makes two high-profile overseas stops this weekend amid continued uncertainty about the Republican's political future.
On Saturday evening, Palin will deliver the keynote address at the India Today Conclave in New Dehli, a gathering that also features Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed El Baradei and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The theme of the conclave, in its 10th year, is "The Changing Balance of Power." Palin's speech is entitled, "My Vision of America," according to the program.
"I'm very excited to visit India," Palin said in a statement to the Indian press. "Americans have a great respect for the world's largest democracy and the U.S. are partners in trade and business affairs. Working together our two nations can build a more peaceful and prosperous world."
On Sunday, Palin will travel to Israel, where she reportedly will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss "key issues," according to a statement from her office. She follows a long list of potential candidates who have made the pilgrimage to meet with the Israeli leader.
Foreign policy has been considered a weak point for the former vice presidential nominee; her portrayal on "Saturday Night Live" saying she "could see Russia from my house" was one of the 2008 campaign's iconic moments.
Domestically, Palin has continued to limit her public appearances largely to hits on Fox cable channels and comments through social media outlets. Last week she attacked President Obama over gas prices in a Facebook posting, where she also teased readers about her future.
"2012 can't come soon enough," she closed the posting with.
But she has made targeted appearances. In February, Palin delivered a speech at a Long Island business conference. She's set to travel to Florida next week for the Naples Town Hall distinguished speakers series, an event that is open only to local reporters.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week showed Palin's favorable rating among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents had dropped to just 58%, while more than a third view her unfavorably.
An average of public polling by RealClearPolitics shows Palin ranks third in a national horserace of Republican candidates, behind former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
RetroNews: 30 Sep 2002: Mayoral candidates dodge questions
In a new feature, I'm going to go back and share news articles on Sarah Palin from the first time she appeared in the news until today. (I'm hampered in some instances by the fact that some news articles are no longer available.)
These articles will chart the rise of Sarah Palin's name in the news media.
THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 30 SEP 2002
Frontiersman.com (Wasilla, AK) Mayoral candidates dodge questions
WASILLA -- When Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin dismissed deputy administrator John Cramer last month she said that Cramer was let go so the next administration could have a smooth transition when the next mayor takes control after Tuesday's election.
Whether or not there will be a smooth transition remains to be seen, but the fact that Wasilla even has a deputy administrator raises questions for Wasilla's mayoral candidates. Specifically, who would they hire as their right hand if elected, or would they consider doing away with the position?
Wasilla's charter grants broad powers to an elected mayor, which makes it a rare animal among local Alaskan governments. Besides the deputy administrator, there are seven other employees who serve at the pleasure of the mayor. They include the mayor's administrative assistant and department heads such as the police chief, city planner, public works director, finance director, library director and -- perhaps least clearly defined -- "economic development planner."
That last one is a position Palin left unfilled at times, but which is currently occupied by former Matanuska-Susitna Borough manager Don Moore. Moore is assigned the task of in-house project manager for Wasilla's $14.7 million sports arena project. This brings up another question for the candidates. What's next for the position once Moore's task is complete?
"They keep inventing positions, and I don't know how they're able to do that -- whether it's the current administration or the previous administration, they've kept inventing positions," mayoral candidate Cliff Silvers said.
Silvers is running against city council member Dianne Keller, Mat-Su Borough assembly representative Dan Kelly and former Matanuska Telephone Association executive Faye Palin.
"Economic Development planner seems to be a fancy title and we'll have to see if that's necessary or not," he said.
But Silvers does have one thing in common with the other candidates. When asked, he refused to say who he had in mind for the deputy administrator position or discuss specifics of the management structure he had in mind. All four mayoral candidates said they wouldn't make predictions about their administration until they had meetings with Wasilla's five department heads.
"That's really an unknown until you get in the door and see what's going on," Silvers said.
Assembly Representative Dan Kelly came the closest to naming a deputy administrator.
"I have someone in mind and I'm not going to disclose his name right now, but he's very qualified to help me run my administration," Kelly said. When asked, Kelly said the person he had in mind had no government experience, but when asked if his man had business experience Kelly said, "Yes, very much so."
The transition period will likely define the Kelly administration should he win.
"We will discuss the positions and the financing. I'm not going to start discharging and firing people," Kelly said.
As for a post-sports arena economic development planner, Kelly won't say whether that would be a part of his administration or not.
"It's already in the budget and we'll see about cutting the budget once we get in there, but I don't want any employee to be in fear for their job," he said.
Faye Palin pointed out that the job of deputy administrator could be done away with entirely, depending on the new mayor.
"If whoever becomes mayor has strong administrative skills that position may not be necessary," Faye Palin said. "I've talked to a number of people inside the city as to how they thought things should be organized and certainly there are as many opinions as there are people to ask."
Palin and Keller both said they had no one in mind for the deputy administrator position, and both said they would put off a decision on that position until they met with the department heads. Both said department heads would report directly to the mayor's office regardless of whether or not they hired a deputy.
"The department heads are the ones who have been there mayor-in and mayor-out and they are the ones who can help you achieve your goals," Palin said.
Keller emphasized communication and group decision making.
"When you have a team of people working on a particular issue they'll make better decisions than just one person," Keller said.
Keller also said she thought the previous administration was correct in keeping the economic development planner position flexible and that she also supported Moore on the specific job of sports arena project manager.
"I think that some flexibility is nice, but Mr. Moore definitely would be employed under Dianne Keller," she said.
These articles will chart the rise of Sarah Palin's name in the news media.
THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 30 SEP 2002
Frontiersman.com (Wasilla, AK) Mayoral candidates dodge questions
WASILLA -- When Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin dismissed deputy administrator John Cramer last month she said that Cramer was let go so the next administration could have a smooth transition when the next mayor takes control after Tuesday's election.
Whether or not there will be a smooth transition remains to be seen, but the fact that Wasilla even has a deputy administrator raises questions for Wasilla's mayoral candidates. Specifically, who would they hire as their right hand if elected, or would they consider doing away with the position?
Wasilla's charter grants broad powers to an elected mayor, which makes it a rare animal among local Alaskan governments. Besides the deputy administrator, there are seven other employees who serve at the pleasure of the mayor. They include the mayor's administrative assistant and department heads such as the police chief, city planner, public works director, finance director, library director and -- perhaps least clearly defined -- "economic development planner."
That last one is a position Palin left unfilled at times, but which is currently occupied by former Matanuska-Susitna Borough manager Don Moore. Moore is assigned the task of in-house project manager for Wasilla's $14.7 million sports arena project. This brings up another question for the candidates. What's next for the position once Moore's task is complete?
"They keep inventing positions, and I don't know how they're able to do that -- whether it's the current administration or the previous administration, they've kept inventing positions," mayoral candidate Cliff Silvers said.
Silvers is running against city council member Dianne Keller, Mat-Su Borough assembly representative Dan Kelly and former Matanuska Telephone Association executive Faye Palin.
"Economic Development planner seems to be a fancy title and we'll have to see if that's necessary or not," he said.
But Silvers does have one thing in common with the other candidates. When asked, he refused to say who he had in mind for the deputy administrator position or discuss specifics of the management structure he had in mind. All four mayoral candidates said they wouldn't make predictions about their administration until they had meetings with Wasilla's five department heads.
"That's really an unknown until you get in the door and see what's going on," Silvers said.
Assembly Representative Dan Kelly came the closest to naming a deputy administrator.
"I have someone in mind and I'm not going to disclose his name right now, but he's very qualified to help me run my administration," Kelly said. When asked, Kelly said the person he had in mind had no government experience, but when asked if his man had business experience Kelly said, "Yes, very much so."
The transition period will likely define the Kelly administration should he win.
"We will discuss the positions and the financing. I'm not going to start discharging and firing people," Kelly said.
As for a post-sports arena economic development planner, Kelly won't say whether that would be a part of his administration or not.
"It's already in the budget and we'll see about cutting the budget once we get in there, but I don't want any employee to be in fear for their job," he said.
Faye Palin pointed out that the job of deputy administrator could be done away with entirely, depending on the new mayor.
"If whoever becomes mayor has strong administrative skills that position may not be necessary," Faye Palin said. "I've talked to a number of people inside the city as to how they thought things should be organized and certainly there are as many opinions as there are people to ask."
Palin and Keller both said they had no one in mind for the deputy administrator position, and both said they would put off a decision on that position until they met with the department heads. Both said department heads would report directly to the mayor's office regardless of whether or not they hired a deputy.
"The department heads are the ones who have been there mayor-in and mayor-out and they are the ones who can help you achieve your goals," Palin said.
Keller emphasized communication and group decision making.
"When you have a team of people working on a particular issue they'll make better decisions than just one person," Keller said.
Keller also said she thought the previous administration was correct in keeping the economic development planner position flexible and that she also supported Moore on the specific job of sports arena project manager.
"I think that some flexibility is nice, but Mr. Moore definitely would be employed under Dianne Keller," she said.
Huffpost Politics: Politics Daily: Palin Seen More Negatively by Republicans Than Other Possible 2012 Candidates, Poll Finds
Huffpost Politics: Politics Daily: Palin Seen More Negatively by Republicans Than Other Possible 2012 Candidates, Poll Finds
If Sarah Palin is seriously considering a run for president in 2012, the latest poll on her standing among Republican candidates contains the same kind of bad news found in earlier surveys.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll, conducted March 10-13, found that among eight frequently mentioned candidates, Palin was viewed negatively by a significantly higher percentage of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents than the others. (Story; Poll data).
While 58 percent expressed a favorable view of her, those seeing her unfavorably added up to 37 percent. That's a jump from a year ago when the number of those seeing her unfavorably was 30 percent.
The only other potential candidate who came close was Newt Gingrich, who was see unfavorably by 26 percent.
Palin's 37 percent unfavorable number included those who had "somewhat" or "strongly" unfavorable opinions. Seventeen percent had a strongly unfavorable view of Palin, while all the other Republicans were in single digits in that column.
Mike Huckabee was the most popular in the poll, with 61 percent seeing him favorably and 18 percent unfavorably. Mitt Romney was next, with 60 percent seeing him favorably and 21 percent unfavorably.
The numbers for Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman and Mitch Daniels don't mean much because 57 percent or more of those surveyed in each case didn't know enough to have an opinion.
A Bloomberg poll, conducted March 4-7 among all adults and not just Republicans, found 60 percent with a negative opinion of Palin.
When the Washington Post/ABC News poll of all adults conducted last December asked respondents whether they would support Palin for president or even consider it, 59 percent said they would not.
If Sarah Palin is seriously considering a run for president in 2012, the latest poll on her standing among Republican candidates contains the same kind of bad news found in earlier surveys.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll, conducted March 10-13, found that among eight frequently mentioned candidates, Palin was viewed negatively by a significantly higher percentage of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents than the others. (Story; Poll data).
While 58 percent expressed a favorable view of her, those seeing her unfavorably added up to 37 percent. That's a jump from a year ago when the number of those seeing her unfavorably was 30 percent.
The only other potential candidate who came close was Newt Gingrich, who was see unfavorably by 26 percent.
Palin's 37 percent unfavorable number included those who had "somewhat" or "strongly" unfavorable opinions. Seventeen percent had a strongly unfavorable view of Palin, while all the other Republicans were in single digits in that column.
Mike Huckabee was the most popular in the poll, with 61 percent seeing him favorably and 18 percent unfavorably. Mitt Romney was next, with 60 percent seeing him favorably and 21 percent unfavorably.
The numbers for Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman and Mitch Daniels don't mean much because 57 percent or more of those surveyed in each case didn't know enough to have an opinion.
A Bloomberg poll, conducted March 4-7 among all adults and not just Republicans, found 60 percent with a negative opinion of Palin.
When the Washington Post/ABC News poll of all adults conducted last December asked respondents whether they would support Palin for president or even consider it, 59 percent said they would not.
RetroNews: 6 October 1999: PALIN WINS RE-ELECTION IN WASILLA
Retro News feature - charting Sarah Palin's name in the news.
Retro News: 6 October 1999
Anchorage Daily News: PALIN WINS RE-ELECTION IN WASILLA Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin was overwhelmingly elected to a second three-year term over challenger John Stein on Tuesday, while Matanuska-Susitna Borough residents gave thumbs down to zoning.
Palin defeated Stein, who had sought to regain the seat he lost three years ago, by a vote of 826 to 255 with all precincts counted. Cliff Silvers, a third candidate, received few votes. About 200 absentee and questioned ballots remain to be counted in Wasilla.
Retro News: 6 October 1999
Anchorage Daily News: PALIN WINS RE-ELECTION IN WASILLA Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin was overwhelmingly elected to a second three-year term over challenger John Stein on Tuesday, while Matanuska-Susitna Borough residents gave thumbs down to zoning.
Palin defeated Stein, who had sought to regain the seat he lost three years ago, by a vote of 826 to 255 with all precincts counted. Cliff Silvers, a third candidate, received few votes. About 200 absentee and questioned ballots remain to be counted in Wasilla.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Politicons: Sarah Palin: The $4-Per-Gallon President
Politicons: Sarah Palin: The $4-Per-Gallon President
Sarah Palin’s latest Facebook posting:
Is it really any surprise that oil and gas prices are surging toward the record highs we saw in 2008 just prior to the economic collapse? Despite the President’s strange assertions in his press conference last week, his Administration is not a passive observer to the trends that have inflated oil prices to dangerous levels. His war on domestic oil and gas exploration and production has caused us pain at the pump, endangered our already sluggish economic recovery, and threatened our national security.
The evidence of the President’s anti-drilling mentality and his culpability in the high gas prices hurting Americans is there for all to see. The following is not even an exhaustive list:
Exhibit A: His drilling moratorium. Guided by politics and pure emotion following the Gulf spill instead of peer-reviewed science or defensible law, the President used the power of his executive order to impose a deepwater drilling moratorium. The Administration even ignored a court order halting his moratorium. And what is the net result of the President’s (in)actions? A large drilling company was forced to declare bankruptcy, the economy of the region has been hobbled, and at least 7 rigs moved out of the Gulf area to other parts of the world while many others remain idle. Is it any surprise that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to fall by 240,000 bbl/d in 2011 alone?
But that’s just the Gulf. There’s also the question of a moratorium on the development of Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf. It seems the Obama Administration can’t agree with itself on whether it imposed a moratorium there or not. The White House claims that they didn’t, but their own Department of the Interior let slip that they did. To clear up this mess, Gov. Parnell decided to sue the DOI to get a solid answer because such a federal OCS drilling moratorium would violate federal law.
Exhibit B: His 2012 budget. The President used his 2012 budget to propose the elimination of several vital oil and natural gas production tax incentives. Eliminating these incentives will discourage energy companies from completing exploratory projects, resulting in higher energy costs for all Americans – and not just at the pump. According to one study mentioned in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, eliminating the deduction for drilling costs “could increase natural gas prices by 50 cents per thousand cubic feet,” which would translate to “an increased cost to consumers of $11.5 billion per year in the form of higher natural gas prices.”
Exhibit C: His anti-drilling regulatory policies. The U.S. Geological Survey found that the area north of the Arctic Circle has an estimated 90 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas, one third of which is in Alaskan territory. That’s our next Prudhoe Bay right there. According to one industry study, allowing Royal Dutch Shell to tap these reserves in Alaska’s Chukchi and Beaufort seas would create an annual average of 54,700 jobs nationwide with a $145 billion total payroll and generate an additional $193 billion a year in total revenues to local, state, and federal governments for 50 years. This would be great news if only the federal government would allow Shell to drill there. But it won’t. It’s been five years since Shell purchased the lease to develop these fields, but it’s been mired in a regulatory funk courtesy of the Obama Administration. After investing $3.5 billion in exploration programs (a significant portion of which went to ensuring responsible spill response and prevention), Shell announced last month that it has given up hope of obtaining the required permits to conduct exploratory drilling this year. That means no jobs and no billions in oil revenue from the Arctic anytime soon thanks to this Administration. Let’s stop and think about this for a moment. Right now Beltway politicos are quibbling over cutting $61 billion from our dangerously bloated $3.7 trillion budget. Allowing drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas will enrich federal coffers by $167 billion a year without raising our taxes. If we let Harry Reid keep his “cowboy poetry,” would the White House consider letting us drill?
Taken altogether, it’s hard to deny that the Obama Administration is anti-drilling. The President may try to suggest that the rise in oil prices has nothing to do with him, but the American people won’t be fooled. Before we saw any protests in the Middle East, increased global demand led to a significant rise in oil prices; but the White House stood idly by watching the prices go up and allowing America to remain increasingly dependent on imports from foreign regimes in dangerously unstable parts of the world.
This was no accident. Through a process of what candidate Obama once called “gradual adjustment,” American consumers have seen prices at the pump rise 67 percent since he took office. Let’s not forget that in September 2008, candidate Obama’s Energy Secretary in-waiting said: “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” That’s one campaign promise they’re working hard to fulfill! Last week, the British Telegraph reported that the price of petrol in the UK hit $9.6 a gallon – which comes to about $9.70. If you think $4 a gallon is bad now, just wait till the next crisis causes oil prices to “necessarily” skyrocket. Meanwhile, the vast undeveloped reserves that could help to keep prices at the pump affordable remain locked up because of President Obama’s deliberate unwillingness to drill here and drill now.
Hitting the American people with higher gas prices like this is essentially a hidden tax and a transfer of wealth to foreign regimes who are providing us the energy we refuse to provide for ourselves. Like inflation, higher energy prices are a hidden tax on Americans who are struggling to make ends meet. And these high gas prices will be felt in the form of higher food prices due to higher transportation costs. Energy is connected to everything in our economy. Access to affordable and secure energy is key to economic growth, which in turn is key to job growth. Energy is the building block of our economy. The President is purposely weakening that building block and weakening our country.
2012 can’t come soon enough.
Sarah Palin’s latest Facebook posting:
Is it really any surprise that oil and gas prices are surging toward the record highs we saw in 2008 just prior to the economic collapse? Despite the President’s strange assertions in his press conference last week, his Administration is not a passive observer to the trends that have inflated oil prices to dangerous levels. His war on domestic oil and gas exploration and production has caused us pain at the pump, endangered our already sluggish economic recovery, and threatened our national security.
The evidence of the President’s anti-drilling mentality and his culpability in the high gas prices hurting Americans is there for all to see. The following is not even an exhaustive list:
Exhibit A: His drilling moratorium. Guided by politics and pure emotion following the Gulf spill instead of peer-reviewed science or defensible law, the President used the power of his executive order to impose a deepwater drilling moratorium. The Administration even ignored a court order halting his moratorium. And what is the net result of the President’s (in)actions? A large drilling company was forced to declare bankruptcy, the economy of the region has been hobbled, and at least 7 rigs moved out of the Gulf area to other parts of the world while many others remain idle. Is it any surprise that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to fall by 240,000 bbl/d in 2011 alone?
But that’s just the Gulf. There’s also the question of a moratorium on the development of Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf. It seems the Obama Administration can’t agree with itself on whether it imposed a moratorium there or not. The White House claims that they didn’t, but their own Department of the Interior let slip that they did. To clear up this mess, Gov. Parnell decided to sue the DOI to get a solid answer because such a federal OCS drilling moratorium would violate federal law.
Exhibit B: His 2012 budget. The President used his 2012 budget to propose the elimination of several vital oil and natural gas production tax incentives. Eliminating these incentives will discourage energy companies from completing exploratory projects, resulting in higher energy costs for all Americans – and not just at the pump. According to one study mentioned in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, eliminating the deduction for drilling costs “could increase natural gas prices by 50 cents per thousand cubic feet,” which would translate to “an increased cost to consumers of $11.5 billion per year in the form of higher natural gas prices.”
Exhibit C: His anti-drilling regulatory policies. The U.S. Geological Survey found that the area north of the Arctic Circle has an estimated 90 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas, one third of which is in Alaskan territory. That’s our next Prudhoe Bay right there. According to one industry study, allowing Royal Dutch Shell to tap these reserves in Alaska’s Chukchi and Beaufort seas would create an annual average of 54,700 jobs nationwide with a $145 billion total payroll and generate an additional $193 billion a year in total revenues to local, state, and federal governments for 50 years. This would be great news if only the federal government would allow Shell to drill there. But it won’t. It’s been five years since Shell purchased the lease to develop these fields, but it’s been mired in a regulatory funk courtesy of the Obama Administration. After investing $3.5 billion in exploration programs (a significant portion of which went to ensuring responsible spill response and prevention), Shell announced last month that it has given up hope of obtaining the required permits to conduct exploratory drilling this year. That means no jobs and no billions in oil revenue from the Arctic anytime soon thanks to this Administration. Let’s stop and think about this for a moment. Right now Beltway politicos are quibbling over cutting $61 billion from our dangerously bloated $3.7 trillion budget. Allowing drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas will enrich federal coffers by $167 billion a year without raising our taxes. If we let Harry Reid keep his “cowboy poetry,” would the White House consider letting us drill?
Taken altogether, it’s hard to deny that the Obama Administration is anti-drilling. The President may try to suggest that the rise in oil prices has nothing to do with him, but the American people won’t be fooled. Before we saw any protests in the Middle East, increased global demand led to a significant rise in oil prices; but the White House stood idly by watching the prices go up and allowing America to remain increasingly dependent on imports from foreign regimes in dangerously unstable parts of the world.
This was no accident. Through a process of what candidate Obama once called “gradual adjustment,” American consumers have seen prices at the pump rise 67 percent since he took office. Let’s not forget that in September 2008, candidate Obama’s Energy Secretary in-waiting said: “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” That’s one campaign promise they’re working hard to fulfill! Last week, the British Telegraph reported that the price of petrol in the UK hit $9.6 a gallon – which comes to about $9.70. If you think $4 a gallon is bad now, just wait till the next crisis causes oil prices to “necessarily” skyrocket. Meanwhile, the vast undeveloped reserves that could help to keep prices at the pump affordable remain locked up because of President Obama’s deliberate unwillingness to drill here and drill now.
Hitting the American people with higher gas prices like this is essentially a hidden tax and a transfer of wealth to foreign regimes who are providing us the energy we refuse to provide for ourselves. Like inflation, higher energy prices are a hidden tax on Americans who are struggling to make ends meet. And these high gas prices will be felt in the form of higher food prices due to higher transportation costs. Energy is connected to everything in our economy. Access to affordable and secure energy is key to economic growth, which in turn is key to job growth. Energy is the building block of our economy. The President is purposely weakening that building block and weakening our country.
2012 can’t come soon enough.
Al Sharpton Suggests Republicans Have 'Lost Control' Of Sarah Palin
Huffington Post: Al Sharpton Suggests Republicans Have 'Lost Control' Of Sarah Palin
On the heels of being linked to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, Reverend Al Sharpton spoke to New York Magazine's Daily Intel blog about the comparison made by Weekly Standard writer Matt Labash in remarks published by Politico on Monday.
Labash suggested that Palin is "becoming Al Sharpton, Alaska edition" as a result of her "appeals to victimhood and group grievance." He said the only difference between the two is "she wears naughty-librarian glasses instead of a James Brown 'do." The larger piece from Politico examined criticism of Palin coming from within the conservative community.
The Daily Intel relays what Sharpton had to say in the wake of the comparison:
Reverend Al, for his part, says he refuses to be baited into getting offended. Instead, he tells us, "I would look at it with some curiosity, but it's a funny circumstance to see them in. A lot of the establishment in the civil rights community didn't know what to make of me [either]."
Sharpton reportedly suggested the question that remains is whether Republicans are attempting to distance themselves from Palin "and therefore remove themselves from somebody they have lost control over."
Labash told Politico, "The appeal of conservatism is supposed to be people taking responsibility for their own actions."
Palin is currently mulling a presidential campaign for the next election cycle. She recently said she could be expected to make her plans known for 2012 in the upcoming months. It remains to be seen how criticism coming from the right could affect the former governor's political ambitions.
On the heels of being linked to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, Reverend Al Sharpton spoke to New York Magazine's Daily Intel blog about the comparison made by Weekly Standard writer Matt Labash in remarks published by Politico on Monday.
Labash suggested that Palin is "becoming Al Sharpton, Alaska edition" as a result of her "appeals to victimhood and group grievance." He said the only difference between the two is "she wears naughty-librarian glasses instead of a James Brown 'do." The larger piece from Politico examined criticism of Palin coming from within the conservative community.
The Daily Intel relays what Sharpton had to say in the wake of the comparison:
Reverend Al, for his part, says he refuses to be baited into getting offended. Instead, he tells us, "I would look at it with some curiosity, but it's a funny circumstance to see them in. A lot of the establishment in the civil rights community didn't know what to make of me [either]."
Sharpton reportedly suggested the question that remains is whether Republicans are attempting to distance themselves from Palin "and therefore remove themselves from somebody they have lost control over."
Labash told Politico, "The appeal of conservatism is supposed to be people taking responsibility for their own actions."
Palin is currently mulling a presidential campaign for the next election cycle. She recently said she could be expected to make her plans known for 2012 in the upcoming months. It remains to be seen how criticism coming from the right could affect the former governor's political ambitions.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Opposing Views: Snubbed: Sarah Palin Left Off Newsweek's "Women" List
Opposing Views: Snubbed: Sarah Palin Left Off Newsweek's "Women" List
The current issue of Newsweek is dedicated to "150 Women Who Shake the World.' The usual suspects are on the list -- Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, German Prime Minister Angela Merkel. Then there are several entertainers noted for their charity works -- Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Shakira, Meryl Streep.
There is one name noticeably absent -- Sarah Palin.
Agree or disagree with Palin's views, she is certainly a force in our national dialogue. The mere title of the piece warrants Palin's inclusion on the list. She can't open her mouth without the entire world "shaking." Everything she says or does is closely watched and reported by the media ad nauseam. If she is not earth-shaking, who is?
Palin deserved to be on the list more than many of the women who did make it.
Dara Torres? The best Newsweek could come up with in her tiny blurb was "wins Olympic gold again and again." How does that shake the world?
Gabrielle Giffords? Her story is tragic and everyone wishes her a fully and speedy recovery, but with all due respect and not to be insensitive, she was just an anonymous Congresswoman before being shot. What did she really do to shake the world? The same could be said for CBS News reporter Lara Logan, who likely would not have made the list had she not been beaten in Egypt.
Amy Chua? Newsweek points out that she is "an expert on globalization and ethnic strife," but really, she would not be on the list if she didn't write that "Tiger Mom" book that shook the world for about a minute and was quickly forgotten.
Palin has far more impact on the world than these and dozens of other women on the list. Why was she not on it?
The answer could be a simple one -- controversial editor Tina Brown. The troubled Newsweek (it was sold last year for $1 -- plus $47 million of its debt) recently joined forces with Brown's The Daily Beast. This is the first Newsweek issue with Brown as editor-in-chief. Brown has been critical of Palin in the past.
When she resigned as Alaska governor in 2009, Brown wrote on The Daily Beast:
Perhaps it’s time to stop analyzing Sarah Palin as a politician. Maybe, in her own muddled way, she is at last owning up to the fact that she has been miscast. You don’t need politics anymore once you’ve discovered that the alchemy of celebrity has turned you into a 24-carat phenomenon.
According to the conservative Web site Newsbusters, in April 2010 Brown said the following about Palin on MSNBC:
"I mean, I feel that when Sarah Palin is really talking to these tea party movements, she's not really talking to them as members of true believers in a political movement. She's talking to them as consumers. I mean, this is her market, her audience. It's not really about politics for her. It's really about celebrity. It's pretending to be politics. That's how I read Sarah Palin. I think she's created a new kind of celebrity."
So it is clear that Brown is no fan of Palin's, and perhaps this is why she was left off of the list. But Newsweek is supposed to be an unbiased news magazine, not a forum for Tina Brown's opinions. If this is the way Brown will be running things from now on, a once-proud magazine has dark days ahead.
The current issue of Newsweek is dedicated to "150 Women Who Shake the World.' The usual suspects are on the list -- Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, German Prime Minister Angela Merkel. Then there are several entertainers noted for their charity works -- Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Shakira, Meryl Streep.
There is one name noticeably absent -- Sarah Palin.
Agree or disagree with Palin's views, she is certainly a force in our national dialogue. The mere title of the piece warrants Palin's inclusion on the list. She can't open her mouth without the entire world "shaking." Everything she says or does is closely watched and reported by the media ad nauseam. If she is not earth-shaking, who is?
Palin deserved to be on the list more than many of the women who did make it.
Dara Torres? The best Newsweek could come up with in her tiny blurb was "wins Olympic gold again and again." How does that shake the world?
Gabrielle Giffords? Her story is tragic and everyone wishes her a fully and speedy recovery, but with all due respect and not to be insensitive, she was just an anonymous Congresswoman before being shot. What did she really do to shake the world? The same could be said for CBS News reporter Lara Logan, who likely would not have made the list had she not been beaten in Egypt.
Amy Chua? Newsweek points out that she is "an expert on globalization and ethnic strife," but really, she would not be on the list if she didn't write that "Tiger Mom" book that shook the world for about a minute and was quickly forgotten.
Palin has far more impact on the world than these and dozens of other women on the list. Why was she not on it?
The answer could be a simple one -- controversial editor Tina Brown. The troubled Newsweek (it was sold last year for $1 -- plus $47 million of its debt) recently joined forces with Brown's The Daily Beast. This is the first Newsweek issue with Brown as editor-in-chief. Brown has been critical of Palin in the past.
When she resigned as Alaska governor in 2009, Brown wrote on The Daily Beast:
Perhaps it’s time to stop analyzing Sarah Palin as a politician. Maybe, in her own muddled way, she is at last owning up to the fact that she has been miscast. You don’t need politics anymore once you’ve discovered that the alchemy of celebrity has turned you into a 24-carat phenomenon.
According to the conservative Web site Newsbusters, in April 2010 Brown said the following about Palin on MSNBC:
"I mean, I feel that when Sarah Palin is really talking to these tea party movements, she's not really talking to them as members of true believers in a political movement. She's talking to them as consumers. I mean, this is her market, her audience. It's not really about politics for her. It's really about celebrity. It's pretending to be politics. That's how I read Sarah Palin. I think she's created a new kind of celebrity."
So it is clear that Brown is no fan of Palin's, and perhaps this is why she was left off of the list. But Newsweek is supposed to be an unbiased news magazine, not a forum for Tina Brown's opinions. If this is the way Brown will be running things from now on, a once-proud magazine has dark days ahead.
Daily Kos: Shocker: Sarah Palin made VP short list because of gender
Daily Kos: Shocker: Sarah Palin made VP short list because of gender
Regardless of what you think of McCain's choice and the reason for it, the fact remains that the process of choosing a Vice President really needs to be changed. Having a whole 2 months, or however long it is, to choose a VP candidate is not long enough - too much vetting needs to be done.
Ben Smith at Politico reports the "no duh" story of the century:
Aides to John McCain initially added Sarah Palin to his "short list" of potential running mates because McCain wanted a woman on the list, according to his campaign manager.
Of course John McCain's despicably cynical "let's put a chick on the ticket" move to appeal to dismayed Clinton supporters was plainly transparent from day one. And that was before the world discovered, 2.3 seconds after the announcement of her selection, what a disastrous choice she really was.
Still, it's amusing to have this confirmed by one of the seemingly endless McCain aides who apparently never tire of letting it be known how little they all thought of Palin.
The only question now, of course, is whether Palin go all Mama Grizzly on McCain and his former aides for valuing her anatomy more than her, er, "résumé."
Regardless of what you think of McCain's choice and the reason for it, the fact remains that the process of choosing a Vice President really needs to be changed. Having a whole 2 months, or however long it is, to choose a VP candidate is not long enough - too much vetting needs to be done.
Salon: Roger Ailes told Sarah Palin not to make Tucson tragedy about her
[Note - if someone accused me of being responsible for an attempt at mass murder, I'd take that a bit personally and feel it was all about me, too!]
Opinon piece - Salon War Room: Roger Ailes told Sarah Palin not to make Tucson tragedy about her
And, shockingly, she didn't listen
Opinon piece - Salon War Room: Roger Ailes told Sarah Palin not to make Tucson tragedy about her
And, shockingly, she didn't listen
Fox News head Roger Ailes has grown slightly mad in his paranoid old age, but he is still a pro when it comes to advising political candidates on media manipulation. Sarah Palin, currently an employee of his, is apparently treating him the way she treats all of her experienced campaign advisers: Ignoring his very good advice.
After the Tucson massacre, when, in Sarah Palin's imagination, people were accusing her of literally murdering everyone with word-bullets, Ailes advised the former governor to "lie low." Instead she released a weird video statement in which she accused the liberal media of committing "blood libel" against her.
Ailes was not pleased with her decision, which turned out to be a political debacle for Palin, especially her use of the historically loaded term "blood libel" to describe the actions of the media. “The Tucson thing was horrible,” said a person familiar with Ailes’s thinking. "Before she responded, she was making herself look like a victim. She was winning. She went out and did the blood libel thing, and Roger is thinking, 'Why did you call me for advice?'”
This is according to a New York Magazine item. The primary source of the item is someone in Ailes' "camp" (because Sarah Palin's camp only pitches gossip to Ketchikan Magazine) which means you could take it as something of a warning from Ailes to the woman he's currently paying very well. Fox suspended Gingrich and Santorum for too obviously running for president, while sparing Palin and Huckabee. But they could be next, if they don't stay in line!
Alex Pareene writes about politics for Salon.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The TV Column: HBO announces new McCain/Palin film, ‘Game Change’
The Washington Post: The TV Column: HBO announces new McCain/Palin film, ‘Game Change’
Julianne Moore is going to play Sarah Palin in HBO’s new flick about Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.
You might know Moore from her co-starring role in the Oscar-nominated flick “The Kids Are All Right” (she has also starred in films such as “A Single Man” and “An Ideal Husband”). On TV, Moore played Nancy Donovan — high school crush of NBC suit Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) — on NBC’s “30 Rock.”
“Game Change,” based on Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s 2010 book about the 2008 elections, follows the Arizona senator’s presidential bid from the time of his selection of then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate to their November defeat.
The project reunites members of the team behind HBO’s flick “Recount,” which was about the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election. Danny Strong, who wrote “Recount,” has written the “Game Change” script. And Jay Roach, “Recount” director, also will direct “Game Change.”
Julianne Moore is going to play Sarah Palin in HBO’s new flick about Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.
You might know Moore from her co-starring role in the Oscar-nominated flick “The Kids Are All Right” (she has also starred in films such as “A Single Man” and “An Ideal Husband”). On TV, Moore played Nancy Donovan — high school crush of NBC suit Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) — on NBC’s “30 Rock.”
“Game Change,” based on Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s 2010 book about the 2008 elections, follows the Arizona senator’s presidential bid from the time of his selection of then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate to their November defeat.
The project reunites members of the team behind HBO’s flick “Recount,” which was about the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election. Danny Strong, who wrote “Recount,” has written the “Game Change” script. And Jay Roach, “Recount” director, also will direct “Game Change.”
Friday, March 11, 2011
11 Mar 2011: Palin Says Rhetoric From Wisconsin 'Union Bosses' Will Get People Hurt
TPM DC: Palin Says Rhetoric From Wisconsin 'Union Bosses' Will Get People Hurt
During an appearance Thursday night on Sean Hannity's TV show, Sarah Palin had a warning about the protests going on against the bill just signed by Gov. Scott Walker's (R-WI) to curtail public employee unions -- saying that unions should "tone down the rhetoric" against the bill, because it will result in people getting hurt.
Hannity and Palin discussed the death threat delivered to the Republican state Senators, which the state is currently investigating. Hannity said: And as soon as cuts start being made, we see there the violent rhetoric, the threats, this reaction. Do you think we're gonna see a lot of more of this? In other words, is this the beginning of things to come?"
"Well, these union bosses that are acting like thugs, as they are leading some of their good union members down a road that will ultimately result in, unfortunately, somebody getting hurt," Palin said, "if you believe the death threats that are being received by those who just happen to support amending some collective bargaining privileges of state unions. Well, it is these unions bosses' responsibility to turn down the rhetoric and start getting truth out there, so that nobody gets hurt."
This is, of course, the same Palin who just two months ago responded to controversies over the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), and accusations that heated political rhetoric from herself and others may have contributed to it, as "blood libel."
[Video at the original page not shared]
Remember also, the words posted on Palin's Facebook account at the time of the Giffords shooting:
President Reagan said, "We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions." Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election.
During an appearance Thursday night on Sean Hannity's TV show, Sarah Palin had a warning about the protests going on against the bill just signed by Gov. Scott Walker's (R-WI) to curtail public employee unions -- saying that unions should "tone down the rhetoric" against the bill, because it will result in people getting hurt.
Hannity and Palin discussed the death threat delivered to the Republican state Senators, which the state is currently investigating. Hannity said: And as soon as cuts start being made, we see there the violent rhetoric, the threats, this reaction. Do you think we're gonna see a lot of more of this? In other words, is this the beginning of things to come?"
"Well, these union bosses that are acting like thugs, as they are leading some of their good union members down a road that will ultimately result in, unfortunately, somebody getting hurt," Palin said, "if you believe the death threats that are being received by those who just happen to support amending some collective bargaining privileges of state unions. Well, it is these unions bosses' responsibility to turn down the rhetoric and start getting truth out there, so that nobody gets hurt."
This is, of course, the same Palin who just two months ago responded to controversies over the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), and accusations that heated political rhetoric from herself and others may have contributed to it, as "blood libel."
[Video at the original page not shared]
Remember also, the words posted on Palin's Facebook account at the time of the Giffords shooting:
President Reagan said, "We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions." Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sarah Palin On 2012: "You Run the Race To Win The Race"
Blogs.AbC News. The Note: Sarah Palin On 2012: "You Run the Race To Win The Race"
ABC News' Mary Bruce reports:
Continuing the “will she or won’t she” speculation about a possible 2012 presidential run, Sarah Palin told the BBC this weekend that she has not decided if she will run for the White House but that “you run the race to win the race. That's for sure."
As the field of 2012 GOP candidates narrows, Palin seems no closer to making a decision. On Friday the 2008 vice presidential nominee told Fox Business News that she is still “months away” from a decision.
“I still think it’s months away before people need to be lining up and making announcements as to what to do. In the meantime, you know, I’m gonna keep chiming in on the issues that are important in this day,” she said.
Unlike fellow Fox contributors Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, whose contracts with Fox were put on hold last week because they are openly flirting with a 2012 run, Palin remains on the Fox payroll, for now.
Palin told the BBC that in making her decision she is considering “will the American electorate be ready for someone a bit unconventional in terms of a candidate, who will call it likes she sees it and who will not be beholden to special interests or such obsessive partisanship as to let the political machine get in the way. Just doing what’s right for voters.”
The former Alaska governor also made clear that money was a definite factor in her decision. "Obama has already said, you know, he’s going to rake in and spend a billion dollars on this race, money is certainly going to be a consideration,” she told the BBC.
ABC News' Mary Bruce reports:
Continuing the “will she or won’t she” speculation about a possible 2012 presidential run, Sarah Palin told the BBC this weekend that she has not decided if she will run for the White House but that “you run the race to win the race. That's for sure."
As the field of 2012 GOP candidates narrows, Palin seems no closer to making a decision. On Friday the 2008 vice presidential nominee told Fox Business News that she is still “months away” from a decision.
“I still think it’s months away before people need to be lining up and making announcements as to what to do. In the meantime, you know, I’m gonna keep chiming in on the issues that are important in this day,” she said.
Unlike fellow Fox contributors Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, whose contracts with Fox were put on hold last week because they are openly flirting with a 2012 run, Palin remains on the Fox payroll, for now.
Palin told the BBC that in making her decision she is considering “will the American electorate be ready for someone a bit unconventional in terms of a candidate, who will call it likes she sees it and who will not be beholden to special interests or such obsessive partisanship as to let the political machine get in the way. Just doing what’s right for voters.”
The former Alaska governor also made clear that money was a definite factor in her decision. "Obama has already said, you know, he’s going to rake in and spend a billion dollars on this race, money is certainly going to be a consideration,” she told the BBC.
Sarah Palin Slams Kathy Griffin: She Is a 50-Year-Old Bully
Fox News: Sarah Palin Slams Kathy Griffin: She Is a 50-Year-Old Bully
After months of Kathy Griffin’s relentless attacks on her family, Sarah Palin fired back at the comedienne this weekend, calling her a “50-year-old bully.”
Last month, TVLine reported that Griffin would play a Tea Party-candidate mom on the hit show “Glee,” reportedly inspired by Palin. The news followed months of relentless jabs from Griffin at the Palin family, including labeling daughter Bristol “the white Precious” and making several appearances with Bristol’s ex, Levi Johnston.
Earlier this year, Griffin vowed to go after 16-year-old Willow Palin, telling the Hollywood Reporter, “I’ve already gone for Sarah, Todd and Bristol, obviously. But I think it’s Willow’s year to go down.”
But Palin apparently had enough of the taunts, telling Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro that she has gone “too far.”
"You know, Kathy Griffin can do anything to me or say anything about me, because you know… she's a 50-year-old adult bully, really is what she is," Palin said. "She can do those things to me… I would just ask for respect of my children. As she had stated on CNN that her New Year's resolution was to destroy my 16-year-old daughter, that takes it a little too far.”
“Kathy pick on me, come up to Alaska and pick on me, but leave my kids alone,” Palin added.
Bristol, 20, also brushed off Griffin’s attacks on her weight last year, for which Griffin was booed at the VH1 Divas Salute to the Troops in December.
“The audience's reaction to this ‘comedian’ spoke volumes, and the decent people I know would probably have booed her, too,” Palin told Pop Tarts in an exclusive statement. “I hope people didn't have to pay money to hear her negativity and criticisms.”
Friday, March 4, 2011
Iowa GOP chief: 'Risky' for Palin to ignore Iowa
Iowa GOP chief: 'Risky' for Palin to ignore Iowa
WASHINGTON — The Iowa Republican Party chairman said Thursday that if Sarah Palin seeks the presidency, she shouldn't think she can win the GOP nomination without seriously participating in the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Matthew Strawn said Iowa caucus-goers do not want to be taken for granted and that they demand to meet — and be wooed by — presidential hopefuls. He said Iowans cherish their role in asking the tough questions at town halls, coffee shops and farm co-ops — and will punish candidates who ignore them.
"I don't know why you'd want to take yourself out of the national conversation by not participating in Iowa," Strawn said, suggesting voters would sour on any nominee who ignored the state in the nominating process. "I don't think you can write off Iowa's electoral votes if you're the nominee."
Palin advisers have suggested her national profile could allow her to enter the race late, perhaps in the fall, and still run a serious campaign.
Her platform of Fox News Channel has helped introduce her to the social conservatives who dominate Iowa's caucuses, and her non-traditional political style has thus far favored Facebook posts and Twitter messages over town halls or speeches.
"History would suggest that's a very risky strategy," Strawn said.
"One thing Iowans don't want to be is taken for granted," he said. "If you want the votes of the Iowa caucus-goers, you need to be in Iowa asking for them."
WASHINGTON — The Iowa Republican Party chairman said Thursday that if Sarah Palin seeks the presidency, she shouldn't think she can win the GOP nomination without seriously participating in the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Matthew Strawn said Iowa caucus-goers do not want to be taken for granted and that they demand to meet — and be wooed by — presidential hopefuls. He said Iowans cherish their role in asking the tough questions at town halls, coffee shops and farm co-ops — and will punish candidates who ignore them.
"I don't know why you'd want to take yourself out of the national conversation by not participating in Iowa," Strawn said, suggesting voters would sour on any nominee who ignored the state in the nominating process. "I don't think you can write off Iowa's electoral votes if you're the nominee."
Palin advisers have suggested her national profile could allow her to enter the race late, perhaps in the fall, and still run a serious campaign.
Her platform of Fox News Channel has helped introduce her to the social conservatives who dominate Iowa's caucuses, and her non-traditional political style has thus far favored Facebook posts and Twitter messages over town halls or speeches.
"History would suggest that's a very risky strategy," Strawn said.
"One thing Iowans don't want to be is taken for granted," he said. "If you want the votes of the Iowa caucus-goers, you need to be in Iowa asking for them."
Sarah Palin: Westboro Baptist Church Ruling A Decision I Support
Huffington Post: Sarah Palin: Westboro Baptist Church Ruling A Decision I Support
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin clarified a response she offered to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold an appeals court ruling that protesting outside military funerals is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The high court voted 8-1 in favor of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church on Wednesday.
Just hours after the ruling was struck down, Palin took to Twitter and wrote, "Common sense & decency absent as wacko "church" allowed hate msgs spewed@ soldiers' funerals but we can't invoke God's name in public square."
Palin sought to clarify her remarks in an exclusive statement issued to the Daily Caller. She signaled she agrees with the decision of the Supreme Court.
"Obviously my comment meant that when we're told we can't say 'God bless you' in graduation speeches or pray before a local football game but these wackos can invoke God's name in their hate speech while picketing our military funerals, it shows ridiculous inconsistency," Palin told TheDC. "I wasn't calling for any limit on free speech, and it's a shame some folks tried to twist my comment in that way. I was simply pointing out the irony of an often selective interpretation of free speech rights."
The court voted 8-1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The decision upheld an appeals court ruling that threw out a $5 million judgment to the father of a dead Marine who sued church members after they picketed his son's funeral.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the court. Justice Samuel Alito dissented.
Roberts said free speech rights in the First Amendment shield the funeral protesters, noting that they obeyed police directions and were 1,000 feet from the church.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin clarified a response she offered to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold an appeals court ruling that protesting outside military funerals is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The high court voted 8-1 in favor of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church on Wednesday.
Just hours after the ruling was struck down, Palin took to Twitter and wrote, "Common sense & decency absent as wacko "church" allowed hate msgs spewed@ soldiers' funerals but we can't invoke God's name in public square."
Palin sought to clarify her remarks in an exclusive statement issued to the Daily Caller. She signaled she agrees with the decision of the Supreme Court.
"Obviously my comment meant that when we're told we can't say 'God bless you' in graduation speeches or pray before a local football game but these wackos can invoke God's name in their hate speech while picketing our military funerals, it shows ridiculous inconsistency," Palin told TheDC. "I wasn't calling for any limit on free speech, and it's a shame some folks tried to twist my comment in that way. I was simply pointing out the irony of an often selective interpretation of free speech rights."
The court voted 8-1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The decision upheld an appeals court ruling that threw out a $5 million judgment to the father of a dead Marine who sued church members after they picketed his son's funeral.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the court. Justice Samuel Alito dissented.
Roberts said free speech rights in the First Amendment shield the funeral protesters, noting that they obeyed police directions and were 1,000 feet from the church.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Bristol Palin to recount life and times
Chicago Sun-Times: Bristol Palin to recount life and times
I can't resist an editorial note. How sad is this? Bristol Palin has done nothing. She's the daughter of an in-the-spotlight woman but she herself has done nothing except have an illegitimate child and trade on her mother's fame.
When she actually does something on her own - achieves something as Bristol Palin and not as the daughter of Sarah Palin - then perhaps her biography would be worth reading.
Bristol Palin has written a memoir of her 20 years on Earth.
The daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has signed with William Morrow to publish Not Afraid of Life, to come out this summer. Morrow, a HarperCollins imprint, promised “an intimate behind-the-scenes look” at her childhood, her two breakups with her baby’s father, Levi Johnston, and her achievements on “Dancing With the Stars.”
HarperCollins has published two best sellers by Sarah Palin: Going Rogue and America by Heart.
Morrow did not disclose how much Palin will be paid.
I can't resist an editorial note. How sad is this? Bristol Palin has done nothing. She's the daughter of an in-the-spotlight woman but she herself has done nothing except have an illegitimate child and trade on her mother's fame.
When she actually does something on her own - achieves something as Bristol Palin and not as the daughter of Sarah Palin - then perhaps her biography would be worth reading.
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