McCain's VP Pick Palin Facing Ethics Investigation

[Hubert Flottz]

Source: Washington Post

For most of her tenure as governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin has enjoyed widespread popularity and a reputation as a maverick who refused to stand by fellow Alaska Republicans facing their own ethics scandals.

But the 44-year-old Palin, who was selected as Sen. John McCain's running mate today, is now the focus of her own state ethics investigation as part of the so-called "Troopergate" scandal, a bizarre controversy involving the firing of a state police chief and his reluctance to fire an Alaska state trooper, Palin's former brother-in-law who has been involved in a bitter custody fight with her younger sister.

Just two weeks ago, Palin revealed an audio recording of an aide pressuring the state's Public Safety Department to fire trooper Mike Wooten, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

Palin also acknowledged that her staff had contacted Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan about two dozen times about Wooten. Monegan himself was fired July 11 (the dismissal was "out of the blue," he told reporters) and he later said that he was pressured by Palin's staff and family to get rid of Wooten, a trooper based in Palmer, Alaska.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestig...



Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestig...

[madmax]

1. Geez, and so early in the game n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

2. Sounds like the Plame game or something that Rove would do

with the help of Gonzo. This lady already has the type of experience that the neocons love!

[bdamomma]

5. they also choose people with no experience and totally

incompetent.

[Hubert Flottz]

6. Rovebots!

I hope the state troopers want to get even with her. Bad people to doublecross.

[Jackpine Radical]

23. When ya got a winning formula, ya stay with it!

[sushi]

149. Do not underestimate

Sarah "Barracuda" Palin! She is fierce. Interesting person!

Sarah Palin: conservatives find the girl of their dreams

She hunts, ice-fishes and is a crack shot who knows how to fire an M16 rifle. “I was raised in a family where gender was not going to be an issue,” she said. “The girls did what the boys did. Apparently in Alaska that’s quite commonplace.” No softy, she sued to stop the federal government making polar bears an endangered species and favours drilling for oil in the Arctic wildlife refuge. However, she also levied a windfall tax on oil companies.

Palin was glamorous enough to have entered beauty contests to earn money for college. She was crowned Miss Wasilla in her home town and was runner-up in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest. “They made us line up in bathing suits and turn our backs so the male judges could look at our butts. I couldn’t believe it,” she told Vogue, more amused than outraged.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_amer...

[Robbien]

15. She had a cop fired for personal reasons

or so the investigations allege

No wonder Freepers like her. She's their type of people.

[Hubert Flottz]

17. Getting folks fired to get even sounds like the stuff Dick Cheney

has been doing...I wonder if she's told anyone to "Go $#@# Yourself" yet!

Sounds like she is a freeper.

[matt819]

55. "Sounds like a freeper. . . "

You know, it makes one wonder whether she has spent any time online on FR or RW/fundie sites. Okay, she's a parent of, what is it, five kids, so that's going to keep her busy. But this is Alaska - how busy can she be? (Okay, that was somewhat tongue in cheek, but you get the idea.) And she's young, which would suggest that, RW or not, she's probably computer literate, in contrast to McTelegraph.

So, tinfoil hat firmly in place, anybody want to give a try in finding whether she has a record of posting with the crazies?

[lynnertic]

140. And her husband's an oil man. This will keep us distracted from Iran and

the theft of the next election for sure!

[savistocate]

91. This could get white male voters to go to vote Democratic

ticket just by sticking w/ identity. Rethink anti--blk. bias whatever.

Plus those who cannot find in their heads to vote for any "lady" to presidency..whatever.

[polpilot]

127. How STUPID can she be? 24 calls from the gov's office?

Perhaps a head FULL of dryer lint?

[kestrel91316]

50. 6 hours in, and she's already in trouble.

McCain didn't vet her other than to ask her stance on abortion and and her bust size.

[democrites]

151. DU these polls - Is Palin a good choice?

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/08/you-vote-i...

http://www.denverpost.com/

[LaPera]

3. Cone on....what would a republican candidate be without an ethics charge?

That's par for the course....along with corruption charges, tampering, lying and sexual misconduct charges....after all, republicans are only disgusting greedy sub-human slime!

[yy4me]

4. Youch, the ink isn't even dry. More of this game yet to come I

fear. Actually she is so unqualified that it could be a plus for us. Maybe I should,'t say that too loud.

[bjobotts]

74. Like claiming AT&T is not a monopoly. A "maverick" republican???Riiiiight

[louis-t]

139. Is this the Harriet Myers ploy?

Pick someone so bad that the one they really want looks good?

[floridablue]

7. It is the only reason they would know her

A member of "Ethics Anonymous"

Probably recommended by Stevens and Young.

[mwb970]

8. OK, which is bigger, this or the pregnant-teenage-daughter story?

Is that one even true?

[Kber]

9. No idea if it's true

but I'm curious now.

[mwb970]

13. It seems to be just a rumor at this point.

Cover-up? Alaska Gov. Palin (R) announced she was pregnant. Local rumors
suggest she is covering up for her 16 y/o daughter. (self.politics)

submitted 4 months ago by jibegod to politics

newcontroversialtopold

On March 5th, 2008 Alaska's Republican Governor, Sarah Palin, announced
to the media that she was 7 months pregnant with her 5th child. She is
currently 44.

The controversy arises from two sources: First, Palin does not appear
preganant in any recent photographs. The announcement came as quite a
shock to people who had worked closely with her, and have been quoted as
saying that she did not appear pregnant whatsoever during the prior 7
months. While this is debatable, you can judge for yourself here:
http://gov.state.ak.us/photos.php

Second, Palin's daughter Bristol is 16 and attends an Anchorage high
school. Students who have attended class with her report that she has
been out of school for months, claiming a prolonged case of mono.

Apparently, this rumor has made the rounds in the upper echelon of the
Alaska legislature, and is a closely guarded secret. As far as I know,
this rumor has not been discussed by any media outlets, in Alaska or
otherwise.

The points here are based mostly upon hearsay, and I'm not trying to
destroy an innocent family. However, a Republican politician hiding a
pregnant teenage daughter seems rather newsworthy.

Much more to come.

http://groups.google.com/group/talk.politics.misc/brows...

Strangely, the link provided to the photos doesn't seem to work.

There are some interesting comments here:
http://www.reddit.com/comments/6f3nq/coverup_alaska_gov...

[Hubert Flottz]

19. Let's "focus on that family"

Sounds like the GOPer "family values" and "morality" issues might not be something the GOP wants to push this year!

Heckuva party that GOP!

[George II]

43. Check back later....there has been so much activity on the website it's impossible to connect....

...even CBS and other news agencies have been unable to get onto the website.

[Bette Noir]

44. Methinks her intelligence is not the greatest

If she thinks she can hide something like this while running for the Vice-Presidency. Is she going to wear a pillow to the debates?

[jhrobbins]

51. Let's not let the truth stop us - it didn't faze the swiftboaters. Let's get this story

some legs.

[Tansy_Gold]

16. About the daughter rumors

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/29/15323/1433/634/...


I found this via google.

Posters seem to think the rumor-mongering or speculating about Palin's newborn possibly being her daughter's child is unfair.

Personally, I think it's fair game.

If Palin's 16-year-old daughter had a child, so what? It happens. It's not the baby's fault. You love the baby and accept it or you give it up for adoption or whatever. You make an example of the situation to show why families are important, why we need to support each other regardless how irresponsible some of our children may act at times. You admit (maybe) that if the girl had better sex education, better access to contraception, and less warped ideas about sex and sin and morality, this might not have happened, but it did so let's make the best of it and make sure it doesn't happen again unless we want it to.

YOU DON'T LIE ABOUT IT.

If Palin is lying to cover up her shame about her daughter's transgression, Palin is the worst kind of hypocrite. She's as bad as -- or worse than -- John Edwards. Every bit as morally bankcrupt as John "I can't remember if I started fucking Cindy before or after I asked Carol for a divorce" McCain.

I didn't think I could dislike the pukes any more than I already did, but this whole thing just tosses them five steps further down the ladder of m disgust.





Tansy Gold

P.S. Someone somewhere noted that Down's Syndrome is more prevalent when the mother is older and virtually unknown when the mother is young. I've known two teen-aged mothers who gave birth to Down's babies. Neither had any diagnosis prior to delivery. One (unmarried) immediately abandoned her baby to let her parents raise it. The other and her also teen-aged husband became devoted parents.

[Fearless]

26. All I could find to add... Decide for yourselves.

Bristol Palin






Someone find the birth certificate and put this to rest or open it up.

[Tansy_Gold]

30. Palin = Thatcher

http://www.palinforvp.com/3.html

[Fearless]

31. Yeah, I saw that one too. LOL.

[AlbertCat]

71. An American Thatcher????????

What the hell?



Well, now McCain has someone to get in the kitchen and FIX HIM SOME PIE!

[kestrel91316]

52. Looks pregnant. Also looks like she is holding her tummy like

pregnant women do and women with a few extra pounds wouldn't be caught dead doing.

Also, when the family got trotted out this AM, SHE was the one holding the baby IIRC.

[Blaq Dem]

112. Moose meat will do that to a belly....

It's the moose meat her family eats. They probably eat it raw.

[BearSquirrel2]

37. Lying about being preganant ...

If this is true it will completely sink McCain. What kind of sick person lies about being pregnant in order to pull a baby switch.

Sick, sick, sick, sick!!!!! And I'm pretty sure this is how the religious folk will see this as well.

[Fearless]

40. If it's true... It's just another example of that 1950's conservative mentality

Such practice was very common then.

[kestrel91316]

54. The christofascists firmly believe that it is perfectly ok to lie in order

to accomplish your christofascist goals.

[ryanmuegge]

70. Never give the religious fuckers credit.

It's always too much when you're talking about them.

[JeanGrey]

86. I cannot believe that we are trashing about over

something like "if her daughter was pregnant"?? Is this what we wanted when the righties trashed Chelsea and called her ugly? Come on people, aren't we just a little better than making up this stuff?

[Tansy_Gold]

90. We are asking questions that are every bit as legitimate. . . .

. . . (pun intended). . . . as those asked of John Edwards.

If Gov. Palin falsified her pregnancy and delivery to cover up for her daughter's "indiscretion," the voters have a right to know.

And if she didn't, the voters have a right to know that, too.


Tansy Gold, who makes no secret that she is hiding behind a DU name

[JeanGrey]

97. We KNOW about John Edwards. There ARE NO questions.

I know! Let's trash her hair, or maybe or style of glasses. Obviously she only wears them to look intelligent, anyone can see that, right?

Gawd.

Look. Obama is going to win. For god's sake let's not blow this acting stupid.

[Tansy_Gold]

108. Yes, but someone had to ask the questions before we KNEW.

Geez, lady, why are you so negative about just about everything on DU?

That's the whole point of vetting, something that apparently wasn't done with Ms. Palin. And more important, she's still in the race; Edwards was out and the press still hounded him, even if it was the tabloid press.

WE DON'T KNOW that Obama's gonna win. The ballots have neither been cast nor counted.

Informed voters vote on issues, but most voters aren't informed. The vote with their guts, their hearts, not with their brains. The Dems' experience in both 2000 and 2004 ought to be pretty strong evidence of that. What voter with an ounce of brains would ever have voted for boooooosh? It didn't matter: they voted because they didn't like Clinton or they thought Gore was stiff or they didn't like his clothes or whatever. It's a friggin' popularity contest.

I work with a bunch of women who recently got into what turned into a rather acrmonious discussion on the election. These are pretty much a cross section of Arizona women, some young, some old, most reasonably but not excessively educated. Those who have expressed a preference for McCain have ALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, said it's because of "experience" and "I just don't trust Obama." These aren't reasoned decisions; they're emotional decisions.

You don't fight emotions with reason, and certainly not in politics. Obama supporters ought to know that better than just about anyone! Going into the primaries, Hillary had EVERYTHING going in her favor, EXCEPT emotion. It was the enthusiasm for change, the passion that got Obama the nomination.

WE know Sarah Palin is a joke, a gimmick as Chuck Todd said. WE know that. Her spot on the ticket, her ultra-conservatism may cement that bloc for McCain. She probably won't bring in many swing voters, and it's highly unlikely she'll pick up many Hillary supporters.

But if she is a moral hypocrite, if she is a liar, then her supporters and her detractors have a right to know that.

Her hair, her glasses, her clothes, that's really stupid. Her morals, in the morality party, matter.



Tansy Gold, thinkin' maybe she needs to put more people on ignore.

[JeanGrey]

144. I am not negative about everyhing on DU. This election is so

important to me and we cannot afford to blow it with bullshit!! The facts are that she was a good pick for McCain and if you can't see that then you can't, but I for one am not going to sit around worrying about stupid shit like fake pregnancies and how long she waited after her water broke! There is too much at stake! There is a REAL ETHICS INVESTIGATION surrounding this woman, THAT is what needs to be hammered home not Oh, she should be home raising her kids!

I mean we are democrats, progressives for god's sake.

To ignore this woman would be dangerous. Go right ahead and diss her for crap that means nothing. We could still let the bastards steal this and I for one can't take it.

[Tansy_Gold]

146. the point is that this is the kind of "bullshit" that strikes chords

with the RW fundies.

WE KNOW about Palin's failin's as a logical candidate. Pukes don't run on logic; they run on emotion. This same kind of crap brought down Gary Hart and brought Bill Clinton's administration to a standstill. How much would have been accomplished if the nation and the RW hadn't been focused on the almighty Clenis?

This is politics, and politics doesn't always hinge on a logical debate of the issues.

Palin was chosen NOT for her foreign policy smarts or her long experience in executive decision making. She was chosen for her appeal to the deep right-wing nutcase base. She's absolute anti-abortion. She believes the planet is 6000 years old. She thinks her god gave her caribou to kill for sport and oil to pour on the ground. She believes women are broodmares.


McCain't needed her to cement his base, his 40% of stalwarts who just might not have been able to vote for a "maverick." So he pulled the crudest of "family values" out of his ass and threw her out there like red meat to the lions.

We need to be the lions. We need to tear her apart NOT ONLY on the issues -- which will work with some of the swing voters and security moms, etc. -- but also on the emotions.

I don't expect to persuade you to my way of thinking; I suspect you're way beyond that. But I do hope that my words will reach a few lurkers, a few of those who don't post very much but read this stuff. And maybe it will get them to thinking and quesitoning, and maybe they'll even pass along some of their thoughts to friends, even fundie friends.

I have personal issues with ANY woman who decides to continue having children into her 40s, but I'm not going to spout it as potential national policy. As an ardent feminist, I do devoutly believe that every woman must have the right to make her own choices, even if I think they're stupid decisions. Like my morbidly obese sister electing -- because she could afford it -- to have in vitro fertilization at age 41 and have 3 (of 6 successfully fertilized) eggs implanted. Triplets would very likely have killed her with her health history, but she did not even consider a "reduction" if all three were viable. As it turned out, only one actually "stuck." And that one, now 3 years old, isn't completely out of the woods yet.

I'm personally appalled at women -- and I have two friends who have done this -- who choose early abortion of healthy fetuses rather than have a third child of the same sex as the first two. But I defend their right to make that choice.

Similarly, I defend Sarah Palin's choice to have a fifth child at age 44, to carry it to term even though she knows it will be a special needs child -- and person. IF IN FACT SHE HERSELF MADE THAT CHOICE.

IF, on the other hand, the baby isn't hers, then the whole scene changes. IF she lied to cover up for her daughter's "indiscretion," I have problems. Why would she do it? What would be the motivation? To save her daughter "shame"? Or to save herself from the "shame" of having an errant child? In the fundie world, that kind of shame is serious business. It's almost as bad as in fundamentalist Islamic families where a daughter's sin is cause for murder. We already know Sarah Palin is a fundamentalist christian. Would this kind of behavior be totally out of kilter with her beliefs? No, it would not.

And if it comes out that in fact she DID lie about the pregnancy, she may actually be strengthened with some of the fundies -- because she did what they would have done -- and she may also be weakened with some others -- because she failed as a parent -- but this kind of deception will NOT sit well with the "traditional values" swing voters.

I was urged many years ago to run for public office. Local office, nothing exciting, but there were people in the little town where I lived who would have backed me. I politely declined, because I knew there were skeletons in my closet that I didn't want exposed TO PROTECT MY FAMILY. When one steps onto the national political stage, virtually all rights to "privacy" go out the window. The candidate's life history, all of it, becomes an open book. And if that book isn't in fact open, people have a right to know what secrets it's hiding.



Tansy Gold, whose skeletons are still in her closet

[JeanGrey]

148. Look, you will simply piss people off, not turn them away!

Look at the millions who thought Hillary was being picked on! You start these dumb pregnancy rumors and how long after her water broke stuff and you could do a lot of damage. Yes you will bring up emotions but not the ones you want I fear!

This election means too much. Of COURSE that is why she was picked. ALL candidates are picked according to their base. Would you have expected McGrumpy to pick a progressive?

This could blow up in our face if we aren't careful.

[Tansy_Gold]

150. Look, for one thing --

I didn't start any "rumors." I asked questions. That's an entirely different thing.

For a second thing, this is a discussion on a political discussion board. We are not the campaign. I am not advocating that the Obama campaign start sending out propagandists with these rumors.

For a third thing, no one is saying any of this is TRUE. No one is saying SARAH PALIN COVERED UP FOR HER DAUGHTER'S PREGNANCY. We are speculating and we are looking for evidence and we are asking questions. In essence, we are doing what John McCain should have done when he vetted her.

For a fourth thing, we are not "picking" on her. We are asking questions about an allegation. I personally don't recall saying we shouldn't "pick" on Clinton. I believe I even said that if Chelsea is out there campaigning, then she too is fair game.

And no, I wouldn't have expected McCain't to pick a progressive. That's not the point. The point is that she was picked to solidify an eroding base. If there are things in her background that would fracture rather than solidify that base, then it's someone's job to ferret out those things and make them public. That's what politics is about -- playing up your own candidate's strengths and magnifying your opponent's weaknesses.

The fact that he selected someone so monumentally unqualified -- and unqualified BY HIS OWN STANDARDS -- indicates that the selection was crassly political in nature. Her assets in terms of "the base" are her devoted motherhood, her anti-abortion and anti-gay positions, her radical fundamentalist christian ideology, etc. We're not going to reach anyone who's on the deep end of that base. The knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing disgustazoids are going to vote McCain/whatever anyway. The uninformed traditional pukes will vote McCameandwent anyway. The purpose of questioning her "facts," then, is to chip away at those who aren't quite so totally commited.

Can we say she's not a good mother? No, we can't, but we can point out things she did, things that have been clearly reported in the press and admitted by her, and suggest that maybe these aren't the actions of "good mother" by the voter's standards. Now, maybe getting on a plane for an 11-hour flight when you're in labor will score points with Alaskans who believe in tougher is better, who think hospitals are for sissies and if Chinese peasants can drop their calves in the fields and get right back to the rice harvest then Alaskans oughta be able to pop 'em out on a plane. That may very well be Palin's rationale for her behavior. But will that rationale play in Peoria, IL or Peoria, AZ?

As mayor of Wasilla, she cut funding for the local museum and put library plans on hold. That may score points in Alaska where a pipeline is more important, but how will it play in Litchfield, Connecticut or Litchfield Park, AZ?

All of these questions are based on reported facts. They aren't rumors or long-ago and half-forgotten memories like the swift boat stories. I wrote an essay here on DU back in August of 2004 about "Why Vietnam Matters," and it had to do with the emotions of the voters and what the Vietnam generation brought to the voting booth. The Iraq war was only a year and a half along and we were still in the fiery emotional period of that. Now we have other worries to go along with it. The economy. Global warming. And so on. But the emotional aspect remains vital to the outcome of the election.

DU isn't the national campaign. We aren't the mainstream media. We're a bunch of folks who get together, secure behind our anonymous screen names, and we discuss what's going on in the world. You're free to have an opinion and post it, but your constant harping at the rest of us on how to think, how to talk, what to talk about, what to be interested in, who's right and who's wrong when all we're expressing are our opinions gets frankly quite tiresome.

The only way this "blows up in our faces" is if someone gets on the national media and proclaims it as fact -- as Dan Rather did with the TANG report -- without ironclad evidence. No one here as presented anything even remotely approaching real evidence of a Palin pregnancy cover-up. But her actions do raise questions, and those are legitimate questions, even leaving aside the question of whether or not the child was in her uterus or her daughter's.

That's the point, but I don't think you'll ever get it.


Tansy Gold

[JeanGrey]

154. Yes we are. I can show you about a hundred posts where

they are saying EXACTLY that, and dissing her for letting her water break while she was away. I guess we can't make up our minds between the kid wasn't hers and boy what a bitch for letting her water break outside of her hospital area.

I'm done with this until it stops. It is beneath us.

[WatchWhatISay]

110. I wonder if she's homeschooled

Would be convenient for covering things up

[Tansy_Gold]

145. Yes, the children were homeschooled, but the daughter

attended a public high school from which she had been absent for several months with an alleged case of mononucleosis.

[Divernan]

61. She stayed at the Texas conference and gave a 30 minute speech after H2O broke?!?!?!?

And then there's this:

http://www.ktuu.com /...

Friday, April 18, 2008 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Gov. Sarah Palin gave birth to her fifth child at about 6:30 a.m. Friday morning.

Just yesterday, Palin was in Texas at a forum on energy with Texas Gov. Rick Perry and executives from four other states.

The governor's water broke during the energy conference but she stayed and gave a 30-minute speech before boarding an Alaska Airlines plane home to deliver the baby.
****************************************************
The baby wasn't due until May 18. "It was quite a surprise," Leighow said.

Palin and her husband, Todd, had been in Texas since Tuesday for a Republican Governors Association convention, Leighow said.
Re: Downs Syndrome infants:
Birth weight usually 10-20 % below normal.
******************************************************

Several random thoughts re the amount of lying Palen and her staff engaged in -
The baby weighed 6 pounds 2 oz. at birth, and Downs babies are usually 10-20% below normal. Sounds like this baby was full term. So when Palen claimed to be 7 months pregnant, her daughter was actually 8 months pregnant.

Why was an amniocentesis done prior to birth when Palen is so anti-abortion that she would never have an abortion no matter what health issues were revealed? I couldn't figure this out until I saw the rumors about her daughter. IF one was going to try to give a baby up for a very fast and very quiet adoption, it is quite possible that the prospective adoptive parents requested an amnio to make sure they would be getting a healthy baby. If the adoptive parents backed out late in the pregnancy, Palin had little time to claim she was pregnant.

What did she do at that point - wear one of those fake pregnancy pillows tied around her waist?

If someone is so religious and pro-life, she would certainly announce a pregnancy well before the 7th month - something along the lines of how god has blessed them with this marvelous gift !
If Palin was in fact the mother and knew the baby had serious health issues, she would have to be the most ambitious woman in the world to stay and give a speech after her water broke! Not to mention the fact that she would have been in too much discomfort to stand up straight for 30 minutes!
The whole story is preposterously unbelievable.

It takes a minimum of 10 hours to fly from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Anchorage. When it's your FIFTH child, you can expect a super short labor - like almost immediately after your water breaks. Why by all that's allegedly holy to her would she risk her own health and her baby's should she have the baby on the plane? I found this quote in a transcript of physicians discussing induced labor.


"STEVEN HOCKSTEIN, MD: When the bag of water breaks, and that's the membrane surrounding the baby, which holds in the amniotic fluid, there's a release of prostaglandins. And whether it happens naturally, or whether the patient's physician breaks the bag of water, these chemicals are released, and contractions become more regular and become more intense.

MICHELLE LAMOTHE, MD: So they help things get going and move along."
Suuuuuuuuure, she stood there and gave a 30 minute speech!

[JeanGrey]

87. Look, my water broke 24 HOURS before I had my baby.

Are you kidding? Is this what we're going to fight an obviously not qualified candidate with? Whispers about if a baby is hers????

[Tansy_Gold]

93. Well whoopdee shit for you!

With my first child, my water never did break. With my second, it broke 40 minutes before he was born. What does that prove? Nothing -- except that babies can come quickly or slowly after the water breaks. GENERALLY, however, they come sooner rather than later, and for a woman in her forties who has already had four deliveries, counting on a slower delivery isn't, ahem, wise.

THE POINT BEING (she types as she bites her cyber-tongue) that we are raising the questions that will MATTER to the rank and file pukes. And I apologize for using "rank and file," a labor term, to describe those anti-worker slime. They don't really care if she's qualified or not, but they DO care about morality. Although I suppose I must admit many of their transgressors do seem to get away with it, but I don't think they'd tolerate it in a woman. They do still hold to a double standard.

Look, if you don't want to engage in this discussion, just take yourself out of it. Sheesh.


Tansy Gold

[JeanGrey]

95. No not generally. I'm sorry that you disagree but just because

water is broken does NOT MEAN that birth is necessarily soon. God I only wish after the long labors I had with my two!

I AM in the discussion and who gives a SHIT about her water breaking! We need to stick to the issues and drop this nonsense!

[BearSquirrel2]

130. It speaks to values and priorities ...

Her values and priorities was an oil conference rather than the health of her child. It's not as if she HAD to be there.

If she is telling the truth. She risked the health of her unborn child by taking a 10 hour flight to Alaska rather than giving birth in Texas. Oh yeah, that will make the Texans really happy. Apparently, Texas isn't good enough to give birth in.

The other issue is why she wasn't showing at 7 months. Girls who starve themselves don't show. So Mrs. Palin starved her unborn child for the sake of a slim/professional figure. And now the baby is born with Down's syndrome. What a sick bitch!!!!

Of course we all know this is all bullshit. It was her daughter's child. Lots of poor 16 year olds have babies. The families suck it up and manage to get the mother into "mother mode". The fact that the Palins have no such fortitude speaks to their lack of family values.

Do you see now?

[JeanGrey]

143. No sorry it speaks to nothing but personal choice and I don't

see ONE IOTA of proof, but I do see and read a lot of bullshit, and that is what this is.

[Demeter]

99. Well, Tansy, I'll Agree That The GOPpers are Rank

but I've never seen them in an office situation, so I'll defer any judgment on their filing....

[Dr.Phool]

111. You're arguing with the same Einstein who thought it was ridiculous

For Charlie Crist to declare a state of emergency last week before TS Fay hit Florida.

"A state of emergency for a tropical storm!?"

[Tansy_Gold]

113. Yeah, I know.

What can I say. I honestly don't have anything better to do tonight.

Well, I could mop the floor.

Or go out in the rain and dark and pick up dog poop.

[barbtries]

120. you also have an increased risk of infection

when your water breaks and i doubt she would have even been allowed to fly. the story smells.

[Tunkamerica]

73. To your PS

The only mother I've known that gave birth toa child with DS was in her early twenties.

[Peggesis1]

79. Downs syndrome babies born to very young mothers

Yes, the rate of Downs is higher in very young mothers as well as in older mothers.

[kiranon]

82. Also know of a 20 year old with a down's syndrome baby

This mom and her baby ttended the baby classes with my daughter who also has a genetic condition. There are plenty of young moms with down's babies it's just more common with older moms.

[Hubert Flottz]

10. I didn't see this when I posted the OP but WOW!

This coud get real good real fast check out the video. I wonder if we can vote in this poll?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[lumpy]

94. Misusing her political position of power is bad bad bad.

Another corrupt Repub ?

[UpInArms]

11. strictly by the GOP manual - how can they not have ethics violations?

k&r

[Alexander]

12. K&R. Everyone needs to know how corrupt she is.

[merci_me]

14. Peyton Place, Alaska

Her sister's former husband (fire him).........her husband's friend's ex-wife's new boyfriend (fire him). Geez, just three hours out. Gotta get my pepsi and popcorn!

[Somawas]

18. An ethically compromised Republican differs from

a Republican in what way?

[DemFromMem]

20. Calculated choice

A GOP friend of mine has been touting Palin for a while. So when I saw Kos write about her troopergate scandal last month, I assumed her Veep chances were nil. Either no vetting was done or they decided they could deal with this. But given how thin her resume is, how could they not figure that this was going to be a big deal (particularly since she ran on an ethics platform)? Weird.

[BearSquirrel2]

131. The vetting committee ...

The vetting committee is probably the same people who left Jeff Guckert into the white house press core and hired Mike Brownie.

We are all forgetting that competence is no longer the prime qualification as the news media is largely fronting for these assholes. The number one qualification is blind loyalty.

[emad]

21. Satrirical website The Spoof predicted a McCain/Palin ticket in May this year:

McCain eyes Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin as Big Oil-gag Veep
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i3537...

[Hubert Flottz]

24. This part ain't real damned funny though, but what a thing for our side

to home in on...

Snip...

"She's very tough and immensely ambitious. And if McCain gets in to the White House you can damned well expect a massive coronary infarction within a few months will propel Sarah Palin into the Commander-on-Chief's job," The Spoof's roving reporter in Anchorage said today."

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i3537...

"Commander-on-Chief's job" Dwell on that issue a minute...

Even if the scandals don't turn out to be true, McCain has just about killed any shot he may have had, IMHO.

Shows the poor judgment on McCain's part in spades, as far as keeping the country safe goes.

Edit to add link

[emad]

25. Palin the gatekeeper of some terrible GOP bigoil secrets in Alaska.

Ain't no doubt about it who fixed up this one: Energy Committee Chair Dickless Cheney.

[Hubert Flottz]

28. They must think Karl really "Has The Numbers" this time.

They think the grand theft in November is a done deal I'd say.

[emad]

29. Just scared shitless about what's buried alongside with Ronald Reagan

But this McCain/Palin ticket IS scary.

All those floating women voters....

[Fearless]

32. I don't think so, not with the way the MSM is covering it.

It's odd... really really odd...

[lumpy]

103. Will Dick be whispering in her ear ?

Yep

[Bette Noir]

45. Maybe he thought it was a prophecy?

[emad]

65. Especially the bit about the imminent cardiac infaction...

//

[BRLIB]

22. "Maverick", where have we heard this asshole garbage before?

AP perhaps?

Would they call someone who would clean the greedy corporations' clocks a maverick?

[robertpaulsen]

27. Investigation could take three months.

I'm looking forward to seeing impeachment hearings prior to November 2. Please!

[CubicleGuy]

33. It's hard to pick a running mate...

... when so many Republican bigwigs are either already in jail or under some kind of investigation.

I'm sure it sucks to be McCain with all the weight of having to find somebody without a scandal-ridden past to claim as a running mate when he's pretty much limited to picking from among Republicans.

[llmart]

89. Also....

no one with any future aspirations in government wants to throw away their future by riding McSame's coattails. They know he's going to lose and lose badly so I'll bet there were several others offered the job and they all said, "Thanks but no thanks." This is also the reason McSame is the nominee. No one else wanted to follow Stupid.

[Pete2069]

34. Proves

McCain pick the right republicans for the job. Isn't this the
selection criteria for a republican candidate.  Now  Sarah
Palin has her "crooked bullets" and be called a
"straight shooter" , as McSame..

[opihimoimoi]

35. K&R Hey Man....check this out...they are the Lambs...led to the slaughter house

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

They are being thrown under the Bus

Opi

[Hubert Flottz]

42. Self Delete

Edit...Oooops!

[Hubert Flottz]

46. McSnakeoil is a bigger liar than W...

How can the fundies be so stupid?

How can the Rank and File republican be so blind?

Do they not see the writing on the big wall at the gas station?

Look at the lies these right wing M$M tools expose on this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-R5Vh5tOWk&feature=rela...

Even squealin' Pat is all over McCain's butt!

[opihimoimoi]

75. McAirHead is Obssessed with the Past...the Military Past

Its COMPULSIVE Behavior....he is a War PSYCHO...stuck in the Military 1970's 1980's...no reading writing cept for airhead shit..

He is a DISPOSABLE CANDIDATE and his choice confirms it...both Disposable and Expendable...like pawns in a chess game.....

[Hubert Flottz]

80. If all this sh!t hits the fans about this lady and it turns out true...

the party's over for the GOPers for a long time, I think.

McCain is even more dishonest and twisted than W, I firmly believe. I think if he gets in the White House it will be a disaster the country can never recover from. I think recovery is Iffy if the madness stops today. Recovery is years down the road EVEN IF the madness is stopped this election cycle. This terrible multi faceted calamity that the necons and the "Have Mores" who own them have created is world threatening and far reaching.

I think Obama gets it. I hope the democrats all will pull together and do the right things. I've had the sinking feeling for eight long years that our chances are slipping away. Obama's speech last night gave me a little more hope that we CAN do better. That America's best years may really be ahead of us and not behind.

[opihimoimoi]

81. I do believe the GOP has stabbed itself in the Brains 7 inches deep with the #9 Bayonet Mil Issue

The Brain leak has led to a slurry of idiot decisions....

No worries mate...Bama/Joe gonna kick ass....

[madeline_con]

116. It's unresolved issues.

His Dad and Grandpa were admirals. He graduated near the bottom of his class, crashed every plane he ever had, was captured and afterall that, only made Captain.

He wants to kick somebody's ass, he really doesn't care who!

[opihimoimoi]

117. He appears suffering from PTSD...stuck in the Past is a symptom

redundant stories of Glory.....resembling the Cheers Lounge atmosphere.....same ole stories over a period of time...

he is McPAST

[lumpy]

104. Every US citizen should be made to sit down and see this

video. It show just what a corrupt, divisive liar McCain is.

[Hubert Flottz]

105. Every DUer should watch it for sure...

Even though I know how crooked the GOPers are this video was even shocking to me. And what is even more shocking is the fact that the MSM is starting to let the cat slip out of the bag a tiny bit. I smell a change in the air. I'm sick of all the lies. And I think this time the whole country is sick of the liars.

[opihimoimoi]

36. The poor GOP...victims of their own Malfeasance...they own the disaster of the past 8 years

now they pay a price....Bwahahaha

The complete collapse of their Party///

Its called

Political Party Collapse Disorder 202.04

How to fuck up a going thing with Arrogance and Greed...

[rhett o rick]

39. Me thinks tho may be premature on their death. I hope so but Rove isn't in jail. nm

[opihimoimoi]

76. The jury still out on Rove...he may see the inside of a cell soon...

[rhett o rick]

138. Good luck, he hasn't even been in court or even before Congress. nm

[Doug.Goodall]

38. Well that didn't take very long

Republicans sure do a good job of vetting their candidates.

Not to worry though, the Main Stream Media will just sweep it under the rug.

[RoccoR5955]

41. Just another Republican thug, claiming to be a maverick! n/t

[KamaAina]

47. But wait! There's more! When a dairy near her town was threatened with closure,

she did what, by now, we would all expect her to do: She fired everybody involved!

And now the Wiki entry involving this has been folded into the innocuous-looking Budget subentry. In the last few hours!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin#Budget

The relevant portion reads as follows:

When on June 6, 2007, the Alaska Creamery Board recommended closing Matanuska Maid Dairy, an unprofitable state-owned business, Palin objected, citing concern for the impact on dairy farmers and the fact that the dairy had just received $600,000 in state money. When Palin found out that the Board of Agriculture and Conservation appoints Creamery Board members, she replaced the entire membership of the Board of Agriculture and Conservation. (emphasis mine -Ed.) The new board reversed the decision to close the dairy, but later in 2007, with Palin's support, the unprofitable business was put up for sale. There were no offers in December 2007, when the minimum bid was set at $3.35 million, and the dairy was closed that month. In August 2008, the Anchorage plant was purchased for $1.5 million, the new minimum bid; the purchaser plans to convert it into heated storage units.

The now-useless link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin#Matanuska_Maid...

from my post here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Dang! That was quick!

edit: at first appeared to have been scrubbed entirely (!), then I saw it hiding under "Budget".

[Hubert Flottz]

49. GOPer cream sinks to the bottom.(Trickles Down)

The trickle down stupidity infestation is Now @ 100%(reached Critical Mess)in GOPworld.

I'll say only one good thing for her though...I think she would be better as the VP than Joe LIEberman would have been.

[rucognizant]

128. This needs to be broadcast

It's more relevant........JOB LOSS/FAMILY FARMERS LOSS...........to counter the romantic feminists ( Hillary Supporters) extolling her wonderful record of reform! (in spite of er prolife record.

[BearSquirrel2]

132. I thought Republicans were FOR privatization ...

When on June 6, 2007, the Alaska Creamery Board recommended closing Matanuska Maid Dairy, an unprofitable state-owned business, Palin objected, citing concern for the impact on dairy farmers and the fact that the dairy had just received $600,000 in state money. When Palin found out that the Board of Agriculture and Conservation appoints Creamery Board members, she replaced the entire membership of the Board of Agriculture and Conservation. (emphasis mine -Ed.) The new board reversed the decision to close the dairy, but later in 2007, with Palin's support, the unprofitable business was put up for sale. There were no offers in December 2007, when the minimum bid was set at $3.35 million, and the dairy was closed that month. In August 2008, the Anchorage plant was purchased for $1.5 million, the new minimum bid; the purchaser plans to convert it into heated storage units.

The now-useless link:

Geesh, I though Republicans were FOR privatization.

This would be kinda like Wisconsin running an oil drilling business.

[dassix]

48. ?!?!

Family Photo

I am betting the daughter was recently pregnant in this photo - the POOCH is there.
Her hand rests a little lower, reminiscently on the belly that used to hold her child.

[liberalaska]

53. "a bizarre controversy" ?

I am an Alaskan, and have followed this story pretty closely since it broke. There is nothing bizarre about it, it is good old fashioned abuse of power and not understanding the restrictions of her powerful new job.

Palin's sister got a divorce from a State Trooper a couple years ago, they had/have an ongoing custody battle. Since the divorce, Palin and her family have put in something like 25 complaints to the troopers about the Ex. The troopers investigated, found 3 of them to be true, and he was disciplined during the adminsitration before Palin's. That should have been the end of it, but Palin took office and in the first year of her administration there were at least 25 calls made to higher ups in the State Troopers and to the Commisioner of Public Safety putting pressure on them to fire the trooper. It is illegal for the governor or any member of her staff to interfere with a non-exempt employee in the state.

When it became clear the head of Public Safety wasn't going to fire the ex-brother in law, and when there were rumours that the troopers might be investigating the pressure being placed on them, Palin fired the Commisioner. She said she fired him because he had a different vision for the direction of the troopers. Then the next day she released a memo with her administrations vision, and it was exactly the same as the fired Commisioner's, the same language was even used. Then she said he wasn't making adequate progress on alcohol issues in bush Alaska, but when he was fired he was offered another job as head of the Alcoholic Beverage Control board, where Palin said he would be able to continue his in his expertise working on alcohol issues in bush Alaska.

The legislature approved and hired a special investigator to look into the whole mess, and the day before he was supposed to start Palin had a press conference indicating that she had had her Attorney General do an investigation to "find out who knew what." They actually had the nerve/lack of brains to say that in the conference. They uncovered an audio tape of one of Palin's top aides, a guy considered her right hand and more important in her administration than the chief of staff, calling a trooper and clearly applying pressure on behalf of the governor. She said she had no idea he did it, that it was hurtful and embarrassing to the state that he would do that, that it was absolutely wrong of him, and then nothing happened to him. He was still on the job for about a week, before the media started pushing hard about why he wasn't fired. So she placed him on PAID administrative leave.

That is where things are now with it. The investigator is doing his investigation, but there are potential several laws that were broken, and at the very least we know she is a vindictive liar, and that her open, honest, transparent anti-corruption image is a sham.

[dassix]

58. atleast mcsame got something right!

A perfect match for him and his neocons. I hope she atleast got a cool decoder ring for joining the club.

[Hubert Flottz]

59. Thank you and welcome to DU.

I can't wait to see her and Joe Biden on the big screen going at it.

[barbtries]

121. thank you for posting the true story

there's another one about a bitner? was that his name, who was dating the wife of a palin friend? what is your take on the recent pregnancy that reportedly surprised members of her staff, didn't show, daughter out of school for months, etc?

i think you should make an OP of your post. there aren't that many alaskans consequently the republicans (i guess) assumed they would be able to keep the truth about palin away from the majority of voters. and since i get my news primarily from DU, for all i know, they will.

[Miss_Underestimated]

56. Hey, give him some slack with his choice, remember he was a POW!

actually, maybe it will turn out like the Harriet Myers SCOTUS pick; it was just to steal thunder from Obama's acceptance speech, and in a while, maybe the VP choice will be replaced? just a wild guess

[Hubert Flottz]

60. I think you mean POD

Pimp of Dumbya's

[barbtries]

122. i expressed the same thought earlier today

the choice seems absurd.

[damntexdem]

57. But I'm sure that McCain will be behind her 1000%.

After all, what else can a McPresidential Candidate do when their VP pick appears to be a McStake? If he doesn't stand behind her, may a ton of eagles fall on him.

(My apologies to George McGovern -- hey, I was a McGovernite delegate to a state Democratic convention in 1972 -- but that echo was just too much to ignore.)

[dassix]

62. Fun...

She has to get used to hearing his POW experience account when asked about economics or anything else for that matter.

[Hubert Flottz]

64. He would look like a McChicken Nugget with egg on it's face if

he ditched her now and rounded up Broken Hearted Joe LIEberman. Rove demanded that McCain abandon any thoughts of Joe Lieberman for his VP "Prick" and McChicken caved and sold the sell-out out.

[frogmarch]

63. What's the problem?

After all, bush was a governor too, ya know, and look what a great prez he's been!

[McCamy Taylor]

66. They should have offered Hutchinson of Texas more to run. Now they have an Eagleton

On the other hand, I hate to say it, but I told you so.

[emad]

67. How sweet karma would be if Alaska's Corrupt Bastards Club turned

out to be Palin's puppets!

Bruce Weyhrauch, the VECO grafters, Sen Ted Stevens et al.

[Strato222]

68. Think I Understand It

Ok, I've been kicking around this Palin thing for a while...I think I got it. The Dem's start railing on her obvious lack of experience...she drops out for family or some such reasons...new VP for MC...Repubs are then able to run the Dem's own words regarding lack of experience against Obama. I think this could be kind of a clever (maybe effective) strategy and I think it makes some sense.

[Hubert Flottz]

72. I put nothing past them...even theft.

I really think they think they are above the law in any way shape or form and as long as they control the DOJ and the SCOTUS, they are right.

[Whoa_Nelly]

69. But, Repugs don't care about silly things such as ETHICS!

And, that's the truth!

[Mad_Dem_X]

77. Another "maverick," eh?

[ryanmuegge]

78. Americans are stupid. To rational people, this would be a ridiculous choice.

This is the same country that in 2000 nearly elected Dick Cheney and his VP choice, who was nothing but a failed businessman (and obvious corporate criminal in one of those deals), the governor in a state where the position is meaningless, and a baseball team owner. This over a guy who was a proven (relative) success - at least as much as we're ever going to get Post-Reagan "Revolution."

[Joey Liberal]

83. McSame chose a whacky broad

Now we have a Dan Quayle with hooters.

[jwirr]

84. He picked her to get the votes of women but any one with a half a

brain should realize she is not going to help women with roe vs wade.

[AllyCat]

85. Okay, I realize McSame was pandering to the Fundies with this choice

But really, couldn't he have found someone...more...qualified? I mean, the negatives against this woman are huge. Oh wait a minute. I forgot. The Repukes like conflict of interest, criminal activity, and cronyism.

nevermind

[defendandprotect]

115. Would you run with McCain on this ticket? Who would???

[Politicalboi]

88. Posed Nude????

http://www.jabberwonk.com/flinker.cfm?cliid=s2f08

Could just be a rumor but somehow I don't think so.

[rucognizant]

129. NOT HER!

I paint portraits, so keen eye..............the nude photo has alnmost no chin, Palin had a rather substantial square jaw.
Eyebrows are different.

[BearSquirrel2]

133. The head on this shot ...

The head on this shot is definitely her.

http://www.hollywood-newsroom.com/gossip/sarah-palin-na... /.

Look at the cheeks and prominent chin. I can't common on the photoshop possibilites for the body. The modern pics do look "bustier" but we all know that this can be remedied.

[Sancho]

92. Ethics investigations are a prerequisite for GOP vetting!

Of course she is being investigated!

[alfredo]

96. It's about temperament. We need cool heads in the White house. Having

the two top executives in our government that are prone to lashing out in anger is very risky. I can see why Sarah might have wanted to punish him, but she needs the wisdom to think of the consequences of using her office as a weapon against an adversary. If she did commit those acts, then she is not fit for public office.

[trthnd4jstc]

98. Maybe McSame wishes to lose, did not vet Gov. Palin. Oh Happy Day!

Amazing. One would think, hmm, I will nominate someone who has an ethics problem to be the Vice President. That surely will help the Repukes with our untarnished image of Honor, and Excellence.

[hasssan1]

100. THE WHITE WITCH IS BACK !!!!!!!!!!

[Hubert Flottz]

101. Why pick this unknown lady to be second on the ticket?

Could it have anything to to with this?

Partial settlement reached in Exxon Valdez case

Lawyers in the epic Exxon Valdez court case have negotiated a settlement to pay out most of the $507.5 million the U.S. Supreme Court awarded in June, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs confirmed today.

Under the deal, Exxon will release about $383 million for distribution to the nearly 33,000 commerc