In Office, Palin Hired Friends and Hit Critics - NY Times

[DemoRabbit]

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/politics/14palin.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

In Office, Palin Hired Friends and Hit Critics

WASILLA, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin lives by the maxim that all politics is local, not to mention personal.

So when there was a vacancy at the top of the State Division of Agriculture, she appointed a high school classmate, Franci Havemeister, to the $95,000-a-year directorship. A former real estate agent, Ms. Havemeister cited her childhood love of cows as one of her qualifications for running the roughly $2 million agency.

Ms. Havemeister was one of at least five schoolmates Ms. Palin hired, often at salaries far exceeding their private sector wages.

When Ms. Palin had to cut her first state budget, she avoided the legion of frustrated legislators and mayors. Instead, she huddled with her budget director and her husband, Todd, an oil field worker who is not a state employee, and vetoed millions of dollars of legislative projects.

And four months ago, a Wasilla blogger, Sherry Whitstine, who chronicles the governor’s career with an astringent eye, answered her phone to hear an assistant to the governor on the line, she said.

“You should be ashamed!” Ivy Frye, the assistant, told her. “Stop blogging. Stop blogging right now!”

[madaboutharry]

1. These people are dangerous.

The Cronyism, the creepy husband, the bullying. Jesus....

[MichiganVote]

4. And this is who is going to be near the button? Holy shit.........

[scott summers]

23. Yeap!

[tularetom]

2. "Stop blogging right now or you'll go blind"

Can I just do it until I need glasses?

Sorry but that's what that reminded me of.

[tooeyeten]

3. No matter how you cut it

Palin is bad for America.

[Disturbed]

7. Pit Bull Palin is more like Busholini than McClown.

She is unfit to be Gov. The AK Lagis. should Impeach her, ASAP.

In her arrogance & greedy ambition, she accepted the VP appointment. That may be her downfall because the scrutiny of her job as Gov. has now become to the fore. She fooled the people of AK for a long time with her con job. Now all of her failings are surfacing to the public.

[justiceischeap]

5. I love cows, can I get a job too? (eom)

[Pirate Smile]

6. She truly is Mini-Bush - cronyism and all.

[firedupdem]

11. That woman is really nuts! n/t

[Botany]

8. Palin the gift that keeps giving

<So when there was a vacancy at the top of the State Division of Agriculture, she appointed
a high school classmate, Franci Havemeister, to the $95,000-a-year directorship. A former
real estate agent, Ms. Havemeister cited her childhood love of cows as one of her qualifications
for running the roughly $2 million agency.>

The Cow

THE FRIENDLY cow all red and white
I love with all my heart:
She gives me cream with all her might,
To eat with apple-tart.

She wanders lowing here and there,
And yet she cannot stray,
All in the pleasant open air,
The pleasant light of day;

And blown by all the winds that pass
And wet with all the showers,
She walks among the meadow grass
And eats the meadow flowers.

[1776Forever]

9. Mini Me Bush / Palin / McCain - Triplets from Hell! What a bunch of phonies!

How can some people be so stupid?

:crazy: :silly: :crazy:

[TahitiNut]

10. Sarah and Todd are STILL living like they're in high school - they've never matured emotionally.

Even the notion that her 'friends' are people who were members of her high school clique confirms this. We NEVER hear about her "college friends" ... and we constantly hear that Sarah & Todd were "high school sweethearts."

She's a nightmare of emotional maladjustment ... stuck in adolescent games.

[Muttocracy]

13. very good point - and the high school was the only place in abc interview where she relaxed. nt

[Retrograde]

19. IMHO, that's the problem with living in a small, isolated state

there doesn't seem to be anything to counter that small-town attitude.

so, being close to Russia = foreign experience
love of cows = agricultural experience

What's next? Being in a tall building = head of NASA?

[Glimmer of Hope]

27. This is a big issue. How does she know how most of America lives?

Much less people in the rest of the world. Her perception is distorted and ignorant.

[Retrograde]

42. She doesn't

I don't think she's seen much of the lower 48 save for Idaho, and I doubt she's spent any time in large cities - Anchorage doesn't qualify as a large city in my book - and seen what daily problems they face. Where does she stand on immigration issues? Or revitalizing the Rust Belt? Or farm subsidies?

[City Lights]

12. Where's the reform?

She's bush with lipstick.

on edit - Watch your back, John. “I said, ‘You know, Sarah, within 10 years you could be governor,’ ” Ms. Chase recalled. “She replied, ‘I want to be president.’ ”

[DemoRabbit]

37. Bush with Lipstick - I've made that joke LOL

[kurth_]

14. More proof that McCain/Palin would be WORSE, MUCH WORSE, not the same

She's a true danger to our democracy.

[ColbertWatcher]

43. No, they are the exact same. Just to a different degree. GOP Fascism Version 2.0. n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

15. "childhood love of cows"

A damned good thing this lady didn't like pigs!

I think a lot of republicans love cows...when nobody's looking

[mucifer]

16. funniest line in the article

" A former real estate agent, Ms. Havemeister cited her childhood love of cows as one of her qualifications for running the roughly $2 million agency.

Ms. Havemeister was one of at least five schoolmates Ms. Palin hired, often at salaries far exceeding their private sector wages. "




:rofl:


Sorry, I have no power over things so I have to laugh or I'll cry.

[Taylor4change]

17. This woman is a NIGHTMARE!

Somebody wake me up!

[MNDemNY]

20. In what respect, Charlie?

[NC_Nurse]

18. She's a female Dubya. UGH!

[Glimmer of Hope]

21. I really think we need to know more about her husband if he is making some of the calls.

[scott summers]

22. What a piece of work

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. Oops. More cronyism. More of the McSame.

[salin]

25. Wow...

The Wasilla High School yearbook archive now doubles as a veritable directory of state government. Ms. Palin appointed Mr. Bitney, her former junior high school band-mate, as her legislative director and chose another classmate, Joe Austerman, to manage the economic development office for $82,908 a year. Mr. Austerman had established an Alaska franchise for Mailboxes Etc.

[crazylikafox]

26. Next time she gives a speech the crowd should start "mooing" at her

& yelling "can we get a job too, Sarah?"

Would be funny as hell, and maybe it would get some attention as to why?

Another great TV ad: Sarah gave a $95,000 dollar state job to a friend because she said she likes cows. Sarah thinks she's an expert on Russion affairs because she can see Russia. Is Sarah ready to be your President???

OH my, so much material, so little time.

[misanthrope]

28. This needs to be disseminated far and wide...

...The more I learn about her, the more scared I am for the future of the nation.

[Solly Mack]

29. Can't spell Palin without PAIN

I truly dislike that female

[opihimoimoi]

30. You are not Alone....she seems an ambitious person...too ambitious for the Sake of the Nation

She admits she didn't even Blink/hesitate when asked for the VP slot....

That is a Major clue she was thinking for herself and not for Country/Nation.

Now, we learn, she even violates her Church 10 Commandmants...Thou shall not Bear FALSE WITNESS....aka LYING

Like Bush and McSame...she is a clever Liar....able to fake her way through....but not for the objective Thinkers who see the Lies for what they are...deceptive words to gain votes...

[Solly Mack]

31. She's typical of her party affiliation...liar, corrupt, unethical, phony

She should go far within the GOP...even if she doesn't become VP.


Best to stop her now

[opihimoimoi]

32. If we were to shop for Leaders at LEADERS R US...she would be in the BS DEPT

[Solly Mack]

35. hehehe

[Disturbed]

34. There is enough evidence of her corruption to start Impeachment

Proceedings to fire her as Gov. Alaska deserves a better Gov than this.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

33. No wonder they picked her. She's exactly like them: self-serving, crony-abiding politico.

They do NOT pursue office to "serve the people". They do it to advance their own interests.

Same shit.

[DemoRabbit]

36. She scares me more than Bush - and that's saying A LOT

[sattahipdeep]

38. subpoena Palin aide Ivy Frye

• Kris Perry, a Palin confidant who managed her gubernatorial campaign and now manages her Anchorage office.

• Nicki Neal, state personnel and labor relations director.

• Karen Rehfeld, the governor's budget director.

• Brad Thompson, state risk management director.

• Dianne Kiesel, a state human resources manager.

Palin aide Ivy Frye

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/breaking-news-todd-palin-subpoenaed/

[ellie]

39. Make sure you Digg this!

In fact, when you are at Digg, digg all the Palin and McCain are big liar articles. The more people who see them the better!

[EV_Ares]

40. Holy shit; do you realize what would happen if that person was to get all the power she wants. She

would burn more than just books.

[uppityperson]

41. Moooooo. "at salaries far exceeding their private sector wages" k&r nt

[DemoRabbit]

44. kick

[Douglas Carpenter]

45. Kick and recommended - !!!!!

[tandot]

46. She'll just be more of the same ... cronyism, lies, divisiveness