Sarah/Todd emails show how Sarah threw a faithful, pro-life Conservative "under the bus"

by: Celtic Diva

Sat Feb 13, 2010 at 20:55:55 PM AKST

One of the first things that struck me when I started going through MSNBC's 3000 pages of emails from the State of Alaska is that whomever was making the decisions on what to "redact" and what to release was much more lax with these emails than with my records request.  A number of these emails were VERY embarassing for Palin in that they irrefutably back-up what former friends and ex-supporters alike have repeatedly stated--that Palin will throw the most loyal, dedicated worker under the bus. The conversation threads provide a facinating look into Palin's behavior and thought(?) process when it comes to what she demands of her supporters.

Take the case of Glen Biegel.  Glen has a long history as a Republican supporting conservative issues in Alaska. The most significant of these is his long-time participation and leadership role in Alaska Right to Life...a group that "coincidentally" was a very important constituency for Palin.  Alaska-Right-to-Life-ers were the ones manning the phones, standing on street corners waving signs, etc...They provided a good chunk of the ground forces Palin needed during her campaign for Governor.  

As mentioned on Palingates this morning, Glen became a strong member of Palin's campaign team, putting in countless hours as a speechwriter.  Glen was also involved in a number of strategy discussions and campaign decisions, including their direction on oil and gas.  Another former Palin campaign worker once stated to me that the dedication of both Glen Biegel and John Bitney made Palin's abuse of them and their fall-from-grace even more offensive.  

There are several email threads showing what happened when Glen made the mistake of a) investigating the status of a campaign promise regarding Home Schooling and b) committing the ultimate sin of saying something she perceived as disagreeing with her regarding oil taxes.

Glen talked about these emails himself when he filled-in on Dan Fagan's Show (H/T Palingates):

What both "offenses" have in common...he answered questions about them on the air, including on the radio show of her hated enemy, Dan Fagan.

Glen has been a board member of the Alaska Home Education Alliance...another very important constituency for the credibility of anyone attempting to portray themselves as a Conservative. That plus his position on the Palin campaign and as her supporter made him the obvious recipient of mail from other homeschool parents wanting to know the status of Palin's campaign promises...especially when, as the email thread demonstrates, the Palin Administration had been non-responsive since July 2007.  The first email of the thread is actually listed seperately and is the one Palingates partially posted in their article.  Three hours later, Glen sent a response:

From: Glen Biegel
To: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)
Sent: Wed Sep 12 09:25:25 2007
Subject:: Fw: Letter from Governor Palin

Governor,

Here is a copy of a letter from Lynn Smith and an email from one of our parents.

Thanks

Glen

Here also is a paste from a different email about a response to Lynn Smith and a
conversation that She, Sally Javier and I had

The attached information, seen HERE, included an education questionaire Palin responded to during the campaign which made specific promises regarding homeschooling.  Palin is obviously still irritated:

From: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)
To: Glen Biegel
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 1:49 PM
Subject: Re: Letter from Governor Palin

I was not provided all this infomation/communications Glen. Thanks for bringing it to my attention- but this is all the more reason a more responsible venue should have been found for you to air your grievences instead of playing into our known critic's hands. Fagan seemed to be using you, big time. All I could think of when listening to you was: "With friends like this, who needs enemies".

And it's not personally "hard on me" to go through things like that yesterday, but a conservative agenda gets squashed when those who could be working together to accomplish something are set up like you were yesterday. That was brutual Glen, and I've heard from others saying worse things than "brutal". Please don't pass these thoughts on to Fagan - he hates me and my administration enough as it is.

Yes, it's brutal to ask a politician about their timeline regarding campaign promises...whenis she  the politician being held accountable.  It's also obvious that Palin has her own obsession with Fagan.

From: Glen Biegel
To: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)
Sent: Sat Sep 15 06:38:06 2007
Subject: Re: Letter from Governor Palin

Governor,

I still don't have any indication on how you want to proceed (Timeframe, next steps, meetings, etc). I am having to make guesses on what will happen in the future without any guidance, and then speak about it on the air. I will indicate on air that I did not get the information to you or to the right people and that I have every confidence that this issue will turn out, but it would be nice to have something more than your response below.

I don't want to make things worse (if they can get worse).

Thanks

Glen

Another sin...Glen very civily and subtly pointed out that Palin had neither answered the question nor provided any requested information.

So, Palin comes back at him again:

Glen- i am in Juneau. I got your message a couple of days ago, have been tasking folks to find out what I'm missing so you could receive an appropriate response with going back and forth again. Without fail, each person has reported back that they were confident they had communicated with you about our desire to help.

They had "communicated with you about our desire to help."  She was still providing none of the information that was requested and was getting nastier about the fact he kept asking.

I had people spend more than a day looking for "my" letter to you that seemed to have been the catalyst for the miscommunications on the air, because we wanted all info in front of us in order to respond. That letter was nonexistent, I believe you clarified then about the letter. That was less than three days ago. We're still seeking info on this issue so there will be no more miscommunications, damaged relationships, distrust, missed opportunities to help, etc. I believe you overreacted and you left many people with the impression that their homeschool issues will be better dealt with in a different administration.

It doesn't seem wise to me for you to "make guesses" about anything, then speak about it on the air. I have not had the chance to sit down with the AG to speak about this, as your request is to speak to him, so though it's not wise, nor fair, to "make guesses" again on the air, I can not tell you what to say on air... I've already expressed the committment to help, the tasking of staff to gather more information so the board can more aggressively tackle the issues, I've insisted homeschoolers get adequate time to address the board... etc.

So, Palin feels it's "not wise, nor fair" to "make guesses" on the air.  Yet she also states that "I can not tell you what to say on the air..."

She can't tell a talk radio host what to say on the air when he is trying to help her Administration?

The last communication in this series between Palin and Biegel comes from Glen:

Subject: Re: Letter from Governor Palin

Thank you for the response. That helps me a lot.

God Bless,

Glen

There is no way to know for sure from this email if the "That helps me a lot" was meant sarcastically.

Palin then forwards the email string to Talis Colberg, her AG at the time, and adds the rest of the "inner sanctum" folks on the CC: list (the two last email addresses are Todd and Frank Bailey).  Not surprisingly, we don't get to know the content of that message:

From: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)
Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2007 7:17 AM
To: Colberg; Talis J (LAW)
CC: Tibbles; Michael A (GOV); Perry; Kristina Y (GOV); Smith; Lynne M (GOV);
'fek9wnr@yahoo.com'; 'ftb907@yahoo.com'

Subject: Letter from Governor Palin

Talis

REDACTED

I don't think you'd be surprised to discover that it was around this time, Eddie Burke had started to become the Palin's bestest radio buddy!  He's not impeded by an intellect as sharp as Glen's!

Another email thread between Glen and the former Governor happened several months later, December 2007.  Again, it was the result of Glen asking for clarification regarding a tax issue, not getting it, and then doing his best to address the issue on the air.

The most interesting aspect of this exchange is when Palin does something that makes me wonder how often it's happened...she sends her response to the "inner sanctum," but seemingly forgets that Biegel is still on the "TO" line:

----- Original Message -----
From: Patin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)
To: Glen Biegel; 'fek9wnr@yahoo.com'
Cc: 'ftb907@yahoo.com'; Perry, Kristina Y (GOV) ; Anders, Bruce F (DNR) ; Galvin, Patrick S (DOR); Irwin, Tom E (DNR) ; Rutherford, Marty K (DNR) ; Tibbles, Michael A (GOV) ; Leighow, Sharon W (GOV)
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:12 PM
Subject: Re: Questions on the interest of the Admin for a lock in of Tax rates for Gas.

Does he not understand that CP's "proposal" doesn't meet the state's "must haves"... they admit it's far outside the law (AGIA) and even CP has admitted locking up tax rates for 30 yrs (!) as Glen suggests is unacceptable to the legislature, the Alaskan public, this administration, and the Constitution. THEY don't even ask for a 30 year lock-up.

He said that "the campaign" didn't have a problem with that fiscal certainty? Huh? And that he was the gasline consultant to the campaign? Huh? Tell that to the Magnificant 7 who publicly explained the folly of Murkowski's plan, and my willingness to embrace their advice and consultation.

Surely he knows we would not divulge any AGIA info to him that we wouldn't share with the public at the appropriate time... despite the megaphone he has with his radio show and his frequent visits with Dan Fagan on
Fagan's show.

Glen responds twice to an email he wasn't supposed to see, once HERE and then, a clarification HERE.  Both times, he took the high road.  

However, there is a third branch to this thread, where we see Palin sending Glen the response she MEANT for him 19 MINUTES after sending the one she DIDN'T mean to send!

-----Original Message-----
From: Paln, Sarah (GOV sponsored)
Sent: Thu 12/13/2007 9:31 PM
1 ROSTON 01234
To: 'Glen Biegel'; 'fek9wnr@yahoo.com'
Cc: 'ftb907@yahoo.com'; Perry, Kristina Y (GOV); Anders, Bruce F (DNR); Galvin, Patrick S (DOR);
Irwin, Tom E (DNR); Rutherford, Marty K (DNR); Tibbles, Michael A (GOV); Leighow, Sharon W
(GOV)
Subject: Re: Questions on the interest of the Admin for a lock in of Tax rates for Gas.

Glen- I sent this reply with all due respect, and in confidence between you and my administrators who have been working hard on getting Alaska's gasline project up and running.

"...WITH ALL DUE RESPECT?"  Where was that "respect" 19 minutes ago when she sent the snipe-fest to the "inner sanctum?"

From now on, everytime Palin says the phrase "with all due respect," I'll wonder what Palin ACTUALLY said just minutes before.  (Joe Biden at the VP debate?)

And once again, we see something else that may be a pattern...finishing an email thread with a REDACTED email:

From: Anders, Bruce F (DNR)
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:20 PM
To: Palin; Sarah (GOV sponsored); 'fek9wnr@yahoo.com'
CC: 'ftb907@yahoo.com'; Perry; Kristina Y (GOV); Galvin ; Patrick S (DOR); Irwin ; Tom E (DNR);
Rutherford; Marty K (DNR); Tibbles ; Michael A (GOV); Leighow; Sharon W (GOV)
Subject: RE: Questions on the interest of the Admin for a lock in of Tax rates for Gas.

REDACTED

The MSNBC emails are a treasure trove of information as long as someone is able to put them in context for the general public.

(**NOTE**I truly appreciate the folks who have been sending me information, links to interesting emails and questions about what they have read.  Many of you have been asking whether Glen and I are related--the answer is "yes, we are." Glen is the older brother of my husband. However, it is not pertinent to the story...it would be hard for us to be more diametrically opposed in our ideologies. Therefore, we NEVER discuss politics...ever...nor do we discuss our blog posts/radio programs. Consequently, we've never discussed any of this and I learned about the existence of these emails with the rest of the world.  

Any information in this post is already public knowledge somewhere on the Internet, over the airwaves or from other sources. The only deference I gave to Glen as a family member took the form of waiting for him to talk about this in a public forum first before I posted anything about it.  Matt Felling of KTVA already mentioned something about it on Twitter last week and Palingates posted Glen's disclosure this morning.)

Don't Palin fans know they need to live up to their bumperstickers?

by: Celtic Diva

Fri Feb 12, 2010 at 01:36:37 AM AKST

I turned off my phone earlier today and when I turned it back on, my good friend (I'll call him "E") had called three times, which is unlike him.  He called again and told me this story (that he posted on his Facebook page), which explained why he wanted to talk to me so badly!

Nothing quite like being nearly sideswiped at 65mph with your child in the car!

The idiot woman with the "Choose Life" & "Palin 2012" bumper stickers on her BMW at least stopped her cellphone conversation long enough to flip me off after nearly slamming into me.

...no turn signal either, of course.

Some things to know:

1)  After trying for a long time, E and his wife K wanted to have a child together so badly that they emptied their bank accounts...their entire nest egg...and spent every penny they had on IVF (In Vitro Fertilization).  The reward is the beautiful little boy at the top of the page!

2)  K is a member of Mensa and E is no slouch himself. (I love it when geniuses procreate!) They are both quite Progressive.  Did I also mention they are agnostic?  

So this "intellectually elite," Progressive, "godless," couple enthusiastically "chose life!"  (By the way, they are also loving, caring, generous, and hysterically funny!)

3)  It is illegal to talk text on a cellphone while driving in Colorado. **(I was corrected by another Colorado resident.)**

4)  What E didn't say on Facebook is that BMW brat's reckless driving sent E and the baby fish-tailing out of control.  He said all he could do was hold on to the wheel and hope for the best.  Luckily, the best is what they got!

So, I guess "Choosing Life" for a Palinista is a purely selective process?

The issue here isn't even that this woman made several bonehead moves on the road...we all screw up occasionally.  The outrageous part of the story is that SHE put a 5-month-old and his father in danger by breaking the law and driving like a drunk woman.  Then, SHE gave HIM the finger like it was HIS fault!

Yup, sounds like the Palinistas we've been talking about!

**NOTE** Yes, I am calling this woman an "idiot" and a "brat" because I believe her behavior has earned her the labels!

Is it possible to reason with Palin's "Rebiblicans"?

by: Celtic Diva

Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 08:56:55 AM AKST

There has been a debate the last several days around the blogosphere regarding blog posts and civility.  There are many who believe we should be careful in our language, avoid namecalling, etc...(good rules-of-thumb for debating).  They make a good argument for trying to leave things open for engagement between us and the right-wingers.  At the very least, being careful in our writing provides us more credibility.

However, in the discussion process, I wondered if folks actually thought that there may actually be a chance for Progressives to influence Palin's "Rebiblican" followers. These are folks who want the entire US to be run according to the Bible.  Commenters mentioned quotes from Martin Luther King about peaceful resistence. They used his success in the civil rights movement as an example of how the same can be done by Progressives in this current political climate.

There is a very large difference between then and now:  MLK was a pastor and linked the teachings of Jesus and his Baptist religion with social justice.  Today, the right wing Rebiblicans have systematically and successfully stripped religion from the Left in the minds of many Americans...even though 74% of Progressives identify as Christians and many of the rest are devout followers of other faiths. Somehow, they've also replaced the Gospels of Jesus with the vengeful God from the Old Testament...a God who deals out often fatal punishment to "the godless."

The problem:  their definition of "the godless" shifts and changes with whomever they are told (by "leaders" who may or may not be believers, but definitely know how to manipulate) fits that description.  Sometimes, it's as simple as a judge who ruled against Sarah's family in a custody case.

Yesterday, I wrote this in the comments of another blog about my experience with the teabaggers (with edits):

...it doesn't matter whether you are actively writing anything about Palin or not. Once you are on their radar, they will continue to send regular messages with hate, insults and threats. I get about 10 a week even if I'm just writing gardening posts-more if I'm writing political ones.

Also, getting on their radar frequently has nothing to do with whether or not you are insulting...it also has more to do with if you are effective and people are actually paying attention. Then, if you're not truly being insulting, they start making stuff up.

Let's be clear...when they talk about "civility" it is like every other rule in Palin's world...only meant for us and not for her or her followers. We could stop all negative posts about Palin (no matter how civil) and the insults and threats would continue because they would believe that's why those posts had stopped...because it's important for them to take credit for everything...because it's important for them to think they are "God's chosen ones" and we are evil.

That's what these people believe...by the very fact we call ourselves Dems, Libs or Progressives we are evil and we're all going to hell. Therefore, they do not have to treat us as if we are human beings.

An example is part of an email I received today:

You poor dear, God turned his back on your very existence and Satan stepped in. Now we know from whence all your vitriol, evil compositions and repugnance originate.

We will all pray for your soul, although it surely is already lost forever.

Making us the "ultimate enemy" gives them license to do whatever they want...and we have "earned" that not because of anything most of us have ever said or done, but because of what we believe.

The difference between the Civil Rights battle and the current political climate is that rather than using a vision of God to fight FOR our rights and protections, the Rebiblicans and the Rebiblican DINOs (Democrats In Name Only) want to circumvent them:

As progressives, we are well aware of the role of the Religious Right in issues such as gay rights and women's rights. However, the Religious Right's war on progressive economic policy, regulation, progressive tax structures, and labor unions is often overlooked. Radical free market ideology is being taught to students and adults as a biblical mandate and those in opposition are being literally demonized.  Revisionist textbooks rewriting science and social sciences to align with literal biblical interpretations, are widely used in homeschooling, some private schools, and also by "family values" organizations and adult seminars.

This includes taking away something that distinguished us from every other country when it was first instituted, the right of every child to have a free, secular education:

Federal government statistics show homeschooling increasing rapidly with an estimate of 1.5 million students home schooled in 2007.   Homeschooling organizations and the Alliance for Separation of School and State claim that number is growing rapidly.  The latter is an organization which aims to eradicate public education in America.  This agenda to privatize all schooling is supported by numerous religious leaders, and includes Rep. Ron Paul, syndicated columnist John Rosemond, and former Secretary of the Interior Don Hodel.

That's something the religious civil rights advocates in King's day would march to prevent.


(to be cont'd)

Saturday Wrap-up: Emails, planting artichokes, & choking down more Palin BS

by: Celtic Diva

Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 05:16:53 AM AKST

Today I did some more reading of Todd Palin's revealed emails from MSNBC's records request. I hope to post something tomorrow regarding questions some of you have been asking.  I also want to thank all those folks who have been pointing out emails they find interesting.  I'm making notes of them and researching to see if they are significant.

It seems that everyone, right and left, are reading the emails.  However, this struck me as friggin' amazing on Twitter today.  It seems that there was one email from Sarah regarding Piper Palin that a bunch of the Teabaggers thought was "so cute."  I expected something like the hair-flattening moment at the Republican Convention so I decided to check it out.  Imagine my horror when I read this:

From: gov.sarah@yahoo.com [mailto :gov.sarah@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday , January 15 , 2008 9:08 AM
To: Kelly, Russell T (GOV); Tibbles, Michael A (GOV); Frank Bailey ; Perry, Kristina Y (GOV);
Leighow, Sharon W (GOV); Leschper, Beth (GOV); Frye, Ivy J (DOA)
Cc: Balash , Joseph R (GOV); Todd ; Anders, Bruce F (DNR); Irwin , Tom E ( DNR); Rutherford, MartyK (DNR); Sally Heath ; Molly; Chuck

Subject: Lyda vs Piper

Oh no. Last night Piper overheard me griping about Lyda's action - and she said : "Can you pull her hair?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Frye, Ivy J (DOA) [/O=SOA/OU=FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=IJFRYE]
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 9:11 AM
To: External Ernailgsp
Cc: fek9wnr@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Lyda vs Piper

Now that's the best idea I've heard yet! What a smart kid!

So we think it's funny to suggest beating up a grandma who is a cancer survivor?  We already knew Sarah's lack-of-class regarding Ms. Green.  We have it recorded when she giggled incessantly while Bob Lester called Lyda a "bitch" and a "cancer."  

Of course, the spin back then was that she was just laughing because she didn't know what else to do, yet these emails are totally backing the "Mean Girl" persona Sarah's former friends and co-workers have described.  Isn't it facinating how the "real" Sarah is leaking out all over from these private-account emails?

The scariest part is that Piper (what was she in 2008, 7 or 8 yrs old?) is being encouraged to exhibit those same personality traits by someone like Ivy Frye who is around her all of the time. ("The Babysitter")

Piper and Willow fighting while Ivy Frye looks on--at the Governor's Picnic in Anchorage, July 2009

My 12-year-old daughter has NEVER said ANYTHING like that before...and she'd be in trouble if she ever said it about anyone, even Sarah Palin.

(I hear banjos in the distance...)

So, on to more pleasant pursuits...

Planting artichokes

I planted my seeds today in the make-shift greenhouse-on-a-card-table I put together in front of a southern window.

I used a tomato seed-starter because they are for larger seeds.  While the directions for the tomatoes said to put three seeds in each, I only put one artichoke seed in, since the plants are much larger.  

I only planted 12 seeds, since I'm saving 4 of those tomato starters for leeks.  Believe it or not, leeks have a long growing season as well and I need to start them in a couple of weeks.

If you look at the picture of the table, I have a pile of seed packets and many more seed starters.  As the spring gets closer, I'll be starting more seeds for the garden.  I may have to set up another table at a different window!

sigh...back to the quitter...

Sarah Palin's Teabagger Speech

Well, she's trying to go back to those days of yesteryear--the days of the Republican Convention when she was shiny and new...where Sarah Palin could be the smiling hate-monger...the pitbull with lipstick...and have all the Republicans and even some Independents love her.  

Sarah, dear, those days are gone.  We know you now.  The only people you excited with this speech are people that are already excited by you.  As I've pointed out the last several days, those numbers are dwindling as your facade cracks and greedy, narcissistic Sarah keeps leaking through.

It's pretty clear that she didn't bring any moderates into the fold today:

Of course, one thing that Sarah Palin single-handedly managed to do with this speech was completely demolish the anti-teleprompter meme against President Obama.  If there is any doubt about that, all we have to do is see it in the words of loyal Palinistas:

@BlondeAmerican: @SarahPalinUSA is looking down at her notes a lot. No teleprompter? This is ONE area where she can actually learn from the president.
about 7 hours ago from Twitter

She also made herself a laughingstock by writing notes on her hand like a teenager...and then trying to hide it afterwards.

If you missed the speech, here are a number of links where folks live-blogged it, reviewed it and covered the "hand writing" phenomenon.

Political Carnival

Mudflats

Wonkette

Think Progress

Oliver Willis

Fox News

There was a section of the Q&A that set off alarm bells as I was busily chatting on Twitter and Political Carnival.  I didn't really catch all of it so I went looking for a recap afterwards.  Sure enough, my favorite British newspaper, The Guardian, covered it (emphasis mine):

The weirdest part of the evening came not during the speech but during the following Q&A session. Asked what she thought that a Republican-controlled congress's top three priorities should be, she answered: stop spending, energy policy and ... well, here's the whole quote, judge for yourself:

I think, kind of tougher to put our arms around, but allowing America's spirit to rise again by not being afraid to kind of go back to some of our roots as a God fearing nation where we're not afraid to say especially in times of potential trouble in the future here, where we're not afraid to say, you know, we don't have all the answers as fallible men and women so it would be wise of us to start seeking some divine intervention again in this country, so that we can be safe and secure and prosperous again. To have people involved in government who aren't afraid to go that route, not so afraid of the political correctness that you know - they have to be afraid of what the media said about them if they were to proclaim their alliance to our creator.

She was careful enough to say "God fearing" rather than "Christian"...but I'm sure the people who were supposed to get that message understood it perfectly.  This was targetted towards the Dominionists like Fred Dobson and Focus on the Family, Franklin Graham and his followers, and the hundreds of evangelicals out there who have focused all of their time and energy to turn the US into a theocracy.  

Sarah Palin used that speech and Q&A to reassure them that she was still their girl.

You KNOW President Obama laughed at THIS one!

Finally, I leave you with one hysterical skit from Saturday Night Live of "Rahm Emmanuel" asking Sarah Palin for an apology.  I just couldn't stop giggling and the shots at Palin just made me cheer! (H/T Shannyn Moore)

Summary of Sarah Palin's terrible, horrible, very bad week!

by: Celtic Diva

Sat Feb 06, 2010 at 03:05:51 AM AKST

What a difference a week makes!

While President Obama helped fuel a certain upswing in moods with his recent brilliant performances in Q&As with Congress, we've had progress on the Palin front as well:  her true ethics are now being seen publicly.

--We started to see disenchantment when many grassroots tea partiers discovered that the much-touted Tea Party Convention was actually a for-profit exercise costing each attendee about $500.00.  The true disenchantment came when it was revealed that over $300.00 of that cost was a banquet, where Ms. Palin was speaking for a $100,000 fee.  While others like Michelle Bachmann pulled out of the event (BTW...she was doing it for free) because of the unrest and even some sponsorship bailout, our Sarah stayed strong and promised to "stick with it." She also stated that she wouldn't profit from that $100,000.00 speaking fee...but was VERY short on details as to how that was going to work.  

(I hope everyone has enough popcorn and soda to watch the speech on Fox Saturday night AND the Superbowl the next day.  I plan to be Tweeting away...I'm sure many of you will be as well.  Think of the Saturday speech as a pre-game event...sort of the "sinners" before the "Saints.")

--More teabaggers and other conservatives became angry with Palin when she started backing Republicans that were viewed as "masquerading" as teabaggers but are being backed by mainstream Republicans and their money. Some of those who jumped ship this week (and suffered the typical Palinista smears) seem to be most dismayed by "outsiders" like Palin backing Rand Paul in Kentucky over the choice of true local tea partiers, Bill Johnson.  Some of these are Conservatives like Sue Jaycox at Conservative women's blog "Smart Girl Politics".  Others were die-hard Palin supporters like founder of Twitter's "Palin Twibe" Lisa Graas who felt unable to support Palin any longer after Palin's endorsement of Ron Paul's son.

An interesting development, Conservative slime bag Dan Riehl, (who started a national campaign to slander our own Gryphen in the worst way so that Dan could show his undying love for Sarah) has become increasingly cynical about the former Governor since her affiliation with the Tea Party Convention.  This week, he expressed disgust at that and her SarahPAC money donations to non-tea-party candidates like Rand.  He points out all of this as reflecting the hypocrisy of her claim that the appearance in Nashville does not benefit her directly.

-- I'm sure that everyone saw the great article our own AKM did on Mudflats and Huffington Post about the "Palin cabin" Sarah is so fond of dicussing, yet the property is assessed (and taxed) as having no cabin!  The AP took it viral and also did further research with the Mat Su Borough property assessors, only to discover that it IS the responsibility of property owners to notify the State about changes they make to their property that changes the assessment.  

Of course, die-hard Palin fan-bois and gals have the same ethical viewpoint as their fearless leader, as we see with the Freepers on Free Republic:

To: All
Lived in AK for 25 years and NEVER reported any improvemnents to my properties or purchases.

You wanna tax me Borough? Then do your job. It's not my job as a state citizen to hand you new ways to tax me and my families hard earned purchases.

13 posted on Thursday, February 04, 2010 8:17:57 PM by liberty or death

To: liberty or death
Lived in AK for 25 years and NEVER reported any improvemnents to my properties or purchases.
I have lived in the same house in Pennsylvania for as long and never once asked for a building permit for stuff I have done on my house because all they would do is up my taxes.

They might discover it the next time the county does a reassessment, but in the mean time, if I spend my own money to improve my property, it's none of their damn business.

48 posted on Thursday, February 04, 2010 8:50:06 PM by Ditto

To: highlander_UW
Property tax is unconstitutional anyway. It removes the ability to own land as property. Instead you only lease it. As soon as you fail to pay taxes that land can be taken away...so when you buy you may get control over the land but only as long as you pay rent to the gov't.
Bingo. you dont own something you have to pay taxes on.

53 posted on Thursday, February 04, 2010 8:57:54 PM by ColdSteelTalon

So, according to the Freeper brain trust:

Sarah Palin = gooooooood

Paying Property Taxes = baaaaaaaad

Dishonesty = acceptable when it benefits MEEEEEEE

Breaking the Law = Patriotic

Fine, upstanding Americans these Palinistas!

--Another big problem for Sarah Palin this week:  they allowed the wackiest of whack-jobs to open the National Tea Party Convention.

For example: Tom Tancredo spent his time laughing at the literacy of Democratic voters.  As someone who gets some of the biggest affronts to the English language every day in the form of right-wing hate mail, I find it hysterical to hear a Conservative complain about literacy:

And then there is Joseph Farah, owner of Wing Nut Daily and birther who made the point that "even Jesus Christ understood the importance of a birth certificate!" Huh?

The crazy...it burns...

The good news for Sarah...Palin's speech may look brilliant in comparison.

--Finally, MSNBC came into possession of over 1,200 emails from the State of Alaska which include Todd Palin somewhere in an address line.  I've been going through these all day and there is definitely some interesting information.  These were emails from the private accounts and it's obvious the senders didn't think they'd ever go public.  There are even a couple so far where Sarah Palin shows her true colors.  Yes...I mean bitch...

However, I've barely scratched the surface.  I'll continue to go through them over the next several days and report back.

Sarah Palin's 48-hour stay at home in Alaska...the rest of the story. Plus, misc. info...

by: Celtic Diva

Mon Dec 14, 2009 at 15:26:34 PM AKST

First off, Kim Chatman was heading out on a long-planned in-state trip.  She was checked-in at her gate, then happened to look over at the next gate (the flight going to Hawaii)...to see Todd Palin.  However, what really attracted her attention was on the hard floor of the hallway typically filled with all walks of humanity trying to get to their gate...yes, it was Trig Palin playing on the germ-ridden floor and once again, HE HAD NO SOCKS AND NO SHOES.

Kim was floored and she grabbed her phone to take a picture for me (she knows about the lunch with Thomas Van Flein where I expressed my strong anger reaction every time I see pictures of Trig half-dressed in the cold surrounded by fully-clothed adults).  Then, something extraordinary happened.  A woman in a ball cap and dark glasses (who turned out to be Sarah) scooped up Trig and took him to the women's bathroom.  When they re-emerged, HE HAD ON SOCKS AND SHOES.

What have we learned from this?  We have learned that a) our message about Trig's well-being made it to Palin, as she knew exactly who Kim was by this point and she knew who "reported Kim's story" yesterday and b) her interpretation of the message was not, "make sure Trig stays warm"...her interpretation was "don't get caught on film."

Not a surprise...

In another piece of irony, there were a number of Palinistas on the interwebs yesterday accusing Kim of "stalking" Palin.  It's clear they don't understand that the big, huge state of Alaska is really just one small town.  It's quite common to run into just about anyone, anywhere...but especially at the airport as most places up here require air travel.

Plus, I don't believe there are any coincidences in the cosmos.

On a MUCH lighter note, here is the big wreath that will adorn the front of my house as soon as my daughter and I are done decorating it.  I just strung the lights on it this morning and we have various fake flora to adorn it with after I get Morrigan from school.  I also got phone calls today that all of the supplies I ordered are on their way...I'm making baskets of homemade items for my friends and family.  Some of the items involve dried herbs and flowers from my garden!

Anyway, I can't say yet what it's all going to be (they read my blog!) but I'll tell you all about it afterwards!  

More on Palin's Elmendorf book-signing...Why so much security?...Also, summary by Kim Chatman.

by: Celtic Diva

Mon Dec 14, 2009 at 02:04:15 AM AKST

I spent several hours today tweeting Kim Chatman's reports from Sarah Palin's book signing at Elmendorf.  Tonight, Kim sent me a summary email (below) and several pictures she took on her cell phone.

A couple of comments before we get into Kim's email:

--During Gryph's and my meeting with Thomas Van Flein on Wednesday, he mentioned that Sarah Palin had received a "threat" a couple of weeks previous. (I almost said "Only one?"  I have a number of threats among my emails, as do many of the other Alaska bloggers.  And we now know that the Secret Service gets 500 threats a day against President Obama.)  I'm guessing this is the justification that Palin is using to a) have these book-signings on base and b) get the large security contingent while there.

--However, I don't believe that those reasons are the "whole truth" when it comes to "why."

I believe it's the money.

For Sarah Palin or her publisher, HarperCollins to duplicate the same kind of logistics support and security she's been getting on the military facilities at a private venue, it would cost thousands of dollars.  However, if she continues to have them on military bases, she CANNOT BRING PRIVATE SECURITY.  ALL security must be done by the military or federal contractors.

And it's on the taxpayers dime.

So once again, Sarah Palin doesn't mind "government spending" as long as it's to her benefit!

A tomato-sniffing dog?

Kim talks about how she feels about all the security...and the shock at her daughter's treatment:

I'm still reliving my experience, ugh!  I still don't think there were 2000 people there and I'm still surprised at the reaction of the people who seemed disturbed by Kayla's Obama shirt. An active member of the military in an Air Force uniform asked Kayla why she wore an Obama shirt at a Palin booksigning. When I told her that we were there to get books signed to sell on ebay and that we didn't support Sarah Palin, she got a look of disgust on her face and just kept staring at us.  

I learned that many of the people there knew very little about Palin and I could hardly believe it.  One couple I talked to said they've only been back in Alaska for three weeks, and they were there just...because.  They knew absolutely nothing about Sarah Palin pro or con.

(Note from Linda:  I'd like to find whatever rock they must have been living under this last year.  What a vacation!)

You can see in the pictures the number of military SPs (Security Police--Air Force designation) that were there.  I was absolutely stunned to discover that they had the street to the back of the Exchange blocked off.  That just doesn't happen.  You would have thought the President was in town.

A large number of Security Police were standing guard

I still don't get why the whole family has to travel with her.  They, too, are basking in the limelight.  Is that normal?  Her children looked very bored, and Willow looked snotty...you could tell although she was bored the new lifestyle has truly gone to her head.  It was surreal.  

When I was in front of Palin, part of me wishes that I would have said my entire name...Kim Chatman.  However, at the time, I kept looking at how her children were staring at everyone.  I put myself in their position and I believed that REALLY introducing myself would have caused quite an uproar.  I realized how it would have negatively effected them after they were already trapped there for hours.  They are completely at the mercy of their mother and have to do like everyone else...either go with the Sarah flow or jump off the bus only unlike the adults around them they have no control.  

By the way, I almost forgot to mention...People had gifts for her and the kids!  She's a millionaire now so you bring gifts?  

Kayla asked me on the way home If I thought that people were worshipping her more than God.  What an interesting question from a teenager.

An unlikely lunch date--Gryphen and Celtic meet Thomas Van Flein--from my perspective

by: Celtic Diva

Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 02:49:33 AM AKST

This week has turned out to be incredibly busy!

The plans for this lunch datewith Sarah Palin's lawyer was something Gryph and I have been sitting on for several months and it finally happened Wednesday.

The history:  a mutual friend of ours called from a fundraising dinner and told each of us about a silent auction item--lunch with Palin lawyer Thomas Van Flein.  This is a man for whom we both had serious questions, to say the least.

So, Gryph won the auction and we put it in my name...LS Kellen.  I stayed in touch as we tried to find a time that the three of us could meet but I used an email account with the name of my former World of Warcraft avatar...mainly because I didn't want the emails to get lost in the daily flood I get on my two other email accounts.  I never lied because I signed everything "Linda" so I thought they knew who I was.  I found out Wednesday that was not the case...they had no idea.

Of course, Gryph got there first (I'm going to be late to my own funeral).  As a result, Gryph had the early conversation, which he shares on his site.  When I got there, the first question I asked was whether Meg Stapleton was traveling with Palin on the book tour, to which Mr. Van Flein let us know she was not.  After that I found most of the questions came from Mr. Van Flein for a little while such as, "what do you do besides blogging?"  

First impressions:  Thomas Van Flein was charming and had a sense of humor.  I was also amused by how he enjoyed the "power" of information.  He seemed to get a kick out of watching people's reactions when he'd ask a question he thought would be "unexpected".  For example, he asked me "Did you get what you were looking for in the emails?"  He said he knew that I'd just gotten them, but wondered if I'd had a chance to go through them.  I explained to him that I was actually much more interested in the emails that I didn't get...the ones in the "privileged log." I was especially facinated by the ones claiming "attorney client privilege" that were missing either Palin, Van Flein or sometimes both in the "To" and "From" lists.  

After about 15 minutes, I jumped into the deep end of the pool and basically asked Mr. Van Flein why he continues to give the impression that all of the ethics complaints against the Governor have been dismissed when he knows it's not true.  His response was mostly what I expected...that if we notice the wording of his responses, they are "factually accurate".  His recent press release is a perfect example from her Facebook:

The Ethos of Ethics

When the Governor announced her decision to resign on July 3, she pointed out the then 15 frivolous ethics complaints that had been filed against her and dismissed.

In other words, no matter what the actual impression his words gave people, he stated he was covered because he didn't "technically" lie.  

The problem is that he did.  The travel complaint was not "dismissed," it was "settled"...like a plea bargain.  So, while he said to us that it was "resolved" just like the "dismissed" complaints...it meant something very different.  After all, a "dismissed" complaint didn't cost Sarah Palin $10,000 in reimbursement fees while the "settled" one did.  

Also, phrasing his story by referring to Palin's discussion of the "then dismissed 15 complaints" makes it sound like all the complaints up to that date were dismissed.  That was not true.  At that time, two or three were still open.  One of the same ones (AK Fund Trust) is still unresolved now (and a determination letter did not find in her favor). Mr. Van Flein justifies his words by saying she was just referring to the complaints that were dismissed up to that point.  However, when I did the count at that time, those 15 complaints against Palin had to include the settled travel complaint (or, they were counting several complaints that were against Palin staff, not her...still making it a lie/half-truth.)

However, when Van Flein has been interviewed by people (Eddie Burke is one example) who erroneously claim that all of the complaints have been dismissed, he does not correct them.

Like I said, I already expected his reaction and justification, but it was interesting to hear it directly.  It's not a surprise that no one seems to take ethics seriously anymore.

I know you saw the great exchange Gryph had with Mr. Van Flein over the babygate issue and yes, I was definitely surprised when Mr. Van Flein was the one who asked the question!

Other issues we discussed:

--Trig:  Gryph and I both discussed how we felt about Trig's treatment.  For me, I said if I saw Trig carried outside one more time without shoes, socks and a coat when he's surrounded by people who are bundled up against the cold, I would start screaming.

--The "pretty" issue:  At one point, Mr. Van Flein stated that he didn't think Sarah's fans do her any favors when they talk about how attractive she is. I agree with that...however, I don't think he gets that if she didn't look the way she does, she wouldn't be where she is.  I'm not being catty, I'm being serious after a year of "getting to know" Sarah's fans.  (For a great example of this, check out Leah Burton's article and photoshop which states "If Sarah Palin looked like Susan Boyle, we wouldn't be having this conversation.")

--Jealousy:  Both he and Liz Behlke defended her against the criticism she's taken over her wardrobe and that's when the "jealous" word (from Liz) reared its ugly head.  

I explained that in the hundreds of hate mails I've recieved, the four things most commonly said are 1) I'm fat, 2) I'm ugly, 3) No one will want me and 4) I'm jealous of Sarah.  Now when I hear the "jealous" accusation, it makes a vein in my head throb.  I explained that I'm married to a wonderful man who takes care of me, I get to be a stay at home mom to an awesome 12-year-old girl, we own our home and we have a good life. I did the "performing thing" for many years in which I met and worked with lots of celebs. I already sowed my oats, had my adventures and I'm very happy where I'm at.  

As the discussion progressed, Mr. Van Flein made "a joke," saying "You'll have to change your blog to "The Cougar Diva"...referencing the age difference between me and my husband.  (I told him I hate that word as well and he'd better watch it...someday I'll do a post about why.)  Mr. Van Flein also tried to explain "feminism" to me, asking if I didn't agree that it meant that women should be able to do what they want and be themselves when they are doing it?

My response:  if Barack Obama felt more comfortable in skater-dude clothes or basketball outfits and dressed that way when running for President, no one would have given him the time of day.  Sarah Palin has dressed like an unprofessional teenager during the campaign and then got upset when people pointed it out.  If she looks around at other attractive Conservative women (with some exceptions--like Ann Coulter) even looking to local Republican Legislator Nancy Dahlstrom, she has plenty of examples of professional, impeccably dressed Conservative women.  And that's what it is...a question of professionalism and just like the rest of us, she needs to dress for the job that she wants.

Neither Tom nor Liz argued with me on that point.

--Gryphen's and my experiences with the Palinistas this year:  I knew that we weren't going to hear anything too surprising or earth-shattering from Thomas Van Flein, but I think it was good that he saw we were real people and we gave him a good overview of what we'd gone through from Sarah's fans. I laughed when he said he didn't find Sarah's book to be "vindictive" at all and I can't imagine what he would consider to be vindictive...yikes!

Overall, lunch was a pleasant experience.  I find Tom entertaining and would go to lunch with him again, with the full awareness that he'd verbally gut me in a second if it benefits his client.  However, now he has a face...a voice...a personality to go with the name "Linda Kellen Biegel."  I don't think it would stop him from ripping me a new one, but it might give him pause for a couple of seconds.

(P.S.  I SWEAR a post about the emails is sitting almost-done in drafts...it's coming soon...I'm so far behind in writing, Holiday preparations, everything.  I've barely had a chance to go through them.)

*****UPDATE****

Excellent extended analysis by Sarah Jones over on PoliticsUSA.

Tell me how the Palins are "like everyone else" again? The Palin Compound in Wasilla.

by: Celtic Diva

Wed Dec 09, 2009 at 10:19:56 AM AKST

A friend paid a visit to the Palin Compound yesterday and snapped these pictures.  The building in the middle was the one some folks thought would be a airplane hanger while it was being constructed.  Obviously, it's a house even larger than their previous one (on the left).

Old house on the left, new house on the right and you can see the "shop" behind.

I'm not particularly interested in what the Palins are going to do with any of this...they can do what they want.  However, there seems to be this recurring drumbeat from her fans and spin-blogs that "Palin is just like you and me" or "Palin has sacrificed so much for others" and then my favorite "Palin cares about each and every one of us!"  

Yet, as Palin returns to Alaska this weekend and brings her traveling medicine show of a book tour to Elmendorf, I ask you to take note of these pictures.  Understand that the Palins have multiple properties...one with a nice cabin (allegedly) stocked with many snow machines.  Reports also claim they have more than one plane.  Don't forget that Palin is biding her time, counting on the Personnel Board to do nothing until the 2-year statute of limitations is up on the Alaska Fund Trust.  In addition, we've seen that Palin is collecting as much money as possible on her book tour--defying the tradition of REAL authors and only signing books that are bought at that location as well as openly collecting money for SarahPAC through solicited donations and "selling" photo opportunities.

So, someone explain to me exactly how Sarah is "one of us"?  More importantly, show me ANY evidence that Palin has done ANYTHING besides line her own pockets!

The Palin house on the left, new house in the middle, unidentified house on the right.

Looking for "Boots on the Ground" in Ft. Hood

by: Celtic Diva

Thu Dec 03, 2009 at 23:12:30 PM AKST

In spite of the many protesting phone calls and emails the powers-that-be at Fort Hood received last week, "Her Lie-ness Queen of the Teabaggers (and now Birthers)" will be making her appearance thereFriday night to meet with military members and their families only. She said on her Facebook page that she will donate her royalties from her sales at Ft. Hood to the families of the shooting victims.

The question I want to ask:  Will she also donate the money she's charging to get a picture taken with her?

(H/T Bree Palin)

If there is anyone out their in really-cool-reader-land who will be attending the Ft. Hood debacle, I would really like some first-hand info (and pictures if possible) of the event.

Send me an email (upper left-hand corner of the blog) or a Facebook message and let me know!

(H/T also goes to Sondra Tompkins, who came up with "Her Lie-ness."  I loved it immediately!)

P.S. I'm still working on a post but got distracted today when I received the first group of documents electronically!

Palin flies on Samaritan's Purse plane--**BREAKING**Ft. Hood possibly rethinking Palin visit

by: Celtic Diva

Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 08:49:45 AM AKST

Photo courtesy of Military.com

It seems that outrage across the country over the behavior of Palin and her entourage at Ft. Bragg has shown itself in stories on military-themed websites.

For example, the AP story on Palin's Ft. Bragg visit appears on a website widely-read by our nation's military, Military.com, and they titled the piece "Some Anti-Obama Tones to Palin Bragg Visit."  The comments are dominated by folks who are incensed by the behavior at the event.

For example:

I wonder what would have happened if someone wore an impeach Bush/Cheney shirt when he was our CINC?

Perhaps an even bigger indicator of the ripple effect after Palin's visit can be seen in a comment on this blog.  The story below includes contact numbers to Public Affairs on Fort Hood, including the Col. who is the Public Affairs Officer.  I requested that folks contact them and express (respectfully) their feelings.  Reader Pearlygirl took me up on that:

response from Ft Hood

I just called Col. Danner. He was very polite and also expressed that he has received many concerns about this book signing.  It was set up before the recent shootings but it is being rethought.  It was worth calling.  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by: pearlygirl @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 05:04:18 AM AKST

I thank pearlygirl and all who have called.  I'm following up with a phone call to Col. Danner to try and get more of an explanation.

My understanding is that blogs across the country have been making similar posts and are encouraging phone calls as well.  It looks like it may be working.

(To see details of Palin Ft. Bragg visit, read below)

********************************************UPDATE************************************************

As if we didn't have enough reasons...

Here is the portion of the Greta Van Sustern interview last night where she accused Obama of not acknowledging/not respecting the troops as reported on Politico today:

I was angry when I read about it, but not NEARLY as angry as I was after I watched her attitude while saying the words:

"There's been a lack of acknowledgement by our president in understanding what it is that the American military provides in terms of, obviously, the safety, the security of our country," Palin said during an interview with Fox News's Greta Van Susteren. "I want him to acknowledge the sacrifices that these individual men and women - our sons, our daughters, our moms, our dads, our brothers and sisters - are providing this country to keep us safe."

There's much more.

**************************************************************************************************

Sarah Palin arrived in North Carolina Sunday by way of Asheville.  She was slated to have a much-touted dinner with Franklin Graham and his father Billy.  While this is a video made by a fan (so pardon the drippiness) it does provide a good view of the plane she arrived on...and the call number.  You may also see some "interesting" dynamics at play:

I received this message this morning regarding the plane from a trusted reader:

"Linda, Thought I would let you know.  The plane Sarah flew in to Asheville had the N number 262SP.  The SP does not stand for Sarah Palin but the plane is owned by Samaritans Purse. I checked it out at the FAA registry.  Wonder if that plane is being used at Rochester and other book signing destinations?  Samaritan donations being put to good use to haul Palin's carcass around."

As if that was not interesting enough, he wrote back later:

Tried to check the flight activity for this airplane (N262SP) at Flightwise.com.  The flight activity for this plane is blocked by the owner.  Guess he doesn't want anyone to know where he is flying.  This is a good site to track an airplane's activity.  Might come in handy for checking the use of AK state airplanes.

Yup, especially those Alaska planes now leased by Samaritan's Purse up here.

It seems that one must apply to have their plane's schedule made "private" and in doing so, a reason must be provided.  I'd love to see the reason Franklin Graham gave for blocking access.  

Did I mention that my readers are awesome?

Monday, Palin took the "roadshow" to Ft Bragg, North Carolina for her book signing...a move which has angered many military and civilians alike.  According to Fort Bragg Public Affairs, she is "clearly not a political figure."

Huh?  I would agree that she is "clearly" not a "candidate" but considering her interference in NY-23 and Facebook tretises, she is MOST DEFINITELY a political figure.

And by the way, she chose the title "politician" on her Facebook page.

As if to try and "mitigate" the obvious danger of having an out-of-control Palin on record at Ft. Bragg potentially slamming the Commander-In-Chief, the military originally tried to keep the press away so as not to "encourage" anti-President Obama rhetoric.  However, they relented when the media strongly objected.

After what we've seen at Ft. Bragg today, it's easy to see why they didn't want the press to document the activities.

But the bus parked nearby encouraged donations to her political action committee and supporters made clear that she should run for president.

It's illegal for this event on base/post to reflect any partisan politics.  It's also putting active military careers in jeopardy if they are seen as participating in these activities.  

Sarah Palin appeared at Fort Bragg today, promoting her book, "Going Rogue" to the military. Palin had promised to limit herself to signing books, no politicizing her visit, amidst general concerns that her signing would violate Federal Law (Titles 10, 2, and 18, United States Code), Department of Defense (DOD) Directives, and specific military regulations strictly limit a military active duty person's participation in partisan political activities.

I don't think it gets more partisan than SarahPAC.

Palin's father, who greeted supporters as his daughter signed copies of the book, said in an interview that Obama's handling of the military was "scary."

"I see a decline in our might," Chuck Heath said. "People used to be afraid of us and respect us, (but) they're not afraid of us and don't respect us anymore."

Errr...did I mention it was illegal for folks to spew partisanship at this event on base/post around active military personnel?

The Department of Defense defines "partisan political activity" as "activity supporting or relating to candidates representing, or issues specifically identified with, national or State political parties and associated or ancillary organizations."

G.R. Quinn, 58, a veteran who spent 20 years in the military, wore an "Impeach Obama" shirt. He blasted the president for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, for the plan to hold a key Sept. 11 terrorism trial in New York and for Obama's handling of the military overseas.

Should I NOW mention that partisan thing again...and add that a veteran with benefits may not want to break federal law?

I'm going to have nightmares tonight because while she was restricted from speaking at Fort Bragg, she is not at Fort Hood.  However, we might be able to change that.

Col. Stephen Sicinski is the Garrison Commander and his number and email are restricted.

However, here are the phone numbers of the PAO (Public Affairs Office) on Fort Hood.  PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL when you speak to them.  Also, please no profanity or insults, no matter how much Palin might irritate you:

PA On Call Representative  Phone: 254-291-2591

PAO - Col. Benton Danner

Email: benton.danner@us.army.mil

Phone: 254-287-0103

Deputy PAO (Civilian) - Mr. Bruce Zielsdorf

E-mail: bruce.zielsdorf@us.army.mil

Phone: 254-287-8506

Deputy PAO (Military) Phone: 254-287-6694

Remember...RESPECT...and let me know in the comments if you called and what happened.  I believe they are 3 hours ahead.

Palin fans wait hours in the rain and cold...get stiffed. Now you know how Alaska feels..

by: Celtic Diva

Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 13:47:55 PM AKST

Per a former Palin fan:

Gary Conner:

Sarah,

You angered and disappointed over 300 families in Noblesville tonight. I attended Mike Huckabee's book signing yesterday. He had pre-signed book in case he would be unable to sign all the books for people who qualified. His books would be exchange one for one with any one whose book he could not sign

First, you should work to make this right. Second, you need to make sure that it never happens again!

Another fan wasn't quite so forgiving:

Jordan Harris:

I just spent 9 hours of my day, $40 of my hard earned money on two of your books, and took the whole day off work to watch you jump on a bus and throw a half-heated wave to the crowd you were avoiding.

I have never felt so disrespected. How can you claim that you are different? You aren't. You are just as selfish as everyone else in Washington. It breaks my heart. I thought you might be the answer to the turmoil this country is under but you aren't. You just slapped hundreds of Hoosiers in the face. The hard working type of people that you claim to represent.

You say in your book that you chose to sleep well over eating well. At the end of the day I know that you don't care that you wasted the whole day of some 20 year old college student who lives on their own. I understand that all that matters is that I spent my money on two of your books. I'm sure your eating well. You certainly have no reason to be sleeping well.

A local Indiana news crew backs them up, except there is a discrepancy in the number of fans left wanting.  Most of the other sources I've looked at say at least 300 (some even 400).  This news station claims it was more like 100.  Not surprisingly, this is the one featured on DrudgeReport's YouTube account:

And there's more trouble ahead...

It seems that hundreds of people, again, spent the night outside of Borders in Columbus Ohio.

This was the story when they spent the night in the cold:

Maria DiLeo, a marketing manager for Borders, said that the first 1,000 who show up when the Sawmill Road store opens at 10 a.m. will be assured of getting Palin's autograph on her book.

"We're giving out 1,000 wristbands to get in line to guarantee they'll get in the bookstore" for the signing, DiLeo said. "After we go through the 1,000 with wristbands, and if time allows, (Palin) could continue signing, but I can't guarantee she'll sign more than 1,000."

However, by light of day, things had changed:

Borders doors opened at 10 a.m. and those who had waited the longest 18 hours in some cases got their wristbands first.

The first 500 people received a wristband and they are guranteed a chance to meet Palin and get their book signed.

That is a change Palin's staff made in response to large crowds originally there was supposed to be 1,000 wristbands handed out, Bell reported.

I wonder how those folks felt when they froze their butts thinking 1,000 were going to get in, only to find out only half that number actually would?

Yep...it's so good for Sarah's future now that they are "getting to know her" the same way Alaskans do.

By the way...WE TOLD YOU SO!

(H/T to Mudflats)

Palin on tour...my head hurts**UPDATE** Did Palin have her own endorsement deal while Gov?

by: Celtic Diva

Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 17:52:28 PM AKST

Speaking of "Runner's World" photo, does Palin have a Japanese shoe endorsement deal tracing back to the days of her Governorship?

Blogger Martin Eisenstadt may have found one:

I was looking through Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue today, and one thing struck me: When she's talking about going for a run at the Sedona debate prep, there's a very blatant and specific product placement reference to her Japanese-made ASICS shoes ("I couldn't wait to slip into my ASICS and work up a sweat.").  In fact, the whole page sounds more than a little lurid.

Sure enough, she's wearing ASICS shoes in those Runner's World pics (including the now-controversial one on the cover of Newsweek, which Runner's World now denies giving to them - apparently they came from Rapport, the photo agency who reps Anchorage photographer Brian Adams).

Then I see this - ASICS wins a Runner's World "Shoe of the Year" award from just two weeks ago.

Follow the money.  Is Sarah on ASICS' payroll as a sponsor?  Is that why she did the Runners World photo shoot in the first place (which at the time struck me as bizarre anyway).  Was she paid by ASICS while she was still governor? Remember, she only made $1.5 mil from the book deal - she must have gotten money elsewhere to make it worth her while to quit being governor. And through Todd and the snowmobiling thing, she's no stranger to sports sponsorship.  

Throughout the book, Palin makes brand references that sound extremely out-of-place...Diet Dr. Pepper, sugar-free Red Bull.  The entire time that Investigator Daniel was "taking the Governor and Arctic Cat at their word" in response to my ethics complaint, she was going so far as to make other shoe-brand and designer coat references during speeches such as the one introducing Michael Reagan.  I remember asking a friend who was at the Performing Arts Center for the speech, "So, do you think she was given the shoes she just plugged or did she actually buy them for herself?"

My friend said, "Well, she won't need to buy them anymore!"

I've often thought that, as time goes by, the Personnel Board and Investigators will be revealed for the corrupt bunch they are. This is only the beginning.

**************************************************************************************************

Palin does her "roll out" of the book tour today in Grand Rapids Michigan.  Andrea Mitchell was covering it on her show right now.  I need more coffee and posssibly medication.

By the way, it seems that Palin's fans truly do follow in her poor-judgement footsteps.  Some of those folks in Michigan stood out in the cold FOR HOURS to see her...some of them with their babies!  Some even spent the night with their kids!

Are you kidding me?

Of course, our good friend AKM pointed this out in her continuing summary of "Going Rogue":

Page 105-106:

It's the middle of winter, and ten degrees below zero. It's nighttime and it's dark. It's Thompson Pass on the way to Valdez. Driving is "treacherous" and this area has very little traffic, hazardous conditions, and an average snow dump of 50 feet in the winter. Sarah Palin is cresting the pass, zipping along in her black Jetta drinking sugar-free RedBull and fumbling around to put on a Toby Keith CD while she is driving with the window down to keep herself from falling asleep. She wishes she'd taken Todd's big truck but she didn't so she's in this little Jetta. AND HER CHILDREN ARE SLEEPING IN THE CAR! This trip, according to Palin, was the same distance as New York to Raleigh North Carolina, and it was a trip she didn't need to take.

Unbelievable. Every Alaskan parent is cringing right now. Well....except her.

I've driven that pass at night and in the winter...in areas, if you go off the road with any real speed, the guard rails WILL NOT save you from a 400 FOOT DROP.  I guess "pro-life" is relative...

There will be lots of videos of Sarah Palin interviews today.  I found the segment on the Today Show this morning to be interesting and comprehensive, from the faux-outrage over the Newsweek cover:

First, here's her complete "profiling" comment as captured by Talking Points Memo:

What these people don't understand: profiling can actually be a distraction, causing authorities to focus on someone for their religious beliefs while ignoring the potential dangers from someone actually exhibiting signs of mental instability or violence.

But since Sarah Palin has no real experience with any of this, she can comfortably blow it out of her ass.

Then we have the "offending" magazine cover:

Much has been written, very eloquently, about this by my fellow bloggers:

1)  She posed for the picture herself.

2)  It's a staged, pageant pose with a flag, not a "healthy lifestyle" pose.

3)  She posed for the picture herself.

4)  She's wearing shiny, expensive panty hose under her shorts and an outfit unlike anything she really runs or exercises in (we know that from the "Oprah" video) and a flipping "bumpit" in her fully-quaffed loose hair with extensions (on the Oprah video, like most women, she wore a pony tail).  

And can we talk about the full-trowel make-up?  

Please explain to me how anyone can exercise like that, unless you want the "bumpit" and the extensions hanging off the side of your head and your trowelled-on make-up running down to your chin by the end of your run?

5)  Did I mention that she posed for the picture herself?

6)  The only reason we don't see Condoleeza Rice or any other female political figures in photos like this?  THEY DON'T POSE FOR THEM because unlike Palin, they care about whether or not they are taken seriously, because...

7)  ...Palin uses her "sex-appeal" any way she wants, but throws out the "sexist" word anytime anyone calls her on it.

However, the very biggest reason Sarah Palin is claiming that Newsweek is "demeaning" her through this "sexism," THE ARTICLE ABOUT HER IS NEGATIVE!  If this was a Conservative magazine with a positive article on Palin, we wouldn't hear anything about it.

A perfect example...tons of press were given free advance copies of "Going Rogue" in order to read and comment on it.  Many folks posted full pages of the book or quoted extensively.  However, just two blogs, Palingates and mine, were sent "cease and desist" letters from HarperCollins.  Our pieces were doing some fact-checking that the national media wouldn't be able to do.

Palin loves playing the bully.

I really need a palate cleanser, so here is a video of how someone with true class and leadership skills acts.  Our President answers the question:  What does he think of the "4 out of 10" rating Sarah Palin gave him on Barbara Walters:

"Going Rogue"...reading with three highlighters

by: Celtic Diva

Tue Nov 17, 2009 at 18:21:36 PM AKST

The reason I'm using three highlighters while reading is for different subjects...of course one color (pink) is for ethics issues.  So far, it's making the book look like I've been bleeding on it.

(It was suggested I use one color for lies.  For that, it would be easier to dip it in paint and just wipe off the few lines that were true, like "my daughter Bristol was born.")

While reading this afternoon, I tuned-in to Christy Harvey and Kathy Phillips on their Progressive radio program "Studio 1080."  Christy needed some help identifying folks as she was reading the book.  I called in to help "decode" the people she was insulting:

"Birkenstocks and long grey hair" -- Anne Kilkenney

"Stained tie, untucked shirt" -- John Bitney

In comparison, her loyal friend "Kris" (Kris Perry) has a "servant's heart." **"Rebiblican" code-word**

The lies she's telling about the State government and the ethics process are WAYYYYY more extensive than I could possibly imagine.  I won't be finishing the book and a post on this until, at the earliest, tomorrow evening and maybe not until Thursday.

Sooo, in the interim...

1)  Enjoy this hysterical video of our friend, Andrew Halcro, reading the steaming pile of "bullcrap" Palin wrote about him.

FYI--he's one of the smartest, most down-to-Earth guys I've ever talked to.  Not bad for a Republican! **insert non-Palin-ish wink**

2)  Go forth and support our friend AKM at Mudflats who is not only reading the entire book, but is also summarizing the whole thing so the Mudpuppies won't have to buy it.  So far, she's posted Chapters One and Two but, as we are all noticing, the lies get thicker as the book rolls along.

Give her much support and encouragement!

3)  PLEASE let me know if you stumble upon less famous interviews with Palin (like if she does a local TV or newspaper interview in your town) or articles and reviews on the book...especially if you find them on YouTube.  It's hard to keep up with all the media reports on her during this tour (especially MSNBC and CNN during the day) so if you see something good, feel free to tell me in comments or on email.  Her modus operendi is that she will consistently embellish things so I REALLY WANT to catch her as she changes her story from one town to the next!

Final note:  I listened to Dan Fagan's show yesterday while he was giving his negative feedback about the book.  Andree McLeod called in...someone Palin treated horribly in the book.  Andree's response:

"There's a special place in hell for Sarah Palin."

I agree, but I don't think it will wait for an afterlife.

Discussing Palin: Keith talks Oprah and fact-checks the book, Larry King's Palin Panel

by: Celtic Diva

Mon Nov 16, 2009 at 22:20:44 PM AKST

Well, ya'll probably figured out that so many of you went to Mudflats to live-blog Oprah that the site crashed.  None of us got a chance to chat with you while we were watching, but it was INCREDIBLY hard to contain myself hearing all the things she was saying!

And yes, when it turned out that Piper's "Halloween costume" was her Arctic Cat gear, I was amazed that Oprah would allow such an obviously staged event on her show.  While Piper is in the Arctic Cat gear, she doesn't have her friends with her like Palin is discussing.  However, if you see the end of the linked video, it shows Piper putting on a princess costume...the real one. I think this week has made it pretty clear that she's built a condo in her brain just for me!

Anyway, there have been lots of shows on Palin today.  Some of the best:

Keith Olbermann does a review of Palins appearance on Oprah:

...plus he does a fact-check on "Going Rogue" with information from the angry former McCain campaign members:

Here is Kristan Cole and Flavor-of-the-week-Cupp representing Palin on Larry King.  Watch Stephanie Miller and James Carville bitch-slap them!

So...watch and discuss while I get ready to head out in the morning and...sigh...buy the book.

A bit more of "Going Rogue"...the "infamous" photoshop **UPDATED** w/ new page

by: Celtic Diva

Mon Nov 16, 2009 at 08:02:43 AM AKST

We're all going to be left hanging, as the portion of the book I have (page 371) in which she starts to reference me is incomplete.  I'm missing 372 and 373 so I won't know the rest of what she says until Tuesday.

**UPDATE** Overnight, my "fairy godfather" sent me the pages (bless him) so I'm no longer "hanging." ****  

What information there is on the photoshop incident once again shows a perfect example of this "book of lies" Palin has written:

"Also, unbelievably, hurtful attacks were directed at Trig.  On the Internet, a fake Planned Parenthood ad showed a photo of me holding Trig.  In one corner there was a coat hanger and in the other a slogan, "Better luck next time." What kind of person creates something like that?  Maybe the same kind who would photoshop distorted images over Trig's pretty face in order to make him look monstrous.  The person who did this proudly displayed it on her website; she was also the official Alaskan Blogger for the Democratic National Committee during the 2008 election"

She purposely lied about everything, including the timeline.  Let's set the record straight...

First, the most basic information:  I was the Alaskan Blogger for the Democratic National CONVENTION Committee...DNCC.

Secondly, I was having a web-a-thon to raise money for the emails I wanted from the State, some of which were between Palin and radio host Eddie Burke.  Each night, contributor Dr. Chill was making a "thermometer" to show our progress and to let everyone know how far we had to go.

Day Four was the one with Eddie Burke's face.  It's unfortunate that Palin thinks Eddie Burke has a "monstrous" face but, well, there's not much we can do about that.  Granted, Dr. Chill did have to shrink it and turn it a little sideways to fit it properly in the picture.

Thirdly, folks from the fanatical Palinista  blogs saw an opportunity.  My blog more than some of the other ones focuses strictly on Alaska, which is why my readers knew what we were doing and understood the "Baby Burke" tag I put on the photo.  However, as 99% of their readers knew little or nothing about Alaska other than what they filtered and spoon-fed them, they could spin this any way they wanted.  So, they accused me of the illogical, the unthinkable, something this this disabled mom  never even considered -- they accused me of trying to make fun of Trig. They farmed that information out to the rest of the blogs that were created by McCain Campaign money and influence trying to make it a big story.  It didn't work.

It became a national story the next day when spokesperson Meghan Stapleton did a press release:

Recently we learned of a malicious desecration of a photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother's love for a special needs child.

The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling. To learn that two Alaskans did it is absolutely sickening. Linda Kellen Biegel, the official Democrat Party blogger for Alaska, should be ashamed of herself and the Democratic National Committee should be ashamed for promoting this website and encouraging this atrocious behavior.

Babies and children are off limits. It is past time to restore decency in politics and real tolerance for all Americans. The Obama Administration sets the moral compass for its party. We ask that special needs children be loved, respected and accepted and that this type of degeneracy be condemned.

What Stapleton and Palin didn't realize is that they, according to Wonkette, "poked a stick in the worlds largest beehive of cheap, tireless insanity and the SomethingAwful.com goons have unleashed a pack of Photoshop Dogs From Hell to make the most incredible collection of Sarah Palin Desecration Images in the History of Time, the end."

It's on page six of the Something Awful thread where you'll find the fake Planned Parenthood ad.

Yes, the fake ad is disgusting, but in many ways Palin had only herself to blame. Many folks saw right through to the motivation behind her press release--partially because she didn't make any sense and partially thanks to great explanatory articles on Huffington Post by AK Muckraker and Shannyn Moore.  These Internet veterans viewed her press release as an attack on free speech...that if you lie about someone's motives, act like a victim and have access to the national media to spread those lies, you can force your target to "sit down and shut up."  If you read the beginning of their photoshop thread, you'll see that their often-gross photoshops were a reaction to just that.

I'm sure we'll see more-and-more come out today, especially in light of the Oprah interview.  I'm not going to write anymore on book pages until I have it tomorrow.  I know that Mudflats is "reading and reporting on the book so you don't have to" and I'll be reporting on the issues in the book that I normally cover--i.e. there are TONS more lies about the ethics complaints.

Stay tuned!

Just for fun...my guilty pleasure...the Graham Norton Show!

by: Celtic Diva

Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 02:31:21 AM AKST

Tonight I was introduced to a wonderful opera mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins.  (Mezzos and Baritone's are my favorite female and male ranges.)  This is from her new album--her version of "Bring me to life" originally by Evanescence.

One of my favorites, Harry Connick Jr. was also on and sang "All the Way."  (Watch the end of the episode and you'll see it.) Also, Welsh actor/comedian Rob Bryson was on and was great.

Make sure you check out the opera singing dogs.

For those of you who don't know about Graham, many of us were introduced to his show last year...when he had actors Thandie Newton ("The Chronicles of Riddick," "The Pursuit of Happyness," "W") and Ricky Gervais (UK version of "The Office," "The Invention of Lying") do a reading of a Sarah Palin porn script.

(Warning...put down all liquids and drink nothing until it's over!)

They play a lot of reruns of past seasons during the week on BBC...they are definitely worth watching.  

By the way, one of the first jokes Graham did on last night's show got a very interesting reaction from the crowd...because it alluded to the "true nature" of many of President Obama's detractors.  It's nice to see the Brits say things that US comedians won't.

The book quotes just keep on comin'...this time it's "Sarah from Alaska"...

by: Celtic Diva

Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 00:18:53 AM AKST

The Wall Street Journal (yes, the rag owned by "evil one" Rupert Murdoch) actually did a book report on "Sarah from Alaska", the newly released book by reporters Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe.

There were some REALLY tasty morsels...especially for Alaskans!

The first one:  remember during the VP campaign when the story kept changing on how she accepted the candidacy?  The first story...when McCain asked her to join the campaign she "Didn't blink" and said yes.  However, people started to question "Didn't you ask your kids?"  "Didn't you check with your husband?"  That's when the story changed.

from Sean Hannity:

On her family's reaction to McCain tapping her for his running mate: "It was a time of asking the girls to vote on it, anyway. And they voted unanimously, yes. Didn't bother asking my son because, you know, he's going to be off doing his thing anyway, so he wouldn't be so impacted by, at least, the campaign period here. So ask the girls what they thought and they're like, absolutely. Let's do this, mom."

Guess what?  THAT was a lie as well!

-Telling the kids: Palin couldn't bring herself to tell her children she had accepted McCain's offer to be his running mate. "The governor decided not to deliver the life-changing news herself. Instead, she asked Steve Schmidt to tell her children that their worlds were about to be turned upside down." There's no explanation for why this happened - but Conroy and Walshe do point out that the timeline means the children weren't asked for their permission, as Palin suggested during the campaign.

But wait...there's more...and this is my FAVORITE STORY!

It seems that when Sarah Palin kept accusing us Alaska blogger types of being obsessed with her, the lady perhaps was protesting too much...:

- A growing preoccupation with bloggers: There's not a lot about why Palin resigned this past summer as Alaska governor after less than a full term, except that it had something to do with "the extent to which she had allowed her critics in Alaska to get to her. The woman who had steadfastly faced down powerful oil companies two years earlier had now become preoccupied with bloggers."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  That just warms my little heart!

There's more in the article--I just picked my favorite things for you before I go to bed!

And THIS isn't even the tell-all book from her former aide, Frank Bailey!

Rules Schmools..."Sarah's Values" as they apply to the legal system

by: Celtic Diva

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 10:43:13 AM AKST

Back in April, I did THIS POST when a then-unknown Kim Chatman joined the Juneteenth lawsuit, legitimizing it with an Alaskan resident so it could move forward in the courts.  The basis of the lawsuit:  Sarah Palin did not issue a proclamation celebrating Juneteenth in 2007, even after numerous reminders from Alaska residents.

Making this proclamation is part of Alaska law:

Juneteenth, a holiday observance which celebrates the freeing of the last remaining slaves in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, has been adopted in 29 states and was signed into law in Alaska in 2001. The bill known as HB 100 specifies that the "governor shall issue a proclamation observing the day."

Officials were also concerned that this was just part of a pattern of behavior:

In a related development, National Juneteenth Chairman Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D has requested a meeting with Governor Palin to allow her an opportunity to reconcile the conflict surrounding Juneteenth, stating that in addition to the 2007 failure, Palin "not responding to invitations to participate in the annual Alaska Juneteenth Celebration has created doubts in the minds of Alaska Juneteenth leaders about ever receiving any support for Juneteenth from the governor".

Early this morning, I received a link to this press release in my email:

Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 4, 2009 -- Former Governor Sarah Palin, in the wake of her much publicized book and upcoming interview on Oprah, has rejected a settlement offer in the 2009 Juneteenth lawsuit (Case no. 3:09-cv-00091 United States District Court of Alaska). The plaintiffs' settlement offer, made by jazz musician Gregory Charles Royal and former Palin supporter Kim Chatman, was for Palin to merely follow through on what Alaska Assistant Attorney General Margaret Paton-Walsh said Palin would do: issue the 2007 proclamation.

Palin has been accused by the plaintifffs and has publicly admitted that she failed to issue the 2007 Juneteenth Day Proclamation which was required under Alaska statute. Palin has also been accused by African American leaders in Alaska as being the first governor in the state not to support the holiday observance.

The Alaska Attorney General's office said that former-Governor Palin would honor the settlement.  There is no way the Asst. AG said that without corroboration with the Palin camp.

Commenting on Walsh's statement made in a July 2009 Associated Press article "that the governor is going to issue the 2007 proclamation" and that "a very big deal is being made out of a very small clerical error", Royal said: "Palin's choice, which should be clear to everybody at this point, to defy the African-American observance demonstrates exactly why we pushed in a lawsuit, what some called a trivial issue. We knew what she would do and just sat back to watch it play out. Her motivations, which as far as their racial component, we will let the public debate. Her claims that public resources have been wasted fighting ethics complaint is, well need I say more? The cost of our settlement for her to comply with the law, zero. The continuing cost to the state for her to evade issuing the proclamation, I'm sure she knows the math."

Palin's refusal to comply proves that this was no "small clerical error."  So Palin lied...again.

This doesn't surprise any of us who truly know the nature of Sarah Palin.  However, I am always flabbergasted that Palin refuses to make the logical, adult decision and instead chooses the spoiled high school cheerleader solution...blatant defiance no matter what the consequence.

But it doesn't end there.

The most interesting part of this case is the extremes Palin seems willing to go to in order to get her way...extremes that are clearly pushing the patience of the judge:

In a October 26th order, Alaska District Court judge Timothy Burgess has also ordered Palin to explain by November 4th, her claims that she has not been served the lawsuit which sparked a flurry of motions in August:

"It is unclear to the Court whether the defendant continues to contest that she was served"...."If service is still contested, the defendant must explain what steps she believes the plaintiffs must now take in order to properly serve her, and how she suggests this be accomplished." " The defendant is cautioned that so long as a party receives sufficient notice of the complaint, Rule 4 is to be liberally construed to uphold service'"......"Among other attempts at service, the plaintiffs filed an unexecuted service of summons stating that when their process server attempted to serve the defendant at the Governor's Office, her executive secretary refused to accept service."...."Sufficient service may be found where there is a good faith effort to comply with the requirements (for service) and further compliance ... is only prevented by the defendant's knowing and intentional actions to evade service."

Sarah Palin has a pattern of not only defying due process but putting her own family, friends and employees in legal jeapardy by having them do the same.  

If you think for a minute that secretary's refusal to accept the documents from the process server was NOT at the behest of the former Governor, read Andrew Halcro's tantalizing post.  He shares some newly-gleaned information from one of the co-authors of former Palin aide Frank Bailey's upcoming book, "...the book that will contain the REAL Sarah Palin story, "Renegade:  Sarah Palin's Hatchet Man."  The new information surrounds Frank Bailey's infamous call to State Trooper Rodney Dial, requesting his help to get Palin's former bro-in-law Mike Wooten fired:

Todd Palin refuted that they ever pressured Bailey into calling Dial, however this is a great example of the plausible deniability that they've become so adept at.

Minutes after Bailey's phone call to Dial in February 2008, he sent an email via his Blackberry to Ivy Frye, another one of the three close insiders to the Palin family that were hired in her administration. Just got off the phone with Rodney, Bailey wrote to Frye, I don't think he gets it.

Phone records also show that the night before Bailey's call to Dial, Todd Palin placed several phone calls to Frye leading up to Bailey's call to Dial.

So who pressured Bailey into calling Dial? It seems that Todd Palin pressured Frye into pressuring Bailey into making the call, thus Bailey's revalation to Dial that he was calling on behalf of Sarah and Todd and in doing so Todd could deny culpability.

I'm practically giddy in anticipation of THAT book!

But back to the Juneteenth case:  it seems that Palin is supposed to provide information by the end of today to explain herself.  Based on my experience with her legal manuevers, if she bothers to provide the paperwork, I don't believe it will be particularly explanatory.

This is just one more legal issue to put on the list of "cases to watch."

Sarah Palin tries to take credit she doesn't deserve and avoid blame that she does...again...

by: Celtic Diva

Tue Nov 03, 2009 at 23:47:30 PM AKST

So, Sarah Palin decided to throw the power of her wingnut Facebook fans behind the "Conservative Party" candidate in NY-23, Doug Hoffman.  He was running against moderate Republican, Dede Scozzfava, who had a comfortable 10-point-lead in the polls before Hoffman entered the race and the right-wing-extremists weighed in.

As a result, Scozzafava's support dwindled down to 20% or so and the formerly-losing-in-the-polls Owens was now in a dead-heat with Hoffman.

So Scozzafava did the only thing she could...bail out of the race.  Then, in an unprecedented twist, she endorsed the Democrat Owen.

The result after the Tuesday election?

This morning Hoffman conceded the race to Democrat Bill Owens, his remaining challenger.

The seat had been held by moderate Republicans since 1993, and Scozzafava held a 10-point lead on Owens a month ago. But, instigated by bloggers who called for her head on grounds of ideological impurity, national conservative Republicans, including Sarah Palin, rushed to endorse Hoffman.

Now contrast that with the Virginia Governor's race back on October 28th, when the Conservative Republican was already leading:

The Polling: McDonnell leads by 10.9 points in the Pollster.com average and by margins ranging from 8 to 17 points in individual polls. The magnitude of his advantage has generally been expanding over the course of the past six weeks.

In early October, Palin even complained that McDonnell now spurned her offer of campaign help when he supposedly previously welcomed it.

Of course, that doesn't stop Sarah when an opportunity to claim unearned glory comes along.  Palin instigated last-minute robocalls in Virginia that didn't name the candidate but encouraged folks to vote "Sarah's values."  There were many posts on the subject that expressed confusion about all of this, especially since McDonnell continued to distance himself from Palin.  (We won't get into the weirdness of Palin talking about herself in the third-person in this post.)  According to Public Policy Analyst and AK blog reader ExBg, these calls may not even be legal, partially as a result of not naming a candidate.  

Sarah, do something illegal or unethical for personal gain?  I'm shocked!

So was Palin hedging her bets with those robocalls in case her NY-23 interference backfired?  Read Palin's latest Facebook and you tell me:

Congratulations to the new Governors-Elect of Virginia and New Jersey! I'd also like to offer a special word of support to the new Lieutenant Governor-Elect of New Jersey, Kim Guadagno, the first woman to hold that office.

Of course, the real victors in this election are the ordinary men and women who voted for positive change and a return to fiscal sanity. Your voices have been heard.

And what does she say about the failed NY-23?

The race for New York's 23rd District is not over, just postponed until 2010.

And then Sarah climbed on her unicorn and flew home.

I can only hope that all of Palin's "successes" turn out as well for Democrats as NY-23 did for Mr. Owens.