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Though many of us suffer from Palin Factor Fatigue, it is irrefutable that there is a nagging curiosity to have the question answered, ?How in the world did Sarah Palin become so popular and why do we still need to hear about her?? My book answers these questions in detail and urges us all to be vigilant. She is one of a small pool of ?rising stars in the republican party? as John McCain stated as recently as January 25, 2009 on Fox News Sunday.
As unbelievable as her meteoric rise was we cannot delude ourselves, turning our backs once again, into thinking that she and those like her are going away. This woman is joined by millions of loyalists whose perception is that she was persecuted in the media, stifled by McCain, and mocked by liberals - and now the theocratic conservatives are regrouping with a vengeance!
"Blue Oasis" began in 2005 in its Blogger format (now an archive) and became possibly the first Alaska Blog on Progressive Politics. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis was honored to represent Alaska as the state blog.
Transition--Community Blog
In September 2008, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis moved to a Soapblox Community Blog format. Readers can become full participants by registering on the blog to comment and write "diaries." Diary titles appear on the right sidebar for folks to read and provide comments. Blog editors may choose to move some of these diaries to the front page.
While this Community was formed specifically with Alaska in mind, all "friends of Alaska" are welcome as members!
**Note about registering** Scroll down the right side until you find the link to register. Then, just follow the instructions!
**Note about comments** To comment on a story, click on the heading and then look for the "comment bar" at the bottom (it's light grey, I can't seem to change it). I believe the font color NOW permits you to see the "post comment" text.
YOUR BLOGMISTRESS
My name is Linda Kellen Biegel and I am a former 15-year Federal employee. Thirteen of those years were spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I am also semi-retired from the Alaska music scene (singer, sound tech, stage manager, logistics).
When the blog was chosen to represent Alaska in the DNCC State Blogger Pool at the Denver Convention, I attended with the help of Alaska Real blogmistress, Writing Raven and my daughter Morrigan. On August 29th, one day after Barack Obama's inspiring speech at Invesco Field , my life took another turn as it did for all Alaska bloggers when Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen to be John McCain's VP running mate. Since then, I've either assisted or have been interviewed by media from the UK, Italy, Australia and Germany as well as national media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, NY Times, ABC Good Morning America's Kate Snow, National Journal, Dallas Morning News, LA Times, and NPR.
Presently, I work as a freelance writer, PR, event coordinator, community organizer, wife to computer programmer Josh and mother to 11-year-old Morrigan. Our family especially enjoys our summers in Alaska where we get to subsistence set-net fish Sockeye salmon as well as halibut fish/whalewatch in the family's homemade aluminum boat, "The Neverdone" (when it's working). We reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Origin of "Celtic Diva"
I've used "Celtic Diva" as a screen name since the early 1990's on Web TV.
"Folks have asked about my Celtic heritage, especially in light of my name. What they don't realize is that I'm adopted. I was born Valerie Morehead of the Clan Muirhead. I was adopted at three-months-old by the Kellens. I always "knew" I was Celt even before really knew. I was drawn to all things Scottish, especially music. That's why my parents eventually told me at age 16."
"Linda is well-known in Alaska & beyond as the prominent progressive political blogger Celtic Diva of Celtic Diva?s Blue Oasis. But back in the day, the early 1990s, I knew her as Linda Kellen, a member of the local folk/rock band Sky is Blu, which amongst other things performed in at least a couple or so of the annual women?s show Celebration of Change, in which I also performed. And if you don?t already know, let me tell you: Linda is one fine damn singer."
I went on after the break-up of "Sky is Blu" to perform with various Alaska musicians and work with national folks like Bo Diddly, Coco Montoya, Debbie Davies, Taj Mahal, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bad Company, Creedence Clearwater, Carny Wilson, etc...
USA Women's Olympic Hockey Team Star Kerry Weiland with our friend Isabella and my daughter Morrigan at St. Baldrick's Day
(Scroll down to find posts.)
(Please register to participate in diaries and comments! We'd love for you to join our Community!)
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The new building--obviously living quarters of some kind. It has a large "shop" in the back.
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.
Lee Tompkins, BSN, is a labor and delivery nurse I met in September. She has been disturbed by the focus on the conspiracy and lack-of-focus on the medical implications of Governor Palin's fateful ride from Texas to Wasilla and subsequent birth of Trig in April 2007.
In light of the recent exploitation of that conspiracy by Palin herself, I am honored that Ms. Tomkins chose to write this article for our little blog. You've never seen an article like this one before because this is the first time someone in the medical profession has chosen to speak of it publicly.
The Birth of a Conspiracy; Delivering the Real Issue
by Lee Tompkins, BSN
"Captive Alien Held in Area 51 by U.S. Military!"
"Elvis Is Alive!"
"U.S. Government Fakes Moon Landings!"
"Sarah Palin Fakes Pregnancy, Claims Daughter's Child as Her Own!"
All very sexy headlines and all conspiracy theories that some continue to believe to this day. Are any of them true? Who knows? What is more interesting is how and why such claims are picked up and seized by a segment of the American public. The first three are ones that I can't really comment on but the Sarah Palin one I can, having watched the story closely from the time the Anchorage Daily News reported the curious story of Trig Palin's birth last April, and having the requisite background in the medical field as a labor and delivery nurse as well as the necessary swiftness of foot and mind to avoid stepping in any BS in the field.
To some extent these stories are all crazes that took hold because people wanted to believe them. The world has been enchanted with the idea of space aliens all the way from a love affair with H.G. Wells to the Great Gazoo. The idea of E.T. being held captive in Roswell was one that our Star Trek-Star Wars-Lost in Space generation of baby boomers would latch onto with all the fierceness of a lassoed Bantha.
Everybody loves Elvis. Who wouldn't want to see him alive and performing at the Sands in Vegas?
The faked Apollo moon landing theory rocketed during a time in which Americans had a high degree of distrust in the government, who were either trying to draft you to go fight a war in a rice paddy or up to their usual dirty tricks breaking into the Watergate hotel. Would it really be a stretch that such a government would totally fabricate their proudest, most historic achievement?
Which bridges us to the case of Sarah Palin.
Let me say categorically that I think the widely disseminated rumor that Sarah Palin is not the mother of her child Trig is totally false, although I know many well-informed and well-educated people who believe otherwise, and I certainly understand their theory.
I'm going to spend some time discussing the reasons why I think the Palin faked pregnancy story is not true, but first I think it is of interest to comment on why this story has really caught hold of the imagination of many.
Sarah Palin, after being thrust into the national consciousness as a Hail-Mary VP pass by McCain and the Republican Party, gave disastrous interviews with Charlie and Katie, which allowed the public begin to see the real unscripted Palin. All the while Troopergate was coming to head in Alaska, as well as other ethical issues dug up by a curious national news media. And a general consensus was formed about Sarah Palin by the public, and that consensus, held by all but her most ardent supporters, was that they disliked her. They saw her as phony, hypocritical and frightfully unprepared to be anywhere near the White House. She ended up with the highest negativity rating ever for any VP candidate, and an all-you-can-eat late night comedy feast.
So, the public loved Elvis and wanted to see him alive and there was a hopeful expectation that maybe he was still. And the general public disliked Sarah Palin and when the bizarre circumstances of the birth of her child Trig became generally known, the public wanted to believe that she was capable of faking a pregnancy in order to bolster her standing as a "family values" candidate by avoiding the baggage of a daughter who was about to become an unwed teenage mother. Avoiding that didn't quite work out for Palin as it turned out, but that didn't stop a vocal minority of conspiracy theorists to believe Palin capable of such chicanery earlier. The public wanted to believe the worst of Sarah Palin.
Which is kind of funny in a sad way when you think about it, because what the evidence very strongly suggests is that Palin was guilty of recklessly endangering the life of her unborn child, which to me is far worse than faking a pregnancy, to protect her political ambition and perhaps the reputation of her daughter. It's just not as sexy of a story, not one the public could latch onto with such fervor. Discussing ruptured membranes ain't exactly something to talk about at the dinner table. And since "life imitates art more than art imitates life" it's highly doubtful the Desperate Housewives' writers will be opening next season with one of the wives flying transcontinentally with preterm premature rupture of membranes.
While I basked in the knowledge that my husband and I have signed papers saying we are soon-to-be-homeowners, many of my fellow bloggers were busy, busy, busy this weekend reporting on the Palin family's latest questionable act: how did Levi Johnston get an electrician apprenticeship with the Arctic Slope Regional Native Corporation when he has neither a) a high school diploma/GED nor b) Native blood?
I first saw this on AndrewHalcro.com, then later in a post by Dan Fagan on The Alaska Standard. Halcro and Fagan both discussed the requirements which appear for both union and non-union apprentices on the state website. Both include requirements for a high school diploma or GED while the union also has an algebra requirement for electrical apprenticeships.
Dan Fagan was able to determine that Levi's apprenticeship was being conducted through Arctic Slope Regional (Native) Corporation and that program head, Bo Underwood, was unable to determine whether a high school diploma/GED was a requirement.
Really...so the Native Corporation would make their requirements different from every other program in the state? Wouldn't that make their apprentices less qualified?
And besides that, how many Alaska Native kids are on that waiting list for an apprenticeship, only to be usurped by a white kid who happened to knock-up the Governor's daughter?
Wow...that's one lucky sperm!
But it doesn't stop there...this "luck" seems to have rubbed off on other members of the Johnston family.
After the drug bust of Levi's mother, Sherry Johnston, one wouldn't necessarily think of her as "lucky." She was arrested on December 18th and charged with "second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance" (usually manufacturing or delivering drugs) as well as "fourth-degree misconduct involving controlled substances" (possession).
It was then she encountered her first bit of "luck"...she was released that same day on $5,000.00 bail. I know of folks who got more bail for shooting a moose out of season.
It wasn't until later that we found out the drug she was selling was OxyContin and that she was having a heck of a time dodging the media (and possibly the Secret Service) in order to make her "coffee" sales!
Troopers say that in the text messages, Johnston used the code words ''coffee'' and ''cup'' for OxyContin.
"... there's only so many times I can go for coffee a month. The rest of the time I need to have it at home!" read one message. Troopers said this meant Johnston was willing to sell only so many pills each month and the rest she would keep for her own use.
Authorities say the case against Sherry Johnston began in the second week of September, when drug investigators intercepted a package containing 179 OxyContin pills. That led to the arrest of the suspects, who agreed to be informants.
The second week of September all the way to December 18th?
According to today's Anchorage Daily News, Alaska State Trooper Drug Officer Kyle Young wrote an email to all members of the Public Safety Employees Association in regards to the Sherry Johnston case:
Young wrote that after it became clear who Johnston is, "this case became anything but normal."
"It was not allowed to progress in a normal fashion, the search warrant service WAS delayed because of the pending election and the Mat Su Drug Unit and the case officer were not the ones calling the shots," Young wrote.
DPS Commissioner Masters and Trooper Chief Audie Holloway absolutely deny there was any favoritism:
"We did everything we possibly could to ensure that the investigation progressed in a normal fashion as other investigations similar to this would proceed," Masters said.
The timing of the investigation was based on "when we could get Johnston to sell to us. We were entirely at her schedule," Holloway said.
WASILLA - A Friday night fire at Gov. Sarah Palin's church caused an estimated $1 million in damage, and investigators say it could be the work of an arsonist.
Firefighters were called to Wasilla Bible Church about 9:40 p.m. and found flames and smoke coming out windows at the back of the three-story structure, said James Steele, chief of the Central Mat-Su Fire Department.
Five women, and possibly a couple of children, were inside the church working on crafts, but everyone got out safely after a fire alarm alerted them to trouble, Steele said.
It was the biggest fire the department has seen this year, and Steele said as many as 35 to 40 volunteer firefighters came from across the region to battle the blaze.
"We are definitely treating it as suspicious and as potential arson at this point," he said.
It was a terrible crime and I'm grateful that no one was hurt. However, I have to question not only some of the reporting, but the Governor's leading statement on the sad event.
In both yesterday's version of the story and today's, Wesley Loy (the reporter) identifies Wasilla Bible Church as "Gov. Palin's home church" in the first line of the first paragraph--the headline even states it as such.
In Journalism 101, I learned that in any newspaper story, the most important facts should be in the beginning, with the less important information following after. Yet, the fact that there were people in the church when the fire was set only made it to paragraph three.
So, would Wesley Loy have us believe that the most important part of the story is that Sarah Palin goes to that church...more important than the fact that people were at risk inside? Does he know something the authorities don't know--that the Governor is definitely linked to this? Or is he just contributing to her media hype?
Despite that there is absolutely no evidence yet that there was any connection, the Governor seemed to jump on the opportunity to link herself to this tragedy:
Gov. Palin stopped by the church this morning, and she told an assistant pastor that she apologizes if the incident is in any way connected to the undeserved negative attention the church has received since she became a vice-presidential candidate on Aug. 29. Whatever the motives of the arsonist, the governor has faith in the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good.
The "facts" here are that they have no idea who did this or why. There are hundreds of people besides Palin who go to that church, thus hundreds of other potential possibilities for this arson...not to mention the possibilities that may have nothing to do with the congregation. Also, as Phil mentioned on Progressive Alaska, there are a number of motives for arson. In the article I referenced, it breaks them down into 10 categories...listing "Vandalism" first.
This brings me to a rather important "fact"; according to national FBI statistics on arson from 2007, the vast majority of arsons of community/public buildings (the categories where churches fit) are committed by suspects under 18:
Building type: Community/public
Number of arson offenses: 2,850
Percent (buildings) not in use: 16.0
Average damage: 41,632
Total cases solved: 896
Percent solved: 31.4
Percent of cases solved where perpetrators are under 18: 70.4
(**UPDATE 3** There have been developments, covered in THIS NEW POST.)
The pardoned one and the pardoner
Today was one of those weird days where Governor Palin and I actually agreed on something. It was only one thing, but it was something.
Her press people stated that the reason she had this "turkey-pardoning" was to highlight Wasilla's Triple D Farm, the premier poultry farm and hatchery in Alaska.
I'm a huge proponent of the "Locavore" philosophy (eating locally) and I'm all for supporting local farms. I especially support them when the meat-producers (like most of the farms in Alaska) grow their animals without use of hormones or antibiotics.
And I was quite impressed with the Triple D turkeys. I put one on order for pickup next week and I encourage folks to go to their website and do the same. Pickup for the birds is Monday and Tuesday.
Of course, I don't believe for a second that the "good of a local business" was the primary reason Gov. Palin had her first-ever turkey pardoning. She's in withdrawal for the media and came up with this at the last minute. The folks who worked there said they just found out about it last night. Plus, look at the amount of make-up on her face in the top picture and look at what she's wearing in this next picture:
IT'S 11 FRIGGIN DEGREES! She never used to dress like a Barbie doll at Alaska outdoor events...she'd dress normally so she could stay and talk to people. Now, she talks to the media and runs off.
I think KTUU angled it a bit that way on purpose. (Note to Governor Palin's staff: Did you not think that...just maybe...the camera crews would be salivating to get a shot to the network that so perfectly fit the lower-48 "Palin stereotype?")
Here's the video (and my friend at Mudflats has a great review of her "pardon"):
And here's the picture from my more straight-on vantage point.
I couldn't see from where I was very well so I just waited to snap pictures after the video cameras got out of the way. I didn't know what the funnel was in the back (I could only see the one on the left at first)...and then the cameras moved.
Yikes!
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UNBELIEVABLE...The Governor's Office is now claiming that THE GOVERNOR DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON BEHIND HER!!!!! She used Entertainment Tonight as the vehicle to spread that bit of misinformation...these are the folks she wouldn't let in her house several weekends ago!
Give me a break! There is NO WAY she couldn't have known! Her assistant, Kris Perry, was running around and Dept. of Corrections Commissioner Joe Schmidt was even there!
****UPDATE 2****WKRP IN CINCINNATI "TURKEY BOMB"**
Over at Pam's House Blend, one more blog mentioned the old "WKRP" Thanksgiving episode, which I thought of right away when this happened. WKRP in Cincinnati was my favorite show back in the day...I lived in Cincinnati when it was on the air...one of the best comedy shows ever!
(All reports that this is happening because SARAH PALIN WILL BE VOTING VERY CLOSE BY AT THE SAME TIME AND THIS IS HER "WELCOME HOME" are PURE SPECULATION!!!! :D :D :D)
Governor Palin will return to Anchorage next Monday evening. She will vote Tuesday morning in Wasilla before departing for Phoenix to join Senator McCain for election night.
"Alaska is the one of the most resource-rich places on earth. Yet for many years, our state's oil and gas wealth was the carefully guarded preserve of the political establishment -- the good ol' boys -- rewarded by a few big oil companies and through an oil services company that liked things just the way they were. As you may have seen in the news this week, Alaska's senior senator is not the first man to discover the hazards of getting too close to moneyed interests with agendas of their own."
By the way, in an interview this morning with MSNBC's David Shuster, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said that McCain and Palin wouldn't vote for Stevens -- if they were Alaska voters. "They've been quite clear in their contempt for his behavior," Bounds said. "I don't expect they would cast their ballot for Ted Stevens if they were Alaska voters."
But Palin is an Alaska voter. Does that mean she won't be voting for Stevens and will instead vote for Stevens' Democratic challenger, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich?
Bounds, in an email response to First Read, said: "She called for him to step down in an interview this morning. I think I'm safe."
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It will be VERY interesting to see what kind of reception Palin will get from Republicans who are loyal to Stevens.
I have feelers out to find out where (ANC airport or Elmendorf) and exactly when the "rogue" governor will arrive. You can guarantee that discussion is already happening to figure out whether or not a "welcoming committee" is viable.
Over the weekend, I commended Dan Fagan for his op-ed piece in the Anchorage Daily News. Today, I was cheering Lyda Green for the great job she did on Rachel.
Now, I have to applaud her for her interview on...no, I'm not kidding...Mother Jones MojoBlog:
For two years, Green feuded with Palin over key policy matters. But in recent days, Green has become even more dismayed with the Palin pick, for she believes the McCain-Palin campaign has undermined the rule of law in the Last Frontier. She says she has watched with outrage as McCain-Palin operatives have flown into her state and interfered with the so-called Troopergate investigation--the official, approved-by-the-legislature inquiry into whether Palin dismissed her public safety commissioner because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper who went through a messy divorce with Palin's sister.
Calling herself a "raging Republican," Green says, she is "absolutely disgusted, embarrassed, and ashamed" by the McCain-Palin campaign's intervention in the Troopergate probe.
I feel like I've slipped into a parallel universe...
I have to give Fagan and Lyda Green their props. They are reportedly taking an unbelievable amount of abuse from fellow Republicans (remember, they are hearing from the same Palinistas who called the leaders of the Women's Rally and said nasty things to them). As some of us have learned over the years, it's much easier to stand up against one's "enemies" than it is to stand against those who are normally one's allies.
In this Palin issue, I have to stand with them and give them my support.
The most important piece that folks need to take from this is that fearing the damage Palin could do in the White House is definitely NOT a partisan thing. The fact that Fagan, Lyda Green and Andrew Halcro are saying the same things as many Democratic Legislators and Liberal blogger-types is a good indication of just how afraid everyone should be.
