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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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It also seems like the Alaska media is working overtime...
On Saturday, the ADN did an editorial opinion piece (Matt Zencey, I presume?) called "Not on Our Dime." This is a follow-up to their last Op-Ed, which exposed the ADN's (Matt Zencey's?) obvious ignorance of the AEB Ethics Act:
An investigator made short work last week of two ethics complaints against Gov. Sarah Palin. His conclusions made sense, given how the cases were framed.
I'm sure the investigators are relieved that you agree.
But investigator Michael Geraghty and one of the complainants, Anthony Martin, never addressed one question about the governor's November trip to Georgia to campaign for Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss.
Why did the state of Alaska pay per diem expenses to Kris Perry, director of the governor's Anchorage office, for her time in Georgia?
WHOA...really? You mean that there was State of Alaska money paid out to a State of Alaska employee for campaign activity?
According to spokeswoman Sharon Leighow, the Chambliss campaign covered travel and lodging expenses for the governor and Perry while they were in Georgia. But Leighow said the state paid per diem to Perry in Georgia because the trip qualified as state business.
State business? How's that?
The administration argues that Chambliss was a vote for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and his opponent wasn't.
WHOA...really? You mean the Palin Administration is putting a spin on the whole thing, trying to justify one unethical act with another?
But to describe her trip to Georgia as state business because Chambliss favors ANWR drilling is fig leaf cover at best. Supporting Alaska in a congressional issue is hardly grounds for using State of Alaska money to support one side in an election battle. With a standard that loose, a governor could spend an entire election season campaigning at state expense in all 435 House races and 33 Senate races,
Wow...ADN, how astute! This is probably the FIRST TIME that this issue has come up or has even been raised in the paper!
Oh wait...maybe not...
Perhaps Matt...errr...the ADN editor should read back a bit...back to the Alaska Politics Blog in January. They might find somewhat similar conclusions in Andree McLeod's ethics complaint against...surprise...Kris Perry!
December 1, 2008, Perry again accompanied the governor in order to staff her as it relates to state business to attend a governor's Conference in Philadelphia, with a partisan political campaign stopover in Georgia. Perry did not claim leave during this period...
So, not only do we have the per diem issue, we find that "Perry did not claim leave" which means that she was receiving her State of Alaska salary.
McLeod includes a series of photographs from the event which feature Perry with the Governor at the various campaign stops.
It was during these Republican fundraising events that the photos below were taken and show Perry's role on the campaign trail. She appears to provide services that are campaign related, not state related.
Yet, Matt...errr...the ADN is buying the spin from the Administration...the only thing that matters is state travel money and per diem. The fact that they are pulling in a state salary, which is just as much state money as travel and per diem, seems to be ignored.
We have no quarrel with Gov. Palin campaigning for someone outside Alaska. She's a national figure now.
Yet, the ADN also writes:
Paying State of Alaska per diem for Kris Perry while she was with the governor on a campaign trip doesn't pass the red-face test.
The Georgia trip was partisan politics. None of that should happen on the state dime, including Perry's per diem.
So where in the Ethics Act does it distinguish between per diem/travel and state salary? Where does it say that it's OK to go on a trip that's primarily campaigning using ANY form of state money? Where is our collective memory when it came to holding another Governor accountable...the ethics questions around former Governor Frank Murkowski's use of the jet and percentage of time campaigning?
But Alaska Public Offices Commission Executive Director Brooke Miles said she thinks the amount of time spent on state business is important. The commission acts as the state's campaign-finance watchdog.
"I would say if more than 50 percent of the trip was on campaigning, then the principal purpose of the trip wasn't for state work," Miles said. "That would be my recommendation to the commission if I were making one."
At the time, Frank Murkowski was terribly unpopular and had just lost the election to Sarah Palin, who had campaigned on HIS LACK OF ETHICS. Do we hold Governors accountable for their ethics based on their poll numbers?
The fact that in the interview for this editorial, ONCE AGAIN the Administration (this time Sharon Leighow) is playing the "Palin is the Governor 24/7" card when it benefits them and claims the Governor has "personal time" when it doesn't should be a tipoff that something stinks.
Of course, when she's got most of the Alaska media eating out of her hand, why should the Governor care that her spokespeople are blatantly contradicting themselves in the media?
And when an editorial staff can't even do their homework, why do they still believe that they are relevant?
Rachal D'Oro, one of the AP Alaska writers, did a story on Kris Perry's VP campaign travel with Governor Palin being listed as "gifts" from the McCain Campaign.
An aide to Sarah Palin is disclosing as gifts more than $13,000 in airfare and lodging from the John McCain campaign, logged while helping the Alaska governor with state business during her bid as the Republican vice presidential candidate.
The Anchorage Daily News posted the results of a records request filed by Kyle Hopkins. These covered travel for Bill McAllister (Press Secty), Robert Cochrell (security) and Kris Perry (Aide). It provided Perry's itinerary for September through November and broke down the lodging and air travel "estimated costs" for each stop, as they were flying in a chartered aircraft.
Much like Palin's budget, these weren't "estimates" as much as they were "fantasy prices."
Oct. 3, 2008 by plane depart St. Louis to Dallas, TX to San Antonio, TX to Denver, CO (overnight in Denver)
Airfare: $96.50
Hotel: $125.00
ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME???????????????? Linda Perez, the person whose supposed to be monitoring the ethics of the Executive Branch is trying to pass this off as fact?
Ms. Perez, that trip is as likely to have cost $96.50 as the average oil price for Alaska turns out to be $75.00 a barrel in 2009!!
Not...bloody...likely!!!!!!
Obviously, there will be a great deal more on my weekend posting!
Shuster: Wait as second, wait a second. You think it's accurate to use the word 'assassinate'? Regardless of the heavy criticism, doesn't it diminish real assignations when you throw out the word 'assassinate' because Sarah Palin didn't like some of the questions she got in an interview?
Ziegler: I believe her character was assassinated, David, and I believe this network played an enormous role in that process and you took the clip of the Katie Couric out of context.[..]
Shuster: But John, even in the documentary, at least in the clips that you've released, she still can't answer, at least it takes her several opportunities, she still really can't say what she reads. Does Sarah Palin take any responsibility....
Ziegler: David, that's ridiculous. Apparently you didn't watch the clip.
Shuster: I did, She talked about news articles that are widely circulated in Alaska
No...I'm not kidding! In the grand tradition of Levi and Bristol and Gov. Sarah herself, Sherry has chosen to bare her soul to those cutting-edge professionals at People. Of greatest interest to me was the fact she claimed to be addicted to OxyContin, something with which I can surely empathize. Also, she discussed her disabilities were back related...an ailment that commonly drives people to abuse painkillers. The other issue that will be of some interest to several bloggers I know is that she seems to be the only one who has actually talked publicly about seeing her new grandchild, Tripp:
Lately, Johnston's spirits have been lifted by the birth of Levi and Bristol's son, Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, who arrived Dec. 27. When she saw the baby the day he was born, "I started bawling," she says. "I think he looks just like Levi."
As for being a grandmother, she says, "I'm very excited. Absolutely."
Don't get me wrong, I'm one of the people who believes that Walt should run for office...just not THAT office THIS year!!!! The list of candidates for the office of mayor is getting longer by the minute.
The good news: We have some great Progressive and Moderate candidates running!
The bad news: We have TOO MANY great Progressive and Moderate candidates running!
The truly ugly news: Only one candidate is a hardcore Conservative. Therefore Progressive and Moderate vote are in danger of splitting enough that Dan Sullivan ends up as king of the island.
In the name of all that is holy, don't make me live through Dan Sullivan as mayor!!!!!
In order to do this, folks are going to have to think about the good of Anchorage and vote themselves off of the Island ahead of time...or not get on the Island at all. (BIG HINT Matt Claman!) There are other offices open for a run in the not-too-distant future...like in 2010? I can see several of the mayoral candidates who have the experience to make it a great campaign for Governor!
For now, we can only sit back and watch. I expect the emails and phone calls will be flying fast and furious. I only hope that everyone treats each other with respect...
Can someone find out exactly how much state is paying for trip vs Chambliss
campaign?
The Philadelphia meeting is Tuesday. She is in Georgia all day Monday (at
least) for 4 events, meaning she is on the road at least one day more than
if she were just going to Philly.
McAllister said the Chambliss campaign was just paying for the "side trip"
to Georgia. I can't imagine that she would fly to Philly- then Georgia-
then Philly- when it makes sense to go to Atlanta first, etc.
Anyway, that's a long version of saying the Chambliss campaign should be
paying more- at least half.
Dear Celtic Diva,
Who pays for Palin's campaign trips? And are there some angry Alaskans over this hopscotch touring of hers? OUR governor has been tapped for Obama's transition team and (I don't know if it's official) Boarder Security something or other. But at least she's been CALLED by her president-elect to serve. What's Palin's excuse? And WHO'S paying her fees and/or the State of Alaska for taking her away from "puttin' government back on the side of the people"?
Dear Ms. Celtic Diva;
Governor Palin's trip has me a little riled up:
If the State is paying for her trip, if she conducts State business while in GA (on a State owned Blackberry), if she represents herself as Governor Palin instead of Private Citizen Palin, if her assistants are helping her engage in "partisan politcal purposes' while on State time and on the State nickel there's some ethics issues involved.
And, my personal favorite...
Weren't you there during the turkey thing when she said she had no plans on traveling other than Juneau for gov's mansion open house?
I sure was and I remember the quote was something like "The only tickets I have right now are to Juneau." I also remember she had this look on her face that reminded me of my daughter when she's telling a fib.
The reason I remember that clearly was because the thought flashed through my mind, "Wow, talk about parsing words!"
In other words, THE ONLY TICKETS SHE HAD IN HAND were to Juneau...until the very next day or so.
So what can we do?
1) Stay vigilant! Keep track of what our Governor is doing!
2) Ask questions of the Governor's office, of the Anchorage Daily News, of your favorite television news team, of your favorite bloggers! Tell these folks that YOU WANT THE STRAIGHT STORY!!!!
3) HELP ALASKANS FOR TRUTH by emailing your Legislators and encouraging them to follow-up on the Branchflower Report. Governor Palin continues to pull this behavior because no one has held her accountable for anything else!
4) DONATE to Alaskans for Truth so that we can attack those ethics issues. AFT is the only group out there publicly doing just that. The Legislators, the Governor, everyone else needs to know you support consequences for unethical behavior!
28 October 2008. When Obama's poll numbers climbed in Colorado, flapping in the wind higher than any other state, John McCain hustled his campaign out to Colorado Springs and spent the next 4 days giving stump speeches. All of a sudden, Obama's poll numbers climbed into the wind over Virginia, and off McCain went, chasing the flag. But then Obama's numbers in Pennsylvania soared up into a double digit lead, and off McCain went again, grabbing Tom Ridge along the way, to knock back the Pennsylvania lead. McCain, the old fighter pilot, is great at surprise tactics, like the Palin pick, but when it comes to strategy, he has left us scratching our head.
John McCain has fallen into the Whack-A-Mole strategy, the same approach over which McCain upbraided General John Abizaid and the Bush administration, exactly 2 years ago, today.
When McCain picked Sarah Palin, he mentally declared, "Mission Accomplished." He figured his tactics of surprise had undone the Obama surge after the Democratic National Convention, and he could go on cruise control. Strategy? No worries. After all, generals worry about strategy, not fighter jocks.
Watching a young girl imitate a monkey and then refer to Obama as a "monkey president" is one of the sickest things I have seen. Why? because this poor girl knows no better. All that she sees and learns about is coming from her parents and the people around them.
Our nation needs unity, our future depends on it. The GOP is grasping for air and trying to survive. By doing so, it is inciting more and more sentiments of hatred, racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Poor child, she deserves a better future and that's why I will vote for Obama on November 4th.
At the press conference, the McCain Campaign surrogates had this chart (photo courtesy of Anchorage Daily News) as well as a handout with the same pictures. The insinuation was that the Alaska Legisature was pursuing this investigation at the behest of the Obama Campaign.
Often, the "guilty" party accuses the "innocent" party of what the "guilty" party is actually doing...in this case, interfering in the investigation...in order to deflect attention.
