Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin is the Republican Party Governor of Alaska. In late August 2008 she was named by Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) as his vice-presidential running mate.

McCain's Reasons

In announcing Palin as his running mate, McCain publicly stated that she:

• "has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington";
• "has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources."
• "challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill";
• "has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending";
• "put a stop to the "bridge to nowhere" that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars"; and
• that as "the mother of a soldier herself, Governor Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops."

Palin's rise to political prominence

Sarah Palin's jump to the national political scene after only 21 months in office came about with the help of a media relations and marketing consulting firm hired to draw national attention to the state's proposed natural gas pipeline project. Alaska's Department of Natural Resources paid public relations expert Marcia Brier of Needham, Massachusetts $31,000 to pitch stories to the national media that promoted Palin as the driving force behind the pipeline and getting the state legislature to go along with it. Brier sent press releases to national media outlets portraying Palin as an "upstart governor" and crusader against Big Oil, the same story line Palin now uses in her campaign with John McCain. Some state legislators take exception to the portayal of Palin as the sole force behind the pipeline, when many other people worked on the project. Once the PR campaign began, Palin was away from the Legislature so much that lawmakers started sporting red and white "Where's Sarah?" buttons. Among Brier's past clients is a 23 year-old Saudi prince, Bader al-Saud, whom she helped to get a plea deal in a vehicular homicide case.

Alaskan Legislature's report on abuse of power

On October 11, 2008, the Anchorage Daily News reported that an investigation by the Alaskan legislature concluded that Governor Sarah Palin had violated ethics laws and abused the power of her office by pushing for the firing of a state trooper who has once married to her sister and by allowing her husband, Todd Palin, to use the governor's office to crusade against the officer. Steve Branchflower, in releasing the report, stated, "Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired." Branchflower wrote that Sarah Palin let her husband, Todd, use the governor's office and its resources, "including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired." He added, "She had the authority and power to require Mr. Palin to cease contacting subordinates, but she failed to act." The report was released by a 12-0 vote of the Legislative Council after a vote by eight Republicans and four Democrats.

Palin on Global Warming

In an interview with NewsMax.com, a conservative online newssite, Palin was asked for her "take" on global warming and "how is it affecting our country?". Palin responded that "a changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made."

Racism allegations

In an article appearing in the The LA Progressive blog on September 5, 2008, Sarah Palin is alleged to have used a historically racially derogatory term for Obama after his win over Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary. The statement (which can be read in full at the source) came from a waitress who said she overheard the remark while serving her. The blogger who reported the story interviewed the waitress over the phone and says he is honoring her request not to use her last name. There has been no other confirmation of the story.

Support for the Alaska Independence Party

Palin has expressed support for the Alaska Independence Party, a secessionist political party, telling AIP members, "Keep up the good work" [. . .] "And God bless you." The late Joe Vogler, founder of the AIP has advocated armed struggle against the US government, saying, "My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand." Palin's husband, Todd Palin, belonged to the AIP for seven years. AIP chair, Lynette Clark told is quoted to have said of Palin, "She's Alaskan to the bone ... she sounds just like Joe Vogler."

Affiliations

• Member, Feminists for Life
• a life member of the National Rifle Association according to the NRA

Contact Details

• Website as governor: http://gov.state.ak.us/

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

• John McCain

External articles

• Marc Ambinder, "What McCain Didn't Know About Sarah Palin: And why he probably would have picked her anyway", "Dispatch", Atlantic Online, August 31, 2008.
• "SARAH PALIN", a 63-page vetting report by the Democratic Party of Alaska
• Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is “Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean”, The LA Progressive, September 5, 2008
• "Sarah Palin and Me", The LA Progressive, September 6, 2008
• Kathleen Parker Palin Problem -- She's Out of Her League National Review. Commentary. September 26, 2008

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