Palin's record pales upon inspection

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I was pleased to see in the Chronicle Sept. 9 the article "GOP ads are inaccurate," which corrected Sarah Palin's claim that she said "No thanks" to earmarks when -- in her two years as governor -- Alaska requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending!

This year, Alaska asked for almost $300 per person, while other states got just $34 worth of local projects per person on average. When she was mayor of Wasilla, she hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington to win $27 million worth of earmarks for the town of 6,000. (Anchorage Daily News , Sept. 4).

Is her claim "inaccurate" or is it just plain lying? ...

"That (state-owned) luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay," she told cheering Republican delegates at their convention. True, but she left out that it never sold on eBay. State staffers had to broker a deal with a buyer for a loss. Misleading? Most definitely! ...

She was forced to hire a city administrator to run the town of about 6,000 when her inept firings led to rebellion among the locals. She "promoted a sports complex and a park on land the city still can't claim to own, in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system and lowered taxes for businesses and increased the tax burden on residents. ...

Is she charismatic and a rising star in the Republican Party? Yes. Is she gutsy? Absolutely! The big question is whether she'd be ready to take over as president should 72-year-old John McCain die in office.

Gov. Palin doesn't have the typical resume of a vice-presidential candidate. She is strong on rallying public support; she's not so strong on the detailed work of governance and leaves the details and heavy lifting to others. This philosophy sounds too much like George Bush! ...

Laurel Sherwood Aiken, SC

Comments

Ken

You can't be serious with this post. Like Obama has a more impressive resume? Obama's a joke and he's on the top of the ticket. As if Biden has done anything worth mentioning in the last 30 + years. He couldn't get 100,000 votes in the primary from his own people!! Obama wasn't even smart enough to put Clinton on the ticket; she did get 18 million votes. BTW genius; Palin should have some of the fundamental values of George Bush, she's a republican, hello! Next time you pick on a candidate for inexperience make sure you have a dog in the fight.

GnipGnop

Is Obama charismatic and a rising star in the democratic party? Yes. Is he gutsy?absolutely! Is he ready to run the United States of America? Obama doesn't really even have a seasoned Senators resume. He changes his mind weekly and seems to cowotw to whatever group he is choosing to speak to at the moment. I am convinced of one thing for sure. This is the weakest ticket for both parties that we have ever seen.

wildman

Just get over it, she's in and you Dems can't stand it. The GOP has beat you at your own game. She will make a difference, maybe not this year but she has a very bright future.

GACopperhead

Yeah, she'll make a difference..... earmarks, lies and and lipstick......her best attributes. Admonished by a judge THREE times to quit harassing her sister's ex. Now THAT'S a candidate we should vote for. There have been more people associated with republicans who have been convicted of scandals, or resigned because of them than I have seen of the dems, though they're not lily white, either. Craig's not gay!!!!!!

JesusIsComing

With all the money, time, and effort the Democrats are spending on opposition research, THIS is all they can come up with? She didn't actually sell the plane on eBay?! Wow! She took grant money as a Mayor? Oh no! Sounds like McCain's pick was more brilliant than imagined. Even Biden is questioning whether Obama should have picked Hillary. When Obama loses in November guess what former first lady will be coming out to say "I told you so".

SisterAbdullahX_

Nice racist comments there copperhead.

GACopperhead

Ok, You make under 200,000 and you DON'T want your taxes lowered....BRILLIANT! You're retired and you earn under 50,000 and you WANT to pay taxes....BRILLIANT. McCain had an affair, Palin's daughter is pregnant and they claim they are the MORAL choice? Right. I'm not condemning her daughter, but I AM questioning their claims. Don't spew at me that people make mistakes, because you folks are the same one's who condemned Bill along with Newt while Newt was having affairs. Craig, out fishing for a gay encounter, Abramoff, Enron, Freddie and Fanny. The Republican party has become cynical and corrupt, and we need a change. The Republicans had the PResidency and Congress for six years, so they can't blame the Dems for the mess we're in today.

patriciathomas

Alaska asked..., but other states got... (twisted comparison). A mayor hired a lobbyist to get available money for the town? that's the job of the competent mayor. She put the jet for sale on Ebay, but because she sold it through a broker she's deceptive? Picking and choosing her actions as mayor to make her look inept doesn't explain her 83% approval rating as a mayor. or her 81% approval rating as a governor. Your parroting of the Democrat panic is to be expected. Be afraid, be very afraid.

jack234

Thank you Laurel for your keen insight about this candidate. As an independent this will cause me and many others to pause and consider whether hers is a serious candidacy or not. It kinda of scary to think she might be running the country one day. Look like everybody just like her litlle lines that she come up with, "hockey mom" "lip stick on pig" etc. Running the country is hard work and serious business. She will probably try to run McCain and end up like George Bush with Cheney influencing him so much, he ruined his legacy. Have a blessed day.

patriciathomas

Copperhead, Enron was a Clinton gift to America,( they failed long before 9-11), and Fannie and Freddie are a result of the socialist slide in America, decades old. Yes, Repubs are as corrupt as Dems. Washington seems to seduce almost all in the house and senate. The Repubs had the house for 6 years and the senate for 4 and were punished by their constituency for their poor performance. The Bush policies that we all hate were very liberal. Replacing him with someone more liberal hardly seems smart.

CH

Well, GACopperhead, let's look at Biden, shall we? He's been in the senate since Richard Nixon. Yeah, that's real change we can believe in. Says sensitive things like you can't go into a 7/11 without hearing an Indian accent. Yeah, that's a VP we can be proud of. Oh yeah, voted for the war he claims he hates. Well, that's sounds like the perfect VP for this qualified presidential candidate to me. And, as far as Reps having more scandals than Dems...are you kidding, or are you just plain stupid? One more thing, Dems had the congress from 1953 until 1993. That's 40 years...a hell of a lot lot longer than Reps, and most of these problems were well entrenched before Reps took over in 1993. Why don't you check facts before you shoot your racist mouth off?

GACopperhead

pat, it's not her approval rating that matters, it's that McCain also said "and she sold it for a profit", implying that she sold it on ebay and for a profit, it's the lie that she nixed the bridge project when the RECORDS say that she campaigned for it and is AGAINST earmarks when she is still ACTIVELY seeking them for Alaska. The records show that wile the average funding per person received in the other states is 34 dollars, Alaska gets 135 per person in EARMARKS. It's that the Republicans have put out lies about Obama and his platform. Even if I was leaning towards McCain, I would have to SERIOUSLY consider the deceit that is being spread by them. Why can't they wage an honest, truthful campaign? Why can't they just talk about their platform, truthfully, instead of waging a dishonedt, deceitful smear campaign. It's really disgusting, the state of political affairs in this country today.

jack234

Thank you GAcopperhead, as an independent, you have really opened my eyes to the truth about this woman. Have a blessed day and thanks again for the truth.

GACopperhead

Records show Cheney met with Enron to form the energy policy, and then refused to allow the records go public. Ch, where do you get racist from? I still say of you who are for McCain....if you can't come up with something good about your candidate, fabricate lies. It's just shows the substance of the candidates and their supporters.

patriciathomas

You should be outraged Copperhead, but you should aim it at Obama. He's the incompetent boob that dissed Hillary and forced this whole situation. Your panic spew looks exactly like what it is. Be afraid...

SisterAbdullahX_

Why is the "party of tolerance" so quick to condemn Craig? Is it illegal for a gay man to solicit another man, or is it just another convenient, hypocritical stab for the left to make? Copperhead says "There have been more people associated with republicans who have been convicted of scandals, or resigned because of them than I have seen of the dems, though they're not lily white, either." How racist! I would be crucified if I had made a comment like "Palin has more experience than Obama, but the left doesn't seem to recognize it.... though she's not coal black either."

SisterAbdullahX_

Fabricate lies? You mean like Sarah Palin's youngest child is actually her grandchild? Would that be the kind of lies you mean, copperhead?

jimbobob

Does anyone remember Democrat Barney Frank and all of his pervert activities. How about Mr. Jefferson from La. with the money in the freezer. The list goes on and on with both parties, but it seems like the Repubs are the only ones that are remembered. Sounds like fair and balanced journalism.

GACopperhead

My god....using the term lily white is racist? White is a term that has indicated purity since the inception of language. It has been used by people of all races for thousands of years. It's used in the Psalms! I'm not for gay rights OR abortions, and I'm not for a party that can't run on the merits of it's platform, doesn't care for those who WORK for a living and picks a woman as VP just because she's a woman.Her record has been distorted, she tried to get her sister's ex fired(emails of hers about it have been published) and as I've said before, though I am a Christian, I do not want religion used by out government. I WILL not be told by the ignorant how to live or what beliefs I should espouse. I live my Christianity every day, and it's not all about what can God do for me? I serve God by serving my fellow man, and every one I look at, I see as Christ. To refuse to help those who DON'T have is to look in Christ's face and say "You're not worthy." Jesus did not say only give to those who "deserve", he said "if your brother asks for a shirt, give him your cloak also".

GACopperhead

Goof, I recall them, it's that the republicans claim some kind of monopoly on morality. Recall that when Bill was impeached and ultimately acquitted, it was because republicans had to cross over to acquit him.

jack234

As an independent, I have some real concerns about McCain. He shows early signs of senility. He keeps repeating himself about the "surge" and how. "he would rather lose an election
etc". When people become senile or when it is in its early stages, they have no new ideas to add to the discussion.
Now, have a blessed day. They seem to live in the past. LOL

SisterAbdullahX_

No, lilly white is NOT racist, but when you imply that THAT is the reason they were convicted and involved in scandals, LIKE YOU DID, then THAT IS racist.

d1zmljqg

What I like and admire about McCain is that if Palin looked like Aunt Bee (Andy Griffith) or Ms. Hathaway (Bev. Hillbillies) McCain would have still picked her. Palin's looks had nothing to do with his selection. I think if you read more on John at http://fredericksburg.craigslist.org/rnr/829435217.html you will see a lot more on this family values icon.

SisterAbdullahX_

So you aren't for a party that doesn't care for people who work for a living. How about a party that wants to punish people who worked hard enough to succeed? YOUR party thinks it's ok to take their money and redistribute it to those who DIDN'T work.

GACopperhead

Interesting question: if all the perspective candidates of the two major parties were disqualified from the Presidency, is the someone else you could vote for? If I weren't afraid that it might insure McCain, I'd vote for the Constitutional party since Ron Paul was a repub candidate and my initial choice for President.

owensjef2

Cry baby conservatives

patriciathomas

panicked liberals

john

but what about....but what about...but what about.. Nov cant get here soon enough. I guess thats when the real crying will come from the left tho ;-)

SisterAbdullahX_

owensjef. When you have something intelligent to add, please come back.

DonH

Substitute Obama for Palin and it reads about the same. "Palin's record pales upon inspection"

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