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September 04, 2008 09:39 PM UTC

Main Source from AIP Claims Backs Off Story

  • 97 Comments
  • by: Haners

This story is from Sept 2nd.

Dexter Clark, the Vice Chairman of the Alaska Independence Party sought to clarify the accusations made against Palin by his wife.

According to Clark, his wife’s claim that Palin was a member was based on information from a Mr. Mark Chryson.  Clark said that Chryson

has repeatedly said to me personally and my wife, Lynette, and groups of party members at large, that at that 1994 convention, Sarah and Todd Palin attended and registered as members

However, when confronted with evidence that Palin has long been a registered Republican, the article says:

Chyrson, in an interview with Mother Jones, backed off his account  (Haners emphasis). “What could have been the confusion [because] her husband was a member of the party. He was at the convention. It might (Haners emphasis) have been thought she was a member then.”

He goes on to admit that he doesn’t “remember” seeing Palin at the convention in question.  

“I don’t, no. I was working behind the scenes. Back then I was only vaguely familiar with her. I would not have recognized her.  

The story also says:

He added that Sarah Palin did not play “an active role in the party” or to speak out for its causes.

There’s the silver bullet that incriminates Palin-second hand knowledge from the vice chairman’s wife that she got from someone who wasn’t even in a position to recognize Palin-despite the fact that the Republican Party in Alaska has produced documents showing Palin has been a long time member.  She hasn’t ever supported the party’s causes.  

I guess this is one of those times where we should have waited for the facts to come out.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories…

Should we have waited for more facts about the AIP story?

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97 thoughts on “Main Source from AIP Claims Backs Off Story”

  1. who needs facts when you can speculate!  😛

    Us Dems will keep throwing attacks at Palin to see what sticks.  If we’re smart (and pretty often we aren’t) we’ll get back to the McCain v. Obama narrative and leave these wild goose chases about Palin alone…

    1. Haners called Sarah Palin as his pick for VP months ago, when most people didn’t even know Alaska had a Governor.

      I admit, I was for Mitt Romney, or Condoleezza Rice.  Over the Summer as I read more about Sarah, I warmed to her compelling story.  By 2 weeks ago, I was full speed ahead for Palin, when it became obvious Romney was being held in reserve for Secretary of Commerce.

      So good call Haners.  You picked THE long shot of this race.

      My job is done here for now.

      God be with you till we meet again.

      NEWSMAN

    2. Obama consistently has insisted to the media that this campaign is about his agenda versus McCain’s agenda.  Every time the press tried to get him to respond to the attacks from McCain surrogates, including Palin, Obama responded by noting that the Republicans were entitled to spend their convention time however they wanted to, but that he found it interesting that they refused to set forth how their agenda would help ordinary working Americans improve their lot.

    1. The former party chair, Chryson, was absolutely certain just the day before.  He had given a full-throated endorsement to Palin’s selection as VP, noting how well he knew her.

      The next day he’s backpedaling, saying how poorly he knew her.

      Also, the McCain campaign ADMITS that Palin attended the 2000 convention.  They say it was because it was held in Wasilla, but there can be no doubt that her husband was an active member of the party at the time – and Chryson say’s he was good friends with the family at the time, so it probably wasn’t just an official visit.

      Same with the 2008 videotape.  What Governor sends a video to other parties’ state conventions – especially a secessionist third party – and one so nice to the party at that?

  4. The rapid expansion and contraction of the media coverage and accusations regarding governor Palin won’t be that hard to understand.

    Imagine condensing all of the rumors, investigations, accusations, gaffes, and questionable associations with respect to senator Obama, senator McCain, or senator Biden that have been discussed in the past year and condense them all down into one week.  Each looks at least as hectic as this week has been for governor Palin, and perhaps more so.  It could be that this is the fault of the pirahna complex of our media and our leaders, but either way, the McCain camp had to see it coming.  Her governing history certainly hasn’t been scrutinized more thoroughly than senator McCain’s, and there certainly haven’t been more false accusations leveled against her than senator Obama.  The McCain campaign chose to select a national unknown and to announce her 5 days before her acceptance speech.  They did so because they saw tremendous upside such as drawing attention away from senator Obama’s acceptance, much of which has been realized.  But they can’t be surprised to see that the pre-acceptance scrutiny governor Palin faced was exponentially more intense than the others, when the time in which to apply that scrutiny was exponentially shorter than the others.

    1. And it’s not as though the AIP guy’s about-face absolves Palin of the central charge, that she hangs out with and treats seriously a bunch of fringe secessionists. Her membership would have been fatal, but her marriage to a longtime member and sympathy with their cause is still very unsettling.

              2. (see previous post http://coloradopols.com/showCo… on name calling offer)

                Unions are fine and do have a role in the U.S.

                The Boulder Daily Camera put it best…

                Let workers choose: Giving workers a voice is the purpose of unions

                We think the best thing about this particular measure is its potential to make unions, when needed, better. Happy, well-compensated workers with good benefits who are treated fairly aren’t tempted by, nor do they seek out, unions. And when they do, the unions provide a balance that the government and the courts do not.

                -The Camera supports Amendment 47

        2. Having a secessionist as a spouse would be almost as bad as having a spouse who said she was proud of her country for the first time only after it nominated her husband for president.

          Are you sure you want to go there?

          Or was Obama right to say “Leave the family out of it?”

          1. Sarah Palin put her family front and center last night during her speech.

            But you know, Bob, that what Michelle Obama said was a slip of the tongue — even Laura Bush has come to her defense. Was Todd Palin’s decade-long membership in the AIP a slip of the registration?

            2. Forget Michelle too, she cleaned up Monday night. That s’pround’ tory died a month ago.

              Obama has instructed and David has  strongly encouraged the discourse to return to same-chamnge theme.

              1. with actual spelling and grammar, Libertine? I think you may have said something I might agree with, but it is so murky I honestly can’t tell.  And you completely failed to blame whatever it is you were complaining about on forced unionism.

                Are you OK?

                    2. Keep on soldiering on for Jonathan Coors, the Wal-Mart heirs and others who got their money the old fashioned way _ by inheriting it! Damn those unions, smash them all!

                      And repeal the 13th amendment, slavery is much better than unions.

                    4. The NEA is a union, after all, albeit not a member of the AFL-CIO.  Libertad wouldn’t be caught dead in a union environment.

          2. sends very friendly, encouraging, good job type messages to a secessionist group, she also is married to a member.  

            Let me guess what Haners would be saying if Obama had very recently sent a thumbs up video message to a convention of a black separatist party of which his wife was a member.  Oh wait, we’ve already seen the fuss he and pals would make over WAY less than that.  

            I can picture his retort to “but he was never an official member” now.  How many hours would be devoted every day to this story by Fox et al and how many demands made that  Obama come forward and explain himself.  Truth is, Palin is being treated with kid gloves by comparison. She won’t be for long.

            1. You probably still think Palin was a member of the AIP.  I mean, come on-you think Palin has been treated with kid gloves!

              You can go into pretend land if you want-the magical land where Haners says what you want him to say and that Palin has been treated with kid gloves.  Do what you need to do, whatever helps you get through the day!

            2. With Republicans, anything goes, attack them, their family, their cats and their dogs.

              With Democrats, keep the family out of it.

               At least, we know where you’re coming from. And we also know, it’s not a very nice place.

              1. a fair question to ask? It isn’t like he was a member of the local softball team; we’re talking about a group that advocates seceding from the United States, Bob.

                And like it or not, it is a sorry thing to note that this shit began with Republicans taking cheap swipes at Michelle Obama. I hope, beyond hope, that Democrats don’t reciprocate by doing the same to Palin’s kids but it looks to me like that line has already been crossed by some folks.

                And if you really believe that Michelle Obama really meant that she had never been proud of her country before her husband ran for president, then I have a Bridge to Nowhere to sell you.

                1. Face it, she is black in a nation that for 400 years enslaved and oppressed blacks. She’s a woman in a country that hasn’t done so great by women either unless you count John McCain’s affirmative action program for VP. Yes, I think she spoke from the heart, without stopping to filter it through the PC police.  The definition of a gaffe, after all, isn’t saying something false. It’s saying something true _ in a company that can’t handle the truth.

                   But whether talking about Michelle or Bristol or whatever, I think Barack is spot on — leave the family out of it. And if you’re attacking Sarah Palin because her husband is an idiot, why not take on Hillary Clinton in the same breath?  Whatever the First Dude is accused of, I don’t recall that he left his (ahem) DNA markers on a blue dress.

                  There are a lot of things I like about Obama and his instinctive decency is high on the list.  So why not follow his plea and leave the family out of it?

                  1. But I think we have to be careful not to swing too far in the other direction, where we start avoiding asking the hard questions that need to be asked.

                  2. If you are going to use her kids to show the cute cuddly family, and if you are going to put two 17 year olds on display in the midst of their worse nightmare to prove a point, then you can discuss that her family is dealing with issues caused by choices that she does not wants to deny to other families.

                    Kids that act in ways that are contradicting what you are running on, is an issue.  Abstinence only didn’t work for her family, why would it work for mine.

                    If Barack had a cracked out kid and went easy on drug dealers – do you not think that would be an issue.

                    Say what you want, but who you are married to IS an issue.

                    Yes, Michelle’s words have been used against her, and yes, she properly meant them, and I agree with her. And you all took her to task on her comments.  

                    If your husband is a member of the KKK are you saying that is not an issue?  Hell, Hillary was beat up for keeping her maiden name! So a separatist husband and a personal video to a group that wants to commit treason on the United States is an issue

                    So, can we all agree to grow up and realize that it all matters – especially now, in a year that we are defining ourselves as a new America or at least as a different generation of Americans?

              3. I’m saying it was legitimate to ask Obama how he felt about the statements made by his pastor and speakers at his church as they were saying some very controversial and offensive things.  It’s just as legitimate to ask Palin if she agrees with various offensive things her pastor and guest speakers at her church have said as well as if she agrees with the secessionist views of a group her husband was a member of for years, which she enthusiastically welcomed in a video and who’s leader has expressed hatred for the US government.

                As to it being a generic welcome such as any group having in an event in her state would receive, I have trouble picturing Gov. Ritter sending such a welcome to visiting white supremacists, for instance.

                I am perfectly willing to believe she is not a registered member, Haners, but it’s  legitimate to ask her about her views in  light of her friendly relationship with them and her husband’s years of membership. She clearly must know what they are all about.

                As for equating it with Michelle’s comment about being proud of her country for the first time in her adult life there is a big difference.   Not being proud isn’t treason.  Advocating secession is.  And Michelle Obama and Barack Obama both HAVE been asked to explain theses things and the Haners of the world have been in the forefront of the criticism they received and never objected to  but joined in on the attacks in those instances.

                So I stand by every damn thing I’ve said on the subject including the fact  that Haners is extremely hypocritical. Also the MSM is NOT pushing these stories.  In fact, you mainly hear about them through rightie talking  heads whining about them.  Yesterday when Pawlenty complained about the media  harping on the pregnancy story, David Gregory correctly pointed out that Pawlenty was the only one on his show who  mentioned it.  So she is certainly being treated with kid gloves compared to the constant replays of Rev. Wright’s controversial harangue on the MSM.  

                I’m not seeing available video of Palin’s pastor or guests at her church being played over and over and they certainly could be, complete with the statements that terrorism in Israel is punishment for Jews not accepting Jesus and that those who criticize Bush are condemned to hell.  I’m not hearing audio of the leader of the secessionist group being played. On the radio I head  some and it is extremely hateful toward the USA.

                So I’m not giving an inch on this one Bob, not even for you.  

          3. Your response is typical of biased Republicans that try to hide their prejudice. You’ve taken Michelle Obama’s statment  out of context.

            Palin clearly does not believe in the United States of America.

            You’d never catch me at a klan rally, even if my spouse converted. I’d get a divorce.

            Your candidate openly embraces the isolationist party and welcomes them as shown in the now famous UTube spot.

            Let’s venture as far with this as the Republican hate machine has done with Obama by insinuating that he’s a radical Muslim.

            With your logic, she should be asked how she would feel about  buying weapons from Russia and China to fight for Alaskan independence?  Perhaps the Russians would supply their group to counter Georgia. The Chinese might do the same to counter Taiwan.

            Homeland Security needs to further investigate this family and the money trail to see if they’ve made financial contributions to it.

            I believe that a check with her name marked for donations would be a smoking gun.

             

              1. liВ·bel  -noun 1. Law. a. defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.  

                b. the act or crime of publishing it.  

                I’m not surprised.  

                  1. It’s clear that I am not a klansman nor a communist.

                    It’s also clear that a smoking gun can be found to sink your candidate.

                    It’s great that she’s on the ticket, though,  as she helps the Obama-Biden ticket

                    The McCain pick is ludicrous.

                    I can’t think of anyone that isn’t a confederate sympathizer  that would want Mrs. Jerfferson Davis as commander in chief.

                    Follow the money.

                    2. I know Bob. The parties changed sides after LBJ.

                      Lincoln supported civil rights, as did Grant ,and strong central government.

                      Some Republicans, like Sen. McCain for instance, aren’t bigoted.

                      Southern Democrats prior, to Pres. Johnson,  stopped anti-lynching laws from passing in the 1950’s. You might read Robert Caro’s “Master of the Senate” for your history lesson.They all became Republicans starting with Reagen’s announcement of candidacy in Mississippi.

                      Both major parties have accepted that secession was settled at Appomattox Court House.

                      You obviously would have been happier in an earlier time period. It’s clear that you support the right to secede, even if you do not support the Bill of Rights.

                    3. Obviously, you’re the victim of forced unionism at an early stage of your development, right, Libertine?

                    4. far exceeds what I sugggested.

                      I’m not sure that the court would not call your post libel.

                      Please cite the case record. I’ll look it up on Nexus-Lexus.

                      The point, howver, is still clear. I’d bet  that campaign contributions to that Alaskan  party fall under FEC law. Cashed checks may exist and then we would have our smoking gun. Gov. Palin should volunteer her bank records.  Mrs.McCain should publish her tax returns. I’m sure that opposition researchers will be looking.

                      I know that the right hates the left to use the law to defend civil rights. For instance, Morris Dees draws heavy libel and slander.

                      You really should learn to avoid name calling. It’s the first sign that you have lost the argument.

                    5. Look up the Hustler case and the suit Jerry Falwell lost against them, or the  Bob Guccione’s victory in the Miss Wyoming case. Satire is protected speech, hate the first amendment all you want, it rules.

                      And you are the one who started calling me, or was it Mr. Palin, a Klansman?  You are so unclear it’s not obvious who you intended to insult.

                      In your case, however, name calling isn’t the first sign that you’ve lost the argument. You inability to express your thoughts clearly and your eagerness to defame and vilify people who don’t instantly agree with you is the first sign.

                      Finally, I wasn’t calling you names, I was having fun at your expense. Big difference.

                      Again, I urge you, don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.

                      Now, go back to calling Republicans traitors.

                    6. Your posts aren’t satire.

                      Your reading comprehension suffers.

                      Groups that wish to secede from the United States have legal precedence.

                      You have a very poor defense to libel. I wouldn’t bother to sue you, but your clearly trying to find a loophole.

                      I’ll send the transcript to Morris and see what he says.

                    8. Morris Dees is the director of The Southern Poverty Law Center that has a 100 million endowment, and fights civil litigation against hate groups.

                      He broke the UKA.

                    9. Lexus is an overpriced Toyota.

                      Lexis is a legal data base.

                      big difference.

                      And as far as I know, the Alaska Independence Party is not a hate group, though it obviously is a group that you hate.

                      They have a perfect legal right to advocate peaceful change, without your permission. The first amendment, which you have apparently never read, absolutely gives them that right.  To equate them with the Klan, which uses murder and torture to oppress blacks, Jews, Catholics and people who bathe more than once a week is odious on your part.

                    10. You capitalize every group but Blacks.

                      That is not surprising.

                      I have a username and pw to the Nexus-Lexis database.

                      I find that you are very offensive and I believe that your posts are libel.

                      Nevertheless, since you acknowledge that you don’t know anything about the Alaska Independence Party, I believe your posts support a Homeland Security investigation and a FEC investigation into the contributions made to such an organization from the Palin family and to the goals of the AIP. Perhaps the FBI should release all it’s files on the AIP. That would be appropriate.

                      I happen to be Jewish and raised by an African-American.

                      I stated that I thought you believed in the USA. I may have been mistaken.

                      I’ll send your posts on to Morris.

                       

                    11. …with “Jesse’s Girl” and RIck’s uncompromising acting in General Hospital.  But now I’m starting to think that those were flukes.  This latest post of yours is libel, a slander, a plague on all that is sensible.  I’m a-gonna sue your ass off.

                    12. There is no such database.

                      You may have a subscription to the Nexis-Lexis database.

                      And please do send these posts on to Morris.

                      Maybe he can open a file on you as a hatemonger.

                      The word “black” is not properly capitalized because it is not a proper name, any more than “white” is. Negro and Caucasian are proper names and capitalized, as are Jew and Catholic. African-American is capitalized because both words are proper names.

                      You did indeed learn your spelling from Libertad. Or else from “Nexus.”

                      Or maybe you are Libertad, in bipolar mode.

                      That would answer a lot of questions.

                    13. So say African-American. That was no Fruedian slip. Face it Bob,you will never vote for Obama because of his race.

                      You are a bigot, but that doesn’t stop the fact  that NO one who believes in succession should ever be commander in chief.

                      If Obama had those ties you’d be hollering that he’s a criminal. Oh, I forgot that the Republicans already tried to do that but that they found out that Obama was a child during the ’60s.

                    15. I was making reference to the Republican attacks on Obama for simply being acquainted with a member of the Weather Underground.

                      Sean Hannity tried to make the ludricous claim that Obama was a supporter of terrorism for that reason. Obama met the man 30 years later under very different circumstances.

                      Nevertheless, anybody that donates funds to the AIP should never be commander in chief.

                      Ewegen’s posts that claim that I am communist and a klansman are libel.

                      His reference to African-Americans

                      with no capitalization clearly was intentional as he is so particular about his spelling.

                      I’ve suffered no economic damages, and won’t as he is a non credible figure. There is no reason to pursue it further.  

      2. And he’s married to a REPUBLICAN. I here he sired a child with a Republican women too.

        That Todd Palin should be investigated. I know, why don’t you get your buddies who hold the majority in the house to re activate the House Un American activities committee.

        Then you can issue subpoenas and hold hearings and really get to the bottom of this.  Maybe they can get on that right after they Impeach Bush.

        Good Luck with that.

        NEWSMAN  

  5. to fly 11 hours after her water broke just so her son could be “Alaska Born.”

    Alaska first! Alaska always!

    Things that are confirmed.

    Todd was a member of the AIP until 2002.

    Palin sends greetings to the AIP convention in 2008.

    Her defenders are saying she was just being polite.  Polite?  Did she send greetings to the Greens? The Democrats? How about the Knights party or the John Birch Society?

    I don’t believe the walk back by the AIP, they are just giving a seperatist sympathizer political cover.

        1. I doubt she just came up and said “I was bored so I made you this random video”.

          If they asked for one and she did it to be polite, then that’s one thing.  

          The basic question behind the claim you are making is: what was her intention?  Did she do it as a sign of support for them?  That’s basically what you’re claiming, right?  The motivation shapes the issue.

          1. If a separatist party asked any state governor to make a video welcoming their convention, do you think any state governor with a brain in his or her head would do it? If a Latino separatist party was meeting in Colorado and they asked Governor Ritter to make a video, do you think there is any chance he’d do it?

            Either she welcomed them because she sympathizes with them, or she did it because she is dumb as a bag of rocks.

          2. Gov. Ritter to make a nice video, I’m guessing the answer would be no, perhaps accompanied by some unprintables. Secessionists are traitors. She can’t think too harshly of them if her husband was a member for years. Now I’m sure you’ll jump all over me for equating them with Nazis. I don’t.  Being traitors is quite bad enough but granted, better than being associated with subhumans.

              1. even though, see above, I state that I DON’T equate them with Nazis. I state clearly that being a traitor isn’t as a bad as being subhuman.  And the I in AIP clearly makes it a party of traitors.  Else why do they seek independence from us?  And yes I know she’s not a member, just an apparent sympathizer who sleeps with a member.

                And if Michelle Obama was a member of a group that advocated independence of any group or state from the USA, you righties would have lost your voices long ago screaming about it from every roof top.    

  6. This year she sent a video recording to the Alaska Independence Party which was played at the Party’s convention.  In that video, she did not endorse any of the specific positions espoused by that Party but she did say they were doing good things and they should keep up the good work.  Under these circumstances, it is fair to ask her what she meant by that statement and it is fair to ask her whether she supports specific positions advocated by the AIP.  When Sen. Lieberman, an independent Democrat, was invited to speak at this week’s Republican convention it is fair to ask him why he accepted and what positions of the Republican Party he supports just as it would be fair for the press to ask President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s grandaughter why, even though she is a Republican, she agreed to speak on behalf of Sen. Obama at the Democratice National Convention last week.  When Gov. Palin praised the AIP, she did so for a reason.  I think we need to know that reason.

  7. If not I’ll provide the link to it on their website for you…

    http://www.akip.org/platform.html

    Everyone calls this group “radical secessionists,” and while the radical part is debatable, looking at their platform I see nothing that comes close to calling for secession from the United States.  The closest is their vehement belief in states’ rights.  They even mention the Constitution of the U.S. several times, and not in terms of leaving it, but of applying it in ways they believe it was meant to be applied.  The reason this group has been tagged with this label is because a few members have, indeed, called for secession.  But it is not in the party’s platform, and it is not one of their goals.

    If someone can find proof to the contrary, let me know and I’ll drop it… But until then, stop saying the Palin’s support seccession unless they say/said so themselves.

    1. Goals

      Until we as Alaskans receive our Ultimate Goal, the AIP will continue to strive to make Alaska a better place to live with less government interference in our everyday lives.

      ——————————————————————————–

      The Alaskan Independence Party’s goal is the vote we were entitled to in 1958, one choice from among the following four alternatives:

      1) Remain a Territory.

      2) Become a separate and Independent Nation.

      3) Accept Commonwealth status.

      4) Become a State.

      The call for this vote is in furtherance of the dream of the Alaskan Independence Party’s founding father, Joe Vogler, which was for Alaskans to achieve independence under a minimal government, fully responsive to the people, promoting a peaceful and lawful means of resolving differences.

      The name itself is Indepenence: seems pretty clear they think the admission of AK as a state is illegal and they want to be an independant country.

      http://www.akip.org/goals.html

      1. and what is “commonwealth status”?  Does it give a group any more than “state status” in the US?

        I say let them vote.  We’ll occupy them anyway to protect our stragetic oil prospects in the region.

      2. I said I’d drop it if someone found proof, so I will…

        However, looking at their goals (which I admit I didn’t think to look at when I was on their website – I’ll know better next time) they seem to contradict themselves.  Their second goal is to become an independent nation, and their fourth is to become a state.  Unless these are four different goals, any of which would be acceptable to them, which looking at them almost seems to be the case.  But again that’s pretty contradictory of them.  I don’t know…

        1. the goal of the party is to put Alaska’s status up to a vote of the people.  The four “goals” are the four options voters should have in said vote.  That’s what they want…a vote the state never got in 1958.

          The goals of the party are clear. They want to make Alaska a better state for Alaskans.  This isn’t the Bloc QuГ©bГ©cois (Canadian politics anyone?).  As far as I’m concerned, they’re hardly some sort of evil separatist group some folks are trying to make them out to be…

          1. just like the Bloc QuГ©bГ©cois. All members? Perhaps not. But to say they’re all unified as far as remaining a part of the United States would be inaccurate.

            Joe Vogler began arguing about the validity of the Alaskan statehood vote in 1973. Early in that year, he began circulating a petition seeking support for secession of Alaska from the United States. Alaska magazine published a piece at that time in which Vogler claimed to have gathered 25,000 signatures in 3 weeks.

            During the 1970s, Vogler founded Alaskans for Independence to actively pursue secession for Alaska from the United States. In 1984,[1] he founded the AIP to explore whether the 1958 vote by Alaskans authorizing statehood was legal.

            The Alaskan Independence Party quotes Vogler as stating “I’m an Alaskan, not an American. I’ve got no use for America or her damned institutions.”[3] [4]

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A…

          2. I thought there was something weird about the way those “goals” were set up.  In that case I stand by my original comment… They are not radical seccessionists (well, not all of them are) and it is wrong to accuse the Palin’s of supporting disunion just for associating with this group… at all, let alone for a few years a decade or so ago.  And as the original story points out, Sarah never did associate with it, her husband did.

          3. Abraham Lincoln, the Rs favorite go to President when they want to brag, and the Civil War, in which  more Americans (600,000 to as many as 700,000) died than in any  other, established that remaining in the Union or not is NOT among those things subject to a vote.

            Alaska is an American state. People born there are American citizens.  If some of them don’t like it they can leave the country or perhaps renounce their citizenship but they can’t now vote to give Alaska a status other than that of a state in the United States.  Period.  

            Since the Republicans have chosen to question Obama’s patriotism they should have NO problem with  the rest of America asking Palin for clarification as to hers.  

            Is she an Alaskan first or an American first.   If she isn’t the latter, why should we want her a heartbeat away from being  President of ALL American citizens?  It’s as fair a question as any that Obama has been asked.

            1. they can form a political party based what they feel was Alaska getting a raw deal in 1958.  Just one of the perks of the First Amendment.

              And yes, it’s entirely fair to ask Palin whatever you want.  But the fact of the matter is she wasn’t a member of the party.  Yes, her husband was.  Ask all the questions you want…but just like questioning Obama’s patriotism has been a non-starter with most, not all, but most people, doing the same with Palin won’t yield whatever it is you’re looking for.

              1. Are you kidding?  Questioning  Obama’s patriotism  has been very effective and damaging and continues to be a major strategy of the McCain campaign through surrogates. And sorry, but  a flag  pin is a STUPID standard for patriotism.   Close association with those who hate the USA and feel Alaska was tricked into becoming part of it is a much more valid basis for questioning where Palin’s first loyalties lie.

                Questioning patriotism is hardly a non-starter for the GOP. It has been one of their most successful strategies.  Dems have not done too well back on their heels playing defense. Asking pretty please to be considered as patriotic as those big tough Republicans has not been effective. The best defense is a good offense.  Questions about Palin’s connections with this anti-American group are legit and I say have at it.

                1. than the GOP ticket and their wife and husband are surely unpatriotic. Those ridiculous McCain logo lapel pins prove that the American flag on your chest while you’re wearing a suit does not make you an American.

    2. .

      Looks to me that the party founder believed that the USA improperly forced or tricked Alaskans into statehood, and he wants to reopen the matter.  

      He invokes the UN charter and refers to Alaska as a colony being exploited by its colonial master, the USA.  

      I didn’t see the word “secession,” but this guy talks at length about dissolving Alaska’s statehood as a part of the USA.  Effectively, isn’t that the same as secession ?

      .

      1. Wait, as imperialist masters do we have to even give them money for roads, schools, etc?  I think if we are going to get the name, we might as play the role right?  I say exploit Alaska!

        this has been a joke, we now return you to your regularly scheduled commentary

      2. Besides, why would we want a VP who  tells people working toward that goal that they are doing a good job?  Isn’t it the Rs whose specialty it is to question people’s patriotism on far shakier grounds than that?  I say again, total hypocrisy is what’s at work here in the Republican insistence that we  shouldn’t be asking Palin to explain all this to our satisfaction.  They made more of a fuss about Obama not wearing a flag pin, for goodness sake.

  8. I’m sorry this is so long, I found this facinating commentary from one of the  fellow residents of Wasilia.

    Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.

    During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.

    Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

    The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.

    In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s surplus, borrow for needs.

    She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.

    While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

    Sarah complained about the “old boy’s club” when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys”. Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal–loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State’s top cop (see below).

    As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla’s Police Chief because he “intimidated” her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska’s top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it’s pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.

    She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.

    As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the “bridge to nowhere” after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.

    As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects–which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance–but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as “anti-pork”.

    She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.

    Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her “Sarah Barracuda” because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah’s mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.

    She campaigned “as a private citizen” against a state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior’s decision to list polar bears as threatened species.

    McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President.

    There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she.

    However, there’s a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.

    *”Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.

    *”a Greenie”: no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.

    *fiscal conservative: not by my definition!

    *pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.

    *pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents

    *pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.

    WHY AM I WRITING THIS?

    First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.

    Secondly, I’ve always operated in the belief that “Bad things happen when good people stay silent”. Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.

    Third, I am just a housewife. I don’t have a job she can bump me out of. I don’t belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.

    Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah’s attempt at censorship.

    Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.

    http://www.politico.com/blogs/…

    http://community.adn.com/adn/n…

  10. is muddy the waters further. This is certainly a plausible explanation as to why the party chair publicly identified Sarah Palin as a one-time member of AIP, but in an era of hardball politics (something Palin has proven herself adept at) it’s possible that some phone calls were made, arms twisted, etc. That is, of course, speculation.

    I still believe that it’s fair to question Palin about this, however. She is clearly a fellow traveler of this group, whether or not she was a member. Explanations that her welcome message was a courtesy don’t pass the smell test – she was governor of the state, not mayor of Fairbanks where the convention was; she owed them no such courtesy. If someone can show that she’s sent such welcome messages to other in-state organization’s conventions like this, then I’ll buy it. Til then I’m suspicious.

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