Fight Palin Resume Fabrications: Here's How

Sarah Palin is Uniquely Unqualified to Serve as VP Under an Aging Presidential Candidate. Columnist Jonathan Alter said, that the Palin nomination is as much a test of us as it is a test of her.  Indeed.  If Americans fail to look deeper and buy into the completely false claims about her resume by Sarah Palin, then shame on us. Outrageously, despite many false statements by both McCain and Palin about her,  McCain sill ordered the media to back off Palin.

As the media grapples with the many (Sarah) Palin related controversies, it nevertheless interweaves the same tired and predictable mantras. The bottom line is that nearly every glowing thing you have heard about Sarah Palin is untrue, or, at best, an extreme exaggeration.  If a candidate did this in a job interview, s/he would not be hired.  But then, GOP campaigns exist in their own universe.  And Americans still too often buy into them anyway.  We have our work cut out for us.  Let's get started.

First, check out Mark Kleiman's fact checks here. CBS picked up Steve Benen's report, with superb fact checks here.  Also check here.  That's the DNC's fact check site. You'll want to check back often.
Myths (and Downright Lies) By Sarah Palin and the McCain Campaign About Parah Palin
G求Now American people "know" Palin.  So she doesn't have to be interviewed any more.  Only tightly scripted appearances (such as with ABCs Charlie Gibson) are allowed. So there's no real test of whether she has an appropriate grasp of national or international issues.  But she says she's ready to be president, so that's good enough for the media.  It's not as if media darling McCain has had to answer all that much of late. His mantra is he was a POW, so how dare you question his judgment about anything?  It is his one-size-fits-all excuse. Palin hides behind McCain and McCain behind Palin!
G求GOP and media talking heads said if Sarah Palin gave a good convention speech, she is qualified to be VP. Now on MSNBC and other outlets, the contest looks for all the world to be between Obama and Palin!  
G求She's ready to be VP-"what does a VP do anyway?"  That's what Sarah Palin asked recently.  Hear her here. And this week she said that one of the first things she asked was what the day of a VP is like.  Sarah didn't even know that the VP presides over the Senate and breaks ties
G求Myth--Overall, Palin has the experience to be president. Alaska, where she's been governor for "barely 20 minutes" has a population about the size of Austin, TX. As the New York Times asserted: "Before she was elected governor, she was mayor of a tiny Anchorage suburb, where her greatest accomplishment was raising the sales tax to build a hockey rink." She raised taxes by taxing food (for a hockey rink)!  Ready to lead!  In that microscopic town, with a town hall the size of a convenience store, she abused power by firing those she disagreed with, raised taxes, left the town with debt (it didn't have any before), totaling $3,000 for every person In Wasilla.  She was such a bad manager that the town had to have a town manager for the first time (more info on this later).  Palin has no significant legislative experience.  
G求She has "done a great job" in Alaska.  Governing magazine ranked Alaska near the bottom in terms of governance.  It gave her a C.  Only a handful of states got a C or C- (the lowest grade).
G求She claims to be governor of the "biggest state in the nation."  Well, yeh, if you don't count the people.  
G求Palin is fit to lead.  Sarah Palin's religion is her business.  However, when her beliefs collide with public policy, it's everyone's business.  Fact: Sarah Palin said that the Iraq War is a "task that is from God" Read it here.I leave it to you to decide whether she is fit to make foreign policy in this country.  In addition, from the Associated Press: "Palin told graduating students of the church's School of Ministry, "What I need to do is strike a deal with you guys." As they preached the love of Jesus throughout Alaska, she said, she'd work to implement God's will from the governor's office, including creating jobs by building a pipeline to bring North Slope natural gas to North American markets.  'God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that,' she said." Here's the video. Scroll down and click on video.  The one that comes up is just a statement by the church.  Go to the right sidebar and locate the video of Palin addressing divinity students.  It's one of 17 videos on the site.
G求She has the intelligence to lead.  Maybe, but she went to 5 colleges in six years.  The article is here: 1) Hawaii Pacific U.;2)  North Idaho Community College; 3) University of Idaho; 4) Matanuska Susitna College; and then 5) U. of Idaho again.
G求In selecting Palin, John McCain has proven once again he's a "maverick," they say.  Never mind the facts of the matter. Read what Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) had to say about the media's phony storyline. The impulsive decision by John McCain to run Sarah Palin as his running mate undercuts any claims that his judgment is sound.
G求Contrary to the "Palin is a 'maverick" assertion, she has been a perpetual, radical "right"-wing Republican and cultural hard-line conservative.  Always has been. Her stealth candidacy was hatched on right wing blogs and radical right (hate) radio (e.g., on the shows of Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and others), where she made the rounds for six months in search of being drafted.  The only people caught off guard were Democrats, and John McCain.
G求John McCain says he always puts "country first," This nomination shows instead the he chose a cold and calculating path.  Check out this video for what even Republican strategist think (they agree with me).  This footage was caught on an open mic.
G求Palin puts country first?  False.  Until 2002, Palin's husband Todd belonged to the Alaska Independence Party (not Independent Party). He belonged to a states' rights party which seeks a vote on Alaska seceding from the union (that's right folks).  Plain, at minimum, attended meetings and addressed the party's convention at least once.   Check here   Also see ABCs Jake Tapper's blog link.  Scroll down for several articles on the AIP story.
G求Palin is a "reformer." No she isn't! Please read here.  She went after one pol and then claimed she's been a reformer all along, while doing nothing else by way of reform--ever.  She got passed a watered-down "ethics" bill, which did nothing to improve the ethics-challenged Alaska politicians.  And her pretense at an attempt pales in the light of the one Obama got passed at the national level in the wake of the Democrats gaining power in Congress.  I'll write more about that in a few days. (Stay tuned.)
G求Palin fought the "bridge to nowhere."  That's a total fabrication, according to The Daily Howler (BTW Bob Somerby is a friend of Al Gore's and he has a great reputation.)  Here's the link. The bridge project was already dead by the time she came to office, so she had nothing to do with it.  But it is a more complex chronology than makes a cute sound bite. But Palin secured more than the equivalent of the infamous bridge in non-earmarks to use for whatever.  So she still took the money!
G求We were told that Palin abhors earmarks.  In fact, she hired a lobbyist to bring back $27 million in pork for the tiny town of Wasilla.  As governor, she requested and got the largest federal pork spending per capita in the nation-- $750 million.    Not only did she not reform dealing with lobbyists, but she hired a lobbyist who had ties to Jack Abramoff. She also personally went to Washington herself to bring pork home.  That's not illegal, but she lied.  For more, go to the Daily Howler.com (check Sept and Aug archives). Read here also.
G求Sarah Palin appears to abuse power.  She tried to fire the police commissioner who would not fire her former brother in law, who was engaged in a messy divorce with her sister.  The article is here.  As Mayor she also angrily forced out the chief of police because he took sides against her on issues including that she wanted bars to stay open until 5 AM (as they had been).  The police saw an increase in drunk driving between 2 and 5 and wanted bar owners to close at 2 AM.  They open again at 6 AM!!!!!!  But Palin sided with bar owners.  Police also opposed allowing guns in bars and schools.  Palin strenuously objected (she was actually enraged).  That is to say, she wanted guns allowed in schools and bars!  So she fired the police chief.  She also fired the town librarian for refusing to provide a list of all books on town library shelves.  Palin told her she may want to remove some.  Article is here.  Now Palin claims she never removed the books.  That's only part of the truth, and a technicality.  She tried to get the list so she could select books to ban.  But the gutsy librarian just said "No!".
G求Myth: Palin is "commander-in-chief of the national guard, so she's had more experience in "foreign policy than Obama." False.  And laughable.  She has never had to do anything whatsoever re. Alaska's National Guard in Alaska. And governors do not set foreign policy.
G求Besides, Sarah Palin said she's not interested in foreign policy.  She's not all that interested in domestic policy either.  She essentially has no domestic or international vision.  Except "this":
G求Because Russia is "not far" from Alaska, she and the GOP therefore say she has experience in the new "cold war" with Russia, one which John McCain helped start, by the way, by egging on Georgia and meddling personally in the conflict.  McCain has had near daily (some days multiple conversations with Georgia's leader.  And he's sent his lobbyist buddy, and campaign strategist, Randy Scheuneman  over there to meddle.  McCain is acting as if he were president already.  
G求Palin is a "feminist." She is essentially an anti-feminist.  Palin is anti-choice, anti birth control (and doesn't women to have access to it), against sex education, for  creationism is science classes and against the efforts to mitigate global warming.  She also doesn't believe humans cause it.  Her husband sits in on governor's meetings with the cabinet.  
G求Sarah Palin has good judgment.  Local Juneau televisionreported that Palin began labor in Texas at the GOP governor's association meeting.  With amniotic fluid leaking, she still gave her speech, boarded a plane for Seattle and Alaska, changed planes in Alaska (where she continued to leak amniotic fluid, and continued on to Juneau. I have never known a woman who would do such a risky thing.  Indeed flying in that condition is not allowed by the airlines.  Palin already knew her baby would be born with Down Syndrome, yet she put the child and herself at even greater risk of infection and worse.  That's really bad judgment.
G求"Americans don't care about Palin's lack of experience."  She's a loving person. A loving mother.  She's just like them."  Various commentators talked like this in the several days after her nomination was announced.  No comment necessary.  
G求Women will fall in love with Sara Palin.  How dumb do these GOPhers (guys-nearly all) think women are?
G求Palin fought the "good old boy network."  Wrong.  She actually headed a Pac for the chief good ole boy in Alaska, Ted Stevens.  She marks a continuation of the same radical right Republican "leadership" and bad governance that she replaced.  And she brought along a whole cast of good ole boys when she entered office.
G求"Alaska is all about energy and Sara Palin, as governor of Alaska, is therefore an an expert on energy."  Yep, a GOP talking head actually said that. My response. Tsk. Palin is an expert at being a yes woman for (drill, drill, drill)Big Oil and Gas.  Nothing new in Alaska. Sarah Palin is in the pocket of big oil and gas.  Note this curious fact from KTUU: "Russian company Gazprom announced this weekend it wants to join BP and Conoco Philips' efforts to build a pipeline."  Yep, foreign investment in oil and gas in North America-- A real recipe for secure energy supplies (that would be sarcasm).
G求She has more experience than Barack Obama because in her job "she had real responsibilities."  Only in Bushworld, where they feel free to lop of 16 years of Barack Obama's resume (include his teaching Constitutional Law at U. of Chicago, serving 12 years in the IL legislature and 4 years in Congress).  He was right about Iraq.  His judgment on Iraq and Afghanistan prefaced the military's and the Bush administration now moving in the direction Obama proposed.    
G求She falsely claimed Barack Obama passed no significant legislation.   Obama worked across the aisle (with Dick Lugar) to secure nuclear weapons around the world. Dick Lugan says Obama's ad claiming as much is true.  More on Obama's REAL accomplishments next time.
G求Obama spearheaded the landmark (national) Ethics Reform Bill of 2007.   And he has numerous significant other examples of legislation.  In the IL legislature, he authored a number of bills on health care and in support of working families.  Important to his legislative accomplishments is that he has taught Constitutional law at U. Chicago and so understands where legislation and government administrations should not tread.  Palin wants BIG government (in our bedrooms, and waging unnecessary war into the foreseeable future.)  Did I mention she has never written any significant legislation herself?  And she knows nothing about the law.
G求She cut spending.  Absolutely false.  She inherited a government in Wasilla with no debt and left with $3,000 debt for every person in Wasilla. She raised income and property taxes on residents, but not on property of corporations.
G求Palin approached her mayoral job as if partisan politics and the radical right reproductive politics were more important than issues related to town governance.
G求Palin tried to gut the Clean Water Act here.
G求Palin sued the Bush administration to prevent polar bears from being placed on the endangered species list.  Worse on the environment that Bush?  Pretty hard to do!
G求In her acceptance speech, Palin claimed she sold the governor's jet on EBay.  Wrong.  It didn't sell.  Eventually the state found a buyer elsewhere and sold the plane for a 600,000 loss. CNN reports that "Businessman Larry Reynolds bought the five-passenger jet for sold for $2.1 million. And Reynolds is now seeking another $50,000 from the state for unexpected maintenance issues with the aircraft."
G求Palin filed for travel reimbursement for 312 days when she was not traveling. How's that for ringing integrity back into governance?

The list will surely grow. Stay tuned.
 

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