Governor Sarah Palin has given notice that she will be resigning her office. She apparently is done with politics. She and her family are not pleased with how they have been treated by the media.

So, this was the bright future star of the Republican Party? I say good riddance, and maybe she will now go back to doing something she knows something about, like journalism or something. But, I have no doubts she will be a highly paid speaker on the circuit and that she will milk her short time in the national spotlight for all it is worth.

I think this is her first step to a run for Senator in 2010 or President in 2012. She loves the spotlight way to much to walk away, plus her being the anti-christ she needs to be in government.

she said she quit because she didnt want to be a lame duck representative. I think this is solely for her to run 2012.

Basically, what she did was shirk responsibility. It would be like President Obama saying with 1 1/2 years to go, "Well, I am not going to seek reelection to another term, and because I don't want the country to be stuck with a lame duck, I am resigning my office effective three weeks from today." That is essentially the gist of Palin's words to the press, with the difference being she runs a state rather than the entire country.

She has demonstrated with this action that she is not willing to honor the trust the voters put in her to lead the state and conduct the business of Alaska; she shows she will fold under pressure. She has no political future. But she has a lucrative future cashing in on her ability to rally voters and will be a tool of the Party in the next election cycle, most definitely. They were estimating 50-100k per speech on the national news, plus the possibility of a radio or TV gig.

Oh gods no! please stay Sarah. don't leave and abandon ship and leave your party in the hands of someone educated and intelligent.

Dearly hoping this means a run in '12..

I think this is her first step to a run for Senator in 2010 or President in 2012. She loves the spotlight way to much to walk away, plus her being the anti-christ she needs to be in government.

I agree with Rover, I think she is going to be a Senator.

I think she'd stand a good chance of winning a senate seat, especially against Begich. That fucking clown barely won against a guy who at the time had been convicted (albeit in a kangaroo court)

Dearly hoping this means a run in '12..


Oh god.. me too! Please Run Sarah.. PLEASE!!!!!


Shit.. Ill even donate to this dumb bitch's PAC

Oh god.. me too! Please Run Sarah.. PLEASE!!!!!


Shit.. Ill even donate to this dumb bitch's PAC

She is an accomplished "blamer/victim", as are most republicans, she has a way of never taking personal responsibility for anything and she actually thinks a majority of people saw the Couric interviews as "ambush journalism".

She'll run, get the party's wingnut base to vote for her and she'll lose the general election. She cannot and never will survive national attention, her whole life is like watching the Jerry Springer show with teen pregnancies, crystal meth, red necks, and every other shitty thing that comes out of tiny town America.

Her political career is dead. The talk is that federal indictments for embezzling and peculation are coming down the road real soon and that when they hit, she'll probably have to give her resignation speech in handcuffs.

CNN and other major news outlets have reported that Sarah Palin has abruptly resigned as governor of Alaska. The suddenness of her announcement raises the question about whether Palin resigned to avert a major scandal. One logical place to start looking is the affair that has Alaska political circles buzzing: an alleged scandal centered around a building contractor, Spenard Building Supplies, with close ties to Palin and her husband, Todd.

Many political observers in Alaska are fixated on rumors that federal investigators have been seizing paperwork from SBS in recent months, searching for evidence that Palin and her husband Todd steered lucrative contracts to the well-connected company in exchange for gifts like the construction of their home on pristine Lake Lucille in 2002. The home was built just two months before Palin began campaigning for governor, a job which would have provided her enhanced power to grant building contracts in the wide-open state.

SBS has close ties to the Palins. The company has not only sponsored Todd Palin's snowmobile team, according to the Village Voice's Wayne Barrett, it hired Sarah Palin to do a statewide television commercial in 2004.

Though Todd Palin told Fox News he built his Lake Lucille home with the help of a few "buddies," according to Barrett’s report, public records revealed that SBS supplied the materials for the house. While serving as mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin blocked an initiative that would have required the public filing of building permits—thus momentarily preventing the revelation of such suspicious information.

Just months before Palin left city hall to campaign for governor, she awarded a contract to SBS to help build the $13 million Wasilla Sports Complex. The most expensive building project in Wasilla history, the complex cost the city an additional $1.3 million in legal fees and threw it into severe long-term debt. For SBS, however, the bloated and bungled project was a cash cow.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-07-03/did-a-scandal-sink-the-uss-palin/
Okay, I've now been able to get independent information from multiple sources that all of this precedes what are said to be possible federal indictments against Palin, concerning an embezzlement scandal related to the building of Palin's house and the Wasilla Sports Complex built during her tenure as Mayor. Both structures, it is said, feature the "same windows, same wood, same products." Federal investigators have been looking into this for some time, and indictments could be imminent, according to the Alaska sources.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7280

She's already had to fight off 15 separate ethics charges leading one AK senator to try to outlaw public discussion of them: In accordance with a ruling by the Alaska Personnel Board, Gov. Sarah Palin has reimbursed her home state $8,100 in travel costs for nine trips taken with her family.

{snip}

Anchorage Republican Rep. Bob Lynn, a supporter of Gov. Sarah Palin's, said he's to introduce a bill to stop ethics complaints against the governor or members of her staff from being publicly discussed unless the state finds they have merit.

Whether such a bill would be deemed constitutional remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Palin claims that lawsuits resulting from such complaints have put her more than $500,000 in debt.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/06/24/sarah-palin-reimburses-alaska-for-family-trips?icid=sphere_blogsmith_inpage_poldaily

The Minnesota Governor is planning on running for president in 2012, but he hasn't quit hid governorship to run. That Palin hasn't even bothered to finish her first term as governor shows that she would be a quitter if she accidentally got elected to the White House. No. She has no future in politics of any kind. She won't be able to get elected dog catcher after this hits the fan.

Whether such a bill would be deemed constitutional remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Palin claims that lawsuits resulting from such complaints have put her more than $500,000 in debt.

Thats funny. if your half a million in debt from defending yourself over multiple ethics complaints.................

Though none of them found anything...

An important thing to know about local Alaskan politics is that they resort to suing, and ethics investigations, and any sort of litigation you can think of if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, let alone sour grapes at your political party taking a beating.

Though none of them found anything...



that's not accurate, she was found to be in violation in the trooper gate thing.

And then she wasn't and then she was, and then she wasn't... that one went back and forth. And at the end of the day, the guy she wanted fired was a moron who needed to be fired. Oh and Monegan is a douchebag.

I laughed outloud seeing her step down. Gone with the...."we are mavericks" My dad and brothers love this wench and with no idea why, they would blindly vote her into office just because they think shes "cool".

[QUOTE][they would blindly vote her into office just because they think shes "cool"./QUOTE]

I find that extremly scary.

[they would blindly vote her into office just because they think shes "cool"./QUOTE]

I find that extremly scary.

It is amazing that people are so infatuated with her, it's almost reminiscent of the way people behaved with Hitler.

I have some very right wing customers and they go absolutely crazy over her.

The FBI claims there is no active investigation of her. I'm still with my initial reaction that she is doing this to run for president in 2012. You have to remember, she became governor at a time of budget surpluses and rising oil prices which means that she really didn't have to think to do her job she just needed to spend. Alaskans loved her because she sent everyone a $2300.00 check.

Now in Alaska and pretty much every other state it takes some serious management skills to pull off a budget and it will often lead to lower approval ratings IE: Schwarzenegger currently. She is mitigating the damage of scrutiny on her management abilities (something tells me they are in line with her foreign policy credentials) and she'll be able to overcome the quitter that she is by going down the same old "The liberal media" bullshit that all republicans fall back on when they get pegged for who they really are.

It is amazing that people are so infatuated with her, it's almost reminiscent of the way people behaved with Hitler.

I have some very right wing customers and they go absolutely crazy over her.

The same could be said about Obama (or Reagan or Kennedy).

The same could be said about Obama (or Reagan or Kennedy).

No, I don't think so. Their supporters are/were able to find fault with each of those you mention. I voted for Obama, worked on his campaign and met the man but I am very bothered by his lack of action on the issues with gay Americans, his seeming support for the too big to fail banks and lack of sensible action on the foreclosure issue and if he folds on the public option for healthcare he'll pretty much lose me.

Palin supporters are almost wild eyed nut jobs who blame any of her issues on a liberal media bias. They feel she bares no responsibility for her actions, it's always someone elses fault.

Way to Godwin the argument Rover...

Honestly I was a little shocked at how far to the "right" they portrayed her when she came out as the VP nominee. When she ran for office as the Governor it was much more mellow and middle of the road/cooperation. /shrug.

Though I definitely have to think that her decision was based a lot on the attention her family got as part of all this. She was a decent Governor.

No, I don't think so. Their supporters are/were able to find fault with each of those you mention. I voted for Obama, worked on his campaign and met the man but I am very bothered by his lack of action on the issues with gay Americans, his seeming support for the too big to fail banks and lack of sensible action on the foreclosure issue and if he folds on the public option for healthcare he'll pretty much lose me.

Palin supporters are almost wild eyed nut jobs who blame any of her issues on a liberal media bias. They feel she bares no responsibility for her actions, it's always someone elses fault.

You have to understand that the overwhelming majority of voters are not as well informed as you are. While you may be making informed decisions (or at least trying), most voters in recent history are voting for PR campaigns more than candidates.

Its official.. She is running for Prez.

They just announced her campaign song.

wSzyKO_kW_s

Way to Godwin the argument Rover...

Honestly I was a little shocked at how far to the "right" they portrayed her when she came out as the VP nominee. When she ran for office as the Governor it was much more mellow and middle of the road/cooperation. /shrug.

Though I definitely have to think that her decision was based a lot on the attention her family got as part of all this. She was a decent Governor.

She was a "decent" governor when there was a large budget surplus from oil revenue. Everyone got their check and she became an excellent governor.

Her middle of the road cooperation was the product of that financial surplus, all she had to do was spend the money that was there and it made everyone happy. Now she would need to really work at it and have good management skills and she walks away because suddenly people get pissed when they are the ones getting the cuts.

She walks away and walks into a world of 30 minute speeches for $100,000.00, multi-million dollar book deals and probably a Fox news show for a few million a year. Why stay at being governor and get pounded with legal bills when you can walk away and hit the lottery.

You betcha!

Everyone got their check and she became an excellent governor.

Obama's going to pay their mortgages. He'll be even more excellent!

P36x8rTb3jI

Obama's going to pay their mortgages. He'll be even more excellent!

P36x8rTb3jI


LOL...When did Obama say he was going to pay their mortgages or for that matter when did the woman in the video say that? Only the Santelli tea party crowd are dumb enough to keep that going, so stupid as to go after those in need of mortgage relief which likely would have created a real revenue stream for the banks but one that was over the long term. Why go long term when you can just suck the money right out of the system and have guys like you think it's capitalism.

Why go long term when you can just suck the money right out of the system and have guys like you think it's capitalism.

When you write things like that, I always wonder if you're just unable to read what I post here or if you're purposely trying to mischaracterize in order to create a strawman to argue against.

Obama's going to pay their mortgages. He'll be even more excellent!


That made me think of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, damn you.

When you write things like that, I always wonder if you're just unable to read what I post here or if you're purposely trying to mischaracterize in order to create a strawman to argue against.

You mean like the strawman you posted?

No, not really. I didn't make that video up from thin air, unlike your non sequitur mischaracterization of my stance.

No, not really. I didn't make that video up from thin air, unlike your non sequitur mischaracterization of my stance.

You know, I keep listening to that video and I don't hear anyone say "Obama is going to pay my mortgage" or anything that can be construed as that. But hey...think what you want...vote for her...you'll be less cranky.

Any how...


Uvj-Xr0irhE

But hey...think what you want...vote for her...you'll be less cranky.

Are you trying to channel a left-wing version of Osg today?

Are you trying to channel a left-wing version of Osg today?


LOL...I dunno...maybe I'm raggy today....not happy to see holiday done.

Palin said there is a difference between the White House and what she has experienced in Alaska. If she were in the White House the "department of law" would protect her from baseless ethical allegations.


"I think on a national level your department of law there in the White House would look at some of the things that we've been charged with and automatically throw them out," she said.

LOL...Is anyone familiar with "The Department of Law"?

Probably just the voices in her head.

kill...kill...kill...

LOL...Is anyone familiar with "The Department of Law"?


And yet, there would be too many who would defend her for saying it, and proceed to spin 'what she meant to say' so it would all be fine and dandy and reinforce the far right base beliefs.

She and Michelle Bachman should team up for the D.C. village idiot position; they could tag team it. :D

Bible Barbie says, "Legislation is hard."

That made me think of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, damn you.

Be excellent to each other!:D

Wow- four pages devoted to Sarah Palin.

Surely there is something more worthy to talk about?

It also shows just how unstable things would have been if McCain had been elected last November. We would have been a heartbeat away from The Quitter.

Not to mention Mcain him self was a heart beat away from the grave...old timer! Not a good situation.

She will pop up in 2012 after laying low. Or sooner. It all depends on if Obama realizes he is fucked sooner rather than later and how well he can maneuver his way out of it . Rover touched on some things earlier which stand a good chance of sinking him. The Gay Rights issue,well that should not be considered a deal breaker/show stopper etc. If that got back burner-ed in favor of broader initiatives to benefit the whole nation then so be it. Now if the broader initiatives get back burner-ed as well, such as Universal Heath care, otherwise known as "Oh Shit how are we going to pay for that in addition to all these stimulus packages and increases in education", then Obama is done. Especially if he caves on Gay rights first, and in particular concerning "Don't ask, don't tell". Its the same as remaining neutral on Iran. If you open one door, even for the right reasons, how many other doors are going to close as a result that you needed to stay open just a bit longer? Better to just leave all the doors as they are, or at least not close them so far as to not get a foot in. Obama is like any other President. He has plans that require more than 4 years and he wants to get re-elected which means he needs things funded in order to demonstrate that he was able to achieve something other than dig us deeper into the hole.

There is of course one way to pay for a large chunk of it, and that is to drastically cut defense spending, shrink the military, close overseas bases, slash programs etc. Oh and if you tell the military commanders, a very conservative bunch who tend to vote Republican, that in addition to opening their arms to gays that their funds and manning are also being slashed, projects canked, the list goes on while still operating in two theaters, what do you think their reaction would be? Its that or raise taxes during a recession and again, what would the reaction to THAT be? People would probably say, "At least Bush gave us money during hard times!" Which flavor of political suicide would you prefer?

I kind of doubt he can pull it off but only time will tell. If he can't then whatever Sarah has done will be forgotten, forgiven or drowned out in the anti-Obama rhetoric.

It's times like these that I wish Romney had been the nominee, but oh God no! not a Mormon! /sigh Honestly I think she's done for good. All the hate and vitriol not just aimed at her, but her family too. I'd prolly say fuck it too. Though now that her replacement has nominated his replacement at Lt. Gov there is no way I'd ever vote her into office. However due to military regs I can't go into details about why I do/don't like a 2/3 Star General in a public forum so meh.

She will pop up in 2012 after laying low. Or sooner. It all depends on if Obama realizes he is fucked sooner rather than later and how well he can maneuver his way out of it . Rover touched on some things earlier which stand a good chance of sinking him. The Gay Rights issue,well that should not be considered a deal breaker/show stopper etc. If that got back burner-ed in favor of broader initiatives to benefit the whole nation then so be it. Now if the broader initiatives get back burner-ed as well, such as Universal Heath care, otherwise known as "Oh Shit how are we going to pay for that in addition to all these stimulus packages and increases in education", then Obama is done. Especially if he caves on Gay rights first, and in particular concerning "Don't ask, don't tell". Its the same as remaining neutral on Iran. If you open one door, even for the right reasons, how many other doors are going to close as a result that you needed to stay open just a bit longer? Better to just leave all the doors as they are, or at least not close them so far as to not get a foot in. Obama is like any other President. He has plans that require more than 4 years and he wants to get re-elected which means he needs things funded in order to demonstrate that he was able to achieve something other than dig us deeper into the hole.

There is of course one way to pay for a large chunk of it, and that is to drastically cut defense spending, shrink the military, close overseas bases, slash programs etc. Oh and if you tell the military commanders, a very conservative bunch who tend to vote Republican, that in addition to opening their arms to gays that their funds and manning are also being slashed, projects canked, the list goes on while still operating in two theaters, what do you think their reaction would be? Its that or raise taxes during a recession and again, what would the reaction to THAT be? People would probably say, "At least Bush gave us money during hard times!" Which flavor of political suicide would you prefer?

I kind of doubt he can pull it off but only time will tell. If he can't then whatever Sarah has done will be forgotten, forgiven or drowned out in the anti-Obama rhetoric.

The thing about the don't ask don't tell that pisses me off besides him saying he would get rid of it is, it would take all of 1 day to correct. He is not to damn busy to get rid of it. How about this, cancel one damn date night and give some equal rights to Americans.

He could do it in one day. Sure. Saying you will do it and even signing the legislation is easy. Implementing the act is quite another. For one, it would take years to navigate past all the red tap. Just granting BAH rights and death benefits alone to someone's partner would cause a huge stink. Two, if he gets it passed WITHOUT the good graces of the military top brass, it would be the right thing to do, at the cost of a second term. Then it has to stick. Many Gay Rights things later got overturned. As much as I hate to say it, Granting Gay rights would be a huge rallying cry for the Republicans, backed by the more conservative church groups and even the military itself etc. That is if some nutjob didn't blow him away first. Obama didn't win in a landslide. It was still near a 50/50 split. It doesn't take much to tip the balance in any parties particular favor. Republicans would take back the White House in 2012 and probably Congress sometime before or after and then get busy over turning everything. Its doubtful Obama wants to go down in history as being the first Black president and nothing more, with the caveat being "The first black President who achieved absolutely nothing".

The pressure is on. He has to make as many people happy as he can. As much as it sucks to say, the Gay Rights issue is still serving a minority and if Obama makes that his focus, he is going to politically ruin himself if he doesn't have the military buttered up first. Its their policy. The MILITARY, and not Obama has to decide when its time to do away with "Don't ask, don't tell". That doesn't even take into account church groups and other social conservative interests who are NOT on board and vote for the other party. Gay rights is thorny enough of and issue where it should almost be non-partisan and thus BOTH parties have to be in agreement as one government before it goes anywhere. That is going to take time. I would have to say that might even be up to a Republican to do away with so not anytime in the next 4-8 years. In a democracy, the Majority still rules and in Washington the only things that happen quickly are saying the word "no" and political ostracism. The rest takes literally YEARS. Heck it takes 6-8 months just to fill a parts order here at the embassy in China and that doesn't even effect national policy unless a bucket of wirenuts, box of alarm IR sensors and rolls of electrical tape are that important to the national interest.

Don't get me wrong. I am all about the US taking a leadership role in promoting equality. We are very hypocritical when we go after other nations human rights abuses when we ourselves still live in a world of Orwell's "Animal Farm". Everyone is equal but some are more equal than others, right? Well, the wheels of change turn slowly. 50 years ago just having a black man get elected to the Presidency would be social taboo. Obama getting elected was not revolutionary but evolutionary. Thus solving the Gay Rights issue should not fall squarely on his shoulders. Even if he said he would address it.

He could do it in one day. Sure. Saying you will do it and even signing the legislation is easy. Implementing the act is quite another. For one, it would take years to navigate past all the red tap. Just granting BAH rights and death benefits alone to someone's partner would cause a huge stink. Two, if he gets it passed WITHOUT the good graces of the military top brass, it would be the right thing to do, at the cost of a second term. Then it has to stick. Many Gay Rights things later got overturned. As much as I hate to say it, Granting Gay rights would be a huge rallying cry for the Republicans, backed by the more conservative church groups and even the military itself etc. That is if some nutjob didn't blow him away first. Obama didn't win in a landslide. It was still near a 50/50 split. It doesn't take much to tip the balance in any parties particular favor. Republicans would take back the White House in 2012 and probably Congress sometime before or after and then get busy over turning everything. Its doubtful Obama wants to go down in history as being the first Black president and nothing more, with the caveat being "The first black President who achieved absolutely nothing".

The pressure is on. He has to make as many people happy as he can. As much as it sucks to say, the Gay Rights issue is still serving a minority and if Obama makes that his focus, he is going to politically ruin himself if he doesn't have the military buttered up first. Its their policy. The MILITARY, and not Obama has to decide when its time to do away with "Don't ask, don't tell". That doesn't even take into account church groups and other social conservative interests who are NOT on board and vote for the other party. Gay rights is thorny enough of and issue where it should almost be non-partisan and thus BOTH parties have to be in agreement as one government before it goes anywhere. That is going to take time. I would have to say that might even be up to a Republican to do away with so not anytime in the next 4-8 years. In a democracy, the Majority still rules and in Washington the only things that happen quickly are saying the word "no" and political ostracism. The rest takes literally YEARS. Heck it takes 6-8 months just to fill a parts order here at the embassy in China and that doesn't even effect national policy unless a bucket of wirenuts, box of alarm IR sensors and rolls of electrical tape are that important to the national interest.

Don't get me wrong. I am all about the US taking a leadership role in promoting equality. We are very hypocritical when we go after other nations human rights abuses when we ourselves still live in a world of Orwell's "Animal Farm". Everyone is equal but some are more equal than others, right? Well, the wheels of change turn slowly. 50 years ago just having a black man get elected to the Presidency would be social taboo. Obama getting elected was not revolutionary but evolutionary. Thus solving the Gay Rights issue should not fall squarely on his shoulders. Even if he said he would address it.

Wrong. He is the commander and chief. He sets military policy. I don't care if it takes a good long while to let them warm up to the idea of benifits and what not. What I want is good members to stop being kicked out and losing all the benifits they are owed just because it some how gets out they are gay.

Hell even the church gives pensions to its molesting priests. Yet we give people that served the boot because of some prejudice? No.

There was a time...not really so long ago when there was a similar debate about whether or not blacks could serve as equals in the military. It was said that placing light greens and dark greens together would destroy morale. There are still people who are against it today. There will never be 100% acceptance from everyone.

Bottom line is ones sexual preference has nothing to do with job performance in or out of uniform.

My only issue with gays in the military is this; more fucking relationship drama. Seriously it's bad enough hearing about Joe dating Jill, but getting caught fucking Jane while on deployment, now I have to worry about hearing Joe fucking Bob, Bill and Jim? WTF!?

On a more serious note, I've run into a few people while they did not out themselves directly, I'd bet a good portion of my paycheck they were gay. And with the exception of one guy, I've wanted to beat the shit out of the homosexual men I've run into in the Army. Not because they like playing swords, but because they were fucking assholes. It was all about their big secret that nobody could know, that we all already knew. And largely nobody gave a shit. But ssssshhhh! they're gay and we can't talk about that!

As for the homosexual women, the only problem I've ever run into was when I started hitting on one of their girlfriends kinda hard, and in that case she even still pulled me aside discreetly and let me know what was up. I've worked with (and mean actually with not just "oh hey there's some lesbo with short hair") probably half a dozen. And every time they were just there to do their job and serve their country.

The point of this post? I really dunno, just my observations from the Enlisted man's angle. But I think I'm with ROver on this one, we need a lot more heavy study of the lesbian population...


Oh and back on topic: For the Sarah Haters... Suck it! ( a little anyways, she's not completely retarded)
http://www.law.state.ak.us/

Wrong. He is the commander and chief. He sets military policy. I don't care if it takes a good long while to let them warm up to the idea of benifits and what not. What I want is good members to stop being kicked out and losing all the benifits they are owed just because it some how gets out they are gay.

Hell even the church gives pensions to its molesting priests. Yet we give people that served the boot because of some prejudice? No.

Look. I am in the military. I have encountered some people who were blatantly gay. I have never had a problem with them as long as they minded their business and did their jobs. In general they were good people. Some of the butchier females did come off like they had bigger balls then most men and did make them somewhat hard to deal with. How people gets themselves off or who they choose to spend their intimate time with when its THEIR time is no concern of mine. I am looking purely at the politics of it and not my stance which is indifferent to ranging in favor of abolishing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The President can make it happen. There is no doubt of that. There is of course a big uphill battle and the fact that if he did it his first term, he stands a good chance of not getting a second. Military members still have the right to vote and there just doesn't seem to be a landslide of support for it in the military command structure.

Typically a good time to change the culture of the military is when we are not fighting a war as its best to just stay focused on the task at hand. Lots of things are always wrong with the military at any given time, but when there is a war on its easy to back burner or sweep them all under the rug. Also, the UCMJ article 125 is one of the biggest tools used to make homosexuality a criminal act. It basically states if uglies are bumping, they have to be bumping in the natural order of things. Typically this just leads to an other than honorable discharge and nothing more. It also makes it difficult to fiegn being gay to get out of serving. There has to be investigated proof that an event of "unnatural carnal copulation" has occured, thus violating Article 125 and THAT is how you lose your bennys. You forget about the military double jeopardy of being bound to both civil and military code.

So this notion that its just a Jedi-esque stroke of the pen and suddenly all the wrongs are right is unreasonable. What is reasonable is Obama can do it, but he has to get re-elected first. There is right and wrong. In the middle is politics.

And yes, its amazing how a talk about Sarah can lead to this, but what it comes down to is the issues. The Republicans are chomping at the bit for something to go haywire in the Obama camp so they can find some foundation for themselves. For Obama all that takes is to piss off the right people or ignore the wrong people, even if he is doing something any rational and logical person would consider to be the right thing. Really all Sarah did wrong was to be somewhat of a dimwit, have a sorta funny accent and she got stuck with the bad press of her daughter getting knocked up while still in high school. Her physical attributes make up for it, but that's not how you elect a President. Well, I would hope most would not vote for her just because she is a piece of ass. Still it would not be hugely unreasonable to see her resurface on the political scene without a big backlash, especially if Obama is tanking. She already has the face time with the American people at this point so it might not be too much of a leap to say all is forgiven or at least understood. It worked for the Clintons!

And yes, its amazing how a talk about Sarah can lead to this, but what it comes down to is the issues. The Republicans are chomping at the bit for something to go haywire in the Obama camp so they can find some foundation for themselves. For Obama all that takes is to piss off the right people or ignore the wrong people, even if he is doing something any rational and logical person would consider to be the right thing. Really all Sarah did wrong was to be somewhat of a dimwit, have a sorta funny accent and she got stuck with the bad press of her daughter getting knocked up while still in high school. Her physical attributes make up for it, but that's not how you elect a President. Well, I would hope most would not vote for her just because she is a piece of ass. Still it would not be hugely unreasonable to see her resurface on the political scene without a big backlash, especially if Obama is tanking. She already has the face time with the American people at this point so it might not be too much of a leap to say all is forgiven or at least understood. It worked for the Clintons!

Somewhat? She's a certifiable idiot. It blows my mind that 70% of Republicans still would vote for her for President. I will never understand why it's culturally acceptable to some for people to be stupid/undereducated (yes I know she has a 'degree,' obviously she has trouble applying gained knowledge). I will never understand even more why it's acceptable to some for said idiots to be elected officials. The people running our country "should" be the best of the best. They should at least have a working understanding of government to take part in the process. It's obvious through interviews/speeches that Palin has given that she doesn't even have a high school government class level of understanding of the workings of our Federal government. How could it ever be a good idea to have someone that doesn't have a clue run our country?

I've never heard anyone bad mouth her because of her accent. If that were the case, Jimmy Carter would have never been elected. As far as her daughter's concerned, it's not so much that her daughter was a pregnant unwed mother as much as it was Sarah's stance on abstinence only teaching that produced such a large issue. She still pressed on about abstinence only being the proper educational tool even though it obviously didn't work in her own home. It was the hypocrisy of her stance that caused her issue.

Osg was going to vote for her just because she has a nice rack.

That and she is a republican.

For many that is all the pre-requisites required. Heck the rack part is a bonus. There is nothing mentioned about having to be smart, weave a sentance together etc. Most voters don't give a rats ass or are completely ignorant themselves. You are a computer guy. Well, this is a case of garbage in. Garbage out.

Besides Tal, she was running for Veep. That is a job that almost has become the place for the bumbling sidekick. The pet stooge. Yes, last administration we had a stooge for a President with the veep pulling the strings, but most of them seem to be encouragement for the President to be healthy and not get shot. PLEASE.....don't allow this person to become president! That sort of thing. Would you want Joe Biden running the country?

I wonder for all the people who bad mouth her too, how many of you have sat down and talked with her? I mean without the cameras and teleprompters? Not a fucking one of you. People are (generally) very different when you meet them in person. Gov. Palin is one of them most of us in my old National Guard unit got a chance to sit down and talk with her for awhile when she came to visit us and she was pretty down to Earth. Not all crazy backwoods and retarded like the media likes to portray her.

I'm still waiting for her to demonstrate a basic understanding of the First Amendment, after she has twice gotten it wrong. (Private citizens cannot violate it because the First Amendment is a limitation on government!)

I've met tons of down to earth people that I wouldn't want to run the country though. I have never said she's not a nice person. Hell, I would have loved to have a beer with George W. Bush. He seemed like a great guy too, but he also seemed like an incompetent President to me as well. I don't want a President that I'd be embarrassed to have to talk to foreign dignitaries. How can a person that doesn't understand how our government works sit across the table from a dignitary without making a fool of him/herself (and our country) when he/she isn't in the know about what's going on here first?

As far as her for veep? Well, now people are discussing her running for President in 2012, so her being a veep is no longer what I am even concerned about Lummus. I am not faulting Republicans for voting for Republicans, though I've never voted a straight ticket in my life. I am not lumping all Republicans with her specifically. I would think though that the Republican party would rather hang their hat on someone who doesn't seem so clueless every time she discusses the Federal government.

I wonder for all the people who bad mouth her too, how many of you have sat down and talked with her? I mean without the cameras and teleprompters? Not a fucking one of you. People are (generally) very different when you meet them in person. Gov. Palin is one of them most of us in my old National Guard unit got a chance to sit down and talk with her for awhile when she came to visit us and she was pretty down to Earth. Not all crazy backwoods and retarded like the media likes to portray her.

All I can say is good for you. Well, all I got to see was an attractive woman act like a dimwit on television ( geee never seen that before!) and then the press smear her for being a big champion of family values and abstinence while her own family negated that position. For most, voters have to take these canidates at face value as an abstraction and if they bother, do the research to make an informed decision on issues.There are 306 million of us in our great nation we call home. Even if she was some powerhouse and interacted with 6 million people face to face, as in every man woman and child in a city the size of Chicago, a feat alone that would probably earn my vote, thats 300 million who had to rely on Chicken Noodle News and saw stuff that almost rates as /facepalm.

She is probably a nice person. But you know what? They are politicians! Glad-handers kissing babies telling lies with a big smile on the face.Its their job to try and build a connection with the voters. Anyway, sorry dude. I think that is more a case of you tooting your own horn than presenting some kind of compelling case for Sarah Palin.

And Tal, they can always hitch their wagon to Rush!

I wonder for all the people who bad mouth her too, how many of you have sat down and talked with her? I mean without the cameras and teleprompters? Not a fucking one of you. People are (generally) very different when you meet them in person. Gov. Palin is one of them most of us in my old National Guard unit got a chance to sit down and talk with her for awhile when she came to visit us and she was pretty down to Earth. Not all crazy backwoods and retarded like the media likes to portray her.

While I never met him, I know three individuals who directly interacted with GWB, who by all accounts was an affable, pretty down to earth, warm guy with a good sense of humor. He was also a criminally inept and corrupt president. These are not mutually exclusive, and :


There are 306 million of us in our great nation we call home. Even if she was some powerhouse and interacted with 6 million people face to face, as in every man woman and child in a city the size of Chicago, a feat alone that would probably earn my vote, thats 300 million who had to rely on Chicken Noodle News and saw stuff that almost rates as /facepalm.


Palin got some of the most soft-ball interviews out there and still couldn't answer basic questions, or provided answers (like Palarran's first amendment note, in which she was unequivocally, factually WRONG in a disturbing way) that belied a grievous misunderstanding of how government works and the basics of constitutional law (and geography).

Maybe she's brilliant at some field, but it clearly wasn't any that intersected governance in any way.

A large number of people were also turned off by how cynical and insidious her nomination was, being it was not based on competence at all, but in a hope of who she would "play to" by identity alone. People may get tricked by this crap a lot, but they really hate it when they notice.

True enough Malse. I think in the end McCain was trying to get that 20% of the Far right by having her play up to the Jesus-Gun loving sector, and then alienated the open-minded centrist part of the party.

The Sarah Palin we saw as the Veep nominee was a radically different from the Sarah Palin we saw as a governor. Which is why so much of her seemed fake and off kilter during the presidential race. IMHO anyways. If McCain had picked Romney we'd have a different president right now I think.

If McCain picked Romney it would have been a sign of a lot of things, mostly that it wasn't Bush's people pulling the strings. McCain willingly played the role of Bush in that campaign, bringing along an unqualified candidate for VP didn't help him any.

My buddy got to fly on Romney's plane during the primaries as a member of the press and couldn't rave enough about him. But the "christian majority" wouldn't let him lead, either.

We saw a very different McCain as well. I also believe we'd have a very different president if someone other than Palin had been selected, or McCain had conducted himself the way he did at the end of the race. I would be very curious to know why certain decisions were made, and who made them within the Republican party.

The only comment I can make regarding Palin as Governor compared to a potential Veep is that she made the same stupid comment regarding her job as Governor, that .....' these ethics charges are tying up the Law Department when it has better things to be doing.' She already made it clear she thinks the federal government has a "Department of Law", but she apparently thinks her own state government has one. And she is supposed to be in charge?!?


Now Michael Palin, I would feel much safer with as a leader.

He's a brit though, they suck at leadership!

Tell us how you REALLY feel Peggy Noonan

A Farewell to Harms
Palin was bad for the Republicans—and the republic.

By PEGGY NOONAN

Sarah Palin's resignation gives Republicans a new opportunity to see her plain—to review the bidding, see her strengths, acknowledge her limits, and let go of her drama. It is an opportunity they should take. They mean to rebuild a great party. They need to do it on solid ground.

Her history does not need to be rehearsed at any length. Ten months ago she was embraced with friendliness by her party. The left and the media immediately overplayed their hand, with attacks on her children. The party rallied round, as a party should. She went on the trail a sensation but demonstrated in the ensuing months that she was not ready to go national and in fact never would be. She was hungry, loved politics, had charm and energy, loved walking onto the stage, waving and doing the stump speech. All good. But she was not thoughtful. She was a gifted retail politician who displayed the disadvantages of being born into a point of view (in her case a form of conservatism; elsewhere and in other circumstances, it could have been a form of liberalism) and swallowing it whole: She never learned how the other sides think, or why.

In television interviews she was out of her depth in a shallow pool. She was limited in her ability to explain and defend her positions, and sometimes in knowing them. She couldn't say what she read because she didn't read anything. She was utterly unconcerned by all this and seemed in fact rather proud of it: It was evidence of her authenticity. She experienced criticism as both partisan and cruel because she could see no truth in any of it. She wasn't thoughtful enough to know she wasn't thoughtful enough. Her presentation up to the end has been scattered, illogical, manipulative and self-referential to the point of self-reverence. "I'm not wired that way," "I'm not a quitter," "I'm standing up for our values." I'm, I'm, I'm.

In another age it might not have been terrible, but here and now it was actually rather horrifying.

McCain-Palin lost. Mrs. Palin has now stepped down, but she continues to poll high among some members of the Republican base, some of whom have taken to telling themselves Palin myths.
More Peggy Noonan

To wit, "I love her because she's so working-class." This is a favorite of some party intellectuals. She is not working class, never was, and even she, avid claimer of advantage that she is, never claimed to be and just lets others say it. Her father was a teacher and school track coach, her mother the school secretary. They were middle-class figures of respect, stability and local status. I think intellectuals call her working-class because they see the makeup, the hair, the heels and the sleds and think they're working class "tropes." Because, you know, that's what they teach in "Ways of the Working Class" at Yale and Dartmouth.

What she is, is a seemingly very nice middle-class girl with ambition, appetite and no sense of personal limits.

"She's not Ivy League, that's why her rise has been thwarted! She represented the democratic ideal that you don't have to go to Harvard or Brown to prosper, and her fall represents a failure of egalitarianism." This comes from intellectuals too. They need to be told something. Ronald Reagan went to Eureka College. Richard Nixon went to Whittier College, Joe Biden to the University of Delaware. Sarah Palin graduated in the end from the University of Idaho, a school that happily notes on its Web site that it's included in U.S. News & World Report's top national schools survey. They need to be told, too, that the first Republican president was named "Abe," and he went to Princeton and got a Fulbright. Oh wait, he was an impoverished backwoods autodidact!

America doesn't need Sarah Palin to prove it was, and is, a nation of unprecedented fluidity. Her rise and seeming fall do nothing to prove or refute this.

"The elites hate her." The elites made her. It was the elites of the party, the McCain campaign and the conservative media that picked her and pushed her. The base barely knew who she was. It was the elites, from party operatives to public intellectuals, who advanced her and attacked those who said she lacked heft. She is a complete elite confection. She might as well have been a bonbon.

"She makes the Republican Party look inclusive." She makes the party look stupid, a party of the easily manipulated.

"She shows our ingenuous interest in all classes." She shows your cynicism.

"Now she can prepare herself for higher office by studying up, reading in, boning up on the issues." Mrs. Palin's supporters have been ordering her to spend the next two years reflecting and pondering. But she is a ponder-free zone. She can memorize the names of the presidents of Pakistan, but she is not going to be able to know how to think about Pakistan. Why do her supporters not see this? Maybe they think "not thoughtful" is a working-class trope!

"The media did her in." Her lack of any appropriate modesty did her in. Actually, it's arguable that membership in the self-esteem generation harmed her. For 30 years the self-esteem movement told the young they're perfect in every way. It's yielding something new in history: an entire generation with no proper sense of inadequacy.

"Turning to others means the media won!" No, it means they lose. What the mainstream media wants is not to kill her but to keep her story going forever. She hurts, as they say, the Republican brand, with her mess and her rhetorical jabberwocky and her careless causing of division. Really, she is the most careless sower of discord since George W. Bush, who fractured the party and the movement that made him. Why wouldn't the media want to keep that going?

Here's why all this matters. The world is a dangerous place. It has never been more so, or more complicated, more straining of the reasoning powers of those with actual genius and true judgment. This is a time for conservative leaders who know how to think.

Here are a few examples of what we may face in the next 10 years: a profound and prolonged American crash, with the admission of bankruptcy and the spread of deep social unrest; one or more American cities getting hit with weapons of mass destruction from an unknown source; faint glimmers of actual secessionist movements as Americans for various reasons and in various areas decide the burdens and assumptions of the federal government are no longer attractive or legitimate.

The era we face, that is soon upon us, will require a great deal from our leaders. They had better be sturdy. They will have to be gifted. There will be many who cannot, and should not, make the cut. Now is the time to look for those who can. And so the Republican Party should get serious, as serious as the age, because that is what a grown-up, responsible party—a party that deserves to lead—would do.

It's not a time to be frivolous, or to feel the temptation of resentment, or the temptation of thinking next year will be more or less like last year, and the assumptions of our childhoods will more or less reign in our future. It won't be that way.

We are going to need the best.

Damn!

She did a fantastic job of summing up exactly why Sarah Palin has no business being considered for any serious leadership position. If only we could have the truths she espouses acknowledged by the leaders of the GOP and the varied conservative groups, perhaps some serious searching for some truly viable candidates might begin. One can only hope.

"The elites hate her." The elites made her. It was the elites of the party, the McCain campaign and the conservative media that picked her and pushed her. The base barely knew who she was. It was the elites, from party operatives to public intellectuals, who advanced her and attacked those who said she lacked heft. She is a complete elite confection. She might as well have been a bonbon.

"She makes the Republican Party look inclusive." She makes the party look stupid, a party of the easily manipulated.

"She shows our ingenuous interest in all classes." She shows your cynicism.

"Now she can prepare herself for higher office by studying up, reading in, boning up on the issues." Mrs. Palin's supporters have been ordering her to spend the next two years reflecting and pondering. But she is a ponder-free zone. She can memorize the names of the presidents of Pakistan, but she is not going to be able to know how to think about Pakistan. Why do her supporters not see this? Maybe they think "not thoughtful" is a working-class trope!

"The media did her in." Her lack of any appropriate modesty did her in. Actually, it's arguable that membership in the self-esteem generation harmed her. For 30 years the self-esteem movement told the young they're perfect in every way. It's yielding something new in history: an entire generation with no proper sense of inadequacy.

A special session of the state legislature to appoint a replacement lieutenant governor will cost the taxpayers of AK about $200k. "What's right for the people of Alaska" is for Palin to shaft them and stick them with the bill for her quitting.

She used to be chair of the Oil and Gas Commission until 2004 when she quit in a huff (http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/5222/ssp-daily-digest-76) to eventually run for AK governor in 2006.

She quit 4 colleges in her quest to get a degree in journalism.

Moral of the story: Palin believes that quitters always win.

f_IuhYsauyg

A special session of the state legislature to appoint a replacement lieutenant governor will cost the taxpayers of AK about $200k.
Do you have a link to this?

I'm having a discussion with someone else on a different forum, and this would be a very interesting talking point.

And now she takes on the GOP which in her mind is controlled by libruls!
In an interview with the Washington Times, Palin makes her most direct comments yet about Conservativism versus the Republican Party. In my humble opinion, it’s clear the GOP, unfortunately, is lost beyond the point of return.

{snip}

Enter now Sarah Palin with very encouraging comments that lead one to believe that she is indeed planning to do what she must: build an independent conservative movement and take this nation back from the liberals which now control both parties.Thanks liberals, for provoking Sarah into the national scene while vetting that family at the same time.
http://www.sarahpac.com/news/news51.aspx
http://tammybruce.com/2009/07/palin-hints-at-independent-conservative-movement.html

Saying that you're going to be starting an independant political party is a guaranteed way to kill off any support from the party you currently claim to be a member of.

That and Smidget i believe the next Lt. Gov has already been chosen. Craig Campbell (the Adjutant General for the AK National Guard) will be taking the position

Saying that you're going to be starting an independant political party is a guaranteed way to kill off any support from the party you currently claim to be a member of.


I think it has to do with the color scheme of politics.

Red = Republican/Conservative, and red also = aggressive, danger, hot, eye-grabbing, etc.

Blue = Democrat/Liberal, and also blue = soothing, calm, cool, refreshing, etc.

Sarah is going to be mavericky and start another party with purple, being a blend of the best of the other two.

Purple = Consiberaltive! :D

Do you have a link to this?

I'm having a discussion with someone else on a different forum, and this would be a very interesting talking point.
The regular session of their legislature won't reconvene until January. Their legislature meets for 120 days/year. From several years ago: The expense of the extended and special session will not be known for another week or so, but Legislative Affairs Executive Director Pamela Varni said a special session can cost the state as much as $25,000 a day.

Varni said the daily amount increases vastly when lawyers and other special witnesses are called to testify at committee hearings.

The Legislature's failure to come to an agreement on the future of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska prompted Gov. Tony Knowles to call a special session beginning June 24. In addition to a two-day extension of the regular session last week, this will be the third special session called during the 22nd Legislature, which includes the 2001 and 2002 meetings.

Varni said the Legislature set aside $200,000 to cover special sessions.
"A lot of years they've never had the money budgeted," she said.
When money is not set aside for special sessions, the Legislature dips into the state's general fund to cover the cost. Varni said any unused portion of the $200,000 will be sent back to the general fund.

Holding a special session immediately after the regular session saves the state about $50,000 in transportation costs and daily allowances, she said.

Most lawmakers are given daily expenses of $174 to cover food and housing. Juneau delegates receive 75 percent of that amount because they have homes in the capital city.http://alaskalegislature.com/stories/052202/sessioncash.shtml
The attorney general, who is appointed by Palin, claims that she has the full authority to appoint the replacement Lt Gov. Others disagree, plus, the first choice for replacing the Lt Gov turned it down.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/070909/sta_461487386.shtml
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/jul/11/alaska-legislators-lean-toward-special-session-lie/
http://www.themudflats.net/2009/07/09/legislative-session-required-to-confirm-new-alaska-lt-governor-isnt-that-special/
http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/858494.html
Legislators are reimburses a perdiem for lodging and meal expenses during a session.

{snip}

During the special sessions, the 57 legislators whose place of residence is not Juneau were reimbursed $218/day.

{snip}

Legislature convened for 121 days in regular session, 30 days in the second special session, 30 days in the third special session, and 7 days in the fourth special session.
http://www.state.ak.us/admin/dop/socc/docs/bkgrnd_socc26.pdf
During the first special session, legislators whose place of permanent residence is not Anchorage were reimbursed $278 per day.

{snip}

Legislature convened for 121 days in regular session, 1 day in the first special session, and 30 days in the second special session
http://www.state.ak.us/admin/dop/socc/docs/bkgrnd_socc27.pdf

The 2008 version of this report is not online at this time, at least that I could find.
Lawmakers agreed to call a special session at the end of this month to deal with cash assistance for low-income seniors.

"I think it's unfortunate we even have to go back at all at this point. Definitely the cost, twice as much money to spend in Anchorage as a cost to go down in Juneau, I think that's an important aspect. I think we should have gotten the job done in the 120 days allotted, " said Representative Scott Kawasaki of Fairbanks.

House Speaker John Harris said that a session in Anchorage could be accomplished in just one or two days and at minimal expense.

The Legislative affairs agency said that a special session in Juneau would cost $125,000 and nearly $300,000 if it is held in Anchorage.

http://www.aksuperstation.com/news/local/7854332.html

Legislator pay in 2008 in AK:
http://juneauempire.com/legislature/legpay/legpay_2008.shtml

Table 2 on page 7 has the list of sessions for the past few years:
http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/ADMIN/dop/socc/docs/bkgrnd_socc24.pdf

And now she takes on the GOP which in her mind is controlled by libruls!

http://www.sarahpac.com/news/news51.aspx
http://tammybruce.com/2009/07/palin-hints-at-independent-conservative-movement.html

Saying that you're going to be starting an independant political party is a guaranteed way to kill off any support from the party you currently claim to be a member of.Holy crap, those are scary links. The comment section alone might give me nightmares.

Holy crap, those are scary links. The comment section alone might give me nightmares.


I read one of the comments where the writer (mrcarter I think) was thankful for the guidance of Levin, Beck, Malkin, Bachman, Coulter and Newt. That is truly some scary thinking. None of these have contributed anything toward building up the Conservative base but instead spend all their time seeking to tear down anyone not willing to worship at their feet.

Newt (along with Henry Hyde) spearheaded the special investigation of President Clinton to the tune of over $1 million tax payer dollars, only to be found out as being guilty of the same thing they learned at the end of the investigation.

Coulter likes to spend her time bashing gays and talking about the moral decline they have brought to the country, but then is found to enjoy having dinner and socializing in gay restaurants while in California and going into seclusion for months following the publishing of photos.

Bachman rails against the elitists destroying the country, but as she was winning reelection she was also closing on a new home that took her from a modest approx $400k home to one around $1.3 million in the trendy area of 3-8 acre lots, near the golf course. She also likes to write columns for the local papers throwing out figures for spending and unemployment without any references being cited, and is usually getting almost immediate response editorials that do cite the references making her look a complete fool.

And the rest have just as much credibility. Which is why the Independent Party keeps growing as the Republican shrinks.

And no, I do not think the Democrats (liberals) are really any better.

Newt (along with Henry Hyde) spearheaded the special investigation of President Clinton to the tune of over $1 million tax payer dollars, only to be found out as being guilty of the same thing they learned at the end of the investigation.

Perjury?

Perjury?

Yes, you can still be cutesy, San.

But what the investigation ended up discovering was that President Clinton had been unfaithful to his wife, as had Hyde and Gingrich to their own.

His actions regarding that discovery are a separate issue, and have nothing to do with the special investigation squandering in excess of $1 million chasing any possible shred of a scandal.

Holy crap, those are scary links. The comment section alone might give me nightmares. I don't see them as "scary" or nightmare causing. Those sort of comments are fully in character with "the base."

If you want a tamer place to monitor what sort of bizaare things the right wing noise machine is pushing, then you should read Orcinus (http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/) from time to time. The author, David Neiwert, is a journalist who used to monitor the the Klan, militia and white supremicist movements. One important essay he wrote is called Rush, Newspeak and Fascism: An Exegesis (http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/Rush%20Newspeak%20%20Fascism.pdf) (87 page pdf).

What started as "fringe" among the right wing has become mainstream - mainly due to the efforts of the radio and tv personalities. Limbaugh, Coulter, Malkin, Savage, and O'Reilly among others have numbed the right wing to the ideas and consequences of the fringe, until eliminationism has become the norm.
I also think Gov. Palin wouldn’t and won’t meet with us, or most any other media outlet that doesn’t express adulation over her, because she wants to preserve her “media victim” image as much as possible.

To regularly interact with editorial boards and to engage in substantive discussions with journalists and commentators who could challenge her ideas could undercut that self-made “victim” status. Source (http://newsminer.com/news/2009/jul/11/palin-dodged-open-discussion/?opinion)
If public-records requests are expensive, the Palin administration’s practices help make them so, says Gregg Erickson, a Juneau economist and former state revenue official who publishes a specialized newsletter on Alaska budget issues.

“They have taken the position that a lawyer has to look at every single record before its release. If a lawyer has to look at it and review it, and maybe write a legal opinion on it, well, that’s going to be expensive,” says Mr. Erickson. Court fights also add to the costs, he says.

Citizens and journalists who sought public records have been socked with huge bills. At one point, the Palin administration presented the Associated Press with a bill of $45 million for copies of official state e-mails sent to Palin’s husband, to the McCain campaign, and to federal agencies.
Source (http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/07/09/alaskas-tab-for-ethics-complaints-about-palin-19-million/#comment-168632)
Those emails are public records that in a democracy would be open to public inspection. I don't know if you remember the hooplah last year when some hacker managed to reset her yahoo email account and it was full of government business that was not being saved as public records. The bush administration also frequently conducted business with private email accounts in violation of federal laws on record preservation.

Palin's attorney has threatened to sue bloggers for slander. I'm positive that such suits would quickly and quietly be dropped as the defendants would be able to depose Palin about some of her many lies.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/07/the-odd-lies-of-sarah-palin-a-roundup.html

Yes, you can still be cutesy, San.

But what the investigation ended up discovering was that President Clinton had been unfaithful to his wife, as had Hyde and Gingrich to their own.

His actions regarding that discovery are a separate issue, and have nothing to do with the special investigation squandering in excess of $1 million chasing any possible shred of a scandal.

Eh? The Starr report? Was Hilary even mentioned in that?

She had a political aide issue a news release condemning Levi Johnston, the teenage father of her daughter Bristol’s newborn, for his assertion that Ms. Palin had known the unwed high-schoolers were having sex all along.

It was the sort of intermingling between her personal and public agendas that had drawn ethics complaints against her even before Senator John McCain tapped her as his running mate in August.

{snip}

At the governor’s Anchorage office, staff members are struggling to roll with Ms. Palin’s surprise announcement. Last week, a clock on the wall continued its countdown. Under a “Time to Make a Difference” placard, the clock ticks away the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the scheduled end to Ms. Palin’s term. As of Friday, it had 513 days left.

“I don’t know how to reset the darn thing,” David Murrow, a spokesman for the governor, said earlier in the week. Source (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/us/politics/13palin.html?em)

http://brainz.org/news/sarah-palin-farewell-speech-william-shatner/373/

Enjoy!