http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090803088.html?hpid=topnews

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.

Poor McCain.

Just more stuff that her supporters will ignore and say it's irrelevant and sexist for you to bring up...

I'm am sexist. I think she's way hotter than McCain.

The smear attacks have to ramp up now.

According to polls being bantered about Obama is actually trailing.

(not that I give any credit to polls, but we know politicians do)

Interesting. You see black and white fiscal corruption as a smear attack?

I'm am sexist. I think she's way hotter than McCain.

But the real question: is she sexier than Biden?

While I'm sure that she's not the only one to "cook the books" when it comes to financial reimbursement, it's no excuse. That sort of behavior is the reason I think service in Congress and the Senate should be akin to military service. No fringe benefits, just the basics.

If serving in the Senate or House you recieve a fixed salary (not to exceed middle class income), a Government issue house, a fleet issued vehicle for transportation, healthcare for you and your family, AND NOTHING ELSE!

We would see people going to Washington to become Statesmen/women and not career Politicians.

Interesting. You see black and white fiscal corruption as a smear attack?

No, I should have said the attacks period have to ramp up.

Curious to see how folks react.

But the real question: is she sexier than Biden?

While I'm sure that she's not the only one to "cook the books" when it comes to financial reimbursement, it's no excuse. That sort of behavior is the reason I think service in Congress and the Senate should be akin to military service. No fringe benefits, just the basics.

If serving in the Senate or House you recieve a fixed salary (not to exceed middle class income), a Government issue house, a fleet issued vehicle for transportation, healthcare for you and your family, AND NOTHING ELSE!

We would see people going to Washington to become Statesmen/women and not career Politicians.

ding ding ding ding ding ding we have a winner.

If serving in the Senate or House you recieve a fixed salary (not to exceed middle class income), a Government issue house, a fleet issued vehicle for transportation, healthcare for you and your family, AND NOTHING ELSE!

We would see people going to Washington to become Statesmen/women and not career Politicians.

That might not be a bad start.

Really, it's embarrassing. No, not McCain or Palin, you guys. I really was trying to stay out of this but you're drowning.

No she didn't ban any books.

No the Downs baby isn't really her daughters.

No she doesn't want Creationism/ID taught in schools.

No she wasn't a member of the Alaska Independant Party, though Obama and Biden both support the Hawaiian Akaka tribe bill that would eventually give the tribes of Hawaii full independance, as admitted by Obama himself.

No she didn't campaign for Buchanan.

No she didn't cut the Special Needs kid's budget. Cutting the requested budget while actually still giving them an increase is a distinction that most journalists and Democrats fail to make when they bitch about their latest pet projects not getting enough of our money.

Having a family friend try to seal his divorse records does not mean she hunted his moose on weekends.

And yes she was for the Bridge to No Where before she was against it. So? Obama and Biden actually voted for it twice. At least she had the sense to change her mind.

And so she got her family per diems? Did she break the law? From the article she didn't charge enough for her per diems actually.

Oh, she did serve on a 527 for Ted Stevens (?) Not sure how bad that is. But when the press goes over Obama's work with Bill Ayers in the same gusto as they have gone after Palin's daughter, I'll come back to it.

Anyway, there's plenty on both sides to bitch about, but you all have become a joke. Yes, your sexist ("VPILF!" etc) comments were quite disgusting but not unexpected. I'm disappointed in people like Nydia just ignoring these comments and such though, but hey, whatever it takes to get your guy elected I suppose.

but hey, whatever it takes to get your guy elected I suppose.

Wait, Palin's corruption is going to get Ron Paul elected? Sweet, he's a shoe in then.

That's a response worthy of the Obama campaign lately.

Obama's campaigning for Ron Paul? Today is just full of good news!

I like the Obama tactic in regards to Palin. Maybe it'll work, maybe it wont.

What they SEEM to be doing is not contributing ANY energy to it. They don't mention her except in a general, and focus, re focus, and re re focus on McCain.

Here is a great write up on Palin and her role in the campaign.

from http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/sarah-palin-is-not-hockey-mom.html

Sarah Palin Is Not a Hockey Mom

She's a hockey player. She’s a fourth-line hockey agitator, beloved by the home crowd, loathed by the opponents, injecting passion into both fan bases, the kind of home-team hero that no Stanley Cup winner goes without.

Once upon a time, I applied an NFL-replay mentality to hockey playoffs, holding on to outrages over missed calls, blatantly unfair officiating, double standards, and outright getting-away-with-stuff (which always led to an early spring exit for my beloved Blues). I wanted – and unreasonably expected – bad behavior to be proportionally punished.

And then several years ago I had an epiphany about the hockey playoffs – nobody is coming to save you. Initiators win, reactors lose. Expect adversity, because it's built in. The fourth-line, no-scoring-talent, pest agitators (or as we now call them, “energy guys”) have a specific job. Skate in, take a cheap shot, make it after the whistle. Make it against the rules. Stir something up. Put a wet glove in the other guy's face and rub it. Get the outrage flowing. Get the opponent not thinking about the game, get them thinking about your shenanigans. And what happens? The “victimized” team loses its composure, hitting back. The guy who hits second is always the guy who goes to the penalty box.

Watching Sarah Palin this week, and the reaction to her by both sides, and all the talk of hockey mommery, I realized that this is who she is. She skates into the corner, throws up an elbow, and the Democrats cry: “Foul!” Hey! She said Obama has never passed a major bill – this is an objective lie! Hey! She ridiculed community organizing the day after Service was the theme! Technically people should punish her by not voting for her over this infraction!

It’s whining, and whiners hit back second and go to the penalty box on top of it.

Sarah Palin is a person who by her own admission found out about the Iraq surge – the centerpiece of the McCain judgment argument – from television. Apologies to conservatives, but technically, objectively, inarguably, this alone makes her unqualified to be President. But we don’t live in that technical or objective world. Political campaigns – as distinct from policy and governance – are the NHL playoffs. It’s only about who survives the war of attrition to the finish line first. Is Brett Hull’s skate still in Dominik Hasek’s crease and was that same situation disallowed in every previous instance throughout that season? Yes, but so what? Dallas had a parade.

In the hockey analogy, Palin wouldn’t get within a thousand miles of an NHL All-Star Game because she’s not a scoring talent. She’s a role player, an emotion-rouser. Emotion messes with the chalkboard-drawn game plan and thus achieves a specific strategic objective. She can make game-changing agitation plays that rouse her home team and provoke the other side into counterattacks that – 100% of the time – end up punishing the team who hits back. Democrats would be smart to understand her as such, and I see a lot of reaction that doesn't seem to grasp what Palin is doing and the value she's providing. I see a lot of Democrats taking a lot of bait.

This applies more to Democratic surrogates than it does to the top-ticket duo. Joe Biden had the smart response yesterday – naming the behavior – expecting it, and then riding through without taking the bait:

“It was about how well placed -- and boy she is good -- how a left jab can be stuck pretty nice. It’s about how Barack Obama is such a bad guy.”

And that’s all he says of Palin’s antics. Name the behavior, even praising the skill with which the agitation was attempted, and then back to focus. It's "the economy, stupid."

Finally – is the analogy complete? In the end a great hockey agitator who rouses both sides emotionally (and successfully gets the other team to lose focus) still needs the home team scoring talent to come through. Successful agitator Kris Draper of the Detroit Red Wings had the clutch Steve Yzerman for a lot of years. That worked. Detroit won Cups. They had parades.

Successful agitator Tyson Nash, when he was on my Blues, was stuck with the antithesis of playoff clutch, the easily thrown-off-his-game Keith Tkachuk. That didn’t work. No Cup. Even if Palin is successful in her task of agitation and distraction, which one is John McCain?

Some great points in there.

lol akipt...that is all i can say...lol

Really, it's embarrassing. No, not McCain or Palin, you guys. I really was trying to stay out of this but you're drowning.

No she didn't ban any books.

You're correct, she did not ban any books. She simply asked the librarian if she would remove and also edit books in the public library, the librarian said she would not do that, shortly after the librarian was replaced.

No the Downs baby isn't really her daughters.

That is a non-issue that no one gives a shit about except the republicans who keep bringing it up...like here.

No she doesn't want Creationism/ID taught in schools.

I do believe you are incorrect here, she is politically savvy enough to understand that pushing that would create a huge negative backlash in 70% of the country.

No she wasn't a member of the Alaska Independant Party, though Obama and Biden both support the Hawaiian Akaka tribe bill that would eventually give the tribes of Hawaii full independance, as admitted by Obama himself.

There is a large difference with a political party that SHE BELONGED TO as did her husband, her name is on their past rosters, than an indiginious people looking for the same independance afforded other native tribes in the US.

No she didn't campaign for Buchanan.

Who gives a shit whether she did or not. I know...the republicans.

No she didn't cut the Special Needs kid's budget. Cutting the requested budget while actually still giving them an increase is a distinction that most journalists and Democrats fail to make when they bitch about their latest pet projects not getting enough of our money.

She would not approve the amount necessary to properly fund it...then...she had this baby...isn't karma cool?

Having a family friend try to seal his divorse records does not mean she hunted his moose on weekends.

Jury is still out on this and you know that.

And yes she was for the Bridge to No Where before she was against it. So? Obama and Biden actually voted for it twice. At least she had the sense to change her mind.

Good for her, can we have our money back now?

And so she got her family per diems? Did she break the law? From the article she didn't charge enough for her per diems actually.

How much does the average hockey mom get paid to live at their own house? Not illegal but quite unprincipled and quite at odds with her campaign rhetoric.

Oh, she did serve on a 527 for Ted Stevens (?) Not sure how bad that is. But when the press goes over Obama's work with Bill Ayers in the same gusto as they have gone after Palin's daughter, I'll come back to it.

It was the national enquirer that was going to do the story about her daughters pregnancy, the palin campaign people decided to put out a press release, then the press printed the release. Then the Palins thought it was a great idea to force the 18 year old boyfriend to sit with the daughter at the republican convention as a point of focus as they sat there with their hands held oddly high up so people could see that they are simply a young couple who decided to procreate so that they could speed up their wedding. Concerning Ayers, you're joking?

Anyway, there's plenty on both sides to bitch about, but you all have become a joke. Yes, your sexist ("VPILF!" etc) comments were quite disgusting but not unexpected. I'm disappointed in people like Nydia just ignoring these comments and such though, but hey, whatever it takes to get your guy elected I suppose.

You're retarded. The sexist card is getting a bit overplayed and boring.

But the real question: is she sexier than Biden?

While I'm sure that she's not the only one to "cook the books" when it comes to financial reimbursement, it's no excuse. That sort of behavior is the reason I think service in Congress and the Senate should be akin to military service. No fringe benefits, just the basics.

If serving in the Senate or House you recieve a fixed salary (not to exceed middle class income), a Government issue house, a fleet issued vehicle for transportation, healthcare for you and your family, AND NOTHING ELSE!

We would see people going to Washington to become Statesmen/women and not career Politicians.

Well their salaries are higher than middle class but not like gazillionare rate. I think the root cause are the damn PACs and lobbyists who find creative ways to softly whisper to our politicians ears and jerk them and the country off at the same time....oh except the politicians get an occassional kiss on the cheek for their time.

You're correct, she did not ban any books. She simply asked the librarian if she would remove and also edit books in the public library, the librarian said she would not do that, shortly after the librarian was replaced.

Anyone know if the next librarian in charge of the library DID ban any books? should clear that one up pretty quickly.

No she doesn't want Creationism/ID taught in schools.

We will find out. She will be directly asked that question and given a chance to respond directly.

No she didn't campaign for Buchanan.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/08/mccain-camp-den.html

It seems she did.

This is super hot button because of how tight the race is in Florida.

And yes she was for the Bridge to No Where before she was against it. So? Obama and Biden actually voted for it twice. At least she had the sense to change her mind.

Well.. then SAY that. She is saying she was always opposed to it. She is going to have to explain this.

And so she got her family per diems? Did she break the law? From the article she didn't charge enough for her per diems actually.

Again. If you are going to campaign that you fired the chef, it is fair game to point out that you then pocketed the money. How much DID she charge the state to feed her family per day?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2008/09/09/GR2008090900280.html?sid=ST2008090900325
Doesnt SEEM to be that big of a deal. 60 bucks? I dont think this one is going anywhere. You can barely feed a family of 7 on 60 bucks a night.

Anyway, there's plenty on both sides to bitch about, but you all have become a joke. Yes, your sexist ("VPILF!" etc) comments were quite disgusting but not unexpected. I'm disappointed in people like Nydia just ignoring these comments and such though, but hey, whatever it takes to get your guy elected I suppose.

I love how suddenly so many Republicans have found religion over women's rights.

http://www.hillarynutcracker.com/HillaryART/IMAGES/HillaryNutcracker.com4.jpg

Remember when these were SOOOO funny? yea.... If Daily Kos started selling Sarah Palin nutcrackers you guys would drop down into conniption fits over the horrible horrible hurtful sexism.


Oh, she did serve on a 527 for Ted Stevens (?) Not sure how bad that is. But when the press goes over Obama's work with Bill Ayers in the same gusto as they have gone after Palin's daughter, I'll come back to it.

Strawman dude. The point is, should she campaign against Ted Stevens, and as someone who worked against him, when she was working with him? Its like inventing a new reality.

You're correct, she did not ban any books. She simply asked the librarian if she would remove and also edit books in the public library, the librarian said she would not do that, shortly after the librarian was replaced.

so like... and? Did the next librarian ban and burn books?

There is a large difference with a political party that SHE BELONGED TO as did her husband, her name is on their past rosters, than an indiginious people looking for the same independance afforded other native tribes in the US.

The Party retracted that statement. Check again.

She would not approve the amount necessary to properly fund it...

They requested like 5 times as much as their budget ever was, they got 3 times their previous budget. Puhleease.

then...she had this baby...isn't karma cool?

And you're a sack of shit if you think her baby deserves Downs Syndrome because of something his mom did or didn't do.

Good for her, can we have our money back now?

Huh?

How much does the average hockey mom get paid to live at their own house? Not illegal but quite unprincipled and quite at odds with her campaign rhetoric.

The average hockey mom doesn't commute 800 miles to do her job either. And no, not when you look at the big picture. She's slashed the governor's expense account to around 20% of her predecessor's budget. Much more than Obama ever did. How about Muchele Obama's hospital that got a $2million earmark through Obama and then miraculously Michele's salary jumped $200k / year. Yeah, change we can believe in. I'm waiting patiently for the expose.

Concerning Ayers, you're joking?

Nope. This story hasn't really been told yet. I predict by October 10th it will be.

You're retarded.

I guess my mom slashed the Retarded House's budget.

The sexist card is getting a bit overplayed and boring.

Considering you were one of the first to spew the bile, I'm not surprised. It does get old doesn't it?

You're correct, she did not ban any books. She simply asked the librarian if she would remove and also edit books in the public library, the librarian said she would not do that, shortly after the librarian was replaced.

so like... and? Did the next librarian ban and burn books?

The woman got fired because she didn't share Palin's opinion on banning books, and the woman campaigned for the person who ran against Palin in the mayor campaign. You can't possibly feel that's right.

There is a large difference with a political party that SHE BELONGED TO as did her husband, her name is on their past rosters, than an indiginious people looking for the same independance afforded other native tribes in the US.

The Party retracted that statement. Check again.

How convenient.


then...she had this baby...isn't karma cool?

And you're a sack of shit if you think her baby deserves Downs Syndrome because of something his mom did or didn't do.

I agree with you here. Rover saying this was absolutely poor form.

Good for her, can we have our money back now?

Huh?

You know, the money that Alaska received for the bridge, but obviously didn't use for the bridge.


The sexist card is getting a bit overplayed and boring.

Considering you were one of the first to spew the bile, I'm not surprised. It does get old doesn't it?

I haven't remotely said anything sexist about this. I HAVE questioned some of the facts/speculation about Palin. That's not sexist. The Republican party DID spew a ton of sexism at Hillary, and the same exact people now complain when any criticism is thrown at Palin. The hypocracy is deafening. If you can't see that, than I don't know what to tell you (other than, "isn't this about face convenient now").



The things I left out I either a) don't know anything about, so it's not fair to comment or b) felt no need to comment on direct back and forth insults.

No she doesn't want Creationism/ID taught in schools.

We will find out. She will be directly asked that question and given a chance to respond directly.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gV5jvU52RD3WBflzbmSu5l6zwOqAD92V3VQG0

Palin said during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign that if she were elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add creation-based alternatives to the state's required curriculum, or look for creationism advocates when she appointed board members.

It seems she did.As gushing as Buchanon has been over Obama, I'm not sure his statement can be trusted. If the Palin's were indeed campaign fund raisers for Buchanon, there should be records indicating moneys raised and such.

She is saying she was always opposed to it. She is going to have to explain this.I've never seen her say she always opposed it. Link?

I love how suddenly so many Republicans have found religion over women's rights.I'm still trying to take away women's suffrage!

And the nutcracker thing was always more of a slam on Bill, not Hillary.

You know, the money that Alaska received for the bridge, but obviously didn't use for the bridge.Oh that's interesting. If it's not spent on what is earmarked, can a state just choose to do something else with it? Honestly I don't know. I suspect not though.

The Republican party DID spew a ton of sexism at Hillary, and the same exact people now complain when any criticism is thrown at Palin. The hypocracy is deafening. If you can't see that, than I don't know what to tell you (other than, "isn't this about face convenient now").

As above, the nutcracker thing was about as much as I saw. refresh my memory?

Akipt,
Your a fucking little slimy piece of shit, you know fucking well that I don't think her child deserved downs syndrome. I think she deserved to know just what it is like to raise a special needs child and please don't lecture me on this you ignorant fucking asshole.

Wow, two for two. Want to go for a third thread?

Well.. then SAY that. She is saying she was always opposed to it. She is going to have to explain this.Your Obama team has continuously fallen into this trap since Palin's pick.

Obama: "Palin has no experience!"
Palin: "Got more than you."

Obama:"Palin used to be for the Bridge!"
Palin: "Obama voted for it twice. At least I had sense to refuse it."

Each time McCain's team owns the news cycle. That's one of the reasons Obama is down now. And from what I'm seeing today, they still haven't learned.

Dude.. calm down. Its been a week and a half. Don't break out the confetti yet. To use a lame sports analogy Obama has been leading by 10 but McCain just scored a Touchdown. Ok.. There is a lot game left. Any analysis you look at still has Obama as the odds on front runner and the likely winner. Thats not saying McCain hasnt been coming on lately, but it is still Obama's election to lose.

This is Obamas style. Slow, steady and methodical. They are going to take their time coming with a plan of attack and go after it. People must be used to the frantic convulsions given to Team Clinton.

Really, none of this matters until the debates. I'm willing to bet they will be watched by 90 -100 million people. In my opinion it will be settled there, and whoever blinks first will lose. The convention bump will fade some and this race will be pretty much tied up. Whoever goes into that debate and presses and tries to make something happen will lose.

ding ding ding ding ding ding we have a winner.

Ditto! I even gave some feedback on those ideas Sixee presented!

Obama: "Palin has no experience!"
Palin: "Got more than you."This cracks me up. Out of all of the issues, I have yet to hear solid reasons why she is more experienced. Other than the Republican spin that, "Alaska is near Russia, she has foreign relations experience!" nonsense, what does she have going that makes her more qualified? Everything I've read suggests Obama is more qualified...and not that he's perfect, but what has she actually done? The Republicans are doing a great job of throwing up a smoke screen on the issue. Was it CNN where McCain refused to even complete the interview when they asked about her executive experience? Everything the McCain camp pulls out gets dismissed....she led the National Guard, until the National Guard said not so much. Mayor, but reportedly her own party forced her to higher an administrator to do her job for her. As a private voter, I just can't see her sitting in as president when McCain kicks it, and as imperfect as he is I can see Obama.

Between McCain's changing of position on such areas as extending the Bush tax cuts, and Palin's changing of position on such areas as the the Bridge to Nowhere, will we be seeing another run on the K-Mart and Walmart stores for extra pairs of flip-flops? Or was that trademarked by the GOP?

That would be flips, not flip flops.

Dude.. calm down. Its been a week and a half. Don't break out the confetti yet. I've measured my response to Palin's nomination quite well thank you very much. This was the first day I've posted since before she was announced. During that time I've witnessed you and others proclaim a 300+ electoral blowout and a "bloodletting" in the Biden / Palin debate. I addressed some of the meltdown in rationality already above.

Anyway I think as it stands now, those proclaimations were premature.

9/4/08 - ABC News Poll
"Do you think [below] does or does not have the kind of experience it takes to serve effectively as president, if that became necessary?"
Biden: 66% yes, 21% no
Palin: 42% yes, 50% no

What's wrong with that 42% though ... my god.

Hey if Bush can do it..... so could my dirty gym socks...

But Bush has proven that he can't do it

Hey if Bush can do it..... so could my dirty gym socks...

Isn't that the point, we've seen how awful the past 8 years are. Do we really want a guy who agreed with the President over 90% of the time, or do we want someone who seems genuinely interested in change and fixing things? Do we want a Senator who isn't from money and is a champion of crime prevention and protection of civil liberties ... or a woman who has the intelligence of your gym socks?

Do we really want a guy who agreed with the President over 90% of the time, or do we want someone who seems genuinely interested in change and fixing things?Other than Iraq funding votes, what % did Obama agree with Bush on? Bush has gotten an incredible number of wins from this Democratic congress and Obama has madea number of moves to the right (FISA, long distance carrier immunity, etc.) agreeing with him.

Quote:
You know, the money that Alaska received for the bridge, but obviously didn't use for the bridge.

Oh that's interesting. If it's not spent on what is earmarked, can a state just choose to do something else with it? Honestly I don't know. I suspect not though.Mystery solved: Under mounting political pressure over pork projects, Congress stripped the earmark — or stipulation — that the money be used for the bridge, but still sent the money to the state for any use it deemed appropriate. If you want the money back, talk to Obama, Biden, and Stevens.

or McCain?

He already voted against it.

Under mounting political pressure over pork projects, Congress stripped the earmark — or stipulation — that the money be used for the bridge, but still sent the money to the state for any use it deemed appropriate.

I think a big prison complex near Barrow would have been a better way to spend the money. Send career prisoners (3rd strikers) above the Arctic circle for the rest of thier lives.

No need to even build fences or walls. If they think they can make the 725 mile trek back to Anchorage across the wilderness where the average temperature is only a little above freezing for most of the year, more power to em.

http://www.alaskatravel.com/alaska/barrow.html

Wait... So why didn't Palin, the great reformer, send the money back?

Did she say "Thanks, but no thanks" or not?

She should stop lying if thats not the case.

Anyone know if the next librarian in charge of the library DID ban any books? should clear that one up pretty quickly.

The librarian that was fired got her job back soon after due to how many people in the town liked her.

Akipts little list were just minor little issues. None of them being true or false would effect how she's a religious nutjob, a habitual liar on the campaign trail, and makes Obama look as experienced as Biden in comparison.

Wait... So why didn't Palin, the great reformer, send the money back?

Did she say "Thanks, but no thanks" or not?

She should stop lying if thats not the case.

Maybe she used it to supplement one of the 54 earmarks the state had put in for, or if it was this year one of the 31, since they are now "reformed" with Palin running the show and have reduced their pork requirements.

Excellent article on 9 questions (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/321/story/52155.html) Charlie Gibson should ask Palin.

Anyone have a source that confirms she was not a part of the separatists? Or is this a case of men in black suits telling the group to remove her name?