Back Home, Palin Finds a New Landscape

ANCHORAGE — Gov. Sarah Palin has returned to Alaska fully recast and amplified.

Adored by many national conservatives, Ms. Palin is a prospect for a presidential run in 2012, supporters say. Caricatured by opponents, she is a candidate for political oblivion, say others.”

Palin Gets Pranked by Canadian Radio Station.

In a prank call lasting about six minutes, Governor Palin believes she is talking to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. I guess Palin went “rogue.” And obviously they don’t vet their calls.

MONTREAL – A Quebec comedy duo notorious for prank calls to celebrities and heads of state has reached Sarah Palin, convincing the Republican vice-presidential nominee she was speaking with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

In the roughly six-minute telephone interview released Saturday, Palin and the pranksters known as the Masked Avengers discuss politics, pundits, and the perils of hunting with Vice-President Dick Cheney.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbEwKcs-7Hc

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbEwKcs-7Hc]

Throughout the conversation, there are plenty of clues that something’s amiss.

He identifies French singer and actor Johnny Hallyday as his special adviser to the U.S., singer Stef Carse as Canada’s prime minister and Quebec comedian and radio host Richard Z. Sirois as the provincial premier.

What a colossal, embarrasing PR disaster just 3 days out! Wonder how McCain will take it?

UPDATE: A full transcript is available on Daily Kos for those of you who can’t bring yourselves to listen to the whole thing, which is impossible to do without palms on face. Here’s a portion of it: (FNS is fake Nicholas Sarkozy and SP is Sarah Palin)

FNS: I just want to be sure, I don’t’ quite understand the phenomenon “Joe the Plumber,” that’s not your husband, right?
SP: Mmhmm, that’s not my husband but he’s a normal American who just works hard and doesn’t want government to take his money.

FNS: Yes, yes, I understand, we have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France, it’s called, “Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit, oui.”
SP: Right. That’s what it’s all about, is the middle class, and government needing to work for them. You’re a very good example for us here.

FNS: I seen a bit about NBC even Fox News wasn’t an ally, an ally, sorry, about as much as usual.
SP: Yeah that’s what we’re up against.

FNS: I must say, Governor Palin, I love the documentary they made on your life, you know, Hustler’s “Nailin Palin.”
SP: Oh, good, thank you. Yes.

FNS: That was really edgy.
SP: [Laughs] Well good.

Prominent Alaskans Demand an Apology from the McCain-Palin Campaign.

One of the most interesting things about living in Alaska is that you get a true appreciation of how large and how small it is – large geographically, and small socially. The fact that there are so few people means that it’s almost impossible to spend a day doing errands without running in to someone you know, it’s common to find out that two of your unrelated friends actually know each other, and that engaged citizens can really affect positive change in the political process. Another consequence of this “smallness factor” is that those who hold public office, and do a good job, become very well respected in the community. Everyone knows who they are, and when they have something to say, people listen.

People generally respect one another here. You learn quickly that you’d better treat people well or it might come back to haunt you. The guy you just told off will undoubtedly end up being your kid’s soccer coach, or the guy who pulls over to help you change a tire when it’s 20 below zero. The woman that just made you land on the horn in traffic is undoubtedly going to be standing next to you in line wherever you’re going, or will be serving you your lunch.

This is why Alaskans, regardless of their political affiliation, watched in horror as Megan Stapleton (former local newscaster turned Palin spokeswoman) and attorney Ed O’Callaghan (an ‘outsider’ hired by the McCain campaign) started giving press conferences, calling themselves the “Truth Squad”. The Truth Squad’s purpose it seemed, was to sully the reputation of former Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan. According to the independent investigator hired by the Alaska State Legislature, Palin abused her power in his firing. She wanted Monegan to fire her ex-brother in law, an Alaska State Trooper who she felt had wronged her family. Monegan couldn’t legally act, because the matter was already closed. Palin fired him anyway.

[More...]

It was either going to play out in the media that Palin abused her power, or that Monegan deserved it. So the Truth Squad got to work, and they broke the cardinal rule in Alaska – treat people well. Monegan is well-loved, and respected across the board. So, for Palin’s story to stick, the McCain-Palin campaign had to make this look like Monegan’s problem. Enter the Truth Squad. According to them, Monegan had a “rogue mentality”, and he committed acts of “outright insubordination”. Try to get a job in law enforcement if the Governor of the state has called you an “insubordinate rogue”.

So, when Representative Les Gara, in an epic piece of video footage, demanded that Meg Stapleton (former news anchor turned Palin spokeswoman) apologize to Walt Monegan, and the other Legislators that had gotten smeared by the “Truth Squad”, he wasn’t kidding. This wasn’t some quaint, old-fashioned request, nor was it just a PR stunt. He really did think she owed them an apology. So did a lot of other Alaskans.

Now, two other prominent Alaska lawmakers have joined in the formal request for an apology. Gail Phillips, former Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chancy Croft, former Democratic President of the State Senate released a press release yesterday, that has already received wide coverage in the state, on radio and in today’s Anchorage Daily News. This is one more thing that will be waiting on Governor Palin’s desk when she gets home. It’s a good letter, and it sums up eloquently what many Alaskans feel. Here it is reprinted, by permission, in its entirety:

October 28, 2008

Dear Senator McCain:

We are writing because we believe an apology is owed from your campaign to Alaskans and our former Commissioner of Public Safety, Walt Monegan. As former legislative leaders of both major political parties in Alaska, we haven’t always agreed upon political issues. However, we adamantly agree that Mr. Monegan, who is well respected in Alaska by people of all party affiliations, is owed an apology. The attacks against Commissioner Monegan for his role in administering a personnel issue, now known statewide as “Troopergate”, were unwarranted and wrong. Mr. Monegan is a former U.S. Marine, a front-line police officer, was Chief of Police in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, served as our State’s Commissioner of Public Safety and served both Republicans and Democrats with professionalism and honor.

This summer Governor Palin fired Mr. Monegan as Commissioner, which was within her purview. However, in July, the Legislature, through unanimous action by the bi-partisan Legislative Council, voted to investigate Commissioner Monegan’s termination and whether his refusal to fire Trooper Wooten played a role in his termination. The investigation had nothing to do with your campaign.

After Governor Palin was named as your running mate, your campaign stepped into the fray. In an effort to discredit and stop the bi-partisan legislative investigation into whether or not Governor Palin acted improperly in seeking the termination of her former brother-in-law, Trooper Wooten, your campaign engaged in a near-daily course of personal attacks against Mr. Monegan and members of the legislature. It’s obvious to many of us that you probably were not aware of these attacks by your campaign committee; however, since the final responsibility is yours, we feel Mr. Monegan is owed an apology from you.

Keith Olbermann: Palin doesn’t have a problem with Alaska’s socialistic collectivism

Keith Olbermann: Palin doesn’t have a problem with Alaska’s socialistic collectivism

Published on Oct 29, 2008 -

By: Keith Olbermann

Oct. 28: In a Special Campaign Comment, Keith Olbermann cites yet another example of the McCain campaign accusing Barack Obama of something of which they themselves are guilty. In this case, Sarah Palin is accusing Barack Obama of advocating socialism when she literally used that word to describe the collective wealth sharing in her home state of Alaska.

See video at Link Below:

http://yubanet.com/opinions/Keith-Olbermann-Palin-doesn-t-have-a-problem-with-Alaska-s-socialistic-collectivism.php

Palin Pipeline Terms Curbed Bids

Gov. Sarah Palin’s signature accomplishment – a contract to build a 1,715-mile pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the Lower 48 – emerged from a flawed bidding process that narrowed the field to a company with ties to her administration, an Associated Press investigation shows.
[In this July 3, 2007 file photo, Department of Revenue commissioner Patrick Galvin, right, with Gov. Sarah Palin, center, and Marty Rutherford, Department of Natural Resources deputy commissioner answers question during a news conference in Anchorage, Alaska, after Palin began calling for applications to build a natural gas pipeline. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)]In this July 3, 2007 file photo, Department of Revenue commissioner Patrick Galvin, right, with Gov. Sarah Palin, center, and Marty Rutherford, Department of Natural Resources deputy commissioner answers question during a news conference in Anchorage, Alaska, after Palin began calling for applications to build a natural gas pipeline. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)

Beginning at the Republican National Convention in August, the McCain-Palin ticket has touted the pipeline as an example of how it would help America achieve energy independence.

“We’re building a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline, which is North America’s largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever, to flow those sources of energy into hungry markets,” Palin said during the Oct. 2 vice presidential debate.

Despite Palin’s boast of a smart and fair bidding process, the AP found that her team crafted terms that favored only a few independent pipeline companies and ultimately benefited the winner, TransCanada Corp.

And contrary to the ballyhoo, there’s no guarantee the pipeline will ever be built; at a minimum, any project is years away, as TransCanada must first overcome major financial and regulatory hurdles.

In interviews and a review of records, the AP found:

* Instead of creating a process that would attract many potential builders, Palin slanted the terms away from an important group – the global energy giants that own the rights to the gas.
* Despite promises and legal guidance not to talk directly with potential bidders, Palin had meetings or phone calls with nearly every major candidate, including TransCanada.
* The leader of Palin’s pipeline team had been a partner at a lobbying firm where she worked on behalf of a TransCanada subsidiary. Also, that woman’s former business partner at the lobbying firm was TransCanada’s lead private lobbyist on the pipeline deal, interacting with legislators in the weeks before the vote to grant TransCanada the contract. Plus, a former TransCanada executive served as an outside consultant to Palin’s pipeline team.
* Under a different set of rules four years earlier, TransCanada had offered to build the pipeline without a state subsidy; under Palin, the company could receive a maximum $500 million.

“Governor Palin held firmly to her fundamental belief that Alaska could best serve Alaskans and the nation’s interests by pursuing a competitive approach to building a natural gas pipeline,” said McCain-Palin spokesman Taylor Griffin. “There was an open and transparent process that subjected the decision to extensive public scrutiny and due diligence.”

Palin quizzed over Alaska sacking

US Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has been questioned under oath over her alleged abuse of power as governor of Alaska.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama has halted campaigning to see his seriously ill grandmother, speaking of concerns that she might not live until election day.

Polls show Mr Obama’s lead growing in some states, but narrowing in Florida.

His Republican rival John McCain is in Colorado as he seeks to take advantage of Mr Obama’s absence from the trail.

Ethics questions

Mrs Palin took a break from campaigning in Pennsylvania and Missouri on Friday to give her deposition to the Alaska Personnel Board investigation.

The governor is accused of violating ethics rules when she fired the state’s top law enforcement official, Walt Monegan, allegedly because he refused to sack her former brother-in-law, a state trooper.

Barack Obama campaigns in Indianapolis, 23 Oct
Mr Obama will return to the campaign trail on Saturday

Mrs Palin spoke to the independent lawyer leading the inquiry – which was requested by herself – in an interview which lasted several hours.

Her husband, Todd, also gave a deposition to the lawyer, Timothy Petumenos.

A Tour of the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention – Surprise Troopergate Spottings!

I went to meet a friend today at the AFN Convention in downtown Anchorage. AFN stands for Alaska Federation of Natives. Every year, Native Alaskans come from all over the state to meet in Anchorage. The event is cultural, social, political, and practical. Today was the opening day, and I was scheduled to meet my friend for lunch. I looked up the program online and discovered that our Governor was due to address the convention at 10:30, so I planned my trip accordingly.

The convention was held in the newly opened Dena’ina Convention Center, and it was the first sizeable event held there. The first actual event held there was the Sarah Palin Welcome Home rally which I attended undercover….but that was hardly sizeable.

The facility is quite impressive, and able to hold many thousands of people.
Beautiful hanging 2-story art featuring Alaskan critters.

Beautiful hanging 2-story art featuring Alaskan critters.

I slipped in a seat just in time to hear Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich deliver a nice address. He had a big hand in getting the convention center built, and talked about the process of giving it an Alaskan Native name. He also talked about his six years as Mayor, his past experiences hosting AFN Conventions in his city, “Alaska’s largest native village,” and his travels around the state. He, of course, is campaigning heavily right now in his attempt to dethrone Ted Stevens, and take the Senate seat that Stevens has held….forever. He finished up and was met with rousing applause and a standing ovation. Enthusiasm factor on a scale of 1-10: 8

Palin Indicates Support for Federal Marriage Amendment

Palin Indicates Support for Federal Marriage Amendment Nearly 60 percent of Americans oppose writing discrimination into U.S. Constitution Published on Oct 21, 2008 – By: Human Rights Campaign WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2008 – Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP nominee for vice-president, has indicated in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network that she would [...]

The Other Joe: McCain and Palin Resurrect McCarthy’s Attacks

Just over fifty years ago, Joseph McCarthy attacked Edward R. Murrow with some of the exact same language that John McCain and Sarah Palin are using today to attack Barack Obama.

In these chilling excerpts originally broadcast on Murrow’s own show, McCarthy accused the CBS newsman of defending “traitors” and associating with a “terrorist organization”:

To Avoid Being ‘Depressed,’ Palin Skimps on Campaign News

No wonder GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin harbors such hostility toward the mainstream media: her staff imposes limits on her access to it.

During a fundraiser here that raised $800,000 last night, Palin admitted that her aides often dissuade her from tuning into televised coverage of the presidential campaign.

“So North Carolina, I appreciate you all so much, who are here who already get it. You know, maybe I’m preaching to the choir a little bit here, but being here encourages me because I know that I’m not alone and I’ll send this message back to John McCain also. At those times on the campaign trail when sometimes it’s easy to get a little bit discouraged, when, you know, when you happen to turn on the news when your campaign staffers will let you turn on the news,” she said, prompting laughter from the group. “Usually they’re like ‘Oh my gosh, don’t watch. You’re going to, you know, you’re going to get depressed.’”

She added that while she doesn’t always appreciate the way reporters portray the GOP ticket, she’s been bolstered by the prayers of many of the campaign’s backers.