Jackson Free Press

Writing in response to Sarah Palin's proclamation that the damning Troopergate report "vindicates" her, the Anchorage Daily News editorial board hands their governor her ass on a platter, and calls her spin on the truth "Orwellian":

Sarah Palin's reaction to the Legislature's Troopergate report is an embarrassment to Alaskans and the nation. She claims the report "vindicates" her. She said that the investigation found "no unlawful or unethical activity on my part."

Her response is either astoundingly ignorant or downright Orwellian. Page 8, Finding Number One of the report says: "I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act." In plain English, she did something "unlawful." She broke the state ethics law. [...] In fact, the report concluded that "impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired."

Palin's response is the kind of political "big lie" that George Orwell warned against. War is peace. Black is white. Up is down. [...]

Gov. Palin and her husband felt so passionately about Wooten because the case was so personal to them. Their passion blinded them to any other considerations. [...] Gov. Palin and her husband were obsessed with Wooten the way Capt. Ahab was obsessed with the Great White Whale. No Wooten, no peace. [...] You asked us to hold you accountable, Gov. Palin. Did you mean it? Bottom line: Gov. Palin, read the report. It says you violated the ethics law.

Previous Commentsshow

The news cycle on Palin is simply tanking. Here's what Politics (which is often overly charitable to McCain has to say today): John McCain’s campaign is pretty much a shambles right now. If you don’t believe me, just listen to John McCain. His chief goal these days is calming down his crowds, not firing them up. [...] Sarah Palin, once seen as a huge plus to the ticket, is now increasingly emerging as a liability.[...] The real problem for McCain is that Palin is running a separate — and scary — campaign that does not seem to be under anybody’s control. She storms around the country saying: “Our opponent ... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.” She also says: “This is not a man who sees America as you see America and as I see America.” Get the drift? Obama is not only different, not only an alien incapable of loving his country, he is an actual friend of terrorists who would attack America. The great benefit of putting Palin on the ticket, we were told, is that it would excite the Republican base. Maybe it will. But the Republican base has never been smaller. And it is insufficient to carry the McCain-Palin ticket to victory. Truly: What did the country expect from a woman who has palled around with the far-right, anti-government fringe in Alaska? I'm starting to think that *everything* she says is Orwellian: "I am a reformer" means "I use government for personal business." "The investigation vindidcated me" means "the report found that I broke the law." "I rejected the Bridge to Nowhere" means "I supported the Bridge to Nowhere, and when Congress rejected it, I took the money and spent it elsewhere." "Obama is an extremist" means "I am an extremist." And so on. I've said it before: she reminds me a little too much of Melton. A lot of fancy talk, tons of lies and statements that mean the opposite: "I'm going to fight crime" means "I'm going to commit crimes." Allegedly, of course.

DonnaLadd

Oct 14 2008

Oh yes that Palin is a republican par excellence, and one too stupid to know, in this day and time, that unnecessary and obvious hatred and racism are a no, no. I think she's still mad at the black woman who beat her in the beauty contest. I can hear republicans saying will McCain stop this idiot before the whole cat is out of the bag. We already see everything but the tail of the cat. Palin ia a liar like few others. It seems the GOP or RNC forgot to tell her that this is 2008 not 1908 or even 2000 to 2006 when a large segment of the country dumbly believed republicans had family, human values and good intentions with government. I said before that a crazy kind of woman was lurking in the background and everybody got mad and accused me of playing an ugly game. I can't help it if I have prophetic senses or good and quick judgment. Now nearly everyone is quiet on the matter. Thank you Sarah. I knew you existed. Hopefully, by the time you're finished you will be run from the vice-presidency, governor's office of Alaska and the decent people of the human race. Don't worry though. There is a place for you in the klan, Citizen Council or some other strangenut or wingnut organization looking for bold leadership.

Walt

Oct 14 2008

I really think to Palin, being a "maverick" means crossing the line, over and over, whenever you deem it in the best interests of the constituency. Oi vey!

Izzy

Oct 14 2008