HavenWorks.com/alaska Alaska News

US: AL<AK>AZ

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Alaska News, Alaska State News, Alaska capital: Juneau, AK News

Alaska -

VECO Scandal -

Oil -

Money -

Lawmaker -

Politics

Don Young -

Ted Stevens -

Lisa Murkowski -

Ben A Stevens -

John Cowdery -

Vic Kohring -

Pete Kott -

Bruce B Weyhrauch

HavenWorks

US States

- Canada

Alaska capital: Juneau

US Capitals
AK: Alaska

State Abbr.
Alaska Population, 2006 estimate:
670,053
Alaska Population, 2000 Census:
626,932
Geography
Alaska Land area:
571,951.26
(square miles)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alaska capital: Juneau

ALASKA News:

Sarah Palin

20090218

Barack Obama

Don Young

Government

Money

Education

Missouri

Alaska

"GOP [Republicans] Fighting For Money From Stimulus They Opposed." ... "House Republicans, as a group, may take great pride in the goose egg [zero votes] they offered [Democratic] President Obama's stimulus package. But now the unanimous opposition is struggling to bring that money home." ... "Republicans will be working hard to make sure the money they opposed ends up benefiting their home districts, highlighting the political tightrope they walk in this economic crisis." ... "Back in his home district, [Missouri Republican Representative] Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO [Republican-Missouri]) [who voted against the stimulus plane] found some nice things to say about the plan." ... ""Within the stimulus package there is some Pell Grant money, which is a good thing. It helps students be able to pay for their education and that's kind of a long term stimulus effect there. I mean obviously that's not gonna provide a job in the next 120, 180 days, but the ability of someone to get an education is an economic development tool," Luetkemeyer said at a local college. He was there, in another inside-outside Washington twist, to celebrate an earmark for a college building." ... "[Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young (R-AK [Republican-Alaska]) [who voted against the stimulus plane] put out a press release saying that he "won a victory for the Alaska Native contracting program and other Alaska small business owners last night in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."" -By Ryan Grim

-HuffingtonPost.com

Barack Obama

Michael Steele - Pete Hoekstra

Don Young

Lindsey Graham

Ken Calvert

Emergency

Economics

Politics

Families

Jobs

Housing

Construction

Education

Government

US_Debt

Missouri

"Kit Bond Touts Effects Of Stimulus Bill He Voted Against." ... "[Missouri Republican Senator Kit Bond voted against the stimulus bill asserting:} “Unfortunately, this bill stimulates the debt, it stimulates the growth of government, but it doesn’t stimulate jobs,” Bond insisted." ... "However, today Bond is touring Missouri to tout the very stimulus plan he railed against. In a press release, Bond boasted about an amendment he included in the bill to provide more funding for affordable housing — and that will create jobs:"

"Last week, Bond led a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing an amendment to help provide needy families affordable housing. Bond’s amendment provides $2 billion to fund low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) projects that have been stalled by the financial credit crisis. As part of the Democrats’ spending bill now signed into law, the Senate unanimously accepted Bond’s provision. […]"
"This provision will have a real impact in Missouri, especially for low-income, working families in need of safe and affordable housing. … Bond’s amendment will save more than 700 housing units and create 3,000 new jobs in Missouri."

"“This is the type of emergency stimulus spending we should be supporting — programs that will create jobs now and help families,” Bond said." ... "Bond’s “I was against it before I was for it” maneuver at least has local media fooled. Just 24 hours after noting his opposition to the stimulus bill, local news this morning reported that Bond would be touring the state “pushing his plan to create 3,000 jobs in the state and build more than 700 affordable housing units.” Watch the local CBS channel try to keep up with Bond’s flip-flops:"

WATCH: "Kit Bond Touts Stimulus Plan He Voted Against."

"Bond is not alone in trying to reap the political benefits both from voting against the bill and from bringing much needed funding to his district:"

"– [Minnesota Republican Governor] Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), who complained that the “federal government is spending money they don’t have,” told Rachel Maddow he would nevertheless accept funds for Minnesota: “Our view is, if you buy the pizza, it’s OK if you have a slice.”"
"– [South Carolina Republican Senator] Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who also campaigned ardently against the bill, said he would nevertheless gladly accept its funds for his state. “You don’t want to be crazy here,” he said."
"– [Florida Republican Representative] Rep. John Mica (R-FL) gushed over the bill, which he, too, voted against. “I applaud [Democratic] President Obama’s recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America’s future,” he said in a press release."
"– [Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young (R-AK) boasted that he “won a victory for…Alaska small business owners” in the recovery bill he refused to vote for."

"No wonder RNC [Republican National Committee] Chairman Michael Steele declared recently, “You have absolutely no reason — none — to trust our word or our actions at this point.”"

"Update [Missouri Republican Representative] Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) boasted about the educational benefits of the recovery act, while [California Republican Representative] Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) said his office "will do what we can to direct as much money as we can." Neither voted for the bill."

"Update [Michgan Republican Representative] Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) joins in, praising the stimulus' "generous" incentives for home buyers on his Twitter feed:"

"petehoekstra If you know of someone thinking of buying first home, now may be the time.Stimulus incentive is very generous!Up to 8k!Check it out."

"UpdateBlueJersey notes adds [New Jersey Republican Representative] Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) to the growing list. After insisting last Friday that the recovery bill "would have exploded our national debt without providing meaningful job growth," Lance toured construction sites in his district yesterday, touting funds that would come from the stimulus bill. "This is a classic example of a "shovel-ready' project," Lance said after the tour." -By Ali Frick

-ThinkProgress.org

20090206

Sarah Palin

Politics

Investigation

Alaska

"Alaska Senate finds Todd Palin in contempt in 'troopergate'." ... "The Alaska Senate voted today to find [Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, and nine Palin aides in contempt for failing to show up when ordered by subpoena to testify in the Legislature's "troopergate" investigation of the governor." ... "But the Senate resolution also said there should be no punishment because Todd Palin and the others did eventually submit written statements to the investigator, Steve Branchflower." -By Sean Cockerham

-ADN.com via -McClatchyDC.com

20081212

Ted Stevens

Criminal

Politics

Alaska

"Judge temporarily lifts Stevens' law license: Decision to suspend convicted senator's license could become permanent." ... "Convicted [Alaska Republican Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens has temporarily lost his license to practice law in the District of Columbia, a decision that could become permanent after further proceedings."

-AP via -MSNBC

20081211

John Boehner

Don Young

Doc Hastings

Jack Abramoff

Tom DeLay

Jerry Lewis

Ken Calvert

John Doolittle

Ohio

Texas

Florida

Money

Politics

US Attorney

Law

Federal

Investigation

"House GOP [Republicans] Gives Scandal-Ridden Don Young’s Committee Seat To Scandal-Ridden Doc Hastings." ... " ... [Ohio Republican Representative and House Minority Leader John Boehner told Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young (R-AK [Republican-Alaska]) that he could no longer support him as ranking Republican on the Natural Resources Committee, leading to Young’s resignation from the post." ... "The AP reports that a panel of top House leaders picked [Washington state Republican Representative] Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA [Republican-Washington]) today to lead the committee. “The recommendation by the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] Steering Committee is final under a rule change adopted Wednesday.”" ... "Recall, Jack Abramoff once boasted of having an “excellent relationship” with Hastings, who received $14,000 [*] from Abramoff’s firm, Preston Gates — including $1,000 from Abramoff himself. After taking control of the Ethics Committee, Hastings reportedly fired two staff lawyers involved in unanimous decisions to admonish [Texas Republican] Tom DeLay for improper fundraising. Hastings also contacted fired [United States] U.S. Attorney John McKay and attempted to pressure him in an ongoing investigation." ... "As ThinkProgress has documented, Boehner has a history of playing musical chairs with committee assignments for corrupt members:"

"[California Republican Representative] Rep. Jerry Lewis: Boehner ruled that Rep. Jerry Lewis of California could continue as the ranking member on the Appropriations Committee while under federal investigation on ethics charges."
"[California Republican Representative] Rep. Ken Calvert: The GOP Steering Committee appointed Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA[ Republican-California]) to [California Republican Representative] Rep. Jon Doolittle’s (R-CA[ Republican-California]) Appropriations seat, after Doolittle was the subject of an FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] investigation for his ties to Abramoff. Calvert has profited from legislation he supported and was caught in the act with a prostitute."
"[Florida Republican Representative] Rep. Tom Feeney: Feeney, who was questioned by the FBI over his relationship with Abramoff took over as GOP [Republican] leader on the space subcommittee for Calvert."

"Despite Boehner’s ethics pledge after ethics pledge, the culture of corruption still rules at the end of the day." -By Satyam Khanna

-ThinkProgress.org

20081205

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Fashion

Politics

2008 Election

Alaska

Florida

"G.O.P. Paid Almost $55,000 for Palin Fashion Stylist." ... "A woman who appears from campaign finance records to have been [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of] Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s fashion stylist was paid $54,900 by the Republican National Committee, according to a new report filed with the Federal Election Commission." ... "The newest report appears to show about $23,000 in additional charges labeled as “campaign accessories” from a variety of stores, including Saks, Neiman’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Brooks Brothers, Ann Taylor and Target." ... "Interestingly, in the newest charges on campaign finance records, many of the people who initially footed the charges were campaign staffers, including Andrew Smith, Ms. Palin’s chief of staff, Christopher Edwards, who was in charge of advance for Ms. Palin, and Kristi Pulsfort, a member of the traveling press staff." ... "Mr. Smith apparently footed the bill for more than $3,000 in charges at Aldo (a shoe store chain), Bloomingdales and Macy’s, all in Orlando [Florida], as well as Home Optics, a glasses and contacts store in Chugiak, Alaska, about a half hour from Ms. Palin’s home in Wasilla [Alaska]." ... "A woman named Jeannie Etchart, who appears on the McCain campaign’s payroll, picked up the most in charges, totaling more than $14,000 from places like Banana Republic, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom." -By Michael Luo

-NYTimes

20081204

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Fashion

Politics

2008 Election

Alaska

"McCain Campaign Spent $110,000 on Palin’s Stylists." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin’s traveling makeup artist was paid $68,400 and her hair stylist received more than $42,000 for roughly two months of work, according to a new campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission." ... "Much attention has been paid to the $150,000 the Republican National Committee spent on outfitting Ms. Palin in September at high-end department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, as well as on makeup services." ... "Republican officials said this week that additional clothing charges would appear on the Republican National Committee’s campaign finance report totaling less than $30,000." -By Michael Luo

-NYTimes

20081118

Ted Stevens

Criminal

Oil

Money

Federal

Law

Alaska

History

2008 Election

"Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens loses re-election bid." ... "[Alaska Republican Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in Senate history, narrowly lost his [2008 Election] re-election bid Tuesday, marking the downfall of a Washington political power and Alaska icon who couldn't survive a conviction on federal corruption charges. His defeat by Anchorage [Alaska] Mayor Mark Begich moves Senate Democrats within two seats of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority." ... "Stevens' ouster on his 85th birthday marks an abrupt realignment in Alaska politics and will alter the power structure in the Senate, where he has served since the days of the [Democratic President] Johnson administration while holding seats on some of the most influential committees in Congress." ... "Last month just days before the election, Stevens was convicted by a federal jury in Washington of lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from an oil field services company. -By Michael R. Blood with contributions by Jesse J. Holland, Andrew Taylor and Rachel D'Oro

-AP via -Yahoo

20081112

Sarah Palin

John McCain

2008 Election

Politics

Alaska

Arizona

"What Just Happened." ... "Despite all the grief she's gotten, I continue to think that the selection of [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Sarah Palin as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] John McCain's running mate represents the breaking of a consensual cultural barrier far more fundamental than most people realize. It's not just that she was inexperienced (Spiro Agnew and John Edwards weren't much more experienced than Palin when they ran for VP) but that she was — obviously, transparently, completely — uninterested in and uninformed about national policy at nearly every level. We've simply never seen someone so completely unmoored from the normal requirements of national office before. She was chosen purely at the level of celebrity, and an awful lot of people seemed to be just fine with that." ... "Via email, here's an excerpt from Wolf Blitzer's interview today with Palin:"

"BLITZER: Another question. What are your new ideas on how to take the Republican Party out of this rut that it’s in right now? Give me one or two new ideas that you’re going to propose to these governors who have gathered here in this hotel."
"PALIN: Well, a lot of Republican governors have really good ideas for our nation because we’re the ones there on the front lines being held accountable every single day in service to the people whom have hired us in our own states and the planks in our platform are strong and they are good for America. It’s all about free enterprise and respecting the ..."
"BLITZER: Does that mean you want to come up with a new Sarah Palin initiative that you want to release right now."
"PALIN: Gah! Nothing specific right now. Sitting here in these chairs that I’m going to be proposing but in working with these governors who again on the front lines are forced to and it’s our privileged obligation to find solutions to the challenges facing our own states every day being held accountable, not being just one of many just casting votes or voting present every once in a while, we don’t get away with that. We have to balance budgets and we’re dealing with multibillion dollar budgets and tens of thousands of employees in our organizations."

"Should I laugh or should I cry?" -By Kevin Drum

-MotherJones.com

Sarah Palin

John McCain

2008 Election

Media

Politics

Alaska

Arizona

"Why Palin Still Matters." ... "Let's be real in a way the national media seems incapable of: this person [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin] should never have been placed on a national ticket in a mature democracy. She was incapable of running a town in Alaska competently. The impulsive, unvetted selection of a total unknown, with no knowledge of or interest in the wider world, as a replacement president remains one of the most disturbing events in modern American history. That the press felt required to maintain a facade of normalcy for two months - and not to declare the whole thing a farce from start to finish - is a sign of their total loss of nerve. That the Palin absurdity should follow the two-term presidency of another individual utterly out of his depth in national government is particularly troubling. 46 percent of Americans voted for the possibility of this blank slate as president because she somehow echoed their own sense of religious or cultural "identity". Until we figure out how this happened, we will not be able to prevent it from happening again. And we have to find a way to prevent this from recurring." ... "It happened because [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] John McCain is an incompetent and a cynic and reckless beyond measure. To have picked someone he'd only met once before, without any serious vetting procedure, revealed McCain as an utterly unserious character, a man whose devotion to the shallowest form of political gamesmanship trumped concern for his country's or his party's interest." ... "It was a final product of the now-exhausted strategy of fomenting fundamentalist resentment to elect politicians dedicated to the defense of Israel and the extension of American military hegemony in every corner of the globe. Palin was the reductio ad absurdum of this mindset: a mannequin candidate, easily controlled ideologically, deployed to fool and corral the resentful and the frightened, removed from serious scrutiny and sold on propaganda networks like a food product." ... "This deluded and delusional woman still doesn't understand what happened to her; still has no self-awareness; and has never been forced to accept her obvious limitations. She cannot keep even the most trivial story straight; she repeats untruths with a ferocity and calm that is reserved only to the clinically unhinged; she has the educational level of a high school drop-out; and regards ignorance as some kind of achievement. It is excruciating to watch her - but more excruciating to watch those who feel obliged to defend her." ... "Her candidacy, in short, was indefensible. It remains indefensible." -By Andrew Sullivan

-TheAtlantic.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alaska Websites

Alaska -NWS.NOAA

Wunderground

State.ak.us
Alaska Legislature:
Gavel to Gavel
via: KTOO PBS/NPR

Alaska Republican Politicians:

Anderson, Tom

Cowdery, John

Kohring, Victor

Kott, Pete

Murkowski, Lisa A

Palin, Sarah

Stevens, Ben

Stevens, Ted

Weyhrauch, Bruce

Young, Don

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<Alaska> in:

<Bartleby.com>

<Britannica.com>

<Encyclopedia.com>

<Infoplease.com>

Alaska News Sources:

Daily News

Not necessarily recommended:

Anchorage, AK

Fairbanks, AK

Haines, AK

Homer, AK

Juneau, AK

Ketchikan, AK

Sit

Kodiak, AK

Nome, AK

Petersburg, AK

Skagway, AK

Wasilla, AK

Anchorage, AK

KTUU 02 NBC

KTVA 11 CBS

KIMO 13 ABC

Juneau, AK
KTOO PBS TV NPR Radio

Search Alaska News:
News Search
<Alaska> in:

<AllTheWeb-[News]>

<AltaVista-[News]>

<Google-[News]>

<MSN-[News]>

Specialty search:

<Google's U.S. "Uncle Sam," .gov and .mil>

Search:
<Alaska News> in:

<Google>

<MSN>

<Yahoo>

Search:
<Alaska State News> in:

<Google>

<MSN>

<Yahoo>

Search:
<Alaska State> in:

<Google>

<MSN>

<Yahoo>

Search:
<AK News> in:

<Google>

<MSN>

<Yahoo>

Alaska
Brought to you by the alphabet letter A
A
;-)

20081027

Ted Stevens

Criminal

Money

Politics

Alaska

VECO

2008 Election

"Sen. Ted Stevens guilty of all 7 felony charges." ... "[Alaska Republican Senator] Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator in history and patriarch of Alaska politics, was convicted Monday of all seven felony charges for making false statements." ... "Shortly before 4 p.m., the jury convicted the 84-year-old senator for making false statements by failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts from Bill Allen, the former head of Veco Corp., and other friends." ... ""This company, the evidence showed, was not a charity," said Matthew Friedrich, assistant attorney general for the criminal division at the Justice Department, referring to Veco Corp." ... "Judge Emmet G. Sullivan deferred sentencing until after Feb. 25, when a hearing is scheduled on further motions. Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count." ... "The jury did not seem to buy the explanation from Stevens that Allen showered him with gifts he didn't want and was unaware of, and that he believed the $160,000 he gave to another contractor covered all costs for the home renovations." -By Manu Raju with contributions by J. Taylor Rushing and Sam Youngman

-TheHill.com

20081025

Sarah Palin

Religious

Video

Kenya

Alaska

2008 Election

"YouTube Videos Draw Attention to Palin’s Faith." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Ms. Palin’s faith has come under scrutiny after two videos taken in her former church surfaced on YouTube and became immediate sensations. The first showed a visiting preacher from Kenya praying fervently over Ms. Palin in a gravelly voice and asking God to favor her campaign for governor and protect her from “every form of witchcraft.”" ... "The second showed Ms. Palin at an event in June praising the African preacher’s prayer as “awesome” and “very, very powerful.” She is also seen nodding as her former pastor from Wasilla prays over her and declares that Alaska is “one of the refuge states in the Last Days,” a piece of prophecy popular in some prayer networks that predicts that as the “end times” approach, people will flock to Alaska for its abundant open space and natural resources." ... " ... Ms. Palin has had long associations with religious leaders who practice a particularly assertive and urgent brand of Pentecostalism known as “spiritual warfare.”" ... "Its adherents believe that demonic forces can colonize specific geographic areas and individuals, and that “spiritual warriors” must “battle” them to assert God’s control, using prayer and evangelism. The movement’s fixation on demons, its aggressiveness and its leaders’ claims to exalted spiritual authority have troubled even some Pentecostal Christians." ... "Bishop Thomas Muthee, the Kenyan preacher shown on the YouTube video anointing her as she ran for governor, is celebrated internationally as an effective spiritual warrior who led a prayer movement that drove a witch out of his town in Kenya." ... "Critics say the goal of the spiritual warfare movement is to create a theocracy. Bruce Wilson, a researcher for Talk2Action, a Web site that tracks religious groups, said: “One of the imperatives of the movement is to achieve worldly power, including political control. Then you can more effectively drive out the demons. The ultimate goal is to purify the earth.”" (1, 2) -By Laurie Goodstein

-NYTimes

Search Youtube videos: <Palin Church>

Search Youtube videos: <Palin witch-hunter>

Search Youtube videos: <Palin witchcraft>

20081022

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Fashion

Money

Alaska

2008 Election

Working

People

Health Care

"Palin Clothes Spending Has Dems Salivating, Republicans Silent." ... "Since her selection as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's running mate, the Republican National Committee spent more than $150,000 on clothing and make-up for [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska] Gov. Sarah Palin, her husband, and even her infant son, Politico reported on Tuesday evening." ... "Palin, in the end, had received the equivalent of $2,500 in clothes per day." ... "During a week in which the Republican ticket is trying to highlight its connection to the working class - and, by extension, promoting its newest campaign tool, Joe the Plumber - it was revealed that Palin's fashion budget for several weeks was more than four times the median salary of an American plumber ($37,514). To put it another way: Palin received more valuable clothes in one month than the average American household spends on clothes in 80 years. A Democrat put it in even blunter terms: her clothes were the cost of health care for 15 or so people." -By Sam Stein

-HuffingtonPost.com

20081015

Sarah Palin

Russia

Alaska

Energy

Markets

2008 Election

"Palin unaware of Russian energy meeting in Alaska." ... "The campaign of [Republican] vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said the Alaska governor was unaware of a visit by Russian energy officials to Anchorage [Alaska] on Monday." ... "Eight high-level officials from Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy conglomerate, traveled to Anchorage earlier this week to meet with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and the chief executive of ConocoPhillips to discuss energy projects and the possibility of expanding into new markets." ... "But the campaign said the governor did not know that the Gazprom delegation was meeting with the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, who is a Palin appointee." -By Peter Hamby

-CNN

20081009

Noteworthy

Sarah Palin

Military

Terrorism

Alaska

Federal

Oil

Land

Money

Politics

International

Law

2008 Election

"Alaskan Independence Party: The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin, it could be argued, following her own logic, thinks so little of America's perfection that she continues to "pal around" with a man--her husband, actually--who only recently terminated his seven-year membership in the Alaskan Independence Party. Putting plunder above patriotism, the members of this treasonous cabal aim to break our country into pieces and walk away with Alaska's rich federal oil fields and one-fifth of America's land base--an area three-fourths the size of the Civil War Confederacy." ... "AIP's charter commits the party "to the ultimate independence of Alaska," from the United States which it refers to as "the colonial bureaucracy in Washington." It proclaims Alaska's 1959 induction as a state "as illegal and in violation of the United Nations charter and international law."" ... "AIP's creation was inspired by the rabidly violent anti-Americanism of its founding father Joe Vogler, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," reads a favorite Vogler quote on AIP's current website, "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Alaska, says current Chairwoman Lynette Clark, "should be an independent nation."" ... "Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad. The prior year, he had renounced his allegiance to the United States explaining that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government." He cursed the stars and stripes, promising, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." Palin has never denounced Vogler or his detestable anti-Americanism." ... "Palin's husband Todd remained an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002. Sarah can be described in McCarthy-era palaver as a "fellow traveler." While retaining her Republican registration, she attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska. The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 convention and she recorded a video greeting for this year's 2008 convention." -By Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

-HuffingtonPost.com

20081007

Sarah Palin

Terrorism

Politics

Alaska

Iran

History

Federal

Law

Enforcement

Earth

Environment

2008 Election

"The Palins' un-American activities." ... ""My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."" ... "The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah] Palin, that's the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd [Palin], belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")" ... "AIP chairwoman Lynette Clark told me recently that Sarah Palin is her kind of gal. "She's Alaskan to the bone ... she sounds just like Joe Vogler."" ... "So who are these America-haters that the Palins are pallin' around with?" ... "Before his strange murder in 1993, party founder Vogler preached armed insurrection against the United States of America. Vogler, who always carried a Magnum with him, was fond of saying, "When the [federal] bureaucrats come after me, I suggest they wear red coats. They make better targets. In the federal government are the biggest liars in the United States, and I hate them with a passion. They think they own [Alaska]. There comes a time when people will choose to die with honor rather than live with dishonor. That time may be coming here. Our goal is ultimate independence by peaceful means under a minimal government fully responsive to the people. I hope we don't have to take human life, but if they go on tramping on our property rights, look out, we're ready to die."" ... "This quote is from "Coming Into the Country," by John McPhee, who traipsed around Alaska's remote gold mining country with Vogler for his 1991 book. The violent-tempered secessionist vowed to McPhee that if any federal official tried to stop him from polluting Alaska's rivers with his earth-moving equipment, he would "run over him with a Cat and turn mosquitoes loose on him while he dies."" ... "Vogler's greatest moment of glory was to be his 1993 appearance before the United Nations to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand Alaska's freedom. The Alaska secessionist had persuaded the government of Iran to sponsor his anti-American harangue." ... "That's right ... Iran. The Islamic dictatorship. The taker of American hostages." ... "AIP leaders allege that Vogler, who was murdered that year by a fellow secessionist, was taken out by powerful forces in the U.S. before he could reach his U.N. platform." -By David Talbot

-Salon

20080925

Sarah Palin

Politics

2008 Election

Alaska

Kenya

"Palin once blessed to be free from 'witchcraft'." ... "A grainy YouTube video surfaced Wednesday showing Sarah Palin being blessed in her hometown church three years ago by a Kenyan pastor who prayed for her protection from "witchcraft" as she prepared to seek higher office." ... "The video shows Palin standing before Bishop Thomas Muthee in the pulpit of the Wasilla Assembly of God church, holding her hands open as he asked Jesus Christ to keep her safe from "every form of witchcraft."" ... "Pentecostals are conservative in their reading of the Bible. Unlike most other Christians — including most evangelicals — Pentecostals believe in "baptism in the Holy Spirit." That can manifest itself through speaking in tongues, modern-day prophesy and faith healing, which includes the laying on of hands." ... "The [Reverend] Rev. Zipporah Ndiritu, who studied under Muthee in the Kiambu, Kenya-based Word of Faith Church, said the bishop is revered among evangelicals there. In a phone interview from Mombasa, Kenya, she said church doctrine focuses on ridding the world of demons — and witches." -By Garance Burke

-AP via -Google

WATCH: Republican Palin's church's speaker Reverend Muthee lays hands on Sarah Palin to pray she be kept safe from "every form of witchcraft."
Search: <Palin witch> in <Google> <YouTube>

20080924

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Financial

Crisis

Politics

Government

Law

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin: US could face another Great Depression." ... "[2008 Election] Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Wednesday that the United States could be headed for another Great Depression if Congress doesn't act on the financial crisis." ... "Asked whether there's a risk of another Great Depression if Congress doesn't approve a $700 billion bailout package, Palin said, "Unfortunately, that is the road that America may find itself on."" ... "Couric pressed Palin on examples of how McCain, a 26-year congressional veteran, had led the charge for more oversight." ... "The Alaska governor cited [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain's warnings about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago as well as image as a maverick. Questioned again for examples, and reminded that McCain had been chairman of the Commerce Committee, Palin said, "I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you."" ... "McCain has insisted Palin is ready to take over as president, but he made no mention of including her in the meetings he wants in Washington to deal with the financial crisis." -By Sara Kugler

-AP via -Yahoo

20080923

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Media

Politics

Commentary

Alaska

2008 Election

"Campbell Brown Rips McCain Camp's "Sexist" Treatment Of Palin." ... "A prominent female news anchor chastised the [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign Tuesday evening for engaging in sexism and insulting behavior in its attempt to shield [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin from members of the press." ... "In a fiery commentary, Campbell Brown laid into John McCain for casting a "chauvinistic chain" that ran over his running mate. Punctuated by a call to "Free Sarah Palin," the CNN anchor highlighted the attempt Tuesday by the McCain campaign to ban editorial reporters from covering Palin's visit with world leaders at the UN, as yet another gender-demeaning move in a campaign highlighted by sexist behavior." ... ""[Campbell Brown:] "Tonight I call on the McCain campaign to stop treating Sarah Palin like she is a delicate flower that will wilt at any moment," said Brown. "This woman is from Alaska for crying out loud. She is strong. She is tough. She is confident. And you claim she is ready to be one heart beat away form the presidency. If that is the case, then end this chauvinistic treatment of her now. Allow her to show her stuff. Allow her to face down those pesky reporters... Let her have a real news conference with real questions. By treating Sarah Palin different from the other candidates in this race, you are not showing her the respect she deserves. Free Sarah Palin. Free her from the chauvinistic chain you are binding her with. Sexism in this campaign must come to an end. Sarah Palin has just as much a right to be a real candidate in this race as the men do. So let her act like one."" -By Sam Stein

-HuffingtonPost.com

WATCH: Female news anchor tell Republican McCain camp to end its "sexist" treatment of Republican Sarah Palin and "Free Sarah Palin"

20080921

Sarah Palin

McCain

Investigation

Politics

Law

Alaska

Virginia

New York

2008 Election

"Alaskans angered that Palin is off-limits: Queries are directed through the [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign machine. Her political capital at home is eroding." ... "Jerry McCutcheon went to [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin's office here last week to request information about the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, the scandal that for weeks has threatened to overshadow the governor's role as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate." ... "McCutcheon was given a phone number in Virginia to call: the national headquarters of the McCain-Palin campaign." ... "Why, he wanted to know, did he have to call a campaign office 4,300 miles away to find out what was going on in Alaska government?" ... ""Why did the McCain campaign take over the governor's office?" the Anchorage Daily News demanded in an editorial Saturday. "Is it too much to ask that Alaska's governor speak for herself, directly to Alaskans, about her actions as Alaska's governor?"" ... "The biggest controversy came Tuesday, when the McCain-Palin campaign called a news conference to dispute the claim that Monegan was dismissed for refusing to fire the trooper." ... "Edward O'Callaghan, who until recently was co-chief of the terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. [United States] attorney's office in New York, and a former Palin spokeswoman now working for the national campaign, accused Monegan of a "rogue mentality" and "outright insubordination." They said he had flown to Washington, D.C., without Palin's approval to lobby for more police funding." ... "Democratic leaders, incensed that outsiders were attacking a respected former state official, produced a travel document Friday showing that in fact Monegan had a signed authorization from the governor's chief of staff before making what the Palin camp had called an "unauthorized" lobbying trip." ... ""I don't know why they're trying to paint this [legislative investigation] as a Democratic partisan attack," said state Sen. Wielechowski. "The thing I constantly remind people of is: Democrats didn't push this. You know who pushed it? It was the Republicans. This is the thing people conveniently forget now. There were no Democrats out there screaming for an investigation."" (1, 2) -By Kim Murphy

-LAtimes

Sarah Palin

Crime

Women

Medical

DNA

Law

Politics

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin's town charged women for rape exams." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of] Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's hometown required women to pay for their own rape examinations while she was mayor, a practice her police chief fought to keep as late as 2000." ... "Former state [Alaska State Democratic Representative] Rep. Eric Croft, a Democrat, sponsored a state law requiring cities to provide the examinations free of charge to victims. He said the only ongoing resistance he met was from Wasilla [Alaska], where Palin was mayor from 1996 to 2002." ... ""It was one of those things everyone could agree on except Wasilla," Croft told CNN. "We couldn't convince the chief of police to stop charging them."" ... "Alaska's Legislature in 2000 banned the practice of charging women for rape exam kits -- which experts said could cost up to $1,000." ... "For years, Alaska has had the worst record of any state in rape and in murder of women by men. The rape rate in Alaska is 2.5 times the national average." ... "The bill, HB270, was before the legislature for six months. In testimony, one expert called the practice of billing the victim "incomprehensible." Others compared it to "dust[ing] for fingerprints" after a burglary, only "the victim's body is the crime scene."" ... "During a rape exam, the victim removes her clothing and a medical professional gathers DNA evidence from her body. There is also a medical component to assess her injuries." ... "[Tara] Henry, the forensic nurse, said charging victims "retraumatizes them."" ... ""Asking them to pay for something law enforcement needs in order to investigate their case, it's almost like blaming them for getting sexually assaulted," she said." -By Jessica Yellin

-CNN

20080918

Sarah Palin

Chuck Hagel

John McCain

Nebraska

Alaska

International

Russia

2008 Election

"[Republican Senator] Sen. Hagel doubts Palin's ready." ... "[Nebraska Republican Senator] Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is the nation's most prominent Republican officeholder to publicly question whether Sarah Palin has the experience to serve as president." ... ""She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials," Hagel said Wednesday in an interview. "You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything."" ... "Palin was elected governor of Alaska in 2006 and before that was the mayor of a small town." ... "The McCain campaign has cited the proximity of Alaska to Russia as evidence of her international experience." ... "Hagel scoffed at that notion." ... ""I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia,'" he said. "That kind of thing is insulting to the American people."" ... ""I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States," Hagel said." -By Joseph Morton

-World-Herald

20080916

Sarah Palin

Don Young

Money

Politics

Federal

Transportation

Construction

Animals

Environment

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin supports $600 million 'other' bridge project." ... "[Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin may eventually have said "no thanks" to a federally funded Bridge to Nowhere [after supporting it even after Congress had stopped it]." ... "But a bridge to her hometown of Wasilla [Alaska], that's a different story." ... "A $600 million bridge and highway project to link Alaska's largest city to Palin's town of 7,000 residents is moving full speed ahead, despite concerns the bridge could worsen some commuting and threaten a population of beluga whales." ... "Local officials already have spent $42 million on plans to route traffic across the Knik Arm inlet, a narrow finger of water extending roughly 25 miles northeast of Anchorage toward Wasilla. The proposal exists thanks to an earmark request by Republican [Alaska Representative] Rep. Don Young, whose son-in-law has a small stake in property near the bridge's proposed western span." ... ""This is basically an incredibly expensive project that doesn't help commuters, doesn't help create jobs and may drive whales to extinction," said Justin Massey, an attorney advising environmentalists opposed to the proposal. "It is also a project that serves the area where the governor is from, which is near and dear to her heart."" ... "Palin still supports the second bridge, officially named Don Young's Way in honor of the congressman." -By Garance Burke

-AP via -Yahoo

Sarah Palin

Criminal

Money

Politics

Women

Children

Law

Federal

Alaska

2008 Election

"Source: Sex Assault Program Cited in Monegan Firing Targeted Child Abusers." ... "So [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Sarah Palin's latest explanation for why she fired Walt Monegan is that he had gone over her head in seeking federal money for an initiative to combat sexual assault crimes, before she had approved the program." ... "But it now appears that the program in question is one that most elected officials would be wary of admitting they hadn't strongly backed. According to Peggy Brown, who heads the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Monegan wanted to use the federal money to hire retired troopers and law enforcement officials, and assign them to investigate the most egregious cases of sexual assault -- including those against children." ... "In other words, if Palin's new story is true, she fired Monegan for being too aggressive in going after child molesters." ... "ABC News reported yesterday that, although Alaska leads the nation in reported rapes per capita, Palin hasn't made the issue a priority as governor." ... "Monegan, however, appeared eager to change that. "He seemed to get the issue and really took it seriously," Brown told TPMmuckraker." ... "According to the Palin camp, too seriously." -By Zachary Roth

-TPMMuckracker .TalkingPointsMemo

20080915

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Investigation

Politics

Alaska

2008 Election

"Fired Official: Governor Sarah Palin Did Not Tell the Truth to ABC: Walt Monegan Says He Was Called to [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov.'s Office Over a "Private Family Matter"." ... ""She's not telling the truth when she told ABC neither she nor her husband pressured me to fire Trooper Wooten," said Walt Monegan, the Alaskan official whose dismissal by Sarah Palin is the focus of a state investigation known as "Troopergate". "And she's not telling the truth to the media about her reasons for firing me."" ... "In a 20/20 interview, Palin told ABC's Charles Gibson she dismissed Monegan for poor job performance and that neither she nor her husband pressured Monegan to fire State Trooper Wooten. "We never did. I never pressured him to hire or fire anybody," Palin said." ... "But Monegan told ABC News.com he was summoned to a meeting with Todd Palin in December 2006, shortly after Sarah Palin became governor." ... ""I was called to her Anchorage formal Governor's office to talk with Todd Palin about an issue that was a private family matter," recounted Monegan. Todd became "upset," Monegan recalled, when told the allegations had already been investigated and the case would not be re-opened." ... ""When Sarah later called to tell me the same thing, I thought to myself, 'I may not be long for this job.'" But, Monegan said, he stood by his position. "I held the public trust. As Chief, I was responsible."" ... "Governor Palin initially agreed to "cooperate fully" with the Alaska state legislative investigation but since being chosen as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's running mate both she and her husband have refused to testify voluntarily." (1, 2, 3) -By Rhonda Schwartz and Justin Rood

-ABCNEWS.com

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Federal

Money

Politics

Immigration

Religion

Alaska

Russia

Iraq

Military

2008 Election

"John McCain's Journey From Maverick to Liar." ... "When Jon Stewart asked [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain last year, "Are you going into crazy base world?" the celebrated maverick acknowledged, "I'm afraid so."" ... "McCain flip-flopped on the [Republican President] Bush tax cuts. He abandoned immigration reform. He reached out to Jerry Falwell and other religious conservatives." ... "It wasn't enough. And so, in a move that even one of his longtime advisers conceded (in a remark captured by an open microphone) was disturbingly "cynical," McCain gave the base [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin." ... "So far, the main "maverick" actions that McCain has promised as the next Republican president are to trim nonmilitary Democratic spending and continue the Iraq war. You can't get more conventional than that." ... "And even that message has been somewhat undermined by disclosures that Palin was a champion of those costly federal earmark projects she has lobbied for in Alaska—where, you know, you can see Russia." ... "At this point, McCain has taken the obvious way out—launching a series of distracting attacks on [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama, with slim regard for truth." ... "The ads have spurred a backlash, the consequences (or lack) of which may well decide the election." ... "For 18 months, Obama has wagered all his chips on the (quaint? idealistic? brilliant?) idea that the American people are tired of the same old sleazy and divisive politics. McCain has now chosen to bet against him." ... "And we are the cards." -By John Aloysius Farrell

-usnews.com

Barack Obama

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Disaster

Politics

Workers

Colorado

Arizona

Alaska

2008 Election

"Obama blames Wall St. crisis on Republican policy." ... "[Obama on McCain:] "In 19 months he [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain] has not named one thing he would do differently from this [Republican President Bush] administration on the central issue of this election," [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama said of McCain. "Not one thing. And we know that if we go down that path, that the next four years will look exactly like the last eight."" ... ""Can you afford to take a chance on someone who's voted against the minimum wage 19 times," Obama asked a crowd of thousands under a blazing sun at a rally in western Colorado at the start of a swing through contested Western states. "When it was $4, he was against it, when it was $5 he was against it, when it was $6 he was against it."" ... "Charging that McCain was out of touch, Obama said, "He doesn't get what's happening between the mountains in Sedona [Arizona] where he lives and the corridors of power where he works. Why else would he say that we've made great progress economically under George Bush. Why else would he say that the economy isn't something he understands as well as he should." ... ""Why else would he say, today of all days, just a few hours ago — think about this, we just woke up to news of financial disaster — and this morning he said that the fundamentals of the economy are still strong. Sen. McCain, what economy are you talking about?"" ... "He also took a little poke at McCain's running mate, [Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin, raising the "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska that she initially supported and later opposed. Saying that McCain had put some lobbyists in key roles of his campaign, Obama said, "If you think those lobbyists are working day and night for John McCain just to put themselves out of business, well I've got a bridge to sell you up in Alaska."" -By Terence Hunt

-AP via -Yahoo

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Money

Politics

Travel

Family

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin Tax Mystery Enters Second Week: Itemizing The Questions." ... "When news broke last week that [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of] Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin received more than $17,000 in state-issued per diems for evenings spent in her own home, several tax experts and watchdogs asked whether [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's running mate had ever declared and paid taxes on that money as income. Including travel reimbursements for Palin's family members, the Washington Post reported that the total amount of potentially taxable income totals over $60,000 for Palin's first 18 months as governor." -By Seth Colter Walls

-HuffingtonPost.com

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Money

Politics

Federal

Alaska

Oil

2008 Election

"Palin's Project List Totals $453 Million." ... "Last week, [2008 Election] Republican presidential candidate [and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain said his running mate, Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin, hadn't sought earmarks or special-interest spending from Congress, presenting her as a fiscal conservative. But state records show Gov. Palin has asked U.S. [United States] taxpayers to fund $453 million in specific Alaska projects over the past two years." ... "These projects include more than $130 million in federal funds that would benefit Alaska's fishing industry and an additional $9 million to help Alaska oil companies. She also has sought $4.5 million to upgrade an airport on a Bering Sea island that has a year-round population of less than 100." ... "During an appearance Friday on ABC's "The View," Sen. McCain said Gov. Palin shared his views, and hasn't sought congressional earmarks. "Not as governor she hasn't," he said." ... "In fact, in the current fiscal year, she is seeking $197 million for 31 projects, the records show. In the prior year, her first year in office, she sought $256 million for dozens more projects ranging from research on rockfish and harbor-seal genetics to rural sanitation and obesity prevention." ... "The state's earmark requests stand out in part because its state government is among the wealthiest in the U.S. Flush with oil and gas royalties, it doesn't impose income or sales taxes. In fact, money flows the other way: Every man, woman and child this year got a check for $3,200." ... "The McCain campaign has also come under fire for saying on the stump and in TV ads that Gov. Palin killed the controversial "Bridge to Nowhere," a $223 million earmark linking the mainland to a sparsely populated island. In fact, she supported the project initially and killed it after it was widely criticized and Congress allowed the state to use the funds for other projects." -By Laura Meckler and John R. Wilke

-WSJ.com

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Criminal

Politics

Women

Children

Safety

Law

Money

Religion

Alaska

2008 Election

"Critics Question Palin's Record on "Epidemic" Rape, Domestic Violence in Alaska: Effort to Tackle Sex Violence Stalled by [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin's Office, Sources Say." ... "Evangelicals and social conservatives have embraced [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain's vice presidential pick for what they call her "pro-family," "pro-woman" values. But in Alaska, critics say [Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin has not addressed the rampant sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence and murder that make her state one of the most dangerous places in the country for women and children." ... "Alaska leads the nation in reported forcible rapes per capita, according to the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation], with a rate two and a half times the national average – a ranking it has held for many years. Children are no safer: Public safety experts believe that the prevalence of rape and sexual assault of minors in Alaska makes the state's record one of the worst in the U.S. [United States] And while solid statistics on domestic violence are hard to come by, most – including Gov. Palin – agree it is an "epidemic."" ... "Despite the governor's pro-family image, public safety experts and advocates for women and children struggled when asked to explain how Palin's leadership has helped address the crisis. And current and former officials from Palin's administration confirmed that an ambitious plan to tackle the crisis has apparently sunk into doldrums after arriving at the governor's office." ... ""She's really done a lot of work on oil and gas, but when it comes to violence against women and children. . . we haven't been on her radar as a priority," said Peggy Brown, executive director of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The Juneau[Alaska's capital]-based group is an umbrella organization for shelters and anti-violence programs around the state." ... "State troopers respond to most domestic violence calls outside of Alaska's major cities, but they're too short-staffed and under-funded to do it well, according to Robert Claus, a recently retired trooper." (1, 2, 3) -By Justin Rood

-ABCNEWS.com

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Health

Alaska

2008 Election

"Sarah Palin Installed Tanning Bed at Governor's Mansion." ... "Self-proclaimed "hockey mom" [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Sarah Palin had a private tanning bed installed in the Governor's Mansion in Juneau, Alaska, Usmagazine.com confirmed on Monday." ... ""She did. She paid for it with her own money," Roger Wetherell, chief communications officer of Alaska's Department of Transportation and Public Facilities told Us." ... "The Narco News Bulletin first reported on the former beauty queen's penchant for a bronzed body." ... "Tanning beds can cost up to $35,000 to install in a home - not including the cost of parts, Color Me Tan manager Erin Weise told the Narco News." ... ""I don't think it's normal for people to have a tanning bed in their house, " Wiese, who is based in Fairbanks [Alaska] said. "It's expensive."" ... "Palin's running mate, [2008 Election Republican] presidential candidate John McCain battled skin cancer in 1993, and again in 2000."

-UsMagazine.com

Sarah Palin

Ohio

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin and the Teleprompter." ... "At a fundraiser in Canton, Ohio, this evening, [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of] Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had an interesting description of her speech to the Republican convention." ... "“There Ohio was right out in front, right in front of me," Palin said. "The teleprompter got messed up, I couldn’t follow it, and I just decided I’d just talk to the people in front of me. It was Ohio.”" ... "This struck many of us -- who, as she spoke, followed along with her prepared remarks, and noted how closely she stuck to the script -- as an unusual claim. (Especially those of my colleagues on the convention floor at the time, reading along on the prompter with her, noticing her excellent and disciplined delivery, how she punched words that were underlined and paused where it said "pause," noting that "nuclear" was spelled out for her phonetically.)" ... "I should note that, after Palin's speech, some conservative bloggers reported that sources close to McCain had told them that the teleprompter had broken and Palin "winged it."" ... ""The teleprompter did not break," wrote Politico's Jonathan Martin. "Sarah Palin delivered a powerful speech last night, but she did not 'wing it'..."" ... "Says Martin, "Perhaps there were moments where it scrolled slightly past her exact point in the speech. But I was sitting in the press section next to the stage, within easy eyeshot of the teleprompter. I frequently looked up at the machine, and there was no serious malfunction. A top convention planner confirms this morning that there were no major problems."" -By Jake Tapper

-ABCNEWS.com

20080914

Sarah Palin

Rove

Abramoff

E-Mail

Secrecy

Government

Archive

Politics

Legal

Investigation

Computer

Internet

Tech

Alaska

2008 Election

"Even before VP nomination, Palin's e-mail use questioned." ... "Moments after [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin's first speech as Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate] John McCain's running mate, she sat with her kids backstage, thumbing one of the two BlackBerrys that are always with her." ... "The tech-savvy governor has one of the devices (which allow users to read and send e-mails) for state business and another for personal matters, but those worlds intertwine." ... "Palin routinely uses a private Yahoo e-mail account to conduct state business. Others in the governor's office sometimes use personal e-mail accounts, too." ... "The practice raises questions about backdoor secrecy in an administration that vowed during the 2006 campaign to be "open and transparent."" ... "Even before the McCain campaign plucked Palin from Alaska, a controversy was brewing over e-mails in the governor's office. Was the administration trying to get around the public records law through broad exemptions or private e-mail accounts?" ... "The governor's Yahoo account is "the most nonsensical, inane thing I've ever heard of," said Andree McLeod, who is appealing the administration's decision to withhold e-mails." ... ""The governor sets the tone and the tone that has been set by this governor is beyond the pale," McLeod said. "Common sense tells you to use an official state e-mail account for official state business."" ... "State lawyers say that the governor's e-mails about public business should be treated like any other public record, even if she's sent them through a private account such as Yahoo." ... "Some of her aides also routinely use Yahoo, but even messages sent from one private account to another should be public, if they concern public business, said Dave Jones, an assistant attorney general." ... ""The difficulty is finding out they exist," Jones said." ... "The [Republican President] Bush administration has drawn heat over revelations that more than 80 White House aides, including senior Bush adviser Karl Rove, used private GOP e-mail servers for government business. The controversy surfaced during congressional investigations into White House contacts with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and into the firings of U.S. attorneys." -By Lisa Demer

-ADN.com via -McClatchyDC.com

Sarah Palin

E-Mails

Archive

Politics

Legal

Investigation

Family

Privacy

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin asked to release her husband's e-mails." ... "Can [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin legally keep e-mails between her husband and her administration from being released to the public?" ... "That's the question the lawyer of Andree McLeod, a self-described Republican watchdog, put to the governor last week in an appeal to disclose e-mails between her administration and her husband, Todd." ... "Those e-mails could shed light on how Gov. Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, runs the state. And they could also help reveal what role Todd Palin, who the state Legislature's special investigator called a "central figure" in the governor's firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, played in his wife's administration." ... "In July, the governor's office refused to disclose the contents of about 40 e-mails between Todd Palin and Gov. Palin's administration as part of a larger public records request by McLeod. Other e-mails between Todd Palin and the governor's staff were released, McLeod said, but had some parts redacted. Todd Palin is copied as a recipient on most of the e-mails but also authored a few." ... "Some of the subject lines of the withheld e-mails, which were created between [February] Feb. 1 and [April] Apr. 15. of this year, included: "Andrew Halcro," and "PSEA." Halcro is a political rival of Palin. The PSEA is the union that represents the Alaska State Troopers, including trooper Mike Wooten, who is divorced from Gov. Palin's sister and is also a key figure in the investigation of Monegan's firing." ... "In redacting or denying the request for e-mails, the governor's office mostly cited Gov. Palin's right to a "deliberative process privilege," a law designed to let public officials receive candid advice from their staff and consultants regarding matters of the state without fear of that advice going public." ... "But McLeod's lawyer, Donald Mitchell, said Gov. Palin waived that privilege when Todd Palin was included in her staff's e-mails. Documents released to one member of the public have to be available to all members of the public, he said." ... ""Mr. Palin is a private citizens whose only connection to the office of the governor is that, at your invitation, he from time to time is physically present in the offices of ... the governor for no reason other than that he is your spouse," Mitchell wrote in his appeal directly to the governor." ... "Those who pay attention to Alaska's public records laws said Mitchell's legal argument holds water." ... "Larry Persily, a former Empire editor who recently finished working for Gov. Palin in Washington D.C., said he would bet his Alaska Permanent Fund dividend that a judge would agree with him that Gov. Palin has no claims to the deliberative process privilege once her administration's e-mail discussions include her husband." ... ""The dike has got a hole in it, it's over," Persily said. " -By Alan Suderman

-JuneauEmpire.com

20080913

Sarah Palin

Ted Stevens

Don Young

Money

Politics

Federal

Transportation

Construction

Architecture

Alaska

Nevada

2008 Election

"Palin Administration Still Pursuing ‘Nowhere’ Project." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of] Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has portrayed herself as a foe of pork-barrel spending, pointing in particular to her role in killing the $398 million "Bridge to Nowhere” between Ketchikan (pop. 7,400) and its airport on Gravina Island (pop. 50). I "told the Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks,'" she said in her speech accepting the Republican vice presidential nomination. "If our state wanted to build a bridge, we were going to build it ourselves."" ... "But Gov. Palin’s administration acknowledges that it is still pursuing a project that would link Ketchikan to its airport -- with the help of as much as $73 million in federal funds earmarked by Congress for the original project." ... ""What the media isn't reporting is that the project isn't dead," Roger Wetherell, spokesman for Alaska’s Department of Transportation, said. In a process begun this past winter, the state’s DOT is currently considering (PDF) a number of alternative solutions (five other possible bridges or three different ferry routes) to link Ketchikan and Gravina Island." ... "The DOT has not yet developed cost estimates for those proposals, Wetherell said, but $73 million of the approximately $223 million [Alaska Republican Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK [Republican-Alaska]) and [Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young (R-AK [Republican-Alaska]) earmarked for the bridge in 2005 has been set aside for the Gravina Access Project." ... "In an interview that aired Friday night, ABC’s Charles Gibson challenged Palin about the fact that she’d initially supported the “Bridge to Nowhere” during her 2006 run for governor. “I was for infrastructure being built in the state,” she said, but repeated her line that Alaska would “find a way to build [the bridge] ourselves."” ... "The massive $398 million "Bridge to Nowhere" was to replace ferry service from the airport to Ketchikan (departing every half-hour), a 15-minute ride -- meaning that air travelers are assured of reaching Ketchikan in no more than 45 minutes. It would have done so in grand style: the planned structure would have been nearly as long as the Golden Gate and higher than the Brooklyn Bridge." -By Paul Kiel

-ProPublica.org

Sarah Palin

Money

Politics

Federal

Transportation

Construction

Alaska

Nevada

2008 Election

"Palin's 'Bridge to Nowhere' line returns." ... "In her first solo campaign rally outside of Alaska, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin drew an enthusiastic crowd at the Pony Express Pavilion [Carson City, Nevada] Saturday and returned to a familiar refrain about the “Bridge to Nowhere.”" ... "Palin has come under fire in recent days for misleadingly saying she told Congress “thanks but no thanks,” refusing an earmark for a bridge to a sparsely inhabited island in her home state. Independent groups and media fact-checkers have said Palin advocated for the federal earmark before opposing it, only ended after Congress had essentially killed it, and kept the $223 million for the appropriation after the project was killed." ... "She reiterated a line that she put the governor’s luxury jet on eBay. While accurate, the jet wasn’t sold on eBay." ... "Nevada [Lieutenant Governor] Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki said on stage that 10,000 people were in the crowd, but parks officials said the pavilion held only 3,500 people." -By Matthew E. Berger with contributions by Mark Murray

-MSNBC

20080911

Sarah Palin

Criminal

Money

Politics

Medical

Law

Alaska

2008 Election

"New Evidence: Palin Had Direct Role In Charging Rape Victims For Exams." ... "Despite denials by the [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin campaign, new evidence proves that as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin had a direct hand in imposing fees to pay for post-sexual assault medical exams conducted by the city to gather evidence." ... "Palin's role is now confirmed by Wasilla City budget documents available online." ... "Under Sarah Palin's administration, Wasilla cut funds that had previously paid for the medical exams and began charging victims or their health insurers the $500 to $1200 fees. Although Palin spokeswoman Maria Comella wrote USA Today earlier this week that the GOP vice presidential nominee "does not believe, nor has she ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test...To suggest otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of her commitment to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice," Palin, as mayor, fired police chief Irl Stambaugh and replaced him with Charlie Fannon, who with Palin's knowledge, slashed the budget for the exams and began charging the city's victims of sexual assault. The city budget documents demonstrate Palin read and signed off on the new budget. A year later, alarmed Alaska lawmakers passed legislation outlawing the practice." ... "News of the controversial policy has leaked slowly into the press this week as the presidential campaign has heated up and Palin's record has been subject to increasing scrutiny. The practice of charging rape victims has called into question Palin's stated commitment to women's issues, her judgment as an executive and her honesty about her record. " -By Jacob Alperin-Sheriff

-HuffingtonPost.com

20080910

Sarah Palin

Money

Politics

Children

Travel

Meals

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin expensed her children's air travel to the state." ... "Since [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin took office nearly two years ago, the state of Alaska has routinely bought commercial airline tickets for her daughters when they travel with her, a practice that raises questions about the governor's claim to being a fiscal conservative." ... "Travel records from the governor's office show that the state has spent at least $31,800 on dozens of airline tickets for the family, and more for meals and hotels." ... "Records show the family has traveled with Palin for events such as the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in Fairbanks [Alaska] last fall and to shoot official first family photos in Juneau [Alaska's capital], to draw raffle tickets at an event in Anchorage [Alaska] and to tour a teen center spearheaded by the Juneau Christian Center. " -By Kyle Hopkins

-ADN.com via -McClatchyDC.com

20080909

Sarah Palin

Money

Politics

Travel

Food

Family

Sports

Entertainment

Alaska

New York

2008 Election

"Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home: Taxpayers Also Funded Family's Travel." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Governor of] 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." ... "The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife." ... "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." ... "She wrote some form of "Lodging -- own residence" or "Lodging -- Wasilla residence" more than 30 times at the same time she took a per diem, according to the reports. In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem." ... "Palin charged the state a per diem for working on Nov. 22, 2007 -- Thanksgiving Day. The reason given, according to the expense report, was the Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA college basketball tournament held in Anchorage." ... "In separate filings, the state was billed about $25,000 for Palin's daughters' expenses and $19,000 for her husband's." ... "One event was in New York City in October 2007, when Bristol accompanied the governor to Newsweek's third annual Women and Leadership Conference, toured the New York Stock Exchange and met local officials and business executives. The state paid for three nights in a $707-a-day hotel room." ... "The family also charged for flights around the state, including trips to Alaska events such as the start of the Iditarod dog-sled race and the Iron Dog snowmobile race, a contest that Todd Palin won." (1, 2, 3) -By James V. Grimaldi and Karl Vick with contribution by Alice Crites

-WashingtonPost

20080908

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Housing

Market

Government

Alaska

Colorado

2008 Election

"Palin Makes Her First Gaffe." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin made her first potentially major gaffe during her time on the national scene while discussing the developments of the perilous housing market this past weekend." ... "Speaking before voters in Colorado Springs [Colorado], the Republican vice presidential nominee claimed that lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." The companies, as McClatchy reported, "aren't taxpayer funded but operate as private companies. The takeover may result in a taxpayer bailout during reorganization."" ... "Economists and analysts pounced on the misstatement, which came before the government had spent funds bailing the two entities out, saying it demonstrated a lack of understanding about one of the key economic issues likely to face the next administration." ... ""You would like to think that someone who is going to be vice president and conceivable president would know what Fannie and Freddie do," said Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. "These are huge institutions and they are absolutely central to our country's mortgage debt. To not have a clue what they do doesn't speak well for her, I'd say."

" -By Sam Stein

-HuffingtonPost.com

WATCH: Palin falsely asserted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are "too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." John McCain applauded the false assertion.

20080906

Sarah Palin

Money

Politics

Sports

Roads

Construction

Land

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin's Hockey Rink Leads To Legal Trouble in Town She Led." ... "The biggest project that [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Sarah Palin undertook as mayor of this small town [Wasilla, Alaska] was an indoor sports complex, where locals played hockey, soccer, and basketball, especially during the long, dark Alaskan winters." ... "The only catch was that the city began building roads and installing utilities for the project before it had unchallenged title to the land. The misstep led to years of litigation and at least $1.3 million in extra costs for a small municipality with a small budget. What was to be Ms. Palin's legacy has turned into a financial mess that continues to plague Wasilla." ... ""It's too bad that the city of Wasilla didn't do their homework and secure the land before they began construction," said Kathy Wells, a longtime activist here. "She was not your ceremonial mayor; she was in charge of running the city. So it was her job to make sure things were done correctly."" ... "Litigation resulting from the dispute over Ms. Palin's sports-complex project is still in the courts, with the land's former owner seeking hundreds of thousands of additional dollars from the city." -By Michael M. Phillips

-WSJ.com

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Lawyers

Politics

Investigation

Alaska

2008 Election

"Obstruction." ... "Newsweek: [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain camp and its Alaska allies move to shut down trooper-gate probe." ... "Within days of [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin's selection, at least seven of her aides and associates, who had previously agreed to cooperate with the trooper-gate investigation, informed investigator Steve Branchflower that they were now no longer willing to be deposed. Note too that this was immediately after the McCain team deployed what George Stephanopoulos reported was a "rapid response team of about ten operatives that includes lawyers" to the state." ... "So the question is: what contact did representatives of the McCain campaign have with these aides that had agreed to testify but within days of her selection took back their pledge and are now refusing to cooperate?" -By Josh Marshall

.TalkingPointsMemo

20080905

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Law

Politics

Investigation

Alaska

2008 Election

"Team McCain and the Trooper: Nominee's ally moves to curb probe of Palin." ... "Key Alaska allies of [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain are trying to derail a politically charged investigation into [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner in order to prevent a so-called "October surprise" that would produce embarrassing information about the vice presidential candidate on the eve of the election." ... "In a move endorsed by the McCain campaign Friday, John Coghill, the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican chairman of the state House Rules Committee, wrote a letter seeking a meeting of Alaska's bipartisan Legislative Council in order to remove the Democratic state senator in charge of the so-called "troopergate" investigation." ... "The move underscored the huge political stakes in the outcome of a legislative investigation that is being closely monitored by both the McCain and Obama campaigns because of its potential impact on the fall election. "How can this possibly be read as anything but a partisan attempt to shut down a legitimate investigation that was approved and funded with bipartisan support?" said one state Democratic legislative aide, who asked not to be identified because of the political sensitivities. Coghill told NEWSWEEK that he decided to write his letter to strip French of his position on his own-without any coaxing by McCain campaign officials." ... "But a top McCain campaign official acknowledged that the GOP lawyer had given the campaign a "heads up" about his letter and that the McCain campaign approved of the effort to remove French." ... "One major reason the probe is so sensitive is that it raises the prospect that Governor Palin's credibility could be called into a question in a major state probe on the eve of the election. When the "troopergate" story broke over the summer, Palin adamantly denied that anybody in her administration exerted any pressure on Monegan to fire Wooten. But only weeks later, a tape recording surfaced in which another one of her top aides, Frank Bailey, was heard telling a police lieutenant, "Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, 'Why on earth hasn't this, why is this guy [Wooten] still representing the department?'" ... "... Bailey also confirmed ... that Palin had herself raised Wooten's name with the state police during her first security briefing after she won election as governor in November 2006." (1, 2, 3) -By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball

-Newsweek

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Money

Politics

Accounting

Alaska

Wisconsin

2008 Election

"Plane Not Sold on eBay." ... "One of the compelling anecdotes about [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin is that she auctioned off the Alaska governor's jet on eBay after taking office -- a swift move made by a reformer hoping to clean up the excesses of her predecessor." ... "But in fact, the jet did not sell on eBay. It was sold to a businessman from Valdez named Larry Reynolds, who paid $2.1 million for the jet, shy of the original $2.7 million purchase price, according to contemporaneous news reports, including a story in the New York Times." ... "Dan Spencer, the director of administrative services for Alaska's Public Safety Department, said that the Republican speaker of the Alaska House, John L. Harris, brokered the deal. Reynolds made campaign contributions to both Palin and Harris in 2006 and 2007." ... "But that hasn't stopped Palin, or John McCain, from implying -- and, on Friday, claiming outright -- that Palin did sell the jet on the Internet." ... ""You know what I enjoyed the most? She took the luxury jet that was acquired by her predecessor and sold it on eBay -- and made a profit!" [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain declared in Wisconsin at a campaign stop on Friday." -By Anne E. Kornblut

-WashingtonPost

20080904

Sarah Palin

Law

Politics

Alaska

2008 Election

"Fired Alaskan Official Says Palin Hasn't Been Truthful: Monegan Says He Was Fired For His Refusal to Fire Governor's Former Brother-In-Law." ... "The fired Alaskan official, whose dismissal has become the subject of a state senate committee's investigation of [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin, has told ABC News that she has not been entirely truthful on the matter." ... "In a telephone interview Wednesday, Walt Monegan, the former Alaskan Public Safety Commissioner, said he was dismissed because he refused to fire the Governor's former brother-in-law, a state trooper." ... ""I believe I was fired because of, primarily the reason of her former brother-in-law," Monegan said. "I think that my unwillingness to take special action against her former brother-in-law was not well received."" ... "Monegan says he believes that the Governor has not told the truth about what happened." ... ""I think there are some questions now that, coming to light about how transparent and how honest she wants to be," Monegan said." ... "The allegation against the Governor, which she denies, is that she wanted her former brother-in-law fired and pushed the Monegan to do it." (1, 2, 3) -By Brian Ross, Joseph Rhee, and Len Tepper

-ABCNEWS.com

Sarah Palin

Money

Politics

Federal

Transportation

Construction

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin Also Supported The "Road To Nowhere" (And May Still)." ... "While a debate rages over how honest [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin has been in stating her opposition to the infamous Bridge To Nowhere, another massive, widely-criticized transportation project is lingering in Alaska." ... "The "Road To Nowhere" is a $375 million "mega-project" designed to connect Juneau [Alaska's capital] to the [Alaskan] towns of Haines and Skagway via 50 miles of new road along the steep slopes of an avalanche-battered canal, ending at a ferry terminal at the Haines river." ... "As of 2005, Haines had a population of 2,400, while Skagway had 870 residents." ... "According to the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project, a group promoting "sensible transportation systems in the state," the Road to Nowhere is an irresponsible waste. The project has received more than $100 million in federal and state funding. This includes a $15 million dollar federal earmark and approximately $24 million in federal dollars passed through to the state. But it remains far from completion - hampered by opposition, environmental and safety concerns, and general wariness over its utility." ... "Palin has been anything but a steady fiscal hawk on the matter. The Governor came into office saying she supported the road, which was started under her predecessor Frank Murkowski. In an October 2006 questionnaire by Anchorage Daily News, she simply wrote "Yes" when asked "Do you support building a road from Juneau to Skagway?"" -By Sam Stein

-HuffingtonPost.com

Sarah Palin

Legal

Politics

Workers

Privacy

Alaska

2008 Election

"Alaska police union files complaint against Palin." ... "The GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republicans] candidate for [2008 Election Republican] vice president, [Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin, may be facing yet another ethics investigation back in her home state of Alaska. An ethics complaint obtained by NBC News [PDF] was filed Wednesday by the police officers union in Alaska, requesting a probe into possible wrongdoing by the governor or her office. It was brought on behalf of state trooper Mike Wooten, an ex-brother-in-law of Palin who is at the center of the "Troopergate" scandal." ... "The complaint alleges that the governor or her staff may have have improperly disclosed information from Wooten's personnel records. The complaint alleges "criminal penalties may apply."" ... "John Cyr, director of the union that filed the complaint, told NBC News, "It seems obvious to us somebody has improperly accessed [Wooten's] personnel file."" -By Aram Roston and Amna Nawaz

-MSNBC

Sarah Palin

Police

Workers

Privacy

Politics

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin aides peeked into trooper's files, union says." ... "Aides to Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin improperly obtained her former brother-in-law's state police personnel files and cited information from those records to raise complaints about the officer, the head of Alaska's state police union said Thursday." ... ""It's apparent to us that the governor or someone on her staff had direct access to his personnel file, as well as his workers' comp file, and those are protected," said John Cyr, executive director of the Alaska Public Safety Employees Association." ... "Palin, now the Republican nominee for [2008 Election] vice president, is battling allegations that she sacked her public safety commissioner in July because he refused to fire Trooper Mike Wooten, her sister's ex-husband. But a spokesman for GOP presidential candidate John McCain's campaign released documents late Thursday indicating Wooten signed a waiver during his divorce that allowed his entire personnel file to be released." ... "In an ethics complaint filed Wednesday, the union names the governor and three aides, one of whom cited Wooten's records in a tape-recorded call to a state police lieutenant in February. And the former commissioner, Walt Monegan, said he believes his refusal to fire Wooten led to his firing." ... "In the February 29 call by Frank Bailey, Palin's boards and commissions director, to state police Lt. Rodney Dial, Bailey complained there had been "absolutely no action for a year on this issue." During the call, he said there was some "really funny business" about a worker's compensation claim Wooten had filed and suggested he lied about a health condition on his state police job application." ... ""That's extraordinary for them to reference that," Cyr said. Police application files contain results of background checks and reference letters, "and those are sealed. Even Trooper Wooten doesn't have access to those.""

-CNN

Sarah Palin

History

Sports

Journalism

Television

Idaho

Alaska

2008 Election

"Republican vice presidential nominee Palin changes colleges 6 times in 6 years." ... "Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin seems to have switched colleges at least six times in six years, including two stints at the University of Idaho before graduating from there in 1987." ... "She majored in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast news." ... "Despite her journalism degree, she does not appear to have worked for the college newspaper or campus television station, school officials said. She worked briefly as a sportscaster for KTUU in Anchorage [Alaska] after she graduated college." -By Nicholas K. Geranios

-LAtimes

20080903

Sarah Palin

Law

Politics

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin Aide Ducks State Probe: Aide's Lawyer Cancels Deposition, Questions Legislature's Jurisdiction." ... "The deposition of one of [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin's staff members was canceled yesterday by the staffer's attorney, in what is yet another setback to the state legislature's investigation into claims that Palin fired the public safety commissioner after he refused to dismiss a trooper, Palin's former brother in-law." ... "Palin has denied any wrongdoing surrounding the dismissal of Walt Monegan, but has acknowledged that phone calls were made by her staff members to Public Safety officials regarding the trooper, Mike Wooten." ... "One of those calls was made by Palin's director of boards and commissions, Frank Bailey. Bailey was scheduled to be deposed as part of the legislature's investigation, but his attorney canceled the deposition yesterday and challenged the legislature's jurisdiction, according to the state senator running the probe." ... "Bailey's attorney, Greg Grebe, said he canceled the deposition, which was to take place today, last night after speaking with Palin's private attorney Thomas Van Flein." (1, 2) -By Len Tepper, Brian Ross, and Maddy Sauer

-ABCNEWS.com

Sarah Palin

Iraq

Military

Politics

Alaska

Gas

Companies

2008 Election

"Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'." ... "Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a "task that is from God."" ... "In an address last June, the [2008 Election] Republican vice presidential candidate also urged ministry students to pray for a plan to build a $30 billion natural gas pipeline in the state, calling it "God's will."" ... ""Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God," she said. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's plan."" ... "Palin told graduating students of the church's School of Ministry, "What I need to do is strike a deal with you guys." As they preached the love of Jesus throughout Alaska, she said, she'd work to implement God's will from the governor's office, including creating jobs by building a pipeline to bring North Slope natural gas to North American markets." ... ""God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that," she said." -By Gene Johnson

-AP via -Yahoo

WATCH: "Sarah Palin: War in Iraq is "God's Plan""
WATCH: "Sarah Palin: Alaskan Pipeline is "God's Will""

Sarah Palin

Money

Politics

Lawsuit

Alaska

Arizona

2008 Election

"Another Controversy for Sarah Palin: Former Police Chief Says He Was Fired for Challenging Palin's Campaign Contributors." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin is already facing ethical questions over her firing of the Alaska public safety commissioner, and now she faces questions over the firing of a longtime local police chief." ... "After taking over as Mayor of the small town of Wasilla, Palin fired the longtime local police chief. The former police chief, Irl Stambaugh says he was fired because he stepped on the toes of Palin's campaign contributors, including bar owners and the National Rifle Association." ... "Stambaugh's lawyer, William Jermain, says the chief tried to move up the closing hours of local bars from 5 a.m. to two a.m. after a spurt of drunk driving accidents and arrests." ... ""His crackdown on that practice by the bars was not appreciated by her and that was one reason she terminated Irl," said Jermain." (1, 2) -By Brian Ross and Joseph Rhee

-ABCNEWS.com

Sarah Palin

Federal

Money

Politics

Oil

Alaska

Arizona

2008 Election

"Sarah Palin: Earmark Queen Of The Earmark State." ... "In 2000, [Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin, as mayor of the Alaskan town of Wasilla, hired a Washington lobbyist to secure federal earmarks for her community." ... "This is not totally atypical in her state. Alaska’s government receives more money per capita in federal earmark money than any other state, despite being the only state in the union with no income tax and no sales tax. They fund their government primarily with petroleum money, and recently distributed oil profits to its citizens in the form of rebate checks." ... "But even in her heavily earmarked state, Sarah Palin was the earmark queen." ... "From 2000 to 2003, she secured over $27 million in earmarks, averaging $6.7 million in federal money every year for her town of about 6,700 people." ... "An analysis of the databases of Taxpayers for Common Sense by Center for American Progress Action Fund Senior Fellow Scott Lilly puts these numbers in perspective."

"Per Capital Federal Earmark Funding"
"(All figures for 2008 except Wasilla, which is for 2002)"
"Arizona:            $18.70"
"National Average:   $51.19"
"Alaska:            $506.34"
"Wasill, AK:      $1,000.00"

"He notes the following amounts:"

"–$50: The amount the average state received in earmarked funds, per capita in 2008"
"–$506: The amount received by Alaska’s citizen per capita in 2008, represented by the Senate’s earmarker in chief, Ted Stevens, ten times the national average"
"–Over $1000: The annual amount received per capita in Wasilla between 2000 and 2003, twice the 2008 Alaska state average"

"Some of these earmarks drew the scorn of Senator John McCain. The LA Time reports that, “three times in recent years, McCain’s catalogs of ‘objectionable’ spending have included earmarks for this small Alaska town, requested by its mayor at the time — Sarah Palin.”" ... "As Scott Lilly writes, “Palin has advertised herself as a reformer and a skeptic of earmarking while maneuvering to become the earmark queen of the earmark state.”"

-ThinkProgress.org/Wonk Room

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Ted Stevens

Federal

Money

Legislative

Politics

Alaska

Arizona

2008 Election

"McCain had criticized earmarks from Palin." ... "Three times in recent years, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain's catalogs of "objectionable" spending have included earmarks for this small Alaska town [Wasilla], requested by its mayor at the time -- [Republican Politician] Sarah Palin." ... "Now, McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, has chosen Palin as his running mate, touting her as a reformer just like him." ... "But records show that Palin -- first as mayor of Wasilla and recently as governor of Alaska -- was far from shy about pursuing tens of millions in earmarks for her town, her region and her state." ... "This year, Palin, who has been governor for nearly 22 months, defended earmarking as a vital part of the legislative system. "The federal budget, in its various manifestations, is incredibly important to us, and congressional earmarks are one aspect of this relationship," she wrote in a newspaper column." ... "Wasilla had received few if any earmarks before Palin became mayor. She actively sought federal funds -- a campaign that began to pay off only after she hired a lobbyist with close ties to [Alaska Republican Senator]] Sen. Ted Stevens (R[Republican]-Alaska), who long controlled federal spending as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He made funneling money to Alaska his hallmark." ... "This year she submitted to Congress a list of Alaska projects worth $197.8 million, including $2 million to research crab productivity in the Bering Sea and $7.4 million to improve runway lighting at eight Alaska airports." ... ""So while Sen. McCain was going after cutting earmarks in Washington," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense, "Gov. Palin was going after getting earmarks."" -By Tom Hamburger, Richard Simon and Janet Hook

-LAtimes via -ChicagoTribune

20080902

Sarah Palin

Iraq

Foreign

Military

Terrorism

Politics

Alaska

Massachusetts

2004 Election

2008 Election

"Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial Worldview." ... "A review of recorded sermons by Ed Kalnins, the senior pastor of Wasilla Assembly of God [Wasilla, Alaska] since 1999, offers a provocative and, for some, eyebrow-raising sketch of [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin's longtime spiritual home." ... "In his sermons, Kalnins did not hide his affections for certain national politicians." ... "During the 2004 election season, he praised [Republican] President Bush's performance during a debate with [2004 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Massachusetts Senator] Sen. John Kerry, then offered a not-so-subtle message about his personal candidate preferences. "I'm not going tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for this particular person, I question your salvation. I'm sorry." Kalnins added: "If every Christian will vote righteously, it would be a landslide every time."" ... "Months after hinting at possible damnation for Kerry supporters, Kalnins bristled at the treatment President Bush was receiving over the federal government's handling of Hurricane Katrina. "I hate criticisms towards the President," he said, "because it's like criticisms towards the pastor -- it's almost like, it's not going to get you anywhere, you know, except for hell. That's what it'll get you."" ... "Much of his support for the current administration has come in the realm of foreign affairs. Kalnins has preached that the 9/11 attacks and the invasion of Iraq were part of a "world war" over the Christian faith, one in which Jesus Christ had called upon believers to be willing to sacrifice their lives."

"What you see in a terrorist -- that's called the invisible enemy. There has always been an invisible enemy. What you see in Iraq, basically, is a manifestation of what's going on in this unseen world called the spirit world. ... We need to think like Jesus thinks. We are in a time and a season of war, and we need to think like that. We need to develop that instinct. We need to develop as believers the instinct that we are at war, and that war is contending for your faith. ... Jesus called us to die. You're worried about getting hurt? He's called us to die. Listen, you know we can't even follow him unless you are willing to give up your life. ... I believe that Jesus himself operated from that position of war mode. Everyone say "war mode." Now you say, wait a minute Ed, he's like the good shepherd, he's loving all the time and he's kind all the time. Oh yes he is -- but I also believe that he had a part of his thoughts that knew that he was in a war."

... "In his sermons, Pastor Kalnins has also expressed beliefs that, while not directly political, lie outside of mainstream Christian thought." ... "He preaches repeatedly about the "end times" or "last days," an apocalyptic prophesy held by a small but vocal group of Christian leaders. During his appearance with Palin in June, he declared, "I believe Alaska is one of the refuge states in the last days, and hundreds of thousands of people are going to come to the state to seek refuge and the church has to be ready to minister to them."" ... "He also claims to have received direct "words of knowledge" from God, providing him information about past events in other people's lives." -By Nico Pitney and Sam Stein

-HuffingtonPost.com

Sarah Palin

Ted Stevens

Don Young

Federal

Money

Politics

Alaska

Oil

Law

2008 Election

"Palin's earmark requests: more per person than any other state: GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] vice presidential candidate Alaska [Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin touts her record as a reformer who worked to end the "abuses of earmark spending in Congress." But Palin has embraced earmarks from early on in her career as a mayor of Wasilla [Alaska] to the governor's mansion in Juneau [Alaska's capital]. Just this year she sent to [Alaska Republican Senator] Sen. Ted. Stevens a proposal for 31 earmarks totaling $197 million — more, per person, than any other state." ... "Palin's requests to Congress came at a time of huge federal deficits, while Alaska state revenue was soaring due to rising oil prices and a major tax increase on oil production that Palin signed into law in late 2007." ... "As a result, Alaska this year was in such a money-flushed condition — with no state income tax or sales tax and total state revenues of $10 billion, double the previous year's — that Palin gained legislative approval for $1,200 cash payments to every Alaskan." ... "In addition, each Alaska resident gets an annual dividend check, about $2,000 this year, from Alaska's oil-wealth savings account, known as the Permanent Fund, now fattened to more than $35 billion." ... ""She was hungry for earmarks just like everybody else," said Larry Persily, who worked at the Alaska state office in Washington, D.C., until earlier this year. "Everyone was feeding at the trough."" ... "Before she left office, Wasilla, with aid of the lobbyist and the blessing of Stevens and [Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young, got $27 million in earmarks, according to the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense." ... "During her fall 2006 campaign for governor, Palin appeared to embrace the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere," even after Alaska had been held up for ridicule by McCain and others for what was seen as a wasteful boondoggle, a $233 million bridge that would replace ferry service connecting [Alaska's] Gravina Island and its Ketchikan airport to mainland Ketchikan [Alaska]." ... "In a debate, Palin said she would fight for the earmark to build the bridge." ... "Last year, Palin requested $254 million in earmarks[....]" -By Hal Bernton and David Heath

-SeattleTimes

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Don Young

Ted Stevens

Illegal

Federal

Money

Politics

Alaska

Transportation

Construction

Arizona

2008 Election

"Palin's Small Alaska Town Secured Big Federal Funds." ... "Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents while she was its mayor, according to an analysis by an independent government watchdog group." ... "There was $500,000 for a youth shelter, $1.9 million for a transportation hub, $900,000 for sewer repairs, and $15 million for a rail project -- all intended to benefit Palin's town, Wasilla [Alaska], located about 45 miles north of Anchorage [Alaska]." ... "In introducing Palin as his running mate on Friday, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain cast her as a compatriot in his battle against wasteful federal spending." ... "As mayor of Wasilla [Alaska], however, Palin oversaw the hiring of Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh, an Anchorage[ Alaska]-based law firm with close ties to Alaska's most senior Republicans: [Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young and [Alaska Republican Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens, who was indicted in July on charges of accepting illegal gifts. The Wasilla account was handled by the former chief of staff to Stevens, Steven W. Silver, who is a partner in the firm." (1, 2) -By Paul Kane

-WashingtonPost

Sarah Palin

Alaska

2008 Election

Politics

"Founder Of Group Palin Courted Professed "Hatred For The American Government"; Cursed "Damn Flag"." ... "The founder of the Alaska Independence Party -- a group that has been courted over the years by [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Sarah Palin, and one her husband was a member of for roughly seven years -- once professed his "hatred for the American government" and cursed the American flag as a "damn flag."" ... "The AIP founder, Joe Vogler, made the comments in 1991, in an interview that's now housed at the Oral History Program in the Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks." ... ""The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government," Vogler said in the interview, in which he talked extensively about his desire for Alaskan secession, the key goal of the AIP." ... ""And I won't be buried under their damn flag," Vogler continued in the interview, which also touched on his disappointment with the American judicial system. "I'll be buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home."" ... "At another point, Volger advocated renouncing allegiance to the United States. In the course of denouncing Federal regulation over land, he said:" ... ""And then you get mad. And you say, the hell with them. And you renounce allegiance, and you pledge your efforts, your effects, your honor, your life to Alaska."" ... "You can listen to audio of the relevant section of the Volger interview here." ... "Palin has courted the group over the years." ... "Three years after the controversial interview, in 1994, Palin attended the group's annual convention, according to witnesses who spoke to ABC News' Jake Tapper." ... "The [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign has confirmed she visited the group's 2000 convention, and she addressed its convention this year [2008], as an incumbent governor whose oath of office includes upholding the Constitution of the United States." ... "Palin's husband, Todd Palin, was a member of the party from 1995-2002 with a brief exception in 2000." -By Greg Sargent

-TPMElectionCentral .TalkingPointsMemo

20080901

Sarah Palin

Federal

Money

Politics

Alaska

Transportation

Construction

2008 Election

"Palin Received Millions In Earmarks, Clouding Reformer Image." ... "The presentation of [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin as an anti-earmark, fiscally conscious pol is challenged by a review of recent political records. As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she hired the firm of Hoffman Silver Gilman & Blasco to help secure spending projects for her town. The expenditure apparently paid off. From 2000 through 2002, Wasilla received more than $5.5 million in federal cash for transportation and social service projects." ... "The use of the earmark system that -- as a vice presidential candidate -- Palin now criticizes continued into her tenure as governor. As the Los Angeles Times reported, the state of Alaska requested 31 earmarks worth $197.8 million for next year's federal budget. And according to Citizens Against Government Waste, Alaska received $379,669,715 in pork during fiscal year 2008, nearly $100 million more than any other state." -By Sam Stein

-HuffingtonPost.com

Sarah Palin

Ted Stevens

John McCain

Corporate

Politics

Government

Alaska

Arizona

2008 Election

"Palin Was a Director of Embattled Sen. Stevens's 527 Group." ... "Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin began building clout in her state's political circles in part by serving as a director of an independent political group organized by the now embattled Alaska [Republican Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens." ... "Palin's name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state. She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings." ... "Palin's relationship with Alaska's senior senator may be one of the more complicated aspects of her new position as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's running mate; Stevens was indicted in July 2008 on seven counts of corruption." ... "At the time Stevens revealed the existence of the 527 group -- a type of independent political corporation named for its the section of the tax code -- ethics experts questioned whether it was appropriate." ... "The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reported that several experts called the group an example of the fine legal line between a legal effort to conduct political activity and then-new prohibitions against raising unlimited soft-money." ... "Board members of Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service were legally allowed to raise as much money as they wanted from corporations or unions or unlimited donations from individuals -- all of which would have been illegal for Stevens to do himself." -By Paul Kane

-WashingtonPost

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Ted Stevens

Federal

Legislative

Money

Politics

Alaska

2008 Election

"Palin relied on earmark system she now opposes." ... "Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin presents herself as an ally of [2008 Election Republican] presidential candidate John McCain when it comes to curbing wasteful government spending." ... "On Friday, when McCain introduced her as his running mate, she said she "championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending," the legislative technique used to slip projects into appropriations bills without rigorous congressional review." ... "But under her leadership, the state of Alaska has requested 31 earmarks worth $197.8 million in next year's federal budget, according to the website of [Alaska Republican Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens (R[Republican]-Alaska), the former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee." ... "Palin has recently been publicly critical of requests made in past years by Stevens and others for $223 million in federal funds for a bridge from Ketchikan, Alaska, to Gravina Island, calling it "the Bridge to Nowhere," a derogatory label critics attached to the project." ... "As a candidate for governor in 2006, she backed funding for the bridge." -By Tom Hamburger

-LAtimes

20080831

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Ted Stevens

Money

Politics

Government

Alaska

Transportation

Construction

History

Ohio

2008 Election

"Palin backed 'bridge to nowhere' in 2006." ... "In her nationally televised speech accepting the job as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's running mate, Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin said she "championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress" and opposed federal funding for a controversial bridge to a sparsely populated island." ... "[However] While running for governor in 2006, though, Palin backed federal funding for the infamous bridge, which McCain helped make a symbol of pork barrel excess." ... "And as mayor of the small town of Wasilla [Alaska] from 1996 to 2002, Palin also hired a Washington lobbying firm that helped secure $8 million in congressionally directed spending projects, known as earmarks, according to public spending records compiled by the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste and lobbying documents." ... "Wasilla's lobbying firm was headed by Steven Silver — a former chief of staff to Alaska [Republican Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens, a key proponent of the bridge project." ... ""We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge, and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative," Palin said in August 2006, according to the Ketchikan Daily News."" -By Ken Dilanian

-USATODAY

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Federal

Money

Alaska

Transportation

Construction

2008 Election

"Palin touts stance on 'Bridge to Nowhere,' doesn't note flip-flop." ... "When [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain introduced [Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate Friday, her reputation as a tough-minded budget-cutter was front and center." ... ""I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere," Palin told the cheering McCain crowd, referring to [Alaska's] Ketchikan's Gravina Island bridge." ... "But Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it." ... "The Alaska governor campaigned in 2006 on a build-the-bridge platform, telling Ketchikan residents she felt their pain when politicians called them "nowhere." They're still feeling pain today in Ketchikan [Alaska], over Palin's subsequent decision to use the bridge funds for other projects -- and over the timing of her announcement, which they say came in a pre-dawn press release that seemed aimed at national [Eastern] news deadlines." ... ""I think that's when the campaign for national office began," said Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein on Saturday." ... "Alaska's congressional delegation endured withering criticism for earmarking $223 million for Ketchikan and a similar amount for a crossing of Knik Arm at Anchorage [Alaska]." ... "Congress eventually removed the earmark language but the money still went to Alaska, leaving it up to the administration of then-[Alaska Republican Governor ]Gov. Frank Murkowski to decide whether to go ahead with the bridges or spend the money on something else." ... "In September, 2006, Palin showed up in Ketchikan on her gubernatorial campaign and said the bridge was essential for the town's prosperity." -By Tom Kizzia

-ADN.com

McCain

Palin

Alaska

Newspaper

History

2008 Election

"McCain Camp Didn't Search Palin's Hometown Paper Archives." ... "The [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign has gone to great lengths to present the selection of [Alaska Republican] Sarah Palin as one made after a careful, meticulous vetting process. But evidence continues to suggest that the Arizona Republican made his VP choice with surprising haste." ... "On Saturday, a Democrat tasked with opposition research contacted the Huffington Post with this piece of information: as of this weekend, the McCain campaign had not gone through old newspaper articles from the Valley Frontiersman, Palin's hometown newspaper." ... "How does he know? The paper's (massive) archives are not online. And when he went to research past content, he was told he was the first to inquire." ... ""No one else had requested access before," said the source. "It's unbelievable. We were the only people to do that, which means the McCain camp didn't."" -By Sam Stein

-HuffingtonPost.com

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Political

Investigation

Attorney

Government

Transportation

Construction

Money

Alaska

Oil

Global

Climate

2008 Election

"What McCain Didn't Know About Sarah Palin." ... "They've [the 2008 Election Republican Presidential campaign of John McCain] bragged that [Alaska Republican Governor Sarah] Palin opposed the famous "Bridge to Nowhere," only to learn that Palin supported the project and even told residents of Ketchikan [Alaska] that they weren't "nowhere" to her. After the national outcry, she decided to spend the funds allocated to the bridge for something else. Actually, maybe it's more fair to say that coincident with the national outcry, she changed her mind. The story shows her political judgment, but it is not a reformer's credential." ... "Likewise, though she cut taxes as mayor of Wassila [Alaska], she raised the sales tax, making her hardly a tax cutter." ... "She denied pressuring the state's chief of public safety to fire her sister-in-law's husband even though there's mounting evidence that the impetus did indeed come from her. Ostensibly to clear her name, Palin asked her attorney general to open an independent investigation—the legislature had already been investigating. (I am told that the campaign was aware of the ethics complaint filed against her but accepts Palin's account.)" ... "McCain's campaign seemed unaware that she supported a windfalls profits tax on oil companies and that she is more skeptical about human contributions to global warming than McCain is." ... "They did not know that she took trips as the mayor of Wasilla to beg for earmarks." ... "They did not know that she told a television interviewer this summer that she did not fully understand what it is that a vice president does." -By Marc Ambinder

-TheAtlantic.com

20080830

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Political

Investigation

Safety

Alaska

2008 Election

"'Troopergate' inquiry hangs over campaign: Inquiry: Ex-commissioner brings up undisclosed e-mails that he says mentioned trooper." ... "Alaska's former commissioner of public safety says [Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's pick to be vice president, personally talked with him on two occasions about a state trooper who was locked in a bitter custody battle with the governor's sister." ... "In a phone conversation Friday night, Walt Monegan, who was Alaska's top cop until Palin fired him July 11, told the Daily News that the governor also had e-mailed him two or three times about her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten, though the e-mails didn't mention Wooten by name." ... "Monegan claims his refusal to fire Wooten was a major reason that Palin dismissed him. Wooten had been suspended for five days previously, based largely on complaints that Palin's family had initiated before Palin was governor." ... "The events surrounding Monegan's dismissal currently are under investigation by the state's legislature. Palin has acknowledged that a member of her staff phoned a trooper lieutenant in an effort that could have been perceived as pressure to have Wooten dismissed and that her husband and other officials also had contacted Monegan about Wooten." ... "She has insisted, however, that she did not authorize the phone call and was not aware of it. She has said she doesn't believe any of the contacts amounted to pressuring Monegan." ... "Monegan, however, said that Palin raised the subject of Wooten with him herself on two occasions after becoming governor -- once on the phone soon after she took office and once in person not long after that." ... "Monegan also said that the governor's husband, Todd, talked to him several times about Wooten and that three top officials in her administration contacted him." ... "Monegan also disclosed for the first time that Palin sent him two or three e-mails that referenced her ex-brother-in-law and his status with troopers. Monegan declined to provide the e-mails because of the ongoing investigation." ... "Monegan said he believes his firing was directly related to the fact Wooten stayed on the job. "It was a significant factor if not the factor," Monegan said." ... "Palin's replacement for Monegan, Chuck Kopp, was forced to resign just two weeks after he was appointed because of a sexual harassment complaint that had been filed against him when he was the chief of police in Kenai [Alaska]." -By Lisa Demer

-ADN.com

Sarah Palin

Alaska

Newspapers

Iraq

Military

Politics

McCain

2008 Election

"2 Top Alaska Newspapers Question Palin's Fitness." ... "For the past 24 hours, the pages and web sites of the two leading papers up there have raised all sorts of issues surrounding [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin, from her ethics problems to general lack of readiness for this big step up." ... "A reporter for the Anchorage daily, Gregg Erickson, even did an online chat with the Washington Post, in which he revealed that Palin's approval rating in the state was not the much-touted 80%, but 65% and sinking -- and that among journalists who followed her it might be in the "teens." He added: "I have a hard time seeing how her qualifications stack up against the duties and responsibilities of being president.... I expect her to stick with simple truths. When asked about continued American troop presence in Iraq, she said she knows only one thing about that (I paraphrase): no one has attacked the American homeland since [Republican President] George Bush took the war to Iraq."" ... "Dermot Cole, a columnist for the Fairbanks paper, observed that he thinks highly of Palin as a person but "in no way does her year-and-a-half as governor of Alaska qualify her to be vice president or president of the United States." ... ""One of the strange things Friday was that so many commentators and politicians did not know how to pronounce her name and had no clue about what she has actually done in Alaska....I may be proven wrong, but the decision announced by McCain strikes me as reckless. She is not prepared to be the next president should something happen to McCain."" -By Greg Mitchell

-HuffingtonPost.com

20080829

Sarah Palin

Ted Stevens

Political

2006 Election

2008 Election

Alaska

"Palin Ad Starring Ted Stevens Already Scrubbed From Palin's Campaign Website." ... "This morning, an ad from [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin's 2006 [Election for Alaska's Governor] gubernatorial campaign featuring an endorsement from scandal-plagued Alaska [Republican] Senator Ted Stevens was available on Palin's campaign Web site." ... "...but now the Stevens ad has already been scrubbed." ... "Luckily, the ad featuring Stevens and Palin is still available for your viewing pleasure!" -By Greg Sargent

-TPMElectionCentral .TalkingPointsMemo

WATCH: "Stevens Endorses Palin for Governor."

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Law

Politics

Safety

Alaska

2008 Election

"Exclusive: Chief Fired by Palin Speaks Out." ... "The July firing of Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan by [Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin, who was announced as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's running mate on Friday, has unearthed a stream of soap-opera-like details about Palin, her husband, her family and top state appointees. The controversy has also cut against Palin's reputation for holding an ethical line and standing up to colleagues in the Republican Party over matters of principle." ... "Monegan, 57, a respected former chief of the Anchorage [Alaska] Police Department, said in an interview with The Washington Post's James V. Grimaldi on Friday that the governor repeatedly brought up the topic of her ex-brother-in-law, Michael Wooten, after Monegan became the state's commissioner of public safety in December 2006. Palin's husband, Todd, met with Monegan and presented a dossier of information about Wooten, who was going through a bitter custody battle with Palin's sister, Molly. Monegan also said Sarah Palin sent him e-mails on the subject, but Monegan declined to disclose them, saying he planned to give them to a legislative investigator looking into the matter." ... "Palin initially denied that she or anyone in her administration had ever pressured Monegan to fire the trooper, but this summer acknowledged more than a half a dozen contacts over the matter, including one phone call from a Palin administration official to a state police lieutenant."

-WashingtonPost

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Law

Politics

Safety

Alaska

Arizona

2008 Election

"McCain's VP Pick Palin Facing Ethics Investigation." ... "... [T]he 44-year-old [Alaska Republican Governor Sarah] Palin, who was selected as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's running mate today, is now the focus of her own state ethics investigation as part of the so-called "Troopergate" scandal, a bizarre controversy involving the firing of a state police chief and his reluctance to fire an Alaska state trooper, Palin's former brother-in-law who has been involved in a bitter custody fight with her younger sister." ... "Just two weeks ago, Palin revealed an audio recording of an aide pressuring the state's Public Safety Department to fire trooper Mike Wooten, the Anchorage Daily News reported." ... "Palin also acknowledged that her staff had contacted Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan about two dozen times about Wooten. Monegan himself was fired July 11 (the dismissal was "out of the blue," he told reporters) and he later said that he was pressured by Palin's staff and family to get rid of Wooten, a trooper based in Palmer, Alaska." ... "(To counter the "Troopergate" tag, the alternative-weekly Anchorage Press has dubbed the firing scandal "Wootengate")" ... "In July, Palin came under a state ethics investigation and critics have said Palin's claim that she did not know of the political pressure being placed on Monegan was a "little too convenient."" -By Derek Kravitz

-WashingtonPost

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Hillary Clinton

Women

Politics

Alaska

Los Angeles

California

Arizona

New York

2008 Election

"Palin: Hillary Clinton's "Whining" Turned Me Off." ... "When Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin arrived backstage for our NEWSWEEK Women & Leadership Event in Los Angeles [California] last March, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain had just wrapped up the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] nomination. Palin had yet to endorse McCain--she liked [former 2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Mitt Romney--and as we waited in the green room, I urged her to "feel free" to make some news on stage. She grinned broadly--looking back, I guess it was a grin of the Cheshire Cat variety--and thanked me for the offer." ... "Once onstage, together with Arizona [Democratic Governor] Gov. Janet Napolitano, Palin talked about what women expect from women leaders; how she took charge in Alaska during a political scandal that threatened to unseat the state's entire Republican power structure, and her feelings about [former 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator] Sen. Hillary Clinton. (She said she felt kind of bad she couldn't support a woman, but she didn't like Clinton's "whining.")" -By Karen Breslau

-Newsweek/article via -HuffingtonPost.com

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Alaska

Ariz

2008 Election

"Palin dissed veep job." ... "Count Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin as one of the most surprised that she was chocen as unning mate for [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz. [Republican-Arizona])." ... "In an interview just a month ago, she dissed the job, saying it didn’t seem “productive.”" ... "In fact, she said she didn’t know what the vice president does." ... "Palin replied: “As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?["]" ... "Before Palin’s election in December 2006 as the state’s first woman governor, she served two terms on the city council of Wasilla, Alaska (population 6,700), and two terms as the mayor/manager of Wasilla." -By Mike Allen

-Politico.com

Sarah Palin

Science

Politics

Global

Climate

Atmosphere

2008 Election

John McCain

Alaska

Arizona

"Palin Not Convinced on Global Warming." ... "Some scientists believe Alaska will be among the first to feel the impact of global warming, but [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin told voters there she wasn't sure climate change wasn't simply part of a natural warming cycle." ... ""I will not pretend to have all the answers," Palin said about global warming, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Her spokesman clarified at the time that "she's not totally convinced one way or the other. Science will tell us . . . She thinks the jury's still out."" ... "Palin shared her views in the run-up to the 2006 governor's race, at an Alaska Federation of Natives convention, where delegates passed a resolution calling for a mandatory reduction in pollution affecting the atmosphere." ... "Answering a question from the Daily News, Palin cautioned against "overreaction."" ... "Those were among the comments that brought condemnation today from Greenpeace to her selection as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's running mate on the Republican ticket. The environmental group's Alaska Global Warming Campaigner, Melanie Duchin, described Palin as "one of the most anti-environment records of any governor in the United States." -By Matthew Mosk and Juliet Eilperin

-WashingtonPost

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Science

Education

Politics

Law

History

2008 Election

Alaska

Tennessee

"McCain's VP Wants Creationism Taught in School." ... "[2008 Election] Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin wants creationism taught in science classes." ... "In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, the soon-to-be governor of Alaska said of evolution and creation education, "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."" ... "Asked by the Anchorage Daily News whether she believed in evolution, Palin declined to answer, but said that "I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class."" ... ""I'm not going to pretend I know how all this came to be," she said." ... "The battle between evolution and creationism -- specifically, Christian creationism -- in U.S. classrooms dates back to the 1925 Scopes trial, when a Tennessee court banned the teaching of evolution. Since then, state and federal courts have repeatedly rejected so-called creation science in public schools, calling it religion rather than science." ... "The latest courtroom defeat came in the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover case, when the superficially religion-neutral theory of intelligent design was classified as religious creationism. The Supreme Court ruled in 1987 that teaching creationism violated the separation of church and state." ... "Nevertheless, pro-creationism education initiatives driven by Christian conservatives have flourished, and defenders of evolution -- and, more broadly, scientific integrity -- worry that Palin's pick will give momentum to this church-over-state push." ... ""It's unfortunate McCain would pick someone who shares those particular anti-science views, but it's not a surprise," said Barbara Forrest, a Southeastern Lousiana University philosophy professor and prominent critic of creationist science. "She's a choice that pleases the religious right. And the religious right has been the chief force against teaching evolution."" -By Brandon Keim

-Wired

Sarah Palin

Alaska

Lawmakers

Investigation

Global

Climate

Ice

Environment

Species

2008 Election

"Palin candidacy raises eyebrows in Alaska." ... "State lawmakers have launched a $100,000 investigation to determine if [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah] Palin dismissed Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan last month because Monegan wouldn't fire a state trooper involved in a messy custody battle with her sister." ... "She also is under fire from environmentalists for opposing the [Republican President] Bush administration's decision in May to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act because global warming is melting the polar ice cap." ... "Dermot Cole, a longtime columnist for Alaska's second-largest newspaper, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, called McCain's choice of Palin reckless and questioned her credentials." ... ""Sarah Palin's chief qualification for being elected governor was that she was not Frank Murkowski," Cole said of her enormously unpopular predecessor, who lost favor with Alaskans in part because of unpopular budget cuts. "She was not elected because she was a conservative. She was not elected because of her grasp of issues or because of her track record as the mayor of Wasilla [Alaska]."" -By Dan Joling with contributions by Sharon Theimer and H. Josef Hebert

-AP via -Chron

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Politics

People

Family

Drugs

Health

Federal

Foreign

Military

Terrorism

Alaska

Idaho

2008 Election

"On Sarah Palin." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain has selected Alaska [Republican] Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. [Governor] Gov. Palin was first elected to the position in 2006 and previously served as the mayor of Wasilla (pop. 5,470) [Alaska]. She also served on the town's city council. She has a degree from the University of Idaho where she minored in political science. That is the extent of her political experience." ... "Her biography is fascinating. She is only 44 years-old. She eloped with her highschool sweetheart, a Yup'ik Eskimo. They have five children named: Track 18, Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, Piper, 7, and Trig (who was born on April 18th). Trig has Down's Syndrome. The Palins knew that Trig had an extra chromosome but decided to go ahead with the pregnancy." ... "She has admitted to smoking the ganja [marijuana] but says she didn't enjoy it. She was the runner-up in the Miss Alaska contest." ... "I am not aware of Palin having any knowledge or experience with foreign affairs, terrorism, the armed forces, or the federal bureaucracy." ... "Considering [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's age and history with cancer, this pick has extra importance. It's hard to envision Gov. Palin becoming president on short notice. It also undermines McCain's focus on foreign policy and experience." -By BooMan Tribune

John McCain

Sarah Palin

Science

Politics

Oil

Money

Wildlife

History

Global

Climate

Ice

Law

Alaska

Arizona

2008 Election

Canada

"McCain VP Pick No Friend to Polar Bears." ... "Alaska [Republican] Governor Sarah Palin has ignored research showing that polar bear populations are declining in the quest to plumb new sources of energy, according to scientists, and environmental groups who fought to put the bears on the endangered species list." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain tapped Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential candidate Friday. Palin is only the second woman to be on a major party's ticket as VP -- the first was Geraldine Ferraro, who ran with Democrati Walter Mondale in 1984." ... "The 44-year-old Palin, a beauty pageant winner and former mayor of a small town in Alaska, is an advocate of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has infuriated environmentalists for her support of the aerial shooting of wolves as a way to build up herds of moose and caribou. She's also sued the Interior Department for putting polar bears on the endangered species list." ... "In the lawsuit, filed this month in federal district court in the District of Columbia, Palin argues that the government's move to list polar bears as endangered is not based on sound science, and restricts oil and natural gas development. The Interior Department had put the bears on the list in response to a lawsuit filed by environmental groups, who argued that the bears are being threatened by global warming." ... "In an interview on the conservative CNN talk show hosted by Glenn Beck earlier this year, Palin said that she was worried that environmentalists are using the Endangered Species Act to block the extraction of oil and gas." ... ""In fact, the number of polar bears has risen dramatically over the past 30 years," she said. "Our fear (is) that extreme environmentalists will use this tool, the ESA, to eventually curtail or halt the North Slope production of very rich resources that America needs."" ... "But biologists who have studied polar bear populations counter that the facts simply do not support Palin's assertion that polar bear populations are on the rise." ... ""Polar bear populations have not been increasing for the past 30 years, and that's a well-known fact," said Ian Stirling, an emeritus scientist with Canada's Department of the Environment and an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta in an interview. Stirling has studied polar bears for 37 years -- the longest of anyone." ... "In fact, the polar bear population has actually declined by 20 percent in Alaska's Southern Beaufort Sea since the mid-1980s, he says, referring to peer-reviewed research that he's conducted with other scientists for the US Geological Survey. The reason: Loss of their habitat in the form of melting ice." -By Sarah Lai Stirland

-Wired

Sarah Palin

John McCain

Investigation

Legislature

Alaska

Colorado

2008 Election

"Choice stuns state politicians." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's choice of Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate stunned and divided Alaska political leaders on Friday. Supporters said she was a shrewd choice, but others argued Palin has no business being a heartbeat away from the presidency." ... "State Senate President Lyda Green said she thought it was a joke when someone called her at 6 a.m. to give her the news." ... ""She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?" said Green, a Republican from Palin's hometown of Wasilla [Alaska]. "Look at what she's done to this state. What would she do to the nation?"" ... "... Anchorage [Alaska] Democratic state [Senator] Sen. Hollis French said it's a huge mistake by McCain and "reflects very, very badly on his judgment." French said Palin's experience running the state for less than two years hasn't prepared her for this." ... "Alaska Democratic Party chairwoman Patti Higgins, attending her party's national convention in Denver [Colorado], said she was shocked to hear the news this morning." ... ""In this very competitive election for them to go pick somebody who is ... under a cloud of suspicion, who is under investigation for abuse of power. It just sounds like a pretty slow start to me," Higgins said." ... "The state Legislature is investigating whether Palin and her staff broke state law by pressuring the public safety department to fire a state trooper who was in a custody battle with her sister." ... ""We need a vice president who can step in if, God forbid, something happened to John McCain," Higgins said. "I don't think she's someone who is ready for that 3 a.m. phone call."" -By Sean Cockerham and Wesley Loy with contributions by Lisa Demer, Tom Kizzia and Elizabeth Bluemink

-ADN.com

20080827

Ted Stevens

Don Young

Oil

Money

VECO

Legal

Investigation

Alaska

Florida

Road

Construction

"Indicted Senator Wins G.O.P. Primary." ... "[Alaska Republican] Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska won the Republican primary in his home state on Tuesday, soundly defeating six Republican challengers less than a month after he was indicted by a federal grand jury for concealing more than $250,000 in gifts from an oil services company." ... "The victory for Mr. Stevens, 84, means he now moves to a tough general election campaign against [Anchorage, Alaska Democratic] Mayor Mark Begich of Anchorage, who easily won the Democratic primary on Tuesday and leads the senator in polls. Mr. Stevens enters the general election also having to prepare for his trial, which is scheduled to begin in late September." ... "[Alaska Republican] Representative Don Young, the state's lone House member and a 35-year incumbent, was locked in a close primary race with Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell early Wednesday. With nearly 98 percent of precincts reporting, Mr. Young led by fewer than 150 votes out of more than 85,000 cast." ... "Like Mr. Stevens, Mr. Young is under federal investigation for his ties to VECO, a former oil services company, but he also faces scrutiny on other matters, including a controversial $10 million earmark he pushed through for a Florida road project. Mr. Young has spent more than $1 million of his campaign funds on legal fees." -By William Yardley

-NYTimes

20080814

Sarah Palin

Political

Law

Investigation

Alaska

"Palin staff pushed to have trooper fired: Governor says she's learned calls were made about Wooten's ouster." ... "[Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday revealed an audio recording that shows an aide pressuring the Public Safety Department to fire a state trooper embroiled in a custody battle with her sister." ... "Palin, who has previously said her administration didn't exert pressure to get rid of trooper Mike Wooten, also disclosed that members of her staff had made about two dozen contacts with public safety officials about the trooper." ... ""I do now have to tell Alaskans that such pressure could have been perceived to exist although I have only now become aware of it," Palin said." ... "But Palin said her decision to fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan last month had nothing to do with his refusal to dump trooper Mike Wooten." ... "The governor said evidence of what she called a "smoking gun" conversation, and other calls made by her aides, only recently surfaced as the attorney general started an inquiry at her request into the circumstances surrounding her firing of Monegan. Palin wanted the review because a special investigator hired by the Legislature is about to investigate the firing and a legislator has been quoted in a newspaper story talking about impeachment." ... "The majority of the calls came from Palin's chief of staff at the time, Mike Tibbles, according to information gathered by the state attorney general's office. Attorney General Talis Colberg and Palin's husband, Todd, also contacted Monegan about the trooper." ... "Palin said the "most disturbing" was a phone call Frank Bailey, the governor's director of boards and commissions, made to trooper Lt. Rodney Dial in February. The Public Safety Department recorded the call, as it does routinely." ... "Palin, who said she'd only just learned of the call, released a recorded copy of it to the press on Wednesday. In it, Bailey clearly pressures the lieutenant." ... "Bailey told him during the conversation that Palin and her husband want to know why Wooten still has a job." ... ""Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, 'Why on earth hasn't this, why is this guy still representing the department?' He's a horrible recruiting tool, you know," Bailey told the lieutenant." ... "Bailey made several accusations against Wooten in the call, including that he lied on his application. Dial asked Bailey how he knew about any issue with the application." -By Sean Cockerham

-ADN.com

20080710

John Cowdery

Kott

Kohring

Weyhrauch

Oil

Money

Politics

VECO

Federal

Crimes

Alaska

"Cowdery indicted on two corruption charges." ... "The federal indictment filed today against state [Alaska state Republican Senator] Sen. John Cowdery revolves around the oil tax legislation pushed so hard by Veco Corp. [Corporation] and its executives in 2006." ... "The Anchorage Republican is charged with conspiracy and bribery, accused of scheming with Veco executives to win over another senator in the battle for the tax favored by North Slope oil producers." ... "According to the 16-page indictment, Cowdery and others conspired to give the other state senator $25,000, characterized as campaign contributions." ... "[Veco chief executive Bill] Allen and Veco vice president Rick Smith have pleaded guilty to bribing legislators, including Cowdery, to push through a version of an oil tax favored by North Slope producers." ... "Two former legislators, [Republican] Pete Kott of Eagle River [Alaska] and [Republican] Vic Kohring of Wasilla [Alaska], are serving federal prison sentences after being convicted of corruption charges related to the push for the tax. A third former legislator, [Republican] Bruce Weyhrauch of Juneau [Alaska's capital], was indicted too and is awaiting trial while courts consider an appeal on what evidence can be heard." -By Lisa Demer

-ADN.com

20080706

Don Young

Ted Stevens

Tom DeLay

Federal

Investigation

Legislative

Politics

2008 Election

Alaska

Texas

Virginia

Florida

Transportation

Construction

"When Alaska's Young needed help, lobbyists ponied up." ... "Facing bad publicity and a dwindling campaign account, [United States Alaska Republican Representative] U.S. Rep. Don Young last year turned to the "AK Wolfpack," a group of more than 20 lobbyists, including former Young staffers and retired former congressmen, with close ties to the Alaska Republican." ... "Young's chief of staff, Mike Anderson, sent the Wolfpack an e-mail to tell them that national Democrats planned aggressive fundraising and claims of misconduct by Young to topple the 35-year incumbent congressman and his fellow Alaska Republican [Senator], U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens." ... "If they succeed, Anderson warned, "you and your clients will be impacted."" ... "They include Rick Alcalde, the lobbyist at the heart of a Young earmark that is under federal investigation. They also include lobbyists Colin Chapman, Anderson's immediate predecessor as Young's chief of staff, and Randy DeLay, the brother of former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. Randy DeLay lobbied on a Virginia highway project before Young's transportation committee." ... "Anderson e-mailed his note a day after The New York Times ran a front-page story about Young's earmarking $10 million to study a Florida interchange that would benefit a developer who had raised money for an earlier Young campaign. The paper described the earmark as an "obvious" trade of campaign contributions for legislative favors." -By Sean Cockerham and Erika Bolstad

-McClatchyDC.com

20080501

Don Young - Connie Mack - Money - Investigation - Road - Construction - Florida - Alaska - Federal - Law - "‘Liar’ comment cranks up Coconut Road earmark controversy." ... "Two U.S. [United States] congressmen who spent a day touring Southwest Florida roads three years ago — sharing the same car for a drive up Interstate 75, attending the same town hall meeting at Florida Gulf Coast University and going to the same fund raising party in Estero [Florida] — are now trading insults." ... "At issue is who deserves the blame for how and why $10 million in a 2005 federal highway bill got assigned to a Coconut Road [Fort Myers, Florida] interchange study after the $286.4 billion bill passed Congress, but before the president signed it into law." ... "There’s now a dispute over who’s telling the truth and who’s ducking between [Florida Republican Representative] Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers, the congressman who had invited a more senior house colleague to visit Lee County in February of 2005, and [Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, who took the floor of the House on Wednesday to defend his support for the Coconut Road interchange study." ... "Young said he backed the project because it was what people from the area told him they wanted, and those were views he heard at Mack’s invitation." ... "“It was supported by the congressman from that district,” Young said of the $10 million earmark to study a new place to access the interstate. “And there’s letters to back that up.”" -By Elizabeth Wright -NaplesNews.com

20080430

Don Young - Connie Mack - Money - Politics - Law - Alaska - Michigan - Florida - Road - Real Estate - "Young blasts Mack over Coconut Rd.." ... "[Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) on Wednesday defended changes his staffers made to the notorious Coconut Road [in Florida] earmark, the third time in a year he took to the House floor in an attempt to justify one of his suspect pet projects." ... "Young also accused his GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] colleague, [Florida Republican Representative] Rep. Connie Mack (Fla.[Florida]), of first supporting the earmark in 2005, and then distancing himself from it once watchdogs and the media began raising concerns." ... "Ethics watchdogs have raised red flags over the Lee County, Fla., road project, the language of which was changed after that measure passed the House and the Senate but before it reached the president’s desk. Such a change may have violated House rules, which prohibit substantive alterations to bills during the enrollment process, the formal procedure in which a measure is recorded before it moves on to be signed by the president." ... "The earmark has been tainted by controversy. Lobbyist Rick Alcalde represented both FGSU [Florida Gulf State University] as well as the company owned by Daniel Aronoff, a real estate developer who owned 4,000 acres along Coconut Road and helped organize a fundraiser for Young during one of his visits to the area in 2005. Both entities requested the Coconut Road earmark." ... "Young flew to FGSU for a town hall meeting in 2005 on a chartered plane owned by a Michigan company; the owner told the Naples Daily News that the Aronoffs were among his biggest clients." ... "After the town hall, Young went directly to a fundraiser at the Hyatt Coconut Point, which Aronoff helped organize." ... "Young said Mack invited him to the town hall meeting." ... "Young also posted documents and photos on his website in an effort to demonstrate that Mack was deeply involved in the earmark. In one letter in March 2006 to FGSU’s president, Mack supported it." -By Susan Crabtree -TheHill.com

20080421

Don Young - Connie Mack - Money - Politics - Real Estate - Transportation - Construction - Florida - Alaska - History - Federal - Law - Investigation - "Q&A: Don Young and the Coconut Road controversy: EARMARK: $10 million put in 2005 highway spending bill is coming back to haunt him." ... "Last week, the U.S. [United States] Senate voted to ask the Justice Department to look into what happened in 2005 when Alaska's sole congressman earmarked $10 million in unasked-for money to study a highway interchange in southwest Florida." ... "The 64 to 28 vote was an unprecedented request on the part of the Senate for a federal inquiry into the actions of a member of the House of Representatives." ... "At the center of it all: Alaska [Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young, who acknowledged responsibility last week for the 2005 earmark, which shifted $10 million pledged to help widen Interstate 75 to the interchange study. If built, the interchange promised to benefit one of Young's campaign donors, a family friend whose real estate company owned property nearby. The earmark was one of thousands overseen by Young when he was responsible for pushing a multiyear highway spending bill through Congress." ... "Young has maintained that there was nothing wrong with what he did, and that the earmark was requested by the community." ... "But Young is already the subject of a federal investigation, and many questions remain about how the earmark showed up in the spending bill -- after the House and Senate had already voted on an alternative proposal." ... "The obscure Coconut Road earmark first came to the attention of transportation planners in Lee County, Fla. [Florida], in 2006, when they tried to figure out why they had received $10 million in federal money for a study of an intersection that wasn't on their list of transportation priorities." ... "The transportation board thought it was getting a $10 million earmark to go toward widening of Interstate 75. Instead, the money was earmarked to the study of an interchange that improves freeway access to land owned by real estate developer Daniel Aronoff." ... "In 2005, the Alaska Republican oversaw the multiyear transportation bill, a $286.4 billion spending plan for some of the biggest infrastructure projects across the U.S. (The bill also included $452 million for the Gravina Island and Knik Arm spans that came to be known as the bridges-to-nowhere.)" ... "Local newspapers, including the Naples Daily News, picked up on the controversy, and posed the question to Young, at the time the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In 2005, the Alaska Republican oversaw the multiyear transportation bill, a $286.4 billion spending plan for some of the biggest infrastructure projects across the U.S. (The bill also included $452 million for the Gravina Island and Knik Arm spans that came to be known as the bridges-to-nowhere.)" ... "Young refused to address the issue. The story failed to draw national attention until The New York Times wrote about it last spring. The article elaborated on the connections between the developers seeking the earmark and a 2005 campaign fundraiser Young attended in Bonita Springs, Fla., at the invitation of a local congressman, [Florida Republican Representative] Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla[Republican-Florida]. (The article also reported that when a Times reporter approached Young to speak to him about it, the congressman "responded with an obscene gesture.")" ... "Those donating money -- about $40,000 total -- to Young included Aronoff, whose family has long been friendly with Young. The earmark for the interchange study showed up not long after the fundraiser." -By Erika Bolstad -McClatchy via -ADN.com

20080420

Don Young - Abramoff - Bob Schaffer - Money - Politics - Mariana Islands - Chinese - Garment - Factory - Industry - Labor - Women - Abortion - Human Rights - Investigations - Government - Immigration - Law- History - US - Colorado - Alaska - "Records expose Young-Abramoff ties: MARIANA ISLANDS." ... "[Alaska Republican Represenative] Rep. Don Young has said he never allowed convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff to be an influential force over him in Congress." ... "But now a trove of old billing records from two of Abramoff's firms show that his team of lobbyists had more than 120 contacts with Young's personal and committee staffs over 25 months, including at least 10 with Young himself." ... "The available records cover a single Abramoff client, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. [United States] territory in the Pacific that Young oversaw when he chaired the House Resources Committee from 1995 to 2001." ... "The records show that one of the looming concerns of Abramoff and his fellow lobbyists at the time was a bill introduced by Young's fellow Alaskan, [Republican Senator] Sen. Frank Murkowski, to reform labor and immigration practices feeding the island's notorious Chinese-owned sweatshops. In 2000, Murkowski's bill passed the Senate unanimously, but Young stopped it cold in his committee, refusing to hold even a hearing." ... "Investigations by the government, media and human rights groups uncovered widespread abuses in the garment industry and among sex workers there starting in the mid-1990s, but Young asserted those investigations were bogus." ... "As a member of Young's Resources Committee, [Colorado Republican Representative and 2008 Election Colorado Senator Candidate Bob] Schaffer took a free trip to the Mariana Islands arranged by Abramoff's law firm, then played a central role in a 1989 committee hearing investigating Interior department officials in the [Democratic President Bill] Clinton administration who were trying to rein in the Saipan government [Saipan is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' capital]." ... "A growing number of reports spoke of near slave-labor conditions, with workers kept in sealed compounds, required to work seven days a week without overtime, and sometimes getting no paycheck at all. There were widespread reports of women coerced into getting abortions to keep their jobs. Some women hired abroad found themselves working not in garment factories at all, but sex clubs." -By Richard Mauer -ADN.com

20071227

US - Iraq- Afghanistan- Worldwide - Military - Government - Accounting - Terrorism - Politics - History - Alaska - Ted Stevens - "Wars Cost $15 Billion a Month, GOP Senator Says." ... "The latest estimate of the growing costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the worldwide battle against terrorism -- nearly $15 billion a month -- came last week from one of the Senate's leading proponents of a continued U.S. [United States] military presence in Iraq." ... ""This cost of this war is approaching $15 billion a month, with the Army spending $4.2 billion of that every month," [Alaska GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens (Alaska), the ranking Republican on the Appropriations defense subcommittee, said in a little-noticed floor speech Dec. [December] 18." ... "While most of the public focus has been on the political fight over troop levels, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reported this month that the [Republican President] Bush administration's request for the 2008 fiscal year of $189.3 billion [$189.3/12=$15.775 billion per month] for Defense Department operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and worldwide counterterrorism activities was 20 percent higher than for fiscal 2007 and 60 percent higher than for fiscal 2006." (1, 2) -By Walter Pincus -WashingtonPost

20071203

Ted Stevens - Government - Lawmakers - Politics - Alaska - Miss - "Sens. Cochran, Stevens lead in earmark tally." ... "Senior Republican appropriators in the Senate have collected more money in earmarks than any other members of Congress, even though [Republican] President Bush and GOP leaders have forcefully criticized “pork-barrel spending.”" ... "Not only have these lawmakers defied their leaders, they have also taken a much greater share of the pot set aside for rank-and-file Republicans than have senior Democrats. As a result, some on the Hill are grumbling privately that GOP appropriators are “not only the kings of pork, they’re outright hogs,” in the words of one Senate Republican aide." ... "[Republican Mississippi Senator] Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.), ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has collected $774 million worth of earmarks in 12 spending bills. After Cochran, [Republican Alaska Senator] Sen. Ted Stevens (Alaska), the second-ranking Republican on Appropriations, secured more money for special projects than any other member of Congress: $502 million." -By Alexander Bolton -TheHill.com

20071111

Don Young - Criminal - Transportation - Construction - Real Estate - Jet - Travel - Money- Politics - Alaska - New York - Florida - "Alaska lawmaker promoted earmarks, raked in cash." ... "As chairman of the House transportation committee, Alaska Congressman Don Young flew at least three times to upstate New York aboard a sleek jet owned by Robert Congel, an ambitious shopping mall developer seeking federal highway dollars." ... "With Young’s help, Congel got millions of dollars to boost his dream of building the largest mall in North America. The veteran Republican congressman got something, too: more than $33,000 in political donations from Congel, his family and his associates." ... "For Young, the Congel story was hardly unusual. Time after time, Young approved millions of dollars for highway projects for people who in turn fattened his campaign coffers." ... "With money pouring in from transportation interests, Young amassed $6.5 million in political contributions from 2001 to 2005. Facing weak political opposition at home, he didn’t need much for his campaign. Instead, Young tapped his campaign fund to travel the country, often lavishly and in corporate jets, to meet with more developers and view their proposed highway projects." ... "Now, though, Young’s campaign donations are going for another purpose. He’s spent nearly $450,000 on criminal defense lawyers after he learned of an FBI investigation into his relationships with political donors, who include a Florida real estate developer seeking a highway ramp near his undeveloped land." -By Greg Gordon and Erika Bolstad-McClatchyDC.com

20070922

Government - Electronic - Surveillance - Data - Travelers - Flying - Driving - Reading - People - Civil Liberties - US - International - San Francisco - California - Alaska - Terrorism - Intelligence - Politics - Law - "Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented: U.S. Effort More Extensive Than Previously Known." ... "The U.S. government is collecting electronic records on the travel habits of millions of Americans who fly, drive or take cruises abroad, retaining data on the persons with whom they travel or plan to stay, the personal items they carry during their journeys, and even the books that travelers have carried, according to documents obtained by a group of civil liberties advocates and statements by government officials." ... "The personal travel records are meant to be stored for as long as 15 years, as part of the Department of Homeland Security's effort to assess the security threat posed by all travelers entering the country. Officials say the records, which are analyzed by the department's Automated Targeting System, help border officials distinguish potential terrorists from innocent people entering the country." ... "Officials yesterday defended the retention of highly personal data on travelers not involved in or linked to any violations of the law. But civil liberties advocates have alleged that the type of information preserved by the department raises alarms about the government's ability to intrude into the lives of ordinary people. The millions of travelers whose records are kept by the government are generally unaware of what their records say, and the government has not created an effective mechanism for reviewing the data and correcting any errors, activists said." ... "The activists alleged that the data collection effort, as carried out now, violates the Privacy Act, which bars the gathering of data related to Americans' exercise of their First Amendment rights, such as their choice of reading material or persons with whom to associate. They also expressed concern that such personal data could one day be used to impede their right to travel." ... ""The federal government is trying to build a surveillance society," said John Gilmore, a civil liberties activist in San Francisco whose records were requested by the Identity Project, an ad-hoc group of privacy advocates in California and Alaska. The government, he said, "may be doing it with the best or worst of intentions. . . . But the job of building a surveillance database and populating it with information about us is happening largely without our awareness and without our consent."" (1, 2) -By Ellen Nakashima with contributions by Julie Tate -WashingtonPost

20070914

Pete Kott - Ben Stevens - Ted Stevens - Secret - Alaska - VECO - Oil - Money - Crime - Politics - 2006 Election - "Witness in Alaska says he had oil company contacts: Ex-CEO who pleaded guilty says he talked with top unit officials" ... "Veco Corp.'s former chief executive told a federal jury Thursday that he was in regular contact with officials at ConocoPhillips and BP's Alaska divisions while bribing state lawmakers there to limit the state's oil production tax." ... "Bill Allen, ex-CEO of Veco, the [Alaska] Anchorage-based oil-services contractor, made the claim at the bribery and fraud trial of former Alaska state [Alaska state Republican Representative] Rep. Pete Kott. Allen told jurors in Anchorage federal court that he paid Kott about $8,000 to help fund the lawmaker's 2006 re-election campaign in exchange for his vote and influence with other representatives during a legislative debate over state oil taxes. Kott denied the charges." ... "Allen said he wanted to keep oil taxes low for his oil producer clients, whom he called "the three big boys" in secretly recorded conversations, and encouraged them to build a multibillion-dollar natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the lower 48 states. The clients were ConocoPhillips, BP and Exxon Mobil, he said." ... "On Thursday Allen claimed to have paid phony consulting fees to [Alaska state Republican Senator] Ben Stevens. Ben and [his father, Alaska Republican Senator] Ted Stevens have denied any wrongdoing and haven't been charged with a crime." -By Tony Hopfinger -Bloomberg via -Chron

20070912

Oil - Consumer - Money - Alaska - "Oil hits record over $80 on tight supply." ... "Crude oil prices vaulted to a record high $80 a barrel on Wednesday as dealers focused on tight inventories in top consumer the United States ahead of peak winter demand." ... "A rash of fires at BP's oil fields in Alaska's North Slope added to the record run, though BP said the accidents had minimal impact to production that was already being curtailed by routine maintenance." ... "Adjusted for inflation, prices are still below the $90-a-barrel peaks of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the start of the Iran-Iraq war the following year." (1, 2) -By Richard Valdmanis with contributions by Matthew Robinson in New York and Jane Merriman -Reuters

20070910

Global- Climate - Science - Air - Water - US - Russia - Alaska - "Scientist Measures an Overlooked Greenhouse Gas." ... "Alaska scientist Katey Walter studies an aspect of climate change that has been largely overlooked: methane emissions." ... "Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, which means it is much more efficient at trapping heat. As a result, methane feeds into a loop of global warming." ... "Thawing Yields More Methane." ... "As global temperatures rise, permafrost thaws. Ponds and lakes form in the depressions left behind by melting chunks of ice in the ground. In the bottoms of ponds and lakes, bacteria feed on the carbon that previously had been frozen underground and burp it out as methane." ... "And because methane emissions from lakes haven't been carefully studied, scientists worry that projections for global warming could be far worse than currently estimated." ... "Walter, who teaches at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, says that methane is being released from lakes in the far north — Alaska, Siberia [Russia], elsewhere — at a far greater rate than anyone has estimated." -By Melissa Block with contributions by Art Silverman -NPR/News

20070907

Craig - Vitter - Stevens - DeLay - Ney - Cunningham - Sherwood - Renzi - Doolittle - Jefferson - Politicians - Lawmakers - Homosexual - Idaho - Louisiana - Alaska - Texas- Ohio - California - Pennsylvania - Arizona - 2008 Election - "House G.O.P.'s History Could Repeat in Senate." ... "The embarrassing [Idaho Republican Senator] Larry Craig episode combined sex and the justice system – always a potent political mix and one reason the Republican leadership moved so swiftly to jettison Mr. Craig." ... "Already, Mr. Craig is the star of a Web video from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee featuring a lineup of recent Republican scandals being shown to the tune of the “Bad Boys” theme song from the television show “Cops.” It seeks to ridicule Republican claims to hold the moral high ground." ... "Mr. Craig’s guilty plea to a sexually related disorderly conduct charge only served to remind people about Mr. [Louisiana Republican Senator] Vitter’s [alleged prostitution] case – and prompt accusations of a double standard since Republicans took no action against the Louisiana lawmaker for his heterosexual incident compared to Mr. Craig’s homosexual one." ... "Republicans can point to the indictment of Louisiana Democrat[ic Representative] William Jefferson, but Democrats can counter with the names of Senators Craig, Vitter and [Alaska Republican Senator Ted] Stevens not to mention those of former Representatives [Texas Republican] Tom DeLay, [Ohio Republican] Bob Ney, [California Republican] Duke Cunningham and [Pennsylvania Republican] Don Sherwood." ... "Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona, another Republican under investigation, has already announced he will not seek re-election [in 2008] and top aides to [Republican] Representative John Doolittle of California, a former member of the Republican leadership, were called before a grand jury this week." -By Carl Hulse -NYTimes

20070905

Larry E Craig - Ted Stevens - David Vitter - Idaho - Alaska- Louisiana - Oregon - Law - "Craig Moves to Block Senate Ethics Panel Complaint." ... "Lawyers for [Idaho Republican] Senator Larry E. Craig of Idaho delivered a letter to the Senate ethics committee today asking the committee to reject a complaint relating to his guilty plea in an airport sex sting operation." ... "Mr. Craig stunned Washington late yesterday with an announcement through his spokesman that he may return to the Senate despite announcing Saturday “my intent to resign from the Senate effective September 30.”" ... "A nonprofit group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington [DC], also said it filed a complaint last week against Mr. Craig. In that filing, Melanie Sloan, the group’s executive director, said the Senate ethics rules broadly cover “improper conduct which may reflect upon the Senate.”" ... "Ms. Sloan also called on the Senate to investigate [Senator] Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, who is under criminal investigation for financial dealings, and [Senator] David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, whose name appeared in phone records of a Washington prostitution ring." ... "The [U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics] committee conducted a three-year investigation into alleged sexual harassment, abuse and assault by Senator Bob Packwood, Republican of Oregon, ending in his resignation under threat of expulsion in 1995." -By Duff Wilson -NYTimes

20070830

Larry Edwin Craig - David Vitter - Ted Stevens - Gay - Religion - Law - Enforcement - Idaho - Louisiana - Alaska - 2008 Election - "Craig Faces Growing Republican Pressure to Resign (Update3)." ... "Republican lawmakers and Christian groups are increasing pressure on [Republican] Idaho Senator Larry Craig to resign, saying he can't resurrect his political career after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with a restroom incident." ... "Three Republicans in Congress yesterday