Eight Terrible Truths about Sarah Palin

Since the moment John McCain patronized American women by introducing Sarah Palin as his VP choice, with the goal of duping women who might be disillusioned by Hilary Clinton’s loss into voting form him, the media and blogasphere have been flooded with stories regarding the Alaska Governor, some flattering and some rather ugly. Since those initial stories we have learned some basic facts about Sarah Palin however, that paint a very different picture of her than the one the McCain campaign would have us believe. I have attempted in this post to summarize the top eight facts we now know about Sarah Palin.

Regarding women’s issues Palin is an anti-feminist, a member of Feminists for Life, and someone who wants the government to invade women’s lives to block all abortion, but is opposed to offering equal pay for equal work, or to providing federal funding for health care, child care, or early childhood education. She opposes all but abstinence based sex education, and rather ironically, has an unwed pregnant daughter.

Palin has a horrible track record on conservation, and advocates for oil drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Preserve. Her husband, actually works for BP oil, when he is not working as a deep see fisherman. Palin also supports hunting wolves by helicopter, and used state funds to fight a bill that would make the practice illegal. She denies that global warming is being affected in any way by human activity and sued the federal government when they wanted to put Polar Bears on the endangered species list, saying that people were over reacting to global warming issues.

On the matter of education Palin denies the scientific truths regarding evolution and science. She pushes for teaching creationism in public schools, and opposes science curriculums that teach evolution or critical thinking as being superior to creationism.

She is not the popular Governor that we have been led to believe. While the McCain campaign tells us Palin has an 80 percent approval rate in Alaska, Gregg Erickson of the Anchorage Daily News, reports that Palin’s approval rating in the state is actually 65 percent and sinking, and he suggests that “among journalists who followed her, it might be in the teens." He also added: "I have a hard time seeing how her qualifications stack up against the duties and responsibilities of being president.” Also from an editorial in the Anchorage Daily News: "It's stunning that someone with so little national and international experience might be heartbeat away from the presidency."

She is not the political maverick and reformer we have been told she is. According to the Washington Post from 2003 to 2005, Palin was one of three directors of "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that raises unlimited funds from corporate donors. "527" refers to a section of the tax code governing such campaign groups. Stevens, who is running for senate re-election this year, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., this summer for failing to disclose sizeable gifts from an Alaskan oil company, including assistance with renovating a vacation home. While we still have a lot to learn about Palin's role as a fundraiser for Steven's 527, but her role as a reformer in Alaskan politics is somewhat tainted by her ties to Stevens and Alaskan oil companies.

Palin’s much touted executive experience is fraught with disturbing issues. She was investigated for abuse of power as Mayor and then as Governor of Alaska. An Anchorage Daily News item from December 1997 reports that Palin faced a recall as mayor of Wasilla, for firing the Police Chief. It appears the Chief and another city official was fired for "not fully supporting her efforts to govern.” As Governor she is being investigated for attempting to fire her brother in law, a state trooper, who was involved in a bitter custody debate with Palin’s sister. In her defense, Palin insists the trooper in question threatened her family, yet there is not police report form the time she says the incident occurred.
Palin lied about supporting the “Bridge to Nowhere.” The Gravina Island Bridge would have linked the town of Ketchikan to its international airport, which is extremely difficult to get to by car, as it is on Gravina Island where there is currently only a ferry in place to shuttle people back and forth. The bridge in question would have been a great asset but was quickly labeled a pork barrel project by McCain and other members of the GOP. Palin echoed disapproval for the “Bridge to Nowhere” during her introductory speech, but it turns out she originally liked the idea. In fact, “We're going to build that bridge” became a common campaign slogan while running for Governor, especially when addressing the people of Ketchikan. It seems Palin is an accomplished liar, if nothing else.
Regarding the war Sarah, whose son is shipping out to Iraq on September 11, told students at her conservative Wasilla Assembly of God Church that America’s leaders were sending troops to Iraq on a “task that is from God.” She also said a proposed pipeline was a project sent from God and urged the assembled students to pray, and work together, to make God’s plan a reality, because God, according to Palin, wants to extract natural resources. And to think I used to worry about the current President’s infatuation with ancient mythology.
When reviewing these facts we are left with the irrefutable evidence that rather than being a political reformer or maverick, Sarah Palin is a radical right wing ideologue who appeals to such neo conservatives as James Dobson and Tony Perkins. Her appointment to the McCain ticket will ensure that Roe v Wade will be overturned, that faith based initiatives will continue to be funded and, if Sarah has her way, conservation, science and women’s rights, to name a few, will be turned back by about 100 years.

It is ironic that the first Republican woman on a major ticket is from the fringe neo-conservative movement that wants to suppress all individual freedoms, freethinking and scientific progress and return us the dark ages that the Christian right perceives as heaven on Earth.


Sources: Market Watch, Palin said War in Iraq and Pipeline are gods will, Rex Nutting, Sept 2, 2008, Alternet, Top Ten Most Disturbing Facts and Impressions of Sarah Palin, Alternet Staff, Sept, 2, 2008, Huffington Post, Police Chief: Palin Fired Me For Campaign Contributors, Sept. 3, 2008, Feminists for Life website Huffington Post, 2 Top Alaska Newspapers Question Palin's Fitness, Greg Mitchell, Aug, 30, 2008