Saturday, July 18, 2009

Saturday Alaska Progressive Blog Roundup - July 18, 2009

BoldI. Looking forward to Parnell and the Special Session:

Some of the Alaska blogs have been spending more time on Sean Parnell than have others. There isn't much to discuss yet, except that he has already promised to do whatever he wants with the Federal energy stimulus funds that will be voted upon in the session, and that he wants the holiday from our measly gas tax extended.

To talk of this upcoming session as a "one-day" event strikes me as strange, with three issues (Campbell's change of status, the energy stimulus veto override and Parnell's gas tax request) being sought for discussion.

I haven't yet seen any point-by-point comparisons between Parnell and Palin, and it is probably too early to be making them, but it is probably safe predict the following:

1). Parnell will become regarded as more honest than Palin, perhaps very quickly.

2). Parnell will probably change policies in the governor's office regarding accessibility. He will answer more direct questions in more frequent press conferences, but will be considered somewhat dull and rigid in his responses.

3). Parnell, having a lot of experience in the legislature, will resort to more traditional methods of dealing with our representatives to Juneau. He will not bake cookies.

4). The layers upon layers of Palin-appointed cronies will begin leaving soon after her departure, some through attrition, others as it becomes more evident how unqualified they are to do the work they're paid to do.

II. Sorting through the Palin debris:

There's so much of it:

1). Andrew Halcro on Dairygate.

2). The Cap and Trade Bait and Switch - by Shannyn Moore.

3). Palin's inability to take any responsibility for anything - by Shannyn Moore.

4). The David C. Kernell Yahoo password trial in Knoxville. Gryph discusses it at Immoral Minority. I interviewed the Knoxville paper's court reporter.

5). Palin's hopelessly inept and highly questionable help. Andrew Halcro's story at 1) above discusses Meg Stapleton. And Linda Kellen at Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis takes on Ivy Frye, who is moving over to join Meg at SarahPAC.

6). Steve at WhatdoIknow? discusses Don Mitchell's excellent Alaska Dispatch article on Palin's rise and fall.

7). Both Steve and AKM at The Mudflats discussed Eric Boehlert's Media Matters for America article on Alaska bloggers and Palin's downfall.


III. Allen Tesche:

Ex- Anchorage Assemblyman Allen Tesche's passing was written about by Linda Kellen in a touching way. Rishi Maharaj contributed to her tribute.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, no Palin photo. That looks like Parnell.

I like Parnell. I predict that the creepy left will soon come to hate Parnell as well because he isn't a lefty.

But they will be less strident and more ethical in their attacks because they aren't afraid of him on a national level.

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous #1: What a load of crap!
Parnell needs to "man up", grow set & come out from under Palin's mini-skirts. He needs to clean house of the Palin cronies in his adminstration or he will have a very hard time earning credibility with the citizens of this state as a competent governor and subsequently gain their respect.

KaJo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
KaJo said...

As a prognosticator, Anonymous @ 1:42 PM, you're about as successful...

...as Palin has been progressive and responsible in her 4 years as governor of Alaska.

Anonymous said...

of concern is the Legislature's apparent current intent to rubber stamp the promotion of the Lt. General to Lt. Governor. Notwithstanding the procedural problems (swept away by a new, also unconfirmed, Attorney General), the Legislature should at least hold a few hearings. The Lt. General has conducted his duties in a distant, non-responsive manner, and has completely duckd any responsibility for his actions. At the very least, hearings should be required. This legislature had the guts to dispose of WAR; an honest inquiry might make them do the same to the Lt. General.

Phil Smith
Juneau

Anonymous said...

Badge of Honor to Phil & PA for getting the first comment from a Palinbot!!!!! Too bad it mentions the meme "you are afraid of her!!" Next post will say you are jealous!

I'm just tired of the unintelligent accusations, and the refusal to discuss the issues.

Anonymous said...

@3:52, that's expecting an awful lot. For goodness sake, you're suggesting that they should come up with their very OWN thoughts and debatable arguments based on current news and facts or something? ;-)

No one with any intelligence or professional campaign experience writes their "talking points." So what are they to do? They have been forced to use the same old 2008 election FOX News rebuttals all of this year. That's all they've got!

They just keep recycling the same old whines. What is the expression about the definition of insanity? If you keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results each time....

Anonymous said...

heh heh

Anonymous said...

"grin"...sorry. Can't help it.

Patrick said...

And there is another little shoe that dropped:

John Coale, top-scientologist and Greta van Susteren's husband, now said that Sarah already had a $ 500.000 legal bill FROM the campaign - and only $ 100.000 in legal bills came later!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/207398?from=rss

Therefore, Sarah's allegation that she incurred a $ 500.000 legal bill as a consequence of the ethics complaints of some meanspirited liberals and other criminals in Alaska can safely be rejected as pure B.S. !!

Newsweek:

"One of the main reasons Sarah Palin is stepping down as governor, say associates, is her large, unpaid legal bill. Her successor, Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, says she is worried about "the cost of all the ethics investigations and the like." But is that really the reason? John Coale, a Washington lawyer who helped Palin set up a legal-defense fund and PAC, tells NEWSWEEK the fund is "well on its way" to paying off $500,000 in legal debt from the campaign and another $100,000 in bills incurred later, leaving questions about how big a part money woes played in her decision to resign."

I can think of many reasons why Sarah Palin needed extensive legal advice during the campaign...

How to effectively cover up the faked pregnancy, for example.

Anonymous said...

pfftt...sorry. Spit tea all over my keyboard.

"How to effectively cover up the faked pregnancy, for example."

If this is an example of the left's so called intelligence I cringe.

I don't think Phil belongs to the fake pregnancy crowd. Do you Phil?

Back to grinnin again.

AKPetMom said...

Phil has never much commented on the faux preggers issue, but hey, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, perhaps it is a duck.

Perhaps it is not our business whether she gave birth or not but plenty of folks both in Juneau and in the Alaskan press chimed in regarding the fact that Sarah Palin "never really looked pregnant".

Given the fact that Palin has issues with speaking the truth, one would have to ponder whether or not she was telling the truth regarding the matter of her maternity as well.

KTUU has a segment airing on 7/20 covering the political career of Sarah Palin. The segment is titled "Sarah Palin's Wild Ride". The "wild ride" has become the media's tagline for Sarah Palin's 14 hour trip from Texas to Alaska to give birth to her child.

Funny that our own Alaskan (and pro-Palin) television station is utilizing those words to title their Palin piece.

Once again, Phil has not spoken much about the Trig pregnancy, but we all have to take a hard look at Palin and realize that perhaps 90% of the time she does not tell the truth.

That, added to the fact that many esteemed legislators had no idea she was pregnant coupled with the fact that there are photos of her never looking pregnant, makes any thinking person prone to question the truth in the matter.

Anonymous said...

"...any thinking person prone to question the truth in the matter."

All I have to say is the the right wing wackos don't have a monopoly on the conspiracy nuts.

It's amazing to me though, that this conspiracy is at least tacitly accepted by seemingly reasonable people in the left. People like Phil.

It makes me afraid of the creepy left as a whole if they are willing to believe such meaningless and obvious crap just because it serves their purposes.

Still...gotta grin at the clueless left. They are willing to accept anything if it will make points for their side.

Anonymous said...

@6:41, you are so Cheshire Cat-like! The main gists of your posts are simply your grins.

Philip Munger said...

I have no idea what "conspiracy" the crazy Cheshire cat is referring to.

If it is the "Trig truthers," my only comment is that there are three schools of thought regarding Palin's most recent pregnancy:

1) The baby wasn't hers. I doubt that.

2) She selfishly travelled and strained herself and a special needs fetus during the last weeks of a pregnancy that should have benefitted the coming child through serious bed rest by the mom, because she is the selfish, uncaring Sarah Palin who has alway put herself before any of her kids That is probable.

3) She tried to abort the fetus through intentionally putting it in situations that would strain the pregnancy beyond normal means. Several doctors and nurses I have spoken to believe that. It is possible.

I tend toward believing #2, but short of a certified birth certificate for Trig, #1 continues to have adherents.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, I can't help but grin. The mouth foaming over Palin by the left just tickles me.

Phil, I don't think you are serious about #1 and #3 is something that only seriously skewed perspectives would conjure up.

I suppose the certified birth certificate is the lefts answer to the RWW demand for Obama's birth certificate. We have them on both sides of the fence. I just have a lot more fun with the LWWs.

Anonymous said...

Cheshire Cat, is Sarah Palin your Alice?

Patrick said...

Phil,

I appreciate and respect your comments!

By the way, Cheshire Cat:

Belonging to the "fake pregnancy crowd" is nothing shameful. Some smart lawyers belong to this crowd, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA-M2NfFAjU

Ask Sarah to show the birth certificate for Trig.

Ask Cathy Baldwin-Johnson whether she delivered Trig on April 18, 2008.

Ask Levi what his relationship to Trig is.

Then we will get closer to the truth.

Anonymous said...

Are you saying that the doctor in question delivered Trig or not. I happen to know her...she delivered some of my kids.

What exactly are you saying?

Or are you just raising questions without any answers. Are we using one of those, "connect the dots" theories?

As for smart people believing something crazy, that is nothing new. We can find lots of smart people who believe stupid things.
Look at all the lawyers suing for Obama's birth certificate.

Are lawyers smart? Now there is a real question. Off to grinnin again.

Anonymous said...

Cheshire Cat, do you think Sarah Palin is down a rabbit hole?

Patrick said...
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Patrick said...

Anon at 8:13

So you think I raise more questions than answers? Well, it's actually Sarah Palin herself who is constantly doing that. But I am happy to present it the other way round. I have the impression, however, that you will still be complaining then. Anyway, here we go:

1. Bristol Palin has given birth to Trig.

2. Levi Johnston is the father of Trig, or thinks he is the father.

3. Trig was not born on April 18, 2008, but much earlier.

4. Cathy Baldwin-Johnson did not deliver Trig.

5. Sarah Palin faked the pregnancy in order to profit from it politically (NOT for "selfless" reasons).

Happy now?

Next time you see Cathy Baldwin-Johnson, please ask her. She will be thrilled, I am sure. Last time somebody asked her about it, she took her lawyer with her.

After the truth has been revealed in public, everybody will say "I always knew that there was something wrong!", and the Palinites will say "She did it to save Trig's life!". So predictable...