Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin could have shown some class today, in her public announcement on the event of President Obama's selection of Juneau Alaska State Senator Kim Elton, to be the director of Alaska affairs for the U.S. Department of Interior. The governor's statement began:"Senator Elton pledged his allegiance to President Obama last summer."
No he didn't. He supported candidate Obama.
I can't remember the last time a governor of Alaska made such a rude, insulting statement toward a fellow Alaskan who has just been elevated to a higher responsibility. As Anchorage Daily News commenter cs654 noted:
Gov. Palin's understanding of the U.S. Constitution is evidently as chillingly erroneous as was her stated understanding of the role of the Vice President. Her statement in response to Sen. Elton's announcement was: "Sen. Elton pledged his allegiance to President Obama last summer." Actually, no one in government "pledges allegiance" to anyone or anything than to "the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands." This misunderstanding lies at the very heart of our governor's view of government and the people who serve therein.
Elton's role in the actions leading to the Branchflower investigation were within the bounds of what would normally be expected of members of the Legislative Council, who voted unanimously for their investigation.
This may be a fine opportunity for Sen. Beth Kerttula to move up to a senate seat she would win anyway, should there be a special election. Juneau Democrats are deciding about their recommendations right now.
One rumor coming out of Juneau this evening is that Palin has already decided to refuse to honor the picks of Juneau Democrats, and will nominate an anti-choice Catholic or Evangelical Filipina-American Democrat, forcing Juneau Democrats to reject a minority woman for the seat.
Update - Tuesday 2:50 p.m: Note to strong Palin supporters visiting PA today:
There are several comments here today supportive of Gov. Palin and her statement yesterday. There are now a couple that are dismissive of Sen. Elton. All these make claims either to Palin's being mishandled by the media on this, Elton's perfidy in how he handled his Legislative Council responsibilities last summer, or both.
I welcome all of you to Progressive Alaska!
I also invite you to be specific. For instance, can any Palin supporter link to or describe a specific statement by any earlier Alaska governor on the occasion of a national level job being offered to an Alaska legislator, that starts out on a negative, personal note? I've offered lunch to anyone who can do that.
And just what is it that Sen. Elton did last summer that was "snide and dishonest?" I missed it. Again, please be specific.
image by DZ
33 comments:
I'm just once again speechless at the behavior of this governor. Classless beyond words. Why doesn't the ADN cover this unbelievable example of crass nastiness? Oops. Almost forgot - the ADN crew is hoping against hope Sarah will tap them for job openings in state govt since their newspaper days are quickly coming to a close.
--but even so, where is Sean Parnell? Where is Bill McAllister? Where is ANYONE who can pull Sarah aside, give her a quick lesson in manners and political etiquette before she stumbles around making buffoonish remarks like "Senator Elton pledged his allegience to President Obabma last summer."
News flash Sarah: It wasn't "President" Obama until mid January; and it wasn't "allegience" - it was political support. This one sentence, in a nutshell, tells us everything we already know about Sarah: everything but EVERYTHING is personal to her. You either pledge your "allegience" to her, or you are on the OUTS. This makes me think of the middle school shenanigans she tried to pull at last year's state Republican Party meeting in March by having everyone against Randy stand up.
I am a Republican - one of the many who have had it with her meanness and pettiness. This makes all of us in Alaska look ridiculous.
The media in this state is absolutely shameless to not report on Sarah's classless press release for what it is.
anon @ #1 - the story didn't break until after today's print edition came out. The ADN political blog is covering it. The gov's crass statement is from an update they posted this afternoon.
The AK media can be crass and clueless, but this isn't a case in point.
Unfortunately this isn't the first time our Governor has used an official State press release as her own State-provided tool of personal attack, and it probably won't be the last. It is nauseating to go through the press release archive. They should call it something like First Whiner's Updates.
I wonder if Palin will take the high road or the low road on this appointment. My guess is low road so she can jerk around the democrats, obstruct the legislature (wouldn't be the first time), and act like herself.
We also should not be surprised if the Governor delays an AG appointment until after the end of the legislative session-- that would be textbook Palin too.
By the way, perhaps the only one Palin has ever pledged allegiance to is Palin. Like Limbaugh she probably hopes Obama (and the United States) will fail (so she might get her opportunity to become our dictator). As McCain's VP candidate she seemed totally self-absorbed.
Actually, there is nothing about the pledge in the Constitution. It was not even formulated (since modified) until 1892.
Kitty,
You're right. Palin is like the anti-Churchill when it comes to opening lines in public statements. Churchill could come up with a phrase that would be witty, disarming, show immense historical knowledge and perspective, and leave one nodding one's head up and down.
Palin, OTOH, seldom shows humor, gets people riled, and immediately reveals vast levels of ignorance, as one nods the head back and forth.
One Churchill quote comes to mind, but I'll change the gender of the subject in its paraphrase:
"An immodest woman with much to be modest about."
"The Wit and Wisdom of Wally Hickel" has a special place in my Alaskana library. That title was a stretch. No doubt somebody will write "The Wit and Wisdom of Sarah Palin" soon (you reading this morning, DRIII?)....
Don't you have a picture of Palin looking like she has tasted a bunch of SOUR GRAPES?
When will she get it that the joke is over? McSame knew he wasn't going to win. She was not expected to win. She was chosen to take the thunder out of Obama's first few weeks, which she did. That was it! She is like an angry pageant contestant. Instead of blaming herself, everything is everyone elses' fault. She should be thrilled that someone from her state has been chosen to be at the helm of this and be building bridges with Elton.
Some stateswoman she is.
It would only be insulting if we/he respected her. Doesn't it just make you laugh at her attempts to wound with badly aimed stabs?
with so much dislike for Sarah Palin and so much hatred for her, everything that is reported by the news is so nasty, biased and negative. We canceled our paper subscription for that reason.
It is ok not to agree with someone's political views, but to be so nasty, negative and show hate for a person, is so childish. I have never seen so much hatred shown to any candidate as is shown for Sarah. I wish people could just stop with the negative about her and stick to the facts. I for one am tired of hearing about it, and I guess that it is kept up because there are so many who are actually threatened by her and want to ensure that they do all they can to put her down and make her look bad.
I hope everyone will just grow up and act mature for a change and quit their whining about every little thing she says and does.
What is so insulting about stating a person's political affiliations? Is it bad for Senator Elton to be an Obama supporter which is essentially the same thing as "pledging allegiance?" Seriously, find other things to nag about Palin. This article is as classless as you claim Palin's statement to be.
Anons @ #s 9 & 10:
I'll take it back if you can quote any other governor of Alaska making a similar statement when an Alaskan was given such an important job on the national level. I'll even take you to lunch - your choice, as long as it isn't too expensive.
If I remember Palin during her VP bid, "Israel the only flag in her office", isn't this pledging allegiance?
The hypocrisy which pervades your posting and the responses of some of those who have supported your comments is staggering. It beggars belief that you of all people would accuse Gov Palin of lacking class: pot, kettle, black!
Anonymous at 11:43:
Your trolling is showing.
The press release was childish at best. End of story.
Thank you, Phil for your reporting.
Phil, ADN pasted Mudflats, your blog, Gryphen's, Halcro and now trolls are totally infesting all of them! The ADN is afraid to speak the truth so they direct people to the anonymous bloggers, lol!
c a c,
Let them come.
Again, the offer is open to anyone who can come up with a similar statement by another Alaska Governor in similar circumstances - lunch with the entire staff of Progressive Alaska!
ADN Newsreader did what they can - point toward what blogs are writing. Mark Dent at the Newsreader, did write, "U.S. Sen. Mark Begich was congratulatory and seemed pleased, while Gov. Sarah Palin seemed, um, curt. Wonder why..." and then cited our articles.
There are plenty of trolls at Sean Cockerham's article, which, correctly makes the story about Elton's new job and its ramifications, rather than spending a lot of time on Palin's probable motive for being such an infantile bitch.
as soon as I heard that the do-nothing Elton was in consideration for an Obama admin position, I knew it was a political gift for a rare Alaskan Palin attacker - He definately worked hard for it - read the articles in the national press from election time, and very few leave out mention of Elton's snide and dishonest remarks.
at least Juneau may have a chance if they give Palin a worthy democrat nominee (contradiction in terms).
I did not see anything inappropriate or out of step with the words written about the appointment. There is a job that Kim must do given the definition of the position. Not many states have a designated hitter. He purpose is to NOT strike out, but to help advance the Alaska agenda, not the Obama global agenda, Re-read the designation.
HOLD ON!
I don't think she even meant it that way. Not only that, if it was the reverse situation, where we had a Democrat Gov. and a Republican advisor going over, this commentary would be worse.
When I read this I understood what she meant. Pleadged his allegiance in her context (you idiots) means that he was supportive of Obama as of last summer, when that idiot decided to run for president. Second. We don't even say the "Pledge of Allegiance" at all in our schools. Thanks to the facist left, the very education/standards/morals, are ruined and cannot be turned back to your patchoulli smelling orders.
I also love how this author listens to rumors. How precise and unbiased your "articles" are.
HOLD ON!
We say the Pledge of Allegiance in Valley schools every morning of every day school is in session and have since I started teaching here in 1983. I have been told that it is a state statute, but I don't have the citation for that. You will just have to drop by any school and listen, first thing in the morning.
I am off to look up 'patchoulli smelling order'. Sounds interesting.
aonn @ 3:17,3:50,2:14
GINO, went to a "elite" DC dinner at the end of Jan specifically meet "President Obama", "PO" and probably sell herself as a potential member of his cabinet. LOL! "Energy Adviser" comes to mind. Don't think for a fricken hot second she wouldn't be winging off into the sunset WITH family in tow if she were picked! But I'm sure she feeling the sting of her own Failed polices, the sting of Sen. Elton being picked and feeling "left behind" like the Rapture's come and gone and I'm still here????
She is a infantile bitch as well as the rest of the infantile repubTalibans. When we say the truth about GINO you say we are attacking her? Why is telling the truth attacking her?
But Y'all just keep drinking the kool-aid! I bet Mr. Munger could tell you things about GINO that would make your hair curl...Just sayin'.....
It is pretty clear now that Mr. Elton amounts to a paid political character assassin. He brought an unsubstantiated case for purely political reasons and is now rewarded for it. I will not be at all surprised if Mr. Elton now throws Alaska "under the bus" in order to further sabotage governor Palin in the future. Watch him closely Alaskans. Governor Palin was more lenient to him than many would have been. She has laid out a list of projects that he should supoort. Alaskans, watch and see if he does. I doubt it.
Aonn@4:36"He brought an unsubstantiated case for purely political reasons and is now rewarded for it."
You ignorance is showing! That was a partisan investigation. Everyone one of you idiots want to cry about Poor Sara. Character assassination.
Where were you when she incited people to yell "kill him"? Oh that was you...!
Go drink some more kool-aid, some cheese with that whine???
Funny Palin Cartoon. Check it out.
http://www.hootervillegazette.com/
Once there, scroll to the bottom
"unsubstantiated case" ???
HARDLY!
Did you listen to the recording of Frank Bailey calling Lt. Rodney Dial?
That's all the evidence you'd need.
Sarah Palin abused her power.
@5:59
Phil, I see your stalker is here....
better wipe for cooties!
Hey, Kim, you forgot to thank Governor Palin for your sudden popularity with the Obama administration.
C a c,
I'm sitting on an ACO rehearsal counting lotsa rests
Phil
Stay classy, Sarah!
It makes progressives feel better about their own inadequacies by putting others' down.
Personally I think it's kind of sick how some bloggers, AH, CD, MF in particular, are seemingly obsessed with Governor Palin.
This blog seems to be more obsessed with her boots, but that's another story. (christ, lighten up, that was meant to be a joke, ha ha)
I can't recall another political figure in this state who has become as polarizing as Governor Palin has.
all of these anon bloggers..and no..I am not anon...I leave my name. My website is not open to posters like the ones who respond to Phil in such a silly way. I dont need the vitriol to tell you the truth.
I am convinced...that Team Sarah has invaded this blog...part of some laughable strategy. Dont you realize that like the rest of us...Palin considers you idiots who sit in your parents basements in your pj's. What a hoot.
You are permitted gracefully I might add by Phil to comment...yet you kick people off your own Team Sarah site...threatening them even.
Get a life...go read a blog that loves Palin...or at least one that doesn NOT favour truth.
Laurie Jackson
PS
Regular posters...like Phil, Crystal...many others...you know who you are, you can have my website if you are at all interested. Mine however is not political...and no...not a mommy blog.
TeamSarah has become a troll here. Phil-- you're getting at these buggers. I love to see them whine-- means they're in pain. Haa Haa!
Team Sarah: Greetings! Up Yours!
I've been busy with music projects today. Hardly time to even visit my own site!
If Team Sarah has been here, they didn't take time to answer either of my questions.
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