Dude, Who’s My Governor?
It’s always the quiet ones…
Behold the Shadow Governor. It looks like Todd Palin really did live up to his nickname.
A huge quantity of emails from the State of Alaska have been released – not for the $15 Million originally quoted to MSNBC who made the records request almost a year and a half ago, but for $323.58. Yes, that’s three hundred twenty three dollars and fifty eight cents. Quite a bargain considering the original price.
State law says that public records requests should be addressed within 10 days. 10 days… a year and a half… whatever.
This info dump is chock full of interesting information:
Nearly 3,000 pages of e-mails that Todd Palin exchanged with state officials, which were released to msnbc.com and NBC News by the state of Alaska under its public records law, draw a picture of a Palin administration where the governor’s husband got involved in a judicial appointment, monitored contract negotiations with public employee unions, received background checks on a corporate CEO, added his approval or disapproval to state board appointments and passed financial information marked “confidential” from his oil company
employer to a state attorney.While 1,200 separate e-mails were released this week, 243 others were withheld by the state under a claim that executive privilege extends to Todd Palin as an unpaid adviser to the government. Still, just the subject lines of those e-mails provide a glimpse of the ways the Palins divvied up their responsibilities when she became governor in December 2006, less than two years before Republican Sen. John McCain pulled her onto the national political stage by nominating her as his vice presidential candidate.
The still-secret e-mails between Todd Palin and senior officials reach into countless areas of state government and politics: potential board appointees, constituent complaints, use of the state jet, oil and gas production, marine regulation, gas pipeline bids, postsecondary education
Also withheld: a discussion of how to reply to “media questions about Todd Palin’s work and potential conflict of interests.”
And that’s only the stuff that was withheld. The released emails including coaching to staff about how to disguise additional electrical work needed to wire her new tanning bed in the governor’s mansion in Juneau, searching for a public event to cover travel costs for her daughter Willow, taking a major Alaska newspaper off the list to receive press releases out of retribution for an unfavorable story, and more. Much more.
This marks the end of a very ugly week for the Palins, and raises questions about the role of the former First Dude in governing the state. Reports of Todd Palin camped out in the corner during official meetings, and his contact with the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety during the Troopergate scandal had fueled speculation on the degree to which he stepped over the line from private citizen, to political adviser, to Shadow Governor. The release of these emails answers that question to a degree, and raises the possibility that Alaska had it’s very own secessionist version of Dick Cheney in the halls of power.
Another question raised recently addresses the use of Yahoo! email accounts to conduct official state business. The Palin administration frequently used such accounts, and a recent ruling in Alaska Superior Court upheld the legality of such practice.
Alaska Republican Andrée McLeod has filed a lawsuit against the state on this issue. In it, she argues that if one private citizen in the state of Alaska can be privy to all these e-mails about the workings of state government, then the state has waived the privilege.
“If one citizen can see them, Todd Palin, then why can’t every citizen see them?” McLeod said.
Palin’s chief of staff, Michael Nizich, rejected that argument in a denial letter to McLeod’s attorney. Nizich said that Todd Palin was not a third-party outsider, but an insider, “an invited advisor and participant in the actual decision-making protected by the privilege.” It doesn’t matter, the state argues, that Todd Palin’s advice wasn’t paid for; it was still solicited.
“Mr. Palin is a proper advisor to the governor,” Nizich wrote. “There is nothing inappropriate about the spouse of a chief executive playing such a role. The governor is absolutely entitled to involve him in policy matters as an advisor as she sees fit.”
McLeod v. Parnell (Palin), seeks to establish that emails sent or received by a state employee on a private email account when the content includes official state business is a “public record” as defined by the Alaska Public Records Act, and that using private email accounts to transact office state business violates Alaska Statute 40.25.140, which prohibits a state employee from “obstructing” public inspection of “public records.”
The spin on this case has been to frame the issue as being a personal one between McLeod and Palin. Watchdog v. Governor, “Falafel Lady” v. Joan of Arc, Evil v. Good. But in reality, recent rulings on this case should be sounding alarm bells and waving red flags for those who value an open and transparent state government.
McLeod’s attorney Donald Craig Mitchell notes:
The cursory reporting implied that Judge McKay did so because he found that emails sent/received on private email accounts are not “public records.” In fact, while the analytical precision Judge McKay brought to his judging was wanting in several significant respects, what he said, albeit implicitly, was that such emails could be “public records” but only at such time, if at all, that the agency who employs the state employee who sent/received the emails decides to “preserve” the emails. He also implied that a state agency has total discretion to decide to “preserve” or not “preserve,” even if the decision to not “preserve” is made with bad motive (i.e., to prevent the public and the Alaska press from discovering that the emails even exist).
The undefined (by the Alaska Legislature) word “preserved” that Judge McKay defined on his own appears in the generic A.S. 40.25.220(3) definition of the term “public records” in the Alaska Public Records Act.In other words, Judge McKay’s holding applies to all records that the executive branch of the government of the State of Alaska generates. Not just to emails or to emails sent/received on private email accounts.
We set the VCR to tape Cw/KO and TRMS tonight so we can enjoy the news when we get home from First Friday! I think I may need to fire up the popcorn popper for the viewing!
Oh yeah, and I love your last sentence!
One of the emails discusses Osarah filling out her APOC form. She was talking about the property that has the houses on it. She did not mention the cabins then or on the form. Even though she mentions asked for income from Bristol or Willow (which was probably not very much). Interesting.
Does this not make her APOC illegal?
Commenters on HuffPO are ripping her supporters to shreds!
I’d say meeting with Chuck Hamel in Washington is a HUGE conflict of interest for Todd.
But seeing as how he tried to get Wooten fired, I would say “conflict of interest” isn’t his strong suit.
AKM. Here’s my prediction. You could very well be the first person to write: “The Rise and Fall of Sarah Palin”. I’d buy it!
The Shadow … “the power to cloud men’s minds” …
But the clouds lift and AKM leads the way. Anything interesting in the mail recently?
The governor was not who you voted for, whether $P/Granny Grifter or Todd. She’s like my favorite comment from MadSkillzSon from last fall: “Karma’s a mofo. The GOP’s going down like a cheap hooker”, to quote . Finally!
Yesterday on his talk radio show Ed Shultz was wondering what he should be talking about on MSNBC during the big Tea Party….no need to wonder any more!
Did you people that live in Alaska know the extent of the co-governorship at the time? Actually he comes across as sounding more intelligent and on the ball than she does…….instead of thinking of him as the shadow governor, I visualize her instead as being the storefront/facade governor. IE the facade. def: “a. the front of a building, esp. an imposing or decorative one. ” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/facade
Sarah Palin is a FRAUD.
Period.
This is OVER the TOP! From the teabaggers’ ball…
Country singer Lisa Mei performs her song about Sarah Palin titled, “Change You Won’t Regret.” (Lisa Mei/Soundclick Inc.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/02/05/VI2010020502211.html
Holy crap Batman!
Unpaid political consultant??????????????????????????? Look at all of the areas of state business that Todd was involved in and they claim he was an unpaid consultant? What state government seeks the opinion and advise of an unpaid consultant…cough cough…Governor’s husband…to sit in on meetings, make policy recommendations, appointments for board members,etc.??????????
For one thing, it shows how weak Sarah was a leader.
I’m done. What chance of sleep have I after this.
Way to go AKM
So Sarah Palin was nothing more than an AIP spokesmodel while Todd pulled the strings? Quelle surprise. Thanks to Mudflats, I have known this for many months.
Trisha: I’d buy the unpaid consultant business until the first time he was copied state emails or wrote them himself. Or attended a meeting in her office. Or called a commissioner in her name. Etc.
Check this the DATE on this one:
From : k8819tejk@netscape.net [mailto:k8819tejk@netscape.net]
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 1:36 PM
To: Governor Sarah Palin (GOV sponsored)
Subject: New Son
Good Day, Governor,
Congratulation’s your new son, Trig Paxson. It must have been some flight. As far as the CBOC
for the valley. Still the 4th quarter this fall. The rumor has. it, CARR’s Mall in Palmer. It is not
official. “Good Luck” with the nomination for VP.
Sincerely,
Tom & Elsie Kopaceski
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clearly McCain had ample time and opportunity to vet the XGINO (which rings even more true now)… yet he chose to ignore the obvious findings. Gonna be interesting to see if she’s still in the mood to stump for Gramps!
Yes, way to go AKM! And don’t forget to check out the Forum, we are discussing great e-mail finds there also:
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,9350.msg100629/topicseen.html#new
Just out of curiosity, was Judge McKay appointed by the shadow Guv by any chance?
Love THIS one from palingates…………..lol
+++
The State of Alaska benefit section asks for Trig’s birth certificate on May 21, 2008, because it hasn’t been provided yet. What does Todd Palin do as a remedy? HE CALLS THEM!
+++
http://www.crivellawest.net/pdf/1397.pdf
HE CALLS THEM!
~~~~~~~~~~
Meaning….we’ve decided to go with the “guv-ment run” healthcare ~ so, er….Thanks, but no thanks!
Keep up the excellent reporting AKM!
$arah (CASH COW) used her “sex” charm to con
the state of Alaska.
Did Sarah have to open a new Department, with Todd the shadow Commissioner of the Department of Goons, or Department of Conflict of Interest?
Cannot believe he worked for free. Wonder if he got some kind of salary, or compensation channeled through unethical means.
Cynamen Winter–as I recall from articles about his DUI, he may have been appointed by Murky.
All one would have to do is review the Anchorgae Hilton Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting December 2009, online at the State Board of Fish webpage, and review Palin’s Set Net Committee, who gave the set net fleet, Todd Palin, everything they asked for, and screwed over the gillnet fleet with royal authority.
Then you have the illegal allocation issue, “within a single fishery” as Defined at the Alaska Supreme Court in Board of Fisheries v. Grunert, and the drift net fleet’s stacking provision, illegal in all 49 states of the Union, against the Alaska Constitution.
However when you have Lance Nelson from the department of law, who cost the state 70 million dollars in Carlson, with the retired Judge Johnstone, and Chairman of the Board, Set net friend of Todd’s, it’s a wonder why these issues take so long to come to light?
In 49 other States of the Union, the FBI and Justice Department’s Civil Right’s Division, would have taken action years ago on the illegal actions of the Alaska Deaprtment of Fish and Game.
Vote Palin, Vote Todd, Vote for Economic Developement to Todd’s Back Pocket
Of course since it’s so confusing to surf the Web, where fishing for tuition is a confusing subject matter for the Palin’s
Their Best Friend Vince Webster, Chairman Alaska Board of Fisheries
Vote Set Net Only!
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/meetsum/2009-2010/Dec09-summ.pdf
Yup, just checked; he was appointed by Murky in 2005.
Remember this incident
***********************************************
http://www.adn.com/palin/story/852044.html
This is going to date me, but I remember being a little tiny tyke sitting on the floor in my pajamas (even then I knew I would be sitting in the basement eating popcorn while reading the blogs) in front of our big radio waiting to listen to The Shadow. Even today, I can feel the goosebumps that would rise when I heard, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts and minds of men? The Shadow knows.”
oooooooh so scary.
The Palins, their family and their coterie are part of a huge conspiracy of fraud and theft of government. Alaska, you need a big bunch of Merry Maids up there to do some serious housecleaning!
Thanks for doing the research InJuneau…going to be an interesting weekend.
Happy Friday!
This stuff is just un believable…I knew there was a story here…Never thought it would be this big…Big thanks AKM~ for breaking this, also too , Bree, Palingates, Gryph..You guys are awsome…
This is O/T, but I know there are so many pet and animal lovers at the Mudflats that I can’t help but share some good news from Haiti. I am a proud Guardian Angel supporter of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and cannot say enough about the good work they do. I have also recently begun to support Rescue Ink located in New York. This motley crew of tattooed “maniacs” do some amazing work for abused and neglected animals.
http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&mode=entry&entry=951C413F-B02E-B084-13B97883BA85B5E2&utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Meet+Firefly,+our+newest+Guardian+Angel+dog
Where’s the outrage from all Alaskans? And why isn’t the legal community up in arms over this?
Funny, just came home from the library with a new non-fiction book by Janine R. Wedel. Titled-The Shadow Elite. Wonder if Todd is mentioned. Had to chuckle when I saw the new post.
Wow. Todd had a State of AK email account….apparently not used but how can they justify giving a non-employee use of State of AK resources.
http://www.crivellawest.net/pdf/553.pdf
I wonder exactly which “Tea Party Values” Governor Palin represents?
From Time.com
“Disclosure of private e-mails from government officials has been a legal issue in many states. For example, this week in North Carolina, news organizations are pursing a lawsuit to see the e-mails of the former Democratic governor, Mike Easley, who used a private, secret e-mail account to conduct state business.
State courts usually rule that correspondence between government officials, about government business, are public records, whether they use their government e-mail accounts or private ones.
In a second Palin case filed by McLeod, the Alaska resident seeking access to her e-mails, a state judge in Alaska ruled last month that it’s not necessarily a violation of the public records law for public officials to use personal e-mail accounts. Those e-mails may be public records, but only if the state agency decides to preserve them. The state has indeed preserved thousands of such records, and someday we’ll expect to see more of them from the Palin administration.”
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/02/05/todd-palin-way-more-than-a-first-dude/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+timeblogs%2Fswampland+%28TIME%3A+Swampland%29#ixzz0ei18IDMe
Interesting comment on this thread
But you need to give props to the locals and Palin-focused sites doing the heavy lifting. The corporate, I mean, mainstream media are followers here, not leaders. Andree Mcleod is the one to credit (or blame, looking at both of you, rusty) for the emails. Local blogs like mudflats, Shannyn Moore, The Immoral Minority, and divablueoasis are the lead investigators. So are Palin-specific sites like Bree Palin and Palingates (these two also follow the babygate storyline, or as I call it, “T1: Who’s Your Mommy?”). Kate, you, Jay, and other teammates are following these sites, yes?
So $arah is shocked to learn that Todd has been cheating on their property taxes for years. Today she finds out that the First Doody betrayed her by secretly running the state of AK behind her back the entire time she was governor (in a conspiracy with other enemies of the state).
What to do? It’s simple really – just throw Todd under the bus, again. Well, first throw the ring back into the Lake, but make sure the tabloids are there this time so people can’t say it’s just bloggers makin stuff up.
Then, have Todd move out of the house (again). Give him a list of the properties and a full bag of visors so he can hide out in your many other houses (incognito), until he gets into the witness protection program. Make him promise to send for you and the kids once he sets up an LLC for the new grifter operation.
Oh, and have RAM do another Webathon so you can top up the legal defense fund. It’s gotten pretty low with all the plastic surgeries and new furniture for the castle. Just have her say something about Obama’s opposition research and bloggers makin stuff up again, and the fans will eat it up like they always do.
Also too, and this is important, tell the bots they are not to read or watch anything on the TV tubes today except for FOX News, on strict orders from Todd (or was that God?).
Tomorrow you can create another diversion at the Tea Party by reminding people of what the Obama administration said about Trigg. Better yet, bring him with you (he’s used to crowds), but make sure Piper is nearby so you can hand him off to her as when the cameras are turned away. If anyone asks about the taxes, just point to Piper always being out of out school as the reason you didn’t think you needed to pay them all. If they aren’t convinced, try to hypnotize them with your word salad charm.
=============================
Ok, I’ll quit with the snark for now. It felt good to let off some steam by writing it though! I think I secretly fear this scenario because we’ve seen it play out so many times before. Maybe this time will be different.. (God knows what else has come out in the time I spent writing!)
Actually, I think it’s common for the First Spouse to have a state e-mail address, esp. since she/he has to be involved with decisions about the Mansion and State Events (hosting, etc.). I know that previous First Ladies did.
Keep it coming, Mudpups! I screwed up my Dish Nework by trying to install a new DVD, so can’t listen to the news. It’s all been coming from you today. Anybody heard anything from Rush or Beck today? Also wonder about the numbers of actual folks paying to go to the teabaggers event in Nashville, and if SP alludes to any of the stuff.
I’m thinking someone might miss that Teabagger speech due to that nasty weather they are expecting tonight. Timing is everything, don’t cha know?
Have to wonder how long MSNBC has had access to these emails exactly…it certainly is interesting timing, isn’t it? Impending speech to a group dedicated to tearing the GOP to pieces…gearing up to help prop up failing support of the newest McCain campaign…hmmmmm….
I’m enjoying every minute…you just can’t make this stuff up, AKM! ; )
I was actually surprised at how well-written – or, okay-written – Palin’s emails were.
She’s obviously better when she can write stuff down, rather than verbalise.
Not that she’s so great at writing, but my standards for her are pretty low.
OT – has anyone noticed how absolutely WHITE that stupid Tea Party group is?
Tom Tancredo from last night’s speech wants to reimpose the “literacy test” that used to keeps blacks and other minorities from voting in the South. Actually, I’m sorta all for it, because it would also keep most, if not all, Tea Baggers from voting!
libby–oh please, she’s already left the state (in more ways than one). She’s talking in Kansas tonight; I’m sure she left with plenty of time to go pick up some new duds for all the speachifyin’ she’ll be doin’.
The fact that Todd was Sarah’s Cheney shouldn’t surprise anyone who followed the Trooper Gate Scandal. Besides, she’s clearly an idiot, and Todd is her unemployed husband.
It is surprising is that these (very clever) scoundrels documented so much of their grifting, after making such a big deal over Murkowski’s state jet.
Palin and her staff stewed over the refusal of the state Public Safety Department to provide a plane so the children could fly to Todd’s family’s home in Dillingham; after all, they were going to attend a bill signing, so the travel requests could be justified. Sarah Palin called the decision “outrageous,” and an aide said it provides “a great excuse to privatize” the governor’s jet service.
The manager of the Palins’ travel schedule searched for a public event to use as justification (“I just need one”) to charge the state for an airplane flight for Palin’s daughter, Willow, who made the trip but had missed the event given as its justification. (From MSNBC)
the e-mails were put out on friday of super bowl weekend . state of alaska held them up for months . news dump !!!
Important info that Andree MacLeod should have re: her response for reconsideration of the original e-mail ruling. It involves “preserving” state records as per statutes/rules.
If something is written on a private e-mail system and never enters into the official e-mail system is supposed to be preserved/backed up, how is the state complying with the order to “preserve” records?
This is a critical rebuttal for Andree to use, if it hasn’t already been considered/included in her filing.
If anyone has direct contact with Andree, please forward this information on to her. Thanks!
The shadow”s alter ego? Lamont Cranston… He knows the evil that lurks in the hearts of men. (and in this case- the ex gov)_.
libby @ 36 – Hey hadn’t thought about the weather. It might be mostly over there, though, and in VA. We in NE GA had it yesterday. It’s raining here, and in TN might be colder and hence icy roads, etc. Let’s hope!
I’ll take that back – if weather is a problem, the Teabaggers can always blame that on the low attendance.
Here’s another writeup, slightly different than what’s posted already. BTW, NBC got these e-mails as a result of their request.
It brings up, get this, how to avoid giving info on the tanning bed! Vanity, thy name is S’error/Qwitcher!
NBC says the e-mails indicate, among other things, that Sarah Palin detailed to her staff strategies to disguise the amount of electrical work required to hook up a new tanning bed at the governor’s mansion.
http://www.aolnews.com/politics/article/todd-palin-had-big-role-in-sarahs-politics-e-mails-show/19346679
Whoops, I see that within AKM’s own writing, she mention the tanning bed…I was reading the quoted stuff first. Still, the AOL version is an interesting read.
Apologies, too late in Berlin, and not enough time to read through…
so herewith:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/05/palin-e-mails-suggest-tod_n_451529.html
InJuneau – You are bursting my happy bubble! ; ) I’m hoping the South remains steadfast in it’s inability to deal with a little snow. Who knows if she can make it from her hotel to the venue? A girl can dream, right?
tigerwine – I’m in GA, too. Silly here when it snows…even the threat of snow causes major panic and mass hysteria in the Atlanta area.
I’m thinking icy roads might be the excuse!
@phoebes-in-santa fe:
“Tom Tancredo from last night’s speech wants to reimpose the “literacy test” that used to keeps blacks and other minorities from voting in the South. Actually, I’m sorta all for it, because it would also keep most, if not all, Tea Baggers from voting!”
Sorry, phoebes, but most of the tea baggers are not black or of other minorities, so they would not be kept from voting. The so-called literacy test was applied only to blacks and other minorities. The illiterate whites skated, and that is what Tancredo wants now.
The heck with the e-mails re: tanning-gate/babygate/releasing ‘confidential’ business documents belonging to his employer (I imagine Tawdy had to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to receive information such as this, in which case, Tawdy better say goodbye to any pension/benefits he is still entitled to, not to mention damages hitting his bottom line).
He has more problems with receiving confidential information on individuals he had zero business receiving.
Can we now add another -gate to the family of -gates? Tawd-gate!!!!
PS: Snoskred/AKM, I mistyped my e-mail addy in a few earlier posts and they are being held up. Can you get them released? My bad…
“Mr. Palin is a proper advisor to the governor,” Nizich wrote. “There is nothing inappropriate about the spouse of a chief executive playing such a role. The governor is absolutely entitled to involve him in policy matters as an advisor as she sees fit.”
—
Imagine the Republicans heads that would be spinning if this was referring to the Clintons in say… 1994 … instead of the Palins?
hmmm, wonder if he had his own office as a non paid advisor.
And non paid only means he drew no state paycheck. It does not mean he did not gain or garner personal benefit, it was just at an under the table charge
You can’t tell me he didn’t use his influence to further his buddies or the AIP.
You can’t tell me that helpful influence was not rewarded in someway back to Toad and Scarah.
You also can’t tell me as lifelong Alaskans and long time Wasilla residents they didn’t know the tax rules, that just makes her look stupid and inept as a Gov who should have frickin known.
They cheated, they did not follow the rules, they withheld. I would hope any assessments catching an improvement would carry an interest charge on what was due and a fine for not reporting. This is lame. It’s the communities and state that lose when loopholes like this are allowed.
If you get caught not paying Federal tax on something you should have, you are audited, made to pay with interest and a possible penalty fine. For good reason, the fear of being caught and paying more if caught is supposed to keep people honest.
It seems like those who are honest and pay what is due, understand why we pay taxes, we don’t like it but it’s the cost of government. Those who cheat, mainly care about keeping their money which ever way they can and could care less what it costs to run our government, the government is the ‘enemy’.
I guess Toad handles all those pesky financial details, he’s the one who worries about the bank balance and she has no clue, so she could try throwing him under the bus if need be, lol. Ignorance is bliss as it’s always someone else fault.
She has no business running anything.
So Toad chose to stay home and lay low this trip to the lower 48, lol, maybe tie up some loose ends and firm up some buddy connections in the wake of this weeks messiness, easy worries at home and let Scarah take the heat.
libby–OH, you meant the weather down there…! I thought you’d seen the blizzard warning for the Anchorage area and thought that might mean she couldn’t get out of AK. Yeah, if the South gets hit with a storm (other than her), there could be problems!
If you do indeed write a book about the rise and fall of Sarah Palin (and at this point, who deserves to more?) I will buy it. I will buy it for my Kindle and I’ll buy a hard copy. I’ll buy it in softcover. I’ll buy it if it comes in installments in a magazine and I’ll download it to my ipod.
You’ve put your brain and heart and soul into this, and we’re very proud!
Nepotism, big time. Where’s his signature on any employment document involving security issues (computer safety as well as keeping information in a secure environment), confidentiality (against disclosing state ‘secrets’ so to speak) and adhering to ethics rules?
I think this email is a smoking gun: http://crivellawest.biz/pdf/1001.pdf
Not so much a question of cell phone reimbursement, but rather can personal email be supoened? Check the email from Ivy Frye on page 5. I think Sarah asked Frye to check into it? I mean they all had blacberrys with a state email acct and and a personal email acct.
@BigPete:
“The fact that Todd was Sarah’s Cheney shouldn’t surprise anyone who followed the Trooper Gate Scandal. Besides, she’s clearly an idiot, and Todd is her unemployed husband.”
It DOES surprise me because Todd does not seem to be an intelligent life form, either. I know he was apparently the wizard behind the curtain, but he has never struck me as intelligent. While I cannot stand the man, Dick Cheney is highly intelligent. Todd is not.
Pretty amazing stuff in the emails.. nothing too surprising (many already suspected these shenanigans types of shenanigans were going on), but satisfying either way to see their immature (and amateurish) behavior in print for all the world to see.
Here’s a gem I recently stumbled upon. It’s not necessarily groundbreaking, but does a good job revealing her vindictive and retaliatory nature:
“Can someone flag the lie in the blog “sexy highway talk among governors” that claims Trig was in the fender bender with me- and he wasn’t in a car seat on my commute. Sheeeesh.
I WISH ADN would follow up on that one (as the blogger asks ADN to do) so that I can put that rumor to rest… Rumor is Walt reported me so I fired him. What an idiot blog entry, very easy to counter with the truth when half a dozen APD cops responded and witnessed no Trig in vehicle.
Sent from my Blackberry Device”
I’ve always believed that Sarah was the figurehead, Todd was the go between and the AIP were the ones running the show. I hope there’s enough bite to these e-mails to make way for an investigation into Todd’s private e-mail accounts to see who was at the receiving end. He’s just not that bright, he was taking his cue from elsewhere I’m sure. I know I sound like a conspiracy nut but that’s always been my belief.
Additional problem for Tawd, even if an ‘unofficial’ advisor. Unless you are on the payroll/a paid contractual services provider, you CANNOT get state resources for your own use…think Blackberry.
Alaskans were paying for a private citizen to use state funds to perform in an ‘unofficial’ capacity.
Looks like Alaska had no real governor for 2 1/2 years. If the shadow was running things there was no “real intelligent” person occupying the office. Ohhhh! Keith is talking about all of this and he is on a roll!
This web site is about to get slammed by viewers. Countdown just showed a picture of the Lake Safari House with the with a credit to the mudflats.net. WHOO HOO!
Wonder what Toad’s former employer thinks of this: “…[he] passed financial information marked “confidential” from his oil companyemployer to a state attorney.”
Usually, that is a huge no-no, since most companies make employees sign non-disclosure agreements at time of hire. In other words, they could sue you if you leak information.
Saw the piece on NBC; it started off strong, but then wimped out by shifting to the Tea Party Convention, because Quitter Swinderella is the keynote speaker.
DLB, yup, I want to see if his former employer goes after him. And I want to know who the CEO was that Todd had a backround check done on. And can I have a backround check done on people since I am a private citizen just like him?
Anyone else think Tancredo was referring to his own fellow teabaggers with his reference to “lack of civics literary test”? I bet many of these “Low Information Voters –cough cough….teabaggers….. could not pass the very test he is talking about.
libby and Pepperzmom – 3 GA folks here tonight! Should be enough of a start for a Mudflats event. PM me!
I remember a story, I believe it was on Salon.com, during the election about Sarah’s ties to the AIP and how they still had an “open door” policy with her. They interviewed AIP members who said they helped Sarah in her start in politics and basically, they had a tit for tat with the Gov.
I really believe that Sarah was the front person for the AIP show that was going on behind the scenes. I am sure Todd was pushing their agenda and Sarah (once again) was the empty puppet with the winning “wink”.
I bet if the rest of those emails were to be released or the private accounts revealed, a whole new level of misuse of the governorn’s position would be revealed. There is even more to this story…..I just know it.
Well awrighty then !! Wonder if there is any “correspondence” between sarah and her pipeline pals in Giddings , Tx ?? Ya’ll remember last summer when she spent 5 days there and those guys dumped 40k in s-pac , all in ONE day ?? Then she tweeted about the awarding of 198 mil. in pipeline contracts.
This s^*t is gonna be fun !!
Irishgirl – Drink some Red Bull with that popcorn.
CO almost native -
I’m here in Boulder. Let’s try to have a mini mudpup meetup. I believe you drink Fat Tire ?? Stepping out for a bit , pm me on forum.
on what grounds is she allowed to protect the secrecy of these emails? as a matter of evidence, I don’t think she has the right.
Of course Todd was calling the shots (or whoever is behind him). The fundies don’t allow women to have that kind of power. Personally I think they are behind this whole fiasco of SP that is still going on.
Okay, posted it at the forum, but figured, hey, post it here also, too.
Tawdy-boy &S’error have lots to answer for:
* 1. Receiving confidential information re: topics the governor would normally not get, but which would be received by other staffers. Think background search info on a private citizen/CEO.
* 2. Using state funds for state property being bought even though he was not a contractor entitled to state equipment in order for communications to be appropriately handled or an employee. Think the Blackberry. Even if Tawdy was an ‘unpaid’ advisor, they are never entitled to the use of any state property. Period.
* 3. Violating Tawdy’s employer’s confidentiality by sending clearly identified confidential company information first to himself, then on to others. BP is going to have a field day with Tawdy over this, and nothing he can do/say will help him. Every Fortune 500 company, heck most companies, require you to sign a document stating you understand that certain information is not to be disseminated to others. BP can also go after anyone receiving said confidential information.
* 4. Even if Celtic Diva gets (or already got) a refund for the outrageous fee she paid for far fewer e-mails, AK has to make it right to every other organization or individual who previously requested state information under FOI. Responsible parties for fulfilling FOI’s need to get there act together.
* 5. ]Nepotism rears its ugly head, given the extensive use of Tawdy in performing the governor’s duties. Executive branches of government tend to strictly narrow who may be involved in running the government.
* 6. No matter that someone may be a spouse, there is still a CONFIDENTIALITY agreement that S’error herself had to sign indicating she understood that certain information/documents were not to be discussed outside of those with appropriate clearance and who have signed their own agreements. S’error absolutely did violate this. Find the S’error signed document about this, and she falls down even further below than h-e-double hockey sticks.
Her bio describes her as a champion of “ethics reform and transparency in government,” reports MSNBC… Ethical? … Transparency my a$$!
follow the money
63 seattlefan Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 5:20 PM
Anyone else think Tancredo was referring to his own fellow teabaggers with his reference to “lack of civics literary test”? I bet many of these “Low Information Voters –cough cough….teabaggers….. could not pass the very test he is talking about.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This group claims to promote personal freedoms, but wishes to exclude citizens from the most basic of freedoms – the right to vote?
What is most important is that he suggests there should be any voter restrictions beyond a voter registration requiring proof of citizenship in advance of the election. Anything further would be a violation of citizens’ civil rights. Even the rights of convicted felons to vote from prison has been upheld by some States’ Supreme Courts, and the US Supreme Court will be asked to rule on that matter before too long.
The fact that any civics or literacy tests to screen voters would probably deprive the GOP from defending half of their congressional seats is beside the point. This proposal is as anti-American as I’ve ever heard.
PepperzMom -
Toad was with sarah in Giddings. He had to be in on any “deals”.
I agree with #53 BAustin on the smoking gun.
I have never had a workplace discussion about how to do something off the books or off the record. If someone did discuss something like this, I would be looking for a new job. These people were public servants and went out of their way to hide what they were doing.
This is the best Friday ever!
Karma’s a bitch and she’s driving the bus right over Palin. R-Gate continues! Meg kow tows to El Rushbo and repeatedly assures the Great Bouncing One that her comments were TOTALLY generic and was NOT aimed specifically at him. So now Palin joins the long and distinguished list of Republicans who take a stand against Rush and then before the newscycle is even complete, offers a practically tearful apology / frantic back pedal + pledging eternal loyalty before retreating to the closet to whip themselves for their transgressions.
Email Gate explodes and it’s only Friday! Luckily these emails came out now so the blogosphere will have the entire weekend to go over them with a fine toothcomb. Get to work! haha
Last but not least – Teabaggers convene in Nashville and Tom Tancredo regales with his impeccable theory on the ills of the world aka “it’s because of those immigrants who can’t speak English or spell vote electing a socialist Barack Hussein Obama” Nice. What is cool is that now we can all stop pretending that the Teabaggers might be patriots deep down. They’re not. They’re racists and they have no real solutions for this country – unless you want to call Hate Everyone Not Like Me a “solution”. Every last one of the Teabaggers in that audience who did not walk out in disgust at Tancredo’s comments have exposed themselves finally as the bigoted fools they really are. So – thank you Tancredo!
#72 Sphincterkaos
I couldn’t agree more! I was making a joke, but you are spot on. At the same time, I believe your point and my sarcasm would be totally lost on Tancredo and those who agree with him. BTW…as usual….I am ot. Sorry.
A friend of mine saw Todd at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention banquet in Oct. 09 and started teasing him about being so (in)famous – Natives have this ability to tease without riling feathers, and Todd blushed and was meek. Reading his exploits during Troopergate dispelled that persona for me; I would have asked him why he didn’t use Iron Dog as an opportunity to highlight the plight of energy issues in Western Alaska when people were paying 60% or more of their monthly budgets on heating fuel and electricity. Forget the luxury of the water bill, honey buckets were brought back to cut that cash cow.
For all the talk he made to Greta and anyone listening that he engaged himself on Native issues – we saw NO evidence of that.
Karma is a bitch, the Palin’s will come to see that despite the fact that they seem to have not grown at all in their long if not embellished public careers.
I know that I should be waiting for any open posting, but I’m so tired I need to go to bed.
I have just written CBS telling them because of the anti-choice ad they will be running, I will not watch anymore of their regular programing.
I know some of you might not agree with me, but for all who wish to make a comment to CBS, here is their contact form.
http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php
Maybe we can breath a sigh of relief that Toad wasn’t reading star charts for decisions like Nancy did for Ronny. “It’s only a half moon. No time to stop sending cocaine to LA.”; says Mommy… I smell a lawsuit. Where is our AG in all of this? I hate the distraction to the work at hand but SOMEONE needs to clarify the rules of the road. Maybe I’ll sit in on the next oil meeting with Parnell and friends. (“Record profits and high employment; now’s a GOOD TIME to give taxpayer money back to big oil.”; says Sean.) He should take himself up on some of those college breaks he’s offering to the kids. Probably won’t happen if he has to take the test…..
A broader request by msnbc.com and other news organizations for all e-mails sent and received by the governor and about 50 top officials — about 25,000 in all — is still pending. Last week, Sarah Palin’s former staff, now working for Gov. Sean Parnell, requested additional time, as required by the public records law, to respond.
Aside from the content of the emails, I think we are taking part of something revolutionary here and I’m in awe of it.
The creation of an open information, sophisticated and searchable website like this, so that getting access to data is just the first part- and now we have the second part- the ability and willingness to turn it loose to be used- unfiltered and instantly- by anyone interested- is the revolution!
It is the other half of freedom of information. It is a world first.
I went looking for Crevella West to see what was happening to their stock if they were publicly traded- not. Found that Crevella and West are men, not sure if they are primarily lawyers or techies. The company specializes in software for digital legal document analysis-I think.
Monday morning all over North America, orders will be issued to try to nullify this sudden ability to drill into vast stacks of freedom of information data. I don’t know what data scrubbing sounds like, but I think we’ll hear it soon- maybe already tonight.
So, whose been talkin to Toad? who does he listen to? who is he faithful to? I mean if it was a priority list of friends, how would it be numbered.
I’d say he’s most faithful to his Iron Dog bud, Scott Davis, who happens to be a cement contractor, who happens to go after Gov bid jobs, who happens to be pretty well off. I don’t know the financial picture of Scott Davis before he and Toad became partners, or how his financial picture has grown since then, or how much of a growth is due to State bid work.
I’m just sayin, I think Toad would make sure to throw this Iron Dog partner work, I don’t know how much or how big, I imagine just enough to help his buddy out, jobs his buddy wanted and could handle, but not raise eyebrows.
I remember a commenter on one of the blogs that said their family bid jobs, I don’t remember what type if it was stated, with the state and could not jeopardize that work by speaking out against the Palins. It was THE reason for not speaking out. This is how it’s done in AK.
Such a big state that acts so little town when it comes to jobs and politics.
Related, but slightly OT:
from the HP post about taxes: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/05/palin-e-mails-suggest-tod_n_451529.html
nicole473 I’m a Fan of nicole473 I’m a fan of this user 299 fans permalink
Heard on the streets……….the arena people are even now talking to the enquirer. Can hardly wait.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:01 PM on 2/05/2010
Peperzmom: Are the “Arena people” related to housegate? Or people in the arena at the Teabagger’s Ball?
Another response on HP;
Original post:
NoPulse I’m a Fan of NoPulse I’m a fan of this user 2 fans permalink
photo
Todd does have some short comings
A private pilot who has his own plane
A commercial fisherman
A talented and bright wife
An Oilfield worker on Alaska’s oil fields
He’s even a union member
He could do anything he wants,
but he is supporting his wife.
The insecure are getting nervous
One of the replies:
idcsys I’m a Fan of idcsys I’m a fan of this user permalink photo
Keep drinking the lemming-aid!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:50 PM on 2/05/2010
Has anyone used this lemming-aid before?
lilybart Says: February 5th, 2010 at 6:15 PM
Peperzmom: Are the “Arena people” related to housegate?
Yep….
Oh Gawd KateinCanada……..what an awful but thought provoking insight. I have to believe that the good nerds will out fox the bad nerds. These info collecting and storage companies have employees who know the importance and value of accurate information. They are very smart people, we have to hope most will do the right thing. Copy the data before scrubbing, lol.
Hey mudpup sleuths! If you want to share an email either here or in the Forum, it would be great if you could post a link to it for others to check it out too. Keep up the good work!
Has Sarah and/or Todd Palin EVER done anything that was completely legal and above-board ?
Anything ? Name just one ?
(crickets)
How are these people not in jail already ?!?!
next week will be a bear trying to get to Juneau (instead of today and tomorrow) with Todd on
the slope. I’m not sure who’s scheduling next wk’s Juneau appts, but the ideal is for Juneau mtgs to
take place when todd is home – so he can take the kids. Don’t want to be picky about it, but the
schedule should ideally reflect my work in Anchorage when todd’s on slope, Juneau when he’s in
wasilla. Almost a week-on, week-off sched until next semester starts when the girls can be with me in
Juneau.
Confidential be people gossip too much about my sched already. Thanks
Are these the very same emails provided to Andree? Shouldn’t the state reimburse her to the tune down to the same charge as paid by the media? If these are the very same emails provided to Andree, why did it take so much longer to provide them to the media?
I’ve been waiting to see Andree’s take on what was produced to her… didn’t take the media long to start writing. Of course, we knew about a number of the things outlined and detailed in the emails some time ago thanks to AK bloggers.
Oh, and AKM’s cabin picture shows up on KO’s show!! With the appropriate credit to http://www.themudflats.net !! Way to go, AKM. And kudos to your source.
OMG. This is amazing info…. Go AKM!
68 Lainey Says: February 5th, 2010 at 5:30 PM
on what grounds is she allowed to protect the secrecy of these emails? as a matter of evidence, I don’t think she has the right.
——-
She has a very limited right due to the inclusion of her non-state employee husband on the circulation list. It’s the 3rd party disclosure which throws everything down the toilet. In a number of instances, she even destroyed the attorney-client privilege; had the disclosures to The Dud been few and far between, she might have a claim of inadvertent disclosure, but he was actively participating and calling the shots instead of her. She is so incredibly retarded. And I state that in the kindest, gentlest way possible.
Does anyone know who “arena people” could be – see posts 68-87,89
seems like Chuck was an “advisor” too on the Dairygate issue.
http://crivellawest.biz/pdf/509.pdf
“Waiting for Law to opine on the ethics issues regarding personal use of business assets. ”
Wow. Just wow. They didn’t know that it is not only unethical but quite probably illegal to use state assets for personal use. That entire line of emails clearly shows that Fry, etc., intended to circumvent the law with respect public records and the inappropriate use of public resources.
Wow. Just wow. What the hell were they intending to do (aside from getting the taxpayer to pay for their personal toys)?
Why would she go to the “tea party” thing? If you get a chance check out Cspan-Wow.
@ 100 Rene
What’s happening on Cspan?
As R’ipley in CT points out, Chuck Heath seemed to be cc’d on several emails that I saw too. Was he also an unpaid but solicited advisor? Seriously, Alaskans, did your former Governors give their spouses such unlimited access and influence? I really don’t think so. And Todd’s role goes way over the mark. To have to ask him if you can have leave time instead of the Governor? What gives? There is also the big issue of having staff members assist the in coming up with justifications for charging travel expenses, either for Todd or the children. Also one email indicates that Todd was reimbursed travel to go and talk to company representatives on state business. What?
On another issue, OT, but related: What is Chuck Heath’s political persuasion? I don’t remember reading it (it may be out there, but I don’t remember). Is he a Republican? Undeclared? or is he too AIP?
Sarah was given 100,000 reasons to attend the Teabaggers convention. $$$
104 daisydem Says: February 5th, 2010 at 7:01 PM
On another issue, OT, but related: What is Chuck Heath’s political persuasion? I don’t remember reading it (it may be out there, but I don’t remember). Is he a Republican? Undeclared? or is he too AIP?
——
Educated retard who believes American laws are not meant for him to follow.
Treehouse is empty??
And, it’s one thing for Toad to respond to an email. But if he initiates any, I’d say that shows personal agenda. But I’d expect him to be smarter than that, that he’d have Scarah start the email conversation to cover his and her butt.
But, did they ever expect or think they’d be facing thousands of emails requested by MSNBC to be viewed world wide, lol, probably not, in 2006 when Scarah took office this type scenario was probably very small blip on the screen, and a risk worth taking considering the odds. They probably didn’t believe this could happen until it did, during VP pick vetting blowup, Aug. 2008.
It should also be highlighted to the MSM how much the Palin Administration wanted to charge MSNBC for these emails (15 million), versus the actual charge by the Parnell Administration ($323.58).
Palins (x2) obviously over the top. Tanning bed? Flying her daughter around on State tickets? Releasing confidential BP information? Where does this go next? AG? Grand Jury??? Plus the tax problem? She better run and hide, probably move too.
Crap, Chucko is email cc’d too? good grief! gotta have hubby’s and daddy’s input on decision making.
Sarah is the gal who claims to be all about empowering women, yet she has her husband shadowing her every waking move.
I’m thinking Alaska is a large state with TOO little oversight which allows a hand full of politicians, wealthy influential citizens and Corporations control over the whole dang state and political process. ACK!
Say NO. You aint far off on that.
So Michelle Obama is our Shadow President? I’m sure ”the people” don’t mind even if she doesn’t have the same security clearance as Barry…lol.
The State should be careful how they characterize Todd (too late). There must be dozens of laws, ethics and political, that were broken if he was considered an advisor.
Let the lawsuits begin. Wish I had a bottomless bank account to support Andree and the other brave souls who would shed a spotlight on this.
They are the patriots!
I’m watching the news, hear about the release of emails, and head straight to mudflats! On another note—-Could you please capitalize Native when talking about Alaska Natives? Thanks!
Love this…..
Chuck Heath sends his daughter an email with regard to Mat Maid, and signs it:
Good Luck,
Chuck.
So, she and her dad are on first name basis?
Say NO to Palin in Politics Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 7:08 PM
“But, did they ever expect or think they’d be facing thousands of emails requested by MSNBC to be viewed world wide, lol, probably not, in 2006 when Scarah took office this type scenario was probably very small blip on the screen,…”
——————————————————————————
When “they” took over the governor’s office, they were: 1) drunk with power; 2) amateurs in the area of the big business of the state; 3) overconfident from running a small town of 6,000;
4) not the brightest bulbs in the house; 5) ethically challenged when it came to pushing their own self-interested agendas; 6) bullies and hillbillies.
Yeah….it’s easy to see why they ended up in their current morass.
Just for the record, Chuck Heath states on video that he is a Republican, but he claims he votes for the man not the party, and if he liked a Democrat he’d vote for him.
I don’t have the link right at the tip of my fingers but it is the video where the Heaths are interviewed, and it shows their house, with all the antlers piled up in the yard, and the dead animals in the house.
And to think Todd might have been our Shadow President right after McCain’s heart attack.
Smooth@54 – yes, I know that was the original intent of that test. I was just thinking it would be nice to apply it to EVERYBODY now.
Those ‘Baggers would flunk.
The wheels of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine. Here’s hoping the old adage my mother told me is true in just so many ways…
NY Dem Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 6:22 PM
Has Sarah and/or Todd Palin EVER done anything that was completely legal and above-board ?
Anything ? Name just one ?
(crickets)
________________________________________
I’ve never heard crickets in AK. Are there any?
One thing that strikes me is the email demanding that she be scheduled in Juneau only when Todd is home. Can you imagine a male governor making that statement? That’s why you get a nanny. This isn’t an equal marriage, which is one reason the Christian Right like her. She was still subject to her husband. He ran the state, she was in charge of the house and kids. He sometimes “helped.” But it was her responsibility. And we know how well they supervise their kids . . . .
@LiladyNY upthread, re:listening to The Shadow. I don’t remember The Shadow but I DO remember listening to The Whistler, which I LOVED (age 4 or 5 or so). I looked it up on Wikipedia and laughed at the description–so appropriate to this current situation!–
“The stories followed an effective formula in which a person’s criminal acts were typically undone either by an overlooked but important detail or by their own stupidity. * * * The Whistler himself narrated, often commenting directly upon the action in the manner of a Greek chorus, taunting the criminal from an omniscient perspective.”
So, I hope that Palin is undone in good Whistler fashion. And I see AKM as our own Whistler/Greek chorus.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but how come Celtic Diva was charged more money for less e-mails. I seem to recalls her bill was over $400 and she didn’t get that many e-mails.
MSNBC gets a huge amount for the bargain price of $323?
I think Celtic Diva got ripped off.
phoebes-in-santa fe Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 8:05 PM
Smooth@54 – yes, I know that was the original intent of that test. I was just thinking it would be nice to apply it to EVERYBODY now.
Those ‘Baggers would flunk.
_______________________________
So would Sarah. She wouldn’t be able to vote for herself.
Civics test question 1.: What is the job description of the Vice President of the United States?
Answer: Well, test giver, can I call you Joe? Well, Joe, the Vice President has a really great job. Not only are they there to support the President’s agenda, they’re like the team member, the team mate to that President, but also they’re in charge of the United States Senate, so if they want to, they can get in there with the Senators and”
Buzzer from “American Idol”
Joe Tester: “Epic fail. Next!”
http://mediamatters.org/action/beckamericanname/
Beck on Obama once again.
I wrote a scathing letter to then Gov (well, barely) Palin about this in 2008 when I read the whole Troopergate report. I submitted it to the Wasilla Frontiersman because I was so angry in addition to sending it to her gov email acct. I knew the twit wasn’t reading her email, nor cared at that point what Alaskans thought of her, but dammed if the Frontiersman didn’t print it! I felt extremely satisfied about that since it was read hundreds or thousands of times!
There is so much wrong about this, but to me the bottom line is the position which this practice put other state employees in. There was Todd, whenever, wherever, and privy to many talks behind closed doors with state employees saying “huh?”. It was manipulative, condescending and flat out bad behaviour by all involved.
But I still have my satisfaction that no matter what happens, my letter undoubtedly gave a few Outsiders an idea of what another Alaskan thought of Palin at the time. Everyone else was kissing her a$$.
Well, she’s still a thorny vampiress with a vacuous brain cavity, but I believe all this info pretty much rules out a serious run for office for her. Too many people would be digging harder, finding more, and getting more people to upchuck what they know about her. Ha! Stick that in your turret and smoke it Palin!
#107 The Tea Party live. Fun- fun,
watching on an off. some goofer is talking about Obama not being a citizen (a speaker) okay well he is not specific but alludes to the conspiracy. Don’t these people understand that they can actually see his birth certificate? Clever. Not on at this time. Brett Lambert from the Defense Department is on. I really like C-span because don’t have to hear the commentary.
MXM, I am guessing that the “arena people” mentioned might be those involved with the building of the sports arena in Wasilla that was pushed for by then Mayor Palin. Coincidentally, her house on Lake Lucille was built at the same time by Todd and his “friends”. Oh, and there is no paperwork on that house because Sarah got the city to do away with building permits at the same time. So who really built the house and how much did they pay for the materials, noone really knows. Some people think the house might have been a quid pro quo for the arena contracts, but that can’t be substantiated.
Glenn Beck is a colossal ass-shat.
Remember the ending scenes in “Shawshank Redemption” when the warden’s illegal activities in the prison were brought to light? He looks over to the crocheted hanging made by his wife, framed on the wall which read:
“His judgement cometh, and that right soon.”
Take heed – Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Todd Palin, Rush Limbaugh and all the right wing fear/hate mongers. God’s judgement on you is coming – as certain as the sun rises.
How’s that for a little spooky Friday night shout-out? =) But no, in all seriousness, I do believe that one day these odious people will get what they deserve. And I only pray I am alive to see it.
#87- I sent an email to CBS as well. You might have heard that the group paying for this ad has let go of employees several times over the past 12 months because of the economy. It’s very telling that they choose to spend big bucks for this ad, while they have put their people on the unemployment line. I love those Christian values. Can’t go to Church anymore since moving to the South.
A little OT perhaps but I would like to draw a parallel here with respect to the infamous purloined emails of “climategate” which the right wing and MSM have jumped all over. In those emails it is a stretch of the imagination to find anything approaching fraudulent behavior. One of the principle scientists involved Dr. Michael Mann of Penn State has just been exhonorated of any culpability with respect to 3 of 4 “accusations” made about him. The fourth has been referred for investigation because the inquiry could not provide a full and complete exoneration and thus requested further more detailed elucidation in order to preclude any susequent accusations of favoritism or whitewash.
So on the one hand you have a group of scholars who have devoted their entire adult lives to learning and then extending the knowledge of a discipline, climatology, being villified by the right wing pep squad for having tapped our collective ignorant masses on the shoulder and said uuhm… this might be a big problem for us down the road a bit…
And then here you have this example, a few thousand emails obtained by
legitimate channels, but with a significant number “redacted” for dubious reasons, that show a more or less systematic intent to defraud the state of Alaska. Will there be a similar outcry and will this scandal be minutely dissected? After all, did not the Palins have influence over billions of dollars and critical decisions about the future of the state involving more billions of dollars? Such as the Pebble mine?
Can anyone here contemplate what an incredible disaster it would be for this country if any of these people were elected to high office? Nay it would be a disaster for the entire world.
mlaiuppa, Celtic Diva got much more than that in donations and yes, we/she got ripped off, I believe she got it knocked down from 6 figures to 4 according to her site. She had the emails exchange on her site, probably still there.
And by the way, I am waiting for Sarah to condemn Tom Tancredo for using the term literacy test. Go and ask the veterans of the civil rights movement what they think about that term. If you don’t know what it means, just google “literacy tests african americans” then take your pick. Literacy tests were not used by themselves, however, they were just one form of intimidation used by whites to keep African Americans not just from voting, but from excercising all their civil rights. You would think a journalism major and the daughter of a teacher would know the negative connotations this term has and the terrible part of our history it represents. Oh, wait. It’s Sarah Palin I’m talking about. Never mind
Krubozumo Nyankoye @ #136 – a disaster indeed. The double standard in the MSM is incredible. That just goes to show that evil never sleeps – especially when it’s got twin blackberrys and multiple yahoo email accounts! =)
bucsfan – RIGHT! exactly. Sarah Palin is only ever interested in an “issue” if it benefits her in the form of either $$$ or celebrity.
No ifs, ands or buts about it based on his DUI – Judge Mckay had an undisclosed political interest of pandering to to the “percieved political majority” in order to be retained.
#135 Laurie, I live one town over from the focus on your own damn family’s multi-million-dollar complex. After they gave over half a million dollars to proposition 8 they laid off over 200 people. It was a crushing blow to the local economy. Dobson and the rest of the hypocritical faux Christians care nothing about people only about $ and furthering their agenda. I don’t care what they believe I just want them to stop trying to ram their beliefs down everyone else’s throats. Pastor ted is also a local, the group allowed him to come back to CO recently. Him and his wife are already holding prayer meeting in their home. Now there’s a guy that if you looked up hypocrisy in the dictionary you’d see his picture.
108 daisydem Says: February 5th, 2010 at 7:01 PM
As R’ipley in CT points out, Chuck Heath seemed to be cc’d on several emails that I saw too.
You forgot Mommy Dearest!
I felt really bad about the nasty backlash that was spewed at Andree McLeod when her most recent email-related ethics complaint got shot down. None of the wretched people who slammed her will ever admit that she had justification for filing the complaints, but this new media storm about those same emails does prove that she had a lot of reasons to go after those records.
It’s comforting to see there are some honest, ethical and persistent people who dig until the truth is revealed.
Thanks Andree, AKM, Celtic Diva and all the wonderful people who keep plugging away!
Sarah gets adoration; Todd gets power; they both get money and favors. The cracks in the glass ceiling are being sealed.
Angela McGlowan is presently on C-Span from the Tea Party.
I have no idea who she is or her background. I think they said she was an
‘ opinionator ‘ on the Faux channel.
She is giving her opinion in that ‘ style ‘ of those Southern Preachers from a podium. She did say she was from Mississippi in her rant.
Judson Phillips, their organizer is up now.
he just said when he wakes up in the morning the FIRST website he goes to is TPN. He then says the SECOND one, and the one everybody should go to is…
” WorldNetDaily ” -(WND) wahhhh wahhhhhh!!!
He proclaims you will see stories there that you won’t see ANYWHERE else.
THAT is True. NO site is more CRAZY than the WND.
He then introduces the owner of the WND .. Joseph Farah.
He just made a Joke about the President insulting him. He is now talking to the ‘ birthers ‘ in the crowd and they applaud him.
It’s nice they are on C-Span because they will exposed as the really whack-jobs they are. More crazy to follow….
This whole affair is just depressing. From the juvenile behavior of a sitting Governor and her staff to John McCain’s dangerous campaign strategy – I’m not sure what’s more horrifying. The big picture of Sarah Palin still having the ability to wield influence over anyone makes me cringe. Thanks for all of the info and insight Mudflatters!
leenie17 – well said and an extra dose of respect to Andree McLeod for what she has endured all these years. Stay true to yourself and know that we care and believe in your cause. You will have justice.
Oops…submitted the comment by accident. Didn’t mean to sound so heavy. Just trying to say I think Sarah has set women back quite a bit.
My transition above was not very smooth.
Judson Phillips then introduced Joseph Farah.. CEO of WND.
He then started speaking and now has gone over about 3 different reasons why he believes our President does have a Birth Certificate and going off in all sort of directions to explain his birth certificate ‘ theories ‘… even linking it to the Bible. Apparently the Bible ( for Jesus ) shows lineage and the TRUE story of Jesus’s heritage but the Birth Certificate from the STATE of Hawaii is invalid.
You will have to find the speech repeated on C-Span Archives.
He is truly NUTZ… but his audience is enthralled and loving every minute of it.
One last second….. he is now repeating Glenn Beck’s ‘ frog analogy ‘ that Beck used on his show. Sorry have to turn off the sound now…..
Will wait for the next Nut… maybe not THIS crazy.
“His judgement cometh, and that right soon.”
Amen to that, aussiegal.
#142 JC in CO- pastr Ted- If I’m thinking of the right one, he’s the guy that had gay sex, but insists he isn’t gay and his wife believes him. They were on Oprah. You really do have to give up thinking to be a follower of these people.
So read how this is being written in the Wasilla local news………I feel for the reporter, but good grief……..
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TODD_PALIN_E_MAILS_AKOL-?SITE=AKWTF&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
who is Joseph Farah? I will google. Hee-Hee. I don’t think Sarah sets women back. There are a lot of women that think she is super woman. i think she makes women stronger.
Honestyingov, I didn’t know who Angela McGlowan was. I don’t watch Fox “News” because I could spent my time more productively like clipping my nails, or hitting myself in the head with a hammer. I was somewhat surprised when I saw her picture. Did Tom Tancredo make her take a literacy test before she was allowed to speak. And I saw some shots of the crowd, is she the only person of color actually there? I am not trying to be a smart*** but I would have bet that the only persons of color in that room, worked for the hotel. Hey, I was at a Sarah Palin book signing so I know what kind of crowd she draws.
103 mxm Says: February 5th, 2010 at 6:41 PM
Does anyone know who “arena people” could be – see posts 68-87,89
Not sure who, but it should be interesting to find out what, if anything, comes out in the NE…
The latest defensive spin by Van Flein about the Dude’s role in the Palin administration: “The Power Couple” of Alaska.
Link courtesy of the problem child:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35264215/ns/nightly_news
———————————————
I have just five words of rebuttal to Mr. Van Flein’s silly and disingenuous press release: “The Branchflower Senate Investigation”
Obviously Van Flein and the Power Couple are counting on the ignorant masses to read his defense of the Palins and bypass any critical analysis of the emails. Those same ignorant masses cheerfully bypassed reading or understanding the Branchflower report in which 10 Republican and 4 Democratic Senators expressed grave concerns about Todd Palin’s role in the governor’s office and handed Mrs. Palin herself a guilty verdict of “abuse of power,”
Sorry, Van Flein….it wasn’t just “pillow talk” ……and Todd wasn’t just part of a “power couple” (sounds so glamorous and worldly, eh? Just everybody does it, dahhling!).
The Palins willfully used the power of the office of governor to bully and defraud citizens of Alaska. They belong in a courtroom and possibly in jail.
If there are literacy tests, then Trig will never be able to vote. While it’s true many developmentally disabled people don’t vote and never could in the sense of even making an uninformed decision, those that can should have that opportunity. The ones I’ve known and worked with that were interested really thought about issues and had good discussions about who to vote for. They made informed choices.
Sarah should be outraged that anyone would summarily dismiss her child’s potential ability to have a say in govt affairs.
^^^ “The Branchflower “Troopergate” Senate Investigation.”
Laurie (#135):
Focus on the Family paid for the Super bowl ad with private contributions, it didn’t come out of their general budget. jc in co is right about the lay offs- I am in Denver, and there was a lot of attention paid to the funds spent on Prop 8 instead of doing good works. hypocrites.
*wave* to jc– I’m in Littleton, where are you in the Springs area- Widefield? Fountain?
Martha, I can’t help but luv ya, cuz I know I do, hugs.
But dang, read this……. this is in your hood/state.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TODD_PALIN_E_MAILS_AKOL-?SITE=AKWTF&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
someone that saw Palin during the wild ride
http://crivellawest.biz/pdf/1192.pdf
….Little did I know that your were in labor at the time. I’m impressed that you were gracious enough to speak
136 Krubozumo Nyankoye Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 8:38 PM
“After all, did not the Palins have influence over billions of dollars and critical decisions about the future of the state involving more billions of dollars? Such as the Pebble mine?”
——————————————————————–
Exactly.
Mr. Van Flein…..don’t give us that bullsh*t about the “power couple” of Alaska.
More like a “couple of power-hungry bullies” in Alaska …..
Must suck to be the Palin’s personal lawyer. “Suck” as in quicksand with no one to throw a rope.
From what I’ve read they will fly scot free. Makes me ill but thems da facts )o:
The C-Span clip was from earlier today… I saw that it was taped.
They mentioned that they would cover S’errors speech tomorrow 9:00 EST.
Didn’t say whether that was AM or PM.
Gryphen would appreciate the Archive clip of Joesph Farah…. CEO and founder of World Net Daily. Your IQ would go down if you listen for too long… hence I had to turn off the sound.
There is no Group anywhere…crazier than followers of WND.
The Fans there in the room were attentive and loved him… lots of clapping. Nice to know that THAT is the type of person who ‘ represents ‘… Them. He’s Bachman crazy times two.
So Friday the keynote speaker is Farah… Saturday will be S’error. What a low bar to set.
As for Angela McGlowan… said nothing worthwhile to even repeat. Big zero.
OT Guys-
Let me know if you all like it- would have gone to an open thread- but it was pretty far back – seeing as how SP and her Gov- are making a huge splash
At the Ravine Where Children Still Have Twines
His throat moved. It wasn’t that it changed, it just quivered a bit, and I took another sip of chicken soup at the kitchen table after I had seen it. It was the oddest reflection not in a mirror, that as a child seemed so simplistic. It was like looking at a quick rewind of a black and white film, and totally forgetting it, but the sense that it was recognized never leaves you.
As a reflex I gulped, and then I stared at my father as he fixed me lunch before I had to go back to school.
Noone notices that stuff about people that they don’t love. It is too unclear and insignificant. At ten years old I might have – would have totally missed it. Never would have happened. At 18 it is too late to have the slightest shot of a glimpse beyond the mirror.
But at 11 the magic number, I was at the ravine where children still have twines by which they climb to the edge of the rim to see the world.
So I hovered with my eyes, expectantly, waiting for words, that would follow the suggested passage to come. But it was just a quiver. A falter or perhaps retreat from something remembered, or something painful, or something both.
Perhaps it was me, or what I wasn’t, that was washed down in that moment of revisitation, but whatever it was, it had had a pulse of wistfulness.
I saw it in my Father’s eyes, that second swallow of an empty throat- unslaked with water to satisfy an unspoken emptiness.
It was sorrow, without a breeze or wind to carry it to me.
A scent only an animal picks up- and lingers to, as a reminder of the breath of humanity that your best dog so desperately haunts you for, but is so quickly shown the door to the other side and reminded of the fact that it is shut.
Yeah. He never showed it again. Perhaps I had lost the vision to revisit that imagined ghost.
We finished our lunch together but I never forgot that moment.
I think it was a cinema replay of his childhood memories co mingled with the boy he saw in front of him, and the sadness of the fact that he wasn’t truly my father.
That residue affected him and knowing that I didn’t know, that most likely caused him to pause his swallow…. hence the bittersweet clouds in his eyes.
Four years later I climbed out of the Ravine.
@ 164 michigander,
There are many other emails which have not yet been released. The dam of secrecy around the Palins is just starting to break. The dismantling of Sarah Palin is well underway….
The confident, smug face she presents to the public is a facade. I’ll guarantee you that her operation is in full crisis mode.
Keep in mind in the State Senate said they couldn’t hold Todd accountable because he wasn’t an employee or offical of the State and they didn’t feel they hold hold the Governor accountable for whatever the first Dude did. So Todd was free to do whatever he and Sarah wanted, like a true tin-cup dictatorship.
@ Say NO to Palin in Politics #153
Hey, that’s awesome that Palin’s stupid predicament is in her home paper, in the Alaska section, second only to: “Ex-stripper wins appeal in killing conviction”! I’m dyin’ here!
Also, too – what happened to comments at the Frontiersman? I haven’t kept an eye on them after Palin did her quitty thing, but at that time they had tons of commenters and lots of regulars (mostly idiots). The Juneau Empire had to turn off commenting for some time during the Palin debacle due to the nastiness and inability to moderate the comments. The ADN now turns off commenting on some Palin articles – long overdue – they were the worst for letting the flying monkeys take over.
If I cared, I guess I would check on the Frontiersman comment policy and history since June. But I’m so Palined out, I really don’t care. Sick of her. Sick of her goons. Sick of her gaffes, sick of her teeth.
Isn’t the fact that Ivy Frye forwarded information in an ongoing Dept. of Labor investigation to Todd more damning than his inquiry about a judicial appointment later in the same email thread?
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/palin_judicial_appointment.pdf
OT: I was just in the chatroom and got knocked off. Cant get back on. Sheesh!
Looks like van flea slammed this blog? or some blog in his statement.
Do you think Palin will have to answer any questions about this when she on the Sunday show? It will be a friendly venue for her. I bet she just slams someone for it. I expect we will see Sarah the victim.
Accch…
Trying to keep up with all the information coming out re: unpaid taxes on lake property(ies), contents held within the abundance of emails from yahoo account(s), and goings-on at theTea Party (to which I was *not* invited!), is almost getting overwhelming for me– all of it is, clearly, more than just a todd [intentional] TOO much!
Whoa; come to think of it… if all of us are having trouble processing the sheer volume of exploding information revealed in the past few days, I can’t imagine the mandations SP might be throwing over it. Methinks she’s learning, first hand, the meaning of: ”Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
Karma’s a sho-nuff, whoop-azz, mofo-in’ beyotch, ain’t it, SP? beth.
Here’s a little ditty to make fun o’ dat bad kitty….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV2YtDCc-6Y
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35264215/ns/nightly_news
Looks like there was a nerve struck regards Todd’s free-wheeling sharing of BP’s confidential information. Just because it’s a few years old doesn’t make it any less confidential.
Interesting link on the guy who is responsible for the tea party convention. I read on the Tennessean that he is planning another convention this July. I have a funny feeling they will be nominating their candidates at the next one.
http://www.aolnews.com/politics/article/judson-phillips-threw-a-tea-party-and-trouble-showed-up/19345884
The wingnuts now want a literacy test for voting? Todd’s in real trouble then. “What is your knew number?” just one of many examples. Did this chump graduated from grade school?
Hi, I just read this comment from a “bot” regarding a post Andrew Halcro did in the fall of 2008. He’s got it up again at: http://www.andrewhalcro.com/shadow_governor
This is a frightening example of the Dominionist cult Granny Grifter is so much a part of. I’m still bleaching my eyeballs and trying to stifle the bile rising up.
“I agree with Infuence
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008-10-06 15:36.
I agree with influence. As a Christian Woman, it is important for Sarah to consult with her husband and it is perfectly right for her to have her husband make the decisions for her to carry out. What is wrong with that? It is important as a Christian woman who believes in the sanctity of marriage to obey her husband. Sarah Palin is doing what it takes to please her husband. She will get him in the White House and there is nothing that anyone can do. It is ordained by God. White people have to do what it take to keep this Country strong for true Americans. It is not about being a Republican it is about supporting and building the sanctity of this Country for true Americans. Let’s be honest, Sarah is being a devoted wife and is helping America to strengthen its moral fiber by getting her husband into positions of power. If more women were supportive and served their husbands and lifted them up, America would prosper. It is only right that Todd Palin make the decisions for the state of Alaska and when Sarah become the Vice President he will support his wife by helping her with the Vice Presidency. Did you think that as a good Christian Man that he would allow his wife to go into politics if she would be making decisions that he did not approve of? He is a honorable Christian man and is doing his duty for God and his Country by making sure that his wife do her Christian duty. He is a good American and I am so glad that he did not secede from the Union and is working with the United States through Sarah. He is a man of God. Sarah Palin is serving her husband and that is all right with me. Sarah should and must consult her husband on the decisions she makes for Alaska. After all he allowed and supported her to become Mayor of Wasili, and now he is allowing her to become the first true Christian woman of the United States of America. Husband first, Alaska second, the Children third, the United States fourth and Jesus for us all. We should be proud that Sarah knows her duty as a woman and as a wife. True Feminism”
Which is he vanflea a political advisor or a private citizen? Guess that depends on what offense Todd is being charged with?
Check out the convention gift bags:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGUE0_tJ3o
A tee! Fanny pack! Weird cone shaped thing!
The only thing missing from the Tea Party Convention are the white hoods. Maybe they’re saving them for Saturday night.
Truly stomach-wrenching what is being said there.
I love this comment that “Jicker” just wrote in response to ADN’s story:
I get it now. When Todd was pressuring state employees to fire Wooten, he was just a citizen, according to Tim Petumenos’s “investigation,” and therefore untouchable.
But according to Nizich and the inner circle who received these same emails, Todd was a trusted advisor.
Conclusion: Sarah and Todd Palin are first-class liars who used the state governor’s office for personal benefit.
And the other staff people who were part of this were complicit in this fraud. (Mike Nizich, Ivy Frye, Meg Stapleton, Talis Colberg, etc. etc.).
Yep, that Sarah Palin sure did change the corrupt old boys’ network in Juneau.
@Kat–I remember that comment from the first time it ran. I was speechless.
@Lauren–If you truly want to go to church, I recommend an ELCA Lutheran one. You will not hear that evangelical/charismatic BS (like quoting scripture out of context to justify their hate.) I attend one here in Texas and am always presently surprised (and relieved) that Jesus can be more than a buzzword. Good Luck.
Re: Chuck and Dairygate:
There appeared to be an email initiated by Chuck that sounded like friend fatherly information. I was willing to let that go. I value my own father’s opinion highly, and wouldn’t hold it against someone to listen to their own.
I do question Todd forwarding on a copy of the “new board” to Chuck. One thing I could not pin down was exactly when the new board for Mat Maid was announced. Was Todd making Chuck privy to the new board *before* the announcement? Was he allowed to “weigh in” on who was selected?
You know, the one thing that becomes clearer and clearer: Andrew Halcro really is the smartest guy in the room! It’s like he has a crystal ball or something.
Hoo-Hah! This should convince SP that global warming is real – her iceberg is beginning to melt!
So Piper is a violent little cuss and everyone laughs and says it is a great idea to pull someones hair because they disagree with you.
Way to not parent….
remember folks MSNBC has a request in for 25,000 more e-mails. This was just the first 1000! the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
civics literacy test?
Q) OK Mrs Palin…. Name your favorite founding father?
A) All of them!
Q) No ma’am, name one.
A) George Washington!
Sorry ma’am …You Fail….Next….
The blog called World-O-Crap.com is always taking down the wingnut bloggers. They don’t blog every day, but they are sooooo funny! WingNutDaily is one of the blogs they pick apart with comedy.
When tis crap with O’$carh & Toad starts to make you absolutely crazy, you should hop on over for a good release through laughter.
They have a calender on the right hand side that shows you which days they’ve written a blog for.
You’ll be glad you read it. It makes me laugh so hard, I get tears running down my face!
#188 @mary b
Oh that site is too funny. Bookmarked!
#160 CO almost native, left early last night! In answer to your question I’m in Manitou Springs. The only liberal pocket for miles around. We new and old hippies and artists congregate around the foothills of Pikes Peak and watch the conservative insanity and intolerance from a bird’s eye view. Although technically our mailing addresses are CS we refuse to ever acknowledge any connection with “crazy town.”
power couple? Really? I think there has to some serious ethical (if not legal) violations …. for the state to allow a private citizen access to confidential
gov’t information…..
Especially, when there is a conflict of interest.
He was not elected or appointed. If he had access to the inside workings of the gov’t, so should every single citizen of Alaska.
The people of Alaska need to stand up and fight. This is insane.
Todd influencing policy, getting copies of emails, sittingin on meetings, doing background checks. What the Hell country do they think this is where they can just create their own form of goverment.
The recent news about her being a tax cheat for not reporting construction of houses on her property won’t help her. Perhaps she can explain how this kind of tax cheating is different than not paying taxes on nannies. Cabin-gate will come back to haunt her if she runs for anything.
Also, there are numerous items to emerge from the thousands of e-mails the Palin administration withheld (asking $15 million to process them) which the new administration released for $323 in costs. Here’s just a couple.
First, if Nancy Murkowski or Michelle Obama were caught in 3000 emails influencing judicial appointments, board appointments, tanning bed wiring at public expense, and concocting pretexts for the Palin children to travel at state expense, and so on there would be great howling heard….from Sarah Palin.
Second, a big story missed so far is regarding the attempts to evade public disclosure: on March 17-19 2008 there is a series emails from Ivy Frye, an aide, to various officials. Over 2 days there are questions after questions.
Only the last email- containing the entire string- is forwarded from Ivy Frye to the private accounts of both Sarah and Todd Palin.
For whom do YOU think she was asking all the questions?
So much for Palin being a champion of open and transparent government. The truth is that she ran the most secretive government in Alaska history.
Todd and Bebe Rebozo
On January 24, 2008 there is an email from Erika Fagerstrom to Todd Palin:
Todd,
There’s an envelope for you with a check in it, should I just send it with the Governor? From what I
could see, I think it’s for a snowmobile or something…
Who was it from? Bebe Rebozo? Why was a check for a snowmobile being sent to Todd at the Governor’s house in Juneau? A routine sale of a machine he owned would probably not have been transacted in that way. Was it something that needed to be reported to APOC? Or something even worse?
Palin E-mail searchable database:
http://palinemail.crivellawest.net/
I Do Not Quit Says:
February 6th, 2010 at 3:38 AM
I love this comment that “Jicker” just wrote in response to ADN’s story:
I get it now. When Todd was pressuring state employees to fire Wooten, he was just a citizen, according to Tim Petumenos’s “investigation,” and therefore untouchable.
But according to Nizich and the inner circle who received these same emails, Todd was a trusted advisor.
Conclusion: Sarah and Todd Palin are first-class liars who used the state governor’s office for personal benefit.
And the other staff people who were part of this were complicit in this fraud. (Mike Nizich, Ivy Frye, Meg Stapleton, Talis Colberg, etc. etc.).
Yep, that Sarah Palin sure did change the corrupt old boys’ network in Juneau.
——————————————————————–
Bravo!!! I sure hope someone picks up this ball and runs with it all the way to the courthouse…it’s a major slam dunk
MatMaid – Does she call him Chuck in person ? And, if I were the Governor of a state, for the life of me I can’t imagine emailing my Mom from a cabinet meeting , telling her that I’ll have advisors get a hold of her re: big plans coming up within the Agricultural segment of our state government.
>>>> Chuck: Yes – we need this task force. We’re in a cabinet mtg right now discussing the topic. Have Joe Austerman get thinking on this – I just cleared his participation with Commissioner Notti. Mike Tibbles will be in charge. Let him talk to you about it and some of the other plans we have for
revitalization/changes within Ag. (And MatMaid.). This will be awesome!
Stand by for Tibbles and Kris Perry to contact you with directives.
You have my blessing and THANKS for being concerned and energized and excited about finding solutions. <<<<
http://crivellawest.biz/pdf/515.pdf
Some humerous pose guys- to lighten the load a bit…
Leaving Childish Things on LoveJoy Avenue
I crossed the street because I was afraid. I was afraid to walk past this man in a black weather torn leather jacket who was with another woman, and a tall lanky dark tanned Indian, all three kind of sprawled on the front lawn, with their feet visiting the pavement.
The man in particular had a thick build to him, long biker hair, greasy from living outdoors, but he couldn’t have been as old as he looked. Chiseled with a charcoal dapple to his face, cut by the wind and cured by the sun.
They were drinking wine without a brown bag to hide behind. They were street people, pan handlers, pedestrians whose idea of a walk about, was to get as piss drunk as possible, as often as possible, to linger briefly for the day, and relive the first morning hour- because that was all they had left. They were to figure heavily in the direction of my life.
Portland, Oregon, 1976.
I had just arrived from Pittsburgh on the wings of my thumb, and digging into survival mode. The first rule always, was to scope out the city, and get to know it fast. Shelter hadn’t yet become an issue because I was staying with a couple of friends who had moved out here a year ago, and were a couple of 47906 girls. Zip code for Purdue and it’s graduates.
Susan and Kathy were 23ish, totally new wave in terms of mustang freedom and new found empowerment. I had met them during my stint as a crisis center counselor back at 47906, a transitioning moment from hormones to empathy- that particular path a little cloudy at best. I had a mad crush on Susan and a twisted sense of desire for Kathy, but that was all moot, because we were spiritual and intellectual buddies, and pretty well ingrained with that “do you want to talk about it- before we do it- and are we comfortable with it” intervention mode that basically ends up being better than a condom in terms of repopulating the earth like rabbits.
No need for a conversation here, with empowerment, familiarity, and empathy any attempt to have sex (sans some sort of spiritual commingling of fluids and religious epiphany) was locked into some undecipherable well of chastity and hopeless desperation.
Yeah, that’s how it went with Kathy and Susan. Regardless, they were friends enough to allow me to sleep on their couch for a few weeks while I got my bearings straight. It was a wonderful visit until I made a couple of mistakes in terms of judgement.
The absolute worst thing you can do as a guest and sleeping on the couch in the home of two attractive post graduate ladies, is drink a lot of beer, take up couch space which in turn leads to implied subterfuge in terms of undermining their ability to pick up other more desirable (than myself) men.
Compounding the first issue, comes the realization that I had delivered to this pair of pristine debutantes, a very nasty set of the “crabs” (an infestation harbored from the Pittsburgh fraternity house I had lived in for the six months prior), a colony of visitors that had no doubt made the couch I was sleeping in, their own particular ShangGriLa.
Even the Crisis Center had failed to prepare either of these two women with the tools, and intellectual compassion to hide the crimson venom coursing up their faces as they started to connect the dots and sequence the inevitable destination of these rather opportunistic pubic vectors, appropriately named in Latin- pubis pediculosa.
The fact that they have a Latin name implies that being diminutive does not guarantee obscurity. A Latin name means you have been doing this for awhile, and unlike the language, you aren’t quite right dead yet.
Quite the opposite… If it’s warm, moist, and furry, hey man- it’s a beach!
So… Pounding pavement before the kwell cream can work it’s magic. Lesson learned? Never admit you have the crabs.
Off to find a place to live, and the fist step was to side step the street people.
(To be continued)
AKM It would be interesting to note when Crivella West agreed to do this work. Could it be that Sarah knew about this in July when the half-term, one-half quitter governor gave her lame duck-dead fish resignation speech.
Almost 4:00 Teee Veeeeee time.