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Palin’s Milllllions of Dollars!

Part of Palin’s reason for quitting the governorship, so she says, is financial.  Why should the state be spending “million of dollars” in dealing with “frivolous ethics complaints” and frivolous lawsuits and just general…frivolity?  Heck, according to the governor, the frivolity takes up 80% of the administration’s time these days.  And that’s a lot! 

Think for a moment what we could be doing with that money.  We could be funding the State Troopers!  No, we haven’t really done that before, but we could do it now.  We could fund teachers!  OK, we wanted to cut that stimulus money for education, but still.  We could fund all sorts of things if it weren’t for those darned ethics complaints that are just sucking the state coffers dry. What would any good fiscal conservative do?  Exhibit leadership by quitting, that’s what.

So for the good of Alaska, Governor Palin decided to extend her arms to the side, look up to the heavens, lean forward and fall on the sword.  There she lies, skewered like a big mavericky h’ors d’oeuvre.  For Alaska.    It is “self sacrifice” – the kind of which most political martyrs only dare to dream.

There’s only one problem with that story.  The key reason Palin gave for quitting may be… buckle your seatbelts…  FALSE.

David Murrow, a spokesperson for the Governor, said in an interview that much of this money was budgeted to the lawyers in advance and would have gone to them anyway, even if state lawyers hadn’t been defending against these ethics complaints.

In response to our questions, the Governor’s office provided us with a detailed breakdown of the millions Palin has claimed has gone to defending against ethics complaints. It does list roughly $1.9 million in expenditures.

But Murrow, the spokesperson, acknowledged to our reporter, Amanda Erickson, that this total was arrived at by adding up attorney hours spent on fending off complaints — based on the fixed salaries of lawyers in the governor’s office and the Department of Law. The money would have gone to the lawyers no matter what they were doing. The complaints are “just distracting them from other duties,” Murrow said.

In other words, while these lawyers might have been free to do other legal work for the state, the ethics complaints have apparently not had the real world impact Palin has claimed, and didn’t drain money away from cops, teachers, roads and other things.

flaming-pants

And, of course, the Personnel Board’s members are paid per diem. And all the records requests and email requests all come with exorbitant price tags, paid for by those who request to see them.  That $2 million is looking smaller all the time.

For those who want some additional number crunchery, do go visit Mel Green’s posts on the topic.  The first one (HERE) talks about the breakdown of the dollars spent on ethics complaints, but was written before Palin’s backtracking explanation of where the “$2 million” number came from.   I’ve talked about the ethics complaint breakdown too, but I didn’t have a snazzy pie chart like this:

ethics2

I’m a sucker for a pie chart, and what this one says is that between the Troopergate probe that she herself initiated, the other Troopergate probe that found her guilty of ethics violations, the investigation that resulted in reimbursing the state for her children’s travel expenses, and the one that suggested ethics training for a top member of the administration… the biggest chunk of that pie is the governor’s doing and belongs right on the governor’s plate.

Comments

comments

Comments
308 Responses to “Palin’s Milllllions of Dollars!”
  1. the sushi says:

    If you read the actual pdf, it’s a baked Alaskan (pardon the pun):

    http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/politicsblog/index.php?blogid=14916

    What’s most amazing is despite the pile of evidence mounting against real problematic expenditures is a document with no merit, and in fact, more questions…

  2. Rob in Ca says:

    Pearl89:

    You repeated an error that Gryphen posted, alleging that the travel money was repaid by the Alaska Fund Trust. Gryphen has since corrected that error – see the comments.

    If you listen to Gretchen Carlson on Countdown, she says several important things:

    1. She says John Coale setup the Alaska Fund Trust. I believe this is incorrect, as John Coale actually setup SarahPac.

    2. She says ‘most’ of the legal expenses were paid by the Trust, not ‘all’.

    3. She did NOT claim that the Trust had paid the travel money back to the state, nor that the Trust had paid the tax owed to the IRS for the per diem income.

  3. pearl89 says:

    quote AKM, “the biggest chunk of that pie is the governor’s doing and belongs right on the governor’s plate.” According to KO’s interview posted on Immoral Minority with Rachel Carlson, she’s not paying that either. She said she talked with John Coale who said the repayment of travel monies for the kids, SP/TP’s troopergate expense, etc. were paid by the defense fund. SP and TP have so far incurred no out of pocket expenses.

    http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/

    I would have more respect for SP, is she just came out and said she wanted to take the millions for the book deal and to do that she decided to resign. I thinks that’s the truth instead of all these numerous bogus reasons she keeps spouting.

  4. lovemydogs says:

    Village Reader: I hear you.

  5. Zuzu says:

    I’m waiting to see the Governor’s office estimates for the amount of state money spent on staffers answering public records requests, responding to media inquiries, retrieving e-mail, etc. during Sarah’s VP campaign.

    Not to mention the extra work her staff and other state officers had to put in to make up for her 2+ month absence from the state.

    Tick tock.

  6. Seagull Junker Palin says:

    Hi Mona (post 267) not sure if you are still online, but I’ll try to answer:

    SarahPac is supposed to be for travel/promotion not related to being Gov., also can donate to other candidates. The spokesperson Meg Stapleton works for the PAC, not the Gov. So she’s not supposed to be involved w/Govt. stuff.

    The AFT (Alaska Fund Trust) which is a horrible rip off name, is supposed to be for the former Gov. to pay her “legal” fees, but actually can be used for anything, for her, her family, her friends, etc.

    BOTH OF THESE FUNDS are funded by the people who support her, regular folks with $ they want to donate. Not a penny out of the Palin’s pocket.

    Hope you see this & it helps!!!

  7. Husky82 says:

    Perhaps the McCain campaign should be billed for the information requests. They foisted a virtual unknown on the lower 48. Of course people (ie voters) wanted to know more about the Twidiot of AK.

  8. lonnie says:

    In an article I read, according to Levi Johnston, Sarah Palin, quit for personal financial reasons. He said he overheard her saying more than once, how nice it would be to take the lucrative offerings of either a reality show or book deal.
    He says he stayed with the Palin family from December to the second week of January. So it would seem to me, Palin quit so she could have financial gain and not for the reasons she stated. In other words, she loves the money and not Alaska.

  9. EyeOnYou says:

    So the Legal Fund has already paid off her bills. Man she is such an accomplished liar, she does it with such ease!

  10. sauerkraut says:

    Do you have a better place for her, curiouser? Better place than in that boat The Dud did not build (kinda like that house he did not build) fishing for salmon that would make a positive impact for peoples further north.

  11. curiouser says:

    Ok folks. I just listened to Carlson on KO….AGAIN.

    I heard the Coale wrong and thought she said Cole (as in Kristan) but the AFT part was right….legal bills paid off.

    According to Carlson, John Coale, who helped start the legal fund, says the legal fund has paid off the bills.

    Wondering….is Coale throwing Palin under the bus? Maybe he didn’t know she was a lier until he heard so many lies in the Wasilla Lawn Speech.

  12. GA Peach a/k/a Lance the Boil aka Crust Scramble says:

    AlaskaGuy Says:
    July 9th, 2009 at 5:19 PM

    Rather than impeachment or censure, could they just have a unanimous vote of “Good riddance”? 🙂
    ——-
    Sure. Any way you cut it, y’all still get to sign the check.

  13. Nan says:

    CougInPortland
    I think he just might care. He might not. But you do, and that counts with me.

    Nan

  14. trisha says:

    CougInPortland: Thanks for that letter. I wish McCain would just man-up and say, I made a mistake, but they keep pushing Palin as leader in the GOP.

    FYI, my husband and his entire family have been life-long Republicans.

    Last year, they could not tolerate Sarah, so they all voted for Obama. I hope more “thinking” Republicans do the same. I just can’t believe that most Rebublicans would want to risk the safety of our Country and have Palin anywhere near the White House.

    It’s such an insult to the position of the President to have her name used as a possible candidate for the White House.

  15. trisha says:

    Does she have to report (in any way, shape or form) how money (that has been raised) is used?

  16. CougInPortland says:

    OT: I just sent this to McCain becase I have watched what all of you have done all day long. Just mad. Ignore me…have to get it out.

    With all due respect, senator, it is because of you that I am changing my party affiliation to Independent. You USED to be such a warrior back when during the Bush administration and I believed in your vision for our country. Then you picked Sarah as your running mate…. I watched you flinch through interviews as you sat by her side, once you figured out she couldn’t do it alone, I saw you pacing through the debates with Obama. I felt sorry for you then, I feel sorry for you now and will never watch you on any political shows. Your “gift” to America was Sarah, and if you could have NOT stood up to your advisors to say, “NO, this woman is ill-prepared,” then you don’t have a clue, then you are a coward, Vietnam POW or not. NO backbone. Now she is unleashed on the lower 48. Good LORD, what were you thinking? Republican ALL my life. At 52, NO MORE. I appreciate your service to our country, both in war and in political service, of course, but you should have stood up to say NO. My Dad fought in WWII and Korea. I know what it is to serve your country. Heard the truths all these years. Perhaps time for you to retire. Any points you try to make on this country any more, for your lack of judgement and “balls” to say NO to your advisors to bring in Sarah….you have lost my respect forever.

    Like he cares.

  17. Nan says:

    apparently there *is* a “White House Counsel” but is that what SP is thinking it is? who knows?

    also too – what does Coale know about the PAC – and isn’t a PAC for political purposes, not “bill-paying?”

  18. GA Peach a/k/a Lance the Boil aka Crust Scramble says:

    Me, too. I read all the posts (severely addicted to Mudflats, I admit) and open the links in another tab. There is just so much, coming so fast, and I’m afraid it’s just going to get worse (or better *grin*) in the coming days.

  19. trisha says:

    There is a Dept of Law in Alaska, but Palin seems to believe that this imaginary Federal department is housed in the White House and it’s duty is to serve the President by throwing out all ethics complaints.

    What’s scary is that she doesn’t know how the Federal government works, and thinks there is a Dept that has the ability to just throw out cases. Is that why she wants to work in Washington? Is that what goes on between her office and the Dept of Law in Alaska. It was just an odd statement on so many levels.

  20. austintx says:

    281 Bretta Says:
    Hmmmmm, she never did have a job in the private sector except the snowmachine and fishing businesses with her husband.
    ********************************************************
    Did the snowmachine business go broke ?? I’m pretty sure it did. Read it somewhere.

  21. trisha says:

    strangelet: Thanks for your imput. It’s nice to have a pro look at these spreadsheets and weigh in. I’m not a numbers gals, so it’s all greek to me.

    Although, I do know the difference between 280K and 2 million.

  22. trisha says:

    Oh snap!!!!! That’s some gotcha media, right Palin.

  23. curiouser says:

    Ooops! My very bad. Here’s what mae lewis said on the Legislative thread:

    101 mae lewis Says:
    July 9th, 2009 at 4:21 PM

    I was just listening to Margaret Carlson’s interview on Keith Olbermann’s Countdown. She said that, according to John Coale, it was the PAC that repaid the state for the kids’ travel expenses and Sarah’s per diem charges.

  24. curiouser says:

    KO guest Margaret Carlson (Bloomberg) just stated that she has found out that AFT has paid all the legal bills….another lie exposed! Yay!

  25. Misfit in Texas says:

    KO on MSNBC is discussing the Quacking Quitter and her MILLIONS of lies

  26. Bretta says:

    #279 Mr. MadAsHell @ July 9th, 2009 at 3:13 PM

    Department of Law? Please tell me there is no “Department of Law” in Alaska.
    ********************************************************************************************
    http://www.law.state.ak.us/

  27. Bretta says:

    #31 Martha @July 8th, 2009 at 8:50 PM

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE QUITTA FROM WASSILA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    #32 Jodie Clarke @ July 8th, 2009 at 8:52 PM
    She would have been fired long ago had she been working in the private sector!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Hmmmmm, she never did have a job in the private sector except the snowmachine and fishing businesses with her husband.

  28. pacos_gal says:

    I just want to address those that are feeling like their comments don’t matter. They do matter, all comments matter and the people who make them, it is what makes the mudflats so great, is the people.
    Things move really fast sometimes and everyone’s comments don’t always get responded to.
    I’ve made a comment, went to do something and come back to 50 or even 100 new comments. It can get very crazy.
    Hope you stick with us and keep jumping in with your thoughts and observations.

  29. Mr. MadAsHell says:

    Department of Law? Please tell me there is no “Department of Law” in Alaska..

    Heh.

  30. strangelet says:

    Holy Mackerel! I just took a look at the “spreadsheets”, and all I can say is: whatta crock. I spent a good fraction of 35 years preparing and reviewing financial spreadsheets (including the days when you did the calculations with a desktop calculator), and I’ve seen a few that were even worse than this, but not many. And they all went back for do-over.

    Aside from the double-counting — which is relatively minor dollar-wise, but indicates egregious sloppiness on the part of whoever threw this together — the vast majority of the information request costs have no attorney hours associated with them (on a spreadsheet that is supposed to be from the Department of Law), so it’s just a number plucked from the air. (And, as many have pointed out, there is no fee revenue shown to offset the expenses).

    Similarly, a total of $425,549 is just attributed to Office of the Governor, and $125,413 to the IT Department (thru 3/24). So $1.0M of the $2.0M total comes from 3 sources — records requests, Ofc of Gov, IT Dept — with zero supporting information. The apparent detail of the spreadsheet (skimpy as it is) is a hoax. At least half of it is just unsubstantiated numbers from thin air. Another quarter of it is the Personnel Board charge, which is, of course, almost twice as large as the charge reported BY the Personnel Board.

    An unfortunate side effect of the personal computing revolution is that anybody can produce “computer output”, which many people view as being inherently objective and accurate. The real First Law of Computing has always been GIGO — garbage in, garbage out. This spreadsheet is an excellent example.

  31. daisydem says:

    to the Problem Child: work a little, blog a little, work a little, blog a little.. me too! Thankfully, my boss is my hubby. Though he does not understand my addiction, I can still indulge.

  32. rebekkah says:

    ADN’s quote on Linda Perez – “She said the Palin Administrations in its 2 and a half years has received 238 public records requests – 189 of them coming since McCain chose her as his running mate last August”.

    Really with all this blame going backwards and forwards, ethics costs began with Sarah Palin ACCEPTING the VP nomination since August. So, while everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else (media, Palin camp, conservative bloggers), this whole “millions of dollars” thingy could have all been avoided had Sarah concentrated on her job as Governor. Who’s to blame for this whole mess?

    None other than she who would be VP, or President and beyond!

  33. UK Lady says:

    califpat, laurie and all who think you are not noticed, believe me you are. I read all the posts that I humanly can in any spare moment I get. Like most people here I jump in now and again. Just lately, with so many comments 20 or 30 or more can have passed by and it seems as if you would be holding the stream up if you just jump in with a random – ‘great quote xxx from 35 comments ago’.

    Many times I comment without so much as an ‘OK’., please try not to take it personally and keep on keepin’ on 🙂

  34. MadCity Chick says:

    Although crap……..that means we have to see Palin on tv again only now talking about how the ADN has joined the gotcha media since Nov. 4th. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! I don’t understand why the MSM doesn’t realize if they’re looking for news to drag out and capitalize on that her inability to be truthful or ethical would give them enough stuff to keep them busy for 6 months. I guess maybe once they realize she’s politically dead and no big stories will be coming there way they’ll finally report the stuff they already have on Gov. Grifter. Only time will tell I guess.

  35. MadCity Chick says:

    Nanny nanny boo boo. Man the ADN is in trouble now. Headline at Huff Post:

    ADN Confirms: Palin’s Story Doesn’t Hold Up

  36. Star says:

    Love the pie pic…”splains” it all…Thx AKM…Yukonbush…Sooo glad to see you…Wondering how you were doing…:))

  37. Gramiam says:

    I just read this on Huffpo! Apparently ADN has conceded Palin lied about the 2 million!!

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/09/adn-confirms-palins-story_n_228683.html

  38. the problem child says:

    LOL that must have been the most belated new thread announcement in the history of the mudflats. I can’t believe it took me 2 hours to notice it. Oh, wait, I can, cause I’m supposed to be working (some success there).

  39. the problem child says:

    califpat, laurie, anon blogger (and many others): It has been kind of nuts the last little while, hasn’t it? You are all appreciated by me, and I think by others.

    Let’s try to do better on the NEW THREAD!

  40. anon blogger says:

    Laurie #257….ditto, ditto, me, too!

  41. mona says:

    Hello all,
    newbie here. I have a question: Sarah said that these ethics complaints have costed her and Todd alot of money right. Ok can someone please tell me what her PAC is for then? I thought she was raising money on that for her legal defense fund. If this is the case, then she is not out money the people who donated to it are.

  42. trisha says:

    The only good thing I can say about the Time piece is that they quote Beck a lot. If Palin and Mitt both run, Beck will switch teams. Palin has had full support from Fox, but if Mitt runs, Beck (who is a Mormon) will be a pitch hitter for Mitt.

    Palin will find that it’s not 100% warm and friendly over at Fox.

  43. Laurie says:

    @calipat….I agree. I have been here since day one. I have never left. I know you have been here too. Sometimes it does get disheartening when you write something and nobody responds…and yes…the clique idea has gone through my head. I dont participate on the forums….I have never enjoyed that type of thing…but I love this blog and AKM.

    Perhaps its just that many speak out more than you and I , so people know them better. At least I hope thats what it is.

  44. trisha says:

    I posted this before, but I think it’s really interesting and worth reviewing in light of Palin’s reason for quitting—the ethics complaints cost the state 2 million bucks.

    Let’s review:

    I think this excuse needs to be compared to her interview with Hannity a few weeks back ( I think you posted about this AKM) where she declares that it would be a good thing for the State and for Alaskan families if she has to cut the budget by massive amounts because of reduced oil revenues. She said, “if the State has money, they just spend it”. Huh?

    You mean, they would spend it on “important things like troopers, education, fish research, roads”? Palin was almost giddy at the prospect of having to cut the state budget by millions (or billions–I need to review video again to confirm), but then two weeks later she claims to sacrifice her title because of a 2 million cost to the State? This is not adding up.

    Even if the 2 million dollar figure is true (which it’s not), how is cutting the budget by huge amounts GOOD for the State and for Alaskan families, but she felt compelled to resign to save the state two million dollars?

    A few weeks ago, less money was good. Now, it’s bad.

  45. Laurie says:

    My name is Laurie…and I am a mudflats addict. The first step is admitting you are powerless….hence…I am powerless. I would be sick to my stomach without this blog and all the Alaskan bloggers.

  46. Lilybart says:

    CRock, don’t read the Time article unless you have a barf bag for the first paragraph and the rest also, too.

  47. Village Reader says:

    lovemydogs Says: Village Reader: “the View” is not a legitimate news source.

    The View through their morning ‘gab fest’ reach a ton of people every morning. Whether someone agrees with them or not, they are passing information on to the public that isn’t correct. That was what I was implying. Not whether they are a legitimate news source or not. They are still passing on information.

  48. EyeOnYou says:

    sauerkraut Says
    What kind of dunderhead manager would do something that stupid? How many hours did the other attorney have to spend to get himself up to speed and, are those hours included in those on the piechart?
    ________

    Good questions. I think we already know what kind of dunderhead manager would take someone who is up to speed on an issue and just remove them to work on something else, and then replace that person with someone who is now going to have to take the time to get up to speed…. I would suggest that that “dunderhead manager” aptly fits the description of the majority of the Palin administration.

    As for those hours being included in the pie chart, it would not surprise me in the least to find the answer to be yes, as that would help to inflate the numbers to favor their claims, but then again I would not be in the least surprised to find the answer to be “no” either, because it could be used later on to claim “more time wasted” for a bonus b*tching point!

    Cynical aren’t I??

  49. rebekkah says:

    Just read “Alaskan Standard” Dan Fagan’s article, “Sarah Palin Has Become Mentally Unstable”. It is quite revealing.

    One paragraph from it: “The real question regarding Palin is not whether she tells lies. Half of what comes out of her mouth isn’t true. 80 percent of her resignation speech isn’t true. The real question is: Has she become so mentally unstable and delusional that Palin now believes if something comes out of her mouth it becomes true?”

    It’s pretty certain that the “millions of dollars” claim has been debunked, from what the spokesman, Murrow revealed. What one may wonder, is if a person does or has indeed lied, there are two reasons. A person may lie to cheat and steal. Or, a person may lie because they are pathologically wired that way, it could be environment from childhood, a pattern developed that is addictive, or mental instability.

  50. sauerkraut says:

    eyeonyou @222

    What caught my eye in that article was the claim that an up-to-speed attorney was removed from a case about to go to hearing and replaced with another attorney who was unfamiliar with the case.

    What kind of dunderhead manager would do something that stupid? How many hours did the other attorney have to spend to get himself up to speed and, are those hours included in those on the piechart?

  51. White Agate says:

    Just skimmed the Time article, urgh. Leave the poor salmon out of it!

    AKM, I wonder if there is a potential cost breakdown as to her resignation…how much it will cost to transition the running of the state during the summer season, special session, etc. You mentioned it the other day, and that needs to be anticipated, too.

    The Greta Van Susteren and husband thing is so odd, obviously advising her, what’s that about?

  52. sauerkraut says:

    re Lori @170.

    I am sure the Texans, et al, did not work in a vacuum. Alaskan staff had to assist them and accompany them from place to place. Just how much did the interference of those people cost the state of Alaska in manhours, coffee, catered lunches, taxi fares, rented limo’s, hotel fees, etc.?

  53. RLS says:

    It looks like Mel Green (Henkimaa) had already started digging into the numbers I mentioned in post #230. Makes for an interesting read in her More On Palin’s Spreadsheet post.

    http://www.henkimaa.com/

  54. Cassie Jeep Pike Palin says:

    Canadian Neighbour Says:

    Palin administration in its two and a half years has received 238 public records requests — 189 of them coming since McCain chose her as his running mate last August.
    ———————————————————————————
    You have connected on the core of this issue. No one–not the RNC, the State of Alaska, the McCain campaign—was prepared for this. How could they be?

    Defending her against ethics complaints, or simply providing copies of work she did as governor was going to use up the time of staff who were otherwise employed by Alaska.

    I remember writing (after the election) that Alaskans were going to be left alone to clean up the mess after the circus left town…with violated subpoena’s, self launched ethics complaints, re-introducing the governor to the business of governing her state, etc. That has certainly been the case.

    Lest we forget: taxpayers are NOT footing the bill for all this. Others have noted that since Alaska does not have a state income tax, the budget is provided for from the oil revenues. Many of us in the lower 48 would be lighting the torches and pulling out the pitchforks. But I guess is you don’t REALLY have to pay the bill, you don’t REALLY understand the value.

    The oil revenue that has been lost, however, is nothing compared with the damage this woman has caused Alaskans who were relying on her help, her assistance, and here we are, not far from a new winter and she is leaving the status quo.

  55. zyggy says:

    guess open and transparent is no longer what Buttercup wants. =)

  56. Paula says:

    Wow, just looked over documents. Imagine handing the IRS these if you were audited? They’d trash them & send you a bill. Another pile of BS on paper from Brainless Buttercup.

    I just imagine her staff rolling their eyes then banging their foreheads on their desk. It just can’t be fun to work for someone SO stupid.

  57. Paula says:

    Kathi, we’re just supposed to just assume the Queen is right -by faith.

    Those who would second guess her reports or math skills are liberal ememy bloggers.

    It’s all SO unfair! Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

  58. anon blogger says:

    More on Palin’s spreadsheet at Henkimaa blog. Good stuff, too!

    And Progressive Alaska blog, too!

  59. Kathi in NJ says:

    So I have a question (apologies if it has already been answered here). Is she too stupid to do the math on this, or does she assume stupidity on the part of the nation to not question those numbers?

  60. Connie says:

    I just want to say thank you to those of you who have the time to research all of the ‘garbage’ that has been spewed our way and are attempting to get the truth out to the MSM! Thank you!!!

  61. Paula says:

    Can we assume, had Palin been elected VP, that there would have still been a whole bunch of requests for information, emails, etc. And maybe some ethics complaints, too.

    Would she have resigned as VP to “save Alaska money?”

  62. Canadian Neighbour says:

    Lori, that was $185,000 to be claimed as gifts by the 6 persons represented by those attorneys

  63. C. Rock says:

    Buttercup is on the front cover of Time magazine BARF
    Sorry if posted already. I have not read the article yet.

    http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1909442-1,00.html

  64. sjk from the belly of the plane says:

    subtract at least $5500 from the costs since Celtic Diva had to pay the SOA for the eddie smurf secret mails.

  65. Lori in Los Angeles says:

    Another number to focus on is INCOME – AK charges high fees to obtain records and e-mails (VERY high fees). Also, too, the value of the battery of Texas attorneys who flew up to AK (at NO cost to AK) to assist with Troopergate.

  66. jc in co says:

    Read most of the comments over at ADN on the “Palin Defends Millions Ethics
    Price Claim” story. OMG, well over 100 comments saw 2 or 3 defending her. It’s as if the palinistas have disbanded, maybe it will be death by a thousand icicles instead of one big iceberg. Huffpo, political page headline “ADN confirms Palin’s story doesn’t hold up” Isn’t she supposed to have yet another press conference/release whatever today? Any bets on what costume she’ll
    be wearing for this one, maybe a “hunting outfit”…to relate to her base of “hardworking real Amerikans”

  67. Canadian Neighbour says:

    Read AKM’s post including the statement from David Murrow and I suspect as from past actions of Palin’s reaction to non-yes people, he’ll soon be the next victim under the wheels of the bus. Murrow has not had time to learn the fine art of Palinese Talk aka Word Salad. Palin spokespeople should just install a revolving door on that office. Must be that the last spokesperson to leave took with them the office copy of “Sarah’s Ethics Manual” so therefore Murrow didn’t read the rules pertaining to him!!

    Also read ADN article dated today by Sean Cockerman, I can’t help but notice comments by people who don’t necessarily think outside the box when they know this is for possible publication.

    Unprecedented requests: “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s unprecedented,” said Linda Perez, who handles the requests as Palin’s administrative director and has been in state government since the Sheffield administration in the 1980s.”

    “She said the Palin administration in its two and a half years has received 238 public records requests — 189 of them coming since McCain chose her as his running mate last August. The previous governor, Frank Murkowski, had 109 in four years.”

    She would know this to be unprecedented for State but has no knowledge as to requests for documents of other States where a Governor was chosen to run for a National political position. Perez, a director, is comparing apples to oranges. The document requests rose because of pick to run for VP – National Office — those she compared to did not. Should Palin have said no and not reared her head, you would not have seen the increase. Actually, we wouldn’t be discussing Palin as she was unknown to most everyone outside AK. Life would have skipped along as it had in AK.

    The Gov’s office still throw out numbers it’s costing AK for these many document requests but have yet to disclose fees charged and received to offset those amounts. Especially since they had initially quoted $12-$15 million but then dropped the costs back into earth’s atmosphere.

    The spreadsheets being used in the spin by Palin that it’s costing AK millions, clearly shows numbers were plugged in at whim in that under Ethics Complaints reference to Monegan – Page 1 noted 13.3 Attorney hours for a total cost of $14,565. That’s $1,095.11 per hour! Page 2 ref to Monegan 119.4 hours, total being the same $14,565.

    As small as it may be, Juneteenth page 1 is 3.3 Attorney hours totaling $525, page 2 is 4.3 Attorney hours same $525 result total.

    This jumps out for me in the sense of some the administrative support staff do not know the preparation of simple spreadsheets. Leads me to think — their inability to do this, how bad is everything else they work on within the office. Is there anyone checking or paying attention. Parnell I suspect will retain the staff in place — Scary as this has shed light of inability for a simple task. What remains in their files never to be seen but you are told to trust them.

    Quote heard this morning from Whoopi Goldberg on The View after a discussion of Palin’s poll ratings:
    “Poles are made for dancing!” (I know not the same poll but her quick response was good)

  68. anon blogger says:

    RLS #230 “How are these numbers determined?”

    The Griffers Handbook, as someone told me. Double, and pad, and add, to match the lie, of course.

  69. sauerkraut says:

    ut oh… she’s got a really thin skin so Murrow and a few others are gonna feel her wrath. They pretty much confirmed the bloggers’ contention that she lied.

    Lies and damned lies… the Sarah Palin way.

  70. RLS says:

    It seems to me the numbers to focus on are:

    The 560,800 reported for the Personnel Board vs the 296,042 number shown in the Mel Green report. Why the difference?

    The 468,947 which seems to relate to Public Records Request? Don’t the people requesting such records have to pay to get them? What makes up this number?

    The Office of the Governor numbers of 315, 268 (to 3/24/09) and the additional 110,281 (to 6/23/09). What makes up these numbers? Part of Sarah’s salary? How are theses numbers determined?

    These numbers alone total to over 1.4 million. I think a little more detailed explanation is needed.

  71. EyeOnYou says:

    Another point, from the ADN story, which is pertinent:

    Anchorage activist Andree McLeod is suing in an attempt to obtain state e-mails sent to Palin’s husband, Todd, who Palin critics have claimed is a “shadow governor.” The e-mails have been withheld based on the claim of executive privilege, with the argument that Todd, while not a state employee, is an adviser to Palin. McLeod also filed a lawsuit meant to force the administration to abandon use of private e-mail accounts, like Yahoo messages, saying that can put state policy information off limits to public records requests.

    “The high cost Palin keeps talking about is a function of Sarah Palin’s refusal to secure, preserve and protect the state of Alaska’s public records and (her circumvention of) state servers and public record laws,” said McLeod, who said she offered to drop the suit over private accounts if Palin would ban them.

    So Andree offered to drop one of the lawsuits if Palin would ban the use of private email accounts, and yet Palin obviously has not done so. Why?

    Why would you not ban the use of private emails when deal with state government? What could possibly be the reason for wanting to allow private emails usage for state business unless you are deliberately trying to hide something?

    Why claim that others are wasting money when you could easily stop money from being spent on a lawsuit that is only going forward because you refuse to keep an open and transparent government as you not only campaigned on, but promised your constituents?

    As to the other lawsuit, where Andree is fighting to obtain copies of emails that were “cc’d” to Todd, I not only find that a reasonable and justifiable lawsuit, I find it odd that anyone would not believe it to be reasonable and justifiable.

  72. Justovertheriver says:

    On the other hand, Buttercup is now quoting Plato on her Twitter site. Heavy!

  73. GA Peach a/k/a Lance the Boil aka Crust Scramble says:

    This story is definitely spreading. Wonder when faux will spin it.

    McClatchy’s reporting it from their DC site and I know they own the ADN. Wonder if all their newspapers will pick it up.

  74. Simple Mind says:

    Why is it something that is transparently BS suddenly becomes truth when its on a spreadsheet? Do people’s eyes just glaze over and drop to the bottom line? Okay, Note the entry for “Office of the Governor” – $468,947. No detail, no dates, no nothing – sounds more credible that “two zillion dollars”, right? Then we have $116,674 for the “legislative investigation”, which I assume is the Judiciary Committee’s Troopergate investigation – not one of the ethics complaints – during which the Attorney General took the curious position of representing private citizens against the Alaska legislature. Then under the heading “Ethics Complaints” we have another entry for the Governors Office – $26,847. Then another entry for the Office of the Governor – $315,268. Then another entry for the Office of the Governor – $110,281. No detail, no dates, no nothing. Trust us, after all, its on a spreadsheet, it must be true. – Or look at the heading for “Ethics Complaints – Governor’s Office” – all nicely broken out for each complaint ($98 for the family travel complaint) , then there is an entry for the Office of the Governor for $315,268. Which is it? Who made this up?

  75. Martha says:

    Finally! I wonder how Chicken Noodle News will bloviate today?

    ADN Confirms: Palin’s Story Doesn’t Hold Up
    Rachel Weiner

    The Anchorage Daily News did a thorough analysis and backed up the spokesperson. The ethics complaints took up time that staff could have spent doing other work, but they did not cost Alaska any money.

    A large chunk of that work went into the personnel board “Troopergate” investigation, which Palin herself initiated on the grounds that a legislation investigation was politicized. Only three of the ethics complaints are still pending, a fact that makes Palin’s explanation seem even less sensible.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/09/adn-confirms-palins-story_n_228683.html

  76. Janmarie says:

    Has anyone (AKM included) noted or commented on the Freudian slips that GINO has made of ‘these ethics violations”… not “these ethics complaints” in her interviews…
    It’s a Freudian slip – at it’s best!! Her sub-conscious is getting the truth out!

  77. GA Peach a/k/a Lance the Boil aka Crust Scramble says:

    Sorry, off topic – wasn’t paying attention.

  78. EyeOnYou says:

    I’ve noticed in the recent ADN article “Palin says inquiries wasted ‘millions’ ”

    The governor’s office said that pulling state lawyers away from their work to deal with public records requests and ethics complaints has a cost. For example, Leighow said, the paralegal responsible for tracking down and billing “parties responsible for releases of toxic materials” wasn’t able to devote enough time to do it because of time spent instead on public records issues.

    “There is an estimated loss to the state this year of about $400,000, most of which the administration ultimately hopes to recover, though some will inevitably be lost in the delay,” according to a breakdown sheet Leighow provided.

    Other examples included state lawyers having to delay their work or pass it on to colleagues. A state attorney was apparently required to relinquish an Alaska Supreme Court oral argument on food-stamp repayment case to a colleague less familiar with the case in order to work on a series of public records requests directed at the governor’s office. The state won the right to recoup the payments, although the court found issues with the notice provided to the plaintiffs.

    http://www.adn.com/palin/story/858523.html

    So my question would be, who makes the decision to pull these lawyers off state business in order to direct them to handling these records requests/FOIA requests?

    We have seen that Palin and her administration deliberately misleads if not outright lies about the costs associated since they make no mention of the fact that the money spent would be going to the exact same places regardless of the number of requests made, and we know that they more than recoup their expenses by charging outrageous amounts for these record/email requests. Now I could understand the claims if they claimed they had to hire additional outside help to deal with all of these items, but they don’t make that claim at all, instead they justify it by saying they took people off normal work to address issues, or allowed normal work to fall by the wayside to address these issues, and yet we all know that the response time for the email requests/FOIA requests is astoundingly slow.

    Now even if they did have to hire additional help to deal with all these matters, it is and was Palin who agreed to take on the role of McCain’s running mate. She made that decision. It is logical for people to be curious about a complete unknown and want more information on her, and it is also logical that once she accepted that role, and made the choice to not hand over the duties to the Lt. Gov., instead attempting to govern from her blackberry, that there would be concerns about crossing those lines of mixing personal political with state business. Of course anyone with any form of logical thought process would know that more information was going to be asked for so as to get to know this Governor and her decision making, her politics, her history, …of course questions would be asked and things would be scrutinized, background would be looked at by both sides of the political aisle. That should not have been unexpected.

    This usage of supposed squandering of state dollars is not only not truthful, but it is becoming more and more apparent that it was just another lie generated to explain away a decision that makes no sense in a real world scenario.

  79. GA Peach a/k/a Lance the Boil aka Crust Scramble says:

    Oh, the cartoon on brad blog is a hoot! Skewers sarah and sandford.

  80. Janmarie says:

    Has any noted/commented on the Freudian slips that GINO has made of ‘These ethics violations”… not these ethics complaints in her interviews…
    It’s Freudian!! Her sub-conscious is getting the truth out!

  81. Bystander says:

    The frustrating bottom line- Gov Grifter will make tens of millions from her various scams, and will never go to jail, or held to account in any way.

    She is exactly what 70% of the GOP and 100% of the far right wants, which is complete ignorance and crazy talk- and she will be richly rewarded for it.

  82. daisydem says:

    HuffPo story by Rachel Weiner posted at 12:13pm EST. ADN confirms story re: Palin’s Millions to pay legal defense of ethics charges untrue.

  83. Wolf Pack says:

    I’m waiting for Van Flein to threaten to sue anyone who questions that spreadsheet.

  84. michigander says:

    Very cool LiladyNY! And yes we have to keep pushing back with the truth. For Alaskans and those of us who have ‘studied up’ on Palin it has been horribly frustrating that she continually gets away with her lies. I think it has emboldened her even more and feeds her narcissism. She needs to be called out on this latest BS by MSM to get the truth out to the general public.

  85. Beware, beware of Painresignationism – it will eat your mind – don’t forget there is a larger world out there that needs all our best efforts!

  86. EyeOnYou says:

    This “released spreadsheet” is just astoundingly ridiculous. Quite honestly it looks like it was thrown together in a matter of minutes with some rough numbers and some “guesstimate” numbers. There is absolutely no reference for any of the claims made about expenditures and the income vs expense should have been included.

    This was deliberately designed to give credence to her claims and does nothing to back them up, rather instead it makes her and her administration look more foolish.

    While I am sure that her attorney will continue to defend her because he is getting paid to do so, I have to wonder if he worries at all about his own reputation considering the lies she is telling and he is backing up while everyone is proving that they are lying.

  87. Isabella says:

    Since the state of Alaska apparently has a team of legal eagles on retainer to defend the governor exactly why did she have to have her very own in her pocket?

    Did Van Phlegm come around AFTER McCain?

  88. sjk from the belly of the plane says:

    Mudbug, over at Bradblog there is a post relating to the ‘berg. Insurance fraud for claiming the iconic baby…SUE ME!!!

  89. CG says:

    From #58 Dr Patois. Quote by Van Flein from Alaska Pride on explanation of Sarah getting outside legal representation.

    Palin’s attorney Thomas Van Flein explained this issue on a post published by Conservatives4Palin. Here’s the key excerpt:
    “Because an ethics complaint by definition involves an allegation that a public official abused state office by promoting a personal gain over state interests, when such a complaint is filed, the subject of the complaint cannot use state attorneys for their personal defense. Indeed, doing so would likely result in a meritorious ethics complaint. That does not mean the state could not indemnify a state employee after the investigation and results are completed if it is determined that there was no merit to the complaint and the costs were incurred as a result state service. But initially the subject of the complaint, if he or she desires representation, must retain personal counsel. This is all the more imperative for the Governor, where the Attorney General is barred as a matter of law from any involvement in a complaint against the Governor and the matter is handled by an independent Personnel Board and special counsel.”

    “…when such a complaint is filed, the subject of the complaint cannot use state attorneys for their personal defense.”

    Ethics complaints are not legal filings nor lawsuits. Ethics complaints are internal matters, personnel action that applies to the appearance of employment-related impropriety in the Executive Office; as opposed to being written up for being late or not showing up or failing to get your work done. That’s why the Personnel Board reviews it.

    One doesn’t bring an attorney to defend you when the boss calls you into his office. When you’re scolded at work, you can file a grievance if you think you’ve been unfairly managed. That’s when you would maybe seek legal counsel to defend yourself. But your employer has no obligation to provide you with legal services.
    But the governor has the right to hire an attorney if she chooses. And she did. That was her perogative.

    Civil litigation would be different. That’s not a personnel matter. That’s where the state does provide state attorneys. Even if the subject is ethics. The state has represented Sarah on a number of cases, with two being reopened the last week of June. Van Flein is not handling those cases.

    The ‘Troopergate’ business wasn’t that clear. That started out as an internal issue between two state employees (with involvement of a number of other state employees, as well private citizen Todd) and the appearance of improper action, and it was obviously a big mess.
    Van Flein was contracted by the state to represent the governor, then almost immediately changed status to be her private attorney, as well as Todd’s.
    The McCain campaign was involved behind the scenes and it got messier and messier.

    The spreadsheet doesn’t clarify matters – it makes it worse.

  90. bwilder says:

    when are politicians going to realize that we FINALLY live in a world where
    their words are fact-checked? it cracks me up how they continue to stretch the truth, rearrange the facts, fib, or just outright lie and think they can still
    get away with it. it just proves how totally unaware of the world we live in.

    palin and her total disregard for truth and facts is burying herself in the full
    public spotlight day by day….this is great news in my opinion, but you’d think she’d have figured it out by now? the fact that she hasn’t just proves how
    completely clueless she really is!

  91. LiladyNY says:

    I just wrote to Greg Sargent at The Plum Line. He’s a blogger with The Washington Post. I referred him to Mel’s blog on the $2,000,000 Meme and told him he should check out Mudflats as well.
    He responded to me within TWO minutes! and said “thx much, I’ll take a look”.
    We just have to keep pushing back and pushing back with the truth.

  92. Isabella says:

    Murrow is smart enough not to throw away a budding reputation for Palin especially with only 3 weeks to go before she runs away with the office stapler.

    Be way cool should he let out a few more truths, here is hoping he is asked more questions.

    BTW, often jumping threads sometimes Off topic gets meshed with others, meaning no harm. Snorkel gives terrific reminders and everyones reason to keep threads open & readable are straight up correct yet you do realize by posting to stay on topic there are at least seven off topic posts on this thread alone? Just saying…

  93. michigander says:

    Yes, SJP – refreshing (shocking even) to hear truth coming from someone. I do hope David Murrow doesn’t suffer the wrath of Pantsafire. She is so sneaky.

    Sorry if this double posts – not sure what just happened…

  94. Seagull Junker Palin says:

    Gryphen @ immoral minority has a post about David Murrow.

    http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/

  95. Micky7 says:

    I am bothered, but not surprised, that for the most part the MSM seems to accept Palin’s dollar figure on the face of it. This is a woman who has been caught lying time after time, but they still parrot her ridiculous statements as if they came straight from the good Lord, himself.

    After her resignation, polls showed that 7 in 10 Republicans would vote for her in 2012! When you visit news site forums, these mindless Palin-drones take over the comments section defending their idiot savant with the same sort of gusto they normally reserve for celebrating beer and Cheetos night. This is scary stuff. I don’t think Palin is a “joke.” I think she is a self-deluded narcissist (did you catch the ‘narcissistic rage’ when Andrea Mitchell dared to suggest that she needed to clarify her stream of consciousness explanation for resigning?) who represents lemming-like leadership in our first big step over the cliff into idiocracy. She is the quintessential malign personality (wrapped in a cutesy candy coating) that rises to power despite clear warning signs of unfitness.

    Given the crystal clear evidence that she is not suited for any job that requires rational thinking, what will it take to get through to the public? It’s easy to make fun of her, but I think the MSM is discounting the rabid Palin-drones who are just angry enough and stupid enough to see this farce of a politician as the only person who can finally address and fix their myriad Fox News-inspired perceived grievances. I’m not laughing. I’m scared.

  96. michigander says:

    Yes, SJP – refreshing (shocking even) to hear truth coming from someone. I do hope David Murrow doesn’t suffer the wrath of Pantsafire. She is so sneaky.

  97. Irishgirl says:

    Snos, I fully agree. When we keep on track it makes it easier for the likes of Andrew Sullivan et al., to link to Mudflats. AKM’s post is important as it exposes more lies. Any other discussion really needs to be in the open thread.

  98. rebekkah says:

    Mr. Murrow seems like an honest individual; he could have stretched the truth out like “Stretch Armstrong” for Sarah, but he stuck to his guns and relayed info regarding State lawyers salaries’ which were included in the costs, and that they would have received the same monies no matter what duties they had.

    So, wonder if there is a discord between the Gov and her new spokesman. If he truly is a christian writer, and believer, his conscience may play a part in her not getting her or the Department of Law’s way. And, now she quits……..sigh

  99. Mudbug says:

    Anyone know when Dennis’ IRSberg is going to hit? I hope it’s after she leaves office, so everyone can see that she resigned because of THAT and not anything else.

  100. Seagull Junker Palin says:

    Hear! Hear! To everyone to keep it on topic!!

    It’s so interesting that the new spokesman – David Murrow – provided more info than usual. He was burned by this sudden resignation.

  101. Wolf Pack says:

    Don’t ya know, Tripp did that spreadsheet and those darn liberal media elitists are attacking my special needs child again.

  102. merlinAK says:

    KTUU perpetuates the $1.9 million price tag story this morning giving air time to some blustering Anchorage Republican legislator who promises to propose legislation to, by god, stop this nonsense. Hey, Channel 2 had footage of a spreadsheet with the $1.9M number at the bottom, so it all must be true. I love the way this story has boiled down to this one little item – as if the cost of the ethics complaints (at any price) somehow justifies her quitting.

  103. michigander says:

    Are there any MSM stories out yet about the truth about the “millions”?

    I’m so confused. This is not an open thread. Let’s all respect AKM, Snoskred and this community.

    Please read Snoskred #138 and help her out (o:

  104. Greytdog Δ says:

    Dahlia Lithwick from Slate magazine “But when the dust settles, the lesson may be that she was simply a woman who made no sense. ” http://bit.ly/2sL57w

  105. not that sarah says:

    ‘Morning Mudpuppies!!!

    You know…this morning I can’t help but feeling badly for the many people who work for her who will soon be thrown under the bus as they are put into a lose/lose situation.

    As much as I’d like for them to come clean, I can only imagine the fall out and the payback Queen Buttercup (oh, that nick name hurts because it was mine!!! Can I stick with Red Queen?) will dish out.

    The thing that breaks my heart about her the most is her effect on other people’s lives. there’s no excuse….
    They’ve got you all to look up to for inspiration and support — and I hope they know they can come here for moral support. I’m sending out healing thoughts for them all.

    But on a cheerier note, she seems to be morphing into an even larger joke. I can only hope that today, the REAL figures are reported finally!

    I should write about it, but I find her lies so tiring and overwhelming. Maybe after more coffee!!!

    Hugs to all~~~

    S

  106. Cynthia, TX says:

    @mudbug

    I think you have me a bit confused I am no Palin fan at all. Where did you get that?

  107. Cynthia, TX says:

    Yes, Jim Jones did and that’s the scary part. The followers can’t see past the flashiness to see their is no substance. It makes them feel safe because there is someone that will get down in the muck of feeling bad with them.

  108. Mudbug says:

    Donn. I thnk tha’s a trumped up figure. Just another of Palinista’s magic math.

  109. Mudbug says:

    Cynthia,
    You mean, it’s ok to have an aulteress coming to your state with her pretend ‘family values’? Every hear of Brad Hanson? Look him up. You’ll be stunned and amazed.

    Palin is no more conservative than I am purple. She talks a good game, and there those -like yourself – that have been conned by her. I’m a conservative GOP, who will NEVER cast a vote for her, and pray to MY God that KBH wins hands down against Perry and the bimbo.

  110. DonnaInMichigan says:

    When you hear that 7 out of 10 Republicans still support/follow Sarah Palin..

    Just remember this.: Rev. Jim Jones also had a HUGE following.

  111. Paula says:

    Palin campaigning for Perry:

    In Austin, Perry’s campaign said Wednesday that it raised $4.2 million over a nine-day period at the end of June and that it has $9.3 million in available cash. That amount raised is nearly twice what Perry collected in the same period four years ago as he prepared to head into his 2006 re-election bid.

    Maybe HE could give poor broke Scarahhahahah some money?

  112. LiladyNY says:

    @califpat
    No, please don’t feel that way! Sometimes being here is like sitting at a huge family dinner with everybody trying to talk at once. Yet, don’t think because no one responds that you’re not being heard or that your posts are being ignored. We are all a part of the conversation.

  113. Paula says:

    Republican strategist (and NBC analyst) Mike Murphy again takes on Sarah Palin. He calls her “the political train wreck that keeps on giving.” He said she “brought nothing to the [McCain] ticket except a surefire knack for exciting voters who were already reliably Republican.” More at:
    http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/09/1990633.aspx

  114. Paula says:

    califpat Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 10:58 PM

    @akgrll: My name is califpat and I have been addicted since Insane McCain chose Buttercup in desperation to be his running mate. I found Mudflats to ease my anxiety and became hooked. This became my daily fix and I have been addicted for a long time now. So much so, that I have seen people come and go and come right back. Yep, I dont think there is a rehab for us and I dont think I want it to be. Too much fun and I’m hooked!! For Life!! LOL!!
    __________
    For those of us who live in little pockets of “real” America, this is our only releif from the terrorists, socialist, Godless nation, prayer in school, prolife… preaching that goes on every day. In my neighborhood. In our town. Although we do have a variety of closet Democrats who bravely put their signs out at election time, but the rest of the time they stay pretty quiet. Fundies rule around here. UGH. I’m here for the water.

  115. KateinCanada says:

    Snoskred- Point taken and respected, but I’m hoping this comment fits here and now.
    Califpat-
    For me, Mudflats is a big fragrant bowl of stone soup, the ever-changing and refreshed creation of everyone’s contributions. I come daily to “suck up” some, and when I can, I throw in a carrot or a pinch of pepper.
    To use other images, Mudflats benefits from ALL the comments as though they are one continuous complex poll and/or EEG monitor and/or dynamo of how the puppies are feeling and thinking about in the moment news, and what they say about it,
    Commenting is worthwhile, absoulutely!

  116. Paula says:

    Cynthia, TX Says:
    July 9th, 2009 at 6:42 AM
    what is she writing a book about? she quit her job as governor and has quit several others, it took her forever to get out of college.
    __________

    So we all understand whose fault it was because you know it wasn’t anything she did!

  117. LiladyNY says:

    @Aussie Blue Sky Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 9:23 PM

    I was very surprised last weekend when David Murrow was quoted describing The Resignation as “a kick in the guts”. I know ‘guts’ is a pet word of his, so I believe it.
    ————————————————————————
    Golly, he hardly had time to arrange the diplomas on his office wall, before this news hit!

  118. LiladyNY says:

    califpat Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 10:58 PM

    @akgrll: My name is califpat and I have been addicted since Insane McCain chose Buttercup in desperation to be his running mate. I found Mudflats to ease my anxiety and became hooked. This became my daily fix and I have been addicted for a long time now. So much so, that I have seen people come and go and come right back. Yep, I dont think there is a rehab for us and I dont think I want it to be. Too much fun and I’m hooked!! For Life!! LOL!!

    @akgril: My name is LiladyNY and I have been addicted to Mudflats since Ms B. appeared on the national stage screeching her whiny snark. I don’t want to be rehabbed either since this addiciton promotes brain expansion and friendship and an example of democracy in action. By that, I mean, people can disagree here and still remain in the dialogue without resorting to vituperative name calling and such as.
    Also too, AKM has opened up a wonderful world of Moose-ness and pictorial florality and forestry and fungi recognition. Where else can you get such a diverse compilation of a genuine search for truth and understanding. I sometimes wonder what the world would be like if Mudflatters were in charge.

  119. Paula says:

    HP Reports:

    Sarah Palin continues to be a dynamic cultural figure as much as a political one. The Alaska Governor, who announced her impending resignation from office last week, is now the inspiration for a new piece of slang. The phrase, “Pullin’ a Palin,” is currently defined by urbandictionary.com as:

    1. Quitting when the going gets tough; abandoning the responsibility entrusted to you by your neighbors for book advances and to make money on the lecture circuit.

    2. Bizarre move that will damn ambitions for higher office.

    “I bet when people saw Jade they were convinced that David Caruso was pullin’ a Palin.”

    The entry was filed by the user “No One Likes a Quitter” on Wednesday and actually represents the second Palin-related phrase on the site. “Pull a Palin,” which was entered after the 2008 vice presidential debate, is defined by Urban Dictionary as: “To avoid answering questions directly because you don’t know the answer, or you don’t want the person to [whom you are] talking to knowing the real answer, and talking about another subject you do know something about, or something to flatter or distract the other person, instead.”

    This type of small-bore snark is good fodder for the partisans. For sober-minded Palin supporters, the worry has to be that the soon-to-be-former governor will be permanently defined as the butt of the political joke.

  120. anon blogger says:

    Isabella #178 regarding the book deal….

    I heard two figures, one Palin received $4M, the other $3.5M in advance. She’s sooooo poor, must collect funds so she can keep all the money for herself. Yet, there are probably some who sent money to help Palin pay legal fees while struggling to put food on their table. Many, many years ago, I was watching Tammy Faye on TV, and she read a letter from a follower who sent her a personal check for $4K+ for a mink coat to keep her warm. Yep, true…I got up and turned the TV.

  121. Chris says:

    As a Texan, I have heard many refer to Perry as “his hairness”; I think he will have a tough primary campaign against Hutchinson, but Palin will definitely bring out the Texas base.

  122. Cynthia, TX says:

    what is she writing a book about? she quit her job as governor and has quit several others, it took her forever to get out of college. I mean really what is it about? and why would I want to buy it?

  123. WakeUpAmerica says:

    Lori, seems to me, under those circumstances, that McCain should be paying for that whole investigation since he caused the unreasonable costs. WHADDA BOUT IT, JOHNNY BOY???? Time to show some responsibility for the monster and ensuing mess that you created for Alaska.

  124. Isabella says:

    anon blogger Says “Maybe the $500,000 figure includes all the book contract negotiations. And legal consultations regarding Levi, Sherry, and a whole bunch of stuff, including all contracts for personal gain that have nothing to do with state business.”

    I would wager a nice steak dinner that some of that total she keeps spewing does absolutely figure in the book negotiations.

    I still laugh out loud at Palin saying she does not want to disclose the amount she received for the book contract because she does not want anyone to go into the comic distracted by how much (OR LITTLE MORE LIKE IT) she got.

  125. WakeUpAmerica says:

    Oh dear Lord! You should see the illustration on Gryphen’s site if you haven’t been there yet today. It is absolutely perfect! The illustrator captures Palin’s mentality completely. Bwaaaaahaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaa

  126. Bea says:

    The Wright Stuff Says:
    July 9th, 2009 at 5:48 AM
    What we have with Sarah is a partial term abortion
    __________

    LOLOLOLOLOL. I am SO stealing that!

  127. LiladyNY says:

    I not only have to question the bailin’ 1’s intelligence, but everyone who still works for or with her.

    Wouldn’t that be an oxymoron (or in her case, an oxymoran)?

  128. LiladyNY says:

    @redwoodmuse Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 8:47 PM

    I almost fell off the bed laughing when I thought of the sheer mavericky power of someone we’re coming to know as Ms. Buttercup Quackypants. Can’t even type it without giggling.

    redwoodmuse

    ———————————————————————

    ROFLMAO! I’m dying over here. : D
    BTW, my little Pug dog’s name is Chloe Butterbottom, no relation to Buttercup Quackypants.

    Hope all is well (((redwoodmuse))).

  129. Cynthia, TX says:

    @AustinTX

    in Dallas

    no Austin would not love her

  130. sjk from the belly of the plane says:

    At ADN:

    “Palin not asked for help by GOP candidates in gubernatorial races”

    Wonder why? Pariah palin.

  131. anon blogger says:

    Maybe the $500,000 figure includes all the book contract negotiations. And legal consultations regarding Levi, Sherry, and a whole bunch of stuff, including all contracts for personal gain that have nothing to do with state business. See those pants on fire……..which is sooooooo cute, AKM!!! Dr. Chill, hearts to you, too.

  132. Pat in MA says:

    Been lurking for some time enjoying thoroughly the quest for truth in all things Palin. AKM the pants on fire clip art is GREAT!!! Soon you will be rid of Sarah’s lack of governance… talk about addition by subtraction! Unfortunately I am sure we haven’t heard the last of her as she will likely unleash her BS even more freely when not constrained by being in public office.

  133. Lori in Los Angeles says:

    Here is a post re the lawyers sent to defend/assist Palin, AT NO COST to AK.

    Posted by PissedOffAmerican, Oct 11 2008, 1:20PM ” Sending an army of Texas lawyers to Alaska to impede this investigation, John McCain displayed a disdain for Alaska’s state government, most notably its legislature and its justice department. Launching frivolous suits to impede the investigation, intimidating witnesses, advising witnesses to ignore subpoenas, stalling witnesses testimony, etc.

    Further, it must be noted, as pointed out by TPMuckraker this morning, that the stalling tactics worked. Many witnesses that were originally subpoenaed were never deposed because of the actions of McCain’s team of Texas lawyers. Had these witnesses been deposed, what further conclusions could have been reached by Branchflower, and included in this report?” http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2008/10/palin_abused_po/

  134. austintx says:

    162 Cynthia, TX Says:
    July 9th, 2009 at 5:57 AM
    @Bonnie,

    the people in Texas will love her remember it’s very difficult to be democrat here right now
    ************************************************************
    We don’t love her here in Austin. An island of blue in a sea of red………
    BTW – where you at ??

  135. Cynthia, TX says:

    Perry is real conservative

    Hutchinson is more moderate

  136. sjk from the belly of the plane says:

    have the salmon slayer and the flea sued anyone yet?

  137. Lilybart says:

    How could she campaign AGAINST Kay? I thought that women who don’t support other women were destined to be in some special hell?

    Perry, gov GoodHair as Molly Ivans used to call him, is an idiot. Kay is Republican, but not a doofus.

  138. Cynthia, TX says:

    why do we never see her other daughter in any of her photo ops? we know Bristol is doing her own thing. But, I noticed we never see Willow and Piper is always handling the baby.

  139. Isabella says:

    greatgrammy1 Says “If all of these ethics complaints are or have been addressed, why does she owe money? If it’s for her personal attorney, why was he hired if the complaints are addressed by the government?”

    Is it true Van Phlegm is a hired man for the bargain price of $185 an hour? If yes, which of you math wiz’s can do the breakdown of how many hours he has been employed by Palin since he came on the scene back in September? I mean there is only 24 hours in a day still right? Doesn’t he have kids or something he sees at least one weekend a month?

    He claims Palin’s numbers are true she owes more then $500,000 or is it now $600,000? Betcha he is over billing Palin, would serve her right. Lol, the attorney embezzling from Palin….ANYONE GOT MATH?

  140. Pepper1939 says:

    Greatgrammy I am with you . I thought the Alaska Fund Trust was her personal legal fund. Since it is donated money, where’s her loss and that of her family. What a crock!!!

  141. Cynthia, TX says:

    @Bonnie,

    the people in Texas will love her remember it’s very difficult to be democrat here right now

  142. Lori in Los Angeles says:

    Also, TOO – Texas sent lawyers to AK and some Christian group (Focus on the Family?) paid a huge amount of $$$$ to help with legal fees. Where is THAT income on the spreadsheet?

  143. greatgrammy1 says:

    Mel Green’s article was fascinating. Now will someone explain where she owes the $500,000+. If all of these ethics complaints are or have been addressed, why does she owe money? If it’s for her personal attorney, why was he hired if the complaints are addressed by the government?

  144. michigander says:

    153 Lori – Good question. I wonder where to look to find the answer.

  145. Isabella says:

    ADN is actually reporting WITHOUT THE COOL PIE CHART THOUGH.
    http://www.adn.com/palin/story/858523.html

    I am flabbergasted Palin’s “Camp” is still sticking to Alaskan citizens consuming their time, there reputations, enduring public exposure and harassment by Palin, to go forward with concerns & complaints because Palin is too pretty and everyone is just jealous.

    Hope after her office is cleaned out leaks start like they did November 5th from the McCain campaign, You know those little people, you step on them one to many time and they get fussy.

  146. The Wright Stuff says:

    What we have with Sarah is a partial term abortion

  147. Largo says:

    Someone needs to throw this pie in the Associated Press’ face. They reported as fact Palin’s $2 million figure. Darn liberal media….

  148. Bonnie says:

    Gee and does CNN etc. know that? Or the current Gov. of TX who is dumb enough to enlist her help on his campaign? I about fell out of the chair last night when I heard that. Is he nuts? Maybe he should talk to McCain. He is possibly facing Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson in the upcoming mud slinging race. Taking Palin on to speak to the women of TX isn’t going to help him. Unless all Rep. are nuts!

  149. Nan (aka roswellborn) says:

    anon blogger (150)

    Any state employee involved in generating the piece of lie was not working for the good folks of Alaska, rather covering Palin’s behind using deception. They should pack up their personal belongings as well. Let Palin put the food on their table…at least there would be cookies.
    _______________

    Oy. Moose stew and cookies. Possibly, they just don’t want the pamphlets and tracts tucked into the bottom of the box…

  150. Lori in Los Angeles says:

    Public records requests costs are paid by the REQUESTOR, not the state of Alaska.
    WHERE is the list of income TO the State? As we know, the fees to obtain e-mails and other records are ridiculously high – wasn’t one request by the MSM MILLIONS of dollars? WHY isn’t the INCOME to the State mentioned on the spread sheet?

  151. michigander says:

    AKM – Thanks for another great post. What if you submitted this or something similar to Huffpo? Maybe it would help get the word out.

    Dr. Chill – I’d love to see her waders on fire… (o:

    Snoskred – thank you sooo much We need you guys XXXXOOOO

  152. Isabella says:

    califpat Says “You are right that there are a lot of things that are going on and we Mudpups are frantically responding. At the same time, maybe I have gotten used to not being part of the conversation lately, and I do feel left out.”

    Your feelings are very common. There is a fascinating read on “Life” on the public forums. I will try to find it again. It has the same base psychology as “Sibling” placement & where each member fits in. Not all of it is hooey. The author has some suggestions how to be assertive, be heard or just blow off when the flow isn’t too liking.

    When I was on IMDB, oh Lord, we had a little family going on there thats was great fun, supportive, really cool…yet the collection of personalities eventually imploded.

    I am super amazed we do not have those characters here . The control freak who has to have it their way or they complain to the mod (On IMDB they just get you banned since the report abuse section is answered by an automated system) the feigned hypochondriac that always is falling ill, the woe is me I am going to hurt myself, there are a lot of people who use public forums as their therapy.

    Except for an occasionally tiff I have never seen anyone here not be supportive, kind, generous, respectful, decent. We have a real gem with AKM striving to create a comfortable environment for everyone. Her caring so much about her forum & her members is very very very rare. We also too have incredibly mature, open minded compassionate adults who post.

    The trust we have with one another, is something extremely special…hope you feel a part of the family. If a thread gets too “Busy” for you, there are forums over on the right anyone can join in on to have a more “Private” conversation in the event this page gets overwhelming, which it does to everyone at times.

    LOVE EVERYONE!!!!

  153. Quince Squibb Underpinnings says:

    As someone who has spent almost my entire professional life as a government lawyer, I am very curious about a number of unstated assumptions in these so-called spreadsheets. At least in my state, being a state prosecutor means never having to bill or keep track of time spent on a given case: we were salaried employees assigned cases as they arose, and we simply did our jobs. As salaried employees, there would have been no purpose whatsoever served by keeping track of what hours were spent on which cases.

    Don’t Alaska public servants also get paid annual salaries? Wouldn’t the relevant salaries be the same whether there were no ethics complaints or several hundred ethics complaints?

    And how is it that things like the “Juneteenth” lawsuit crop up here, when those are neither ethics complaints nor, by any stretch of the imagination, “frivolous”? Isn’t that among the lawsuits that her administration lost, and a very good illustration of a choice she made costing the state a whole lot of money unsuccessfully to litigate her position? And how much did it cost the State of Alaska to litigate the unconstitional abortion-restriction law she supported?

  154. anon blogger says:

    Any state employee involved in generating the piece of lie was not working for the good folks of Alaska, rather covering Palin’s behind using deception. They should pack up their personal belongings as well. Let Palin put the food on their table…at least there would be cookies.

  155. debinOH says:

    The dumbest thing about this woman is that she CLEARLY does not know how to take advice from people who know what they are doing. From reports – if they do she gets rid of them because she wants to be the one who makes executive decisions.

    More lies that are going to bite her in the butt. The wingers who love her still will not see her for what she is regardless. She could tell them the exact things we have been saying but they still wouldn’t accept it. Interesting bunch……

    IF she had been smart (& not wanted attention – because personally I think she just loves to see her name & face everywhere) all she had to do was make a one paragraph speech that said she was leaving because her family needed her. That is all. The wingers would have still loved her & she probably would have garnered more support from independents & other working moms.

  156. Dean says:

    can mudflats blog more about what is the pie chart or the sadistics behind Palin’s alleged $500,000 personal legal bills?

    Also, what is the future for an investigation for the “free home” and the quid pro quo for the Wasilla sports complex deal for Todd’s buddy-buddy firm?

    Thank you

  157. Georgia in NC says:

    The Plum Line has a post questioning the $2mil figure: http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/republican-party/key-reason-palin-gave-for-quitting-appears-to-be-false/
    I added a link to Mel’s great work in the comments section. Thanks Mel!
    Keep it up Alaskans and Mudflatters – the word is creeping out there….

  158. Cynthia, TX says:

    as usual Andrew Sullivan sums it up just right
    http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/

    09 Jul 2009 12:17 am
    It Has Nothing To Do With Legal Expenses

    Like we didn’t know that already. First Palin lied by talking about millions of legal expenses incurred by the state; now she’s lying by pretending that the salaries of state lawyers wouldn’t be paid anyway; and she lied about the major lawsuit costs, which she initiated. At some point, the real reason for her abrupt departure will emerge. But not after the usual avalanche of disprovable lies that she routinely provides.

    On the reporting front, I’m doing what I can to prod MSM journalists to actually do their jobs. But they refused all last fall and it’s uphill work now. It may require a real news organization, like TMZ or the Daily Show. If Palin were a Democrat, the Drudge Report would have cracked this open last September. So we wait.

  159. Cynthia, TX says:

    @mattie

    ? why whats up over there?

  160. mattie says:

    After reading the daily kos today, I think we should all be afraid.

  161. austintx says:

    143 anon blogger Says:
    AKMFan #130 & #132 – great job…I noticed the figures have been doubled, too. Page 1 has rounded the figures off where Page 2 did not, like a distraction, huh? And how can you put the salaries down and then calculate billable hours as well? I bet Governor’s Office figure includes Palin’s salary as well.
    ********************************************************************
    Yup. Double dippin’. It’s in the Grifter Handbook.

    If you can’t dazzle ’em with brilliance , baffle ’em with BS.

  162. austintx says:

    Snoskred – THANK YOU. A call to order was in order.

  163. anon blogger says:

    Thanks, AKM! Love the pie chart, too!

    AKMFan #130 & #132 – great job…I noticed the figures have been doubled, too. Page 1 has rounded the figures off where Page 2 did not, like a distraction, huh? And how can you put the salaries down and then calculate billable hours as well? I bet Governor’s Office figure includes Palin’s salary as well. And the water thing, well, that one is confusing.

    The itemized list is merely an attempt to cover Palin’s lie. Won’t work. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  164. Susan says:

    Oops! Here’s my favorite part:

    So for the good of Alaska, Governor Palin decided to extend her arms to the side, look up to the heavens, lean forward and fall on the sword. There she lies, skewered like a big mavericky h’ors d’oeuvre.

  165. Susan says:

    AKM, I was laid off recently and I can’t spend much time web surfing not related to the job search. But I always make time for a visit to Mudflats. And you always give me a smile. This was my favorite part of today’s post:

    <>

  166. Misfit in Texas says:

    OOPS, Sorry Snoskred, I hit enter before I remembered which post I was on

  167. Misfit in Texas says:

    OMG! I woke up this morning to the local news telling me that SHE is coming here to campaign for Gov Perry….. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Worse than having to hear/see her in my local news every day is the DREAD I feel, knowing how her campaigning goes….VENOM, LIES and HATE… We have enough wacko’s here wanting a Republic of Texas without her here to egg them on and rile them up.

  168. Snoskred says:

    Hey guys,

    I don’t mean to be a party pooper or a pain in the rear or anything.. but..

    We have a daily open thread. That is where anything not related to the topic of this post (or whatever post AKM posts) should go.

    There are a few very good reasons for this, not the least of which is that the media and other bloggers as well as all of us mudpups do read the comments and when they stray off the topic of the thread it can make it difficult for us all to pick through the comments.

    As CRflats mentioned in post 117 above, comments from here can be picked up on by all kinds of media.

    The straying off topic can be especially frustrating for those of us with limited time, and those who are not here as regularly as some others can feel left out when threads tend to stray away from the topic at hand..

    We all love the flats. We all want it to be the best it can be. Can we all help out and assist it to be the best it can be by using the open threads for general discussions or anything not related to the post.

    I know a lot of people think that everyone is on the most recent post, but it doesn’t work that way these days – most people go back and forth between the threads.

    Also don’t forget that we have the forums and we have the live chat on the forums.. 🙂 As I say, I don’t mean to be a party pooper but I do feel that over the past few days the usual habits everyone had grown into of using the open threads for off topic chat have fallen by the wayside and it is very frustrating for everyone.

    So, lets keep this thread on track – Palin’s Millions, Pie Charts, the excellent posts of Mel Green, and the surprising truthfulness of the most recent Palin spokesperson David Murrow. 😉 I suspect he is shortly going to find his head handed to him sort of like a basketball, and not for victory reasons!

    Alternatively, Palin may shred him with her fingernails, slowly, and painfully. I think she can easily claim an insanity defense after these recent speeches.

  169. aha says:

    To those couple peeps talking about Palin creating a 3rd Party: There are already more than 3 Parties. They are just not given much media attention.

    I like the Sanford/Palin dalliance suggestion.

    What’s up with First Dud? A poster on another site brought up the fact (it’s not a rumour, either Van Flein) that we’ve seen little to none genuine displays of affection between the Palins. Todd is always standing around like a prop as are the kids.
    Wonder if he and Greta got busy in the Burger King bathroom?

  170. dee says:

    I see a lot of “how much it cost” in all of this but has anybody looked into how much the state has made? Alaska has been charging big bucks for record requests….just ask CD.
    it might be interesting to find out how much the state has taken in for record requests since butttercup first got on the bandwagon.

  171. Paula says:

    There is also an amount ($4500+) for “Advice to Gov ofc: VP Campaign.” I’m not quite seeing how that has to do with ethics complaints.

    ____________
    Would that not also be using & billing Alaska for legal advice for her own political gain, protection, knowledge -whatever?

  172. Paula says:

    Thanks UK Lady, a good read. Imagine Palin handling the conroversy that came with Vietnam… you could kiss Habus Corpus and Freedom of Speech and searches with warrents goodbye. Dictator Palin. Maybe she should move to Korea and start a career there?

  173. Paula says:

    caalifpat – I have not be saying much lately either. But like others have said, there are SO many comments, things are happening SO fast, it’s hard to keep up w/ the new yet all the comments. I’ve also been doing more reading than talking to try to keep the site from going plop again, too, also, though.

    Chaim- Loved your little setting there w/ Palin & Sanford. Couldn’t help but cross my toes while reading. How much fun would that be, reading Sanfords lurid -yet very romanitc, tales to Palin…

  174. UK Lady says:

    AKMFan

    Well done!, silly question, but shouldn’t the list of employess be somewhere on the SOA website?.

  175. AKMFan says:

    One more quick thing. I have not found a real list of the employees of the DoL, but I did find an organizational chart of the DoL in the report by Talis Colberg (the one where he quoted Shakespeare or whatever it was) and the attorney listed on the page released for the expenses is not listed anywhere on that organizational chart.

    Does anyone know where one can find a better list of employees or does anyone know the attorney listed (Bockman) as being the one that did most of that work?

  176. UK Lady says:

    Op ed piece by David Broder in the Washington Post –

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070802536.html

    One of the traditional values for which conservatives are supposed to stand is: Finish what you started. Meet your responsibilities.

  177. AKMFan says:

    I am going over this “spreadsheet” that was released and there are a lot of WTF things in it, at first glance.

    First, the first page has no descriptor regarding who generated it and it’s not itemized very well, which immediately makes me question it’s validity in terms of being useful.

    On cursory examination it is clear that some of the stuff being claimed in the 2 million is not regarding ethics complaints and the number for the Personnel Board is considerably higher than the number the Board itself released.

    Second, the numbers are duplicated from the second page (which does seem to be generated from the Dept of Law), but they numbers do not match up.

    Looking at the first line only, the Monegan item listed at $14,565 shows at 13.3 hours on the first page and the same amount from the DoL page lists the hours as 119.4.

    It also looks like (based on the DoL) page that it was almost exclusively ONE (1) attorney that handled all this stuff. Not lots of staff doing tons of hours.

    If you take the DoL page at face value, the amount of attorney hours listed is 331.2. If you divide that by a 40 hour work week that comes to a little over 8 weeks worth of work.

    If you divide that 8 weeks over the actual amount of time (there are no dates listed on the page, but the first complaint was troopergate and that was started in July 2008 and the “spreadsheet” released says it goes through 6/23/2009.

    So over the course of almost a year, basically 1 guy put in 2 months worth of work on all these complaints. If you look at the time spent individually, most of the time put in is quite minimal.

    I don’t have time right now to look at this in more detail, but I will look at it more closely later.

    One thing that jumps out at me right off though is that the travelgate complaint, one that was NOT “frivolous” since she ended up having to pay money back to the state (despite her claims of no wrongdoing) only cost $98 in terms of attorney hours.

    Less than $100 for a complaint that was NOT “dismissed.” That seems like an extremely low number.

    There is also an amount ($4500+) for “Advice to Gov ofc: VP Campaign.” I’m not quite seeing how that has to do with ethics complaints.

  178. Greytdog Δ says:

    “there are a lot of things that are going on and we Mudpups are frantically responding”

    Maybe we should stop be so frantic, and more analytical. IF we respond with fireworks to every little thing that comes down road, how will anyone know what is critical and what is fluff? I’ve enjoyed Mudflats – still do – but the last few days it’s almost like everyone came down with a massive case of Palinitis and it’s snark, breathe, snark, breathe, and minimal analysis. I loved Mel’s piece because it’s thorough, it dissects, it digests, and while more academic, it reminded me of why I enjoy Mudflats. And of course, I love AKM’s photography of her little slice of heaven.

  179. OMG says:

    You’ve got to feel a bit sorry for silly ole Sarah–all her spinning must be making her really dizzy–that would explain her inability to speak coherently.

  180. califpat says:

    Yukonbudhgrma: I agree. I heart all Mudpups! Good night, tomorrow we will collectively fight the good fight and eventually we are going to win for the people and all that. Goodnight. Until tomorrow.

  181. yukonbushgrma says:

    Califpat:

    Hey, stick with us! I don’t “talk” much myself, but to me, these folks on Mudflats are my brothers and sisters.

    Good people.

    We need you ……..

  182. califpat says:

    @UkLady and CRFlats: I will not stop posting because I think this is the most intellectual, informative, factual and humorous blog that I was lucky enough to stumble upon, but it has a sense of compassion, logic , humanity and fair play that i have come across. Believe it or not, my firsi political blog that I went on , way back when was Greta’s wire. to find out about Buttercup, Yech!!! I did not know any better. Those people were rabid dogs against our President and insanely supportive of McCain and Buttercup. I got scared and Googled her name and I found this wonderful site and has been here ever since.

  183. CRFlats says:

    Must sign off. It’s well past 2 am for me. Work tomorrow. Night all.

  184. CRFlats says:

    So I went over to Daily Dish and found this:
    http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/page/2/

    He says: “Always read the Mudflats commenters:” and then quotes another Mudpup!

  185. califpat says:

    @Uk; you are probably right. I just was so into the conversation back then and could just intercede and we would not just conversate about my opinion but would continue about the topic that was on going. You are right that there are a lot of things that are going on and we Mudpups are frantically responding. At the same time, maybe I have gotten used to not being part of the conversation lately, and I do feel left out. Probably because everybody has a repoire with each other. I feel that all of us Mudpups contribute to the integrity of Mudflats and will be essential in bringing the truth to the afore front of Buttercup. I do not want to be divisive, I just want to be collective as one to reveal the lies that Buttercup seems to spin, manipulate and fool America. Though I am not an Alaskan, I pledge to bring Buttercup ‘s polical carrer to a screeching halt, and to not have her foisted onto America or Alaska in the future in political capacity.

  186. yukonbushgrma says:

    116 Jackie Says:
    July 9th, 2009 at 1:37 AM
    Yukonbushgrma – I too thought there might be a 3rd party in the works but I’d hoped it would be a compromise between some Republican & Democrat ideals – not some new wacky bunch!

    ============
    Yep, that’s why I voted for Sarah the first time. Really thought she might make a difference.

    People who don’t live in Alaska might not understand all of this — I’m sorry. You’d have to talk to some kind of political historian to get the details.

    But now ……… everything is different. If SP starts a third party, what would it look like? Certainly nothing like what we expected when we elected her!

  187. UK Lady says:

    p.s. Please don’t stop posting Califpat and Jackie and anyone else who feels out of the loop. We need everyone for this, I know some of us have been posting longer and are familiar with each oher, but if you keep piping in we will get used to your names and trust you and you will be one of the gang in no time.

  188. Greytdog Δ says:

    Mel’s piece is bolting around the internet. When it was handed off to me, I sent it along to David Corn over @ MoJo, Josh @ TPM, and then Greg Mitch @ E&P. Basically did a “double dog dare you” – David, I know, is reading through it. Should be interesting when he comes up for air. . .and writes.

  189. UK Lady says:

    CRFlats

    Saw that earlier, kudos!. Was most impressed to see your comment on Sully. Meant to say earlier, got sidetracked by another fracas going on.

    I don’t think anyone is being ignored on purpose, really folks it is just frantic at the moment.

  190. CRFlats says:

    Calipat: I think you are right; the blog has changed, but only because it is read by so many more than when we first landed here. It is now read by MSM and in fact, is quoted there. A bigger world. But we still become familiar with each other without responding. I often check the “recent comments” column to see who is posting. Personally, I have been too busy lately to do much more than read or skim the posts. Today I was sent a link from a Mudpup to The Daily Dish that included a quote from not only AKM’s post, but one of my comments! That was so amazing… not only are the main blog posts being read here, but the comments as well. So stay with us, we’re here with you.

  191. Jackie says:

    Califpat – I’ve been a lurker since the early days and I’ve seen what you’re speaking of. Some of it I think is because there are so many people posting & sometimes so many different topics going on, but sometimes it does feel just like the kid being left out on the playground and that you’re being ignored… There are a lot of great people here & it’s easy to see that many of them have become friends, so while I’ve been reading instead of posting, I haven’t really put myself out there to be a friend too…

    Yukonbushgrma – I too thought there might be a 3rd party in the works but I’d hoped it would be a compromise between some Republican & Democrat ideals – not some new wacky bunch!

  192. yukonbushgrma says:

    JHop:

    You are PRICELESS!

    We need you!!!! Please stick with us, however you can.

  193. UK Lady says:

    caalifpat – Sorry hon if you felt left out, I don’t think anyone is ignoring you on purpose. It is just so frantic at the moment with so much going on everyone is trying to say something at once. Many many times I have posted something that I thought was interesting only to have nobody respond.

    I didn’t take it personally, there are loads of times when someone posts a really good point, but then when I have gotten to read alll the other posts before I get to the end, it is hard to remember who wrote it 🙂

  194. yukonbushgrma says:

    97 lovemydogs Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 11:28 PM
    ……….My personal opinion is that she is going to try to start her own party. Just do it. You’ll split the GOP just like Ralph Nader spkit the Democratic Party. Who wins? We win. Look at us in our shiney blue shoes!!!
    ============
    Oh yes, lovemydogs — I’ve believed that for a long time now. I truly do think a third party is in the works. But as you say — WE WIN!!!

    In the meantime, beware of wolves in third party clothing!

  195. yukonbushgrma says:

    64 Philip Munger Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 9:54 PM
    lovemydogs,
    The WTF spreadsheet is total bullshit. Palin is used to being able to get away with this with the AK MSM media. I think it was done in a back room by Larry, Curley & Moe. You can tell, reading through it that they must have argued a lot on page one, and got drunk before they tackled page two.
    ===========
    Phil –
    AMEN !!!!!!!

  196. califpat says:

    I too am a person who speaks her mind. I love this site but it has changed and I am not afraid to say that it has . Way back when when Mudflats started we had conversation with everybody. Of course we did not respond to everybody but we always included everybody and made them feel welcone. Even when new people came. We welcomed them and did not care about anything except that they had a our common goal. Today, I feel something different has occurred. If a person is not part of a click on the Flats, and they try to be part of the converstion they are ignored as if they are a troll. I have been here on this site a long time and some time I am so busy that it takes me a long time to catch up on the post, (because this site has been a big part of my life) that I read evety post because I enjoy the informative and humorous writings and the responses of fellow Mudpups. That’s how important this site is to me. Yet, I try to initiate my opinion into the conversation today and I am invisible. I am not throwing a pity party but I was so use to conversating with Mudpuppies for so long a little while ago, that it feels strange when I am trying to be part of the conversation today, nobody responds. It is like being a nice intelligent kid on the play ground and trying to strike up a conversation and nobody even knows you are there . Suppose one of you were to try to initiate yourself into a conversation and nobody responded to you That’s how I feel. In the beginning Mudfalats was not like this. We were a true community with everybody. That’s my rant!!

  197. yukonbushgrma says:

    55 Lee323 Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 9:35 PM
    Palin threw out a cornucopia of excuses about why she resigned and then watched the reaction to see which one would have the most traction with the public. Obviously, she and Van Flein have settled on the “sacrificial victim” theme…..but they had to spin and exaggerate the ethics costs to make the excuse seem realistic to the uninformed half of the electorate.

    Facts. Facts. Facts……Palin’s worst nightmare. Get the facts out there!

    ==============
    Lee323 – EXACTLY!!!!

    This pie chart needs to get out to EVERY MSM there is!

    By now, everyone knows she is making no sense …… that’s what all the reporters are saying – don’t we know?

    So we need something to show why her reasoning is fatally flawed ….. and this, I think, does the job.

    Spread the good word, Mudpups!

  198. yukonbushgrma says:

    37 Martha Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 8:57 PM
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TWITTER RHYMES WITH QUITTER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ……….at the same time CNN reports how well she’s doing……….I must stop watching CNN, they went overboard misrepresenting the new Gallup Poll.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/31807910#31807910
    ==============

    OK —- SOMEONE please contact CNN and tell them what’s REALLY going on here in AK! Yikes!

    Send them the pie chart! Thanks, Mel!!!!!

  199. lovemydogs says:

    HA, Ha made you all look.

  200. lovemydogs says:

    Re #64- Phil–OMG–I just got up off the floor. That was perfect!

    Dr Chill- there is another one for you. You have to go back to Phil’s comment. I can just see it in my head.

    Free Shannyn! So we can see the photoshop contest! Just another way that SP p@#ses me off. She’s taking away from my much needed entertainment time.

    I know- she IS the entertainment right now. It still pi@#es me off.

  201. JHop says:

    EyeOnYou Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 11:58 PM
    “I know that you are not getting paid for it, but you are doing “real” work here as well as the work you do for your job. Thank you for that.”

    I purposely said “actual work,” instead of “real” work, because I do consider this real work. And it is fun, you all are so entertaining, and I haven’t yet figured out what I am going to do when I go back to the office in 2 weeks. Right now, I am writing appeal briefs and working from my apartment, in order to avoid the distractions of our usually crazy office.

    Sigh. We all need to find a really rich sponsor/investor for mudflats to pay everyone (per comment) for our work. I really enjoy being a lawyer; it’s a constant puzzle, trying to figure the best solution and make it work within the law. But I enjoy Mudflats about a bazillion times more.

  202. Chaim says:

    Sarah twitters, “You have to sacrifice to win. That’s my philosophy in 6 words. George Allen.”

    mae lewis [July 8th, 2009 at 9:18 PM] discovers Sarah’s source: “Knowledge in a Nutshell on Success.”

    Anything she knows is in a nutshell, isn’t it?
    _______________

    Philip Munger [July 8th, 2009 at 10:29 PM] says, “I believe he’s [Murdock] gone beyond “courting Palin. He has hired her to write a book.”

    Don’t you mean “has hired her to put her name and face on a book he will have written”?
    _________________

    Phil — It certainly did look like she was resigning in extreme haste, and the logical conclusion was that there was a scandal coming. Now you say you’re not so sure, since no scandal has broken. But have you considered a scenario like this:

    Powerful people in the GOP want your governor out of politics, but no one wants to alienate her followers by giving her a visible push. Imagine that a certain public figure disappears for a dalliance outside the borders of his country and his marriage vows, and is exposed when his amorous e-mails fall into the hands of his enemies, his wife, or both. Now suppose this public figure had some negotiations with your governor at a political conference in the warmth of a Miami November, they came to a meeting of more than the minds, and the terms of their understanding could be inferred from certain other e-mails in his account.

    These e-mails also, too, became known to his wife, his enemies, or both, and came to the attention of the moral authorities of the GOP. The moral authorities advise this public figure to make a full confession in order to save, if not his immortal soul, his all-too-mortal Republican political career, and not incidentally damn your governor’s career in the process. Such person then directly or indirectly contacts your governor, and suggests that she may want to relieve him of this very unpleasant pressure to confess all by resigning instanter, or at least muy pronto.

    Did no one else notice that in her resignation speech Sarah said that in making her decision she polled “the most important people in my life – my children” — all five of them, presumably including Trig, the most precocious fifteen-month old Down Syndrome baby known to medical science — but not Todd? According to her speech, “besides faith and family, nothing’s more important to me than our beloved Alaska,” but “family” does not appear to include her husband, nor is he one of “the most important people in [her] life.”

    Even if Palin’s story about consulting her children is florid fabrication, as it probably is, she wouldn’t have forgotten that she has a husband. But if I were a woman faced with this kind of offer-I-could-not-refuse, I might not discuss it with my husband before resigning, and maybe not after.

    Of course, this is only speculation. This is only speculation. Mr. Van Flein, this is only speculation. One of the many possible reasons that might explain why, to paraphrase scripture, the wicked flee when (apparently) none pursueth.

  203. Lee323 says:

    88 EyeOnYou Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 10:56 PM
    curiouser Says
    “But wait, if she’s winning by quitting, how is that a sacrifice? so confusing.”
    ——————————————-
    Answer: Casuistry…..(although there’s a snow ball’s chance in he(( that buttercup knows what this actually means by its proper name. Let “deliberate misleading and rationalizing” suffice.)

    Instead of honesty and disciplined intellectual arguments, Palin employs liberally the use of casuistry (probably by necessity given her limited intellectual resources and character).

    From an amusing but spot-on post by Jerry Weissman, Casuistry is:

    “Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead.”

    “Palin’s crossed signals on quitting prompted even Karl Rove to weigh in. Here is how the former media guru for George W. Bush and now a political analyst for Fox News, put it: “Look, I say this as a fan, and I’m terribly disappointed in this… But how does she answer the question of ‘Gee, it was too tough for me to be governor of the state of Alaska, but I’m tough enough to be president of the United States?’ That’s an awful difficult question to answer.”

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jerry-weissman/palins-speech-is-classic_b_227909.html

  204. califpat says:

    Buttercup and her cohorts have never had Alaskans best interest at heart. That was her rant (among other things) in the campaign but she has always had her ambiton in the forefront and I think at first she had her eye set on the White House. But somebody told her that she would not like it, (much like being governor of Alaska) because she would have to think, make decisions, negotiate , give serious interviews, be accountable, globally. At the same time there is something that has scared her sh#tless, so she decided that she could get more exposure and duckets writing her fictional book, giving interviews of her lies on her favorite talk shows and magazines. She is feeling snarky and mavericky, thinking to herself that she will make mega bucks and still be a Diva. I just hope that other shoe drops before then.

  205. EyeOnYou says:

    JHop
    i am still in the denial and ignorance stage, where i refuse to acknowledge that i have actual work to do.
    _________

    I know that you are not getting paid for it, but you are doing “real” work here as well as the work you do for your job. Thank you for that. 🙂

  206. lexky says:

    jhop
    im at work
    thats how bad it is for me

  207. JHop says:

    lexky Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 11:37 PM
    “my name is lexky and im an addict
    i just cant stop”

    lol that made me laugh. i feel the same way. at least you admitted that you have a problem…it is the first step. i am still in the denial and ignorance stage, where i refuse to acknowledge that i have actual work to do.

  208. DrChill says:

    lovemydogs Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 10:02 PM
    AKM- I think Dr Chill could do something brilliant with your “falling on the sword metaphor”. There is prabably a new book title in there somewhere also,too.
    ===
    Thanks.
    I did a collage/parable based on the movie of Steven King’s Dead Zone. I submitted it to Shannyn Moore for the Photo contest. (A crazed politician uses a baby as a shield from an attack. Spoiler alert… It didn’t end well.)

    Maybe when the governor of Alaska stops bugging her, she can get back to blogging, and back to other important stuff, like the photo contest.

  209. Far fromFenway Fan says:

    Found this interesting post on whorunsgov.com:

    “Sarah Palin believes it’s no big deal that she quit in the middle of her first term. Happens all the time, right? As it turns out—no.

    On a hunch, I reviewed online lists of all the men and women who’ve been elected governor of their state since 1900. Pored over them for a few hours. Over 1200 politicians have taken that first-term oath of office. Some soon died in office. Many resigned to accept other positions in government, including Spiro Agnew who was “tapped” by Nixon after being the Governor of Maryland for about five minutes. On a handful of occasions, a first-termer was dragged off to the slammer or impeached. One was incapacitated by a nervous breakdown and one left just as impeachment came knocking on his door. So—how many out of over 1200 just up and quit before the end of their term?

    Three: Jim McGreevy, Eliot Spitzer and Sarah Palin.”

    Elite company, huh?

  210. lexky says:

    my name is lexky and im an addict
    i just cant stop

  211. lovemydogs says:

    Every time I even think of pitying her she does something else that just p@#ses me off. Cry me a river SP. Nothing that she does will surprise me ever again. Unless she actually does something real for the people of Alaska.

    She has yet to face anyone who might actually get in her face. Not that she would know it if someone did.

    When she was governor I wanted her to do her job. That’s all. Without constantly tooting her horn (or tweeting or whatever). But that seemed to be “too hard”. Can’t be gettin’ all mavericky if you have to get your hands dirty. And you can’t run on a platform of being transparent when you are opaque.

    I am sick of hearing about this great gas pipeline to nowhere that she has started up here. I don’t have now and probably never will have access to natural gas. She wanted to be the popular girl and stick her finger in the eye of Big Oil. Well…until we have alternative energy sources or the State of Alaska can have it’s own production company, we have to play with those big boys. Tax ’em more? Pay more for gas. Have diesel trucked to the north slope instead of being refined there (for significantly cheaper cost and less environmental impact). Keep on sticking that finger out there and you get bit.

    My personal opinion is that she is going to try to start her own party. Just do it. You’ll split the GOP just like Ralph Nader spkit the Democratic Party. Who wins? We win. Look at us in our shiney blue shoes!!!

  212. Forever Annonymous says:

    CNN could use that pie chart on their big wall with the handsome guy of the stuffy nose explaining away. How about emailing the post to CNN.

  213. lovemydogs says:

    Gasman: I think all of the hours were racked up trying to hide stuff and consulting with lawyers on loopholes.

  214. All l Saw says:

    Money spent or not.

    Everything that has happened to Palin up until this point is all Palin’s doing.

    I’m pretty sure owning up to it is this weird concept called personal responsbility. You know, when you insult someone or otherwise treat them rudely you would do something like, I don’t know… admit your error maybe? Apologize?

    I do wonder sometimes if Palin ponders the turning point.

    “Like maybe it might have been weird but good to take Bristol into our family doctor and get an Rx for birth control pills.”

    “Or perhaps that weird moment when one of McCain’s campaign staffers had this crazy idea that I might make a big splash by using racist code speak to take Obama down a notch – and use a loudspeaker to make sure Piper understands exactly what I’m trying to say…”

  215. curiouser says:

    #81 EyeOnYou Says:

    She is winning against those evildoers who are trying to bring her down by quitting and she is sacrificing her title as Governor to win against them!
    ——————

    Truly don’t know whether to laugh or cry. My head hurts!

    BTW, I was quoting a comment from the blog that had the Palin/Savior photoshop – the link compliments of Aussie Blue Sky at #18.

    And now, time for sleep. Night all.

  216. Gasman says:

    In yesterday’s ADN, Linda Perez, Palin’s administrative director, claims that staff in Palin’s office spent, “an estimated 5,773 hours of staff time doing tasks related to public records requests and ethics complaints…” If you do the math, 5,773/238 (the number of ethics complaints against Palin) you get 24.26 hours of staff time per complaint. That figure seems way too high. It takes more than half a week for her staff to handle every complaint? Are they making copies with a stenographer?

    Great pie chart! Palin herself is responsible for the majority of these expenses! I wonder if she’ll reimburse the state after she hops aboard the gravy train?

  217. Aussie Blue Sky says:

    EyeOnYou Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 10:12 PM
    It would also be interesting to hear exactly what “important state legal issues” were delayed.
    —————————————————
    She has/had a hefty programme of lawsuits against the federal government planned for this year. They’re mostly about trying to ruin the environment for financial gain. You know, the usual Palin pursuits.

  218. lovemydogs says:

    akgrrl: Welcome (clap,clap,clap)
    What was that first step? Admitting you have a problem?
    Can’t figure out the second one. Too busy reading here there and everywhere.

  219. califpat says:

    @akgrll: My name is califpat and I have been addicted since Insane McCain chose Buttercup in desperation to be his running mate. I found Mudflats to ease my anxiety and became hooked. This became my daily fix and I have been addicted for a long time now. So much so, that I have seen people come and go and come right back. Yep, I dont think there is a rehab for us and I dont think I want it to be. Too much fun and I’m hooked!! For Life!! LOL!!

  220. EyeOnYou says:

    curiouser Says
    “But wait, if she’s winning by quitting, how is that a sacrifice? so confusing.”

    ____

    Ah but you are trying to apply logic to a palinism. THAT is your problem.

    Think of it this way…in palinspeek:

    She is winning against those evildoers who are trying to bring her down by quitting and she is sacrificing her title as Governor to win against them! 😉

  221. KaJo says:

    There are some hilarious comments under this HuffPo article about Palin flying all over the state signing bills, fishing, watching a parade and probably keeping one jump ahead of the revenooers…

  222. oregonbird says:

    What can you do with facts, figures and hand puppets when reality doesn’t come into narrative anymore? If field interviewers play like they’re Miss California, empty of all curiosity and salient fact; if studio anchors and depth interviewers nod along with outright, blatent lies and refuse to demand answers to their questions; if journalists and editors print statements they know to be false, without appending the proven truth — what good is a well-researched and available pie chart?

    Jon Stewart arms himself with facts; he demands that his guests face the distance between their statements and the proof he produces; he quietly and politely refuses to let go of a discussion point until it has been answered — even if that answer is untrue, he gets it clarified and on the record. Jon Stewart is a comedian.

    If only we had a few financially independent bloggers who weren’t c-list actors or daddy’s little girls. Because you guys rock, and we need you to have the freedom and ability to dig into stories — above and beyond what you do now.

    If not you — who else?

  223. Aussie Blue Sky says:

    If you add up what the Troopergate legislative investigation cost, and what the Troopergate Personnel Board investigation cost — and add that to what it would have cost for Talis Colberg and Palin’s staff to conspire to pervert the course of justice (that would be a WHOLE lot of meetings) — I believe we are easily looking half a million dollars for the Troopergate scandal caused by Sarah Palin’s lying.

  224. Lee323 says:

    Revisiting an article from Psychology Today from September 10, 2008, “Sarah as “Psychopath?”

    In retrospect, this article seems right on target for the Ms. Whackjob that we’ve come to know, detest, and pity.

    Palin’s recent declaration “If I die, I die. So be it.” fits right in with this author’s analysis. Palin’s “enemies” are legion:
    ————————————————–

    “When life is a battleground, the enemy is always out there to “kill or be killed.” Psychopaths can be great warriors in the causes they believe in, but presidents or vice presidents can’t be effective leaders if everyone is ultimately the enemy. Running a country requires a different set of skills: teamwork and cooperation, where many are decent and a lot of people are right, not just the leader. Sarah Palin seems to be an unlikely choice to have a heartbeat away from the oval office.”

    Read the whole article here:

    http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mining-the-headlines/200809/sarah-psychopath

  225. curiouser says:

    AKM…..”There she lies, skewered like a big mavericky h’ors d’oeuvre. For Alaska. It is “self sacrifice” – the kind of which most political martyrs only dare to dream.”

    I just wanted to see that line again…..all standing out and making me laugh.

    @18 Aussie Blue Sky….thanks for the link to the photoshop. Here’s one of the comments there:

    “But wait, if she’s winning by quitting, how is that a sacrifice? so confusing.”

  226. honestyinGov says:

    I think it was CG this afternoon that posted on the open thread ( post # 242 maybe ?) that had all the detailed info about that little fishing photo op.

    There was all kind of details that appeared to show that Todd’s fishing boat is NOT registered or there is not a license on file for the year 2009.
    The amount of the fine would be minor but it would show how they just ‘ bend the rules ‘ that others have to follow. I hope someone investigates that little discrepancy.

  227. InJuneau says:

    Suchanut–well, when I hear “Buttercup” what I think of is the wretched creeping buttercups that invade my yard and overpower all other plants and scream (with their bright yellow flowers and d**med invasive roots and selves) “look at me, look at me”, so I’m not so sure it isn’t the right name…

  228. califpat says:

    @Alaska Disasta: That was a photo-op to show how real Americany (I know, not a word, but she is not a real American either, Ha!) she is. At the same time she is doing damage control to allow her base to see that she is a tough on the wild seas kinda girl, out there with Toad picking alligators, oops, I mean fish. She also wants to appear to have no worries. Yep!

  229. Forever Annonymous says:

    suchanut@54- Gov. Sarah Palin whinningly declared she got too big for the job and has to quit…….

    Shannyn Moore replied: ” Suck it up, Buttercup.”

    Too good for words, you had to have tunned in.

  230. InJuneau says:

    CO almost native–I believe that should actually be Mel Green, Pie Chart Queen…

  231. akgrrl says:

    Hi, my name is akgrrl, and I’m addicted to Mudflats.

  232. From TPM:

    I said when this first came down the pike that it seemed far the most likely conclusion, since the bow-out was so obviously rushed, that Palin was resigning ahead of some big scandal coming down the pike. But I confess that now I’m not so certain of my initial judgment.

    Palin of course has tons of scandals. But if a game changer was on the way, one she had to drop out of sight so quickly for, I think we’d have heard something about it by now. And she’s hardly dropped out of sight. Not that I’m counting out the possibility by any means. I’m just not so sure.

    Maybe it really was just that she suddenly got tired of the accountability thing. Or couldn’t wait the eighteen months left on her contract to start shoveling up the dollars.

    As I think a number of others have said, I’ve always thought Palin’s character was essentially that of a grifter. And when these folks blow out of town after a con has run its course, it’s usually a pretty hasty exit.

    So maybe it all makes sense.

    –Josh Marsh

  233. AlaskaDisasta says:

    I’m still laughing over mzzzz Palin’s fishing trip. I know when I go on a little vacation, I try to tell all the press about it and where they can find me (and please don’t forget to bring the cameras). As subtle as a hammer. Lol.

  234. SameOld – I believe he’s gone beyond “courting Palin. He has hired her to write a book.

  235. Uncle Joe Mccarthy says:

    well,

    she also neglected to mention the main ethics complaint (troopergate) or how she filed an ethics charge against herself in that case….or how the majority of the 500k spent defending herself was in regards that case

    she really is a pretty good pol….she lies and obfuscates like a pro

  236. SameOld says:

    I just read the most horrifying story on the Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/08/murdoch-papers-phone-hacking

    It is about the subversion of government by Rupert Murdock. His reporters hacked the Labour gov’t and fed the info to the Tories. I expect it will go down hill from there. God only know what he has done in this country. Remember he has been courting SP. Fox is busy spreading subversion.

  237. lovemydogs says:

    The other funny thing here is the matter of a budget. I don’t think the state can take money that is budgeted for troopers, schools, etc and give it to another department. At least not without the legislature being involved. Maybe I am wrong but…just sayin’

  238. EyeOnYou says:

    “Is it a check that we wrote, no, but is it staff hours, yes,” Sharon Leighow, spokeswoman for Palin, said of the expenses related to state employee work.

    Those state employees would have been paid regardless.

    What about helping teachers, benefitting troopers, making roads safer or “soldiers’ benefits” — the kinds of alternative uses of the money that Palin has described repeatedly?
    Asked about that, Leighow said staffers from multiple state agencies had to set aside their normal duties. State lawyers were also pulled off cases, she said.

    “Important legal issues involving the state’s interests were delayed in order to respond to these complaints. That means lost value to the state, which is measurable in dollars,” she said. “There were also hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on equipment and outside legal counsel — dollars that could have been used to benefit the state.”

    http://www.adn.com/palin/story/858523.html?qwxq=2288359&pageNum=1&&mi_pluck_action=page_nav#Comments_Container

    So now that we know that this money really wouldn’t have gone to teachers, troopers, roads, and soldiers, they are claiming that now it is because of all the time & equipment (wtf ??? )taken from other tasks to deal with these requests.
    It also should be pointed out that many of these requests are still pending, so what is taking so long? Are they being deliberately dragged out for some reason?

    So who is to blame for all these requests for information?
    Who is the one who decided as a relative unknown to accept the invitation to run for VP without blinking or thinking? That would be soon to be ex governor Palin.

    Considering she was a complete unknown within the lower 48 is it hardly surprising that people would want to know about her, about her history, her policies, her decision making?

    What is this “hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on outside legal counsel”? Is this the lawyers hired to investigate the ethics complaints? Because if it is, then that should be negated because of course it should be outside independent (too bad they truly weren’t independent) attorney’s to investigate charges against the Governor and/or her administration. That is only logical. Now if it isn’t in reference to the ethics complaints, then what in the heck are they spending that kind of money on when the state has attorney’s on payroll???

    It would also be interesting to hear exactly what “important state legal issues” were delayed.

  239. The ADN just posted Sean Cockerham’s story about 15 minutes or so ago. I like Sean a lot, but there’s not much meat in the story, and his questions to Leighow were softballs. The comments are already better than the story:

    http://www.adn.com/palin/story/858523.html

  240. CG says:

    From Joan Walsh: “Four of the complaints were filed by a Republican former ally of Palin’s, Andree McLeod, who turned on her because she felt Palin was cutting ethical corners, hiring cronies and using a private email account to conduct public business outside the realm of public records.”

    Exactly what Sarah did in the very beginning to start off her national political career.
    The difference – she also quit her job, funny that.

  241. califpat says:

    I think VanFlicker is working overtime trying to squash all Buttercup’s lies and antics. No sooner has he squashed one lie or unethical antic another one pops up in another spot. I anticipate that it will get so bad that he will run screaming out of her office, hair stone white and standing straight up, dark circles under wild eyes, covering his ears because he cannot stand one more lie and unethical antic from Buttercup. He will not stop running until the men in white coats have strait jacketed him and will beg them to take him to the safety of the insane asylum.

  242. lovemydogs says:

    AKM- I think Dr Chill could do something brilliant with your “falling on the sword metaphor”. There is prabably a new book title in there somewhere also,too.

  243. lovemydogs says:

    Village Reader: “the View” is not a legitimate news source.

  244. lovemydogs,

    The WTF spreadsheet is total bullshit. Palin is used to being able to get away with this with the AK MSM media. I think it was done in a back room by Larry, Curley & Moe. You can tell, reading through it that they must have argued a lot on page one, and got drunk before they tackled page two.

  245. Village Reader says:

    AKM – I would love to see this article on huffingtonpost. It was very well written. And as always full of humor. Good job! Thanks

  246. Village Reader says:

    I LOVE reading mudflats and have been a fan since last fall. Also, since last fall, I’ve become a fan (of sorts) of ‘the View’. Mainly because of their heated discussions of Failin’ Palin. I noticed this week that they were parroting the 2 million dollars excuse of Palin and I was disappointment.

    It would be nice if they and the other news sources actually found out the truth and reported for once.

  247. lovemydogs says:

    Will someone please tell me what’s up with the WTF “spreadsheet”? I have looked at it and looked at it and looked at it and I know that I know that I know that I am not an accountant but WTF?

    Please tell me that we are NOT paying a state accountant to come up with something like that. Looks like they just threw it together in a half hour.

    I run a VERY small business (as my second job) and my tax person would skewer me if I handed her something like that. Have they never heard of Quick Books?

  248. Suchanut says:

    Hmmm. Since this blog is read by so many world-wide, are we doing a disservice to the world by calling Gulliver Palin “Buttercup?” That name is way too melodious, and, well, flowery. Almost sounds like an wild flower aria.

    I suggest, that from now on, we refer to her as “whack job”.

    It really is a more apt description.

  249. Alaska Pi says:

    AKM-
    I’m sorry.
    We all love Mel’s pie but I don’t think the ghastly gov would get it.
    This is the woman who couldn’t even do the math on the legislative Troopergate report, remember?
    Mr Branchflower’s finding that Mr Moneagan’s termination was within the “at will” definition did NOT negate his finding that GG abused her power
    … yet she insists to this day that it was a 1-1=0 issue and she was vindicated…

    Can you or Mel make a pie of that one she might understand?

  250. Dr. Patois says:

    AKM, I would love to know what the law is in Alaska regarding the Governor and legal representation.
    My understanding from your previous posts is that Sarah could have had free representation from the state but chose to hire a private attorney (for privilege).

    Curiouser, on the first open thread of the day, asked if the Time Magazine report on 5 reasons she quit was correct in saying that Alaska law requires her to pay out of her own pocket for legal representation. (it is #5 “Show Me the Money”) Time also erroneously implies that the 15 ethics complaints were from outsiders!

    http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1908800-2,00.html

    When googling, I found this on Alaska Pride.
    Van Flee’n says she has to hire outside legal representation BUT if the complaint is found to be without merit, the SOA will REIMBURSE her for her legal expenses!

    http://alaskapride.blogspot.com/2009/07/palin-attorney-thomas-van-flein.html

    I have a feeling that her legal bill is mounting as she has Van Flee’n spinning all over the place. Van Flee’n doesn’t care how much is in the Alaska Fund Trust because the personnel board keeps clearing her so SOA will have to foot the bill!

    My understanding is that she almost had no choice. Talis Colberg (the AG at the time) did some pre-emptive sleuthing and asked a bunch of questions of some of the key players in the troopergate issue to see what they were going to say to Branchflower, the indpepndent investigator hired by the legislature. He was not able to be impartial at that point. The privilege was a perk, if you want to look at it that way. AKM

  251. Jackie says:

    John @23 – I thought it was her choice to get outside representation thereby avoiding any responsibility to correct her actions, and also guaranteeing her confidentiality. Not saying I’m right but I thought I’d seen something regarding this.

  252. austintx says:

    46 Lee323 Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 9:22 PM
    Great work, AKM and Mel Green!

    The MSM for the most part have just been parroting Palin’s talking points and numbers. Do none of these reporters realize they could cement their journalistic reputation for integrity by doing some in-depth work on the Lies of Ms. Palin?

    The time to expose Ms. Buttercup Spankypants is NOW……while the lies are fresh.
    ****************************************************************
    You are right. This is right out of the Rove playbook. Keep telling the same lie over and over , and the sheeple take it as true.

  253. Lee323 says:

    Palin threw out a cornucopia of excuses about why she resigned and then watched the reaction to see which one would have the most traction with the public. Obviously, she and Van Flein have settled on the “sacrificial victim” theme…..but they had to spin and exaggerate the ethics costs to make the excuse seem realistic to the uninformed half of the electorate.

    Facts. Facts. Facts……Palin’s worst nightmare. Get the facts out there!

  254. Baker's Dozen says:

    Face it. If that pie chart’s made of your favorite flavor–hot olaliberry with new ethics complaint for ala mode, everyone would want the troopergate slice!

    Perhaps Ms. Quackypants can get a job as the new Aflac duck! 🙂 I’ll take the duck as the new gov lite any day! You can understand what he/she says 😀

  255. austintx says:

    Sent it to wonkette.

  256. Aussie Blue Sky says:

    I was very surprised last weekend when David Murrow was quoted describing The Resignation as “a kick in the guts”. I know ‘guts’ is a pet word of his, so I believe it.

  257. Lee323 says:

    Great work, AKM and Mel Green!

    The MSM for the most part have just been parroting Palin’s talking points and numbers. Do none of these reporters realize they could cement their journalistic reputation for integrity by doing some in-depth work on the Lies of Ms. Palin?

    The time to expose Ms. Buttercup Spankypants is NOW……while the lies are fresh.

  258. rudeybrown says:

    The “quitta from Wasilla”= classic. I can almost hear Howard Cosell right now.

  259. tm68 says:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/opinion/08dowd.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

    Dowd’s take on the Palin resignignation. OUCH!!

  260. mae lewis says:

    Here’s another MSM fact checking Sarah. I tried to check out the quote in her twitter “You have to sacrifice to win. That’s my philosophy in 6 words. George Allen.” The only hits were linked to Sarah’s twitter being quoted as if it were gospel in other media. Except for the New York Magazine Daily Intel.

    They substituted “six” for “6” and got a google hit for the only on-line verification for the quote. It appears to come from “Knowledge in a Nutshell on Success.” (There are other Knowledge in a Nutshell books, too). They have the quote, but we don’t know if it’s Virginia’s Macacca George Allen or some other guy.
    But, it’s wonderful to learn the source of Sarah Palin’s profound thinking.

  261. seattlefan says:

    To austintx: She was great and she really seemed like she knows what is going on. She was pizzed at that other guy (can’t remember his name) who kept saying the same thing over and over. After Andrea Mitchell’s dismal coverage and lack of probing, she was such a breath of fresh air.

    Good on you for enlightening her e-mail box! 🙂

  262. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign says:

    Palin’s MIllllions of Lies are growing.
    Palin’s Millllions of Eyes are glowing.
    Palin’s Millllions of Opposition Researchers are knowing.
    Palin’s Millllions of Chinks are showing.

  263. BobbyG says:

    You bet’cha.

  264. austintx says:

    seattlefan –

    Joan has it in her e-mail box. I done sent it. tee-hee !!

  265. austintx says:

    seattlefan –

    Wasn’t Joan great ?? Not only does she know what she is talking about , she is ticked off.

  266. DinkyP says:

    Not sure if this story has been posted from Huff:

    How Toad Palin can make Millions http://tiny.cc/GpTza

  267. Canadian Neighbour says:

    I don’t think there was much of an announcement for David Murrow, the new spokesperson for the Governor, if I recall. After she sees his statements, it may be there is no requirement for an announcement. She is known to chew them up and spit them out!!

    Thanks #25 austintx for the link to Joan Walsh. I was going to grab the MSNBC one as Joan was the first that truthfully addressed the true costs of the Personnel Board and dumped on the $2Mil donkey dung, but see I don’t gotta as you did already!!!

  268. EyeOnYou says:

    Well I just want to say that I think it is pretty darn cool that Bloggers have proven what the MSM wouldn’t and didn’t.

    PALIN IS A LIAR!

    It is a shame that people who call themselves “journalists” and “reporters” aren’t doing their jobs and that it is taking bloggers to show them how it is done, and done right!

    Thank goodness we have those bloggers to get the truth out there.

  269. seattlefan says:

    I don’t know the logistics of getting a story on HuffPo, but this one deserves to be on the front page. It is wickedly smart, funny and VERY informative.

    AKM…..can you email it to them? I put it in their “tip bin”, but don’t know it that is enough.

  270. nswfm CA says:

    May you all keep kicking her in the quakcy pants. All the way out the door

  271. Martha says:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TWITTER RHYMES WITH QUITTER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Kieth Olberman………..Palin tanks in the polls……….at the same time CNN reports how well she’s doing……….I must stop watching CNN, they went overboard misrepresenting the new Gallup Poll.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/31807910#31807910

  272. DinkyP says:

    Mel awesome pie chart of Gov. Piewhacket’s lies.

    I think July is going to be a bad month for Gov. I forsee her getting whacked all over the place!

    I also think Murrow is probably not worried about Sarah. If Parnell was smart he would distance himself far far away from Gov Piewhacket and put his plan into action.

  273. HistoryGoddess says:

    Beautiful imagery in this post, AKM! I keep re-reading her fall onto the sword. Never gets old…

  274. M. Bergert says:

    Is this any surprize? I just wish the MSM would point this out this along with her other fabrications. If she ever tries to go back into politics again, her opponant could make a great case against her by running one fabricated or one ignorant statement a day. Their certainly not a shortage of material. Unfortunetly, she and her advisors apparently don’t have a clue of how much material she has left out there for TV commercials for any opponant she may have to face. Then their is the debates and the interviews she would have to go through. She is too narcissistic to realize how unqualified she is and a that she is a laughing stock. She would just make more jokes for the late night comedians.
    The Republicans I believe are only using her because she can draw in the far right Christian/anti-abortion crowd who can raise significant amount of money for the party. She certainly does not have the support of the busness or the moderate members of the party which is the majority.
    If she runs again, she will only continue to embarrass herself further. The next time she will not be on the sidelines, but will be front and center where she will have to have the answers to the question and not try to blame the msm for being unfair. People are getting tired of that excuse.

  275. seattlefan says:

    I saw Joan Walsh on Hardball and she is all over this stuff and she has the facts right. I have a feeling there are many more out there like her and they are lurking and digging in. They are likely reading this blog along with CD’s, PA, Gryfen’s and Shannyn’s and all the rest of the tireless bloggers in Alaska.

    You guys are pulling the line for exposing the facts and truth. Kudos to you all!

  276. Jodie Clarke says:

    I am from Alaska and Sarah Palin is the most deceitful political person we have had in our atmosphere! She will go down as the worst governor our state has ever had! Now, due to her resigning as governor, she is creating more chaos to our State….2nd in line, 3rd in line, approved by our Legislature, named by her, not approved by the Legislature at this point, calling the Legislature back into session, additional cost to the State, and on and on and on!!! I resent the fact that her lies, manipulations etc. are not being researched by the news media, radio stations, etc. across the United States. Trust me – we do not want this woman in national office. All of you need to research her past in government. She would have been fired long ago had she been working in the private sector!

  277. Martha says:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE QUITTA FROM WASSILA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Which round are we in folks?

  278. I’ve converted the State’s pdf of the expenses to a jpeg and posted it at progressive alaska:

    http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2009/07/saradise-lost-book-3-chapter-14-wtf.html

  279. Martha says:

    11 Mel Green Says:
    July 8th, 2009 at 8:25 PM

    I have thanked you on your site and I am thanking you again…………..THANK YOU!

  280. redwoodmuse says:

    I almost fell off the bed laughing when I thought of the sheer mavericky power of someone we’re coming to know as Ms. Buttercup Quackypants. Can’t even type it without giggling.

    redwoodmuse

  281. austintx says:

    Joan Walsh now has this blog in her mail box. I saw her on Hardball today and she kicked some serious ass !! Here is her blog about her appearance today.

    You GO AKM !!
    http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/

  282. rudeybrown says:

    Her Soon-To-Be- Ex-Governess still hasn’t got the hang of the internets, has she? Access to public information is becoming the downfall of blowhards like her who think just because they say something, we’re all supposed to nod our heads in agreement.

    Truth, as we all know, has a liberal bias.

    Pie charts make me hungry, too.

  283. Erin says:

    Every time she says, “…15 ethics complaints…all of which have been thrown out…” I just want to scream. She is such a liar.

  284. John says:

    Hmm. The State of Alaska never defends Ethics Complaints. That is why Sarah had to hire Van Flein in the troopergate complaint. There was some press discussion about it when she first filed her troopergate complaint against herself. At first the personnel board hired Van Flein. Then they realized that was not proper and he never billed the state. He billed Palin instead. But the bottom line is there should be no cost to the state in defending against ethics complaints because no employee is ever provided a defense in those situations.

  285. Lisabeth says:

    I really feel for this guy Murrow. Can you imagine how Sarah is going to treat him? I also feel badly he just started the job like a month ago! Didn’t he live in another state? Kind of strange for her to hire a new spokesperson (and I am guessing making him move) if you are planning to quit as governor?? Did he relocate?

    What a piece of work Palin is!!

  286. redwoodmuse says:

    Great work, Mel. I think that pie chart should get to the MSM. But, start with KO and Rachel, oh, and I think one ought to go to Letterman. His team could surely do something mavericky with this.

    redwoodmuse

  287. seattlefan says:

    To Sourdough Mullet: Ms. Quackypants! I love it!

  288. JRC says:

    MMmmmm. PIE charts.

  289. Aussie Blue Sky says:

    “It is “self sacrifice” – the kind of which most political martyrs only dare to dream.”

    http://www.dependablerenegade.com/dependable_renegade/2009/07/the-passion-of-the-palin.html

    thanks to otrplm

  290. Snoskred says:

    I think this is a classic line.. Pure poetry AKM!

    “There she lies, skewered like a big mavericky h’ors d’oeuvre. For Alaska.”

  291. Sourdough Mullet says:

    The “Pity Party” – I love it!
    Here’s hoping that when the mainstream media gets hold of the truth about Ms. Quackypants, what remains of her “base” will be small enough to gather together for moral support. Maybe all those “gullible-to-the-death” folks can all go together to Roswell, NM and wait for their friends to come back in the big spaceships. I know that I know that I know that God has ordained it for them.

  292. CO almost native says:

    *clink* a toast of Fat Tire to Mel Green, Pie Chart King.

    Looking carefully at it, I think the 63% (Troopergate) is the one Palin filed against herself- since the Legislature had its own investigation and budget. And the 10% is Palin’s children flying for free (not)…so—the majority of ethics complaints that Palin’s administration spent “millions” on were caused by (drum roll please)– Palin.

  293. austintx says:

    Thank you for the pie chart !! I would not click to the spread sheet link because I don’t like that stuff. AKM and Mel – Thank you for slicing this issue up nicely for consumption ?? yum-yum…….

  294. Wanna know why the lies says:

    Great front page article in the Sitka Sentinel today. They interviewed two of Palins former Wasilla colleagues, Nick Carney and his wife Kay. It’s a very good article with John Stein in it as well. If anyone has access to the blog Progressive Alaska, let Phillip Munger know that his good buddy, John Stein was interviewed in this article. One thing for sure in the article is that we all know that she will never win another election in Alaska ever again. On the National level….who knows? People can reach the Sitka Sentinel for copies of this article, in Sitka Alaska.

  295. Enjay in Eastern MT says:

    Pie Chartsa like a Picture = a Thousand Words

  296. seattlefan says:

    Pie charts do indeed rock! Someone send this to her twitter account. I don’t twitter, or I would do it myself. I bet the sitting lame duck quitter who quacks from her Twitter all the time would even comprehend this visual. Lol!

  297. Mel Green says:

    Thanks AKMuckraker! And for the record, as a publication specialist, I excel in… uh… Excel — yeah — in the making of snazzy pie charts, as well as column charts, line charts, & other snazzilicious charts, because it’s been part of my job for, oh, going on 19 years now. I can sometimes be persuaded to do charts on request by the right kinda people. Alaska progressive bloggers, for example.

    See also my second post on the topic, which takes a first gander at Palin’s highly questionable nearly 2 million dollar spreadsheet.

  298. Deb says:

    AKM- I love pie charts! (it makes it simple for my non-mathematical brain to digest) To Sarah…I would say (once again)….LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!
    (sorry, its getting late here especially after a long drive today)

    You don’t know how hard I’ve looked for a good clip art of flaming pants… 😉 AKM

  299. Bea says:

    Darn it. I was headed to bed but must read this now, though I fear eventual nightmares about GINotaquitterstopsayingthat! and pies.

  300. schlock and flaws says:

    Thank you so much for this! I’ve been going crazy trying to find the spreadsheet, but Murrow’s comments are priceless.

  301. SystemBucker says:

    Pie charts rock!

    Seeing the break down in a pie chart form really helps explain the expenses. Betcha Buttercup doesn’t like pie charts.

  302. DonnaInMichigan says:

    Sarah Palin is going to start a 3rd party, and she will run as President on it.

    The name: The Pity Party.

    She will garner support among the masses that feel that life, government, family, friends, etc, have just screwed them over. Those are the ones that refuse to take any type of personal responsibility for either their actions or inaction’s to change their own lives.

  303. Seagull Junker Palin says:

    Thanks AKM for putting this front page!!!!! And the link to Mel’s detailed analysis. Blog power!

  304. zyggy says:

    I think someone might have to eat some Humble Pie.

  305. tewise says:

    yup

  306. PepperzMom (GA) says:

    Also, too, exactly who would be dumb/stupid enough to continue to help the bailin’ 1 continue with the lies, knowing that virtually every word salad utterance will be easily debunked?

    I not only have to question the bailin’ 1’s intelligence, but everyone who still works for or with her.

  307. PepperzMom (GA) says:

    Why should anyone be surprised at the lies, lies, lies (they’re gonna getcha!)?

    Always did like the Thompson Twins…

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  1. […] AKMuckraker wrote yesterday, I’m a sucker for a pie chart, and what this one says is that between the Troopergate probe that […]