Let us close a few chapters on the "Trailblazer" book shall we?

Much of this book, as you can probably imagine, is full of the kind of masher notes that junior high school boys write to the girls they have crushes on, only in this case that crush is on Sarah Palin. The idea that this thing is anything but a pro-Palin puff piece is ridiculous.

For instance in Chapter Eleven the book talks about the marital problems between Trooper Wooten and Sarah's sister Molly. It reports ALL of the claims made by the Palin and Heath families as if they were factual and essentially makes Wooten out to just a few beers shy of being a homicidal maniac.

It does at least handle the famous tasering incident a little more evenly.

The book states that Wooten's eleven year old stepson BEGGED him to let him feel what it was like to be tasered. (It also points out that this may in fact have been the boys attempt to impress his cousin Bristol Palin.) The book then accurately describes that Wooten did not fire the probe into the boy, but rather taped it to his arm. Then, after putting a few pillows around to protect the boy if he fell, "turned the taser on for like a second, turned it off." (Chapter Eleven pg.150)

According to the book the boy was unhurt and even wanted to do it again, which sounds just like an eleven year old boy to me.

The book also points out that Bristol Palin's statement in a police report that "her cousin got scared and the force of the Taser knocked him back" was probably false and brings up an ADN interview with an expert on Tasers who said that if the Taser were safely attached and turned on for a second "it would feel like your funny bone was hit, but a quick jolt wouldn't knock you over". (Chapter Eleven pg.151)

Now I am certainly not a defender of Mike Wooten, he is not a very likable individual, but I believe that the real crime he committed was breaking Sarah's little sister's heart. And for daring to anger the Palin-Heath clan he found his life turned virtually upside down.

Chapter Eleven also covers much of the Governor's race and does not reveal much of anything that most people who have been paying attention to Palin these last five months don't already know.

However Chapter Twelve offers some interesting tidbits as well as a little foreshadowing of things to come.

For instance we have this bit from when Palin was selecting her cabinet and agency positions.

A week later, she made five other appointments, none more curious than Talis Colberg of Palmer, a small-town worker's compensation lawyer Sarah choose as her attorney general. Sarah cited his honesty and work ethic and his prior experience serving on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly, similar to a country government. (Chapter Twelve pg.170)

His "honesty"? I guess Sarah Palin's and my definition of that word don't exactly jive now do they?

You will love this next part.

Colberg himself seemed somewhat surprised at the appointment, having expressed no opinions on the prevailing issues of the day, such as benefits for partners of gay state employees. Nor did he have any criminal trial experience or management background to supervise a department of five hundred employees. "Certainly it's an improbable event that I would be here today," he told a reporter. (Chapter Twelve pg.170)

It does not take a genius to see what Palin was doing with this appointment. She wanted somebody who could be molded to do what she wanted him to do. Colberg, by all accounts was a very nice guy, but he was not ready for the manipulations of "Sarah-cuda" and she essentially wrapped him around her little finger. If nothing else she is usually a good judge of (a lack of) character.

And speaking of "foreshadowing" just check this quote out: "He's something of a blank slate," said Democratic Anchorage Sen. Hollis French. "I'm looking forward to getting to know him better." (Chapter Twelve pg. 170)

Oh if only he knew how much better he was going to get to know Sarah Palin's AG. But I guess nobody could have guessed just how things were about to play out now could they?

Something else of interest from this chapter.

In the weeks that followed, Sarah made several other appointments--old pals from Wasilla High and members of her church.....While critics raised questions about the qualifications of some of her choices, Sarah prized loyalty above all else.

As we all came to learn later, competence among the Palin appointees was certainly in short supply, but loyalty was to be had by the truckload. To this day NOBODY from her administration has really turned on Sarah Palin, with the exception of Walt Monegan, the one man who refused to be charmed, seduced, or bullied into compliance by Sarah Palin. Ahh but that episode is awaiting us in Chapter Thirteen and we are not yet done dissecting Chapter Twelve.

However brave hearts that is all I can bring you for today. I sometimes feel it would be easier to cut a path through a South American rainforest with a butter knife then it is too read through this drivel. Oh well somebody has to do it, why not me.

Stay tuned as we take on the "Further Adventures of Caribou Barbie in the land of Alaskan Politics". Next up: Sarah has to decide between keeping a personal chef or making moose chili for her family and charging the state of Alaska a $60 Per Diem. Betcha can't guess how that one comes out!