Ann Coulter loves Sarah Palin. Title of WORST lesbian porn movie EVER!

Ann Coulter is a horrible little troll that only the most damaged conservatives are still even listening to. But she wrote something ignorant about my Governor so I am honor bound to point out what a moron she is.

Hey it's a calling.

Sarah Palin was arguably the most influential person in 2008, but no one notices because she wasn't influential enough to overcome the deficits of her running mate and win the election.

(Did anybody else just throw up in their mouth a little?)

Until Palin, 45, burst onto the scene, Obama was headed for a Nixon/McGovern landslide. Palin may not have changed the election result, but she killed what otherwise would have been a rout.

(Funny a lot of people, the smart ones, believe that John McCain actually would have done substantially better if he had not trotted Caribou Barbie out onto the stage.)

John McCain was so preposterous a candidate (at least on a Republican ticket) that Palin was responsible for far more votes than the usual vice-presidential candidate. The biggest red flag proving her popularity with normal Americans is that liberals won't shut up about her. Palin is a threat to liberals because she believes in God and country and family — all values liberals pretend to believe in but secretly detest. There's a reason there's no "Stop Olympia Snowe before it's too late!" movement.

(Sarah Palin is not a "threat to liberals", she is threat to the whole freaking country!)

The American voter can be hornswoggled occasionally, but we can generally spot a real American, and that's what Sarah Palin is. (WTF?) She really was a housewife who went into politics because she didn't like the way her taxes were being spent. (Lie.) She really did take on the old-boy network — the oil companies and her own party — and won. (Another lie.) And yes, she really did walk the walk on abortion when she found out she was carrying a Down-syndrome baby. (And yet another lie for today's lying trifecta! Congratulations Ann you are either a complete moron, or almost as big of a liar as Sarah Palin.)

The combination of Palin's attractiveness as a candidate and her ability to expose liberals made her a celebrity among Republicans. The only thing I have against her is that she threatens to surpass me in attracting the left's hatred.

(Don't worry Ms. Coulter we only pity Palin and despise her policies, you we hate.)

Allan Tesche has some concerns over the judgement of Dan "have another for the road" Sullivan.

Here is a letter that showed in all of our inboxes this morning,

Statement issued on April 29, 2009

From court documents we learned today that a cocktail waitress employed by
McGinlcys Pub was convicted on January 11, 2008 of drunk driving after consuming a
"shift beverage" provided by her supervisors in the bar. After leaving, she reportedly
turned from 9th Ave. on to L St heading south toward Benson where she collided with
another driver at Westchester lagoon. Anybody who lives downtown knows L st. is a one
way street going north.

Dan Sullivan is a part owner and managing partner of McGinleys. He is probably I
the "Dan" identified in court records who allowed McGinleys' employees to enjoy "shift
beverages" and even shared a pitcher of beer with her before she drove away. As a part
owner of McGinleys, Sullivan is responsible for the management practices of his bar and
the actions of his employees,

I call on Dan Sullivan to explain the management practices of his bar that
apparently enabled one of his employees to leave work unable to drive safely,
endangering her life and those of other drivers on the road. Can he justify this
management practice? Can McGinleys reward good employees without serving them
alcohol before they leave the bar and get into their cars?

Has the ABC Board investigated this incident, and if not, why not?

Just as we outlawed happy hours and "2 Xl" drinks, do we need to ban the practice
of so called "shift beverages" to prevent this same conduct in the future. I'd ask the
Assembly's Public Safety Committee to look into to these management practices and
consider remedial legislation.

My wife and I live on G Street, approximately 200 yards from McGinleys.

The letter is then signed "Allan E. Tesche".

It seems to me that anybody who wants to lead Anchorage forward should have the decency to make sure he does not send one of his employees out onto the streets of my city so drunk that she endangers our citizens.

If this guy cannot even manage to make the appropriate choice in that circumstance than how could I possibly support his candidacy for mayor of Anchorage?

Eric Croft has my vote and I certainly hope that at some point Mr. Sullivan learns to take more responsibility and protect the people who may rely on him to keep them safe.

Update: The Alaska Report has more on this subject here. Including court documents.

So far Sullivan's office refuses to comment. Go figure.

The Daily Show asks the question, is having Barack Obama as our President taking all of the fun out of being black?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Grading Obama
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

That Kyra Phillip's performance was very unsettling. She should never do that again.

I talked to my daughter yesterday.

If you are new to this site you may not know how much I love talking to my 21 year old daughter about everything going on in my life and finding out all of the things going on in hers.

I am not somebody who really enjoys talking on the phone, as a matter of fact I dislike it greatly. However when I talk to my daughter, no matter how mundane the topic, I am never bored or anxious to get off the phone.

And I have not spoken to my angel in almost THREE WEEKS! Do you know how long that it is in daddy/daughter time? Well it is almost THREE WEEKS!

What, can't you people add?

And I had much to share with my one and only child. Oh yes, very much indeed.

She told me about her cool new job, her often complex love life, and when she was finally going to come up and visit her old dad. Then she asked me what was going on in my life.

A few minutes later there was only stunned silence on her end of the phone.

"Dad, that is awesome!" she said. Of course I had to tell her that she could not share, and she told me not to worry. She had many questions, and I tried to answer what I could and cautioned her to remember that things were moving along slowly and I did not know when everything would be available for publication, but I had great hope it would be soon.

The topic then turned to personal issues, movies we had seen, and to teasing each other about things from our past. Afterward I felt completely at peace. Something about sharing your life with somebody who loves you unconditionally brings absolute serenity to your day.

I love you angel, thanks for listening.

Jon Stewart conducts another amazing interview that our MSM is too timid to do themselves.

Cliff May interview presented completely uncensored.

Part One:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 1
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

Part Two:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 2
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

By the way I agree with Jon about Hiroshima and the Atomic bomb.


Part Three:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 3
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

This Cliff May guy misses the very important point that Jon is trying to make, and his efforts to conflate Jon's position with a completely passive position is frankly pissing me off.

Jon is obviously correct here and is this little piss-ants intellectual superior.

KUDO makes fatal business decision.

That lovely lady you see on the left is my friend CC.

She has been one of the most important progressive voices in Alaska for many years, and yesterday she lost her job.

Local progressive radio station KUDO has decided to rid itself of local talent and focus on national personalities like Rachel Maddow, Ron Reagan, Ed Schultz, etc. Apparently it was a "business decision", and it was a bad one.

In 2008 Nation magazine called CC the "MOST VALUABLE LOCAL MEDIA PERSONALITY". Here is the entire article:

When Sarah Palin stumbled onto the national stage, after her selection as John McCain's running-mate, everyone scrambled to figure out what was up with Alaska's governor. A lot of the lower-48 blogosphere (and the major media that followed its lead) obsessed about Palin's family life. But Anchorage radio host Camille Conte, who is universally known in Alaska as "CC," steered the discussion toward Troopergate--the scandal that proved Palin was not the reformer her supporters claimed but a Cheney-esque abuser of power. CC's daily "Cutting Edge" show on Anchorage's Air America affiliate, News-Talk 1080/KUDO: Alaska's Progressive Voice became required fare for journalists visiting the state--she had better access than anyone else to the key players, who trusted the veteran local host--and CC turned up on radio stations across the U.S. No one else contributed as much to 2008's Palintological studies.

But now her voice is silent.

Perhaps it is time to let everybody know just what an incredible loss that is to our state, to the local political scene, and to progressives everywhere.

CC was the spark that ignited the amazing response from local bloggers, and people around the world, to reach out and help the people of Emmonak. She was the one who called me and passionately spoke about how horrible it was that these people were suffering and that nobody was doing anything about it. I wrote about that conversation and the incredible result here. CC interviewed politicians about the crisis, she interviewed Nick Tucker and other native leaders about the crisis, and she even interviewed a few of our local progressive bloggers about the crisis. Myself included.

In the end there were a lot of kudos directed at the progressive blogger community, but they often forgot about CC's invaluable work and support for the people of Alaska.

But I did not forget.

During this last battle to stop Wayne Anthony Ross from being confirmed for the Attorney General position. Sarah Palin blamed the progressive bloggers for interfering and sabotaging that confirmation. Once again leaving CC out, who was working the story like a dog from the very beginning. She even mentioned that to me when I called in to her show, making a joke about it of course. It did not seem that people realized how important her contribution was to stopping a misogynistic pig like WAR from being our top lawman.

But I realized.

When it came time for Alaskans to form a PAC to help reveal the truth about the Troopergate investigation, CC was one of the brave Alaskans to sign her name to the paperwork, even though it meant revealing both her first and last name to potential detractors. Many people may not know how hard that was for her.

But I know.

You see CC was often the unheralded inspiration for a lot of what I and other of my progressive blogger friends wrote about the important issues facing our state. She is a font of information, and a passionate voice that often inspires us to take on important topics.

We need her. Alaska needs her. And I hope she comes back soon.

I put off writing this yesterday, because I wanted to talk to CC first. I have not been able to reach her thus far, but I want her to know that I am here for her, and I will help her in any way that I can. I know you visit here often Cees, we miss you already, call me.

And by the way KUDO, you are screwed. I only listened to you because CC was on the air. I am done now. It looks like the conservatives own the airwaves, but that is fine because WE own the internet.

Jon Stewart gives voice to how many New Yorkers felt about the White House poorly thought out "photo op".

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Mistakes on a Plane
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

I have heard that President Obama is beyond pissed about this.

Apparently Jon Stewart shares that sentiment.

Palin to accept most, but not all, of the Federal Stimulus funds.

A spokeswoman for Sarah Palin says the Alaska governor is going to accept most federal stimulus funds.

Spokeswoman Sharon Leighow says Palin is only likely to reject nearly $29 million for State Energy Programs funds because she believes it to be tied to developing a statewide energy code.

Palin had initially indicated she did not want to accept about a third of the $930 million available to Alaska because of strings attached that would bind the state in the future.
Legislative budget leaders couldn't find those strings, however.

Lawmakers passed bills accepting nearly all funds available to Alaska. Once the bills reach Palin's desk, likely by early next week, she has 20 days to accept or veto them.

Well it looks like the Governor is taking the money for education and that is a good thing, but rejecting the funds for the State Energy Project is Sarah pandering to the oil companies.

These funds are directed to provide grants to the states to design and carry out their own renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. In other words this is money to help our state to stop sucking at the teat of big oil and develop alternate, renewable energy sources, and our Governor is standing in the way of that progress.

That is the trouble with these evangelical idiots, they think they are about to get Raptured and therefore don't believe the planet needs to be protected. That is exactly the kind of thinking that has resulted in the overcrowding of our planet and climate crisis we face today.

Our state desperately needs to move toward clean burning alternative fuel sources and our Governor is too ignorant and self involved to give a shit about it.

A potpourri of rumor, information, and a teaser or two.

As I have suggested in some of my recent posts I have decided to stop waiting for information to arrive in my e-mail box, or rely on Google to answer my questions, and to get out there in the world to dig it up myself.

My entire weekend was spent with metaphorical shovel in hand as I probed for the answers to my many questions. Paydirt came very quickly, however there are strings attached.

I have interviewed a number of different individuals (and no I will not share their names), and have a few nuggets to share.

One is that Diana Palin has also now hired the ubiquitous Rex Butler to handle her burglary charges. (Is there a Palin connected case in town that Rex is not handling?)

I also learned that Todd's half sister has a very substantial drug problem, and that there have been many other incidences that have not received media attention in her recent past.

I also asked, and learned that her daughter is being cared for, and that we do not need to worry about her right now. Except that of course she undoubtedly misses her mother.

I also heard a strong opinion that Sherry Johnston's drug bust WAS politically motivated and that she is being treated like a common criminal despite this being her first offense. Apparently the DA is insisting on charging her for a class A felony and refusing to knock it down to a class B.

Is this politically motivated? There are a number of people who believe that it is.

Perhaps it is time to ask Palmer DA Roman Kalytiak if he is seeking justice or working as an enforcer for Sarah Palin.

Oh and Levi is doing a layout for GQ magazine.

Okay now this is the part where I am going to disappoint you a little.

The above information is just the tip of the iceberg, but I have made promises about the rest of what I learned and cannot reveal it online right now. Please don't bother asking me because trust me, when it can be told it will be told. Until then I will provide any new information that I come across that will not interfere in Levi's book deal or cause his family any distress.

I am also going to put a PayPal button on this site in the next few days. I have resisted doing this for a long time because I just don't like to ask people for money, but information has proven costly and I am going to run out of funds in the near future. If I am going to continue forward I am going to have to be able to pay for access.

Thank you for visiting and I appreciate your support.

P.S. I have shared some of the more sensitive information with my fellow bloggers so do not worry that I am in any danger or that this information will not be made public at some point, it will. That is what makes us such a formidable community of bloggers.

It's Monday and you know what that means. Yep another ethics complaint against Sarah Palin!

Please accept this letter as an Ethics Complaint against Governor Sarah Palin under Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act (Alaska Statute, Title 39, Chapter 52) (AEBEA), stating as follows:

Sec. 39.52.120. Misuse of official position: (a) A public officer may not use, or attempt to use, an official position for personal gain, and may not intentionally secure or grant unwarranted benefits or treatment for any person.

Sec. 39.52.130. Improper gifts: (a) A public officer may not solicit, accept, or receive, directly or indirectly, a gift, whether in the form of money, service, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, employment, promise, or in any other form, that is a benefit to the officer's personal or financial interests, under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that the gift is intended to influence the performance of official duties, actions, or judgment.

The AEBEA states that each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust. It is declared that high moral and ethical standards among public officers in the executive branch are essential to assure the trust, respect, and confidence of the people of this state; and that a code of ethics for the guidance of public officers will discourage those officers from acting upon personal or financial interests in the performance of their public responsibilities.

Governor Palin is using her official position for personal gain and to intentionally secure unwarranted benefits to state workers who are poised to derive benefits from the Alaska Trust Fund; a newly formed group whose primary purpose is to collect huge amounts of money from people in Alaska and the Lower 48 for the Palin’s and selected state officials’ personal use for a time in perpetuity, under Alaska law.

Governor Palin is perched to improperly receive an enormous amount of money for herself and her family and position a pool of pre-paid defense lawyers organized to deflect consequences of wrongdoings, among other things. This fund corrupts the integrity of the Governor’s Office, the governmental and public process. It corrupts the people’s right to hold their governor and administration officials accountable. It increases Palin’s conflicts of interests and erodes the faith and confidence of Alaskans in their public officers. This fund violates the intent, purpose and spirit of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.

And believe it or not the Alaska progressive bloggers have absolutely NOTHING to do with this one. No I swear.

See?

An ethics complaint has been filed against Gov. Sarah Palin, claiming the legal defense fund she established last week to challenge such claims is an ethics violation itself.

Kim Chatman of Eagle River filed the complaint Monday with the Alaska attorney general's office, seeking an investigation by the Alaska Personnel Board.

Chatman claims Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, is misusing her official position for political gain and receiving improper gifts.

Palin has said she's accumulated more than $500,000 in legal fees defending herself against a dozen or so ethics complaints and for representation in Troopergate, the Alaska Legislature's probe into the firing of her former public safety commissioner.

I wonder if 13 ethics complaints is some kind of record. It must be right?

Team Sarah on the attack!

Team Sarah, a social networking site of nearly 70,000 of Gov. Sarah Palin's supporters, is hoping its members have a shot at derailing the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as the president's Health and Human Services secretary.

The site, which came into being to support the Alaska governor during her 2008 vice-presidential bid, bills itself as being "dedicated to advancing the values that Sarah Palin represents in the political process." Team Sarah is affiliated with the Susan B. Anthony List, which seeks to elect women who oppose abortion.

Today, the website sent out an action alert to its members, asking them to call the office of Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, and urge him to vote against Sebelius' confirmation. Sebelius is expected to be confirmed tomorrow by the Senate.

I am sorry....what?

Since when do websites that are set up to support a future candidate, start attacking a nominee for a Presidential Cabinet position. Has that ever even happened before?

How do these people get the nerve to use their Palinaholic support group to attack this woman?

I mean if they, as individuals, decided they wanted to call their Senator and ask him not to support a nominee that they disliked, well alright. But this website is manipulating people who are drunk on Palin-punch and using them as their own personal political pawns.

That is just ugly.

How can they possibly justify this type of behavior. The site bills itself as being "dedicated to advancing the values that Sarah Palin represents in the political process." Ah, well you know that DOES explain it.

I wonder how effective it was.

Team Sarah last week called on its members to phone the Senate Finance Committee to voice their objections to Sebelius. An estimated 40 people called in opposing Sebelius' nomination. But twice as many people called in supporting her after word of the Team Sarah effort was posted on the left-leaning Huffington Post.

Nice try ladies, and now you have a real taste for how successful Governor Palin's political decisions usually turn out to be. Not very tasty is it?

Sarah-haters, Obama-bucks, and the Alaskan bloggers.

There are a number of prevalent conservative memes that keep being utilized by the Sarah supporters to explain why the Alaska bloggers (and not just the "progressives" either) are so anti-Sarah.

One is that we are afraid of her because she is "authentic". To this I have to ask WTF? There is NOTHING authentic about Sarah Palin. From her fake Fargo accent on the McCain campaign trail, to her promises of transparency which she confuses with covering up, this woman is the absolute definition of "inauthentic". (Is that a word? Well spell check did not kick it to the curb so it must be.)

And we are not "afraid" of her because she is "authentic". We are afraid of her because she is an imbecile and she is in charge of our state. It is the same way I would feel if I was in the backseat of a car being driven by a drunken blind man. Outside of the car, no problem, inside of the car, HUGE problem.

The second meme is the one that says we hate her because she is "pretty". For one thing I am a guy, I LOVE the pretty. But I could care less if my governor was attractive or not, I want somebody who can do the damn job! It is not that I want to screw her, I just don't want her to screw me.

And as for my female blogger pals? Well they are powerful, confident women who are much too secure to be getting all "junior high school" over somebody just because she is the "pretty one". And besides, take it from me, some of my progressive female friends are MUCH prettier than Sarah could ever hope to be. Both on the outside, and on the inside where it really counts.

And none of us really "hate" her. We despise her lies, we cringe at how she represents us to the world, and we are frustrated by her lack of competence, but we don't hate her. If anything we pity her, and everybody who still supports her. I often wonder if they do not occupy some parallel universe where up is down, and wrong is right, and Sarah Palin is not a train wreck.

The third meme is the one that says we are being paid by the Obama administration. This one has been around since September when there was all of this talk about Obama operatives up here making trouble for the Republicans and trying to dig up dirt on Sarah Palin.

Nope. Never happened. I asked.

I literally ran into only ONE person who was on the Obama payroll. Everybody else I met was a volunteer, and they were local, with the exception of the guy who came to town to set up the Obama campaign headquarters.

However we did learn of a few Republican operatives up here, just to give you an idea of who was REALLY being underhanded and duplicitous. Karl Rove operative Tim Griffin anyone?

And as for the rumor that the Alaskan bloggers have been financed by the Obama administration, or any other progressive group, I just have to say WHERE IS MY CHECK? I have been blogging my fingers to the bone and have not been paid one red cent. Now is that fair?

But here is the thing, NONE of us have been paid. I know. I asked.

These people are my friends, I am sure they would cut me in if they had worked out some deal for a payday. Besides everybody that I know works a full time job, or a bunch of part time gigs, to pay the rent and buy bandwidth.

So I guess that leaves us with the question of why do we do this?

Because somebody has to. Somebody has to point out the lies, the manipulations, and the mistakes to minimize the damage they could do to our fellow Alaskans, and to the rest of the country.

Why are we the ones? Hell I don't know. I guess because we were the ones who could not stay quiet about it any longer. Believe me, some days ALL of us wish somebody else was doing this instead. But we also recognize that even if they were we would still have to be involved somehow.

After all this is our home, if we don't care enough to protect it than how can we expect others to protect it in our place?

With the legislative session over I bet you thought that Governor Palin could no longer obstruct progress. Wrong again.

Palin will have 20 days, not counting Sundays and holidays, to decide whether to use her veto power on spending and policy measures. As of Saturday, only 10 of the 61 bills and 29 resolutions approved by the Legislature had been sent to the governor.

Bills commonly wait a week or two before landing on the governor's desk, giving lawyers and accountants a chance to review the legislation.

Sen. Joe Paskvan, D-Fairbanks, carried a bill that calls on Alaska to create an electronic health records system. The availability of federal money to launch the process was a motivator for lawmakers to approve the bill. The Department of Health and Social Services estimates the total cost to the state at $27.5 million, with almost $25 million coming in stimulus dollars if the state requests the money this year. The act offers a match of $10 in federal money for every $1 in state money the first year of the program. The federal match falls to $7 the following year and to $3 the year after.

However, Palin has not included that pot of money on her list of acceptable stimulus package money, citing strings attached.

Her final decision is not expected until May.

Ninety pieces of of unfinished legislative business. Sixty one bills and twenty nine resolutions are still waiting for the Governor to finally find the time out of her busy day of self promotion and preparing to run for president in 2012 to finally do her goddamn job.

Has there ever been a time in the entire history of Alaska that so much was left undone by its Governor? I doubt it very much.

The idea that we have to wait for this self absorbed pathetic excuse for a public servant to finally make time for the people who elected her to her office, and that she can undo all of the hard work done by the politicians who actually stayed at their jobs and tried to get things done, is infuriating.

The fact that she STILL has not signed off on ALL of the stimulus package alone should be enough to start impeachment proceedings against her, since it means that she is keeping services away from the Alaska people for purely selfish reasons.

Sarah Palin needs to be reminded EVERY SINGLE DAY that she works or us.

God can't we just elect Bob Poe now?

Newsweek story has interview with FBI agent who tried to stop the torture of Abu Zubaydah and says the techniques did not bring reliable results.

The arguments at the CIA safe house were loud and intense in the spring of 2002. Inside, a high-value terror suspect, Abu Zubaydah, was handcuffed to a gurney. He had been wounded during his capture in Pakistan and still had bullet fragments in his stomach, leg and groin. Agency operatives were aiming to crack him with rough and unorthodox interrogation tactics—including stripping him nude, turning down the temperature and bombarding him with loud music. But one impassioned young FBI agent wanted nothing to do with it. He tried to stop them.

The agent, Ali Soufan, was known as one of the bureau's top experts on Al Qaeda. He also had a reputation as a shrewd interrogator who could work fluently in both English and Arabic. Soufan yelled at one CIA contractor and told him that what he was doing was wrong, ineffective and an affront to American values. At one point, Soufan discovered a dark wooden "confinement box" that the contractor had built for Abu Zubaydah. It looked, Soufan recalls, "like a coffin." The mercurial agent erupted in anger, got on a secure phone line and called Pasquale D'Amuro, then the FBI assistant director for counterterrorism. "I swear to God," he shouted, "I'm going to arrest these guys!"

"I've kept my mouth shut about all this for seven years," Soufan says. But now, with the declassification of Justice memos and the public assertions by Cheney and others that "enhanced" techniques worked, Soufan feels compelled to speak out. "I was in the middle of this, and it's not true that these [aggressive] techniques were effective," he says. "We were able to get the information about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a couple of days. We didn't have to do any of this [torture]. We could have done this the right way."

Well this is very interesting and seems to pit the two agencies, the FBI and CIA, against each other.

My money is on the FBI in this case and I would further bet that the CIA starts leaking like a sieve once the heat gets turned up and then we will all learn that the torture did NOT get us any useful information.

And when that happens they can call Dick "just torture them all" Cheney up in front of a Congressional investigative committee, place his giant ass under oath, and ask him to explain when he decided to trade America's reputation away for the chance to play Jack Bauer for real.

I applaud Mr. Soufan, and hope there are dozens more just like him just itching to tell America the truth about what went on these last eight terrible years.

Palmer District Attorney regrets letting Sherry Johnston out of Alaska to do interviews.

The Palmer District Attorney said if he had known just why Sherry Johnston needed to travel outside Alaska he would not have signed off on the trip.

Johnston, who is facing felony drug charges, left Alaska to appear on "The Tyra Banks Show" and "Larry King Live."

Prosecutor Roman Kalytiak said he thought Johnston, who is the mother of Levi Johnson who fathered a child with Bristol Palin, Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter, had something important to do that justified traveling.

Kalytiak said the way the legal motion was worded, it appeared that Johnston needed to travel for important family business. He said he now knows that was not the case.

They "didn't say she was going out of state to appear on various TV shows," he said.

Well if this District Attorney was a little fuzzy on why Sherry Johnston wanted to leave the state then it was up to him to ask for clarification.

And besides the reason that you deny somebody the opportunity to leave the state before their case comes to court is because you fear they are a flight risk or will not be back in time for the trial. Since Sherry is back in town right now than that fear is moot.

Clearly somebody called Kalytiak and rattled his cage and he is now simply covering his ass. It is total bullshit.

As we have all come to realize our Governor is a reactive vindictive person who, now that she feels attacked, is trying to punish those she holds responsible.

Sunday morning earthquake. Woo hoo!

Hang on kids!

Now there is a wake up call from nature.

Update:

Time: Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 05:50:46 AM at epicenter

Magnitude: 4.0

Location:
28 km (17 miles) NNE (24°) from Sunrise, AK
31 km (19 miles) ESE (106°) from Anchorage, AK
32 km (20 miles) NE (47°) from Hope, AK

It was a fairly small quake, but it sort of hit without the usual foreplay of the rolling tremor effect. All in all a respectful earthquake that may have roused a few sleeping Alaskans.

Is it possible that Dan Sullivan skipped Kindergarten? Apparently he has not learned to work and play well with others.

Sullivan's nine years on the Assembly included one year as chairman and three in charge of the group's budget committee. He was usually pro-development, pro-business, skilled at running meetings, and not infrequently on the losing end of 10-1 or 9-2 votes.

Now this is not just a case of partisan differences. A 10-1 vote does not break down along party lines, that means that Sullivan was the odd man out even when the rest of the Republicans wanted something passed. That kind of stubbornness is not admirable, it is pathetic, and demonstrates somebody who refuses to compromise which is the coin of the realm in politics.

Former colleagues divided across a political canyon when asked to evaluate his performance. Conservative Assembly members championed his skills.

"He'll have a good solid level of understanding and recognition that the Assembly and the mayor really need to work together," said South Anchorage Assemblyman Chris Birch, who was re-elected in 2008.

Understanding how the assembly works, and being able to work with it, are two different things. I believe this is called "damned with faint praise".

"I found him very easy to work with," Kendall said. "He has a very good sense of humor; even when the votes were 9-2 he could make fun of it."

Well great while he is laughing about his ineffectiveness, the people of Anchorage can watch as the mayor pisses away his term while "sticking to his guns".

Different story from the liberal end of the table. Former member Allan Tesche found Sullivan "extremely hard to work with.

"He worked with his own group in his own way, but in terms of ... the normal wheeling and dealing, it simply wasn't there," Tesche said.

So he was easy to work with as long as everybody agreed with him, but if not......

Former Assemblywoman Fay Von Gemmingen also remembers Sullivan as standoffish. "He seemed to be kind of a loner in my opinion," she said.

"One thing comes to mind, he does not work well with others."

It is very clear that Dan Sullivan would be a one term mayor, but Anchorage is going to be facing some very difficult challenges in the next four years. We simply cannot afford to have a man who brags about the fact that he stubbornly refuses to compromise. We need somebody who can get things done for the people of Anchorage, and that is clearly NOT Dan Sullivan.

Shannyn Moore is on KBYR right now! Hurry you are missing it!

Just listen to the sexy tones in that voice.

And damn she is smart too.

You can call and participate at 907-274-5297 for locals, and toll free 866-610-5297.

Sarah Palin throws her fundraising firm under the bus.

Campaign Solutions, a Republican consulting firm advising Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's political action committee, has parted ways with the former Republican vice presidential nominee.

The group had been working with the Palin operation to raise money for SarahPAC but decided to step aside after a series of strategic and philosophic differences, according to a source familiar with the decision.

"Philosophical differences"? What the crap does that mean?

Here maybe Palin attack dog and mouthpiece Meghan Stapleton can clear this up.

"When the Governor gave Kristan Cole permission to launch a legal expense fund, she had one request: keep it in Alaska. Campaign Solutions is not based in Alaska," said SarahPAC spokesperson Meghan Stapleton. We appreciate Donatelli's good work for us, but as we have been saying all along, the Governor is focused on Alaska and Alaskans."

Gulp! Oh God! I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Of those two statements I am not sure which one has the highest bullshit per word ratio, but it is clear that neither one is even in the same zip code as the truth.

Hmm I wonder if Palin has sniffed the wind lately and realized that there is something just over the horizon headed her direction. Doubtful, the Governor has shown herself to always be reactive, not proactive, and I doubt she has any sense of things to come.

Progressive Alaska has a video of TeamSarah founder Jane Abraham talking about the Palin defense fund and those pesky ethics complaints.

I was going to post this, but my friend Phil already did, so go over and give him some love and don't put away that Maalox yet becasue this is yet another stomach churner.

Get out the Maalox boys and girls, the Governor is going to give another poorly scripted speech.

Gotta give love to Uncle Ted.

And good for you for escaping justice on a technicality. You make us proud you corrupt bastard.

Does anybody else notice how she looks down at her cheat sheet everytime she come to a word with more than two syllables? Is that mean that I point that out?

What does Alaska have to offer? Succulent seafood and crazy ass Governors. Oh that should bring tourists up by the truckload.

Well gosh...uh...also...since Todd's family has been fishing....gosh...all of their lives...and I am totally like those people on the "Deadly Catch"...uh...nobody could really question that I know ALL about fishing......also I ate some right here, so I even know how it tastes....gosh....so good, and succulent.

I need to give a huge shout out to my pal Dennis Zaki for having the stamina and internal fortitude to sit through that speech and film it for his fellow bloggers.

You da man Dennis!

One of my favorite naughty pleasures. Real Times "New Rules"

Bill really hit this one out of the park.

Easily the best New Rules I have seen in a while.

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

Today I took the first step toward unraveling a puzzle that has plagued my mind for many, many months.

I am not alone and many of your favorite bloggers are taking this journey with me.

I don't like to do teasers anymore, but I also felt that you all deserved to know that I am working hard to bring you the answers that you all have been clamoring for.

I wish I could tell you what, and I wish I could tell you when, but right now even I don't know too much of value.

(Update: I changed my headline because I wrote it from memory and totally butchered it, and could not stand to see it just sit there mocking me. I should have learned long ago to never trust my faulty memory.)

Samantha Bee abuses her child's teddy bear right in front of him, and Republicans fight for her right to spank him for crying about it.

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I have to say that bear was a tough customer. I don't think he was even close to spilling his stuffing. Perhaps Samantha should have used Shasta soda, because that shit burns!

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Is it just me or are Republicans getting dumber and less relevant by the day?

Its official! Sarah Palin is opening a legal defense fund to help fight the multiple ethics charges filed against her.

Supporters of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will announce Friday the creation of a legal-defense fund to help her pay old legal bills, respond to a rash of ethics complaints and perhaps give her a political boost.

The 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate -- and possible 2012 White House aspirant -- has about $500,000 of legal debts, stemming in part from investigations into efforts to fire an Alaska state trooper who was her former brother-in-law. A legislative investigation found that Gov. Palin abused her power in the matter, but a subsequent investigation by the state Personnel Board concluded she could not be held responsible. Additionally, supporters say, about a dozen new ethics complaints have been filed against Ms. Palin in the past four months, as the governor has come under increasing scrutiny from the national media, Democrats and liberal activists.

"The purpose is really to provide a legal and proper way for the governor's supporters to help her respond to these frivolous complaints that have been leveled, keeping her from being able to do her job and...really harassing her," said fund trustee Kristan Cole, a real-estate agent and longtime friend of the governor from her hometown of Wasilla.

Donations will be capped at $150, according to materials describing the fund, and no contributions will be accepted from corporations, state contractors, state or federal lobbyists, lobbying firms or foreign nationals.

Palin backers also said all names of donors, dates and contribution amounts will be made public. Supporters say the governor wanted the fund to be more restrictive and transparent than other legal-defense funds.

Oh well if it is going to be "transparent" than we can all just sit back and relax. I mean our Governor is well known for promising transparency and than delivering........uh what's the opposite of transparency?

The progressive bloggers have been waiting for this fund to come along for quite some time. There was that pathetic attempt by Texas businessman and publicity seeker, Clayton Paslay, earlier this month. But we knew that was not the official legal defense fund.

It looks like this sucker is the real deal.

And who was the one who finally forced the Gov. to break down and start a defense fund? Why it was our own Sondra Tompkins, once a Palin supporter, and now one of the many Republicans who are ashamed of the Governor of their state.

The latest legal challenge to Ms. Palin came Wednesday, when an Anchorage woman filed a complaint with the state attorney general's office saying the governor violated state ethics rules by accepting outside employment through her political-action committee, and improperly benefited personally by speaking at a recent anti-abortion dinner in Indiana. Ms. Palin's chief of staff termed the recent complaints "ridiculous."

Ridiculous is it? Somehow I have to disagree that multiple ethical violations falls into the category of "ridiculous".

Keith Olbermann calls Sean Hannity's bluff.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The ball is in your court Hannity.

And speaking of balls, let's see if you have any.

Progressive blogger hunting season may be open soon as Governor Palin is given a machine gun. We should be safe unless somebody donates a helicopter.

According to the latest edition of the magazine, Bob Reynolds, gunsmith and owner of Templar Consulting LLC, will make a special presentation at the NRA Foundation Banquet on May 14.

It’s a modified AR-15 (civilian version of the milspec M16 rifle), specially customized in honor of Gov. Sarah Palin and dubbed “The Alaskan Hunter”:

Chambered for .50 Beowulf instead of the standard 5.56mm cartridge, this special AR features several custom engravings. The Big Dipper is on the magazine well, an outline of the state of Alaska is on the stock, and on the upper receiver are a moose, the NRA logo and an inscription, “In Honor of Governor Sarah Palin.”

“Gov. Palin stood up and announced she was a supporter of the Second Amendment,” says Reynolds. “I was really excited about that. I feel like the NRA has done a lot for my rights. And I feel the Governor has, too. I just wanted to do something to give back. And since the Governor lives in Alaska, I thought .50 Beowulf was appropriate.”

Appropriate for what? I have lived in Alaska my entire life, and have never once felt that I needed a machine gun for anything. Well sure there have been some times when I was stuck in traffic behind a bunch of out of staters, but thankfully that urge passed quickly. And that probably would have been the absolute WORST time for me to have been armed.

Reynolds actually made two of these very special AR’s. One will be presented to the governor, and the other will be auctioned at the Banquet.

Seriously! Somebody actually thinks giving this batshit crazy lady a machine gun is a good idea? Oh this cannot end well.

Doesn't anybody remember what happened when they armed Cheney?

Well all I know is if I hear a helicopter coming up behind in the next couple of months I am diving into a ditch.

One pill makes you larger. And one pill makes you small. And the ones that mother gives you. Don't do anything at all.

The Palin administration has released a new attorney general's assessment of whether the state Senate Democrats or Gov. Palin was in the wrong in this month's fight over who should replace Juneau Sen. Kim Elton. Elton resigned in March to work in the Obama administration.

Not surprisingly, the assessment, dated Monday, sides with Palin. In fact, it says Palin's initial appointment of legislative aide Tim Grussendorf is still valid because the Senate Democrats never legally rejected it. (WTF?)

The question turns on whether the Senate Democrats can act on Palin's nomination without public notice and without the public watching.

It all seems kind of academic anyway now, because Palin and the Democrats agreed on Sunday to give the seat to former Juneau mayor Dennis Egan.

I'm sorry WHAT?

So Palin STILL thinks that Grussendorf should be the nominee even though the Democrats voted against him and Dennis Egan has now been confirmed? Did something happen to reality while my internet was down?

Seriously has anybody checked to see if the Governor is getting the proper dosage of medication?

I am quite literally concerned that our Governor may have blown a gasket or something. I have no other explanation for this kind of thinking.

And by the way who are these other people in her "administration" who are going along with this ridiculous logic? Because I would like them to know right now that they are not fucking helping.

Just a quick little post about the Larry King interview.

What struck me immediately is that Levi and Sherry are still being very careful concerning the answering of questions. I was also struck by how Mercedes is much less restrained and seems quite anxious to start talking.

I would love to give her the opportunity.

I am also not very happy about the prospects of Levi writing a book, because I believe what he knows should be shared much sooner than a book would allow. I would also like to help HIM with that.

The interview did not reveal much and it is very clear that the Johnstons are carefully trying to draw the Governor out of hiding to interact with them about Levi's access to Tripp. But I was very happy to see that they may have realized by the end of the interview that they are going to have to take the Palins to court to receive any satisfaction.

By the way I was also happy to hear "Tank" Jones receive that shout out from the Johnston family. Tank was the man who graciously answered my questions about Levi and let me know, and therefore all of you, that he was safe.

Tank is about six foot four and has to go at least three hundred plus pounds. Trust me when I tell you that Levi is SAFE.

Now we all have to sit back and see what Rex Butler and Sherman "Tank" Jones have in mind for future Levi television appearances.

I will embed the videos when they become available.

Update: Here is the only video I can find so far.



Have at it.

Who does Sarah Palin work for, the Alaskan people or SarahPAC? Well we already know the answer to that question don't we?

An ethics complaint against Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will be filed this afternoon asserting that Palin’s involvement with SarahPAC constitutes "outside employment" and "misuse of official position."

Anchorage resident Sondra Tompkins, child disability advocate and mother of a special needs child, is filing the complaint after observing Governor Palin repeatedly display “a pattern of unethical behavior.” Sondra believes that the tipping point for her was Sarah Palin’s most recent abdication of her role as Governor and apparent conflict-of-interest when she spoke at two outside events in Indiana rather than work with the Alaska Legislature during the most critical time, the end of the session.

The complaint alleges:

a) Governor Palin has entered into a contract outside of her official duties with the donors, employees, partners and any or all other participants involved in Sarah PAC.

b) The recent partisan trip.

c) The Governor left the State to participate in these events during the most critical end-of-session Legislative activities, at a time where the legislators themselves are not permitted to leave

When Palin flew down to Indiana to give a speech to a group that could be very useful to her 2012 presidential campaign, while leaving mountains of work undone as the legislative session wound down, that was the straw that broke the camel's back for Mrs. Tompkins.

I know Sondra quite well and she is certainly not somebody to go off half cocked. She has been simmering about this for quite some time and finally decided she simply had to speak out about this un-ethical behavior. And I support her decision 100%.

Last night's Daily Show highlights.

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I am ashamed to say that I did not get to watch this show when it was broadcast last night, because I was talking to the delectable Shannyn Moore on the phone. One does not hang up on Shannyn Moore to watch the Daily Show, as she pointed out to me when I tried to do just that.

Anyhow we were discussing some super secret blogger stuff, so clearly it was much more important than Jon Stewart. Besides Shannyn said that if I did not tell her everything I knew she would stalk me. Which would be awesome!

Hey kids if you ever get the chance to be stalked by somebody I certainly recommend being stalked by Shannyn Moore. That is way more prestigious than just being stalked by some over weight fanboy with a three day growth on his face and old pizza stains on his shirt. Like that last creep.

Anyhow I am posting this clip for my favorite blogger babe, and potential stalker, Shannyn. But I suggest that you all watch it as well, because it is too damn funny!

Torture tactics were used to find link between Iraq and al Qaida.

The Bush administration put relentless pressure on interrogators to use harsh methods on detainees in part to find evidence of cooperation between al Qaida and the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime, according to a former senior U.S. intelligence official and a former Army psychiatrist.

Such information would've provided a foundation for one of former President George W. Bush's main arguments for invading Iraq in 2003. No evidence has ever been found of operational ties between Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and Saddam's regime.

The use of abusive interrogation — widely considered torture — as part of Bush's quest for a rationale to invade Iraq came to light as the Senate issued a major report tracing the origin of the abuses and President Barack Obama opened the door to prosecuting former U.S. officials for approving them.

God the more I read about this the more nauseous I become.

Torturing somebody for information is inhumane.

Torturing somebody because you have a narrative that you demand that they lie to support is inhuman.

I am very relieved to hear that Obama is open to going after the Bush administration members who allowed these criminal activities to take place. We need everybody involved to face severe punishment and send a message to the world that America will NEVER engage in these sort of techniques ever again.

Today is not going to be Sarah Palin's day.

Levi Johnston and his family will appear on Larry King today.

And if that was not enough there is something else brewing that will make her rip that bun right out of her hair.

(Not babygate related.)

Sarah Palin is mad because she believes that those pesky progressive bloggers broke her shiny new Attorney General nominee. I'm sorry, my bad.

Gov. Sarah Palin is blaming bloggers and lies for the defeat of her attorney general nominee, who the Alaska Legislature refused to confirm last week.

At her first news conference after the Legislature voted 35-23 to reject Wayne Anthony Ross as attorney general, Palin said the defeat was due to "deliberate misrepresentation" of Ross' statements.

"A great problem was public lies were told about Mr. Ross," she said.

Palin declined to say whose lies undermined Ross, citing the blogosphere and e-mails from members of the public.

Palin declined to say whose lies undermined Ross, citing the blogosphere and e-mails from members of the public.

Ross, long a controversial and flamboyant figure in Alaska public life, came to the job with a history that included statements critized by Alaska Native organizations and women's groups.
Palin, though, said lies about Ross that were tough to refute in a timely manner led to the rejection.

"He very easily and accurately refuted the lies told about him, but once a bell is rung, really tough to un-ring a bell," she said.

Number one until Governor Plain actually tries to "un-ring a bell" how does she know how difficult it is to do? I mean let's not make any unsubstantiated claims shall we!

And speaking of unsubstantiated claims what lies is she talking about concerning WAR?

The Leah Burton letter, that quoted Ross saying "if you cannot rape your wife, than who can you rape"? Nope, because that it has been well substantiated that it did indeed take place. And even Leah's dad, ex-Commissioner of Public Safety Richard Burton, came to her defense after Ross and Palin implied she was a liar. So there!

Or the fact WAR made the following comment, "it seems to me the most important thing that can be done by the Senate is not argue with legal or illegal but to appoint somebody to represent Juneau."? Because Sean Cockerham has that bad boy on tape.

No Governor Palin the progressive bloggers did not have to make up ANYTHING! All we had to do was publish the truth and the Alaskan people, and their representatives, did the rest.

However something about your accusation that everything is the bloggers fault reminded me of something. Something I have not thought about for quite some time.



Ah yes it is all coming back to me now. I guess it has always been those "pesky" bloggers screwing up Sarah Palin's nefarious plots. Gosh darn them!

Why do I suddenly feel like I am part of the Scooby Gang?

By the way if you want to see what the rest of the Scooby Gang think about taking the blame for WAR's defeat just meander on over to Mudflats, and than take a quick jog over to my pal Shannyn Moore, for their take on this whole bizarre episode.

Levi Johnston to make appearance on Larry King.

On Wednesday's show, Levi Johnston will be the guest. He will talk about being the former fiance of Bristol Palin, the daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Johnston's mother and sister also will be interviewed.

This is the television event I hinted at earlier. I could not say anything because I had not asked permission to announce it yesterday.

I have no idea what Larry is going to ask Levi but you know it is a call in show so it might get pretty damn interesting.

Stephen Colbert ponders the appropriate choice for dealing with pirates in this day and age.

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I advise you to put down your beverage before watching this. It is laugh out loud funny.

MoveOn.org has a petition to Attorney General Eric Holder that they would like you to sign. As do I.

On Thursday, President Obama released memos that describe, in horrific detail, the torture techniques authorized by the Bush administration.

So far there's been no accountability for the architects of Bush's torture program. We need a full investigation and real consequences for those responsible - it's the only way to keep this from happening again.

Can you sign our petition to Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the torture program?

A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to Attorney General Eric Holder.

If you are at all like me you have been reading the torture memos and becoming overwhelmed by the horror of what our country has done. You have probably also felt the need to do something but have been unsure what you could do, or if it would matter.

Well what I have learned in this last year is that if enough of us stand together for truth and justice, than it is almost impossible to ignore us.

I could not sign this petition fast enough, and I hope you follow suit. Just click the title and let your voice be heard.

Our country will never heal effectively as long as this terrible wound is allowed to fester without receiving an application of good old American justice.

Jon Stewart is back! And he addresses the issue of America torturing detainees as only he can.

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Levi Johnston news.

I did a little snooping today and found out a few things that should put some of your minds at ease.

For all of you who are concerned with the safety of Levi don't worry, he has 24 hour a day security. That is not gossip that is fact.

And also watch for Levi to make another television appearance sometime soon. I did not get permission to say which program it is, but when it airs I will link to it or embed it if possible.

I hope to have a little more at some point in the future.

Miss California really believes that it is cool that Americans can choose same sex marriage or "opposite sex" marriage.

“In my country, and in my family, I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman,” she said on Sunday night. She went on to come in second to Miss North Carolina.

“It did cost me my crown,” Carrie told Billy, who co-hosted the ceremony, on Monday. “I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I said what I feel. I stated an opinion that was true to myself and that’s all I can do.”

“It is a very touchy subject and he is a homosexual and I see where he was coming from and I see the audience would’ve wanted me to be more politically correct,” she added. “But I was raised in a way that you can never compromise your beliefs and your opinions for anything.”

This story is all over the internet and I even watched it on Rachel Maddow a few minutes ago.

Everybody is very upset at this young lady and essentially making the case that she is anti-gay. But I happen to disagree with that.

Perez Hilton asked this young lady what her opinion was concerning same sex marriage. And she told him.

Now if she wanted to pander to the clearly liberal panel of judges she could have lied, but she decided to tell the truth about her beliefs.

I have no idea if this answer cost her the crown or not, but if it did than it is a tremendous miscarriage of justice. I mean she is competing for the title of Miss America for goodness sakes, and to be honest much of the country feels exactly the way that she does, and some have even stronger negative feelings about "teh gays".

Would it have been better if she had lied and made up an answer that would have helped her to win? I don't believe that for an instant. I have much more respect for somebody who honestly disagrees with my point of view than I do somebody who just tells me what they think I want to hear.

I disagree with this young ladies opinion. But I support her right to have it. And admire that she answered the question honestly.

But you know what does kind of bother me? The fact that this ridiculous competition still exists in America. The idea of young ladies, barely out of their teens, parading around in high heels and swimsuits for an audience of leering middle aged perverts is gross. And I am even more concerned with the message that this kind of "contest" sends to young women about how to be successful in life.

I am not a prude by any stretch of the imagination but this is just silly and disrespectful of women, IMHO.

By the way personally I would probably choose that "opposite marriage" option, you know if I was not completely opposed to marriages in general, no offense. (Update: I corrected this sentence because to be honest I had some wine before I posted and did not get her quote quite right. Remember kids, don't drink and blog!)

Sorry for the lack of activity this morning.

I have a lot going on and have had little time to sit down and write.

I do have a potential something brewing, it may in fact prove to be nothing or it may turn out to be a very interesting post indeed. We will see.

If you check back later I promise I will have something to report.

Sarah Palin picks new Senate appointee. Here we go ag......Wait! What?

Gov. Sarah Palin has ended the stalemate over the open state Senate seat by giving Senate Democrats the appointee that they wanted, former Juneau mayor Dennis Egan.

The nine Senate Democrats "unanimously and enthusiastically" voted to confirm Egan to the seat, said Anchorage Democratic Sen. Johnny Ellis, the Senate majority leader.

He could be sworn in tonight.

This is the guy that Juneau Mayor Bruce Botelho suggested five days ago.

Then he was unacceptable apparently but things seem to have changed.

I would still like somebody to dust Palin's ass for this guys lip prints before he gets confirmed.

I am suffering from an extreme lack of trust when it comes to all things Palin these days.

Thank goodness Sarah Palin's pick for the new Rural Advisor is not just another kiss ass or anything. Just kidding! He totally is!

It’s been a challenging winter for rural Alaska villages. High fuel prices, reduced income from fishing and a particularly cold winter have left many residents struggling to heat their homes and feed their families. But action has been taken and work continues.

Through Gov. Sarah Palin’s leadership (What? When did this happen? Sarah Palin demonstrated leadership and I missed it? Dammit!)and the Legislature’s support, the motor fuel tax was suspended. Alaskans who qualified for the 2008 Permanent Fund Dividend also received a $1,200 resource rebate to help with the high cost of energy. In the Lower Yukon River villages of Emmonak, Kotlik, Alakanuk and Nunam Iqua, this meant a total of more than $6.5 million in cash flowed to residents in the region just before winter set in.

(Oh THAT leadership! The leadership she demonstrated when she was trying to get John McCain to choose her as his running mate by buying our love and support. Except I believe the definition of that particular "leadership" is called "pandering".)

Gov. Palin also supported restoration of the municipal revenue sharing program, which provides $60 million to communities statewide. These funds are critical for rural communities. Roughly $500,000 went to these Lower Yukon River villages and likely will be provided again.

Also, more than $51 million was included in the fiscal 2009 budget for Power Cost Equalization and $29 million went to heating assistance programs. An additional $4.8 million went to the Bulk Fuel Loan Fund (32 communities have used this year) and $5.5 million for the Bridge Fuel Loan Fund (24 communities have used this year). A statewide energy plan was developed and the state invested $100 million for grants for renewable energy projects. Another $25 million is pending in this year’s budget.

All of these efforts through the state budget process assisted rural Alaskans.

(However they fell well short of offsetting the incredibly high energy prices and the loss of fishing revenue along the Yukon Delta.)

Current efforts include the mobilization of five state departments. The Department of Education has made multiple food shipments. Emmonak received 2,452 pounds, Mountain Village received 1,463 pounds and the Bristol Bay Native Association received more than 2,444 pounds. Additionally, the Department of Public Safety transported Food Bank donations of 4,700 pounds to Kotlik and 1,000 pounds to Kipnuk.

(Oh my God! Is this jerk giving the Governor credit for the charity shown by the Alaska people and others from around the world? That food arrived DESPITE the efforts of the Governor, not becasue of them. Oh now he has pissed me off!)

The Department of Fish and Game extended the moose-hunting season to allow residents another opportunity to put food on their tables. The Department of Health and Social Services is conducting outreach and signing up eligible individuals for the available cash assistance programs.

The governor and the lieutenant governor have personally visited the region to deliver food aid and provide moral support. They were welcomed with the traditional warmth and appreciation from community residents that rural Alaskans are known and respected for providing.

(Yeah the native people are very hospitable, especially when you avoid the villages that have been complaining about your lack of compassion.)


Looking long-term, state employees from different departments, including myself, heard one strong message when we visited: “We need more jobs.” The unemployment rate in rural Alaska is too high. In response, the Department of Labor and the Department of Fish and Game are looking into ways to increase earning opportunities.

(Do you know what would really help this area? A little of that Federal Stimulus money that is earmarked for Alaska. You know if the Governor does not do something stupid like refuse to take it.)

Department of Labor staff members have been assisting job seekers in Western Alaska for months. To date, they have signed up more than 200 residents from Emmonak, Alakanuk, Kotlik and Nunam Iqua for work search and employment services through the state’s online job bank to help match residents with available jobs and services.

The department will hold a career fair in Emmonak on Monday with numerous employers, including Alaska State Troopers, Association of Village Council Presidents, Westward Seafoods, Golden Alaska, Ocean Beauty and Kwikpak Fisheries. In addition, Gov. Palin is advocating for budget amendments that could lead to increased earnings for residents from the summer and fall chum fisheries.

The administration is also working on a plan to coordinate fuel orders and deliveries with distributors and communities to achieve maximum efficiency for future fuel purchases. For example, if revenue sharing, the “payment in lieu of taxes” and other payments to communities are distributed earlier in the year, orders can possibly be placed to distributors sooner and fuel delivered before rivers ice up and expensive fuel has to be flown in.

The governor, the administration and Alaskans care about rural Alaska and its residents. The state is deploying a wide variety of personnel and approaches to ease the hardships facing those living in rural communities. We are constantly exploring and reviewing options and will remain vigilant to find solutions.

Jesus what a snow job! I wonder how this guy can even write with his lips attached to the Governor's ass like that?

And this pretty much proves that Palin will only appoint people who are completely under her thrall which means that virtually anybody she comes up with to be the new AG or to replace Senator Kim Elton will prove unacceptable to the Alaskan people.

The United States of America waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 times in one month!

According to the May 30, 2005 Bradbury memo, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times in March 2003 and Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times in August 2002.

I am absolutely stunned by this revelation.

I knew we had used torture on these "enemy combatants", but this is so extreme that it seems pathologically sadistic. This is not interrogation, this is punishment! The mind set that allowed this to happen was one of "you hurt us and now we are going to punish you for it".

That is not justice. That is the same mindset that allows the worst dictators in the world to punish everybody who dares to disagree with them.

And how can we possibly trust ANY information that we attained using these techniques? I don't know about you but after 183 times I would confess that I assassinated John F. Kennedy, and I was only three years old at the time.

I am so ashamed of my country over this that it hurts my heart.

We must punish the people that did this! The Obama administration simply cannot let this slide!

I am sorry but if we do not send a message to the world that America is against this type of behavior, and that those who engage in it are punished, than we simply cannot hope to earn back the trust of the rest of world.

Or for that matter the trust of our own citizens.

The Legislative session ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. Which sounds suspiciously like a certain Governor we know.

With the Governor MIA and the opinion of the legislators toward her (on both sides of the aisle) worsening by the minute, the end of session comes today with virtually nothing accomplished.

There was a Saturday blowup when Fairbanks Republican Rep. Mike Kelly objected to appropriating state energy assistance money and suggested people in rural Alaska should cut wood rather than rely on the proposed state aid. Members of the Republican-led majority in the state House later huddled behind closed doors for much of the day, with lawmakers saying there were internal conflicts over personalities, bills that have not moved and what to do about $9 million that Palin wants for pursuing an in-state natural gas pipeline.

There was less drama in the state Senate. But the session is nearing an end with no conclusion in sight to the war that's dragged on for weeks between Palin and Senate Democrats over a vacant Juneau state Senate seat.

The governor's chief of staff sent senators a letter Saturday saying she's standing behind an appointee that's already been rejected and wants to have a meeting about it.

(What did Einstein say about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? It is like he actually met our Governor isn't it?)

Saturday began with a confrontation in the House Finance Committee about what to do in regard to high energy costs in rural Alaska. The Legislature is poised to appropriate $9 million statewide for low-income heating assistance programs to assist. But Fairbanks Rep. Kelly said he thought it was supposed to be a one-time appropriation last year, and state revenues have dropped.

He said there are other programs for people who are needy and "not for any layabouts."

"I'd rather tell the guy, go out there and cut your own wood or do something for yourself. ... I don't know how many of the 200-plus villages have a wood supply within a rock toss, but there's a lot of them because I've been to a lot of them," he said.

"I've been to a lot of them." Well if that were true than this idiot would realize that the area around many of the villages have been picked clean of wood for burning, and if he had bothered to enter some of the homes he may have noticed that some have furnaces that use heating oil or propane exclusively and cannot burn wood in times of need. The dependency on these modern energy sources means that these rural communities cannot easily go back to the way their grandparents dealt with the harsh Alaskan winters.

There's another set of questions about a different $9 million Palin wants to help development of a proposed in-state gas pipeline from the North Slope to Southcentral Alaska.

The governor's request caused a furor this week when House leaders dropped it in the budget to the surprise of their colleagues on the House Finance Committee. Several of the committee members objected that it was the first they'd heard of it and complained that Palin officials never spoke to them.

That $9 million was then pulled from the budget. Most of it is expected to come back today in a different bill. But there is a lot of closed door debate over what restrictions to put on what the governor can do with the money. Some legislators advocate letting Palin do what she wants, but North Pole Republican Rep. John Coghill said confidence in the governor is "so low right now."

Now THAT is an understatement if ever I have heard one.

I don't blame the legislators one bit for not wanting to write the Governor a blank check. We have already seen that her judgement cannot be trusted and that she needs grownups around to help her make the right choices. In this case the legislators must serve as those grownups.

But surely she at least has learned her lesson about who to appoint to the Senate seat from Juneau.

Palin has re-appointed one of her rejected appointees, Tim Grussendorf, and wants a new vote on him. But the Senate Democrats have their own legal opinions from legislative lawyers that says their rejection of Grussendorf was legal.

Sen. Johnny Ellis, D-Anchorage, said there are no plans to vote on Grussendorf again.

"I don't consider it a valid appointment," said Ellis, the Senate majority leader. "He was rejected."

Bad Governor, bad! Stop trying to change the rules to get your way! Learn the rules and follow them. I mean who respects a leader who cannot follow simple guidelines?

I'm sorry I almost forgot that the GOP has a different set of standards than the rest of us. My bad!

Well this Alaskan is very frustrated that the Palin soap opera has rendered the legislature incapable of passing simple laws and that very little was accomplished this session in large part because the interference and lack of respect demonstrated by Sarah Palin.

What does it take to get our state functioning again?


Well there is always that.