Facing FEC scrutiny SarahPAC starts doling out money by the shovelful.

Sarah Palin’s political action committee, facing scrutiny from the Federal Election Commission, revealed Monday that it had recently made contributions to a raft of mostly conservative Republicans, including Reps. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell and Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Orrin Hatch of Utah.

Those contributions, some of which were disclosed in a Friday FEC report, combined with earlier donations to the reelection campaigns of Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, brought Palin’s committee, Sarah PAC, to the five-candidate contribution minimum necessary for it to be considered a multi-candidate political action committee under federal rules.That status will enable Sarah PAC to dole out larger contributions to candidates going forward.


I am imagining a Keystone Kop situation with PAC employees running around calling every conservative Republican they can think of and demanding that they take some of their money. "Look just take the money, don't worry about why I am giving it to you, you are a Republican since when do you care where the money comes from?"

Even that won’t necessarily absolve the PAC from penalties, according to an FEC auditor, who wrote “Although the Commission may take further legal action regarding the excessive contribution(s), your prompt action in obtaining a refund and/or redesignating the contribution(s) will be taken into consideration.”

In other words, "Nice try SarahPAC but you still might be up a creek without a paddle". (Which sounds about right for I have long believed that Sarah herself did not quite have both oars in the water. If you get my drift.)

A Palin spokeswoman told POLITICO on Monday that McCain and Murkowski had refunded $200 each to the PAC, reducing its contributions to them to $4,800 each, and that the PAC had given $1,000 each to Bachmann, Blackburn, Graham, Hatch and Portman, as well as $2,500 to McDonnell.

"I need you to give some money back."

"No not you! I need YOU to take some money."

"Not you McCain I need a refund from you."

"No not you Congresswoman Bachmann, you get to keep your money."

"Has anybody been able to get through to Murkowski yet? She owes us a couple of hundred dollars!"

"No not you Senator Graham, you can keep your $1,000. Well at least I THINK you can. Hell I don't know, it is all so damn confusing!"

"Has ANYBODY seen Sarah? Does she even know we still exist?"

Oh yeah, THIS is a tightly run organization.

Bob Poe supports equal rights in Anchorage. Believe it or not that actually sets him apart from other politicians in the state. I know right?

I support equal rights for all people. And I support banning discrimination in Anchorage due solely to someone's sexual orientation. I support a comprehensive equal rights ordinance because it's the right thing to do, period.

Wow! A gubernatorial candidate who supports equal rights and does not go to a fundamentalist church? Gee is it too early to cast my vote?

After the prejudice and oppression that defined the Palin administration it is like a breath of fresh air to finally have somebody running for the office who understands that basic human rights are for ALL humans, not just the ones that look like you, think like you, and go to your church.

And look! Bob even explains his point of view using a thing called "logic":

Anchorage is becoming a real city, perhaps even destined to be the next great West Coast city, but it needs to guard against the attitudes that would hold us back. Anchorage would not be what it is today without the Performing Arts Center, the First Friday art gallery walk, a variety of music venues, Saturday Market, the Dena'ina Center, City Market, or even a downtown disc golf course. All of these are examples of things that make a city better, one that is growing. Being open to new ideas, different lifestyles, new and different ways to embrace life is important to a bright future here. But to get there we need the right attitude first.

I support equal rights for every person because it is the right thing to do. I also support this ordinance because it can help Anchorage attract the talented people it will need to build its future as a great place to live and work for all of us.

I could not have said it better myself, and believe me I tried.

I am not sure who all of the possible candidates for Governor will be as we get closer to election Tuesday, but I have to say that Bob Poe has certainly not been shy to take on the tough issues and expose himself to criticism from those who do not agree with him. And I am sure it will surprise no one to learn that is something I find very admirable.

The last thing I want is some wishy washy, double talking Democrat, who is trying to be all things to all people, to get the nomination this time. I want somebody with chutzpah.

And by the way. I really do know Bob Poe. And I like him.

I think that if you got to know him, you would too.

"Chris Wallace sounds like a teenage girl interviewing the Jonas Brothers." Andrew Sullivan bitchslaps Wallace over Cheney "interview".

When future historians ask how the United States came not only to practice torture but to celebrate it and treat torturers as heroes, a special place in hell among the journalists who embraced and justified it should be reserved for Chris Wallace.

Fox News has been carrying water for the Bush administration and the GOP since their very inception.

I firmly believe that it was a purposeful manipulation of the facts on election night 2000, that kept Al Gore out of the White House. Essentially FOX News "decided" that Bush had won, and the other news networks, afraid of being scooped, followed suit: with some 85% of the votes counted in Florida and Bush leading Gore by more than 100,000 votes, the networks, starting with Fox News, declared that Bush had carried Florida and therefore had been elected President.

EVERYTHING that happened to our country after the election of 2000 can be laid at the doorstep of Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes, and Fox News.

It is well past time that the public and other news agencies stop treating them like they are delivering news to their viewers. What they are delivering is simple propaganda.

I applaud Andrew Sullivan for being courageous enough to call Chris Wallace out on his pandering. We also have Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert you regularly address the obvious manipulations that come out of this network.

I have to wonder when the other news outlets will band together and kick Fox News out of the clubhouse?

Sarah Palin is headed to Hong Kong! Or not. We really don't know yet.

Bill Clinton. Al Gore. Alan Greenspan. Sarah Palin? CLSA, the Hong Kong-based brokerage, announced today that the hockey mom who quit her job as Alaska governor last month will be the keynote speaker at its annual investor conference in September. The CLSA forum is a big deal, having attracted not only Clinton, Gore and Greenspan in the past but also heavyweights like Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Walt Disney boss Michael Eisner and scientist Craig Venter (who founded the Institute for Genomic Research and led the team that sequenced the human genome). In a press release, CLSA (in which France’s Credit Agricole is the major shareholder) boasts that it “consistently sets the benchmark for original and thought-provoking content.”

(And they asked Sarah Palin to speak? The only thought that Palin will provoke is; "What the hell is she talking about? Is that even English")

The press release from CLSA also has this surprising bit of news: The trip to Hong Kong will be Palin’s first trip to this part of the world. “We are delighted that she will make her first visit to Asia to speak at the CLSA Investors’ Forum,” the statement quoted CLSA chairman and CEO Jonathan Slone saying. During last year’s campaign, the governor touted her state’s proximity to (the Asian part of) Russia as proof of her foreign-policy bona fides, so I’m surprised to read that she has never actually been here.

(If they think they are surprised now just imagine how surprised they will be when she doesn't even show up.)

It’s great that Palin finally plans on making it to Asia. However, a word of caution to people hoping to attend CLSA’s forum: According to this story in the Anchorage Daily News, people counting on Palin to be their keynote speaker sometimes get stood up. “Organizers of an Anchorage event that has been billing Sarah Palin for weeks as a star speaker were left scrambling Wednesday after learning that the former governor won’t be there for tonight’s event and claims to have never been asked,” the newspaper reported last Wednesday. “It would be at least the fourth time in recent months that an anticipated Palin speech has fallen through after Palin and her camp disputed they had ever confirmed it. That includes the brouhaha over whether she’d speak at the annual congressional Republican fundraising dinner in Washington, D.C., this summer.”

(Okay gang what do you think the odds of Sarah showing up to this thing are? 3 to 1? 5 to 1? Snowball's chance in hell to 1?)

Might the same thing happen to CLSA? The press release from the brokerage announcing its plans to host Palin doesn’t include any statement from the former veep candidate herself, and there’s no word yet on her Facebook page or her PAC’s website about the Hong Kong gig. Still, CLSA says there’s no reason to be worried. “It’s confirmed,” says Mandy Ho, a CLSA spokesperson. “She will be a speaker at our forum.”

Perhaps we need to introduce CLSA to the Alaska Family Council. I do believe they will have a lot in common pretty soon.

Okay let's just for a moment imagine that Sarah really DOES show up. What will she talk about?

"Gee China, thanks for funding our illegal war in Iraq!"

"Why do you people keep eating your food with sticks? Haven't you invented the spork yet?"

"Why am I always hungry again an hour after I eat takeout from one of your restaurants?"

"Do you know Jackie Chan?"

You know I kind of hope she shows up. It should provide a lot of material for Jon Stewart, David Letterman, and of course this blog.

Glenn Beck is not even pretending not to be a fascist anymore.

I know what you are thinking.

"Gryphen, you totally photoshopped that book cover."

But nope, I did not.

This is the ACTUAL book cover on the front of Glenn Beck's newest literary opus. I kid you not. (Just click the title for proof.)

Your next statement will probably be: "But Gryphen, NOBODY is that crazy!"

And in answer to that I give you The Daily Show and Colbert Report's Best Glenn Beck Moments.

Buckle up kids it is going to be a bumpy ride!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Glenn Beck's Operation
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Glenn-Harried Glenn-Lost
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests

See? Toldja so!

(To see more of Beck's insanity just click the link above.)

Now we have a video which makes understanding health care reform simple. A sort of "Idiot's Guide to Health Care Reform".

There! Now do you get it?

(I have to give a hat tip to my friend Leah L Burton of Theopalinism for finding this clip. If you have never visited her site before I suggest you do so posthaste. It is just filled with interesting facts about Sarah Palin, Dominionism in America, and political skulduggery.)

Just how crazy is local homophobe Jerry Prevo? I thought you would never ask.

Part two



And that my friends is the largest and most powerful church in Anchorage.

NOW do you know what is wrong with my city?

I agree that we need religious freedom in this country. But religious freedom is NOT the freedom to impose YOUR religious beliefs on everybody else. It is the right for ALL religious people to worship based on the tenets and guidelines set forth by their own personal religious faith. Regardless of whether they are Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Taoist, Scientologists, Buddhists, Rastafarians, or even people without a stated religous prederence. It means loving and accepting ALL people. Not just the ones who think and believe like you do.

And by the way, I don't hate God, or Jesus, or Christians. I just don't want them to tell me how to live, how to raise my children, or how to think.

If I wanted to think like they do, I would be sitting next to them on Sunday mornings. But I live in America, and I have something called "freedom", and I am exercising it.

I think it is time to engage the Amber Alert to help locate Sarah Palin.

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the day I spit a mouthful of coffee all over my keyboard after hearing on Morning Joe that Sarah Palin, OUR Sarah Palin, had actually been chosen to run as John McCain's Vice President!

I quickly cursed the 70's and wished I had not eaten that innocent looking sugar cube because surely this must be an LSD flashback. But no, beyond all comprehension this was happening in my real life.

I quickly put up a post declaring that the world was coming to an end, or something like that, and then I just sat back and tried to make my eyes learn to blink again. For most of that day I simply did not know what to think.

Then came the e-mail.

"What do you know about Sarah's last pregnancy?" And the rest is history.

Now one year later McCain has lost his presidential bid, Sarah has resigned as my Governor, many of the questions about her last pregnancy remain unanswered, and she has vanished from the face of the earth.

Wow! Who needs television when you have Sarah Palin? There is more drama in just one day of her life then in six episodes of "The Guiding Light" or "Desperate Housewives".

However the question remains, just where in the hell is she?

Is she in Rhode Island? Or perhaps Montana? Is she in New York being groomed for a FOX talk show? Are she and Todd ensconced in C Street undergoing some intense Christian-based marriage counseling? Is she undergoing some dramatic plastic surgery to make her look more like her idol Carrie Prejean? Or is she actually trying to write her book, with a box of crayons in one hand, and a pocket size thesaurus in the other?

I hate to say this, but I have no freaking idea!

I have asked everybody I know, across the country, to keep an eye out. So far, nothing!

I have heard of two Bigfoot sightings, I found that sock that I was missing, and I think I may have a son I knew nothing about. But no Sarah Palin!

But I guess I should not feel bad, I mean even her own father has no idea where she is right now:

“Sarah’s been out of town for almost a month now,” said Chuck Heath, who is on a campaign swing through Idaho for GOP congressional candidate Vaughn Ward. “I don’t know exactly where she is, but she’s writing her book. She e-mails me quite frequently. She asks, ‘Oh, what happened on June 13, 1978?’ This is material for her book.”

Or, it could mean that her facial peel went too deep and damaged her memory.

Maybe she is wandering a hospital right now trying to remember who she wants to be next, trying to forget she is married to that snowmachine guy, and looking for her Blackberries because the twitching of her thumbs is driving her crazy.

Hey it is just a theory.

Anyhow I task you, the Immoral Minority readers, to find Sarah Palin! Look under rocks, look under bearskins, hell look under Rupert Murdoch! (Perhaps if you listen for the heartbreaking sobs of Meg Stapleton, THAT will give you a lead.)

I don't care how you do it, just find Sarah Palin!

Geoffrey Dunn examines Sarah Palin's Barack Obama fixation. Can you say stalker?

Today marks the one-year anniversary of John McCain's introduction of Sarah Palin to the international stage, in Dayton, Ohio, a political battleground that the Republicans desperately needed for another shot at the White House. They lost Ohio big (by more than 300,000 votes), and they lost the election even bigger--mostly thanks to Palin's erratic, if not downright bizarre, performance as the vice-presidential nominee.

In many ways, it seems longer than a year. Much longer. Palin went back to Alaska, where her life turned into a nasty soap opera. There were revelations from McCain's staff about her behavior on the campaign trail; she was hit with a myriad of ethics charges (some of which, contrary to Palin's claims otherwise, stuck); she bailed on her relationship with the state's legislators and played politics with the federal stimulus plan; she got into a dog fight with Levi Johnston; she began a series of odd Twitterings, replete with a six-part ramble on Mommy Bear; she resigned amid chaos and deception, only to return as a diva on Facebook.

And through it all she has been obsessed with Barack Obama.

I've just returned from Alaska, where I conducted interviews and archival research for a book on Palin, and many of those I spoke to in the Last Frontier, from across the political spectrum, noted that Palin was fixated on Obama. "It's like she's back in high school and someone is more popular than she is," said someone who worked closely with Palin during her 2006 campaign for governor. "It's unnerved her. She can't let it go."

I met Geoffery while he was up here at Shannyn Moore's house. It was on the same night I met Tony "Best Governor ever" Knowles. Some of you may remember when I wrote about it on August 9th.

He is a brilliant man, and his observations about Sarah Palin are dead on.

Please do yourself a favor and click the title to read the entire piece.

Stop! Whatever you are doing stop, and tune into KBYR 700 to listen to Anchorage's fastest rising radio star, Shannyn Moore!

(Shannyn is the one on the right.)

Shannyn is finally receiving some local recognition, having been found to be the SECOND most popular radio personality by the readers of the Anchorage Press. And you know the only reason she got second place is because she is only on two hours per week.

So to rectify the situation the station manager gave her a shiny new additional hour! That's right instead of only getting to listen to the lovely Ms Moore from 5-7 p.m., today you can hear her all the way until 8 p.m.!

WTF? He only gives her one more hour on a Saturday? This is how he takes advantage of her unprecedented popularity? What a tool!

If this guy had half a brain he would fire every other one of his local radio losers, and make it Shannyn Moore, all day, every day. But hey what can you expect from a guy who runs a FOX News radio program?

So why don't all of you tune in and show this guy just how popular Shannyn is, and just how far and wide her fan base extends? That will serve educate this idiot.

What is that you say? You don't get KBYR where you live? Well have no fear my friends for you to can listen to the delightful Shannyn Moore by clicking this link.

And if you want into call the show, and you know that you do, you can reach Shannyn at 907.274.5297.

President Obama eulogizes Senator Ted Kennedy.

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

Sometimes words fail me.

Thankfully there is the poet Dylan Thomas to fill that void far better than I ever could.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Namaste, Senator Kennedy, Namaste.

The Beast asks "Is Sarah Palin too stupid to live?"

Yeah I know it is kind of mean, but it is also hysterical. Would I lie to you?

My favorite line is, “When William Shatner is making fun of the way you talk, you’ve really got a problem.” How true is that?

My friend Phil Munger also has posted a funny video from the Headz Up gang. It features a conversation between the Twitter Quitter and Glenn "Crybaby" Beck. Go check it out.

I am a little disappointed right now because I was all set to sit in a darkened theatre with my favorite movie date, my daughter, and let my mind turn to mush as 3-D images of mayhem were thrown at my eyes from the movie "The Final Destination 3-D". But then she had to cancel because of work.

Yeah I know it is not exactly "Shakespeare in the Park", but hey sometimes I need a cerebral mini-vacation.

Besides I will watch almost ANYTHING as long as it is in 3-D. I might even sit through that "Notebook" movie if they made it jump off of the screen.

Okay maybe 3-D cannot save every movie.

But if you have not seen the movie "Up" in 3-D you are really missing something.

Ted Stevens "Get out of Jail Free" card may not extend to other Republican criminals in Alaska.

The Justice Department has apparently decided to not dismiss charges against convicted legislators Pete Kott and Vic Kohring as it did for U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens earlier this year, and may fight efforts by the men to get new trials.

Stevens was found guilty by a jury of failing to disclose tens of thousands of dollars of gifts from an oil-field contractor and others. But the Justice Department dismissed his charges in April when the trial judge in Washington, D.C., accused prosecutors of misconduct.

Such a ruling has not been made in the cases of Kott and Kohring, convicted in Anchorage in 2007 of taking bribes from the same oil-field contractor, former Veco chief executive Bill Allen, who by then was helping the FBI. In June, with their cases before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Justice Department asked Sedwick to release Kott and Kohring from prison pending a determination of whether the government's failure to fully disclose information about Allen and others had tainted the trials.

Just when Alaskans had finally become convinced that justice had come to the last frontier, Ted Stevens conviction was thrown out.

If Kott and Kohring follow suit, many of us are worried that corruption cases will not be pursued as vigorously as in the past. I mean how satisfying is it to build a case that gets a corrupt politician convicted only to see him walking down the street, a free man, only months later?

And personally that really irritates the snot out of me because one of the biggest crooks in Alaska remains free to this day.

Who am I speaking of? Well Ted's son, Ben Stevens of course. A man who VECO purchased for a measly $243,250. Of course he was paid a little more by Bering Sea Crab Effort Reduction Fund and Adak Fisheries. The only reason I can imagine that the prosecutors have not already had Ben arrested and started his corruption trial is that they fear his case will get thrown out just like his father's. After all they seized evidence against Ben three whole years ago.

So in the name of Alaska justice I certainly hope that both Kott and Kohring end up behind bars very soon so that the Feds be will fired up to go after the rest of the corrupt bastards in this state. And of course who better to start with than Little Lord Fauntleroy himself, Ben Stevens?

Possible job opportunities for spanking new citizen Sarah Palin.

Teaching

Possible classes include:

American Government from 1776 to 1778ish. "After two and a half years government just gets boring, don'tcha know".

Abstinence only birth control. "This class grades on a curve, just because you get knocked up does NOT mean you can't be a future spokesperson."

Underwater salvage. First class will be held at Lake Lucille right off the end of the Palin pier. "Remember anything you find MUST be handed to the instructor and NOT sold to a tabloid."

Learn how to Give a Coherent Interview. Oh never mind. This is a class that Palin is TAKING not teaching.

Social Services

Sarah Palin's Home for Unwed Mothers. "Even my detractors have to agree I have some experience in THIS field."

Sarah Palin's Urban Outreach Program. "My philosophy is that there is no problem so big that a batch of warm tollhouse cookies can't solve it. You betcha!"

Sarah Palin's Crisis Management Response Team. "We will meet once a week and bow our heads in prayer and ask the Lord to send somebody to help those poor unfortunates. Remember God helps those that don't ask the Government to solve their problems. It's in the Bible."

Media

Fox Network's Sarah Palin Hour! Topics include: Make up tips, death panels, parenting through Twitter, fun with pharmaceuticals, moose stew recipe ideas, dressing for success, the racism of Barack Obama, ungrateful children, and many, many more Palin centered topics.

With possible guests Michelle Bachman, Mike Huckabee, Betsy McCaughey, Mark Sanford, Lynn Jenkins, Rod Blagojevich and perhaps a few others whose careers are not already in the toilet.

If you have any more employment ideas for our Twitter Quitter just leave them in the comments section.

As always, have fun.

Even without Sarah Palin's all important first signature the crusade to push the parental consent initiative forward continues.

The Alaskans for Parental Rights campaign began Thursday night, a quest to place the issue of parental consent for minors to have an abortion before Alaska voters.
The event kicked off minus one of the star speakers that had been advertised for weeks -- former Gov. Sarah Palin.

I am fairly sure that the people who visit here are not of one mind on this complicated issue. Personally I have mixed feelings on it myself.

I would certainly not want my daughter to seek an abortion without talking to me first, but I also have no doubt that she would do that very thing. And ultimately, as much as I want to be a grandfather, I would have to leave the decision of what to do with her own body up to her.

In my opinion I simply do not have the right to impose my will on my child. I love my daughter, I do not own my daughter.

However I realize that not everybody parents in the same manner that I do. And this is why Clovis Simon, Vice President of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, says the following:

"The teens that don't bring their parents generally have some pretty extenuating circumstances in their lives, and those are the young women we're especially worried about," said Clover Simon, the Alaska vice president of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest.

Worried, Planned Parenthood says, because those teens often come from abusive homes, and making parental consent to get an abortion won't help.

"You can't mandate parental communication and family communication if it's not already in place when the unplanned pregnancy happens," Simon said. "It isn't going to start because there's a law in place."

Whatever your personal opinions of this topic may be I hope that this statement provides food for thought. Not all parents, nor all families, are created equal.

SarahPAC blames mistakes made in donating to Murkowski and McCain on software. Sarah has taught her people well.

"I think you can say it was sloppiness on my part and my attorney's part," Crawford said, referring to the contributions. "We fouled up there. But it's been fixed." He said SarahPAC's lawyer is Mark Braden of Washington, D.C.

Under federal election law, political action committees can give candidates up to $5,000 per election if they meet certain conditions, including having at least 51 donors and contributing to at least five candidates. For other political action committees, lower limits of $2,400 an election apply. SarahPAC's official multi-candidate designation is in process, so it shouldn't have given $5,000, Crawford acknowledged.

"We jumped the gun," he said.

Translation: "Oops you caught us! Well it was not our fault of course, we were simply overly anxious to pay the hush money to Mccain and to bribe Murkowski not to point out how stupid Sarah's Facebook messages are to the public. Not that the bitch listened to us."

Crawford said SarahPAC uses election software, similar to TurboTax for income taxes, that walks aides through required disclosures. When they filed the mid-year report to the FEC, no violations were noted, so they thought they had done it correctly.

A PAC that brings in this kind of money is too cheap to hire an accountant? Damn! With supporters like these Sarah does not need any enemies.

The FEC wants more information about:

• The work people are being paid to do. The SarahPAC disclosure report used terms including "administrative" and "consulting." Crawford said the FEC wants just another word of explanation, such as clerical, or fundraising.

• Travel. If more than $500 was spent on a trip, payments need to be itemized. Meghan Stapleton, SarahPAC spokeswoman, said travel invoices didn't come in until after the report was filed.

• Fundraising expenses. The FEC wants to know whether the fundraising expenses listed in the report were for specific federal candidates. Crawford said the fundraising was strictly for SarahPAC.

SarahPAC collected nearly $733,000 in donations the first half of 2009 and spent about $276,000, according to the 265-page report.

I still cannot get over how little this PAC was able to collect. If this is all that Palin can attract for her very own PAC how does anybody believe she can be a fundraising tool for other GOP candidates?

And this was BEFORE she became a national laughingstock.

Keith Olbermann lays the smackdown on Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, Governor Sanford, and Quittypants herself, Sarah Palin.

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

So by "great white hope" she meant "they have a bright future"? Wouldn't they be the "great bright hope" then?

Sorry lady, not buying the bullshit.

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

Unemployed Alaska blogger, now THAT is funny!

Hey Governor Sanford is totally stealing Palin's shtick with all that "acting like a victim" thing.

Maybe Van Flein needs to send him a letter.

BTW Christian Finnegan NAILS Sarah Palin's feelings about Alaska.

In about an hour and a half a room full of people are about to become ex-Sarah Palin supporters.

Statement Re: Sarah Palin’s attendance at Aug. 27 events

Alaskans for Parental Rights is looking forward to having former Governor Sarah Palin join us this evening for the kick-off event for our initiative to protect the right of parents to be involved in the abortion decisions of their teenage daughters.

Media reports in the last 24 hours have quoted the Governor’s spokeswoman as saying that Mrs. Palin never committed to attend the event, and that she will not be present this evening.

We have been in regular communications with the Governor’s staff over the last several weeks. We were assured that Governor Palin was personally aware of this evening’s event, and that she twice confirmed her intent to participate.

We look forward to Governor Palin honoring her commitment to attend, and we appreciate her public support of our effort to pass this important voter initiative to protect the rights of parents and the health of teenage girls.

Wow, I almost feel sorry for these simpletons.

I know that they rely more on faith than verifiable evidence , but this is just sad.

She only has two hours on the air once a week, and still Shannyn Moore is the second most popular radio host in Anchorage.

Two years ago you might have said “Shannyn Who?” but this year, Shannyn “Girl from Homer” Moore is in the No. 2 spot for favorite radio personality. Maybe it shows that raw talent (talking for hours without stopping is a talent, right?) can make up for lack of radio experience, at least if you’ve got something to say. Moore’s popularity is remarkable not just because she’s a relative newbie on the radio dial. She also pushes listeners to the left in a state where the push to the right can sometime feel overwhelming. The votes might also surprise radio listeners because at the moment Moore is a little hard to find (She’s Saturday only, 5 to 7 p.m. on AM 700 KBYR).

Just imagine how popular Shannyn will be when they finally giver her the amount of time that she deserves. I believe the term is, "the sky is the limit".

I just hope she does not forget the little people when she is the toast of MSNBC and crushing Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity in the ratings.

While Jerry Prevo and Mayor Dan Sullivan attempt to shackle Anchorage to antiquated prejudices, the country moves forward.

People who were once homosexual but changed their sexual orientation are a protected minority under human rights laws, a District of Columbia judge ruled earlier this summer.

The ruling, which was handed down in June but only brought to light when Washington City Paper reported on it Tuesday, sided against a support group for former homosexuals, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays, in their lawsuit against the National Education Association. But, in siding against the group, the judge stated nonetheless that homosexuals who have changed their sexual orientation to straight are a protected minority under DC’s human rights laws.

Oh come on! You mean that Anchorage cannot yet protect the rights of our gay community, but D.C. is already protecting the rights of people who "were gay", but now not so much?

The move is certain to cause mixed feelings in the gay-rights community, which is generally happy to see human rights involving sexual orientation expanded, but many of whose members reject the notion of homosexuality as something that can be voluntary changed.

“We’re sort of excited for these guys,” writes the Queerty blog. “We think the ex-gay movement is quite bizarre, and the idea of pushing it on young people revolts us. But if rational adults believe they can change their sexuality, or at least deny it, more power to ‘em. And let the law protect their rights the same way we demand it protect ours.”

Seriously? They are so open minded and accepting that they support the rights of people who are trying to undermine their very biology?

I feel like I should walk around my city looking for "whites only" drinking fountains and "no dames allowed" taverns. My calendar says 2009, but my city seems to be caught in a freaking time warp.

How long is Jerry Prevo, and his butt monkey Dan Sullivan, going to be able to deny rights to the citizens of this city? How long will those antiquated ideals prevail with a black man in the White House, MTV on three cable channels, and Ellen Degeneres forcing politicians and celebrities to dance on her show? ("Dance dammit! Dance like your political future and box office depended on it!")

First Sarah Palin made me ashamed of my state, and now Dan Sullivan makes me ashamed of my city. I am goddamn sick and tired of being embarrassed about my home! I want it back!

We have human rights being ignored all over Anchorage right now. Homosexuals are not allowed to express who they are without fear of losing their jobs or homes, native Alaskans are being found dead on our streets, and people are brandishing weapons at peaceful protests. What is happening to Anchorage?

We need to send a message to Mayor Sullivan, Jerry Prevo, and the closed minded morons that support them.

"We are the people of Anchorage, Alaska. We are NOT a place of hate and prejudice, but rather an oasis of love and acceptance. We will accept you whether you love differently, worship differently, or look differently than we do. Here you are safe, valued, and welcome."

Jerry Prevo speaks of hate wrapped in a protective veneer of Christianity. He uses the loving words of Jesus Christ to spew hate at the people he despises and asks his followers to give him money that should be spent on their families to further his hate filled agenda.

It is time for Jerry Prevo and his sycophant Dan Sullivan to go.

Update: Palin is not, repeat not, coming to Anchorage to speak at anti-abortion fundraiser.

It would be at least the fourth time in recent months that an anticipated Palin speech has fallen through after Palin and her camp disputed they had ever confirmed. That includes the brouhaha over if she'd speak at the annual congressional Republican fundraising dinner in Washington D.C. this summer.

Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said Wednesday, in response to inquiries from the Daily News about tonight's event, that "this is the first we have ever heard of a speech." She said Palin is out of state and won't be there.

Stapleton declined to provide details on where Palin is and what she is doing.

Alaska Family Council President Jim Minnerysaid it was news to him when a reporter told him that Stapleton was saying Palin had no knowledge of the speech, which his group has been promoting. He said organizers have been talking to Palin "contacts" for weeks about it.

"All we can do is take people at their word that we've worked with in the past. We've been working for several weeks on the event, promoting it very heavily. It would be a grave disappointment if she doesn't show up but the show will still go on," Minnery said.

He declined to say who the organizers had been speaking to. "I'd just prefer to keep it kind of anonymous right now, especially since you're hearing something that's opposite of what we've been hearing."

Look people, what part of "quitter" don't you understand?

For all of those who deny that the GOP has decided to embrace racism, I give you Rep. Lynn Jenkins.

The Topeka Capitol-Journal reports that freshman Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) told a town hall meeting a week ago that the GOP still had to find a "great white hope."

"Republicans are struggling right now to find the great white hope," said Jenkins. "I suggest to any of you who are concerned about that, who are Republican, there are some great young Republican minds in Washington." As examples, Jenkins mentioned Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

The "great white hope"? Is that to go up against "the horrible black usurper"?

I see a day in the not to distant future when the Republican dress code goes from suit and tie to sheets and pointy hoods.

Well wait maybe the men that Rep. Jenkins referred to are not all lily white Caucasians. I mean have we seen pictures of them?

Pictures of them:

Rep. Eric Cantor, pretty damn white.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

What was that Procol Harum song? "A Whiter Shade of Pale"?

Rep. Paul Ryan.

If you hold him up to the light you can probably see how his internal organs function.

Hey look I have nothing against white guys in the White House. After all I have been voting for the white candidate for thirty years. Of course in my defense that WAS my only choice back then.

And I am certainly not going to chose a candidate simply because he is NOT white. Some of my very best friends are white. Hell I think I might be white.

But don't you think in this more enlightened age, with man in the White House who has finally broken the color barrier, that the GOP would have the common decency not to go all "Klu Klux Klan-ny" on us? But no, instead they freak the hell out and start building crosses and dousing them in gasoline.

It seemed to start with Sarah Palin and those rallies that she held in the south, but like a virus it has now infected the whole of the Republican party. (Isn't it weird that everything bad that has happened lately to the Republican party can be traced back to Sarah Palin? Spooky!)

I simply cannot believe that ALL Republicans are racist, but if they do not quickly get a handle on the people making these statements on their behalf, that will be how they are defined for the next few election cycles. Leaving the rest of us to wonder, whatever happened to the party of Abraham Lincoln?

Here is a list of the top ten reasons NOT to advertise with Glenn Beck. Complete with video goodness.

On the list of things I simply do not understand (and yes such a list exists) is how ANYBODY can take this moron seriously.

He is ignorant, he is arrogant, he is a drama queen, he is a walking bullshit factory, and yet apparently people actually tune in as if he has something worthwhile to say.

If that is not a clear indication of just how poorly our country is educating its citizens then I don't know what is.

Well anyhow take a look at the list and judge for yourselves.

And I apologize for the headache that you will surely suffer from watching this idiot. But sometimes education comes at a price.

If after visiting the site linked to the title you want to help strip this man of his advertisers just visit the Color of Change. They will help you to make a difference.

The Lion has passed.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal lion of the Senate and haunted bearer of the Camelot torch after two of his brothers fell to assassins' bullets, has died at his home in Hyannis Port after battling a brain tumor. He was 77.

We knew it was coming. It is certainly not a surprise. Yet still......

The man who was president on the day that I took my first breath was John F. Kennedy. I have long been enamored of the Kennedy mystique and have read numerous books on the Kennedy presidency and the Kennedy family.

I remember how shocked and angry I was when John Kennedy Jr. died in that plane crash ten years ago. It seemed that no other family had suffered through as much tragedy as this family had suffered. So many great men taken away much too early. Well before they had done the great things that we all knew they were capable of doing.

At the very least we can say that Edward Kennedy was able to make the impact on the world that he wanted to make. He never became President, but his work as a Senator is unparalleled.

And as this quote illustrates he was a man after my own heart.

Thus, the controversy about the Moral Majority arises not only from its views, but from its name - which, in the minds of many, seems to imply that only one set of public policies is moral and only one majority can possibly be right. Edward Kennedy

Thank you AKM for sending me the quote, and thank you Senator Kennedy for all that you have done for the citizens of this country.

Namaste

Is the elusive Sarah Palin about to come out of hiding? Well she is if you believe these people.

Please join Governor
SARAH PALIN
& nationally known conservative
STAR PARKER
Thursday, August 27th
7:30pm
at ChangePoint Church
Anchorage

The Alaskans for Parental Rights campaign was developed to return to parents the right to oversee abortion decisions their underage teenage daughters might be unfortunately considering. Because of an out of touch Alaska Supreme Court and a legislature that has been unable to vote on the issue, Alaska is currently one of only 10 states without a parental notification law on the books. In November of 2007, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that a state law the legislature overwhelmingly passed back in 1997 allowing parents the right to agree or deny abortions their minor teenager daughters might be considering was unconstitutional. Despite parents having to provide consent for ear piercings, tattoos, field trips and even obtaining a simple aspirin in school, children in Alaska can now have abortions without the consent, guidance or even knowledge of their parents.

The goal of the Alaskans for Parental Rights campaign is to obtain at least 32,734 signatures statewide to bring this issue back to the people on the 2010 August Primary Election.

Please join other pro-family, parental rights supporters for a public signing event where Governor Palin will officially become the first petition signer. Star Parker will provide a national perspective on the parental notification issue. Come and join the celebration and to sign the petition yourself!

According to the Family Research Council the mythical creature known as Sarah Palin will emerge from her self imposed (we assume) exile to promote a petition to take away a teenage girl's right to control her own body. Yep that sounds like Sarah to me.

And you know I was told this several days ago by a friend who attends Jerry Prevo's church and I totally dismissed it. If Sarah does make an appearance I have some apologizing to do.

(BTW I need to give a hat tip to Palingates where I found the link that led me to the FRC's website.)

The FEC smells something fishy at SarahPAC. Hell I could have told them that months ago.

In an August 19 letter to SarahPAC, the FEC asked for more information on several irregularities in the PAC's mid-year report -- mostly consisting of failures to itemize on expenditures of certain sizes. In addition, it appears that SarahPAC neglected to properly file as a multi-candidate PAC, and thus made potentially illegal donations to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), with the checks weighing in beyond the limit for a non-multicandidate PAC.

FEC spokesperson Julia Queen could not comment as to the severity or lack thereof, but could only explain the process of how the FEC's report look over all the filings. "If there is an appearance of a possible violation of the Act, the committee has 30 days to respond," said Queen. "And if any committee fails to respond adequately or fails to respond at all, the commission may take additional action, but that would be part of the enforcement process and I'm not allowed to discuss it."

Messages left at SarahPAC were not returned.

The FEC also pointed out that this does not necessarily mean that there is corruption in SarahPAC, it may just mean that they are incompetent. If I were to venture a guess I would say it is probably a little of both.

I don't know if any of you have noticed that Palin essentially seems to have the opposite of the "Midas touch", in that everything she touches turns to shit.

Our state suffered huge setbacks while she was our chief executive, she single handedly derailed the McCain campaign, she has made the GOP look like a boatload of imbeciles, and now her bad juju has infected her very own PAC. Damn!

No wonder Todd sleeps on the couch.

Today is a busy day.

I have quite a full day today so I am not sure when I will be back to post. But let me give you a few things to ponder.

First let me address the question I constantly get about why I just don't post EVERYTHING I know about Sarah Palin, babygate, and other potential scandals.

Though many of you may believe that I am an unimpeachable source and that everything I say is beyond reproach (and by the way thank you for that) the rest of the world does not necessarily share your confidence.

In other words if I post something to this blog that cannot be independently verified by other sources than it is just a rumor and it will be ignored. Now I could go to other, more reliable news outlets, like MSNBC or CNN, and tell them my story. But unless my sources are willing to talk directly to them then once again it will do me no good. And currently they are not.

And I learned a little something with my last explosive post. Even stories that you have been told are about to be published on a given day or time, may not be. There were a few articles that I knew were being written, and interviews about to be given, that have not yet seen the light of day.

There is a lot happening behind the scenes. Some of which I do know, and much I do not know. But before I go forward with another bombshell I am going to make damn sure backup is only a day or so away.

Another question I have been asked is about Thomas Van Flein. Did he pursue legal action?

No, he did not, and I don't believe he ever intended to do so. He was simply trying to intimidate me. When that did not work, according to certain websites, he started working with a couple of less then reputable bloggers, who decided to out me, and then make up lies about me. All of which resulted in a slew of new fans, some journalistic credibility, and a higher profile at my job. (They had no idea what I do and are now big supporters.)

As some of you may know those same tactics are being used to go after other bloggers who are also working to reveal Palin's dirty secrets. Remember as much as you may want to go over and defend your favorite bloggers, please know that these sites make money from an increase in visits. By giving them more hits you also give them more cash.

For some of them picking fights with us is the only way to get anybody to even pay attention to them. Just like Sarah Palin, they want to steal the attention that others have earned legitimately. Do not give them that satisfaction.

I will leave you with the wise words of my friend Shannyn Moore, who leaned over to me in the middle of my very bad week and said, "If you were not over the target, you would not be receiving so much flak".

And how much has the lovely Ms. Moore suffered from the attack that the Palin-bots launched against her? Well I will let this picture tell the story:

So you keep the faith my friends. With your support we can move mountains.

As Fox Mulder might say, "The truth is out there", and you can count on the fact we will reveal it.

Bill Maher on last night's Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

I found this on Huffington Post (thanks Arianna) and decided to post it because:
1) it is funny,
2) It is topical, and
3) I am suffering withdrawals since HBO stopped letting me embed the New Rules segments.



Part two (Warning for those who are overly sensitive about Obama. There are some valid criticisms in this clip.)

Is it possible we will finally see justice?

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

My fervent hope is that the people who gave these orders will be prosecuted and it will not just be the poor saps who followed those orders as in the case of Abu Ghraib.

I wonder what Dick Cheney looks like in a prison jumpsuit?

Sherry Johnston update.

I just got off of the phone with one of my sources and learned that Sherry is doing fine right now.

She is still in jail, but she IS receiving her medication.

The hope is that she will be out and placed under house arrest in the next few weeks. If nothing else comes up of course.

I passed on the words of support that have been expressed on this blog, and asked if there was anything that we could do for Sherry right now. I was told that she was doing fine and did not need anything at this moment.

I am going to see if Sherry will agree to an interview once she gets back home and settled. That could take up to a month or so however.

By the way I also found out that Levi's Vanity Fair interview is due to hit bookstores on September fifth. My understanding is that this will be a good one.

President Obama uses weekly address to debunk the health care reform myths. Again.

This is a battle between vicious lies and complicated truth.

For those of us who take the time to read and educate ourselves concerning these issues the choices are complex but honest.

For those who simply allow themselves to be educated by FOX News, and GOP talking points, the choices are simple and false.

I believe it speaks to a certain intellectual apathy to simply allow your point of view to be shaped by whatever is the most convenient and accessible source of information. I would encourage anybody reading this post, to also look elsewhere for alternative points of view, read what is in the bill being proposed (I know it is long but do your best) , and reach your conclusions based on the combination of information that you have acquired.

As a rule progressives are not worried about the public learning too much, they are instead concerned about them learning too little.

You cannot see it, but I am standing up and clapping right now.

The Justice Department’s ethics office has recommended reversing the Bush administration and reopening nearly a dozen prisoner-abuse cases, potentially exposing Central Intelligence Agency employees and contractors to prosecution for brutal treatment of terrorism suspects, according to a person officially briefed on the matter.

I am very glad that Attorney General Eric Holder has the balls to pursue justice in this matter.

And hopefully this is just the first step toward holding those that damaged the reputation of this country for the last eight years responsible, and making sure they face prosecution for their crimes.

It is time to stop f**king around about health care.

After the last few weeks of watching phony demonstrators disrupt health care town halls to protect the profits of insurance companies, after seeing the elderly frightened by our ex-Governor's lies about 'death panels", and after watching President Obama lose his focus and actually considered taking the public option of of the table, it is time to stop dicking around and to get serious.

If we allow this circus to continue then the anti-health care reform groups will win and the American public will lose. It is that goddamn simply.

So we need to get organized and we need to get organized fast.

If you live in Alaska call or write Senator Begich. Here is his contact information:

Anchorage:
Peterson Tower, Suite 750510 L St
Anchorage, AK, 99501
phone. (907) 271 - 5915
toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 - good only for area code 907 callers, but good everywhere in Alaska
fax. (907) 258 - 9305

Fairbanks:
101 12th Ave, Room 206Fairbanks, AK 99701
phone. (907) 456-0261
fax. (907) 451-7290

Juneau:
One Sealaska Plaza, Suite 308
Mailing Address:P.O. Box 21850Juneau, AK 99802
phone. (907) 586 - 7700
fax. (907) 586 - 7702

(Hat tip to Phil Munger for getting this info together.)

Take a moment to tell Mark Begich how important it is that he support the public option and that you don't want your health care left in the hands of companies who pay their CEO's tens of millions of dollars a year to save money by keeping their customers from getting the medical procedures that they require.

The public option will dramatically bring down the cost of health care across the board and cut into the profit margin for these jackasses, which is the real reason they oppose it so aggressively. If you don't believe me then just read this AP article:

Proponents of a government plan say it could restore a competitive balance and lead to lower costs. For one thing, it wouldn't have to turn a profit.

A study by the Urban Institute public policy center estimated that a public plan could save taxpayers from $224 billion to $400 billion over 10 years by lowering the cost of proposed subsidies for the uninsured, while preserving private coverage for most people.

"Right now, there's no incentive for insurers or big hospital groups to negotiate with each other, because they can pass higher payments on through premiums," said economist Linda Blumberg, co-author of the report. "A public plan would have the leverage to set lower payment rates and get providers to participate at those rates."

"The private plans would come back to the providers and say, 'If you don't negotiate with me, you're going to be left with only the public plan.'" Blumberg continued. "Suddenly, you have a very strong economic incentive for them to negotiate."

You say you don't live in Alaska? Well that is no problem, you can find contact information for your Senator right here. Take a few minutes to tell them just how important it is to you that we really do something about health care in this country. If you have a story about a health care tragedy then perhaps you could share it. You know how these folks like to tell anecdotes about their constituents.

If we do not get this reform passed now there is no telling how long it will take before we will have the opportunity again. And after two strikes WHO in the Democratic party would be wiling to take on such a hot potato again? Nobody, that's who.

So please do yourselves a favor, and the countless Americans that will benefit from our actions today, and make that call/send that e-mail/write that letter. Just think of how proud your children will be that you helped solve one of the biggest problems facing Americans today.

Need some more inspiration? Well then head on over to Celtic Diva's site to watch President Obama talk about health care in a forum organized by the Organization for America. It is powerful stuff indeed.

P.S. Yes I know I did not include Alaska's other Senator Lisa Murkowski in my request for phone calls and e-mails, and that is because I attended her town hall last week in Anchorage and it was clear that she was sticking to the party line and was completely uninterested in doing anything that will upset the health insurance industry. But if you believe that contacting her will help then you can e-mail her here. I guess anything is worth a shot.

Oh and by the way my friends. YES WE CAN!

Sarah Palin: Queen of the Birthers. Is anybody surprised by this?

Public Policy Polling, a liberal pollster, had an interesting idea recently: The firm broke down a national presidential survey it did, separating out the Birthers among the respondents in order to see who their preferred candidate was. The result, if you've been following the Birthers' rhetoric for a while, wasn't too surprising: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was the most popular politician of the four that PPP asked about.


63% of all Americans with a favorable opinion of Sarah Palin are birthers. Same thing with 53% of those who like Gingrich, 50% who view Huckabee positively, and 44% for Romney.

Remember when W. said 'some people call you the elites, I call you my base?' Swap out birthers for elites and you've got the makings of a great Palin speech.

― Alex Koppelman

It sounds like a marriage made in hell doesn't it?

So the people who support Palin are the same ones who believe that the President was born in Kenya, that the plan for health care reform includes slaughterhouses for the elderly, and have no problem believing that the earth is only six thousand years old.

Not exactly a lot of Mensa members in that group are there?

What's killing Anchorage's homeless?

Twelve deaths since May. Twelve.

I have lived in Anchorage my entire life and I cannot remember when we had twelve native Alaskan deaths in Anchorage during a four month period of time. Especially in the summer.

So what is different this year?

The string of homeless deaths has alarmed street people, their advocates and the general public. It's unusual for so many to die outdoors in Anchorage during good weather.

What's killing Anchorage's homeless?

For some, police say it's pretty clear what happened. The first, Stanley Ivey, died from hypothermia, they say. His body was found in the Chester Creek greenbelt May 7 during spring cleanup; while the days were warm, the temperatures dipped below freezing at night in that part of town.

James Lockery was stomped and beaten to death, police say. Douglas Friday was hit by a truck. Danny Wright drowned in Campbell Creek.

Wright had been drinking. A lot.

The common thread is a well-known suspect: alcohol. Four died, at least in part, because of the ravages of hard drinking; the number may grow when all the investigations are complete.

"I think the tragic truth is that in most of the cases, their lifestyle -- they are pretty much killing themselves through their lifestyle and their choices," said Sgt. Slawomir Markiewicz, head of the Anchorage Police Department homicide unit.

Alcoholism has been a problem with the homeless native population in Anchorage for decades. Why would it result in so many deaths this summer?

Some think that perhaps more are dying outdoors this year because of the warmer-than-usual May and June -- in the past maybe they would have been in a shelter or at a friend's house or have gotten a cheap motel room.

Global warming is the cause of so many native deaths? I don't believe it is just that they died outside. Whether inside or outside this is an awful lot of dead people.

Maybe it is more to do with the reduced number of detox centers in town?

Freemon says they are dying because of the "long-term health effects of chronic alcoholism ... the cumulative effect of years of living in unsafe conditions."


Anchorage, she said, is sorely lacking in help. People must wait months for a treatment bed. The number of detox spots in the area has dropped from 35 to 10.

One of the best, the Clitheroe Center had to close up just two years ago after 30 years of providing a place for the native community to get help for alcoholism. Could this be a contributing factor?

But then again maybe I am too far removed from the situation to fairly assess if this is unusual or a cause for worry. What does the native community think of this situation?

The Alaska Native Health Board passed a resolution earlier this month asking Mayor Dan Sullivan to create a task force addressing violence against Alaska Natives. The advocacy group was outraged by the recent case involving a couple accused of beating up a Native man, then posting it on YouTube; by sexual assaults of Native women; by the number of Natives among the homeless dead.

The group "really feels that the violent crimes and the deaths that have happened within Anchorage since May are a grave threat to the health and the welfare of Alaska Native people," said Angel Dotomain, the board president and CEO.

I have to admit I am just as puzzled as the next guy as to what is causing so many native deaths in Anchorage this year. But it appears that the Alaska Native Health Board is on the right track in asking for help from the mayor. I believe this crisis deserves special attention and it falls to Mayor Sullivan to provide it.

He dropped the ball when it came to protecting the rights of the gay community, let's see how he handles this one.

The Palin scandals just keep rolling along.

CONSERVATIVE darling Sarah Palin is suffering a nervous breakdown as her marriage collapses, her family is rocked by crisis and her political career sinks, insiders fear. This week's GLOBE bares all the blockbuster details of the former Alaska governor's secret life. It's must reading for every American.

Usually I am not a fan of the celebrity gossip either, but in Palin's case I feel it is important to keep tabs on what is happening because she still has the ability to energize a very nutty wing of the conservative party.

And by the way they are the target audience for these tabloids. (I mean look, it outs Oprah as a lesbian and talks about NASCAR. How is that not Sarah Palin's demographic?)

And yes I had heard rumors of a breakdown as well, but they were not definitive enough for me to include in my August 1st post. And as far as I know they are still only considered rumors.

But the question as to where Sarah Palin is at this moment is still a mystery.

Sarah Palin's Facebook account is vomiting forth more "information" about the Obama Health Care plan. You know, the one that is not yet written.

Look I don't know whose actual puke this is (I am convinced it is not Sarah Palin's), but I think we can all agree that it IS indeed puke.

I am not going to subject you to the entire message (You can click the title if you are masochistic enough to want to read the entire thing), but I will happily translate it for you. ("Happy" being a relative term of course.)

Paragraph one:

"Due to the fact that I threw that "death panel" bullshit into the equation, and with the help of FOX News and the other stupid GOP Health insurance company ass kissers, the American people are starting to question whether Obama knows what he is doing on health care reform." ("Oooh ladylike high fives for everybody!)

Paragraph two (Okay this one you need to see in its entirety.):

As Governor of Alaska, I learned a little bit about being a target for frivolous suits and complaints (Please, do I really need to footnote that?). (1)I went my whole life without needing a lawyer on speed-dial, but all that changes when you become a target for opportunists and people with no scruples. (2) Our nation’s health care providers have been the targets of similar opportunists for years, and they too have found themselves subjected to false, frivolous, and baseless claims. (3)To quote a former president, “I feel your pain.” (4)

Gryphen's Footnotes:
(1) Look, whoever you are who wrote this, NOBODY believes that Sarah Palin knows how to use footnotes. NOBODY!
(2) You know if Sarah would have had her conscience on speed dial perhaps she would not have needed so much legal advice. I am just saying.
(3) Like being sued for removing the wrong organ, or prescribing the wrong medication, or failing to diagnose a problem that would be obvious to a first year medical student?
4) Isn't that what wife beaters say?

Paragraph four:

" I am arguing against the Obama health care plan, by using a the name of a doctor that nobody knows and who is against the plan, but who is in no way swayed by personal interests." (Dr. Gottlieb, a former official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a practicing internist. He's partner to a firm that invests in health-care companies.) Nuff said.

Paragraph four:

"Hmm if one doctor is good, then clearly two doctors are better. " So she quotes from Doctor Stuart Weinsten who endorsed President Bush's attempts to solve the health care crisis simply by addressing tort reform. I guess that is the only problem that he recognizes in the health care system.

Good choice Sarah!

Paragraph seven:

"Health care reform bad, tort reform good."

Paragraph eight:

Here "Sarah" puts a bunch of question to Obama as to why he does not do things the way that she would. You know as if he would actually listen to freaking thing that her ghost Facebook writer would say on her behalf. "I am relevant dammit, don't you dare ignore me!"

Paragraph nine:

Then "Sarah" goes on to use Alaska and Texas as examples (I can hear the heads of REAL Alaskans exploding all over the state with this comparison) to help illustrate how putting caps on the amount that can be awarded in a lawsuit has reduced the number of malpractice claims. The ghostwriter goes on to say that Alaska's law requiring that the losers in a lawsuit partially pay the winners legal fees has also kept the number of lawsuits down. (One has to wonder just how many valid malpractice lawsuits were never filed for fear of an overwhelming legal expense.)

Paragraph ten: Then she quotes from Governor Rick "Sarah Palin is the face of the Republican party" Perry's opinion. (Is it my turn to scratch your back? Or your turn to scratch mine?) Considering the source it is not worth going into in my opinion.

Paragraph eleven (Okay you need to see this in its entirety as well):

Dr. Weinstein’s research shows that around $200 billion per year could be saved with legal reform. That’s real savings. That’s money that could be used to build roads, schools, or hospitals.

WTF? How does money saved by the medical industry translate into money for new roads and schools? Are the doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies planning to donate their savings?

Okay I am going to have to go lie down right now because just reading this makes my damn head hurt.

I actually hope that the MSM simply ignores this latest message. It is beginning to remind me of the messages that kept coming from Osama Bin Laden when the Bush administration needed us to be scared. We knew THOSE weren't really from him either, but the press felt obligated to give them coverage just in case. I am afraid that the same thing applies here.

Osama=Palin, ooh that ought to piss off her minions.

Sherry Johnston, the pink handcuffs, and her medical emergency.

So what's this deal about hockey-stud Levi Johnston's druggie ma having Sheriff Joe Arpaio's pink handcuffs slapped on her in an Alaska courtroom after pleading guilty for illegally possessing OxyContin, aka, "The Rush Limbaugh Drug"?

"`That's pretty,' Johnston said as a court officer placed pink handcuffs -- a gift from an Arizona sheriff -- around her wrists. Court officers can use their own handcuffs, and the pink ones are a trademark of Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Phoenix's Maricopa County, along with the pink boxer shorts he issues to jail inmates."

So, what, is Arpaio mailing out pink restraints on the county dime now? Not so fast, Joe-bashers. The explanation is a little more mundane. According to Megan Peters, spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, which oversees all court services officers, the cuffs were part of a gift package from some MCSO deputies, who were up in Alaska last year on official business.

Court services officer Pierre Burkett took the deputies fishing in their off time, and as a way of saying thanks, the officers sent Burkett some gifts from Cactus Country, including two pairs of pink handcuffs, an autographed poster of Sheriff Joe, and so on. Burkett uses one set of cuffs. His wife, a detention officer, uses the other set.

End of story? Pretty much.

(To read the rest of this article, just click the title.)

Okay so I guess that answers my question about the pink handcuffs, though I would still like to know just WHO determines which prisoners get the "Pretty in Pink" handcuffs. Is it just females? Is it random? Or is it specifically chosen for those who they want to make an example of?

Well anyhow that is not the most relevant part of this story. Much more relevant is Sherry Johnston's medical condition.

The woman suffers from severe pain due to nerve damage that resulted from surgery that requires, not one, but TWO different mechanical devices to block her pain on a constant basis. Here is the article from ADN:

Johnston said she is being treated for chronic pain by a device installed under her skin in her side that delivers very small amounts of medication directly into her spinal fluid. Another small machine, an "epidural stimulator," is installed on her lower back to block pain.

Now currently Johnston is residing in the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center.

According to my sources they are simply NOT equipped to deal with Sherry Johnston's level of medical need. If she does not have access to her own doctors and her medication she will suffer severe pain that can result in the kind of trauma that could end up killing her.

Now she plead guilty in the hopes that she could serve her sentence in her home and with access to necessary medical treatment. I believe this option is still on the table. But if it is they need to act on it as quickly as possible, because I do not believe that Sherry can last in prison for any extended period of time.

I have read in the comments section that many of you believe that Sherry deserves to be punished for her crimes. And usually I would agree, but there are extenuating circumstances which I hope will come out in the weeks to come.

And let me just add another tidbit for anybody who hopes the Johnston family will stay quiet about Sarah Palin secrets. If this woman ends up dead because of her time in jail, I can guarantee you that both Levi and Mercede will start talking so fast that the reporters will not be able to write it down fast enough. So it is also in Palin's best interest to keep Sherry Johnston alive and comfortable.

As much as I would like to blow this whole thing wide open, I do not want this mother of two to suffer one day of unnecessary pain to make that happen.

Long suppressed CIA report to be released on Monday.

A long-suppressed report by the Central Intelligence Agency's inspector general to be released next week reveals that CIA interrogators staged mock executions as part of the agency's post-9/11 program to detain and question terror suspects, NEWSWEEK has learned.

According to two sources—one who has read a draft of the paper and one who was briefed on it—the report describes how one detainee, suspected USS Cole bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, was threatened with a gun and a power drill during the course of CIA interrogation. According to the sources, who like others quoted in this article asked not to be named while discussing sensitive information, Nashiri's interrogators brandished the gun in an effort to convince him that he was going to be shot. Interrogators also turned on a power drill and held it near him. "The purpose was to scare him into giving [information] up," said one of the sources. A federal law banning the use of torture expressly forbids threatening a detainee with "imminent death."

The report also says, according to the sources, that a mock execution was staged in a room next to a detainee, during which a gunshot was fired in an effort to make the suspect believe that another prisoner had been killed. The inspector general's report alludes to more than one mock execution.

Do you remember when the United States of America was the gold standard for humane treatment of its prisoners? Well if you do then you have undoubtedly received your education about America at war from John Wayne movies. We have never been quite that squeaky clean.

Don't forget we were the country that rounded up its own citizens and placed them into internment camps during World War 2 because they spoke Japanese, and since we did not understand them that was proof positive that they were spies. Okay well SOME of them did not even speak Japanese. But they LOOKED Japanese, and in a time of war that is good enough for the United States of America. Love it, or by God, leave it.

So anyhow we have not been exactly perfect. But compared to most of the other nations in the world we look pretty damn good. Until now that is.

What the Bush administration did in our name has damaged our reputation for generations to come.

Here is Rachel Maddow's take on the report:

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

(BTW clicking the title will take you to the Michael Isikoff Newsweek story that Rachel references.)


This is just the latest piece of evidence that demonstrates the criminality of the Bush administration and the lawlessness that prevailed during their reign.

We have already seen how they ignored good intelligence in favor of the bad to convince Americans to go into an illegal war.

We have seen how they used Terror Alerts to scare Americans into voting for George Bush.

And we now know that they used the U.S. Attorneys office to target Democrats for prosecution on trumped up voter fraud cases for their political gain.

I am sorry, what am I missing here? Is there not enough evidence to launch a full and comprehensive investigation against that criminal regime? What laws did they NOT break, or attempt to break?

I am tired of hearing how hard it will be, or how many scabs it will tear off, or how it will split the country in two. (In case you have not noticed, the country is already split in two.) Those excuses ultimately do not matter. What matters is that our country was treated like an innocent Sorority girl at her first college party. It was lied to, manipulated, verbally abused, horribly violated, stripped of its dignity, and left on the floor of some fraternity surrounded by empty bottles of Jagermiester.

In order for America to reclaim its virtue it MUST bring those that abused it to justice. If we cannot even manage to do that then we certainly do not deserve to call ourselves the greatest country in the world.