A Pugnacious Potpourri of Palin Presentations.

First up we have more tidbits from Jeanne Devon and Ken Morris, co-authors of the book "Blind Allegiance."

Courtesy of Mudflats:  

In writing Blind Allegiance—and even more so after listening to those who reflected on her non-political life—we struggled to understand Sarah’s lack of New Testament virtues including charity, forgiveness, and compassion. The born-again bona fides she swore were at the core of her spiritual life seemed hollow and without substance. Despite Sarah’s pleas to staff and followers to shield her with prayer when she believed evildoers were seeking to do her harm, Frank Bailey suspected that she had a different approach to faith than the one he’d embraced growing up on Kodiak Island. 

For us as authors who read over 50,000 emails and spent two years researching Sarah’s campaign and governorship, we developed more than a suspicion. The only Biblical message that seemed to resonated for the half-governor was from the Old Testament, and Sarah seemed a revisionist at that – rewriting the familiar verse from Exodus as Two eyes for an eye. Our subsequent interviews with those who knew her well confirmed and extended these observations. Blind Allegiance, we were authoritatively told, was, if anything, understated, and the devout images projected publicly were nothing more than a sham. 

One friend of the Palins commented, “I cannot ever remember a religious moment in the house. Ever. I can’t remember hearing a prayer. Ever. Todd rarely would get up and go to church with Sarah. When they did decide to go to church, it was a screaming match. ‘We’ve got to go now!’ Sarah would scream. ‘Get your asses in the car!’ The girls would roll out of bed, no breakfast, hair all messed up. Seemed that there was a lot of swearing.” Mad and stressed out, “Sarah often yelled at her family . . . the kids kind of learned to ignore it because it happened so much.”

Pictures of Sarah and family attending a church service to appear in 3..2..1

For those of us who have been covering Palin lo these many years, this information is quite will known.

Essentially Sister Sarah talked the talk but rarely, if ever, walked the walk.  For her God was a kind of cosmic Santa Claus whose job was to give HER what she wanted. However she was not one to consider herself a servant to ANYONE.  Not even the creator of the universe.

Palin did resort to prayers in times of great difficultly, or intense stress, but once again it was to ASK for something that she needed but NEVER to give thanks for what she already had.

There is more over at Mudflats so click the link to read the rest.

Now let's visit the world of Garry Trudeau to see what he, as one of only three people to read an advance copy of "Going Rogue," has to reveal about Joe's book.

(To read more Doonesbury strips click here to visit Go Comics.)

By the way according to Joe he has NO editorial control over the Doonesbury strips, nor contractual agreement with Trudeau. So for what it is worth he cannot be held accountable for how he, Fox News, or Sarah Palin are portrayed in the comics.

This is what Andrew Sullivan had to say today about the book:

One tiny nugget. Joe McGinniss sent advance copies of his devastating book on Sarah Palin, "The Rogue," to three people: me, Garry Trudeau and Rosanne Cash. Make of that what you will; but that book is unputdownable.

Update: Sullivan also had this to say:

One of the fascinating aspects of the coming Rogue whirlwind will be how the MSM handles it. Can they handle the Palinista blowback? Are they so afraid of being called "liberal"? Will they even note the existence of Chapter 19? 

I am still waiting for my advance copy to arrive so I cannot say with authority that it is "unputdownable," but I have every confidence that it will be a very good book that, despite the unfortunate drama surrounding it, will please many people who have been waiting patiently (Or for some impatiently) for more truth about Snowdrift Snooki revealed to the public at large. As for Chapter 19, I am pretty sure I know exactly what is contained in THAT chapter!

For those who like their information delivered in a more visual medium, there is this great interview from CBC News with Nick Broomfield, that may whet your appetite further in anticipation of his documentary "Sarah Palin: You Betcha!"

I have long said that this fall would be very satisfying for those of us following the saga of Sarah Palin, and I think that so far I have been proven correct. And of course as we know there is still MORE yet to come.

Update: Speaking of pugnacious presentations about Sarah Palin, what do we make of this rather interesting article from the Storm Lake Tribune?

Brenda McVinua was among the Storm Lakers Palin chatted with after the race. McVinua was working as a volunteer in the "chute" near the finish line, and was impressed with the former vice-presidential candidate's form. 

"She wasn't even breathing hard. You could tell she's an athlete. If you didn't know better you would have thought she'd just run around the block once or twice." She reportedly said, "Boy, that was fun," as she crossed the line. 

Really? Ms. McVinau said "She wasn't even breathing hard. If you didn't know any better you would have thought she'd only run around the block once or twice?"

This is a woman who has not run competitively since 2005 and she "wasn't even breathing hard?"Puh-lease!

I know people get really pissed at me for pursuing this story but seriously, who in their right mind believes THIS fairytale?

Joe McGinniss and "The Rogue" get the Doonesbury treatment. Update.

I am a little intrigued with where this story line might go, in light of what happened with Joe and the authors of "Blind Allegiance." However Joe has been urging people to read Doonesbury, so he must have faith it will not show him in an unfavorable light.

By the way let me just say that I used to be a HUGE fan of Doonesbury!  And I mean HUGE!

I got hooked on them after I bought a bunch of the pocketbooks to read on the plane on my way to college. By the time the plane landed in Hawaii, I was hooked!

Hell I even named my cat "Doonesbury." And as much as I usually shun publicity it would absolutely make my decade if I showed up in one of the strips, unlikely as that may be.

Speaking of showing up in one of the strips, check out Trudeau's evisceration of Palin in this one from Sunday.

And since I brought up the authors of Blind Allegiance, I guess I should probably report that there is still some chance that they are planning to sue McGinniss over the leaked manuscript:

One of the three co-authors of a Sarah Palin tell-all said he's weighing his options -- including whether to sue -- over the unauthorized leak of the book's manuscript. 

Ken Morris said he spent tens of thousands of dollars on attorneys to try to fight the leak -- more than he made from "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years." The tell-all by former Palin aide Frank Bailey was also written with blogger Jeanne Devon. The book was eventually published in May though Morris and Devon have said they struggled to find a publisher. 

Rival author Joe McGinniss was accused of helping leak the manuscript in February. McGinniss, a best-selling author, made headlines last year when he moved next door to Palin in Wasilla, Alaska, as he researched his own book, which is due out later this month. 

McGinniss' attorney Dennis Holahan has acknowledged McGinniss sent a copy to media outlets and others in Alaska but said he told them not to reproduce any of it without the authors' permission. A message left for Holahan wasn't immediately returned Friday. 

Bailey's book was published in May though Morris and Devon have said they struggled to find a publisher. Morris said in an interview that he believes tens of thousands of copies of the draft manuscript were downloaded after the leak and said the manuscript became "one of the most Googled stories" in the world. He said he hired attorneys and cease-and-desist orders went to publications and file-share sites.

I know that many of you feel very frustrated at how all of this played out, and yes there is reason to be especially pissed off at certain parties, but I would still discourage any of you from cancelling your pre-orders of "The Rogue."

Joe CAN be a curmudgeonly pain in the ass, but he is ALSO a very fine author, and his book may be perhaps the best, and most damaging, one written about the Grizzled Mama.

Update: It looks like Andrew Sullivan agrees with me about Joe's book.

But having now read Joe McGinniss's "The Rogue," I can safely say that reality is about to re-attach to her. Finally! Some actual, reported, unafraid journalism on this farce of a candidate. Pre-order it now.

Mudflats is a MUST read today. Update: Palin QUITS Iowa speech!

If you have not been there yet, I suggest that you do not delay as it has confirmation of many of the stories about the Palins that we have been hearing for a long time. (Just click here to visit.)

They do not say anything too revelatory about babygate (If Frank actually knows the truth, as has been suggested, then it appears he did not share it, or swore Jeanne and Ken to secrecy), but it does suggest what others in her inner circle thought might be the reason she was so tiny throughout her pregnancy.

The claim that Sarah was never actually pregnant with her special needs child Trig—a widely circulated rumor that became known as “Babygate”—was partially based on Sarah shocking the world by announcing her pregnancy at seven months. Prior to that, nobody had suspected a thing. The revelation was even a surprise to staff, Frank Bailey, and the media. Even State Senator (and, according to Sarah and staff an evil-doer) Lyda Greene incredulously said, “It’s wonderful. She’s very well disguised. When I was five months pregnant, there was absolutely no question that I was with child.” 

How did Sarah manage to hide that pregnancy for so long? That question seemed to defy explanation to all except a small number of personal insiders who expressed alarming speculation. During her pregnancy with Piper (and it was suggested later with Trig), Todd asked a friend whom he thought knew about such matters, “As unhealthy as her eating is, what can those diet pills do to the baby?” 

The friend explained to him, “I’m not sure, but I’d be concerned about having a failure-to-thrive child.” (Failure to thrive is where there is a significant interruption in the expected growth rate during early childhood and can result from malnutrition). Was Sarah so vain as to try and hide her pregnancy and prolong her petite, almost perfect figure through drastic means? It’s a proposition that shocked everyone, including, reportedly, her husband.

This might have been something that was discussed by people with no understanding of pregnancy but as many of you can probably already surmise for yourselves, the diet pills might help to keep most of a soon-to-be-mother's body slim, the baby is still growing inside of her, and it would in fact look even MORE pronounced against an emaciated frame.

And as you can see from these two pictures taken on March 26, 2008, Palin did NOT appear nearly as skinny as we see her today, nor does she appear pregnant. She might have been taking diet pills at this time, but it in NO WAY explains the oddness of the square pillow in her belly.

Nor does it explain how she ballooned up to to her April 13 size in just a few weeks.

However we were to desperately cling to that explanation instead of admitting the truth that should be obvious to everybody who saw her then you would have expected  Trig to have been equally as emaciated when he emerged from his starvation period in the womb, and as you can see by pictures of the child presented as Trig by the Heaths on the day of his "birth" such was not the case.

Like I said, binging and purging, and pounding down diet pills does not adequately explain this bizarre "pregnancy."

I don't know why this is still being trotted out as a possible excuse by people who I am relatively certain do not buy into it, but I think most people, who are NOT trying to protect Palin's birth mythology, are well aware of what the overwhelming evidence demonstrates.

Having said that I still suggest that you head on over to the Mudflats and read the article as it is chock full of information about Todd and Sarah's battles, Sarah's lack of parenting skills, and her crazy mood swings.

Update: Okay I have no reason to think this is related to the Mudflats post, but Palin just quit her September 3, Iowa speech. Courtesy of Politico:

Sarah Palin canceled her Saturday appearance at a tea party rally in Indianola, Iowa, a person close the former Alaska governor told The Wall Street Journal. 

The person cited “continual lying” from event organizers at Tea Party of America, including a recent mixup over whether former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell of Delaware would also speak. 

Okay Sarah Palin quit because of "lying?" Ouch! The irony makes my head hurt!

Please, we all know she quit because the organizers had the audacity to schedule Christine O'Donnell on the same day. Palin lives by the law of the Highlander, "There can be only one!"

Of course on the plus side, there is DEFINITELY an opening for Christine O'Donnell to give a speech, and this time she does no have to worry about being tripped by that nasty old bitch as she walks off stage.

Update 2: Apparently the Teabaggers themselves have NOT been informed that her highness may not be coming. My somewhat educated guess is that SHE does not want to go, but that her "people" are flipping out that she might cancel yet again.

I am interested in how this all plays out, because it sounds to me like Palin might be having one of her manic episodes.

What do you think?  Will she show up, or not?

Ken Morris, co-author of "Blind Allegiance," provides a little more insight into Sarah Palin's bizarre religious convictions.

Author Ken Morris

Courtesy of Truthout:

From the very beginning, Sarah had a plan that God would answer her Jabez-like prayers. And while none of us (Frank, me, and third co-author Jeanne Devon) believe God played any part, amazingly her dream for riches came true; the three of us decided that she’d have been wiser to pray for happiness.

Well documented in Blind Allegiance, Sarah came to relate to yet another Biblical figure, Queen Esther, going so far as to borrow the one-time savior of the Jewish people’s most famous line on several occasions: “If I die, I die.” In our book, we document several emails where the governor (who said repeatedly, “I hate this damn job”) marveled at how God chose her, above all others, for divine purpose. And while Frank was blindly allegiant to a woman he once truly believed was Ronald Reagan in a dress, Sarah was no less blind in her own faith in herself. She became convinced that she had Reagan’s so-called steely spine. She swore publicly that her skin was rhino thick, even to the point of lecturing Hilary Clinton to buck up and adopt Sarah’s ability to take the heat in the political kitchen. Frank and the others who knew the backbone filleted, thin-skinned truth, choked at the words despite continuing to believe in her mission. Not everyone in this world, they rationalized, is self-aware. If this were her only fault, they could live with that.

Unfortunately, this was the least of the character flaws that made her, in Frank’s words, “…not only ill-suited to head a political party or occupy national office, but would lead to a disaster of, well, biblical proportions.”

Sarah was, at best, an Old Testament Christian (an oxymoron since Christianity began with the birth of Christ and the creation of the New Testament). And she was a revisionist at that. An eye for an eye became two eyes for an eye. Eventually she translated that into the belief that any perceived slight deserved nothing less than personal destruction. Even in the case of a man of God, who championed what Sarah claimed was her most cherished principal - the preservation of unborn life - when causing her public embarrassment suffered her wrath. After one of her famous last-minute charity event cancellations (so that she could finish her lacquered biography in time for Christmas sales) even he became a target. She ordered Frank Bailey to do opposition research on this man, searching through sex offender and criminal files, telling Frank, “Find something. He must have something on him that we can use.”

After returning to Alaska from the McCain/Palin defeat, as Blind Allegiance so shockingly documents, Sarah did virtually nothing but attack enemies and work the national media for attention. She pledged to go only on Fox News because they were the only fair and balanced network. Even this week, when Frank Bailey courageously went on Sean Hannity’s show, Fox demonstrated how "fair and balanced" they were when Hannity, in a pique of his own defensiveness, asked Frank, "Okay, what would you ask Sarah if you were me?" Frank said, "Ask her why she broke campaign finance law and illegally coordinated with the Republican Governors Association during the campaign," an event painstakingly documented in our book. Not only did she illegally coordinate we prove, but she blatantly misrepresented that truth in her public statements. What did Sean Hannity do with this little exchange? He edited it out of the interview, and did not tell his viewers they were watching an edited tape he advertised on his website as “Sean battles Frank Bailey over his controversial book about Sarah Palin.” Yeah, Sean Hannity cut it clean out, but left his otherwise nonstop attacks, not allowing Frank to complete his sentences. Is this what journalism has become? Is that what Fox means when they claim to be fair and balanced? For what it is worth, Frank reported to me this morning that he may still be a Fox News conservative, but he is no longer a Sean Hannity conservative. That's progress.

I have long known that Palin's "religious conviction" was only truly felt when she was looking to God for some heavenly support, but at other times used simply to manipulate true believers into supporting her cause. She used her Wasilla congregation to trash opponent John Stein while running for the Mayor of Wasilla, manipulated the religious pro-life proponents to help her shoehorn her way onto the McCain ticket, and often calls on "prayer warriors" to seek divine protection on her behalf from media blow back that results from her ridiculous public statements.

However from everything I have heard about Frank Bailey, he truly IS a very religious person, and it was that shortcut into his heart that Palin used to seduce him into her camp. (Yes, her looks definitely played a part in that seduction as well. But I am not sure that Bailey was aware how much it did until much later on.)

And now poor Bailey is seeing first hand the kind of duplicitous behavior embraced by yet ANOTHER idol of his, Sean Hannity.  I have a feeling that due to these media experiences Frank is undergoing quite the "coming to Jesus moment" right before our eyes.

Which brings me to some good news.

I received confirmation yesterday that Frank IS willing to do an interview with me, and I hope to do that interview sometime next week.

Now before you all get your hopes up, let me tell you that I will NOT be asking if Bailey's opinion on babygate has changed.  As you all know if he were to suggest that his mind had been changed, and that Sarah did not give birth to Trig, it could very well damage his credibility and negatively impact his book sales.

However there are a number of questions about some of his observations that might give us a few more clues.  And there are also some behind the scenes stories that both Frank and I know that will lead to some very interesting new facts being revealed which might make this interview quite juicy indeed.

Anyhow that is currently planned for sometime next week.  If plans change, or for some reason Frank decides to bail, I will let you know.  But I have to say, after the brutal attack he suffered at the hands of Sean Hannity, he cannot be too worried about what I will do.

After all, I'm a nice guy. Right?

McGinniss lawyer responds to the leak of Frank Bailey's book.

From All Around Philly.com:

Dean Steinbeck, an attorney for Bailey and writers Ken Morris and Jeanne Devon, alleged that McGinniss received a copy of the manuscript between Feb. 16 and Feb. 18. In a letter to McGinniss, he said the matter "appears to be no more than that of a jealous author sabotaging a competitor via unlawful and unscrupulous means." A copy of the letter was posted on Devon's blog.

The Anchorage Daily News has reported that it received copies of the manuscript from multiple sources, including McGinniss.

McGinniss' attorney Dennis Holahan, in a letter to Steinbeck dated Tuesday, acknowledges that McGinniss sent a copy of the manuscript "to a few people and media outlets in Alaska, advising them that they should not reproduce any of the manuscript before contacting the authors for permission."

Holahan said the manuscript McGinniss received by e-mail had already been widely disseminated within the publishing world. He said the book agent for Steinbeck's clients, in sending the manuscript around, included no request for confidentiality. Holahan balked at any claim of copyright infringement or alleged attempt by McGinniss to derail a rival project.

"Mr. McGinniss is one of the top investigative journalists in the United States," Holahan wrote in the letter, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press late Tuesday. "He does not waste time trying to eliminate the competition, especially in this case, where the competition does not appear to have the right to publish the material that forms the strongest appeal of the manuscript."

This is not my fight, especially since I have friends on both sides of this conflict, but since I posted the Ken Morris article from Mudflats the other day I felt that I should give both sides the same opportunity to explain their position.

Personally I want all of this resolved so that we can move forward on revealing the truth about Sarah Palin to the widest possible audience.  After all, the true enemy of the Grizzled Mama is not liberals, the media, or book authors.  Her true enemy is simply the truth.

P.S. BTW I want to give a shout out to Regina over at Palingates for demonstrating the kind of ethics that make me so proud of my fellow bloggers.  Thank you Regina!

Sarah Palin's secret Facebook account revealed!

Apparently one of the fun facts revealed in Frank Bailey's manuscript (This one perhaps accidentally) is Sarah Palin's current e-mail address. (Another one?)

The ever vigilant folks over at Wonkette decided to put the e-maill address into Facebook and lo-and-behold "Lou Sarah" was revealed. Here is her Facebook page. (Well here is what it looks like before Palin has it torn down and stomps on her Blackberry for daring to betray her...yet AGAIN!)

Apparently this "Lou Sarah" is also BFF's with Bristol Palin and somebody named "Mary Kay Sheeran" (Wait! Isn't that?).  She also hates her some Obamacare, so obviously there is no real way to be sure THIS is the actual Sarah Palin's secret Facebook account. (I put that last part in there to give the Sea o' Pee a jumping off point as they try to refute this entire discovery. "What? Sarah Palin does NOT have a secret Facebook account!  She would have shared that with us!  Wouldn't she?")

Here is more of the activity by "Lou Sarah" that gives the impression it is written by a 12 year old girl rather than a forty seven year old failed politician.

You know if this were ANYBODY else I would find it almost unbelievable.  But it's Sarah so nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, surprises me anymore.

Please take a moment to head on over to Wonkette and read even more juicy details.

Finished!

I just read the last word on page 456 of the leaked manuscript, and my totally impartial opinon of this potential blockbuster is....  Damn!

There is a lot of amazing and incredibly damaging things in the book as it pertains to Todd and Sarah (It is a close call, but I think Todd comes off a little worse.), and there is the fascinating opportunity to view Sarah Palin at the beginning of her political career through the eyes a self professed "Palin-bot," that all on its own will make this book a must have for those of us who have often wondered "just what is the damn attraction?"

As I type this there are many news sites and blogs taking down their "cut and paste" excerpts from the manuscript in response to the cease and desist letter that they received from the co-authors legal representative, while others are stubbornly putting internet clicks and a temporary increase in  viewership over any possibility of lawsuit.

Believe me I understand the temptation to post huge sections of the manuscript and indulge in an orgy of self congratulations and "I told you so's" as so much in those pages back up almost everything that I maintained was happening behind the scenes. The exhilaration of seeing printed in e-mails what I could only imagine must be happening within the deep dark depths of Palin-land is hard to put into words.

However to do so would risk a possible lawsuit and, more importantly, might potentially impact how quickly this manuscript will get published.  So once again my desire to be FIRST with the breaking news must take a backseat to helping to get this book into the hands of an anxiously waiting public.

To be completely honest I was disappointed that some rather large scandals and incidents that were covered extensively by the blogs and new sites were virtually ignored in the book, but I do understand that this is Frank Bailey's version of what happened and some of the things that WE thought were big deals just did not interest him. (Or else he did not want to relive parts of the timeline that made him particularly uncomfortable.)

However there is ONE very important point repeatedly made about Sarah Palin in this manuscript that I feel the authors would not mind that I share with you.  And that is that this.....


Sarah Palin on "hurt feelings" from Dennis Zaki on Vimeo.

..is absolute bullshit.  In fact Sarah Palin may be one of the MOST thin skinned people on the planet. (Video of Sarah's return to Alaska on November 5, the day after the 2008 election.)

If you thought Sarah Palin was vindictive, you will not be disappointed by this book. 

If you thought the personal mythology about her family was bullshit, this is the book for you.

And if you thought that Sarah Palin uses her looks to get away with everything just shy of murder, this book will make that an absolute certainty.

Another thing that I am going to share as that it is definitely possible that when the finished product finally does hit the bookshelves it may contain quite a lot of new information NOT contained in this leaked manuscript.  So if you believe that it will not get published because it is all over the internet, don't worry about that.  Remember there were 60,000 e-mails, and only a small portion made it into THIS particular version.  There is much more that can still be added.

Cease and Desist order from the attorney representing Frank Bailey, Ken Morris, and Jeanne Devon.

Dear Sir:

I write on behalf of Ken Morris, Frank Bailey and Jeanne Devon (collectively, the “Copyright Owners”). The Copyright Owners are co-owners of the copyright in the unpublished manuscript entitled “Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of our Tumultuous Years” (the “Work”).

Between February 16, 2011 and February 19, 2011 you were the recipient of an unlawfully distributed version of the Work. The Copyright Owners kindly request that you do not violate US copyright law by distributing, coping, reproducing or displaying any portion of the Work. The Copyright Owners are currently assessing their legal position with regards to those parties that violated the copyright in the Work. In an effort to assist the Copyright Owners, we kindly request that you provide exact details as to how you obtained unlawfully distributed copies of the Work and which parties (including names and contact information) sent you the Work

This letter is not intended as, and may not be construed to be, a complete recitation of the facts or circumstances connected with this matter. Furthermore, any statement contained in this letter is not intended as, and may not be construed to be, a waiver or relinquishment of any of the Copyright Owners’ rights or remedies under law, all of which the Copyright Owners hereby expressly reserve.

Please feel free to contact me at (310) 776-0865 or via email at deansteinbeck@bsalawfirm.com to discuss this matter further.
Sincerely,
Dean M. Steinbeck
----
Dean M. Steinbeck
Bonfante Steinbeck
A Professional Law Corporation
http://www.bsalawfirm.com/


I knew this was on its way and personally I am glad that it has arrived.

This has been sent to ALL of us who, without authorization from the owners of the copyright, received this manuscript in our e-mail boxes on Friday.

I have already told you that I planned to comply with the wishes of the authors to NOT disseminate important facts from this manuscript, and except for letting you know that there is nothing relevant about babygate I have kept that word. (By the way I am not considered out of compliance with this Cease and Desist order.)

However as you know there are a number of news sites and blogs that have been putting out large portions of the manuscript without authorization, who WILL be facing some serious repercussions if they continue.

Look believe me when I say I completely understand the desire to read and discuss what is in this wonderful book-to-be, but ALL of us who want to get the truth about Sarah Palin out into the mainstream have to help protect this intellectual property. What is contained in these pages simply MUST make it into the bookstores.

So if you know of a blog, website, or forum that has post a portion or ALL of the manuscript please notify Mr. Steinbeck and let him know.

P.S. I will NOT be providing the name of the person who sent me the manuscript to this attorney.  In all other ways I will be compliant. But you know me, a source is always to be protected.