Donald Trump to send the National Guard to the Mexican border, but nobody really knows why.

Courtesy of Time:

The Trump administration says it is working with governors to “immediately” deploy the National Guard to combat illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Wednesday that DHS and the Pentagon will be working closely with governors in the affected states. 

She says that deployment will be done as expeditiously as possible and that Guard troops could begin heading to the border as soon as Wednesday night. 

Trump announced his plan to send the military to the border during a meeting with Baltic leaders Tuesday. 

Trump has been frustrated by Congress’ refusal to fund building a wall along the length of the U.S. border as well as an increase in illegal border crossings.

Border crossings are down significantly,  which was also true during Obama's second term, so what exactly is the excuse for sending the national Guard, at a huge cost to taxpayers, to the Mexican border?

Some suggest that Trump is simply irritated that Ann Coulter is calling him out on Twitter.

But if that is true than this decision clearly did nothing to change that.

Are they going to shoot the illegals? Just standing there doesn't do a thing. We need to do what Israel does: immediate detention and removal. https://t.co/byXxDbG2po

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) April 4, 2018

That's right to make the Crypt Keeper's daughter happy you actually have to murder immigrants coming across the border.

There are those arguing that this is nothing new and that both George W. Bush and Barack Obama sent the National Guard to the border.

This is technically true, but the circumstances were different:

Amid a series of protests on both sides of the immigration debate, President Bush sent 6,000 National Guard troops to the southern border in 2006. The troops were deployed to aid U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents while new recruits were being trained and help with the installation of fences and vehicle barriers. They were not, however sent to directly engage in law enforcement activities.

“The United States is not going to militarize the southern border,” Bush said at the time. “Mexico is our neighbor, and our friend. We will continue to work cooperatively to improve security on both sides of the border … to confront common problems like drug trafficking and crime … and to reduce illegal immigration.”

And then during Obama's first term:  

President Barack Obama authorized 1,200 National Guard troops be sent to the Southern Border two years after Jump Start ended in 2010. According to a 2010 report from the New York Times, Obama was facing pressure from lawmakers to boost security at the southern border after a prominent rancher was allegedly killed by a smuggler. During what was known as Operation Phalanx, which lasted about a year, some 14,000 pounds of drugs were seized and 7,000 people were apprehended.

In 2011, the head of Arizona’s National Guard told the Washington Post that his soldiers primarily served as “eyes and ears” at the border. “We don’t chase anybody,” said Maj. Gen. Hugo E. Salazar.

The combined cost of those operations to the taxpayers was a whopping 1.35 billion, and the evidence suggests that neither one made a significant difference.

Bush's seemed to be a show of force to please his supporters, while Obama was more or less boxed in by the death of that rancher.

Trump's decision really appears to be more of a tantrum about not getting his wall than anything else. 

His overriding directive seems to be that if Congress will not let him waste taxpayer money building an unnecessary wall, then dammit he will waste taxpayer money sending the National Guard to the border instead.

White House claims that allegation they planned to use National Guard to round up illegal immigrants was fake news. Media says, "What about this leaked draft proposal to do just that?"

Courtesy of AP: 

The White House distanced itself Friday from a Department of Homeland Security draft proposal to use the National Guard to round up unauthorized immigrants, but lawmakers said the document offers insight into the Trump administration's internal efforts to enact its promised crackdown on illegal immigration. 

Administration officials said the proposal, which called for mobilizing up to 100,000 troops in 11 states, was rejected, and would not be part of plans to carry out President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration policy. 

If implemented, the National Guard idea, contained in an 11-page memo (http://apne.ws/2l1Dj0k ) obtained by The Associated Press, could have led to enforcement action against millions of immigrants living nowhere near the Mexican border. Four states that border on Mexico were included in the proposal — California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas — but it also encompassed seven states contiguous to those four — Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. 

Later White House spokes-liar Sean Spicer condemned this reporting.

Courtesy of Business Insider:

"It is false," the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said, according to a pool report. "It is irresponsible to be saying this. There is no effort at all to round up, to utilize the National Guard to round up illegal immigrants." 

"I wish you guys had asked before you tweeted," Spicer added.

Yeah reporters, why didn't you ask Spicy, instead of running with actual documentation?

Wait, you did?

An AP reporter, however, replied that the wire service had asked the White House for comment multiple times before publishing the report, which was based off of a leaked DHS draft memo. The original AP story notes that neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security responded to requests for comment. 

"AP reached out to the White House repeatedly beginning 24 hours before publishing this story and also asked the Department of Homeland Security for comment prior to publication," the AP's director of media relations told Business Insider. "We stand by our reporting."

Oh and there was also this from the original AP article: 

However, DHS staffers said Thursday that they had been told by colleagues in two DHS departments that the proposal was still being considered as recently as Feb. 10. DHS spokeswoman Gillian Christensen declined to say who wrote the memo, how long it had been under consideration or when it had been rejected.

I think by now you guys know my baseline position on all of this "he said, she said" stuff. 

Since essentially EVERY SINGLE ONE of Trump's spokespeople, campaign staff, and advisers have been caught lying multiple times I simply do not believe a fucking word that comes out of that administration's various pie holes.

If I have to choose between respected news organizations and that bad Melissa McCarthy impersonator, I am going with respected news organizations every time.

So yeah, this administration most DEFINITELY considered using a military force to kick in doors and haul away undocumented workers in this country.

"Truth." I have every intention of watching this movie, and I think perhaps you should as well.

Courtesy of the 5 Minute Movie Guide:

When Mary Mapes a senior Producer at CBS who was responsible for the prestigious 60 Minutes TV Program led by veteran newsman Dan Rather, got wind of a potential story about Bush managing to avoid even his easy stint with the Guard, she started a whole investigation. With the approval of the Network's bosses, and encouraged by Rather, she got together a small very experienced team to check out documents purportedly from the files of Bush's commanding officer, the late Lieutenant Colonel Jerry B Killian that confirmed that Bush had been been AWOL for most of his alleged military service. Mapes had learned that the then-Texas Lieutenant Governor Ben Barnes had admitted making phone calls to get Bush into the Guard, as he claimed to have done for the children of several other influential Texans. The story was that Bush had received preferential treatment in passing over hundreds of applicants to enlist in the Texas Air National Guard in order to avoid being drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam after he had graduated from Yale in 1968. 

When the 60 Minute team had gathered substantial evidence supporting the claims their aired their findings in a special edition of their show, but before Rather and Mapes could even celebrate their major news coup, they were immediately subject to some to some very virulent criticism. It all focused on the actual authenticity of the documents that they had received from Bill Burkett, who was a retired Lt. Colonel with the Guard. Suddenly there was a very aggressive and effective campaign mounted to discredit the entire 60 Minute Team by some very influential and important political figures simply by rubbishing the validity of the evidence. It eventually resulted in Rather prematurely ending his distinguished career in disgrace and ignominy, and Mapes and her entire team being fired.

One of the things that I find fascinating about this whole episode was the revelation that Mary Maples had been in possession of this story back in 2000, BEFORE George W. was ever elected President, and did not pursue it due to the death of her mother.

Just imagine how different the world might have been if this story had come out before Bush was President, and had so many tools to suppress damaging stories at his disposal.

If you are looking for deep background on the allegations made about W's National Guard service, and the aggressive attacks that were launched to discredit Dan Rather and his team, you can visit Who, What, Why and read more about it here and here.

For the record I watched this whole thing unfold and have ALWAYS believed that Dan Rather was completely right in his reporting, and that what happened to him was one of the most shameful things to happen in American journalism.

Joni Ernst defends calling herself a "combat vet" even though she never saw any combat.

Joni Ernst, completely prepared and trained to avoid any combat.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said she is, too, a combat veteran. 

The newly elected Republican lawmaker defended her military service record after a Huffington Post article pointed out that she never came under fire while serving in Iraq and Kuwait more than a decade ago, reported the Omaha World-Herald. 

Ernst led an Iowa Army National Guard transportation company in 2003 and 2004, and the online report suggested the senator is promoting a public misimpression about her military record. 

The report pointed out that Ernst frequently reminded voters and now constituents of her combat veteran status, and she has not corrected others when they suggest she led troops into battle. 

“I am very proud of my service and by law I am defined as a combat veteran,” Ernst said. “I have never once claimed that I have a Combat Action Badge. I have never claimed that I have a Purple Heart. What I have claimed is that I have served in a combat zone.”

Well look now Track Palin has company in completely misrepresenting himself.

Apparently the Veterans of Foreign Affairs defines a "Combat Veteran" as anybody who served in a combat zone, and since George H.W. Bush proclaimed the entire Arabian coast a combat zone in 1991 well.....

You know by that logic I recently discovered that I'm a porn star.

I have actually never been in a porn film of any kind, but I HAVE been in a room where porn was playing. In other words in a "Porn Zone."

So there you go....porn star.

Sarah Palin takes to Facebook to defend Alaska National Guard program and attack the President. Oddly enough not a whisper about the recent sex scandal.

The above graphic was posted on Palin's Facebook page last night along with this post: 

We’re very proud of all our U.S. military forces! That includes our National Guard units, which can't be taken for granted as they're needed more than ever in these tumultuous times. When provided with good leadership, the Guard can always be counted on to complete successful missions and assignments in defense of our nation. All supporters of our military look forward to being encouraged by a President who will respect the Guard and elected officials who will prioritize budgets to strengthen all our fighting forces. Of specific concern is the ratcheting down of units, qualified personnel and equipment, and this particular issue I cite is due acknowledgement by state and national leaders, asap. I look forward to politicians' response to this, as it's coming from the guys carrying the load in the Guard.

Her ghostwriter then links to a letter sent out to various Alaskan politicians, written by former Staff Sergeant Russell Throckmorton, pleading with them to protect the Guard's Long Range Surveillance program as well as C Company which is apparently in charge. 

At the end of the letter Throckmorton writes this: 

C Company has a unique set of capabilities, which are essential to protecting Alaskans. Eliminating LRS could damage the belief in Alaska’s homeland defense, and be detrimental to the Guard’s recruiting and retention efforts.

If you found that you recognized the term "recruiting and retention efforts," that is undoubtedly because of the recent scandals surrounding the unit responsible for recruitment and retention.

However there appears to be no evidence that Throckmorton or C Company are in an way directly involved with that scandal. (Though Throckmorton was involved with an anti-drug program affiliated with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race called, oddly enough, "Stay on Track." Probably just another bizarre coincidence.)

I would imagine that Palin's feigned interest in this program is solely about getting her name attached to a military interest and positioning herself as an advocate for protecting the military against the perception that President Obama plans to gut it and therefore leave America defenseless against, well according to the graphic, the Russians.

However considering the current distrust by many in the state of the Guard due to allegations of rampant incompetence as well as sexual misconduct, it would seem risky for Palin to connect her name to them at this time. Even though it offers her the somewhat vague opportunity to attack the President as well.

After all sexual misconduct and rampant incompetence seem like things from which Palin would strive extra hard to remain distant, for quite a number of reasons.

Military recruiters to return to Anchorage schools after removal in response to sexual misconduct by National Guard.

Superintendent Ed Graff

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch: 

Superintendent Ed Graff suspended all military recruiting indefinitely on Oct. 20, pending review of the program and discussion with recruiters on student safety, reporting protocol and other issues. Graff outlined what meetings military recruiters would have to attend and what paperwork they would have to submit before they would be permitted to return to ASD schools. 

"When students come to school each day, they deserve to be safe and treated with respect by everyone in the building, including visitors," Graff said in a statement. 

Investigative files leaked to the media describe accusations of widespread sexual misconduct among officers in the Alaska Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Battalion, including incidents involving Anchorage students. 

District spokeswoman Heidi Embley said Wednesday the district has received a stack of paperwork from military recruiters that includes answers to questions probing into their training and management. The guard met with Graff last week in an additional meeting to discuss their procedures, she said. 

Embley said Graff has approved the first group of military recruiters to move forward and talk with school principals. The rest should be approved by next week, she said. She would not specify which branches of the military made up the first group. 

"At this point we have no concerns, it's just having an opportunity to review the paperwork," Embley said. 

Yeah well I have concerns, and I certainly don't think that the recruiters should be returned to high school campuses so quickly, or to be honest at all. 

I have never been comfortable with the recruiters plying kids with pizza and sodas while selling them on a job that could see them fighting for their lives on foreign soil.

And even if these kids return in one piece we have now learned that looks can be deceiving as they may be saddled with emotional issues, permanent brain damage from bomb blasts that did not rend their flesh, and PTSD which could make them unemployable and possibly suicidal.

My advice to parents and their teenagers is to steer well clear of these war pimps, and my advise to the superintendent would be to rid our schools forever of even the possibility that these men may physically or sexually assault any of our kids.

What will Superintendent say the next time this happens? Sorry?

In response to lawsuit the state of Alaska did a huge document dump concerning the Alaska National Guard scandal late yesterday. Can you say "redacted?"

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

An initial review of Alaska National Guard-related documents released by the state Friday in response to a media lawsuit shows the Parnell administration received more complaints about the guard than have so far been reported. 

But so many words and paragraphs among the 596 pages of emails and attached documents were redacted by state lawyers and the administration that the significance of some of the correspondence was difficult to discern.

The attorney general’s office made the document dump Friday afternoon in response to a court order in a public records lawsuit brought by Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Public Media. The news organizations sued the state after records requests going back to May were denied or ignored by the governor’s office.

I have only had a little while to go through the e-mails and correspondence, but it is pretty clear that most of what could damage Sean Parnell has been redacted, much like those Sarah Palin e-mails from years ago.

However the one thing that is crystal clear is just how long this problem existed in the Alaska National Guard, and the fact that nothing was really ever done to stop it up until the media started to report on it.

It will take days, if not weeks to go through the entire document dump, and the Alaska Dispatch is asking or help from its readers, so if any of you have the time....

Remember we only have this weekend to find any smoking guns to use against Parnell before Tuesday's election. But hey, no pressure.

Okay I'm sorry but Sarah Palin is DEFINITELY trying to sabotage the Bill Walker/Byron Mallott campaign.

I early made the case, in a somewhat tongue in cheek manner, that Palin had now realized that her endorsements were the kiss of death and THAT was why she was endorsing Bill Walker instead of her former Lt. Governor Sean Parnell.

Yes there are various reasons why she is no longer seeing eye to eye with Parnell, but to endorse his opponent is a rather huge step guaranteed to gin up controversy, and to ultimately help the Parnell campaign. (NOBODY dislikes this woman more than we do.)

However yesterday I think Palin removed any doubt, at least in my eyes, that she is working against Bill Walker and not for him.

Here is her Facebook post from yesterday: 

Alaska Wins With Independence; 

Stepping Aside for the Greater Good Our family is proud to support Bill Walker to lead Alaska! Bill Walker, Byron Mallott, and their families joined with ours and other Alaskans in Todd’s airplane hangar this week in a show of true Alaskan support, complete with a potlatch brimming with salmon, moose, and caribou hors d’oeuvres. Life-long Alaskans Bill and Byron have proven that they truly have our state’s heart and believe in putting Alaska first and ignoring status quo politics that get in the way of Alaska’s destiny. This is refreshing and productive, and Alaska wins when Team Walker wins! This unity ticket came about when winners of their respective primary races selflessly stepped aside for the sake of Alaska! This is rarely done in politics and proves that this strong independent ticket represents an Alaskan-sized heart, putting people over party machine politics and Alaskans over egos. (Now remember Walker is a former Republican, now running as an Independent. And Mallott is the Democrat who won his party's nomination. Neither one of these are the uber-conservative tea party types that Palin typically aligns herself with.)

Bill’s blue collar history and professional experience in practicing law fit perfectly with policies to move our state forward by developing our abundant natural resources. He and Byron are proven fiscal conservatives who know state government’s recent practice of deficit spending will halt development and make us dependent on a dysfunctional federal government. (While Walker/Mallot are in favor of protecting Alaska's sovereignty (All Alaskan politicians have to say that.) They are not anti-government types and have no problem working with the federal government. In fact once elected Walker intends to allow the Obamacare Medicaid expansion that Parnell adamantly fought against.)

The Last Frontier’s destiny as the nation’s leader in energy development, which will lead to Alaskan independence while helping secure our union, can only be fulfilled with decisive leadership that puts our residents first. The ability to move us forward by empowering a thriving private sector takes unifying action. Too many long-awaited projects and challenges – like the National Guard scandal – are made worse because of indecisive leadership, and that’s debilitating. We can’t afford to put development on the back burner while other states and nations surpass our opportunities, and we can’t sweep ethics problems under the table. (Okay now using the National Guard scandal against Parnell is perfectly reasonable for Walker, but it freaking started under the Palin administration. SHE was the one to first turn a blind eye. As a matter of fact there is a new political ad featuring Parnell's wife that makes that case.)

Unfortunately, in desperation to halt Team Walker’s momentum, lies are running rampant. Sadly, one such lie is about their faith. Don’t believe the million dollar Outside money ads perpetuating misrepresentations; just ask the guys themselves where they stand. For example, on the issue of respecting a culture of life, a pro-family group is grossly misrepresenting Bill’s position. He is unapologetically pro-life. Groups, individuals, and incumbent politicians telling you otherwise are untruthful, and that says everything about their character. Shame on people who know better and are in positions to counter lies but turn a blind eye instead. This kind of politics of personal destruction is why our country is hurting; adding to the pain are attempts here in Alaska to destroy a good man. Participants in this do not deserve your support. (Bringing up the fact that Walker is pro-life is NOT going to do him any favors with the Democrats and Independents he needs to win this election, and that is why it is not mentioned on his site. By bringing this up now all Palin is doing is making those who are firmly on Walker's side reevaluate their decision. And it will certainly NOT bring one Parnell voter over to Walker's side and she knows it!)

I’m proud of the ethics reform my administration ushered in, and I know Bill and Byron will re-start and build on that with an independent spirit beholden only to the people of Alaska, not to any political party. Nothing’s been handed to these guys. They’ve worked alongside us all over the state in true Alaskan spirit and know the value of a good job. They want that for every Alaskan family! So our diverse family, enjoying years of connections with both candidates, take a stand for Bill and Byron’s unity team. It’s time to get our state back on track to fiscal discipline so we can grow with the surplus Alaska had enjoyed under my administration. (See? She is essentially saying that Walker and Mallott will continue the work started by HER administration. She might as well have hired a contract killer and put a hit out on them instead. Same result.)

Please support Walker/Mallott on November 4th. Alaska First! It’s time. 

- Sarah Palin 

And there you have it.

There is NO way that Palin does not know what this will do to Bill Walker and his campaign.

By the way if she is so gung-ho about giving out endorsements in Alaska, then where is Dan Sullivan's?

No, she knows exactly what she is doing.

Withering under public scrutiny over the Alaska National Guard scandal, Sean Parnell decides it's time to hide behind his wife's skirt.

Today Sandy Parnell, Sean's very private wife, has decided to come out of the shadows to protect her incredibly disappointing husband.

Here is a portion courtesy of Alaska Dispatch: 

We’re all deeply concerned about the revelations of wrong-doing coming from the guard -- for the victims, for the men and women of the rank-and-file, and for our state. The terrible actions of a few, with the failure we’ve seen within the guard’s top ranks, are unforgivable. Our guard members and their families do incredible work on behalf of Alaskans, and they deserve better. 

I was with my husband, Sean, when he got the call in February with concrete information that called the Alaska guard command into question. Sean immediately called the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations (OCI). 

Sean was very frustrated, but I saw grim determination, too. The report he received on the phone that day was in sharp contrast to what he was being told by guard leadership, and my husband was committed to getting to the bottom of this. 

I am thankful that the bureau’s OCI responded so quickly and so professionally when my husband called for this independent, outside investigation. The insinuation by some that Sean would not take action is wrong. That is not who my husband is, and that’s not what I have seen him do. He took action, immediately, every time. When he got the facts, he acted. With every specific allegation of assault, he followed up personally.

Sadly that does not line up with what we have been told about Parnell's response to this crisis.

Earlier this month the Dispatch reported that: 

The record shows that Parnell took nearly his entire four-year term to remove officials at the top of the guard and its related civilian department. 

Parnell, officially the guard’s civilian commander, has acknowledged receiving complaints about deeply entrenched problems within guard leadership starting in 2010, but he said they lacked specifics. 

The problems didn’t go away. More than three years later, on Feb. 28, Parnell called for help from the Pentagon. 

Nor does it line up with statements made by  State Senator Fred Dyson who said the following:“I three times went to Sean and said: "You need to get on top of this and do something,’ and his response was, ‘I’ve done everything asked of me and every charge that has been brought has been referred to law enforcement. What more should I do?’ I said, ‘You need to be in charge of this and there’s more stuff, including an atmosphere that allows this stuff to go forward.”

No as much as Sandy Parnell might want to rescue her husband from his lack of leadership and inability to protect the soldiers under his command, this is a crisis of his own creation.

And having your wife come out to defend you and claim you were doing your job, how pathetic is that?

No wonder even Sarah Palin has endorsed his opponent.

In wake of National Guard scandal Anchorage school district bans military recruiters indefinitely.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

On the heels of scathing allegations of sexual and other misconduct against officers in the Alaska Army National Guard, the Anchorage School District has halted all military recruiting at its schools indefinitely, according to Heidi Embley, district spokeswoman. 

Ed Graff, district superintendent, started alerting all branches of the military Monday that they could no longer recruit on school property until they met individually with Graff to "discuss student safety and other issues," Embley said. 

Embley said Graff's action came in the wake of media reports on leaked investigative files that describe sexual misconduct in the Alaska Army National Guard, some accounts involving high school students. 

According to the files, a former student at Dimond High School in Anchorage said that an officer repeatedly asked her out on dates. The woman said that the officer told her she was pretty and that her eyes “stunned” him. When he tried to take her to his home, she jumped out of the car and used a stranger’s phone to call her father for help. 

Two other former Dimond High students said the same officer invited them to parties where there would be alcohol. They were underage. A sergeant said the officer bragged about having sex with several people, including a high school student, according to the files prepared between 2010 and 2014.

The Alaska National Guard expressed disappointment in the school district and claims to have replaced all the bad apples, but it is really hard to blame the school district for demonstrating caution.

Besides I actually think that it would be a great thing is recruiters were simply kept out of high school from now on. It was one of the worst features of the No Child Left Behind Act and I think it is time for it to come to an end.

Alaska National Guard scandal breaks nationally. About damn time!

Image courtesy of the Anchorage Press

So late yesterday I started to receive links from all of you to stories about the AK National Guard scandals.

I have no idea if this is the result of my request for all of you to spread it far and wide or not, and it really doesn't matter. All that matters is that now it is starting to get coverage in news outlets NOT centered inside of Alaska. And that is very good news indeed.

First there is one of my favorite news outlets Raw Story:  

A top commander for the Alaska National Guard was recommended for “other than honorable” discharge earlier this year following an investigation that found he allowed recruiters to sexually assault and harass women. 

Lt. Col. Joseph Lawendowski failed to act on multiple complaints of serious misconduct, including rape, against four noncommissioned officers under his command, according to an Army investigation.

The article links directly to the Anchorage Press, who I absolutely believe should be getting the lion's share of the credit for their incredible coverage of this scandal.

Next up there is RT.com:

 Several leaked documents show that the Alaska National Guard's leadership supported a culture of sexual assault, theft and smuggling. The released reports coincide with the state's contentious gubernatorial election. 

The May 3 Army Regulation 15-6 (AR) report obtained by The Anchorage Press alleges that Lt. Col. Joseph Lawendowski, who joined the Alaska National Guard (ANG) in 2003, promoted steroid use by recruiters, used government vehicles for strip club outings, and possibly used government-issued credit cards for improper purchases when he led the command from 2008-2009. He also created a workplace environment where three male officers – Jarret Carson, John Nieves and Shannon Tallent – repeatedly violated regulations by having consensual sex with women while working.

Once again, as you can see, the Anchorage Press is credited with much of the reporting.

And finally we have Wonkette:  

Wonkette would like to give a hearty welcome to Lt. Col. Joseph R. Lawendowski, our daily (hourly?) “He seems nice” contestant. 

Lt. Col. Lawendowski is a rough tough military man and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training of the Alaska National Guard. Please note the use of present tense there, which is rather surprising, given that military investigators submitted a confidential report (an “AR 15-6” in military terms, not to be mistaken for the similarly named semiautomatic rifle) back in March and leaked to the Anchorage Press. 

The Press says Lawendowski was found “directly responsible for empowering Alaska guard recruiters to sexually assault and harass female soldiers, recruits and civilians.” The report recommended that he be given an “other than honorable” discharge for his role in allowing some seriously bizarre misbehavior by recruiters when he served as commander of the Alaska Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion (RRB) from November 2007 to May 2012. Also, too, the growing scandal could very well spill over into the 2014 Alaska governor’s race, since there are questions about Gov. Sean Parnell’s knowledge of the mess — the usual what did he know and when did he know it stuff. 

Gotta love Wonkette!

You probably could not help but notice that, while also giving credit to the Anchorage Press, Wonkette drew a line right back to Governor Parnell as well.

The other articles made that connection too, as of course they all should.

I actually watched quite a bit of cable news yesterday hoping this would get some coverage but so far I have not seen any.

We NEED to help make this a story that simply cannot be ignored.

I think once they get their hands on it, the national media will have a hard time letting it go.

And that is not only good for Alaskans, but that is good for everybody.

The Anchorage Press, which is way ahead of other Alaska journalists, has a new article which outlines some of the despicable behavior by Alaska National Guard recruiters.

The Anchorage Press managed to get their hands on a military investigation report that lays out sexual abuse, rape, and intimidation engaged in by three Alaska National Guard recruiters nicknamed the "Three Headed Monster." Which included Sgt. Jarrett Carson, Master Sgt. John Nieves, and Sgt. 1st Class Shannon Tallant.

I will warn you ahead of time that this is not for the faint of heart.

Here are but a few of the finding of the investigation:

Carson, Nieves and Tallant, all three married at the time, habitually violated military regulations by having consensual sex with women they met in their official roles as recruiters, as well as with fellow soldiers, including subordinates. Numerous liaisons took place in the “back room” of a National Guard recruiting office inside the Dimond Center shopping mall, and inside marked Alaska National Guard recruiting SUVs. One woman told investigators that in the spring of 2011, she went to the shopping mall recruiting office not long after graduating high school to inquire about joining the Guard. She said that Carson, who was 35 years old at the time, “threw her over the desk” and had sex with her, though she described the encounter as consensual. 

According to a summary of investigative findings in one AR 15-6 report, in December 2010 Nieves raped the younger sister of a soldier that he had recruited to join the Guard three years prior. According to the report, Nieves, then 35 years old, physically forced the 19-year-old woman to have sex with him after threatening to ruin her brother’s military career if she rejected his advances.

Tallant boasted to fellow soldiers of having sex with a high school girl he met at Dimond High School through a JROTC program. Three former Dimond High School female JROTC cadets told military investigators that from 2007 to 2009, during their freshmen through junior years of high school, Tallant repeatedly asked them out on dates and offered them alcohol. One former cadet said that Tallant “talked about Jägermeister and Jäger Bombs and Southern Comfort, which could be mixed with pineapple juice so that one couldn’t taste the alcohol,” and that when she visited him at the Dimond Center recruiting office, “he would try to talk her into the ‘back room,’ which housed the recruiting giveaways such as T-shirts and water bottles.” A second former cadet said that when she was a freshman in high school, Tallant offered to give her a ride home after school. Once she was inside his car, she told a military investigator, Tallant announced they were going to his house instead. The girl “told SFC Tallant that she wanted to go home because her mother was probably looking for her,” according to an AR 15-6 report. “Tallant countered that it would only take about five minutes. When SFC Tallant stopped at a stop sign she jumped out of the car. SFC Tallant tried to convince her to get back in his car but she ran off and used a stranger’s phone to call her father for a ride.” 

Tallant was the Non Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of an Alaska Army National Guard recruiting “mobile events team” that officially represented the guard at the 2008 Arctic Man winter sports festival. The recruiters traveled to Arctic Man in Alaska National Guard RVs. Investigators found that “from the moment they arrived excessive drinking and partying were accepted and encouraged by SFC Tallant.” A female Alaska National Guard recruiter who served under Tallant and was assigned to the mobile events team at Arctic Man turned 19 during the four-day festival. According to an AR 15-6 report, Tallant, who was 34 years old at the time, sexually assaulted her twice inside a guard RV after she became so intoxicated that she passed out the night of her birthday. 

During a 2008 recruiting event at a lodge in the Copper River Basin, several recruiters serving under Tallant witnessed him persuading a civilian woman in a bar to “drink more alcoholic beverages than it appeared she wanted to,” until the woman “seemed drugged, not responsive, loose, incoherent and clumsy.” According to witnesses cited in an AR 15-6 report, Tallant pulled the woman into an Alaska National Guard RV and fondled her while she was unconscious. “The victim was asleep while this was happening, but at some points she would make efforts to have him stop before falling back into an unconscious state,” the report states. Military investigators found that Tallant then directed soldiers under his command to “stand lookout” while he pulled the woman into a bedroom behind an “accordion door” inside the guard RV. One soldier told investigators the RV soon began to rock and he heard Tallant making sounds “consistent with intercourse.” 

During a 2009 recruiting trip to Clam Gulch, a woman that Tallant had recently met during a military recruiting event at ThursdayNight at the Fights in Anchorage “showed up to party with SFC Tallant.” According to military witnesses, “Tallant strongly insisted that she drink alcoholic beverages. At times SFC Tallant seemed forceful in making the woman drink.” One witness, who at the time was a Sergeant serving under Tallant in the recruiting battalion, told investigators that Tallant at one point in the evening ordered him to go purchase more liquor at a liquor store, and to hide the woman’s car keys so that she couldn’t leave. The Sergeant did not hide the keys well because “he wanted the woman to leave for her own safety,” the report states. When the woman found her keys, Tallant ordered the Sergeant under his command to let the air out of her tires, which the Sergeant did, after first requesting that Tallant repeat the order. Upon returning from the liquor store, the Sergeant said, he offered to give the woman a ride home. “Tallant said she was not going anywhere,” the report states. “That night, the Sergeant woke up to find Tallant having sex with the woman. The woman did not seem to be enjoying herself.” 

I have to tell you that reading this article from the Anchorage Press quite literally left me shaken.That this has been going on for so long, and our Governor knew about it and did NOTHING, is beyond reprehensible.

This story deserves national attention and I urge all of you to promote it until it receives exactly that.

When scandals collide. A little vindication for Shailey Tripp.

I have been covering Shailey Tripp's story since early 2011. I even conducted the first on the record interview.

I followed numerous leads provided by Shailey, and even introduced her to Joe McGinniss, but could only get so far before I would hit a brick wall. The same has happened with others who have pursued the story of Shailey and Todd Palin.

That is not to say that what Shailey has claimed is not true, and in fact much of what she has said has been supported by facts. Just that there were numerous obstacles placed in the way of anybody who tried to dig too far into the story.

So after many of the leads grew cold I moved onto other topics and other sources, while Malia Litman and other bloggers took the lead on Shailey's story.

However just recently new information that lends new credibility to Shailey's amazing story has emerged.

You might remember this from that Anchorage Press article:  

A former pornography company owner and co-founder of an “end times” fundamentalist group who joined the Alaska National Guard in 2003 is now the guard’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training, despite military investigators finding him directly responsible for empowering Alaska guard recruiters to sexually assault and harass female soldiers, recruits and civilians. 

Lt. Col. Joseph R. Lawendowski, 46, was recommended for “other than honorable” discharge in a confidential report that military investigators submitted to high-ranking Alaska National Guard officers on March 3 of this year. The findings of this “AR 15-6” report were not released to the public. (AR 15-6 refers to Army Regulation 15-6, covering the investigation of misconduct by officers.) 

The March 3 report finds that Lawendowski failed to act on multiple complaints of serious misconduct, including sexual assault, against four senior noncommissioned officers under his command. The report covers the period from November 2007 to May 2012 when Lawendowski was commander of the Alaska Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion (RRB). 

What is interesting is that Lawendowski's name popped up over a year ago in an online archive of  information about Shailey Tripp's case.  Specifically right here:

Joseph Lawendowski 

- several men under his command saw Shailey Tripp for sexual services
 - knows Todd Palin through the Iron Dog.

That last part is confirmed a little further down in the Anchorage Press article:

The investigators also found that Lawendowski had condoned and furthered illegal steroid use by RRB personnel, and had violated National Guard codes of conduct on multiple occasions. These included using government vehicles for outings to strip clubs, and Lawendowski being publicly intoxicated at the 2012 Iron Dog Race after-party. (Lawendowski arranged for the Alaska National Guard to become the presenting sponsor of the Iron Dog snowmobile race beginning in 2010. According to the AR 15-6 report, he improperly exchanged more than 10,000 text messages with a female Iron Dog employee during sponsorship negotiations in April and May 2010.)

A connection to Shailey Tripp AND to the Iron Dog?

Look I am not one who does not think that coincidences are possible, but THIS one?

How could Shailey possibly know the name of a Lieutenant Colonel in the Alaska National Guard, who coincidentally once owned a porno company, was directly responsible for some of the sexual assault happening under his command, frequented strip clubs, AND had a connection to the Iron Dog race, if not through Todd Palin?

If any of you have a better answer I am certainly interested in hearing it.

Former National Guard member says that he blew the whistle on the scandals seven years ago but nobody would listen.

Sarah Palin with Alaska National Guard troops during her time as Governor.

Courtesy of KTUU:

A former Alaska National Guard member said he blew the whistle to his chain of command more than seven years before the federal Department of Defense's Office of Complex Investigations issued a report in September detailing allegations of sexual assault, abuse of power and cover-ups. 

"What I found out is we were paying for products more than once," Blaylock said. "We only had one product for advertising, and yet we were paying for it more than twice. The money was going somewhere it didn't need to go to." 

Blaylock said in 2007, he alerted Catherine Jorgensen, who was then the Guard's deputy chief of staff and personnel, and Gen. Tom Katkus, before he was promoted to adjutant general, that he was suspicious of soldiers using money from the recruiting and retention account. 

After raising concerns to his chain of command, Blaylock said he was reassigned to another unit. 

He also began hearing from fellow Guardsmen and Guardswomen about other problems. 

"When the first sexual assault victims started talking to me, it wasn't like they were just coming forward, saying they had been raped," Blaylock said. "It wasn't like they said, 'Hey, sir, I've been raped.' They were just talking. They wanted to talk and tell someone about it. They would tell me bits and pieces, but never quite get to the point. When I finally went back and there were four of them one right after the other, I confronted them, just asked them: 'Were you raped?' They said yes. And I said, 'Was it by someone in the National Guard?' (They said) 'Yes.'" 

"Many of them told me they had tried to talk to law enforcement in the past and nothing had happened," said Blaylock.

It is incredible that not only were they ignored by the National Guard, but that even other law enforcement in Alaska failed to take them seriously or move to protect them.

Blaylock said that he tried to repeatedly to get somebody in his chain of command to take him seriously but that it failed him, and that he was not taken seriously until he stepped outside that chain of command and reported his concerns to Department of Defense National Guard Bureau.

This is how he claims he was treated by his superiors:

"I was labeled a crackpot by General Katkus," Blaylock said. "Essentially, anything I tried to bring forward after that was muddied because my name was attached to it. I had a lot of people who basically wouldn't talk to me, including in law enforcement."

Boy that certainly sounds familiar. 

Well now this is absolutely being noticed in the national media, and I have to say that this does not look good for a certain Alaska Governor.

Alaska Dispatch sues Governor Parnell to force release of records concerning National Guard scandal.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

Alaska Dispatch News sued Gov. Sean Parnell on Wednesday, asking a judge to force the governor’s office to release public records related to the ongoing scandal within the Alaska National Guard. 

The news organization, along with its co-plaintiff Alaska Public Media, claims the governor’s office has been wrongly denying public records requests that could help voters verify whether Parnell acted swiftly in dealing with numerous allegations about mishandled sexual assaults, harassment, fraud, favoritism and other misconduct, including abuse of power, within the guard over the past several years. 

The two media outlets made the decision to sue after public records requests by their reporters were met with long delays and ultimately rejected by Randal Ruaro, the policy director and special counsel in the governor’s office, in broad-sweeping denial letters. 

ADN and Alaska Public Media are asking a judge for an expedited hearing on the matter, given the Nov. 4 election is less than a month away.

Well good for them!

I am glad that some Alaska news agencies are finally standing up to politicians and doing their jobs.

I think we all have a feeling that Parnell is covering something up and if the Dispatch is successful here it may have a significant impact on not only the Governor's race this November, but other elections in the state as well.

The Alaska Dispatch is not alone in wanting to know more about the National Guard scandal. In fact the Anchorage Press, which has a much smaller operating budget was able to dig up some interesting dirt on the Deputy Chief of Staff, pornographic websites, and ties to the Iron Dog.  (Did I just hear Todd Palin shift uncomfortably in his chair?)

Now see this is why bloggers sometimes get frustrated. We simply do not have the resources to sue administrations and powerful organizations for documentation, or spend hours a day following leads, and therefore can only rely on our networking abilities and reputations to help persuade sources to disclose important information to us.

But damn, if I had deep pockets and an attorney on retainer? Whoa Nelly!

Sean Parnell requests resignation of civilian deputy commissioner for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Sarah Palin with McHugh Pierre.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch: McHugh Pierre, civilian deputy commissioner for the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, has resigned at the request of Gov. Sean Parnell, according to a spokesperson for the governor. 

"The Office of the Governor requested his resignation this week," Parnell spokesperson Sharon Leighow said in an email Thursday evening. 

Pierre's departure comes as his close affiliation with Alaska National Guard commander Maj. Gen. Thomas Katkus is under intensified scrutiny. Katkus' was the first head to roll in the wake of Parnell's efforts to clean up a laundry list of command failures noted by outside investigators called in by Parnell to the get to the bottom of low morale, distrust and real and perceived wrongs within the Guard, including the alleged mishandling of sexual assaults and a feeling that assailants were protected instead of being dealt with.

It seems that Pierre may have been heavily involved in covering up some of the unseemly behavior at the Recruiting and Retention department of the National Guard, which included allegations of fraud, sexual assault, inappropriate relationships, and the misuse of government vehicles.

Interestingly enough the time period identified for many of these events is between 2008 and 2009. Hmm who was in charge of the state back then?

By the way Pierre was hand picked to be the spokesperson for the Republican party, Randy Ruedrich's old job, by none other than Sarah Palin herself.

Oh and he was also the guy who accidentally revealed that the McCain campaign did not send anybody up here to vet Palin until AFTER she was chosen as his VP candidate.

He also used to substitute for Eddi Burke on his old talk radio show once in a while.

Oh yeah Sarah Palin's fingerprints are all over this guy.

You know, figuratively speaking of course. We'll assume.

Unpaid National Guard troops stationed at Texas border have turned to a food bank because they are hungry.

New National Guard motto: "Always Ready. Always There. Fucking starving."

Courtesy of Valley Central:  

They came here to help protect the border but now the first wave of Texas National Guard troops deployed after Governor Rick Perry made the call, are needing assistance to pay for food and gas. 

"We were contacted that 50 troops that are in the Valley don't have any money for food and gas and they need our assistance,” said Food Bank RGV Executive Director Terri Drefke. 

They've turned to the Food Bank RGV for help since they won't get paid until September 5th and have been in the Valley since August 11th. 

Drefke told Action 4 News they are more than ready and willing to assist the military personnel. 

"We have fresh, boxed, and frozen food available” Drefke said. 

Local lawmakers got wind of the issue when Action 4 News contacted them with our questions. 

Texas State Rep, Rene Oliveira (D-Brownsville) said he is appalled. 

"It's embarrassing that our troops have to stand in a food pantry line,” Rep. Oliveira said. “This is the fault of the state." 

Oliveira is willing to use some of his own money to pay for meals for the National Guard deployed to Cameron County, but says all the blame falls on the lack of planning.

As you might imagine Rick Perry's office took offense to this story and claimed it was exaggerated:  

"First, the suggestion that Guardsmen aren’t getting paid is false. They are getting paid on a regular schedule with their first pay day on Sept. 5, then every two weeks after that. Second, based on information provided by the Texas National Guard, two soldiers sought and received assistance through the Family Assistance Coordinator. Family Assistance Coordinators routinely help Guardsmen all across the state with needs they may have, regardless of deployment or duty status. Also, based on information provided by the Guard, they currently have no indication that any Guardsmen received any assistance from the Rio Grande Valley Food Bank. 

Governor Perry is confident the Guard stands ready to assist to any Soldier who may need it, regardless of deployment or duty status so they can meet the needs of their family, or the mission they are performing."

Well here we go again. Do we believe the food bank, and the reporters, or do we believe the Texas politician with national aspirations who is trying to cover his ass?

Boy that's a real conundrum.

Okay let's go with Perry and accept that it was only two soldiers who asked for assistance.

Do we really think these men went to the food bank asking for a handout without EVER contacting their superior officers and letting them know that their situation was getting desperate?

I  mean NOBODY wants to ask for charity, and usually that is the last resort for somebody who has run out of options.

So whether it was two soldier or fifty, even one soldier made to stand in the blistering heat without adequate nourishment is one too many.

Dan Rather calls out the war hawks urging Obama to start another conflict overseas.

Courtesy of Mediaite:

 “All of these people on television, some of whom I have enormous respect for, it unsettles me to hear them say, listen, we the United States have to ‘do something’ in Ukraine, we have to ‘do something’ in Syria, we have to ‘do something’ in the waters around China, we have to ‘do something’ in Iraq, we have to ‘do something’ about ISIS. What they’re talking about are combat operations. 

“My first question to anyone who’s on television saying ‘We have to get tough, we have to put boots on the ground, we have to go to war in one of these places’ is: I will hear you out if you tell me you are prepared to send your son, your daughter, your grandson, your granddaughter to that war for which you are beating the drums. If you aren’t I have no patience with you, and don’t even talk to me.”

Yes, exactly this. 

I think Dan Rather has been treated terribly by his colleagues who should have come to his aid when he was being railroaded after he reported that George W. Bush had received preferential treatment to get into the National Guard and avoid being drafted, and that once there had shirked his responsibilities. 

In fact though the documents used for the report have been challenged, the allegations are in fact correct.

Personally I think we need more prominent newsmen like Rather to say it like it is and point out over and over that those beating the war drums the loudest are those who know their children, and children's children will never have to bleed to death in the sands of a foreign land.

Michael Brown autopsy released, National Guard ordered to Ferguson.

Courtesy of the New York Times: 

Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager who was killed by a police officer, sparking protests around the nation, was shot at least six times, including twice in the head, a preliminary private autopsy performed on Sunday found. 

One of the bullets entered the top of Mr. Brown’s skull, suggesting his head was bent forward when it struck him and caused a fatal injury, according to Dr. Michael M. Baden, the former chief medical examiner for the City of New York, who flew to Missouri on Sunday at the family’s request to conduct the separate autopsy. It was likely the last of bullets to hit him, he said. 

Mr. Brown, 18, was also shot four times in the right arm, he said, adding that all the bullets were fired into his front. 

The bullets did not appear to have been shot from very close range because no gunpowder was present on his body. However, that determination could change if it turns out that there is gunshot residue on Mr. Brown’s clothing, to which Dr. Baden did not have access.

Six times? Twice in the head?

This fits in disturbingly well with the eyewitness account provided to the FBI by Michael Brown's friend:

A key witness — Brown’s friend Dorian Johnson — has told the FBI that he thought the robbery was a “prank,” said Johnson’s attorney. In an interview with federal agents, Johnson has said Brown was hit by one bullet, then — as Brown pleaded for his life — Wilson fired “five or six” more times. 

And when the shooting stopped, Johnson and his legal team have told investigators, the police officer who pulled the trigger did nothing to save the man he’d just shot. “The officer doesn’t attempt to resuscitate,” Johnson’s attorney, former St. Louis mayor Freeman Bosley Jr., said in an interview Saturday. “He does not call for medical help. The officer didn’t call it in that someone had been shot.” 

It is pretty clear that this preliminary autopsy report is going to do nothing to dissuade people in Ferguson from believing that this young man was executed.

Which was clear last night as protestors turned violent forcing the Missouri Governor to call in the National Guard: 

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon signed an executive order this morning deploying the Missouri National Guard to Ferguson after a night of continued clashes between police and protesters in reaction to the police shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. 

"Tonight, a day of hope, prayers, and peaceful protests was marred by the violent criminal acts of an organized and growing number of individuals, many from outside the community and state, whose actions are putting the residents and businesses of Ferguson at risk," Nixon said in a statement. 

"These violent acts are a disservice to the family of Michael Brown and his memory, and to the people of this community who yearn for justice to be served, and to feel safe in their own homes." 

The executive order comes after police used tear gas to clear protesters off the streets of the St. Louis suburb, action that police say was necessary because of shooting, looting and vandalism.

This is very unfortunate as it is clear the people of Ferguson have a legitimate reason to be angry and mistrustful of the police, however others who are using the opportunity to vandalize and loot are undermining the purpose of the protests and inviting outsiders to criticize the citizens as thugs.

It is troubling that after criticizing the police for hitting the streets using armored vehicles while dressed in military gear and wielding assault weapons at the beginning of these protests, that now we are seeing the actual military called out to do essentially the same thing.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has decided to send the National Guard to the border. Sheriffs along the border towns are not thrilled.

So yeah Rick Perry has decided that just showing up on the border and trying to look tough with your bullet proof vest and hat on backwards is just not macho enough.

So he has decided to send the Texas National Guard down to the border to look tough for him.

And the sheriff's working in those border town could not be more underwhelmed:  

Sheriffs and others along the border said they had not been consulted. They questioned the wisdom of sending military personnel who are not authorized to stop anyone. 

“At this time, a lot of people do things for political reasons. I don’t know that it helps,” said Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio. 

He and other sheriffs said spending money to hire more deputies and police makes more sense. Lucio said deputies, police and the U.S. Border Patrol work well together and that they have been able to handle the small uptick in crime along the border. 

“I don’t know what good they can do,” Lucio said of military personnel. “You just can’t come out here and be a police officer.”

Wait, do you mean simply showing up at the border with guns and military equipment will do little good?

Perhaps somebody should tell Governor Political Opportunist that.

And is THIS the kind of unhelpful and unnecessary action that the Republicans have been urging President Obama to take?