Max Blumenthal speaks about "Republican Gomorrah" (Video) - Why John McCain chose Sarah Palin

Today we had a pleasant surprise: A parcel arrived, and it contained a book which instantly proved to be a real "page-turner": Max Blumenthal's bestseller "Republican Gomorrah" - subtitle: "Inside the movement that shattered the party".

In this book, Max Blumenthal "is excavating secrets about the nation’s ultra-conservatives. Showing us their text messages, exposing the psychology behind their actions, and getting behind the curtain to show us who holds the strings", according to the LA Times (Q & A with Max Blumenthal).

Just like Frank Schaeffer's "Crazy for God", which also proved to be a truly gripping read, Max Blumenthal's observations and his fearless analysis are invaluable in order to understand the history and the background of the ultra right-wing, evangelical movement which exerts such an "unholy influence" on the GOP today.

Sarah Palin certainly has to be seen as a part of this "unholy" group. Although she never seemed to be very keen to talk about her religion after having been thrown in the spotlight in August 2008, she had been a member of the Pentecostal Wasilla Assembly of God for about 25 years, after having been re-baptised there with her whole family at the age of 12. We can safely assume that this radical church, to which Sarah Palin still keeps contact, played in important part in shaping her religious views.

Max Blumenthal made a very revealing video about the Wasilla Assembly of God in 2008, including secretly filmed footage during an appearance of "witchhunter" Thomas Muthee - who in 2005 prayed over Sarah Palin explicitly in order to give her spiritual support for her aim to become Governor. As I had shown in my compilation titled "Sarah Palin: Witchcraft and War", Sarah Palin made it clear in a later appearance at the Wasilla Assembly of God that she believed that the prayers of Thomas Muthee secured her the governorship.

It is necessary to learn more about the background of this right-wing movement with their core issues such as abortion and homosexuality. There can be no doubt that Sarah Palin's nomination as the Republican VP-candidate for example with her extremely strict views on abortion rights pleased this group.

Max Blumenthal writes in "Republican Gomorrah" (pp. 285, 286):

"During a June radio broadcast, James Dobson presented McCain with a stark decision: Pick an anti-abortion politician or lose movement support as Bob Dole had in 1996. 'I am not endorsing Senator Mccain today,' Dobson said . ' I don't know who his vice presidential candidate would be. He might even chose a pro-abortion candidate, and it would not be unlike him to do that because he seems to enjoy frustrating conservatives on that account. ... While I'm not endorsing John McCain, the possibility is there that I might.'

Once again, the maverick buckled. McCain's choices were reduced to Mitt Romney, a favourite of the Bush family, and Karl Rove whom he personally disliked; Florida governor Charlie Crist, an uncharistmatic lifelong bachelor who suddenly became engaged to a woman after his name appeared on McCain's VP shortlist; Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a competent establishment dullard; and the glamorous Sarah Palin. In the end, McCain and his advisors made what they believed to be the 'maverick' decision, selecting the woman. But their haphazard vetting of the Alaska Governor failed to cover her large family, which turned out to contain enough intrigue for a season's worth of Jerry Springer Show episodes."

Max Blumenthal goes on to remark that McCain's choice of running mate prompted James Dobson to endorse his campaign - and the reason was a baby born with Down Syndrome:

He explains that James Dobson wrote Sarah Palin a letter congratulating her for having what he called "that little Downs Syndrome baby." "What a way to emphasise your pro-life leanings there," Dobson declared on a September 2 radio broadcast. Finally, Dobson announced that he was reversing his vow to oppose McCain. Max Blumenthal states:

"McCain had suffered torture in a North Vietnamese prison camp and given over thirty years of his life to public service, but he earned James Dobson's vote only for selecting a running mate who decided not to abort her disabled child." (p. 287)

In fact, the truth is likely to be even worse. We believe that what Max Blumenthal has missed in his book is the fact that Sarah Palin claimed that the child was her own in order to boost her pro-life credentials.

Confirmation for this impression can be found in an interview which James Dobson conducted with Sarah Palin on October 22, 2008. Sarah Palin said in her classic "holier-than-thou" fashion:

"I've always had near and dear to my heart the mission of protecting the sanctity of life and being pro-life, a hardcore pro-lifer, but I think this opportunity for me to really be walking the walk and not just talking the talk. There's purpose in this also for a greater good to be met. I feel so privileged and blessed to have been, I guess, chosen to have Trig enter our lives because I do want it to help us in our cause here in allowing America to be a more welcoming nation for all of our children."

Therefore I hope that you will take the time to listen to this excellent speech by Max Blumenthal, in which he also talks about Sarah Palin and his experiences in the Wasilla Assembly of God:



Alternatively, another speech by Max Blumenthal about "Republican Gomorrah" can be viewed on flora.tv here.


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Open Thread - Weekly round-up, and CNN's Tanika Ray's suggestive comments - UPDATE: New comment from Tanika Ray

We have had a busy week. Levi Johnston keeps talking, and Sarah Palin threw a massive "hissy fit", revealing once again her true, "rogue" nature: The mean, insecure and immature girl with the paper-thin skin. I have often asked myself the question: What would Sarah Palin do if Wladimir Putin or Hugo Chavez or Mahmud Ahmadinedschad "insulted" her - in the very unlikely event that she became President? I fear that she would be unable to make any kind of "adequate" response, and I really don't want to think too closely about what kind of statement "White House Press Secretary Meghan Stapleton" would then release. We might have already seen a very uncomfortable view about what might happen in such a case here. And remember, Sarah Palin knows exactly who the "good guys and the bad guys" are.

The Alaskan bloggers continue to be very active and in painstaking work try to make sense of Sarah Palin's financial affairs. "Celtic Diva" Linda Kellen Biegel wrote a very informative post about the mysterious "Pie Spy" business with interesting speculations about Sarah Palin's "Alaska Fund Trust".

The second article by Celtic Diva about Sarah's financial disclosure has been published by "AK Muckraker" Jeanne Devon today in Huffington Post, examining the details surrounding "Arctic Cat".

Tank Jones also keeps getting attention from the media, and the question why exactly Levi Johnston needs a bodyguard is still unanswered. In light of the last days which brought us "Levi vs Sarah and vice versa reloaded", I would also like to draw your attention to an interview which Tank Jones had with Alaska's conservative radio talk-show host Dagan Fagan. This interview took place on September 8, 2009, after the publication of the Vanity Fair article, and you can listen to it or download it here. In this interview, Tank Jones defended Levi's claims that Sarah Palin called Trig a "retard" and engages in a heated exchange with Dan Fagan.

I would like to say a big "Thank you" to one of our unnamed readers who placed a highly effective advert on Craigslist in Anchorage with a link to Palingates. This advert received lots of attention, and I would like to encourage everyone to follow this example.

In addition I would like to say a huge "Thank you" to Bree Palin who has a great blog and at the same time values cooperation with other bloggers and posts valuable information also in the comments on Palingates. She just provided us with the transcript of CNN's "Showbiz tonight" from October 29, 2009 which can be found here. Yesterday, several of our readers noted that Tanika Ray had something very interesting to say - here is the relevant part of the conversation:

"HAMMER: Tanika Ray, here is the most important question of all. If you had the opportunity to either be in the audience for that taping of the "Oprah Winfrey Show" with Sarah Palin or be on hand for the nude "Playgirl" shoot with Levi Johnston, where are you going to be, Tanika Ray?

RAY: I`m going to be slitting my wrist. That`s what I`m going to be doing. Let`s be really honest. One thing that Levi is not is a liar. He`s not smart enough to figure out how to lie.

The guy told me straight up that Sarah Palin is a liar. He has no reason to gain from saying that she`s lying about the things that she did during the race, like when she pretended like it was her son and not her daughter`s, when she had him there and pretended like they were a happy family.

HAMMER: So you`re buying it.

RAY: He said the whole time she was lying and knew that they couldn`t stand each other ...

HAMMER: I`ve got to end it there.

RAY: ... and that they could be together anymore. So Levi, not smart, but not a liar.

HAMMER: All right. Tanika Ray, Kim Serafin, appreciate it, guys."

I am intrigued as to whether there will be follow-up or what our readers think about these remarks.

Last but not least, the sweet "Spongebob Sarah" was drawn by a very active Trig Truther - another "Thank You" to the artist!

UPDATE: Now we have the second clip with Levi Johnston on ET - and he confirms his claims (which were originally reported by Gryphen in his "Splitsville" post) that the Palin's are headed straight for divorce and gives some more details. He also stands firm with his view that Sarah Palin is "two-faced" and that her version of events shouldn't be taken for granted, no matter what she might say on Oprah. Sounds like the Sarah "we have all come to know"!

More news of the week: Sarah Palin is consistent in some respects - it has now been officially confirmed that she is not speaking in Iowa. Who would have guessed it, and what will happen with all the money that has already been collected for her speaking fee? $ 59,000 had been raised so far, as Bill Collier from Team Sarah had written to his members, when he asked them to donate a further $ 41,000. So how much did Team Sarah collect after the appeal of Bill Collier, and what will happen to that money now? In classic fashion, the Palin camp now denies that they were ever asking for money for the appearance in Iowa - despite the detailed information that Bill Collier had already given to the Team Sarah members.

I think it's time for another hilarious Bill Collier rant!

Here is further proof for the fact that "Team Sarah" collected money for Sarah Palin's speech in Iowa. So what is "Team Sarah" going to do with this money now? The page is still online:

Further Update (H/T EyeOnYou): Levi Johnston has spoken to the Guardian (UK) and has given even more details. He also indiciated that it might be unavoidable that he will go to court to gain offical custody of Tripp. Remember, not only are the Palins now apparently denying Levi access to his baby again, but in doing so they are denying the child access to his father.

Download or listen to the audio from the Guardian here.

Another important Update: I just had a phone conversation with Tanika Ray and asked her for clarification of her remarks. We spoke for several minutes and she explained to me that in her comment "like when she pretended like it was her son and not her daughter`s" she was NOT talking about Trig and did not want to suggest that Trig wasn't Sarah Palin's baby. I have told her that she can send me an email to patrick12344@yahoo.com with further clarification if she feels the need to.

But Tanika Ray did confirm that she had spoken to Levi (she said that she had"interviewed" him). Tanika also said that she in general is not too interested in Sarah Palin issues.

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Levi Johnston interview on the Early Show (CBS) - second part (video) - " I stand by my story, 100 percent, it's true" - UPDATE: Levi on ET

Maggie Rodriguez from CBS continues to ask tough questions of Levi Johnston. I just wish that somebody would once dare to ask tough questions of Sarah Palin! So far, this has never happened - Sarah Palin is still "royalty", and you don't insult the queen. Levi however is "fair game", it seems to be a sport to criticize him or to put him in the "hot chair". I have little hope that this will change with the Oprah interview.

However, it should also be noted that Maggie Rodriguez mentions at the end of the clip that CBS have asked to interview Sarah Palin "more than a dozen times", and that she declined each of the interview requests. Therefore, maybe CBS would ask tough questions of Sarah Palin if they had the chance.

When asked if he could reconcile with the Palins, Levi said: "I don't see myself over there for Christmas". He certainly throws in some pieces of "subtle sarcasm" here and there.

But we need more than sarcasm from you, Levi. We want to hear all the "huge things" about Sarah Palin!



Update: Very promising trailer by ET - see below. We will publish the full segment after it has become available. Levi says that "Bristol was more the mother to Trig than Sarah was". I wonder why. ;-)

ET says that there will be "more shocking revelations". That's fine with us - we will wait patiently. In any case, there was hardly a time when Sarah looked less presidential, even compared to the time when she resigned. You can always count on Sarah Palin's ability for self-destruction. She should take Levi's advice and should "think deep enough" about what it is that Levi knows. Good call!





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BREAKING NEWS: Sarah Palin responds to Levi Johnston - "mean spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family" - UPDATE: MSNBC Countdown VIDEO

Updated with "revealing" pictures!

+++

Straight from the Wire!

Sarah Palin has responded to Levi Johnston - and she is not happy.

We will look into the details of the statement later.

Here it is - from Political Wire:

"We have purposefully ignored the mean spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family. We, like many, are appalled at the inflammatory statements being made or implied. Trig is our 'blessed little angel' who knows it and is lovingly called that every day of his life. Even the thought that anyone would refer to Trig by any disparaging name is sickening and sad. CBS should be ashamed for continually providing a forum to propagate lies. Consider the source of the most recent attention-getting lies -- those who would sell their body for money reflect a desperate need for attention and are likely to say and do anything for even more attention."

+++

I think Sarah Palin is trying to "Letterman" Levi Johnston.

The difference is, Levi knows far more about Sarah's family and her secrets...

Let's see what happens next! Popcorn, everybody! Lots of popcorn!

+++

So who is selling whose body here...?


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Here is how Sarah's believers see her - found on "Team Sarah"! All makes sense now...

(click on pictures to enlarge!)

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UPDATE: MSNBC Countdown with Shannyn Moore - VIDEO

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

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Sarah Palin: I spy with my little wonky eye....Pie Spy!

+++UPDATE November 14, 2010+++

+++Pie Spy LLC mentioned in SarahPAC's quartely report (click here)+++

Rarely a day without news from the colourful life of Sarah Palin!

As the ADN reports today, Sarah Palin bagged the considerable amount of $1.25 million as an advance payment for her bookdeal. Palin mentions this figure in her new obligatory financial disclosure form for 2009 (the forms includes all income for 2009 until she resigned as Governor on July 26, 2009).

This advance payment, however, doesn't come as a great surprise, taken the fact into account that the previous speculations ranged somewhere between $ 2 million and $ 7 million. Still, nice to have this figure finally confirmed. Did she receive a similar amount as an additional payment recently when the manuscript was handed in, or even more? As always, we can only guess.

Then comes surprise No 1:

In the form, on the first page, she mentions the number of her dependent children ("biological children, stepchildren, adoptive children") as "3".


So...there is Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig. Everyone knows that Track was in the army during this time, so he most likely doesn't count as a dependent child any more.

But Bristol? Was she not a dependent child during the first half of 2009? She had her High School commencement ceremony on May 14, 2009, and cleverly combined this event with a cover-story in People-magazine. She also had her press-opportunity with the Candie's foundation on May 6, 2009. For both contracts Bristol certainly received a substantial sum of money. Whether this also "removed" her status as dependent child, I cannot answer right now, as I haven't got the specific legal knowledge. We have to be careful with quick conclusions: It might very well be legally possible to consider her as a non-dependent child, taking into account the substanial amount of money she has earned and the fact that she was already 18 years old.

But there is one great inconsistency, and these are the little things which can drive one crazy when it comes to analysing Sarah Palin's "dealings": On her financial disclosure form for 2008, she declared that she had "4" dependent children.


So far so good - "obviously" Track didn't count any more, because he joined the army in September 2007. Or DID Sarah still count him as a dependent?

This question is justified, because curiously, Sarah Palin still mentioned in the attachments to the form for 2008 what the "child" Track Palin earned from January to December 2008 - $ 21,903.20. So, why didn't Sarah Palin mention the income of Track and Bristol in the financial disclosure form for 2009 - in contrast to what she did for 2008? Or did she purposely exclude TRIG in 2008 and didn't count him as a dependent child?


Now to the second surprise: Sarah Palin owns the "Pie Spy LLC".



Huh? The wonky name makes it instantly believable that a Palin is involved in this business. But what exactly is the "Pie Spy LLC" doing?

Thankfully, the ADN already did some digging. From Alaska's corporation database, we learn that the business was founded on April 3, 2009. It provides "Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities". The business has never been mentioned anywhere before - a google search brings no results. Confusingly, in classic Sarah Palin fashion, in her financial disclosure form for 2009, the purpose of the business says "Marketing".

The registered agent of the business is Sarah's "infamous" lawyer Thomas Van Flein.



Who else is involved? From the copy of the "Articles of Organization" for the "Pie Spy LLC" we learn that Meghan Stapleton acts as the "Organizer".



This document was faxed from "Rebound Sports and Orthopedic Physical Therapy LLC" which belongs to Meghan Stapleton's husband Eric Steenburgh.

So what is the real purpose of this business, why was it set up? Why is it not out there on the market, advertising itself? Why is Sarah's lawyer the registered agent?

I could think about some sneaky purposes for this business. As always, we are just left to speculate. At some point, we will maybe hear more about it.

Update: Celtic Diva has a very informative post with interesting speculations about the "Pie Spy" business.


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The Palinbots Have Finally Proven That Sarah Palin Was Pregnant - We Can All Go Home Now!

Exclusive! The revelation you have all been waiting for!

Our faithful reader and active Trig Truther ProChoiceGrandma has stumbled upon the final evidence - all our efforts were in vain. The Palinbots have found the solution.

If you click here, then this link will lead you to a website which promises to have the ultimate proof. HERE IT IS:

Oops...what happened there? Where is the picture?

Well, there is a link given in the article - THIS ONE. Surely the link will lead us to the right picture, so that we finally can pack our bags and go home! Won't it?


Oh No! Do I really have to continue to be a Trig Truther!? Every day, dwelling about Sarah's pregnancy - there are so many more exciting things to do in life, arent't there? Someone please remind me what those are...

So - what happens if I go to the flickr-account directly? Maybe there are more pictures still available?


It's apparently not my lucky day! This was the account of our good old friend "erik99559", who on August 31, 2008 out of the blue posted two pictures of an apparently pregnant Sarah Palin which were taken on April 13, 2008. These would go down in history as the famous "Gusty-pictures", named after the talented KTVA reporter Andrea Gusty, who later was forced to use all her skills to debunk the "ugly rumors" surrounding the pictures in a special broadcast.

Back in the good old days, the flickr page of "erik99559" showing the "Gusty-pictures" looked like this - preserved for eternity:


Yes, there it is, the big piece of evidence. But "erik99559" apparently didn't enjoy the attention any more and decided to call it a day and left us. Was he not proud of his ultimate piece of evidence any more, which has been used by many websites in order to debunk the fake pregnancy rumors?

We might never find out.

By the way, "99559" is the ZIP-code of Bethel, Andrea Gusty's hometown. On www.factcheck.org however, where the picture was discussed, Andrea Gusty claimed that "she was surprised the photo had made it onto the Internet." So was the ZIP-code just a coincidence?

It seems that the process of "deleting" accounts now becomes fashionable amongst "leading Palinistas".

It was always interesting to read the Twitter-messages of rabid Palinista Ivy Frye. She enjoyed for example conversing with our "friends" from C4P - and sometimes, she enjoyed spreading false information around about an opponent of Sarah Palin.

However, a few days ago, she decided to delete her Twitter account - despite the fact that up until then she had collected the impressive number of 759 followers.

A google cache of Ivy Frye's twitter account can be found here.

Ivy Frye was a former receptionist to Lyda Green who was then catapulted by Sarah Palin into top-government positions - which didn't work out so well. Maybe she found some consolation later in her role as highly-paid "state babysitter". Celtic Diva has more:

"According to legislative sources, the governor has pardoned both Frank Bailey and Ivy Frye and plans on transferring them out of the governor's office over to the Alaska Industrial Development Export Authority (AIDEA).

Both Bailey and Frye have figured large in the operations of the governor's office and both have created more baggage for this administration than Louis Vittone.

Frye has held no fewer than four different positions since she was hired after helping on Palin's campaign back in 2006. Frye was originally in charge of Board's & Commissions until she made a mess out of that job and then she was transferred to the Department of Administration. That job lasted until the commissioner couldn't handle it anymore after Frye reportedly told her that she only reports to the governor. Then, Frye was moved into a position entitled special assistant to the governor, where among other things, Frye worked on ways to get around public disclosure laws by using her Blackberry."

Frank Bailey, Sarah Palin's self-described "hatchet man", is now about to write his tell-all-book which at first sight makes me cautiously optimistic, because I think that Frank Bailey knows that he will only makes the big bucks if he "delivers the dirt".

Until somebody gives me a very good explanation how this is possible, I still have to continue with my Trig Truthing activities. I also would like to see explanations for all the other pictures and facts and mysteries surrounding Sarah Palin's "pregnancy" with Trig which are still unexplained up until today. So we have to continue, I guess. It's a fun ride, after all!

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Giselle Bundchen doesn't have tight abs...

Sarah Palin, then 44 years old, 5' 4" tall, 7 months pregnant with her 5th child.

Giselle Bundchen, 29 years old, 5' 11" tall, 7 months pregnant with her 1st child.

Honestly! Models are very slack with their abs. We recently saw photographs of Heidi Klum very pregnant with shameful abs, not tight at all. Now look at Giselle Bundchen, how could she let herself go like this?

Open thread - Taking a break

I'll be taking a break from the blog for a few weeks, starting next week. We're going to Australia! The blog will be in Patrick's capable hands, so there won't be any problems with continuity. I don't think I'll find the time to blog, but I most certainly will read Patrick's insightful, well researched and beautifully written posts.

*****

Someone left this comment on the last thread:

Anonymous said...

Unless you have definite, unequivocal proof, you are only being a "birther". Yes, I do believe that Obama was born in the USA, and at least Sarah has been vetted more than tnan any politician right now. I believe that she gave birth to Trig, if not only because she had the "pregnant face". Regina, you must remember that face, when it is so swollen that you look at yourself in the mirror and wonder if it will ever become normal again. Since you have shown us pictures of your child, I think that you must remember that time, My MIL gave birth to my husband and no one knew she was pregnant and he weighed over nine pounds when he was born. My Mom was pregand with me and her doctor was leaving the country for vacation and I was "taken out" early because she was confortable with her obstetrician and even though my birth was "high risk" she wanted her doctor. I was supposed to be a child of "Pro-Choice" and my mom chose LIFE. I guess that it worked out for her because or all of her children, I am the one that takes care of her.

24 October 2009 06:22

Well, Anon, as it happens, I didn't have a pregnant face. I hardly had a pregnant body, but had a definite bump. In my first pregnancy I only started showing at around 5 months and showed much earlier in my second. I expect I would have shown even more if I had more pregnancies, who knows? I'm 5' 2" and very slim.

I don't know what your your mother-in-law looks like, but I have met some plump ladies who didn't look pregnant at all, just fatter. If one of these women didn't tell anybody that she was pregnant, it would be quite possible to surprise her acquaintances with a nine pound baby...

(Click to enlarge)

Many women manage to disguise their pregnancies and get away with it because nobody was paying attention, there are no photos to jog people's memories and it becomes irrelevant in the excitement of a new baby. That's not Sarah Palin's case. The very few photos that survived the scrubbing tell us a very different story. If you read all the posts and discussions about Babygate carefully, you will see that we base our suspicions regarding Sarah Palin's fake pregnancy on a lot more than just a couple of photographs. There are too many inconsistencies and her own account of events surrounding the pregnancy and delivery of Trig sound absolutely ludicrous.

Can all this circumstancial evidence be considered unequivocal proof that Sarah Palin faked her 5th pregnancy? Not yet, but we know we're on the right track.

As for taking the baby out early because the regular doctor was going abroad on vacation, that was your mother's choice, but I find it bizarre and I certainly wouldn't have done that. I'm glad you're a caring daughter, good for you.

*****

I posted a couple of links about Down Syndrome on that same thread, here they are again:

Sarah Palin and Down's Syndrome

Sarah Palin, baby, fluids, risks and the doctor

*****

I'll be busy preparing for our trip next week, but will be following the discussions when I can and might even find the inspiration to write a couple of posts...

A tout a l'heure.

.

Huffington Post And Babygate: The Iron Curtain On Sarah Palin’s Faked Pregnancy Starts To Decay – But The Censors Are Still Busy

The Huffington Post and their approach towards “babygate”, the scandal surrounding Sarah Palin’s faked pregnancy with Trig, is a sad tale. Ever since Huffington Post blogger Lee Stranahan on September 1, 2008 rejected the faked-pregnancy theory and declared:

“Sane people need to come to reasonable conclusions”

and added in the comments

“She was pregnant, according to multiple interviews I've done with people in Alaska. They think the speculation is crazy”

...the Huffington Post has taken such a “hard line” on anything related to babygate that it would make a censor outside the “free world” proud. Therefore, it is not hard to believe what Lee Stranahan then wrote in the comments of another of his articles about babygate on October 22, 2008:

“Thanks but I'll tell you that the editors of HuffPost -- including Roy Sekoff and Arianna -- have been nothing but supportive of my writing here.”

As I myself and many of my fellow companions have experienced multiple times during the last 12 months, comments left on Huffington Post about babygate are usually vigorously censored. At times, it was virtually impossible to get any comment through which referred to Sarah’s faked pregnancy, even if it was “moderately worded”.

Then came October 21, 2009 – yesterday. I almost fell off my chair when I read what Glynnis MacNicol, senior editor at www.mediaite.com dared to write in her article (which has been tucked away in the media section of Huffington Post):

Top Ten Outrageous Sarah Palin Stories Oprah Will Have To Address:

"Who's Your Mommy: Palin and the Trig Birthers

2. Calling Andrew Sullivan and the Sarah Palin birthers! Ever since Palin stepped into the national spotlight in August 2008 there has been persistent speculation as to whether she is truly the mother of her youngest son Trig or whether the baby actually belongs her daughter Bristol and Palin's merely claimed to be his parent as some sort of cover-up. Levi hit on the sensitive subject again in his first-person VF piece. It remains to be seen if Palin mentions it in her memoir, but if she's considering another run for public office it's absolutely fair game for Oprah. Below, a typical birther vid.”

Can you believe it! Asking questions about Sarah Palin’s pregnancy is “fair game”! Hallelujah! Does that mean that we are now…allowed to talk on Huffington Post about what is supposedly one of the greatest taboos in US history?

Well…yes. I mean, no. Not so fast! Don’t give the people too much freedom! They might abuse it. A small dose of freedom of speech, that’s what we need. Emphasis on “small”. After all, Sarah Palin “sells”, we don’t want to damage the product too much, do we!

So, yesterday, the struggle began. The struggle to find the right words, so that the comment on Huffington Post doesn’t get rejected. What is it like to live in a dictatorship with limited freedom of speech? Well, you can find out for yourself and get first-hand experience – just try to leave a comment on Huffington Post about Sarah Palin’s faked pregnancy and you can get a glimpse of what the people in communist Eastern Europe had to go through.

REJECTED:

“Sarah Palin faked her pregnancy. She is one of the biggest frauds that there ever was in US political history.”

ALLOWED:

“Sarah's explanation regarding the wild ride is unbelievable. Oprah should question her about it and ask why she undertook such a risky journey.”

REJECTED:

“The parentage of Trig was the first lie told by the Palins on the national stage. And Palin continues to use that baby as a prop for her own political gain; promoting pro-life and special needs children agenda.”

ALLOWED:

“Absolutely ...biggest HOAX pulled in American political history. And main stream media refused to carry the story for some reason.”

REJECTED:

“Can anyone explain to me the reason why Sarah Palin travelled by plane from Texas to Alaska whilst she was in labor and her waters had broken? Why didn't she go to the nearest hospital which is what any normal woman would do in her situation? Is Sarah Palin such a poor decision maker that she is willing to risk her own unborn down syndrome child's life in order for him to be born in Alaska? The above facts are not some nutty story made up by conspiracy theorists. These are the facts that Palin related herself regarding Trig's birth. Also remember that she supposedly knew that he had a heart defect that would require immediate attention when he was born. I think that her story does not hold water (excuse the pun) and that it requires further investigation.”

I could go on. There are many, many more examples of rejected comments.

Any form of censorship makes me literally sick. It makes me feel even more ill when a “liberal” publication censors valid concerns of citizens which are based on a huge pile of “circumstancial” evidence. If a right-winger would censor me, I don’t mind too much, because that’s what I would expect from them. But the Huffington Post? It just breaks my heart that this important progressive publication is basically at the forefront of censoring comments about one of the greatest scandals in US political history.

There is a fascinating twist to the story. Paradoxically, Lee Stranahan once had his own problems with “censorship” in progressive publications. Lee was involved in a huge controversy about the handling of the John Edwards story in the media – he complained that the progressive media was ignoring the story. From the LA Times:

“Stranahan argued that even though the mainstream media had been silent after the National Enquirer broke the story, "the progessive blogosphere is ignoring this story at its own peril because it's going to be big." It was the most popular piece on HuffPo for two days. It also caused Stranahan to be banned from the liberal blog Daily Kos, whose users decided they did not like Stranahan's insistence on discussing unflattering news that originated in the National Enquirer. (…)“I was genuinely surprised that I got banned from Kos,” he said. “I just wrote an editorial. Now I find myself doing hard reporting." Although no other liberal blogs have joined Kos in shunning him, he feels he has a lot at stake in figuring out the details of the Edwards affair that are still cloudy. "Suddenly my reputation is tied in to the outcome of this story," he said.”

When I read this story, I had the impression that someone like Lee Stranahan, who also created some incredibly funny videos featuring Sarah Palin, should be our “natural ally”. But for reasons we will probably never find out, “the left” partially has lost its mind and is so scared of doing any false reporting about Sarah Palin’s pregnancy that they all apart from a few lone voices have collectively closed their eyes, Lee Stranahan included.

Interestingly, the website www.mediaite.com that Glynnis MacNicol is editing is certainly not a liberal website. It clearly appears to be a “conservative” website, although possibly with a “moderate angle”, as far as I could see. In the same way hasn’t, for example, the conservative publicist Peggy Noonan published one of the most devastating articles about Sarah Palin that was ever written?

There are many shades of liberal and conservative, and we cannot agree with each other all the time – but we should all seek the truth together. That’s all I ask for.

Sarah Palin's medical records. Yes, that letter...

There's a person still commenting furiously on the latest Open Thread, discussing the merits of the letter written by Dr Cathy Baldwin-Johnson regarding Sarah Palin's medical history which was released on the eve of the election in 2008.

Some people doubt the letter is genuine and the person above has challenged them to prove the letter is a fake.

The way I see it, it doesn't matter whether the letter is fake or not. The insertion of a certain paragraph makes me think the letter was carefully concocted to reflect certain tidbits Sarah Palin wanted to make public in order to "prove" she gave birth to Trig and make the wild ride seem less wild.

If I had asked my doctor to write a letter about my medical history I would have been very surprised if he had included details regarding one of my children's health.

(Perhaps people started thinking the letter was fake because the text is skewy on the page. Well, maybe the good doctor's computer skills are just as sloppy as the advice she gave Sarah Palin during the wild ride...)

Comprehensive analyses of Dr Cathy Baldwin-Johnson's letter can be found here and here.

(The person in the photo with the baby is Dr CBJ, btw...)

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Sarah Palin, money, business...

Sarah Palin is looking for business deals, according to her Linkedin profile:








Sarah Palin’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch

Our Sarah doesn't appear to have a good track record as a businessperson, as seen in a Washington Post article:

In addition to being a mayor and raising four children, Sarah Palin found time for another venture in her Wasilla years -- she was part-owner of an Anchorage car wash.

Palin and husband Todd each held a 20 percent stake in Anchorage Car Wash LLC, according to state corporation records filed in 2004.

A review of Palin's gubernatorial disclosure filings indicates that she failed to report her stake in the company on the form that requires candidates for governor to disclose any interest in a nonpublicly traded company.

A Feb. 11, 2007 letter to the governor's business partner advises that the car wash had "not filed its biennial report and/or paid its biennial fees," which were more than a year overdue.
The warning letter was written on state letterhead, which carried Palin's name at the top, next to the state seal.

On April 3, 2007, the state went further and issued a "certificate of involuntary dissolution" because of the car wash's failure to file its report and pay state licensing fees.

Another report elaborates a bit more on the business side of the venture:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s ownership in a carwash was nothing more than a real estate investment. Although she and her husband, Todd Palin, did hold a 40 percent stake in a company called Anchorage Car Wash LLC, the business never got off the ground, according to Carolin Wells, one of Palin’s partners in the aborted venture.

The irony of the warning letter to her own business being written on state letterhead is too delicious!

Sarah's other business venture never materialized either. Rouge Cou was just a name and remained as such. It indicates the quitter governor's lack of taste and finesse, plus her ignorance of the French language... (In order to read as Red Neck, it should have been Cou Rouge).

Politico quoted an ADN article:

Palin obtained a business license for marketing and consulting, saying that she wanted to line up her ducks if she chose to pursue it. “Asked about the business registered under her name, Palin said, ‘Rouge Cou, it’s a classy way of saying redneck. It’s a French word, rouge is red, cou is neck. It’s for marketing and consulting, in case I wanted to go that route, I’d have my ducks all lined up and have a business license. I just was granted that business license. … I would like to, with some of the endeavors that I have going on right now, there comes a time when one desires to be paid for them!’” [Anchorage Daily News, 6/8/05]

It seems the Palins are very good when it comes to real estate deals, but not so much when it involves actual business.

Sarah Palin, money, houses... (and a PS)

So our Sarah is building a chateau nextdoor to the house Todd built and has designs on another adjacent house...

OK. She can do that. She could build an island in the middle of lake Lucille and put a castle there, it would look great, really regal!

But these things cost a lot of money and I'm worried Sarah may have some trouble with that. A real state developer from Alaska estimates the price of the plot where the construction is going on at around $200,000. Add the cost of materials and contractors and we're talking big money. These things always cost more than the initial estimate, don't they?

Sarah Palin made a few dollars with one of her thousands speaking engagements, but that would cover just the purchase of the land. Yes, she may have pocketed a handsome advance for her book, but she would have to sell a pile of books to earn the advance before she makes any actual money out of the deal. Since "Going Rogue" went on pre-order sale, the price has been slashed to less than half of the original cover value and Newsmax is offering free copies to people who subscribe to their magazine. It doesn't bode well.

I'm not sure her appearance at a Milwaukee right to life gig will bring in enough badly needed dollars. According to her Linkedin profile, she's looking for job opportunities. Let's not forget that Todd is unemployed, which is not very helpful when paying for building materials and contractors. At least I expect they're paying the contractors on this occasion. Their original house was built by Todd and his buddies, but in the absence of building permit requirements in Wasilla, we don't know exactly what happened there. Well, Sarah is nothing if not transparent...

Another source of dollars is the Alaska Fund Trust. Yes, yes, it was supposed to pay her legal fees, but the wording of the trust document is somewhat vague and it could really be used for anything, provided the trustee approved. The trustee is beauty queen, dairy industry expert and real estate agent extraordinaire Kristan Cole. She would approve anything Sarah Palin asked for, no questions asked.

The accounts and list of donors were supposed to have been made public in July. Has anybody seen them? Me neither. I find the whole thing a bit odd. Sarah wrote "thank you" notes to a number of donors to the fund with which she had no involvement but her trustee failed to disclose anything about any of it as promised on the official Sarah Palin legal fund website. The last we heard about it was that it was frozen and they had not touched a cent of the money, pending some investigations regarding the legality of the legal fund itself.

I know it's rude to discuss other people's money troubles, but I'm curious...

Sarah Palin owed half a million dollars in legal fees. Is her lawyer still waiting for his money? Did she pay him out of the book advance she hasn't earned back yet? Did she pay him with the money she was paid for the Hong Kong speech? How did she pay for the land nextdoor to her house? If she's going to buy the white house, where is the money going to come from? How did she pay for the materials for the chateau? Are the contractors being paid?

Unless Murdoch considers her book advance a gift and doesn't expect the sales to earn the money back, it doesn't seem prudent to be spending at the present rate...

PS - Are there any tax experts/book contract experts who could help clarify the conjectures about tax-free gifts and clauses that may be included in book contracts regarding advances? Your input is most welcome...

(Kristan Cole photo: AP)
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