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.
Please click on the title of the blogpost or CLICK HERE before using the toolbar below for sharing.
122 comments:
TRICK or TREAT idea this Halloween-Expose Palin's Hoax idea. Photo flyer to put in bags or enlarge for your door?
Use Link to Craigslist photo below.
So why not print off the classic comparison photos of Palin getting off chair on 4-8 FOX clip next to the Gutsy 4-13 exploding belly? Type in 4 or so blogs such on Babygate such as Palingates, Bree Palin, Palindeception, Immoral Minority , add your own favorites.
Have it as a 5 x 7 photo flyer and slip into the little tykes Halloween bags when they visit you today. URL addresses to Babygate exploration sites are the most important. AS ARE the two dates with identifying Sarah Palin in both photos.
http://anchorage.craigslist.org/rnr/1442302383.html
Anonymous posted this Craiglist item for Anchorage.
Don't jip the kids-give candy too.
Wasn't there a Halloween photo of her as a playboy bunny or something, add that if you want to call the kettle black...re:comment about Levi selling out for money.
Levi deserves and wants visitation and equal custody. That does not come cheap. He needs money to pay for his legal expenses, child support and other obligations and expenses. Sarah wants a castle and control. She is one tho talk about "selling out."
Exploiting an innocent child is what is behind McCain's presidential campaign?
I love Max's intellectual wit and dry humor. He bravely exposes the right wing movement with a historically clear analytical insight.
Love your work Max!
I have read this book once and am starting it again. The first time I just whipped through it to see what the heck it was about.
This time, I plan to carefully digest it and figure out who's who in this mess. I must admit I always thought the Evangelicals were just a harmless bunch of kooks. NOW I know better. They are a very dangerous and well organized, with a vicious leader(s).
I am 100% disgusted with McCain getting by with just about every mistake and con in the book. He never had any scruples and he won't start now. His legency is mud but I want him taken to the BIG house for what he did.
Why is Rep. Gatto staying silent and not called out on his part in backing up the liars?
Church Church Church
Paramedic/Fire Officer, Anchorage Fire Department
Judiciary Committee: 2009 - present
Valley Hospital Board of Trustees
Valley Hospital Association
Church Outreach Counselor
Palmer Chamber of Commerce
Wasilla Chamber of Commerce
Welcome to The Ethics Committee
Who is covered by the Legislative Ethics Code?
The requirements and prohibitions in the legislative ethics code apply to legislators and most employees of the legislative branch and the public members of the ethics committee.
Very thought provoking post Patrick. Throughout her political career Palin was always on the lookout for a hook. I guess this time she hooked poor Trig.
This is what will happen if the telecom lobbyists and John McCain get their way, more or less
I firmly believe that the reason Sarah pretended that Trig is hers is to increase her standing with the religious right that obviously ran the election of '08 for McCain (that worked out real well, btw).
This quote: 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...
First of all, classic example of how SP starts a thought and then just ends the sentence in that fist sentence (I cut off the second one.). Secondly, if God chose to put this poor child in the care of someone who has a narcissistic personality disorder and shouldn't be entrusted with the care of a guinea pig, that is not a wise and loving God. She is just oozing BS from every pore.
I also highly recommend Chris Hedges's American Fascists. I've read all three in my quest to understand this woman and those who worship her. I think I'm finally beginning to "get" it.
.
I have seen a video linked at HuffPo. It's one where she goes to address some graduates at a church. It's quite long, and she rambles for several minutes, then says she didn't prepare any remarks because she didn't know whether she'd be able to attend. She also pulled out a scrap of paper, read a bible verse from it and said that someone had given her the verse earlier. I believe that is also the trip that Alaska's government paid several hundred dollars (airfare) for her to attend.
She can't seem to separate church and state, just like she can't separate family matters from state business, as when she attacked Levi with press releases through Meg, at the state's expense.
She's quit as governor, because she says that she couldn't do the job with ethics laws in place. Now she wants to be President? How would she use the FBI, IRS and other federal agencies to promote her personal agenda?
@Midnight Cajun, I read REPUBLICAN GOMORRAH when it first came out. I have not read THE FAMILY or Frank Shaeffer's book, but I don't really see what learning anymore will tell me about SP and her followers. What, beyond Blumenthal's book, can you share that has allowed you to "get it"? Because I still don't get it. To me, it's all mythology which is rooted in stoking the fears of the undereducated, and the undercultured.
Can you share anything else that you have "gotten"?
Yet another instance where ambiguous phrasing leads me to believe that Palin knows this will eventually bite her in her running-toned, lie-telling arse:
feels privileged to have been 'chosen' to have Trig "come into" their lives...?
I'm telling you, when SP is unmasked either because she forced Levi's hand or she herself outs it due to the walls closing in and her wanting to do spin/damage control...she is going to say "aha! but see, I didn't lie! I said I was privileged to have trig in my life! NOT I was privileged to have given birth to him!"
if you look over the wild ride transcript and numerous other instances, it's like she is phrasing things "just in case".
What's going to undo her, I hope...are the times she DIDN'T mind her phrasing -- which usually coincide with her making money. Being paid to talk? Well then, she'll talk about her 'agonising choice', the moment in which she humanly did consider abortion.
You know, knowing her she would STILL try and say she didn't lie; merely spoke of Bristol's battle rather than her own.
Oh -- to the poster who mentioned putting babygate fliers in Halloween treat bags? Please tell me you were joking. Please! Enough innocent children have been USED in babygate simy due to SP's actions. Kids should not have to go through the wretchedness of finding Scarah in their treat bags. After all -- they will have have already spent the whole day looking at goblins and witches...SP in the treat bags would equal nighmare city!
Patrick, this is an excellent post.
I think when she said to Dobson, "There's purpose in this also for a greater good to be met," we see the basic problem with her values. That kind of thinking would let her lie, cheat and steal to do anything she or her handlers thought would end in some "greater good."
.
In one video interview, Max Blumenthal said that the people following Sarah Palin and her ilk are actually afraid of individual liberty and can't cope with the pressures of democracy. They want someone to tell them how to behave and how to vote, so that they don't have to think.
They're leaders are very dangerous; they would force their views on others by exploiting the ignorance and superstition of their followers in order to get elected. They need to be watched and stopped.
"I feel so privileged and blessed to have been, I guess, chosen to have Trig enter our lives"
Wow! Sarah, Sarah, Sarah! She couldn't even bring herself to lie in this statement about giving birth to Trig. She says that Trig "entered" her life. How did he enter your life, Sarah? Through adoption, as your grandchild, how? She is so honored and blessed to have been chosen to have Trig but jokes about him being a 'retard' and allows her daughter to be his primary caregiver. Yea right, Sarah.
There are many reasons why I believe that Sarah did not give birth to Trig but the scriptive way she talks about him and the fact that she loves the spotlight and hadn't used her "chosen" status to boost her credibility by acting as a spokesmodel for the Pro-Life or Special Needs platforms really tells me that Mrs. Sarah just does not feel real secure with this lie that she continues to tell. You can't tell me she wouldn't take more advantage of this if she could. She just can't. I wonder why?
Education is a big problem.
Some parents may do an excellent job of home schooling, and may provide a better education than the public schools provide, but for many parents the primary purpose of charter schools and home schooling is to keep the child from mixing with others, children of other races and religions, and to prevent them from being exposed to ideas and learning the critical thinking skills that every voter should have.
We've lost at least one, maybe two, generations to home schooling and charter schools. Their "graduates" are filling the ultra-cons' ranks.
"I feel so privileged and blessed to have been, I guess, chosen to have Trig enter our lives.."
An interesting choice of words. "I guess" could be taken to mean "kinda, after bristol gave birth to him and then I claimed him as my own." For someone who generally barely speaks coherently, Palin certainly picked and chose words c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y whenever she talked about Trig.
The State of Alaska should have looked carefully at why she took no maternity leave to spend time with "her" disabled child after this alleged "birth".
I love how she says "chosen", as if she were Mary the Mother of Je$us!!! Talk about narcissistic!
I am surprised she didn't say an angel came to her in a dream with a golden harp, and then she gave birth in a stable in Bethlehem.
"The State of Alaska should have looked carefully at why she took no maternity leave to spend time with "her" disabled child after this alleged "birth"."
Anonymous 16:26, you are so right on. Not taking maternity leave in itself is just unheard of in this day and time but to not take any leave after having a special needs child is just mind boggling. Sarah didn't take maternity leave because she was afraid of the fraud charges she would possibly face once the truth came out that she was never pregnant.
This makes me think that it's possible that Trig was not yet adopted by Sarah during this time. With a legal adoption I would think that she would have taken some kind of leave, just for show anyway. I am still not sure if Sarah has actually adopted Trig to this date. This could be why we only saw 3 dependents on her disclosure for 2009 and why she did not name her dependents.
.
If anyone is looking for Haloween masks, Bree has some stencils.
She never wore maternity clothes, and she never took maternity leave.
Sarah went on leave: from her senses.
Why would she need maternity leave? She was never pregnant and the baby was home with his mother -- and besides, by some accounts I've read, she was an in by 10a.m. out by 1p.m. type governor anyway.
These megachurches need to be taxed! There are also some excellent books on the Bush family and their involvement in USING the churches for political gain.
Love the blog.
Peppermintpatty
Did you hear at 1:07:20 where Blumenthal says they keep the right-wing scandals secret by covering up for each other? "Keep the news of these scandals out of the media by networking."
I'd like to ***SHOUT*** here how really, really good this video is. Thank you for referring us to it. Blumenthal gives an excellent history; he really connects the dots that folks like me and others on this blog can see but can't (in my case) connect due to my lack of background in this area.
But it's all here! Beautifully, concisely stated. It's all the things we have been mulling over in this blog (and in PD, earlier), and so many of us separately: the comparison to Hitler's rise, the danger, the seriousness of it, why no MSM.
And IMO documenting SP's hoax is definitely an essential, KEY part of bring these dangerous trends to the surface.
Please: I encourage you to watch his video. It's long, but once you're 10 minutes into it, you will see how valuable it is to explain everything we have been struggling with re the SP hoax.
Not only did Sarah fail to take maternity leave, she brought Trig to her office filled with people 3 days after he was "born." (We really don't know the actual date of birth).
What bothers everyone is the fact that Trig was supposed to be premature. As a Down Syndrome child, he may have had other health issues. No loving, careful mother would expose her newborn child to an office filled with people . With Sarah, it is always about the photo op and show of things.
You'd best believe that if she wasn't on the short list for VP she would have taken maternity leave and then some, even though the child wasn't hers. Who would call her on it? Look at all she's been able to get away with knowing that no officials in Alaska have the stones to call her on any of it. I guess it's good to have a friends and family plan in state government.
Anon at 16:23
I agree with you. I always say there is a big difference between home schooling and home Skooling. After moving south a few yrs ago, I was shocked by the people that were homeskooling...their top 2 reasons were
1) they didn't want their child in classrooms with children of other races
2) they wanted to teach mostly a narrow slot of beliefs based on the bible.
Could Sarah Palin get a security clearance? The question occurred to me from Levi's account of her depression after the VP race. If she's seen a head doctor for anything other than "grief," she'd have to disclose that on the application that ordinary people have to fill out. Investigators would go over her medical records, whether she disclosed.
I just finished reading Republican Gomorrah--excellent book!
McCain did our country a huge WRONG, by choosing her as his VP.
WV is warnsu. pretty clear, I'd say
Regarding Palin and maternity leave:
in the video interview for Newsweek, when Palin and Governor Napolitano were interviewed together, Palin would have had a great opportunity to announce her pregnancy when she was asked about how she handled raising children while being governor. She instead waited until the next day to announce the "pregnancy", but did mention that with Piper she only took a couple of days off and was back to work as Mayor ie no maternity leave then, either! She mentions the "neanderthals" who would think a woman can't have children and do anything else.
I didn't go rewatch the video for the exact quote, but remember the timing here: McCain was just clinching the nomination that day. The next day Palin announces her "pregnancy", even sending a note to the interviewer apologizing that she didn't say anything about it in the interview.
The interviewer, by the way, was amazed Palin was so far along, as she did not look like it. This is the video where she wears the high heeled tight knee high boots and leans WAY forward during the duration of the interview, apparently to make closer contact with the interviewer, as Palin was seated on the far side, with Napolitano in between.
My point here about maternity leave is that on the day of the interview, McCain is clinching, and Palin was already mentioning taking virtually no time off for having Piper. That remark, as well the reference to "neanderthals", I think reveal her thinking at that time had to do with showing how having children would not stop her from being able to act in an executive position. She had to have been thinking she was going to "announce" the pregnancy the next day. She was laying the groundwork by saying she went right back to work after Piper, to essentially announce "look at me, I can be governor OR V.P. even with small kids!".
She was all about the show of being mother and governor, and not about the actual doing of either job. The neanderthal comment was somewhat of a warning, that she would come back hard if people said anything about her children making it difficult for her to "serve". I am sure it also won over women who feel like society doesn't value what they do, and made them feel protective of her. (which some do to this day - read the dribbles in the Ocean of Urine)
Because Palin was so focused on securing the V.P. slot, my personal opinion is that her decision not to take maternity leave was not due to worries of fraud. Palin wasn't intending to take care of Trig day to day anyway (Bristol and "the babysitter" would have that duty) At the time of his "birth", she was intent on showing McCain that she was ready to go right then.
Furthermore, think about if she HAD taken maternity leave: then she would have been out of the spotlight, at home bonding with Trig. Hard to even imagine her doing that when she was trying to get the VP slot.
For Palin, NOT taking leave worked far better as it allowed her to show she was ready for duty as VP, and even more importantly, gave the opportunity for her to be photographed numerous times dragging Trig everywhere, so people would get to see many photos of how she was "walking the walk".
After all, while the web pages were scrubbed and it became very hard to find pictures of Palin when she was supposedly pregnant, there are quite a few pictures of Palin with Trig in the months between his "birth" and her selection of VP.
Later, senior pastor Ed Kalnins -- with Palin standing at his side -- spoke about tapping into Alaska's natural resource wealth in order to fulfill the state's destiny of serving as a shelter for Christians at the end of the world.
"I believe that Alaska is one of the 'refuge states' -- come on you guys -- in the Last Days," Kalnins said, raising his arm to underscore his point. "And hundreds of thousands of people are going to come to this state to seek refuge.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/518514.html
ArmchairJane,
I agree with most of what you said but I also think that Sarah would have taken at least some (a week, a few days) maternity leave if she would have actually given birth. Her not taking maternity leave do leave me to believe that she was avoiding something and I think that something was fraud. Right now her faking a pregnancy is more immoral than illegal but if she would have taken paid maternity leave due to a fake pregnancy then Mrs. Sarah would be a criminal. Just like if she is claiming Trig in her disclosures or has forged a birth certificate.
McCain would have been forced to pick Sarah as V.P. regardless of whether she took a maternity leave or not. It would not have been a big deal for her to take care of her special needs baby for a few weeks. She didn't work half the time anyway. McCain knew what he had to do and Sarah knew too.
The natural resource "wealth" she tapped into was the conveniently timed "energy rebate" that gave every Alaskan an extra $1200.00. This (gasp dare I say SOCIALIST plan) was announced, passed and checks handed out all within 2 months.
Alaskans danced in the street with glee over the new Queen handing out free money, which was convenient when they started polling her popularity up here. Using that as a shill for her competence and popularity the GOP coined her the most popular Governor in America. If taken a few months earlier after the AGIA fiasco the numbers wouldn't even come close to remembling that 80% figure
Interesting. One question put to Blumenthal was "what do we do?". I think we are at the learning stage, absorbing the information put forth by the very observant writers, so I say we learn, talk and vote.
In the real world, a doctor would be required to sign a release to return to work.
Naked Truth,
Yes, I do see your point. Because she sure does like to use paid benefits, doesn't she? And even some pretty shady ones, like the per diems for living in her own house, and travel expenses for her kids everywhere. So I do think you are probably right that she would have at least taken SOME time off as leave.
One thing that I think still differs a lot depending on the employer is whether somebody can take leave for a legal adoption or if the father can take leave. Places I have worked in the past have had those expanded leave rules. I think they are more common on the West Coast as well as more common in certain government or public sector jobs. So in some cases the leave would have been allowed even for an adoption.
But I do think there is, or at least was, something not right about this "adoption". Under duress, perhaps an informal agreement, something not right.
And so for that reason, as you are suggesting, the situation may well have not qualified for Palin to take a maternity leave. I believe in the case of newly adoptive parents or the father taking time off it the correct terminology where I have worked in the past would be "family medical leave".
Sometimes I really wonder if Palin just went and announced the pregnancy and said "well Bristol, I have announced I am having a baby, and I WILL be having that baby". Seems to me there likely was some level of duress. If Palin went and announced she was pregnant she could then dare Bristol to publicly claim Trig. Given that Bristol was living at home, no means of support, and lived her whole life under the thumb of Sarah, I think Bristol would and DID give in.
But I also see Sarah as saying, "Don't worry, YOU will be the one who takes care of him". And later on, the big fights we have heard rumored between Bristol and Sarah could have been when Bristol wanted to keep Trig with her, and Sarah wanted to trot him out for a photo op.
Sarah Palin doesn't have it within herself to love that child. Instead of her own personal values driving the decision to keep Trig, she says:
"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."
Aside from whether she was pregnant, that statement is damning. Her decision wasn't based on love for the child (she knew it would be special-needs and admits she considered an abortion), but on the "mission." And why? Because it gave her an opportunity.
Anon 18:33 - I so agree. I know it is terribly cynical, but I can't help but feel that however Trig entered her life the fact that he has Down Syndrome was a factor. Knowing that she was being tee'd up by the Dobson crew for the VP nod, the timing of Trig entering her life really sealed the deal for her. And the way she has exhibited him for political gain since and the lack of maternal care and concern from her - even Levi said that Bristol was more of a mother to Trig than Sarah was which is wrong no matter who his birth mother turns out to be - really indicate that she values Trig for what he can do for her not what she can do for him.
I don't doubt some people's genuine Christian views..
But, aside from the power hungry clan, "christians" seem to be (to me) the most appealing "flock" to have as your following.
The pendulum sways from the vile tv personality preacher (dobson, ect..) and political creepies (palin, ect..).. to the average run of the mill 2.5 kid suburbanites that go every Sunday... to the a bit all consuming type where church activities run their lives... add to the mix the quiver clan (duggar-like... where the more kids one has the more "quivers" in the arrow to spread the good "word" ... to the everyone/thing is a demon.. blah blah
But here is the deal
Christians are taught at the root (and I am generalizing here as I am a Christian and don't fit into any of the stereotypes above)
that "materialism" is BAD
So, follow the "bible" and things like what Job you will have, what Views you will believe, how you will Raise Your Family, where your Money goes, where you will Live.... are all dictated by the good book (or the person in charge telling them what that good book says
And
Christians are taught to turn the other cheek, No harsh words, be Kind, Gentle, Forgiving, Patient, don't Judge, question... blah blah
Christians are the easiest flock to manipulate! Zombies who will open their wallets and won't question things... They are the kindest, compassionate, money giving, without views of their own .. to manipulate
No wonder Palin and others are so hell bent on swaying the "Church" Politically
What an easier bunch to sway???
Sad thing is, my opinion, there's one little factoid that gets lost in their quest for power over a "weak" sector of our society
There's a little something called GOD in the mix
and I believe "he" finds this sort of power hungry selfish venom the most disgusting "sin" out there
Forget about abortions and being gay and murdering and all the other supposedly horrid "sins"
"God" ... well Jesus, hung out with those type folks.. the tax collectors, prostitutes, murderers.... but who did "he" find the most sickening? The Pharisees.. the ones that stood on the street corner praying out loud so everyone could hear them...
This sick plan of Palin and others won't fly.... you can already see their perfect bubble falling all apart into a smelly rotten mess
Palin's first appearances on the big stage with her family looked so picture perfect.... or so she thought
No need to waste more space here describing how that lady has fallen and fallen hard..
ArmchairJane you said:
"Sometimes I really wonder if Palin just went and announced the pregnancy and said "well Bristol, I have announced I am having a baby, and I WILL be having that baby". "
I often wonder the same thing. I am more so thinking this after Levi made that statement in Vanity Fair about Sarah bugging him and Bristol to adopt the baby. He never said Tripp's name so I think he was talking about Trig here. I don't think that Levi and Bristol gave Trig up (by letting Sarah adopt him that is) but I do believe they allowed Sarah to claim him. I don't think that Sarah has legally adopted Trig.
Would she need to 'legally adopt him' if his Birth Certificate is a forgery and names her as the mother??
There is a reason she hurried back to Alaska from Texas that day and I think that reason is that the 'mother' went into premature labor. Sarah had been planning a longer 'pregnancy'
The Max Blumenthal video is very informative. Don't miss it. If you're in a hurry, the part about Palin begins about minute 27 or 28, somewhere along there.
Naked Truth,
Yes, I tend to think that as well, that Palin has not legally adopted Trig, for whatever the reason. Some of the Vanity Fair statements make me suspect it, but also I think perhaps I feel that way because Sarah has seemed physically repulsed by him, it makes me think she would have been willing to "claim him" and use him, but might not actually have wanted to go all the way and legally adopt him.
Bree, I am with you that Trig was for Sarah "a door that opened". She seems to see everything in view of what opportunity it may present to her. I remember how she mentions doors that might not even be all the way open, but she's going to just push right through... It IS horrible to think it, but sure does seems like at least to Sarah, Trig's condition was the door, and it wasn't even all the way open, but she pushed through anyway.
At least other people in that family do seem to be able to show real affection. Bristol does seem to honestly adore Trig, whether she is really the birth mother or not.
Wow, what a wv: fakeds
faked s(arah) or fake ds (Down syndrome)
Anon. 8:56 said:
"Would she need to 'legally adopt him' if his Birth Certificate is a forgery and names her as the mother??"
No, she wouldn't have to legally adopt him if they went ahead and forged a birth certificate. But what I don't understand is if a forged birth certificate exists why haven't Sarah not just presented it? I think she would love to throw a BC in our face if she actually has one.
Do you know something that we don't know? If so, please share.
Naked Truth: No, I don't know anything it was just a thought.
It seems to me that a BC showing her as the mother is easier than 'adoption' if secrecy is a factor. I keep coming back to the trip home from Dallas, and it just doesn't make sense at all. If the baby was premature, she knew the gig was up if she was in Dallas pretending to be pregnant. Maybe the phone call was TO Sarah, telling her that the mother had gone into labor.
Either way, so many people are involved, and none of them are talking either way. Why not talk if you were a nurse in the delivery room when Sarah gave birth? It wouldn't be breaking confidentiality would it to say something about "oh it was an honor to be present when the Gov gave birth' but.. has anyone said anything? The only reason for silence, is to cover-up something.
.
"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."
--
Faith in a holy cause is a loss of faith in ourselves -- Eric Hoffer
Patrick:
Thanks for sharing this Max Blumenthal video... I wasn't too crazy about him before, not sure why, he just seemed to irritate me, although I knew his heart and mind were in the right place.
He was clear, concise and humorous here. Very well researched book. Thanks for helping me to open my mind to him... he actually had me hooked in just the first few minutes of this tape, and I was already feeling UGH when I saw it was over an hour long. I watched the whole thing and was quite impressed with him.
Thanks again... you're the bees knees :)
The answer may be in Fleabags own words.
Sarah Palin's lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, responded: "Other than noting that Tripp's father is always welcome to visit his son, we are unable to respond to these allegations as it is inappropriate to discuss child custody matters publicly."
http://www.adn.com/3437/story/993779.html
It doesn't sound like the welcome mat has been out for Levi. Could this be the retaliatory shot?
Sarah Palin doesn't trust herself. Why should anyone else trust her?
On the topic of videos about the Fundamentalist Evangelical base, I still have to watch Max's speech today, but I have been delaying because last night I watched "Jesusland", and it was a tough experience. Many of the points Max and other have made about the Fundamentalist Evangelical movement were well illustrated in this documentary.
In "Jesusland", there are examples of home schooling with emphasis on hot political issues like global warming and creationism versus evolution. The lack of critical thinking skills was well illustrated, with only a thin veneer of logic applied over rote learning from "Christian" text books.
For instance, the mother asks her son about what is the problem when global warming proponents say the very hot summers of the past several years are evidence of global warming. The son says "the average temperature has only gone up .6 degrees in that time". The mother praises him, and with that observation global warming is considered proven wrong by mother and son and dispensed with.
Now I don't mean to start an argument over global warming, but I will say that even most deniers agree that the planet is warming, but disagree about causes or whether we can do anything to stop it. But to say that .6 degrees doesn't mean anything is just plain wrong if you look at the science. My point is that what the student is really learning is just memorization of what the textbooks say, with no real analysis of the issue. The boy is 11 or 12, old enough to handle some depth to a topic.
What really got me about "Jesusland" and why I felt the need to take a break before listening to Max's speech, is that I am still getting over the parts of "Jesusland" that show the children being terrorized about the danger everwhere of falling into sin and then burning in hell forever. The pastor in the video talks about how kids these days are visual learners. So she prides herself in finding lots of props to reinforce her lessons. The children at times seem incredibly distressed by what they are being taught. The crying, the terrorized expressions, it was just wrenching. And using these techniques they attempt to frighten the kids against believing anything except just what the church tells them. They get them very frightened and worked up, and then offer them their only hope of survival in doing and thinking what the church tells them.
Reading or hearing about these churches and their beliefs is one thing. "Jesusland" shows it in action, and it truly is a horror movie.
Bristol and Xgino are both Palin's. The plot of hiding Trigs mom is starting to come apart at the seems.
Xgino is history for getting back in office anywhere. SHe might have a metal break down with all the pressure to keep her lies in order. WIll be interest to see how the truth will unfold in the near future, maybe on the big OW show in a grand scale.
My guess is Levi is not the father of Trig, other wise he would not be so public. Levi is hiding the fact that the girl he loved had a child from another man, most likely a one night dance under the influence of a valley cocktail of alcohol and other party drugs.
Levi is the unsung hero in this drama. His love moved past Bristols baby with another man. Only the condom failure got Bristol knocked up again.
The control freak Xgino talked everyone into her plot to fake a baby and spin the truth into her advantage in a political way. Well, her spin is getting old and the truth is coming.
And in response to the comments about Sp not taking maternity leave... ( not sure why it's in this thread, but oh well)
She stated that she didn't take leave when Piper was born... which was long before her GUV titleship...
She had alot more to lose running as VP if she then took a leave after NOT taking leave on the last childs birth... that she seemed to be SO proud of...especially given the questions about how she would juggle being VP with the responsibilities of being a mom to 5...
To maintain her image she COULDN'T take a leave this time even though I believe she would have as GUV, given all the expenses she charged to the state... per-diems and family travel and ad nauseum...
and I can't believe that anyone would swallow the story that Bristol was home schooled... not in academics anyway... Nanny-ship maybe, I'll buy that... because it was by default... but academics????... NO WAY... who the hell was HOME to home school her?????? And BTW "home schooling" and online learning are two very different things... so if anyone thinks she was "home schooled" I have a bridge in Alaska for sale...
I always found it particularly interesting the number of times Sarah used the word “meet” or “meeting” Trig before his presentation on 4-18-08. In my pregnancies, I never would have thought in the concept of “meeting” the baby inside of me upon their birth. It was looking forward with excitement to their “birth”, not looking at it as a “meet and greet” handshaking occasion. But, I’m not a politician! lol
I know I have seen and heard it several other times and places, but here are some examples where she said "meet" four times JUST from the video of the speech she gave here Sarah Palin at the Vandeburgh, Indiana, Right to Life Banquet on April 16, 2009:
At 28:10:
“So Trig enters our world. He’s so sweet and tiny and I was just so anxious to meet him because, um, well he must have been very anxious to meet us too because he came 5 weeks early and it had been such a trip not telling anybody I was pregnant until a month before I had him even funnier though was when I told some reporters and some other time I’ll tell you …”
At 29:44:
“There has been great purpose in what I went through this past year. I was so anxious to meet Trig because I had learned at 13 weeks along that he would be born with Down Syndrome.”
At 34:05:
“I was anxious to meet Trig. Because, believe it or not, I didn’t know what to expect. And, believe it or not, I didn’t even know what a baby with an extra chromosome was going to look like or feel like because I had a heck of a time researching Down Syndrome when I was pregnant and getting my arms around this. And it just seemed like that when I tried to open the book like this was something for someone else, someone stronger and maybe more compassionate than I to be able to give this child what he would need to better handle the circumstances. I wasn’t sure if my heart could hold what this baby would need.”
And upon further thought about the "home-schooling" issue... families don't normally home-school ONE child, especially the oldest one still at home ... they normally home-school the whole bunch... (same goes for the Johnston clan...) if home-schooling is a choice for a family, often times the older sibling
eventually attends public school... not the reverse...
Why does anyone think Bristol & Levi were home-schooled???
Liz, I think that the topic of maternity leave is here because in part this blog post covers the views of Dobson and how he was giving a thumbs up to McCain as a result of Sarah being picked as VP.
Which leads to observations about the timing of Palin announcing "her" pregnancy, since that seemed directly related to McCain clinching the nomination.
With Palin aware "that little Downs syndrome baby" was her likely path to the VP nod, after that everything she did for the public to view, including the way in which she presented the pregnancy and Trig to the public seems to me related to how she, Dobson, and others made her into such a cult hero to the base. The "no maternity leave" issue was part of the narrative.
And I do agree, she could not take leave as Gov because the narrative of SuperMom/SuperGuv was all important for the VP positioning.
PCG, would someone adopting talk about meeting the baby?
Anon
"Why not talk if you were a nurse in the delivery room when Sarah gave birth? It wouldn't be breaking confidentiality would it to say something about "oh it was an honor to be present when the Gov gave birth' but.. has anyone said anything? The only reason for silence, is to cover-up something."
Exactly. It's very hard to believe that no one has come out to conclusively state that Sarah Palin gave birth to Trig. In most cases Sarah is not even admitting it. Levi in the Vanity Fair article said that he was there when Sarah "had" Trig and made it sound even more suspicious by giving the date and exact time. Why would Levi be there at the hospital that early in the morning waiting for his girlfriend's mother to have a baby? At this time Bristol was pregnant with Tripp and he wasn't suppose to be living with the Palin's then, was he? Now all of this is strange.
ProChoiceGrandma, thank you for pointing that out. Palin makes so many odd word choices that it is hard to sift through them all, but I think you have really hit on something there!
I have had friends who adopted infants from overseas. First they have photos or other information from the adoption agency. Finally the baby actually arrives. These friends tended to use words like "meet" or "arrive" when talking about actually finally having their newly adopted child with them.
Good point ArmChairJane...
you are a reasonable and grounded voice here... much appreciate what you contribute...
Above suppose to have read "At this time Bristol wasn't pregnant with Tripp". Trying to watch college football and type at the same time.
Liz, thank you, that is nice of you to say :-) My goal is just to get at the truth. And I tend to think in terms of making sense of how different puzzle pieces relate to each other.
And also I am trying never to forget that some pieces of evidence that are missing also can be important. The "dog that did NOT bark in the night" sort of thing.
As Naked Truth and anons are mentioning, NOBODY in the delivery team saying they were there for the actual birth of Trig by Sarah, seems like it might be an example of "a dog not barking". It actually WOULD be breaking confidentiality as a nurse to without permission make public comment. But after all this time nobody has said it off the record, either. Which I would agree is quite interesting.
Sometimes I know when I comment on something. in my mind I know the relationship to the topic being discussed in the post, but I realize it's not always obvious without giving the direct context. So if I am posting something and it seems unrelated, I have no problem if somebody points that out. It might actually be a related topic but sometimes I forget that a connection that is clear to me might not be obvious to others ;-)
Levi said, "I'd say she's definitely stretching it big time, 'cause for three years I never even seen her touch a gun, or go fishing," here. Originally, I thought that might rule out an affair with Sarah, considering his VF comment about the gun in a box under her bed, but it could be possible that only Levi touched the gun or that neither of them did, because there might have been more interesting things to do in the bedroom.
deja vu:
"fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy and needs feeding..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqftjAazzu0
I should add that although I'm doubtful that Sarah was pregnant, I still consider it a possibility. If she was pregnant, I am curious about the father -- anon@2102
ANON 21:02,
i wouldn't put it pass her, it could have easily happened.
her touching of his chin at the RNC looked suspicious to me, WAY too intimate.
18:50 and Armchair Jane, I've thought the same thing. If Levi and Bristol wouldn't agree to give her Trig, she strong-armed them into it by announcing her "pregnancy" anyway. So unless they wanted to ruin her, they had to go along with it.
MODS:
Question...
can you offer the option of reading comments from newest to oldest???
Personally I'd rather sift through the newest posts rather than having to scroll down through sometimes over 200 to read the newest... does blogspot offer that as an option?
NOT ONCE - EVER - has Sarah Palin uttered the phrase that SHE gave BIRTH to Trig.
NOT ONCE.
In fact, when she revealed the 'pregnancy' she told reporters to "expect a new member of the first family."
When Trig was revealed on April 18, the official Palin Press release NEVER said Palin gave BIRTH. It said the Palins WELCOMED Trig.
Sarah can truthfully call Trig her son if she adopted him. But NEVER - EVER - EVER has the B word come out of her mouth.
You are very astute in observing the care in which she uses her words concerning this matter.
It is fallback when the deceptions are finally revealed by those in the know.
Palin will, no doubt, will defend the deception by claiming a 'higher purpose.' She may even have the gall to say that the MEDIA is to blame for setting the deception into motion.
Unfortunately, her excuses will be swallowed whole by her loyalists who will cling to her no matter what.
Once the news breaks, blog OPs prepare yourself for the onslaught.
The careful documentation you've compiled over the past year or so will be a great resource to both the MSM and the public in general in understanding the true scope and disgusting depth of Palin's Deceptions.
Keep it Up....the dam is leaking and the crack in the wall is crumbling.
I LOVE this site. Thank you, Regina. Thank you, Patrick. Thank you, excellent posters. And if anyone knows Barb, please ask her to come back!!!
Jess Sayin @ 21:48, do you mean like THIS?
“I'll tell you, yesterday the Anchorage Daily News, they called again to ask — double-, triple-, quadruple-check — who is Trig's real mom. And I said, Come on, are you kidding me? We're gonna answer this? Do you not believe me or my doctor? And they said, No, it's been quite cryptic the way that my son's birth has been discussed. And I thought, Okay, more indication of continued problems in the world of journalism.”
To Jess Sayin21:48: Your claim that SP never said she gave birth to T1 during the campaign seemed true to me all during the campaign, but right afterwards SP did indeed say (at 0:20) ". . . . my own pregnancy, having given birth to Trig four months prior, once the candidacy was announced, . . . ."
My own take on why she used the "I gave birth" terminology only AFTER the election? She had prob been warned by the campaign experts to watch her phraseology, but as we all know she chafed under their guidance (as in commenting on Todd's membership in that secessionist group), and now that the campaign was over she was free to lie as much as she pleased.
Hey if anyone wonders if it's worth taking an HOUR to watch the video at the front of this blog, the answer from here is YES!
Thank you, Patrick, for a huge boost in my understanding.
I second that Amy1, it's a very good talk with Max Blumenthal. He's definitely one of my new favorite people.
Also if you haven't, watch some of his teabagger/Nine-twelve videos. Priceless.
Yes, you don't "meet" the baby you gave birth to...
The first time you see the little tyke the word "meet" does't come to mind
You already "know" the child as you carried him/her for 9 months.. you felt it wiggle and kick in the later months...
You may phrase it as the first time I "saw" his/her little face.. but not "meet"
One "meets" a stranger....
oh dear
WV: dorke :D
multiple takes on the HOFFMAN / OWENS battle:
* Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight: "Gun to my head? Sure, I'd take Hoffman at this point." But it's not that cut and dried: Most conservative Republicans had already defected to Hoffman, so the gain may not be that big.
* Marc Ambinder, Atlantic: Conventional wisdom "says that most go to Hoffman, but I'm with Jonathan Martin: I think half go to Democrat Bill Owens or they stay home."
* Jake McIntyre, Daily Kos: "The impact of the NY-23 saga on the fate of the GOP will have far more long-reaching effects than the simple question of who wins on Tuesday. The Republican establishment that at least pretended to speak to all Americans is deeply, deeply wounded, and a wild-eyed, exclusionist, birther religio-beast is taking its place."
Waving hello, WOP :-) Happy Halloween!
And to all ...
Disabled children like Trig generally get SSD (social security disability payments) from the government. I wonder if Sarah collects these and who the parent is listed as. It would be very hard for us to find this out, but it would be interesting.
It also would be interesting to know if he is receiving any educational services from the state. Of course we know how backwards Alaska is but most states still provide very early intervention services to developmentally disabled children like Trig.
It bothers me we have not seen a photo of him for a long time. Is he having speech and language therapy, physical therapy and has he had his hearing tested? These children need A LOT of intervention. Love and changing diapers are not enough.
I wish we knew more about all these things.
I find it very offensive that Palin is lecturing about health insurance and a "government take over" on her facebook page. Who the HELL does she think will be helping "her child." Does she honestly believe any for-profit health company would insure him? People who support only FOR-PROFIT health insurance companies are very ignorant. And the minute they have a serious disease like cancer or whatever, and they are fighting with their insurance company for help, then they change their tune and hate insurance companies but are still mad at the government.
Why are there so many ignorant and stupid people in our country. Its very upsetting, especially when it comes to health care.
Liz, i wondered the same thing about the home schooling of Bristol and Levi together. From snippets I read I found an online course from a company in Utah which fit their description. Utah! I can't remember if it was overtly Mormon but it seems like a possibility. I'll try to find it again and post the website.
I agree, it's beyond weird that they were "homeschooling" these two teens and not the younger ones. Being married to a public school teacher this issue really got my attention. It sounds like Alaska is fairly lenient over this issue of home schooling.
@ Dr Who ~
I feel the same concerns. She has too many secrets and she is not about to disclose any info about caring for a DS child.
If she was involved with good therapy and doing what is best for Trig, don't you think we would hear about it?
I have yet to hear the results of "PsychRights v Sarah Palin"
It appears she doesn't have a problem with drugging children. Her manipulating the health care in Alaska resulted in the death of over two hundred disabled. She has no business anywhere near a discussion on health until a few of these matters get the proper attention and she answers some questions under oath.
I don't know enough about her church associates, she may have moved on from the church in Wasilla. I would like to hear more from Rep Carl Gatto because of his closeness to her and family, church ties, fire department and legislator. He is not ready to open up.
Have your say in the following poll
Do you support Sarah Palin as GOP nominee for Presidential candidate in 2012?
http://voteglobal.com/poll::Do-you-support-Sarah-Palin-as-GOP-nominee-for-Presidential-candidate-in-2012
I thought that the wording that Sarah used when announcing her "pregnancy" with Trig was that there would be an addition to her family. She did not say that she was pregnant; others said that she did not look pregnant.
About Bristol and Levi homeschooling while others went to school-- wasn't that when Levi was living with the Palin Family and Bristol was pregnant. Rather than it being the pregnancy keeping Bristol at home, it was more likely that she was baby sitting Trig, taking care of Piper, Willow, the dog, the cat, the house, and anything else.
(Sorry, I got carried away).
New Facebook post
http://bit.ly/5DzbJ
Prepare to vomit. The divider now wants to be a uniter.
my w/v is monstr
hey CC!
i just watched the HURRICANES pulled an amazing win in the last minute of the game.
i had to take a palin-free, mental-health break..
specially after reading BREE's PALINBOTS COMMENTS... YIKES, those are some creepy folks!
what happened with BARB??? I missed it and hope she doesn't leave us...
she is a wise woman...
anon @00:44 "........baby sitting Trig, taking care of Piper, Willow, the dog, the cat, the house, and anything else."
Nope, no dog, no cat - animals are for shootin', eatin', and wall-hangin' - there are no pets! How weird is that? A childhood without pets - I find that very sad.
Arm Chair Jane and PRO Choice Grandma, with all due respect, I do not have a problem with the word "meet" in relation to your birth child. I actually said to both my sons when they were born, when I first held them in my arms:
"I've waited so long to meet you". I'd also speak to them when they were in utero; "Mommy can't wait to meet you in person". Now, maybe I'm not average lol, but I did say these things and do not make too much of Sarah saying it. But believe me i KNOW in my soul Sarah did not birth Trig and absolutely faked her pregnancy with him. On this we agree!!!
wv: expla sarah's got some explaining to do
No More McCain said:
Why is Rep. Gatto staying silent and not called out on his part in backing up the liars?
Church Church Church
Paramedic/Fire Officer, Anchorage Fire Department
Judiciary Committee: 2009 - present
Valley Hospital Board of Trustees
Valley Hospital Association
Church Outreach Counselor
Palmer Chamber of Commerce
Wasilla Chamber of Commerce
_____________________________
Probably because he has influence of some type in that "small town" atmosphere in AK.
Do you know anyone who can drop some hints? If someone will provide us some info., we can spread it to others. Maybe it will help jog some memories.
What does anyone know about Gatto? Did he help arrange some things?
LisanTX
Dr Who and No More McCain,
On the topic of Trig, I have also been wondering how he's been doing. I do think Bristol loves him, but as was mentioned, love alone won't help him to make the most of his potential.
I'm also wondering about recent photos of him. The most recent photos I have seen were all around the time of the Quitstock series of picnics. Within the past few days somebody turned up this page from a big Palin fan who traveled to Alaska to see Palin at the Quitter picnics. I now can't find the original comment so I can't credit the person who posted the link. The tone of the page is rather like someone going to visit a religious shrine or see the Pope...
http://www.motivationtruth.com/2009/07/i-met-sarah-palin-again-with-pics-video.html
Scrolling down there are pictures from the Wasilla picnic, one with Bristol holding Tripp and another with Willow holding Trig.
I did notice that Trig now has dark hair, despite people who keep saying that he's blond. One photo I do not recall having yet seen is a photo of Trig walking or standing up. Seems like he is always either being held or in a stroller or baby chair. I hope the family is helping him develop his physical coordination with some professional guidance...
It's been said that Gabriel Gatto used to date Bristol. He has a blog
http://gabrieljgatto.blogspot.com/
His dad is a teabagger Rep. for Palmer
Armchair Jane,
Like you I am truly worried about Trig. It's been proven that with extra attention...physical, speech, cognitive therapy, that DS children can live up to their full potential. And it is not unusual (I have had 11 medically fragile fosters that are DS) for them to crawl late, walk late and have All development steps be delayed, but the more therapy the lesser the degree of the delay. My concern with a very young and uneducated, inexperienced teen being the primary care giver,,,is that Bristol(no matter how much she loves Trigg) is NOT capable of overseeing all of Triggs basic needs. The biggest danger is a child that just lays and the caretaker thinks that is ok, its not okay, DS children NEED outside stimulation to motivate them(in my experience)
May 1, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today signed legislation authorizing birth certificates for stillbirths. House Bill 2, sponsored by Representative Carl Gatto, allows the Bureau of Vital Statistics to issue certificates for stillborn babies at the request of the parents. HB 2 passed the House 29-1, Senate 18-1.
"This is beautiful because this can surely help a grieving family after losing a child,” Governor Palin said. “I'm thankful that Alaska's legislature recognizes how important a step like this is as Alaska embraces a culture of life and respects precious babies, including babies stillborn, but still loved by their families. Alaskans respect this sanctity of life and I appreciate Representative Gatto's efforts."
“HB 2 gives recognition that the mom of a stillborn child indeed had a birth and now will be able to request and receive a birth certificate stating that ‘yes, you delivered a precious child,’” Representative Gatto said.
I think the last time we saw Trig with $arah was at the quitter party, wasn't the argument with Bristol right before that-- maybe Bristol finally put her foot down and told her mother no more photo ops with MY child. I don't believe he was officially adopted, more like taken for Sarah's own sick opening doors to her higher calling, whatever the hell that means!!
Every now and then, the name Gatto seems to come up. anon 1:55 mentions Gabriel Gatto, the son of the Alaska politician.
A couple of days ago,someone posted that Bristol abandoned the Gatto boy. I assume that was Gabriel. That poster also reminded us of an old incident in the troubled teen world of Wasilla, when Bristol stole Levi from his then-girl friend Lanesia.
A right wing blogger with an unsavory reputation is being quoted in comments at Bree Palin's bog:
October 31, 2009 9:46 AM
No More McCain said...
"Why is Rep. Gatto silent and not called out on his part in backing up Palin?
Church Church Church
Paramedic/Fire Officer, Anchorage Fire Department
Judiciary Committee: 2009 - present
Valley Hospital Board of Trustees
Valley Hospital Association
Church Outreach Counselor
Palmer Chamber of Commerce
Wasilla Chamber of Commerce
Who is covered by the Legislative Ethics Code?
Welcome to The Ethics Committee"
Maybe someone who follows the fine details of Alaska social life and political life would inform us about why someone keeps writing about the Gatto's, senior and junior. What's the story morning glory?
I don't believe the comments discussing Rep. Gatto are related to the right-wing blogger with an unsavory reputation - that cretinous individual is known as The Other McCain - this person is commenting on several blogs as No More McCain - there is no reason to think the two are related in any way as far as I know.
Amy1 @ 22:34 said:
“My own take on why she used the "I gave birth" terminology only AFTER the election? She had prob been warned by the campaign experts to watch her phraseology, but as we all know she chafed under their guidance (as in commenting on Todd's membership in that secessionist group), and now that the campaign was over she was free to lie as much as she pleased.”
Very good analysis, Amy1! By george, that does sound “rogue” of her!
Anon at 15:36, I suspect I've been having a harder time than most understanding Sarah and her followers because I was not raised a Christian--or any religion, actually, so fundamentalist thought processes and faith are very difficult concepts for me to grasp.
I think the main "aha" moment I had was when I came to understand that Sarah and those like her believe themselves to be the new Chosen Ones. They're convinced they've been selected by God to do his work, and this somehow carries with it freedom from the normal moral constraints under which others operate (thou shalt not lie, steal, etc).
You're right when you say it's all rooted in fear and ignorance, mixed up with a strange arrogance that comes from the smug conviction of being on the side of the angels. It's funny, given that conservatives are so into ostentatious macho strut, but psychologists have shown that fearful people tend to be conservative.
thanks, MC, for this.
"... psychologists have shown that fearful people tend to be conservative."
so true! and it's ironic that they are also the FEAR MONGERS!
“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."
The “I guess” implies a little hint of disgust, wouldn’t you say? But once Sarah figured out a scheme whereby she could turn a distressing situation into a political bonanza to “help us in our cause”, then it wasn’t so bad, was it Sarah? For awhile, anyway. Until people started to realize there was no possible way Sarah could have been pregnant with Trig and given birth to him on 4-18-08.
Even Audrey was fooled with that 4-18-08 date of “birth”. It seems that a commenter on Palin’s Deceptions on 11-23-08 may have been the first to recognize that Trig was born several weeks earlier than 4-18-08. The comment appears on 11-23-08 @ 9:29 PM by Anonymous:
“I believe you're right Audrey but even if the prom was held on one of the earlier dates, we received no proof of Trig being born on April 18th. Maybe he was several weeks old by that date...unless there's something I missed and April 18th was confirmed as the birth date.
*Miss Lexstasy*”
http://www.palindeception.com/blog/2008/11/prom-photo-dated-conclusively-aka-fun.html
* * * * * * *
On 11-24-08, Audrey’s post was in response to that commenter’s suggestion that Trig was born several weeks earlier:
“Per se, you have not "missed" anything. However, I have been looking at all evidence on this matter for months now. I know that many different scenarios have been proposed. In a comment within the last couple of weeks someone suggested that Trig could have been born as far back as February, though I can't remember why the person thought that was possible and actually cannot locate that comment right now.
I certainly might be proved wrong on this issue, but here's my call. I believe that someone was in labor on April 17th. Without that fact, Sarah Palin's very public, very visible, very commented on, and extremely implausible trip from Texas to Anchorage, which commenced around 2 PM (Central Time - 11 AM Alaska Time) on the 17th and ended up 12 hours later at Mat-Su Hospital in Palmer makes no sense. The only reason we really have something to talk about now is because, on April 17th, she left a conference early, changed her travel plans, got on an airplane, told people that the reason she did this was because she was in labor, and then - voila - produced a baby six hours later. If Trig Palin was already born, and "stashed" somewhere, this trip (and dramatic production of baby the next morning) makes no sense.”
* * * * * * * * *
Exactly– this trip did NOT make any sense! It was a staged presentation, and Trig WAS stashed somewhere for several weeks until his presentation as a supposedly 5 week premature 6lb 2 oz “newborn” on 4-18-08.
If you are still out there “Miss Lexstasy”, congratulations for apparently being the first to find the crack in Sarah’s secret. Now that pesky crack in the glass keeps growing as more pictures and videos have been discovered to disprove Sarah’s concocted pregnancy hoax, and will ultimately break the glass into smithereens. I hope you were not discouraged away when Audrey dissed your theory, because you were spot on.
http://www.palindeception.com/blog/2008/11/prom-photo-dated-conclusively-aka-fun.html
Oops, the last link should have been this one:
http://www.palindeception.com/blog/2008/11/ongoing-questions-about-trig-palins.html
Those of you worried about Trig should not be. I have heard several references (once, I think, from Levi) to specialists coming to the Palin household to give him therapy. Socialized medicine, ya know.
I think Sarah no longer drags Trig around with her because his DS is becoming quite apparent and he isn't so cute any more. For all their talk about precious life, a lot of people are repulsed by DS children. (I hope this statement doesn't offend anyone, but it is true that many people are troubled by seeing those with disabilities).
CR46,
You make some good points here:
"My concern with a very young and uneducated, inexperienced teen being the primary care giver,,,is that Bristol(no matter how much she loves Trigg) is NOT capable of overseeing all of Triggs basic needs. The biggest danger is a child that just lays and the caretaker thinks that is ok, its not okay, DS children NEED outside stimulation to motivate them(in my experience)".
And I have to say it really gave me a sinking feeling, because I could see how if Trig is generally quiet and not very active on his own, especially now with a second baby to watch out for, that Bristol might think that Trig is just an "easy baby" and be happy that he's not as active as some other children she knows. She really may not have a clue, and be losing valuable opportunities to help him now.
Especially given the very strange appearances of "out cold" babies at interviews I have to wonder if "easy" babies are really prized in that peer group, and so any placidness Trig naturally showed would be thought of as a good thing to be enouraged.
And I don't even want to think about Dobson's advice on rearing of infants, but I get the idea that Palin doesn't really listen much to Dobson as a source of advice. I don't think Bristol would use those methods. As for Sarah, I suspect she was more interested in his endorsement of her "pro life" credentials.
ps. Was just finishing this when I saw midnightcajun's comment that there have been specialists going to the house to see Trig. If they are, that is good news. Also interesting if Levi was one of those mentioning Trig's care. Considering how Sarah and her "family spokesperson" characterize Levi, I should be surprised for Levi to be taking such an interest in Trig, but somehow I just find Levi a lot more caring about Trig than his own supposed mother Sarah... And midnightcajun, I suspect you are right about Sarah taking Trig out with her. From now on, I am expecting we will most likely only see him with her if she's making an appearance at a group with a particular interest in his condition.
wv:spesp = sp esp: Sarah Palin, we know what you are thinking!
Midnight cajun,
thank you, your comments give me some hope for Trig. But therapy once a week or so is not enough. Hopefully Bristol has time and ability to do the daily therapy they teach you to do at home, but with two little ones it may get overlooked.
Sorry, I already posted this somewhere but not on this thread.
Did you notice the Mrs. Robinson sort of allegation in the Vanity Fair's title "Me and Mrs. Palin"? I just ignored that, because no evidence in that direction, it seems to me.
But now the Guardian's piece is entitled "Mad about the Boy," which might not be familiar to younger U.S readers as the title of a well-known song by Noel Coward about a crush an older woman has on a boy. Or, when a man sings it, as Noel Coward himself often did, it obviously refers to an older man and a boy. An inappropriate crush, in the context of the song. Yes it can be understood to be about someone pining after a movie star, but when older women sing this song (as many fine singers have done) it is clearly about a crush on someone who is too young IMHO.
So these TWO magazine hints make me wonder: do they know something WE don't? That never occurred to me, it seeming to be the other way around all along. Or are these simply misguided hints? Yet another Hmmmmmmmmm.
To: Armchair Jane
"I did notice that Trig now has dark hair, despite people who keep saying he's blond."
Help me out here! From day one, at least to me, Trig has always had dark hair. Did you not see the RNC pictures?
Now, I have heard people say that "Tripp" has reddish/blond hair...but Trig? In fact, the last picture of Tripp, in the hotel room with Levi, did look like his hair was reddish/blond.
The last picture released of Bristol with Tripp, probably taken this summer, has him with a heavily knitted hat on. Not only did Patrick have that picture on this blog, it was also on all the networks that Levi appeared on.
Why or why do I feel like I'm in a "Good Cop...Bad Cop" scenario!
Ginger
Amy1--Very Interesting about the title "Mad About the Boy." I agree with you, the fact that two magazines take that approach is noteworthy.
Now, if only Levi would finish that story about the gun under Sarah's bed!
My scenario now is:
--Bristol's pregnancy with T1 was a disastrous shock to SP (for some reason that we need not specify at present). That's why the hoax was developed -- it seemed easier and less risky than the truth, which would have ended SP's career.
--Bristol was stashed away and T1 was going to be adopted out. Because then, after T1's birth, no one could say Bristol had been pregnant because: NO BABY!
--BUT it was simultaneously planned that T1 would be adopted back into the family as SP's baby, for which SP would fake the pregnancy. All handled by the church, so no problems with control, nosy evaluations, etc.
--The agreement was Bristol could raise the baby as her own, but whatever caused them to depart from the truth re conception could thus remain buried.
--Jan/Feb was when T1 was born, Apr 18 was when SP took possession of him. That's why Levi was at the hospital when SP "had" the baby -- it was such an awful moment for Bristol to have her recycled baby become SP's, and he was her support.
--Think of Bristol's grief re the conception, the taking away of her baby, the DS diagnosis, SP's evil scheme, the fact that Bristol had agreed to it (lots of second-guessing of self there, I bet), post-partum blues, being a teen, being a mother and yet also just a lowly babysitter -- and no one to comfort her except Levi, who loved her then. That's how T2 happened. That's when they were caring for T1 together, and "homeschooling."
--So with T2's conception, they had no choice but to announce it, especially as there were already rumors in AK about SP not birthing T1.
What do you think?
That's ok Hannah, don't have thin skin..if I lived in suburbia with lots of neighbors on Halloween, I'd do this activism with regards to the biggest political Hoax of the Century. The kids would pass on flyer to parents because any decent parent would inspect every bit of item in that candy bag before the child starts munching.
Only the Palinbots would censor the flyer just like one on climate change or world is really flat or dinosaurs running around with us all.
My dad was construction worker in NYC and he'd bring home all kinds of literature handed to him on sidewalk from diverse groups and it would become a discussion starter for the family living in rural area. How one grows a tolerant outlook when they aren't afraid of other points of view.
Sometimes it feels we are just talking to ourselves here with no action. Ourselves being-the non-believers in Palin's pregnancy- and the more folks who come up with action ideas such as that Anchorage Craigslist ad of photos of Flat Sarah versus Bulging Belly- the better. Especially if it includes links to the Babygate blogs or specific postings. Let the light in and more traffic and hopefully MSM insvestigation.
Dr. Who AND CR46-good points.
Ginger/Anon 05:39,
Hey, I agree with you! I think Trig had medium dark hair at the RNC, although wispier then and so harder to tell than it was in the Quitstock photos when he has a full head of hair and it looks even darker. Since I was mentioning those photos, I decided I would mention the hair color since it has been coming up in some comments.
For several days there have been one or more anons who have been posting on multiple blogs about BOTH babies supposedly having blond hair and blue eyes, and trying to draw conclusions using typical genetics info from this because Bristol and Levi both have dark hair and eyes. I think this line of thought has cropped up before as well.
I have not remarked on those comments in the past, in part because most or all were anon posts, and it gets tedious replying when you don't know if you are replying to one person several times. But also I wondered if whoever it is saying this about Trig supposedly being blond has had an agenda, since I agree with you that Trig has dark hair. So I did not know if the commenter or commenters really did think Trig had blond hair or if the person was a troll.
That's the story behind why I remarked on the hair color. Some of these comments on hair color have been made on this blog within the past couple of days, and since I had access to a photo that refuted the comments, I decided to mention it. I assume the comments are still around, unless the authors deleted them since.
Wonder post, Patrick, and I hope Regina is having a wonderful time. By the time I finished reading the comments down to here (there are so many good comments, thoughts and opinions, info, thanks, guys), I am exhausted.
I haven't taken the time yet to view Max's video. I once had a long time friend of a different Christian faith and we often studied scriptures for hours over the phone. But, after joining a new church, my friend became changing. She told me later she had begun speaking in tongues. It was heartbreaking; she began exhibiting extremely abnormal behavior. She also believed demons were attacked somehow to the property; and had been for years. I remember sitting at her kitchen table when she told me to mop her kitchen floor. I just looked at her. How could she ask me that, knowing I am a person with a disability? It was at that point, I asked her what happened? I tried to talk with her about her bizarre behavior, even using scripture; her mind was completely closed. I left knowing my friend was no longer there; while kicking the dust off my feet, so to speak.
Someone mentioned the wild ride story, about SP leaving Texas abruptly. I don't fly, but doesn't it cost more to switch tickets to an earlier flight? Anyway, I think the State photo of SP standing with Parnell on steps is the nail in the coffin picture; the date verified being within a month or so of that wild ride story. Bet she didn't count on that angle shot.
Since the early days of PD, I have offered my thoughts and opinions, sometimes way off the chart, of course. In the beginning, I thought the baby with DS was placed in SP's hands for a win. I did not believe her wild ride story. And I didn't want to believe T1 was her daughter's baby either. That was before I saw photos which reflect weight gain by the daughter twice during SP's partial term as governor. And seeing photos of Levi holding both of those newborn babies would indicate he could be the father of both. I don't know if he will expose SP; maybe he just wants visitation.
As far as SP believing it's okay to lie in order to do God's work, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit (Matthew 7:18-19); and even further, Matthew 7:22-23:
-Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonder works?
-And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
@ Dr. Who 10/31, 23:42 re: SSI Disability payments for children.
This stuff is easily researched - here are the qualifying guidelines for getting a disability determination for a child (there is a min. 12 month waiting period):
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10026.html#ssi-benefits
After doing a little more research to find out what "family resources" limits there are, I found this, which has dollar amounts:
http://tinyurl.com/yhlux7o
Right off the bat, after reading these two pages, it is really clear that Trig would not qualify for SSI payments due to "family resources" far exceeding what Social Security allows.
In addition, there is no way, no how, that SP would allow the "guvment" to dig through her financials, and dig through Trig's medical info in order to get a disability determination. And maybe the most glaring reason of all for not pursuing SSI payments: that pesky little birth certificate that *most certainly* has a different date of birth than her self reported birthday of 4/18 for Trig.
So - SSI Disability payments look like a very very dead end.
WV: HONGA "that shore was one HONGA lie she tole"
I think Levi's trying to solve his custody/visitation problem by threatening to bring $P down. That really says a lot about the Palin's relationship with him, if the negotiations have started in public. If he gets what he wants, we may never know what he's got on $P. He should go to court and get the problem solved, with a court order that $P cannot interfere in any way, then he could have full custody if the games continue. It could well be that it's a case of disparagement/abuse like it was in the Wooten case. In that case a judge told the Palins to stifle it.
With Bristol still living at home and with $P's animosity toward Levi, $P is involved and it will be a difficult problem to solve.
wv=publiase public case
I want Levi to say why he wants to "bring Sarah Down" to include
- because the woman is still making headlines in the politcal arena and has a large following.
I know some stuff about her that people should know so they can make educated opinions.. not just hold onto the opinion of her she portrays on the national stage which isn't accurate
now.. glad he has a beef with her personally...I mean if that's the only way to get stuff out in the open
but would be nice to hear the later as well..
That he truly thinks she is incapable of being an honest, capable leader
because he cares about the future of our country..
come on.. Levi!
It's so true that palinbots are a fearful bunch. They are afraid of freedom and cannot deal with the pressures of democracy. They think that if they rely on themselves they will fail, but if they rely on god they will succeed. So there's a complete abdication of personal responsibility. Their difficulty with democracy is that they prefer some authority to explain things to them and tell them what to do, so that they won't have to get informed and think things through. Those are the reasons they have deified Sarah Palin.
Leah Burton has a post (it's on the blogroll) about which political party Sarah Palin best fits into. Once the libertarians, conservatives and republicans (the ones the palinbots call RINOs) understand her allegiances they should rightly abandon her in shock and horror. The palinbots are hijacking the republican party. Where will they crash the plane? Sarah Palin and her backers want a theocracy.
anon 1532: The palinbots want to hijack the republican party because it's a major party. If they succeed at that, they will attempt to hijack the country. We can't afford to let them crahs that.
anon 1532: A few of Palin's supporters may not want a theocracy. Those are the big business backers. They KNOW Sarah Palin is an idiot, yet like her because they think she would be malleable and that they could rule through her. They haven't learned that she goes rogue. They are playing a dangerous game.
Amy1-I also think they did not know T1 had DS until he was born, he was to be adopted out and it fell thru so $arah had to take him, hence the claiming being prego , probably wasn't expecting T1 to be released so soon from the hospital. Someone had to take him and she was stuck..although this same scenario could apply to Toad getting someone else prego and her not wanting the baby-$arah stuck also too??? but this does not explain the love Levi and Bristol have for T1, although I could see Levi loving T1 because he loved Bristol even thought T1 was not his. Lots of possibility's out there, but we know $arah was not the prego one.and pretty sure Bristol was. Talk about skeletons in the closet!!
That is ugly and I would never hang that as art or as a statement near my house.
I do think it works here, except it is distracting. I do consider the Leah Burton point of view.
If the image gets it's own thread, that might work?
No one cares that I am offended by the blue eyed blonde images of Christ over the years in literature we are to take serious and believe is true. It is more offensive then I can say here.
I do support leaving the image. I wish people could over come being so effected on this thread.
@19:36 - I responded to your comments about blue eyed, blond Jesus. It's on the Leah Burton guest post thread.
Post a Comment