Many of us have been impatiently waiting for a long time for the "big revelation" that will finally end Sarah Palin's political career. After all, Palin's life is just a big fat pile of scandals and inconvenient secrets - most of them persistently ignored by the media, treated as "taboo" subjects, something you cannot even talk about. Like Sarah Palin's faked pregnancy. It's hilarious that we know for almost two years now with 100% certainty from reliable sources that the pregnancy was faked. But does anyone dare to talk about it or ask simple questions - with the exception of Andrew Sullivan? No way.
However, this post is not about the faked pregnancy, but about something different.
Kim told us today on the phone that a source within the State of Alaska said to her that a big scandal regarding Palin and maybe even more people is about to break at some point, connected to Palin's emails that the State of Alaska will be forced to release. Media outlets such as MSNBC.COM and journalists such as Geoffrey Dunn (don't forget to pre-order Geoffrey's upcoming book!) requested Sarah Palin's complete state emails from the time when she was Governor of Alaska.
Despite repeated requests dating back to October 2008, Alaska has yet to release the public record of former governor Sarah Palin's official emails from her time in office. As the Anchorage Daily News reports, the release has been delayed 14 times, and two more delays are now pending.
Four journalists, an activist and an author have been seeking emails from Palin's state email account as well as from private accounts on which she conducted state business. The activist, Andree McLeod, argues that Palin and her successor, Sean Parnell, are abusing power by delaying their release.
Kim told us that the scandal will be HUGE - that "all hell is gonna break loose."
It's possible that the emails will be released quite soon, but we don't know for certain.
However, whenever it will eventually happen, Sarah Palin, and I know you read this, at some point, your emails WILL be released. It looks like this could be a very happy day - but not for you, Sarah!
Sarah Palin today did what she does best: Send out moronic tweets which distort the truth, and which then backfire on her.
In addition, she involuntarily helped to highlight the radical religious connections of Dan Webster, Alan Grayson's Republican opponent in Florida.
This is a case which becomes very interesting, once you look beneath the surface.
Let's take a look at the chronology of what happened:
On September 25, Alan Grayson published a campaign advert in which he accused his opponent Dan Webster of being like the "Taliban" and a "religious fanatic":
In this advert, Dan Webster is repeatedly quoted with a bible verse which says "she should submit to me." The controversy regarding this advert which then followed revolves around the fact that it's doubtful whether the context in which Dan Webster said these words support the claim that he wants wives "to submit" to their husbands. Watch this clip:
While it's unfortunate that the context of these words is ambiguous, Alan Grayson staunchly defends his criticism of Dan Webster's views - and Grayson is fully justified, as we will see later.
It is noteworthy that in the following clip from MSNBC, Alan Grayson is treated by the anchor Contessa Brewer like all politicians and candidates should be treated in media: Being asked highly critical, even aggressive questions, highlighting critical points or statements, so that the audience, the electorate can decide themselves how well the candidate is doing in defending himself and his viewpoint. This should be standard procedure in the media and in the political arena.
However, for reasons which are still hard to understand, Sarah Palin never ever had to endure such treatment by the media. She already struggled hard with the softball questions which Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson asked her, and she would regard this way of being questioned as nothing but an insult. Sarah Palin hides behind twitter and facebook, and only screeches via Fox News, receiving deluxe softball treatment in Murdoch's kingdom.
Well, despite her "all of them, any of them" media consumption Sarah Palin failed to spot that the media HAD indeed make a fact check. There was not only the interview on MSNBC on September 28, but already on September 25, PolitiFact checked Alan Grayson's advert. CNN also conducted a fact check of Alan Grayson's advert today before Sarah Palin tweeted, and Anderson Cooper immediately tweeted back at Sarah Palin and told her that this was the case.
Grayson spokesman Sam Drzymala said the audio and video of Webster come from a speech he made for the Institute in Basic Life Principles, which Drzymala described as a "right-wing cult."
The Institute in Basic Life Principles describes itself as a Christian teaching organization that provides training and instruction on how to find success by following God’s principles found in Scripture. Some of its specific teachings are controversial. Among them, the Institute teaches that a mother violates Scripture when she works outside the home, that married couples are to abstain from sex 40 days after the birth of a son, 80 days after the birth of a daughter and the evening prior to worship, and that people should avoid rock and even contemporary Christian music because it can be addictive.
Webster has been involved with the group for nearly 30 years and continues to participate in training and also speaks at seminars.
In a 2003 interview with the St. Petersburg Times, Webster said he home-schooled his six children on Institute curricula and said the group's teachings have had a major influence on his life.
One of those Institute beliefs describes the complementary roles of a husband and wife. "The man provides servant leadership and the woman responds with reverent submission and assistance," according to the group's website, which goes on to quote Ephesians 5:22–33 -- Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. . . . Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it . . . . Let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
According to the Institute, a wife is never supposed to "take over," writing that "in response to pressures within the family or within a marital relationship, a foolish wife will take matters into her own hands." A wife also is to "stay beautiful for her husband."
"Resistance or indifference to your husband’s need for physical intimacy is the unspoken crushing of his spirit," the Institute says on its website. In other places on the website, the Institute talks about a wife's need to submit to a husband's spiritual leadership.
In his 2003 interview with the Times, Webster declined to discuss specific teachings and whether he disagreed with any of them.
"I believe what I believe," he said in the 2003 interview. "It has not affected the way I've served. I don't think anyone can tell you that I've forced my beliefs on anyone else."
"Let me just say this: when those who are defending you nonetheless include a detailed accounting of your 30-year membership in a cultish group of religious extremists with radical views on the relationship between men and women, then you are way, way outside the mainstream."
The founder of the "Institute of Basic Life Principles", the organization Dan Websters has been involved with for more than 30 years and for which he conducted for example the speech in 2009, is a man called Bill Gothard.
"Gothard's philosophy is that people should recognize the difficulties of life as part of God's plan and use them for their spiritual benefit. His opening lecture on self-acceptance closes with a prayer to "give God a vote of confidence for how he has made us so far." Next comes family life. Children must be totally obedient. A religious teenager, for example, should not attend a church college if atheistic parents order him not to. As for a man's wife, she "has to realize that God accomplishes his ultimate will through the decisions of the husband, even when the husband is wrong." Citing I Thessalonians 5:18 ("In every thing give thanks"), Gothard even advises a wife whose husband chastises her to say, "God, thank you for this beating." And Gothard adds to Christ's words from the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But you know what you are doing through them to build character in me."
Besides following the chain of command in the family, Christians should also be obedient to their employers and their government, Gothard asserts. Only if an order from a parent, the state or a boss conflicts with God's explicit commandments may it be disobeyed. But first the Christian is supposed to follow six complex steps, beginning with an examination of his own bad attitudes.
On the side, Gothard dispenses assorted fundamentalist opinions. He favors fasting, tithing and Bible memorization, while opposing liberal Bible criticism, much of higher education, highly rhythmic music, working wives, explicit sex education and any sexual arousal before marriage. As for homosexuality, Gothard says that when it is made "a normal way of life, then it's all over for a society, and we are right at that point."
Since Gothard's impact is just starting to be felt in liberal churches, most criticisms till now have been raised by Evangelicals. Wheaton Bible Professor Alan Johnson protests that Gothard's docile acceptance of life "takes the sting out of evil and even transforms it into a good." Johnson's colleague Gordon Fee thinks that Gothard's approach to Bible interpretation is simpleminded. "You cannot just stamp the 1st century culture onto the 20th century and say it is the divine order," says Fee."
Vyckie Garrison was involved with Webster ally, Bill Gothard’s teachings for 14 years; after following the fundamentalist teachings of the ‘Quiverfull’ movement, Garrison was subjected to mental abuse and told to ignore medical advice not to have more children because her job as a woman was to obey God by submitting to her husband – an act that allegedly afforded her physical and spiritual protection. ** “On the surface, Bill Gothard’s wholesome message seems to promote happy family life, but in actual practice, the lifestyle perpetuates heavy burdens and unrealistic standards for women. ** “Gothard’s teachings stress that safe and proper, ‘godly’ living comes from submission to authority. A woman must submit to any and all whims of her husband, including all types of domestic abuse,” said Garrison. “Anyone concerned about women’s equality and empowerment should be alarmed by this religious movement.” ** According to Bill Gothard, a man’s wife “has to realize that God accomplishes his ultimate will through the decisions of the husband, even when the husband is wrong.” Citing I Thessalonians 5:18 (“In every thing give thanks”), Gothard even advises a wife whose husband chastises her to say, “God, thank you for this beating.” And Gothard adds to Christ’s words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But you know what you are doing through them to build character in me.”
In conclusion, there can be hardly any doubt that Dan Webster is extremely closely connected with an organization which teaches exactly what Alan Grayson claims to be the case in the advert. Even if the particular quote might be taken out of context, which I am personally not fully convinced of as we have access only to a very small portion of the speech, Dan Webster has worked for a radical religious organization for more than 30 years which demands the full submission of a wife under her husband. In addition, Bill Gothard's group doesn't even try to hide their views, but openly displays them.
Therefore I side with Alan Grayson 100% on this issue. He has picked the right subject, made the right accusations, just picked an unfortunate excerpt of the speech.
By the way, it didn't take too long to conduct all this research, and I am not even working for MSNBC. Why cannot highly paid anchors like Contessa Brewer do their homework as well, instead of giving the impression that Alan Grayson is a liar, when in fact he was right on target?
"But here is the problem…most Americans have NO idea how extreme these Christian zealots are!"
Apparently, some journalists have no idea as well, which is sad. It doesn't take a lot of time to research the facts.
I like Alan Grayson and his combative approach a lot. This example shows again that it's necessary to aggressively unmask these religious fundamentalists if they seek higher political office. It also shows that the accusations are more than justified.
"Yesterday, Sarah Palin once again engaged in her chosen form of mortal combat - the tweet - by attacking me, and endeavoring to promote my Republican opponent, Daniel Webster, to Palin's zombie horde."
Her chosen form of mortal combat, indeed. Not giving interviews like real politicians do, because Sarah Palin is a coward and hides behind twitter and facebook.
I wished that the USA had more Democratic politicians like Alan Grayson. Sharp attacks and rebuttals is the only language these right-wing radicals, who have no hesitation to dish out themselves, understand.
Neville Chamberlain already had to learn the hard way long ago that appeasement doesn't work when you deal with political fanatics.
This shall be our lesson for today. ;-)
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As a bonus, I would like to present Joe Miller's tweets from today, which he apparently wrote in a state of hubris and then later tweeleted, obviously after he regained his sanity (for how long?). Wingnuts like Joe Miller can often be annoying and disturbing, but they surely provide a lot of quality entertainment. Screenshots of the tweets have survived:
+++Please note that many direct links to the emails in the Crivella West database have changed in the meantime, apparently due to technical reasons!
I have therefore uploaded the most important emails in this folder!+++
However, you can still search the MSNBC/Crivella West database containing 3000 pages of emails from Sarah Palin's administration with the following link:
The Bristol whose belly looked liked this on the official Christmas picture which was taken on September 14, 2007 (FULL SET HERE):
Want to see more of Bristol (comparison June 10, 2007 - September 14, 2007)?
The pictures from 2007 were posted on myspace - download Bristol Palin's myspace comments from 2007 HERE.
Congratulations - you have just seen the mother of Trig! Only on Palingates. The greatest story of all, the story that the MSM has missed for about 1 1/2 years now!
"Also, Todd- what's the # for SmithBarney so I can get a list of all your 401 K plan holdings. And did Bristol and Willow get paid for comm fishing in '07? How much? And who were the fish buyers last season? And no changes in properties bought/sold last year, correct? The buying/selling took place in '06, 1 believe? And legally Deb Richter's name is off the cabin property, correct?"
A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?
Well, anyone should decide for him-/herself how to interpret this "event".
On this occasion, I would like to disclose something else: Several months ago, in the summer of 2009, I had a long and very pleasant phone conversation with former AK State Senate President Lyda Green. We talked mainly about Sarah's pregnancy with Trig and Troopergate.
Lyda Green told me in this conversation that she was in the same room with Sarah Palin on March 6, 2008 when Sarah announced her pregnancy to the public. In Lyda Green's opinion, Sarah didn't look pregnant at all. Lyda Green also confirmed to me that the rumors about Bristol's pregnancy already existed in Juneau back in December 2007 (so far to the tale that these are "internet rumors"). Lyda Green said to me that she herself doesn't know for certain if Sarah faked the pregnancy, and added: "If I knew, I would tell you."
I know that a comprehensive post about this issue is overdue. There is much more material we have collected - for example, we know that a top-Republican Alaskan politician, whose name we know, said in a private conversation in January 2008 that Bristol was pregnant - as a fact, NOT a rumor.
He writes to Sarah the next day, on April 18, 2008 (Trig's official birthdate):
Dear Governor Palin,
Yesterday evening as I was flying back to Juneau from a business trip in Seattle, I had the pleasure of chatting with you and your husband Todd in the Alaska Airlines boardroom. It seemed as though you were engrossed in a book so I spoke mostly with Todd and tried not to intrude on your opportunity to relax. Little did I know that your were in labor at the time. I'm impressed that you were gracious enough to speak with me even though you both obviously had much more important things on your mind. In retrospect, it would have been totally understandable if you had just asked to be left alone. My prayers will be with you, your new son and your family.
CLARIFICATION: Todd's message was a response to this correspondence - Todd didn't want to express that he is banned from talking to the staff of the State of Alaska!
This is the confirmation of the fact which we had already found in Bristol Palin's myspace comments from 2006/2007 - these comments can be downloaded here.
"Who are 'they'? Who went to the bedroom, where else did they go?"
Apparently the AK department of law initiated it, but from this correspondence, the whole affair remains mysterious. Maybe it wasn't the department of law, but some "federal folks"...?
Sarah is happy about it. Great to know that Sarah's brother was involved in government business, too!
+++IMPORTANT EDIT+++
At first, we thought that these emails were written by Sarah's father, Chuck Heath Sr. But I am convinced now that this is not the case. They were written by Sarah Palin's brother, Chuck Heath Jr! He didn't really receive our attention so far.
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More emails about Dairygate - and Chuck Heath Jr. is right in the midst of it:
The new database by MSNBC is getting extremely slow now and sometimes does not respond at all any more, which is not surprising, as the story now goes viral and the demand must be huge.
As an "emergency measure", I have uploaded 45 of these documents to an online folder, ready for download.
"You can call it a teaser for Countdown’s whack job of the year special, but if anyone needed a recap of the wild year that Sarah Palin had, the program delivered it tonight. The one thing you’ll probably notice about Palin’s year is that she quit her job, fought with the media, sold books, and did nothing productive in 2009.
Guest host Laurence O’Donnell introduced the video by saying, “In 2009 Sarah Palin quit her job, picked a fight with a late night talk show host, and fibbed everywhere from her Facebook page to her Going Rogue book tour.”
That introduction pretty much summed up Palin’s year. Think about this, the most active thing she did politically in 2009 was to quit her job as Alaska governor. Otherwise she spent the remainder of the year playing to her Facebook fans and Twitter followers, all the while pushing her book."
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So, what is there to add? If anyone knows the real meaning of the word "whackjob", it's the people who have looked very closely into Sarah Palin's scandals for more than a year now. The investigation will continue - we have only started.
Will there be new whacky revelations in 2010?
YOU BETCHA!
"Will Sarah Palin be named the wackiest whackjob of the year?" Lawrence O'Donnell asks. On Tuesday, December 29th at 8:00 p.m. EST, we will know more.
Not a surprise - the boundaries between reality and fiction, between sincerity and parody are floating free in Sarah Palin's life like a paperbag caught in the wind.
NOW w/the Prez "threatening" &Congress "rushing" is when we MUST pay more attention than ever 2what this HealthCare Takeover is all about... 17 minutes ago from TwitterBerry
...merged bill may b unrecognizable from what assumed was a done deal:R death panels back in?what's punishment 4not purchasing mandated HC? 12 minutes ago from TwitterBerry
Heading 2 book signing event&but will b posting on FaceBook page new,grave concerns about Congress/Prez"rushed" action2 take over healthcare 9 minutes ago from TwitterBerry
She's going on about "death panels"... again! Didn't she hear about the title she won the other day? Biggest liar of the year, no less. Something to do with death panels, what a coincidence!
Sarah's tweets alone would guarantee her the title of whackjob of year...
You can never look at these pictures often enough - but let me also say it's not just pictures we have, but in addition we have solid inside information about the FACT that Sarah Palin hasn't given birth to Trig (click to enlarge):
