Sliming Palin

Citizen1955, you want to talk about being a puppet of big business, lets talk about Obama. And let's get specific. You gave no examples to support your claims about Palin/McCain, but here are a couple to support mine. Obama gave foreign companies 12 million in tax breaks. Obama voted for FISA - why? Because it gave the communications industries he gets so much financial support from retroactive immunity for violating their customers' civil and constitutional rights. Obama took money from companies and then turned around and recommended they be given grants -- like the one to Killerspin when he was a state senator, and the earmarks he has requested for his financial backers and political cronies, and even his wife's employer. Obama supported a Walmart tool in a Chicago campaign, and in return Michelle was put on a board of directors which she only resigned from when he decided to run for POTUS (and he was the one accusing HRC of ties to walmart). Obama took money in the Rezko fraud. Obama represented Rezko's "non-profit" community organizations in the failed housing developments that Rezko got most of his money from, and then got a sweet deal on his house with Rezko's help.

The list is a lot longer, and anyone who really wants to know can find the facts for themselves. But I doubt you are interested in facts, just name calling.

Funny that Newsweak is trying to appear more balanced by posting this article while at the same time posting another article with a highly misleading headline that makes it look like a judge gave Palin a warning that she ignored when complaining about her ex-brother-in-law.

The only person the judge was warning was Palin's sister, not Palin.

Palin wasn't under the judge's jurisdiction, she wasn't a party to the case, and he couldn't order her to do anything.

And in case you all missed it, in his interview on CNN, the trooper admitted to tasering the boy, to drinking on the job, and to shooting the moose illegally.

He should have been fired.

Imagine Palin looking into Vladimir Putin''s eyes and saying, "Excuse me a minute, this barracuda needs to check her lipstick."

To any reasonable, i.e. left of Neo-con spectrum voter Gov Palin oozes slime; the Karl Rovian kind that was used on John McCain himself back in 2000 in South Carolina.

8 years of Bush the big-oil puppet and now this twisted fairy tale called Palin being pushed on the American People?

Newsweek better get on the real issues or at least focus on an outright lie like the "no thanks.. for the Bridge to nowhere" mantra or the internet will, despite it's potential for abuse, do it for them!

The Democrats don't really have a platform for change either - they just like to talk about it. It's all vote-mongering. The Dems are playing the race card, why shouldn't the Republicans play a gender card? If you look, really look at John McCain, he is more liberal than most Republicans want as their representative. For him to pick Palin as a running mate is not off-key at all. For you to suggest that the Palin family is using their daughter's pregnancy as an advantage is insulting and ignorant. Shame on you. Also, I'd like to ask: are you on welfare or other assistance? Because if you aren't, you are helping to pay for it. If the Dems get elected you will pay more and more for it. Do you want to be taxed and taxed and taxed for the socialized (yes, socialism is what it is) healthcare? Any program the government runs becomes rife with bureacracy and corruption - do we want our healthcare in that category? Talk about the destruction of the middle class!

This is a shameless attempt to whitewash egregious abuses by Governor Palin whose husband is a member of AIP. Governor Palin has attended AIP events and only joined the Republican Party to be able to advance in politics. She attempted to fire the Wasilla Librarian because the librarian refused to ban books at her request, and there was an effort from Wasilla citizens to keep the librarian in her job.

This is an attempt to whitewash Palin's egregious abuses! Her husband is a member of AIP, she attended events and supported their mission (until nominated for VP, presumably), and she tried to fire the Wasilla librarian because she would not ban books from the library! The librarian kept her job because the citizens of Wasilla threatened to recall Palin if she fired her.

Im

errr Palin did speak at the AIP convention right? So she was a Leiberman type supporter?

Joe isn't a Republican but he is supporting one and spoke at their convention.

This is ridiculous. This "factcheck" actually proves the opposite of what it says. Palin did not try to ban books, she merely asked "what if?" Give me a break? She has no business even asking such a thing. That in itself if inappropriate. And, newsflash... wearing a candidate's button IS an endorsement. Get real! Also, the Alaska Independence Party asserts that she was a member. Palin has denied it. But that does not settle the question.

I am surprised that a mainstream news organization has produced such a report. The reference to "sliming" invites extreme reactions from both sides of the political spectrum. It incites passions and attracts attention, but inhibits thoughtful communication. I'm glad to get specifics about what Ms. Palin did and did not do and say, but it appears that much was left out that appears to be accurate criticism of Ms. Palin: 1) She misrepresents herself as opposing the "bridge to nowhere." She supported it until it became a national political liability - only then did she oppose it, and ultimately took the money and put it to other uses in Alaska. 2) She criticizes earmarks, yet she actuvely sought and received 26 million in earmarks for her town of 9,000. 3) Apparently her husband WAS, for a number of years, and up until 2002, a member of the party advocating secession, and she apparently DID make an appearance at the party's convention. Just imagine the hay the Republicans would make of that if the Democratic party nominee were in the same position.

Moreover, Republicans have made numerous misleading statements o "spin" Ms.Palin's image, that should be challenged by anyone attempting to determine her qualification for offfice. Republicans cite her being the head of Alaska's National Guard as a major military and foreigh policy qualification. Yet once the National Guard is called to service in a war, it is not under her command, but under the U.S. military. Republicans spin her qualifications by calling Alaska the largest state in the union - it should be fair criticism to point out that there are only about 650,000 people in Alaska - one of the smallest state populations in the US, and comparable to many cities in the country.

The "sliming" reference is misleading. Other than bloggers going off half cocked (that happens all the time, and comes from both the right and the left - witness unfounded claims that Obama is a muslim), the mainstream press has been pretty moderate, especially compared to the swift boating of Kerry, and to the years of muck raking that have dogged Hillary Clinton. The right really has no standing to label Ms. Palin's treatment as "attacks" and "sliming" until they are willing to clearly and consistently disavow the massive, multi-million dollar smear campaigns they have conducted against Kerry, Hillary, Max Cleeland, and, yes, John McCain himself.

Can we calm down, ease off on the inflamatory rhetoric, and take an extensive, dispassionate look at Ms. Palin's record and qualifications for the office that is a heart beat away from the presidency of the most powerful nation in the history of the world?

i have no respect for a women who trots her 17 year old, unmarried, pregnant daughter out on the world stage for all to see- that child has enough issues- she needs to protect her privacy-not announce her engagement

Sure, Palin is pro-life, even in the case of rape, and opposes same-sex marriage and favors the discussion of creationism alongside evolution in schools. But she hasn't pushed for legislative changes in any of those areas.

The Associated Press reported Sept 3: "Palin's children attend public schools and Palin has made no push to have creationism taught in them. ... It reflects a hands-off attitude toward mixing government and religion by most Alaskans."

She even vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships because she said it was unconstitutional.

That says plenty. It shows she knows the limits of government, and believes that government isn't there to tell us what to do.

Obama seems more inclined to use government to control what choices we have than Palin does. Have you seen HR 800? The democrats are trying to eliminate the secret ballot in union elections. That will mean another hand in the worker's pocket (for dues, which have to be paid before the worker can even get the job), and less opportunity to advance on the merits when you do have a job.

I bet all those small businesses our economy is so dependent on will be so happy to know that the democrats want to unionize every business in the country. That will definitely make their products and services more competitive with foreign competition.

Why hasn't anyone asked about Sarah Palin's education? She lacks a quality education. She went to 6 schools over a 6 year period and ended up with a BA in Journalism from the University of Idaho.

Palin is a BIG FAT RED HERRING. That's all she is. Well, that and a liar. The republicans don't have any kind of platform for change. So they draft the first female they can lay hands on in order to divert attention. I'm sure it was a PLUS that her teenage daughter is pregnant because that gives the press something else to talk about to drown out the BILLIONS OF AMERICANS who want to discuss the ISSUES -- Like two wars no one wants. Like the fact that our economy is dying. Like the destruction of the middle class. Like the hungry and homeless and elderly who need a SOLID Social Security system. LIke Universal Healthcare. The things that matter to this country. The media need to do their jobs. And their jobs should be serving the public good. They need to stop this pandering to the gossipmongers. This is not Entertainment Tonight. This is our COUNTRY at stake.