Sarah Palin is not Jesus yet......
There is a particularly nasty WaPo frontpager that looks at Palin's expense sheets as Governor of Alaska,
Even if the practice is proper within the Alaska context, the optics of charging taxpayers for sleeping in your own bed for over half your time as Governor, and charging over $43,000 flying her family all over the state, are very, very bad.
Also, Josh Marshall has a nice collection of major media sources saying that Palin's main PR claim to reformer, her supposed opposition to the "Bridge to Nowhere," is pretty much a bald faced lie. (WSJ, AP, Newsweek, WaPo)
(And, CNN brings up Palin's "Pentacostal beliefs," citing some of the elements of her non-mainstream church.)
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.
Even if the practice is proper within the Alaska context, the optics of charging taxpayers for sleeping in your own bed for over half your time as Governor, and charging over $43,000 flying her family all over the state, are very, very bad.
Also, Josh Marshall has a nice collection of major media sources saying that Palin's main PR claim to reformer, her supposed opposition to the "Bridge to Nowhere," is pretty much a bald faced lie. (WSJ, AP, Newsweek, WaPo)
(And, CNN brings up Palin's "Pentacostal beliefs," citing some of the elements of her non-mainstream church.)
posted by mikevotes at
6:55 AM
11 Comments:
There was also a piece about Palin's hand picked police chief charging rape and assault victims for rape kits... all under the guise of saving tax payers money.
Hitting up the tax payers obviously isn't the issue. Her views on sexuality and women IS the issue.
By
-epm, at 8:48 AM
Yeah, I saw that one. I've decided not to try and chase all the Palin threads because there are so many, that's all I'd be doing.
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mikevotes, at 10:15 AM
I don't see anything particularly unusual about Palin's church or beliefs. Not my cup of tea, but most Pentecostals sincerely believe these things.
Obama supporters need to keep in mind that millions of Americans attend these churches, they are well organized, and they vote. There is very little upside in attacking them or questioning their beliefs. Stirring up that hornet's nest is a great way to put McCain in the White House and Palin a hearbeat away. Better to ignore them.
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Patrick, at 10:21 AM
Yes, Patrick, there are millions of super-Christies out there, but there are millions more people who claim no religious affiliation. I believe it was something like 16 percent of the nation or so.
People are entitled to believe what they want, but I personally question the judgment of someone who essentially believes that "hoping it were so" can bring about healing and that speaking gibberish somehow establishes a direct connection with God.
Ignoring them isn't the answer. Especially when they try to legislate the Bible.
Maybe if enough of these stories come out some of the more politically apathetic non-believers will say ENOUGH and step into the polls against her.
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Anonymous, at 11:44 AM
Maybe so, Jeff but the evidence so far suggests otherwise. The harder people attack Palin, the more enthusiastic the GOP base gets for her. Poll results are starting to show it.
There's an identity politics at work here that is not symmetrical. Non-religious people do not usually feel the the need to defend other non-religious people in the same way that religious folks stick up for each other. That's why they will win the turnout battle in November. That, and the fact they meet every week and talk to each other about these things.
Obama needs to have a Sister Soulja moment and tell the lefty bloggers to lay off of Palin, and he needs to do it very soon.
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Patrick, at 12:00 PM
The question is not one's faith, but if one believes their personal faith should be codified into public policy. This is true if one is Catholic, Episcopalian, Jew, Muslim, Pentecostal, or a member of any number of myriad splinter or fringe of protestantism.
With mainline Catholic, Jewish and Protestant politicians the American principal of separation of church and state is a settled issue. For a large number of modern Protestant sects, that same concept is something to be crushed and reversed. To that extent asking questions of one's faith with regard to how it affects their policies is legitimate.
Asking questions of one's faith is not the same as questioning one's faith....
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-epm, at 12:08 PM
I agree. I'm not saying the questions about Palin and her church are illegitimate or pointless. It's all fair.
I'm saying that, as a purely tactical matter, going after Palin's family, faith, and so on is not an effective way to produce more votes for Obama and/or fewer votes for McCain. That is what you want, yes?
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Patrick, at 12:22 PM
Agreed.
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-epm, at 12:25 PM
Just kind of a general statement of response.
I'm wasn't really intending to comment on the religion. As usual, I was intending to comment on the political impacts of perceptions of that religion. And, frankly, especially when you get into some of the protestant sects, the beliefs and practices vary widely from church to church, so, saying Pentacostal, for instance, doesn't really mean extreme.
BUT, reports of people speaking in tongues and some of the end time stuff does come across as pretty freaky to a broad section of America, primarily center and left, so that imagery casts a bit of a pall on the "just normal mom" image they're trying to sell on Palin.
That was more my point, not intending to comment on the validity of of any religious beliefs. Frankly, I have opinions, but they're not any more valid than anyone else's.
AND, thus far, no one even around the campaign has even touched Palin's religion. I think they recognize the potential third rail here.
Even if she was of some Christian sect reviled by every other Christian, the potential blowback of being misquoted or taken out of context to be criticizing all Christians will generally keep any real knocks on her religion away.
(LAST, personally, it would be something of an issue in my vote, although definitely a factor down the list. I'm naturally going to be suspicious of putting in office someone who can completely deny evolution for instance, or wants to pick judges through a litmus test that guarantees a certain set of religious beliefs in all judges.
But, the voters like me wouldn't be voting for Palin anyhow, so it doesn't really matter.
If she was holding those beliefs and really pushing what I perceive to be Jesus' message, it would be a much harder decision for me, but Jesus don't support no tax breaks for the richest. Jesus would support healthcare for the poorest. In my understanding, Jesus don't support no Palin-McCain.)
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mikevotes, at 1:04 PM
Mike, I think the Obama campaign does recognize the third rail, as you say. Their problem is all the Kos types who are unloading both barrels at Palin. It's not helpful to their cause. Conservatives are using it as a "bloody shirt" to enrage and motivate the base.
Even Michael Moore says it is not helpful and warned people to cut it out. Obama needs to put a stop to all this, but I'm not sure he can. The genie is out of the bottle.
By
Patrick, at 1:59 PM
I don't think he can any more than the McCain can stop the racist undercurrent on his side.
By
mikevotes, at 2:02 PM
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