Going Rouge (11 page)

This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America. We see America as the greatest force for good in this world. If we can be that beacon of light and hope for others who seek freedom and democracy and can live in a country that would allow intolerance in the equal rights that again our military men and women fight for and die for all of us. Our opponent though, is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.

WRONG ON WRIGHT

Palin in an interview with Bill Kristol, published October 5, 2008 in the
New York Times

To tell you the truth, Bill, I don’t know why that association [between Obama and Jeremiah Wright] isn’t discussed more, because those were appalling things that that pastor had said about our great country, and to have sat in the pews for twenty years and listened to that—with, I don’t know, a sense of condoning it, I guess, because he didn’t get up and leave—to me, that does say something about character. But, you know, I guess that would be a John McCain call on whether he wants to bring that up.

INTERNAL TROUBLE OVER TODD AND THE ALASKAN INDEPENDENCE PARTY

A chain of e-mails between Sarah Palin and Steve Schmidt on October 15, 2008, focusing on the Alaskan Independence Party and Todd’s involvement with it, which had just been the subject of an article by Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert in Salon (reprinted in this book). Here is the exchange as reported by CBS News on July 1, 2009:

Palin’s first e-mail
“Pls get in front of that ridiculous issue that’s cropped up all day today—two reporters, a protestor’s sign, and many shout-outs all claiming Todd’s involvement in an anti-American political party. It’s bull, and I don’t want to have to keep reacting to it.... Pls have statement given on this so it’s put to bed.”

Schmidt’s first reply
“Ignore it.... He was a member of the aip? My understanding is yes. That is part of their platform. Do not engage the protestors. If a reporter asks say it is ridiculous. Todd loves america.”

Palin’s second e-mail
“That’s not part of their platform and he was only a ‘member’ bc independent alaskans too often check that ‘Alaska Independent’ box on voter registrations thinking it just means non partisan.... He caught his error when changing our address and checked the right box. I still want it fixed.”

Schmidt’s second reply
“Secession.... It is their entire reason for existence. A cursory examination of the website shows that the party exists for the purpose of seceding from the union. That is the stated goal on the front page of the web site. Our records indicate that todd was a member for seven years. If this is incorrect then we need to understand the discrepancy. The statement you are suggesting be released would be innaccurate. The innaccuracy would bring greater media attention to this matter and be a distraction. According to your staff there have been no media inquiries into this and you received no questions about it during your interviews. If you are asked about it you should smile and say many alaskans who love their country join the party because it speeks to a tradition of political independence. Todd loves his country …We will not put out a statement and inflame this and create a situation where john has to adress this.”

PRO-AMERICA AMERICA

Palin at an October 17, 2008, fundraiser in North Carolina

“We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe... that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hardworking, very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation. This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans. Those who are running our factories and teaching our kids and growing our food and are fighting our wars for us. Those who are protecting us in uniform. Those who are protecting the virtues of freedom.”

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS (TO LEAVE ME ALONE!)

From an October 31, 2008, interview with Washington, D.C.’s WMAL-AM

“If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don’t know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media.”

SO MANY WARS TO FIGHT

From a November 1, 2008, interview with Fox News

We realize that more and more Americans are starting to see the light there and understand the contrast. And we talk a lot about, OK, we’re confident that we’re going to win on Tuesday, so from there, the first hundred days, how are we going to kick in the plan that will get this economy back on the right track and really shore up the strategies that we need over in Iraq and Iran to win these wars?

MY WIFE WROTE A SONG FOR YOU

From a prank call to Palin made by the Masked Avengers, a Canadian Comedy Duo, who were impersonating French president Nicolas Sarkozy

Avengers
You know my wife is a popular singer and a former top model, and she’s so hot in bed. She even wrote a song for you.

Sarah Palin
Oh my goodness, I didn’t know that.

A:
Yes, in French it’s called “Du rouge à lèvre sur un cochon” [translation: “Lipstick on a Pig”], or if you prefer in English, “Joe the Plumber”... it’s his life, Joe the Plumber.

SP:
Maybe she understands some of the unfair criticism, but I bet you she is such a hard worker, too, and she realizes you just plow through that criticism.

A:
I just want to be sure. That phenomenon Joe the Plumber. That’s not your husband, right?

SP:
That’s not my husband, but he’s a normal American who just works hard and doesn’t want government to take his money.

A:
Yes, yes, I understand. We have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France. It’s called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit.

SP:
Right, that’s what it’s all about, the middle class and government needing to work for them. You’re a very good example for us here….

CULTURE WARRIOR

From Palin’s Facebook page, a note over the controversy surrounding Carrie Prejean, a contestant in the 2009 Miss USA pageant, and her remarks on gay marriage. Posted May 13, 2009

The liberal onslaught of malicious attacks against Carrie Prejean for expressing her opinion is despicable.

Carrie and I spoke soon after the attacks started; I can relate as a liberal target myself. What I find so remarkable is that these politically-motivated attacks fail to show that what Carrie and I believe is also what President Obama and Secretary Clinton believe—marriage is between a man and a woman.

I applaud Donald Trump for standing with Carrie during this time. And I respect Carrie for standing strong and staying true to herself, and for not letting those who disagree with her deny her protection under the nation’s First Amendment Rights.

Our Constitution protects us all—not just those who agree with the far left.

ONLY DEAD FISH…

From the transcript of Palin’s resignation announcement, as posted to her Facebook account, July 3, 2009 (emphasis, in all caps, is Palin’s)

Some say things changed for me on August 29th last year—the day John McCain tapped me to be his running-mate—I say others changed.

Let me speak to that for a minute.

Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt. The ethics law I championed became their weapon of choice. Over the past nine months I’ve been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations—such as holding a fish in a photograph, wearing a jacket with a logo on it, and answering reporters’ questions.

Every one—all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We’ve won! But it hasn’t been cheap—the State has wasted THOUSANDS of hours of YOUR time and shelled out some two million of YOUR dollars to respond to “opposition research”—that’s money NOT going to fund teachers or troopers—or safer roads. And this political absurdity, the “politics of personal destruction”... Todd and I are looking at more than half a million dollars in legal bills in order to set the record straight. And what about the people who offer up these silly accusations? It doesn’t cost them a dime so they’re not going to stop draining public resources—spending other peoples’ money in their game.

It’s pretty insane—my staff and I spend most of our day dealing with THIS instead of progressing our state now. I know I promised no more “politics as usual,” but THIS isn’t what anyone had in mind for ALASKA.

If I have learned one thing: LIFE is about choices!

And one chooses how to react to circumstances. You can choose to engage in things that tear down, or build up. I choose to work very hard on a path for fruitfulness and productivity. I choose NOT to tear down and waste precious time; but to build UP this state and our country, and her industrious, generous, patriotic, free people!

Life is too short to compromise time and resources.... it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: “Sit down and shut up,” but that’s the worthless, easy path; that’s a quitter’s way out. And a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just hunker down and “go with the flow”.

Nah, only dead fish “go with the flow.”

THE LONG GOOD BYE

From Palin’s farewell speech as governor, July 27, 2009

And getting up here I say it is the best road trip in America soaring through nature’s finest show. Denali, the great one, soaring under the midnight sun. And then the extremes. In the wintertime it’s the frozen road that is competing with the view of ice-fogged frigid beauty, the cold though, doesn’t it split the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs? And then in the summertime, such extreme summertime, about a hundred and fifty degrees hotter than just some months ago, than just some months from now, with fireweed blooming along the frost heaves and merciless rivers that are rushing and carving and reminding us that here, Mother Nature wins. It is as throughout all Alaska, that big, wild, good life teeming along the road that is north to the future. That is what we get to see every day. Now what the rest of America gets to see along with us is in this last frontier there is hope and opportunity, and there is country pride. And it is our men and women in uniform securing it.…

Together we do stand with gratitude for our troops who protect all of our cherished freedoms, including our freedom of speech which, par for the course, I’m going to exercise. And first, some straight talk for some, just some in the media because another right protected for all of us is freedom of the press, and you all have such important jobs reporting facts and informing the electorate, and exerting power to influence. You represent what could and should be a respected, honest profession that could and should be the cornerstone of our democracy. Democracy depends on you, and that is why, that’s why our troops are willing to die for you. So, how ’bout, in honor of the American soldier, ya quit makin’ things up. And don’t underestimate the wisdom of the people.…

TV TIME

From Palin’s Facebook page, in a note titled “An Invitation,” posted August 26, 2009

FOX News’ Glenn Beck is doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House.

Monday night he asked us to invite one friend to watch; tonight I invite all my friends to watch.

PALINOMICS 101

From Palin’s remarks to Hong Kong investors on September 23, 2009 (as reported by the
Wall Street Journal
)

While we might be in the wilderness, conservatives need to defend the free market system and explain what really caused last year’s collapse. According to one version of the story, America’s economic woes were caused by a lack of government intervention and regulation and therefore the only way to fix the problem, because, of course, every problem can be fixed by a politician, is for more bureaucracy to impose itself further, deeper, forcing itself deeper into the private sector.