hogwash

Sarah Palin — Words versus Actions

It was Rethuglican theater at its finest. Fangs bared, red-meat flying, the crowds delirious with joy, the culture warriors in full battle mode. Of course, the media loved it. 

“And children with special needs inspire a special love.

“To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.

I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.”

Except, as governor, Sarah Palin slashed state funding for special education by 62%.

“I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.”

Too bad, the law Governor Palin signed has been criticized for being weak and ineffective.

“I told the Congress “thanks, but no thanks,” for that Bridge to Nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, we’d build it ourselves.”

Another piece of fiction. She supported the quarter billion dollar plus pork project and only said “no thanks” when the feds said she could keep the money for other projects. As governor, Palin asked for $750 billion in earmarks last year.

“I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.”

But former Alaskan governors and business leaders are incensed because the pipeline ships that natural gas and most of the jobs to Canada.

“To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies … or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia … or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries … we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas. 

“And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we’ve got lots of both.”

The U.S. imports 65% of the oil it uses. By Department of Energy estimates, the North Slope can only provide about 1% of the oil we use — in 10 to 20 years. She may know the North Slope, but she obviously has a problem with math.

“Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines … build more nuclear plants … create jobs with clean coal … and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.”

But wait a minute, John McCain has never voted in favor of alternative energy — only more tax breaks for oil companies.

“The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes … raise payroll taxes … raise investment income taxes … raise the death tax … raise business taxes … and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars. My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that’s now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses. 

“How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up?”

This oft-repeated whopper is typical Republican propaganda that has been disproved multiple times by independent analysis, yet the desperate spin-masters of God’s Only Party continue to repeat it any time they spy a microphone and camera. And it completely side-stepped the fact, that as mayor and governor, Sarah Palin has raised taxes.

“Senator McCain’s record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists, and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency - from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.”

Oh, please. John McCain has more than 160 Washington corporate lobbyists working on his campaign. He has reversed positions and back-tracked on more issues to secure this nomination than any candidate in modern times.

Leadership requires much more than sarcasm and mockery. It requires an understanding of the problems that face this country and a plan to move us forward. Sarah Palin has shown she is no more than an opportunistic, right-wing ideologue.

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