Obama, Palin and Ethics

The left has had a field day labeling Sarah Palin a "quitter" and other choice words in the midst of her recent press conference saying she would step down from office. It was the icing on top of a seven=tier cake filled with unceasing attacks or her and her children. Attacks that, has they been aimed at a Democrat woman, would be discredited in every op-ed page in the nation.

Anyone who watched and more importantly, listenened would have seen that she had other reasons and they weren't purely political. How could anyone stand the withering garbage sent her way daily by a legion of scumbag bloggers who threw everything out and didn't care if it had one iota of credence. This raging horde was led by a once-respectable writer--Andrew Sullivan--who has obsessed over the birth of one of Palin's children to the point of insanity.

The WSJ breaks down the real reason for Palin's leaving:

Contrary to most reports, her decision had been in the works for months, accelerating recently as it became clear that controversies and endless ethics investigations were threatening to overshadow her legislative agenda. "Attacks inside Alaska and largely invisible to the national media had paralyzed her administration," someone close to the governor told me. "She was fully aware she would be branded a 'quitter.' She did not want to disappoint her constituents, but she was no longer able to do the job she had been elected to do. Essentially, the taxpayers were paying for Sarah to go to work every day and defend herself."

This situation developed because Alaska's transparency laws allow anyone to file Freedom of Information Act requests. While normally useful, in the hands of political opponents FOIA requests can become a means to bog down a target in a bureaucratic quagmire, thanks to the need to comb through records and respond by a strict timetable. Similarly, ethics investigations are easily triggered and can drag on for months even if the initial complaint is flimsy. Since Ms. Palin returned to Alaska after the 2008 campaign, some 150 FOIA requests have been filed and her office has been targeted for investigation by everyone from the FBI to the Alaska legislature. Most have centered on Ms. Palin's use of government resources, and to date have turned up little save for a few state trips that she agreed to reimburse the state for because her children had accompanied her. In the process, though, she accumulated $500,000 in legal fees in just the last nine months, and knew the bill would grow ever larger in the future.

"The Alaska ethics elves had painted such a target on Sarah's forehead that she had begun turning down pretty much every invitation she got -- even though they were pouring in every day by the dozens," a confidant of the governor's told me. "It is not throwing in the towel. It is deciding that she was ineffective in fighting for her principles and could do more in another role."

About what I thought when I first heard the news--she stepped down to ensure her legislative agenda would move forward and her Lt. Gov. would be in a position to win and push for the changes that she now cannot.

Her political adversaries used the laws of the state in ways that weren't imagined previously and were backed by the heft of the Democratic party. They set out not to weaken her but to destroy her and piss on the corpse.

On another note, the part above I emphasised is amusing when juxtaposed with this:

Both Obama daughters are along for the ride this time around because school is out of session back in the Washington, D.C., area, allowing them to travel overseas on weekdays without missing classes. On an earlier presidential visit to France, Sasha and Malia showed up in Paris on a weekend after school was done for the week.

Asked if having his daughters joining his wife on a high-profile trip helps take the edge off the tough diplomatic negotiations, Obama told CNN it's fantastic to have his girls "being able to see the world and then report back to us on what they are seeing" on the trip, which included the daughters getting to check out the Kremlin.

"You know it makes a huge difference," said the president. "The girls are just a joy. And then Michelle just, she's always — she's a star at home and abroad."

This is a business trip paid for by the American people and the man has taken his family again. What about reimbursement for them?

This is the fifth foreign trip. He's been in office a little over 5 months. Not even mentioning the overnights to NYC to see a play or the frequent trips around the nation, the guy is spending huge amounts of money to prance around a stage. I'm guessing his teleprompter alone has enough frequent flier miles to go to the moon and back. The media just eat it up led by the once-great CNN.

Anyway, Palin is not gone but has shifted to a position where she can do more for the party. She left Alaska better than she got it and will be a strategic part of the GOP for the foreseeable future.

Let's finish with this incredibly idiotic letter from a typical Dem:

Gov. Sarah Palin gave Alaskans the best present possible this July Fourth weekend by proclaiming her intention to resign later this month. It's obvious Palin should never have been governor in the first place.

One hopes that some of the ground lost by our nation's largest state can now be regained; that Palin can have plenty of time to devote to her family; and that all of those who shivered when Sen. John McCain tapped her to be his vice presidential running mate can continue marveling at how history has played out.

Good riddance.

Susan Kross

Ellenville, N.Y.

sbkross@hotmail.com

Should never have been governor in the first place? She was elected by a decent margin and forced out machine politicians. She pushed through a pipeline that had been stagnant for years and cut taxes leaving the state financially ready to deal with the Obama recession. Look at the other states--including New York Ms. Kross--and tell me that the liberal stronghold on that state has been a boon or that Paterson or Spitzer had one-third the impact that Palin has in making their state better.

You, Ms. Kross, are a typical liberal. Misogyny and sexism are abhorrent when aimed at a liberal woman but the barrage aimed at Palin is okay because it's for the greater socialist good. You are a hypocrite and incredibly wrong and should ridiculed for such an inane and infantile stance.

One day history will take a clearer view on Palin and what was done to her through the concerted efforts of the Democrats and media. One suspects that Palin will be revealed as an even bigger victim than we know now. I would hope that those who are perpetrating these acts against her and her family would feel some shame but I further suspect that people like you, Ms. Kross, have none.