Sarah Palin's Popularity Plummets in Alaska

Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) continues to lose popularity within her own state. Villagers may recall the protests that we posted about last year. Now we learn in new Hays Research polling that Palin's positive rating dropped from 86% a year ago to 54% today.

Troopergate Report (.pdf), 'Palin Abused Her Power'

UPDATE: Read the report!

John McCain must have a migraine tonight. He must be hitting himself in the head for not vetting Sarah Palin better. The chickens are coming home to roost. A bi-partisan legislative committee investigating Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has found she unlawfully abused her authority in firing the state's public safety commissioner.

The investigative report concludes that a family grudge wasn't the sole reason for firing Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan but says it likely was a contributing factor.

The Republican vice presidential nominee has been accused of firing a commissioner to settle a family dispute. Palin supporters have called the investigation politically motivated.

Monegan says he was dismissed as retribution for resisting pressure to fire a state trooper involved in a bitter divorce with the governor's sister. Palin says Monegan was fired as part of a legitimate budget dispute.

The legislative panel met for six hours before making a unanimous decision to release the so-called "Troopergate" report. The vote was 12-0 to release the report, except for certain parts they consider confidential.

The first-term Alaska governor has been accused of firing a state commissioner to settle a family dispute. But the report is also expected to touch on whether Palin's husband meddled in state affairs and whether her administration inappropriately accessed employee medical records.

Will Palin be dropped from the ticket as a 'last gasp' effort to revive McCain's presidential ambitions? Will she be able to overcome the stigma of this report in the next 25 days of this campaign? What say u?

Sarah Palin Out of Touch With Blacks in Alaska

Patrice Gaines wrote in excellent article exploring the relationship that Sarah Palin has with Blacks and Native Americans in Alaska.

They see Palin as a daughter of privilege, someone out of touch with the concerns of people of color, and a government official they’d like to see return to their state to face an investigation into allegations of abuse of power.

Asked about their relationship with Palin, some Black Alaskans echo Montean Jackson: “What relationship?” he asked.

“She has very little, if any Black representation on her cabinet or on any of the committees that she makes appointments for,” said Jackson, an educator, community activist, and Fairbanks native. “The NAACP, along with other groups, was disappointed there were no members from the Black community among her appointments.”

Jackson said many Alaskans know little about Palin.

“I’m over 50, born in interior Alaska before Alaska was a state, and I don’t know that much about her,” he said.

Alaska’s population is mostly white, but Blacks and Asians make up 10 percent of the state. Native Americans -- primarily Alaska natives -- make up about 20 percent of the state’s population.

A spokeswoman for the governor’s cabinet noted that Palin’s communications director is part Black and her commissioner for the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development is a noted Alaska native leader.

Black Alaskans say that Sarah Palin doesn't make time for them. “She did not even publicly campaign in the Black community,” Jackson said of the candidate’s run for governor.

We shared information from Gwen Alexander, founder and director of the Juneteenth celebration in Anchorage, posted last month on the Electronic Village, saying, “While meeting with Black leaders concerning the absence of any African-Americans on her staff, Gov. Palin responded that she doesn’t have to hire any blacks and was not intending to hire any.”

Palin has denied making the statement, but it is repeated often by Black Alaskans.

Alexander said many in the Black community are also angry at Palin for snubbing the annual Juneteenth celebration, held in Anchorage and recognized since 2001 (Juneteenth is a celebration of the ending of slavery).

“As for Governor Sarah Palin’s involvement in the African-American community, the Governor’s office hasn’t participated in any of our Alaska Juneteenth Events,” Alexander said. “All previous Alaskan governors have traditionally attended and participated in our annual Juneteenth Celebration. Gov. Palin was the first governor not to send out a congratulatory letter or assist us in any way with our Juneteenth activities.”

Bishop James Thomas, who has worked on the annual celebration noted that Palin has refused to attend or send a staff member.

“They could have sent a gardener as their representative, but they didn’t,” he said.

Rev. Dr. Alonzo B. Patterson, who’s worked closely with previous governors and other elected officials says that Palin has “totally departed from the past practices” of previous Alaska governors.

“Past administrations have had Black administrative assistants to the governor, state commissioners and department leaders,” he said.

Patterson heads the American Baptist Churches of Alaska and the Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation. He was at the long-sought meeting Palin had with Black leaders.

“We gave her a list of concerns and have received no response,” Patterson, pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Anchorage.

Aleta Atkins, Gwen Alexander’s daughter, said Palin finally issued a proclamation on Juneteenth after she received the VP nomination, about “two or three months after the celebration."

Montean Jackson, who has been active in local, state and national political campaigns, believes Palin would never have been elected governor if people hadn’t been so unhappy with the previous administration, especially with how they wasted money.

“This is a highly Republican state,” she said. “She won by default. They liked her personality. She’s done some things that have garnered support ... but understanding the women of the state and their needs and having the support of Black community, she has none of that.

“We have drug problems, high rates of suicide and sexual assaults. I believe there are just a lot of things that Sarah Palin is out of touch with.”

“I’m hoping Palin comes home after the election,” adds Aleta Atkins. “We want her to come home and face charges.”

I don't see how a national ticket with Sarah Palin on it does anything good for the Republicans in their efforts to reach out to the African American community. What say u?

Sarah Palin Supports Alaska Independence Party

I don't know if Sarah Palin was a member of the Alaska Independence Party. I do know that she and her husband seem real cozy with this crew. Check out this video:




Villagers, we need to take a close look at any political candidate that would support the Alaska Independence Party (AIP) founded by a man who said, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." The same man, AIP founder Joe Vogler, also said, "[T]he fires of Hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American government."

John McCain likes to claim that Republicans are the 'Party of Abraham Lincoln' ... yet, he placed a woman on his ticket who associates with a group that wants to secede from the Union. Ain't that what President Lincoln fought against with all of his heart and soul?

Finally, villagers, it is worth noting that Sarah Palin made time to greet the folks at this AIP conference, however, she couldn't find time to support or greet the folks at the Alaska Juneteenth celebration earlier this year. She finds time for white extremists, however, she can't find time for celebration of a Black cultural holiday. What does that say about her thoughts on diversity and equal opportunity for people of color in our nation?

Palin's eBay Story: What Actually Happened

"That luxury jet that came with the office... I put it on eBay!"

It's one of Sarah Palin's favorite lines on the campaign trail, repeated with such frequency that it has already become a catchphrase of the general election. As Governor of Alaska, she rid the state of an unnecessary jet using a creative and cost-effective online measure.

What is left unmentioned is that Palin didn't come up with the idea to sell the plane using eBay in the first place. Moreover, because of the unique purchasing terms of the aircraft -- which required the state to make payments amounting to $20,000 per month even if the jet wasn't in use -- the decision not to hire a broker to help sell the property appears in hindsight to have been a costly mistake.

You can see the full media story here.

Wordless Wednesday: Wasilla City Hall