Justin Case: This'n'That; July 22nd[FluffyPolls;BlogPalin;MorePalin

Fluffy Losing Ground! [The "KoolAid Drinkers," fueled by the extremely biased propaganda from the "KoolAid Media" are not the purveyors of these statistics!! These result from commoners and ordinary, "work-a-day" folks like you and me speaking out against Fluffy obama, the tyrannical, self-proclaimed messiah!!] By Eric Kleefeld - July 21, 2009, 11:07AM A newUSA Today-Gallup poll suggests that Fluffy obama's ratings could be taking a hit on some key issues. Fluffy's overall approval rating is 55%, with 41% disapproval. That might sound solid enough, but in fact it puts him 10th among the 12 post-World War II presidents at the equivalent point in the term. On the economy, his approval is 47%, with 49% disapproval, down from a 55%-42% rating in May. On health care policy, he is at 44%-50%, another upside-down rating. In addition, 59% say his proposals involve too much spending, and 52% say the proposals call for too much expansion of government power. A Blogger's Take On Sarah Palin

[I found this on "Conservatism with a Heart" { http://chatterboxchronicles.blogspot.com }]

Sarah Palin's resignation had barely hit the airwaves and the convulsions and screaming from the left hit an all time high. High pitched squeals were heard about how this was the end of her career, etc, etc...Why is it that the left is so afraid of her? Especially, elitist liberal women? And some elitists on the right as well? As the above Hamlet quote says, some are protesting a little too much.During this past week, I've had many ask me why Sarah Palin isn't running for re-election as Governor and why she is resigning. Since, we've heard the high pitched squeals on the left, lets look at what some others have said. --Roger Stone gave his insight in his article entitled, Palin's Plan. An excerpt:

As Bill Kristol, the only DC based analyst who "gets it" said the move also frees Palin to "write her book, give speeches, travel the country, and educate herself on some issues." It also frees her to build a net work of fundraisers and supporters throughout the country - many of whom will be her TV viewers.Palin will also be more in demand as a dinner speaker, fundraiser and campaigner than any other Republican in 2011. She can suspend her TV career and will have a chance to collect countless political IOUs along the way, campaigning for candidates and raising them money and hitting the State Republican dinner circuit. Demand for the "New Palin" will only increase.Palin's "star-power," charisma, presence and genuineness can not be discounted. No one can discount her moxie, her energy and her inspirational qualities. Her anti-elite middle-class message can have resonance again when the Obama economic polices likely fail. The Ivy leaguers and Hollywood crowd so high on Obama may be riding for a fall. The media has unfairly labeled her as "dumb." All she must do is disprove this...and she can have sixty minutes each week to do it.Palin's stunning move guarantees an outsider strategy in which Palin is a movement but not a party candidate. No decision on running should be made until 2011 and focus must be on image repair. This is a woman who held off 36 year Senate vet Joe Biden in a 90 minute debate. She may just be up to the task. --Conservatives for Palin had an extensive post where they listed reactions from many.

One of those was from The Anchoress who took the words right out of my mouth. An excerpt:

It’s tough to govern and not go broke when the other side has decided to nibble you to death – and to build up a “record of questionable ethics” against you while they do so.
The left and the press, who one might characterize as “at war” with Palin and her family, have tossed together a mess of Palin narratives (she’s “stupid,” they’re “trailer-trash,” the daughters are “sluts,” she looks like a “slutty flight attendant,” they are cornpone, she is inept, she “can see Russia from her window” and oh, yeah, she’s really her son’s grandmother, and one of her “slutty” daughters got pregnant just a few weeks after giving birth to that retarded kid that everyone wishes she [or her daughter, winkwink] had aborted) and they have created an enormous battle-hill out of all of that.
And I suspect Sarah Palin has looked around and decided, no – she is not going to die on that hate-constructed hill. I think she’s going to do her thing, forge her own path by her own lights, and eventually head back into politics on her own damn hill – and with (one fervently hopes) a hum-dinger of a speech-writer.
One of the jobs of a believer -whether Christian or not- is to find meaning in what is going on around and within. I suspect Palin is finding meaning in the abuse she’s been handed. I suspect her interior strength and her interior narrative of faith, family and love of homeland are commingling into a strategy, based on that meaning; a strategy that will be broad in scope, takes the long-view and is played close to the vest.
While, I don't know the exact reason for Sarah Palin's latest move, I do take great offense to how her and her family have been treated by the hate filled left.
No one, not even Bush has had their family put through so much torture.
Not one hate filled thing has been said about obama's children.
Barely a mention was made about Biden's daughter's drug problems.
Yet, somehow it is okay to drag Sarah Palin's children and family through the mud. I would think the line would be drawn at making fun of a Downs Syndrome baby, but apparently not.

I conclude with a post from Legal Insurrection by William Jacobsen. He is convinced that the main reason for thePalin Derangement Syndrome is precisely because of her audacity to give birth to Trig, a Downs Syndrome Baby.

Saturday, July 4, 2009 It Always Has Been About Trig I waited a whole day before posting about the Sarah Palin resignation. Well, not a whole day, but longer than almost everyone else in the blogosphere. Here's my take as of this moment in time, subject to change:

I don't know why Sarah Palin resigned, what her plans are, or whether she has or wants a political future.
I do know why the left hates her so much. And it keeps coming back to Trig.
Yes, some people hate Sarah Palin because she doesn't have the traditional pedigree, she isn't one of them, she is too good looking to be taken seriously, etc.
And yes, some hate her because they hate her religion, politics, blah blah blah. But that doesn't explain the Sarah Palin hatred. It is so deep as to be pathological.
But it keeps coming back to Trig. From the moment Palin was nominated for V.P., the attacks on Trig began.
First there were the rumors, spread by Andrew Sullivan and others, that Sarah Palin was not Trig's mother,
that there was a grand conspiracy of hundreds if not thousands of people to cover up that Bristol Palin was Trig's real mother.

Those Trig truther conspiracy theories have been pushed hard by Sullivan and the others continuously to this day.Then there were the attacks on Palin for bringing Trig on stage at the Republican National Convention, and with her on the campaign trail.

HuffPo blogger Suzy Shuster wrote after Palin brought Trig to the V.P. debate in early October 2008:

It actually came after the debate, when for seemingly the millionth time, Sarah Palin trotted out her piece de resistance, her favorite prop of this campaign season: her five and a half month old son Trig. Why is this child up so late every time there is a camera op? ... My point is, if Palin is going to keep shoving the motherhood card down our collective throats, maybe she can start being a mom again and stop using her own kid for political gain. Trig deserves a good night sleep."

And this post from a self-proclaimed feminist:

In addition to keeping Trig up all hours of the night so that she can parade him around a stage after a pitiful debate performance or speech, she's decided to use baby Trig to get some lusty applause out of the audience, because, let's face it, there's nothing evangelical Christians love more than a developmentally disabled baby they can use to their own end.
The accusation that Trig is used as a "prop" has continued to this day.

Megan Elaine at Political Inaction, who accuses Palin of "pimping" Trig in the most recent issue of Runner's World:

It's amazing that Palin is, once again, using Trig as a prop. I mean--is it really necessary to have the baby in a picture with her for Runner's World?? Again, we see her willing to pimp out her children, until one of them gets knocked up. Amazing.

And the personal attacks on Trig for having Down Syndrome have gone far beyond anything I have ever seen, even in politics. My post, Wonkette Goes After Trig Palin Again, has some of the details on the people who fancy themselves intellectuals, and use that intellect to spend their days mocking Trig and creating doctored images of him.

Palin's resignation speech brought out more of the Trig mockers. HuffPo blogger Erik Sean Nelson penned his now-famous (and deleted) post arguing that Sarah Palin's political comeback would be pinned to the need for more "retards." Nelson was far from alone. Witness this post at Paliban Daily:

That’s right. Palin is about to embark on a career of causing babies to be born retarded. Down Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, crack addiction, or a good old-fashioned kick to the pregnant tummy, it doesn’t matter to Palin. She wants the world to have more Trigs.
Other than fueling a greater need for social services, think how this could benefit Palin politically. She already tests well with the Retarded demographic, and also the Retarded Sympathizer demographic.
Imagine the world Palin is trying to create, in which instead of a superior race, Palin breeds a stupider race. 20 years from now, she’ll only be in her late 60s. She’ll be able to run for President on the Retard ticket . . . no doubt with full support of Retardeds, Retarded Sympathizers, and the Politically-Correct.

Next time around, when Palin is told “Your platform is completely retarded”, she will be able to say, “You betcha! That’s just what my constituents want!”At Wordsmoker the intellect in charge posted: "To be honest, it’s hard to decipher what she’s on about, or on, so the most pressing question is this -- did Trig Palin write this speech for her?"I could go on and on. The internet is full of Trig Palin conspiracy theories, name-calling and Photoshopping. No matter what month, event, or excuse, Palin haters find a reason to attack Trig.If Sarah Palin had aborted Trig, the left would have been okay with it. If she hid Trig offstage and out of sight, all would be good. But treat the child as you would any other child, and that cannot be tolerated.There is something about a Down syndrome child in plain view which has exposed the moral and emotional bankruptcy of the left-wing of the Democratic party. And they hate Sarah Palin because deep down, they hate themselves for being who they are.

More "Sarah Fear"

[I found this while wandering around the 'net. It takes place over several days, by several people:]

Rachel D'Oro of the Associated Press has a story on Kim Chatman's ethics complaint about the Alaska Fund Trust with a big, splashy headline: "Palin implicated in ethics probe."* The practical effect of the ruling on Palin will be more financial than anything else. The report recommends that Palin refuse to accept payment from the defense fund, and that the complaint be resolved without a formal hearing before the Alaska Personnel Board.However, it seems that the report "obtained" by the AP is not the final one from the Personnel Board. The governor just tweeted:

Re: inaccurate story floating re:ethics violation/Legal Defense Fund;matter is still pending;new info was just requested even;no final report

And this was just posted on Gov. Palin's Facebook page:

I cannot verify the validity of this claim. There is no final report. The Investigator is still confidentially reviewing this matter.
It appears suspect that in the final days of the Governor's term, someone would again violate the law and announce a supposed conclusion before it is reached.Meghan Stapleton--PalinSpokesperson

UPDATE: The report via the ADN. Of note on the last page (text is bolded in the original):

However, this decision is confidential pursuant to AS 39.52.340, unless confidentiality is waived by the governor.Given the governor's tweet and Meg Stapleton's statement, it seems pretty clear that confidentiality was not waived by the governor.

UPDATE II: From the governor's Facebook page:

"The resolution of the Trust Fund is not final. I have been working with the investigator regarding supplemental information. The matter is still pending. Whatever you have seen was released in violation of law. There has been no Board finding of an ethics violation and there is a detailed legal process to follow before there is a final resolution.

"Thomas Van FleinPrivate Attorney for Sarah PalinUPDATE III: From the AP story:

John Coale, a Washington lawyer who helped set up the fund, called the probable cause finding "crazy," adding that if upheld,
it would mean that no governor could ever defend themselves against frivolous ethics complaints."If this complaint is true, there's no way to defend yourself" as governor, Coale said.
"Anybody can keep filing ethics complaints and drive someone out of office even if you're a nut."
Coale said that unlike other states, Alaska's governor has no legal counsel's office to defend the governor from allegations brought against the governor in her official capacity.
Coale said he recommended creation of the legal defense fund, a common practice in Washington.
The Web site for the Palin fund cites similar accounts created for Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and other prominent politicians.

UPDATE IV: From the governor's Facebook page:

"All options are open in terms of legal remedies. It is a clear violation of Alaska law that Mr. Daniel explicitly reviewed with Ms. Chatman prior to her illegal actions. We will be contacting the appropriate authorities for review and action."Thomas Van FleinPrivate Attorney for Sarah Palin.

UPDATE V: From Thomas Daniel's report:

In sum, I find probable cause to believe that payment of the governor's legal fees by the Alaska Fund Trust will violate the Ethics Act prohibition against a public officer accepting gifts intended to influence performance of official duties.
You'll notice that Daniel found no violation because no payment has been made.
Governor Palin hasn't accessed any of the money from the Alaska Fund Trust.
Daniel also made an interesting recommendation as to how Governor Palin can pay for the cost of the frivolous complaints that have been dismissed:
I also recommend that she seek reimbursement from the state for the cost of defending the ethics complaints that have been dismissed.

*The AP changed the headline for their story. It now reads: "Investigator rules against Palin in ethics probe.

"UPDATE VI: In the comments, howIroll explains why the AP's new headline is inaccurate and misleading:

That new headline by AP is equally misleading.
The investigator doesn't "rule" on anything.
He's like a prosecutor in a criminal case (although an ethics complaint is in NO WAY criminal).
He investigates an alleged violation or "offense" and issues a report or "summons."
It only ALLEGES a violation---it is in no way dispositive.
Basically he is suggesting that the Personnel Board take the matter up for hearing (like a magistrate finding probable cause and then certifying a case to the Grand Jury).
ONLY the investigator's findings are contained in his report; there is no evidence from the Governor's team.
Once her team gets the report, they have an opportunity to assess it for proper application of the law, complete and accurate fact finding, etc. The governor's team can then gather their evidence and questions and approach the investigator who can then review her materials and evidence and either amend/modify his report or stand on his original findings and pass the matter onto the Personnel Board for HEARING (trial).
The Board may either hold a hearing (call witnesses, etc. as in a "trial) and issue a ruling OR
vote to dismiss as a matter of law upon a motion filed and subsequent argument by the Governor's attorney.

As Mr. Van Flein indicated, this report is but a first step in a very long process, just as a summons is the first step in a very long trial process. There are "miles to go" before there is any "ruling," which would be done by the Board, not an investigator.

UPDATE by RAM: It is being incorrectly reported that Gov. Palin was found to have violated the Ethics Act. This is a complete lie!

All you have to do is read the report:

In addition, my role as independent counsel for the personnel board is only to decide whether there is probable cause to believe a violation of the Ethics Act has occurred – not to reach a definitive conclusion. See AS 39.52.320.
The ultimate determination of whether the governor has violated the Ethics Act can only be made by the personnel board after a formal heating and a report by the hearing officer. See AS 39.52.360-370.
In sum, I find probable cause to believe that payment of the governor’s legal fees by the Alaska Fund Trust will violate the Ethics Act prohibition against a public officer accepting gifts intended to influence performance of official duties.[...]
I can recommend that corrective action be taken to resolve this complaint without the necessity of a formal hearing on the matter. See AS 39.52.330.
My recommendation is that the governor should refuse to accept payment of her legal fees and costs from the Alaska Fund Trust and withdraw her authorization for the trust to be recognized as her “official” legal defense fund.
I also recommend that she seek reimbursement from the state for the cost of defending the ethics complaints that have been dismissed.
I also recommend that the legislature consider amending the Ethics Act to require the state to reimburse a public official for reasonable legal fees and costs incurred to defend against an Ethics Act complaint that is dismissed. [emphasis added]

Did you get that? The independent investigator, Thomas Daniel, is not finding the governor in violation of the Ethics Act. Only the Personnel Board can make such a ruling.

Daniel actually recommends that no ruling is necessary.
Gov. Palin has not accepted one dime of money from the legal defense fund yet.
How can she be in violation of the Ethics Act for something she hasn't even done yet? You can't charge her with a violation for a future act! The language Daniel uses is future tense "will violate" -- not violated.
Daniel recommends not accepting the funds and instead having the state pay for the legal bills incurred by the dismissed complaints (which is basically all of them).

Ordinary Americans from all over the country (and Alaska) gave money to pay these bills, but now the people of Alaska will be stiffed with the bill and forced to pay for Andree McLeod's hobby and obsession.I'm not at all convinced that the Alaska Fund Trust will be forced to disband and return the money. I'm sure Gov. Palin's attorney will counter this report. I'm sure it will be resolved. But if it does have to be disband and the money returned, then guess what? We'll set up a new one for Sarah Palin as just a plain old citizen. And we'll raise even more!Congratulations once again to the nutters in Alaska who have turned the state's Ethics Act into a joke. I sure hope that the Democrats up there fix the crazy loop holes in the Executive Branch Ethics Act before any Democrat is elected governor because anyone from anywhere can file an ethics complaint against the governor of Alaska without paying a penny, and there are a lot of people just itching for a tit for tat on this.

UPDATE VII: (h/t TommyReport) From Chris Cillizza at The Fix:

Randy Evans, the attorney who helped Palin set up the Alaska Trust Fund, released a statement moments ago dismissing the allegation that there was any impropriety in its founding as "absolutely untrue".Added Evans:

"It was specifically patterned after well recognized trusts of prior Presidential candidates as well as high profile public servants.
As with other public servants, there is no impropriety in the creation or operation of such a trust and any suggestion to the contrary is candidly absurd.
"Evans, a partner in the firm of McKenna, Long & Aldridge, is a well known Republican attorney, having served as outside counsel to then Speakers Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and Dennis Hastert (Ill.).

UPDATE VIII: KTUU has Kristan Cole's statement:

"I haven't seen any report and as a matter of fact was just asked for additional information as of yesterday, July 20, 2009," Cole wrote.
"Just a reminder that this legal expense fund was thoroughly vetted by numerous attorneys from Alaska to the East Coast.
The purpose of the Trust is to help the Governor with the crushing legal fees she has incurred solely because of her public service.

"UPDATE IX: Governor Palin issued the following statement on her Facebook page:

"I find the notion that I have taken any action pertaining to the legal defense trust fund misguided and factually in error. I am informed that this fund was created by experienced attorneys in DC and was modeled after other similar funds established for senators and others.
The fund itself was not created by me nor is it controlled by me. Neither I nor my lawyer has received a penny from this fund, and I am informed the Trustee was withholding any action or payment pending final resolution with the Personnel Board.
This is the hallmark of legal compliance and prudent conduct.In short, I have not 'acted' relative to the defense fund and it is misleading to say I have.
I have no doubt that the Trust will welcome guidance by the Board, as do we all, but it is my understanding that this matter was not resolved and the complainant's violation of law has served to mislead the public and prejudice a fair review of this matter."Sarah Palin

UPDATE X: At Texas4Palin.blogspot.com, Josh Painter questions how independent an investigator Thomas Daniel really is: So who is Thomas Daniel, and how "independent" an investigator is he?

Daniel is a lawyer employed by the firm of Perkins Coie, LLP.
He contributed $1,000 to Democrat John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.
Daniel has also donated to Alaska's Democrat U.S. Senator Mark Begich.
Perkins Coie, as it turns out, just happens to have Barack Obama as a client.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

This'n'That; July 22nd[FluffyPolls;BlogPalin;MorePalin

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