I hadn't intended to write another word about Sarah Palin. I really had said about as much as I wanted to, but circumstances sometimes dictate that we change our paths.This comes from the Washington Post:
ANCHORAGE, Sept. 8 -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state
business....She wrote some form of "Lodging -- own residence" or "Lodging -- Wasilla residence" more than 30 times at the same time she took a per diem, according to the reports. In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem. "
The impetus for this post really comes from the reception I have received from other bloggers and other assorted people who have rolled their eyes or been dismissive about my concerns about Palin. I think that many of you have intentionally blinded yourself or are walking in double standard land.
Ultimately I don't care if you agree with me. I know what I see and it is ugly. I see a candidate for V.P. who is inexperienced in key areas and has demonstrated values that I find to be highly questionable.
CNN has an article about Palin's church that continues to feed my negative opinion of her. I criticized Obama for his relationship with Reverend Wright. It would be wrong and inconsistent not to call Palin onto the carpet as well.
Where are the cries of outrage about this. Where is the call for condemnation. If you thought that Wright's statements are outrageous you should be irritated, upset and angry. And what have we heard from Palin about this? Not a whole lot, mostly just the chirping of the crickets.Palin now attends the Wasilla Bible Church. She was there on August 17, just days before entering the national spotlight. David Brickner, the founder of Jews for Jesus, was a speaker. He told congregants that terrorist attacks on Israel were God's "judgment" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity. Brickner said, "Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. When a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment -- you can't miss it."
The McCain campaign says his comments do not reflect her religious views. Palin's spokeswoman says she is pro-Israel.
Pastor Ed Kalnin, the senior pastor of Palin's former Pentecostal church, has also come under fire for his comments. In 2004, he told church members if they voted for John Kerry for president, they wouldn't get into heaven. He told them, "I question your salvation."
Assembly of God issued a statement online in response which said Kalnin was "joking" when he suggested "Kerry supporters would go to hell," and statement went on to say, "We do acknowledge in hindsight that it was careless, and we do apologize for that. This statement is not written as a defense, but as a clarification."
Let's circle back for a moment and recap a few things. She hasn't any experience with foreign policy nor economic. She has limited experience as governor running a state whose total population is smaller than many cities in the U.S.
It is acknowledged by her team that she explored the possibility of banning books. It doesn't matter if it was one or 1000. This is America. Book banning is something that fascists do.
There is a history of her purging those who oppose her politically from their positions. Some of you may try to claim that this is just sour grapes or something that happens all the time. I don't believe it to be sour grapes and I am not someone who supports cleaning house just because someone holds a different opinion.
Something stinks here and I think that it is her values. There is something lacking. And if you forgive me for projecting, there is something about her that smacks of the mean girl. I suppose that if I couldn't criticize her bonafides, if I couldn't drive a bus through the hole in her experience I might feel differently.
But that is not the case. I don't sense principles that I support. And I don't like the willful ignorance and shunting of reality that many of her supporters are engaging in.
All told I it is a question of values and I don't think that she and I share them.
19 comments:
I cringe when I hear people speaking confidently and stridently about God's judgment, especially as directed toward Israel.
Gotcha. I've been thinking the same way.
All valid concerns, Jack. I still prefer McCain to Obama. I never expect to like any candidate strongly these days. I'm just glad I'm not stuck with Olmert.
No one on this earth can ever possess perfection. Perfection only belongs to the Lord our God. More and more we are saddened by morale values that do not instill the thoughts and ways of Christ, but only the thoughts and ways of society.
The wrath of God is real, and we should fear Him. It is written many times in His truth. At the same time, we sincerely love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and we love each other.
Judgment belongs to God, and He will judge each of us when it is our time. We must ask ourselves everyday, "am I presenting myself to others in the likeness of Christ?" This is our God given purpose why we exist.
We as a nation should do what we can to protect Israel at all costs, even though God will not allow Israel to be destroyed. Jews are God's chosen people. "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
We must pray for our Nation asking God to place who He sees best in this election. When we vote, He will lay it own our hearts to choose according to His will if our faith and trust in Him is sincerely real.
It is deeply offensive for her to share a pulpit with the founder of the "Jews for Jesus" and to listen this man blame the situation in Israel on us Jews, saying it's our fault b/c we haven't accepted Jesus -- yet she said....NOTHING. This was a mere 3 weeks ago.
At 72 (and having had a history of deadly melanoma), there is a real chance McCain coud die in office and she would be left in charge. Scary!
I had not planned on voting for Obama, but McCain has forced my hand.
-Stacey
We must ask ourselves everyday, "am I presenting myself to others in the likeness of Christ?" This is our God given purpose why we exist.
With all due respect, who is the "we" you are talking about? Perhaps presenting YOURSELF in the likeness of Christ, is the purpose for YOUR existence, but it definitely is not the purpose for mine -- and you have no right speaking for all humanity -- let alone anyone but yourself.
People like you are the reason the Sarah Palin's of the world are so creepy and scary.
P.S. I wrote the last comment.
-Stacey
FP,
I always find it funny how many people think they can speak for G-d.
Miriam,
I had a feeling.
Leora,
If McCain was ten years younger I'd feel differently. I don't want this woman anywhere near the presidency. She is not qualified and she has serious deficiencies.
More and more we are saddened by morale values that do not instill the thoughts and ways of Christ, but only the thoughts and ways of society.
Deborah,
Your morale may be affected by the views of whatever mythology you choose to believe. But you haven't any exclusivity on the truth. In fact it is he height of arrogance to suggest otherwise. For all you know you are following the tenets of a religion that is based upon lies.
Believe what you want, but don't try to force it upon others.
At 72 (and having had a history of deadly melanoma), there is a real chance McCain coud die in office and she would be left in charge. Scary!
Yes.
One more thought/ramble:
Palin is associate with Evangelists, Obama with Liberation Theology. Liberation theology scares me more. I prefer Evangelists because of their support for Israel. Though one has to do a dance, who knows what these churches will be up to next...
Yes, but Obama doesn't preach from his podium that the Iraq war is "God's war." He seems to know religion's place -- and that place is not in politics. Democratics typically do have a clue there.
Evangelicals may support Israel, but only because of their self-serving need to bring about their end-times theology. They may support Israel, but they don't support Jewry -- as evidenced their heavy-handed conversion tactics. Sarah Palin's branch of Christianity supports such conversion efforts to the tune of millions of $$$ each year.
-Stacey
Don't be so gullible. Do a little research before pontificating.
Leora,
I don't like support that comes based upon a religious agenda, feels to insecure to me.
Don't be so gullible. Do a little research before pontificating.
David,
Care to point out inaccuracies or are you just pontificating.
Thanks for asking Jack, The per diem in question is not illegal. Alaska is a very big state. The people of Alaska realize this and have made provisions for the elected officials to be with their families as much as possible. That is the reason for the per diem and traveling expenses. Gov. Pallin never claimed all the reimbursement she and her family were entitled to; and her travel expenses were still 1/5th the previous administration. Talk about cutting waste.
Wasilla Bible Church had a "one time" speaker who was not endorsed by Gov. Pallin. She has stated that she doesn't agree with the person who spoke; so where is the scandal? It's not like she sat in church and listened to the same hateful nonsense every week for twenty years.
No experience? Was Senator Obama ever a Mayor of a city or the governor of a state?
Banning books is one that is very hard for me to stomach. It seems to boil down to having asked a question once of a librarian. Is it true? I'll need to research that one further, but my knee jerk reaction is that this librarian is someone with an axe to grind.
Thanks for asking Jack, The per diem in question is not illegal. Alaska is a very big state. The people of Alaska realize this and have made provisions for the elected officials to be with their families as much as possible. That is the reason for the per diem and traveling expenses. Gov. Pallin never claimed all the reimbursement she and her family were entitled to; and her travel expenses were still 1/5th the previous administration. Talk about cutting waste.
David, if she used the per diem solely when she traveled it would be one thing, but she did not. She billed tax payers for 312 nights during the first 19 months in office.
Here is the kicker In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem."
Why did she need to remove the reference to staying at home.
Look, there are plenty of things that may be legal but fall into gray areas. If people are going to anoint her as being a reformer and someone who cuts waste, well this is what happens.
Her travel expenses may be 1/5th the previous admin, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any waste taking place. It could merely mean that there is less.
Was Senator Obama ever a Mayor of a city or the governor of a state?
I never said that Obama has a ton of experience. What I said is that she doesn't have much. If we give him a score of 1 and she receives a 3 we aren't getting much are we.
It seems to boil down to having asked a question once of a librarian. Is it true? I'll need to research that one further, but my knee jerk reaction is that this librarian is someone with an axe to grind.
Look at This.
People are going to interpret this any way they want to. I find the asking of the question to be reprehensible.
But when push comes to shove she doesn't have enough experience, period, end of story.
Come on Jack. That's pretty weak sauce. If that's all you can dig up to damage the reputation of these fine candidates... that it should be illegal.
David you ignored the meat. She charged the state for 312 nights that she stayed at home.
If she is about cutting pork barrel politics why would she do that and why would she amend the reports to delete the reference to staying in her own home.
If she had nothing to hide, why would she hide it.
And you still haven't addressed here complete lack of experience.
I'll have to let you have the last word Jack. Thanks for the exchange. You argue your point of view like a gentleman.
Jack is completely right....she brags of cutting spending, then bills the taxpayers of Alaska for per diem charges when she is AT HOME.
Further, she fired the librarian who refused to censor books. And only reinstated her after public outcry.
And you are missing the bigger point on the fact that a mere 3 weeks ago the founder of the "Jews for Jesus" spoke at her church. And that fact is this -- her church (and a few other evangelical churches) give MILLIONS/year in funding to target Jews for conversion. This is no secret. The Jews for Jesus readily divulge the sources of their funding. You said she does not share their view. Prove it. What is your source? I would expect that she *does* share their view, since as a tithing member of that church her $$$ goes to the direct funding of the programs that target Jews for conversion.
Obama has a brain and combined McCain and Palin don't have his IQ, which sadly means most people won't vote for him because he is smarter than they are.
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