I’m always a little dubious of emails that scream “urban myth” that arrive in my mailbox; this email passes the Snopes.com test. Here’s the text:
This is an email that originally came from a resident of the town where Sarah Palin was mayor. I checked it on snopes and indeed it is from a Anne Kilkenny who lives in Wasilla, Alaska. You can read the snopes report HERE.Â
Subject: re: SARAH PALIN
ABOUT SARAH PALIN
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992.
Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a
first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her
father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a
first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more
City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the
residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular
girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and
won’t vote for her can’t quit smiling when talking about her because
she is a “babe”.
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She
kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents
for seven months.
She is “pro-life”. She recently gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.
She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.
She is savvy. She doesn’t take positions; she just “puts things out
there” and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a
champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly
sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his
work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or
so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their
major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything
like that of native Alaskans.
Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.
She’s smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000
(at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about
670,000 residents.
During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running
this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been
pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had
gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had
given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6
years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over
33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the
City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation
(1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a
regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she
promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they
benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration
weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed
money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it
with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage
the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said
she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a
new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a
multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece
of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was
still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers
involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the
community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it
would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that
could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.
While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office
redecorated more than once.
These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.
As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus
in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will
make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she
proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she
recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while
she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s
surplus, borrow for needs.
She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas
or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by
her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the
basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected
City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from
the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents
rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s
attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew
her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the
Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the “old boy’s club” when she first ran for
Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys”. Palin
fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as
Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people,
creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally
grateful and fiercely loyal–loyal to the point of abusing their power
to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the
case of pressuring the State’s top cop (see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla’s Police Chief because he “intimidated”
her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska’s top
cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure
and she had every legal right to fire him, but it’s pretty clear that
an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn’t
fire her sister’s ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation
for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen
contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she
later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to
replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded
for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew
her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in
help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town
introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council
became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She
abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t
like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything
publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got
the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one
of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no
background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great
job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the
high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the
structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this
Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party)
engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some
undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all
her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and
garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a
gutsy fighter against the “old boys’ club” when she dramatically quit,
exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from
Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel
politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the “bridge to
nowhere” after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.
As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget
guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing
projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative
action restored most of these projects–which had been vetoed simply
because she was not aware of their importance–but with the unobservant
she had gained a reputation as “anti-pork”.
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party
leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated
them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a
fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah.
They call her “Sarah Barracuda” because of her unbridled ambition and
predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly
stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made
point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah’s
mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and
experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package
of legislation known as “AGIA” that forced the oil companies to march
to the beat of her drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to
global warming. She campaigned “as a private citizen” against a state
initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from
pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the
state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State’s
lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior’s decision to list polar
bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a
heartbeat away from being President.
There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more
knowledgeable and experienced than she.
However, there’s a lot of people who have underestimated her and are
regretting it.
CLAIM VS FACT
*”Hockey mom”: true for a few years
*”PTA mom”: true years ago when her first-born was in elementary
school, not since
*”NRA supporter”: absolutely true
*social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill
that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships
(said she did this because it was unconsitutional).
*pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to
promote it.
*”Pro-life”: mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby
BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life
legislation
*”Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has
residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska.
No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on
supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city
administrator to run town of about 5,000.
*political maverick: not at all
*gutsy: absolutely!
*open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at
explaining actions.
*has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
*”a Greenie”: no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores
and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
*fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
*pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city
without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built
streets to early 20th century standards.
*pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on
residents
*pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city
government in Wasilla’s history.
*pro-labor/pro-union. No. Just because her husband works union
doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim
that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed
voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting
programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny +
Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local
government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I’ve always operated in the belief that “Bad things happen
when good people stay silent”. Few people know as much as I do because
few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don’t have a job she can bump me out
of. I don’t belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no
fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will
cost me somehow in the future: that’s life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100
or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah’s
attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to
say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in
spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor)
from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of
Wasilla, and I can’t recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust
for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible
for a private person to get any info out of City Hall–they are
swamped. So I can’t verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the
population of Wasilla, ranging from my “about 5,000”, up to 9,000. The
day Palin’s selection was announced a city official told me that the
current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was
5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to
2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90’s.
Anne Kilkenny
August 31, 2008Â
So if McCain had picked Chris Norby, and Darrell Nolta sent out an e-mail, would you treat that as credible, too?
Darrell Nolta is far more credible than Sarah Palin.
Would Norby sleep in the VPs mansion or the White House lawn?
LOL.
Wow, not every single solitary soul in Wasilla is a Sarah Palin fan. And somehow that means she was a bad mayor?
By that standard, you should be treating the Irvine Tattler publisher with the same level of respect and credibility.
My point is, the only thing for certain is this woman really exists. She sounds like a council gadfly to me, and clearly has an animus against Palin.
So, if another Wasilla resident writes a “Sarah Palin was a great mayor!” letter, does that cancel this out.
Man, you guys are really reaching now.
But keep it up. It’s doing wonders for Sarah Palin! She couldn’t have hit 40 million viewers without the help of the Leftosphere/media mugging!
That was an extrememly long email.
I have to agree with Jubal. The author ofthis email seems to have apersonal exe to grind with Palin. It seems quite obvious that this Anti_palin fan must have stalked Pailin to getehr so much informatio n on her.
That being said, if even half of this stuff is true, than that would make Palin a poor chioce for VP.
But I thkn we all know that Palin was not chosen for her experience, record, and or ability (ies). Im pretty sure Pailin was picked for her oratory skills (counter Obama), and her ability to bookend Biden in the experience collumn. Obama new, handsome, great orator; Biden expeienced: McCain Experienced; Palin Newbie, very very good looking, and a pretty darn good orator.
So these two campaigns are basically Ying and Yang.
I would have really liked to have seen a bill Richardson/ Barak Obama ticket myself.
Richardson, experienced, more than qualified, good on most issues. Obama, the whip that gets the young vote out and excites them about the winds of change.
I will be going with the Obama Biden tocket this November. In fact, with Mcsame going on the Bush Cheney ideology (no matter how many times he says hes not), I would vote for a ham sandwhich over even one more day of the Bush Cheney thought process.
In case anyone wants to collect memorable quotes from Palin:
http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/05/alaskans-speak-in-a-frightened-wh isper-palin-is-%E2%80%9Cracist-sexist-vindictive-and-mean%E2%80%9D/
Jubal,
Leftosphere/media mugging? Which Leftosphere media are you referring to and what about the coverage of the unqualified-flipflopping-right-wing-jew-hating-wingnut Sarah Palin is untrue?
While we’re at it, what is a media mugging?
Matt is listening a bit too much to Hugh Hewitt, who’s increasingly turning from a intelligent conservative voice into an unfunny version of Rush Limbaugh.
I heard Kilkenny on NRP. She is very credible, seems dispassionate. I traveled in AK 2 weeks late Aug 08. Info impossible to get in-state. Only in Borders, Anchorage could I get NY Times. No cities had USA Today or papers other than Anchorage paper, which daily had blazing headlines those two weeks about investigations re “Troopergate.” Figured there was something to it if the “house organ” of the State, prob Republican, was seriously exposing the facts. Homer’s bookstore (terrific) said they didn’t carry major news mags (New Yorker). Couldn’t find any out of state paper there. Ditto Seward–no bookstore w/major news mags; no out of state paper. In AK, the Anchorage paper is the ballgame. Rarely could tune in to NPR or major news stations when traveling thru major cities in the state (anchorage, seward, homer). Only lifeline to “outside” states was the internet. I question whether the leader of the free world should issue from such an isolated environment. She’s not been educated or traveled to any extent. And, anyone resident in Alaska would have to work very very hard to get news of the outside world.
Since when was Hewitt intelligent? I always found him laughable!
Sarah Palin hates jews?
When Gustavo was muy joven, Hewitt seemed inteligente to him.
Let’s all have pity on poor Sister Sarah, unfairly maligned by the left and the press in some sort of conspiracy to expose the bald-faced brazen lies that she throws out time and again.
Here we go again, with the same attacks that have grown infinitely tiresome. After running the country into the ground, the Republicans are trying to blame liberals, feminists, and environmentalists for all of their failures.
As in 2006, the voters won’t buy this act again, no matter how much feigned outrage the professional propagandists spew out.
“She couldn’t have hit 40 million viewers without the help of the Leftosphere/media mugging!”
Yeah, everyone likes to watch a train wreck sometime. I think we’re still waiting for her or McCain to address the economy, unemployment, the last eight years of Bush-Cheney.
IN all the bio talk about McCain’s treatment in VietNam, the word “torture” was never used. Probably because its part of the Republican platform.
Matt — I just received a 60+ page dossier on Ms. Palin’s record. I’ll be posting details to come but its’ painfully clear the McCain team did a lousy job vetting her. I would be be surprised if we have a Thomas Eaggleton moment at some point in the campaign. If this is the future of your party, you guys have totally nuked the fridge.
Wow. And I believe that’s worse than Jumping the Shark – by an order of magnitude! Looking forward to this…
Jubal,
John McCain picks one of the most obscure politicians on the planet to be his running mate and you want to criticize the press for doing their job and finding out more about her?
If she’s gonna be Veep someday, she’ll have to have more spine than YOU’RE exhibiting.
Yes Paul, that seems to be the case. Or at least she’s willing to sit in her church and listen to a person who preaches that terrorist attacks on Israelis is God’s “judgment of unbelief” of Jews who haven’t embraced Christianity.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/3/10452/19058
The lady has got you all shaking in your boots. I like her, she is not afraid to put you all in your spot. I can’t wait for the VP debate, Biden better stay home.
LOL Vern,
Chris, than if she is a jew hater, how will that jibe with the hard right christians who are also hard line supporters of israel? I would like to see her talk her way out of that one in the VP debate. Can you say Deer in headlights moment?
I like Bill Maher’s line.
He showed a pic of Palin and said,
“Sarah the barracuda,”
Then he showed of Joe Biden and said,
“Meet Joe the shark.”
I doubt Biden is worried.
You libs are a bunch of idiots! How you could condone the criminal activity of the Democratic party in this election: The coverup of the John Edwards scandel until enough delegates were out of the way to ruin Hillarys chances of being elected, Stealing the delegate votes from the good people of Florida & Michigan, and to make matters even worse exploit both Hillary & Bill Clinton to get the votes they so desperately need ( all the while talking about how the Clinton administation was the best economic eight years the country ever had) Its shameful and criminal. The question is why? To satisfy the liberal medias desire to be a part of a black Camelot? Hillary should have been the presidential candidate…
I will remind the OC Gator of his comment above after Biden runs her over on Oct 7th. According to some other blogs, LIE-berman is the man prepping her , so that should make things even more interesting.
Just wondering if a bunch of us should go to Palin’s OC appearance and start chanting “iron my shirt” or “cook my dinner.” Its so counter to what we as liberals believe but would be almost worth it to watch Matt and other OC conservatives foam at the mouth over the audacity of such a protest.
Wow, I’ve read Reality Check’s comment a few times and really can’t understand a word of it. I was going to just point out that nothing s/he was accusing Dems of was illegal (in contrast to the stonewalled investigations of Palin) but then I couldn’t understand the list of things he was accusing us of. I guess this is the modern GOP version of a “Reality Check .”
I did notice him at the end channeling Rush Limbaugh’s final EPSN appearance: “The media is just desirous of seeing a black quarterback succeed.” Sad people, you lot.
I’d be up for that Dan. Doesn’t seem like your style, but are you gonna organize that? When’s the appearance anyway?
I am loving this.
You Dems are SO freaked out over losing the lead in the polls that you’re willing to throw ANYTHING at our VP nominee and wait until something sticks.
That’s alright, she’s more than prepared.
Game over silly liberals, start getting used to having GI JOHN as your next President and SUPERWOMAN as his VP.
Now move along and go cry on someone else’s shoulders.
funny how the email doesn’t go into the details of Palin’s ex brother in-law firing. I read he was fired because he tasered his young son as punishment. I wouldn’t have only had him fired, I would have kicked his ass.
Ah the Dank One is back. Yeah sure we’re freaked out. What poll anyway? One that only calls people over 50 who still use land lines? “She’s More than prepared.” Rick Davis just said they’ll allow her to give interviews “when she feels ready.”
A prank like Dan C suggested isn’t a sign of being freaked out, it’s just to see what rise we can get out of YOU guys so we can laugh at your double standards!
I’m gonna make a collection of you peoples’ triumphal comments. Just for rubbing-in-your-faces later purposes, you understand.
It isn’t my stylke Vern; but I’d love to see the reaction on the Republican faces if someone did it.
D’Acon — http://www.electoral-vote.com; http://www.fivethirtyeight.com
Spend some time with both sites. Ohio and Noirth Dakota just flipped Blue and Obama is within a point of McCain in FLA.
Dan-
Keep hoping for ND and OH while we’re taking CO back and stealing MI from under your noses…
Chris:
First, you assert Sarah Palin is a “Jew hater.”
Next, it just “seems to be the case.”
Then, the allegation is “she’s at least willing to sit in her church and listen to a person who preaches that terrorist attacks on Israelis is God’s “judgment of unbelief†of Jews who haven’t embraced Christianity.”
And you base all of this on a post from on rumor-central Daily Kos…a post that leads readers to believe the pastor made the “God’s judgment on Israel” comment at the Wasilla Church…but fails to provide any evidence.
Which just goes to show, you guys are willing to believe any negative allegation about Sarah Palin.
Funny outrage coming from backers of a guy who sat in the pews of Rev. Wright’s church for 20 years and then said he could no more disown Wright than his own grandma (before disowning Wright a few weeks later, that is – no word on granny), but are tut-tutting that Palin didn’t Google this Brickner guy the moment he stepped up to address her congregation.
Does anyone Google their pastor before going to church (sounds kinda dirty doesn’t it?). I don’t believe Palin’s a Jew hater, but she was in the church during this hateful event and failed to speak out about it. Isn’t that the standard we’re holding our politicians to these days.
Have you read the sermon transcript, Dan?
Someone in a Facebook discussion group was posting the email this weekend. It was signed “Deb in Alaska.”
Oops, to clarify, “Deb in Alaska” was pro-Palin, which this clearly is not. Don’t know if the “Deb” letter is genuine. It didn’t seem to be. I told the poster that it sounded like a testimonial for a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed.
Have you read all of Jerimiah Wright’s sermons in question Matt? Context is an interesting thing, isn’t it?
It’s obvious that Sarah Palin is from the religious and political fringe, and a brazen liar to boot.
Cunninghan’s response will always be to whine plaintively about how mean the left is to poor sister Sarah, and attack liberals.
He will never, ever deal substantively with her abuse of eminent domain, her shameless lies about opposing the bridge to nowhere, or her clear lack of any qualifications.
Just attack the media and the liberal.
Nothing new here. All politics over principle. Republicans at work.
The email has its own snopes.com page.
Dan, I’ll take that as a “no.”
And no, I haven’t read Rev. Wright’s sermons. Which is irrelevant to your claim that Brickman’s sermon was “hateful” and somehow this reflects badly on Palin.
Matt — you gotta love those pastors that cling to the hateful and spiteful God of the Old Testament.
Yes, I have read it.
“And if Zephaniah were here today he’d be saying, ‘Listen, He is gonna deal with all the inhabitants of the earth. He is gonna strike out His hand against, yes, Wasilla; and Alaska; and the United States of America. There’s no exceptions here—there’s none. It’s all.’
God could give them instructions about how to worship, about how to treat each other, how to treat their wives, how to speak of Him, how to speak the truth, ***how to deal with their nation, how to run their country****; He could give them instruction about anything and everything, and they did their own thing. (sounds like a theocracy yet???)
A lot of smoting in the whole sermon.
I guess we see things differently here Matt. I’m more of a New Testament guy myself.
Matt —
I’m going to cherry pick all of his sermons I can find, like the right wing did with Rev. Wright, and smear this guy (and Palin and McCain by proxy) the same way the right wing machine did Obama. Playing by rules established by your side.
It’s obvious that Sarah Palin is from the religious and political fringe, and a brazen liar to boot.
Cunninghan’s response will always be to whine plaintively about how mean the left is to poor sister Sarah, and attack liberals.
He will never, ever deal substantively with her abuse of eminent domain, her shameless lies about opposing the bridge to nowhere, or her clear lack of any qualifications.
Just attack the media and the liberal.
Nothing new here. All politics over principle. Republicans at work.
Sarah lying about the bridge to nowhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieuA7nAOBXQ&eurl=http://talkingpointsmemo.com/