A hard-hitting piece on Sarah Palin in the new Vanity Fair has touched off a blistering exchange of insults among high-profile Republicans over last year’s GOP ticket – tearing open fresh wounds about leaks surrounding Palin and revealing for the first time some of the internal wars that paralyzed the campaign in its final days.
Rival factions close to the McCain campaign have been feuding since last fall over Palin, usually waging the battle in the shadows with anonymous quotes. Now, however, some of the most well-known names in Republican politics are going on-the-record with personal attacks and blame-casting.
So what is Palin up to? From the fascinating Vanity Fair article:
In the aftermath of the November election, the conventional wisdom among Palin’s supporters in the Republican establishment was that she should go home, keep her head down, show that she could govern effectively, and quietly educate herself about foreign and domestic policy with the help of a cadre of experienced advisers. She has done none of this. Rather, she has pursued an erratic course that, for her, may actually represent the closest thing there is to True North. […] She created a political-action committee—Sarahpac—with the help of John Coale, a prominent Democratic trial lawyer. But just months into its existence the pac’s chief fund-raiser, Becki Donatelli, a veteran of Republican campaigns, suddenly quit. One person familiar with the situation told me that Donatelli could not stand dealing with Palin’s political spokeswoman in Alaska, Meghan Stapleton, who has drawn withering fire from Palin friends and critics alike for being an ineffective adviser. Also with Coale’s help, Palin formed the grandiosely named Alaska Fund Trust, to defray a reported half million dollars in legal expenses arising from a slew of formal ethics complaints against her in her home state—prompting yet another formal complaint, that the fund itself constitutes an ethical breach. Onetime supporters have become harsh critics. Walter Hickel, 89, a former two-term governor and interior secretary, and the grand old man of Alaska politics, who was co-chair of Palin’s winning gubernatorial campaign, in 2006, now washes his hands of her. He told me simply, “I don’t give a damn what she does.”
And on and on… So, do you think Palin will run for Prez in ’12?
My bad, Misanthropic Scott. Both Palins have earned our laughter, but for quite different reasons.
#69 – Gary, the dangerous infidel
And one of them has been to Russia… not just seen it from his place.
Can I just get some credit for calling this way back on 10/16/08 when I wrote that Palin lost McCain the election. Thanks!
#71 – SN
I remember the discussions when McCain chose Palin as his running mate… All the dear little Republicans sat there masturbating to her picture, saying that it was God damn the best tactical decision McCain had ever made. Oops… didn’t work out that way. The only difference now is that Alfredone hasn’t let go of the image or his woody.
Jager, good one…you are so spot on, pun intended 🙂
Being a conservative, religious nutjob, Alfred1 has his work cut out for him because Palin and the rest of the Repugs are lapping him in the woo hoo field.
And if he knew what a statist was he’d probably cut his own throat! Shh…..
It’s time, for a schism.
#65: Moderates and liberals aren’t scared of Palin, but she seems to have an IQ even lower than George Dumbya Bush (as opposed to his father George HW Bush, who did pretty well in a difficult time).
We’d really prefer having a President, Republican or Democrat, that has an IQ well above 120. If Palin stays in Alaska, that’s just fine by me.
On Palin’s religious pecuiliarities, see, post #66, by Gary, who has been a member of an Assemblies of God congregation (there are a lot of them in Indiana, where I’m originally from), and ran screaming away from them once he finally got a clue as an adult.
A little birdie told me Meghan talks too much and has zero chance of being a part of her party’s future. 😉
—I’m always a tad uneasy when a member of an apocalyptic cult that worships a god who communicates poorly has the full legal authority to deploy the planet’s largest stockpile of WMDs, but that’s just me. Seriously, what could go wrong?—
You mean Obama, who says he’s a Christian? Oh, I forgot…you assume he’s lying to placate the proles. And that somehow makes you feel better.
The winner has already been ‘decided’!
Right?
‘temp,
A Republic:
A Democracy
The Free Dictionay.com
There, in a quick lesson, you know that the US of A is both, a Republic and a Democracy.
A government public school education is better than no education any day. You might see if your local school board has some remedial education classes for stupid adults like yourself.
As long as Palin is a Republican leader the Republicans will never become a force in national politics again.
Normal Americans see she is not intelligent enough to handle the Presidency. Only the blind, neo-con fervant, idiotic, wackos, and ultra conservatives see anything worth while. Thses are all the elements that scare normal people.
#23- McCain nearly won in ’08? Really? Is this the bizarro universe?
I understand Bible Spice (aka Sister Sarah) released a real doozy of Independence Day greetings. It was pulled off YouTube faster than you can lie about a bridge to nowhere.
She is the gift that keeps on giving. Anyone that thinks she has a prayer of being elected President is delusional. If she is the best the Republicans have to offer- well, that’s just sad. But, what the hell- run her with Joe the Plumber. Go for the gold.
To all that asked.
Alphie’s definition of a “statist” is a mental picture he has of a male rectum with his penis in it.
I could be wrong though, it might be reversed.
Being an evangelical, right wing nut he is just a little em bare assed (get the pun?) at the hypocracy of “doing it” with a man.
#81, bad,
Anyone that thinks she has a prayer of being elected President is delusional.
Yup, that sounds like some of the regular, right wing nuts around here.
iik wrote “Oh, I forgot…you assume he’s lying to placate the proles. And that somehow makes you feel better.”
You’re absolutely right that I’d feel a helluva lot better if I could be sure Obama is lying about being a Christian. In any case, though, he shows no signs of being a “hears a voice in his head and obeys it” type of Christian, and that gives me significant comfort concerning someone in his position. If he considers Christianity to be more of a philosophy than a religion, so much the better.
I’d rather have our Commander-in-chief listen to advisers who actually exist and whose advice is clear and unambiguous.
And lying….obviously not a problem….
From what I have seen of Palin, I’d rather have Satan at the helm, thanks.
(not that I actually believe in Satan, but if he were real, I’d prefer him to Palin)
Al Franken has a better shot at becoming prez in 2012 than does Palin.
her very life is a proverb against statism
Yes because her state doesn’t hand out money to everyone who lives there or anything…
She has the potential of overturning the elite, her being the essence of a commoner
yes because she isn’t related to George W. Bush, FDR, and Gerald Ford or anything. Nope, a real commoner…
This was a BS article using unnamed sources. You can say anything using unnamed sources.
The named ones thought the article was BS. I don’t like trolling.
83 Mr. Fusion said,
Hee Hee, “Normal Americans see she is not intelligent enough to handle the Presidency. Only the blind, neo-con fervant, idiotic, wackos, and ultra conservatives see anything worth while. Thses are all the elements that scare normal people.”, Hee Hee. Another Brainwashed Neo-Nazi/Commie.
Yeah dude, Mr Fusion is normal drugged, baby killing, totalitarian, judgmental, Globalist Slaver, euthanasia murdering, NAZI/Commie Demoncrat, wacko, ultra Progressive all a a fuss with going Global and enslaving the rest of humanity. Yeah even Satin doesn’t have any use for him. What is normal today, Michael Jackson, he was a liberal? Everyone I know has no idea of what’s going on. They no nothing about the NAU the Progressive movement, the financial system or even who is Secretary of State. Mr. Fusion should spend less time watching TV and being Brainwashed.
See anyone can call names, exactly what polices do you oppose that S.Palin proposes?
Whatever……….who really cares
Traaxx
Ah, Republicans eating each other. This is, um, well, uh, shocking and surprising I guess. Gosh darn it, didn’t that coming.
Palin couldn’t control her own staff (even when lying to them), much less run the country. Her staff could probably run the country better than she could.
Fusion, this whole “statism” thing comes out of the whole Chicago/Ayn Rand/New Right thing. When libertarian posers try to sound intellectual (i.e. high falutin words) they whip out the “statism” label.
Mark Levin never stops saying it (OK, he’s obsessed with it, and hookers of course) and Limbaugh spouts it from time to time which is where someone might have picked it up. I doubt he would pick it from reading an Nathan Origer article because that would keep his lips moving for a week.
The problem with the whole statism position is that it’s as fresh and exciting as talk radio, which means that it’s ready for the 90’s. And the early 90’s at that.
#82 Mr Fusion
I will present an example that even you and Jägermeister can understand. This is as simple as it gets so good luck.
Go to the Pledge of Alliance. I realize it is something you don’t deem important, but work with me here.
One of the lines is: And to the Republic for which it stands.
It doesn’t say: And to the Democracy for which it stands.
See how easy it is – And I won’t even charge you for what the government schools should have already made clear.
Alfred sputtered: Palin’s executive experience, knowledge of the real world, what works, is many fold that of President Obama…
Dude, you need better drugs.
Ok Alfred, I’ll bite. No more generalities. I’d like specifics. Shes your hero, whats so great about her? Whats she done to earn your devotion?
I’m not baiting, name calling, or insulting. Just a simple question from a curious blog reader.
#102–tcc3==Alfie rarely cogently answers a direct question, but I’ll imagine his best response.
EVERY value has its heroes. Such groups are otherwise dispossessed, disrespected, and despised for being so narrowminded, single subject, and easily led.
So–Ron Paul has his followers, those who think they would prosper the less government did in the affairs of man.
Huckabee had his feverish followers all hoping for the rupture to come asap.
Likewise, Palin appeals to those who tout/live family values oblivious to the outcome.
I’m sure Alfie would be praising Huckabee as well should he run again.
Too many in the electorate, think the best candidate is the one who agrees with them. Neither cares or is capable of contemplating what is actually better for the country. Its only about 2 steps higher in empathy from an outright sociopath.
#97 – Alfred1,
… use a dictionary to learn what statism is.
Good idea. Instruct others to do that of which you are incapable.
BTW, Alfie, by supporting a Dominionist, you prove yourself to be more of a statist than any other poster on this blog.
It will require a huge military budget and a huge police budget for her to implement her Crusade and Inquisition, respectively.
At least the rocks for the public stonings will be cheap.
Don’t worry though Palin has great experience with big government. Running up a $20 million debt for a small town that was previously debt free, supporting the bridge to nowhere then later lying about it, of course.
Hey, did you know that after the bridge to nowhere was canceled as a huge pork barrel project, the state of Alaska still got the federal money and didn’t even have to build the bridge?