And the debate goes on - on local and national political levels. OY!
September 18, 2008
Oy, oy, oy. Local politics drive me crazy. If you care to see more of this discussion on why I feel pushing ahead with the beautification of Hermosa Beach's Upper Pier Ave without consideration of the long-term costs is foolish, go here: http://thisishermosa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431&page=2
On a national political note, these things were sent to me which I'm sure you might have read by now which explains what Palin's record is up in Alaska among those she serves, comparison to another male president, and some things to consider re: Obama and our foreign relations:
Regarding Sarah Palin
Wildman Lake Lodge
on the remote Alaska Peninsula . . .
Thanks for your interest in my recent email
When I wrote the email, I was merely responding to friends and clients in the lower 48, who were asking me about Governor Sarah Palin. I really didn’t mean for this email to go round the world, but it may already have. Kathy and I are simple folks and life time Alaskans who run a lodge on the remote Alaska Peninsula. I am a bush pilot and guide for the same operation that I started as the camp boy for, back in 1966. Kathy and I both pitch in to respond to emails and inquiries about fishing and hunting with us Alaska. Although we have enjoyed many of your emails, the two of us just can't keep up with all of the questions that we are recently receiving, so I have posted the following:
Below is a copy of my original email which I sent to friends and clients. These are my personal comments as a life time Alaskan, and you may or may not choose to share them with your friends, but you do have my permission:
Dear Friends.
Fishing is good here at Wildman and I rarely have time for politics, but recently many of our friends are asking us “Who is Sarah Palin?” Of course, as Alaskans, Kathy and I are extremely proud of her. We just want to let you know that Sarah “Barracuda” Palin is a straight shooting, hard charging, get it done gal. She knows when to listen, how to analyze the facts and how to make a decision, then implement the plan. She doesn’t do a poll before jumping in with both feet like too many of the Washington types. She has little legislative experience because she has always held the EXECUTIVE position; in private life, as mayor of Anchorage’s largest bedroom community or more recently as Governor of our State. She is a smart, attractive home grown Alaska girl with excellent moral and family values. She can see what needs to be done and does not hesitate to get it done.
One of our State’s major problems is that its Capital is in Juneau, 500 miles from the nearest road and 800 air miles from the population base which is Anchorage, Wasilla and Fairbanks. Our legislature and most of the State government is in Juneau and they ALL behave like a bunch of freshmen in a college town. It has been this way since Statehood in 1959. When Sarah moved to Juneau, so did accountability and responsibility When the oil revenue started flown and a barrel of North Slope Crude hit $23.00, these people began spending money like drunken sailors. You can only imagine what was happenings when oil hit $100.00 a barrel, about the time Sarah took command. My wife Kathy has first-hand experience with this fiasco, as her father and also her ex-husband were Alaska Legislators who served in Juneau as Senators, Senate President, or members of the State House for a combined period spanning nearly three decades.
About the time Sarah took the HELM as Governor of Alaska, about half of the State legislature was in the pocket of big oil companies or contractors doing big projects for Native Corporations around Alaska, all funded by State oil revenue. Alaska government was nothing but a good old boys club riding the perpetual wave of prosperity. This filtered down from the legislature, through the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Labor and even spilled in to the Public Safety who are supposed to “preserve and protect”.
When Sarah walked into the Governor’s Mansion, she promptly dismissed the State Trooper detachment assigned to Governor and had her and her husband’s gun case brought in from Wasilla. Then, she got rid of the former Governor’s STATE Jet and told legislators that there were no more free rides, they would have to fly Alaska Airlines, just like her and her family if they wanted to travel. Next came the nut cutting (the Barracuda part) the heads that rolled were too numerous to name, but when Sarah finished cleaning house, a number of our legislators ended up in jail for on corruption charges, or tendered their resignations along with numerous department heads and those who have been riding the gravy train for way too long, AND THEN SHE HAD LUNCH. By the end of the day, Sarah Palin had saved the people of Alaska millions and has not yet slowed down.
She has truly brought CHANGE to Juneau. I personally know several persons in the private sector in Alaska, that hold her in high esteem. She surrounds herself with smart people, many from my hometown of Anchorage, she listens to them but makes her own decisions. Sarah Palin is a no B.S. politician. It is refreshing that there is such a thing anymore. You want to talk about CHANGE? You should see a before and after picture of the State government in Alaska. That’s CHANGE! Sarah will bring a number of things to the election. I am sure she will appeal many voters who my otherwise could have gone the other direction on election day. The conservative block will not be for Barack. We have their vote. We need what Sarah will bring, first to the election and second, what she will bring to Washington D.C. McCain has been advised well, Let’s just hope the American people can get the straight scoop on her in the weeks ahead. This is just the opinion of one Alaska Bush Pilot and Guide, who pays attention to national politics, watches the news and is deathly afraid of the direction our nation is headed. I guarantee that if Sarah gets a chance to dig her spurs into the flanks of the liberal Washington types, they will know that she is in the saddle.
Butch King
Pilot/Guide
Q: I am under 45 years old
I love the outdoors
I hunt
I am a Republican reformer
I have taken on the Republican Party establishment
I have many children
I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than 2 years in the governor's office
Have you ever heard of me?
(Scroll down)
A: I am Teddy Roosevelt
Interesting, eh? Now I'm not a historian and don't know what his record holds, but I do find the comparison fascinating. Don't you?
And one last thing:
"Pushing Back
On Monday, we reported to you the potentially explosive charge by Amir Taheri that Barack Obama attempted to dissuade Iraqi politicians from finalizing an agreement with the Bush Administration on the status of U.S. troops in Iraq. The Obama campaign reacted angrily to Taheri’s column and denounced the charge. Taheri is pushing back and reiterating the accuracy of his column – citing Barack Obama’s own words!
First, it should be repeated that the charge is based on statements from Iraq’s foreign minister, not exactly a card-carrying member of the “vast rightwing conspiracy.” Iraq’s foreign minister said that during Obama’s recent trip to Iraq, “He [Obama] asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the U.S. elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington.”
Today, Taheri reports that the Obama campaign is feigning outrage at the charge that he meddled in foreign policy for his own political benefit by trying to distort and intentionally confuse two ongoing agreements related to the status of U.S. forces in Iraq, one of which involves the U.N. mandate on Iraq.
But in a June interview with NBC, Obama said:
“My concern is that if the Bush administration negotiates, as it currently has, and given that we’re entering into the heat of [the] political season, that we’re probably better off not trying to complete a hard-and-fast agreement before the next administration takes office… my number one priority is making sure that we don’t have a situation in which U.S. troops on the ground are somehow vulnerable to, are more vulnerable, because there is a lack of a clear mandate.”
The duplicity is stunning. How is the president supposed to achieve a
clear mandate when other senators are doing their best to thwart
efforts to reach an agreement?
In his column today, Taheri provides even more information about the exchange between Obama and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. Zebari was quoted in Arab media saying: “I told Obama that, as an Iraqi, I believe that even if there is a Democratic administration in the White House it had better continue the present policy instead of wasting a lot of time thinking [about] what to do.”
Rather than taking a risk on such an inexperienced candidate like Barack Obama, who would no doubt “waste a lot of time thinking about what to do,” Campaign for Working Families will do everything we can to make sure we have a serious and experienced president in the Oval Office who is ready to lead on day one. That candidate is John McCain."
Courtesy of Gary L. Bauer, Campaign for Working Families leader
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