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On The Scene
Talking Points Memo —
TPMmuckraker alum Laura McGann is on the location in Anchorage reporting on Palin pick for the Washington Independent.
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"You Know in Your Heart When Someone is Supportive"
Shadow of the Hegemon —
Yep, she almost got removed from office in Wasilla, too. Palin, a lifelong member of the National Rifle Assn., started her career as a member of her local city council in Wasilla, Alaska, a town about 45 miles outside of Anchorage, in 1992. She was elected Wasilla’s mayor in 1996, when the city’s population was about 4,600, according to a 1997 press report (via nexis). In this role, Palin acted in a way that eerily foreshadows her recent actions while governor. Early in her tenure as mayor, the city council threatened to recall her over accusations that ...
An Wasillan On Sarah Palin
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan —
... This was posted in the comments section on the Washington Independent by Alaskan and a Wasillan, Anne Kilkenny, someone who has followed Sarah Palin very, very closely - with too many city council meetings under her belt - not to say her piece. She seems the kind of person that a professional vetting system would have found, and debriefed. We're talking small town politics here as well, so bear that in mind. And I've reproduced only the gist here - go ...
War and Piece — ... vice-presidential pick Sen. Joe Biden, who milled about the convention in Denver last week. Gov. Palin refused media interviews and canceled plans to appear at the Republican National Coalition for Life Tuesday. ....In Alaska, the McCain campaign has tried to control the flow of information as liberal bloggers and the media mine her past. A team of public-relations aides has settled into the state and asked Gov. Palin's friends and family to avoid speaking to the media. This from a longtime resident of Palin's town worth reading too. Posted by Laura at September 3, 2008 06:46 ...
possibility versus reality
Classical Values —
... . The email she allegedly wrote has circulated so widely that I'm wondering why the New York Times would misspell her name "Ann" when she repeatedly signed the email "Anne." Simple mistake? Or an attempt to frustrate casual researchers? I'm puzzled over the fact that in ...
Police Chief: Palin Fired Me For Campaign Contributors
The Huffington Post | Full News Feed —
The Washington Independent reported on Monday that another Sarah Palin firing scandal had been overlooked:
Early in her tenure as mayor, the city council threatened to recall her over accusations that she fired the city's police chief, Irl Stambaugh, and the library director, Mary Ellen Emmons, without warning. She accused them in a letter saying: "I do not feel I have your full support in my efforts to govern the city of Wasilla. Therefore I intend to terminate your employment ..." (The Anchorage Daily News, via nexis)
Ultimately, Palin ...
Palin As Reformer? Not Quite...
TPMMuckraker —
... As Wasilla mayor, Palin reportedly fired the police chief and attempted to fire the librarian, because she did not feel that she had their "full support in [her] efforts to govern the city of Wasilla." Former city officials allege that the attempts to remove the librarian were a result of her ...
Fear of Retribution: Why Palin Stories Didn’t Break Before the Nomination
Firedoglake —
... When she was Mayor of Wasilla, she fired the police chief, Irl Stambaugh saying that he "intimidated her." Palin also wanted to ban some books from the library and when library director Mary Ellen Emmons fought her on it, she fired her as well. Her explanation: ...
Barbara's Daily BuzzFlash Minute for September 4, 2008
BuzzFlash.org - Progressive News and Commentary with an Attitude | Fight Ignorance: Read BuzzFlash —
... by McCain himself … as mayor of Wasilla, Palin's pursuit of earmarks was aggressive … though Palin touted her opposition to the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ … she initially supported the project … Palin was endorsed by now-indicted Sen. Ted Stevens … The friendly relationship between the embattled senator … and the supposedly maverick governor is at odds with Palin's claim to dismantling the "old boys club" of Alaska government … Palin reportedly fired the police chief and attempted to fire the librarian, because she did not feel that she had their ‘full ...
Live Blogging Night 3 (We're Almost Done!)
The Anonymous Liberal —
9:41 pm: Loved that moose-laden video tribute to Sarah Palin. My favorite part of the Palin hagiography was the part where the narrator said that she ran for mayor because she "grew frustrated" with the town's "wasteful spending and high taxes." During her tenure, we're told, she "managed to increase funding for infrastructure while decreasing property taxes." The reality, of course, is that town spending increased by 33% during her tenure as mayor. And while she lowered property taxes (a progressive tax), she raised the sales tax (a regressive tax). Not only that, but she ...
Bart Motes: Sarah Palin: A Woman Who Doesn't Like Women
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com —
... be caught.
While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests.
It was only under a Democratic Governor, Tony Knowles, that the state passed a law prohibiting local police departments from continuing this degrading practice.
Palin didn't hesitate to fire Wasilla's police chief for insufficient loyalty. Laura McGann notes that a judge ruled ...
