Alaska’s gorgeous governor a vice president?

by Les Kinsolving

Washington’s “Weekly Standard” magazine’s two-page feature article on Gov. Sarah Palin has a photograph of her – that would stop traffic.

With a smile that could melt all the tundra of the Arctic Circle – as well as absolutely astounding political success and integrity – Gov. Palin ought really to be seriously considered by whomever wins the Republican Presidential nomination, as an absolutely glorious running mate.

Even though Alaska has very few electoral votes, Sarah Palin would be an absolutely devastating addition to the GOP ticket – particularly if the Democrats nominate Hillary.

There is infinitely more to Mrs. Palin than the radiant beauty which won her the Miss Wasilla beauty contest, from which she went on to compete in the Miss Alaska pageant.

Editor Fred Barnes of “The Weekly Standard” reported from Juneau that she is known to inevitable critics by the wonderfully stimulating nickname: “Sarah Barracuda” (!) (Politics in the Great North State are never dull.)

Barnes described her as “a politician of eye-popping integrity … now the most popular governor in America with an approval rating in the 90s, and probably the most popular public official in any state.”

(And, let me add, just wonderfully equipped to counter if the Democrats presidentially nominate another – if older – pretty lady.)

Barnes also reports:

• “Her rise is a great (and rare) story of how adherence to principle – especially to transparency and accountability in government can produce political success.”
• “Palin is a conservative who, only last month, vetoed 13 percent of the state’s proposed budget for capital projects which the ‘Anchorage Daily News’ said: ‘may be the biggest single-year line-item veto total in state history.’”
• In the cause of justice, she has been unafraid to take on what she believed were unethical practices by Republicans – like Randy Ruedrich, Alaska Oil and Gas Commissioner, who was also GOP state chairman. He eventually paid a $12,000 fine for breaking state ethics laws. “She became a hero in the eyes of the public and the press – and the bane of Republican leaders.”
• In 2005, she joined Democrat Eric Croft in lodging an ethics complaint against state Attorney General Gregg Renkes – a long-time adviser and campaign manager for Gov. Frank Murkowski – who reprimanded Renkes – who resigned. “Palin was again hailed as a hero.”
• In 2006, she ran against Murkowski, who was seeking re-election – and won, decisively in an overwhelmingly Democrat year …. “Political analysts in Alaska refer to the bodycount of Palin’s rivals.”
• One of her first acts as governor was to fire the Alaska Board of Agriculture – whose replacements stopped the state Creamery Board – which marketed the products of Alaska dairy farmers for 71 years and wanted to close down. “You don’t just close down and walk away,” commented Gov. Barracuda.

I suggest this gorgeous and thoroughly gutsy governor would be a great Veep nominee. She has a husband named Todd. He was her high school sweetheart, who works for BP on the North Slope. He is rugged enough to be a 3-time winner of the 2,000-mile Iron snowmobile race from Wasilla to Nome, to Fairbanks.

She grew up attending nondenominational Bible churches and told editor Barnes:

“I believe everything happens for a purpose. In my own personal life, if I dedicated back to my Creator what I’m trying to create for the good, everything will turn out fine.”

In my having covered eight of the last nine Republican National Conventions, I can remember how usually last-minute – and so-far-from-the-top – has been the selection of a nominee for Vice President ( a number of whom, like Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt, went on to very distinguished presidencies).

2008, in Minneapolis, could be vice-presidentially electrifying – if they choose Alaska’s gorgeous and gutsy governor.

Sadly, however, I am obliged to report – and it is on the record – that at the White House daily news briefing July 16th, Presidential Press Secretary Tony Snow gave Gov. Palin what I recall – in both tone of voice as well as brevity – was distinctly short shrift.

I asked Tony Snow:

Q: Washington’s ‘Weekly Standard’ reports from Juneau, Alaska, that the new Republican Governor, Sarah Palin, has an approval rating of 90 percent in the polls; that’s 9-0. What is the president’s reaction to this and her future?

MR. SNOW (very quickly) “He’s happy for her.”

That’s it. Nothing more.

Which seems to me to be very sad.

Source: World Net Daily

The end of days.

I apologize for the lack of updates recently. I’ve received numerous emails asking if the site was dead (no!) or if I was dead (no!). But summer will be before you know it so I’m cramming every bit of fun and fishing that I can into what time we have left. And what beautiful weather we’re having, too! So please forgive me if updates are slow and scattered. There’s halibut fishing next weekend and a couple of trips for 2nd run Silvers and I’m done. I think. Once we’re finished processing at the end of the season, I should post a pic of the freezer. We have 45 lbs of red fillets so we’ll be smoking most of the silvers we bring home on the next trip. My family loves fish and we eat it more often than store-bought beef or chicken. Fresh, wild caught Alaskan salmon is some of the healthiest, tastiest food in the world. Don’t believe me? Ask Sarah. She’s about to be America’s Seafood Sweetheart. (See below)

Summertime Politics

As summertime moves along, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay inside and work, like updating this blog, when there’s so much fun to fit in before the snow flies.  Fishing, hiking, camping, road trips…they all take priority with the days getting shorter and shorter.  I was thinking about this and I wonder how big the corruption scandal looming over Alaska would be if these investigations would have started in December.  It’s kind of topsy turvy that most dirt in Alaska is exposed in the long, light days of summer when most people have no time to keep up with the whole story and the long, dark days of winter is when we all have little better to do than pay attention and ask questions.  Summer is about play in Alaska, we don’t want to work or pay attention to anyone else’s job either.

Last night on KTUU Jason Moore had a story on the relation of Mayor Begich to a land deal that involved re-zoning, monetary gains, and the kiss of death these days - Ted Stevens.  “Facts” from the story came from Ray Metcalf, a long time dirt digger with a great track record. I listen to Ray when he talks because if he says there’s dirt somewhere, most times he’s right. So when I heard that he was accusing Mayor Begich of being tied to Stevens in a dirty deal I was shocked. I’m a long time supporter of Mayor Begich and firmly believe him to be one of the “good guys”.  He can be whiney and his ambitions for the city are a little too expensive for our pocket books at the moment but I don’t believe him to be unethical or disingenuous in any way.

Fortunately, the Bob & Mark Morning Show found big issue with this as well and contacted both parties for a face to face conversation.  I have that conversation available for download so you can listen for yourself. But I guess what my point is that KTUU, the leading news source in the state opened the evening news with a very long story strongly slanting a negative shadow on Mayor Begich with complete inaccuracies and more or less tying him to the Stevens debacle.  And these weren’t ‘my word against yours’ type of mistakes. These were ‘facts’ that are public record and easily researched.  An irony here is that KTUU’s current promotion spots highlight that “It takes time to get the whole story”. Yes, it certainly does, even in the summer when you would rather be fishing. And I hope they take as much time correcting their errors on tonight’s broadcast. As popular as Bob & Mark might be, I have no doubt that the KTUU News Hour has a much broader audience and they owe them The Whole Story.

Mayor Mark Begich calls the Bob & Mark Morning Show

Mayor Begich talks with Ray Metcalf

And on that note, I have been out of town fishing and only came back in for supplies. I will be leaving again tonight and I’ll be back Sunday to catch up on all the Sarah news.

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