Bluedog Democrats Who Caved On Obamacare

Melt the phones people. Here's the breakdown. 

A Post-Racial President? by Thomas Sowell

This excellent article by Sowell at his Townhall blog sheds some interesting perspective on our President and his antics. 

What does a community organizer do? What he does not do is organize a community. What he organizes are the resentments and paranoia within a community, directing those feelings against other communities, from whom either benefits or revenge are to be gotten, using whatever rhetoric or tactics will accomplish that purpose... See this link to read the rest of the article...Thomas Sowell : A Post-Racial President? --Townhall.com

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Obamacare

Because the liberal left political machine is in overdrive these days, it's nearly impossible to figure out what issue to place focus on here in the political blogosphere. Overwhelming the public with mountains of paper is a tactic liberals use to confuse and deter honest Americans from knowing what they're actually doing before it's already accomplished. Generally, liberals think people are too stupid to figure things out before they enact a program or pass a bill. They make a joke out of reading the bill, as if it's completely unimportant what's actually in the bill...it only effects all of America, in many cases. CNS News recently posted an article/video in which House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (Democrat from Michigan) is quoted making fun of those who dare to suggest that our elected officials actually read what they are voting on. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Democrat from Maryland) also had much to say on the issue. To quote Jared McAndersen, it would seem "the only thing lower than the Congressional approval rating is their cumulative I.Q."!

I admit one of the issues I've chosen to steer clear of, for the most part, on this blog is health care. It's unfamiliar territory for me, and therefore, a difficult subject to cover. I realized recently, however, that many people stop by this blog, as they do many others, to find out what the conservative position is on any given matter, and I regret I haven't done more to highlight the truth about what the House and Senate are trying to push through on the health care front. There are many in the conservative movement that have done a fantastic job of informing us:

The Heritage Foundation has been the primary voice, shedding light on what is actually in the bill known as H.R.3200, since those who have been elected by we, the people, seem intent for the most part in keeping their heads in the sand and not informing themselves on what the bill actually contains. (including President Obama) Truth is, it isn't about health care at all. It's about government intrusion into every area of your life and mine. The Democrats, with all their whining, are having a tough time with this bill. They are trying to find a Republican to blame...anybody, from Sarah Palin to Rush Limbaugh to any Senator or Congressman they can attach blame. The truth is, however, that they have the majority in both the House and Senate, and the white house--known as a supermajority. The problem is within their own party, and they can't blame George Bush this time. They know that if they don't have bipartisan support for this bill, they pass it, and the health care system goes to hell, it's on their shoulders. That's the bottom line. 

Smart Girl Nation, a conservative online magazine associated with Smart Girl Politics, has also done a terrific job of telling the truth about the health care issue. Visit this link as well, for a host of other sites to educate you on this issue.

To read the Senate version of the bill in part, or in its entirety, follow this link.  You will find it most enlightening. To read H.R. 3200, the bill now being debated behind closed doors in the House, follow this link.

As I dig into this issue myself, I will be blogging about it here. With little knowledge myself of what is actually in the bill, I cannot begin to comment with any degree of certainty on what it contains...and neither can our President. He's flying by the seat of his pants, as I write, at another scripted AARP Townhall meeting. Sounds like he's read about as much of the bill as I have. 

I would be remiss, given our usual coverage of fairness in media, or lack therof, if I didn't mention this article in Newsbusters which details for you quite nicely the media coverage on this hot button issue. Bill Maher, in his usual well spoken manner, is all for Obamacare. I don't know about you, but that's all I need to convince me to...ummm, NOT support it?!...

As for other news, I'm sure you know by now that Governor Sarah Palin is now regular citizen Sarah Palin once again...and anything but regular! We congratulate the new Governor of Alaska Sean Parnell, and wish him the very best as he continues to serve. If you missed the farewell address, given by Sarah, you can watch it here on this site. We are excited to see what will come next for the former Governor. 

In closing, back to the health care issue, I wanted to leave you with this list of  "5 freedoms you will lose under Obamacare", according to CNN.

1. Freedom to choose what's in your plan.
2. Freedom to be rewarded for healthy living, or pay your real costs.
3. Freedom to choose high deductible coverage.
   
4. Freedom to keep your existing plan.
   
5. Freedom to choose your doctors.
   

Tell your Congressman today how you feel about Obamacare. See this link for the contact number for your representative and call today.

To see a larger copy of the map pictured above, see this link. 

Governor Sarah Palin Gives Farewell Address

Part One:



Part Two:

Rush Limbaugh Interview With Greta Van Sustern on Fox News

This interview took place on 7/23/09 and 7/24/09 on Fox News network. As always, it was an excellent, enlightening interview during which Rush shared his insight on the current hot button issue--health care, Rev. Wright, the arrest of Harvard Professor Gates, the economy, the future of America, and other such issues. You can listen to Rush daily on a.m. radio Monday through Friday noon-3 p.m. eastern. Tune in, you won't be sorry, and you might even learn a thing or two!

Part One:

Part Two:

This is the American Thinker article about Ted Kennedy that Rush references. 

Part Three:

Another Ethics Complaint Dismissed

Anchorage, Alaska – 

The Personnel Board has announced that another ethics complaint against Governor Sarah Palin has been dismissed.

The complaint, the sixth filed by Anchorage resident Andree McLeod, accused the governor of violating the Ethics Act by receiving her salary while campaigning for vice president. The accusation, lodged Monday, was dismissed as legally flawed and factually devoid of merit.

Governor Palin remained on duty, conducted state business, and communicated with her staff and her constituents. “Andree McLeod has failed to prevail on any of the ethics complaints she has filed against the governor,” said Mike Nizich, Palin’s chief of staff. “It appears her agenda is clear – she’s abusing the ethics laws to harass public officials.”

Trustee Kristan Cole Gives This Statement In Press Conference Today:

Regarding claims that the Alaska Fund Trust is unethical:

Press Release

Kristan Cole, Trustee
The Alaska Fund Trust
July 22, 2009


Thank you for being here today. My name is Kristan Cole, Trustee to the Alaska Fund Trust. And this is the Trust's attorney in Alaska, Jon Givens.

I am here to address the unusual letter that was leaked yesterday, the contents of which are unprecedented in the history of our country, suggesting that a legal defense fund could somehow be unethical. This is particularly notable, and concerning, in light of the fact that the Trust, on my instructions, has not paid even one penny to Gov. Palin or her lawyers. I issued that instruction because I was aware the Board was reviewing this matter. 

This Trust was created by a team of expert lawyers from around the country. It was thoroughly vetted for compliance with federal and state law and trust law. So far Mr. Daniel is the only lawyer in the country who has questioned a legal defense fund despite the fact that his firm has set up legal defense funds for other office holders. Because his initial review was unprecedented and contained factual errors it was my understanding that Gov. Palin's legal team, including Mr. Van Flein, were in on-going discussions with Mr. Daniel. The matter was not final. 

I want to be clear on a point that has been misrepresented: The Governor is not and was not involved with the Trust. The Governor has never worked on or with the Trust. The Governor has not even accepted or requested one penny from the Trust or quite frankly anything of me. And I have never expected anything from her. Really it’s quite the contrary; as I, and many other caring folks across the country have only sought to help with this legal burden.

The first and only time I have spoken with the Governor about the Trust was yesterday to alert her that I was responding to this violation of the law and leak of preliminary and confidential materials from the complainant.

There is a loophole in Alaska law. Alaskans can file frivolous complaints against the Governor - violate the law and alert the media they are doing so, all the complaints can be dismissed and yet the Governor has to personally pay for representation. Legislators covered themselves with a law that warrants automatic dismissal of a complaint if it is leaked to the public.

It has been quite obvious to me, and to other every day citizens like me, that over the last several months that something needed to be done to help the Palins with the overwhelming crush of frivolous ethics complaints.

In their own humble way, the Palins never asked for help. The Governor never even asked anyone to contribute to this legal expense fund. This trust, and the thousands and thousands of dollars raised, were the results of hard working Americans and their outpouring of support. It is disgraceful that anyone would assume that the thousands of people who sent in $5, $10 or $50 intended to "influence" the governor's official actions in Alaska! And this in a state where a half dozen legislators have been convicted of corruption as well as the previous governor's chief of staff. Not one ethics complaint was filed against these individuals who were convicted, but this governor is harassed for having her picture taken with a fish, wearing a jacket, answering press questions and giving a speech. 

A few select people have abused our ethics act. The public release of a preliminary document in violation of state law follows that pattern. The people of this state are losing hope that the ethics act has any real purpose anymore and that’s incredibly sad as ethics are so important. Mr. Daniel's preliminary assessment, unprecedented in history and harshly criticized by legal scholars, does nothing to restore credibility to this process. 

Numerous individuals thought to help the Palins - not just me. But when I was asked, I was doing research of my own and determined that I would put my name on a Trust already going through an intense legal process throughout the country to ensure that this one was airtight and complied with every possible law under the sun. And this one does. It is one of the most restrictive and transparent trusts of its kind. The validity of the Trust is strong. It is unprecedented in every way imaginable... all donations must be under $150, no donations from lobbyists, and nothing accepted from foreign nationals to name a few. No trust has ever been found to be a violation of ethical standards for any governor, former president, senator, or house member, or former member of Congress. But this Trust which has more severe donation and donor limits than any trust in the history of legal defense trusts might violate ethical rules? 

Some Trust funds are formed and accepted to defend politicians in true Courts of Law with regard to some very serious criminal charges. And yet, this Fund was created by others to help the Palins pay for their legal bills due to frivolous complaints - each of which has been dismissed thus far. I will let my attorney speak to the legal issues but I wanted to take this opportunity to speak to yesterday's blatant violation of the law.

You know, we have witnessed time and again the blatant abuse of process when it comes to people filing these complaints and illegally discussing them and leaking them to the press- but this latest move further crosses the line and we are all reviewing action for the reputational harm caused by Ms. Chatman based upon the leak of Tom Daniel's preliminary thinking on the matter - a product that may have ultimately been remarkably different and perhaps even dismissed. Where is the accountability for those who blatantly disregard the requirement to keep the issue confidential? 

There are many questions which need to be asked following my read of what was leaked.

And, if I may digress - this is how backwards our laws are - I had to go online and read the preliminary letter about the Trust and me because Mr. Daniel and Mr. Van Flein cannot violate the confidentiality of the Ethics Act (even though it appears the complainant has)and therefore cannot even forward the preliminary letter to me. Now that I have read it, I still hope to inform Mr. Daniel of the important information that Mr. Van Flein had requested from me to be shared with Mr. Daniel. 

What was the reason for my involvement? The preliminary letter suggests that perhaps I served as Trustee so I could get some job with the state. This is amazingly wrong and so incredibly hurtful. That is the last thing I want. I did this because it believed it was the right thing to do for our Governor. I love Alaska. I have lived here 40 years and I have always served the state when asked - and despite the fact that I am entitled to public monies in the form of expenses, per diem and wages - I have declined every single penny. I have served as a volunteer on others boards, and commissions (The Real Estate Commission and the Agricultural Revolving Loan Fund Board) under a previous Governor so volunteer work has been part of my life for a long time. I was approached to serve as Trustee for the legal defense fund. I did not seek out this position just as I have never sought out any other position but was willing to step up to the plate and serve when asked because that’s what we all do when asked to serve our country, our state and our communities isn’t it? We do it because it’s the right thing to do and by all of us serving where we can, we all benefit. My sons and my husband have served our country. I have served our state and our community here in the Mat Su Valley with the hope that we are making a difference where we can.

So how unfair is it that the Governor can be told she was wrong for putting together the Fund, soliciting Funds, accepting the Funds and spending the Funds when she hasn't been involved at all----And no money has been spent on her legal defense? 

If the Governor only accrued the bills because she is a public figure then why is it wrong for a Trust to collect funds to defend her as a public figure? Alaska law specifically states that there is only a problem if there is "intent" to influence the Governor. How can there be intent to influence a Governor in Alaska with a $5 voluntary donation from Kansas? To date, approximately 90% of the contributions are from Outside Alaska and many are $5, $10 and $20 donations. Not one penny has been paid to any law firm or entity for the Governor's financial gain. If the Governor has not solicited or accepted personal gain, how can she be in violation of soliciting and accepting monies for personal gain? 

Let’s review what has been deemed lawful. Creation of the PAC and fundraising was deemed lawful. Writing a book was deemed lawful. All other legal defense funds similar, but not as restrictive as this one, have been deemed to be lawful. The very firm who put together Senator Kerry’s legal defense fund which was deemed lawful was put together by the very law firm that Mr. Daniel is employed by. These are inconsistent conclusions and defy common sense. That is why this matter was not final and Mr. Daniel and Mr. Van Flein were discussing these issues. 

Potential future gain, based upon no active solicitations, in one of the most stringent legal expense funds in the country does not merit a situation much less a violation. Mr. Daniel says that because the Trust was an "official" Trust he felt it violated the law. This overlooks the necessity of having one "official" fund. The unofficial funds are the very ones that had the potential to harm the public by unscrupulous people.

We knew that in fairness to Alaskans and Americans, this site needed to be official because of the potential scams that could arise. How ethical would it be for a pensioner in Iowa or a single mother in New Hampshire to have their donation diverted by someone who had no intention of helping the Governor and may keep the money for themselves or other equally harmful things? 

But let's think through the same logic, if a foreigner wanted to set up his or her own fund, collect a handsome payoff, and accept $5 million donations from rogue groups even, as long as that person did not tell the Governor, that would be okay? That is the conclusion that is being reached here in Mr. Daniel letter and flies in the face of good logic, common sense, and the good necessity of protecting the public.

Every aspect of the Alaska Fund Trust follows the law. Precedent allows for it. The Palins haven't been involved with it. It is unfortunate that some in the media were so quick to point the finger at the Governor for something others are responsible for and have established to assist her in the fight against these outrageous attacks. And this acceptance that the law can be continually violated for pure political gain ... is wrong. 

Another Ethics Complaint Filed Against the Governor

Yep, you guessed it. Yet another. We're still awaiting word on what's going on with this report. More to come.

FOR RELEASE: JULY 20, 2009 

Another Ethics Complaint Filed Against the Governor 

July 20, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Once again, an ethics complaint has been filed and publicly released in violation of state law. This is the sixth complaint filed by Ms. McLeod. In addition, she has filed a lawsuit against the Governor's office and multiple public records act requests. All of her prior complaints that have been ruled on have been dismissed. The Ethics Act serves important state interests in ensuring ethical state government and was intended to prevent the various forms of corrupt misconduct that had plagued the Legislature in prior years and which resulted in the prosecution of legislators and others. It is unfortunate that the law has been abused and trivialized in the current manner. 

Today’s complaint, filed just six days before the Governor leaves office, alleges that Governor Palin violated the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act by failing to submit complete gift disclosure forms in a timely manner, and obtained “free” services. The apparent primary goal of this complaint has been achieved, namely, an effort to keep the complainant’s name in the paper. We anticipate another dismissal of this complaint as with the complainant’s other complaints. This is the fourth ethics complaint filed against the Governor since the announcement of her resignation on July 3. In every case, the complainers violated the confidentiality provision of the Ethics Act in making their complaints public knowledge. 

THOMAS VAN FLEIN—Personal Attorney for Governor Palin 

In response to the article I have listed above, the following is the response from the Palin camp: (07/21/09) "The resolution of the Trust Fund is not final. I have been working with the investigator regarding supplemental information. The matter is still pending. Whatever you have seen was released in violation of law. There has been no Board finding of an ethics violation and there is a detailed legal process to follow before there is a final resolution."-Thomas Van Flein, Private Attorney for Sarah Palin

Gov's Chief of Staff Releases Statement

July 10, 2009 Fairbanks, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin’s chief of staff, Mike Nizich, issued the following statement today on the occasion of the 19th ethics complaint being filed against the governor or a member of her staff:

“A week ago today, the governor told Alaskans that she was about to step down as governor in large part because of the campaign of harassment against this office, in which the Executive Branch Ethics Act has been repeatedly abused. Incredibly, since then two more ethics complaints have been filed against the governor, including one today.

“Typically, the first action by these complainants has been an illegal one – to announce the filing of the complaints to the news media, in clear violation of the mandatory confidentiality in the law. Unfortunately, unlike the legislative ethics act, there is no provision in the executive ethics act for a complaint to be automatically dismissed when it is publicized prematurely. Regardless of that, it is breathtakingly hypocritical for anyone to violate the ethics law in the very act of making an allegation against the governor."

“Although the governor would not have thought it possible, the latest complaint rises to a new level of absurdity in alleging that she has been paid for interviews that she has given to the news media. It is amazing to me that anyone could think that, let alone put their name behind it and once again seek to distract state officials and needlessly increase their work load. The state is losing the value of some of its expenditures when public servants are pulled away from important assignments to deal with far-fetched and mean-spirited allegations.”

Governor Palin issued the following statement:

“The only saving grace in this recent episode is that it proves beyond any doubt the significance of the problem Alaska faces in the ‘new normal’ of political discourse. I hope this will be a wake-up call – to legislators, to commentators and to citizens generally – that we need a much more civil and respectful dialogue that focuses on the best interests of the state, rather than the petty resentments of a few.”

Of the ethics complaints against the governor or her staff, 15 have been resolved without any finding of wrongdoing, and four are now pending.

See this link for more details. 

Comments Regarding The Latest Frivolous Ethics Complaint

Another meritless complaint has been filed today, returning to the same theme the Personnel Board has already addressed and ruled upon. The Board already ruled that the Ethics Act was not violated when the Governor was on the campaign trail last Fall and accompanied by staff members. It further concluded that the State obtained more benefit from staff who volunteered services to the state than it cost. 

Further, the complainant misapprehends the travel authorizations. In order to avoid a potential overlap and implication of the Ethics Act, the McCain/Palin Campaign paid for the Governor’s travel and per diem expenses during the campaign, as well as expenses for key aides that accompanied the Governor. Contrary to the complaint, it is not an Ethics violation to save the state money and to avoid overlap between campaign costs and state costs. Rather, this was the more ethical and better approach, using campaign money even when state business was being accomplished remotely. The Board has essentially ruled as much. 

We have no reason to believe that this complaint will not be dismissed in the same manner this complainant’s other complaints have been dismissed. This complainant is known to the Administration as a disgruntled patronage job applicant. What is further obvious is that the ethics process continues to be misused for improper purposes, the law mandating confidentiality continues to be violated, and the state will continue to spend money reviewing these types of complaints, with no public good resulting. 

Thomas Van Flein - Personal Attorney for Governor Sarah Palin 

All Things Sarah **UPDATED**

In this advance copy release, Matthew Continetti at The Weekly Standard has given us an excellent picture of what life has been and will be like for the foreseeable future for Governor Sarah Palin. 

Out of Alaska by Matthew Continetti July 20, 2009 Advance Copy In early July, while most Americans were preparing for a long weekend of cheesy parades, charred meats, and noisy fireworks, Sarah Palin made some plans of her own. The Alaska governor had been the object of endless media attention and assorted calumnies since she became John McCain's vice presidential nominee last August. Now she wanted to try something new. So, on July 3, in a speech delivered from her home on Lake Lucille in Wasilla, Palin told her constituents that not only would she not seek a second term, but she would also be transferring authority to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell on July 26, abdicating her office with about 18 months left to go. The announcement, as one might expect, received global press coverage, dominated the weekend headlines, and gave stories about the late Michael Jackson a run for their money. Meantime, the political world went into sustained convulsions. Read the rest of the story at this link...

**In addition, Sarah wrote an op-ed piece for the Washington Post today (7/14/09): The Cap and Tax Dead End

Sarah Featured In Runner's World **UPDATED**

Thanks to my new twitter friend, I found this article on Sarah in Runner's World, entitled "I'm A Runner: Sarah Palin",  and thought it would be a nice change from the usual political gab. Thanks for the inspiration, Sarah!!

**UPDATE: minonline reports that Runner's World credits Sarah with helping them break an online record. 

Ann Coulter On 'Forgetting Sarah Palin'

I just can't help myself, I had to share this with you. Ann Coulter, the gorgeous conservative liberals love to hate, hit the nail on the head today in her Townhall blog post. 

Forgetting Sarah Palin

by Ann Coulter

Townhall

Sarah Palin has deeply disappointed her enemies. People who hate her guts feel she's really let them down by resigning.

She's like the ex-girlfriend they're SO over, never want to see again, have already forgotten about -- really, it's O-ver -- but they just can't stop talking about her.

Liberal: Ha, ha ... Sarah who? She's over, she's toast, a future Trivial Pursuit answer, nothing more.

Normal person: Whatever. How about the North Korean missiles?

Liberal: Can you believe she just resigned the governorship like that? What a quitter!

Normal person: Speaking of quitting, how's work?

Liberal: Did you hear she might get a TV show? There's no way Sarah Palin's getting a TV show! No way! I can't believe stupid Sarah Palin could get her own stupid TV show now. Well, I'm sure not gonna watch it -- that's for sure!

Normal person: Have you seen all the Michael Jackson coverage on TV?

Liberal: How does she think she can run for president in 2012 if she can't finish her term as governor of a Podunk state? She's finished.

Normal person: OK, then! You won't have to vote for her.

Liberal: I was never going to vote for her! But now I'm not going to vote for her twice. And I will never watch her TV show. I am so over her... Follow this link to read the rest of the article.

To see what local one political blogger is saying about Moms 4 Sarah Palin in his latest Sun Sentinel online article, see this link.

A Little Lesson On Leaving Comments

For nearly a year now, this blog has been in existence. As with any blog of political nature, comments are going to be left that agree and disagree with the writer and other commenters. I have always encouraged healthy debate between my readers...a little history for those of you who may not have been visiting this blog in its early days, I had many conservative commenters who were targeted after leaving their comments here. So, for a long time I published very few comments. When things settled down I began allowing them again, only to have the same thing happen yet again...Now, I have a particular reader (who has been relentless in her comments for the last few days) threatening a legal suit because she receives emails when there is a followup comment left under a post she commented on. So, for that reader and any others who may not know how things work on a blog, let me spell it out for you. If you do know, please do not be insulted...some who are new to the blogosphere may have a hard time understanding these things at first. 

First, here is my policy: Reader comments are moderated before publishing. Comments must be relevant to the post. Profanity is absolutely not allowed and will be summarily deleted. Irrational comments are subject to rejection. Spam, copied statements and other material not comprised of the reader’s own opinion will also be deleted.

This means that if you leave a comment saying "Sarah is an idiot" under a post that I have written about healthcare, it WILL be rejected. This also means that if you leave a comment that has ANYTHING to do with criticizing Sarah's family, it WILL be rejected. I would say the vast majority of comments left here by the left are irrational, so please try to make them sound, at the very least, sane...and they may get published. If you repeatedly leave comments that are irrational, threatening, or insulting, you are wasting your time. They don't get read after the first few, and they are summarily rejected thereafter. **Once you have been banned from commenting on this site, you will not be given a second chance. 

Finally, to be perfectly clear, there is a little box in the comment section that will ask you if you would like to receive followup emails after you leave your comment. If you check that box, you will receive an email if anyone leaves a followup comment under that post. I have absolutely NO control over whether or not you get an email from blogger. You do.

That being said, I love input from my readers. I respect a reader much more if he or she has the guts to at least use a name, but have allowed 'anonymous' to be used for those who have previously been targeted by other commenters here--and for those people, it's completely understandable. Demanding that I publish your comments is, without question, the quickest way to never get another comment published on this site.

As always, thanks so much for taking the time to visit. I hope you'll stop by again very soon!

Let's Mourn The Real American Heroes

I sat down at my computer this morning to write a post about the grotesque manner in which our media is once again behaving itself this week, and was notified that Michelle Malkin had already written a beautiful article doing just that. 

Please take the time to read it here. 

While you're at it, please say a prayer for the Casillas, Fairbairn, and Bradshaw families, who lost their loved ones this week in the fight for freedom, for they are the real heroes.

Some Thoughts

I've had many readers visit the site in recent days, curious to see what I'd be saying about Sarah's announcement on Friday afternoon.  If I'm being honest, I was beyond thrilled to hear the news that she would be resigning as Governor later this month, and would not be seeking re-election. I've been concerned for Sarah and her family, knowing that what they've been forced to go through has been incredibly difficult. Some, who come here often just to spew their hate, like to say that I'm somehow obsessed with Sarah Palin and that nothing she does is wrong in my eyes. If they were regular readers, especially during the election, perhaps they'd realize that I'm just a mom who was greatly inspired by this woman, angered by the inept American media, and wanted to make a difference. They'd know that there have been times I pointed out differences I had with Sarah, although-admittedly-there are few, and that when one creates a site in support of a political figure, it's likely not going to be a site that bashes them at every turn. That's just a bit of common sense many seem to lack these days. 

I've been thinking a lot about the last year of my life and how it's been changed by the influence of Governor Palin. I don't know her personally, although every indication tells me we'd be the best of friends if we ever had the opportunity to get to know each other. I have met the Governor, but only in passing, along with many other supporters at a rally here in Florida. Because I have chosen to speak loudly about my support for the Governor, I have been on the receiving end of an endless barrage of hate mail, prank calls, and other actions that have been unsettling, to say the least. Don't get me wrong, I know it comes with the territory and I'd say my family has handled it well, all things considered. The reason I mention it is this: I know how old it's gotten for us, and I'm only a mom who's spoken out in support of this great woman. I cannot imagine what it would be like to walk a day in the shoes of Todd and Sarah Palin. I've said it many times before on this blog...Todd and Sarah, primarily Sarah, are fair game. When you enter the political scene, it comes with the territory. But the media didn't stop with Sarah. The attacks on her children have been relentless and ongoing. Those in the media who wouldn't dare to touch Michelle Obama or the Obama children have had no problem going after the children of the Republican VICE Presidential candidate. The mother in me swells with anger every time I think of it, and I can't begin to tell you what my husband would be driven to, were the things being said about his children that have been said about the Palin kids. It's unreal, unfair and unlike anything we've seen in the history of American politics. 

That being said, I have watched, read the news and become overwhelmed at the amount of information there has been to keep up with--and I'm just talking about news regarding Sarah! The accusations have been false, and the people filing the complaints are not being held accountable for their actions, which is why they continue to file them, costing not only Sarah and her family a great deal of money, but the taxpayers in the state of Alaska, as well. I have read many complaints by Alaskans that Sarah hasn't been able to do her job effectively since the elections because of the complaints, and so in a way...yep, the people filing the ethics complaints won. (for an interesting take on the method being used, see this link)To some, it's just infuriating that she allowed them to win. I understand that, but what Sarah did by resigning tells me a great deal about who she is as a human being. I believe it was a admirable thing she did, resigning from her position as Governor, putting the state of Alaska and her family before herself. Perhaps now, the Lt. Governor can get on with the business of the state...and then again, maybe not. It will be interesting to see if the attacks continue, only now directed at him. I will put nothing past a liberal anymore, so we'll see. I have been praying for the day when Sarah would decide she'd had enough. If Sarah's decision is to back out of politics after her last day in office, I wouldn't blame her one bit. I don't think that's her intention at all, but if it were, I'd support her just the same. The left, and many on the right who do nothing but eat, sleep and breathe politics, hate Sarah because she's anything but mainstream. She doesn't go along with the politics-as-usual kiss butt mentality of most other politicians. She stands for what is right, and that doesn't always mean supporting her own party. She loves God. She stands for life. 

I've been shocked at all the buzz surrounding the Governor's announcement on Friday. I find it amusing that only a few reporters were able to make it to the news conference in time, and how many national reporters were steaming that they'd not been given notice. After they've all treated her family so badly, they'd expect her to even consider notifying them? I think not! Who cares what her intentions are? Seriously! You liberals all hate her so deeply, why does it matter so much to you what she's doing next? I love hearing and reading the buzz. I find it incredibly telling. 

So, my opinion is...instead of trying to make up all kinds of garbage about what Sarah might do next, I'm not going to play that game. Instead, I'm going to wait and see. Sarah is anything but conventional. She's never been a politics as usual kind of girl, and I'm pretty sure she's not going to start now. I could care less what her next move is. It won't change my opinion of her. I respect her as a brilliant politician, I admire her stand for God and her stand for life. I agree with her conservative principles.  As long as those things don't change, I'll remain steadfast in my support of her, no matter what path she chooses next. 

So, why don't we all just settle down a bit, relax, and wait. Sarah will let us know what's next when she's ready, and I'm certain it won't be a second sooner! Meanwhile, enjoy the frenzy the media is working itself into...and ask yourself this: if she's so horrible, then why all the fuss? 

Governor Sarah Palin: An American Woman

Airing tonight on Fox News at 9:00 eastern is a piece hosted by Greta Van Sustern on the life of Sarah Palin. Don't miss it!

Sarah's Attorney Warns The Media

In a beautiful move, reported at Politico, Sarah and her attorney begin to fight back at the bloggers and media who have sought to destroy her, and to cost the Alaskan taxpayers a bundle of cash. 

Happy Independence Day

BREAKING NEWS

Governor Palin, in a surprise appearance made today from her Wasilla, Alaska home, announced that she will be resigning as Governor on Saturday, July 25th and will not seek re-election. See this story for complete details. While we do not yet know the full reasoning behind this move, we can only hope we know what it means--and that will be change we can believe in! So, stay tuned...Either way, we support the Governor. She has been treated worse than any political figure in the history of American politics. I wouldn't blame her one bit for just walking away. We'll see. Either way, we love you Sarah!

**To read the full speech, see SarahPac.