Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Wasillan On Sarah Palin
The Atlantic ^ | 9/2/08 | Anne Kilkenny

Posted on 09/02/2008 9:48:55 AM PDT by steve-b

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....

Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents. During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign. Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative”. During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%.... She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million....

While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter....

As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the “bridge to nowhere” after it became clear that it would be unwise not to....


(Excerpt) Read more at andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Politics/Elections; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: demsmearmachine; kilkenny; letter; palin; palinattacks; palinrippedmyflesh; pds; sarahpalin; vetting; wasilla
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-99 next last

1 posted on 09/02/2008 9:48:56 AM PDT by steve-b
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: steve-b

The long knives are out.


2 posted on 09/02/2008 9:52:38 AM PDT by sauropod (There's no stoppin' the cretins from hoppin')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steve-b
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed.

That's because "...he left the library to River City, but he left all the books to her."

3 posted on 09/02/2008 9:53:06 AM PDT by HIDEK6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

So.....a governor should have no enemies in her hometown?


4 posted on 09/02/2008 9:53:12 AM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

I wonder what the books were?

other than that, yawwwwwn


5 posted on 09/02/2008 9:53:43 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE toll-free tip hotline 1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRget!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

Nice work from The Atlantic, to go out and find more quotes from Sarah’s political enemies. If this is true then why does this accomplished woman still have an 80% plus approval rating two years into her governorship?


6 posted on 09/02/2008 9:53:44 AM PDT by moose2004 (Drill, Drill, Drill, Drill, Drill, Drill And Then Drill Some More)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sauropod
The long knives are out.

This is very similar to the attacks on Mike Huckabee.

7 posted on 09/02/2008 9:55:20 AM PDT by unspun (Mike Huckabee: Government's job is "protect us, not have to provide for us.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

Ah, where was all this digging when it came to Obama or Biden? Why didn’t I hear more of Biden’s aneurysm and how he can have another one while in office leaving us with an inexperienced president if they were to win? The media makes me sick.


8 posted on 09/02/2008 9:56:01 AM PDT by psjones (u)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

Ah, where was all this digging when it came to Obama or Biden? Why didn’t I hear more of Biden’s aneurysm and how he can have another one while in office leaving us with an inexperienced president if they were to win? The media makes me sick.


9 posted on 09/02/2008 9:56:06 AM PDT by psjones (u)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: moose2004

Every journalist is in Alaska now finding scoops! Im so freakin angry right now.


10 posted on 09/02/2008 9:57:08 AM PDT by GoCards
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

I see NO reason why anybody should visit the Atlantic. Sullivan has completely lost his mind.

Lump him in with Kos and Huffington and let’s not post their non-sense here anymore. Sullivan STILL wants to hear from the doctor who delivered Trig.

SICK.


11 posted on 09/02/2008 9:57:28 AM PDT by Retired Greyhound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

Here’s another opinion...

http://mommylife.net/archives/2008/09/palins_politire.html

Sarah Palin is the US’s answer to Margaret Thatcher! Anyone who thinks she cannot handle the job or deal briskly and efficiently with ANY issue, including foreign governments ... well, they haven’t met our Sarah .

As an Alaskan resident as well as a resident of Wasilla, AK, where Sarah Palin was at one time Mayor ... I can speak with confidence. Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska is exactly what she portrayed during her introduction this morning and exactly what our US Government needs. She is ethical to a fault (if there is such a thing), a refreshing change to the status-quo and as smart and determined a PERSON (gender really isn’t an issue here as far as I’m concerned) as anyone could ask for at the head of government.

Sarah is no naïve “small town mayor” - she just *started out* there. Btw, as Mayor of Wasilla, she brought this “small town” through a lot of GOOD changes and left it at the end of her term having grown to the 4th largest CITY in Alaska - a lot of growth and a stronger economic base than ever before.

She has EXECTUTIVE experience *running a government* (something NONE of the other candidates can actually boast, even John McCain ) as Governor of Alaska and got there by defeating the *incumbent* Republican Governor, who was definitely part of the “old school” and who WAS very much in the pocket of the big oil companies. We in Alaska wanted change - and we got it in the person of Sarah Palin!

Sarah Palin is everything she looks to be and more. Her approval rating as Governor of Alaska has been as high as 95% and is currently leveled out consistently in the upper 80 percentile throughout the state (and in both parties) - the HIGHEST approval rating of ANY sitting Governor.
Sarah has been turning around corruption in the Legislature of Alaska - turning things on their ear for that matter; cutting spending in spite of the increased income the state is currently receiving due to the high oil prices - she has insisted on putting a huge amount of the “windfall” into savings for the future rather than spending, spending, spending - and has insisted from the get-go on what she refers to as “honest, ethical and transparent governing” - no more closed door meetings and dealings - the big oil companies thought she would be a pushover and have learned better to their chagrin.

She understands the “real people” and the economic issues we all face (Alaskans along with the rest of the country) - she was one of “us” not long ago. Rather than passing useless “laws” or throwing money at pet projects, she (most recently) temporarily suspended the state gas tax (on gasoline at the pumps, fuel oil and natural gas for homes, etc.) and has ordered checks
issued to ALL residents of Alaska this fall in an attempt to assist with the burden of high fuel costs for the upcoming winter. I could go on and on, but that’s enough for now . She isn’t doing these things to be popular - she is doing it because her constituents are HURTING financially and she can help.

She became Governor of Alaska by defeating the Incumbent Republican Governor and doing it *without* the money or the support of the Republican Party, which was amazing in itself - and she won by a landslide. The “powers that be” at that time totally underestimated Sarah and learned better the hard way. She has done exactly what she claimed she was going to do and is just as popular today as the day she was elected - perhaps more so since even the Democrats up here seem to like her - she works well with both sides in the Legislature here.

Sarah “belongs” to us (Alaskans) ... and although we are going to be terribly sorry to see her leave before she finishes the job she started here (two years ago) straightening out OUR State ... we understand she is needed for a bigger purpose and hopefully her Lt. Governor will be able to fill her shoes here and continue the job.

As for worrying about what would happen if McCain were to die or step down or whatever ... up here in AK we’ve only been wondering how long we would be able to KEEP Sarah in Alaska and have seen her as our first woman President of the USA from the start. It’s always been a matter of whether she would wait until the end of her TWO terms as Governor (no doubt at ALL that she would be re-elected if she ran for a second term at the end of her current term) ... or end up in Washington sooner. She could do the job TODAY.

Personally, I feel a lot better about McCain now that I know he has someone as savvy, as strong, as ethical and as steady as Sarah at his back. She will be an excellent Vice President ... and my guess is will be our US Republican Presidential candidate in four years - AND by then the country will KNOW her - will love and respect her as we do here - and she’ll win by as much of a landslide as she did here in Alaska. I only wonder if McCain has a clue what he is unleashing on the US of A . She is going to be a fresh wind, but also a strong wind.

Is that enough of an endorsement? If not, I’ll add this ... Jerry and I have for many years felt the best “vote” was to vote for the lesser of two “evils” and hope they didn’t do too much damage. Two years ago during our State Governor’s race was the first time EVER that we actually asked for not just a little sign to put in our yard showing our support of our candidate (something we’ve never felt the desire to do at all before) - we asked for a full 4’ x 8’ “SARAH PALIN FOR GOVERNOR!” sign and were proud to have it. She hasn’t let us or Alaska down. She will do the same for the USA if given the opportunity.

Feel free to pass this on to anyone who may be interested (and spam those who aren’t!).
-Deb Frost in Alaska


12 posted on 09/02/2008 9:57:38 AM PDT by bahblahbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: moose2004

Let them keep this stuff up. Limbaugh just said that dragging Palin’s family into this is now fair game for all. Families were always considered to be “off limits.”

F


13 posted on 09/02/2008 9:57:47 AM PDT by Frank Sheed (Sarah Palin: "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: moose2004

Everyone in town hated her. That’s why she was re-elected mayor.

Right....


14 posted on 09/02/2008 9:57:52 AM PDT by BigBobber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: HIDEK6

“Chaucer! Rabelais! Ballllllllllzac!”


15 posted on 09/02/2008 9:59:03 AM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

They even have communists in Alaska.


16 posted on 09/02/2008 9:59:29 AM PDT by screaminsunshine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steve-b

Golly. She did such a bad job as mayor that she was elected Governor?


17 posted on 09/02/2008 9:59:36 AM PDT by Mr Rogers (Mav & the Barracuda vs. Messiah and the Mouth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HIDEK6

“Just melt her down and you’ll reveal a lump of lead as cold as steel...here...where a woman’s heart should be!”


18 posted on 09/02/2008 9:59:57 AM PDT by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: steve-b
"When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her."

That would explain the mother-in-law's reluctance to endorse her but given that this person who doesn't like Sarah Palin is so careful to defend the mother-in-law, that also explains a great deal.

19 posted on 09/02/2008 10:00:01 AM PDT by Question_Assumptions
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Frank Sheed

Maybe it’s time for Michelle’s infamous “whitey” video to make an appearance?


20 posted on 09/02/2008 10:00:07 AM PDT by moose2004 (Drill, Drill, Drill, Drill, Drill, Drill And Then Drill Some More)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-99 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson