The Palin Rape Kit Myth [she makes victims pay-Obama campaign's version of no attacks]

Town Hall ^ | 9-11-08 | Amanda Carpenter

[SJackson]

The latest myth touted on liberal blogs that’s bubbled its way into mainstream news headlines is the one where Sarah Palin ordered rape victims to pay for their own rape kits.

“Palin’s Town Used to Bill Victims for Rape Kits” was headline on a Thursday USA Today news story. Reporters Ken Dilanian and Matt Kelley used a 2000 quote from former Wasilla Police Chief to blame Palin for an outdated, now illegal policy she never supported.

“In the past, we’ve charged the cost of exams to victim’s insurance companies when possible,” former chief Charlie Fannon told the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman in 2000 as then-Democratic Governor Tony Knowles was signing legislation to make local police branches cover the costs of the kits.

“I just don’t want to see any more burden on the taxpayer,” Fannon said at the time, which was reprinted in the USA Today.

Fannon went on to say that he believed the criminal should be held responsible for the costs, which run from $5,000-$14,000 per year for all assault cases. USA Today did not reprint those quotes from the interview, though. “The forensic exam is just one part of the equation,” Fannon said at the time “I’d like to see the courts make these people pay restitution for these things.”

Liberal blogs like HuffingtonPost, DailyKos and Salon.com are using this interview the Frontier conducted with Fannon to accuse Palin, who was mayor of Wasilla from 1996-2002, of supporting making rape victims pay for their rape kits-- a charge vehemently denied by her aides.

“It would appear that Sarah Palin has a problem with Rape,” blogger Steven R wrote on the DailyKos. “In addition to not supporting the availability of Abortion for victims of Rape, Mayor Sarah Palin, Maverick, Fiscal Conservative, also had citizens of Wasilla pick up the bill for their own forensics tests.”

Palin spokeswoman Maria Cornella told USA Today that Palin, “does not believe, nor has ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test.”

“Gov. Palin’s position could not be more clear,” Cornella said. “To suggest otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of her commitment to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice.”

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign advisers organized a conference call Tuesday with former Alaskan Governor Knowles and Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein to do just that.

Knowles told reporters, “There was one town in Alaska that was charging victims for this, and that was Wasilla, and the -- the original police chief had been fired by Mayor Palin, and her replacement for that police chief was protesting it, and even when I signed the bill.”

Weinstein added, “Wasilla under Sarah Palin's administration chose to charge sexual assault victims for the forensic kits, and that's the choice they made. They easily could have made the other choice.”

Palin appointed Fannon as police chief in 1997. His predecessor was fired by Palin over his willingness to limit the town’s bar operating hours. Fannon was one of three candidates considered for the job and the City Council confirmed him in a 5-0 vote.

Palin later tangled with Fannon when he ran for Wasilla’s mayoral office during her gubernatorial race. Fannon created campaign ads containing a false endorsement from Palin. Palin did not support Fannon for mayor. She supported his rival, Curt Menard.

[SJackson]

The issue was clearly raised by the Obama campaign, not blogs. Their hit squads must not be finding much.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign advisers organized a conference call Tuesday with former Alaskan Governor Knowles and Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein to do just that.

[gleeaikin]

I guess they must feel that blaming Palin for an outdated rape kit policy is fair trade for blaming Obama for the pig/lipstick as being anti feminine, when McCain used it earlier to characterize Hillary’s health care proposals. I don’t recall at the time if anyone accused McCain of having made a sexist remark then.

[kallisti]

“Keep throwing mud, something will stick eventually.”

[HarleyD]

I wonder if Bill O’Reilly, who believes Obama’s campaign would never engage in such practices, will continue to make excuses. I can’t believe how naive he can be.

[DocRock]

"I don’t recall at the time if anyone accused McCain of having made a sexist remark then."

That is because Hillary had not made "Lipstick" a household word within a week of McCain's comment. Much less insinuating that she wore lipstick by pointing to her own lips while delivering the punch line.

[YdontUleaveLibs]

This is beyond slander. Governor Palin needs to file a lawsuit. I know it won’t be settled before the election, but it would show that she is confident that she didn’t do what she is accused of doing.

[rtsimon]

Ok so the bill was passed before Palin’s run as mayor I get that. But was anything done to overturn the law? Just curious because the article doesn’t go into detail about that.

[Callahan]

I guarantee Obama’s minions are looking for a rape victim to exploit on this issue, assuming they can find one who actually had to pay her own expenses, which I doubt. Can anybody find out how tests were conducted during the time frame I will bet you all were either picked up by insurance or paid for from the town’s coffers.

[pgyanke]

This also points out the difference between the chattering politicians and executives. You can’t pin down Obama on anything... yet any executive will have decisions out there to be praised or vilified.

Obama’s just proving, once again, he isn’t ready for prime time.

[SJackson]

This is directly from the campaign, yesterday’s abortion comment was from a State DNC chair, the Palin=Pontius Pilate comment from a Dem Congressman. He’ll blame it on the blogs.

[YdontUleaveLibs]

They won’t be able to find one. If this was really true, it would have come out a long time ago, like um, when she was the Mayor.

[Callahan]

This Fallin guy said the insurance companies were billed when possible, which implies the town was picking up the tab when no the vic had no insurance, so that part looks like a blatant smear. This is really about the deductable only. It’s also clear that Fallin’s real preference was to bill the perp. It’s hard to imagine that Palin would ignore the issues if it ever came up. There was 1 rape in Wasilla in 2004. If that’s the average, Palin’s lack of comment is probably due to the fact that it just wasn’t a issue that people were talking about.

[SJackson]

From the article, In the past, we’ve charged the cost of exams to victim’s insurance companies when possible,... . I suspect that's what the media is morphing into charging the victim. If insurance covers the procedure, I don't see why a claim shouldn't be filed. I wonder if any victims themselves were actually charged.

[Maceman]

“It would appear that Sarah Palin has a problem with Rape,” blogger Steven R wrote on the DailyKos.

Well, who doesn't, other than, say, Bill Clinton and his supporters who had no comment about Juanita Broaddrick? (Need Quicktime to view).

[polymuser]

I guarantee Obama’s minions are looking for a rape victim to exploit on this issue...

The O-minions would actually do that, wouldn't they?! I sure wouldn't put it past that bunch of sub-humans.

[ApplegateRanch]

If you're not getting a tax cut, you're getting a pay cut

If Obamanation gets in, I'll need a pay raise to pay for my "tax cuts".

[Kaslin]

I had planned to listen to the interview last Friday, but after listening to the empty suit for about 15 seconds I couldn’t take it anymore and changed the channel to C-SPAN so I could watch the convention. Bill O’Reilly will have the entire interview this Sunday. Thank God there are other channels to watch

[steve-b]

That's a weak argument -- anybody with a speck of common sense realizes that "the insurance company pays" ultimately translates to "the insurance company's customers pay".

The proper approach is to routinely impose fines along with prison time, so that the former can at least partially offset the costs the state incurs during crime investigations.

[YdontUleaveLibs]

I read the USA TODAY article. I am really angry about this. It was a hit piece of the most vile nature. It was very subtle and they were very good at wording it in a way to avoid liable charges, it was still a hit piect though and I let them know.

I wrote this email to them at accuracy@usatoday to complain about the inaccurate representation of the facts. This is the email I sent. I would like to see community action on this. I feel they are maligning an innocent person and something about that feels like a high tech lynching.

My email to USA TODAY

Thank you for a very informative article. I read it all the way through. From what I gather until 2005 this was standard in many cities all across the United States. It is no longer legal as of 2005. It was not Mayor Palin's policy nor did she fight against making it illegal to charge for rape kits. When I read the story it appears that Mayor Palin, now Governor Palin actually had nothing to do with this policy. Yet, your headline while not a blatant lie is a subtle hit piece. It really doesn't matter to me or any of my friends or the many people I can talk to through the blogosphere that this doesn't rise to the level of libel as you worded your hit piece very carefully. The fact is a boycott can be called for any reason what so ever. I believe an apology a very public apology is in order. If you can't manage that, I suggest an actual investigation rather than a rewrite of Huffington Post and Daily Kos articles, to find out where Mayor Palin stood on this issue and how this policy came about and while you are at it mention how it came about in every other city it was policy.