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Palin appoints former Planned Parenthood board member to Alaska Supreme Court
The Alaska Standard ^ | March 5, 2009 | Dan fagan

Posted on 03/06/2009 9:15:49 AM PST by EternalVigilance

In a move that should give social conservatives great pause, Governor Sarah Palin has appointed a former board member of Planned Parenthood to the Alaska State Supreme Court.

Palin appointed Anchorage Superior Court Judge Morgan Christen to the state’s highest court on Wednesday. Along with Christen’s former board member status with Planned Parenthood.

There is no disputing Palin’s appointment of Christen will cause the Alaska Supreme to lean left and will ensure a more activist court when it comes to gay marriage, and abortion. The Christen appointment is key because she replaces justice Warren Mathews, one of the dissenting votes striking down the parental consent legislation.

The Governor, who early on won the support of Alaska liberals after she pushed through an enormous, unprecedented tax increase on the oil industry, seems to be back in their good graces with this appointment.

ADN liberal bloggers responded to Palin’s Supreme Court appointment writing,

“Ohmigawd!??The governor's been taken over by space aliens.??What an improvement!”

“Wow. Way to go Palin! I can't believe I just said that. But hey, credit where credit is due.”

“Glad to see a woman in the position to balance out the court. Good for Palin for keeping bible thumper beliefs out of the court system and honoring the separation of Church and State.”

“This is the one good action that Sarah Palin has taken over the past three years. And I have no problem admitting it. Great pick!!!! So even if the wing-nut parental consent bill passes, the state Supremes now have enough votes to overturn it as unconstitutional.”

Granted Palin would have had to put up a fight to block the appointment of the far left Christen to the court. Under Alaska law the judicial council made up mostly of liberal lawyers gets to filter out candidates who do not hold a leftist background. The governor must pick from the names forwarded.

But former governor Frank Murkowski during his term fought the process and at first refused to name any of the names submitted to him. The liberal media beat him up pretty bad over it and he eventually caved.

If Governor Palin would have taken on this fight, it probably would have ended up in court. If she had taken up the fight and asked for all the candidates’ names that applied to be forwarded, it would have brought to the public’s attention that trial lawyers control the third branch of government in Alaska. But with the governor refusing to spend any political capital on this issue, it is sure to disappear from Alaska’s political landscape.

The governor caving into trial lawyers also guarantees an activist court will continue to push its agenda on the people of Alaska. It will continue to stand between you and your child, continue to redefine marriage and block development.

Palin appointing Christen kills any move by the legislature to pass parental consent legislation. The new court with Christen on it will surely strike down any new laws. This is one of the reason Palin’s caving is confusing. Just recently held a news conference standing side by side with conservative lawmakers sponsoring new parental consent legislation.

Refusing to fight for parental consent laws is risky for Palin. It clearly will help her avoid controversy from the liberal media. But conservatives supporting her won't like the fact she appointed a former Planned Parenthood board member to Alaska’s highest court.

Many of the governor’s conservative supporters have ignored her high taxes and liberal anti free market policies. They support her simply because she says she is pro-life and is open about her faith. But the Christen appointment proves that while the governor lives the pro-life message in her personal life, she is not willing to spend political capital on the issue in her political life.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: judges; palin; plannedparenthood
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To: Ultra Sonic 007
she can only pick appoint those forwarded to her by the judicial council. She had the pick of a hardcore leftist liberal...and a regular liberal, by the looks of things.

There was another choice: leave it vacant until they sent someone who doesn't have a history of supporting the genocide of little babies.

81 posted on 03/06/2009 10:03:16 AM PST by EternalVigilance ( TR: "Walk softly and carry a big stick." BHO: "Mince softly and carry a spaghetti noodle.")
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To: EternalVigilance

Gov. Palin called for information and reviewed it in order to make the best choice available to her between the two choices.

I agree with her choice. As governor of AK, she had to weigh the interests of the state regarding possible environmental decisions that would have an effect on the whole state against the possibility that a decision could be handed down about abortion, which affects laws, but demands some personal responsibility from the individual.


82 posted on 03/06/2009 10:03:24 AM PST by LucyJo
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To: EternalVigilance

I hope you’ve learned your lesson about posting articles and having an opinion. /s

Seriously, I don’t know why you’re getting nailed. Do you have a history of dismissing Palin? Just curious.


83 posted on 03/06/2009 10:03:31 AM PST by Gene Eric
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To: GinaLolaB
Gee and I thought she only liked to kill and gut defenseless animals I didn’t she liked the killing of unborn humans as well. Oh well, it is good to find out now.

correcting a mistake on my last comment

Why don't you read the whole thread. This article is a propaganda piece. Anyone who thinks Sarah is pro choice is slightly dingy. As for her killing "defenseless" animals, if you eat meat, you kill animals, indirectly but none the less you kill them. The difference between a hunter who kills their own meat and wimpy a**hats who make others do it for them and pretend their hands are clean of animal blood, is called courage. The courage to do your own killing and not foist the job off on someone else.

Sarah did NOT point a former member of Planned parent hood, the group had a different name when the appointee was a member and they were not yet an abortion supporting group.

Study facts, not MSM articles.

84 posted on 03/06/2009 10:04:09 AM PST by calex59
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To: mnehrling

That’s not a “strategy,” any more than Stephen A. Douglas’ position in the 1850’s was a “strategy.” It is immoral and unconstitutional.


85 posted on 03/06/2009 10:05:07 AM PST by EternalVigilance ( TR: "Walk softly and carry a big stick." BHO: "Mince softly and carry a spaghetti noodle.")
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To: EternalVigilance

EV,

Normally I have the highest regard for you and your fight for the unborn, but you really are weak on this particular issue and are grasping for straws.


86 posted on 03/06/2009 10:05:10 AM PST by SoConPubbie (GOP: If you reward bad behavior all you get is more bad behavior.)
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To: EternalVigilance

Been nice knowing ya Sarah.
Adios.


87 posted on 03/06/2009 10:06:12 AM PST by Scotswife (GO ISRAEL!!!)
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To: EternalVigilance; calex59
There was another choice: leave it vacant until they sent someone who doesn't have a history of supporting the genocide of little babies.

Posting this information from elsewhere:

Sarah did NOT point a former member of Planned parent hood, the group had a different name when the appointee was a member and they were not yet an abortion supporting group.

Study facts, not MSM articles.

88 posted on 03/06/2009 10:06:21 AM PST by Ultra Sonic 007 (To view the FR@Alabama ping list, click on my profile!)
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To: EternalVigilance; All

So??? So she Pro-Choice States.. READ THE BILL OF RIGHTS!!!!


89 posted on 03/06/2009 10:06:55 AM PST by KevinDavis (No one should question our "Dear Leader"!)
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To: Scotswife

Please read this:

“Under the state Constitution, Palin HAD TO select from among the nominees sent to her by the seven-member Alaska Judicial Council, made up of lawyers, public members appointed by governors and the Supreme Court chief justice, currently Dana Fabe.”

She had the choice of a hardcore leftist, or a regular leftist.

She went with the regular leftist.


90 posted on 03/06/2009 10:07:36 AM PST by Ultra Sonic 007 (To view the FR@Alabama ping list, click on my profile!)
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To: Gene Eric
I hope you’ve learned your lesson about posting articles and having an opinion. /s

Seriously, I don’t know why you’re getting nailed. Do you have a history of dismissing Palin? Just curious.


Posting an opinion is great! Just be prepared to defend your position if it is lacking in factual support.

BTW, as has been proven over and over here at FR, this type of treatment is not reserved for only Palin detractors/supporters but for anyone posting opinions for any candidate.
91 posted on 03/06/2009 10:07:40 AM PST by SoConPubbie (GOP: If you reward bad behavior all you get is more bad behavior.)
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To: EternalVigilance
Article 4, § 5 of the Alaska Constitution: "The governor shall fill any vacancy in an office of supreme court justice or superior court judge by appointing one of two or more persons nominated by the judicial council."

Doesn't look like Palin had much of a choice.

92 posted on 03/06/2009 10:08:07 AM PST by Non-Sequitur
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To: EternalVigilance

EternalVigilance, you can report back to Soros, Axelrod, 0bama, or whoever you work for, and they’ll give you your check.

You are a little late though, since this was all hashed out yesterday, and most people here are smart enough to fall for this load of BS. This puts you in the good company of the LA Times who now sites “commenters” on the ADN website as sources of information.


93 posted on 03/06/2009 10:08:24 AM PST by euram
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To: Ultra Sonic 007

Very good, thanks.

To some people here, there’s a closet abortionist behind every tree.

Scary! Ooga booga booga!


94 posted on 03/06/2009 10:08:27 AM PST by Constitution Day
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To: EternalVigilance
...who doesn't have a history of supporting the genocide of little babies...

There you go bearing false witness again.. there is no evidence from this that Christen supports this.. She was on the board of this group that later became Planned Parenthood almost a decade before they became PP and promoted abortions. Nothing in her application (linked above) mentioned Planned Parenthood. That is the entire extent of the so called evidence that she is pro-abortion, very lose to say the least. Why is the same group who leveled these charges supporting the far more liberal Smith? What do you think their motivation is?

You would think, working for Dr. Keyes, you would know about these types of media smears, he was on the receiving end of many. You should know better than to trust anything with face value. You should also know that there are many groups who mask what they really believe behind false fronts. I recall some fake group in Idaho that claimed to be for tax reform got Keyes tripped up, some ugly stuff there.. Why not learn from that and have a little intellectual curiosity about the charge?

95 posted on 03/06/2009 10:08:29 AM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehrling

:-) You REALLY don’t like me, do you? lol


96 posted on 03/06/2009 10:08:43 AM PST by patriot preacher (To be a good American Citizen and a Christian IS NOT a contradiction. (www.mygration.blogspot.com))
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To: mnehrling

He’s obviously too stupid to know that allowing the states to decide is code for throwing out Roe vs. Wade.


97 posted on 03/06/2009 10:08:57 AM PST by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: EternalVigilance

Hope there is more this story!! Because if its true on its face....Sarah is toast!!


98 posted on 03/06/2009 10:09:16 AM PST by kenmcg (cOMMBYAH)
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To: KevinDavis

The Bill of Rights says that you can’t kill innocent persons.


99 posted on 03/06/2009 10:09:32 AM PST by EternalVigilance ( TR: "Walk softly and carry a big stick." BHO: "Mince softly and carry a spaghetti noodle.")
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To: EternalVigilance; Ultra Sonic 007
There was another choice: leave it vacant until they sent someone who doesn't have a history of supporting the genocide of little babies.

Then she risks the chance of leaving the vacancy unfilled for the next Governor who probably won't be as supportive as her records proves she is for the rights of the unborn.

Stupid idea EV.
100 posted on 03/06/2009 10:09:55 AM PST by SoConPubbie (GOP: If you reward bad behavior all you get is more bad behavior.)
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