The NYT's Glowing Review of Palin

[Keystone Phil]

The more people learn about her, the less they like her. 

Where's any bit of proof on this?

[Saxwsylvania]

This whole Palin thing will collapse.  The more people learn about her, the less they like her. 

This is certainly true, and we are already seeing it start to happen.  The honeymoon is over.  Oh wait, I thought you were talking about Barack Obama.  My bad.

[J. J.]

The idea that, once elected, the new incumbent is terrible for bringing in new people is bizarre. 

Did you really miss the point that these people were a) seriously unqualified and b) all friends from high school?

First of all, I'm not sure that they were all friends from high school, but it wouldn't be too unlikely in Wasilla.  Second, where does the "unqualified" part come in?  The economic development director was a small business, for example.  Even of the three high school friend shown, there is no listing of what the did after high school, except for that.

And, I'm not entirely sure she's "secretive" but any good leader is manipulative.  Obama obviously is.  Biden tries to be, but usually fails at it.

[Lunar]

Some facts off.  Some of them were under-qualified, you can see the specific posts mentioned in the article.

Her high-school classmates were under discussion for her appointees as governor.


Here's the passage:

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[Nym90]

This whole Palin thing will collapse.  The more people learn about her, the less they like her. 

If McCain wanted to get away from Bush-style politics, he wouldn't have hired a green-eared governor from an oil rich Republican state who hires unqualified friends, takes everything very personally, and values secrecy above all else.

I do think he runs the risk of her peaking too soon, and of Palin fatigue setting in.

He's not going to be able to hide behind her forever.

But as always, be patient.

[Brittain33]

 Second, where does the "unqualified" part come in?

Please respond with reference to 1) the Attorney General and 2) the one hired for the agricultural position who had a childhood love of cows.

I know that there is no convincing you, but I am shocked to see you defend the indefensible to other people. If you can disprove the article, go to it, but you can not possibly read these facts and conclude anything other than that Palin has a heckuva "Brownie" problem.

[Nym90]

It's pretty standard for political candidates to nominate friends and cronies to high positions.

Doesn't make it right by a long shot, but it is common. It's a big part of what politics is about, actually.

[J. J.]

Some facts off.  Some of them were under-qualified, you can see the specific posts mentioned in the article.

Her high-school classmates were under discussion for her appointees as governor.


Here's the passage:

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Except, he wasn't a high school classmate of Palin's.  He grew up in Palmer, AK.  BTW:  In addition to his JD he also has a Ph D.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talis_J._Colberg


The Wasilla High School yearbook archive now doubles as a veritable directory of state government. Ms. Palin appointed Mr. Bitney, her former junior high school band-mate, as her legislative director and chose another classmate, Joe Austerman, to manage the economic development office for $82,908 a year. Mr. Austerman had established an Alaska franchise for Mailboxes Etc.[/quote]
[/quote]

Joe Austerman, aside from running a franchise business, has a degree in finance.
 [sarcasm]

How dare Palin appoint with a finance degree to manage economic development!

[/sarcasm]

http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/oed/Austerman_bio.htm

John Bitney, actually hired away by the Speaker of State House.  Why?

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http://housemajority.org/item.php?id=harr20070712-283

Worse thing I can say about him was once he was a lobbyist.  His departure looks like because he became involved with another staff member.

Thank you for showing us the left wing media in full attack mode.

[J. J.]

 Second, where does the "unqualified" part come in?

Please respond with reference to 1) the Attorney General and 2) the one hired for the agricultural position who had a childhood love of cows.

Thank you explain how a guy with both JD and a Ph D, isn't qualified. 

Please cite the agricultural position?

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I'm looking at their backgrounds, and the seem qualified.  Would you please explain why they are not?

[cinyc]

 Second, where does the "unqualified" part come in?

Please respond with reference to 1) the Attorney General and 2) the one hired for the agricultural position who had a childhood love of cows.

I know that there is no convincing you, but I am shocked to see you defend the indefensible to other people. If you can disprove the article, go to it, but you can not possibly read these facts and conclude anything other than that Palin has a heckuva "Brownie" problem.

The Attorney General was a lawyer - and that's all that matters.  You don't need to hire someone who is part of the political elite for that job - especially if you're trying to shake things up.

And the Mat-Su Valley is the agricultural heartland of Alaska, to the extent there is such a thing in Alaska.  So naming someone from the Valley makes sense.

Palin has no "Brownie" problem.  Prove any one of these people is incompetent AND wasn't replaced when proven that they weren't.

By the way, when is the New York Times going to look into who Obama hired on his staff?  Or Biden?  When are they going to look into Obama's political allies, like William Ayres.

[Verily]

Some facts off.  Some of them were under-qualified, you can see the specific posts mentioned in the article.

Her high-school classmates were under discussion for her appointees as governor.


Here's the passage:

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Except, he wasn't a high school classmate of Palin's.  He grew up in Palmer, AK.  BTW:  In addition to his JD he also has a Ph D.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talis_J._Colberg

A PhD... in history. I quote, "His dissertation title is "M.D. Snodgrass: The Founder of the Alaska State Fair"." Yes, a definite qualification for being Attorney General. But, you're right, he wasn't a classmate, nor does the article say he was. He's a member of her church.

[Sam Spade]

This is it?

[J. J.]

Some facts off.  Some of them were under-qualified, you can see the specific posts mentioned in the article.

Her high-school classmates were under discussion for her appointees as governor.


Here's the passage:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Except, he wasn't a high school classmate of Palin's.  He grew up in Palmer, AK.  BTW:  In addition to his JD he also has a Ph D.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talis_J._Colberg

A PhD... in history. I quote, "His dissertation title is "M.D. Snodgrass: The Founder of the Alaska State Fair"." Yes, a definite qualification for being Attorney General. But, you're right, he wasn't a classmate, nor does the article say he was. He's a member of her church.

So you don't thing that someone with both a JD and a Ph D, one that deals with the history of Alaska, is a qualification to be attorney general of Alaska?  Good grief!!!

As for the church, do you have a link?  And which church?  She left hers and attends another one, different from the one she attended as mayor.

[J. J.]

This is it?

In the case of Colberg, no.  He was also an elected county (borough) official, had been practicing for more than 20 years when appointed, had served as staff counsel to The Travelers Insurance Companies, and was a history instructor at the local college.

The word "unqualified" don't exactly scream from the page.

[Brittain33]

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You're either skipping or ignoring the part about how the A.G. has to run the department of 150 people and he said he didn't know how to do it and would probably get someone else.

As for having a J.D.... every lawyer has a J.D.! Even Alberto Gonzales. That doesn't mean that Joe Ambulance Chaser is equally qualified to be the Attorney General.

Seriously, I thought that even conservatives were on the same page as the rest of us about cronyism after what happened with Harriet Miers and Alberto Gonzales (each of whom had a J.D.) Do we need to go through the same arguments again, learn again the hard way, because this time George W. Bush is wearing a skirt and hunts moose?

[J. J.]

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You're either skipping or ignoring the part about how the A.G. has to run the department of 150 people and he said he didn't know how to do it and would probably get someone else.

You're skipping some his other positions.  Now there a question executive experience, but don't we have with Obama and Biden?

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Most attorneys do not[/i] have a Ph D, and actually some lawyers do not have JD's.  We also have a guy served as a corporate counsel prior to being in private practice, and who had been practicing for more than 20 years prior to his appointment.  In this case, Colberg, also has local government experience as well.  He's also, academically, familiar with the histry of the sate, whicxh is useful for someone in both government and law.  Now, how does that make him unqualified?

[daboese]

Banning books, or even asking to ban books brings back some memories from German history.

I am sorry, but if I become a mayor of a town, I don't walk up to the librarian asking such a question out of curiosity.
Either I am very stupid (which disqualifies me for becoming a VP), or I really would like to see some books banned (which disqualifies me as well).

The Republicans use the same argument on Obama- they know he is smart, so he said the sentence with pigs and lipstick on purpose. (And he said it on purpose.)

[J. J.]

Banning books, or even asking to ban books brings back some memories from German history.

I am sorry, but if I become a mayor of a town, I don't walk up to the librarian asking such a question out of curiosity.
Either I am very stupid (which disqualifies me for becoming a VP), or I really would like to see some books banned (which disqualifies me as well).

I would hope that you wuld ask about the policy.

[daboese]

Nope.
I think I (as everyone else) know about the policy of banning books.
Even if I would have an interest in knowing about it, I would be intelligent enough not to ask immediately after being elected.

[J. J.]

Nope.
I think I (as everyone else) know about the policy of banning books.

Oh, what is it?

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That you for your endorsement of uninformed government.

[daboese]

Oh, what is it?

That I cannot go around and ban books by a wink of an eye, at least not as mayor. Every book which is bought by a library will be scrutinized anyway.

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Knowing how to ban books is the most important information in the world I guess. For some people this might be true. As I said, this brings back nice memories.

[J. J.]

Oh, what is it?

That I cannot go around and ban books by a wink of an eye, at least not as mayor. Every book which is bought by a library will be scrutinized anyway.

By whom; what are the standards?

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Knowing how to ban books is the most important information in the world I guess. For some people this might be true. As I said, this brings back nice memories.
[/quote]

More than a few Democrats agree that there should be some controls.  Prior to Palin, the library set up some age appropriate controls, that most of us would consider reasonable.  If the library were under my department, I'd be asking that question.

[Lunar]

Eh, I think it's pretty settled.  As a private citizen she asked the library specifically to get rid of  "My Daddy's Roommate" - stating that while she never read it she didn't feel the library should carry it.  Then later, as mayor, she asked the librarian three times about censorship in her first few weeks.  Who knows if the librarian was fired for that one issue, most likely the two had some character incompatibilities.  The fact remains that the librarian's replacement later on did not ban anything and that had to be someone that Palin hand picked.


Anyway, that's the story.  Hell, being mayor of Wasilla isn't that exciting, if she's ever president she'll have a lot more important things to worry about.

[daboese]

Hell, being mayor of Wasilla isn't that exciting, if she's ever president she'll have a lot more important things to worry about.

How about banning books from being published?
Or burning books which are on homosexuality? ;-)

And to J.J.: I guess I (and you as well!) would rephrase the sentence in a way so that noone even can get the idea of me trying to get books banned from a library if I am interested in knowing the exact policy.
But then again she is not up to the job of being a VP, or even president.

[J. J.]

Eh, I think it's pretty settled.  As a private citizen she asked the library specifically to get rid of  "My Daddy's Roommate" - stating that while she never read it she didn't feel the library should carry it.  

No, and again you've provided false information, something you share in favor of Obama.  Here is a list of all requests to remove books:  

http://www.cityofwasilla.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=516

You'll note that the two prior to Palin becoming mayor occurred when she was in college, in another state.

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You'll note that there was one request while Palin was mayor.  The book remained.  


That's the real story of Wasilla.  The other real story is the media bashing of Palin.