Todd Palin Has Expansive Role In Alaska

Washington Post: "First Dude" Illustrates State's Blend Of Private And Public

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Alec MacGillis and Karl Vick.

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Todd Palin grew up as the archetypal Alaskan -- salmon fisherman, champion snowmobiler, North Slope oil worker. But since his wife became governor 20 months ago, his portfolio has broadened: househusband, babysitter, senior adviser, legislative liaison, and -- when the occasion warrants -- enforcer and protector.

He has supervised renovations to the governor's mansion and hopscotched by plane back and forth to Juneau to juggle duties as father and "First Dude," as he has come to be known. And to a degree that has surprised many state government observers, Todd Palin also has become involved in policy, sitting in on his wife's meetings, traveling on state business and weighing in on some legislative issues.

John Harris, the Republican speaker of the Alaska House, said he had never been called by the spouse of a governor before the two calls he got from Todd Palin. One was to argue for moving the state capital to Anchorage. The other was to ask Harris to "keep an eye" on a key aide who had an affair with the wife of one of Todd's best friends.

Political hands in both parties say the Palins are often referred to as a team -- "Sarah and Todd" -- and one Democratic lawmaker said Todd Palin has become her "de facto chief of staff."

Meghan Stapleton, a McCain spokeswoman who used to serve as Palin's press secretary, said the presence of Todd Palin has generated unwarranted criticism and that his role is in keeping with that of gubernatorial spouses in other states. "Every bit of his participating is appropriate and pertinent to his role as a spouse and as a father," she said.

"There are definitely critics out there who will blow up his level of involvement because he happens to be a stay-at-home dad when he's off from the slope, and he happens to be an active dad who wants to be with his kids and with his wife when he's not on the slope," Stapleton said.

In many ways, Todd Palin's high profile simply underscores the fine line between the personal and public in Alaska -- a huge swath of land with barely more people than Baltimore, where it can seem as if everyone knows everyone else.

Nationally, even before his wife began campaigning as John McCain's running mate, Todd Palin stood out among the country's few sitting first husbands. In Kansas, Gary Sebelius is a federal magistrate who stays away from wife Kathleen's partisan events and says he does not have time to adopt a favorite issue. Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm appointed her husband, management consultant Daniel Mulhern, to a state volunteerism board and gave him a small paid staff, drawing some criticism.

But Todd Palin, 44, the ruggedly handsome four-time winner of the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race, was already an Alaska star before his wife's election in 2006. Along with his family duties, he held two jobs, working occasional 85-hour weeks as an oil production operator for BP and, for a month each summer, as a commercial salmon fisherman in Bristol Bay. He belongs to the steelworkers union, an alliance that may partly explain his wife's strong labor support. His Yup'ik ancestry, which traces back to his maternal grandmother, gave Sarah Palin special standing with Native Alaskans.

Since Sarah Palin's rousing speech at the Republican National Convention, Todd Palin has filled a supporting role on the campaign trail, wearing a genial expression but saying little. He gave one interview to Fox News from the family's lakeside home in Wasilla, showing off his snowmobiles and 1958 Piper PA-18 Super Cub plane.

Those who know Todd Palin say he understands the steely determination that has defined his wife's rapid climb to political prominence; he shows the same quality in the Iron Dog races, maintaining his focus at 110 mph over days of competition as Sarah and the children wait at the finish line. Once, recalled racing partner Scott Davis, Todd Palin rode the final 500 miles of a race with a broken arm. "He wouldn't let me take him to the doctor," Davis said. "It said a lot about his character, not giving up."

Though he played a low-key role during Sarah Palin's six years as Wasilla mayor (his name was occasionally invoked in her proclamations congratulating him for his Iron Dog victories), Todd Palin has backed his wife's ambitions, if not always her politics, friends say.

From 1994 to 2002, records show, he was a registered member of the Alaskan Independence Party, whose primary aim is to seek a vote on whether Alaska should remain a state.

AIP officials say Palin's involvement was limited to attendance at the party's 1994 convention in Wasilla. Doyle Holmes, a hardware store owner who co-chaired the party in 1994, said the convention featured the usual debate over how explicitly to present the independence plank, but he could not recall Palin taking a strong stand. "There's one group that wants [secession] left in the platform and another that wants to tone it down a bit," he said. "Things can get pretty hot."

One Republican from the Mat-Su Valley, who has known the Palins for years but did not want to be identified for fear of repercussions, said Todd Palin's politics over the years have amounted to advancing his wife's career. The Republican recalled that when Willis Lyford, an Anchorage media consultant, told Palin she wasn't ready to run for governor -- a scene recounted in Kaylene Johnson's biography of Sarah Palin -- Todd Palin "blew up."

"He's not political. He's Sarah-oriented, and believes she can do anything -- more than she does," the Republican said.

After Sarah's election as governor, Todd Palin took a leave from his job with BP to avoid a conflict of interest. That gave him more time to help her settle in. Travel records show that he made frequent trips from Wasilla to Juneau and, in total, has run up about $19,000 in travel costs. Among the listed purposes for his trips were meetings about mansion renovations; the Palins wanted to make the house suitable for family visits, although they opted not to live there full time.

Todd Palin took an interest in vocational education and job creation, and he went with Labor Commissioner Click Bishop to tour the Red Dog and Donlin Creek mines, courtesy of the mine owners. Hard-rock mining is a booming industry in Alaska, but it is controversial because of concerns that tailings from the mining could pollute local waters.

[nbkf4jx]

"stormytexan" you have been sorely misinformed or you simply made up the the idea that rape kits cost $5. I am a female police officer in NC and rape kits cost approx $1600 in our state. Most of the time insurance companies will only pay up to $1000, leaving the remaining balance to be paid by the victim. We had a similiar debate about charging the victims not so long ago.

Please do not spread lies about such a serious subject in the name of partisianship. If you ever had to be in the room when one in administered or if you yourself were the one providing the *** slides, etc then I would imagine you would have a very different tone of voice. The idea that these women should have to shoulder the financial responsibility of their victimization is absurd. Please treat this subject with some dignity....God knows these rape victims are having theirs taken away.

It doesn''t even matter the cost..it is a moot point...they should not have to pay $1600, $5, or 2 pennies for the kits. End of story.

[babooph]

Does he also speak in tongues ?

[kansas1946]

John Harris, the Republican speaker of the Alaska House, said he had never been called by the spouse of a governor before the two calls he got from Todd Palin. One was to argue for moving the state capital to Anchorage. The other was to ask Harris to "keep an eye" on a key aide who had an affair with the wife of one of Todd''s best friends.
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Not only does it look like Sarah Palin abused her power as governor, her husband was abusing power that he didn''t even have. What business would it be for a legislature to "keep an eye one" someone who had an affair with Todd''s friend. That is insane. This whole deal sounds like trashy folks that got in power and still continue to act trashy.

[kansas1946]

The more I hear about this woman, the more astounded I am that McCain picked her. This is deplorable.

*********************************************
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin''s hometown required women to pay for their own rape examinations while she was mayor, a practice her police chief fought to keep as late as 2000.


A former Alaskan lawmaker says it seems unlikely that Gov. Sarah Palin was unaware of Wasilla''s policy.

Former state Rep. Eric Croft, a Democrat, sponsored a state law requiring cities to provide the examinations free of charge to victims. He said the only ongoing resistance he met was from Wasilla, where Palin was mayor from 1996 to 2002.

"It was one of those things everyone could agree on except Wasilla," Croft told CNN. "We couldn''t convince the chief of police to stop charging them."

Alaska''s Legislature in 2000 banned the practice of charging women for rape exam kits -- which experts said could cost up to $1,000.

[woltommel]

Another C B S story
can fix this," Biden said. "When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn''t just talk about the princes of greed. He said, ''look, here''s what happened.''"
DDdUhum ah eh umeehh
I''m really worried about half the people in this country.

[x-republican]

Republicans get their news from the blonde bimbos on Fox. It''s no surprise they''re drooling over Palin and don''t understand the risk she poses to national security.

[toolmangler-2009]

Q - What''''s the difference between Obama and a muslim?

Posted by sexistnbc at 08:02 PM : Sep 22, 2008


Obama wants to build America back up from where the Repugs dismantled it. Some Muslims (not all) want to finish it off. Obama is Christian.

[stormeyone]

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear.
We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq''s weapons of mass destruction program."
President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998-Truth!
Bill Clinton went to the Pentagon

[stormeyone]

%u201CThere is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years %u2026 We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.%u201D
- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

[pastdue1]

Posted by StormeyOne at 07:45 PM : Sep 22, 2008

Well, you know, any kind of unscripted interview would be eye= opening, wouldn''t it?

[stormeyone]

%u201CThe last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons%u2026%u201D
- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

[stormeyone]

%u201CWe have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.%u201D
- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002 |

[stormeyone]

Posted by StormyOne at 08:20 PM : Sep 22, 2008

Amazing how often you lose control of the discussion and try to change the subject LOL


Posted by nomcsame at 08:22 PM : Sep 22, 2008

You wanted to talk about the War on Terrorism and Iraq ***** and start pointing fingers...

I''m just pointing them backatcha?

What''s the matter, can''t handle it?

[stormeyone]

%u201CWe know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.%u201D
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002 |

[femaledem]

ALL A JOKE..EVEN COMMENTS NOTED ARE LIMITED TO DRIVAL JUST LIKE THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN..TAKE YOUR HEADS OUT OF THE SNOW AND REALIZE THAT THIS ISN''T FUNNY,CUTE SWEET,OH SCHUCKS, GOSH ***,"WHAT EVER SHALL I WEAR AND WITH WHAT BLING!!!!*** IT THERE HAS NEVER EVER EVER BEEN A MORE REPULICAN FARCE THAN THIS ONE..WAKE UP VOTERS!!!!

[stormeyone]

%u201CSaddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.%u201D
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998 | Source

[stormeyone]

%u201C[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq%u2019s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.%u201D
Letter to President Clinton.
- (D) Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, others, Oct. 9, 1998 | Source

[stormeyone]

%u201CWithout question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime %u2026 He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation %u2026 And now he is miscalculating America%u2019s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction %u2026 So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real%u2026%u201D
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003

[stormeyone]

"My position is very clear: The time has come for decisive action to eliminate the threat posed by Saddam Hussein''s weapons of mass destruction. I''m a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Resolution that''s presently under consideration in the Senate. Saddam Hussein''s regime is a grave threat to America and our allies. We know that he has chemical and biological weapons today, that he''s used them in the past, and that he''s doing everything he can to build more. Every day he gets closer to his long-term goal of nuclear capability. *** Democracy will not spring up by itself overnight in a multi-ethnic, complicated society that''s suffered under one repressive regime after another for generations. The Iraqi people deserve and need our help to rebuild their lives and to create a prosperous, thriving, open society. All Iraqis, including Sunnis, Shia and Kurds, deserve to be represented. This is not just a moral imperative. It''s a security imperative. It is in America''s national interest to help build an Iraq at peace with itself and its neighbors, because a democratic, tolerant and accountable Iraq will be a peaceful regional partner, and such an Iraq could serve as a model for the entire Arab world." - Senator John Edwards, Speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 7, 2002

[stormeyone]

Next we feature statements by two democrat contenders for the presidency:

"Every nation has to either be with us, or against us. Those who harbor terrorists, or who finance them, are going to pay a price." - Senator Hillary Clinton, During an interview on CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, September 13, 2001