Todd Palin Has Expansive Role In Alaska

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

(Washingtonpost.com) 
Although Stapleton said she is not aware of Todd Palin's informal lobbying on state fisheries issues, lawmakers say he has talked with them about the contentious issue of how to apportion dwindling salmon stocks. His family fishing operation, which last year earned him $47,000 through salmon sales to Peter Pan, a large fish operation, gave him a special perspective. Gov. Palin also appointed one of her husband's fellow Bristol Bay setnetters to the state Fisheries Board.

Todd Palin also has taken interest in issues that affect friends in the Mat-Su Valley, where the Palins live, notably the fight to save the state's half-dozen dairy farms. The overseers of the state-owned dairy that bought milk from valley farmers announced in June 2007 that they would shut it down because it was losing money.

Todd Palin maintained a presence in Gov. Palin's subsequent intervention. She replaced the chief executive and the two boards overseeing the dairy and kept it running long enough for a private dairy to open.

Todd Palin appeared at meetings of the new Creamery Board, and, according to several people involved, at one point called the local Teamsters chapter, which represented dairy employees and had to fend off suggestions by farmers who wanted to cut worker pay to lower costs. Kristan Cole, a Palin friend appointed to head the new Creamery Board, said last week that Todd Palin's role was not significant.

The dairy's workers remember him most vividly as the protective husband who showed up with the governor for a tour, trailed by news media, aides and security guards. Workers told her that food safety regulations forbade her entourage to enter in the absence of the CEO, who was away for a meeting.

Ray Penamora, a gallon-filling machine operator, watched Todd Palin -- not an aide or security guard -- step up to settle the dispute. "He was amazed that they don't let her in," said Penamora. "He said, 'Why not?'"

Rick Koch, who served as the public works director in Palmer, 10 miles from Wasilla, and coached the Palins' son in hockey, said the Palins' mix of public and personal should be understood in the context of their early years in Wasilla. "When Todd and Sarah were growing up, the area was probably 35 percent of what it is now. A lot of adults that age really do kind of know each other," he said. "Things were really small up there."

Koch, now the city manager of Kenai, said he has on occasion called Todd Palin to set up meetings in Juneau on issues of importance to his town. "I've got his cellphone. It's just easier than trying to chase it down a different way," he said.

Harris, the House speaker, was surprised to learn that Todd Palin was with the governor in her office when she called in key legislators to discuss her state budget vetoes. He believes that at times, the governor and her husband lose sight of boundaries.

"It's an issue that sometimes emotion gets the better of them," he said. "But they're relatively young and have very quickly been put in the public spotlight."

Stapleton said Todd Palin sat in on the veto meeting but was there only to look after the couple's infant son, Trig, who was resting in a bassinet.

The extent of Todd Palin's involvement in issues is partly obscured by the refusal of the governor's office to release documents detailing internal communications with him. In a recent response to a citizen's public records request, the office refused to turn over 1,100 e-mails but released a log showing that 44 of those held back were sent to "T. Palin." The log showed him copied on e-mails regarding, among other issues, the union that represents state troopers and a parental-consent abortion bill.

Todd Palin's communications with Walter Monegan, a former public safety commissioner, have entangled him in a legislative investigation into whether he and his wife, along with several top officials, pressured unsuccessfully for the firing of state trooper Mike Wooten. The first couple had accused Wooten, who was in a child-custody battle with Sarah Palin's sister, of threatening behavior. Monegan did not fire Wooten, and the governor removed Monegan from office in July.

Last week, the McCain campaign said Todd Palin would refuse to comply with a subpoena to testify in the investigation.

He did step in when KTUU-TV, the dominant broadcast station in Alaska, aired a segment describing the many personnel complaints the Palins had brought against Wooten. Todd Palin called to complain. The segment's producer, John Herbst, later resigned after he was reprimanded for failing to treat elected officials with "respect."

Even as Sarah Palin's popularity ratings soar, locals harbor some concerns about the pressures of the couple's lifestyle and Todd Palin's quasi-official status.

Tom Whitstine, a fellow Wasilla conservative, snowmobiler and North Slope oilman, is critical of the Palins. "How he works and his exact position with the administration is pretty gray," he said. "It's not any great secret, but where is the accountability?"

Whitstine also worries about the Palin children. "If Sarah's running the state and Todd's off conducting state business, who's looking after the children?" he said.

Todd Palin told Fox News that son Track, 19, is now in the Army, and that Bristol, 17, whose pregnancy was recently made public, "is not high-maintenance." He did not talk about the couple's younger children. Toni Pruski, 17, a classmate of Bristol's, said Todd Palin has always been an involved father and "a normal, everyday, family-type dad."

Criticism also has come from some Native Alaskans, who question why Gov. Palin, married to a man with Native ancestry, has kept up legal battles with Native Alaskans over fishing and hunting rights.

Evon Peter, head of the activist group Native Movement and a former chief of the Neetsaii Gwich'in tribe, said, "If she is truly honored that her husband has Native ancestry, she would not be attacking Native Alaskans."

Criticism of the Palins often brings a personal response. Longtime Sarah Palin supporter Bud Knox, a gun dealer and retired plumbing business owner, wrote a letter to the Anchorage newspaper noting that while he and the governor are "close friends," he was concerned by her husband's prominence. "I did not vote for Todd. So keep quiet; I don't need to hear from you," he said.

In short order, the phone rang. It was the governor, calling to respond. "In Alaska, that's the way it works," he said. "Politics doesn't stop at the front door of your house. It goes outside and can go anywhere."

Staff writer James V. Grimaldi contributed to this report.

[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.
**************************************

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