Governor Palin 4 President

Sarah Palin was arguably the most influential person in 2008, but no one notices because she wasn't influential enough to overcome the deficits of her running mate and win the election.
Until Palin, 45, burst onto the scene, Obama was headed for a Nixon/McGovern landslide. Palin may not have changed the election result, but she killed what otherwise would have been a rout.
John McCain was so preposterous a candidate (at least on a Republican ticket) that Palin was responsible for far more votes than the usual vice-presidential candidate. The biggest red flag proving her popularity with normal Americans is that liberals won't shut up about her. Palin is a threat to liberals because she believes in God and country and family — all values liberals pretend to believe in but secretly detest. There's a reason there's no "Stop Olympia Snowe before it's too late!" movement.

Full Article At:http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1894289_1894287,00.html

Gov Palin today signed legislation that continues retirement benefits for members of the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG). The Department of Defense decided in January to discontinue retirement benefits to ATG members, but temporarily suspended its decision because Governor Palin firmly apposed any cuts. The DOD agreed to extend payments until April to give Congress time to devise a permanent solution through amendments to the law. The inept US Congress has done nothing, so Gov Palin had to step in to help Alaska's most precious resource its veterans.

“It is a great honor to sign this bill into law today,” Governor Palin said. “These Territorial Guard veterans are bona fide Alaskan heroes, cut from the same cloth as the Minutemen who answered the call to defend Lexington and Concord. They have earned every cent of their retirement benefits, as well as our enduring gratitude for their service.”

The governor was joined by members of the American Legion as she signed SB 89 at Lookout Park in Haines.

Juneau, Alaska - Governor Palin is challenging Alaskans to sign up for a six-week physical activity competition to improve their health and give Alaska a chance to receive national honors for the second year in a row.
Starting this Friday, May 1, both adults and children can start signing up for the National President’s Challenge, sponsored by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Alaska took first place in last year’s National President’s Challenge, with 2,868 participants, the highest among all states.

“I was so proud of Alaskans last year when thousands of us signed up to add more activity to our days,” said Governor Palin. “I know we can do it again this year. If we only exercise for 30 minutes each day we’re going to feel better, health and attitudes can improve and we can enjoy life more!”

Full Article At:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1794

Juneau, Alaska – Federal Ruling Boosts Alaska Receipts by $440 million. Governor Palin and Attorney General Rick Svobodny applauded a ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on protests by the Governor and Anadarko of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) interstate rates for 2007 and 2008.
The FERC ruling will result in additional production tax and royalty payments to the state of an estimated $440 million later this year. This is in addition to the approximately $200 million in refunds awarded the state under a previous FERC ruling on protests of TAPS tariffs for 2006. Future TAPS rates will have to comply with FERC precedent.
The TAPS carriers are appealing the FERC rulings to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Both the state and Anadarko are filing points on appeal that could result in even greater refunds.

Full Article at:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1796

Juneau, Alaska – The Palin administration today acknowledged the state legislature’s action to accept economic stimulus funds with passage of House Bill 199, Senate Bill 75, HB81, HB113, and two legislative resolutions supporting receipt of the funds, House Joint Resolution 11 and House Concurrent Resolution 13.

“I have been clear and consistent about my concerns with accepting economic stimulus funds as our nation incurs tremendous debt,” said Governor Palin. “As I am required to certify that stimulus dollars will create new jobs and stimulate the economy, I acknowledge the legislature’s action. And now I must make sure that, by applying for funds that they’ve resolved to accept, we do not grow government but instead put people to work and grow Alaska’s private-sector economy.”

Full Article At:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1792

Juneau, Alaska – Governor Palin today paid tribute to Marines who lost their lives in the Iraq war, with a visit to the “rolling war memorial” that passed through Juneau this afternoon. The custom-painted H3 Hummer was commissioned by the mother of Marine Lance Corporal John Martin Holmanson, who was killed in action in Iraq, along with nine others, in December 2005. The artwork on the vehicle features images of the Marines, the Marine seal and an American flag.

“What a privilege to be able to honor fallen American heroes in this manner,” Governor Palin said. “The rolling memorial is a humbling reminder – to us all – of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom.”

During her visit to the rolling memorial, Governor Palin met with Haines Mayor Jan Hill and Holmanson’s grandfather, John Orr, also of Haines. The Hummer originally came to Alaska for the annual convention of American Legion, Alaska Department, held last week in Haines.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=1789&type=1

Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, said the Dalton, which links rich oil and gas resources on the North Slope to the road system, is Alaska’s “road to the bank,” and as such should be a priority for lawmakers.

“It appeared to me that Governor Palin had taken the advice of the DOT statewide organization on where the critical roads were for pipeline preparations, and certainly that struck me as being sensible,” Therriault said.

He said the money for the few Dalton projects is much-needed.
“We were fortunate, because the needs on the road are so big and have been kind of left lacking the last couple of years,” he said. “We are able to move the ball forward, we’re just not able to move it as far as we hoped.”
Capital budget projects were another matter. Majority members warned others lawmakers not to look for much loose change in the pared-down budget. Projects in districts with powerful majority lawmakers received more funding, he said.
He criticized the disparity in capital projects funding between regions, setting a large portion of the blame on the Finance Committee co-chairmen.
Four Northern Region projects would be funded with the federal stimulus package pending approval by the governor.
Of roughly $174 million in shovel-ready projects, only about $17.2 million went to Northern Region work. That means the area received about 9.3 percent of the total transportation stimulus money allocated to Alaska, but had $78 million worth of work waiting for funds and included on Palin’s must-do list.

Full Article at:
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/27/dalton-highway-projects-funding-scaled-back/

We are a diverse committee of Americans from across America who have been inspired by Governor Sarah Palin and feel she should be the next President of the United States. This committee has been formed to encourage Governor Sarah Palin to run for U.S. President in 2012. The 2012 Draft Sarah Committee is registered with the Federal Elections Commission as a draft committee. The requirements on who can contribute are the same as for any federal elections. Statements of income, contributors and expenditures are filed with the FEC.

Be assured, that this committee is all about Governor Sarah Palin. This committee is not about any one individual on the Board of Directors or any one Organizer. We are a team with a single vision and single purpose. That being; "This committee has been formed to encourage Governor Sarah Palin to run for U.S. President in 2012. Won't you join us?
Please visit us at: www.2012draftsarahcommittee.com . You will see on the menu to the left to contact the organizer in your state to see how you can help. If your state does not have an organizer in it already email our Chairman Randy Highsmith, Chairman@2012draftsarahcommittee.com to see how you can plug in to help advance the cause in your state. You can also sign up for our email updates and/or sign up as a volunteer.

www.2012draftsarahcommittee.com

Governor Palin gives a great speech last night at a dinner event on the Coast Guard's base in Kodiak. It was part of Kodiak's official 50 years of statehood celebration. She thanked Alaska's fisherman, Senator Ted Stevens and all those involved in keeping Alaska's $6 billion fishing industry strong.

KODIAK, Alaska -- Former Sen. Stevens was in Kodiak Thursday night to receive a special award from the United Fisherman of Alaska. It was Stevens' first public appearance after federal charges for accepting illegal gifts were thrown out by a Washington D.C. judge earlier this month. The banquet took place on the Coast Guard's base in Kodiak, also part of Kodiak's official 50 years of statehood celebration. Stevens received an honorary membership & lifetime achievement award as he was inducted into the United Fishermen of Alaska's Seafood Hall of Fame. Organizers celebrated 50 years of sustainable fisheries & the people without whom it could not have happened.
Governor Palin and her husband Todd also attended the event. They, like Stevens, received a standing ovation. The Governor gave a big shout out to what she called the "hardest working, most independent residents in the state: fisherman."

Full Article at:
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10241220

Supporters of Sarah Palin will announce the creation of a legal-defense fund to help her pay old legal bills against a rash of ethics complaints, most of them frivolous and suspicious. Sarah Palin has mounted over a half a million dollars in personal legal debts

The Wall Street Journal has the story, including this quote from Kristin Cole, a Wasilla real estate agent and friend of the Governor's: "The purpose is really to provide a legal and proper way for the governor's supporters to help her respond to these frivolous complaints that have been leveled, keeping her from being able to do her job and...really harassing her.

Donations will be capped at $150, according to materials describing the fund, and no contributions will be accepted from corporations, state contractors, state or federal lobbyists, lobbying firms or foreign nationals.

Palin backers also said all names of donors, dates and contribution amounts will be made public. Supporters say the governor wanted the fund to be more restrictive and transparent than other legal-defense funds.

There have been 11 ethics complaints filed against Governor Palin this year and all have been frivolous and thrown out by the courts. The latest legal challenge came Wednesday. Each complaint suspiciously filed by and backed by Øbama supporters.

www.thealaskafundtrust.com

The world’s intelligence agencies and defense experts are quietly acknowledging that North Korea has become a fully fledged nuclear power with the capacity to wipe out entire cities in Japan, South Korea and possible California and Alaska, the Times of London reported.
The new reality has emerged in off-hand remarks and in single sentences buried in lengthy reports. Increasing numbers of authoritative experts — from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the U.S. Defense Secretary — are admitting that North Korea has miniaturized nuclear warheads to the extent that they can be launched on medium-range missiles, according to intelligence briefings.

What is most alarming is Øbama is cutting missile defense programs across the board. He is attempting to de-fang the US while countries like China, Russia and North Korea have doubled there defense spending and are looking to increase it further.
The Governor is firmly against Øbams’ proposed $1.4 billion reduction of the Missile Defense Agency. Alaska's strategic location allows for maximum security (from N. Korea) and is the only location of development of the our only ground-based missile defense complex. Governor Palin has had the foresight unlike Øbama:
“Our early opposition to reduced funding for the Missile Defense Agency is proving to be well-founded during this turbulent time,” Governor Palin said. “I continue to support the development and implementation of a defensive missile shield based in Alaska. We are strategically placed to defend the critical assets of the United States and our allies in the Pacific Theater.”

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/print_news.php?id=1739
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517698,00.html

Governor Sarah Palin's speech to the Vanderburgh Right To Life fundraising banquet in Evansville, Indiana reminded many of us why she was chosen to run for Vice President in 2008 and why many, including myself, hope to see her run for President in 2012 or 2016.
Governor Palin's delivery of this speech was heartfelt and real. It was authentic in a way that no other politician of this current time can match. Sarah Palin represents the real deal. A real person seeking to better her state and her nation. A servant-leader in the true Christian definition. She doesn't seek power for power's sake. She isn't obsessed with herself. She isn't fork-tongued. She doesn't go out of her way to alienate her friends in some lame attempt to win favor with the media. She actually seems to like America. She is who she is and that's enough.
Ronald Reagan was what the Obama concubine media would call a "right wing extremist" and would be said to be "unelectable" for that reason. In fact, bumbling and squishy moderate Gerald Ford made that very claim regarding Reagan. Many doubted that such a hardcore conservative could be elected. After all, didn't Goldwater lose in a landslide?
Sarah Palin represents just the positive, genuine and humble messenger for a new Reagan revolution. Her sunny optimism and cheery wit will bring morning again to America after this long national nightmare that is the Obama administration.
The speech in Evansville was just a glimmer as to the power of Palin's delivery. Oh, and she didn't even use a Tele-Prompter.
Keep your eye on our lady from the north. That girl is going places!

Full Article At:
http://cityonahillpolitics.blogspot.com/2009/04/palin-sunny-american-optimism-shines.html

NRA members, keep an eye out for your copy of American Rifleman, if it hasn't already arrived. According to the latest edition of the magazine, Bob Reynolds, owner of Templar Consulting LLC, will make a special presentation at the NRA Foundation Banquet on May 14.
It's a modified AR-15 (civilian version of the milspec M16 rifle), specially customized in honor of Governor Palin. Chambered for .50 Beowulf instead of the standard 5.56mm cartridge, this special AR features several custom engravings. The Big Dipper is on the magazine well, an outline of the state of Alaska is on the stock, and on the upper receiver are a moose, the NRA logo and an inscription, "In Honor of Governor Sarah Palin."

"Gov. Palin stood up and announced she was a supporter of the Second Amendment," says Reynolds. "I was really excited about that. I feel like the NRA has done a lot for my rights. And I feel the Governor has, too. I just wanted to do something to give back. And since the Governor lives in Alaska, I thought .50 Beowulf was appropriate."

Reynolds actually made two of these very special AR's. One will be presented to the governor, and the other will be auctioned at the Banquet.

http://texas4palin.blogspot.com/2009/04/alaskan-hunter.html

Latest Ethics Complaint Deemed Outrageous April 22, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – The Office of the Governor today expressed outrage that yet another baseless ethics complaint has been filed as part of an alarming new development in Alaska politics.

“In the past several months, we have seen an orchestrated effort by the governor’s opponents to make differences of opinion and ideology almost criminal,” said Mike Nizich, the governor’s chief of staff. “Governor Palin has spent a considerable amount of time and money fighting ethics complaints – and no charge has been substantiated. I hope that the publicity-seekers will face a backlash from Alaskans who have a sense of fair play and proportion. I served six previous governors, and I’ve never seen anything like the attacks against Governor Palin.”

The latest ethics complaint against the governor alleges that she entered into a “contract” outside of her official duties in regard to a political action committee and that her recent trip to Indiana also conflicted with those duties.

“These allegations are categorically false and ridiculous, and are an abuse of the Executive Ethics Act,” Nizich said.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1787

It will be interesting to see if something longer lasting can grow from what we saw on April 15. The next step is to coalesce into a cohesive organization, rather like the Sons of Liberty in the 1760s. And as for leadership, I hesitate to even begin to guess at this embryonic stage, but if the evaluation criteria are being despised by the establishment and having a willingness to fight, there is only one name presently on the public scene that comes close to fitting both bills – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Much like the aforementioned example, it may come down to one simple thing: We cannot spare this woman – she fights.

http://www.northstarwriters.com/dkk175.htm

In an unusual reversal of past legislative practice, the recently completed session saw the Legislature and the governor compete to cut projects from the state's capital budget.
The capital budget typically grows while moving through the process, as legislators add support for items relative to their districts.
This year, even as the state's financial picture got brighter, the cuts got deeper. Among the casualties to Juneau was $9.5 million for renovations to the Johnson Youth Center, and the chance at $150 million in federal matching money.
Sen. Stedman, R-Sitka, said the Legislature had no choice, given the budget Governor Palin submitted and the declining price of oil.
"The capital budget was large, a couple of billion dollars, and quite frankly the state couldn't afford it," he said.
The budget was about $2.3 billion. By the time it got through Governor Palin and Senate Finance Committee, it was a half billion dollars lighter.

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/042209/loc_431717042.shtml

People have made careers poking fun at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But no one was laughing this week as Palin opened up about one of the hardest decisions of her life: the birth of her son Trig, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.
When the pro-life Palin revealed during a speech at a right-to-life luncheon that she had twice considered having an abortion, it made the maverick-quoting governor of Alaska quickly turn into a more realistic woman than a caricature.
She said that, after tests showed the baby's blood had abnormalities, she considered having an abortion because no one would have known.
"Oh, dear God, I knew, I had instantly an understanding for that fleeting moment why someone would believe it could seem possible to change those circumstances," she said during her speech. "Just make it all go away and get some normalcy back in life. Just take care of it."
Her bravery in admitting her weakness to a crowd that is pro-life speaks volumes about the type of woman Palin is. Her struggle gives validation to every woman who has felt guilt over the decision to keep her baby. Palin's decision was expected.
The abortion debate has become more political than emotional and within that shift is lost the struggles of women like Palin. Regardless of which side of the issue she lands on, her real life story brings humanity to a heated issue.

http://sarahpalin-report.blogspot.com/2009/04/palin-brings-humanity-to-abortion.html

Juneau, AK -Governor Palin will have an opportunity to appoint a 3rd justice to AK Supreme Court.

Once the Governor makes an appointment to fill the vacancy to be left by Justice Robert Eastaugh, who has announced his retirement, Palin will have appointed a majority of the 5-member court.

Eastaugh, 65, was appointed in 94 by Gov. Wally Hickel. He retires Nov. 2nd.

Last month, Governor Palin appointed Anchorage Superior Court Judge Morgan Christen and in 2007, the Governor appointed Fairbanks attorney Daniel Winfree.

http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/220470-palin-to-appoint-third-alaska-supreme-court-justice

BUDGET:
Governor Palin made significant reductions in the proposed spending plan for the next fiscal year, given the decline in general fund revenues projected for Fiscal Year 2010 -- from $5.3 billion estimated in the fall of 2008, to $3.2 billion in the spring of 2009. The leaner proposal reflected the governor’s fiscal philosophy of slowing government growth, keeping expenditures within the state’s means, meeting core spending obligations and saving as much as possible for potentially leaner times.
ENERGY:
The governor also brought forward legislation and funding requests that lay the groundwork for an in-state gas pipeline. A four-phase plan for the development of an in-state pipeline was presented by the administration on March 3. Work continues on the legislation that will form the initial statutory framework for the development of the project. The legislature approved $7.1 million to continue work on the in-state gas pipeline.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1779

Alaska is one of the only states in the Union that is financially stable. States like California, New York and Florida all enjoy a huge tax base and normally a large surplus. So you need at ask yourself: Why are they in the red or bankrupt? The answer is simple: spending liberals! Governor Schwarzenegger, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Crist all claim to be Republicans but the reality is they fall into the category of R.I.N.O.s (Republican In Name Only). When times where good there were spending like crazy liberals with no regard for the future and no emergency or rainy day funds unlike Governor Palin.

The reason Governor Palin is the finest Governor in America is because she is a true "Reagan Conservative." She walks the walk and talks the talk. The drop in the price of oil has hurt Alaska and they are now faced with a $1.4 billion deficit. The underline definition of a Republican or Conservative is fiscal responsibility and that is Governor Palin. Thanks to the Governor Alaska has $6 billion in rainy day funds and is sitting pretty and financially solid.

Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today vowed her continued support for House Bill 35, legislation requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on an un-emancipated girl under the age of 17. Democrats sitting on the Senate Health and Social Services Committee voted to hold the bill, guaranteeing the bill will not pass this session.
“This good legislation received support from legislators from both bodies on both sides of the aisle because it is, above all, pro-family,” Governor Palin said. “The lack of action on this bill is a blow to parents across the state who do not want government building a wall between them and their children. I will continue to work to ensure that Alaska’s families are represented and that the existing law truly reflects the will of the people — as intended by our state’s constitution.
“It is imperative that this issue is resolved as soon as possible. I will explore, as a private citizen, how Alaskans can do what the Senate has refused to do.”
Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell, who helped pass the earlier parental consent legislation, said: "These legislators have now taken the extreme position that concerned parents can't even be assured they will be notified when their minor daughter faces an abortion."

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1773

Juneau, Alaska - Governor Sarah Palin today objected to a court ruling that undermines the federal leasing program for oil and gas reserves in the Beaufort, Bering and Chukchi seas.
The finding by a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C., in a lawsuit brought by environmentalists against the Interior Department during the Bush administration, comes just three days after Alaskans had an unprecedented opportunity to voice their opinions on off-shore drilling in a hearing before Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
“We are adamant in our support for responsible off-shore development,” Governor Palin said. “As I told Secretary Salazar on Tuesday, even a stepped-up effort toward energy conservation will not avert the need for increased production of conventional fuel sources as our population grows. The resources in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea, especially, are critical for what should be a dramatic increase in domestic natural gas and a modest increase in domestic oil production.
“Unfortunately, while we have been struggling to persuade the Obama administration not to undo the opportunities for off-shore drilling, an appeals court has stepped in at the bidding of short-sighted environmentalists and pre-empted the federal-state dialogue,” the governor said.
“Ironically, putting the brakes on domestic energy production does not prevent global warming or threats to species, but actually increases the problem by shifting resource extraction to less environmentally preferred fuels and locations.”
Alaska is second only to the entire Gulf of Mexico in petroleum potential. According to the USGS, Arctic Alaska’s recoverable resources are approximately 36 billion barrels of oil and natural gas liquids and 221 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1772

It wasn't supposed to be a political event, but try telling that to a man who has seen 2,200 people react when he walks into a banquet hall.

Sgt. Robert Goedde, a sheriff's officer who was at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's side throughout her 17-hour stay in Evansville, says Palin was besieged at Thursday's Vanderburgh County Right to Life banquet by people urging her to run for president in 2012.

The exhortations, which Goedde called a constant refrain, began as soon as he and Palin and other officers began making their way to the banquet's head table through surging crowds in The Centre's assembly hall. The journey, during which Palin was mobbed by people seeking autographs and pictures, took 20 minutes.
"Some people would shout it out, and you'd see others just asking her," Goedde said. "I heard it two or three times a minute, the entire time. She'd just smile and wave. She was very gracious."

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/apr/19/banquet-displayed-palin-hold-on-right/

Far from her home state and the controversy she left behind, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin traveled to Indiana on Thursday and reminded Republicans why she remains a party heavyweight and a top prospective presidential candidate in 2012.
Palin drew approximately 3,000 people to the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner in Evansville, an annual banquet that typically attracts some of the GOP’s top national talent. Her sold-out appearance in a local exhibition hall prompted organizers to set up a paid closed-circuit broadcast at a nearby auditorium for a large spillover crowd and led local authorities to close down nearby streets.
“This is always a large event,” said David O’Steen, executive director of National Right to Life. “There was a lot of excitement about this among pro-life people. She is very well-known and respected in the pro-life movement.”
Palin was mobbed by autograph seekers and picture takers as she tried to get into the fundraiser.
Jane Abraham, the general chairwoman of the Susan B. Anthony List, a group that supports female politicians who oppose abortion rights, called the dinner a “very high-profile event” for opponents of abortion rights.

Since the conclusion of the presidential election, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has largely avoided the political fundraising circuit. Nevertheless, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee has emerged as an almost unparalleled fundraising force, with both foes and fans minting money off the mere mention of her name.
The candidates and causes that have climbed aboard the Palin gravy train include, but aren’t limited to, abortion rights foes and supporters, environmental groups and political committees supporting both Republican and Democratic candidates. It’s a testament not only to her star power but also to the strong feelings she generates among partisans.
In some instants, Palin herself is an unwitting participant in the burgeoning business.
“The only authorized thing out there at this point is SarahPAC. And the rest are just using her name and brand to draw attention and roll in the dollars,” said Meg Stapleton, a spokeswoman for SarahPAC, the committee Palin set up in January to raise money for her political staff, travels and contributions to like-minded candidates. SarahPAC has also proven to be the largest political fundraising entity in the country.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21307_Page2.html

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Republican National Chairman Michael Steele said Thursday that Sarah Palin is among a crowd of GOP standard bearers that includes fellow governors Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Mark Sanford of South Carolina.
The Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate hasn't ruled out a presidential run, and Steele said it was too early to gauge Palin's standing in 2012.
She and Steele were in Evansville to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner Thursday night. Organizers said the dinner drew 3,000 people.
During a news conference before the dinner, Steele cited Palin among other prominent party figures, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and two congressmen, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence.
Palin was cheered wildly as she entered the banquet hall with her husband, Todd. She stopped to sign autographs before taking her seat.
Palin, her husband and youngest son also were to attend a breakfast Friday morning with S.M.I.L.E., a nonprofit support organization for people with family members who have Down syndrome. Trig, who turns 1 on Saturday, was born with the condition.

http://newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/16/gop-chairman-calls-palin-one-partys-leaders/

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin doesn't get out much. Out of Alaska that is. Thursday, on her second trip outside the state this year, Palin reflected a bit on the experience of last year's campaign, repeated her call for energy independence and called on states to reject federal stimulus money. But it was her emotional and personal talk about the birth of her son Trig that was most revealing.
In front of an audience of nearly 3,000 anti-abortion rights advocates in Evansville, Ind., Governor Palin described in detail how she struggled with her fifth pregnancy last year and choked up when she spoke about Trig's birth.
"It was a time when I had to ask myself was I gonna walk the walk or I was gonna talk the talk," Governor Palin said. She said she learned she was pregnant with Trig while she was out of the state at an oil and gas conference.
"There, just for a fleeting moment, I thought, I knew, nobody knows me here. Nobody would ever know. I thought, wow, it is easy. It could be easy to think maybe of trying to change the circumstances. No one would know. No one would ever know." Ultimately, Governor Palin said she realized she had to stay true to what she'd been saying for years -- that "life is valuable because it is ordained." "I had just enough faith to know that trying to change the circumstances wasn't any answer," Governor Palin said. But the governor said the experience gave her an appreciation for what women and girls facing unwanted pregnancies go through. "I do understand what these women, what these girls go through in that thought process."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7356306&page=1

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is taking President Barack Obama to task for his support of abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research.
Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, criticized Obama's positions during a speech at the Vanderburgh County Right to Life's annual dinner Thursday night in Evansville, Ind.
She says deciding when babies get human rights isn't above her pay grade — a reference to Obama's response to a question from the Rev. Rick Warren last year. Obama said such questions were above his pay grade.
Thursday's appearance was Palin's first out-of-state trip on a partisan agenda since the presidential campaign ended. Some Alaska lawmakers have criticized her decision to make the trip as the state Legislature approaches its Sunday deadline.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090417/ap_on_re_us/palin_11

ANCHORAGE — Alaska Governor Palin acknowledged Tuesday that global warming is harming her state but said stepped-up natural-gas production could mitigate its effects.
Governor Palin spoke at a hearing before Interior Secretary Ken Salazar — the third of a series he is holding across the country to consider renewed oil and gas leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf.

"Clean-burning natural gas can supplant dirtier fuels and slow the discharge of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We Alaskans are living with the changes that you are observing in Washington. The dramatic decreases in the extent of summer sea ice, increased coastal erosion, melting of permafrost, decrease in alpine glaciers and overall ecosystem changes are very real to us. Stopping domestic energy production of preferred fuels does not solve the issues associated with global warming and threatened or endangered species, but it can make them worse, Meeting these goals will require a dramatic increase, in the very near term, to preferred available fuels—including natural gas—that have a very low carbon footprint. These available fuels are required to supply the nation's energy needs during the transition to green energy alternatives."


http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/green/chi-palin_15apr15,0,2755192.story

Gov. Sarah Palin surprised lawmakers Tuesday by forwarding the names of three appointees to the single open state Senate seat. Two of them, Tim Grussendorf and Joe Nelson, have already been rejected by the Senate Democrats.

Palin said the third, Alan Wilson, is a "successful small businessman and active in the community." He is a former president of the Alaska State Home Building Association and is currently president of Alaska Renovators, a Juneau remodeling company. Wilson only became a Democrat on March 4. He was previously registered nonpartisan, and Juneau Democratic Party officials are opposing him, as they did Nelson and Grussendorf.

Palin must appoint a Democrat from Juneau to the seat, which opened when longtime Juneau Democratic Sen. Kim Elton resigned for an Obama administration job. Her pick requires approval of a majority of the nine state Senate Democrats.

http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/759827.html

JUNEAU -- State lawmakers are preparing to reject Gov. Sarah Palin's plan to cut state spending, including $93 million for schools, and replace it with federal economic stimulus money. That would set up a showdown between the Legislature and the governor, a relationship already fouled by lots of bad blood.
Sitka Republican Sen. Bert Stedman, who leads the state Senate effort on the stimulus, said Tuesday the "likelihood is not high" that the Senate will agree to the plan. Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, said he thinks the Senate majority is in agreement that Palin's proposal is not a good idea.

"At this point (the plan) doesn't make any sense to me," Stevens said Tuesday.
The governor has balked at accepting nearly a third of the $930.7 million economic stimulus money that Alaska is eligible to get. She has heavily criticized the stimulus but said she'll take the money if the Legislature agreed to cut state spending -- mostly for education -- and use the federal money instead.

What many of the Democrats fail to understand is Governor Palin's plan does provide funds which allow schools to make improvements but will not expand several programs funded by the Stimulus Package. These new programs will cause a budget shortfall in the following years which the state will struggle to pick up. In a time when our Government and all of us should be cutting back the Alaska Democrats and the Obama Administration seem to be oblivious.

http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/759529.html

April 14, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today testified before Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in a federal hearing in Anchorage, urging the Obama administration to stand by Salazar’s confirmation hearing statement favoring “wise, responsible use of conventional fuels,” such as the oil and gas resources found in abundance in the Outer Continental Shelf.

“Alaska has consistently supported oil and gas development in our OCS,” Governor Palin testified. “We have done so recognizing that certain areas should be exempted from leasing, or have seasonal drilling restrictions imposed to protect whale migrations. We have done so because we recognize the significance OCS development will have on the nation’s and the state’s economic and energy future. We have done so because we know oil and gas development can occur appropriately, while protecting the environment, the species and the people impacted. We have proven this can be done.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1749

Governor Palin spoke at Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's public meeting about oil and gas development this morning. Alaska's Congressional delegation and members of the general public also testified at the hearing.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar:
"The purpose of these meetings is to have an open, honest conversation with the American people to solicit the best information possible about an offshore energy plan" "A Comprehensive offshore energy plan will embrace the President’s commitment to a government that is open and inclusive and that makes decisions based on sound science and the public interest."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5gLWNcyEio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnH-gw3cliY&feature=channel_page
http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009/04/gov-palins-testimony-at-interior.html

In a new poll by Politico and The Public Trust Monitor, 1,000 registered voters (more Dems-303 & Independents-402 then Republicans-215) were questioned.
Governor Palin was 1 point above Mitt Romney with Independents, 9 points above with Republicans, 2 points overall and only trailed Mitt with Democrats.
The Politico story covering the poll naturally distorted the results of Governor Palin:
The article in Politico spins the results as Governor Palin "attracted the highest percentage of those who did not trust her at all to identify the right solutions, topping Pelosi 33% to 32%." FABRICATED BY POLITICO!!!!
Governor Palin also had the "Highest Trust" rating for any political figure after Obama and this is with 80% of those polled NOT being Republicans.
The Politico article and the Official Public Trust Monitor Poll links are below:

http://www.publicstrategiesptm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ptmq2_analysis.pdf

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21213.html

HBO Films has optioned "Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime," an in-the-works Harper Collins book by political writers Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.
The pay network has hired "Blood Diamond" scribe Charles Leavitt to adapt the behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 presidential election from the perspective of the candidates and their respective camps.
Halperin is editor-at-large at Time magazine, and Heilemann is national political correspondent for New York magazine. They will be consultants for the film.
The book will be published early next year.
Heilemann and Halperin have covered other presidential campaigns, but while returning from a John McCain event, they began musing that the larger-than-life characters in the 2008 election would lend themselves to a movie more than past candidates such as John Kerry, Al Gore or Bob Dole.

http://www.variety.com/VR1118002387.html

Gov. Sarah Palin said the biggest “string” attached to the federal stimulus money is that “we are tying ourselves to the problem of the nation’s growing debt, $11 trillion of debt.”
“It’s a big fat string to wanna be tied to. What this is is basically a bailout for many of the states. Look what’s happening on a national level with private businesses, where government’s coming in to bail them out in order to get in there and have more control of those businesses,” she told reporters Friday in Juneau.
“Who’s to say that the same philosophy isn’t going to be used there in terms of bailing out a state and then getting in there and having more control over that state. That doesn’t sit well with Alaskans.”


http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/12/palin-proposes-cutting-state-spending-accepting-st/

Four companies were recognized recently with a Governor's Safety Award of Excellence for their worker health and safety programs:
• Alaska Tanker Co., the company that sails BP's oil from Valdez, had 18 recordable injury cases in more than 4.8 million work hours from 2005-07, a rate 83 percent below industry averages. Alaska Tanker had three days away/restricted/transfer cases, 96 percent below industry averages, the Labor Department said.
• Dunkin & Bush Inc., an industrial coating and painting contractor in Kenai, had one recordable illness and injury in more than 138,000 work hours over the last three years. That was 64 percent below industry averages.
• Horizon Lines' Kodiak Terminal operated at an injury level below the Bureau of Labor Standards rates during the period of 2006-2008.
• Shaw Infrastructure Inc., a global engineering and construction business with an office in Anchorage, had one recordable injury/illness case in more than 273,000 work hours from 2005-07 -- 88 percent below the industry average. In addition.....

http://www.adn.com/money/story/757742.html

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A proposal to cut more than $1 billion from the Missile Defense Agency's budget has some of Alaska's leaders worried, including Gov. Sarah Palin.
A proposal made by the secretary of defense would cut $1.4 billion from the agency.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Palin said the proposal is not the best decision for today's "threatened environment," and that she is deeply concerned how the cuts could impact Alaska and Hawaii with North Korea's missile development and testing program.
Gates says the cuts are needed to start an overhaul of unnecessary military spending. The link to Governor Palin's letter to Secretary Gates is below.

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10169271

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/Letter-MissileDefense_Apr08-2009.pdf

JUNEAU — In a session dominated by money matters and finger-pointing, education and social issues are more or less being left in the dust.
Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, said he’d like legislative leadership to get past a volley of blame-placing with the governor’s office and get to work.
The session and important matters at hand leave no time for shifting responsibility regarding federal stimulus money and lapses in communication on state priorities, he said.
Lawmakers and Gov. Sarah Palin from nearly the start of the legislative session in January have made statements to the media passing the responsibility for delays back and forth on issues like state deficits, fiscal responsibility in budgeting, acceptance of federal stimulus money, a replacement for Sen. Kim Elton’s Juneau seat and natural gas development.

http://newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/11/time-runs-short-alaska-legislature/

A specially painted Alaska Airlines jet adorned with a Sitka high school student's winning design touched down in Sitka, Alaska, this morning, to celebrate 50 years of Alaska statehood. The unique livery on a Boeing 737-400 aircraft dubbed the "Spirit of Alaska Statehood" was created by 16-year-old Hannah Hamberg. It features a musher and sled dog, state ferry, Native Alaskan canoe, bear and whale, along with the statement, "We're all pulling together."

Governor Palin along with the Alaska Statehood Celebration Commission and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development developed the program.

Following the welcoming ceremony in Sitka, the aircraft will depart for Anchorage and other Alaska cities. The plane will be routed throughout Alaska and the West Coast to celebrate the unique role air travel plays in the everyday lives of Alaskans.

"The 'Spirit of Alaska Statehood' aircraft symbolizes 50 years of independence and fortitude," said Bill MacKay, Alaska Airlines' senior vice president for the state of Alaska. "This unique plane will showcase our state's proud heritage everywhere it flies and have a very special place in our hearts for years to come."

Governor Palin was interviewed on the Eddie Burke radio show this morning. They discussed a wide range of topics from Obama's federal expansion through the "Stimulus Package," parental consent bill, being a grandmother and the controversy over Levi Johnston & Bristol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37mJ3WISOT4

Gov. Palin held a press conference in Juneau on April 10, 2009. Section one focuses on questions about Joe Nelson and Wayne Anthony Ross. There are eight parts to the conference. Governor Palin answers question about her Attorney General pick, reducing the capital budget, price of oil, recent ethic complaint atacks, the "Stimulus Package" as a state bailout, the need for a new Alaska US Senate election and about Levi Johnston (Part 8).

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/140425
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYH4qhqARLs

Deep in Alaska's interior, Fortymile Country is what you visualize when you think of the nation's 49th state: rugged, cold and heartbreakingly lonely, a feeling heightened by the occasional howl of a wolf. But there was another sound in the area last weekend: the whir of a helicopter, carrying a steady-handed state employee looking to target those wolves in the sights of his 12-gauge shotgun. This time the hunters came back empty-handed, but last month they killed 84 wolves in the area.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/193370

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Organizers expect Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will make an appearance before those buying overflow tickets to hear her speak to a southern Indiana anti-abortion group next week.
The 2,180 tickets for the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner on Thursday quickly sold out, so the group decided to make 2,500 tickets available in the adjacent auditorium.
Right to Life Executive Director Mary Ellen Van Dyke tells the Evansville Courier & Press that more than 500 of the overflow tickets have already been sold. Those cost $16 each, while the dinner tickets were sold for $34.90.
Van Dyke says the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate will also appear at a VIP reception before the dinner at Evansville's convention center.

http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/524611.html

Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin signed a proclamation declaring April 9, 2009, as Former Prisoners of War Recognition Day. The governor has ordered POW/MIA flags to be flown in honor and memory of American men and women who have placed themselves in harm’s way and faced the horrors of combat.
“The price paid by POW/MIA soldiers in defense of liberty is worthy of our highest gratitude and most solemn remembrance,” Governor Palin said. “On this day and always, they are in our thoughts and prayers. We will never forget them or their service.”
Governor Palin, along with citizens across the country, remembers with deep gratitude those who suffered captivity and those whose fate remains unknown. She urges Alaskans to also remember all of the men and women in uniform who are serving across the U.S. and around the world.
"We will never forget the sacrifices made by these great Americans," said Major General Craig E. Campbell, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard. "We honor their memory with events every year, and we honor their families for their courage and determination to never forget."

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1743

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is arguing against a proposed reduction of $1.4 billion to the Missile Defense Agency's budget.
Palin on Thursday sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates outlining her concerns, saying the cut is "not the best decision to today's threat environment."
She noted North Korea's development and testing program, heightened after that country's weekend launch of a rocket.
Palin said a rocket launched from North Korea "has the clear potential of impacting Alaska, Hawaii, and possibly the West Coast, with a nuclear-armed warhead."
She says that shows how important it is for the United States to continue to develop and perfect the global missile defense shield.

http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=10159744

On Fox News Neil Cavuto asks Rush Limbaugh who he sees as the up and comers in the Republican party looking ahead to 2012.
Rush names just two names. Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Governor Palin.
Says Rush, "I have always admired Governor Palin. I don't think people have any idea what it's like to walk in her shoes, after what she has been through with the media coverage. But she doesn't back down."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVwQzU1Mv3M

http://www.thesarahpalinblog.com/2009/04/rush-limbaugh-names-sarah-palin-as.html

On April 15th, the “prestigious’ (and apparently now openly liberal) USC Annenberg School for Communication will be presenting CBS Evening News Anchor Katie Couric with the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Journalism.
Now, for there to even be such a thing as an prize for “Excellence in Television Journalism” in an age where a desperate thirst for ratings has caused most TV “news” to become little more than glorified infotainment, is a bit like passing out awards for fiscal responsibility to members of Congress. But for Katie Couric, the poster child of this “infotainmentification” of news, to be the recipient of such an oxymoronic honor is much like if that aforementioned trophy for frugal spending in Congress went to John Murtha or Barney Frank.

But what makes this situation so particularly galling is the specific reason why Couric is being honored for her “excellence in journalism.” Couric is being presented with the award for “Special Achievement for National Impact on the 2008 Campaign.”
What was it that Couric did that was so “special”? The judges singled her out solely for “her extraordinary, persistent and detailed multi-part interviews with Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.”

http://www.johnziegler.com/editorials_details.asp?editorial=183

A Texas businessman launched a Web site Tuesday that allows users to help defray Gov. Sarah Palin's legal costs.
The donations will be forwarded to the governor's attorney in Alaska.
The site, sarahpalinsdefensefund.com, is not business owner Clayton Paslay's first pro-Palin endeavor. He is also the man behind FreeAmericanCitizens.org, an independent political action committee which was formed in opposition to mandatory seat belt laws.
"I'd like to see the lady get a fair shake," Paslay told CNN Wednesday. As a business owner, Paslay says he's encountered "unwarranted" lawsuits. "While I came out okay, the legal side of it [in terms of costs] was the devastating side."
Palin currently owes more than a half a million dollars in legal fees incurred as a result of a number of ethics complaints she's faced since becoming Alaska's governor, according to a recent report by the Associated Press.
Paslay says that less than a day after it was launched, the Web site has received 29 donations totaling approximately $1100 from states as far afield as Hawaii, Arizona, South Carolina, and New York. The largest donation so far is $100, with donations in the range of $25-$50 being "the norm," Paslay told CNN.

Palin family spokesperson Meg Stapleton sent CNN this statement about Paslay's defense fund:

"The continuing generosity of Alaskans and Americans is overwhelming as many reach out to assist Governor Sarah Palin and her family with their legal bills.
However, the official legal defense fund for Governor Sarah Palin has not been formed and the Governor cannot accept monies for those obligations from any other entity than the one in formation. Numerous federal and state laws to need to be abided by and the official legal defense fund will have very strict donation guidelines.
We thank everyone interested in helping the Governor. The best way to assist her will be through this official fund which will launch later this month."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/08/palin-fan-sets-up-web-site-to-cover-her-legal-defense-costs

http://www.sarahpac.com

Juneau, Alaska - Governor Sarah Palin announced today she will again honor businesses and organizations active in the international arena. The governor established the Governor’s North Star Awards for International Excellence in May 2008.
“It’s time to again recognize the contributions of companies and organizations that make great connections around the world that benefit Alaskans here at home,” Governor Palin said.
The awards will be presented in May 2009 to honor Alaska businesses, schools, and other organizations that improve life in Alaska through international activity and accomplishments in nine categories: trade (export of goods), trade (export of services), foreign investment, education, tourism, transportation, cultural exchange, humanitarian exchange or scientific exchange.
Alaskans may nominate themselves or others for these awards. Awards are given in several categories in any given year but are not necessarily given in all categories each year. The Export Council of Alaska and others will assist the State of Alaska in reviewing nominations.

The five companies and organizations honored last year were: • Kenai LNG Plant for trade (export of goods), • Aleut International Association for scientific exchange • Sand Lake Elementary Japanese Immersion Program for education and cultural exchange, • Sumitomo Metal Mining for foreign investment, and • Institute of the North for transportation.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1742

Making Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's April 16 visit to Evansville come off without a hitch isn't just a question of who gets to pick her up at the airport.
For the small band of local residents tasked with handling the details of Vanderburgh County Right to Life's annual Spring Banquet at The Centre, it's about such mundane but essential tasks as drilling 2,200 holes into blocks of wood.
After all, you can't have displays for 218 tables without a way to hold up all those red, white and blue dowels.
"My neighbors are all laughing at me because I'm always painting the dowel rods in my driveway," said Right to Life supporter Brenda Walters, whose sons, 5 and 12, have pitched in.
Walters' other assignments include chairing a poster contest for elementary school students that produced 165 artworks for the banquet.
"Some of the little details may seem not so important, but when all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, that's when you can make the biggest impact," Walters said.
"You do this because you're trying to touch people's hearts."
For the past few months, about a dozen Right to Life supporters have been gathering — at first monthly, then bi-weekly and now weekly — to plot out the tasks necessary to pull off the 6 p.m. banquet and associated events.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/apr/06/planning-for-palin/

Gov. Sarah Palin plans to raise money for the re-election campaign of Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and hopes to end speculation she might challenge Murkowski in the primary for the U.S. Senate next year. "The governor has no intention of running for the senator's seat in 2010," Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said Tuesday. "(Palin) thinks the senator is doing a great job and that's why she's looking forward to hosting a fundraiser for her."
Stapleton said details won't be set until after Alaska's legislative session ends on April 19. She said there would be at least one fundraiser, likely in the next couple of months.
"I know it is a priority for the governor to have a fundraiser in the state of Alaska" Stapleton said.

MARY HUGHES, Chief Adminstrator for Murkowski Campaign:
"We are obviously very appreciative Gov. Palin has decided to have a fundraiser for Sen. Murkowski,"

http://www.adn.com/palin/story/752003.html

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s office reacted Monday to North Korea’s rocket test with a statement that “reaffirmed Alaska’s commitment to protecting America from rogue nation missile attacks.”
Palin herself criticized proposed Obama administration cuts proposed to missile defense programs. “I am deeply concerned with North Korea’s development and testing program which has clear potential of impacting Alaska, a sovereign state of the United States, with a potentially nuclear armed warhead,” she said in the statement. “I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that we continue to develop and perfect the global missile defense network. Alaska’s strategic location & the system in place here have proven invaluable in defending the nation….
“Our early opposition to reduced funding for the Missile Defense Agency is proving to be well-founded during this turbulent time. I continue to support the development and implementation of a defensive missile shield based in Alaska. We are strategically placed to defend the critical assets of the United States & our allies in the Pacific Theater.”
The statement also stressed Palin’s request for stimulus funds for a commercial rocket launch facility owned & operated by a public corporation of the state of Alaska.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/07/palin-pushes-for-missile-defense-funds/

Making Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's April 16 visit to Evansville come off without a hitch isn't just a question of who gets to pick her up at the airport.
For the small band of local residents tasked with handling the details of Vanderburgh County Right to Life's annual Spring Banquet at The Centre, it's about such mundane but essential tasks as drilling 2,200 holes into blocks of wood.
After all, you can't have displays for 218 tables without a way to hold up all those red, white and blue dowels.
"My neighbors are all laughing at me because I'm always painting the dowel rods in my driveway," said Right to Life supporter Brenda Walters, whose sons, 5 and 12, have pitched in.
Walters' other assignments include chairing a poster contest for elementary school students that produced 165 artworks for the banquet.
"Some of the little details may seem not so important, but when all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, that's when you can make the biggest impact," Walters said.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/apr/06/planning-for-palin/