Palin's addiction to oil
We'll be hearing a lot in the next few days about all the things Sarah Palin brings to John McCain's campaign (anti-abortion cred, status as a reformer, magnet for angry Clinton supporters, yada yada yada), but there's more than one area where she'll do the Arizona senator more harm than good. The obvious one is that she's completely unqualified to be president if anything happens to the 72-year-old McCain, but the less obvious one is that her devotion to Big Oil almost makes Dick Cheney look green.
No Alaskan is really qualified to weigh in on the U.S. energy debate: This is a state whose government budget is almost entirely underwritten by oil companies, which send each resident an annual royalty check to boot. Palin gets some credit for rejecting the suspect relationships with oil companies that have brought down nearly the entire state's Republican old guard -- in fact, her meteoric rise from mayor of Wasilla, pop. 8,000, to the governor's mansion can be traced to the ongoing corruption scandal -- but that doesn't exactly make her a maverick. She is a stalwart proponent of drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge as well as stepped-up offshore drilling, while her major accomplishment as governor so far has been to make Alaskans even more reliant on Big Oil by increasing their "resource rebate" to $1,200 per household.
Even the environmentally challenged Bush administration is too tree-hugging for Palin, who sued the U.S. Department of the Interior for listing the polar bear as a threatened species. She doesn't deny that global warming is happening -- its effects are too obvious in Alaska -- but doubts that it has man-made causes. That doesn't just put her at odds with nearly every credible climatologist on Earth, it puts her at odds with John McCain. And her positions on drilling will only fuel the Obama camp's line that Republicans are too cozy with oil companies to end the country's petroleum addiction.
* Photo by Kiichiro Sato / AP
Sarah Palin appeared on the Charlie Rose program in October along with Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona. Ms. Palin appeared quite bright and articulate as well as enthusiastic, but also completely beholden to Alaskan oil interests and a somewhat naive lockstep adherent of conservative ideology. In comparison to Ms. Napolitano she seemed a relative lightweight, more salesperson than competent administrator.
http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/10/12/2/a-conversation-with-governors-janet-napolitano-sarah-palin
Posted by: JJ | August 29, 2008 at 10:37 PM
I'm a journalist from Alaska. I believe we need to drill in any domestic area. I'm not a huge fan of big oil, look at the deal Exxon gave us, but we have to make concessions to get to where we need to be. Energy independence and the green revolution won't come overnight.
I believe Palin can bring socially responsible capitalism to the free world>
Posted by: Josh | August 30, 2008 at 12:06 AM
"No Alaskan is really qualified to weigh in on the U.S. energy debate:"
That's right, the governor of a state with huge reserves of oil and gas with experience managing that resource should just shut up about energy. Likewise her husband who actually works in the industry at level of getting the stuff out of the ground. And no doubt that these folks, longtime Alaskan resident (her) and guy from a fishing village, him, really don't care know so much less than us good-thinkers sitting 2000 miles to the south.
Its perfectly respectable to oppose drilling in ANWAR (or whatever), but this post was just shear ad hominem and incredibly snobbish to boot.
Posted by: Mitchell Young | August 30, 2008 at 12:51 AM
"She doesn't deny that global warming is happening -- its effects are too obvious in Alaska -- but doubts that it has man-made causes. That doesn't just put her at odds with nearly every credible climatologist on Earth,"
Between that and believing that the Earth was made in 7 days, is around 3 thousand years old, etc....this is too dumb a person to be taken seriously except by other nutjobs.
Posted by: Flex | August 30, 2008 at 01:02 AM
JJ Stated "...somewhat naive lockstep adherent of conservative ideology...."
Last time I check the conservative ideology isn't the problem as Conservatives stand for: No unconstitutional wars, Less Government spending both domestically and abroad, obey the Constitution, No unnecessary taxes, No to Big Brother and Illegal Spying....
I think these are the guys your directing your "naive lockstep" adherence comment to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
Just because someone says that they are Conservative doesn't mean they actually are.
For the most part, the reason Heath Care Cost, Food and Energy is because of the Federal Reserve creating inflation or the devaluing of the US Dollar.
Another group, the Globalist as noted in this section:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_globalization
Want to dissolve boarders and national sovereignty much the way the EU has been implemented. These are the real threats to this country as one or the other will DESTROY our constitutional rights. Part of the Democratic Globalization crowed is the Extreme Environmentalists, who ignore wide spread criticism of the global warming theory is not including solar phenomenon such as reduced Solar Spot activity which is causing a cooling of the solar system as well as the earth.
http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/SunspotCycle.shtml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3869753.stm
Of course it is still a theory, but you don't see the conservative side ramming legislation down our throats to reduce Green Energy Technologies. Conservatives want efficient use of resources and this is achieved by allow the market to determine the implementation of those resources. Furthermore, establishing common since regulations to protect Americans and create jobs fits in the mantel of "Conservatism". That defines Conservatives!
Posted by: Thomas | August 30, 2008 at 03:12 AM
Sarah Palin's Greatest Accomplishments as Governor of Alaska:
1. Stopped the "Bridge to Nowhere". Well not really. She reluctantly halted the project after it became a hot political issue in Washington and after the monies were re-allocated to Alaska's general fund. Check out this site: http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/08/29/did-palin-really-fight-the-bridge-to-nowhere.aspx
2. Fought corruption in her own REPUBLICAN party related to "Big Oil". Ok - she did actually do this. God knows "Sarah Barracuda" will be kept awfully busy in Washington tackling an endless number of corrupt Repub's. She will likely require two terms!
3. Sent $1,200 "Fuel Rebate" checks to all Alaskans. Let's dig into this just a little bit. Revenues charged on oil/natural gas production are increasing in Alaska as production increases because it in now profitable to extract these fossil fuels in the current market. (Plus she increased taxes on Big Oil - see below). Therefore Alaska has a revenue windfall. But remember this oil and natural gas is sent to the Lower 48 States where consumers are being hit with 30-40% increased in gasoline at the pumps. In essence Alaskans $1,200 tax rebates were funded by consumers in the Lower 48 states. Not bad if you live in an oil producing State! I wonder if the Bush/McCain/Barracuda Administration will be sending "Fuel Rebate" checks to all Americans? Don't hold your breath folks.
4. Increased taxes on "Big Oil". Isn't that nice - she made gasoline and natural gas more expensive for all of us. Because guess what folks - "Big Oil" just passes on the increased taxes directly onto the consumer. Do you really think that they would let these taxes hit their bottom line or their bonuses?
5. Suspended gas taxes in Alaska for a full year. Very sweet if your State treasury is benefitting from oil prices between $100-$150 a barrel while the average American empties his wallet at the pump.
6. Opposes listing Polar Bears as an indangered species. This would interfere with oil drilling and production. Perhaps she will be wearing a Polar Bear fur coat to the inauguration.
Why would Sarah Palin fight for lower gas prices in the Lower 48 States when her home State is poised to gain immeasurably as prices sky-rocket? No bloody way.
Looks like "Big Oil" may be moving right back into the Oval Office for the third time in two decades! Go Exxon Go!
Posted by: William H. | August 30, 2008 at 09:07 PM
As an Alaskan.... I just came back from trip to Socal. What a joke
We want to put one well ...900 mile from nothing... and you
in Cal have a heart attackt.. but this is what I saw you guys doing.
Outright Hypocracy !!!
I've never seen so much work and new drilling as witnessed
in South LA Long Beach.,,Jack pumps all over town,Costco parking lot on Signal Hill ...has 2 5 story jack pump. Everywhere you seem
to live with wells....drilling.... next to your yachts /canals/& waterfront homes and condos. Thousands work in your oil patch.
Rt 22 clover leaf was rented out to a driiling mud company to
park trucks... Drilling rigs march down the state's coastal hwy
directional drilling into the off shore areas. Are you interested in
the truth....Then get rid of Barbie Doll Boxer... Lastest news..Alaska has over 200 years of oil reserves for Lower 48. Just start
talking drilling and the supply demand curve will respond..
Time to start.. Waking Up.... By the way...China offerred to build the
Alaska Gas Pipeline... & offerred to purchase every cubic ft of gas.
Posted by: regina | August 31, 2008 at 01:01 AM
She Dick Chenney in drag. She allready under ethics iquig for abuse of power. She not anti Hillrary. she is against everything Sentor Clinton and Boxer stand for. Haveing lived in CA . I know the great damage that has has done over last 8 years since moved.
This great country is going deeper in whole. We have lost respect around the world. Today I am watch an Hurrican hit the Gulf coast.
For godsake people wake people wake up and stop whinning.. Do something.
Posted by: GAReece | September 01, 2008 at 09:38 AM
OK! We have complained about the politicians in Washing-ton for years, and the damage they have done to our coutry. Even though we complained, we kept electing the same ones, or someone like them, year after year, and then wonder why things haven't changed for the better. Now we have an outsider, someone who is not one of the old dyed-in-wool career politician, and they have already started a campaign to tear her down. The quote her lack of experience, but fail to mention what the "experienced" ones have done to our government. I say give her a chance. She cannot do anywhere near the damage that has already been done by the present group, and may actually be good for us.
Posted by: Lloyd Revalee | September 02, 2008 at 05:51 AM
I find McCain's logic for picking Palin both absurd and a bit patronizing ... it's as if they think that women are naive enough to vote for someone simply because she a woman, rather than because of her credentials and qualifications — which are basically none. Serving 1 1/2 years as governor of Alaska ... a state with only 600K people does not qualify as V.P. material. Her stint as mayor of Wasilla ... what a joke! That town only has 6,715 people. What problems could she possibly have faced that would prepare her for dealing with national issues like: the economy, health care, poverty, job creation, social security, etc. On the foreign relations front ... she only got a passport in 2006 so she could visit wounded Alaskan soldiers in Iraq— not exactly an expert on international relations is she?
As for education ... she was a Journalism major at the University of Idaho. It doesn't quite compare to an undergraduate degree from Columbia or graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, not does it?
And McCain wants to talk about JUDGEMENT? Yeah, right.
Posted by: Lorrie | September 02, 2008 at 09:44 AM
Polar Bears are outraged and angry that one of their own, Palin, is coming under heavy fire against those who are clearly jealous of her. Actual Quotes:
"Drilling is it.. man. Think of it.. the more drilling, the less the Alaskan land. That means the Alaskan wildlife will run into the ice as the land runs out! More food for us. Pretty cool.. eh? Go Palin ! "
"Why do they always go Alaskan land beauty.. land, blah blah blah. What about our location, the ice.. it's prettier? We never hear about it. With drilling the land, get this... our ice may get more attention as the land runs out."
"I still have tears in my eyes as Palin made our species famous world-wide. She wanted to remove us from the endangered-list-- and you know.. that was the first time ever I became famous. She cares. "
"I could be in the white house as one of Palin's fur coats.. I have a shot at fame!"
Posted by: Ness | September 10, 2008 at 02:21 PM