The Palin Truth Squad, Fighting Lies Across the Globe

With all of the attacks aimed at Sarah Palin after her selection as the GOP Vice Presidential candidate, it has become necessary to "bring the truth to light". John McCain has formed a crew of politicians who are to battle the lies and deceptions that are popping up left and right.

Is it possible to fight them all? Of course not, but these firefighters will have the ability to zero in on the most outrageous and potentially damaging rumors and squash them with the truth.

John McCain's campaign on Tuesday unveiled a new squadron of politicians whose duty will be to battle perceptions that are quickly forming about the Republican party's vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska.

(via Wired)

The Conservative Base on Palin: "Electrifying"

There were two intended targets of the Palin selection: the conservative base and the Hillary Clinton supporters. According to an article on Politico, at this early stage, one of the goals has been accomplished.

By tapping the anti-abortion and pro-gun Alaska governor just ahead of his convention, which is set to start here Monday, McCain hasn’t just won approval from a skeptical Republican base — he’s ignited a wave of elation and emotion that has led some grass-roots activists to weep with joy.

In the end, it may have been the ticket to cause Democrats to weep for other reasons.

(via Politico)

10 Sarah Palin Facts

1. Sarah Louise Palin (nee Heath) was born Feb., 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to Alaska when Sarah was an infant. Her father, Chuck, is a retired schoolteacher.

2. She attended Wasilla High School where she played point guard on the state champion basketball team. Her nickname was "Sarah Barracuda."

3. Palin graduated in 1987 from the University of Idaho with a degree in journalism. She worked briefly as a sports reporter in Anchorage.

4. She refers to her husband, Todd, as the "First Dude." He's worked as a commercial fisherman and as a production operator on the North Slope for BP. He enjoys snowmobiling and has won the Tesoro Iron Dog, billed as the world's longest snowmobile race, four times.

5. Palin and her husband have five children, Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, and Trig. Trig, born in 2008, has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Her son Track joined the army in 2007.

6. Her favorite meal is moose stew.

7. She comes from a family of outdoor enthusiasts. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, enjoy hunting and fishing, and have both completed marathons.

8. Palin was named Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up for Miss Alaska. In 1996 she was elected mayor of Wasilla.

9. She's a lifetime NRA member and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

10. Elected in 2006, she's Alaska's first female governor and the youngest governor elected in the state.

(via USNews)

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Visit the Sarah Palin VP Blog homepage or check out this story about Palin and Social Media.

Ben Smith from Politico Discusses Sarah Palin

In this interview, Politico's Ben Smith talks about the choice, why Mitt Romney was not selected, and how she will have an effect on the campaign going forward.

(via YouTube)

Palin Pick Appeals to Conservatives

One of the things that has been in question ever since John McCain became the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency is whether or not he would be able to rally support amongst the strongly conservative activists that make up the far right of his party.

The selection of Sarah Palin may turn out to be the rallying call that many staunch Republicans have been hoping for. While it is a surprise, a deeper look into her actions and policies reveal that she is conservative in the traditional sense and offers a glimmer of hope to those who fear that McCain may be too moderate to appeal to their desires.

(via Wall Street Journal)

Surprise and Praise - How the BBC views the Palin pick

Allies and rivals have reacted to the choice of Sarah Palin as Republican vice-presidential nominee, calling her a "new voice" in the election campaign.President George W Bush said Mrs Palin was a "wonderful example", while Democratic nominee Barack Obama said she would add interest to the campaign.

(via BBC)

McCain's Play for Female Voters

Time Magazine looks at the idea of whether or not the Palin choice was made strictly for her appeal to female voters. While this is likely one of the reasons, potentially even the primary reason, there are many philosophical issues that ideologies that she promotes that makes her ideal for McCain.

(via Time)

Sarah Palin, an Outsider Who Charms

Palin is a political outsider, similar to Obama. She is charming and appeals to the "change" concept that is floating around Washington and the country, similar to Obama. She is you and relatively new to the world of politics, similar to Obama. What's the real difference? She is a Republican. Otherwise, there are many, many similarities. This story in the New York Times points to her way of impressing voters.

(via NYTimes)

Can Sarah Palin Appeal to White, Female Independents?

This story from Gallup points to the idea that this was a purely political move by McCain to bring in an attractive woman as his Vice-Presidential choice. She appeals to one area that McCain truly lacks in -- the white female voter. Will it work?

(via Gallup)

Palin on CNBC discusses the Wooten scandal and VP

Here is an interview with Palin that discusses the potential scandal involving her alleged attempt to get her former brother-in-law fired from the police force. On other issues, they discuss that she wasn't the favorite for the Vice-Presidency, plus other issues. One point they was highlighted out of context on the Digg submission of the video was the question, "What is it exactly that the VP does?"

(via YouTube)

Sarah Palin On The Environment

Grist reports that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin strongly opposes the Alaskan gas tax, threw money at Alaskans to quiet their concerns over rising energy costs, and "recently sued the Interior Department over its decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species."

(via Huffington Post)

How Green is Sarah Palin?

On the Greenopolis social networking site, this author discusses the environmental issues and how Sarah Palin weighs in on Green issues. As an Alaskan, she has a natural tendency towards eco-friendliness, but when it comes to political issues, is she green enough? This post tries to address the question.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

She has been an avid moose-hunter since childhood and is still a strong believer in gun ownership.

A considerable amount of her family's income comes from the gas company BP as her husband is an oil production operator for BP..

Palin said that she would sue the Interior Department over its decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species. Her litigation came from fear because Alaska produces fossil fuels, although the wording of the Interior Department decision went to great lengths to ward off any new restrictions on oil and gas drilling.

(via Greenopolis)

Sarah Palin: Democrats Pounce On McCain's Pick

The democrats made what many consider to be a crucial mistake when they started the attack fast and furious on Sarah Palin. They threw too many punches that didn't connect and should have let the press do their dirty work for them. There will be a lot of "holding back" for the next week or so as they devise a strategy to combat "Palinmania" that may be coming if the GOP plays this particular card properly. Here's the Huffington Posts' take on it all:

(via Huffington Post)

McCain Picks Palin

It sent shockwaves across the political world. As a completely unexpected pick that most experts didn't see coming, McCain has exposed his campaign to a lot of risk. In the end, it will either pay off or it won't. Only time will tell. Here is the CNN story that broke the news:

(via CNN)

McCain Didn't Even Know Palin Before Picking Her (VIDEO)

John McCain had only met Sarah Palin once or twice before selecting her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Also, earlier today McCain's campaign chairman Sen. Lindsay Graham admitted that he had never met Palin, and GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison also said that she didn't know much about Palin.

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