GOP Congressman: Palin Has ‘Defeated’ The Corruption In Alaska
GOP Congressman: Palin Has ‘Defeated’ The Corruption In Alaska
In recent weeks, several conservatives have inflated the record of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in particular her record on fighting the rampant corruption that has plagued her state for years.
In an interview with ThinkProgress yesterday at the Republican National Convention, Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) joined the long line of conservatives pushing this talking point, claiming Palin had fully “defeated” the corruption in Alaska:
They play their politics tough. It was somewhat of an old boy’s club that developed over the years. … She did challenge it. She challenged it as an underdog, as an outsider. She succeeded There is obviously some corruption up there. She dared to challenge it. She defeated it.
It’s hard to see how Palin “dared to challenge” the corruption in her state, in particular, the case of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), who was recently indicted by a federal grand jury with seven counts of making false statements for failing to disclose $250,000 in gifts from VECO oil company. Ironically, VECO has ties to Palin, contributing 10 percent of her campaign funds when she ran for lieutenant governor in 2002.
In July, Palin refused to call for Stevens’ resignation. The Washington Post reported today that she previously served as the director of the 527 group Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service.” Despite her claim that she refused Stevens’ “Bridge to Nowhere,” Palin has repeatedly stated her desire to renew federal funding for the bridge.
In the interview, Lungren scoffed at Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) background:
I checked her background and the only thing I can find that she doesn’t have in her background is she wasn’t a community organizer. And yet we have a person running for president for whom that seems to be the major reason to elect him as President. All I know is Alaska that is a very tough state.
Lungren also launched a false attack on Obama, claiming he has not had a “major piece of legislation” and “hasn’t contributed significantly to any major debate we’ve had” in Congress. Apparently, legislation on nuclear non-proliferation, government transparency, and ethics reform don’t count.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Conservatives hailing someone who supposedly takes on corruption?
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:59 pmAlaska is a very tough state. Hell, living in the cold means so much than years in the Senate and the State Senate…
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:59 pmThey’re going to have to empty the bullsh*t buckets if they’re going to have enough room for all this water they’re carrying.
PEACE
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:10 pm“Apparently, legislation on nuclear non-proliferation, government transparency, and ethics reform don’t count.”
Of course not. Republicans are diametrically opposed to all three.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 pmBTW, love the new “Alaska is the largest state in the union” meme.
I guess it’s time to readjust the electoral votes and house seats accordingly.
PEACE
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 pmConsidering Lundgren is a former prosecutor, it’s unsettling to see him lie with such apparent ease. It makes me wonder how many of his successful prosecutions were the direct result of Lundgren’s lies.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:16 pmQ: Gov. Palin’s experience?
A: Barack Obama…!
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 pmOr how many innocent people are in jail, because Lundgren wanted to pad his conviction record?
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 pmShe dared to challenge it. She defeated it…
She slapped her own brand on it….
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:19 pmOT, but as they pan the crowd at the Xcel Center, I can’t help noticing two things.
1. Try as they might, the cameras can’t seem to find anything by lily white faces, and
2. There are a LOT of emtpy seats.
But, in breaking news, apparently John Sydney McCain was a POW!
PEACE
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 pmA noun, a verb, a POW.
:-D
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:27 pmWell, I still expect Stevens to become the next ‘under the bus’ victim.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 pmFrom the Wall Street Journal:
“Republican National Committee Co-Chairman Jo Ann Davidson flubbed the vice presidential candidate’s name in a speech intended to fire up the delegates gathered at the Xcel Center.
“That’s why we’re going to nominate the first woman vice president Sarah Pawlenty!” Davidson said, mixing up Palin’s name with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who was also a prospective running mate for John McCain.
Davidson didn’t catch the slip, and the crowd cheered anyway.”
Guess that crowd is so used to their leaders getting everything wrong, they just “tsk tsk” and applaud anyway.
PEACE
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 pmRep. Dan Lungren obviously hasn’t heard of Troopergate.
Noun Verb POW = I haz POW?
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 pmHere’s McCain explaining his vetting of Palin:
http://www.cnn.com/ 2008/ POLITICS/ 09/ 02/ palin.vetting/ index.html
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:56 pmI hate Lundgren. He has an emptiness behind his eyes.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:00 pmShe defeated corruption in the same way the NRCC investigated that missing $1,000,000 in political donations. They limited the scope of the study, letting the big dogs off the hook. Sound familiar?
Abu Ghraib
Torture
Secret spying on Americans here at home-FBI letters
Telecom opening their pipes to the feds
CIA agent leak
Justice Department political firings and hirings
Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned report whitewash
I’m sure there are many more. There are no true reformers in today’s Republican party. Despite all the polishing of McCain and Palin, the nation is being sold a bill of goods.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 pmAnd I now pronounce you, the GOP and Sarah Palin…inseparable and doomed, together until sometime in the early morning hours of November 5.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:28 pm.
National Loyalist, Dan Lungren, will have some ’spainin to do when Sarah is impeached or removed from office for ethics violations… but that’s not corruption, is it?
.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:53 amShe defeated it.
Yeah, let’s make lofty pronouncements and assert, with a straight face, reality as we would like it to be -not how it actually is.
“She defeated corruption”
“The surge is working”
Never mind that Palin is scheduled to answer questions in the ongoing ethics inquiry at some point this month. Just keep repeating the talking point, it may become true. Or, more importantly, the 23%ers will end up believing it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:53 am.
Q U E S T I O N:
If Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) is correct, that:
… Then why is there “obviously some” corruption up there if it’s been challenged and defeated?
Mission unaccomplished… perhaps?
.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:30 amSarah Palin was mayor of a shoe box town, whose citizens fead her retribution, that was driven in debt to the tune of 22 million dollars, sought earmarks even though she says she worked against earmarks and brought much negative attention upon herself, her family, her state and the presidential election.
John McCain is, as Rove says, is a doofus. He didn’t sucumb to his captors but he did capituate to the GOP leadership, picking Palin against all reasonable metrics.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:29 amThe neo-cons essentially do not want to admit they made a mistake with Sarah Palin. McCain’s aides are trying to sell the line that they knew all about Palin’s professional and personal past. I seriously doubt that. So McCain and the neo-cons will keep Palin on the ticket - win or lose - and it looks like it will be the latter. This is what voters dislike about republicans - intransigence and corruption.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:26 amI am manifestly unfortunate to have Danny as my Congressman. The boy loves things “Bush”, voting 95% for the Bushco agenda. Oh well at least he gets great perks!
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:40 am