Secessionist Palin Story: McCain Camp Pushes Back

Last night, ABC's Jake Tapper reported that officials of a fringe Alaska party once counted Sarah Palin as a member:

Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once so independent, she was once a member of their party, which, since the 1970s, has been pushing for a legal vote for Alaskans to decide whether or not residents of the 49th state can secede from the United States.

And while McCain's motto -- as seen in a new TV ad -- is "Country First," the AIP's motto is the exact opposite -- "Alaska First -- Alaska Always."

John McCain's campaign reports of her membership in AIP "smears," blaming them on Barack Obama's campaign and Daily Kos. They also sent around Palin's voter registration document, showing her to have been a registered Republican since 1982.

However, TPMmuckraker reports that Palin's husband's affiliation with the group can't be disputed:

This afternoon, the director of Division of Elections in Alaska, Gail Fenumiai, told TPMmuckraker that Todd Palin registered in October 1995 to the Alaska Independence Party, a radical group that advocates for Alaskan secession from the United States.

Besides a short period of a few months in 2000 when he changed his registration to undeclared, Todd Palin remained a registered member of AIP until July 2002 when he registered again as an undeclared voter.

And today, ABC reports that Sarah Palin did attend the 1994 Alaska Independence Party convention:

As part of their pushback against the charges of Lynette and Dexter Clark of the AIP, the McCain campaign says that Palin did not even attend the AIP convention in Wasilla in 1994.

But another former AIP official -- Mark Chryson, chairman of the AIP from 1995 to 2002 -- tells ABC News that "Palin was at the convention in 1994. She was there."

And AIP's Lynette Clark still insists that the governor was a member. "This is like a cat covering up crap in its litter box," she said.

Comments

[nhplanner]

LOL! "lt's like a cat covering up crap in its litter box." Miss Kitty Sarah is doing a lot of scratching.

[gevan]

Give Alaskans a break. They missed the Civil War. They were still part of the Russian Empire until a Republican Secretary of State negotiated thier purchase in 1867. And only a state for 49 years.

[pupbayer]

I, for one, want to know what she did in 3rd grade. I mean it. We must know the truth.

[HadEnoughCrap]

So id Obama or Biden belonged to a group that wanted to secede from the union that wouldn't be a big issue with you?

[Grunty1]

Pup would be irate if Obama has ever meet the COUSIN of a member of the Separatist group.

[IndomitableLion]

you're full of horse manure.....but then, you already know....f*ckwit...

[blueshield]

There are rumors that AIP is engaged in secret talks to align with the League for Canadian World Domination, to support that groups' melting of the Arctic ice sheet, and their planned invasion of Wisconsin.

[JLopez]

Poor Baby, welcome to the BIG League.

[EuroPreacher]

Here is she,welcoming her fellow AIP members to their convetion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4iCDBIAde8

[gintheb]

Don't take anything for granted. As long as Barack is a half-black man in America, McCain has a good chance, despite this circus.

[Darthwave]

Very sad, but also very true.

[KBAR]

Gee, I thought Barry was 1/2 white! Who knew?
http://www.theobamafile.com/ObamaPolitics.htm

http://www.theobamafile.com/ObamaRace.htm

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

You speak the truth. If the old man is elected, Canada looks better and better all the time.

[drec1500Madrid]

The NY Times finally put this story out there.

[brod]

sorry I couldnt help it - I had to dip Sarah Palin in the Chocolate!

http://photos-h.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v338/198/14/698285146/n698285146_4082191_8248.jpg

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

All that chocolate gone to waste........

[obamaim4]

Now I am really concerned that these two are going to be elected. When is anyone going ask the right questions?

If his opponents are so concerned that Obama might share the views of a preacher that he heard once a week or so for 20years, then why are the same people not concerned that Palin shares all of the secessionist views of a man she has been married to and lived with for over 20 years?

Also, what do we make of her belief that GOD has a plan for the use of Alaska's resources (oil, gas, minerals)? Does this not also raise concerns what such a stong believer is willing to do to see God's will done?

Finally, what do we, our allies, and our opponents think of a potential vice president that thinks that the Iraq was is a religious (holy) war blessed by God?

[lincheryl]

She also has a pastor problem. He says people that don't vote for the conservatives will go to hell. I am serious. I don't have the link now, but it was on HuffPro today.

[beanchihuahua]

Barack Obama's campaign has laid low and allowed this whole thing to implode. He hasn't made negative ad after negative ad. He's taken the high road. He doesn't even NEED to smear them. The facts that keep pouring out are doing the smearing. He picked someone with a whole bunch of issues and was perfectly okay with it, then that is his problem and he will probably pay for it in the election.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

O understands that these people hoist themselves on their own petard.....he doesn't have to do much to make that happen. It's simply delicious, isn't it??

[blueshield]

I'm still not sure most of America knows what a petard is, or when someone's been hoisted on their own.

[dsmyre]

We have secessionists, who have taken charge of a state that lies at the Russian border.

[lincheryl]

Good one.

[NYC07]

I can't believe that no one took pictures , I'm sure the proof is out their , come on Alaskan's go through those old photos !!!!

[brighterside]

I just hope that McCain will still retain her as VP even while all this is happening. This is really starting to get interesting. Especially Palin as part of some kind of revolutionary movement to succeed from the union. I bet they are going to write her speech for her and to make her pander to the base - that she is a patriot and that she loves America with all her heart, blah, blah. Then everything is going to hit the fan when they get access to the videos of her and all the media attention will just be too massive for any spin to disprove.

I think she will be gone by next week. But I hope not. I hope that McCain would be too hard headed to change his VP and stick with here all the way thru. Having her as VP is the losing ticket.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

One can be VP without wanting to be an Am eri can?