Palin Blasts Local Blogger for Photoshopping

Welcome once again to the wacky world of Alaska politics. When we last left our governor, she was involved in a knock down drag out fight with David Letterman over a crass comment about her daughter getting "knocked up" during a baseball game. We all know how that turned out, and regardless of which side you were on, or whether you were somewhere in the middle, it was quite a spectacle. A battle of the Titans. Former VP candidate and Queen of Alaska Sarah Palin vs. The Undisputed King of Late Night Comedy who can make or break politicians with his sometimes acid tongue, and always razor sharp wit. It was quite a show that culminated in 15 protesters and 35 members of the media showing up outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City asking that the aforementioned King of Comedy get fired from his job.

Fast forward a few weeks.

Local Alaskan political watchdog and blogger Linda Kellen Biegel is in the middle of a project. She's working in virtual obscurity in Alaska, to get email records released that she feels will reveal questionable communications between the Palin administration and a local gossip columnist, and a local pro-Palin conservative radio talk show host. Palin herself has appeared on the show many times, in addition to her family members, her lawyer, her spokeswoman and various other members of the administration.

The talk show host in question, Eddie Burke, recently showed up at an Anchorage Assembly meeting to give public testimony about an upcoming Municipal gay rights ordinance wearing this.

A few months ago, security forcibly removed him from another Assembly meeting.

Biegel believes the release of these emails will show a concerted effort between the Palin administration and these two members of the media to coordinate attacks on local watchdogs. She won't know for sure until she can pay the $5500 the state is charging her for costs associated with her records request. Last week she began a fund drive to raise the money online, and each night posted a "thermometer" showing the progress and featuring a different image.

Here's where the fireworks begin. On Tuesday, a picture of Palin holding up her son Trig during that famous speech at the RNC convention became the thermometer graphic. Only in this picture, Trig wasn't Trig. In the image Biegel used, the governor is cuddling a photoshopped baby with the face of Eddie Burke. Disturbing, yes, but meant to illustrate the governor's strange and cozy relationship with this controversial Alaskan figure, according to the blogger.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, an out-of-state pro-Palin blog expressed outrage. At first they did not realize what the face was, as those outside of Alaska were not familiar with the visage of Eddie Burke. But after finding out, one of the bloggers at the site was featured on the Eddie Burke Show in Alaska and expressed the fact that her readers were outraged. This image was making fun of a precious special needs baby, she said. An hour of Burke's radio program Wednesday was dedicated to discussing the issue and callers weighed in from both sides. Biegel was called on to apologize to special needs kids everywhere, and the Democratic Party was called upon to renounce Biegel, who had been Alaska's state blogger at the Democratic National Convention, but whose official relationship with the party ended there.

Today, Meghan Stapleton, the governor's spokeswoman issued a strongly-worded statement:

Recently we learned of a malicious desecration of a photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother's love for a special needs child.

The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling. To learn that two Alaskans did it is absolutely sickening. Linda Kellen Biegel, the official Democrat Party blogger for Alaska, should be ashamed of herself and the Democratic National Committee should be ashamed for promoting this website and encouraging this atrocious behavior.

Babies and children are off limits. It is past time to restore decency in politics and real tolerance for all Americans. The Obama Administration sets the moral compass for its party. We ask that special needs children be loved, respected and accepted and that this type of degeneracy be condemned.

Neither Stapleton nor the governor had commented on a similar photo that had been photoshopped using that same image to show Palin cuddling a baby with a David Letterman head last Friday, points out Biegel who says the photo is obviously making fun of Eddie Burke and the governor, not Trig.

Tactics have changed. This is not a battle of the Titans, but more like Titan vs. Hedgehog. One thing sure to come from this latest turn of events is the evidence that Palin has changed her tactics, and that right or wrong, Linda Kellen Biegel and her blog will be better known by the time it's over. And so will Eddie Burke.

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Comments

[MisterHands]

"photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother's love"

Really, can a picture taken a few months ago be labeled Iconic? Is Palin now calling herself an Icon... lol-- oh, boy. What happened to "screw political correctness"?

[noamjunior]

when Palin was roundly booed at a Hockey game she appeared at with her kids, her comment was something to the effect of- I cant believe people would boo a 14 year old girl-
Stay classy Sarah

[littlerabbit]

Eddie Burke and his kind are strong Palin supporters. They are becoming known as Red Shirts. They don't like anyone who is not like them, and Sarah Palin is their Empress. Alaska and the intolerance pushed by those people is becoming a scary place to live.

[PhilTListener]

Burke and his buddies should go back to school and learn to spell.

Look at the shirt. Tea Bagging Rascist?

What is a Rascist? Is it like a terrist? Or someone who doesn't like Rascals?

I always loved the Little Rascals. The Young Rascals too.

[julia23]

That is very funny.

[espresso4me]

St. Sarah of the Tundra, hallowed be thy name. Your beloved followers are egregiously outraged by those disbelievers and wastrels who have committed sacrilege against your holy name and defiled the sacred image of your issue. The Holy Order of Chaos 4 Perpetuity(AKA: Conservatives for Palin) will defend your honor--even if we don’t really know what the h*ll we’re thinking or even doing.

But when Mother Meg-a-mouth speaks, we will follow because we really don’t have a life outside of worshipping you St. Sarah --I think that‘s what we‘re doing? We are, we are! Yeah, OK that’s about it. Well gotta get back to hating and all that stuff now in the name of all that’s Holy.

Thank G*d “Eddie Burke is wearing his favorite red shirt that says it all, is your big buddy St. Sarah. He has the same virtues and values as you have! Yeah team!

[TheBrimeCow]

Ok, so maybe you folks can help me here...

What does he mean when he says he is a red shirt? I know of only two meanings of that term.

So, is this big thinker...

1) ...being benched for a year so his college can play him as a fifth-year senior?

or

2)... pretty much hosed when Kirk and the away team beam down?

This is the second time in as many days I've seen reference to Red Shirt as something involving some the less-than-savory elements of Palin's base. Is this some kind of new thing that i have missed. I hope I didn't miss the change of spelling of racist either...

OT - I think the governor has not been on the internet near enough if that kind of shooping offends her.

[Physicsmom]

Anchorage assemblypeople were voting on an equal rights provision in local ordinance to include "sexual orientation" as a protected class. Rightwingers came out in force at the council meetings, all clad in red shirts to show solidarity with the cause. Eddie came to the meeting in this shirt to speak out against gay rights.

[dsmyre]

Anchorage, Alaska had several days of testimony on the matter of Anchorage's non-discrimination ordinance 64 dealing with whether they should add “sexual orientation” to the list of things you can’t use to fire someone, or deny them housing, or education.

The people who testified against adding "sexual orientation" showed up together in red shirts. Burke is shown in the photo above wearing his customized red shirt which he wore while giving testimony.

[2008CaliforniaFan]

Red -shirts was decision that ABT (Anchorage Baptist Temple ) chose as ' their color' of choice for all of the people protesting the equal amendment proposal that was taking testimony in Anchorage,
You can Google Jerry Prevo.. or go to Shannyn Moores website to get details. The Mudflat website has a story posted Tuesday as a reference.

[zanzig]

Here's an alternative (from Wikipedia):
"The Red Shirts or Redshirts of the Southern United States were white paramilitary groups in the 19th century, active primarily after formal Reconstruction. They first arose in Mississippi in 1875 as Conservative rifle clubs and private militias adopted red shirts to make themselves more visible and threatening to Republicans, both whites and freedmen."

Worth noting that they were Democrats!

[propitiousmoment]

My god, doesn't she get tired of being outraged? It is starting to drain the energy out of me just to read the headlines. How could she possibly think this stuff is going to make anyone take her seriously?

But on the good side, here's a wonderful opportunity to make a few dollars count. Let's all donate to Ms. Biegel's effort to get those e-mails. $1500 isn't much, a few dollars here and there and she'll have it. Worth it if it will make SP shut up and go away once and for all.

[BlueFloyd]

the sun went behind a cloud today.

sarah palin was outraged.

[headintheclouds]

LOL

[Reel Recordings]

...shakes her fist at the sky!!!!

[AnnfromCA]

Leave the kids alone, and you'll not see the outrage.

[stella801]

Hey "H8R"...wh­at the heck are you doing in that second pic up there? Just asking....­.... (mods...pl­ease let this one through! Please!)

[2008CaliforniaFan]

If this follows form to Her first FAKE Letterman outrage... I have to assume that we will be having a

John Ziegler interview set up for tomorrow on Faux News with Greta.

John.... Where will the protest be THIS time..?
You might get more than 15 people to show up if You hold it outside the Fox News Studio.
Lets count... Hannity, Beck, O 'reilly, Greta vanSuckup , Geraldo...­I have almost Half of your guests already.

[nailinpalinnow]

Don't for get the Team Sarah Boycott of something.

[kjstjohn]

"Desecration?" Of what--the Madonna and Child? A tad grandiose, I think.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

I think the medical term is delusions of grandeur.

[Elle1019]

All part of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

[BlueFloyd]

i know: "desecration" , "icon".

give me a break.

[lslusher]

If they are after you, you must be doing something right...

[AlaskanToo]

Why on earth would she draw attention to her buddy Burk? OMG, any reasonably intelligent person would be distancing themselves from this guy. Nope not Sarah instead she starts talking about a relatively obscure website and bam there is a picture of Special Ed on HuffPo proud as a peacock in his nasty red shirt. Really, how dumb can she possibly be?

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

And if they're mocking you, you must be doing something insanely right-wing.

[dsmyre]

Are you saying Bin Laden is right? Lots of people are after him, too.

[BlueFloyd]

your logic is pathetic. thus your 'gotcha', which i am sure you thought was cool and really snappy, falls totally flat.

[ProChoiceGrandma]

There is an excellent article on this subject at: http://palingates.blogspot.com/
I would like to compliment the author of the comment at 6/25/09 @ 21:30. This is only a small part of the comment:

“There is a segment - dwindling as it may be - of society that reveres Sarah Palin as a potent leader and would like to follow her to the ends – and perhaps the end-times – of the world; but only in a world where being the first lemming to leap over the cliff can be considered leadership, could Sarah Palin truly be considered a leader.”

[KathrynLW]

Hey Sarah-- Freedom of Speech rights apply to everyone! You remember, those rights that you talked about during the Letterman flap, when you said "our military is fighting to protect Freedom of Speech'?

Also, too, Sarah, why do you always compare yourself to President Obama and think that the Democratic party is staging an all-out war to get you? They don't care about you!!!

[bronceye]

Palin forgot to mention that this lady has the right to free speech thanks to our brave men and women in uniform...­..yada....­yada. When does this old blister find time to govern?????

[stella801]

Eddie Burke.....­.wonder if he is enjoying his 15 minutes of infamy? That picture will NEVER go away and will always be associated with him. His wife must be proud. I wonder what his sponsors think about that t shirt. I am shocked. His sponsors need to be nofitied.

[NCIndependant]

Judging from the amount of begging for sponsors on the website, I'd say either his sponsors have been notified already or he doesn't have any LOL!

http://www.kbyr.com/

[NCIndependant]

Just in case, anyone in AK that can provide a list of his advertisers?

[2008CaliforniaFan]

I wonder if he does His show while wearing THAT t-shirt... Anybody know..?

[denicci1977]

Palin needs to concentrate on her failing state instead of what bloggers are saying. If Obama worried about what every Anti-Obama site said, he would be on about a million medications. Leave the blog wars to the people and stop using this as a distraction to make up for your failures please.