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

[Give Peace A Chance]

Palin / Burke 2012 ... you betcha!

[mlaiuppa]

How ignorant is Eddie Burke?

He can't even spell racist. ("rascist")

Then again, I understand Palin's popularity among the uneducated is rising balanced by her loss of popularity among those that can think.

[nailinpalinnow]

He wanted to put IgnerRant Rascist but there wasn't enough room

[dowl]

It is hard to believe that Eddie Burke would wear such a shirt in public. What do the advertisers on his radio think of that?

How could Gov. Palin appear on stage with Eddie Burke, call in periodically on his show, and appear on stage with Michael Reagan with the line, 'screw political correctness' in the recent past AND complain about political cartoonery suggesting that President Obama intercede on behalf of politicians children?

I guess all the work with defending the Govenor's ethical lapses take precedence over a legitimate FOIA request by a concerned citizen. Perhaps the emails will be supplied after all since so much attention is being focused on Ms. Palin and because of her own promised 'open and transparent' governing style.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

If you check out the line-up at the radio station - http://www.kbyr.com/ - you might think that his advertisers embrace many of the ideals expressed on his T-shirt.

[BlueFloyd]

agreed! inraham, hannity, medved, rusty nails.....it's FOOX radio........and they are begging for advertisers......there's about 4 'click here' buttons on the top half of the 1st page alone.

[wynsplc]

Sarah Palin, perfect example of the Peter Principal, problem is that she might just gain a position of power on the national level...Heaven help us if she does.

[nailinpalinnow]

To relieve the anxiety caused by this thought, you've got to come and visit:

http://nailinpalinnow.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-are-your-palin-white-house.html

Headlines Under A Palin Whitehouse, submitted by all and sundry

[meede]

These two seem to sharpen their teeth in the morning instead of brush them. They dish it but are so thin skinned, they cannot take the criticism. Appears they see it as entitlement for them to put it out there but don't anyone dare turn it around on them.

Clearly shows their choice of battles are not that of a person focusing on the national political stage. Their choice are of those that belong in a tabloid as they are on a personal level. Playing the victim repeatedly. Never taking responsibility for anything. It's everyone else's fault according to Palin and Stapleton.

Sorry Palin but your Victim Card is full. It only allowed for 10 stamps and you used them up long ago.

[michiganms]

OK, Sarah is upset that another Governor is getting coverage this week. "What shall I do, what shall I do?" The Queen of the Kingdom in her Own Little Mind asks her mirror. "Ah yes, we'll use the shrill outrage about the children again. No one will be the wiser". Two celebrity deaths today. What child will Queenie throw under the bus over the weekend.

[wanda665]

wasn't there something in a mn. paper last year she could use to overshadow the sc gov taking tv time from her

[stella801]

Well, if Palin is linked to this guy in that hateful shirt, this will surely come back to haunt her. I can see it now. The Republicans and Democrats both have instant political ads with that picture alone. Lol! I can't wait for 2012!

[mhrt]

She and her family are guests on his talk show often.

[Ennealogic]

Digital Camera -- $250
Photoshop software -- $699
Pictures of the real Eddie Burke? Priceless.

[Physicsmom]

A+ comment!

[mhrt]

S/P needs to find nicer friends to pal around with.

[sleek]

She doesn't have any nice friends.

[ObamaYouBetcha]

Great post! Thanks for showing us, once again, Palin's selective "outrage" which just seems to happen whenever her media exposure wanes.

Was Eddie Burke the radio host that shared all those "funny" jokes about cancer, which Palin chuckled along with? The GINO has a heckuva sense of humor, doncha know?

[mollymac]

Yep.

[mlaiuppa]

No, I think that was Bob and Ray.

And Sarah had to find something to be outraged over since Sanford took her spot in the media this week.

[mlaiuppa]

Excuse me. Bob and Mark.

[mhrt]

Yes he was and that was very hard to listen to.

[pxgabriel]

Is she going to be on fox tomorrow? or Today? Maybe they can give her her own segment, "How will I save my innocent babies from the media today?"

[DryIce]

That program will air immediately after The Sarah Palin Family Hour, a family-oriented talk show devoted to individual and group interviews of the family members and their quest for privacy.

[2008CaliforniaFan]

What would Greta VanSustern think of people who Photoshop..?

Apparently another blogger thinks they know how she would respond.
(more photoshop photos there ) wink*** wink***

http://threebrain.blogspot.com/

[Lee323]

Keep up your persistence on this Freedom of Information issue, Ms. Biegel. The public has the right to the truth. The Palin administration is trying its best (worst?) to take away a right that citizens in every other state besides Alaska enjoy.

BTW....a hedgehog makes a very effective burr under Palin's saddle.

[Hoken]

Thanks for clearing away the smoke, AKM. After Meg The Mouth's dragon acts - with all her smoke and fire-breathing - are over, it's usually difficult to even guess what is really going on. The one certain thing is that it isn't what it Meg/Palin have made it out be. Palin's Alaskan associations with right-wing radio trolls, secessionists, fanatic theocrats and lunatic witch hunters deserve more time in the sun.

[Marnie1]

They have given it on the Alaska blogsphere, but I agree there needs to be a lot more national investigation into who Sarah Palin really, who she consorts with, and what she really wants.

21 Ethics Complaints and counting.

[Marnie1]

Sarah saaays she has a journalism degree. Despite that fact that she cannot speak in complete sentences.
She's such an expert that she likes to lecture professional journalists on how to do their job.

Sooooo.
Somewhere in journalism school or at least in a Western History class Sarah would have learned, or should have learned, about political parody and satire and political cartoons (like the ones that run in virtually every American and European newspaper) and political comedians (who date back at least as far as court jesters and troubadours.)

But Sarah is not good a learning things either by studying or by experience. She is the one who brings her children into her public appearances and her public snits.

There is nothing in that picture that would tell anyone whose baby face was replaced by Burke’s.
In fact there is no reason for Sarah’s face to not have been copied and pasted as well and for that matter the baby clothes along with the two faces. Only Sarah and a handful of people close to her would know whether that jumper outfit matches one of Trigg’s.

Of course we do now, because Sarah told us.

What kind of Commander-in-Chief would she make if this is the way she responded to every real or imagined political insult, home grown or international, that a POTUS or the US is subjected to - daily.

“When will she ever learn?”

[wanda665]

she wont