Sarah Palin Isn't Not Not Dis-Un-Lying About Banning Books
My grandmother Grace was a librarian in a tiny northern town. (Population 20,000. Average annual snowfall 11 feet.) She was a little old Irish lady. Flinty. You'd have liked her. She'd help you find a book. So, while I know there are lots of other, better reasons to dislike Sarah Palin, bullying the librarian is mine.
You might think that makes me sound like someone with a petty grudge, but I prefer to think of it as rising above politics and putting the family first.
If my grandmother had been a rape victim, I'd probably be more annoyed that Sarah Palin made rape victims pay for their own exams. And wants to make them deliver their rapists' babies.
If my grandmother had been a wolf, I'd probably think Palin's least attractive proclivity was hurting animals for fun.
We may never know exactly what happened between Sarah Palin and Wasilla's librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons. Alaska under Palin has replaced war as the province of uncertainty. But we can certainly agree that the mayor wanted the librarian's head.
We also know that Palin asked Emmons three times about banning books in the library, and Emmons refused and Palin tried to fire her. But does that prove Palin wanted to ban books? "It's an old wives' tale," Palin told Charlie Gibson, in a statement that only resembles a denial from a distance.
Everything gets slick in Alaska, I guess. Even the past. Palin admits that she had at least one discussion with Emmons but, according to FactCheck.Org:
Palin characterized the exchange differently, initially volunteering the episode as an example of discussions with city employees about following her administration's agenda. Palin described her questions to Emmons as "rhetorical," noting that her questions "were asked in the context of professionalism regarding the library policy that is in place in our city."
She wasn't asking Emmons to remove the books. She was sounding out Emmons on her feelings about an agenda. Of removing the books.
This statement, by McCain spokesman Brian Rogers, looks a lot more forceful:
"The fact is that as Mayor, Palin never asked anyone to ban a book and not one book was ever banned, period."
That's true, as far as it goes, but look at it again. Fans of Jesuitical hair-splitting might think the wiggle room here comes from the distinction between asking someone whether you can ask them to do something and asking them to do it. But that's not it.
Ignore "period." Look at the place where he might have said "dependent clause." The important words are:
"The fact is that as Mayor,"
Sarah Palin never asked anyone to ban a book as Mayor. As Mayor -- of a Wal-Mart and a snowmobile trail -- she was only interested in censorship in general.
As the New York Times reported this weekend, she only pushed to ban books by name when she was on the city council.
I hope that clears up everything.
Why was it so important for Brian Rogers to slip in the words "as Mayor" a week ago, before anyone had heard about Sarah Palin's city council campaign to protect Alaska from Daddy's Roommate?
The fact is that when silent, Brian Rogers isn't lying.
Period.
--
Brian Rogers kind of reminds me of something John McCain said during the national pig/lipstick crisis last week:
"Senator Obama chooses his words very carefully, okay? He shouldn't have said it. He shouldn't have said it. He chooses his words very carefully."
He's right. You've got to despise people who act like that.
--
Speaking of choosing words.
As FactCheck.org points out, when Sarah Palin said her questions were "rhetorical," she probably meant they were "hypothetical."
Sometimes you'd almost swear the person John McCain wants breaking ties in the Senate is a numbskull.
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I graduated from a library school and it was drilled into me that the TAXPAYERS pay for the public library and therefore the library serves ALL of the community. Therefore, the books/materials that are purchased are based on the needs of the community, regardless of the views of the librarian, mayor, grand poobah...e
I remember one of my classmates had a situation where the KKK wanted to use one of the public meeting rooms at the public library she worked in and nobody could say a word. It is a public space and they reserved it just like any group would. This isn't pretty and I wish that groups like this didn't exist but I think this illustrates what FREEDOM means and why people like Palin scare me!
I think that Palin and all politicians would do well to learn the lesson that they SERVE ALL people in their community and not just the ones they agree with.
One thing that struck me in regards to McCain's visit to the view. In trying to say that Obama's reference to putting lipstick on a pig was different than his own reference months before in regards to a Hillary policy:
""Senator Obama chooses his words very carefully, okay? He shouldn't have said it. He shouldn't have said it. He chooses his words very carefully.
Does that mean that Sen. McCain does not choose his words very carefully when he used the phrase??
I thought the same thing. Too bad none of the panelists called him on that.
Barbara Walters did, but I believe he was talking over her at the time.
since her Claim to Fame seems to be "SuperMom"
I personally have some questions about her disturbing record as a Parent
Yes, i would have these same thoughts about a Man
here is what amazes me most:
The More ugly truth that comes out about SisterSarah - the More the People seem to LOVE her
what a strange society we are
kellygrrrl, I think the idea that everyone is crazy for Sarah is just another lie propogated by the GOP. "You love Sarah! Sarah is female, you are female, so you love Sarah! You will vote for her in November! See all of these pictures of other women who love Sarah! You love her too!". I'm so tired of the GOP telling me how I think. They picked the most anti-women's rights women they could possibly find, and now they are telling me that I love her. Not in a billion years!!
No one wants to believe the shiny new toy they bought ahead of the Xmas rush is in fact a lead paint laden health hazard.
You start rationalizing first.
"It's just one toy."
"I paid good money for this for my kid."
Then reality sets in. You see and hear more stories about other defective toys, and then it matters a lot less that you plunked down $19.95 for fill-in-the-blank.
We have to keep warning about this particular "defective toy."
Nice analogy--just remember, unlike the shiny new Christmas toy, you can't return Palin in January when you get the inevitable buyer's remorse!
We need to make national and local television networks and local newspapers to cover the facts about her. Rather than the way they just gush and build the myth she is crafting about herself. The article in the New York Times painted a picture of a vile and petty person totally unfit for public office in our democracy.
We're following the lead of 1500 brave Alaskan citizens who recently conducted a peaceful protest in their community even under the duress and harassment from right wing attacks.
Please join us below by organizing a peaceful demonstration/voter registration drive in your own community. The time is now for us to multiply our voices in unison. Contact me below for more information about your community. Thank you!
http://my.
UNEDITED Palin/Gibson ABD Interview:
http://www
;-)
Mary Ellen Emmons for President --- it's about character.
Chris, you are the funniest, smarter blogger in America. Thank you so much for your brilliance. Never stop.
I agree. I look forward to your posts. Thank you.
Sara Palin is nothing but BUSH on HEELS! In fact she is to the right of Bush on many issues. In stead of wasting time on looking for scandals (which would be easily interpreted as sexism), people should be focusing on her views on issues that matter to people, and her lack of competence to deal with these. Just like Bush, she is both an ultra-conservative and an incompetent politician.
yet, she did not mention his name ONE TIME at the convention
The issue of keeping books out of the library matters to me, and I'm a person the last time I looked. And it matters to most of my friends as well.
She wanted to know if the Librarian was open to removing certain books from the shelves. She asked on three separate occasions. When the Librarian gave her final "No", the then Mayor Palin fired her. If you right wing idiots can't acknowledge that what the Mayor wanted was books removed off the shelves then your bigger lying sacks of **it than I thought. The fact that no books were removed off the shelves was because of the professional integrity and Constitutional allegiance of the Librarian, and of the townspeople who got her reinstated in her job, not Sarah Palin. Maybe it because you're just deluded; keep on deluding yourselves about what the truth is until you totally ruin the country. Ignoramuses.
The things I have to keep reminding myself is that all these areas of Palin's image that outrage me: like wanting to ban books, absentence only sex ed, abortion only in the case of mother's health. i have to remind myself that there are alot of people on the right who actually agree with it. I think the idea that she wanted to ban books as horrible - but lots of people think it is great.
i think we simply need to keep that in mind when. i know i have said, how can any woman vote for her. The reality is alot of women have the same views as her.
The dems are using the "Fear Card" with Palin. Yes she has conservative social views but has she ever tried to make them laws? NO We heard for 8 years that Bush was going to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Did it happen? NO
The idea of overturning Roe vs. Wade is actually a Republican strategy. The Republican's since the late 60s have been trying to get the social conservatives on their side - and for the most part they have won. The really sad thing is, is that it is all a hoax. If the idea of protecting life is really the republican parties plan, they would not take us into needless wars or give our children absentense only sex ed. (which has been proved to be ineffecient).
But the ploy of getting the social conservatives to vote republican has clearly worked, considering that large numbers of lower to middle class people are voting againsts their own best interest regarding the economy for a party that says that they are pro-life (when their track record shows otherwise)
first of all, anyone reading your post will just put it down to another illiterate poster since you can't even spell the word abstinence, let alone understand the concept.
Why? Because a few more SC justices are needed.
I'm pretty sure George B u s h can't overturn a Supreme Court decision without the Supreme Court.
Pretty sure.
The only reason Bush hasn't overturned Roe v. Wade is because he didn't get to nominate enough Supreme Court Justices (who are the only ones who can do that). The next President probably will have the opportunity to shift the balance on the SC ... and that is why it shouldn't be someone who has Sarah Palin whispering (or more likely shouting) in his ear.
Exactly. Right now you have the four RATS, they need just one more.
Roberts
Alito
Scalia
Thomas
???
And this is why Bush/Cheney could put into force some of the worst domestic spying in history, could politicize the department of health, the NIH, EPA, and everything else he could get his hands on. The only reason he couldn't get rid of Roe V Wade was the fact that the Supreme Court hadn't completely swung his way.
Seems like a good question for Gwen Ifill to ask during the debate.
Start off with, "As a city council member....
Needless to say, i see too many disturbing signals from this woman.
She basically told Charlie Gibson, she played the game to win at all cost.
Her reasons for accepting earmarks, hiring lobbyist, firing the trooper, etc.......
Scary lady!!!!
yes, i just sent a note to hpost asking someone for this!
from the Washington post:
Democrats Launch a New 'Lie Counter' Site
By Michael D. Shear
If any evidence were needed of the new, aggressive response by Democrats to Republican charges, a new Web site from the national party should dispel any doubt...
article:
http://voi
here's the site:
http://www
Hopefully, after he loses this election in November 2008, John McSame will retire from the Senate and his personal version of "public service"! McBush has sold his soul to the devil in an attempt to be elected and has shown his moral compass is either dysfunctional or not working at all. If he goes back to the Senate after his loss, he will be the laughing stock of his peers, not to mention the entire world. Palin will go back to Alaska and get kicked out of office if she runs for reelection (assuming she is not in jail for troopergate). There is a God!
Just guessing here. If you go to your local library...
So it was hard core porn that Palin wanted to remove from the Wasilla Library?
FirstShirt : Sergeant, your point in this post is? Where did "hard core pornographic literature" come from?
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