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Todd Palin's Past Political Associations A Likely Security Clearance Disqualifier
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Although Sarah Palin smack talks Barack Obama for "palling around with terrorists," it turns out that the Palin family has its own history of palling around with Alaska's own unique brand of America-haters. Palin's husband Todd was once an actual member of the secessionist Alaskan Independence Party (AIP). Palin herself was not a member of AIP -- but many AIP luminaries claim her as a kindred spirit and "one of their own."
A charitable characterization of AIP might be "quirky down-home Alaska politics." However, the security processes that govern access to our defense and national security institutions might not look so kindly on Todd Palin's past political associations. Indeed, if Todd Palin were applying for a job in the US government or at a contractor that required access to sensitive classified information -- a security clearance -- he would very likely be ineligible.
What's so bad about the AIP? The party officially renounces violence and disloyalty to the United States, even though its members often do not. The AIP has long been aligned closely with paramilitary militia groups -- the kind that fear black helicopters and a United Nations takeover of the US. Indeed, under the leadership of AIP's tough-talking founder, Joe Vogler, AIP allied itself with the Islamic dictatorship in Iran in 1993 so that Vogler could appear at the United Nations to appeal for Alaska's freedom from US "tyranny." A fellow AIP member murdered Vogler before he could take the UN stage. The current AIP chairwoman, Lynnette Clark, believes that Vogler's killer was framed and all but blames the Federal government for Vogler's "execution."
Security clearances are a defining fact of life for the national security drones who quietly toil away in secret vaults and mean foreign streets to help protect America. Entry-level defense and intelligence employees often wait months -- even years -- for the results of an exhaustive background investigation and maybe even a polygraph interrogation before they are allowed to start work with a government agency or contractor. Seasoned intelligence and defense workers routinely re-submit to the security investigation process every few years, or if their work requires them to gain access to a specialized or "compartmented" program.
The criteria for security clearances have changed with the times, but some bedrock principles always apply. When I was in the Army in the '80s for example, tattoos were actually a disqualifying factor for a clearance, as was any past drug use. Fashion and social changes forced a change to those kinds of exclusions. In the early '90s, homosexuality was still a disqualifier -- but that was overturned with Clinton-era adjustments to the clearance process. The rise of computer culture has brought new concern over illegal computer activity, which has found its way into security investigations.
However, security investigators will always be interested in particularly serious issues -- criminal activity, for example, or major financial problems like a history of debt collections and bankruptcy. And of course, loyalty to the US and foreign connections are a major focus of personal security investigations. "Is the subject a foreign spy?" the investigators ask. "Would the subject ever participate in activities intended to harm the United States?"
The security clearance investigation is based on the Standard Form 86, a 21-plus page government form that gathers information on an individual's family, friends, education, employment, residences, finances, law enforcement history, drug and computer use, foreign contacts, and associations with violent or subversive political groups. I have filled out the SF 86 dozens of times. When I was the security officer for an intelligence contractor, I routinely reviewed our employees' SF 86 forms before asking the government to process them for security clearances, looking for obvious disqualifications. The idea here was to avoid the costs of investigating employees who were obviously not eligible for a clearance, like the guy who "experimented" with marijuana at least 100 times in the previous year.
Above all, honesty is the rule for anyone filling out an SF 86 -- do you think CIA or DoD will want to hire or retain someone who lied on a security form?
Which gets us back to Todd Palin. From the security officer's perspective, Todd Palin the hypothetical applicant should be truthful and disclose his former association with AIP on the SF 86 in Section 29, Association Record. And because AIP has been associated with the Revolutionary Government of Iran, he probably should also disclose his AIP membership on Section 20, Foreign Activities.
How would government security officials who administer the security clearance process view the facts of Todd Palin's association with AIP? The answer is not clear cut, but his involvement in a secessionist party with foreign and violent connections would inject serious doubts about his security suitability. At best, the AIP association would raise questions that might be resolved favorably with further investigative work. However, many security officials would likely view the AIP association negatively -- especially the Iranian connection -- and deny Todd Palin a clearance.
Managers of the most sensitive special security programs are allowed wide latitude in denying clearances. These programs, called Special Access Programs, or SAPs, are scattered across government and are focused on specific tasks, such as weapons development or special operations or presidential transportation. A SAP program can exclude individuals based on connections to a foreign country, such as immigrant parents (often excluding vitally needed foreign language speakers), or very stringent financial criteria, such as $10,000 in unsecured debt (often excluding many recent college graduates). Many SAP managers would very likely deny Palin a clearance based on association with or membership in a secessionist party with known ties to a hostile foreign government.
So the Palin family is associated with a political party hostile to America in word and deed. That's a matter of record that has real impact on established norms in the national security community. According to the laws and processes that help protect national security, actually joining a fringe, gun-toting, anti-government party indicates a potential risk of disloyalty, or worse.
Meanwhile, acquaintance with an aging ex-hippy who once belonged to a terrorist group famous for accidentally blowing itself up -- I'm not sure if that's relevant to presidential qualifications. Or national security.
Follow Frank Naif on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frank_naif
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Another example of "What the heck are they thinking?" as Palin spews her accusations of Obama when she has plenty of skeletons falling out of the closet?
And the so-called liberal media (CNN, networks) don't go after this?
We may not ever really know how much "vetting" the McCain camp did on Palin, but it's certainly an example of how irresponsible and un-"Country First" McCain really is.
"Indeed, if Todd Palin were applying for a job in the US government or at a contractor that required access to sensitive classified information -- a security clearance -- he would very likely be ineligible."
Absolutely true. By the same token, Senator Obama's association with a virulent Communist (Frank Marshall Davis), an anti-American reverend who championed Marxist inspired Liberation Theology (Reverend Wright), and hi long time professional associations with an unrepentent terrorist (Bill Ayers) would also disqualify him from access to sensitive classified information.
The rub is Todd Palin isn't going to have access and Barack Obama already has.
Well said, Guynemer. And lets not forget his connections to Odinga.
Also, it's worth noting that Todd left that party 8 years ago.
Wow, what a stretch! going all the way back to the days when Barack Obama was mentored by Frank Marshal Davis who mentored Barack when Barack was a kid living in Hawaii and enjoyed listening to poetry?? Connecting Barack to Bill Ayers who did his deed when Barack was what? 7 or 8 years old!!! now associating him with Rev. Wright who so many seem to think him a racist? Rev. Wright preached about the hatred in America done by Americans and does this makes him a racist? On all three accounts you lose your argument.
I've listend to the sermons by Rev. Wright and I've yet to hear him say he hate white people and his saying G'damn America, well I suppose you can make a cherry pie out of chicken soup if you want it bad enough to suit your taste.
Going way back in the past on this one! Barack Obama was 7 ot 8 years old when Bill Ayers was a member of the weather undeground. Barack Obama mentored by Frank Marshall Davis as a young kid living in Hawaii and the Rev. Wright, as far as I know was not preaching racist sermons, just commenting on how America views certain situations.
Quite a stretch here
Indeed? And exactly what did I stretch? Everything I've said is a verifiable and supportable fact. Senator Obama has had a lifetime of anti-American associates, allies and mentors.
Will someone with the power to do so PLEASE get this information in newspapers around the country and on some tv news shows? People need to know this.
Won't happen and even if it did there are those who believe anything negative about McCain or the Palins is a lie!? But whatever they say about Barack Obama is believable? How about when Barack was 7 or 8 years old his connection to Bill Ayers is believed to make him associated with terrorist or his mentor when he lived in Hawaii as a teen he associated with Frank Marshall Davis(Barack probaly didn't know what communisim was) who worte poetry. And his association with Rev. Wright, a racist?? a big stretch here! Rev. Wright spoke about conditions in America when he said G'Damn America, not as a racist but as a black man living in America.
Todd Palin's association with the AIP and the John Birch society is more damaging than anything Rev. Wright said becuase Todd P will have hands-on should his wife become the VP.
And Sarah speaking to the AIP giving them applause to their meeting in Alaska seeking to secede from the USA. Maybe her seeing Russia from her back yard made her want Alaska to become part of Russia?
Sleeping with the E.n.e.m.y - starring Sarah
Palin - pallin' around with t r a i t o r s.
NO!! WAIT!!! She SLEEPS with one!!!
Guess that's OK, then...*whew*
Its quite remarkable how fast the republicans get insinuations out but not the dems. What's up with that. That kind of info should be front and center. Especially after the beating Obama's taken over the Ayers thing. And another point, watched some of McCain's appearance on Letterman. Once again he referred to Alaska as the largest state in America, yeah, in square miles. Fact is its the second smallest in population with 670,000. There's several hundred cities in the lower 48 with larger populations. And another thing, I lived 25 years in a small town up north with a population of 8000. Our mayor had a full time job as well as being mayor, this "I was a mayor" crap is ridiculous. And bear in mind, Palin has only been governor about 16 months and she's already been brought up on charges. Give her time, she's just getting started. Frankly between McCains wimpy control of his own campaign, the useless pick of Sarah Palin and the constant negative advertising, I'm amazed the polls don't show him with 10% approval.
Well, this was McCain's tactic in picking her. He figured he'd win the election, and she'd be forced to resign after the election, and McCain could simply appoint Leiberman, his first choice anyway.
Well.... at least Todd has hobbies: snow machine racin' and the AIP.
The current AIP chairwoman, Lynnette Clark, has been reported as saying that she "doesn't see herself as an American". Her organisation was encouraged by Palin in June to keep up their "good work".
Where does this put Palin?
I'm just not getting it. Why is MSM not jumping on this and the McCain/Liddy connection?
While I have no fear that people who do the research know about this, it's the people who don't use computers who are sitting in the dark on these issues. And many voters, especially older ones, don't.
To me, it is totally unAmerican to not report these issues. MSM is totally irresponsible in not telling us the truth - the whole story as it were. Their silence is suspect. After the election, I'll stop watching American news again - til the next election.
I just watched Chris Matthews interview that Minnesota congresswoman who seemed to think the news media needed to do an expose on the "liberals" she serves with in congress because they may be "un-American." Mr. Matthews let her run on for quite a while so I thought he was allowing her to fall into a trap of sorts and would bring up Governor Palin's association with the Alaskan Independence Party. He didn't. I don't know if he ever has discussed this but I found it strange that there seems to be a media blackout on the subject. Why is that? Wouldn't the AIP be considered "un American" by this congresswoman's standards? Isn't the fact that Governor Palin's husband belonged to the association a discussable issue for the voters? Especially with the robo-calls from the RNC and John McCain concerning Mr. Ayers and Senator Obama?
Palin says on Youtube in her address to the AIP that she supports a "fully independent Alaska".
That sounds like code for secessionism to me.
It is indeed an enduring mystery why the MSM is not jumping all over the AIP and Liddy ( the REAL plumber) affiliations.
Meanwhile Ayres, Acorn and Joe the Plumber are still all over the media, as Reverend Wright was in a previous news cycle.
The current AIP chairwoman, Lynnette Clark, has been reported as saying that she "doesn't see herself as an American".
Her organisation got encouraged by Palin in June to keep up their "good work".
If not on the hustings, would Palin also see herself as not being an American?
These two are modern Bonnie and Clyde and maybe not so much modern.
The AIP advocates treason and its founder was a traitor. It's hard to understand why anyone associated with the AIP isn't under investigation by the FB! and Homeland Security. And anyone associated with these traitors is unfit for the Vice-Presidency. Further, HuffPo should be investigating Palin's connections with the white supremacist terrorist organization, The White Aryan Nation, which is rife in her birthplace, Sand Point, Idaho, and in which members of her family (Heath) are rumored to have been members.
Okay, enough is enough. We have put up with numbskulls for long enuff. Let us turn both Texas and Alaska back into territories after the election.
Living on land with oil underneath it rots their brains. That's why all these numbskulls who live on such land turn into greedy America haters who somehow end up with connections to Iran.
Nah... Let's keep 'em as states and, if they get "uppity" like the Deep South did back in the eighteen hunnerds, we'll just kick their butts into behaving all civilized like... I know, I know... Bring it on... Yawn...
Seems like Alaska is makin' a serious bid for first place in the "Best Politicians that money can buy" contest, and I'm qualified to judge because I'm from Louisiana...
Texas...? The "other" frontier...? Home of DeLay...? Where Rove was incubated...? Time fer the good folks down there to git a handle on those among 'em who git too big fer their britches... Sorry, but we've had enough swagger fer a while, thanks (and the snarkily-delivered but obligatory "but no thanks...!")
What's next in this script...? Enter B actor who defines "Patriotism" as "hate your government" and sells us all down the sewer...? Wait... I think that's been done...
Will we have to endure Palin on the political stage from now on...? Seriously...? Uneducated... Secessionist... Fascist... Opportunistic beyond belief... Hawk... Executive power monger...
Please... It's been a LOT longer than 15 minutes...!
Don't know if you will find this, but thanks for your note. Good point about Alaska is now bought. When the Supreme Court judged money to be free speech...? Bad enough, but who knew the oil companies would say, "Okay, let's go buy us a state!".
PALIN / McCAIN Presidential ticket for ALASKA 2009!!!! ?
This seems similar to the Ayers hoopla. However, it is interesting that the Wife of a seperatest has the highest office in the State of Alaska. Maybe she'll try to seperate from the USA once Obama is in the White House?
With one difference: The "Ayers hoopla" is a tempest in a teapot, a gross exaggeration of Obama's true relationship with Ayers; Mr and Mrs. Palin's connections to AIP is palpable, real, and dangerous.
In fact, the true nature of the Palin/AIP cabal is so unreal, that some would think that the Obama campaign had lost its mind if it attempted to illuminate the actual nature of it clearly. The lack of attention paid to it by the press and corporate media has created no frame of reference as campaign talking point. One might only hope that it were the "AIP hoopla." It's close to Waco wacko stuff.
WHY ISN'T THE MEDIA REPORTING THIS ASPECT OF PALIN'S LIFE?
It is true that to work for specific federal agencies one does need a specific security clearance, and isn't just for higher up jobs. So, does this mean he couldn't live with her if she was VP or President? Who wants to bet that she'd throw him under the bus if that was the case?!!!!!!!!!!!
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