On April 3, 2010, before I began writing for Huffington Post, I published an article on my personal blog entitled Palin Prefers Homilies to Homework - "Drill Baby Drill." This post was written two and one half weeks before the tragic explosion in the Gulf Coast on April 21, 2010. The impetus for the post was the plan unveiled by Barack Obama for additional offshore drilling and Palin's criticism of that plan. Throughout the 2008 campaign Palin and McCain advocated the need for more off-shore drilling, by saying, "drill baby drill." Even when the President indicated that he would consider the authorization of additional drilling, after environmental studies had been conducted, Palin was still critical.
Let me repeat, Palin was critical of the President's concern for the environment. At that time Palin suggested by her comments that Obama's plan was a joke, stating, "Delays or major restrictions in accessing these resources for environmentally responsible development are not in the national interest..." Now the ever mercurial Palin is attempting to espouse support and concern for the environment, parading around like a card carrying member of Greenpeace.
On April 30, 2010, Palin once again took to her Facebook to express concern for the Gulf Coast. It is as if Palin hopes we have all forgotten her callous attitude and derision of Obama with her slogan, "stall baby stall." Yet, on her post Palin wrote, "Actions must be taken to increase oversight to prevent future accidents. Government can and must play an appropriate role here..." It is quite a change from the usual rhetoric generally spewed by Palin, though certainly within the same vein of Palin's characteristic superficiality.
In my April 3rd post, I quoted Richard Fineberg from Alaska, who was an oil and gas analyst, and who consulted with Palin's administration, before she resigned as Governor, in both 2007 and 2008. Mr. Fineberg prophetically declared, "Based upon my first-hand experience, I can tell you that Sarah Palin is misinforming the public on ACES (Alaska Clear and Equitable Share-one of three pieces of legislation for which she takes credit) as she does many other issues...When it comes to the craft of governance, Palin exhibits a superficiality that I find frightening. She tends to prefer homilies to homework and all too often over-simplifies or distorts issues."
It certainly seems that Palin is once again exhibiting vapid and insincere approach. We probably won't know for years the extent of the damage caused to the economy and to the fish, birds, and animals in the Gulf Coast. In the Exxon Valdez spill, scientists estimated that some shoreline habitats might take up to 30 years to recover. The Gulf Coast will probably surpass the environmental devastation of Exxon Valdez. Even if you have no regard for the environmental impact of this massive spill, consider its economic impact. Exxon spent an estimated $2 billion dollars in an attempt to clean up of the Exxon Valdez disaster, and another one billion dollars to settle related civil and criminal charges. In that disaster, companies' dependant upon the local marine population went bankrupt. Other economic effects included loss of recreational sports, fisheries, and reduced tourism. There is no reason to believe that the Gulf Coast spill will have any less devastating economic effects. Moreover, the recent spill emphasizes the urgency of developing alternative sources of energy, and the need to lessen our dependence on oil, from any source.
If someone says they "like Sarah Palin", or if they think the RNC is looking out for what is best for America, remind them that they were the ones that coined the phrases "drill baby drill," and "stall baby stall." Remind them that when Barack Obama suggested we should consider the environmental risks inherent in off-shore drilling, it was Sarah Palin who suggested that it was not in our national interest to consider the environmental impact of such drilling. Both Sarah Palin, and the spill in the Gulf Coast, are toxic to the United States of America. Surely our memories are vibrant enough to remember those memorable words uttered just weeks ago by Sarah Palin. She is not a politician. She is no longer the vice-presidential candidate. She is just a pretty lady who will say or do anything to allow her to continue to rake in $100,000 per speech, fly in private jets, stay in luxury hotels, and entice people to donate millions of dollars to her PAC. The citizens of this country, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents deserve better.
Stuart Whatley: The Capitalist Hagiography Has Little Room for Saints
When a corporation falls short of regulatory standards it does not do so accidentally. Rather, it is a calculated choice based on risible enforcement efforts and piddling penalties passed by legislators on the take.
Don't forget the privte plane, luxury hotel, and only BLACK cars will do. Malia
You are so right! He and Guillani and Michael Steele were all chanting "drill baby drill", but are nowhere to be found now. Maybe they are smart enough to be embarrassed. Sarah is exceptional in that regard! Malia
Does she really think we are foolish enough to forget? Malia
When that day comes I think we should have a party! Malia
Sounds good to me. Huge party on her front lawn , OH shoot, she is the insane woman with a gun ;)
Nothing Palin says is ever clear as to meaning, except to her most devoted fans.
Maybe we should employ them as translators. Trouble is, when you ask them why they like Palin or some such question, they seize up and are totally inarticulate. Not good for a translator.
I hope that truth will control the ultimate outcome. I just got back from Austin tonight, where Arianna Huffington was speaking, and she commented on the current state of the media. She explained that with so many people having access to information via the internet, it is possible for people like you and me to find the truth, and hold people like Sarah, accountable. It is just a matter of making the information available. We must continue to seek the truth, and point out every time Palin is dishonest or misleading. Malia
* She's going to step back and go quiet and look for something else to screech about
* She has already been "incorrect" (i.e., has lied) on so many aspects of energy that it's way too late.
The good news is that the seriousness of this issue may be her Waterloo. SP is suffering from over-exposure. She is up to her neck in "spill, baby, spill."
I surely hope you are right. My impression is that she was vocal enough about her disagreement with Obama that people will remember that. Those who are "friends" on facebook probably don't care what she said before, they just think she is a nice lady, so I know we won't convince everyone, but the majority of voters in this country are going to have a hard time forgetting this one. malia
I'm sure she has said something that was correct...but I just can't remember when that happened. Malia
As long as we let the Tundra Tart™ and her mindless followers spew (not unlike an unplugged oil gusher in the G of M) her poisonous, toxic filth, (“Drill, Baby, Drill!) we and our environment will forever be at the mercy of these eco-terrorists.
Until we as protectors of nature can stand up in great numbers to the insane rhetoric from the republican/conservative media machine, we, and particularly those living in coastal areas will have to endure the rape of our environment in the name of free enterprise and capitalism.
Check out the following link:
http://wilderness.org/content/exxon-valdez-lo...
If you love this planet, and you hate what unrestrained, dogmatic depletion of our natural resources and destruction of our environment is doing to the human race, do something. Write a letter to your congressperson; Join a protest march; Send the Sarah Palins of this world a message that they are not only catastrophically wrong in their views, but that they and their views are solely responsible for raping and molesting our environment and the people who have to live through their lack of forethought.
Check out my blog:
http://survivesmusic.net/Site/Blog/BDC6E33C-CBEE-486E-BEB8-3B4024B96286.html
Thanks you for the information and the time you spend to write on the blog. Serving as a champion of the environment is a virtually thankless job, as the people who would thank you are those yet to be born. Just know I appreciate what you are doing! See my post tomorrow on my personal blog at malialitman.wordpress.com. Thanks, Malia
Palin is the one who mocked safety concerns and further scientific studies and regulations concerning drilling with yet one more of her pithy demagogic slogans, "Stall, baby, stall" just a few weeks ago.
Now that a devastating spill has occurred, you state that the spill is "being used to discredit Palin's views on offshore drilling??" LOL.
Sorry, but she discredited herself with her own smug, ignorant rhetoric about drilling .... in the weeks and months leading up the oil spill. Basically, she's got egg-oil on her face.
In contrast to Palin's "slogan-y, oil shill-y" rhetoric on drilling , PO has always approached the issue with caution, pragmatism, and a wise nod to the need for regulation and safety concerns. He's in a league so much higher than Palin that it's laughable to grasp at equivalencies.
Thanks for introducing yourself to me, and thanks for reading along. It makes me feel like my time is used for a good purpose when I know it is making a difference to people. I have a stamp I use in my book that is a quote of Martin Luther King Jr. which is:
"Nothing is more dangerous than Sincere Ignorance, or Conscientous Stupidity. I am not sure Palin qualifies as "sincere" or "conscientous", but she is dangerous. Malia
Thanks for your support! I am hoping that with the bloggers who are dedicated to exposing Palin that it will eventually be hard for her to continue to be such a hypocrite. We must continue to demand that she be accountable. Malia
I think I will make you the leader of a fan club. Thanks for your support! She should be a thing of the past, and we should do all in our power to ensure that outcome. Malia
You've demonstrated 2 sides in this article.
When she thinks of it, sister soaker will champion the spill as a jobs-creation happy accident.
Just wait.
I hadn't thought about that angle, but you are probably right. If she does, I'll have fun writing an article about that. Malia
You are right the followers do not connect the dots, but the more often we do, the harder it is for her followers to keep from being embarrassed! Once or twice they may try to explain but after about the third time they start to be humiliated, and they become a little more quiet. That's when we know we have won. Malia