The Real Issue: Governor Palin and the Survival of the Republic

I was reading Jake Tapper's blog post on ABC News and became quite disturbed over Governor Palin's association with the secessionist Alaska Independence Party (AIP). I can slough off the baby rumors. I can live with the Governor's conservative ideology. What I can't stand for is the possibility that the first time since before 1860, there is a person of national political importance who believes that the destruction of the Union is a good idea.

A bit of background. I spent three years at Fort Wainwright, Alaska (in Fairbanks) as military police company commander and Provost Marshal (the military version of a chief of police). It is a stunningly beautiful region, filled with wildlife and a pristine view equaled by none in the U.S. Alaska is also the home of a very, very independent strain of Americans, who see themselves, in general, as the last frontiersmen (and women). It is a mixing bowl of ethnic groups, from Russian Orthodox Inuits in Sitka to Chinese and Japanese communities in Anchorage. And not a few fringe elements as well.

The AIP is one of these, but it is one that has substantial political support in the state. The AIP has one unifying goal for the organization (along with a long roster of party planks of a distinctly conservative bent): a "do-over" of the 1958 referendum for statehood. AIP states its objective as:

"The Alaskan Independence Party's goal is the vote we were entitled to in 1958, one choice from among the following four alternatives:
1) Remain a Territory.
2) Become a separate and Independent Nation.
3) Accept Commonwealth status.
4) Become a State.
The call for this vote is in furtherance of the dream of the Alaskan Independence Party's founding father, Joe Vogler, which was for Alaskans to achieve independence under a minimal government, fully responsive to the people, promoting a peaceful and lawful means of resolving differences."

In the 1850's, as pressure to end slavery was applied first by the Abolitionists, then the Free Soilers, and finally the Republican Party, South Carolina's powerful and slave owning elite began to panic. The distinct likelihood that their human chattel would be taken from them drove them to adhere to the idea of "State's Rights." "State's Rights" sounds so, so much better than "the right to own other human beings and work them to death whenever I feel like it." The 'Right' being defended was the right to own slaves; South Carolina was not irate over their inability to coin money or raise their own tariffs.

What we are talking about is the fact that the 1860 planter elite was afraid that the bad old Federal government was going to come and take their property from them. Oddly enough, the AIP makes the same argument in their party platform -- "To support and defend States' Rights, Individual Rights, Property Rights, and the Equal Footing Doctrine as guaranteed by the constitutions of the United States of America and the state of Alaska," "To foster a constitutional amendment abolishing and prohibiting all property taxes," "To support the privatization of government services," and "To oppose the borrowing of money by government for any purposes other than for capital improvements." Simply put, the AIP wants the public land owned by the American People (read: ANWR) to be turned over to Alaska to be used as it sees fit. I can only suppose the fitting use involves digging oil wells, gold mines and other efforts to pull every remaining resource in the state out of the ground. If they can do it as part of the USA, great; if not, they want to do it as a Commonwealth or as an independent nation.

Last week Governor Palin, who presumably still adheres to the values and ideals of the AIP, was named as GOP Vice Presidential candidate. While much of the media attention has focused on her daughter's pregnancy and other soft issues, many of the real questions have been ignored, to include her involvement with the AIP.

While many of the AIP planks are fairly benign ("To provide for the development of unrestricted, statewide, surface transportation and utility corridors as needed by the public or any individual," and support for home schooling), the simple fact remains that it is a political party aimed at forcing a re-vote on statehood. It is, in effect, a secessionist movement, just like that which caused the Civil War.

And the United States is facing a situation where for the first time since 1860, we could end up with an elected official who is in favor of breaking up the Federal Union. On one side, we have a person who has favored, by her membership, secession from the American Republic on the basis of "States Rights." On the other, we have a black Presidential candidate who could finally heal the open scar of slavery and civil war, who could be President of the United States on the 150th anniversary of the firing on Fort Sumter.

We can go forward or we can go back. That is what this election is about.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate

Comments

[arthur2008]

Gov. Palin's obvious attraction to fringe causes, from "religious" quackery to an anti-American separatist group, leaves little doubt that she is the last person America needs in a time of crisis brought on by eight years of Bush/McCain thinking. Her obvious and apparently frequest dissembling is part of the political culture we need to change. That said, the focus needs to remain on Sen. McCain, who has let the country down with his cynical, self-serving -- and incompetent -- selection process. It hardly represents a break of any sort from the Bush years.

[CitizenInformed]

Focusing on Palin "is" focusing on McCain in the sense that he chose this person as his partner in the White House. How and who he chose for the #2 job says alot about what we could expect with his cabinet and judicial appointments.

As Palin's extreme conservative views have come to surface, they've been compared to McCain's views and previous voting records. I did not realize that McCain was so conservative. He looks alot scarier to me than he did prior to his Palin pick, and I suspect many other people feel the same.

[arvay]

I agree wholeheartedly.

She needs to be asked directly if she renounces her previous adherence to this fringe, borderline treasonous group.

She again illustrates that the Republicans are not a true, mainline American party, but a neo-fascist group that is occupying the seat of US government. If any Republicans don't like this description, they need to resign, now. It operates unconstitutionally, and needs to be removed in the next election -- and its leaders relentlessly prosecuted for their crimes.

Right now, the democratic Party is the only truly loyal American party. Most Republicans are members of a group that's systematically undermined our liberties, launched illegal wars and invaded our privacy.

[Robert Mackey - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm not sure I agree with your evaluation of the GOP; the mainline member believes what they believe. I respect that.
I do agree that Palin needs to openly rebuke the AIP in her speech tonight. If she does not, that means that she supports their cause.
I used to joke to people, when they asked my party affiliation, that I was a "Republica­n." After their shock wore off, I'd give them the punch line--"the only problem is that John Wilkes Booth killed my party."

[arvay]

Respectfully, I have the same view now about the Republicans as I have for soldiers who fought for the Confederacy. Their bravery should be respected, but their cause is utterly without merit.

[MsDoc]

That's painting with too broad a brush. Traditionally the parties represented serious differences in concerns..­. the Dems being most urban and the Repubs primarily farmers and "independent" folks who wanted little governmental interference in their lives.

This has morphed, of course, at least to some extent, but if you look at the demographics it still holds true in many instances.

The modern day Repub party is not the party of 60 years ago. They have been taken over by the radical religious right and therein lies the danger. They have a serious case of tunnel vision which makes it impossible for them to really acquire a world view. It's sad on a personal level, but dangerous in a global sense. We left the Crusades in the Middle Ages and that's where they belong.

When someone says "It's God's Will" I run for the bunker, amazed at their arrogance. Who are they to have a direct line denied to the rest of us?

[NCarolina]

The Constitution states that ". . . all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." U.S. Const., Art. VI.

By supporting and sympathizing with a group seeking to tear our country apart, she has violated her oath of office as governor. If elected as vice-president, she will give a false oath to support our form of government.

[Kerris]

Sorry to sound like a Republican basher (well, not really) but they won't care about such an intellectual, well-thought out, cogent argument such as the one presented here, as to why Palin's AIP connections are dangerous.

They'll spin it as her love of the American independent spirit and move on. They can be deliberately vapid that way.

[jankvkleve]

Yes, true or not, there is enough to go on with the flip-flopping on pork and lying about that, as well as abuse of power, and lying about that.

As for the AIP thing, I sometimes wonder what California gets out of being in the United States. Just kidding :-) ... sort of.

[DRaymond]

The bizzare thing is not just that it is happening, but it is the supposed 'Party of Lincoln' that is doing it!

[nvprog]

HuffPost's Pick

repubsthei­rownworste­nemy, check out minute six of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHFY1otOWjQ&feature=related:
Former member of AIP, Sarah Palin mentioned in clip from AIP convention. At 6:00 Dexter Clark, Vice Chairman of the AIP says:
"Our current governor, we mentioned at the last conference, the one we were hoping would get elected, Sarah Palin, did get elected. There's a joke, she's a pretty good looking gal, there's a joke goes around we're the coldest state with the hottest governor. And there was a lot of talk about her moving up. She was an AIP member before she got the job as a mayor of a small town -- that was a non-partisan job. But you get along to go along -- she eventually joined the Republican Party, where she had all kinds of problems with their ethics, and well, I won't go into that. She also had about an 80% approval rating, and is pretty well sympathetic to her former membership­."

[jteschke]

I would say that, if, somehow, McCain is elected, then the states who don't vote for him should secede from the regime.

[WorkingClass]

Amen. Lets get a divorce.

[fgates]

From the nytimes...

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/alaska-party-official-says-palin-was-not-a-member/

That retracted their front page article that Sarah Palin was a member of the AIP, though her husband was. She did attend two conventions and provide a video taped address for another (2008) convention.

So, while she was not a member she definitely treated this lunatic fringe party as a valid institution by virtue of that address as Governor of Alaska.

What part of "secessionist" did McCain not understand? What does this say about either McCain's judgment or vetting? Or, does he think no one will notice that Madam Vice President "may" condone a group advocating a "redo" of the 1958 vote to remain in the Union or go their separate way?

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

Since the claim of her membership in the secessionist organization has been debunked, how about editing this article accordingly, Huffpo? We have enough to hang this woman out to dry with and don't need to generate more sympathy votes for her.

[RTIII]

Sounds to me like the debunking has been debunked.
.

[speedingpullet]

Just heard Chris Matthews say that tomorrow's NYT article about the Pailn/AIP connection was incorrect - apparenly the woman from the AIP was 'wrong' and that Sarah Palin was 'never a member'

..... hmmm...I smell fish heads..

Seeing as I've seen a video of the Vice President of the AIP say, very clearly, she was a member before she joined the GOP to run for mayor.

Or maybe I've just gone completely bonkers...

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

She apparently wasn't a member. Set the record straight, H*ffp* so we generate fewer sympathy v*tes.

[DCinFrance]

Member or not, what would republicans have to say about him addressing a meeting akin to something like the Black Panthers? Hell, the guy couldn't even sit in a church without being tied to the political views of it's pastor. Yet, we are to be silent on this documented association, member or otherwise?

[ivorytower54]

no. i heard the speech on npr today!

[MsDoc]

Not bonkers...­. we are all just getting dizzy from the perpetual spin.

[Ndw]

It might be fair to echo their vicious accusations against Michelle Obama, & question whether or not Palin loves her country. Michelle speaking about her pride, EVEN if it's for the first time, strikes me as more patriotic than Palin connecting herself in any way with secession.

[SoCalRefugee]

Except that Michelle Obama isn't running for office and isn't a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

[RTIII]

What's wrong with your comment is you started your response with "Except" - which makes it sound like you don't agree. Actually, in the case you cite, it surely must be ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT, yes?
.

[dare2hope]

Thanks for this right-on-target posting about Sarah Palin's ties with the secessionist Alaska Independence Party. I also believe this is the biggest story and strongest drawback of
her candidacy for the Vice Presidency. One of the group's leaders spoke about the strategy
of infiltrating the major parties in order to advance their "Alaska First" (vs Country First) agenda.
One goal is to achieve self-sufficiency through oil revenue. That explains Governor Palin's
"drill, drill, drill" position. How would she try to shape public policy from the position of
Vice President (or President)? Will it still be "Alaska First?" This will only compound our nation's oil
dependency, which has crippled our global standing and stability.

I dearly hope that the media will let go of the "National Enquirer" type obsession with Sarah's
pregnant teenage daughter & fiance and take time to seriously focus on this critical issue.
Whenever the VP debates are scheduled, there should be some hard-hitting questions
about this. (If she's still a candidate by then.)

Also troubling is this news of the obstruction of her corruption investigation. We just can't START with so many muddy, unresolved issues around a candidate. It calls McCain's judgment into question.

[Henry]

Which brings up the natty issue of the South Ossetia and Abkazha regions of Georgia.
What does Sarah bring to that issue, that explosive issue for the country, the 50 states of America?

[08Barack08]

McCain exercised incredibly bad judgment by choosing the inexperienced Sarah Palin to lead the free world if he were to become incapacitated.

Agree? Join the movement:
http://www.IMPALIN.com/
Impalin' the McCain-Palin machine of distrust.