The New Testament of Sarah Palin: Spring 2010

Writing is hard. I struggle. Being a mom is hard. It's worth the hard work. Being a wife is hard. I wasn't good at it. Being a governor is hard. I've seen few really good at it. Campaigning is hard. As good as you can strategize and frame your message; sometimes you still don't get elected.

Just how competent is Sarah Palin? She hasn't been able to juggle everything to date...and now a new "ball" is up in the air.

Harper Collins just signed the Governor of Alaska to a book deal. In a time tight budgets and economic chaos, they managed to find a great sum to trade for the memoirs of a girl from Wasilla, Alaska. The book is due next spring. It was reported she was getting an $11 million advance. She denied the amount. It flies in the face of having a legal defense fund.

That's fantastic! Great! Get a laptop and a bottle of Adderall...you'll be fine. If you get stuck...well, make it up. It's worked so far.

The governor said about her new book, "There have been so many things written and said through mainstream media that have not been accurate, and it will be nice through an unfiltered forum to get to speak truthfully about who we are and what we stand for and what Alaska is all about." Who is "WE?" How in the ham and cheese can Sarah Palin know what "Alaska is all about?" No one can sum this place up; that's what I love about it. We are too mavericky to have one voice define us.

Palin added, "The idea is to focus on the content of the book and what's coming in terms of me being able to tell my story unrestrained and unfiltered." Well, that's precious! The idea of being governor, traveling around, and making promises for votes, is to FOCUS on the State you were elected to represent.

"It will be nice to put my journalism degree to work on this and get to tell my story, Alaska's story. There have been so many unauthorized books and publications that have spoken to somebody else's opinion of who I am, what my family represents and what Alaska is all about." AGAIN, SARAH, what 41.6% of Alaskans, according to last weeks poll numbers, think Alaska represents, is NOT YOU. Tell your family story, your story, but not ours.

For all the reasons it took her three weeks to sign a bill to support the emergency funding for the Alaska Territorial Guard, Sarah sure found her pen today.

But there is a problem.

Remember all the ethics Palin was touting during her un-holy national tour on the Strait Jacket Express? They include specific statutes:

S 39.52.170. Outside Employment Restricted.
(a) A public employee may not render services to benefit a personal or financial interest or engage in or accept employment outside the agency which the employee serves, if the outside employment or service is incompatible or in conflict with the proper discharge of official duties.
(c) The head of a principal executive department of the state may not accept employment for compensation outside the agency that the executive head serves.

Rest easy, I'm not going to file an ethics complaint over this. The system has been wildly abused, including the one Sarah filed on herself. Ethics are not something you can legislate; either you have them or you don't.

Alaska has a citizen legislature. They are expected to have employment outside of the 90 day session. The governor and her cabinet are considered full time employees. I'm not an attorney, but, after reading the details of the statutes, they seem specific and unambiguous; the governor can't be paid for other employment.

Sarah Palin is living the dream. People want to read about it. Some Alaskans are living a nightmare, and she needs to do her job.

Since the governor's return to Alaska, not much has progressed. Our legislature couldn't even pass the bestiality bill dubbed "Ididadog." Groundhog Day is now Marmot Day. We have a new state dog. Our minimum wage won't be the lowest in the nation. Sarah's pet projects crashed in committee. Her AG and cabinet appointments were rejected by the Republican majority legislature. Some of that I'm good with, I don't want the uterus police in my business or a bigot as Attorney General.

Palin hasn't been able to perform her duties as governor without a book deal. What ever she writes, Rush Limbaugh will consider it a pop-up book. Now that she has a contract, it won't take an ethics board to figure out Alaskans lose again.

Any guesses for a title?

Comments

[GrowBag]

I think Todd looks like a child predator.

[channelerchik]

"Rest easy, I'm not going to file an ethics complaint over this. The system has been wildly abused, including the one Sarah filed on herself. Ethics are not something you can legislate; either you have them or you don't."

Why aren't you going to file an ethics complaint over this, or at least give this article to the attention of the people who have oversight on this matter? The rightwing got their power by doing illegal things and not getting called on it by the people who saw it happening.

[stevor]

He wont' file and ethics complaint because he doesn't want to show how STUPID this whole idea of his is in the first place. Writing the article doesn't make him look so foolish because some people who voted for Obummer will consider it good. But going further, into the real world, would make more people see his idea to have the complaint is STUPID.

[GrowBag]

The only thing stupid, are Palins supporters.

[Ginnie20886]

Hello? The writer of the article is a SHE, not a he. Perhaps you should read more carefully before calling other people STUPID.

And why are those who disagree stupid? Your opinion is true and valid, but if you don't agree, the other person's opinion is stupid?

[akrunner]

when you say 'he,' who in the heck are you referring to?

[BJD44]

***************************************************************************************

THIS WOMAN WOULD HAVE TO PAY ME TO BUY HER BOOK......

NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD I PUT ANY MONEY IN HER COFFERS.....

***************************************************************************************

[BlueZoo]

Amen to that!

[dst1]

Me three..............

[Annoula]

If Joe The Plumber got a book deal, ANYBODY can do it!

[Mnemanth]

Ain't that the truth. As a matter of fact (no kidding) this particular act inspired me to get to writing one of my own. Not sure what'll come of it, but really, if any lame-o with nothing to say can make it...well, heck, I should at least break even!

[KIVPossum]

I can't wait. An entire book on moose hunting and snowmobile racing. That's gotta be a winner.

[adrianinflorida]

Uh, Possum, in an effort to not seem so...Redneck.... the American Recreational Vehicle Association would like you to use the term "Snow Machine" when referring to the things that the First Dude rides around on. Thank you for your time.

:)

[dst1]

Too bad, they are SNOWMOBILES..................

[hackerblaster]

What Sarah needs to do is finally realize she was lucky as hell to even get Mayor of Wasilla and even luckier to get Gov of Alaska. She needs to write her book and retire. There are plenty of conservatives out there that would buy it.

Sarah, GTFO. Please. Thanks

[Martha12]

#1

All of Palin squawking and game playing about "frivolous ethics complaints", was nothing more than a set up to deter folks from complaining about this.

This is the most clear cut violation to date. However, it seems that in Alaska, even when the legislature finds an employee "guilty" of an ethics violation, there are no consequences. What is the point of all the time and money spent, of even HAVING an ethics code if you cannot enforce it ?

It's an absolute JOKE! A Governor to be found guilty of "ABUSE OF POWER", by the state legislature, yet nothing is done?

To have the governor hand pick the personnel board that is supposed to be her ethics "watchdog" AND "appoint" the AG who is charged with the very same duties, is nothing more than the fox guarding the hen house. Nothing but a sure fired recipe for corruption.

[femonfire]

From article: The governor said about her new book, "There have been so many things written and said through mainstream media that have not been accurate, and it will be nice through an unfiltered forum to get to speak truthfully about who we are and what we stand for and what Alaska is all about."

This had to be a press statement or she was reading a statement that was written for her by Harpers. Palin has never been this articulate.

And for Ms. Grissom - you think Palin will write this book? NOT!

[SueInCA]

to get to speak truthfully about who we are and what we stand for and what Alaska is all about

you missed the last sentence, pure palin..................she probably forgot her lines

[Annoula]

A title for Sarah's book?

How about "Dressed to fail"?

[bedfordny]

Got two more working titles:

"Winkin', Blinkin' and Todd"

"A Heartbeat Away Was Not Close Enough For Me"

[Navy26Yrs]

"The Pig's Lipstick"

[sunbeltvoter]

"Alaska Caeser 2008: I Ran, They Saw, I Lost, You Betcha!"

"Home Improvement: The Wasilla Hockey Rink Edition"

"How the Liburrels Aborted My VP Plans, and You know How I Feel About That"

'Alaska Governor: The Story of a Stay at Home Hockey Mom"

"Pit Bull Unchained: Looking Good in Free RNC Lipstick"

"Vintage of the Century: The 2008 Wasilla Whine"

[Annoula]

I liked them all, but I vote for number 4!

[digdeeper]

Also "I saw Russia from my back yard"

What poor old shadow writer will have to make some sense, or better still, put her in a locked room and make her write it with no help from anyone. Oh boy! I would read the book then

[MadHeart]

Palin, journalist? What she means is being seen, depending on visual impact, nothing more. Why, I'll bet she can't even explain what expository writing is...but we all know her book will be a prime example of creative writing, though.

[DougNTexas]

It's called cashing in.

[Gloria Grissom]

What about President Obama? He signed a book deal in November or December before taking office. I don't think it is legal for him to write a book while in office. Of course, it is known that he had a ghost write for some of his previous books.

[KarenT]

Wow are you unaware! He wrote is own books and the article refers to an Alaskan law.

[Prakosh]

Such willful ignorance seems to be spreading!

[SueInCA]

Okay, one more time, HE IS NOT GOV OF ALASKA, get it now? If you "don't think" it is legal, you obviously have not done any research to find out. Another deflection away from Sarah

[tobyjack]

Would you, since you are obviously so much more intelligent than the rest of us, please tell us where you get your information. It is easy to make scurrilous accusations, but I really prefer some proof.

[landoffools]

Hey Gloria !

Your a riot !

Thanks for redefining the meaning of "ignorant d--chebag" !

[notanicegirl]

REALLY? He had a GHOST write for him? Assuming that was possible, Obama did not have help writing his books - from either the dead or the living.