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Shannyn Moore

Shannyn Moore

Posted: November 16, 2009 04:27 AM

Palin's Oily Lies Drip from the Pages of Going Rogue

What's Your Reaction:

I know facts aren't going to matter to many people buying Sarah Palin's, Going Rogue. Facts certainly didn't matter to folks who voted for her.

According to the "fact checkers":

PALIN: Welcomes last year's Supreme Court decision deciding punitive damages for victims of the nation's largest oil spill tragedy, the Exxon Valdez disaster, stating it had taken 20 years to achieve victory. As governor, she says, she'd had the state argue in favor of the victims, and she says the court's ruling went "in favor of the people." Finally, she writes, Alaskans could recover some of their losses.


THE FACTS: That response is at odds with her reaction at the time to the ruling, which resolved the long-running case by reducing punitive damages for victims to $500 million from $2.5 billion. Environmentalists and plaintiffs' lawyers decried the ruling as a slap at the victims and Palin herself said she was "extremely disappointed." She said the justices had gutted a jury decision favoring higher damage awards, the Anchorage Daily News reported. "It's tragic that so many Alaska fishermen and their families have had their lives put on hold waiting for this decision," she said, noting many had died "while waiting for justice."


When Sarah Palin was asked by Katie Couric what Supreme Court decisions other than Roe v. Wade she disagreed with, she couldn't think of one. NOT ONE! Sarah squandered an opportunity, the perfect chance to tell America our story, an Alaskan story: dozens of suicides, thousands sick from clean up, tens of thousands bankrupt from a dead fishery.

exxonvaldez-disaster

Sarah Palin is to Alaska what Velveeta is to cheese; sadly unsatisfying and empty of nutrition. She had the national stage to plead Alaska's case to citizens who had long forgotten the images of a once pristine Prince William Sound turned into a thick, black, rolling sea; the oiled sea otters and birds; unrecognizable seals and whales; an initially deformed and diseased herring run that became extinct -- costing Cordova $100 million a year. Exxon exploited Alaska and turned pain into profit.

AND NOW, Palin is claiming to be part of a victory for the people of Alaska? Reality Deficit Disorder...now in book form.

The Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker Supreme Court decision in June 2008 all but pardoned Exxon's negligence. The highest court in the land condoned the half-assed cleanup. (My radio interview on the day of the ruling with Greg Palast). Exxon, the company that set and broke Planet Earth's quarterly profit record three quarters in a row, was let off the hook. Because of this unprecedented landmark decision, future corporate punitive damages are now forever minimally capped at literally pennies on the dollar!

The Roberts Court based its activist ruling on 19th century maritime law. Really! 21st century corporations can now view punitive damages as the small cost of doing business. Due to Exxon's negligence and the corporate sympathy of the Supreme Court, one the largest acts of environmental terrorism in history was treated like an accidental littering. The RATS -- Roberts, Alito, Thomas and Scalia, (Alito recused himself, confident that Souter and Kennedy would fill the business-friendly void) winked at their corporate masters as the Judas Court betrayed Justice.

exxon-not-doneExxon doesn't have marked offices in Alaska. There are some pretty hard feelings even 20 years later for some pretty good reasons. When Palin was pointing fingers at Letterman in July of this year, she did it from Houston, Texas. She was there to sign a deal with Exxon on behalf of Alaska. The state's willingness to do business with Exxon was like having your parents rent the basement to the guy who date raped you on prom night. Am I clear?

So Sarah was against the decision before she couldn't remember it before she was for it. And now, courtesy of Going Rogue, Sarah Palin manages to insult and injure Alaskans who will never be made whole with yet another one of her documented lies.

The jury originally punished Exxon with $5 billion in punitive damages -- a year's profit at the time. In 2008, nearly 20 years later, Exxon reported the largest annual profit in US history at $45.22 billion. The company shattered its own record set the previous year. Would the original $5 billion in punitive damages been punishment enough? The answer is now slowly dripping onto victims at 10 cents on the dollar. Opening your mailbox to an Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Settlement check is like getting a royalty payment for the snuff film your kid brother was in. Hey, you're getting paid, but he's still dead and you got to watch.

(above) Then Governor Palin's appropriate reaction to the Exxon v. Baker decision June, 2008

Candidate Palin's stunning memory lapse of Exxon v. Baker just 3 months later...

Look for Going Rogue in the revisionist history section of your local bookstore on Tuesday...

 

Follow Shannyn Moore on Twitter: www.twitter.com/shannynmoore

 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
StillweRise
11:04 AM on 11/18/2009
The single greatest thing about Palin is that she couldn't shut up if she desperately 'wanted' to.

"it is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt"
--Abraham Lincoln

I am reading posts where people are angry at Oprah for doing a softball interview, and for not challenging Palin on her OBVIOUS lies and / or contradictions. Oprah did not become a billionaire because she was stupid. She knew, no matter what question she asked, Palin was going to be Palin.
And as the 2008 elections proved, that's PHENOMINAL theater, but God-awful politics.
03:30 AM on 11/18/2009
I dunno, Shannyn. I'm waiting for you to stop pussyfooting around and tell us how you really feel.

Another great article.
03:46 PM on 11/17/2009
You do Velveeta a disservice. It actually has legitimate uses and redeeming value.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
DevonTexas
Eternal Optimism
03:31 PM on 11/17/2009
Seriously! Your writing is so good, I had to read this again! Excellent!
12:44 PM on 11/17/2009
“Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive”. Sir Walter Scott
12:39 PM on 11/17/2009
Shannyn, I've seen many of your appearances on MSNBC and have read a number of your columns. I very much appreciate the thorough and candid reporting you have done on Alaska and Sarah Palin. I also admire the fact that you have been able to maintain a genuine sense of humor. Keep up the great work.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
motherforpeace
10:54 AM on 11/17/2009
Thank you Shannyn Moore. I hope that your postings about Sarah Palin become more mainstream.
03:14 AM on 11/17/2009
Shannyn, this has to do with palin's lie, but it has more to do with McCain, but I could not find a spot to put it and I needed to voice my opinion. First, notice how I spell palin with "p"? That's my silent protest saying she is not important to capitalze the "p".

Something is going on with McCain to let palin continue her lies and to publicly knock McCain's staffers. McCain contacted his staffers and told them not to respond to palin's book. Why would he do this? Why not defend his people who he knew longer in the campaign than he did palin? To me it is a slap in the staffers face when McCain could just easily come out and say that his staffers are telling the truth and palin was a mistake or is not telling the truth. He is doing the opposite and still praises palin. There is this obvious silence from his Daily beast editor daughter who refuses to comment good or bad about palin. Why is she staying silent and not coming to her father and staffers defense? McCain does not want to say anything against palin, but he should defend his people! Does palin have something on McCain which is why the McCain family is keeping quiet. It is a funny campaign, Palin is now staying quiet against Levi since he warned palin he could hurt her with what he knows and the McCain family is staying quiet against palin.
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02:30 AM on 11/18/2009
Why indeed? This is a very interesting post and brings up some quite interesting thoughts that not to many including myself have not really paid attention to.
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HUFFPOST PUNDIT
redsongia
is not Chicago
10:26 PM on 11/16/2009
The best thing to come out of the Palin nomination debacle for the nation is Shannyn Moore.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ginamarie101
"To thine own self be true"
09:27 AM on 11/17/2009
second that.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
tlgeiger62
A woman of substance.
03:54 PM on 11/17/2009
Here Here!!
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
aznurse
09:27 PM on 11/16/2009
tonight a clip was shown on olbermann that she didnt answer courics question about what she read
because she was mad that it was such a stupid question.
ThinkCreeps
Seriously, it's time.
12:33 AM on 11/17/2009
Well, she had the perfect opportunity to say that on tape.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Terminal1
One mans religion is another mans belly laugh -
06:20 AM on 11/17/2009
She should have stated this when it first happened... at least within a week. Would have been must see TV. Bout between Couric and Palin.

Shame it took so long to come up with such a lame excuse.
06:00 PM on 11/16/2009
Shannyn...great story; I have tapped into Alaska politics years before, before you and Palin had national names. All in all Shannyn, you are a true Alaskan American hero. You have spoke out with this case, knowing that Republicans sat on the fence with this horrid, shameful decision because the 'big oil' was feeding their pockets. Alaska Oil is run by and head office in Texas, Cheney above all made his mark. Palin used it as a political football with big oil profits and giving every taxpayer a measly yearly benefit package. She twisted the tide so bad, hundreds of people/business's suffered while she brings a bottle of wine to Bill Allen to help her financially run for the governorship. She's a tart of the Party. And Crude.

Keep it up Shannyn; More people than you know appreciate your honesty.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ggranny
05:04 PM on 11/16/2009
I refuse to watch Oprah...I would rather read than watch Palin. No one has to read her "Book of Lies" to know that MOST is not the truth. However her followers...follow her only because of the message that she brings to them...called DIVISION! From what I have read, she has the reputation of causing problems wherever she goes...and there is nothing flattering about being a rotten apple. The idea of Palin as president is such a scary thought. She is just the devil's advocate that rallys hate & seperation...her supporters would vote against Christ Himself if he was not a bigot like them and Palin. She rallie hate and LIES...may God have mercy on her wretched soul.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
kwalters
05:54 PM on 11/16/2009
Oprah Winrey has built up a lot of capital with her audience over the years. Whether through her considerable film catalogue, or her television show, or her humanitarian work, Oprah has always been outspoken and done the right thing.

Her softball interview of Sarah Palin was disgusting. When James Frey was revealed to have written fiction and shopped it as non-fiction, Oprah shredded him. Oprah had an opportunity to blow Sarah Palin into a million little pieces and blew it...Sarah's hypocrisy and lies are all well documented.

There's been talk of this season being Oprah's last. Why would Oprah, a billionaire, toss softballs to Sarah Palin? I think this will irreputably damage Oprah's reputation. True to form...Sarah Palin never brings out the best in ANYONE!
06:30 PM on 11/16/2009
It was especially disgusting that Palin accused our president of sending people to Alaska to smear her and Oprah let that go unchallenged.
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HUFFPOST PUNDIT
redsongia
is not Chicago
10:33 PM on 11/16/2009
Yes, naturally, she blamed Obama's "smear campaign" against her for forcing her to resign. What isn't Obama's fault? Is anything Palin's fault, including her own decision to quit her job?
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04:55 PM on 11/16/2009
Had Sarah Palin become the VP, that of itself wouldn't have meant much. The part I was concerned most about, was McCain's obsession with Iran and taking out the perceived 'enemy' or WMD there. -When he was supposedly being comical with his rendition of the Beachboys song and Bombing Iran, I took him seriously.

I also believed him when he said he would seriously consider former Sen. Phil Gramm, the EnRon hero, to be his secretary of treasury. As if the economy could be turned around with this type of incompetency at treasury.

Palin, as VP, would have been relegated to obscure figurehead duties and we would all have lived in fear that something would prevent McCain from continuing as President, putting her in the White House.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
aznurse
11:31 PM on 11/16/2009
she NEVER would have a been regulated to a obsure figurehead. She would have made the news by insisting that Todd be in on all her meetings like she did in AK. She would have had those children in the news for one thing or another. She needs the attention.
She couldn't even be mature during the debates "Can I call you Joe.- wink? "
She can't help herself and why should she? It works and made her a millionaire.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
nicole473
Because Republicans are a threat to this democracy
04:37 PM on 11/16/2009
I'm watching her on Oprah right now. It appears that Sarah rehearsed. I'm wondering what your opinion is, Shannyn.

BTW, Oprah asked some of the right questions but didn't call Palin on all her lies.
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03:03 AM on 11/18/2009
Calling her out is not Oprah's job.
04:35 PM on 11/16/2009
Curiosity has me watching Oprah right now. Palin is smug, insincere and about as convincing as a teenage girl caught lying about where she was after curfew. Calling Couric, "the perky one" and then contradicting herself about how the Couric interview came to be. Palin is a very ugly person.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
motherforpeace
10:49 AM on 11/17/2009
Just plain vengeful.

She quit being Governor to write her book getting back at everyone and laying blame on everyone else. She is disturbing on so many levels.
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07:05 PM on 11/17/2009
Ethics charges such as troopergate may have contributed to her decision also.
If these charges were found true, the effect would have been devasrtating to her plans.

Following are some links to troopergate:

Alaska Daily News http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story510080.html
http://www.adn.com/monegan/story/492964.html

Guardian News http://guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2008/oct/10/usa-uselections2008