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Friday, November 30, 2007

Major gasline victory for Palin!

UPDATE: ConocoPhillips' gasline bid has been rejected for not meeting AGIA requirements. However, five other bids have been submitted, all from companies who would not have been allowed to bid before Gov. Palin passed AGIA. By allowing free-market competition, the Governor proved that there are, in fact, many companies who are willing to build a pipeline, not just the "Big Three"....and I'm guessing that they will do it without trying to pressure the state to change its plan. Way to go, Governor!

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Those who have read this blog for a long time may remember the battle earlier this year over Governor Palin's Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA), a plan to build a natural gas pipeline across Alaska. Of course, AGIA passed, but many still raised doubts. At the time, Alaska's "Big Three" oil producers (BP, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips) objected to the bill's reversal of former Governor Frank Murkowski's policy that only those three companies would be allowed to bid on the project, as well as requirements that the new pipeline have drop-off points within Alaska and hire Alaskan workers. Hence, there were doubts as to whether any of the Big Three would submit bids.

Those doubts are now gone. Today was the last day for companies to file bids, and ConocoPhillips has submitted a proposal to Governor Palin. With one of the Big Three now in on the bidding process, and encouraging the other two to get in on the project, I think it is safe to say that AGIA is a success. This just goes to show that a free-market process is every bit as economically viable as the non-market plan pursued by the Murkowski administration. Furthermore, it ensures that Alaskans will be able to use their own natural gas without having to re-import it from the lower 48 (a problem created by the Murkowski plan, which sent the pipeline through Canada rather than Alaska.)

The building of a gasline has been a major issue in Alaska for years, but Sarah Palin has made major progress on it in just less than one year in office! Decisive, effective leaders like Sarah Palin are few and far between, and they are desperately needed in the political cesspool of Washington, D.C. Yet another reason why Sarah Palin needs to be on the Republican ticket in 2008.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Political Pistachio Interview

I had a wonderful time on Doug Gibbs' Political Pistachio Radio along with fellow Palinite Steve Maloney, and I would like to thank Mr. Gibbs for the invitation. If you missed it, don't worry; it's been archived. (Click here to listen)

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Palin Panel on Pistachio!

I will be making my second appearance on Doug Gibbs' Political Pistachio program this Saturday at 7:00 PM Eastern/4:00 PM Pacific (3:00 PM Alaskan). This time, I will be appearing on a panel, along with fellow Palinites Steve Maloney of Camp2008Victory and Trish Houser of Palintology. You can listen live at www.blogtalkradio.com/politicalpistachio, and I will be sure to post the archived interview on my blog.

Please call in to express your support! (The call in number is posted on the site)

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

NRO Pundits Pick Palin for VP!

I can't believe I didn't find this sooner, because it is a big victory for our movement.

National Review Online recently asked a group of important bloggers, pundits, and other politicos to make predictions about the outcome of the 2008 election, and ten responses were published on Nov. 6. Of those ten, only five listed VP choices, and only four can be counted as serious (Boston talk show host/humorist Michael Graham wrote a hilarious comedy piece involving a five-way race in which one candidate was Michelle Obama).

So, of the four VP predictions that can be a taken seriously, TWO tagged Sarah Palin as the Republican VP nominee!

Professor John J. Pitney Jr. and blogger E.M. Zanotti both picked a Giuliani-Palin ticket. So, not only did Palin get mentioned for VP, she was the MOST mentioned candidate (The other two predictions were Giuliani-Fred Thompson and Romney-Huckabee).

Palin fans, take a bow...because I think it's safe to say that, at least as far as online chatter is concerned, Sarah Palin is now a first-tier candidate for the Vice Presidency!

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Memo to Pres. Candidiates: You NEED Sarah Palin!

I've said in the past that Sarah Palin would be the best VP for any GOP presidential nominee, and I think it's time that I put my money where my mouth is and prove it to you. I've had this post planned for a long-time, but a lot of my blogging has been focused on the growth of our movement. Tonight, I'm going to take the time to examine each top-tier presidential candidate (Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, McCain, Huckabee) and why Sarah Palin is the perfect running mate for each of them. By necessity, I will deal bluntly with the shortcomings of each candidate, because those are the holes that a VP needs to fill. No disrespect is meant. So without further ado (and in alphabetical order)....

Giuliani: Rudy, you have two problems. First, you are a Northeastern, big-city candidate. The GOP voting base is in the rural South and West. Second, you are viewed skeptically by the base in two BIG areas: social issues and gun rights. Sarah Palin is the ideal patch for both holes, and she brings a few extra perks as well. Palin is solidly pro-life, married with four kids, and a lifetime NRA member...a so-con's dream. Furthermore, she represents rural, Western America and has lots of experience with key issues that you didn't deal with in NYC (namely natural resources). Alaska may be off the beaten path, but the values there are the same as large swaths of the South and West, and Palin will play well in both regions. Her hockey-mom demeanor will also garner votes across the Northwest and Midwest. Lastly, she is a hard-nosed, decisive former mayor who you could trust to carry on your leadership style should anything happen.

Huckabee: Mike, you should have no problem in the Bible Belt, but your appeal is limited outside the South and the Midwest. You are going to need to massively expand you support to the North and West. You will also have to reassure fiscal conservatives and libertarians that you are not a big spender. Who better than a tough-talking Northwesterner who vetoed $23o million in wasteful spending and killed the "bridge to nowhere"? And did I mention that the Libertarian Party endorsed her for Governor? She also reinforces your outsider, down-home persona; and it wouldn't hurt to have a running mate who isn't as soft-spoken as you are.

McCain: I hate to break it to you John, but you are getting old. You look good for 71, but you REALLY need to add youth to the ticket. Palin is on 43 years old and preserves your maverick image without compromising on any conservative values...that's going to be a big key to settling down voters whose heads are ringing with the terms "McCain-Feingold" and "McCain-Kennedy". You could also use someone with a libertarian twinge considering that your support for campaign finance reform raises questions about your commitment to personal liberty.

Romney: Mitt, the problem isn't that you're saying the wrong things, it's that we have trouble believing you. You come off as too perfect and too slick, and you need a running mate with an "aw-shucks" personality to add humanity to your ticket. You also have the same problem as Rudy in that you are from the big-city Northeast. You've been talking like a Southern, Bible Belt candidate, so I don't think that the South will be a huge problem. The West, on the other hand, is where you are going to need help. Sarah Palin is the quintessential Western candidate, complete with libertarian streak and NRA membership. She also reinforces your squeaky-clean personal life to create the ULTIMATE family values ticket.

Thompson: Fred, you are four years younger than McCain, but you look and act ten years older than him. You need youth AND energy. You also need a support base outside the South. Sarah Palin to the rescue! With Palin on the ticket, you add a burst of energy and build support in key Northwestern states. It also wouldn't hurt to boost your lagging support among women. Palin also reinforces your down-home personality and neutralizes any questions about your personal life.

So, there you have it. Sarah Palin is a dynamite pick for VP no matter who is on the top of the ticket. I tried to be equally blunt about all of the candidates...and I like most of you, so please don't take it personally. And for the record, I think Palin would add a lot to the ticket should any of the second-tier candidates pull off a miracle.

If this post has convinced anyone, please take the time to sign our petition.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Check out my interview with Eric Dondero!

Here's a link to my interview on Libertarian Politics Live with Eric Dondero. It was a pleasure to appear and a great chance to discuss Sarah Palin's fiscal record and her appeal to ideological libertarians. (note: very brief mild language from Mr. Dondero.)

Radio Appearance Tonight!

I would have told you abut this earlier, but I just found out about it today. I will be appearing TONIGHT at 7:00 PM Eastern/4:00 PM Pacific (3:00 PM Alaskan) on Libertarian Politics Live with Eric Dondero. I will be on for about 15 minutes, and you can listen live at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/libertarian.



This is another big-time internet talk show, with past guests including a congressman and numerous representatives of major conservative and libertarian think tanks and publications. Eric Dondero is a national Republican political consultant and founder of the Republican Liberty Caucus. He formerly served as a Libertarian Party National Committeeman and senior aide to Rep. Ron Paul (though supporting Rudy Giuliani in the current election). He is also on our endorsements list via his blog Libertarian Republican. This appearance will be a great opportunity to promote Sarah Palin's fiscal conservatism and strong commitment to personal liberty.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Parental consent law struck down, Palin fires back!

UPDATE: Check out this excerpt from a KTUU news story...great reasoning by Gov. Palin:

"The governor argues that teens are required to get permission for small things like pierced ears. 'Yet a very invasive surgical procedure can take place on this girl and her body without parental consent,' Palin said."

Also, kudos to State Rep. Fred Dyson, who says he plans to introduce an amendment the state constitution to overrule the courts decision.

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Alaska's Supreme court has struck down the state's decade-old law requiring parental consent for abortions performed on girls under the age of 16 (click here for report). Governor Palin called the decision "outrageous" and said that the court "failed Alaska by separating parents from their children during such a critical decision". She also instructed Alaska's Attorney General, Talis Colberg, to file a petition for a rehearing.

I will keep close tabs on this outrage and will update you if and when more information becomes available.

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Palin, Polar Bears, and Duct Tape

How would you like a Vice President who has the guts to stand up to hard-line liberal environmentalists, but is humble enough to take time out of a busy legislative session to appear at the grand opening of her home town's new Wal-Mart?

Sarah Palin has done both in the last week, showing again why she is arguably THE premier conservative leader in the nation.

In a remarkable display of gutsy leadership, Gov. Palin came out strongly against the listing of Alaska's perfectly healthy polar bear population as a "threatened species" based solely on global warming speculation. In a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Palin said the following, "The listing of a currently healthy species based entirely on highly speculative and uncertain climate and ice modeling and equally uncertain and speculative modeling of possible impacts on a species would be unprecedented." The listing is being proposed based on climate modeling by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) which predicts that Alaska's polar bear population will be totally wiped out by shrinking amounts of summer sea ice in the next 50 years. Palin left open the possiblility of protecting the bears in the future, but said (rightly, in my opinion) that it would be premature to make such a decision now. The state of Alaska maintains that the USGS' "middle-of-the-road" predictions are "selective". Doug Vincent-Lang, a special assistant with Fish and Game, told the Anchorage Daily News, "They predetermined their outcome in choosing the models they chose." Palin also noted that conferring "threatened" status based on climate change predictions could "open the floodgates" for petitions to protect thousands of other species.

Palin also took time this week to participate in the grand opening of the newly expanded Wal-Mart supercenter in her hometown of Wasilla. In addition to cutting a red duct tape ribbon (the Wasilla location sold more duct tape last year than any Wal-Mart in the country), the Governor made some touching observations about the townsfolk that I think could be applied to herself as well, "The (Mat-Su) Valley is a unique place, and not just because we are the duct tape capitol of the world, which we are proud of being in Wasilla. But we are hard working, very unpretentious, just good, salt of the earth people that live here and are working in this store." On a more poltical note, this shows that Gov. Palin is one of those rare polticians (especially in Alaska) who respects American capitalism but is willing to stand up against graft and corruption when businesses step over the line (as in the cas of Alaska's oil industry).

I sincerely hope that the GOP presidential nominee will realize just how badly we need "good, salt of the earth people" like Sarah Palin in the next administration....and I pray that the Governor will be willing to answer the call.