Yes, you heard me right. The rumors are true. Governor Sarah Palin and her husband are supporters of the Alaska Independence Party. Word is just getting out from journalists like Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic, and Rosa Brooks of the Los Angeles Times who wrote:

"It's untrue that Palin has no foreign policy experience, anyway. In fact, she appears to have seriously flirted with the idea of trying to turn Alaska into a foreign country. How many vice presidential candidates can put that on their resumes?

Over the years, Palin has actively courted the Alaska Independence Party, or AIP, an organization that supports Alaskan secession from the U.S. To be clear, we're not necessarily talking about friendly secession either: As the AIP's founder, Joe Vogler, told an interviewer in 1991: "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government. ... And I won't be buried under their damn flag."

Video footage shows AIP Vice Chairman Dexter Clark describing Palin at the 2007 North American Secessionist Convention as an "AIP member before she got the job as a mayor of a small town -- that was a nonpartisan 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." Apparently with Palin in mind, Clark then went on to urge AIP members to "infiltrate" the major parties."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-brooks4-2008sep04,0,3731150 .column

"Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once so independent, she was once a member of their party, which since the 1970s has been pushing for a legal vote for Alaskans to decide whether or not residents of the 49th state can secede from the United States. And while McCain's motto -- as seen in a new TV ad -- is "Country First," the AIP's motto is the exact opposite -- "Alaska First -- Alaska Always."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/members-of-frin.html

The scramble to distance her from the party is happening on both the GOP and the AIP sides. The backpedaling is to be expected, but probably far too late. Like the other important bits of her history, this is probably just scratching the surface. It is hard to deny that she has been affiliated with them since 1994, she emphasized Alaska in her March 2008 welcome to the AIP convention, or that she was praised at the Second North American Secessionist Convention last October in Tennessee. These "Alaska First!" nutbags even did a lengthy interview with the Russian state newspaper, Pravda.

Oh, I hate to hijack my own thread, but there is yet another ringing endorsement for the erstwhile mayor that cannot be ignored. Along with her state having the worst graduation rate of high school students in the entire country, yet another honor was bestowed on the proud Alaskans that called Palin boss. In a stunning upset, the citizens of greater Wasilla were named the "meth capital of Alaska" by the state troopers. Hooray for Sarah!

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/030805/sta_20050308002.shtml

The GOP is making the vetting of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 look stellar and thorough by comparison. One Washington Post columnist recalled the classic picture, All About Eve to describe Palin. I still like the Tracy Flick comparison that Keith Olbermann drew after her vitriolic and insipid speech.

"Alaska First -- Alaska Always."

They must have stolen the slogan from Ted Stevens.



Well, I continue to be amused by all things Palin.

Just for fun, here is a screen capture from her speech. That photograph was actually on the CNN site for a time. The crowd she and her family runs with is very interesting indeed. One cannot help but wonder what other ideas Palin embraces in the campaign.

I find it alarming that the least taxed, most subsidized and biggest earmarked state per capita has folks in power who think that they ought to split off into their own country. I find it even more alarming that they were willing to talk to a Russian paper about it. This definitely aint Ike's GOP.

Geez, in the "related searches" box of the video you linked us to, I saw this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjiekNA74a4&feature=related

I'm not sure how this is related, but truth contortionist comes to mind.

ps: the video isn't for conservative minds.

Maybe she needs it for her bikini:

http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/index.php?s=ea80cb7461f4c9ebab807894c114483 7&act=attach&type=post&id=962

Oh...the wonders of Photoshop.

That picture is a fake.

Come January 21, 2009, don't be surprised if secession is also popular among citizens of the lower 48.

Now that you have been introduced to the AIP, you should meet the late Joe Vogler.

Oh...the wonders of Photoshop.

That picture is a fake.


I agree, I bet she looks much better in a bikini than that!