Strollerderby : First Dude

Palin's Kids Traveling on the State's Dime, She's Trying to Claim "State Business"

JeanneSager — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:53:00 GMT

Sick of paying full price for an airplane seat your kids never stay in anyway? Become governor of Alaska, and all that will disppear. The state's taxpayers have paid more than $21,000 in travel expenses for Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's kids to travel to spots they weren't even invited.

The Associated Press has reported Palin not only charged the state for her three daughters to accompany her on a trip to watch First Dude Todd Palin in a sled dog race, but she amended expense reports to make it look as though her kids were on official business.

Organizers of a number of the events say the kids were not only not invited, but never took part in the activities. On one report, Palin's daughters' supposed duties were listed as "to draw two separate raffle tickets" at a January gala in Anchorage. Was this because the governor's two hands were too full of BS to pull two separate tickets herself?

Trips across the state were the lesser of the evils. A total of 64 one-way and 12 round-trip airfare tickets have been charged to the state - not for the governor (who sold the state's gubernatorial jet to "save" money), but for her kids. One trip to New York City with eldest daughter Bristol apparently cost the state $1,385 for plane tickets to and from LaGuardia airport for the two Palins plus $707 a night for four nights at a luxury hotel overlooking Central Park. Four nights - and all the governor did was spent five hours at a conference. (In all fairness, she also met with Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg and toured the New York Stock Exchange on the trip, which must have taken up, oh, another day out of the four, at least).

Palin's predecessor, former governor Tony Knowles, had school-aged kids when he was in office too. He says he never found a reason to take them with him on state business and never charged the state for their expenses.

I agree parents should try as much as possible to fit their kids into their work schedules so the kids don't get the short end of the stick. She could have packed their bags and paid the bill, and this wouldn't be a problem. Buthere's a difference between bringing them along and amending reports to make it look like they belonged there.

That's what they call fraud - which Governor Palin apparently doesn't approve of in the ballot box, but doesn't have a problem with in the governor's office.

Image: Policelink

Source: MSNBC

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Dudes for Palin: Vote for the Hot Chick!

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:30:00 GMT

It may not surprise you to learn that, according to the New York Times, “dudes” constitute Sarah Palin’s most vocal supporters. But it may disturb you to learn what these men have to say about her.

Although Palin was ostensibly chosen for her anticipated appeal to women, the former beauty contestant has (gasp!) won over far more men than women, with her initial approval ratings at 44 percent among men and 36 percent among women. (Those numbers have since dropped considerably, down to 31 percent among men.)

Even as many conservatives fault Palin for being, to put it nicely, not “serious” enough, Joe Sixpacks can’t get enough of her. One of Palin's female supporters acknowledged that Palin rallies are about “70-30, maybe 65-35, men to women.” Among the shout-outs that Palin routinely receives at her rallies are cries of, “You tell ‘em babe!” and “You rock me out, Sarah!” Some men sport “Proud to vote for a hot chick” buttons, while others carry “Dudes for Palin” signs.

Palin apparently loves the testosterone-charged rock concert atmosphere of her rallies. After entering a rally to the heading-banging tunes of AC/DC, she told the crowd, “That was kinda cool.” She has also introduced her husband as “Alaska’s First Dude.”

At least one Palin supporter interviewed by the Times admitted that he came to a Palin rally “just to look at her.” He wisely chose to remain anonymous. Let’s hope he realizes that, just as it’s embarrassing to admit to supporting a political candidate simply because of her appearance, actually voting an inexperienced, scandal-plagued woman into the White House simply because she’s “beautiful” at a time in which our country is engaged in two wars, is widely hated throughout the world, and is in the early stages of widespread economic collapse, would be an unforgivably inane decision.

Dudes, if you want to stare at hot chicks, watch Desperate Housewives.

Photo: New York Times

Vice Stay-at-Home "Dude" ... or Something

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:29:00 GMT

As much as I disagree with his wife's views on, well, everything, I am finding myself more and more intrigued at the prospect of Todd Palin taking up residence at the Naval Observatory -- home to the vice president. According to a story in the LA Times, it's possible he'd be the most high-profile stay-at-home dad since ever.

In Alaska, he's known as the "first dude" -- a hockey dad who takes care of the kids while his wife, Gov. Sarah Palin, flip-flops on a variety of issues. He also races snowmobiles and once finished a race by riding 400 miles with a broken arm. I have a feeling raising five children under a media spotlight might not be that big a deal for him.

[AP photo]