Sarah Palin's rape kit controversy
Jim Tankersley
ABC26.com
When legislators run for president, they have to answer for every little vote they ever cast - yes, no or, er, present. When former mayors run for vice-president, we're learning this week, they have to answer for every policy in place in their town when they were in office.
Which brings us to the case of Sarah Palin and the town that charged victims for rape kits.
As Mary Pemberton of the Associated Press reports in a story headlined "Palin's town billed rape victims to get evidence":
When Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, the city billed sexual assault victims and their insurance companies for the cost of rape kits and forensic examinations.
Palin had been in office for four years when the practice of charging rape victims got the attention of state lawmakers in 2000, who passed a bill to stop the practice.
Former Democratic Rep. Eric Croft, who sponsored that bill, said he was disappointed that simply asking the Wasilla police department to stop didn't work. Croft said he doubts she was unaware of the practice.
Maria Comella, a McCain-Palin campaign spokeswoman, said Palin "does not believe, nor has she ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test." To suggest otherwise, she said, is a "misrepresentation of her commitment to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice."
Read the rest of the story:
Sarah Palin's rape kit controversy
Friday, September 12, 2008
Alaska Lawmakers Vote to Subpoena Todd Palin
Alaska Lawmakers Vote to Subpoena Todd Palin
By SERGE F. KOVALESKI NY Times Online
Published: September 12, 2008
ANCHORAGE — Alaska lawmakers voted Friday to issue a subpoena to Todd Palin, the husband of Gov. Sarah Palin, in an escalation of the inquiry into whether Ms. Palin improperly tried to have her former brother-in-law dismissed from his job as a state trooper.
The subpoena was one of 14 approved by the Judiciary Committee of the State Senate in a vote of 3 to 2 in a joint hearing with the House Judiciary Committee, which served in an advisory role during the proceeding. The subpoenas were requested by the legislative investigator conducting the inquiry, Stephen E. Branchflower, a former Anchorage prosecutor who now lives in South Carolina.
The vote set the stage for a possible legal clash between the Legislature and the Palin administration, which threatened this week to go to court to quash any subpoenas. Ms. Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president, has hired a lawyer, who did not return calls seeking comment.
“It seems that we are heading for a branch-against-branch smack-down,” said Senator Gene Therriault, a Republican who voted against approving the subpoenas and instead advocated that the investigation be handled by the state Personnel Board. “This is a nuclear route that should be avoided at all costs.”
Read the rest of the story:
Alaska Lawmakers Vote to Subpoena Todd Palin
By SERGE F. KOVALESKI NY Times Online
Published: September 12, 2008
ANCHORAGE — Alaska lawmakers voted Friday to issue a subpoena to Todd Palin, the husband of Gov. Sarah Palin, in an escalation of the inquiry into whether Ms. Palin improperly tried to have her former brother-in-law dismissed from his job as a state trooper.
The subpoena was one of 14 approved by the Judiciary Committee of the State Senate in a vote of 3 to 2 in a joint hearing with the House Judiciary Committee, which served in an advisory role during the proceeding. The subpoenas were requested by the legislative investigator conducting the inquiry, Stephen E. Branchflower, a former Anchorage prosecutor who now lives in South Carolina.
The vote set the stage for a possible legal clash between the Legislature and the Palin administration, which threatened this week to go to court to quash any subpoenas. Ms. Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president, has hired a lawyer, who did not return calls seeking comment.
“It seems that we are heading for a branch-against-branch smack-down,” said Senator Gene Therriault, a Republican who voted against approving the subpoenas and instead advocated that the investigation be handled by the state Personnel Board. “This is a nuclear route that should be avoided at all costs.”
Read the rest of the story:
Alaska Lawmakers Vote to Subpoena Todd Palin
Gov Sarah Palin Biography Video
This video was put out on September 4, 2008. Boy, have we learned a lot in the past 8 days! The only thing that still rings true here is that she loves moose stew.
Palin confused on Social Security, other issues
Palin confused on Social Security, other issues
September 12, 2008
BY LYNN SWEET Sun-Times Columnist
WASHINGTON--Sarah Palin, talking about domestic policy with ABC's Charles Gibson in his second day of exclusive access on Friday, seemed confused about entitlement programs -- and unaware that Congress has little say in significantly reducing the costs of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.
When she seemed to equate these entitlement programs to agencies "where we can find efficiencies in every department" Gibson lectured her that agencies are not involved in entitlements. Palin -- who as governor of Alaska should be well versed in Medicaid since it is a joint state and federal program -- did not skip a beat, just plowing on about the growth of government.
When she seemed to equate these entitlement programs to agencies "where we can find efficiencies in every department" Gibson lectured her that agencies are not involved in entitlements. Palin -- who as governor of Alaska should be well versed in Medicaid since it is a joint state and federal program -- did not skip a beat, just plowing on about the growth of government.
Other points of the Palin interview -- in the segment shown on the ABC Nightly News on Friday, and not including what was scheduled to be on 20/20 later Friday -- suggested that a Vice President Palin was not going to crusade on the hot button social issues of abortion, embryonic stem cell research and homosexuality and would embrace John McCain's positions. She referred to the Arizona senator as "McCain" several times in the interview.
Read the rest of the story:
Palin confused on Social Security, other issues
September 12, 2008
BY LYNN SWEET Sun-Times Columnist
WASHINGTON--Sarah Palin, talking about domestic policy with ABC's Charles Gibson in his second day of exclusive access on Friday, seemed confused about entitlement programs -- and unaware that Congress has little say in significantly reducing the costs of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.
When she seemed to equate these entitlement programs to agencies "where we can find efficiencies in every department" Gibson lectured her that agencies are not involved in entitlements. Palin -- who as governor of Alaska should be well versed in Medicaid since it is a joint state and federal program -- did not skip a beat, just plowing on about the growth of government.
When she seemed to equate these entitlement programs to agencies "where we can find efficiencies in every department" Gibson lectured her that agencies are not involved in entitlements. Palin -- who as governor of Alaska should be well versed in Medicaid since it is a joint state and federal program -- did not skip a beat, just plowing on about the growth of government.
Other points of the Palin interview -- in the segment shown on the ABC Nightly News on Friday, and not including what was scheduled to be on 20/20 later Friday -- suggested that a Vice President Palin was not going to crusade on the hot button social issues of abortion, embryonic stem cell research and homosexuality and would embrace John McCain's positions. She referred to the Arizona senator as "McCain" several times in the interview.
Read the rest of the story:
Palin confused on Social Security, other issues
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