Palin Slams GOP Successor in Alaska
“Try to not bankrupt the state like you bankrupted your campaign. Now kiss the ring.”
Hey, Alaska! Sarah Palin is back.
She left our state’s politics in the dust after quitting office in 2009, but yesterday she returned to her favorite local media platform—The Bob & Mark Radio Show—to slam her successor and one-time Lt. Governor, Republican Sean Parnell.
The bone she had to pick with him relates to her signature legislation as governor, Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share (ACES). The oil tax system that ushered Alaska’s bank account into golden days of plenty, with a savings of more than $17 billion, ACES funded subsequent investments in roads, schools, and critical infrastructure projects. Under ACES, oil production was up, jobs were up, and the coffers were full after a long dark decade when oil companies paid little or no production tax on North America’s largest oil fields.
In an economy utterly reliant on oil, there is a reason that Palin’s approval ratings as Alaska governor once hovered near 90% and ACES had a lot to do with it. Considering the highly partisan nature of her current Tea Party politics, Palin was surprisingly bipartisan and partnered with Democrats and some legislative Republicans to make it happen. She was an Alaska first populist, and people responded.
“(ACES) was non-partisan,” Palin said. “That was the beauty of it too. People who understood ACES and supported it—it didn’t matter what party affiliation you were. It was just common sense and math … to show that both oil companies and service companies and the State of Alaska benefit.”
Her Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial successor Sean Parnell quietly supported ACES during the second half of what would have been Palin’s term. But once he won the governor’s seat in his own right, and likely faced 8 more years in the office, he began to systematically dismantle Palin’s signature legislation. Backed by a Republican majority in the legislature, he proposed his own oil tax “reform,”promising $2 billion a year to his former industry CEOs in exchange for… nothing. No requirement for more jobs, exploration, nor production. I mean, why get the supposed benefits in writing, right?
Parnell’s bill, SB21 passed and was signed into law. “Here you go. Here’s $2 billion a year. Have a nice day.” Even using the administrations own numbers, Parnell’s system would bankrupt the state in a decade.
Outraged, more than 50,000 Alaskans signed a petition to put the question of repeal on the August 19 primary ballot. SB21 now faces a vote by the people.
Until now, Palin has stood silent as the man whose name once shared her campaign yard signs has destroyed her legacy. Now, her silence on this matter has ended in dramatic fashion and the old populist “stick it to the oil companies” Palin is back.
Asked why Parnell had a change of heart, Palin said
“Bless his heart. Remember that Sean Parnell came from the oil industry. He was an employee of ConocoPhillips lobbying for the cause there.”
And she’s right. Parnell was the Director of Government Relations for ConocoPhillips before joining Gov. Frank Murkowski’s Administration as the Deputy Director of the state’s Division of Oil and Gas. Palin trounced the incumbent Republican Murkowski in a 3-way primary, largely due to his hinky dealings with the oil companies, and her promises of reform. Parnell left that job to become a partner in the global law and lobbying firm Patton and Boggs, which represents the Alaska interests of … wait for it… Exxon Mobil Corp. You know, the spill people who litigated until a quarter of spill victims were dead and the rest had to settle for pennies on the dollar.
Giving a nod to Alaska as an “owner state”—the actual owner of its natural resources which are to be developed, according to the state constitution, for the “maximum benefit of the people,” Palin summed it up.
“I’m happy to weigh in on this subject…and let people know how wrongheaded this will be if we start caving in to those who we respect, who we partner with, that’s the oil companies. But—they’re doing just fine and our Constitution lays out that perfect blueprint for Alaska to be solvent and sovereign and with the use of resources that benefits the owners—the residents.”
If we pluck the message from the word salad, it is this:
Sean Parnell is an oil shill. Alaskans are stupid if they listen to him. Don’t cave in to the oil companies. They are greedy, and have enough already. Our Constitution is being violated.
I often have to argue the point, especially with friends in the Lower 48, that Sean Parnell is a much worse governor than Sarah Palin ever was. But I hope this proves the point. He’s SO bad, even the crazy lady hates him.
What most don’t realize is that Palin has a long history of animosity toward Parnell. She never wanted him as her running mate, preferring instead the Republican candidate Jerry Ward. But Alaska holds a separate election for Lt. Governor, and so much to her dismay, Parnell it was. She was so furious that Parnell came to the joint campaign with tens of thousands of dollars in his own campaign debt, that she threatened to not put his name on her campaign signs until he made good on his own, refusing to use her money to pay off his debts.
Even then his bad money management skills clearly made an impact.
And despite all the partisan, extreme, hateful, incendiary remarks—despite the self-aggrandizing, narcissistic, exploitative grandstanding—despite all that, Sarah Palin talking about Alaska for the first time since she quit actually got it right.
Palin didn’t give a crap about Alaska when she quit. She needs to shut up now. We are done with her. I like Sean. He did what he had to with SB21 to get the oil companies to invest in more drilling. We aren’t making any money with an empty pipeline. It’s all about making money for Alaskans and creating jobs folks.
A broken clock is right twice a day – Sarah Palin got something right for the first time in 5 years. There must be a term for this phenomenon, or it should be created immediately!
Of course, if Obama (or any Dem) were to propose.anything like Alaska’s resource-extraction policy as a national program, Sarah! would just be the first, and loudest, of an infinite run of Publicans and media shores shrieking, *”SOSHULIZUM!! EEEVILL!!! EEEEEVVVVIIIILLLLL!!!!”*
I am Sarah Luther King Palin,Jr. and I have a dream. I dream of a world where people (like me) are judged by the content of their bank accounts-not by the content of their insiious,vapid remarks(like mine) I am a woman with hindsight(I see mostly aged,white males staring at ny kissable ass while I admire my gorgeous face in the mirror) I am also a visionary-I envision myself rolling in dough you rubes inexplicably send me for no reason whatsoever. I am living the rill ‘murrican dream. Don’t wake me up.
IMHO all the style points for bitch-slapping oilyboy Parnell goes to the lovely and talented Hostess of themudflats.net and her excellent gang of associates. Long live the best! Long live the best! Long live the best!!!
When two hucksters fling excrement around, the chances of the result being “art” is astronomical, but as this shows, not impossible.
I hope the half term half wit’s near ‘endorsement’ of Bill Walker doesn’t tank his campaign.
Palin is the kiss of death in Alaska and elsewhere == she endorsed four candidates in the L48 and all lost.
$tay in Arizona forever.
How screwy is this? Palin leaves her job as governor and hands over the reins to Parnell, despite the fact she dislikes him intensely? Somehow, this does not add up. Didn’t she quit because she didn’t want to be a lame duck and she needed to gather up money through unbridled celebrity to pay her lawyer bills? Now, when her star is plunging to Earth she decides she wants to go rogue against the oil companies? I just can’t swallow all this conjecture as I weigh it against the inane behavior of the quitter. She is a unrepentant opportunist. After all, remember Todd worked for an oil company and during the years he was running the state unashamedly sent confidential state information to oil companies. What are you thinking Jeanne?
Maybe it’s time for Alaska to not be dependent on oil ? You know,like those other states.
Before running for VP, she was a little vindictive, and a little crazy, but she was happy to be bipartisan or even non-partisan on any issue. Her run for VP flipped her ego into high gear, and removed her ability to agree with anything a Democrat had to say. But even so, she managed to be better for Alaska than both her predecesor and her successor. That says less about her than it says about the other two.
And when we say “a little vindictive” we mean firing the head of the Department of Public Safety because the department followed policy (and union contracts) and refused to fire the state trooper who was divorcing a Palin family member.
Just one example.
well up until recently – where the ‘hunted’ turned into the ‘hunters’ and went ‘bad boys’ on the minions…
vindictive has flavors of ‘domestic-terrorism’ with house burnings of that nurse from the hospital…
plane crashes with Dept of Revenue Commish and Curtis Menard…the list of the no names…
Car crashes that some survived and some did not…head tilt…and what really made her resign?
Inquiring minds want to know? What was in that July 2nd,2009 email that made her shake in fear?
Let’s talk about it in the courts now…after we clean house of the corruptions that still exist in Alaska…
She quit as governor of Alaska and to my way of thinking, should not be taken seriously as to anything she now has to say about the state!
But this time, she’s right! Incredibly.
I gotta nip this in the bud. She is not right. She lurks in the crowd until the race is nearly done then she jumps into the fray and claims leadership. While you and Shannyn and other good folks in Alaska have been doing the grunt work exposing Parnell,she has been polishing her nails waiting for her cue to make a belated pronouncement. Pat yourself on the back. All Palin is doing is stealing your hard work.
Mike, you are right. Palin is stealing their work, but most of her followers won’t see what Parnell is doing without her. I’m just glad that whatever her motive that she is speaking up on something on which I agree. Praise her!
Sorry, Jag24…she has done way too much harm throughout the recent years. She quit! There is no way hell I would ever praise her! Wouldn’t even cross my mind to do so!
Jag24-Got to disagree with the praise. I won’t immortalize a broken clock for being right twice a day.
oh that is not the only thing she ‘steals’ and it has to do with Alaska Oil Company…the Koch Brothers and BP stock and ‘ownership’ there of?
on your knees…down like a dog…there now you are where Sarah wants you…
Mike, the very definition of a politician is someone who waits for a parade, then jumps out in front. If she felt this way about Parnell, and had any thought at all for the people in Alaska, she would not have quit to go on the road and do her money tours. I agree, she is willing to take the credit, hog the spotlight, smile for the camera and shake down the audience. But she is not willing to do the work it takes to be a real leader. Accidentally ‘getting it right’ every now and then is no reason for praise.
Got it in one; nothing but NET!
Absolutely 100% correct! 🙂 🙂 (double like)
lol…you get em…get em good…lol…
True, Mudflats. n
So Parnell is now officially a wiener because the fat lady sang. I’ll bet he is just weeping his ass off.
…which now means, because a Palin endorsement is the kiss of death for candidates and programs alike now, Alaska will have 4 more years of Parnell, and will not be able to overturn what he has done to ACES….
Spot on.
May the curse be void this one time.
well I have yet to see him make it past this cycle without an impeachment of Parnell…and crews…
he thinks he can shift things around, burn paperwork and destroy records..Sarah told him so…
Now that it’s biting them both in the ass…they are either being ‘frenemies’ and flocking in private?
Or they are both in panic mode as they both will have an end destiny of a fine fine retirement resort…
You get to wear pink and work outdoors…the next stage for them is the stage of enlightenment…
Legally…a moment for them – lift and separate those political teats of Alaska…milkem dry!
Parnell signed the Education Bill in Wasilla…I am sure he stopped to see her…may be make sure she took her meds on time this go around….naw I am sure sex it out…like that Comedy I saw where a guy holding a drink tells a joke of going to a strip bar…an old woman approaches him and says ‘what you don’t want to see mine’ he sighs ‘alright yea I wanna see em roll em out’ and they flopped to the ground…that is the pic I see with Sean visiting Sarah…lol…