Taken at the Palin/Perry rally this weekend.

Nice…

Between “Drill, Baby, Drill”, “Mine, Baby, Mine”, and “Clear Cut, Baby, Clear Cut” we should be out of resources soon enough and force God to return to Earth.  I’m sure while rising up on a cloud, Sarah Palin will look down at all the sinners and say, “We Win, You Lose!”

Here’s today’s fresh hell.  Palin is now “some outsider” telling Californians what to do with their timber.

Mercury News…

REDDING, Calif.—Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called studies supporting global climate change a “bunch of snake oil science” Monday during a rare appearance in California, a state that has been at the forefront of environmental regulations.

Palin spoke before a logging conference in Redding, a town of 90,000 about 160 miles north of the state capital. The media were barred from the event, but The Associated Press bought a $74 ticket to attend.

Palin said California’s heavy regulatory environment makes it difficult for businesses to succeed, a point that is shared by many business leaders in the state.

She criticized what she said were heavy-handed environmental laws. As Alaska governor, for example, she said she sued the federal government to overturn the listing of polar bears as a threatened species.

Check out Geoffrey Dunn’s boots on the ground report on www.themudflats.net .  He’ll call in to the Shannyn Moore Show today.

Since all the social ills of Alaska have been cured, Juneau has declared war on the polar bear. 

www.visionsofthewild.com

 

Yep, “Mission Accomplished!” You didn’t hear? In the last three weeks, the state legislature has “tackled and trophied” poverty, rape statistics, fisheries issues, and oil & gas.  It’s time to take on the polar bear! You Betcha! Just like ol’ times. 

On May 15, 2008, the federal government put polar bears on the endangered species list.  I figured if George W. Bush said they’re endangered, there were probably 11 of them left and we should put them in zoos. It took exactly one week for half-governor Palin to respond with a threat to sue. 

www.visionsofthewild.com

 

At the time, the ADN reported: 

She and other Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state’s northern and northwestern coasts. 

Palin argued there is not enough evidence to support a listing. Polar bears are well-managed and their population has dramatically increased over 30 years as a result of conservation, she said. 

Climate models that predict continued loss of sea ice, the main habitat of polar bears, during summers are unreliable, Palin said. 

Good Lord, I thought we had moved on. 

This week the Legislative Council allocated $1.5 million for a conference and public relations campaign to sully the Endangered Species Act.  Six members of this council are appointed by Senate President Gary Stevens (R) and six by Speaker of the House, John Harris (R).

CHAIR:	Representative Harris
VICE-CHAIR:	Senator Davis
MEMBER:	Representative Chenault	MEMBER:	Senator Ellis
MEMBER:	Representative Dahlstrom	MEMBER:	Senator Hoffman
MEMBER:	Representative Gatto	MEMBER:	Senator Olson
MEMBER:	Representative Stoltze	MEMBER:	Senator Stedman
MEMBER:	Representative P.Wilson	MEMBER:	Senator Stevens
MEMBER:	Representative Guttenberg	MEMBER:	Senator Egan

It was reported in the ADN: 

The effort was conceived as a national public relations campaign aimed at creating a “grass-roots” call for limits on the Endangered Species Act. The Legislative Council has solicited bids from public relations firms willing to organize a conference in Anchorage on the act, with the findings to be used in the public relations effort. 

“Grass-Roots”?!  More like astroturfing! 

Eddie Grasser, a legislative staffer for the Outdoor Heritage Caucus which is chaired by John Harris (R) and Charlie Huggins (R), organized the quest for public relations solicitation. A quick google of Mr. Grasser shows he packs quite an agenda. 

Mr. Grasser is the President of the Hunter Heritage Foundation. A 501(c)3 organization “formed to promote conservation of Alaska’s fish, wildlife and wild places…”  Their website offers no membership or donation button. No data base came up with any verification of a 501(c)3 status-it was only listed on their site.  They do list their corporate sponsors: Alaska Chapter Safari Club International, Alaska Friends of NRA, Northern Dynasty/Pebble Project, BP, Conoco Phillips, Agrium, Tesoro , Anadarko, Shell , Alyeska Pipeline Company, Alaska Tanker Company, and the City of Wasilla, to name a few. 

Mr. Grasser has one up on Obama. He’s the President twice! Not just of the Hunter Heritage Foundation, but he is also the President of the Outdoor Heritage Foundation of Alaska.  Another 501(c)3 that has a remarkably similar mission statement about fish, wildlife, etc. The last event listed was in 2007 and was the launch of the website. Their business license is active. They have no site link to join their organization or donate to their cause. Mr. Grasser has his home listed as the address for the organization.  They too have a list of sponsors: The Alaska Outdoor Council, Safari Club International-Alaska Chapter, Alaska Friends of the NRA, SCI Kenai Chapter, BP, Conoco Phillips, Pebble Partnership/Northern Dynasty, The NRA, PacWest, Shell, Pioneer Natural Resources, Clay Cartridge Company, ACS, Udelhoven Oilfield Services, Anadarko, Tesoro Alaska…you get the idea. 

I’m curious if PacWest has an interest in the $1.5 million dollar job. They sponsor Mr. Grasser’s organization and have offices around the country. In February 2007, Pac/West announced that former U.S. House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo was joining the firm as a “senior partner.” Previous Pac/West campaigns had backed Pombo’s “attempts to rework the Endangered Species Act and open the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve to oil drilling.”  Rolling Stone magazine listed Pombo at number seven in their article The Ten Worst Congressman. “No member of Congress has worked harder to savage America’s natural resources than Pombo.” 

Grasser has been in his position as the “Outdoor Heritage Caucus” staffer since June of 2006.  Soon after, the ballot initiative process had begun to ban aerial wolf hunting. I wrote about this extensively in September of 2008.  Prior to that, the half-governor allocated over $400,00 of state funds to “educate” Alaskans on the benefits of shooting wolves and bears from planes. Not to be outdone, Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, who was in charge of the state Division of Elections, ensured the ballot language would be as confusing as possible-A YES vote on aerial wolf hunting would ban the practice.  A NO vote would maintain the status quo!    The aerial wolf hunting ballot proposition was defeated in the August election. 

The Safari Club Press release RE: Prop 2 2008  -  SCI’s Alaska Chapter president, Eddie Grasser added, “The misinformation spread by the proponents of this ballot initiative was amazing, but not surprising considering these individuals are not Alaskans and do not understand Alaska’s wildlife and ecology. Many organizations rallied together to ensure that Alaskan wildlife management remained the prerogative of the state Department of Fish and Game – not out-of-state extremist groups.” 

Wow. That meme is just wrong. There are many “Real Alaskans” who worked hard on the ballot initiative and voted for it. Mr. Grasser seems to consider anyone not agreeing with his ideology to be part of ”out-of-state extremist groups”. 

While running the NRA booth at the Alaska State Fair in 2008, Time Magazine caught up with him for a story they were writing about VP candidate Sarah Palin: 

Across the row from the State Fair livestock pavilion — with its champion pigs, giant cabbage and 900-lb. pumpkins — Eddie Grasser mans an NRA booth. Palin is a lifetime NRA member — a demographic that has not been particularly high on John McCain — and Grasser couldn’t be more excited about the governor he calls Sarah. Like Grasser, everyone here seems to be on a first name basis with their politicians. “It’s just one of those things about Alaska politics,” says Grasser. 

What Time should have followed up with:  Then why didn’t you support her when she ran for Lieutenant Governor? 

From Mother Jones - And the day before the Republican primary, in an August 26, 2002 email to Eddie Grasser, a leader of the Alaska Outdoor Council, a lobby for hunters and firearms owners, Palin expressed her disappointment at not receiving the AOC endorsement. She pointed out that she was a “lifetime member of the NRA” and a recipient of its “Defender of the 2nd Amendment Award.” In the email–which promoted her campaign positions–she objected to the process used by the AOC in endorsing one of her opponents in the Republican primary contest: “The AOC stated the endorsement was based on candidates’ answers to the AOC’s ’extensive questionnaire’…but in reality there was no questionnaire sent to Lt. Gov. candidates.” She asked if she could “use the AOC’s email address book to remind our members of my positions.” And she encouraged Grasser to visit her campaign website. This email–also sent via her official Wasilla city account–was addressed to over 300 people in addition to Grasser. 

Grasser was Beverly Masek’s chief of staff.  Masek pled guilty to conspiracy, and awaits sentencing. 

In 1988, he was listed as an occasional lobbyist and Vice President of the Alaska Professional Hunters Association. The article, written by Craig Medred, points out the conflict of interest Grasser found himself in when he would host, guide and list as an “assistant guide” the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Protection officer Sgt. Robert Boutang. 

Eddie Grasser is not an elected official.  He’s a back-door lobbyist. Not many “Grasser-roots” here, but a whole crop of astro-turf. 

Please contact the legislators on the committee listed above. Their address links are provided. Alaska has a hard enough time growing grass without the astro-turfing effects of corporate back-door lobbyists.

Must watch…DO IT!

Good Grief! This is classic…MUST WATCH. I want Andy Samburg to be White House Chief of Staff!!!

Oh, and the debut of the Palin Palm Pilot during the tea party speech.  You may know it as the iQuit? For all the slams on teleprompters…this is too funny. Caught pen handed, Sarah?

If you can’t remember what you’d do as president without writing it on your hand…YOU DON’T GET TO BE PRESIDENT.

This week’s show is all about MEDIA-Old vs New!

This week, I interviewed Julie Hasquet, the Press Secretary for Senator Mark Begich. Prior to working with Senator Begich, Julie was a reporter with KTUU Channel 2 for 17 years.

Our panelists:

Christy Harvey is the Director of Strategic Communications at the Center for American Progress. She is a regular contributor to national radio hosts Thom Hartmann and The Young Turks. Christy also co-hosts Studio 1080 on KUDO Anchorage.

Craig Medred has been a reporter in Alaska for more than 30 years. He is formerly the Outdoors Writer for The Anchorage Daily News and is now writing for the Alaska Dispatch.

Maia Nolan is the managing editor at the Alaska Dispatch. Prior to that, she contributed arts reviews and features to the Anchorage Daily News. Maia blogs at www.OwnTheSidewalk.com.

When you have your cake and eat it too…well, it’s bound to get frosting on your face. Then everyone else can see it.  Grab a napkin…I’ll explain.

During the Troopergate investigations, the abuse of power charges against Todd Palin for pressuring others to fire Commissioner Walt Monegan were hard to pin down. Why? Because he wasn’t under the same ethics laws as an employee of the state.

In the Troopergate case, Petumenos reported that Palin’s staff may have been involved in a campaign against Palin’s former brother-in-law, State Trooper Mike Wooten, who Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, had at various times tried to have fired.

Petumenos concluded that when Todd Palin took actions such as calling Monegan into the governor’s office and pressuring him to fire Wooten, he was a not a state employee and was not covered by the laws relating to state employees.

“Mr. Palin was a private citizen not within the jurisdiction of the Ethics Act,” Petumenos concluded.

MSNBC posted 1,200 emails obtained through a records request with the State of Alaska. The level of involvement of Todd Palin is higher than most of us who called him the “Shadow Governor” thought.

Nearly 3,000 pages of e-mails that Todd Palin exchanged with state officials, which were released to msnbc.com and NBC News by the state of Alaska under its public records law, draw a picture of a Palin administration where the governor’s husband got involved in a judicial appointment, monitored contract negotiations with public employee unions, received background checks on a corporate CEO, added his approval or disapproval to state board appointments and passed financial information marked “confidential” from his oil company employer to a state attorney.

The Palin family attorney came out with a response to the allegations of Todd Palin’s controlling presence in the administration.

But Sarah Palin’s attorney, Thomas Van Flein, issued a statement saying Todd Palin had official and unofficial duties.

“Todd Palin was, and remains, a close advisor to the governor,” Van Flein said. “Those in the administration knew this, and the public knew this. There is nothing unusual, untoward or inappropriate for a spouse of a chief executive to provide guidance, input and hands on assistance.”

Van Flein also noted that Todd Palin had no designated office, received no pay, and had no staff. But the e-mails show that he was still a decision-maker for the state during his stint as “First Dude.”

Well, isn’t that interesting.  He’s nothing, a nobody, a “husband” when there’s an investigation into abuse of power. His newly revealed emails demonstrate a clear and unambiguous over-reach…but he’s just an unpaid adviser…

WHICH ONE IS IT?
Cross Posted at Huffington Post

Photo from Dennis Zaki

Tune into to Shannyn Moore’s radio show today from 11am-2pm AST/3pm-6pm EST.

FIRST HOUR

Frank Schaeffer joins Shannyn at the bottom of the hour.  Frank has a lot to say about religion and the mixing of church and state.

SECOND HOUR

YOUR CALLS with Shannyn

THIRD HOUR

Thursdays in The Mud with Jeanne Devon from The Mudflats

Listen online here!

Call the show 907.569.1080!

Tune into to Shannyn Moore’s radio show today from 11am-2pm AST/3pm-6pm EST.

FIRST HOUR

Mudflats Blogger Jeanne Devon joins Shannyn with some important breaking news relating to THIS STORY cross posted at Huffington Post titled, SARAH PALIN, TAX CHEAT?

SECOND HOUR

Ethan Berkowitz comes on to talk about why HE WON’T ATTEND A TOWN HALL MEETING AT A UNION BOYCOTTED HOTEL!

THIRD HOUR

YOUR CALLS!

Listen online here!

Call the show 907.569.1080!

This week on Moore Up North, we delved into the nonsensical and pathological hatred of Senator Mark Begich by Mayor Sullivan and the “Fascist Five”.  Bill Starr was invited on the show and didn’t return our calls.  Mr. Starr wants to lower the cities bond rating so that he can blame it on Begich!  Assembly Vice Chair Mike Gutierrez joins Shannyn in the first segment.  Was the earthquake in Haiti Mark Begich’s fault?  Check out our interview.

Mike Gutierrez is the Vice Chair of the Anchorage Assembly and a Legislative Liaison to the Federation of Community Councils. 

Bill Starr is an Anchorage Assemblyman from Eagle River.  He chairs the Public Safety Community & Economic Development Audit and is the Liaison for the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. Unfortunately, Mr. Starr did not participate.  We very much would have provided him a forum to make his case.

This week’s panel consisted of Tom Brennan, Bob Poe and Steve Heimel.

Tom Brennan is the author of four books, including a thriller about Alaska seceding from the union.  Tom was an editorial writer for The Voice of the Times and now writes a weekly on-line column for the Anchorage Daily Planet.

Bob Poe is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Alaska.  He has had a 29-year career in both the Alaska private and public sectors.

Steve Heimel is a 29-Year Veteran Alaska Broadcaster. On his Sunday Americana music show, The Truck Stop, he is “The Old Bull Rider!”

This week, we took a hard look at the recent Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and its impact on Alaska politics.

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Part Four:

Part Five: