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Governor Comments on Latest Bogus Ethics Complaint
March 24, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin issued the following statement in response to another ethics complaint filed today. Filed by an Anchorage political blogger, the complaint alleges the governor “… improperly used her position and state resources to serve her personal financial interests by being a walking billboard for Arctic Cat ...”
"Are Alaskans outraged, or at least tired of this yet - another frivolous ethics charge by a political blogger? This would be hilarious if it weren’t so expensive for the state to process these accusations and for me to defend against these bogus harassments. Yes, I wore Arctic Cat snow gear at an outdoor event, because it was cold outside, and by the way, today, I am wearing clothes bearing the names of Alaska artists, and a Glennallen Panthers basketball hoodie. I am a walking billboard for the team’s fundraiser! Should I expect to see an ethics charge for wearing these, or the Carhartts I wear to many public events? How much will this blogger's asinine political grandstanding cost all of us in time and money?"
Where to start... does anyone anywhere have a problem with the Governor of a state referring to a "blogger's asinine political grandstanding?" Please, please please show me and my readers where any other Governor of any other state uses state resources to whine about a duly-filed ethics complaint?
Yes, Sarah, you did wear Arctic Cat snow gear during your official appearance at the start of (and the end of) the Iron Dog race. You state that it was because "it was cold outside." Do you mean to say that you have no cold weather gear besides that given you by Arctic Cat? Do you not realize that displaying company logos on your person while performing your OFFICIAL duties is tantamount to giving unwarranted benefit to that company? And you neglected to mention the financial benefits you and your husband have received from Arctic Cat -- to wit, according to your 2008 financial statements, "Discounts on Snow machines." Please don't think we are so dumb that we missed Todd's interview with Sports Illustrated where he bragged that his entry to the Iron Dog, which would have cost nearly $30,000:
Some Iron Doggers have spent upwards of $30,000 to finance a once-in-a-lifetime run into the wild heart of Alaska. Tapping their credit cards, they've shelled out $10,000 each for a 2009 snow machine, $10,000 more for an identical training sled, $2,500 for the race entry fee and a few thousand more for trailing airplane support. Palin and Davis, in contrast, have spent almost nothing. They are prodigiously sponsored, with their names monogrammed in script on their matching Arctic Cat jackets.
Sarah, Sarah, you are using your OFFICIAL Governor's Web site to launch a slime attack against one of your consituents? Do you really, really not understand the difference between wearing a Van Halen t-shirt when you cook dinner and wearing an Arctic Cat jacket when you are interviewed, AS GOVERNOR, by major news, entertainment and sports media? And since when do you get to use your BULLY PULPIT to label any complaint "bogus" from a citizen of Alaska to whom you are accountable?
Bad form, lady. Really bad form.
BTW, for those posters at C4P who were excusing GINO on account of "Team Arctic" on her jacket being the name of Todd Palin's two-man team, you are wrong. "Team Arctic" and "Arctic Cat" are plainly emblazoned on her jacket, and both terms are copyrighted by Arctic Cat. "Team Arctic" can be plainly seen on this jacket sold by Arctic Cat in their current catalog:
This is the same jacket that Sarah wore, except hers was personalized (monogrammed). Wear this, and proudly advertise Arctic Cat - aka Team Arctic. That's exactly what she did, and she (and her family) benefited from the relationship, to the tune of several thousand dollars. Google "Team Arctic," folks, and you will be taken directly to Arctic Cat's Web site.
So much for an "asinine" complaint.
