One-Armed Midgets, Hip-Hop, and Bloody Monkeys

"We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles.
But we want to apply them to urban-surburban hip-hop settings."

Michael Steele, Republican National Committee Chairman

So hey, New York Post, is this funny too? By the way, your non-apology sucked but not as badly as the original cartoon.

An Elaborate and Systematic Plan of Action

Bristol Palin's answers to Greta Van Susteren's questions included several key words that we've heard Sarah use before:  advocate, had to grow up a lot faster, focusing on getting through school, I just am so blessed...

So it struck me when Bristol used the term "game plan" not once but twice in the interview, that those were not her words, either.  Here's the relevant section of the interview to put this phrase in context (bolding is mine and the transcript comes from Fox):

VAN SUSTEREN: And I imagine [your mom and dad] had some guidance for you, or some thought.

BRISTOL: Yes, they just wanted us to sit down and make a game plan, like, what we were going to do and stuff.

VAN SUSTEREN: Had you told Levi's family?

BRISTOL: No, not yet.

VAN SUSTEREN: When did that come about?

BRISTOL: That came about probably, like, the following day.

VAN SUSTEREN: And how did that go over?

BRISTOL: Well, his mom was -- she was scared for us, too. Just we needed to sit down and make a game plan. But she was excited. We were all excited for the baby, of course.

What sort of "game plan" do you need to sit down and devise when your high school junior tells you she's pregnant?  Here's a definition for "game plan" from an online dictionary:

Noun	1.	game plan - (figurative) a carefully thought out strategy for achieving an objective in war or politics or business or personal affairs; "newscasters speculated about the President's game plan for an invasion" scheme, strategy - an elaborate and systematic plan of action
	2.	game plan - (sports) a plan for achieving an objective in some sport athletics, sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition scheme, strategy - an elaborate and systematic plan of action

Schemes, strategies, achieving objectives, and sports metaphors -- that sure sounds like Sarah and not Bristol to me.  So what kind of "game plan" exactly was needed?  You don't have to make a game plan to figure out what maternity clothes to wear.  Or when to have pre-natal visits.  Or how to get the vitamins and nutrients your body needs during pregnancy.

No, I think this "game plan" refers to something much larger -- a plan to achieve an objective that requires careful thinking-out, diversions, and a flexible strategy.  What was the objective of the "game plan" that Bristol and Sarah and Todd (and possibly Sherry and Levi Johnston) worked out?  If we hypothesize that Bristol is Trig's birth mother, we might have this plan.

The Trig Plan

Objective

Cover for underage, unwed daughter Bristol's pregnancy by making it look like Sarah is having the baby instead.

Bonuses

1. Avoid embarrassing the Governor and disrupting her political ambitions
   
2. Avoid embarrassing the family members
3. Gain sympathy from community and church
4. Use DS baby as a political pro-life credential

Strategy

1. Hide Bristol during last 4 months of pregnancy by sending her to Sarah's sister in Anchorage.
   
2. Preemptively deny rumors of Bristol's pregnancy to the press, to 'nip it in the bud.'
   
3. Wait until 4-6 weeks before Bristol's due date, then have Sarah announce she is pregnant and due in 2 months.  This will cut down on the amount of time Sarah has to fake her pregnancy.
4. Have Sarah start wearing scarves, jackets and coats to disguise body.
   
5. Explain away lack of sharing the news of Sarah's "pregnancy" with family and staff as needed.
6. Keep Bristol and Trig out of sight if the baby comes too early. 
7. Get Sarah's picture taken with a fake belly a couple of times.  Release them if necessary.
   
8. Announce the birth of Trig after Legislative session is over and Texas speech delivered, saying he was born 4-5 weeks prematurely.  Refer to him as a gift, a joy and a blessing.
   

Another quote from the transcript noted above leads me to think there was also a "game plan" for Tripp.  Sarah mentions twice that Bristol's pregnancy was a shock.  In the context she says this, I take it to mean Bristol's second pregnancy was a shock since who would have thought Bristol could get pregnant again so soon?

SARAH PALIN: I'm still getting used to having a -- you know, my last child, Trig, much less that, you know, knowing that we would have another little bundle of joy in our midst. So yes, it was a surprise. It was a shock.

VAN SUSTEREN: Did you give her hell or were you -- at first? I mean, what...

SARAH PALIN: Yes, I kind of did. I mean, I was...

BRISTOL: We were all surprised.

SARAH PALIN: We were all surprised. Let me put it this way. And this is -- I think Bristol's kind of an example of, truly, it can happen to anybody. [...] But still an absolute shock that it happened.

Sarah says, "I'm still getting used to having a -- you know, my last child, Trig..." Why would having recently had Trig contribute to Sarah's shock on learning of Bristol's pregnancy with Tripp?  One answer is that Sarah couldn't believe that Bristol went and did it again.  So then, we have need for another "game plan."

The Tripp Plan

Objective

Get the most benefit out of releasing information about Bristol's (second) pregnancy, in light of already being nominated for Vice President.

Bonuses

1. Use the announcement to quell rumors that Sarah did not give birth to Trig.
2. Sarah gains sympathy by being supportive of Bristol.
3. Sarah gains further cred with the religious right because Bristol made a mistake getting pregnant but at least she is going to have the baby and get married (we'll see about that).
   
4. Bristol will become an 'advocate' for something... like the benefits of abstinence, or why you should just say No, or what a pain it is being an unwed mother unless you are a Governor's daughter, or...
   

Strategy

1. Preemptively announce Bristol's pregnancy as soon as possible after the VP selection announcement (throw her under the bus) to quash Babygate rumors.  After all, McCain has made his choice and can't back out now.
   
2. Have some anonymous aide say that Bristol is about five months along, which will be about one month too early for her to have also birthed Trig.
3. Keep Bristol on the bus as much as possible to avoid speculation on the stage of her pregnancy.
4. Once the campaign is over, hide Bristol away.
5. Push the supposed birth date out from middle to late December, and then announce it just before the year ends no matter what.
6. Procrastinate if magazines come calling to get baby pictures.
   
7. Keep Bristol hidden until she does give birth.
8. As soon as Tripp no longer looks obviously newborn, get a friendly TV personality to do an interview with Bristol and finally show the new arrival.
9. Use the interview to start Bristol's career as an 'advocate' for something and as another way to get Sarah's political positions on prime time TV.

[Disclaimer - I have never seen a real Palin family "game plan."  This is just what I imagine one might have looked like.  YMMV!]

Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

In the Pure Gossip Category

I thought of Crystal Gayle's song when I heard, from more than a couple people, that Bristol Palin's "fiance" has fathered another child besides Tripp.  This is being whispered by a few sources... and then I listened to Bristol's very vague answers about Levi Johnston during her recent exclusive interview with Greta, available here on YouTube.  "Eventually, we'd like to get married," said Bristol.  It sure doesn't sound like there are any firm plans.  We all thought the wedding was to take place last year, before Tripp's birth.  And then the wedding was supposed to happen this summer.  Could Levi's dallying around have anything to do with the hesitation?

Babies, Babies, Who Are Those Babies?

The baby that Sarah Palin brought into camera range as Greta was talking to Bristol could be, finally, the missing Tripp!  We didn't get to see much of him close up, but during the interview, several photographs of babies floated on the screen, interspersed with the live shots.  Just to play devil's advocate, we saw no attribution for any of the photos, nor any dating for the photos.  We should not assume that all the photos were of the same baby. Especially that one image of a grumpy-looking wide-nostriled baby sitting up. Just sayin'...

The Birth Date Issue

Since we have no way of verifying Tripp's birth date, I spent some time looking at babies on YouTube...

Here's a baby at 4 weeks:


And here's one at 7 weeks (Tripp's age if he was born 12-27-2008):


A seven-week infant seems to have more awareness of its surroundings, and responds more affirmatively to stimulus.

The shot we had of "Tripp live" could be at four weeks, five, six or seven weeks of age.  From what I've read, it is not at all uncommon to get pregnant again within 2-6 weeks of giving birth.  A little fudge on Trig, a little fudge on Tripp, and you've got a creamy bowl of Mudflats #4 winner of the new Sarah Palin Ben & Jerry's flavor:  "I Can See Fudge From My House!"

Xe = Blackwater

We all know the name Blackwater.  It is now synonymous with killing civilians without repercussions.

But now we learn that Blackwater has changed its name for its mercenary services... now that company and its employees shall be known as Xe. 

Xe????  Pronounced, btw, as the letter Z.

See story at TPM here. 

If you'd spent millions advertising your name and building the recognition, why would you change the name unless you were ashamed of what your former name meant?  Answer:  you wouldn't.

Color me unsurprised.  Also, color me very aware of this sleight-of-hand, and still angry at what now Xe's employees did to chip away at any good will others who represent the US may have been trying to create while working with Iraqi factions.

Shame on you, Blackwater.  And double shame on you for changing your name in what can only be a shameless attempt at sending valid inquiries off into the invisible yonder.

Caption This Image

It's you-know-who's birthday! Here's a picture in need of a good caption. I've started off with a few -- add yours in a comment!

 

Caption this image!

Where am I gonna find another AG with strong morals, also, like Talis?
----------------
Darn it, where's Bristol. I told her to have Tripp here by my birthday.
----------------
Can ya believe that Ashley Judd? I'd like to take her up in a plane with my rifle...
----------------
Gonna have to get Muthee to do his prayer thing on me again, too, this time for protection also from those pesky pajama-wearin' basement bloggers!

This Just In...

Talis Colberg, Sarah Palin's appointed Attorney General, turned in his resignation last night. It was effective immediately.

ADN has the story here.

SanityRant talks about it here.

Sarah said,

...and as the search for a new attorney general begins, I will look for someone with the same strong moral character as Talis.

Things That Make Me Go "Hmmmmm"

April 2008 was a busy month for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.  She had a budget bill to sign, polar bear protecting environmentalists to dissuade, a speech to deliver at an energy conference in Texas sponsored by oilmen, and a documentary shoot scheduled with Israeli filmmaker Elan Frank.  Her most avid supporter, blogger "Elephantman" (aka Adam Brinkley), joyfully announced the publication of her authorized biography, Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down.

I'll come back to the Elan Frank film in a minute. But this information, from the first chapter of the Sarah biography, was just too interesting:

Born in Sandpoint, Idaho on February 11, 1964, Sarah Louise was the third of four children born in rapid succession to Chuck and Sally Heath.  The family moved to Alaska when Sarah was two months old... Her older brother, Chuck Jr., was two years old, Heather had just turned one, and Molly was soon to come.

Chuck Jr. was two, Heather just turned one, Sarah was two months and Molly was "soon to come."  [counts fingers, scratching head]

This means that Sarah was born just 10 months after Heather.  It also sounds like Sally was pregnant again just two months after Sarah was born.

Hmmmm.  I'm wondering if Bristol inherited this rapid-repeat-pregnancy tendency from Sally.

But back to Elan Frank.  He decided to do a documentary on 'women empowerment' and chose Sarah Palin as one of his subjects.  In early March, 2008 he was in Los Angeles preparing for his trip to Alaska when Sarah called him (from LA) and said she'd like to meet.  This get-together took place about a month before Frank traveled to Alaska to do his filming.

After Sarah was announced as a VP candidate, Frank remarked, "I was elated, it's like my best friend was picked for the job," and proceeded to sell his footage to Fox News.  In September, 2008 Fox aired a documentary that used substantial portions of that footage.

Elan Frank in Sarah's office, circa April 8, 2008

I can't find a video of that Fox program.  However, there is a video about Elan Frank recording Sarah Palin in which Frank describes his experiences shooting this documentary footage.

In a related Ynetnews story titled "Sarah Palin mesmerizes Israeli filmmaker", Frank says,

"I met her in my Hollywood office and we talked for over an hour… we instantaneously clicked and we had a blast. The funny thing is," he added, "that a few days later I got an email from a friend in Alaska telling me she was seven months pregnant. I didn’t notice a thing until later, when we were filming.

"I guess she's one of those women you can't really [tell] when they're pregnant, and she was probably dressing to hide it a little. You wouldn't know to look for it."

I can understand why Frank would be confused.  On one day he filmed Sarah slapping her squarish jelly-belly.  But a day or so before, she looked like this:

The 'fashion-assisting' scarf hangs straight down

The image above is a frame from the video about the documentary footage that Frank shot.  We see Sarah, Blackberry in hand, going out of her office, down some steps, and onto the sidewalk to greet daughter Piper who gets off the school bus. The only adjustments I made to this frame were to crop it and remove the letters that ran across the bottom.

For reference, here's the original frame, about the 00:02:03 mark:

By all accounts, Elan Frank shot this roughly 10 days before Trig Palin's official birthdate.  That would mean Sarah is supposed to be 33-34 weeks pregnant here.  I scrolled through more than a hundred pictures of women who are 34 weeks pregnant, and there's no reasonable comparison.

The author of a JewishJournal.com article about Frank's filming of Palin, titled Shooting Sarah Palin, tells us,

So yes, Frank seems to have fallen under her spell.  But Frank is no [sucker or fool] himself. This is a war hero who spent seven years in the Israeli army fighting a wily foe. He knows all about deception. He doesn't trust easily. He can tell real from fake and tough from soft.

"If Sarah Palin is anything," he says, "she's real and tough."

Hmmmmm.  Was Elan Frank mesmerized or not?  Was he under Sarah's spell?  Do seven years in the Israeli army enable you to tell the difference between a real pregnant belly and a fake one?

Doing the Math

Some time ago, originally as a comment on Mudflats blog, we read a post from one "Sue Williams."  Sue told us that Bristol Palin was rumored to be pregnant.  She said she had heard it from close to 20 people who are all long-time friends of the [Palin's] family.  She goes on to state that the rumor was rampant in April 2008, issuing from Willow's boyfriend who "wouldn't shut up about how Bristol was pregnant."

Then, we also have Bill McAllister's statement (former TV reporter, now currently working for Sarah Palin) who said that Sarah approached him, at some point before she announced her pregnancy ,

She said it's not true about Bristol.

Before Sarah announced her 5th pregnancy on March 6, 2008, she approached McAllister in an effort to stem rumors that Bristol was pregnant. That means she was telling McAllister sometime PRIOR to March 6 that rumors of Bristol being pregnant were not true.

So, we have two sources that place rumors of Bristol's pregnancy at least as early as April 2008, and very likely, back to February 2008.

Let's take a look at a pregnancy chart.

Conception occurred	April 5, 2008
First Trimester ends	June 14, 2008
Second Trimester ends	September 27, 2008
Estimated Due Date	December 27, 2008

If we believe Bristol was pregnant and gave birth on December 27, she would've conceived early in April.

Unless the rumors we heard from at least two different sources were both wrong, how could there even have been any rumors in February or March or April 2008?  Based on this chart, Bristol was not even pregnant before April 5, 2008.  There would have been no need to pull her out of school in December 2007.  Nobody, not even Bristol, would know about her pregnancy before mid-summer 2008.  Willow's boyfriend could not have known in April that Bristol had just .. JUST .. gotten pregnant.

If anyone has any other explanation for the existence of the rumors, please let me know.

Help Wanted - Bracelet Bloodhound

I've spent the better part of the afternoon looking for information on the bracelet Sarah Palin was seen wearing frequently during the campaign.  Some people suggest it is made of whalebone, and I also read someone refer to it as a "magic bracelet."  I've spotlighted it in the photo here that was taken on September 9, 2008.

Is the bracelet a good luck charm?  Does it ward off witches?  She is pictured wearing it on several official and casual occasions, including her State of the State address last month.

Where did this bracelet come from, and why is it such a favorite adornment?  When did she acquire it?  Anyone know anyone who might know?  Anyone feel like playing a sleuth?

Okay, Acting Like a Dick Won't Fix Anything!

Had this in my "great little song" category, and thought, given well, stuff and all, that it might be a nice thing to lighten our moods and also provide some subtle advice.

As a bonus, there's even a snippet of SWSNBN* in the video!

I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I do. Really, I do.

*The acronym stands for She Who Shall Not Be Named.  I use it when I've burned out on saying her name.  :)

Weird Things Palin Said and Did...

Here are a few gems from the Dallas News (bolding is mine):

Struggling to accept that her child would be born with Down syndrome and fearful of public criticism of a governor's pregnancy, Palin had concealed the news that she was expecting even from her parents and children until her third trimester.

...Palin sent an e-mail message to her relatives and close friends about her new son, [sister Heather] Bruce said. She signed it, “Trig's Creator, Your Heavenly Father.”

...At her baby shower, Palin joked about her long months of secrecy, [friend Marilyn] Lane said. “About the seventh month I thought I'd better let people know,” Palin said.

“So it was really great,” she continued. “I was only pregnant a month.”

1. How does one keep a pregnancy secret for 7 months from one's immediate family?
2. Who assumes the persona of God when sending e-mails?
3. Is the "I was only pregnant a month" statement more revealing than she thought at the time?

And this, from Alaska Daily News (bolding is mine):

An announcement from the state said that Palin's "labor began (Thursday) while she was in Texas at the governor's energy conference, where she gave the keynote luncheon address, but let up enough for her to travel on Alaska Airlines back to Alaska in time to deliver her second son."

Adding to this, we have the following from Newsminer (bolding is mine):

The governor did not feel the need to inform the airline of her condition, Leighow said.

Palin told her staff that she would not have boarded the plane had she thought she or her baby were in danger.

Then there's this, from Alaska Daily News:

"I am not a glutton for pain and punishment. I would have never wanted to travel had I been fully engaged in labor," Palin said. After four kids, the governor said, she knew what labor felt like, and she wasn't in labor.

..."It was smooth. It was relatively easy," Palin said. "In fact it was the easiest of all," probably because Trig was small, at 6 pounds, 2 ounces.

1. So, which was it? Labor started on Thursday or she wasn't in labor?
   
2. Real labor is relentless and unstoppable.  False labor can stop and start.  However, "If you're not yet 37 weeks, don't waste precious time trying to figure out what's going on [with contractions]. If you notice any signs of labor, call your doctor or midwife right away in order to rule out preterm labor."
3. Complications from PPROM (preterm premature rupture of membrane) to the baby include the need for resuscitation, infection, cord compression, and compression anomalies to face, limbs and lungs.  On what basis did Sarah decide that she and her unborn were not in danger?  And what about the other passengers on the plane and possible inconveniences to them... do they count?
   
4. I recall reading that Sarah had no problems with her first four pregnancies, so she was not worried with the early onset of labor with Trig.  If Trig "was the easiest of all..." is this some sort of recommendation for premature, induced births?  In what way was he the easiest?  Were all her labors 26+ hours long and did they involve medical intervention to take place?
   

Such are my thoughts this chilly February evening.  I would've never said my pregnancies lasted only a month, and each labor and delivery was poignantly memorable.  One took 3 hours, one 6 and one 12... but I would never have called one easier than the other.  And I never pretended to be God when I informed friends and relatives about the birth.  But that's just me. 

New Comments Tool Debut

As of this post, comments will be handled by Disqus (pronounced "discuss" -- just follow the link for a summary of what it does).  There is currently no need to register, but you will need to provide a name and an e-mail address when posting.  If you want, you can also join the Disqus community and get an "ID" there, which will help you track your own comments over time, making it easier to find what you (or someone else) said.  I'm hoping it will also make it easier for me to keep track of some of the great comments you make.

So, try it out and let me know (in a comment of course!) what you think.

In the meantime, another real post is in the works:  Weird Things Palin Said ... about her 5th pregnancy and birth.

About Those Superbowl Promo Sightings

I'm not sure that the pictures from Alaska Dispatch showing scenes from a taping done at Sarah Palin's "Superbowl Commercial" show us much more than the Guv's love of cameras.

It is pretty clear that Trig is in the crowd, along with Chuck Heath, Sarah's father.  Then there are two girls who trade off holding Trig.  One wears a reddish top and the other, a white sweatshirt.  Neither of those girls looks pregnant or post-partum.

The images below show the best shot I can get of the girl in red (reportedly taken in late January 2009), and then press photos of Bristol and Willow Palin around September - October 2008.  The second image of the girl in red has been de-speckled and sharpened somewhat.

Original image

Sharpened image

Bristol profile

Willow profile

The girl in red's nose/mouth/chin looks wrong, that is, if we suppose it might be Bristol.  Bottom line, the images from the Alaska Dispatch are too poor quality-wise to tell very much.

Now You See It - Now You Don't

A couple of posts ago, I blogged about Sarah Palin's intentions to run for US President in 2012.  She did start a PAC, and her name was listed in the Federal Election Commission's Web site as a candidate for President in 2012.  Other people took both of these happenings as a strong indication of her ambitions, in spite of her denial, "No, not at all, not at all, no," when asked if her PAC signaled her intent to run.

I was not the only one to notice these events.  Apparently, though, if someone starts a "committee-to-elect" someone (like David L. Kelly of Colorado Springs, CO -- coincidentally home to beleaguered ex-pastor Ted Haggard -- apparently did), they have to give the name of the someone they want to see elected.  So it might have been possible that someone other than Sarah, and without her knowledge or approval, filed with the FEC and listed her name, and that's how she came to appear in their database.

Fine, I said.  Maybe some of the Team Sarah people got ambitious (a couple years early).

Then I went back to check the FEC filing today.  And surprise, surprise, Candidate ID P20001939 has been wiped from the database.

 

So, okay, what happened?  Did David Kelly change his mind?  Did Sarah tell him to put the KABOSH on any public announcement of her ambitions?

Inquiring minds want to know.  Especially in light of the recent ethics violations filings, and how absent Sarah has been from Juneau or any pressing Alaska Governor issues.  Is she mounting a stealth campaign now?  Stealth seems to suit her ... in fact, one might say that deception is her modus operandi.

Where to Begin?

[Updated to remove list item - further research indicates that the McCain-Palin Compliance Fund, even though established in 2/2008, did not add Palin's name until late August, 2008.]

I've been puzzling for a few days about how to proceed in my campaign to keep shining light on the politician from Alaska who has made it obvious she has national aspirations.  Every time I start writing a blog entry, the research I do uncovers yet another great take on the falsehoods or deceptions or outrageousness of Alaska's current Governor.  So what I've decided to do is re-hash what has already been said, and along the way, if I can uncover anything new, I'll post it.

Current categories for future posts are lies, contradictions, and things that are missing.

Under lies, we have:

1. Sarah was surprised in late August, 2008, to learn that she was selected to be McCain's VP pick.  The truth is that Sarah likely knew well ahead of the announcement, that she would be named as McCain's running mate.
   
2. Sarah ignored the ruling and results of the Legislative committee charged with investigating Troopergate.  Sarah says, in full voice, that she was cleared of any wrongdoing.  The report clearly states that she was guilty of ethics violations.
3. Sarah claimed that she was responsible for telling the US Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks," when it came to a hefty earmark for "the bridge to nowhere."  The truth is Sarah pushed hard for that earmark, and only when it was nationally laughed at did she back off her support.  And then, even though the specific project was canned, the Congress still provided the funds which were used for general infrastructure projects.  Sarah did not return one cent of the money as she implies.
   
4. Sarah claims she has shown her medical records, proving that she gave birth to Trig.  The truth is, she has not permitted even one medical record to be released.

Under contradictions we have, so far...

1. Sarah says on one hand that she hid her (alleged 2007-2008) pregnancy with fashion-assisted camouflage, and on the other that she did nothing to hide it because she believed that women need to show they can do a job and have babies too.
2. Sarah claims on one hand that the McCain campaign kept her from doing more interviews with members of the press, and on the other, that the McCain campaign insisted she keep on with interviews (esp. Katie Couric) even when Sarah felt they were not going well.
3. Sarah's spokesperson keeps insisting that Sarah is keeping Alaska first now, and has only initiated SarahPAC so that she can "draw a bright line" between her activities as governor and her activities as a potential 2012 presidential candidate.  Meantime, Sarah does not have time to meet with Alaska's Mayors, or travel to Emmonak, or show up in Juneau during the current legislative session -- but she does have time, for instance, to go to D.C. for the Alfalfa Club dinner among other self-promotion activities.
   
4. Sarah blasted media in general for failing to take the extra step to investigate dastardly rumors concerning her alleged maternity, yet when her own state's premier news organization tried to get unbiased, verifiable information to disprove the rumors, she refused to provide it, calling the requests outrageous.

And then, things that are in-your-face missing:

1. We've got no confirmation of the date of birth, or the place of birth, for Trig Palin.
2. Following what seems to be a pattern, we also have no confirmation of the date of birth or place of birth (not to mention proof of birth) for Tripp Johnston.  This is critical because if Bristol was pregnant with Tripp and gave birth to him in December 2008, that makes it extremely unlikely that the rumors that Bristol is Trig's birth-mother are true.

I'm sure there are plenty more lies, contradictions and things that are missing.  But that's a start!  Let me know if I should include more items on any one of these lists.  I plan to do individual blog posts for each.

Off With the Gloves

Sarah Palin,

I've been hoping you would realize the futility of pursuing a national political career.  In fact, I've been waiting for signs that you were going to be content to remain in Alaska and keep "progressing that great State" until you were voted out of office by another candidate for Governor come 2010.  And then I was not going to spend more time on my blog pointing out your weaknesses, foibles, and deceptions.

But then I heard you started your very own political action committee (PAC).

 

And sure enough, you did. I won't link to it, because anyone with access to Google can find it easily enough.  

If that weren't bad enough, a poster at Alaska Daily News (ADN) noticed that you've filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as a presidential candidate for 2012.

 

And I'll be darned if you didn't do that too!  Just so that folks don't think I'm making this up, here's the link to the record image showing your "Office Sought: President" in "Election Year: 2012" filing.

So, quit blaming the media and the bloggers, Sarah.  You entered national politics and you've now clearly stated your intention to remain a contender.  The gloves are off as far as I am concerned, and everything that can be known, or figured out, about you is fair game for exploration and discussion. 

Count on endless replays of Katie Couric interviews and that Sarkozy spoof.  Look for Bellygate to keep on growing.  Watch out for those fresh ethics complaints and a revival of interest in who told the Troopergate truth. Then there's Pebblegate and the elephant in the room, Gaslinegate.  It should be a fun couple of years ahead!

Tripp-in'

Back in late August, 2008, the media and blogosphere were asking, "Sarah who?"  John McCain's VP pick took a lot of people by surprise, so those who like to be informed about Vice Presidential candidates started trying to find out about Sarah.

When Sarah introduced herself to the country from Ohio on August 29, 2008, she presented four members of her family as well -- husband Todd, daughters Bristol, Willow and Piper, and baby Trig.  Bristol was wearing a burp-cloth and nestling Trig during Sarah's speech (video).

Immediately, the Internet began buzzing about rumors (that had already persisted for many months in Alaska) suggesting Bristol was the one who had been pregnant with Trig, not Sarah.

McAllister was an Anchorage TV reporter before working for Palin. He said Palin once approached him - before people knew she was pregnant - assuming he'd been hearing rumors.

"She said it's not true about Bristol," McAllister said.

At the time, the rumor would have been that Palin's daughter was pregnant.
(ADN)

(Sarah had made her surprise announcement that she was 7 months pregnant on March 4, 2008, so her attempt to dispel rumors that Bill McAllister may have heard would have been earlier -- February? January?)

Three days after Sarah's entrance on the national stage, through a statement released by the McCain campaign on 9-1-2008, Sarah acknowledged that one rumor was, at least sort of, true.  Bristol was expecting a baby.  She was "about 5 months along," according to an aide who asked not to be named (CNN).   The campaign said this news was released in order to squelch the other rumor that Sarah was not Trig's biological mother.  Someone who gave birth 4-1/2 months ago could not also be 5 months pregnant.

At that time, the Internet storm subsided somewhat and people took a "wait and see" approach.  Would Bristol deliver on or about her (first announced) due date of December 18?



It turns out that there has been a birth - maybe. All the media outlets who picked up on the story referred to People Magazine as the source. According to People, Bristol's great-aunt (who lives in Washington State) got an e-mail from Bristol's grandfather, Chuck Heath, saying that Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston was born to Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston on Sunday, December 28, 2008 and weighed 7lbs 4oz.  The date and birth weight shifted a bit over the next few days and is now reported as taking place on Saturday, December 27, 2008 / 7lbs 7oz.  The same issue of People tried to get a statement from Sarah.

Bill McAllister, a spokesman for Gov. Palin said, "This office will not be issuing any statements on [Bristol's baby]. We’re here to talk about state government and that matter falls outside of that."  (People Magazine)

However, the Alaska State Web site did publish a news release about the birth on New Year's Eve, 12-31-2008.  Here's Bill McAllister again:

The governor's office previously declined to comment to honor the family's wishes that the event remain as private as possible. However, the high volume of press inquiries, along with some erroneous information that was published, prompted the governor to make a statement. (AK.US Press Archive)

The people who were waiting and seeing since September 1, 2008, are still waiting but not seeing anything yet.  Where's Tripp? 

The Fine Art of Discrimination

 

What do you see?

In order to make sense of the vast flow of information in which we bathe daily, we need to acquire the ability to discriminate -- to become discriminating, to be able to distinguish between the objective and the subjective, to discern the difference between an original and a copy for example. This skill is not routinely taught in even our best schools, although a broad education lays the foundation for acquiring it.

What we can see or know or understand (S-K-U) is a function of what we allow ourselves to S-K-U. We must draw upon the times we have stretched our minds to encompass all that we might S-K-U had we taken the time and spent the energy to really think about the subject.

I was struck by a phrase used by a poster on a blog that I frequent:

I truly believe [...]. I have never questioned it.

If we never question, are we not then willing dupes?  Think back to January, 2003.  We were told Saddam's Iraq posed a grave, looming threat.  We were told about massive stockpiles of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Saddam's desire to unleash them on us.  Some of us never questioned it, but the information was untrue and acting on that belief, we ended up losing and wasting many precious things.

Believing without sincere, in-depth questioning is always dangerous.  Has not belief in one or another radical religious tenet or political principle caused untold death, destruction, torture and suffering throughout human history?

The first step to S-K-U what is right or true is to question.  Here is a simple practice that can be done anywhere.  Select an event or object from daily life and ask oneself questions about it such as: what are its origins? how did it occur? what is it made of? what will happen to it over time? who has been involved in it?  Attempt to explore the event or object in as many different ways as possible.

Unless we acquire and practice the ability to be discriminating, we will surely fail to achieve our potential as individuals and as a society.  And in that case, we become nothing more than cogs in someone else's machine -- used and eventually discarded when we wear out.

What a Difference Three Days Makes

The image on the left (source here) was taken in Juneau, Alaska, on April 10, 2008. The image on the right (source here), according to KTVA's Andrea Gusty, was taken on April 13, 2008.

To Pursue, or Not to Pursue...

I confess to a certain morbid fascination with the doings and sayings of Sarah Palin, the current Governor of Alaska, former runner up in a beauty pageant, and former (thanks to a citizenry who was so fed up!) candidate for Vice President on the Republican ticket.

I also confess to a persistent curiosity regarding the numerous scandals that seem to surround her, much like the dirt cloud that surrounds PigPen.  There are so many.  Troopergate.  Clothing-gate.  Per Diem-gate.  Bridge-to-Nowhere-gate. Pipeline-gate. Coal Mine-gate.  Husband-as-shadow-governor-gate. E-mail-gate. Baby-gate. Etc, etc.

It's baby-gate I want to blog about today.  There are a few very fine sites out there examining this issue in great detail.  As a result of reading them, I've been inspired to present some investigative results of my own.


What follows is, I hope, a reasonable debunking of a particular image that supposedly shows a pregnant Sarah Palin during an interview with Elan Frank in April 2008, the same month that she supposedly gave birth to her 5th child, the Down syndrome baby boy named Trig.

The Elan Frank video (which I would credit) is now no longer available online that I can find. I watched it once, and am kicking myself for not having downloaded it at the time.  However, the person behind BoJack.org has grabbed a frame from the video. For those who know the video, it is one of the frames where Sarah is sitting in her kitchen and roundly thumps (smacks) her supposedly pregnant belly with her hands.  Here's a cropped version of the image on BoJack's site:

 

Granted, this is of poor quality.  However, as they say, a picture tells a thousand words.  Here is the same image below, only with a shadow-enhancing filter (lighten shadow 50%) applied:

What this manipulation does is brighten the dark areas in the image, making it clear just what is shadow and what is dark fabric.  I'm already stunned that the lower abdomen shadow barely breaks from a straight line across.  And the upper abdomen is appearing as a straight line too.  I went a step further and applied a sharpening filter, to really accentuate the folds in the fabric that are covering Sarah's belly.  (What IS she wearing anyway?)

Here is a visual of what it looks like when the image is sharpened (450 sharpen radius 5):

 

The sharpening accentuates where the real folds are in whatever covers the skin here, and makes it quite plain that both the upper and lower abdomen (the supposed pregnant belly) are demarcated by straight lines.  What also strikes me here is how her pelvis is not encroached upon... that is, the lower part of the belly is still well above where her legs join her torso.  And she's sitting.  Which shortens or should shorten the distance.  Yet we can see the lower line of the "pregnant belly" well above the tops of her thighs.  The shadow at the bottom middle of the image looks to me to be where her pants fold under at her crotch.

Now, let's take a look at real pregnant bellies.  BTW, these images were all grabbed from Google by doing an image search for "pregnant woman sitting." 

Notice how ROUND these bellies are.  Notice how especially the lower extremes of the shapes are quite ROUND.  Now go back and take a look at Sarah's belly.  The real pregnant bellies round out and virtually "sit" on the laps of the women.  Yet Sarah -- ostensibly just days before delivering a normal-weight baby -- can somehow hold the full roundness up above her lap, and even square it off above her pubic region.

I've had three children, and I can vouch for the fact that pregnant bellies are taut, tight even!, and very round.  It's not like you have a bowl of jello inside you.  It doesn't sound hollow when you "thump" your belly.  It's solid, it doesn't give easily.  There's your skin, a thin layer of fat and muscle, and then the incredible muscle tissue that is the uterus, then the amniotic fluid and then the baby.  You could much more easily create a depression with a finger pressing into your inner thigh (unless you are a muscle-builder clenching those muscles) than you can with a finger pressing into your truly pregnant belly.

I would like to credit the following sites:

• Bojack.org, from which I grabbed the original image taken from the no-longer-available-online Elan Frank video (otherwise I would have taken a frame of my choosing for this work)
• Palin's Deceptions, probably the premier site now supporting research into the Palin Baby-gate scandal (be sure to visit the blog)
  

I would also like to reveal that I used Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 for the modest manipulation I've done to the original image.

If you have any information that either supports or refutes the notion that Sarah Palin is fibbing about all or part of her birth of Trig story, please leave a comment and a way to contact you!