Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 22:08, 8 September 2008

Sarah Palin is the Governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential candidate for the 2008 United States presidential election. Palin has been described as more conservative than Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Social issues

Abortion and sex education

Palin is pro-life and is opposed to abortion in all cases (including rape and incest) except when necessary to save the life of the mother. In 2006, while running for governor, Palin was asked what she would do if her own daughter were raped and became pregnant; she responded that she would "choose life." She and her husband have stated that they have "faith that every baby is created for a good purpose." When asked what she would do as governor if Roe v. Wade were overturned, she responded "it would not be up to unilaterally ban anything. It would be up to the people of Alaska to discuss and decide how we would like our society to reflect our values." Palin has been a member of Feminists for Life since 2006.

Palin supports abstinence-based sex education, as well as teaching about contraception, but does not favor what she called "explicit" sex education programs.

Education and creationism

As governor, Palin supported full funding for K–12 education, as well as "early funding of education", a program that would give school districts more predictability.

While running for Governor of Alaska and asked about the teaching of creationism along with evolution in public school science classes, Palin answered: "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both"; she further clarified that open debate between the two ideas should not be prohibited if it came up in discussion, but that creationism did not specifically need to be part of the curriculum.

Equal pay

According to the McCain campaign, Palin favors the concept of equal pay for women (the abolition of wage differences based on gender), but opposes the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would have allowed more time to bring suit under the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

Gay unions

Whilst campaigning for election as Governor of Alaska in 2006, Palin declared that she supported the 1998 Alaska constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, although she said she has good friends who are gay and does not wish to judge gay people.

In December 2006, following long-running litigation and a 2005 ruling, the Supreme Court of Alaska ordered the state to begin paying health and retiree benefits to the same-sex partners of state employees. Declaring that there were "no more judicial options to pursue" to avoid paying the benefits, Palin agreed to comply with the ruling. At the same time, in her first legislative act, Palin signed a bill ordering a non-binding referendum for a constitutional amendment to deny the benefits.

Palin subsequently vetoed a bill that would have denied the benefits, declaring that "signing this bill would be in direct violation of my oath of office" due to the state Supreme Court ruling. Although the referendum passed in April 2007 with 53% of voters supporting a constitutional amendment, a bill to place such an amendment on the ballot in November 2008 stalled in the state legislature.

Legal issues and ethics

Capital punishment

Palin has declared herself in favor of capital punishment. She has stated: "If the legislature passed a death penalty law, I would sign it. We have a right to know that someone who rapes and murders a child or kills an innocent person in a drive by shooting will never be able to do that again."

Gun rights

Palin is a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, and supports gun-safety education for children. A life-long hunter, she is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, and is popular among gun rights activists. Sandra Froman, a member of the NRA Board of Directors, described McCain's selection of Palin as "outstanding."

Drugs

Although she did smoke marijuana when she was younger, she says that she did not enjoy it and she does not want to return to the days of de-criminalized marijuana in Alaska; Palin regards methamphetamine as a greater social threat than cannabis.

Jury rights

On August 31, 2007, Palin signed a Jury Rights Day Proclamation, commemorating September 5, 2007 as the 337th anniversary of the acquittal, in defiance of the legal direction of the bench, of William Penn and William Mead for preaching a Quaker sermon.

Stem cell research

Palin stated in 2006 that because she believes stem cell research causes the destruction of life, it is inconsistent with her pro-life position and she does not support this research.

Government Spending

Shortly after becoming governor, Palin canceled a contract for the construction of an 11-mile (18 km) gravel road outside Juneau to a mine. Palin also sold the state's Westwind II jet purchased by the Murkowski administration against the wishes of the Legislature for a $600,000 net loss. She used her veto power to make the second-largest cuts of the construction budget in state history. The $237 million in cuts represented over 300 local projects including an expansion of the Port of Anchorage and the Fire Island wind energy project, and reduced the construction budget to nearly $1.6 billion.

Earmarks

Under Palin's Administration, Alaska is the largest per-capita consumer of federal earmarks, obtaining $295 per citizen from the Federal Government. .

"Bridge to Nowhere"

This article duplicates the scope of other articles. Please discuss this issue and help introduce a summary style to the article.

In Palin's 2006 gubernatorial campaign, she supported the building of a Gravina Island Bridge from Ketchikan to Gravina Island, better known outside the state as the "Bridge to Nowhere." Palin ran on a "build-the-bridge" platform, arguing that it was essential for local prosperity. As Palin said in August 2006, according to the Ketchikan (Alaska) Daily News:

“We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge, and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that’s so negative.”

After Palin was elected governor, the bridge project became a symbol for excessive and wasteful federal spending nationwide. Bowing to criticism, Congress replaced the $223 million earmark for the bridge with a $223 million infrastructure grant to Alaska to use at its discretion. In what Newsweek called "an astonishing pivot" Palin reversed herself and canceled the bridge project.

Although she canceled the bridge, Palin continued to spend $25 million from the $223 million earmark to build the road on Gravina Island to an empty beach where the bridge would have gone. State officials said "they were going ahead with the $25 million road because the money would otherwise have to be returned to the federal government." The cancellation of the bridge did not lead Palin to return any of the remaining $197 million in the earmark to the Federal Government. Palin's campaign coordinator in Ketchikan, Republican Mike Elerding, says, "She said 'thanks but no thanks,' but they kept the money." According to Palin’s communications director Bill McAlister, the bridge "isn’t necessarily dead"; it may still be built with "a less costly design.” Palin changed her mind on the bridge, he said, when “she saw that Alaska was being perceived as taking from the country and not giving, and that impression bothered her and she wants to change it. … I think that Sarah Palin is someone who has the courage to re-evaluate situations as they developed.”

Housing issues

On 6 September 2008 Palin stated that the mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." Supporters touted this as her reform-mindedness, while critics were quick to point to it as an example of Palin's lack of knowledge in the area, noting that the mortgage entities operate as private companies, and that only since July 2008 has the fed offered them low market interest rates, theoretically at the taxpayer's expense.

Taxes

As mayor, she passed a 40% property tax cut, while supporting a sales tax increase to pay for a new sports complex.

As governor, Palin helped pass a tax increase on oil company profits.

Energy and environment

Oil and gas development

As Governor, Palin has strongly promoted oil and natural gas resource development in Alaska, including opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. Palin has announced plans to create a new sub-cabinet group of advisors to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska.

In an interview with Time, Palin argued that energy independence through ANWR drilling was essential to reducing American dependence on hostile foreign regimes.

Water

While governor, Palin took what she called a "personal privilege" to publicly express that she was personally voting no on the 2008 state-wide ballot initiative, The Alaska Clean Water Act. Palin stated there were "very stringent regulations and policies already in place."

Global warming

On August 29, 2008, Palin stated in an interview: "A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one, though, who would attribute it to being man-made."

Endangered species

In January 2008, Palin wrote an opinion column in which she opposed the listing of polar bears as an threatened species, claiming that she had based her position on a review of expert opinion. State biologists and environmental groups disagreed with Palin's position, as did the United States Department of the Interior which listed the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act on May 14, 2008. In response, Palin threatened to sue the federal government, warning that it would adversely affect energy development in Alaska, while again questioning the scientific basis for the listing.

Palin has opposed, on economic grounds, the designation of the Cook Inlet beluga whales as an endangered species. Palin cited state scientists who claimed that hunting was the only factor causing the whales' decline and that the hunting has been effectively controlled through cooperative agreements with Alaska Native organizations. Recent research suggests that despite hunting controls beluga whales in Cook's Inlet remain severely depleted and at high risk of permanent extinction. As governor, Palin allowed Chevron to increase the quantity of industrial waste it dumped into Cook Inlet waters.

Predator control

In 2007, Palin supported the controversial Alaska Department of Fish and Game policy allowing Alaska state biologists to hunt wolves from helicopters as part of a predator control program intended to increase moose populations. The program prompted California State Representative George Miller to introduce a federal bill (H.R. 3663) seeking to make the practice illegal. In March 2008, a federal judge in Alaska upheld the practice of hunting wolves from the air, though limited its extent. On August 26, 2008, Alaskans voted against ending the state's predator control program.

Foreign policy

Iraq

In an interview with Alaska Business Monthly "shortly after she took office" as governor, Palin favored an "exit plan" for the war in Iraq:

Alaska Business Monthly: We've lost a lot of Alaska's military members to the war in Iraq. How do you feel about sending more troops into battle, as President Bush is suggesting?

Palin: I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq. I heard on the news about the new deployments, and while I support our president, Condoleezza Rice and the administration, I want to know that we have an exit plan in place; I want assurances that we are doing all we can to keep our troops safe. Every life lost is such a tragedy. I am very, very proud of the troops we have in Alaska, those fighting overseas for our freedoms, and the families here who are making so many sacrifices.

Palin has tied the war to the quest for new energy supplies, saying, "We are a nation at war and in many the reasons for war are fights over energy sources, which is nonsensical when you consider that domestically we have the supplies ready to go." However, she also stipulated that a clear plan for Iraq should not include concerns with oil or energy dependence, saying, "we better have a real clear plan for this war. And it better not have to do with oil and dependence on foreign energy."

In June 2008, speaking at Wasilla Assembly of God about soldiers headed for Iraq and the Iraq War, Palin stated, "Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God."

Israel

In a meeting on September 2, 2008 with leaders of the pro-Israeli lobby AIPAC, Palin reportedly told them that she would "work to expand and deepen the strategic partnership between U.S. and Israel." According to the Washington Times, Palin's faith has made her a "favorite with the staunchly pro-Israel neoconservative elements in the Republican Party."

References

1. Barnes, Fred (2008-08-30). "Palin Fought for Reform in Alaska". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
2. Juneau Empire, "Abortion Draws Clear Divide in State Races," accessed 8/29/08 and Anchorage Daily News, "Governor’s Race: Top contenders meet one last time to debate," 11/03/06.
3. Alter, Jonathan (August 29, 2008). "McCain's 'Hail Sarah' Pass". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-09-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. Haase, Don (2006-07-31). "2006 Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire". Eagle Forum Alaska. Retrieved 2008-09-01. I am pro-life. With the exception of a doctor's determination that the mother's life would end if the pregnancy continued. Cited web page was deleted on 2008-09-02. Copy of original web page as of 2007-05-01 found on Wayback Machine and archived on WebCite.
5. "All three candidates support gas line lawsuit". Anchorage Daily News. 2008-11-03. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
6. Simon, Stephanie (2008-08-29). "Anti-Abortion Activists Cheer McCain's V.P. Pick". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
7. Palin on issues
8. Yardley, William (August 29, 2008). "Sarah Heath Palin, an Outsider Who Charms". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. "Palin appears to disagree with McCain on sex education". LA Times. 2008-09-06. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
10. ^ ">Hopkins, Kyle (2006-08-06). "Same-sex unions, drugs get little play". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
11. Palin, Sarah (2007-01-17). "State of the State Address Jan 17, 2007". Quoted in On the Issues. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
12. Kizzia, Tom (October 27, 2006). "'Creation science' enters the race". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
13. Babington, Charles (August 31, 2008), "Obama deals gently with Palin on equal pay issue", The Boston Globe{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
14. Demer, Lisa (December 21, 2006). "Palin to comply on same-sex ruling". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
15. McAllister, Bill (December 20, 2006). "Gay partners of state employees win benefits". KTUU News. KTUU-TV. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
16. Hopkins, Kyle (December 29, 2006). "Same-sex benefits ban gets Palin veto". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
17. Sutton, Anne (May 8, 2007). "Same-sex benefits bill stalls". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
18. Palin, Sarah (2006-11-07). "Issues". "Palin for Governor" (inactive web site) quoted in On the Issues. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
19. Braiker, Brian (2008-08-29). "On the Hunt". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
20. Braiker, Brian (2008-08-29). "On the Hunt". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
21. Davis, Susan (2008-08-29). "Conservative Activists Praise Palin as McCain's VP Pick". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
22. Lerer, Lisa (2008-09-29). "Palin: She Inhaled". CBS. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
23. "Jury Rights Day Proclamation of 2007". established forever the English and American legal doctrine that it is the right and responsibility of the trial jury to decide on matters of law and fact", and "Whereas, the Sixth and Seventh Amendments are included in the Bill of Rights to preserve the right to trial by jury, which in turn conveys upon the jury the responsibility to defend, with its verdict, all other individual rights enumerated or implied by the U.S. Constitution, including its Amendments.
24. Sarah Palin, Andrew Halcro, Tony Knowles. 2006 Alaska Governor's Debate among Sarah Palin, Andrew Halcro and Tony Knowles (Televised debate). Anchorage, Alaska: KTOO Television. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |airdate= ignored (help)
25. McAllister, Bill (December 14, 2006). "Palin cancels contracts for pioneer road to Juneau". ktuu.com. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
26. "No bidders on eBay; sold it offline". PolitiFact.com. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
27. Bradner, Tim (July 8, 2007). "Lawmakers cringe over governor's deep budget cuts". Alaska Journal of Commerce. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
28. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26611103/
29. http://www.gannettnewsservice.com/?p=2448
30. "Palin's maverick trail goes from city hall to gov's mansion". CNN. 2008-09-02. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
31. http://www.gannettnewsservice.com/?p=2448
32. http://www.newsweek.com/id/157696/page/3
33. http://www.adn.com/politics/story/511471.html
34. http://www.newsweek.com/id/157696/page/3
35. Kizzia, Tom (2008-08-31). "Palin touts stance on 'Bridge to Nowhere,' does not note flip-flop". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
36. "Where they stand". Anchorage Daily News. 2006-10-22. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
37. Rosen, Yereth (September 1, 2008). "Palin "bridge to nowhere" line angers many Alaskans". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
38. Rosen, Yereth (2008-09-01). "Palin "bridge to nowhere" line angers many Alaskans". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
39. http://www.gannettnewsservice.com/?p=2448
40. Hall, Kevin G. "Candidates briefed on seizure of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac", McClatchy Newspapers, 6 Sept 2008. Available online.
41. "Palin's maverick trail goes from city hall to gov's mansion". Retrieved 2008-09-02.
42. Yardley, William (2008-08-29). "Sarah Heath Palin, an Outsider Who Charms". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
43. Quinn, Steve (2007-05-10). "Alaska governor balances newborn's needs, official duties". Associated Press. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
44. Barnes, Fred (July 16, 2007). "The Most Popular Governor". The Weekly Standard. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
45. "State of the State Address Jan 17, 2007". January 17, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
46. Kizzia, Tom (April 12, 2007). "State aims to reduce emissions". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
47. Newton-Small, Jay (2008-08-29). "Transcript: TIME's interview with Sarah Palin". Time. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
48. Lamb, Jason. "'Governor's hat' off, Palin blasts Clean Water initiative", KTUU News, 22 Aug 2008. Available online.
49. Coppock, Mike (August 29, 2008). "Palin Speaks to Newsmax About McCain, Abortion, Climate Change". Newsmax. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
50. "Cook Inlet, Alaska". Retrieved 2007-02-03.
51. Tom Kizzia (May 25, 2005). "E-mail reveals state dispute over polar bear listing: Polar Bear News". Adn.com. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
52. ^ Joling, Dan (2008-05-22). "State will sue over polar bear listing, Palin says". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
53. Bryan Walsh (2008-09-01). "Palin on the Environment: Far Right". Time. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
54. "Governor Palin Urges Feds to not list Belugas as Endangered". State of Alaska. 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
55. "2008 Status Review and Extinction Risk Assessment of Cook Inlet Belugas" (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce. April 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
56. Hunter, Don. "Alaska's beluga whales in decline: Federal assessment shows chance of extinction in 100 years", Anchorage Daily News, 8 Jan 2007.
57. Leonard Doyle, "Palin: the real scandal", The Independent, 6 Sept 2008. Available online. Archived.
58. ^ Bolstad, Erika (2007-09-26). "Lawmaker seeks to ban wolf hunting from planes, copters". Oakland Tribune. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
59. "Alaska Judge Upholds Aerial Wolf Killing But Limits Extent". ens-newswire.com. Environmental News Service. 2008-03-18. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
60. "Alaska voters shoot down predator control initiative". newsminer.com. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
61. "Gov. Sarah Palin speaks out". Goliath. The Gale Group. 2007-03-01. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
62. Sullivan, Andrew (2008-08-29). "Palin On Iraq". The Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
63. Bartiromo, Maria (August 29, 2008), "Bartiromo Talks with Sarah Palin", Business Week{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
64. Gourevitch, Philip (2008-09-08). "Palin on Obama". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2008-09-02. This article was available online the first days of September, despite its later 'printed' date.
65. Johnson, Gene. "Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'", Associated Press, 3 Sept 2008. Available online. Archived.
66. "Sarah Palin tells AIPAC she's pro-Israel". Retrieved 2008-09-04. {{cite web}}: Text "Jewish Journal" ignored (help)
67. Evangelical faith drives Palin's pro-Israel view, by Ralph Z. Hallow. Published in the Washington Times on 4 September 2008; accessed 8 September 2008.

External links

• On the Issues - Sarah Palin's issue positions and quotes
• Sarah Palin news portal at Anchorage Daily News

• Political positions of United States presidential candidates, 2008
• Political positions of United States governors
• Sarah Palin