Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin greets supporters after a rally with running mate John McCain in Vienna, Ohio, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Palin says she would helm energy policy as VP
By Eoin O'Carroll | 09.18.08
At a rally in Vienna, Ohio, Tuesday, Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said that, if elected, she would lead the nation’s energy efforts.
“John and I, we’ve discussed some new responsibilities that I’m going to have as vice president,” Reuters reports Palin saying at the rally. “First, I’ll help to lead the mission of energy security.”
McCain counts Palin among the nation’s top energy experts. In a Sept. 11 interview with newscaster Rob Caldwell of WCSH in Portland, Maine, the Republican presidential nominee said that the Alaska governor “knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America.”
But Palin’s recent statements about energy have prompted some to doubt this assertion. Last week, in an interview with ABC’s Charlie Gibson, Palin claimed that Alaska “produces nearly 20 percent of the US domestic supply of energy.”
This is false. As the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Factcheck.org, pointed out, in 2005 Alaska was responsible for only 3.5 percent of US domestic energy production, and only 2.4 percent of the energy consumed in the US.
Palin subsequently tweaked her claim. At a Sept. 15 campaign event in Golden, Colo., she said that as governor her job “has been to oversee nearly 20 percent of the US domestic supply of oil and gas.”
This claim is also bogus. According to a report [PDF] by the Energy Information Administration (hat tip to the Washinton Post’s Fact Checker blog for the link), in 2005 Alaska produced only 7.4 percent of US oil and gas.
Though objectively false, Palin’s claim is not without its defenders. In his blog, David Rees, a cartoonist best known for his satirical political strip, Get Your War On, says that Factcheck.org’s figures don’t tell the whole story:
<< Controversial path to possible glut of natural gas | MainDid you ever stop to consider that maybe that 3.5% statistic doesn’t include the INCREDIBLE ENERGY AND VITALITY PRODUCED BY SARAH PALIN HERSELF?!? And that if you factor in that energy, Alaska does indeed produce 20% of America’s domestic energy supply?
Comments
2. Aaron Johnson | 09.19.08
As a ’swing’ voter from Toledo, Ohio I can’t say I’m feeling the whole McCain/Palin ticket. I feel like Sarah Palin is from another country which she pretty much is, she actually sounds Canadien too me. I Gotta go with Obama and Joe Biden for president because Obama feels like her relates to people from the Midwest.
3. TJ | 09.19.08
Palin’s mission or goal for energy security is securing as much revenue for Alaska as is possible. She has even stated that in the interview when she asked “What exactly does a VP do?” She said she wanted to be sure she could do good things for Alaska. That state already receives more per capita than any other state in revenue. It is a petrostate and she proposes primarily drilling, drilling, drilling, anywhere and anytime, especially NOW. Benefits to this will be deferred for at least 10 years from start of drilling and will evenutally dry up so it offers no short term relief and no long term or sustainable relief. It will be great for Alaska, who, more and more, presents itself as a greedy, self absorbed, isolated, corrupt, and narrow minded outpost.
She has demonstrated, while in office as governor, no interest in any other issues that most governors are interested insofar as education, health care, and public health issues. There is a huge problem with sewage management that threatens the water supply and she has used monies from the bridge to nowhere to build many roads including a road to nowhere that ends at the water where the bridge would have been. She cut funding and vetoed many social policy issues and has focused solely on the energy issue and how it can benefit Alaska. She is a disaster.
As a side note, she should wash her hair more often. It often looks greasy and stringy.
4. Doug S. | 09.19.08
A problem with writing an article such is this one is verifying politician’s statements.
Using a source such as Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Factcheck.org is disingenuous, as Annenburg is deeply connected with the Obama camp, and AFIK, is still refusing to produce certain requested documents that would clearly demonstrate the extent of this connection.
Since several MSM sources (such as the NYTimes, Wash Post, LATimes) have in recent years gotten sloppy with their pre-publication fact verifications, I have switched to using local and trade publications to get my info.
So, for example, in discussions of Gov Palin’s experience, I don’t understand why no one mentions other information that’s freely available on the web. Such as from the Alaska Dept of Military & Veterans Affairs, (http://www.ak-prepared.com/dmva/Documents/acrobat_docs/2007_DMVA_Annual_Report.pdf) where one can see her activities and duties as the Commander-in-Chief of a fairly good-sized military organization. With the withdrawal of Georgian troops (in response to the invasion of their country),no one except for Great Britain and the rest of the USA, has as many troops stationed in Iraq as the Alaskan DMVA (see previous mentioned doc & http://www.coalitionnumbers.com).
Or other websites, show the Sister States (Heilongjiang Province, China, Khabarovsk Region, Russia, and Taiwan Province, Taiwan) (see http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/Sister_cities.pdf) or the 14 Foreign Consulates operating out of Anchorage (see http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/Consular_Corps.pdf). I suspect the reason she didn’t apply for a visa until recently is instead of her traveling to foreign lands (except for Canada or Mexico where no visa is needed) to meet officials, they would travel to Alaska to meet HER.
5. Eoin | 09.19.08
Doug, are you suggesting that Factcheck.org is wrong and that Alaska does, in fact, produce nearly 20 percent of the US domestic supply of energy?
6. Kevin | 09.19.08
The ONLY person on the planet who might conceivably grant this woefully ill-prepared puppet the presumption of superior knowledge or preparation in ANY area (including energy issues)is someone who failed to make it halfway to the FIRST percentile in his own college graduating class! SURPRISE! That’s exactly who did - John McCain. The notion that average people some how have to choose below average, sub-par people to lead them is a recipe for disaster! (Need I suggest “more of the same”? There’s a difference between excellence and elitism that seems lost on our electorate today. To the last person who told me…”I love her and support her because she’s exactly like me!” I replied: “Yeah, and I wouldn’t cast a vote to put you a heartbeat away from the presidency either!” Two of a kind is not a strong hand in poker. Two headstrong, sub-par “intellects” who express contemptuous disdain for actual academic achievement are a lousy pair to put in the White House.
7. S. Maley | 09.19.08
Palin is exactly right. CSM and Factcheck.org are perfectly wrong and owe her an apology.
When she said Alaska “produces nearly 20 percent of the US domestic supply of energy,” she is correct. The US domestic supply (that is, the oil we produce here at home) is, in round numbers, 5 million barrels per day. Alaska produces around a million.
You *interpreted* her to mean 20% of CONSUMPTION, which is more like 20 million barrels a day. That’s not what she said, and that’s not what she meant.
8. S. Maley | 09.19.08
Upon further review - We can all agree that the precisely correct wording would be “produces nearly 20 percent of the US domestic supply of *crude oil*”.
The .pdf you linked shows Alaska produced some 1.8 million barrels out of 10.6 million barrels of crude oil and natural gas condensate, or about 17%. Adjusting for condensate would get you close to 20%.
10. Elle | 09.19.08
Maley,
with all due respect why then she felt like explaining what she meant and her explanation is far from what you have stated? You explained it perfectly well and it makes sense to me.
However, even that is not the point. The point is why do we look for “a dude and a gal next door” to rule this country with its tremendous resourses, potential, and yes, problems? It really should be an outstanding individual of strong integrity. At times of turmoil it takes an extraordinary mind that is capable to convince and to unite people. John McCain and even more so Sarah Palin are NOT capable to even deliver speaches well enough, leave alone their academic and career record.
11. Saint Michael Traveler | 09.19.08
Palin gets Neocons education: said Patrick Buchanan
Will the neocons who tutored George W. Bush in the ideology he pursued to the ruin of his presidency do the same for Sarah Palin?
Should they succeed, they will destroy her. Yet, they are moving even now to capture this princess of the right and hope of the party.
In St. Paul, Palin was told to cancel a meeting with Phyllis Schlafly and pro-life conservatives. McCain’s operatives said Palin had to rest for her Wednesday convention speech.
Yet, on Tuesday, Palin was behind closed doors with Joe Lieberman and officials of the Israeli lobby AIPAC. There, according to The Washington Post, Palin took and passed her oral exams.
“Palin assured the group of her strong support for Israel, of her desire to see the United States move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and of her opposition to Iran’s aspirations to become a nuclear power, according to sources familiar with the meeting.”
AIPAC’s mission, like that of Likud, is to goad America into launching air and missile strikes on any and all Iranian nuclear facilities. AIPAC went away happy. Purred spokesman Josh Block, “We were pleased that Gov. Palin expressed her deep personal commitment to the safety and well-being of Israel.”
Heading home to Alaska to prepare for her interview with Charlie Gibson, Palin was escorted by Randy Scheunemann, McCain’s foreign policy guru and, until March, a hired agent of the Tbilisi regime.
Scheunemann’s lobbying assignment: Bring Georgia into NATO, so U.S. troops, like 19-year-old Track Palin, will be required to fight Russia to defend a Saakashvili regime that has paid Randy and his partner $730,000.
Reportedly, a phone conversation was held between Saakashvili and Palin, in which Palin committed herself to the territorial integrity of Georgia, though South Ossetia and Abkhazia have declared independence and been recognized by Moscow, which now has troops in both.
Also on Palin’s plane was Steve Biegun, formerly of Bush’s National Security Council, and Scheunemann’s choice to tutor her. Of Biegun, Steven Clemens of the New American Foundation says, “He will turn her into an advocate of Cheney-ism and Cheney’s view of national security issues.”
During her interview with Gibson, Palin often took a neocon line. Three times she said that, should Israel decide to attack Iran, the United States should not “second guess” Israel’s decision or interfere.
This contradicts U.S. policy. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs, has warned Israel not to attack Iran, as the United States does not want a “third front.” And the Pentagon is withholding crucial weapons the Israelis want and need to carry out any such attack.
One ex-White House aide at American Enterprise Institute, asked by Tim Shipman of the Daily Telegraph if AEI sees Palin as a “project,” replied: “Your word, not mine. … But I wouldn’t disagree with the sentiment. … She’s bright, and she’s a blank page. She’s going places, and it’s worth going there with her.”
In fairness to Palin, on issues like NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia, her answers reflect the views of the man who chose her. She has no option at present but to follow the line laid down by Scheunemann.
But make no mistake. Sarah Palin is no neocon. She did not come by her beliefs by studying Leo Strauss. She is a traditionalist whose values are those of family, faith, community and country, not some utopian ideology.
Wasilla, Alaska, is not a natural habitat of neoconservatives.
Palin may disappoint many conservatives in the next seven weeks by having to parrot the McCain-neocon line on NATO expansion, NAFTA and a “path to citizenship” for illegal aliens. But the battle for Sarah’s soul is not over.
For, again, the lady is no neocon. Nor is the husband Todd, First Dude of Alaska and former member of the “Alaska First” Independence Party.
Should she have been selected for the Vice-President position? She is just AIPAC-neocons project!
12. Terri | 09.19.08
Refuses to show tax returns, refuses to comply in troopergate, no abortion for rape and incest, shoots bears from low flying planes, teenager pregnant, 5 children (1) with down syndrome, attended 6 colleges, bankrupts AL as Mayor, for he bridge before she was against it, Religion is questionable. Uses her Yahoo account for business. Has foreign relations exp. because she can see Russia from AL. I just do not see how we could have found a better candidate for VP.
Sarah, Todd and what his name are a great team - you have my vote.
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1. Today’s Science Policy News for September, 19th 2008 - Scientists & Engineers for America Action Fund | 09.19.08
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1. C A Wren | 09.18.08
SARAH PALIN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Ms. Palin I am sure Is Great As Governor Of Alaska
Sarah Palin as Vice President is really not the problem. The problem is that given McCains health issues and age Ms. Palin could in deed become the President of the United States.
Please look at her resume. Check theses facts on the web
Beauty queen
After changing colleges 5 times she did graduate with a journalism degree
For a short time a sports reporter
4 years on a small town city council
6 years as the mayor of a small town with less than 7,000 people
20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people.
On the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
You say Mr. Obama is inexperienced?
Mr. Obama spent 3 years as a community organizer (Not important)
Attended Harvard Law School,
Passed the bar on the first try (Hillary had to take it three times),
Graduated in the top portion of his Harvard Law class
President of the Harvard Law Review,
Created a voter registration drive that registered 150,000 new voters,
12 years as a Constitutional Law professor
8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people
Chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee
4 years in the United States Senate representing state of 3 million people
Sponsored 131 bills
served on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees.
As Stated
Sarah Palin as Vice President is really not the problem. The problem is that given McCains health issues and age Ms. Palin could in deed become the President of the United States. SCARY VERY SCARY.
I Can See It Now:
Todd Palin as the First “Dude” of the White House Hosting dignitaries and diplomats from around the world.