Sarah Palin has completed her memoir - Going Rogue: An American Life.

Coming to a bookstore near you on November 17th.

You can pre-order the future New York Times Bestseller at Amazon.com

While Iran smolders, Afghanistan burns, Obama heads to...Denmark

H/T: SoCal Chris:

Newsweek, in all of its wisdom, is still arguing that Sarah Palin lied about the death panel provisions in ObamaCare, but we really should have a death panel anyways. The author of the below piece, Evan Thomas, writes that his 79 year old mother wanted to die but the doctors wouldn’t let her because the assisted living facility she was staying at was sustained by Medicare. He didn’t like this and muses on how we can fix health care in this country by, you guessed it, getting people into hospice care and out of hospitals. People need to die and just get it over with you see:

The idea that we might ration health care to seniors (or anyone else) is political anathema. Politicians do not dare breathe the R word, lest they be accused—however wrongly—of trying to pull the plug on Grandma. But the need to spend less money on the elderly at the end of life is the elephant in the room in the health-reform debate. Everyone sees it but no one wants to talk about it. At a more basic level, Americans are afraid not just of dying, but of talking and thinking about death. Until Americans learn to contemplate death as more than a scientific challenge to be overcome, our health-care system will remain unfixable.

Compared with other Western countries, the United States has more health care—but, generally speaking, not better health care. There is no way we can get control of costs, which have grown by nearly 50 percent in the past decade, without finding a way to stop overtreating patients.

~~~

But how do you decide which treatments to cut out? How do you choose between the necessary and the unnecessary? There has been talk among experts and lawmakers of giving more power to a panel of government experts to decide—Britain has one, called the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (known by the somewhat ironic acronym NICE). But no one wants the horror stories of denied care and long waits that are said to plague state-run national health-care systems. (The criticism is unfair: patients wait longer to see primary-care physicians in the United States than in Britain.) After the summer of angry town halls, no politician is going to get anywhere near something that could be called a “death panel.” Read the rest of this entry »

Sarah Palin is calling for Tort Reform to be the hallmark of any kind of health care reform:

President Obama’s health care “reform” plan has met with significant criticism across the country. Many Americans want change and reform in our current health care system. We recognize that while we have the greatest medical care in the world, there are major problems that we must face, especially in terms of reining in costs and allowing care to be affordable for all. However, as we have seen, current plans being pushed by the Democratic leadership represent change that may not be what we had in mind — change which poses serious ethical concerns over the government having control over our families’ health care decisions. In addition, the current plans greatly increase costs of health care, while doing lip service toward controlling costs.

We need to address a REAL bipartisan reform proposition that will have REAL impacts on costs and quality of patient care.

As Governor of Alaska, I learned a little bit about being a target for frivolous suits and complaints (Please, do I really need to footnote that?). I went my whole life without needing a lawyer on speed-dial, but all that changes when you become a target for opportunists and people with no scruples. Our nation’s health care providers have been the targets of similar opportunists for years, and they too have found themselves subjected to false, frivolous, and baseless claims. To quote a former president, “I feel your pain.”

So what can we do? First, we cannot have health care reform without tort reform. The two are intertwined. For example, one supposed justification for socialized medicine is the high cost of health care. As Dr. Scott Gottlieb recently noted, “If Mr. Obama is serious about lowering costs, he’ll need to reform the economic structures in medicine—especially programs like Medicare.” Two examples of these “economic structures” are high malpractice insurance premiums foisted on physicians (and ultimately passed on to consumers as “high health care costs”) and the billions wasted on defensive medicine.

Dr. Stuart Weinstein, with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, recently explained the problem: Read the rest of this entry »

Mike wrote this yesterday about the Sarah Palin onslaught against ObamaCare’s Death Panels:

When Sarah Palin made her “death panels” charge, the radicals once again came scurrying out of the woodwork. Obama sent his minions out to debunk what he calls disinformation (otherwise known the TRUTH). In this case, Obama sent out his own version of Dr. Mengele. Ezekiel Emanuel, a physician and brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and a longtime proponent of denying care to citizens based on the value of their worth to society (if you’re old and sick, you have no value).

The radicals came out yesterday, the beltway elitist “Republicans” came out today. In an editorial at National Review Online the editors, in the infinite wisdom, decide to attack Sarah Palin. Not Obama, the most far-left President in history, as he and his cohorts are in retreat over their socialist bill. No, they attack Palin:

To conclude from these possibilities to the accusation that President Obama’s favored legislation will lead to “death panels” deciding whose life has sufficient value to be saved — let alone that Obama desires this outcome — is to leap across a logical canyon. It may well be that in a society as litigious as ours, government will err on the side of spending more rather than treating less. But that does not mean that there is nothing to worry about. Our response to Sarah Palin’s fans and her critics is to paraphrase Peter Viereck: We should be against hysteria — including hysteria about hysteria.

Just one more bit of evidence that proves the beltway elite, either Republican or Democrat, are just completely out of touch with the people. She controlled this debate, from facebook of all places, and forced that provision OUT of that bill. Washington Post’s Anne Kornblut was amazed: Read the rest of this entry »

Sarah Palin responded to the left’s mass attacks on her claim that end of life care would have to be managed, and that the govt will be deciding how much coverage to give people. Mr Obama has been using straw-man arguments claiming that ’some want things to stay the same,’ but in all his arguments and all his claims about healthcare….he never cites the sections, never quotes the bill, and expects anyone who questions it to do exactly that. The Democrats’ members of Congress aren’t expected to read the bill (anyone thing Ted Kennedy to Robert Byrd are gonna read it?). Supporters of the bill aren’t expected to read it, but anyone who does have concerns is expected to cite it chapter and verse. Here, Sarah Palin does just that.

Will Mr Obama respond w full quotes and citations?
Will he even read the bill?
Will he just try the general rhetoric road that continues to fail in stopping the loss of support for the Democrats’ plan?

Yesterday President Obama responded to my statement that Democratic health care proposals would lead to rationed care; that the sick, the elderly, and the disabled would suffer the most under such rationing; and that under such a system these “unproductive” members of society could face the prospect of government bureaucrats determining whether they deserve health care.

The President made light of these concerns. He said:
Read the rest of this entry »

A serious H/T is needed here to the Naked Emperor News video news site for compiling the various news clips, and tying the gang of ethics complainants together in a tidy little package with a bow.

[Mata Musing: Naked Emperor is one upping themselves here, as they were also responsible for digging up all of Obama's historic statements on what he *really* wants for America's health care... a single payer system.]

Naked Emperor posted their “EthicsGate” YouTube link, and the Alaskan Bloggers again ganged up to get it removed from YouTube. This would be the same group that whined when Palin fingered them, and are now circling the wagons around the “divorce rumor” source; outed kindergarten/elementary school assistant teacher with a penchant for vicious gossip, Jesse Griffin… aka Gryphen.

There’s a notice/disclaimer on their site:

Well, it may be a “national story” anyway. Because a renegade poster – underbird – put the video back up. To protect Curt and Flopping Aces from any impropriety, I’m merely going to provide the link to the YouTube for now…. which may or may not be working.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m sure you heard about the Sarah Palin divorce nonsense yesterday.  Conservatives 4 Palin stomped on the rumors quickly and gave a bit of a back story to the idiocy:

The release is in response to a ludicrous rumor being spread by Alaskan CNN stringer Dennis Zaki. Zaki, who previously bought into rumors of Trig Truth, picked up these allegations from the same source – the rabidly anti-Palin, Trig Truth-espousing anonymous blogger “Gryphen” of the blog “Immoral Minority”. Gryphen is a friend of Zaki’s, along with fellow Team Truth members Shannyn Moore, Phil Munger, and “AKMuckraker” of the Mudflats.

The rumor was already being picked up and spread around the echo chamber of the Alaskan Team Truther blogs…not only by Zaki, but by fellow Trig Truther “Doctor Phil” Munger of Progressive Alaska.

And they document quite well why the story is so bogus, including statements from Palin and her spokesperson plus pictures of Sarah and Todd definitely being cozy with each other at the same function that these idiots were reporting they were not speaking to each other.

So what do you think the MSM would do about this?  Ignore it maybe?  I mean Team Sarah put the rumor down quickly right?

No, they blame Sarah for answering these false charges. Read the rest of this entry »

Andree McLeod – better known as the serial whiner and state departments’ fashion fascist – had her sixth complaint dismissed. This was, of course, another charge that Sarah absconded with state funds illegally as a governor when she should have…. according to Ms. Mcleod…. transferred the gubernatorial duties to the Lt. Gov. while campaigning.

Makes a body casually wonder if McLeod was the least bit perturbed by this last Presidential campaign when no less than three sitting Senators… one with less than 150 working days under his belt (ahem)… were also out on the road campaigning while still collecting their Senate salaries. But we’ll probably never know. And frankly, I don’t *want* to know what Ms. McLeod thinks about that… or anything else, for that matter.

But back to the content of the complaint dismissal…. once again investigated by Thomas Daniel of Perkins-Coie.

Summarizing:

Andree’s whine: Palin had “full intent” of foregoing Governor duties while campaigning because she signed two travel authorizations that stated “Conclusion of State Business” and another that stated “Return to Duty Status. In between, she collected full salary. Per McLeod, she should have transferred power to the Lt. Governor in her absence and… of course… more nonsense about taking Alaska money while she was engaging in events for personal gain. When it comes to Andree’s complaints, Seinfield comes to mind… yada yada yada.

Read the rest of this entry »

Statement by Kristan Cole, trustee of the Alaska Fund Trust (aka the Palin legal defense fund) INRE the unethical leak of an ethic complaint investigation in progress.

This comes via Sarah Palin’s Facebook page.

Press Release

Kristan Cole, Trustee
The Alaska Fund Trust
July 22, 2009

Thank you for being here today. My name is Kristan Cole, Trustee to the Alaska Fund Trust. And this is the Trust’s attorney in Alaska, Jon Givens.

I am here to address the unusual letter that was leaked yesterday, the contents of which are unprecedented in the history of our country, suggesting that a legal defense fund could somehow be unethical. This is particularly notable, and concerning, in light of the fact that the Trust, on my instructions, has not paid even one penny to Gov. Palin or her lawyers. I issued that instruction because I was aware the Board was reviewing this matter.

This Trust was created by a team of expert lawyers from around the country. It was thoroughly vetted for compliance with federal and state law and trust law. So far Mr. Daniel is the only lawyer in the country who has questioned a legal defense fund despite the fact that his firm has set up legal defense funds for other office holders. Because his initial review was unprecedented and contained factual errors it was my understanding that Gov. Palin’s legal team, including Mr. Van Flein, were in on-going discussions with Mr. Daniel. The matter was not final.

Read the rest of this entry »

As yet more proof that Andree Mcleod not only has no respect for Alaskan law, nor the taxpayers wallets, this loser of human has now filed her sixth attempt to throw mud at Sarah to see if she can get anything to stick.

To say hell hath no fury may be an understatement when it comes to this one… You might also recall Ms. Mcleod (photo to left) was also the same wacko that appointed herself the state government employees fashion facist… complaining there was just “too much cleavage” being shown by the staffers.

Just a week before she walks out of the Alaskan gubernatorial offices, Sarah, on July 20th, 4:40pm Alaskan time, tweeted:

AKGovSarahPalin: In violation of Ethics Act more allegations were filed today by serial complainer;gave to press be4 we could respond;ridiculous, wasteful…

Read the rest of this entry »

AP’s Rachel D’Oro must have the Palin beat… either that, or she’s assumed the Woodward/Berstein role to Kim Chatman’s “Deep Throat” character.

Chatman, complainant #18 in Part III of my Alinsky Perfected series, accuses Sarah of “…misusing the governor’s office for personal gain by securing unwarranted benefits and receiving improper gifts through the Alaska Fund Trust” April 27th. Since that time, the Personnel Board has, as their normal procedure, hired an investigative counsel to determine probable cause prior to any Board hearing or determination.

Thomas Daniel of Perkins Coie in Anchorage assumed that task, and issued his confidential report to the Board on July 14th.

Within 7 days, D’Oro releases an AP story, mysteriously in possession of a report that, by ethics complaint provisions, is mandated as confidential information until released publicly by the Board with waiver by the Governor. The headline screams “guilty”… “Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin implicated in ethics investigation of legal defence fund”

Mata Musing: As Mel from Conservatives4Palin notes, the AP has since changed their headline to read instead… “Investigator rules against Palin in ethics probe”. Yeah… there’s an improvement to reflect the facts… *not*.

From the story with the ever morphing headline….

Read the rest of this entry »

Well isn’t this interesting….and not surprising:

Seems the AP forgot to tell us that Thomas Daiel, the investigator who thinks that outgoing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin may have violated state ethics law in raising money to defend herself against frivolous ethics charges, cut a rather generous check to Democrat Mark Begich’s Senate campaign last fall summer.  According to Open Secrets, he contributed $1,000 to that Democrat, the same amount he gave to John Kerry in 2004.  He gave $1,800 to the DNC (Democratic National Committee) and contributed to various Democratic campaigns, but not a dime to Republicans.

Don’t you think that might have some bearing on his ability to adjudicate an ethics issue involving a prominent Republican? Read the rest of this entry »

We have some great animation film talent in Pixar and Disney movies. So what’s that got to do with Obama, the price of gas and health care you ask? It’s a constructive lesson and reminder…. you need to view “the big picture” to understand the plot.

For example, could you grasp the full impact of Nemo, Cars, Shrek etal by viewing merely a single cel (short for a single celluid frame of film) of the animation? Could you grasp the enormity of the ethics complaint assault on Palin by only learning about one or two of them?

But of course not. And much is the same with Obama’s cinemascope production to destroy the US economy… all using single cel trailers and razzle dazzling us with fuzzy math. And until those cells are edited together, the plot of this morbid “cartoon” does not become clear.

The O’faithful show you a single cel of his spending… ala the Stimulus/ARRA, the TARP bailout decisions, cap and trade, or health care, etc. By throwing out a number we are becoming far too comfortable hearing – a few trillion here and a few trillion there – Joe and Josephine Q. Public, as well as the partisan Congress members, merely shrug it off, assuming we’ll figure out a way to pay China back.

The problem is, until you start viewing all Obama and Congress’ spending in full wide screen version, you don’t feel the impact of the extremely flawed fuzzy math used to advance these programs in the media.

Case in point… let’s start with health care. Today the ever stellar Jake Tapper gives us the summary of the cost of health care to our individual pocketbooks. It’s easy to boggle the minds of the voter when you package “free” benefits and unprecedented spending in one national bill, then promise all those rich people and small businesses making over $350K (at least today…) will be paying for it. “Not I, said the Little Red Hen”. That couldn’t possibly affect me.

But first, take some time and absorb some personal realities about the tax rates Mr. Tapper lays out. I want you to close your eyes, and picture the this… taxpayers in the top 50% of tax brackets pay 94% of the nation’s tax bill. The top 1% earners pay 33.7 percent alone, and the top 5% pay 53.8%.

When you remove these “evil rich types” from the equation, there is a hefty amount of entrepreneurial small business types – who hire most of the US workers – that shoulder the current US tax bill for that 6% poverty group to which Obama caters.

Do you have that picture firmly in mind? That we’re not talking about the Bill Gates and Warren Buffetts only here? Okay…

The current buzz is that Obama’s “only” trying to take the tax rates up for group of Americans that support Congressional spending to 39%. After health care, that’s bogus, bupkis and a serious political whopper.

Read the rest of this entry »

That didn’t take long. Ray Ward’s beef that accused Sarah of being paid for interviews on State time has been dismissed.

The complaint was filed July 6.

It was rejected in part because it was not properly notarized, the statement said.

In addition, the Personnel Board had previously determined that interviews do not violate the state Ethics Act. And the complaint offered no evidence to support the claim the governor was paid, the statement said.

If you’re going to abuse the system, you at least may want to learn how to do it properly. Perhaps Ray should have consulted Zane Henning, who already tried that route and fell flat on his face. The other system abuse expert is Andree McLeod, with four loser attempts under her belt.

Speaking of the devil, this leaves Zane Henning’s latest and greatest complaint accusing Palin of collecting per diem against the rules as the long ranger left standing at the Personnel Board… at least as of today.