Monday, October 27, 2008

Sarah Palin's Sentimental Side

After Election Day, Alaska may have the Vice President-Elect (or not) and a convicted felon who has just won another term in the Senate (or not), but in any case, they are not likely to be exchanging Christmas cards.

After Ted Stevens was found guilty today, Sarah Palin said it was a sad day for Alaska and promptly threw her former mentor under the bus:

"The verdict shines a light on the corrupting influence of the big oil service company up there in Alaska that was allowed to control too much of our state. And that control was part of the culture of corruption that I was elected to fight, and that fight must always move forward regardless of party affiliation or seniority or even past service."

In stepping over Stevens' still warm body, Palin is overlooking their personal history: that, during her 2006 race for governor, Palin, while calling on Stevens to come clean about his alleged wrongdoing, held a joint news conference with him, before he was indicted, to have it both ways. Stevens reciprocated with a last-minute endorsement and filmed a campaign commercial for her.

Their connection began in 2003 with Palin serving as a director of the ethically iffy "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group to raise unlimited funds from corporate donors to help Republican women running for office in Alaska.

If the Republicans fail to take the White House next week, this could be a preview of the gratitude and loyalty John McCain can expect from his running mate in the future.

No comments: