International Energy Dependence Vs. National Energy Independence

President Obama and Governor Palin both gave interviews on Tuesday where they both discussed how to address rising gas prices. Interestingly, they both agreed-- oil supplies need to be increased. In local interviews with a Virginia and a Detroit television station, President Obama called for increased supplies...from Saudi Arabia:

As the high cost of gasoline takes a toll on politics and pocket books, President Barack Obama says he is calling on major oil producers such as Saudi Arabia to increase their oil supplies to help stabilize prices, warning starkly that lack of relief would harm the global economy.

"We are in a lot of conversations with the major oil producers like Saudi Arabia to let them know that it's not going to be good for them if our economy is hobbled because of high oil prices," Obama told a Detroit TV station.

[...]

In interviews Tuesday with WXYZ in Detroit and in WTKR in Hampton Roads, Va., Obama said the message to major oil producers like Saudi Arabia is that an economy that buckles because of high oil prices won't grow and won't be good for them or for the U.S.

[...]

Obama said he has stressed the self-interest of oil producing nations, arguing that "if we're not growing, they're not going to be making money either.

"And so they need to increase supplies," he told WTKR.

Of course, such a foreign-centric energy policy is nothing new for President Obama. He authorized billions of dollars for drilling in Brazil and has stated that he wants America to one of Brazil's best customers. He has also lent nearly $3 billion to Colombia for oil refineries. He may be saying, "drill, baby, drill", but not in English.

While he has called for increased supplies from the Middle East and has supported energy development in South America, he has been antagonistic to increasing supplies and developing energy from America. This includes moratoriums on offshore drilling and EPA over regulation, as Governor Palin discussed with Greta van Susteren on Tuesday:

I never would have done what President Obama did and that’s engage in that moratorium after the tragedy in the Gulf with the spill. He should have been more sensible in figuring out what the problem was, what the solution was to the gulf spill but not take it out on the rest of the country and prohibit drilling onshore and offshore is what he did. 97% of our offshore area locked up after that and there still is a quasi-moratorium because the EPA is making it virtually impossible for drillers to be out there extracting responsibly the God-given resources that we have domestically.

So that’s certainly a difference that I would have had with President Obama had I been in that chair. I would have said, no, we’re going to allow the domestic drilling and we’re not going to subsidize Brazil or other foreign countries and ramp up production in those countries as we promise that we’ll be their best customer if only they’ll drill more. No, I would concentrate on the domestic drilling here.

Of course, Governor Palin is right. Energy policy must be both present and future focused. That is why energy independence is key. It protects America's economy, strengthens America monetarily, and shields America's national security. When instability in the Middle East occurs, America would be better prepared to handle the effects of this unrest. Additionally, it would provide jobs that strengthen the American economy. Also, as Governor Palin pointed out later in that discussion, the devalued dollar also affects the increase in energy prices. Something that Governor Palin has sounded the warning bell on as early as October of 2009, when she discussed the interrelatedness of the value of the dollar, energy independence, and the national debt.

A recent regulatory decision by the EPA caused Shell to cancel plans to drill in the Arctic. Heritage reports that the EPA reached this decision because Shell did not properly account for the emissions given off by needed ice breaking vessels. This comes as a bit of a shock, as the alarmist, chicken little EPA would usually have us to believe that global warming has cause all Arctic ice to melt, and therefore, Shell would have no need for such a vessel to assist in their energy development processes.

Alaska is not the only state and the Gulf is not the only region to be affected by President Obama's policies. His moratorium has affected the people of Virginia and the East Coast as well. A bill has been proposed to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling off of the Virginia Coast. Two of the sponsors of this bill represent the coastal area of Hampton Roads, VA, where President Obama did one of these local interviews where he discussed energy policy. I'm sure they would appreciate a moratorium to be lifted for the economic benefit of their town and the energy security of America.

H/T Doug Powers

Crossposted here, here, and here.

The Unhinging of the Left and the Prescience of Palin

On the Monday, Politico was published a piece that the Legal Insurrection characterized as their "cheapest shot yet". With Politico's credibility bar already set so low that an only an ant could limbo underneath, this is quite an accomplishment. The subject matter of the false allegations discussed by Politico and the individuals they interviewed belong right along side "Palin willingly abducted by aliens so that she could see Russia from space" or "Rudolph Found in the Palin's Freezer" and other actual tabloid "stories" I've seen at the supermarket check out over the past two and a half years. Rush Limbaugh says that the media and the Left (but I repeat myself) will always tell you who they fear. But why do they fear her?

Two blog pieces also posted Monday at Datechguy and at the PJ Tatler highlight how Governor Palin has been prescient on nearly every major policy issue over the past few years, and this is why they fear her and are out to destroy her. Datechguy writes on how Governor Palin has been right on monetary policy, "death panels", climate gate, Libya, drilling, supporting what now is the GOP majority House etc, writing in part following an excerpt from Facebook post on drilling:

Sounds pretty topical, When did Palin say this? AUGUST OF 2009 when gas was still in the low $2 per gallon. Bloggers covered it. The MSM didn’t. Where would gas prices and the economy be today if the MSM reported this and the president listened to her 2 years ago?

[...]

This is why on an Easter Sunday people on the left were spending their time trying to co-opt a hash tag, this is why when Sarah Palin gives a key speech in Wisconsin on budget matters the media reports she is trying to get attention, but will play her mispronouncing “skirmish” in a loop. This is why from Day one the MSM has done their best to try to destroy her.

The PJ Tattler's piece mentions some of the same policy issues in addition to mentioning that Governor Palin has been right on being cautious in Egypt and warning of China's military buildup:

Sarah Palin was cautious on Egypt, wanting to know who was likely to take power before the US insisted that Mubarak leave. She has been forceful on China, warning that its military buildup is a threat.

Meanwhile, the cerebral president with the fancy pants creases just keeps getting everything wrong. Everything he touches turns to crap. Even her website is now better than his.

Whodathunkit?

Governor Palin has, of course, been right on many issues over the past two years. In addition to what was mentioned by these two writers, Governor Palin has been right on coming food inflation on the heels of QE2, the threat of the possible need to tap into our Strategic Petroleum Reserve if we didn't become more energy independent, state financial woes if they don't address unfunded pensions, the threat of nuclear Iran, distrust of Russia on the START treaty etc.

Stacy and I wrote a post last Fall that highlighted several aspects of Governor Palin's 2008 RNC convention speech where she correctly predicted several things that would happen if candidate Obama became President Obama. Stacy edited this video that accompanied our post, and this still rings true today:

These are all reasons why Politico gives free advertising to "authors" peddling scurrilous books about Governor Palin. Governor Palin's foresight is why media outlets like Politico give free publicity to those involved in character assassination attempts. This is why likely boilerplate speech contracts that include bendable drinking straws become headline news if the sipping speaker is Governor Palin. This is why the media feigns ignorance when Governor Palin brings along a "hair stylist" (aka Bristol Palin) on a humanitarian trip to Haiti.

Their greatest fear? The potential for a prescient Palin to become President Palin.

Crossposted here, here, and here.

Projection, Class Warfare, the Left and Governor Palin

A vile, depraved post on Leftist blog regarding Trig Palin's recent birthday was rightfully lambasted throughout the conservative blogosphere yesterday from Gateway Pundit to Big Journalism and beyond (even the liberal Mediaite). Blog postings, in addition to tweets, led to a massive new media effort, #trigscrew, to call advertisers at this Leftist blog to remove their ads. Due to a blast of tweets alerting them to their product being advertised on the Leftist blog, several companies have indeed lifted their advertising. It has revealed the Left for who they are, and it's all the more sweet that the fusion of the free market and social media has made such an impact on the Left's transparent agenda.

The Left claims to be for the proverbial little guy, butobviously not when it is this little guy. They are not only ideologically progressive, they are also projectionists-- attacking conservatives for what they themselves are exhibiting. Actions speak louder than words, so the saying goes, but for many of these projectionists, they only have words. Such is the case here. However, this misplaced projection and false accusations extend beyond the Left-to-Right blogosphere. Politicians on the Left and progressive pundits have accused Governor Palin of being a puppet for big corporation--and have played the class warfare card. Progressives should learn from history (even from across the Pond) about what happens when you play the class warfare card with a strong conservative woman:

In her Madison Tea Party rally speech on Saturday, Governor Palin called out the Left for engaging in "class warfare and fearmongering":

And when Wisconsin’s own Paul Ryan presented a plan for fiscal reform, what was Obama’s response? He demonized the voices of responsibility with class warfare and with fearmongering. And I say personally to our president: Hey, parent to parent, Barack Obama, for shame for you to suggest that the heart of the commonsense conservative movement would do anything to harm our esteemed elders, to harm our children with Down syndrome, to harm those most in need. No, see, in our book, you prioritize appropriately and those who need the help will get the help. The only way we do that is to be wise and prudent and to budget according to the right priorities.

These are the words of a woman whose actions have matched her words. As Governor, Palin budgeted wisely, prudently,and according to the right priorities.Her prudent budgeting has been well documented. She vetoed hundreds of millions of dollars in unneeded spending, rejected stimulus funding that would not be effective in Alaska's climate, and removed duplicated federal/state funding from her budgets. At the same time, Governor Palin's tenure included implementing a Senior Benefits program for low income elders. She also increased funding for students with disabilities in rural schools and increased funding for special needs education. Overall, she increased special needs funding by 175%. The very things that Governor Palin called for are the very things that she has done during her political career. She prioritized and budgeted accordingly.

Meanwhile,the Obama administration's health care "reform" legislation disallows families from using flexible spending accounts (which is the family's own money) for special needs education. He also employs a health care adviser who believes in that health care should be distributed by their "productivity in society" and their "potential to live a complete life". Additionally, President Obama and the liberals in Washington D.C. support spending money that we don't have to fund Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, ignoring the fact Planned Parenthood turned a more than billion profit as a non-profit entity in 2008. Governor Palin, of course, is opposed to such funding stating in part:

We recognize that not only is our country buried under Mt. McKinley-sized debt, but that the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who are least able to defend and speak for themselves.

What does this say about our society? The Left uses Trig Palin as a prop for their hatred of Governor Palin, while wrongly accusing Governor Palin of using Trig as a political prop. They try to fear monger and accuse conservatives of destroying entitlement programs, when it is their mindsets that contribute to policies supportive of rationing of care by panels like Independent Payment Advisory Board that affects Medicare reimbursement and treatment. They accuse conservatives of not caring for the elderly and those with special needs, when it's their rhetoric and policies that are uncaring.They are progressive projectionists. I think I'll stick with the ideas and character of the woman not only has her political rhetoric match her policies, but who also had the courage and compassion to do something 90% of mothers in her situation don't do.

Crossposted here, here, and here.

Thoughts from Madison: Game On!

Governor Palin gave a simply incredible speech today in Madison, Wisconsin speaking on a range of issues including the recent budget and collective bargaining battle in Wisconsin, the capitulation of the GOP Establishment, the recent budget to the empty promises of President Obama, and a declarative on the 2012 election. Governor Palin began her speech discussing Wisconsin as the "frontlines in the battle for our country", which indeed is true from the roles that Governor Walker, Judge Prosser, and Congressman Ryan have played in the recent political discussion.

Wisconsin is also the birthplace of the Republican party and in many ways, the progressive movement as well, particularly in Madison. This made it all the more fitting that Governor Palin came to speak in Wisconsin. In her speech, she called the Republican party to stand on the planks of the party, and she called out the tactics and the policies of the Progressive movement in both Madison and Washington D.C.. The Tea Party movement is on two fronts--against the Left and against the Establishment. As Karen rightly said last night, we are Wisconsin.

I was blessed with the opportunity to make the trip up to Madison this morning to attend the rally. There were, of course, no Koch brother marionettes standing behind Governor Palin choreographing her every move as she spoke, as the Left claims. She is no corporate puppet, just ask the oil companies in Alaska. Of course, the Left's assertions regarding the Governor are more often than not projections, ad hominem attacks, and falsehoods. This rally was no different. Laughably, one protest sign simply said, "Sarah Who?". The illogic of the Left--claim someone is irrelevant, then show up at a venue where they are speaking in the wind and snow to protest their appearance. Their method of "reason"--noise--the audible equivalent of the legitimacy of their arguments.

Prior to the speeches, several Wisconsin and Illinois volunteers from Organize4Palin handed out hundreds of palm cards to rally attendees and got pages and pages of individuals signed up for more information about this grassroots effort. From my personal experience with this, it was very exciting to see the receptiveness and excitement that people had in response to Governor Palin. Some individuals who signed up brought Governor Palin's books to hold up in lieu of signs. Some were military veterans. All appreciated the courageous conservatism that Governor Palin espouses.

Organize4Palin volunteers signing up interested individuals

Organize4Palin WI coordinator Bill Lichter,

Wisconsin Treasurer Kurt Schuller, and myself

If you haven't already, please sign up to be involved in Organize4Palin. Supporting Governor Palin is especially effective when we are boots on the ground in addition to being fingers on a keyboard. She has had our back, and we have the opportunity to have her back as she continues to speak out as 2012 approaches.

Game on.

Kelsey also attended the rally. She has some absolutely amazing pictures. Please see here and here.

Crossposted here.

Budget, Leadership, and Character Deficits in Washington D.C.

President Obama will be giving a speech later today laying out his plan for reducing the budget deficit. This, of course, comes after the fact that in his first 19 months in office alone, he created larger deficits than Presidents Washington through Reagan combined and the fact that the current deficit is up 16% in the past 6 months. This also comes after he formed a deficit commission to formulate potential solutions to the deficit only to largely ignore their suggestions. The whole idea of him speaking on deficit reduction is on par with President Obama running a pitching camp or Vice President Biden teaching a math class. Nonetheless, we all know actions speak louder than words, and President Obama and many of the politicians in Washington D.C. have not only created massive budget deficits, they themselves have shown large deficits in leadership and character amongst our nation's politicians.

Last week, President Obama, Senator Reid, and Speaker Boehner came to a "compromise" regarding the FY2011 budget. This compromise was touted by GOP leadership as a $38.5 billion spending cut, but putting that in perspective, during the eight days prior to the compromise, the deficit grew by $54.1 billion, more than $15 billion more than the was supposedly cut. When the dust settled, the spending cuts actually amounted to only $14 billion, and the budget weighs in at $778 billion higher than the 2008 budget. It isn't any wonder that during budget discussions, Governor Palin referred to those involved in negotiations as a "leaderless" government and referred to President Obama's actions as "petulant obstruction" and "appalling". It's become increasingly clear that the budget deficit is due in large part to a deficit in leadership. When Speaker Boehner was agreeing to pseudo budget cuts like unspent construction and census money while also allowing spending increases for some of President Obama's favorite programs, Governor Palin asserted that the Tea Party wasn't getting what it wanted from the deal:

Well, what the tea party wants is for government to be smaller and smarter. So, you know, when you consider that we just saw an increase in government spending by about 28% and saw a little chip out of that to the tune of 1%, I would say that no, the tea party and Americans in general who are concerned about the fiscal health of our country did not get what they wanted. We have a lot of work to do to help educate Congress when it comes to the expectations that we have when we send our politicians to DC to do the job of making sure that our country is solvent.

Governor Palin has shown a surplus of leadership, both inside and outside of office. Leadership is not a title you carry; it is a characteristic you display. While in office, Governor Palin cut her budget 9.5% over her predecessor This included vetoing hundreds of millions of dollars in spending and cutting federal earmark requests by more than 80% in a state known for bringing home the bacon. This is not only leadership; it is courage. As Governor Palin has stated, it takes "courage and real leadership" to make cuts during a time of plenty as she did. During her time as Governor, she put $5 billion in state savings while paying down unfunded pension programs and forward funding education, and her policy legacy has given Alaska a current $12 billion surplus.

Outside of office, Governor Palin has led in opposition to Obamacare, in support of border security, and in warning about coming inflation due to the problems of quantitative easing. She has also taken the lead in real fiscal reform and addressing the budget deficit. She was the first and only potential presidential candidate to support Congressman Ryan's road map. When Congressman Ryan released the House GOP's FY2012 proposal last week, Governor Palin called it a "good start", but she also noted it still didn't stop deficit spending. What is the solution then? As she later said on Judge Jeanine, "everything is fair game" when it comes to addressing the spending/deficit/debt problem in Washington. Governor Palin said that both entitlement programs and discretionary spending need to be dealt with, and she stated that budgets should start first with constitutionally mandated services, not with other programs. These are ideas of a bold leader, not of one who cannot even give an answer on how to address entitlement reform.

The leadership deficit in Washington is closely tied to character deficit. Washington politicians claim to be future focused, but their lack of seriousness in addressing spending merely means that they will play "Kick the Can" with the future of America. You cannot win the future when you are already losing the present by being unwilling to address spending problems. Governor Palin characterizes our nation's massive debt as "generational theft" and "immoral". She sees that the problems in Washington as a deficit of character, not simply poor economics. Politicians are more apt to do what is politically expedient rather than what is right for the country. The budget deficits our so called leadership have accrued are immoral because they are stealing from the prosperity of the future. Leaders of true character recognize this and are willing to address it by cutting spending and addressing entitlements.

Character goes beyond simply doing what is right; it also is refusing to engage in wrong and unethical behavior event when it is pervasive. Crony capitalism and corrupt corporatism have infested state capitals and D.C. far too long. Governor Palin called out the unethical behavior Alaska GOP chairman and fellow oil and gas commissioner, Randy Reudrich. Governor Palin took on the crony capitalism in Juneau by re-vamping the corruption tainted oil tax structure in addition to passing ethics reform. She has called out the Obama administration for their revolving door with the financial industry. Governor Palin has shown character driven leadership in the face of pervasive corruption.

Washington D.C. faces a serious deficit spending problem, but that problem will only continue if the issues of leadership and character deficits are not simultaneously addressed. These two traits are not gained by reading piles of policy white papers, nor are they achieved through focus group testing. One must have a strong moral compass and an ability to draw from life experiences. As Governor Palin said in her most recent Facebook post, " there's a leadership vacuum in the White House right now, but that's nothing that another good old fashion election can't fix".

Updated: This supposed compromise is worse than even estimated earlier this week. The Congressional Budget Office states that this "deal" cuts spending by a mere $353 million, not $38.4 billion or even $14 billion. By contrast, during her time as Governor, Governor Palin cut spending by roughly three times that much--$1,127,400,000--in her FY2010 budget compared to her predecessors FY2007 budget. This is cutting at the state level with a smaller pool of revenue and a much, much small number of constituents than at the federal level. Governor Palin was right again. They were simply arguing over " peanuts".

Crossposted here.

The Lingering Influence of Crony Capitalism and Big Oil in Alaskan Politics

In recent posts, I discussed how Governor Palin's key legislative victory, Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share (ACES) , has been a transparent, constitutionally-based, pro-growth success. In 2007, Governor Palin signed into law ACES, an oil tax structure that includes incentives for development and investment in capital improvements and ensured that Alaska's resources would be developed for the maximum benefit for the people of Alaska as per their state constitution. The Alaska constitution states that the state's natural resources belong to the people of Alaska. In essence, revenue derived from oil development belongs in part to the people of Alaska who, as owners of the resources, are due their share of the profits as "shareholders". Beyond this, ACES also replaced Governor Murkowski's Petroleum Profits Tax (PPT) which was tainted by crony capitalism and corruption and lead to the arrest and conviction of state legislators and Governor Murkowski's chief-of-staff due to the ties between PPT negotiations and VECO Corp, a oil and gas pipeline company.

ACES has been a success for both the people of Alaska and the oil companies. In a recent Facebook post, Governor Palin highlighted how the revenues of ACES have benefited the people of the Alaska and have made the state financially sound, as it has helped provide a $12 billion state surplus, put billions is savings, pay down underfunded state pension plans, and forward fund education. ACES has proven to be a success for oil companies as well. ACES has contributed to oil job increases, high profits for industry, a record high numbers of oil companies drilling in Alaska, and increased capital development by oil companies spurred by $3 billion of tax incentives. Alaska now has the second best business tax climate in the country, moving up two spots since the passage of ACES.

In the previously referenced Facebook post, Governor Palin brushes off current criticisms of ACES and refers to desires by some to make changes to ACES as "political posturing". A bill that would alter the ACES tax structure (HB 110) was passed by the House last week. However, this bill does not even remove the progressivity of ACES--the main criticism from detractors. It solely caps the progressivity. In fact, it changes the calculation period for the tax, and it does not account for volatility of oil prices. It is estimated that such a plan could cost the state $100 to $200 million a year. With a constitutionally sound oil taxation structure that has proven to benefit both the Alaskan people and the oil companies, why might Alaskan legislators and Governor Parnell seek to do away with ACES?Are oil companies and crony capitalist Alaskan politicians using the current political climate (and the anti-oil agenda by the current President) as a springboard for altering the oil structure?

A chorus of voices has risen in support of making changes to ACES, but where are these voices coming from? Are these merely echoes of the corruption of the past? Former Republican Alaskan House member, Ray Metcalfe, indicates that this is likely the case. Metcalfe was instrumental in exposing the impropriety between Alaskan legislators and VECO. He highlights that former VECO spokesman, Paul Jenkins, has been given free rein to write op-eds in the Anchorage Daily News (ADN) in support of making changes to ACES; his most recent ad hominem, snark ladden piece was published Saturday. Prior to the exposure of the VECO scandal, Jenkins wrote paid op-ed advertisements in support of VECO in the ADN before the scandal prompted the ADN to stop running the ads. Paul Laird, former BP spokesman, has also been involved. He was general manager of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance until last July. The Alliance has been pushing hard for changes to ACES as well, including pushing an ad campaign that shared the stories of those supposedly negatively affected by ACES. During the 2010 election cycle Laird donate money to three House members' campaigns. All three of these legislators voted in favor of the new tax structure last week. Current Alliance General Manager, Rebecca Logan, also donated money to a legislator who supported the change to ACES and to Governor Parnell, who also has pushed for changes to the ACES.

Despite supporting ACES while serving as Lt. Governor, Parnell has pushed for changes to ACES since February of 2010. Governor Parnell (while governing conservatively on budgeting, earmarks, and Obamacare, advocating for the 10th amendment, and supporting Governor Palin's gasline project, AGIA) has a revolving door career between politics and the oil industry. In the early and mid 1990s, Parnell served in the Alaska House of Representatives and Senate. Following his time in the Senate, Parnell became director of government relations for ConoccoPhillips. He then went to work for Governor Murkowski as the director state division of oil and gas from 2003 to 2005. During part of this period time, Governor Palin had served as an oil and gas commissioner until she encountered unethical behavior from another commissioner and Alaska GOP chair,Randy Ruedrich, and she resigned and lodged a complaint against Ruedrich. Prior to running for Lt. Governor in 2006, Parnell worked at Patton Boggs, a law firm that represented ConoccoPhillips and ExxonMobil in the Exxon Valdex oil spill case.

Additionally, Parnell's 2010 election donations came from those with ties to special oil interests who may have a stake in any changes made to ACES. One of these donors was Kevin Jardell, who had a managerial role in Governor Murkowski's administration and has worked as a lobbyist for ExxonMobil (as a side note, that linked article also notes that Governor Palin did not allow lobbyists in her office). Jardell, in addition to Camden Toohey, made the highest individual donations to Governor Parnell allowable by Alaska election laws. Camden Toohey has had a revolving door career as well--working as lobbyist, then in President Bush's Interior Department, and now working as a legal adviser with Shell. With the EPA red tape tying up Shell's drilling in the Arctic until 2012, would Shell have a particular interest in potential changes to ACES as federal restrictions are reducing their profits?

Governor Parnell is not the only one with donors who may have a vested interested in changes to ACES and have ties to the corrupt oil taxation processes of the past. Rep. Anna Fairclough's, who headed up the HB 110 efforts, greatest percentage of 2010 election funding came from energy and natural resource industry including BP and ConoccoPhillips. BP and ConoccoPhillips spoke before the House Resource committee in February to advocate for the proposed changes to ACES. Another proponent of this bill is Rep. Mike Hawker ,who is no friend of Governor Palin and is one of the charter members of the Corrupt B*****s Club (CBC), the name corrupt and boastful legislators gave to themselves because of their embrace of their own corruption. Hawker, in addition to Rep.Chenault, were two legislators who voted for HB 110 and who received tens of thousands in campaign donations from VECO executives. Hawker and Chenault voted for Governor Murkowski's corruption tainted PPT and against Governor Palin's ACES. Suffice it to say, the CBC is still kickin' in Alaska politics, perhaps now with some new inductees.

HB 110, touted by Governor Parnell and supported by a majority of Alaskan House members, does not appropriately address the criticism of ACES's progressivity, does not deal with the volatility of oil prices, and is likely to reduce state revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars. Beyond that, the proponents of this bill have a history of engaging in crony capitalism, corruption, and unethical behavior. While it is unlikely that Senate version of the bill is unlikely to pass, Governor Parnell supports changes to ACES, and there is the potential for such a bill to be taken up again next year. These are the very things that Governor Palin has fought against her entire political career. Governor Palin has called out the unethical behavior of Alaska GOP chair Randy Ruedrich when she was an oil and gas commissioner. She implemented corruption free ACES project that was passed in a transparent manner without the outside influence of oil companies. She championed the AGIA pipeline project that was negotiated in a transparent manner. She has called out the Obama administration on their pervasive crony capitalism. Should she run for President in the future, there's no doubt she would continue to strive to rid government of corruption; stop the revolving doors between the private sector, lobbying, and government; and end the behind-closed-doors negotiations that have been pervasive for years in Washington. For Governor Palin, phrases like "walking the walk, not just talking the talk" and " no more politics as usual" are not platitudes, they're the way she's lived her political career.

Crossposted here, here, and here.