The Anchorage Daily News reports that "maverick reformer" Sarah Palin used state taxpayer funds, including hundreds of dollars in travel expenses and $120 for "meals" to pay for her now infamous weekend round trip from Juneau to her hometown evangelical church in Wasilla, Alaska, to instruct students to "pray" for a gas pipeline...
State paid for trip when Palin told students to pray for pipeline
State records show that Palin submitted a travel authorization for a quick round-trip visit to attend the June 8 graduation of the Master's Commission program at the Wasilla Assembly of God, the church where she was baptized at age 12. The only other item on the agenda for that trip was a "One Lord Sunday" service involving a network of Mat-Su Christian churches earlier that morning at the Wasilla sports complex.
The records show Palin flew from Juneau on Saturday, June 7. She returned to Juneau that Monday afternoon. The plane tickets cost the state $519.50, and she claimed an additional $120 for meals and other expenses.
Hmm. Departing Saturday, returning Monday.
Travel and lodging paid for by taxpayers.
Which means that not only did taxpayers foot the bill for Palin's dominionist musings from the stump pulpit, they also, once again, paid for her leisure time on a weekend trip to her adopted gravel pit WalMart hometown.
This message brought to you by the taxpayers of the Great State of Alaska:
"I can do my part in doing things like working really, really hard to get a natural gas pipeline. Pray about that also. I think God's will has to be done, in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that."
This message brought to you by the taxpayers of the Great State of Alaska:
"But really, all of that stuff [i.e., Sarah Palin's JOB as Governor] doesn't do any good if the people of Alaska's hearts isn't [sic] right with God. And that's going to be your job. As I'm doing my job, let's strike this deal. Your job is going to be: to be out there, reaching the people, (the) hurting people throughout Alaska, and we can work together to make sure God's will be done here."
Governor Sarah Palin, and God Himself, thank the Anchorage Daily News for correcting Sarah's actual quote ("Your job is going to be to be out there, reaching the people, hurting people throughout Alaska...") with that very important "the"...
This message brought to you by the taxpayers of the Great State of Alaska:
The war in Iraq is a "task from God."
Separation of Church and State? Fuggedaboutit, says Palin's spokesperson, in comments reminiscent of McCain's "it's not that important".
Leighow compared Palin's prodding of the young evangelical students to her attending the 2007 installation of Rabbi Michael Oblath at Congregation Beth Sholom in Anchorage.
"What's the difference?" Leighow said.