But in the first major race of her career — the 1996 campaign for mayor of her hometown of Wasilla — Palin was a far more conventional politician. In fact, according to some who were involved in that fight, Palin was a highly polarizing political figure who brought partisan politics and hot-button social issues like abortion and gun control into a mayoral race that had traditionally been contested like a friendly intramural contest among neighbors.
Some have said that her almost recall was due to her tendency to abuse power. But from reading the Time write-up it also appears that she has a nasty attitude toward people who disagree with her and she will cut you if you are disloyal in anyway.
By shrewdly invoking issues that mattered to the ascendant majority, Palin won the mayor's race. But while she may have been a new face, says Naegele, she was no maverick, not yet. "The state party gave her the mechanism to get into that office," says Naegele. "As soon as she was confident enough to brush them off, she did.
Slash and dash politics in a small town was what Palin is to this day known for. She used her small town position to fire people.
She ended up dismissing almost all the city department heads who had been loyal to Stein, including a few who had been instrumental in getting her into politics to begin with. Some saw it as a betrayal.
And, for those who wonder whether she will invoke her religious and social beliefs into her policy positions. The answer is yes, yes and yes.
Stein says that as mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. "She asked the library how she could go about banning books," he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them. "The librarian was aghast." The librarian, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving "full support" to the mayor.
Palin is dangerous and bad for this country. They are trying to sell us snake oil in a well wrapped package. But, hopefully this time no one is buying it.
Update: First, thank you for recommending this diary.
Huffingtonpost has the smoking gun.
"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God," she exhorted the congregants. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."
Just prior to discussing Iraq, Alaska's governor asked the audience to pray for another matter -- a $30 billion national gas pipeline project that she wanted built in the state. "I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that," she said.
They have the video of this too.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
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