You don't need the adultery to know: sarah palin is cooked

It's the beginning.

Despite the feeble threats of lawsuits from the McCain campaign, the main media is picking up The National Enquirer's exclusive about Sarah Palin's alleged adultery.

Now it would seem the NE's got the goods... and polygraphs. This is about to erupt "big-time" as Sarah might say.

This from the San Jose Mercury (not exactly a scandal sheet):

According to The NATIONAL ENQUIRER, three members of the man’s family, including one by sworn affidavit, have claimed that Palin engaged in an affair with husband Todd’s former business partner, Brad Hanson.

Hanson owned a snowmobile dealership with Palin’s husband Todd, who terminated the partnership after he heard stories about the alleged romp in 1996. This was around the time that Palin was mayor of Wasilla.

“Sarah was elected mayor of Wasilla, Brad became a city council member in the nearby town of Palmer, and they started an affair,” says Jim Burdett, who was described by the Enquirer as a “Hanson family insider.”

Gawker (who has a legal staff and something to sue at) actually bought the paper edition of NE and published these details:

The National Enquirer has the details of what the tabloid dubs its "exhaustive" and "extensive" probe of Sarah Palin's extramarital dalliance this week. It was not with that guy who had his divorce papers sealed, but with a city council member in nearby Palmer (pop: smaller than Wasilla) they say! And from the looks of his facial hair, he is a total Toddpelganger. It went down in the nineties, when David Foster Wallace and Elizabeth Wurtzel were an item, and it involved: snowmobiles, remote cabins, polygraphs, declarations of love, small-town politics and another one of those wackjob ex-brothers-in-law that are such a rich natural resource in Alaska.

(photo: Brad, Todd)

(We've heard the right-wingers like Laura Ingraham and Billo Reilly bitching because the MSM didn't bust John Edwards when the NE was reporting his sordid affair, but they're strangely quiet about this).

But did you have to know the details of her adultery to be thinkin' and wonderin' and doubtin' about the Moose-carvin' babe from Wasilla?

Or did you see her blithering on foreign policy in Thursday's Katie Couric interview? There's no possibility of the chattering class changing the subject about the interviewer being a condescending white guy looking down his nose at her -- the steely-eyed Couric asked plainly, simply, and relentlessly the questions that needed to be asked and Palin sounded like a county commissioner, not the potential leader of the free world.

It was devastating to Palin's claim to be anything but a baldly political decision gone horribly wrong. 

James Fallows, one of the fairest observers in America writes in the Atlantic Online: "I've now seen much of the Katie Couric/Sarah Palin interview and I genuinely feel sorry for Palin. This really is pathetic. Again it's not a mass/elite matter. Anyone who has been to high school immediately recognizes the terror of facing a pop quiz or an oral exam when you just have no idea what you're talking about."

Her answers to Couric's question for two days in a row have sent conservatives -- the ones not battling Bush and his bail-out --to quake in their  private hells.

Visualizing this novice as no.2 to a 72-year-old 4 times cancer survivor has even the most partisan observers trembling. McCain's refusal to release his complete medical records has given them no comfort.

Or that he so impulsively picked this unvetted, unseasoned, running mate with the her apparently salacious past. It's the judgment thing.

We've been wrong before, but we cannot see -- short of a gunshot or nasty trip-and-fall -- how this election can go to anyone but Obama and Biden.

Comments

[AuthenticAndrew]

McCain will probably confirm that the affair occurred, and that it was an unconscionable, deplorable act, and that for the good of the campaign ... she must reluctantly withdraw as his running mate.

Funny how last week people were coming up with theories about how Obama could dislodge Biden without saving face and now the reverse is happening. I wish they could both hit the dump button simultaneously.

[Duffman]

Whether or not the NE piece is true (and it likely is), the Katie Couric interview sealed it for me. Viewing that piece made it clear in my mind that she is not ready for prime time. Her responses to some of Katie's questions were akin to the beautiful (but severely 'lacking') Miss South Carolina in her now infamous responses (or lack thereof) to the question about finding the U.S. on a map. Wow, she could have deferred to Sen McCain on some of those questions instead of fumbling through like she did in a rambling non-sensical way. Yes, I'm afraid it's coming apart for Ms Palin and will damage McCain also. Too bad, because I feel she is a terrific personality and apparently a good State leader, but alas on a National level she has proven herself to be a babe in the woods indeed.
Again, sorry to say but it will be POTUS Obama...and (UGH!) VP Biden.

[Duffman]

For those who may not be familar, here is the text of Miss So Carolina's response, when asked this question during the pagent. Compare (if you will) with the Couric/Palin piece and I think you will notice similarities. How sad!

'In a less than shining moment, Caitlin Upton, the 18 year old Miss South Carolina Teen, answered a fairly simple pageant question with a nonsensical answer:'

'Q: Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can’t locate the United States on a world map. Why do you think this is?
A: I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as in, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children.'

[sparky]

Duffman, how do you avoid having whiplash....

[Duffman]

From: The McCain Camp

'“The smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Gov. Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie.”'

[Duffman]

Well, Sparky those are the perks of being an independent as opposed to a lap dog for a particular political party with requisite blinders so that one's head cannot turn and recognize new data.

[Duffman]

Will this be the OCTOBER SURPRISE, or is there something bigger and badder out there ready to drop to the detriment of either campaign?

Quick question Sparky: If this story is found to be bogus and instigated by someone in Obama's campaign, will you agree that they should be summarily fired?

[Ryder]

She is so homely. How drunk would a guy have to be to "do" her?

What matters to me right now is that sitting in the White House right now are Liberals and Conservatives basicly violating me.

Let the whole mess collapse.

[sparky]

Duffmn, what a well reasoned and independent question.

10 seconds after her name was announced, The Enquirer staff was on a plane to Alaska with suitcases full of money.

Will be looking for your 15 posts a day on how shocking this is since Palin actually IS a candidate, and John Edwards was not.

[Duffman]

...but he was YOUR man, wasn't he

didn't answer question, but what's new...

[Coiler for chasity belts for republicans]

Duffman, playing it easy with one foot in the lifeboat, kiss em when they're up, kick em when they're down. Where were you yesterday after the Palin interview was all over the place? MIA.

[Duffman]

At this point I'm not voting for either major party...can you say same? Not Likely...lapdog!

[Gay Gary]

I'd just like to say ... I was the first on this blog to call Palin a slut!

[Habu]

"McCains refusal to relase more than 1000 pages of his medical records......"

In contrast, Bambi has released one page-no offical medical records.

Why is that? No outcry?

[joanie]

They make good-lookin' men up there in that wild country!

Let the whole mess collapse.

Finally, we agree.

[Puget Sound]

Coiler
Glad to see you back. Usually we just get Sparky but having you also post is a real treat. Are you riding out to Yakima with Sparky?

San Jose Mercury News. I'm probably one of the few on this blog that ever actually picked up the damn paper from the newstands down there. I still recall those CIA-Contra sold cocaine to South LA articles. Any of you recall how that turned out? The San Jose Mercury News assured all that it was true...until later when became a source of ridicule for being poorly sourced and worst of all, wrong.

You all still worried about Sarah Palin having an affair? I'm sure it was 'okay' cause Todd's cancer is in remission...but go ahead, you send a horde of Dem Operatives up to Alaska with a briefcase full of cash you may find someone who will say something.

The Couric interview is not a be all end all to qualifications as VP. I watched it and she did well enough to get by.

[Duffman]

'The Couric interview is not a be all end all to qualifications as VP. I watched it and she did well enough to get by.'

Sorry Puts - must respectfully disagree with you on this one; even tho I do like her...she's toast.

[YellowPup]

We haven't had this much excitement over a nominee since Harriet Miers!

Oh, the humanity!

[Puget Sound]

Her problems are best stated here, "...is that her background as mayor, chair of the state’s oil and gas commission and governor have not required her to know about a slew of fields of knowledge that are pretty much required for a president or vice president. So she didn’t need to formulate policy responses to how to track al-Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan, or think about the benefits and drawbacks of the health care reform proposal Mitt Romney put forth in Massachusetts, or determine where to draw the line in interrogation of captured terrorists, or assess how the nation as a whole should respond to a globalized economy or come up with how to deal with a Wall Street meltdown. What she did need to know – energy policy, tax policy, some social policy areas – she knows fine and can articulate her views at length.

The question is, how fast can Palin build on that knowledge base? What’s her learning curve? If, God forbid, she had to take office in February 2009, there would be understandable concern. A year later, she’d have a much broader range of policy knowledge. Two years later, it would be even broader, and by 2012, she would be as versed in national policy as almost anybody in Washington.

(And even in the worst-case scenario, a suddenly-promoted President Palin could/would go out and get her own “Biden” or “Cheney,” some longtime Washington statesman with broad areas of policy expertise to serve as her vice president. Lest any Democrat howl that this setup makes for a poor administration, note that this is precisely the setup they're offering this year - promising rookie with crusty old vet looking over the shoulder.)

I’d conclude by noting a contrast. Most political observers could name the policy specialties of three of the figures in this race easily. Palin’s policy “specialties” are energy and cutting wasteful spending. We know McCain’s, national security and reform/pork-busting. We know Joe Biden’s, foreign policy and the judiciary."

[Puget Sound]

The reason I don't worry about Palin is this: look at all the energy the Dems are putting out to take her out. If she was soooo ineffectual they wouldn't be doing anything to her. Instead they gotta throw mud and hope something sticks.

And remember, Palin is coming in as the number 2. In the event she has to assume the Presidency she can pick the old hand from the Washington Crowd.

If you go back, the Dems playbook on Repubs is to either paint them as Dumb (Eisenhower, Reagan, Bush, Ford, Goldwater) or angry (McCain, Dole) or both dumb and angry (Goldwater).

The only one who wasn't labeled dumb or angry was Nixon who was put in to a special category (paranoid manipulator).

The Repubs have their playbook for the Dems. We know how that one runs.

[Maggie]

I have just viewed the Couric clips. She is humiliated. I was a Hillary supporter who had some hopes for another strong woman to emerge on the political front. Sarah Palin is not her. HOW COULD A RESPONSIBLE EXPERIENCED POLITICIAN LIKE MCCAIN CLAIMS TO BE CONSIDER THIS PER5ON FOR VICE PRESIDENT?

[brian]

All I can say is I sure hope the affair rumors are true...

That would mean that I still have a chance with her!

[blathering michael]

"all the energy the Dems are putting out to take her out. If she was soooo ineffectual they wouldn't be doing anything to her. Instead they gotta throw mud and hope something sticks."

Of course the Democrats went after her... she was the VP the nominee, an unknown and tickled the numbers in the R's favor.

And she was effective -- as a political device which excited the Republican base. But her popularity other than that of evangelicals and right-wing ideologues (and Duffman who admired her as a MILF) dropped rather quickly after the bubble of the convention.

The evangelicals and the religious base will not tolerate the adultery, however. Remember they deserted Bush in great numbers in 2000 after his DUI was uncovered.

As I say, she's cooked.

If she'd gone through the normal vetting and the rigorous primary process, this would have all come out in its own time... she might have been able to survive it. But McCain impulsively tagged her before they could look at her very closely. In the compressed time between the long primary and the general, her problems are also compressed in that time. Now her nomination just looks like the stoopid move of a crochety maverick who makes risky, ill-considered, quick decisions.

He's cooked, too.

[Puget Sound]

McCain has been counted out before. He is the original comeback kid. Palin serves her purpose of revving up the base and stealing enough of the female vote.

Could McCain lose? Yes. But at this point I recall how confident the Dems were that Kerry was gonna win. Even on the day of the election...damn those exit polls, eh?
And lets not forget the Bradley effect. A sad reality but true in this day still. We'll see if that still has an impact.

Obama SHOULD be up by 15 this election year.

We'll see how the VP election debate goes. Most people will make up their mind at that point.

[Habu]

She's cooked.....

Arent you the same one who reported sometime back that Rove would be perp walking?

About those never to be released obama medical records.

Residuals of cocaine abuse and smoking?

A free pass only for the socialist?

[Recife]

WaMu is dead.

I hate to sound like a Socialist but………….$98,000.00 per hour is insane. That’s what the math works out for our boy Fishman. 14 days on the job, and he gets 20 million! Assuming he worked 12 hours a day for all 14 days, now if he had of been able to save the company, maybe. Fucking $98,000.00 per hour to watch it goes down in flames? Hell even dumb ass me could have handled that.

I bet that boy was saying WooHoo all the way to the bank!

[Oscar]

The Republican's only hope: the Bradley effect. GOTRV - Get out the Racist Vote!

[Puget Sound]

actually, oscar, it was dems that let down tom bradley....
truth hurts, eh?

[Bammer]

McCain's "ready, fire, aim" approach....This is what's sinking his campaign.

[Mungo]

puget,

I admire your loyalty, but that interview does nothing to help the McCain cause. I'm not a McCain supporter, but her performance made me cringe. Romney was the logical choice.

[Puget Sound]

he picks romney and he isn't even in the race.
to be president you first gotta get elected.

palin was the choice to rev the base. it was his only shot in this political year.

just like obama could have put the election away by choosing hillary.

[Mungo]

I agree she revved the base, but I really don't think she will do anything to get independents to vote Rep. - and that is where the election will be won. I think Romney would have been much more effective there. I also agree Clinton would have helped Obama more than Biden, but I don't think Hillary could handle being No.2 - just ask Bill. As this race goes on I'm having a harder time being excited about either candidate.

[AuthenticAndrew]

People ask how that evil Kim Jung-il can live in palaces and import expensive liquors and cars while his country people live in shambles, but how is this free market economy any different when the people who perpetrate our downfall are allowed to retain their palaces while the rest of us pay for their mistakes?

People are still doing the same work they always did but everything costs more so we're all poorer and it's none of our fault. The people who are resposnible for this aren't suffering in any sense of the word.

[Puget Sound]

getting the indies was supposed to be what mccain would do. by having palin get the base it would allow mccain to move to the center -his more natural slot- and appeal to them.
we'll see how it works out. but it is his only shot during this political season. that, coupled with obama's choice of someone other than hillary.
the other thing that palin does is that by reving the base they will vote not only for the presidential ticket but also for the congressional and senate races. also the state races. presumably the base will vote repub more than dem candidates so this can also help repubs overall.

[AuthenticAndrew]

Even though the Radical Right might like Palin's values I don't think she will inspire them to vote. The Repuglicans need some wedge issues badly. Put an anti- flag burining measure on the ballots.

[AuthenticAndrew]

From http://community.adn.com/adn/node/131836

"Two weeks ago, a record 34% of McCain voters said the were excited about their choice, a finding attributed to the Palin boom, but that was down to 25% in this poll."

This shows that the same people who liked Palin initialy are disliking her now. The idea that she revved up the base and continues to do so is a big laugh.

[Sgt Poppy]

McCain the comeback kid? After piling up 5 jets his daddy the admiral could of made sure of that. Who will bail him out now?

[sparky]

Palin did "well enough" in the interview?? You have incredibly low standards, Puts. You also have little respect for women if you think very many of us were supposed to like her just because she has a hoo. I posted here once before that you guys have no understanding of the women's movement at all. It was about having a voice and a CHOICE. Just because a woman is running is not an automatic pass from us. Same with Hillary. And you are carefully leaving out the point that Hillary's negative numbers were VERY high during the primary, and she would have brought out the Republicans-who-still-hate-Bill vote in high numbers. Of course you wanted Obama to pick her. His numbers would have tanked instantly. It would have been 1996 all over again, complete with Monica jokes.
I honestly feel sorry for Palin. Her ego got her this far but even she knows this is out of her league, at least with the experience she has now. The look on her face is that of any college kid who has walked into a class they have skipped most of the quarter,only to find there is a test that day. Moose in the headlights.

She did "well enough." Well enough that Putin, ALL of the leaders of the Middle East and half of Europe would fall out of their chairs laughing, and would see a prime opportunity to take advantage of her. "Pulling from the Old Guard to help her"? The Old Guard is our problem. I will be very surprised if there are any VP debates at all.

McCain's campaign accidentally activated a part of the website this afternoon that was meant to wait until tonight...declaring that he won the debate.

[Puget Sound]

actually sparky, evidently i respect women a whole lot more than you do.

the way you all happily slung mud on her and her family shows your attitude towards a woman without a D by her name. what's wrong sparky, you afraid of a successful married woman with 5 kids, a strong career, and ability to deliver some killer speeches. she could cure leukemia and you would be ranting about her not spending enough time with her kids. she is in a no win situation with people of your ilk.

kind of like clarence thomas was attacked for not being really 'black.'

not a real woman or not black enough...can't have people stepping outside of the box, can we?

you want to talk gaffes? lets see how obama does when he gets away from the prompter. when he can't bail with votes like 'present' or inane answers like 'above my paygrade' for just a few. of course, he has had the advantage of campaigning in all '57' states, hasn't he?

katie couric is not a test of mettle.

lets wait for the vp debate and see how it goes.

[its the economy milf palin]

rofl ya lets wait fo' that vp debate. if it happens fo' them killer speeches. she knows that alaska lies between russia and canada and her morning milk comes from cats, woo hoo!

[Duffman]

She might not be the one, but she's a decent human being with a lot of talent; there's no reason to trash her and her family like this. I will not be a part of it, so go ahead and discuss amongst yourselves and pump up the ego, I shall comment no further on Gov Palin.
Now, if you want to discuss Sparky's and joanie's and all the other's favorite Breck boy John Edwards...bring it on.

[Puget Sound]

looks like ABC has caught Obama in another whopper

hmmm

that's above my pay grade also

obama's been studying up on foreign relations to be ready for his big test tonight. mccain is already battle tested and ready to go.
wonder if obama will be talking about how he doesn't like nafta and wants to suspend it...and then quietly call up the folks in canada to tell 'em that he didn't really mean it. now THAT is funny.
you want me to pull up that story, sparky?
and make sure you get coiler to pitch in half on gas for the trip to yakima...

[Jack Cafferty]

She doesn't have a clear train of thought. She just rambles through the buzz words and talking points at random ... with a very sincere look on her face.

[Jeff Seastone]

The last 3 days have really shown us what McCain would be like as president. Unreliable, scatter-brained and someone who makes wild unpredictable choices in the face of a crisis.

He suspended his campaign! …wait no he didn’t…wait…yes…

He’s attending the debate..wait no he’s not…wait…yes…

[Hidden]

Where are all of the other Republican women? Is Condie now in the witness protection program? Elizabeth Dole under house arrest?
Olympia Snow under wraps in her Washington office.? Christie Whitman- chopping wood in NJ?

I think that they are embarrased to be spoken about in the same breath as Palin. I think they are all in deep cover.

All of this gives me even more respect for Hillary Clinton. I feel so sorry that she has been so villified for presenting herself as an intelligent, educated as she is.

[Hidden]

In recent articles in the press we hear much discussion of the rise of Conservative Populism: The idea that ordinary people can connect with ordinary people in their ordinariness and will be able rise to the top and triumph over the Russki’s and other National challenges a la ‘Red Dawn’. Over certain knowledge of who the ‘bad guys’ are vs. the ‘good guys’ is the narrow minded model that Sarah Palin maniacally believes will carry her to greatness.

If it worked for Reagan and Bush it must be true, right? Let's not forget those administrations either ended or are ending in National disgrace: Reagan not even remembering he authorized selling arms to the Iranians and then stealing $500Million dollars from the U.S. Treasury to finance a mercenary army in defiance of specific Laws enacted by Congress to halt the funding (can you say Oliver North?). Let alone the number of Reagan minions convicted of felonies during his terms.

And Bush? Let’s see: torture, secret prisons, kidnapping and torture of innocent persons due to their mistaken identity, the deaths of 4000 U.S. troops with 20,000 wounded, the deaths of 150,000 Iraqi civilians, 1,500,000 refugees from our war, $1 Trillion dollars down a rat hole for the Iraq war, $1 Trillion dollars to bail out their backers on Wall Street and other countless treasonous committed by these ‘Conservative Populist Republicans’ who know who the ‘good guys’ are vs the ‘bad guys’, right? They sure rose to the challenge during hurricane Katrina, didn’t they? Heckuva job Bush.

They have become the very enemy to our country they profess to oppose by their ignorance and incompetence. They have damaged our Nation with their failure to regulate their backers and steward our Nation far more than Al Qaeda ever dreamed to achieve. The unintended genius of 9/11 was to ensure incompetents would use the fear generated to stay in power and lead the country to ruin.

The Republic quakes and Rome burns while McCain plays the violin. Go have some cake John.

[Duffman]

Bravo!..'Hidden'.

[Duffman]

...that was 'Bravo' to the last paragraph of your 05:03 PM post, nothing else.

[Gay Gary]

WOW - Don just went off the deep end. He started screaming at people to start writing him emails and threatening to switch to The Commentators because "The Commentators aren't on the radio anymore! They got fired! You need ratings to stay on the radio and they didn't have them!" RADIO WARS

[cmsgop]

You Guys are retarded if you think McCain will ditch Palin. She has morew Executive EXP than McCain,Obama or Biden