ON THIS PAGE: Sarah
Palin knew nothing about a gas deal between Russia and Alaska, despite
saying she is an expert on energy matters. Gazprom officials from Russia
visited Anchorage on Monday. Palin hasn't a clue.
"Energy expert" Palin
knows nothing about Alaska-Russia gas deal
Sarah Palin's campaign office admitted
that Gov. Palin knows nothing about a visit to Anchorage, Alaska by
top-ranking officials from Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy
company
Eight top-ranking officials from Gazprom, Russia's state-run energy
business, visited Anchorage this week to meet with the Alaska
Department of Natural Resources and the chief executive of
ConocoPhillips, James J. Mulva, to talk about energy projects and
the possibility of future Alaskan-Russian energy cooperation.
This
is not quite what Sarah Palin meant when she delivered her now
famous line about Putin rearing his head and flying MIGs into
Alaskan airspace: "As Putin rears his head and comes into
the airspace of the United States of America, where do they go?
It's Alaska."
During the Charles Gibson
interview, she even
To Russia with Love: Sarah Palin
knew nothing about a visit by Russian energy officials to
Anchorage this week. Perhaps it was a case of, "It was foggy,
so I couldn't see the Gazprom guys from my house."
mentioned the possibility of going to
war against Russia in defense of NATO allies.
The Gazprom visit was peaceful
and productive. It's odd that Gov. Palin knew nothing about it.
In
interviews with ABC's Charles Gibson and Katie Couric of the CBS
Evening News, Gov. Palin said Alaska's proximity to Russia, plus
her contact with trade delegations, has
helped provide her
with foreign policy experience. Palin also claims to be an energy expert. It was almost the
only subject that Palin could address with confidence during the
vice presidential debate with Joe Biden.
Palin's campaign team said
the governor did not know about the Gazprom visit to Anchorage,
nor that there was to be a meeting between Gazprom and Palin-appointee
Tom Irwin, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural
Resources.
Not wishing to appear out of the loop, Palin issued a statement
saying: "Alaska state officials routinely meet with
government representatives from energy companies around the
world."
This was no routine visit. It was approved at the highest levels
in Russia. The Gazprom team included several members close
associates of Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, prompting pro-Palin
supporters to suggest that Putin had planted them to embarrass her
and John McCain.
A company official explained: "Gazprom has accumulated
great experience in exploring hydrocarbon deposits, building and
using gas pipelines in the far north environment," the
company said in the statement. "Gazprom's experience will be
relevant in realization of similar projects in Alaska."
Voters
were asked whether they expected Sarah Palin to know about the
Russian visit. Most understood that Palin is busy on the campaign
trail, but she is still governor of the state and should be aware
of energy developments in her state. Information about the visit
might have been useful to her colleague John McCain in this
evening's presidential debate.
Perhaps Gov. Palin
is also unaware that head officials of Gazprom said in Moscow that
the company was seeking to take part in a consortium that is
building a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to Canada.
Hair apparent: Say
it ain't so, Sarah. Don't tell us you don't know what the Russians
are up to in Alaska?
WHAT
IS GAZPROM
Gazprom is the
largest extractor of natural gas in the world. With sales of
US$ 31billion in 2004, it accounts for about 93 percent of Russian
natural gas production; with reserves of 28,800 cubic km it controls
16 percent of the world's gas reserves.
When
Dmitri Medvedev replaced Putin as president of Russia, he resigned
as chairman of Gazprom. His replacement as the head of the company
was Vikot Zubkov, who resigned as prime minister. Putin became
prime minister.
After
more than a year of political campaigning, this is
what Hillary Clinto, a FrICTION hero, looks like. Perhaps
Sarah Palin should drop out while the going is good.
Newt Gingrich says McCain can get back into
the race by attacking "the Democrats' proposal to abolish
401(k) plans; the plan to strip Americans of the right to vote in
a secret-ballot election before being coerced into joining a
union; and the tax increase on the investors."
Sarah Barracuda (right) right, the Wasilla point guard in her
heyday
What do you think? We welcome
contributions from left, right and between
It's back to embarrassing questions
about Russia for Sarah Palin
Buckley resigns
from National Review over Obama endorsement
Christopher
Buckley, son of William F. Buckley Jr, has resigned his
back-page column in the National
Review, the conservative magazine founded by his
father.
Buckley's endorsement
of Barack Obama was too much for the conservative readership.
Although Buckley knows John McCain and has even written a speech
for him, he has become dismayed by McCain's negative ads and
hateful smear campaigns. He also thinks the choice of Sarah
Palin as running mate is a big mistake.
Pop goddess Madonna
is divorcing her movie director husband Guy Ritchie after
seven and a half years of marriage. Madonna will soon embark
on a world "Sweet and Sticky tour". McCain-Palin,
whose campaign has become "Bitter and Unstuck" could
learn a thing or two from Madonna the superwoman.
Actress
and friend of the Clintons, Mary Stennburgen, is ever popular
on this site. She's the most searched person after Sarah Palin
and Katie Couric. Why's her photo here today? Because we like
her.
Face of defeat: Time is running out for John
McCain. He lags far behind in all the polls. 270 electoral college
votes are needed to become president. Obama is predicted to win 344,
with McCain limping into second with 164.
It's fair to say that voters, Republican and
Democrat alike, expected more the of the ex-naval aviator. The
thinking was, if you can fly a plane and lead people into battle, then
suffer through five years of prison camp, you're emerge equipped to be
president. Not so! Obama and his team have outflanked, outsmarted and
outspent John McCain at every opportunity. These days, Sen. McCain
sounds like a tired, grumpy old man who knows his best days are behind
him. And choosing Sarah Palin, what was McCain thinking?
Writing on the 'On Faith' column in the Washington Post,
Jacques Berlinerblau thought of Sarah Palin's prospects for
2012. Although Palin is popular among evangelicals, others in
the GOP see her as "a dim-wit, dishonest, an abuser of
power, and a religious zealot." Seems an accurate
description.
Berlinerblau cycled into the ditch when mentioning Mike
Huckabee as a possible presidential candidate in 2012. We can
tell you now. It ain't gonna happen.
Unless the GOP finds an Obama of it's own -- and that's not
Palin -- the party's best best is Mitt Romney. He should
have been the VP pick, especially at this time of economic
crisis.
