Is Sarah Palin a Puppet?

Who is Sarah Palin? Is she a rogue figure as her book title suggests? Greater than the sum of her parts? A genius at political manipulation? Or is she actually more of a puppet who believes and does as she is told?

Item: Sarah and husband Todd have been and are long-time members of Christian churches so conservative and out of the main stream that exorcisms are regularly conducted by their pastors in front of the congregations. One common tenant of such churches is that man was created to glorify God and that woman was created to glorify man. Or alternatively, that a woman must submit to her husband in all things.

So, who is Todd Palin and how much control does he have over his wife’s opinions and her dealings both inside the family and outside in the political world?

Item 1: Records indicate that beginning in 1995, Todd Palin was a member of the Alaska Independence Party, a radicalized ultra conservative group that insists on and actively works toward Alaska’s secession from the United States. Except for one brief period, Todd Palin remained registered with AIP until July 2002. Item 2: Several inside sources have publicly stated and written that, while Sarah was the governor of Alaska, her husband, who had no official capacity or title, was copied on most of the governor’s official emails and more often than not, sat in on official meetings of state.

Sarah Palin is plenty smart with charisma to burn. But is she relevant? Would Dick Cheney run or Mitt Romney run with her on a presidential ticket? Is her husband, the Secessionist, really calling the shots?

America deserves answers.

Scud Downing

Introducing Ultimate Insider SCUD DOWNING

Wonkissima is pleased to announce an additional and most valuable contributor: former WH insider, former intelligence community insider and former Hollywood insider SCUD DOWNING.

Downing has a history of kicking over rocks and skewering the parasites on those exposed underbellies; of being able to separate the oil and water; of getting the most powerful of untrustworthies to trust enough to dance the deepthroat.

Please stay tuned for the kinds of what-ifs and could-it-possibly-be-trues that demand real explanations and honest answers on a broad range of subjects. WELCOME SCUD!

Is America's God just a genie in a bottle?

According to a 2007 Gallup Poll, 80% of Americans “identify” with the Christian religion. A University of Toronto sociologist recently delved more deeply into this statistic by comparing and contrasting the results from two recent surveys of Americans and their beliefs about God. Some result highlights:
• 82 percent of participants say they rely on God for assistance and guidance when making decisions.
• 71 percent said they believe that good and bad experiences are part of the Creator’s plan.
• 61 percent believe God has ordained their direction and course.
It seems that God is supposed to run our lives and that most Americans SAY they are content to let God lead while they follow; that God is in charge … “Let go and let God” That God knows best.
Then again, maybe not …
Who among us has spotted the flashing lights coming up behind our vehicle and then prayed … NOT to get the speeding ticket? Admit it, have YOU prayed that a parking place in front of the post office will open up NOW to prevent a long walk on the hottest day of the year? That it won’t rain and therefore ruin trick-or-treating? To win the lottery? To lose ten pounds? For that raise? Against your child's opposing basketball team?
Americans seem to pray for and about practically EVERYTHING.
When the citizens of this mighty nation surge into battle on the football field or in a karaoke contest or for the next big job promotion, we pray to come out on top. We don’t leave it up to God unless - or somethimes even if - we absolutely have to. If two Christian schools meet in a basketball tournament and both pray for victory, is the triumphant team closer to God? Better loved by God? More acceptable to God? What about when a secular school defeats a Catholic school?
Why do we constantly plead with, beg, importune and nag God to alter our circumstances, change our luck and miraculously protect us from the rightful consequences of questionable actions while simultaneously professing that God should be in charge of our lives?
Is it because deep down, we really don’t trust God to just bring it on? Or is it because we think of the Almighty more like a genie in a bottle – a wish granter? A benevolent father who can be manipulated by a smiley face and a pretence to obey? A Santa Claus Entity who, after receiving ample buttering up (praise and adoration) alongside a constant drone of “Please, please,please,please …” (prayer) might change His/Her mind about what the future was going to bring?

Children innocently pray for the tooth fairy to bring a dollar instead of a quarter; for a puppy; for a little brother instead of a little sister. But for those of us over 18, why do we continuously and continually attempt to interfere with or rearrange The Plan?
Wonkissima is not questioning a prayerful fight against cancer or trying to change the things we know are wrong in life, like brutality or family violence. But, as it states in the Serenity Prayer, why can’t we learn to recognize the things we can’t change and let them be?
What if our lives would actually turn out better if we did?
How much prayer is "gimme"? How much prayer is "THANK YOU!" ??
Is “Go with the flow” actually the ultimate Christian principle?

Drill Baby Then Spill Baby

Why do Americans have to learn the hard way? Sometimes it seems we have no memory of the past - whether it's last week or last year or last century. Same old same old SAME OLD!!

This disasterous oil spill in the Gulf is threatening an array of food fish species, a quarter of U.S. crustacean beds, delicate eco systems and tourism not just for a few weeks or months but maybe forever. The oil spilled by the Exxon Valdiz is STILL evident on the coast of job quitter Sarah Palin's state even decades after the fact. (Funny that she couldn't name a single significant Supreme Court decision besides Roe V Wade ... how about Exxon Valdiz? But we digress.)

Didn't the collective we or the powers that be we or the scientific we learn anything from that debacle? Apparently not. Because when BP representatives and engineers and administrators continually and continuously assured us that they could handle any kind of oil emergency out there in the vast open sea thousands of feet beneath the mighty ocean's surface with treacherous currents and piles of debris and the oil spewing like a volcanic geyser and heaven knows what ELSE ... we believed them.

It appears BP wasn't even using the latest leak prevention/diversion/detection technology on its rig - because it is expensive and because U.S. law didn't require it. WHY DIDN'T OUR LAW REQUIRE IT? BRAZIL REGULATIONS REQUIRE state-of-the-art protection for all its off-shore drilling. Are their beaches more precious than ours? Are their fisheries and their tourism meccas more deserving of protection than our own?

Hey fellow too naive-to-be-believed citizens!! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE PATTERN!!! We deregulate the Savings and Loans and the Savings and Loans crash. We deregulate banks and insurance companies and the sky falls down on our little heads. How about the airlines or ATT? Our sad sap legacy of believing that the rich and powerful will inevitably do the right thing and promote a common good instead of an uncommon greed ... has proved to be wronger than wrong. AGAIN!