Meshing Palin's Words, Actions

This article first appeared in the Staunton Newsleader on September 15, 2008.

Sarah Palin is a remarkable woman. To be a mother of five is an accomplishment, but to have a successful political career on top of that is pretty incredible.

Before John McCain announced Palin as his vice presidential nominee the majority of the country had no clue who she was.

Within moments of McCain's announcement, Palin became a national celebrity.

As the details concerning Palin began to arise, a bit of skepticism was heard across the country from liberals and conservatives alike.

Many looked to Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention as an opportunity to learn who she was, and what she stands for. While many Reublicans feel confident that Palin is exactly what the party ticket needed, many independents and moderate Republicans didn't have their doubts relieved.

Palin proved that she was capable of reading from a teleprompter, able to spout off one-liners meant to energize the conservative crowd.

A convention is not a true test of one's ability and only allows the voters to see what the candidate wants them to see. The true test will come when Palin debates Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, when she sits down with major news networks for interviews, and when she holds "town hall" meetings and answers spontaneous questions from the crowd.

One thing the nation did learn during the convention about Palin is that she is not afraid to partake in the divisive politics that so many in this country decry. Not only did she attack the opposition, but she did so unfairly, and in many ways, she mislead her audience with untrue statements.

Palin stated that, "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."

While this sounds impressive, and fits into the message of McCain, this statement is entirely misleading.

As mayor of Wasilla, Ala., Palin hired a lobbyist and obtained earmarks from Washington totaling nearly $27 million. As governor, Palin requested federal funds totaling $750 million, the largest per-capita request in the nation, and she initially supported the "bridge to nowhere."

After the "bridge to nowhere" became national news, and became politically unpopular, Palin spoke out against the project, but she kept the federal funds in the state. Empty rhetoric.

Palin also made misleading statements concerning Sen. Obama. To the amusement of the Republican crowd, she stated, "It's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs, but not a single major law or reform, not even in the state senate."

While his record is not as impressive as McCain's, who has spent two decades in the Senate, Obama has worked on important legislation both in the United States Senate, and in the Illinois State Senate.

Recently he worked with Republican Senator Richard Lugar, of Indiana, on legislation to expand efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction.

The most misleading statement of the night came when Palin claimed that, "the Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."

Recently, our representative from the 20th district made a similarly misleading statement involving Obama's tax plans. It seems like this is a mistruth the Republicans plan on perpetuating to the American people to try and get their party elected.

The truth of the matter is that more than 95 percent of Virginia families will receive a tax break under Obama's plan. Eighty percent of these families will receive a larger break under the Obama plan than under the McCain plan.

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about five percent by 2012. McCain's plan in contrast would only raise after-tax income by about 3 percent for these same middle-income citizens.

There is much to respect about Palin, but there is also much to question. Is Palin a reformer who opposed the "bridge to nowhere?" Is Palin ready to lead the nation on day one? Does she truly believe that Obama will raise taxes on the majority of Americans, or does she make these statements only to confuse the American voter and promote her own cause?

Is being commander and chief of the Alaskan National Guard credible foreign policy experience?

Do her ultra-conservative values represent change in Washington like McCain claims, or does Palin represent more of the same?

With the initial excitement and shock of McCain's selection behind us, it is time to focus on the issues and the facts.

There are only two months left before America decides what direction it wants this country to take. Only time will tell.

Seth Lovell