Legal Commentary

Alaska Dems: Palin Distorted Her Record on Darfur

By Jeralyn

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin claimed during the Vice Presidential Debate:

"When I and others in the legislature found out we had some millions of dollars in Sudan, we called for divestment through legislation of those dollars to make sure we weren't doing anything that would be seen as condoning the activities there in Darfur." --Sarah Palin, Oct. 2, 2008, VP Debate

Not so, say Alaska Dems in a press release today. In fact, adds Shannyn Moore, she lied. [More...]

The Palin administration OPPOSED divestment. Brian Andrews testified against the bill. After that testimony, Democrat Representative Les Gara called a series of meetings with the Administration encouraging them to drop their opposition to Darfur Divestment. He called on them to support the bill, a complete reversal of their public position.

In March, 2008, they successfully killed the House bill by bottling it up in the House State Affairs Committee. Neither Palin, nor her administration did anything to encourage change in the votes of the four Republicans who were against moving the bill out of committee.

As late as mid-March 2008, the governor was not on board with the divestment legislation. A group member of the Save Darfur Anchorage group wrote the Governor asking her to support divestment received a letter dated March 11, 2008, wherein the Governor again declined on the opportunity to support divestment. The Legislature adjourned Sine Die on April 13.

Sarah Palin was called on to divest State Funds from Sudan in 2006 by Congress. Palin did nothing.

Sarah Palin knew through press coverage and postcards in 2007. Palin did nothing.

Sarah Palin knew when the Save Darfur Coalition met with her staff in 2007. Palin Ignored it.

Sarah Palin found out when House Bill 287 was filed in 2008. Palin did not support it.

So, Governor Sarah Palin, in fact, took no leadership role to fight for Darfur divestment; she dismissed pleas for help; and only changed her position in 2008, a year and a half after first being asked for her help.

Sarah Palin: Distorter-in-Chief of her own record.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 07, 2008 (boomark / email).