Legal Commentary

Palin Errs While Giving Expert Opinion

By TChris

Other than the knowledge gained by keeping a sharp eye on Russia from her hilltop on some Alaskan island, Sarah Palin's only claim to expertise owes to Alaska's abundance of oil. Palin has expertly siphoned off oil revenues for the State of Alaska. That doesn't mean she has the broader expertise in energy policy that she claims.

Palin told a town hall questioner that he did not need to worry about Alaskan oil being exported to other countries.

"In fact," she added, "Congress is pretty strict on, um, export bans of oil and gas especially."

Not so, according to the AP. [more ...]

Congress has never imposed outright bans on oil exports. Congress prohibited exports of Alaska oil in 1973 when the Alaska oil pipeline was built. But that ban was lifted in 1996 when there were large volumes of Alaska oil coming down from the North Slope and U.S. demand was soft. The Alaska ban has never been reinstated.

What else doesn't Palin know about her only field of expertise?

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 10, 2008 (boomark / email).