Alaskan Politics (statewide and nationwide) (resident, democrat, better)

[Metlakatla]

Look at the political forum, then, and the R forum.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

Polls are snapshots, as I'm sure you know.
Newsweek's is the latest (timewise).


Stumper : Palin's Favorability Ratings Begin to Falter.

Let's see how the pictures begin to look.

i don't think this is a big surprise, of course when the novelty wore off so would some of the glory...

Nita

[Geechie North]

But when she lies to the people who are covering her- an obvious, stupid, "in your face" kind of lie, and just as bad (from a strategic standpoint), an unnecessary lie, then you'd have to look for push-back.

Her handlers should have known that.

[Barkingowl]

Sarah Palin's Record on
Alaska Native and Tribal Issues

1. Palin has attacked Alaska Native Subsistence Fishing
Perhaps no issue is of greater importance to Alaska Native peoples as
the right to hunt and fish according to ancient customary and traditional
practices, and to carry on the subsistence way of life for future
generations.
Governor Sarah Palin has consistently opposed those rights.
Once in office, Governor Palin decided to continue litigation that seeks
to overturn every subsistence fishing determination the federal government
has ever made in Alaska. (State of Alaska v. Norton, 3:05-cv-0158-HRH (D.
Ak).) In pressing this case, Palin decided against using the Attorney
General (which usually handles State litigation) and instead continued
contracting with Senator Ted Stevens' brother-in-law's law firm (Birch,
Horton, Bittner & Cherot).
The goal of Palin's law suit is to invalidate all the subsistence
fishing regulations the federal government has issued to date to protect
Native fishing, and to force the courts instead to take over the roll of
setting subsistence regulations. Palin's law suit seeks to diminish
subsistence fishing rights in order to expand sport and commercial fishing.
In May 2007, the federal court rejected the State's main challenge,
holding that Congress in 1980 had expressly granted the U.S. Interior and
Agriculture Departments the authority to regulate and protect Native and
rural subsistence fishing activities in Alaska.
(Decision entered May 15, 2007 (Dkt. No. 110).)
Notwithstanding this ruling, Palin continues to argue in the litigation
that the federal subsistence protections are too broad, and should be
narrowed to exclude vast areas from subsistence fishing, in favor of sport
and commercial fishing. Palin opposes subsistence protections in marine
waters, on many of the lands that Natives selected under their 1971 land
claims settlement with the state and federal governments, and in many of
the rivers where Alaska Natives customarily fish. (Alaska Complaint at 15-
18.) Palin also opposes subsistence fishing protections on Alaska Native
federal allotments that were deeded to individuals purposely to foster
Native subsistence activities. All these issues are now pending before the
federal district court.

2. Palin has attacked Alaska Native Subsistence Hunting
Palin has also sought to invalidate critical determinations the Federal
Subsistence Board has made regarding customary and traditional uses of
game, specifically to take hunting opportunities away from Native
subsistence villagers and thereby enhance sport hunting.
Palin's attack here on subsistence has focused on the Ahtna Indian
people in Chistochina.
Although the federal district court has rejected Palin's challenge, she
has carried on an appeal that was argued in August 2008.
(State of Alaska v. Fleagle, No. 07-35723 (9th Cir.).)
In both hunting and fishing matters, Palin has continued uninterrupted
the policies initiated by the former Governor Frank Murkowski
Administration, challenging hunting and fishing protections that Native
people depend upon for their subsistence way of life in order to enhance
sport fishing and hunting opportunities. Palin's lawsuits are a direct
attack on the core way of life of Native Tribes in rural Alaska.

3. Palin has attacked Alaska Tribal Sovereignty
Governor Palin opposes Alaska tribal sovereignty.
Given past court rulings affirming the federally recognized tribal
status of Alaska Native villages, Palin does not technically challenge
that status. But Palin argues that Alaska Tribes have no authority to act
as sovereigns, despite their recognition.
So extreme is Palin on tribal sovereignty issues that she has sought to
block tribes from exercising any authority whatsoever even over the
welfare of Native children, adhering to a 2004 legal opinion issued by the
former Murkowski Administration that no such jurisdiction exists (except
when a state court transfers a matter to a tribal court).
Both the state courts and the federal courts have struck down Palin's
policy of refusing to recognize the sovereign authority of Alaska Tribes
to address issues involving Alaska Native children. Native Village of
Tanana v. State of Alaska, 3AN-04-12194 CI (judgment entered Aug. 26,
2008) (Ak. Super. Ct.); Native Kaltag Tribal Council v. DHHS, No. 3:06-cv-
00211-TMB (D. Ak.), pending on appeal No 08-35343 (9th Cir.)).
Nonetheless, Palin's policy of refusing to recognize Alaska tribal
sovereignty remains unchanged.

4. Palin has attacked Alaska Native Languages
Palin has refused to accord proper respect to Alaska Native languages
and voters by refusing to provide language assistance to Yup'ik speaking
Alaska Native voters. As a result,
Palin was just ordered by a special three-judge panel of federal judges
to provide various forms of voter assistance to Yup'ik voters residing in
southwest Alaska. Nick v. Bethel, No. 3:07-cv-0098-TMB (D. Ak.) (Order
entered July 30, 2008). Citing years of State neglect, Palin was ordered
to provide trained poll workers who are bilingual in English and Yup'ik;
sample ballots in written Yup'ik; a written Yup'ik glossary of election
terms; consultation with local Tribes to ensure the accuracy of Yup'ik
translations; a Yup'ik language coordinator; and pre-election and post-
election reports to the court to track the State's efforts.
In sum, measured against some the rights that are most fundamental to
Alaska Native Tribes - the subsistence way of life, tribal sovereignty and
voting rights - Palin's record is a failure.

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

Actually Met the Charlotte Section has plenty of moderator warnings & locked threads where threads have gone off topic & been sanitized. This section is more laid back than most of the other sections on this board. Even when we go way off topic, the thread usually comes full circle at some point & everything's cool. But off topic threads that stay open aren't the norm for this board, based on what I've seen at any rate.

Exactly and we have gone off wack to keep out the muck-diggers, because I am sure if they do a search comes to here, ... take it elsewhere where it belongs. Nmnita and others have been regulars on this one since way back at the beginning where I jumped on Carolina Guy,but we made friends, - but branch out to the rest of the Alaska forum to see what is going on...diggin dirt or whatever. We went off on Metal Annie for bringing crap into a thread where it did not belong, and a few others...she is in our minds as thrill seeker and will not be tolerated with the exposure we now have with Palin running as VP. Regs will take it off board to get rid of "whatever" is coming in for a lookee-see, no offense to someone that has been here, but the off-topic is due to the thrill - dirt-seekers...to carry whatever they can get elsewhere... I am not a true Palin supporter, but she is a strong woman and whomever gets attacked personally, I will defend.... going back - this thread does not belong here in the first place, we have been bombarded by ??????? and blah that is media hype....don't come here and ***** you are not getting your say the way you want it ...take it to the political board....as Met said, my Queen

[Rance]

I have never personally met Sarah. She's from my state but not my community.

[warptman]

Yup

[huttah]

Is anyone going to do this?

Like, was anyone undecided, not going to vote for McCain, or undecided then changed their mind simply because Palin is from Alaska? Voting just to have an Alaskan VP even if you don't agree with the basic republican ideas?

[Rance]

Ok that hurt...

[Metlakatla]

Like, NO.