McCain/Palin Hypocrisy

During a Republican primary debate in October 2007, John McCain said, "I am prepared ... I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time." Now, less than a year later, he has picked a vice presidential running mate who was a mayor "for a short period of time" and a governor "for a short period of time."

In fact, Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla (pop. 6,700) for less time than Rudy Giuliani was mayor of NYC (pop. 8,250,000) and governor of Alaska (pop. 670,000) for less time than Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusettes (pop. 6,400,000).

Let's take another look at his choice. She wants a total ban on abortion -- with no exceptions, even for cases of rape or incest. She wants "creationism" taught in schools. She believes human beings have had nothing to do with climate change. Finally, she opposes sex education in favor of abstinence-only programs -- although she might be regretting that one just a little bit these days.

McCain claims that Palin is a fearless reformer who is committed to fighting waste, fraud and earmarks. For much of his time in Washington, McCain has been pitching fits about earmarks, a system through which powerful members of Congress can deliver federal cash for pet projects back home with little or no public scrutiny. He's even gone so far as to publish "pork lists" detailing these financial favors, and three times in recent years, McCain's catalogs of objectionable spending have included earmarks for this small Alaska town, requested by its mayor at the time -- Sarah Palin.

Palin may claim to oppose earmarks now, but as mayor, she gathered up $27 million in subsidies from Washington -- with $15 million of it for a railroad from her town to the ski resort hometown of Senator Ted Stevens, now under indictment for failing to report gifts. Other than drawing federal money to Wasilla, her biggest accomplishment as mayor was raising the sales tax to build a hockey rink, which seems to be contrary to the conservative position against tax increases.

The Republicans are still trying to present Palin as a crusader against Mr. Stevens’s infamous “Bridge to Nowhere,” even though all evidence indicates otherwise. She initially supported it, diverting the money to other projects when the bridge became a political disaster. And in a speech to the Wasilla Assembly of God in June, Palin said it was “God’s will” that the federal government kick in some bucks to a $30 billion gas pipeline she wants built in Alaska.

Should the Republican ticket win and and something happen to McCain, the thought of this radical fundamentalist hypocrite as president is a truly frightening prospect.