Mudflats reports on a public hearing and rally in Anchorage in opposition to Sarah Palin's refusal of federal stimulus funds, and takes note of just how bizarre this turn of events really is:
The fact that Alaskans actually had to go to these lengths to reaffirm their desire for money coming into the state probably came as a bit of a shock to the likes of Congressman Don Young and former Senator Ted Stevens, whose long reigns in the congressional delegation were based largely on their ability to bring home the federal bacon. This whole "we don't need the money" meme is brand new.
Apparently there are Alaskans who are so madly in love with Palin that they don't mind the fact that she as the advocate for the state of Alaska, suddenly feels more of a sense of duty to save the country money than to represent the interests of her constituents.
Particularly weird given her Alaska Independence Party roots. But then, weird is pretty much all they've got going for them, isn't it? A kid with Downs Syndrome and she's cutting off funds for special education.
Mudflats has a collection of quotes from prominent Alaskans in a post that also announces a rally for today at the famous Loussac Library, site of the mammoth anti-Palin "welcome back" rally that overshadowed the official one back in September. But the most damaging of the quotes she has comes from a post by blogger/radio host and former GOP legislator Andrew Halcro, who reports:
This was an email I received this morning from a legislative leader:
Here's the scoop on the Big Stim funding. Until 24 hours before her press conference, the Governor was going to accept most everything, and reject a few items that we all pretty much agreed were not acceptable. Most of the Big Stim money is really pretty benign and does not require unsustainable new permanent programs.
The issue became a big tug of war for control of the Gov between folks in state government and Sara PAC. Sara PAC won, literally hours before the announcement was made. Alaska was sacrificed again to the godless pagan illusions of her national ambitions.
No way the folks at home are going to be happy with this.
STATE BLOGS
