[Vision2020] "Conduct Unbecoming"

[Saundra Lund]

I did the digging to find the audio of the interview, but I'm not providing
a link because Palin tells an astonishing tale about her youngest daughter
(by name) that portrays both mother and daughter quite poorly.

This isn't ancient history, and it is very telling about the kind of person
Palin really is, the real Palin Personality before being remade for the VP
choice on the Republican ticket.  It also gives us all reason to think
carefully about her claim to be able to play nicely with those who differ
from what she wants.  Further, if she was truly taken by surprise by the two
moronic deejays, what hope do we have for her on a national stage?  It would
appear that the woman learned absolutely nothing during her previous years
of "public service."

I reflect back a couple of weeks to when I thought McCain's choice of Palin
would make this cycle a lot more interesting.  It has made the race more
interesting, but not in a positive way, I'm sorry to say.  The more I learn
about Palin, the dirtier I feel for ever thinking she might be a breath of
fresh air.


http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/295464.html
Palin's responses on radio talk show very unbecoming
DAN FAGAN
COMMENT
Published: January 27th, 2008 01:12 AM
Last Modified: January 27th, 2008 01:38 AM

The governor's appearance on KWHL's "The Bob and Mark Show" last week is
plain and simple one of the most unprofessional, childish and inexcusable
performances I've ever seen from a politician. 

Anchorage DJ Bob Lester unleashed a vicious, mean-spirited, poisonous attack
on Senate President Lyda Green last week while our governor was live on the
air with him. 

When we played the tape on my show the day after it happened, we received
130 calls. Even some Palinbots were disgusted. 

The Daily News posted the recording on its Web site and it fired up
bloggers.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner editorial writers demanded the governor
apologize. The Juneau and Ketchikan papers also ran the editorial. 

The Daily News opinion page addressed the governor's gaffe. They wrote "She
came off looking immature herself, almost high-schoolish. It was conduct
unbecoming a governor."

It was conduct unbecoming a human being, never mind a governor. 

The governor's office eventually tried to spin the public relations
disaster, releasing a statement reading, "Governor Palin was caught off
guard by Bob Lester's reference to Senate President Lyda Green." 

I don't buy it. Early on in the conversation before Palin started to crack
up, Lester referred to Sen. Green as a jealous woman and a cancer. Palin,
who knows full well Lyda Green is a cancer survivor, didn't do what any
decent person would do, say, "Bob, that's going too far." 

But as the conversation moved on, Lester intensified his attack on Green. 

Lester questioned Green's motherhood, asking Palin if the senator cares
about her own kids. Palin laughs. 

Then Lester clearly sets the stage for what he is about to say by warning
his large audience and Palin. He says, "Governor you can't say this but I
will, Lyda Green is a cancer and a b----." Palin laughs for the second time.


What were teenage boys thinking when they heard the governor laugh at
someone being called a b----? How about the teenage girls who look up to
Palin. What did they think when they heard her laugh? 

But there is more. Lester then describes Green's chair as big and cushy. A
clear reference to the senator's weight. Palin laughs a third time. She's
just having a grand old time. 

Palin was clearly enjoying every second of Lester's vicious attack on her
political rival. 

But it gets worse. 

Lester asks Palin point blank: "Do you have any idea of what you did, to
make Lyda Green dislike you, hate you?" How does Palin respond? Does she do
the right thing? What you would expect from a mature leader, a governor and
say, "Bob, Lyda doesn't hate me." 

No, she responds like a 13-year-old and says, "Um, you know once and a while
I try to figure that out but I can't figure that out."

The Palin camp says the governor did call Green and apologize. That was the
right thing to do. But the governor's statement shows the apology a
half-hearted one. 

The statement in part reads: "The Governor called Senator Green to explain
that she does not condone name-calling in any way and apologized if there
was a perception that the comment was attributed to the Governor."

But there's strong evidence Palin did condone Lester's name-calling. At the
end of Lester making fun of Green as a mother, calling her a cancer, twice,
and saying she has to go; after calling the senator a b----, making fun of
her weight, and accusing Green of being jealous and hateful; after all of
that, Lester ends the conversation offering to visit Palin. 

How does Palin respond? "I'd be honored to have you."

The statement released by the governor's office also called Palin's action
bad judgment. 

But bad judgment is when you stay up late the night before a big test, order
steak at a Chinese restaurant or wear blue jeans to a black tie affair. 

What the governor did was wrong. 

Not only did she sit by and watch a decent public servant get thrashed in
front of tens of thousands of people, she actually enjoyed it. 

This is our governor, for goodness sake. 

Our leader. I wonder.

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Dan Fagan is a radio talk show host on KFQD 750 AM. E-mail, dan at kfqd.com.