September 09, 2008

Palin Slimers PWN3D by FactCheck.org

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last week and a half, you know that Sarah Palin has been the subject of a constant barrage of smears. We in the right-wing blogosphere have stepped up to clear up the lies, but most readers are aware that we're not exactly indifferent as to whether Sarah Palin wins this election. Thus, it's perhaps understandable if moderates and independents may view our defenses of Sarah with a jaundiced eye.

The findings of the non-partisan, non-profit FactCheck.org are, however, not so easily dismissed. Their verdict? Sarah Palin has been "slimed" by her political opponents. Here's the first installment of the smackdown:

Palin did not cut funding for special needs education in Alaska by 62 percent. She didn’t cut it at all. In fact, she tripled per-pupil funding over just three years.

She did not demand that books be banned from the Wasilla library. Some of the books on a widely circulated list were not even in print at the time. The librarian has said Palin asked a "What if?" question, but the librarian continued in her job through most of Palin's first term.

She was never a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wants Alaskans to vote on whether they wish to secede from the United States. She’s been registered as a Republican since May 1982.

Palin never endorsed or supported Pat Buchanan for president. She once wore a Buchanan button as a "courtesy" when he visited Wasilla, but shortly afterward she was appointed to co-chair of the campaign of Steve Forbes in the state.

Palin has not pushed for teaching creationism in Alaska's schools. She has said that students should be allowed to "debate both sides" of the evolution question, but she also said creationism "doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."

BTW, for those of you who unfamiliar with FactCheck.org:

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.

The only problem? The General was appointed before Palin was picked as VP.

It's called reading. You should look in to it. Dumbasses.