Many political observers in Alaska are fixated on rumors that federal investigators have been seizing paperwork from SBS in recent months, searching for evidence that Palin and her husband Todd steered lucrative contracts to the well-connected company in exchange for gifts like the construction of their home on pristine Lake Lucille in 2002. The home was built just two months before Palin began campaigning for governor, a job which would have provided her enhanced power to grant building contracts in the wide-open state.
SBS has close ties to the Palins. The company has not only sponsored Todd Palin’s snowmobile team, according to the Village Voice’s Wayne Barrett, it hired Sarah Palin to do a statewide television commercial in 2004.
Though Todd Palin told Fox News he built his Lake Lucille home with the help of a few “buddies,” according to Barrett’s report, public records revealed that SBS supplied the materials for the house. While serving as mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin blocked an initiative that would have required the public filing of building permits—thus momentarily preventing the revelation of such suspicious information.
Just months before Palin left city hall to campaign for governor, she awarded a contract to SBS to help build the $13 million Wasilla Sports Complex. The most expensive building project in Wasilla history, the complex cost the city an additional $1.3 million in legal fees and threw it into severe long-term debt. For SBS, however, the bloated and bungled project was a cash cow.[/quote]
OCR: This seems to be the most plausible explanation. If I recall correctly, Palin was dogged by these type murmurings during the campaign.
Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota has announced he won’t be back in his state role in order to focus on a presidential run in 2012. I would think Pawlenty, Huckabee and Romney will be the presumptive heirs to the Republican crown, and I doubt anyone would consider Palin a serious front runner against that field.[/quote]
Agree completely. She has no shot in 2012. But then again, I don’t think any incumbent from ANY party will have a shot in 2012. Voters will have their torches and pitchforks ready when they go to the ballot boxes. Palin appeared to have potential for about 2 weeks, then the laminated film came off. How much you want to bet these rumors true? This woman is yet another elected crook/official. Even if you’re a backwoods, rifle-toting, moose-hunting, down-home girl with barely a lick of education, once you get into office you turn into a crook. It’s just pathetic and profoundly distressing.
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Partypup: Quite a few of my clients are in the Oil/Gas/Petrochem industry and absolutely loathe Palin. Well, in point of fact, they loathe pretty much all of Alaska, which has made a pretty fine living shaking down, er, I mean “taxing” the refiners and oil services companies up there.
I don’t think Sarah Palin needs any lessons in that regard; she seems to have already mastered how to put the arm on those with money.
