Obama's Plan of Attack Against Palin

Cross-posted by Maggie at Maggie's Notebook

Obama '08 plans to attack Sarah Palin's record based on a report prepared by two-term, former Alaskan Governor, Tony Knowles (1994-2002), or his staff - who Palin trounced in the 2006 election.

Palin may be attacked for raising the Wasilla sales tax from 2% to 2.5%.

Back in the 1970s when Sarah Palin was in elementary school, Wasilla was a sleepy little town with a few hundred people.

No longer.

Wasilla is now a big town, at least by Alaska standards, with 7,000 residents, with much of the growth occurring during Palin's term as mayor.

A decade ago, property values in the city were assessed at $300 million, compared to the current assessment of $1.2 billion. And the city has issued 1,800 business licenses, up 500 in the last eight years.

She may be attacked for authorizing General Obligation Bonds to finance park and recreation capital improvements. Guess what. The people of Wasilla voted and approved it. They wanted their parks.

She may be attacked for approving a $5.5 Million budget to pay for roads and sewers. Guess what? The people of Wasilla voted and approved it. They wanted improved roads and sewers.

Should we pave the dirt roads? Put in sewers? Which candidate is your hunting buddy? — seemed all but obsolete the year Ms. Palin, then 32, challenged the three-term incumbent, John C. Stein.

She may be attacked for increasing government administrative costs in 2003. Reportedly, the Wasilla admin costs went up 48%, but the population rise was 37%. Wasilla was on the grow. Not a bad thing, and this is an almost infinitesimal increase in cost- per-citizen.


She may be attacked for increasing city employee salaries and benefits. Allegedly, the increase was 67% but remember, the population grew by 37%.

Her supporters say she helped Wasilla evolve from a ridiculed backwater to fast-growing suburb. The population of about 5,000 during her tenure as mayor has grown to nearly 10,000 now, and the city is filling with big box stores, including a Target that is scheduled to open on Oct. 12, one of three opening statewide that day in the chain’s Alaska debut.

She may be attacked for campaigning for, and supporting, Governor Frank Murkowski before she no longer supported him, and took the seat from him in the primaries:

Even though Palin was in a three-way race, she won with 51 percent against two well-funded candidates, which suggests that she's a strong campaigner. (You don't crack a pure majority just by being likable and new, let alone pull away from a tightly grouped pack with institutional weight behind it.)

Refreshing, isn't it, that a politician can pull away from a once admired associate, and disassociate when that politician loses his way. It's interesting to note that, nevertheless, a Republican followed a Republican with Palin's win over Knowles.

And then there's this kindergarten statement in the The Knowles report:

As mayor, Palin fired someone because she said he intimidated her with his size and because he gave her a "stern look." She asked her department heads to give her only good news and once complained because we are so desperate in Alaska for any semblance of glamour and culture.

Yeah, right. No sources given.

The "glamour" sling: Ivana Trump was in town promoting a line of perfume at J.C. Penney (or some say it was Costco). Palin made the above comment as she was entering the store and making her way to Trump. What's to be made of a Mayor wanting to give her town a bit of "glamour and culture?" Downright indecent, isn't it?

Related:
Dems or ? Leak Palin SS No.: What's Behind It?

The Meat: Sarah Palin on Ethics, Corruption and Oil vs Obama