The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 17

Well, who knew she had her own Jeremiah "God Damn America" Wright too? I take it back. My Republican friends were right: she is the complete package. Seriously, I thought only Democrats could self-destruct like this.

There is a political party in Alaska known as the Alaska Independence Party. The group's goals are to force a vote on Alaskaa's secession from the United States. That's damn wierd, and probably offensive enough on its face for some. But the following quote, from a 1991 interview from the AIG Founder Joe Vogler, puts some meat on the bones:

The AIP founder, Joe Vogler, made the comments in 1991, in an interview that's now housed at the Oral History Program in the Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government," Vogler said in the interview, in which he talked extensively about his desire for Alaskan secession, the key goal of the AIP.

"And I won't be buried under their damn flag," Vogler continued in the interview, which also touched on his disappointment with the American judicial system. "I'll be buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home."

At another point, Volger advocated renouncing allegiance to the United States. In the course of denouncing Federal regulation over land, he said:

"And then you get mad. And you say, the hell with them. And you renounce allegiance, and you pledge your efforts, your effects, your honor, your life to Alaska."

Vogler is also quoted on the AIP's "introduction" web page as saying, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."

Country first, sure, but which country?

Early reports were that Palin was a card carrying member of this fringe group (which scarily enough, isn't all that fringe in Alaska apparently). The McCain camp has disputed this and has produced her voter registration records to prove she has always been registered as a Republican. Her husband, the so-called "first dude" of Alaska, however, was a member.

The idea however that she has no connection with this group, as with virtually everything else we're learning about Sarah Palin, is -er, not exactly accurate. See here.

And AIP officials say she was a member of the party, and in point of fact, she and the fist dude attended the party's 1994 convention.

And the AIP's response to the McCain camp's denials that Palin was a member? A bunch of "hooey."

"This is like a cat covering up crap in its litter box," she says.

How charming. How could anyone not want to associate with such fine folk? At least that is one possible Republican talking point.

Now the question is whether the media is going to pressure Palin to renounce and reject these statements of her political party, -er, I mean the Dude's political party. You know, since past affiliations are oh-so-important.

As for the Dude? The Dude abides.