Sarah Palin belonged to a “states’ rights” group that wanted a referendum on Alaska’s continued membership in the United States. Per below, the members of the group don’t like the label “secessionist.” Sure, okay.
Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once so independent, she was once a member of their party, which, since the 1970s, has been pushing for a legal vote for Alaskans to decide whether or not residents of the 49th state can secede from the United States.
And while McCain’s motto — as seen in a new TV ad — is "Country First," the AIP’s motto is the exact opposite — "Alaska First — Alaska Always."
Lynette Clark, the chairman of the AIP, tells ABC News that Palin and her husband Todd were members in 1994, even attending the 1994 statewide convention in Wasilla. Clark was AIP secretary at the time.
"We are a state’s rights party," says Clark, a self-employed goldminer. The AIP has "a plank that challenges the legality of the Alaskan statehood vote as illegal and in violation of United Nations charter and international law."
She says it’s not accurate to describe the party as secessionist — they just want a vote, she says, adding that the members of the AIP hold different opinions on what Alaska should be.
"My own separate opinion as an individual is that we should be an independent nation," Clark says. Others in the AIP "believe that being a commonwealth would be a good avenue to follow." Some advocate statehood — but a fuller statehood than exists now.
My flabber, it is all gasted.
Via lots of places including here.
15 comments
September 1, 2008 at 9:15 pm
kid bitzer
oh c’mon, you amateur, you missed the best quote of all, from aip founder joe vogler:
“I’m an Alaskan, not an American. I’ve got no use for America or her damned institutions.”
reverend wright! reverend wright!
September 1, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Jason B
“My own separate opinion as an individual . . . “
Good grief–apparently my Comp students come from Alaska.
September 1, 2008 at 10:17 pm
andrew
Alaska is a state, but not a state, if you know what I mean.
September 1, 2008 at 10:44 pm
eric
you amateur
Hey, I’m a high-minded guy. Attack-dog stuff is up to surrogates.
September 2, 2008 at 4:08 am
Matt Weiner
Self-employed goldminer is a nice touch.
September 2, 2008 at 4:39 am
Neddy Merrill
Now I’m not saying he’s a gold miner,
but he ain’t helping that crazy old-timer.
Pretty weak, but it’s early in the morning.
September 2, 2008 at 6:07 am
KRK
Vogler is a goldmine of whackadoodle:
“The fires of Hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American Government” (h/t Oliver)
September 2, 2008 at 6:44 am
Stephen
An opinion, which is mine, and that separately, and based upon my status as an individual, is that Sarah Palin is whack-a-doodle crazy. Cross the street when you see her coming, shuffle your feet uncomfortably as she’s escorted home, ranting and spitting, by the cops again, utterly through-the-rabbit-hole-and-around-again crazy.
September 2, 2008 at 6:45 am
Stephen
KRK – that’s where I got whack-a-doodle. Weird. I don’t remember reading your comment. Sorry, I’m not trying to be a plagiarist; I was a seminarian, though.
September 2, 2008 at 6:57 am
Fats Durston
My flabber, it is all gasted.
But is your flap doodled?
Is your balder dashed?
Is your jiggery pokered?
September 2, 2008 at 9:46 am
Drew Robertson
No but the family values conservatives who have Sarah’s back have had their flims flammed by Johnnie Mac.
September 2, 2008 at 9:51 am
bitchphd
It’s just as though McCain were trying to send a dogwhistle to the Freepers and other nutty right-wingers to please please vote for him.
September 2, 2008 at 9:52 am
rja
Now I’m not saying he’s a gold miner
Double bonus points for the Kanye/Palin mashup.
Does “self-employed” always sound more bogus with a C19 modifier? Let’s see: self-employed cattle-wrangler. Yep.
September 2, 2008 at 10:52 am
Sifu Tweety Fish
My own separate opinion as an individual
You know, secessionist state’s-rights types have some very odd theories about what affirming one’s seperate individualness obtains.
September 2, 2008 at 12:39 pm
“[B]etrayed as an Alaskan”. « The Edge of the American West
[…] you know, the arduous task of sending an email. And gets this, which comes from the chair of the Alaskan Independence Party: Yes, Governor Palin was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party. She joined the Party and […]