Jedediah Bila Sets the Palin Record Straight

If she is unelectable, why the need to tear her down?
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In a Thursday Human Events commentary, Jedediah Bila points out the emptiness of the recent attacks on gov. Palin from both ends of the political spectrum and summarizes the accomplished record of the former Alkaska governor and Republican Party vice presidential candidate:

They call her a “quitter” because she resigned from the governorship, but don’t reveal the reality that she was faced with numerous frivolous ethics charges made by political operatives that were costing her state hundreds of thousands of dollars and her staff countless hours to refute. The fact that she made the right decision for Alaska, and that the charges were all ultimately dismissed, get buried under the frenzied need some have to try to sabotage her at all costs.

And let’s not forget the manner in which the authors of these hit pieces so often compile every possible negative quotation on Palin they can find, particularly from the mouths of whom they consider to be the conservative intellectual elite. The quotes are typically nonsensical and/or erroneous, and mark embarrassing moments for those who uttered them, as they tend to reflect a complete lack of awareness of Palin’s accomplishments, writings, and outspoken stand on policy initiatives.

Since September 2010 alone, Sarah Palin has penned commentary on such topics as the unrest in Libya, the protests in Wisconsin, Obama’s 2012 budget proposal and State of the Union address, getting tough with Iran and standing with Iranians who seek democracy, challenging the specifics of President Obama’s energy policy, the omnibus spending bill, defeating the New START, opposition to state bailouts, tax policy, a message to Republican freshmen in Congress, opposition to quantitative easing, and more. She has repeatedly been a leading voice—via television appearances and speaking engagements—against the dangers of ObamaCare and the risks of President Obama’s approach to energy. During the 2010 election season, SarahPAC endorsed 81 candidates across the country.

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With respect to those who label her “unqualified” for a presidential run, I ask, how so? A resume that features the roles of city council member, mayor, governor, small-business owner, chairwoman of the AK Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and vice chairwoman of the National Governors Association Natural Resources Committee doesn’t fit your vision of “qualified”? Opening up drilling for oil and gas at Point Thomson for the first time in decades, reducing earmark requests for Alaska by more than 80%, establishing Alaska’s Petroleum Integrity Office to oversee safe energy development, investing $5 billion in state savings, reducing spending for Fiscal Year 2010 by more than $1 billion from Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski’s FY 2007 budget, vetoing nearly half a billion dollars in wasteful spending, signing Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share bill into law to incentivize development and to ensure that Alaskans would receive a “clear and equitable” share of oil profits, and actualizing the "Alaska Gasline Inducement Act"—the largest private sector infrastructure project in North American history—somehow make Sarah Palin “unqualified”?

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- JP