So much for the 'shoots wolves from helicopters' myth

Unintended consequences
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Some left wing bloggers may be starting to realize that the Palin emails they fought relentlessly to have released are not the silver bullets they had hoped for to use to destroy the object of their hatred. Information contained in the documents, in fact, provides contradictory evidence to one of the many myths they have perpetuated about Sarah Palin.

The emails shatter the mythological image of a bloodthirsty Sarah Palin, assault rifle in hand, maniacally pursing Alaskan wolves from the skid of a black helicopter, fiendishly laughing as she slaughters the poor creatures. Lefty bloggers have been pushing that one for years. But, according to the liberal Washington Post, the emails prove otherwise:

The governor told her fish and game commissioner in blunt terms that she opposed using state helicopters to hunt wolves and preferred paying private hunters.

“We have to act quickly on this as predators are acting quickly and rural families face ridiculous situation of being forced to import more beef instead of feeding their families our healthy staple of alaskan game. Nonsense. Unacceptable - and not on my watch,” she said.

Her source of information? “Todd interviewed buddies who live out there... Some confirmation that state intervention isn’t first choice w/the locals,” Palin said.”We need to incentivize here,” including providing money for trappers.

Governor Palin did indeed strongly support predator control, and she clearly favored paying hunters a bounty to keep the wolf population in check, but the image of her personally shooting the predators from aircraft has finally been shot down. The emails also show that her motivation for keeping the wolf population at manageable levels was her concern for the welfare of Alaska's rural families who depend so heavily on caribou and moose, the wolves' prey, for food and warm clothing.

Another email demonstrates Gov. Palin's opposition to hunting bears in the McNeil River Bear Sanctuary:

"I am a hunter. I grew up hunting - some of my best memories growing up are of hunting with my dad to help feel (sic) our freezer. I want Alaskans to have access to wildlife...BUT - he's asking if I support hunting the bears in the sanctuary? No, I don't... I don't know any Alaskans who do support hunting the McNeil bears that frequent the viewing area. Many Alaskan and Outside visitors view these animals on the McNeil river, within the sanctuary, and, as my parents have reported back after their viewing trip, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see such beauty on that river."

Ashley Judd, please pick up the red phone. It's Defenders of Wildlife on the line, and they're in panic mode.

- JP