C'mon, that's as disingenuous as a McCain TV commercial.

Palin never made "official" requests to ban books. She was mayor, I mean, Mayor. She tried to back channel it, and when the librarian didn't cozy up to her requests, she fired the librarian. But the protest that arose from the citizenry of Wasilla (all two of 'em) made Palin reinstate the librarian. But, true to form, Palin finally "got" her two years later.

Palin hasn't and won't be canonized, so you best accept that she has a few warts. Maybe she hides them better than most, but she's got 'em

she fired the librarian

Someone really hasn't been paying attention. The librarian somehow remained unfired for another three years, despite the firing.

But, true to form, Palin finally "got" her two years later.

I'd heard the librarian retired. Anyone know the truth?

She resigned in August 1999, two months before Palin was voted in for a second mayoral term.

Of course, absolutely everyone knows that Palin forced her to resign, just like she did the first time.

Oh.

And after Palin finally got her "own" librarian, the number of books banned? A gazillion.

Or, like, none.

Still, though -- CENSORSHIP!

Here's what the Anchorage Daily News had; that was what I am going on:

"TOWN MAYOR: She wanted to know if books would be pulled.

By RINDI WHITE
rwhite@adn.com

(09/04/08 01:49:40)WASILLA — Back in 1996, when she first became mayor, Sarah Palin asked the city librarian if she would be all right with censoring library books should she be asked to do so. According to news coverage at the time, the librarian said she would definitely not be all right with it. A few months later, the librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, got a letter from Palin telling her she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason for the firing. The letter just said the new mayor felt Emmons didn’t fully support her and had to go. Emmons had been city librarian for seven years and was well liked. After a wave of public support for her, Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job.It all happened 12 years ago and the controversy long ago disappeared into musty files."

http://straighttalkexpresswatch.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/anchorage-daily-news-palin-pressured-wasilla-librarian/

I'm sure that some right wing blogs (kinda like this one) may have an alternative version of the story splayed across their alternative universe.

There are some people who do not care for the truth. For them, if the Librarian retired for whatever reason, then it's obvious Palin forced her.
Please, it's stated Palin did not force any retirement, did not ban any books, and only asked a what if question. Do try to relax, and go take your medications.

In light of that, larrys, how many books were banned after the poor, righteous librarian had been "gotten out of the way"?

Does it not embarrass you to have to grasp at such thin straws to prop up the liars of the democrat left? I mean, what do you get in return?

larrys reads "she was going to be fired" as "she was fired".

I guess it just all depends on what you want to believe.

Me, if I were going to fire someone? I'd send them a letter telling them I was going to fire them. And then I'd send a copy to a reporter who can't be bothered to produce a direct quote. Save them the effort, dontcha know.

Furthermore, it's blatantly obvious that all of Sarah Palin's decision making is entirely personal, and she would never discuss books or staffing as a result of conversations with constituents.
When you're running a fascist campaign, it is crucial for all decision making to stem from pure megalomania.
Oh, what a Bad Person.

"But, true to form, Palin finally "got" her two years later."

Show us your evidence for this -- seems to me a drive-by smear.

You folks are losing -- the least you can do is fess up to it and start running a responsible campaign, not one of fear and smear.

You know, somehow I have to wonder if Larrys would be perfectly all right with all the political appointees made by Bush staying in an Obama administration.
Because the "city librarian" isn't a behind the desk helping you check out books position. Nope, its a political position, kind of like Secretary of Education or Secretary of State.
But no, he's a partisan attacking what he would defend if the parties were reversed. What a tool.

Larry and leftists et. al.: Don't you have some handicapped war vets to smear?

Maybe you could get the Obama camp to make a commercial, outlining how McCain doesn't read books, because you know, he can't hold them up over his head or something equally irrelevant?

larrys,

Lessons in reading comprehension:

'Back in 1996, when she first became mayor, Sarah Palin asked the city librarian if she would be all right with censoring library books should she be asked to do so.'

Please note that there is no quote from Mayor Palin. And even paraphrased, the Mayor posed a hypothetical. Contrary to your imagined version of events, no request was made - 'official' or otherwise.

There is not a shred of evidence for your assertion that 'she tried to back channel it'. You made that up.

During Palin's tenure, a total of one book was challenged. It remained on the shelf. No reason to believe that the Mayor was involved in any way whatsoever. You imagined that.

The librarian was a political appointee. It is commonplace for incoming administrations to request resignations from all political appointees, and then choose which ones to accept. That appears to be the case here.

There is not a shred of evidence of any kind that it had to do with book banning.

Contrary to your initial comment, the librarian was not fired. Poor reading skills on your part. In 1999 the librarian retired for unrelated reasons. No indication whatsoever that Palin 'got' her. You imagined that, too.

For some reason, you're under the impression that the Anchorage Daily News story supports your version of events. If you want to discuss an 'alternative universe', do it with your psychiatrist.

Listen up people 'coz I'm only going to say it once. I'm a small rural librarian and this is the same sort of questions any new administrator would be asking. Because they don't know and have to get up to speed. Libraries and librarians get and answer these questions every time there is an administration turnover, nothing new at all. If they don't ask, they don't know. Check the link.

http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2008/09/06/breaking_news/doc48c1c8a60d6d9379155484.txt

Consevative CBU said:
>>Larry and leftists et. al.: Don't you have some handicapped war vets to smear?

No, everyone else (leftists AND independents) leave that to the REPUBLICANS. Remember questioning McClelland's patriotism? Remember your very own dear Karl Rove smearing your own candidate, McCain (baby from black mistress) when it served his W purpose? Remember Swiftboating Kerry (which was all disproved and funded by Republicans?).

Smearing vets (and by the way, voting AGAINST the GI Bill, as McCain has done) is the REPUBLICAN way.

Has anyone figured out why the left has to lie? If like they say the American people agree with them then just getting the word out should be sufficient. How many lies has it been so far just about Palin? We have the one that said Trig was her daughters kid, the one about being on God's side, the banning of books, wanting to teach creationism in school, they said she joined some secessionist group, said she supported a "nazi sympathizer" in Buchanan, those are just the lies off the top of my head. So, I count 6 lies told about Sarah Palin so far, feel free to add onto the list.

Even Alex comes right out and lies, as everyone knows Rove had nothing to do with the "black baby" smear and like everyone knows (except far left wing fanatical nutjobs) the Swiftboat vets were completely right on each and every accusation. Only vicious military haters would call 254 highly decorated vets liars. But that's what leftists do, they have such a seething rage for anyone in uniform that they must lie and smear each and every one of them if possible.

According to Wikipedia in 2007 there were 172,000 books published in the US. A small town library would be lucky to purchase a small fraction of them. Who decides?

Who decides which books get purchased, who decides which books get pulled from shelves? Both are part of the normal operation of a library. Who decides? Who reviews the decision?

A similar thing: Does a General decide which battles we fight? Yes! But in the US the President, a civilian, overrides.

Mayor Truman replaced Librarian MacArthur when the General thought the buck stopped with the expert, himself, MacArthur. That no mere civilian could override his command decisions.

If that MacArthur bought Heather Had Two Mommies, by golly, Heather's Mommy and her lesbian lover were damn well going to stay on that children's shelf -- in fact, since some dinky non-librarian complained, Heather was moving front and center on the Popular and Recommended Display Rack.

No god-damn Truman of a Mayor or Council will tell us Librarians, us experts in warfare, not to invade China. Generals do not accept review by the anti-free speech puritans of civilians like a President, like that dime store hat salesman Truman!

My my Alex, you liberals certainly do live in your own little world don't you.

You liberals have absolutely ZERO ground to stand on when it comes to the military in this country.

Constant smears up to and including this latest vile attack ad from Obama on McCain's inability to use email, are just the latest in your long, long list of despicable garbage aimed at our military.

Your nonsense REEKS of desparation and fear.

"Conservative CBU" speaking of "REEKS" I can see the next Obama ad. It will show McCain sweaty and say something along the lines that McCain "REEKS" because he can't reach over his head to wash his hair. To listen to these liberals you get the idea that they wish the Viet Cong would have tortured McCain even more.

Tibby sums it up very well. A new Mayor needs to know who works for them, where they stand, and how well there going to fit in with the new administration.

A political appointee works at the pleasure of the elected official. Politics is politics, there is no appeal for appointees. Larrys is grasping---and pathetically at that.

tibby, thank you. My wife is a librarian and says much the same. Furthermore, the librarian is wrong about book challenges being a constitutional issue and that the ACLU would be up helping on her side if a mayor tried to have a book removed from the shelves. It is a very typical librarian over-reaction to believe that their interpretation of censorship laws are God's True Way, and as such, must be the law.

Of course, a librarian who acquired "Heather Has Two Mommies" would likely not know that, believing instead the fevered editorials from the ALA.

ALex A - try to stay on topic, please.

Capitalist Infidel, you may like this post.

Vetting Sarah Palin.

The Wasilla library has a copy of "Heather Has Two Mommies"?!?

Alex A, I challenge you to link to any proof whatsoever that any of the major Swiftboat charges were disproved. (I believe at least one minor one is pretty much a matter of interpretation.)

It would have been easy to do so, were it possible, if John F Kerry had just released his military records to the public *AS HE REPEATEDLY PROMISED TO DO!!* Gosh, with all that proof that the Swifties lied, you'd think that somehow Kerry would have found time since July or so of 2004 to get those suckers out there and give the lie to the charges. No such luck.

As for McClelland, I also challenge you to offer any proof of your lie about his patriotism being questioned. The ad that he hated because it killed his re-election chances merely pointed out, truly, that he delayed safety measures by trying to get the TSA to be allowed to be unionized.

You, sir, are a prime example of the very lying you lie about. To quote one of your Lefty heroes, you are a "Lying liar".

Looks as though the entire readership of the Huffington Post has dropped by to lay a few 'nuggets' of wisdom re SP. The smell is wafting off my computer screen, and unpleasant.

Thank you Jeff & AVI

The book banning, 'bridge to nowhere' and the trooper firing arguments are tired. The bottom line is that she stopped the bridge and the trooper mess means nothing to me. Palin supports gun rights, less government, lower taxes, strong defense, drilling for oil in the US, and hopefully will slow the abortion holocaust - a veritable pillar of modern day Liberalism. I'm a Conservative and am proud to say I've donated twice to McCain/Palin, as well as once to McCain's compliance fund, and once to the GOP and that's SINCE Palin was announced as running mate. That's how fired up I am. Will be donating again very soon.

jorge, you stole my thunder. But here is the quote from the ad:

"Georgians deserve to know - all Americans deserve to know - why Max Cleland is more concerned with protecting federal bureaucracy, rules and regulations than creating a department that can respond effectively to future threats of terrorism," Chambliss said.

Cleland and the Dems chose to characterize that ad as questioning his patriotism, when really his judgement and major concerns were questioned. Fair politics, so of course Democrats are screaming.

B-b-but... there were books... and she... uh...

MCCAIN WILL DIE OF SPEEDY-CANCER ON INAUGURATION DAY!!!!

This is actually funny. Your RebYank posits that Sister Sarah is as pure as the wind-driven snow, and all I did was post what they printed at the Anchorage newspaper. You call the paper liars, not me -- I couldn't care less about this brouhaha, because I'm not voting for her anyway -- and none of youo is probably less that a thousand miles away from Alaska. You don't know any differently that what you've read on other blogs or heard on the Republican talking points. I don't know anything other than what I read in the paper.

If it makes you happy, It doesn't appear that Palin ever "ordered" that books be banned. "All" she did was ask the librarian if the librarian would ban books if she was requested to do so. I'm not comfortable with a mayor who would even ask.

Same thing with the letter. No, Palin evidently didn't "fire" the librarian. "All" she did was tell the librarian that she INTENDED to fire her. (Although I heard the police chief on the radio last week read directly from the letter he got at the same time, and it said something like "You will be terminated as of Friday" or something like that. But since she was reinstated, Palin didn't do ANYTHING wrong according to the GOP.

Kinda sorta like she was stopped from committing the crimes she attempted, so she's perfectly innocent. And no, I'm not trying to suggest that any of this activity was illegal. I'm just saying that, when someone or something stops you from doing whatever it was you intended to do, you're not exactly blameless. And not only do you not want ANY blame to slosh onto Palin, you'd apparently give her a commendation for Mayoral Diligence Above and Beyond.

Fine. Like I said, no never mind to me.

Although I sincerely cannot believe that the librarian of a town of 5000 was actually compared to the U.S. Secretary of Education!

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What a power-crazy tyrant Sarah Palin is!!! Hitler. Castro. Palin. I'm scared.

"I couldn't care less about this brouhaha"

larrys - BS. You came here to comment about it so you're already lying. You obviously care enough to try to trash the republican VP candidate. Or did you come here for the ambiance?

I'd say that when you ask the librarian not once, not twice, but three times what she thinks about banning books, that it's more than just a theoretical question, especially when the interrogator happens to belong to a Christian taliban cult in town that is spearheading the vandalism of books in the same library and agitating for book banning.

But hey, they weren't right-wing books that were likely to be banned, so don't look behind that curtain.

larrys,

I didn't dispute the Anchorage Daily News story. I disputed your ability to read it.

Snark quotes are juvenile.

You say that Mayor Palin was prevented from doing things she intended to do, but her intent is entirely in your own mind. She didn't ban any books; she didn't request that any books be banned, and she didn't fire the librarian.

You simply imagine that she wanted to.

How do you know that she wants to ban books and fire librarians? Because she's a fascist. And how do you know she's a fascist? Because she wants to ban books and fire librarians.

But... she had the power to do those things and didn't do them. Does Spock have a goatee in your universe?

larry:

The fact that the police chief got a "you will be fired" letter too doesn't exactly bolster the theory that the librarian was fired because she wouldn't "ban" books.

Turniptruck,

More juvenile hysteria.

You're panic-stricken about the new Mayor and the imminent dark night of fascism. But Mayor Palin was elected in 1996. Twelve years have passed. None of the things thay you assert were 'likely' to happen, actually happened.

Books weren't banned, librarians weren't fired.

You're angrily insisting on the importance of events that never happened. At times like this, you should reassess your grip on reality.

"when someone or something stops you from doing whatever it was you intended to do, you're not exactly blameless."

OK, one more time - WHAT exactly did the librarian "intend to do" that Palin "stopped" her from doing? "larrys", you are a desperate nitwit.

larrys and Turnip - Could you folks direct me to where I could get some of your fine training in religious bigotry?

Much appreciated.

KTHNXBAI

Geena, you must lead an interesting life.

There is nothing patriotic about hating your country, or pretending that you can love your country but despise your government.

So I'm to understand that Palin wanted to ban books but the heroic librarian stood up to her tyranny. So Palin had that librarian canned for not banning those books, but then proceeded to... not actually ban any books once she put in a puppet librarian?

Seems like a lot of trouble to ban books without banning any books.

Rather than getting involved with explaining one more time, I will take a different tack. Larys and turniptruck seem to be responding to some intuition or gut-level feeling about the sort of person Palin is, as exemplified by this action. I suggest that it is an over-interpretation based on social rather than intellectual cues.

Mayor, then Governor, Sarah Palin FORCED Lance Armstrong and Brett Favre to retire. Of course, it wasn't public knowledge, but everyone knows it was because they wouldn't join her on a motorcycle ride and moose hunt, respectively. But seeing Joe Biden's career resurrected, they now have found the courage to come forth and resume their careers.

God, I get so tired of Max Cleland being brought up. I live here in GA and he did not lose even because of that ad. The ad that cost him the election was the 90% voting with NorthEastern Liberals. Heck, that is the ad that cost him. He voted against his constituency and for those NE Liberals. Please, never think for a moment we do not appreciate the sacrifice of a man dumb enough to pick up a grenade in a war zone.

So, once again we recount the only facts that matter: Sarah Palin never banned any books, and a lot of Democrats keep deliberately lying to promote the idea that she did. Gotcha.

Palin formally asked for the resignations of all positions staffed by the mayor's authority. It is traditional and the librarian wasn't let go and no books were banned.

QED

I note that the pdf from the mayor's office is undated. That's a strange way to conduct business. On the plus side, the document is available on the cityofwasilla.com site, which increases its probability of being genuine.

Sounds like the "fake but accurate" argument is coming back again in 2008. My memory is a little fuzzy, but how did that work out again in 2004?

Clearly the “Bush” Supreme Court helped her steal all those elections Sarah Palen claims to have won in Alaska. There is no way she won them honestly, just look at how unpopular she is in that state. Who in their right mind thinks that a fascist, book burning, homophobic, right wing adulterous religious zealot that believes that Noah took all those dinosaurs on the ark with him could get elected to any office anywhere? Oh, did I mention that she has no idea who is the father of those children she had, oh yeah, and her husband is her brother, and they were both born in St. Peters Basilica in Rome, so she is not even legally entitled to run for office.

Why would Republicans "swiftboat" McClellan? He won the Distinguished Flying Cross! What's that? Moonbat flung wrong pile? Oh, never mind.

Spent a few days digging through the microfiche files, and in fact the discussion wasn't about any of those incidents, but a challenge at Big Lake Library in 1993.

Complete overview is available here.

Seems to me it's the left that wants to ban books.

Ever seen a Creationism book in a public high school library?

Larrys, let me condescend to give you a clue.

Your last post above that state's your own opinion and stretches no facts, is a legitimate way of expressing your own doubts about a candidate.

Your first post made exaggerated claims that rose to the level of smear and distortion.

To exaggerate is to weaken. Can you guess which of your arguments or statements is more honest and more likely to persuade? And yet you've so damaged yourself in the opinion of others that you get ridiculed and dismissed. You might want to remember that the truth should be enough. That plus some rational conclusions that represent your own feeling or opinion is far more likely to "work" , or be given weight by others, than easily challenged distortions that make you out to be a determined prevaricator.

On the site where the rumors are collected and commented on (sorry, I can't remember where -- Charlie someone does it) the request to the librarian is listed.

Also there is the information that Gov Palin asked for the resignations / fired a number of other city officials, as was her right. One of those was the then police chief (who was replaced, I think, and would seem to be the person who was heard reading his letter on the radio).

The tidbit (yum, such a gossipy word) was that the librarian and the police chief were GF/BF. (!!) Ooohhh. That probably makes them part of the 15 to 20% of the folks (and 99.44% of those the NYT found) in Alaska who don't like how Gov. Palin was doing her job.

Sarah Palin has an 85% approval rating in Alaska. Oh well.

It's time for you to just LET GO of your anger at her for not murdering her baby. I realize that baby's blood provides good lubrication for your perverted sexual practices. But don't worry, there are plenty of abortions still out there.

"If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from."

— Barack Obama, Democratic National Convention, August 28, 2008

"All" she did was ask the librarian if the librarian would ban books if she was requested to do so. I'm not comfortable with a mayor who would even ask.

You're kidding Larry, right? So all books are to be placed in libraries? None are to be banned?

Do you understand how irresponsible this particular belief is?

This whole "controversy" reminds me of the scene in The Day After Tomorrow, where the lib is horrified that someone wants to burn some books to keep from freezing to death.

You guys forget that for most jobs, employers can't just "fire" someone.

If their work is substandard or their behavior wrong, they get a letter stating what the problem is.

Afterward, they can change the behavior. If not, you have to document where and when the behavior occured, and then you can fire them.

If they are fired without cause, they can take you to some kind of court and sue.

I went through this with a nurse who was taking kickbacks: I couldn't prove it, but she slipped up once and paid herself twice, and I found the checks. She tried to sue, but dropped it when her lawyer pointed out that she could have been arrested for theft...

Where's the details in the letter? She was "fired" or she was warned (part of the "warning" you might be fired).

Oh yes: removing a book from the children's section is not "censorship"...it's common sense.

"What a power-crazy tyrant Sarah Palin is!!! Hitler. Castro. Palin. I'm scared."

Hey, Godwin's Law!

"I don't know anything other than what I read in the paper." --Larrys

I hadda feeling...

uys, it's in the news article:

"After a wave of public support for her, Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job."

I didn't say this, the paper did. Now, if you guys know so much more about what happened in Wasilla than the folks in Anchorage know, then fine.

But feel free to throw insults my way simply because I posted what was in the paper.

Tioedong ;
What planet do you live on?
All employees, not covered under a Union Contract and/or a personal contract, are "at will" employees and may be terminated for any or no reason.
This is especially true for political appointees, (see Clinton firing of US Attorney's, not to be confused with Bush firing of same).

No books were ever banned in Wasilla. It's all been a big mistake.

The reporters are digging in the wrong city. The actual city that banned the books, fired librarians, and police chiefs was Wasilly.

"After a wave of public support for her, Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job."

To a left wing moonbat that's enough. To clear thinking individuals we need more. Prove to me the "public support." Let me see the emails and letters. If not I can only assume the left wing fanatic who wrote the article is lying.

Uh, just trying to ban books is bad enough.

Also, I just read that she was actually on the city council when she tried it, not as mayor. Look, she comes from a christian denomination that really does try to ban books from libraries. So why is it so hard to believe that she actually did want to?

I think the rumors at first were over the top, but now the backlash is getting pretty ridiculous too.

Emmons stayed around after being reinstated for 2-3 years before she retired. Just about any self-respecting librarian would have quit if their boss tried to bully her into banning books. They would not have continued to work in such a 'hostile' environment. Either Emmons was not self-respecting or she recognized Palin's remark for what it was - a rhetorical question. Since no no books were banned and Emmons did not quit it is pretty evident that the Democrats are trying to viciously smear Palin and the librarian.

Morons:

No librarian was fired. No books were banned.

It's twelve years later.

It's a non-scandal. You're worked up over the prospect of something happening in the past - something that never in fact happened.

Why is that so hard to understand?

Do you want to bet whether Walter Mondale will beat Ronald Reagan? No doubt you can imagine that possibility from the perspective of mid-1984. But it's not going to happen.

Because it's the past.

No librarian was fired. No books were banned. Stop getting excited. It never happened. You're living in a what-if fantasy. For god's sake, grow up.

Thank you lyle for your clear thinking.