What's been a chatter on the blogosphere is now being picked up by the MSM.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's hometown required women to pay for their own rape examinations while she was mayor, a practice her police chief fought to keep as late as 2000.
A former Alaskan lawmaker says it seems unlikely that Gov. Sarah Palin was unaware of Wasilla's policy.
Former state Rep. Eric Croft, a Democrat, sponsored a state law requiring cities to provide the examinations free of charge to victims. He said the only ongoing resistance he met was from Wasilla, where Palin was mayor from 1996 to 2002.
"It was one of those things everyone could agree on except Wasilla," Croft told CNN. "We couldn't convince the chief of police to stop charging them."
Alaska's Legislature in 2000 banned the practice of charging women for rape exam kits -- which experts said could cost up to $1,000.
Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, often talks about her experience running Wasilla, population approximately 7,000, and that has prompted close scrutiny of her record there. Wasilla's practice of charging victims for their rape exams while she was mayor has gotten wide circulation on the Internet and in the mainstream media.
Some supporters of Palin say they believe she had no knowledge of the practice. But critics call it "outrageous" and question Palin's commitment to helping women who are the victims of violence.
No knowledge. Are you kidding me? Town of 7000 people - you have no knowledge this is going on. Now you want to be VP. A 72 year old heart beat away from the presidency.
Interviews and a review of records turned up no evidence that Palin knew that rape victims were being charged in her town. But Croft, the former state representative who sponsored the law changing the practice, says it seems unlikely Palin was not aware of the issue.
"I find it hard to believe that for six months a small town, a police chief, would lead the fight against a statewide piece of legislation receiving unanimous support and the mayor not know about it," Croft said.
The McCain camp really vetted this woman. What does this say about McCain if he indeed vetted her, which means they should have known this. Can't claim ignorance McCain. You said you did your job vetting her. If so, you are ok with this.
Henry, the forensic nurse, said charging victims "retraumatizes them."
"Asking them to pay for something law enforcement needs in order to investigate their case, it's almost like blaming them for getting sexually assaulted," she said.
The Alaska Legislature agreed. The bill passed unanimously with the support of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, the Alaska Peace Officers Association and more than two dozen co-sponsors.
After it became law, Wasilla's police chief told the local paper, The Frontiersman, that it would cost the city $5,000 to $14,000 a year -- money that he'd have to find.
Also remember that Palin know claims that she fired the Police Chief in Troopergate because he flew to Washington to look for money for fighting sexual assaults. Do you sense what I sense here?
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Completely.
Our local firedept started charging people if they have to come to an accident or a fire. When they leave the firehouse, someone on the scene is paying for that call.
Or, McCain agrees with charging rape victims to have their kits examined.
Either Sarah Barracuda thinks rape victims don't fight hard enough or she believes it's not government's job to catch the perps. Smaller government right. Pay for your kits, go gather the evidence, find the guy, then we will make an arrest. We downsized the police to cut costs. Fiscal responsibility indeed.
Oh, we catch the perp, you pay for the mugshot and his court appointed lawyer too. If he is convicted, you know contribute to the detention fund. We cut the taxes, not enough money to keep him in jail. If not, early release.
Think I am joking. Wait a couple of years.
I did not read your comment, was typing. So my absurdities are not so far off the mark.
I am not jumping the gun here. I want her to have the opportunity to answer this and letting the Troopergate investigation proceed.
By them not answering, it makes me, and should make every voter skeptical about her.
They need to come clean. Enough is enough.
Let's play devil's advocate, though. Let's say she DIDN'T know - what does that say about her involvement as a mayor that her police chief is off soliciting for funds for police supplies and she didn't know about it? What does it say that her police dept is bucking a state-wide policy and she doesn't know about it?
Why would ignorance be an asset in our national leader?
Blame CNN. We have nothing but LOVE for Sarah. Isn't she awesome?
McCain thought he could pick her and that place is so far apart that nothing would come out in 2 months. This from the guy who invented the blackberry.
No where does it say in this article or anywhere else that Sarah Palin supported this practice.
Clearly, another false charge against Palin. Keep it up... it's good to shoot yourself in the foot day after day leading up to the election ;)
At last! Someone who really speaks out what John McCain is thinking. We already KNOW that you are voting for yourself, McCain; that's a no-brainer.
Tell me, "John McCain" of Gather, what's next???
ROFL.
Not only did she know about it, she started it.
This is from the City Of Wasilla:
Billing of sexual assault victims for forensic exams
We are going to win this race!
several rapes were reported. According to the articles insurances were billed for rape kits.
It's an official document from the City of Wasilla.... how does that mean nothing? So DailyKooks and HuffingFumes are right and mean everything, but the city is wrong? Sounds like you've got a case of moonbatitis.
Stalled Troopergate probe leaves many questions
snippet from the story
Over the next several weeks, Palin and her team withheld the investigation's most important witnesses — herself, her husband Todd, and a host of key administration aides. Palin also continued to withhold potentially key evidence — the contents of a plethora of e-mails among the governor, her husband and key state government officials.
Although the Legislature's investigator still plans to issue a report in October, the probe is effectively killed until January, when Sarah Palin will either be vice president or return to the governor's mansion in Juneau.
At that point, the investigation would revert to being mostly the concern of Alaskans and political junkies, if it matters at all.
In the meantime, questions that could settle the dispute will go unanswered.
WHAT IS IN THE E-MAILS?
--------------------------------
You just have to love it when a Democrat led witch hunt gets foiled.... and you just know these dimocrats want to get their hands on all her email so they can try to destroy her. They don't care about the TrooperGate... they want the full access to all her records.
Well, maybe you moonbats will get to the bottom of this in January. You see, Sarah is a little busy at the moment, so this is really not that pressing of an issue and 'justice' will be done in due time. LOL.
The vast majority of the 3,000 or so emergency room patients examined for sexual assaults each year shoulder some of the cost of a rape kit test, according to state records and victim advocates. For some, it's as little as a $50 insurance co-payment. For those without insurance, it's hundreds of dollars left when a state program designed to help reaches its limit.
Apparently, the practice is more common than most people think.
said Ilse Knecht, deputy director of public policy at the National Center for Victims of Crime in an interview with U.S. News & World Report. "We've heard so many stories of victims paying for their exams, or not being able to and then creditors coming after them."
"The bottom line is these services cost money," Rebecca Andrews, a hospital's vice president of finance told the paper. "We do sometimes forgive. It's case by case. But where do you stop? We treat gunshot wounds, stabbings, abused children. No one asked for that to happen."
According to Knecht, under the Violence Against Women Act, local governments have to pay the full costs of the rape kits. But some victims are still being charged anyway.
According to Knecht, reports from the field indicated recently that caseworkers in Georgia, Arkansas, and ------- wait for it -------- Illinois (!!!) are running into the same policy as the one in Wasilla."
Obama filed legislation to change state law so that the victims don't pay. It was signed by the governor of Illinois in 2001, AFTER Alaska changed state law. Wonder why Obama waited so long? Hadn't he been in office since 1997?
While you're at it, check out Palin's involvement with the Joel's Army and Latter Rain cults.
Once you see the cult agenda and discover its widespread mind-control roots, you'll be able to make sense out of Palin's sudden rise, and the huge economic Bush hemmorrhages, and the global warmongering agendas, and the disabling of significant portions of the Constitution, and the strategic positioning of mercenary forces on U.S. soil via "Homeland [in]Security."
WAKE UP!
"You've got to see this guy, this Don H."
We've been following his comments.
They are swearing up and down that he is not -- repeat, IS NOT a card holding member of the GOP, but is someone out to "EMBARRASS" them.
They want to seeeeeee his face.
But, more importantly,
They want to seeeeeeee his Republican membership card.
They think he is either a female, and
worse yet (no insult intended to me, they are saying),
They think he is really a Democrat!
They are willing to show you theirs,
if you'll show yours.
I think you should know though,
that they're over here talking about some sort of complaint once they know WHO you are.
They think your behaviour -- in representation of the Republican Party -- is OUTRAGEOUS.
Palin's entire idea of politics is the appeasement of the male archetype who rapes. The raping of nature because the big guy with the white hair tells me so. And the re-raping of women by the failed insurance industry and local policy because the big guy with the white hair tells me so.
Give me a break...!
Just how stupid American women now can be at this point in history will be telling on Nov. 4th.
In the 2004 election, almost 55% of eligible women (who comprise a slight majority to men in the potential electorate) did not vote. That group plus a new generation of youth who have witnessed the horrors of a Republican-administrated war and economy ought to encourage anyone with some degree of sanity between their ears to make more real the American Dream, and just go vote, for crying out loud.
Excellent article, Jared.
Here’s a tid-bit of info buried eight paragraphs below the headline:
Interviews and a review of records turned up no evidence that Palin knew that rape victims were being charged in her town.
Oh, well...
Holy smokes, Batman! Mulder was right! They ARE out there!
I agree with you on the practice not being exclusive to Alaska. In, MY OPINION, part of the problem here is the opposition of the bill from the town. Obviously, there could be other reasons why they opposed the bill (i.e. some lawmakers beefing up the rape kit cost to favor drug/insurance companies). She needs to answer to that. Don't you think?
If she has not put out a statement, perhaps she should. I believe her office put out a statement claiming she was not aware of the practice. Despite the size of her town, this would not surprise me.
But with the amount of "facts" floating around, I don't know if she could ever respond to every accusation, nor respond to every accusation satisfactorily to everyone. If only we could ask every municipality, county, township, parish that has this practice to answer this question, we might learn more about this issue.
Neetah -- please provide me a small instance (a quote) of what I said that was so outrageous to these so-called republican friends of yours. Let's see what the fuss is about.
If this was an oversight, that is also a problem. A less serious problem, but a problem still.
Her office answered indeed with the claim that they believe she was not aware. I think ignorance is not a defense for someone running for office. Everything that happens under your watch.
Yeah, there are lot of things out there about Palin. Yes, it is upon her to answer when you are new. Obama responded on: Ayers, Wright, Rezko, and bills he voted for.
She is not taking questions from the media. That is a problem, don't you think. I don't want to claim everything is true. She needs to take questions and plead her case. Then we move on to her beliefs and policies. We have plenty to debate there. From creationism to global warming. But these issues on Troopergate, rape kits, the bridge money she kept, the earmarks are all legit. Or not?
Why does she need to 'plead' her case. Is she on trial?
Here is the response and that's it... nothing more to be said:
Palin spokeswoman Maria Cornella told USA Today that Palin, “does not believe, nor has ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test.”
“Gov. Palin’s position could not be more clear,” Cornella said. “To suggest otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of her commitment to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice.”
Case closed.
I think the American people are satisfied. Only the moonbats want to drag these issues on.
I want to know why Obama is still friends with Bill Ayers. He never answered that question. And what about that property he got a way below market value from Rezko? We need a full investigation into that.
And the best part of the article:
"Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign advisers organized a conference call Tuesday with former Alaskan Governor Knowles and Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein to do just that.
Knowles told reporters, “There was one town in Alaska that was charging victims for this, and that was Wasilla, and the -- the original police chief had been fired by Mayor Palin, and her replacement for that police chief was protesting it, and even when I signed the bill.”
Weinstein added, “Wasilla under Sarah Palin's administration chose to charge sexual assault victims for the forensic kits, and that's the choice they made. They easily could have made the other choice.”"
----------
TALK ABOUT SLIME POLITICS... and you moonbats eat this garbage up. I can't wait till we win in November.
LOL.....
"Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign advisers organized a conference call Tuesday with former Alaskan Governor Knowles and Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein to do just that.
Good of those Democrats for finally vetting what McCain et al should have done before getting that "doll... the icing on the cake," to directly quote the man whom Bush and other Republicans just called to commend for his 20 years of important and excellent broadcasting.
Don, several of your comments above sound much like direct quotes pulled from Rush Limbaugh's sound bites. I mean, exactly??
When was a bill passed to allow victims to be charged for rape kits? How long has this been in practice? I still don't believe she knew about this. There is a multitude of items out there and unless this is something that came up during her tenure and she actually said, yes, charge those suckers, I can't see how she would have known. Hopefully her acts of responsibility included more than reviewing every item on every budget, and then it depends on how it was worded. There are too many assumptions here.
I could turn this around and ask why Obama didn't propose this legislation for the State of Illinois in 1997? Was he not aware of it? Why did he wait a year after the State of Alaska passed the bill to introduce a similar bill in Illinois? I'm sure it is because it became an issue and drew attention, similar to attention that the police chief drew shortly before Palin fired him.
Maybe that is a basic difference between you and I. You can't conceive of her not knowing and I can fully believe she didn't know. I'm sure we will both hold strong to those beliefs right up to November 4th.
Read the article. It details when and the opposition the town of Wassila (sp?) in particular, mounted.
Alaska's Legislature in 2000 banned the practice of charging women for rape exam kits -- which experts said could cost up to $1,000.
According to Croft who sponsored the bill:
"I find it hard to believe that for six months a small town, a police chief, would lead the fight against a statewide piece of legislation receiving unanimous support and the mayor not know about it," Croft said.
So, the so talented mayor has no idea what the police chief is doing. For six months
What does it say about her leadership, if she did not know?
Actually yeah. He might have not been aware of it. No legislator can memorize all the laws in the book. Now if the laws comes for a vote, or citizens express discontent about it, then he is on the record.
Nobody is blaming Palin for charging rape kits to victims when it was not in the book. When it BECAME law, her police chief opposed it, under her watch. That is issue.
I don't think Palin is at fault of her town charging this fee for years before. The legislator saw a problem, fixed it, and her police chief fought it. Can't argue that. What's her defense? Ignorance?
I still think it is assuming a lot. It depends on when she got the information, when and who instructed the police department, and chief in particular, who was responsible for watching over following the legislation and reporting to Palin. There are still too many unknown variables.
But as has been stated before, the police chief was fired by her for not following instruction from the Mayor's office. Isn't this beating a dead horse?
Check my new article on Sarah Palin building a 26 million dollar road that would have let to The Bridge to Nowhere after the project was already killed. Now, it's the Road to Nowhere. What's Perfect's Sarah's Excuse? She did not know the Road To Nowhere was being built?
Can you tell me about Joe Biden's comment during his swing through Ohio regarding "no coal plants in America" when Obama stated in his nomination acceptance speech said he is going to build "clean coal" plants in this country? Or when Joe Biden stated that we shouldn't bailout AIG and his senior running mate, Obama, said we should?
You're an idiot. How many times is it necessary to rehash the same bunch of trashy lies. Go get the WHOLE ACCURATE story. but then that's not in the best interest of Obama is it. Another great job of idiocracy in American Congratulations Jared
(Not Surprised you rely on CNN)
Why don't you go look up Illinoise rape kit procedures?
Stop rehashing old stuff, especially after it's already been debunked. If you want to express you righteos indignation at least you could provide us with a new set of lies and innuendo!
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2008/09/24/old-media-pushes-false-rape-kit-charge-against-gov-palin
and/or this:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ODA1YWM5ZjM2ZTU5ODliZTY2NTczMGUwZWYwNTVlMTQ=&w=MA==
... or you all can continue to blindly believe what you have been told to believe about Mrs. Palin.
Don't any of you have brains enough to search for the truth before you jerk your knee so hard that your foot ends up in your mouth?
"2. The deputy commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Public Safety told the State Affairs Committee that he has never found a police agency that has billed a victim. In light of Wasilla’s low number of rapes according to available FBI statistics (one to two per year, compared to Juneau’s 30-39), and the fact that the Wasilla Finance Department cannot find any record of charging a victim for a rape kit, it is entirely possible that no victim was ever charged.
Del Smith, the state’s deputy commissioner at the Department of Public Safety, testified in support of the rape-kit-charging-ban legislation during multiple hearings. During one, state representative Jeannette James asked if she “understood correctly that Mr. Smith is saying that the department has never billed a victim for exams.”
Smith replied that “the department might have been billed, but he has not found any police agency that has ever billed a victim.”"
What part of "no victims have ever been billed" is causing your confusion??
Do you not comprehend English??
What's hysterical is the wacky wingnut uproar over this! Suddenly, the loony toons who've been defending the endless stream of putrid lies from the McPain campaign is "outraged, outraged, I tell you" that somebody MIGHT have produced a SLIGHTYLY distorted image of their precious Palin.
Let's not forget kiddos, that whether or not a victim was ever actually charged (and, based upon what I've read, the kits WERE charged to victim's insurance companies), the FACT is that Palin allowed this practice to occur for 6 months under HER WATCH.
Spare us the phony indignation, loony toon wingnuts, and stop playing your dumbass little mind games, in a desperate attempt to paint your precious little Sarah as some sort of saint. She's far from one, but more importantly, the it appears that the American public isn't stupid enough to fall for your stupid games at this point. Her favorable ratings have dropped like a rock since the GOP lie-fest convention, while her disapproval ratings are the hightest ever reported for a VP candidate.
We'll see about that in Nov bucko!
Clark, maybe the "little distortions" about Palin are a game to you, but not a game to me.
Rape is a very funny thing, isn't it Don?
"We'll see about that in Nov bucko! "
Actually, since Obama is currently leading by as much as 9 points, it looks as though we already are seeing, donut?
"Clark, maybe the "little distortions" about Palin are a game to you, but not a game to me. "
Sucks to be you, I guess. Sucks to be a republiCON. Just ask Donny boy here.
No, it's the seriousness with which you moonbats are making this charge against Palin that is truly hilarious.
Hope is on the way! Change you can believe in! Take it to the bank... just don't be surprised when it bounces ;)
You may not think much of wikipedia but this link bares out what I heard on Rachel Madow the other night. Palin may not have been responsible for the actions of Governor
Tony Knowles. But her ignorance of what was happening to Rape victims in a town of 9000 shows how detached she is from the people she governs. Her as president scars me to death
Always glad to help out.
"No, it's the seriousness with which you moonbats are making this charge against Palin that is truly hilarious."
Some people actually consider the fact that the current GOP VP selection oversaw charging rape victims for their own medical exams to be almost as bad as the crime itself. How telling that you don't seem to feel that way.
"But her ignorance of what was happening to Rape victims in a town of 9000 shows how detached she is from the people she governs. Her as president scars me to death "
No kidding. Luckily, it appears that McLoser is taking the patriotic stance of self-imploding his candidacy, rather than risk 1/2 the public being stupid enough to vote for him in November.
"2. The deputy commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Public Safety told the State Affairs Committee that he has never found a police agency that has billed a victim. In light of Wasilla’s low number of rapes according to available FBI statistics (one to two per year, compared to Juneau’s 30-39), and the fact that the Wasilla Finance Department cannot find any record of charging a victim for a rape kit, it is entirely possible that no victim was ever charged.
Del Smith, the state’s deputy commissioner at the Department of Public Safety, testified in support of the rape-kit-charging-ban legislation during multiple hearings. During one, state representative Jeannette James asked if she “understood correctly that Mr. Smith is saying that the department has never billed a victim for exams.”
Smith replied that “the department might have been billed, but he has not found any police agency that has ever billed a victim.”"
What part of "no victims have ever been billed" is causing your confusion??
Do you not comprehend English??
Funny how people come on blogging and bother with comprehension and language. This is the internet, brother. You don't know who you are talking to. Make your point and spare us the 'you are too stupid to comprehend English'
It is unbelievably irritating to keep reading the claim that "rape victims were billed" under Palin, when there is overwhelming evidence that it never, never happened. Then to repeat that claim after having posted a link that the claim is bogus and to hi-light the portion of the link that shows the claim is bogus .... mind-numbingly irritating.
It is as if the facts do not matter so long as the personal smear against Palin can be advanced.
Yea Jared - it's pretty obvious to me too!
Salud
Actually, the police chief said that he'd billed victim's insurance companies. I guess you forgot to read that part. Funny how some people just pick the parts out that they WANT to see, isn't it?
Maybe if it's presented to you from the local paper, you'll be able to comprehend the English that it's written in, hmmm?
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2000/05/23/news.txt
"While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests."
"Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon does not agree with the new legislation, saying the law will require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams.
In the past weve charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible. I just dont want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer, Fannon said."
Ooopsies. Sorry to keep bringing the pesky fact thingys up. Perhaps next time, you'll take the time to actually read and comprehend what's written.
First C&P sentence contains "... required women to pay for their own rape examinations ..."
In the quote from Croft "Wasilla's practice of charging victims for their rape exams".
Every one of these selections have the implication that Palin as Mayor of Wasilla did something extra-ordinary in that she knowingly made sure the rape victim is charged for the exam, when in truth not one rape victim was ever charged for the exam.
It is all half truths, misrepresentation and innuendo spun into a propaganda package, sold to uncurious people that want to believe the worst about someone they don't even know.
You can disparage, insult, curse, and bad-mouth McCain and Palin all you want. Do it till your eyes sweat and your throat aches. Do it till you turn blue and keel over.
None of it makes Obama and Biden any better as candidates. They will always be themselves.
The Empty-Suit and The Gaffe Machine.