Palin MIA During Critical Alaska Stimulus Vote from Pensito Review

from http://www.pensitoreview.com/2009/04/14/palin-mia-during-critical-alaska-stimulus-vote/

Where's Sarah?

Sarah Palin plans to be out of the room — in fact, out of the state — when the Alaska legislature decides how much federal stimulus money to accept and what to do with it. The governor will be at an Indiana right-to-life dinner instead. But why would Alaska law-makers object to Palin missing the last three days of the session for such an important event? Go figure.

Palin herself will be leaving Alaska this week to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville, Ind. on Thursday, as well as an event for special-needs children. Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras questioned her leaving town right at the end of the session, when critical decisions are being made.

"There are some concerns (in the Capitol) about the focus of our chief executive because she's taken a speaking engagement in Indiana for a 36-hour period with only 72 hours left in the legislative session," Ramras said.

Palin is handling the criticism in her usual arrogant, George W. Bush, victimized style.

The last thing Repubican governors with aspirations for greater office want is for Obama to succeed

"I'll be gone for one day. I already have been on record with lawmakers on this. I told lawmakers, you know what, 'Please, don't make me feel that I have to ask you permission, lawmakers, to leave the capital city,' " Palin said.

Palin, in a throw-back to last year's presidential campaign, has tried to paint herself as refusing federal money. She plans to use stimulus package funding to replace state funds. In other words, if the federal government gives Alaska $93 million here, she will cut $93 million from the state budget there. Besides being legally questionable, the Palin plan would increase Alaska's dependence on the federal government while circumventing the intended stimulus effect.

Anchorage Democratic Rep. Mike Doogan said using the dollars just to replace state spending goes against the purpose of Congress.

"The idea is putting more money into the economy," Doogan said.

But doing so could work, and the last thing Repubican governors with aspirations for greater office want is for Obama to succeed. Expect Palin to actively undermine the president and to plead later that she wasn't even around when her state voted to accept the money.