Letters and Comments

Sarah Palin's Cap and Trade Op-Ed

By U.S. News Staff

July 21, 2009 RSS Feed Print
  • Comment (10)

I read the Washington Post op-ed piece by Sarah Palin, and I must say, I found it extremely light weight ["Palin Showing Her 'Serious Side' With Obama Critique," usnews.com]. Short on fact, long on assertion, I would have called it a rant not a critique. There are serious issues facing our country and although I sympathize with the need of the Washington Post to sell newspapers, there are plenty of people who know more about the topic of energy independence than Sarah Palin, and all in all I would rather hear from them.

Comment by George Girton of CA

In regards to Sarah Palin's op-ed piece in the Washington Post, it is refreshing to see a "citizen politician" as opposed to the mostly "professional politicians" we currently have in government. God knows the current crop of politicians leaves a lot to be desired in working for the good of the country. Most seem to be more interested in getting re-elected than solving the problems that face us today. Additionally I see nothing wrong with a Republican helping conservative Democrats in their campaigns. After all, when push comes to shove a vote is a vote whether it comes from a Republican or a Democrat. If you have built a history of help and friendship with those who think like you do, you stand a better chance of passing meaningful legislation that actually makes sense and does the country as a whole some good.

Comment by Ron of CA

Palin's article did not even mention climate change, let alone offer alternative solutions. It only addressed the costs of cap and trade and was silent on the benefits. It contained nothing but completely vague, no source, oil industry talking points. If that's her "serious side," she's certainly not an energy "expert" and, in fact, has nothing whatsoever to contribute to the debate.

Comment by Icarus of OR

We Americans shouldn't fear Sarah at all. She's consistent on issues that will protect our pride as a nation, create jobs from our resources, and still maintain a great environment. She's consistent to decrease dependency on foreign resources. Sarah Palin is a strong true leader for America. We should be proud of her for standing up and against business as usual by the "Democrats" in the House and Congress. Blaming others won't do us any good at all anyways. Sarah may have what it takes to confront this madness of bad policies. Being right is not always popular among followers. I'm proud to support Sarah Palin and proud to be part in restoring our great nation's stability and pride that brought us this far.

Comment by Jabez Bryce of HI

I believe that I remember Ms. Palin embracing these same ideologies that she now criticizes. Perhaps she does not truly understand the issues around limiting pollution. The idea that anyone who is a proponent of decreasing emissions is a "rich liberal" or from the "crooked left" is ridiculous. Please refer to her opinions about this issue prior to the '08 election and then decide if Ms. Palin is now criticizing what she had earlier supported. Do her followers really listen to and understand what this woman is saying?

Comment by John Williams of RI

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Palin Washes Hands of Cap-and -Trade;

Clears Conscience of Reason

by Kurtis Cates, July 22nd, 2008

In her July 14th Op-Ed published in the Washington Post Alaska Governor Sarah Palin offered her position on the Cap and Trade legislation which is currently moving through Congress. It belies either an ignorance or dishonesty which I must attempt to answer. The piece has been widely analyzed for quality of argument and perused for relevance to cap-and-trade. John Kerry wrote what I believe was the perfect response, though I didn't expect that the perfect response would not utterly bring her down. He was pretty gentle, but his points were basically flawless. I cannot be so gentle. I am going to call Palin out for what she is, which this most recent tirade has confirms.

Governor Palin spends much of the piece complaining about what 30 years of the Obama Administration has left us with. She notes that, in the meantime, she has been putting together a little care package of ideas derived from a long career ruling Alaska, converting water into wine while Jesus gets ready to return for everyone that was smart enough to keep drilling. It is a typical political-slam type intro, stretched into the space of an article. It misses where facts are concerned but is packed with effective language and imagery and solid punches. But when she gets to the part where a person would normally present a -solution, alternative, plan- she returns to the empty words, which talk about issues but do not touch them, that she campaigned and lost with.

"We must move in a new direction. We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil. Just as important, we have more desire and ability to protect the environment than any foreign nation from which we purchase energy today."

It is literally oil or nothing with this person. Her campaign chants' echoes have not ceased. People say that she has an eye on the 2012 election. I think she may still be re-running for 08'. Alaskans have weird rules about mulligans. And she did suggest in this piece that God created oil. But God did not create oil any more than he created the human brain. Why isn't she willing to use both? (Or) Why didn't God let the dinosaurs live a few million years longer? Why did God make this most incredible resource out of Dinosaurs instead of Buddhists?

more at: www.fromthebiblebelt.org

Kurtis Cates of OK 1:11PM July 23, 2009

Until I hear a solution from the right that actually acknowledges the reality of global warming, I just can't take them seriously. Proposed solutions don't mean much if they are based on denial of the problems they are supposed to address!!! As for Mk of FL, well, if it were so obvious that the global warming of the last twenty years is just part of the natural cycles of the last 800,000 years (ironically, most global warming deniers argue that scientists are incapable of knowing anything about the climate past the last few hundred years), then either the entire community of climate scientists are completely stupid (perhaps they should stop by Mk's house so that he can enlighten them?) or are part of a vast conspiracy involving tens of thousands. Check the facts indeed... if Mk is serious about 'checking the facts,' then try reading up on the topic (and I don't mean just cherry-picking Republican talking points off the internet).

As for Sarah Palin, I have serious reservations not just about her knowledge of issues, but also about her desire to actually learn about them.

Ek of IL 6:13PM July 22, 2009

It's probably safe to say whether or not Sarah Palin's op-ed was "light-weight" she may have a better grasp than any of our learned congressmen and senators who have rendered themselves immaterial and unworthy (IMHO) to hold any elected office if they CAN'T EVEN READ the bills before them before voting on them! As big a fraud and regressive tax increase as Cap & Trade may be, the real outrage here is we have a legislature who are not even reading bills before passing them and a Democratic leadership Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid who are not only allowing sham votes, but engineering them! (I WAS a registered Democrat, but have found myself quickly becoming Libertarian) We have gone full circle to a government that represents us even less than the incompetent and irresponsible Republicans did under Bush! I think the public needs to forget the old "Democrat" & "Republican" party affiliations and vote out all incumbents that have voted for any bill without reading it. Why keep any of them if they can't do that one thing!?

Ron, Ventura, CA of CA 4:22PM July 22, 2009

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