A Picture of Sarah Palin as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska

Since we still don't know much about Sarah Palin, I thought I would read what others know or think about her. Just a few minutes ago, I came across The Nation website on which a letter from a woman from Palin's hometown is posted. This woman, Anne Kilkenny, describes the Sarah Palin she knows. You can read the letter here: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/354444/the_word_from_wasilla, posted by John Nichols, The Nation's Washington correspondent. Judge for yourself as to the accuracy of the source.

In her description of Palin and Palin's governing history in Wasilla, Alaska, Anne Kilkenny gives Palin her due for being smart, politically savvy, energetic, and hardworking. However, she also describes how the city of Wasilla had to hire a city administrator to run the daily affairs of the city:

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She [Palin] had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.

Kilkenny, who has known Palin since 1992, says that the city of Wasilla had no debt when Palin became mayor but was in debt for $22 million at the end of Palin's tenure. A good portion of that money went to build a sports complex on land of which the city had no clear title and over which the city was in litigation for seven years.

Anne Kilkenny also demonstrates how Palin has a track record since her days as Wasilla's mayor of firing people she doesn't like or who intimidate her and of hiring people who will be loyal to her. The picture that comes into focus here does not quite square with the picture that the Republicans have been painting for the American public. Kilkenny ends her letter with these words:

McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President. There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she. However, there's a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.

Just who is Sarah Palin? As I think of an answer to that question, an image that comes into focus for me is that of George Bush; others have compared Sarah Palin with George Bush, too. And--pardon my nerdiness and too quirky imagination--I think of that scene in the movie The Lord of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring when Frodo tries to give Sauron's ring of power to the elf queen Galadriel. Suddenly, Galadriel, the lovely and yet a little creepy Cate Blanchett, grows dark and terrible: "I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this," she says,

In the place of a Dark Lord you will have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn, treacherous as the sea. . . all shall love me and despair. . . .

Over the top, I know, but I do have a very visceral response to people who use their power, how ever little it may be, to insulate themselves with loyalists in order to deflect criticism and accountability.

Other Sources:

William Yardley, "Palin's Start in Alaska, Not Politics as Usual," in The New York Times, Sept. 2, 2008.

More about Anne Kilkenny, and another reprint of her letter, here at Alaska Daily News (adn.com).

Erika Bolstad, "Palin was for Earmarks Before she was Against Them," McClatchy Newspapers, at www.mcclatchydc.com, posted September 4, 2008.

More about Palin's tenure as mayor of Wasilla, at The Wall Street Journal: "Palin's Hockey Rink Leads to Legal Trouble in Town She Led," Michael M. Phillips, Sept. 6, 2008. (Hat tip to Hilzoy, at The Washington Monthly.)