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Election 2008

Questions for Sarah Palin from Women Across America

By Rose Aguilar, AlterNet. Posted October 2, 2008.


Over the past few days, I've asked women who have fought for social justice what question they would like you to ask Sarah Palin at tonight's debate.
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Dear Gwen Ifill,

It's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, the national media were fixated on lipstick. What a difference a Wall Street crash makes. It's been remarkable to hear conservatives on the Sunday talk shows discuss the growing income gap, stagnant wages, and job losses. If it weren't for the economic crisis, who knows what the inane topic of the day would be.

It's a good time to be the moderator of such an important debate. If the lead story were lipstick, you'd probably be criticized for asking "gotcha" questions, but because this country is on a downward spiral, I'd be willing to bet that most people expect you to ask tough questions about issues that actually matter.

The women I've interviewed over the past few months are tired of questions about flag lapel pins and the petty back and forth. They're also tired of being ignored. Other than polls, it's all too rare to hear from actual voters.

Over the past few days, I've asked women, both in person and over the phone, what question they would like you to ask Sarah Palin at tonight's debate. These women have dedicated their lives to fighting for the poor, affordable housing, abused and neglected children, the constitution, social justice, equal pay, veterans, equal rights for all, the uninsured, reproductive rights, civil rights, and innocent civilians whose lives have been forever changed by U.S. sanctions and bombs.

When I tell women about this article, they first chuckle, then take a deep breath, and say, "Where do I begin?" You're probably experiencing similar feelings. I would love to know what your preparation process has been like.

Here are the questions the women I interviewed would like you to ask Sarah Palin:

"Could you please describe your understanding of the obligations and authority assigned to the three branches of U.S. government as set forth in the Constitution?" -Elizabeth de la Vega, former federal prosecutor, Los Gatos, CA

"Governor Palin, 248,000 children in Ohio are without health insurance. How do you stand on funding programs to help our poor and disadvantaged children? Senator McCain supported President Bush when he vetoed SCHIP, the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Where do you stand on SCHIP? -Marian Hann, Receptionist, Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, Columbus, OH -- Senator John McCain received a 10 percent rating from the Defense Fund -- Alaska ranks near the bottom for providing children's health care

"John Mccain's voting record on veterans does not reflect what comes out of his mouth. How will you improve care for veterans' families left hanging? What will you do to ensure the VA hospitals give the vets the treatment they deserve so they don't have to jump through hoops to get it? The VA didn't treat our son. The number of veterans committing suicide is on the rise. A lot more needs to be done." -Joyce Lucey is the mother of Jeffrey Lucey, who committed suicide after being in Iraq for five months in 2004, Western Massachusetts

"If you were to become Commander-in-Chief, would you require military women who've been raped to pay for their own rape investigation kits as the constituents of Wasilla do? Nearly all soldiers found guilty of raping a fellow soldier do no jail/brig time. What would you do to change this policy to serve justice? Do you think this is justice? There are reports of female soldiers dying of dehydration due to fear of being raped on the way to the porta-johns. Would you appoint an independent investigator to look into both this and the claims that women servicemembers who are murdered in country are being wrongly classified as suicides? Why did you delete rape kit funding from the budget when you were mayor? Alaska's rape rate is 2.5 times the national average." -Wendy Barranco, 22, President, Los Angeles Chapter of Iraq Vets Against the War, Los Angeles, CA -- Wendy Barranco served as an anesthesia technician at a Tikrit field hospital from October 2005 to July 2006


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See more stories tagged with: debate, election 2008, sarah palin

Rose Aguilar is the host of Your Call, a daily call-in show on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco. Her new book is called Red Highways: A Liberal's Journey into the Heartland.

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But can she answer them?
Posted by: area on Oct 2, 2008 3:12 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I read carefully through the list of questions and was impressed by the amount of thought that went into formulating them -- I'm just afraid that few of them will be answered because 1) she seems expert at evading questions and 2) I simply don't think she has the intellectual chops to answer them.

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Say it ain't so John?
Posted by: canadagirl on Oct 5, 2008 11:19 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Why did you, Karl Rove, 'dick' Cheney, Newt Gingrich think the World would accept this nimrod of a grown child, Sarah Failin'?

Her association with the corrupt "Old Bastards Club" criminals at the top, including Bill Allen, many more imprisoned Republicans have crafted a game plan to corrupt America more.
See the latest Bailout.

Sarah Palin is the latest weapon of choice. A clueless idiot redneck (with no disrespect, to fellow rednecks)woman with no values and little coherancy, to play with an audience this way. How in the hell did she get on stage? She certainly absent of substance, intelligence, ethics, morals and honesty. Who in the hell slipped her in?

When push came to shove with the Repub base, the 'hero'criminal "John McInsane" accepted the choice offered with financial and party base.

Desparation is setting. Once again the irrelevant William Ayres and Rev. Wright are again in play with the 'lil miss' from Alaska.

What a loser bunch. Wright looks like Moses beside Palin's pastor, and William Ayres looks like a strong voice of King David along side of Cheney/Rove/Gingrich, including the terrorist George 'W'.

Folks, what you have is the terrorist organization of the 'Republican Party' operating within the United States of America and globally. They kill, destroy and infiltrate other soverign nations for OIL. Their Iraq penetration is slow but slowly coming to fruition. Canada is next with the TransCanada Pipeline deal, so many Canadians don't want, slowly pushing another nation to accomplish it's selfish goal of OIL, OIL and more OIL around the World.

The Repub party is not the 'old party' with values, faith and integrity. A new bold Party, weaponized version of today's GOP called 'The Maverick Terrorism Group of America. It's mission to control the World, oppress all nations,destroy all values of the human race in America.

Tell the flipent whore of babylon to step aside, step down, go home, raise your children. Get off the stage. Your motherhood and your integrity needs rapairing. John go see a doctor, a mental health professional, take your buddies with you. America must stop invading countries and look inward for self reliance and safety.

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