Palin Pallin' Around with Scientologists: Todd & Sarah & John & Greta
Geoffrey Dunn
March 21, 2009
There is something absolutely bizarre and troubling going on in the political netherworld of Sarah and Todd Palin, Greta Van Susteren and her wannabe-queen-maker hubby, John Coale.
At best, it's a clear case of journalistic conflict-of-interest on behalf of Van Susteren; at worst, it's a sleazy, national power play by a couple of practitioners of Scientology--the controversial cult that Time magazine described as "a hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner."
Let's start with the easy stuff: Van Susteren is a flat-out hypocrite and a con artist. Quote me. Ever since Palin was first selected as John McCain's running mate last August, Van Susteren--she of the rather severe face lift and right-wing tilt--has been utterly infatuated with the Palins (especially with Todd) and has enjoyed unequaled access to the Last Frontier's first couple and their family.
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There's been the interviews in the kitchen with Sarah, the fawning (if not embarrassing) tête-à-tête with the "First Dude" overlooking Lake Lucille, the softball conversation with Sarah after the GOP's defeat in November, and, most recently, the controversial interview with 18-year-old Bristol Palin and her infant son, Tripp.
While there's something ironic about Alaska's most famous evangelical Christians pallin' around with a couple who believes that 75 million years ago an entity named Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft resembling DC-8 airliners, it's all been good for Van Susteren's ratings. It's also expanded her television profile from the narrow confines of legal journalism to broader national political commentary. She's ridden Palin's conservative steed into an entirely new level of public exposure.
Van Susteren first used her Fox blog to protect Palin after CNN--with whom Van Susteren had a less-than-friendly break-up in 2002--named her to its year-end list of "politicians who fell from grace in 2008." That particular all-star team included Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards and Rod Blagojevich. Van Susteren protested, and CNN quietly (and gutlessly) removed Palin from the list.
"Why didn't CNN PUBLICLY apologize for this one?" Van Susteren blogged. "They sure unfairly trashed her publicly on that list."
*snip*
Also this teabagger:
Sharron Angle Appeared In Scientology Prisoner Rehabilitation Video
Sharron Angle, whose come-from-behind victory in the Nevada Republican primary has catapulted the the Tea Party candidate into the national spotlight, immediately came under fire for her controversial views.
And now a new video showing Angle offering her support for a controversial inmate rehabilitation program administered by the Church of Scientology has come to light.
This is not the first time that Angle has been attacked for her ties to the Second Chance program, which is a detoxification and rehabilitation program for drug-addicted prisoners. She proposed a bill, which was defeated, to implement the program in the Nevada prison system in 2003. Last month, her primary opponent, Sue Lowden, attacked her over the proposal, which a Lowden campaign ad implied would pamper prisoners.
*snip*
This one Floated '2nd Amendment Remedies' As 'Cure':
Angle: I feel that the Second Amendment is the right to keep and bear arms for our citizenry. This not for someone who's in the military. This not for law enforcement. This is for us. And in fact when you read that Constitution and the founding fathers, they intended this to stop tyranny. This is for us when our government becomes tyrannical...
Manders: If we needed it at any time in history, it might be right now.
Angle: Well it's to defend ourselves. And you know, I'm hoping that we're not getting to Second Amendment remedies. I hope the vote will be the cure for the Harry Reid problems.
