Remember when Sarah Palin, in an attempt to prove her reformer status, told us a fascinating story at the Republican National Convention about putting her predecessor's plane up for auction on eBay? Gosh, that story was so cool. I'm sure plenty of Republicans bought into the reformer myth that Palin and McCain are trying so hard to cultivate as their larger narrative of stealing the mantle of change continues. In quick order, the story has become the centerpiece of her "reformer" credentials. Palin and McCain told America they sold Gov. Murkowski's jet on eBay for a profit, citing his purchasing of the jet as too much indulgence. In actuality, it was a craft move on the part of Palin, who is demonstrating her ability to say or do anything to gain power, just like McCain.
Well, it turns out that Sarah is just like nearly every other Republican government official out there. Sarah Palin lied to America. And so did John McCain. The sad part to the story is Palin could still have come across as a reformer without lying. But she and McCain decided instead to lie to us in their desperate attempt to look like Washington outsiders. So let's do look at the truth of the story:
Palin's predecessor, Frank Murkowski, bought the jet for $2.7 million in 2005. The following year, Palin unseated Murkowski in the state's Republican primary and became governor: Upon taking office, she wanted to unload what former aide Meg Stapleton called "a symbol of corruption." When putting it on eBay failed, aircraft broker Rob Heckmann was called in to sell the jet. Businessman Larry Reynolds bought the five-passenger jet for sold for $2.1 million. And Reynolds is now seeking another $50,000 from the state for unexpected maintenance issues with the aircraft.
The jet wasn't sold on eBay. The jet wasn't sold for profit. Sarah and John lied to Americans. And they didn't have to. But now that she has been caught in a long string of lies that were very obvious, it raises the question of what else is she lying about. See, this is where trust in government comes into play as an issue. It's yet another issue that the McCain/Palin ticket has no interest in discussing with the American people. If you can't trust McCain or Palin on the campaign trail, what makes you think you can trust them once they're elected? You can't. Believe these desperate snakes when they show you who they are. They will govern in exactly this same fashion, thus giving lie to another part of their campaign: reformers.
