Sarah Palin's emails: Complains about Jewish Republican Rep. "Jay Bird-Nose Ramras", suggests to keep teenage daughters "away from the likes of Jay", calls him "Vajayjay"

By Patrick

+++ READ PART 2: JAY RAMRAS REACTS +++

The publication of Sarah Palin's highly anticipated state emails received mixed reactions. While for example Toby Harden from the Daily Telegraph concluded that the emails show a Governor Palin who is "refreshing, plain-speaking, open and uncomplicated" and also claimed that "her enemies in the media appear to have overplayed their hand", Bill Dedman from MSNBC.com on the other hand did find some very interesting pieces of information in the emails and wrote:

Among other glimpses into her time in office, the emails read so far show an inexperienced governor focused as much on burnishing her image as on crafting public policy. Palin helped to write and rewrite an op-ed column to be submitted under a friend's name about controversy involving a state-controlled dairy. She did a fake TV interview with the answers written by her staff already on the teleprompter for her to recite. Even as she signed on with the McCain campaign, she urged her staff to put out some statement under her name every day, so Alaskans would know she was still focused on the state.

(...)

Those who enjoy tweaking President Barack Obama for using a teleprompter may note this email: On March 20, 2007, Gov. Palin's staff was setting up an interview on natural gas issues with Energy TV from Canada. Here's how the interview was conducted: Her press aide, Sharon Leighow, asked the questions, and the answers were posted on a teleprompter for Palin to read. Then the fake interview was uploaded by satellite to Energy TV. "You're awesome," the governor told her staff. "You're all awesome. What a day..."

Those journalists and pundits who claim that there is "nothing to see" in the emails conveniently overlook the fact that the emails have virtually been redacted to death. Already a few month ago, we received information from our contacts in Alaska that the State of Alaska was going to great length in their efforts to redact in the emails everything which could potentially be damaging - and we also heard from these sources that there was indeed very damaging information contained in the emails. So it's not surprising at all to see that the State of Alaska evidently over-extended their legal boundaries in redacting the emails. Bill Dedman reported some of the details:

The list of withheld documents itself is 189 pages, showing the 2,275 withheld pages, and is online now at msnbc.com. Here's the link to our blog, where you'll find the large PDF file. Among those emails withheld from the public were those detailing potential state appointees, judicial candidates and others having to do with legal advice, settlements and staffing issues. Others appeared to have nothing to do with state business, such as one message about "children, dinner, and prayer."

Others removed from public view include several having to do with newspapers and editorials, including two citing a “response to Juneau Empire article.” Another two related to a “child custody matter,” and a meeting with “W. Monegan,” who had served as the Alaska public safety commissioner until being dismissed in July 2008 in connection with the scandal known as "Troopergate."

Amongst the long list of highly suspicious and apparently overreaching redactions is one exchange which stands out immediately: On January 23 and 24, 2008 there suddenly appear several dozen entries which were redacted not for the usual reasons, but for a rather unique one: "AK Constitution, Art. 1, Sec. 22 (Privacy)." Most of these exchanges are only between Sarah Palin and her Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, but in some of these email messages, a few of her closest staff members were included as well (starting from page 109 in the list of redacted emails).

So for which important private topic(s) could there have been a need for such intense discussions in January 2008 between Sarah Palin and her Lt. Governor Sean Parnell? Is it even conceivable that such redactions can be legitimate? Or does the argument of "privacy" merely serve as a convenient pretense to cover up some particularly damaging facts about Sarah Palin? I strongly believe that the latter is the case. Hopefully we will find out at some point.

An independent review of the emails apparently never took place. It was up to the Governor's office alone to decide which emails should be redacted. Not only served current Alaska Governor Sean Parnell under Sarah Palin's as her Lt. Governor, but his Chief of Staff Mike Nizich also served in the same function under Sarah Palin. This continuity made independence an impossibility right from the start.

However, even these heavily redacted emails contain details which may come to haunt Sarah Palin - especially the extensive evidence which can be found about Palin's apparent obsession with political opponents, primarily those within her own party. It's already well known that Sarah Palin spends much of her time picking fights with others, as for example Tina Dupuy's well-documented "Sarah Palin's Enemy List" proves. But the published emails allow even deeper insights into Sarah Palin's way of thinking as far as political oppenents are concerned, and reveal a petty and reactive side of her which is far from "presidential."

It's necessary to bring the emails into context in order to fully understand how revealing and potentially damaging they actually are.

I was surprised to see that no journalist mentioned so far the content which has the potential to develop into a fully-fledged scandal: Sarah Palin's shocking remarks which can be found in the emails about Alaska Representative Jay Ramras, who in the past disagreed with some of Palin's policies while she was Governor.

So what happened? For example, Rep. Ramras dared to openly challenge Sarah Palin during the discussions about an oil sales tax and openly criticized Palin's conduct. The Anchorage Daily News reported on October 21, 2007 under the headline "Ramras and Palin":

Fairbanks Rep. Jay Ramras clearly doesn't want to be here in special session talking about raising oil taxes. At Sunday's committee meeting on the issue he told revenue commissioner Pat Galvin he would "stand up like the little man in Tiananmen Square to keep you from hurting our economy."

Ramras also wanted to know why Gov. Sarah Palin wasn't in front of the committee herself explaining her plan to raise taxes.

"Where's the governor?" he said. Ramras said he saw Palin when there was a television camera around but has not seen her since.

Galvin responded that Palin has been very involved in the proposal, including explaining her position at town hall forums. But "she's the governor, she's running the state," and has many other responsibilities. Galvin said.

Galvin said it's the job of himself and Palin's tax team to testify before the committee.

Rep. Ramras' remarks triggered a remarkable email exchange between Sarah Palin and her closest staff members which exemplifies Palin's reactions when she is confronted with criticism and open defiance.

Sarah Palin was livid. At the same time, she had no hesitation to insinuate to her staff that Ramras couldn't be trusted, as far as sexuality is concerned. On October 21, 2007, she wrote at 14:31:

From: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)

To: Frye, Ivy J (DOA); Galvin, Patrick S (DOR)

Cc: 'fek9wnr@yahoo.com'

Sent: Sun Oct 21 14:31:08 2007

Subject: Re: Ramras

I heard it.

Sheeesh... He's basically just announced I'm not around HIM enough! Doesn't he know why? I have two teenaged daughters, everyone knows gotta' keep the young 'uns away from the likes of Jay.

Keep the teenage daughters away from Jay Ramras - because he critized Sarah Palin's conduct as Governor?

This remark immediately sparks memories of famous public insinuations by Sarah Palin which she made in the past - for example when Sarah Palin accused Dave Letterman of having made a "sexually perverted comment" about Willow Palin.

Back in June 2009, Sarah Palin wrote on facebook about the Letterman incident:

Concerning Letterman's comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he'd ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter): 'Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/N.Y. entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands -- that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contributes to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.'

In a later famous incident, Sarah Palin insinuated that author Joe McGinniss was behaving in a "creepy" way when he rented the house next door to the Palins in Wasilla. Palin again used her facebook page to express her anger and wrote in May 2010 about Joe McGinniss:

Wonder what kind of material he’ll gather while overlooking Piper’s bedroom, my little garden, and the family’s swimming hole?

We can see a pattern here. In October 2007, the "potential predator" was Jay Ramras, even though Palin back then apparently didn't feel comfortable enough to say this in public.

The email exchange from October 21, 2007 continues. Sarah Palin's close aide Ivy Frye, who served as some sort of "sidekick" for Sarah in many email conversations which can be found in the published emails, supported Sarah and thinks that Jay Ramras "needs to shut his mouth":

From: Frye, Ivy J (DOA)

To: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)

Sent: Sun Oct 21 14:35:16 2007

Subject: Re: Ramras

You're handling it very graciously-if I was pat I would have jumped over the table and strangled him. Who does jay think he is?!? He needs to shut his mouth, set his ego aside, and try and learn something. And another thing, if he's so upset about being in jnu during his "offseason" he shouldn't be a legislator!

Sarah Palin's reply to Ivy Frye couldn't possibly be any worse:

From: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)

To: Frye, Ivy J (DOA)

Sent: Sun Oct 21 14:36:58 2007

Subject: Re: Ramras

Oh yeah- and I jsu read your letter online @ Frontiersman!!!! I'm cheering. Todd's cheering.

I'll be in Juneau tonight. But not to hold Jay Bird-Nose Ramras' hand. What a doof.

Rep. Jay Ramras is Jewish, which is a very well-known fact in political circles in Alaska. A more inappropriate comment than this one about "Bird-Nose" Jay Ramras is hardly conceivable. It's not the email conversations of a teenager we are reading here, but the remarks of Sarah Palin, who is rumored to aspire to become the most powerful person in the world.

Original email-exchange:

These are by far not the only nasty remark which Sarah Palin makes about Jay Ramras in the published emails. In an email exchange from June 7, 2008 she calls Jay Ramras "Vajayjay."

Original email-exchange:




In an exchange from October 5, 2007 Sarah Palin makes a particular insensitive remark about Rep. Ramras when she writes to Ivy Frye:

Maybe Jay's missing his little lady and feels frustrated lately. I'll have to keep him away from Bristol.

Apparently nothing is too low for Sarah Palin.

In this context it's also very revealing what Sarah Palin thinks of somebody who critizes her: It's "disrespect" if she is the target of criticism, says the woman who these days routinely bashes President Obama:

From: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)

To, Frye, Ivy J (DOA)

Sent: Sun Oct 21 14:46:46 2007

Subject: Re: Ramras

I'll bring my trough of make-up in case I end up spending the night in Ketch!

Can Jay be any more of a disrespectful yahoo in his questioning of Pat today?

Ivy Frye then immediately offers solutions, "off the record" and gives a nice example of what appeared to be one of the main tools of Sarah Palin's administration - "our friendly reporters" and faked "letters to the editor":

From: Frye, Ivy J (DOA)

To: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored)

Sent: Sun Oct 21 19:32:49 2007

Subject: Re: Ramras

Off the record...

One of our friendly reporters has been listening to the house floor sessions on ppt during the murk administration where ramras was opposed to the ppt they were voting on and disgusted by the oil lobbyists he saw marching up to the gov's office. And he vowed that if he was tricked by the industry and their lobbyists when it came to this important tax policy then he would come back to jnu angry and pounding on the table demanding answers. Now today he says he doesn't know why he's here and doesn't think there is anything wrong w pptl What a flippin flip-flopper! What happened to the accountability in what you say and do?!? If this doesn't come out in a story (which I think it will) than I'm making sure it comes out in a letter to the editor.

Sarah Palin's response to Ivy Frye contains a wonderful example of Palin's ongoing war with the English language:

From: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored) [govpalin@alaska.gov]
Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 8:01 PM
To: Frye; Ivy J (DOA)
Subject: Re: Ramras

Oh man. Very good. Is there anything others can look at on the record to prove his hypocracy?

As it turned out, there would be an opportunity for Sarah Palin later in the future to prove Rep. Ramras' alleged "hypocracy." This opportunity came in June 2009, when Sarah Palin let her attack dogs from the supposedly independent blog "Conservatives4Palin" from the leash, whose co-founder Rebecca Mansour ("RAM") breathlessly reported an alleged scandal: Jay Ramras owned shares from BP, which according to RAM violated ethics laws:

By owning such a large value of BP stock, Ramras’ legislative action is arguably “greater” for him personally than any other “class of persons” (other than fellow shareholders) to which he belongs, such as members of a profession, occupation, industry or region. In other words, he can draft legislation which will benefit his home town of Fairbanks as a whole and in the process benefit his own restaurant business. And he can sponsor legislation that would benefit all hotel owners, himself included. However, with his considerable ownership of BP stock, it’s questionable whether he can vote on any oil and gas issue that could impact BP.

However, Jay Ramras defended himself, as the Juneau Empire reported on July 2, 2009 under the headline "Pro-Palin Web site attacks Fairbanks Rep. Jay Ramras":

FAIRBANKS - A pro-Palin Web site has accused Rep. Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks, of a conflict of interest for owning BP stock. The Fairbanks Republican denies any breach of ethics and says he has made a full disclosure of his stock trading.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports Conservatives4Palin.com posted a blog entry on Monday saying that an August 2008 stock buy is a likely violation of legislative ethics rules, because Ramras could stand to gain financially if BP's stock goes up. That's possible if the BP and ConocoPhillips-backed gas pipeline project prevails over a competing line by TransCanada and backed by the state under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act.

Ramras calls the allegation far-fetched. He says he's a regular day-trader who had hopes of turning the BP stock around quickly, only to be thwarted by a falling price.

He denied a breach of ethics rules, noting his full disclosure to the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

"I honored the spirit, the intent and the letter of the law in filing with APOC," Ramras said. "Sure, it's a large stock. I have a large portfolio."

Jay Ramras was also not intimidated by "Conservatives4Palin", according to the article:

Ramras is an outspoken critic of Gov. Sarah Palin, particularly on energy issues and AGIA.

He also says he has little use for Conservatives4Palin.

"When Alaskans want to question my integrity or behavior, I am delighted to engage. I just don't want to participate with a Web site that's run by non-residents who are trying to infect the contest of ideas we're supposed to have here in Alaska," Ramras said.

The site's domain name is registered with a Bellevue, Wash., address.

Mansour describes Conservatives4Palin as a blog supporting Palin's push for energy security and other positions the writers subscribe to. The site doesn't raise money, although links will take donors to other sites which do. Writers aren't paid.

Palin does not have any relationship with the Web site, her spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said.

It appears that Sarah Palin was very pleased with the efforts of Rebecca Mansour on "Conservatives4Palin." Only a few months later, in October 2009, Mansour officially (and secretly) joined SarahPAC - a fact which was exposed for the first time in a post which I published at the blog Palingates on February 1, 2010.

We today know that the purported independence of "Conservatives4Palin" was just a big fat lie. Frank Bailey describes in book "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin" in great detail how Sarah Palin's camp secretly "supplied talking points" to "Conservatives4Palin." One of the examples Frank Bailey provides happened already in May 2009, when Sarah Palin used "Conservatives4Palin" to start a vicious smear campaign against Juneau resident Chip Thoma, who was relentlessly targeted by "Conservatives4Palin" and other pro-Palin blogs with the "Pipers lemonade stand" lie.

Having been supplied with the talking points by Meg Stapleton, as Frank Bailey reveals in his book, the fanatic Palin-fans then go after Mr Thoma with the old "tried and tested" approach - he is a potential child molester, a creep, as one pro-Palin blog claims with the headline "More Leftist Child Molestation: Shut Down Piper Palin's Lemonad Stand?":

While the Left cannot sink any lower when it comes to their NAMBLA-like obsession with the Palins and especially the Palin children, they are at least moving sideways, like a maggot sitting in the middle of a Michael Moore shit is wont to do.

In Juneau lives a creep who dislikes the fact that so many tourists visiting his fair city are visiting the Governor’s Mansion on their tours. So much so that he has 1) put a STOP LOCAL TOURS sign right outside the mansion’s fence and 2) wants to shut down little Piper Palin’s lemonade stand.

Quoting extensively from Sarah Palin's emails and those of her staff (none of which are included in the collection of the published emails, as this particular request only covered emails until September 2008, and the more recent requests are not processed yet by the State of Alaska), Frank Bailey's writes in "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin" regarding the "Piper-lemonade-stand" incident:

In another brainstorm, we decided to push this story to the broader media focusing on Sarah's made-up speculation that Thoma was protesting children at pay and lemonade stands. The real reason for all of this time spent on building a case to embarrass and, if possible, destroy one man's reputation was made clear a half day later:

"And, I just had to pay out thousands of dollars to the IRS for NOT staying in the mansion during it's renovations - and took a lot of political heat in Juneau for not being there - and now the tables are turned and I'm taking heat for being there.

It's more a tongue-in-cheek, ironic look at the kangaroo court I try to deal with: damned if I do/damned if I don't. It really doesn't have to do with Chip, per se...it's more a commentary on the insanity."

So, with nothing against Chip " per se, Sarah decided "I know that I know....that (this tourist controversy is) a good issue for us....so ivy pls get it out there." With that encouragement, we went into discredit-Chip overdrive. A few minutes later, Ivy let us know, "I got the pics and an awesome story getting ready to go out for the news cycle."

(...)

Meg didn't want to get involved in "state stuff" but did anyway. After supplying talking points to the Conservatives4Palin blog contributor Joey Russo wrote an article entitled "Juneau Resident Attempts to Close Down Piper Palin's Lemonade Stand." While a fabrication, we managed to have published a nasty spin on what started out as bus congestion and pollution to turn this into Sarah's Juneau crucifixation.

(...)

Stories spread widely across conservative blogs, where writers referred to Thoma as "sick", "unhinged", "a drunk", "drug addicted", and "in need of therapy."

Where is the Sarah Palin that is "refreshing, plain-speaking, open and uncomplicated", the person that Toby Harden from the Daily Telegraph discovered while reading at the emails? This person certainly cannot be found in the published emails, once you make the effort to look below the surface. What you really find is a woman who routinely uses smears, lies and dirty tricks to achieve her goals. The evidence is out in the open, for everybody to see who wants to see it. The publication of these emails makes it even easier to take a look at the real Sarah Palin, to see the truth behind this woman who pretends to be a media victim at every given opportunity. She is not a victim, has never been. She has no hesitation for example to use sexually charged smears against opponents and evidently has been an eager student in the art of media manipulation. It's about time to open the eyes and acknowledge these facts.

+++ READ PART 2: JAY RAMRAS REACTS +++