Sarah Palin and Donald Trump - Comedy edition - Also, who ARE they anyway?

By Patrick

Yes, it's like the old days. Sarah Palin everywhere in the media, on twitter, just everywhere. Only much, much crazier. We always knew that she would not just go away, despite the fact that many people were convinced that she would just quietly fade into obscurity. But she won't. You have to deal with it, America, or "dill" with it, as Sarah Palin would say in her very own way of pronouncing the "American language."

Actually, the Washington Post observed today that the US media actually has no clue any more how to deal with Sarah Palin, how to think of her, how to interpret her actions:

Quote:

What is the central Palin storyline right now? Let’s just say the nominees are more diverse than those for the Oscars. Some are downright contradictory. Others simply reveal a Palin-esque lack of focus by the media. In no particular order:

• She’s backing Trump
• This is a big deal
• Meh, don’t be so sure
• Her endorsement speech was nonsensical, “post-apocalyptic poetry”
• Her endorsement speech was full of “substantive, logical reasons”
• Hey, her son just got arrested on domestic violence charges
• She blamed the arrest on her son’s military service
• No, wait, she blamed it on President Obama
• Her support for Trump legitimizes him as a conservative
• Her support for Trump delegitimizes her own conservatism
• She could be Trump’s running mate
• No, no, she’ll get a different position in his administration
• What was up with that sparkly sweater, anyway?

This is the thing with Sarah Palin: She is confusing absolutely everybody, because she is just an "image" of your imagination. From years of experience, we all know very well that only very few people recognized Palin for what she really is: The big fraudster from Alaska, the crazy woman who constantly gets away with outrageous actions. and who is also very successful in completely messing up her family. But for all others, she is just whatever they want to believe. This can go from "saviour of the nation" to "insane, unhinged, dangerous woman."

Anyway, I am starting to get a bit of the good old "Palin fatigue" after reading so much about her during the last few days, so let's focus on the one thing that really saves us when it comes to Sarah Palin: COMEDY!

There are cartoons, but there is more: "Salon" created an excellent "Rap-Remix" of Sarah's already infamous endorsement speech, it is more than obvious that her speech really should have been a "rap" in the first place.

Watch:

Here is another nice cartoon:

Andy Borowitz at the "New Yorker" proved again that he is one of the nation's most gifted satirists:

Quote:

Palin said that Obama insured her defeat in 2008 “just like he has defeated so many other great Americans,” and that her family had paid the price.

“I can’t help thinking that, if I had been elected Vice-President, Bristol and Willow wouldn’t have gotten into that drunken brawl and Track wouldn’t have threatened his girlfriend and whatnot,” she said. “Thanks, Obama.”

OK, let's get serious for a moment again. "Salon" again did an excellent job in calling out conservatives in their latest article. The right-wingers are just as confused as everyone else. Is Trump a liberal or a fascist? Both, actually, according to "anti-Trump" conservatives:

Quote:

It’s no mystery why the National Review and their supporters hate Trump. He’s vulgar and embarrassing and he does an even better job of exploiting the right-wing rubes and their racism and their provincialism and their ridiculous sense of oppression than they do. They are, in other words, haters. And Trump dismissed them as the haters they are with ease during his press conference Thursday night where he called the National Review a “dead paper” that almost no one reads anymore.

This impression is driven home by actually reading the issue. The editors can’t quite seem to decide what their exact objections to Trump are. Is it that he’s driving the right too far in the direction of fascism or that he’s a secret liberal in disguise? Both! Whatever you need to hear! The strategy is argument through overwhelming. They’ll throw everything they’ve got, even contradictory stuff, at the reader and hope the sheer volume of words impresses them enough to vote for Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush.

The everything-and-the-kitchen-sink strategy produces some hilarious contradictions. The main anti-Trump editorial, written by the editors, darkly warns that Trump isn’t the racist that his followers think he is. “Trump says he will put a big door in his beautiful wall, an implicit endorsement of the dismayingly conventional view that current levels of legal immigration are fine,” they write, even trying to get the reader to believe that Trump’s mass deportation plan is “poorly disguised amnesty”.

But then, in the writer round-up, we’re hearing a different story. “Not since George Wallace has there been a presidential candidate who made racial and religious scapegoating so central to his campaign,” David Boaz sniffs, adding that America “aspired to rise above such prejudices and guarantee life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to everyone.”

So which is it, guys? Is Trump offensive because he’s too nativist or because he’s not devoted enough to keeping the foreigners out? Whatever will make you not vote for him, I guess.

Well, yes, what is it?

Nobody knows. We need many more Trump-speeches and Palin-speeches to find out. Live on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and C-SPAN. The world depends on it!

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BONUS CARTOON:

ONE MORE, FOR GOD AND AMERICA:

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EVEN MORE COMEDY:

This is very, very funny:

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NEW CARTOON:

EVEN MORE CARTOONS ABOUT SARAH PALIN'S SPEECH CAN BE FOUND HERE - LOOK AT THE SLIDESHOW.

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ULTIMATE BONUS:

Yes, it's SNL, yes, it's Tina Fey!

In her speech at Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa today, Sarah Palin blamed the troubles of her son Track, following his arrest for domestic violence charges, on PTSD and on President Obama - However, Track's military discharge form gives no indication that he has ever seen combat

Track Palin: The troubled son (picture from Jordan Loewe's instagram page)

By Patrick

Sarah Palin spoke at the beginning of the Trump-rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, today. Several readers, myself included, were unfortunate enough to listen to her screetch. Instead of being home with her suicidal son Track, who assaulted his girlfriend Jordan Loewe two days ago and was arrested, Sarah Palin did something even more ugly: During her speech, she blamed PTSD and President Obama for the troubles of her son Track.

TIME Magazine reports;

Track Palin was arrested Tuesday and charged with assault, interfering with the report of a domestic violence crime and possessing a weapon while intoxicated. At the Trump campaign rally, Sarah Palin blamed the Obama administration’s policies towards veterans for abandoning her son. (Track spent a year deployed with the Army in Iraq.)

“I can talk personally about this, I guess it’s kind of the elephant in the room,” Palin said. “My son like so many others, they come back a bit different, they come back hardened, they come back wondering if there is that respect for what it is that their fellow soldiers and airmen and every other member of the military so sacrificially have given to this country. And that starts from the top. It’s a shame that our military personnel even have to wonder, if they have to question, if they’re respected anymore. It starts from the top. The question though that comes from our own president where they have to look at him and wonder, do you know what we go through? Do you know what we’re trying to do to secure America and to secure the freedoms that have been bequeathed us?”

“I can certainly relate with other familes who kind of feel these ramifications of some PTSD and some of the woundedness that our soldiers do return with,” Palin continued. “And it makes me realize more than ever it is now or never for the sake of Americas finest that we have that commander in chief that will respect them and honor them.”

In addition, the "Washington Post" reports:

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin on Wednesday addressed her son's recent arrest — which she called “the elephant in the room” — while stumping here for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and accused President Obama of neglecting veterans and tied that to her son’s recent domestic violence charges.

What has been Sarah Palin's "standard procedure" since she entered the national spotlight many years ago has been put into action again: She is a VICTIM, her family are VICTIMS, whatever happens, whoever is responsible, it is NOT HER, it is somebody else, usually Barack Obama. Actually, it is virtually always Barack Obama.

So Sarah Palin claims that Track has PTSD. But is this really true?

A thorough examination shows that his is very unlikely.

Track Palin' discharge form, the DD Form 214 provides no indication that Track was ever in combat.

Here is a copy of the form (click to enlarge):

The form was issued (signed) 01/29/2010 - it indicates his RESERVE OBLIGATION ended 9/10//2015. He was DISCHARGED from ACTIVE DUTY on 1/29/2010.

By far not every soldier who served abroad is in fact a "combat veteran."

The "Veteran Disability Blog" explains:

That was the case today when speaking with a Veteran about combat. His question was: "What exactly makes anyone a combat Veteran?" Some may be quick to say that serving in combat makes you a combat Veteran, but there is more to it than that.

The VA lists several different ways in which a Veteran can prove he or she was in combat.

· If you received a combat service medal, then you are considered a combat Veteran

· If you received hostile fire pay, imminent danger pay or tax benefits

· If you received military service documentation that documents combat theater

So, does serving in a foreign country automatically qualify me as combat Veteran? Not necessarily. Even if you served in Iraq or Afghanistan during the past ten years, it does not guarantee that you are a combat Veteran.

How can you find out? Well, your DD-214 is a great place to start. Your Discharge won’t automatically say that you were a combat Veteran though…that would be too easy. Box 13 on more modern DD-214’s is where they list medals, awards and ribbons. The VA does recognize certain medals etc. as a qualifier for combat service. (That list will appear in an upcoming blog.)

Also listed on your DD-214 is the type of pay you received. Box 18 would be the place to find out if you received Hostile Fire Pay, or the Imminent Danger Pay. It is important to note that this can appear in box 13, though it is rare for it to appear there.

An examination of Track's discharge form shows that he neither received a combat medal (in his case, this would have been the "Combat Infantryman Badge") nor received "hostile fire pay."

Information about the types of combat medals can be found here:

Therefore, Tracks's only chance to prove would be something that documents "combat theater", but the pure fact that he was stationed in Iraq seems to be a very weak claim for making him a combat veteran.

A report about Track's military service from October 2008 also does not mention combat.

I cannot find any reports that substantiate that Track has ever been in combat.

Therefore we rate Sarah Palin's "PTSD claim" as "Quittypants on fire" and also give her the "Bad Loser Medal" for still not coping with the fact that she lost the election to Barack Obama, and we think that she should care for her suicidal son instead of giving crazy speeches and also remove all the weapons from this home.

Over and out!

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FINALLY, A SAD BONUS:

(found at FARK)

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UPDATE:

A dear friend found this comment at USA Today, which is really spot-on. I would just like to say in addition that asking for joint custody is actually no "offense" at all, and that Dakota Meyer has done nothing wrong at this point.

Note: It was not Sarah who remarked that a "real American hero doesn't ask for child support", but "Bristol Palin's representative" David Martin.

It should also be noted that Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer did in fact not ask for child support. This was false media reporting.

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UPDATE 2:

This performance by Stephen Colbert, celebrating the return of Sarah Palin, is already historic, which is strange, because it aired only yesterday:

Sarah Palin is about to endorse Donald Trump, and the Palin-clan already starts a brawl with Ted Cruz - UPDATE: Just yesterday, Track Palin was charged with three serious charges of assault, including domestic violence! - UPDATE 2: Wasilla PD confirms that Track was arrested after he "committed a domestic violence assault on a female, interfered with her ability to report a crime of domestic violence, and possessed a firearm while intoxicated" - UPDATE 3: Read the devastating police report!

By Patrick

Yes, it is getting wild!!! It seems 99% certain that Sarah Palin is about to endorse Donald Trump in Iowa, given the fact that

a) the rumour is "everywhere"...

b) a private plane yesterday flew from Anchorage to Iowa

c) and finally, the Palins have already pretty much given it away, in a new post written by Nancy French aka "Bristol Palin", in which they slammed Ted Cruz because they were offended that they are about to endorse his opponent, despite the fact the "being offended" ought to be a "liberal thing", but who knows any more what is liberal these days, and what isn't? Nancy French aka "Bristol Palin" certainly appears to be quite confused on this issue!

Naturally, Sarah Palin tweeted "Bristols" post...

...but she probably did not expect that many conservatives are now shell-shocked, having to witness this new unexpected brawl between Trump and Cruz, with Sarah Palin / Bristol Palin / Nancy French vigorously punching for Donald Trump!

Sarah Palin - the woman who will NEVER go away!

This is going to be EPIC.

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UPDATE:

Gawker reports that Track Palin was charged with assault yesterday!

Quote:

Per online court records, Track Palin, 26, was charged yesterday with assault, interfering with a report of domestic violence, and possession of a weapon while intoxicated. All three charges are misdemeanors. Here’s a screenshot of the charges as they appear online. Spokespersons with both the Wasilla Police Department and the district attorney’s office confirmed their existence.

Perfect timing, LOL!

Screenshots from the Alaska Court Records (click to enlarge):

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UPDATE 2:

Gawker has a update, and the story is getting more explosive by the minute:

The Wasilla PD issued the following press release regarding the incident:

On 01/18/2016 at approximately 2204 hours, Wasilla Police responded to a residence for a disturbance. An investigation revealed Track Palin had committed a domestic violence assault on a female, interfered with her ability to report a crime of domestic violence, and possessed a firearm while intoxicated. Palin was arrested and charges of assault in the fourth degree (domestic violence), interfering with a domestic violence report, and misconduct involving weapons in the fourth degree were forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office. Palin was held without bail until arraignment.

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UPDATE 3:


The devastating police report can be found here.


Screenshots (click to enlarge):

The "authoritarians" are on the rise: How the "democratic disconnect" makes democratic societies "easy prey" for right-wing extremists like Donald Trump

“The receptivity of the masses is very limited, 

their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous. 

In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda 

must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans 

until the last member of the public understands 

what you want him to understand by your slogan.”

Adolf Hitler, "Mein Kampf" 

By Patrick

The USA is heading with full speed into this fateful election year, and one thing seems already certain: This won't be an election like the previous ones. Even 2008 with Sarah Palin's demagoguery was most likely only a "mild prelude" to what is coming now. The leading Republican contenders are two extremists, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, and the "old GOP" is barely visible any more. The Republican base has been whipped into a frenzy, the obvious result of many years of relentless vicious right-wing propaganda. It appears that many Republicans now want the "real deal": A strong man who does not care too much about traditional views, but is willing to go to extreme measures to solve real or imagined problems.

In every democratic country there is a part of the population which is deeply distrustful of the democratic system. These people perceive the system as "weak" and favor the easy, quick solutions. Also, every country has a choice: Either a society pushes these people to the side, and treats them as outcasts, or you allow them to become part of the mainstream. Once they are in the mainstream, it is very difficult to get rid of these people again.

While "experienced countries" like Germany treat these people usually as outcasts, remembering very well how right-wing extremists once destroyed a German democracy and afterwards caused chaos and destruction all over the world, many people in a country like the USA are unfortunately much more open to treat these people as viable contenders for the highest positions in the country. These extremists like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz receive huge attention by the media, and their often ridiculous talking points as well as their shameless lies become part of the mainstream.

The "Transatlantic Academy", a US-German research organisation, published an extensive report in 2013 called "The Democratic Disconnect - Citizenship and Accountability in the Transatlantic Community." In this report,  the researchers provide an excellent summary of why Democracies are increasingly under threat (page 11):

Democracy is in trouble. The collective engagement of a concerned citizenry for the public good — the bedrock of a healthy democracy — is eroding. Democratic governments often seem crippled in their capacity to deliver what their people want and need. They are neither as responsive nor as accountable as they need to be in an era of hard choices and rising non- democratic powers.

There is widespread concern about apparent declining rates of voter participation and about the alienation or disaffection of citizens from the political process. In Europe, there is fear that the distance between ordinary citizens and the politicians and bureaucrats in Brussels compromises democratic legitimacy. In the United States, lamentations about gridlock and polarization are the order of the day. Canadians worry about the tendency of their political system to place largely unaccountable power in the hands of the prime minister.

Acute crises are putting political systems under stress, both in the United States after the 2008 financial crisis, and in Europe today. Angry demonstrations in Greece and elsewhere over externally enforced austerity programs inevitably raise questions about the stability of the democratic system itself. Citizens have ways of expressing themselves when their vital interests are being harmed — but increasingly in a manner that seems to challenge, rather than reinforce, democratic government. Democratic governments, for their part, frequently behave in ways that are incomprehensible to their citizens.

These two architectural features of liberal democracy — citizenship and governance — are connected, or ought to be. But today they seem increasingly disconnected.

Domestically, there is a deepening democratic disconnect between the formal government institutions of established and aspiring democracies, on one hand, and the lived democratic experience of their citizens, on the other. This report contends that both sides of this citizen-government relationship merit serious policy attention.

The democratic disconnect also shows itself in the international community’s half-hearted responses to persistent authoritarianism or to dynamic popular upheavals such as the Arab Spring. The engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan have left the very notion of liberal interventionism widely discredited. Democracy promotion is beset by self-doubt. The economic success of some rising nondemocratic regimes accentuates democracy’s malaise.

Established democracies in the West struggle to meet the demands of their people. Economic and financial globalization has been empowering for some citizens, but for many others, it appears to reduce government to a passive mediator between the demands of global financial markets and citizens’ expectations. Democratic governments themselves are hostage to the imperatives of international financial flows. Increasingly, we see the privatization of gain and the collectivization of pain. Meanwhile the global institutional infrastructure mutates from traditional multilateralism to “minilateralism” at a time when resilient institutions are ever more needed to address proliferating problems of global governance.

This report explains how the erosion of Democratic systems is a world-wide phenomenon, and unfortunately, a significant part of the society in the USA has become a "part" of this anti-democratic movement as well. The people who reject Democracy in its current form are now usually called "The Authoritarians." 

Seducing the disillusioned population: Nazi election poster from 1932 - "Our Last Hope - Hitler" 

Citizen in Berlin looking at this election poster

In December 2015, the online magazine "Vox" published excerpts from an extensive poll among Americans, showing that many US-citizens are not very keen on living in a Democracy any more.

The results of the research are actually truly shocking. Especially many young Americans apparently turn away from democratic values.

Examples:

Just today, "Politico" published a very important article, explaining that there is one fact which unites the supporters of Donald Trump: The fact that they are authoritarians.

Politico writes:

If I asked you what most defines Donald Trump supporters, what would you say? They’re white? They’re poor? They’re uneducated?

You’d be wrong.

In fact, I’ve found a single statistically significant variable predicts whether a voter supports Trump—and it’s not race, income or education levels: It’s authoritarianism.

That’s right, Trump’s electoral strength—and his staying power—have been buoyed, above all, by Americans with authoritarian inclinations. And because of the prevalence of authoritarians in the American electorate, among Democrats as well as Republicans, it’s very possible that Trump’s fan base will continue to grow. My finding is the result of a national poll I conducted in the last five days of December under the auspices of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, sampling 1,800 registered voters across the country and the political spectrum. Running a standard statistical analysis, I found that education, income, gender, age, ideology and religiosity had no significant bearing on a Republican voter’s preferred candidate.

Only two of the variables I looked at were statistically significant: authoritarianism, followed by fear of terrorism, though the former was far more significant than the latter.

Authoritarianism is not a new, untested concept in the American electorate. Since the rise of Nazi Germany, it has been one of the most widely studied ideas in social science. While its causes are still debated, the political behavior of authoritarians is not. Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened. From pledging to “make America great again” by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States, Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations.

The power of the "authoritarians": Admiring the "strong man" who solves all the problems

There is a real danger in my opinion that "the authoritarians", the people who believe that problems should be solved with radical decisions by the government or the president, while ignoring the democratic process, will become more and more popular in the USA. Even if Donald Trump does not become President, there will be politicians who will be inspired by Trump's current success, and will try to imitate him. This is probably already happening.

The "old GOP" is already starting to disappear, but how will the "replacement" look like? It is obvious that a large part of the "base" is radicalized, and the "civil war" in the GOP will likely continue. My expectation is that eventually "the authoritarians" are going to take over the GOP, and this would be very bad news for the USA, and the world.

A very informative study about "The Authoritarians" can be found on the internet here, published by Canadian professor Bob Altemeyer already in 2006. His thoughts from 10 years ago read like a bad prophecy:

But why should you even bother reading this book? I would offer three reasons. First, if you are concerned about what has happened in America since a radical right-wing segment of the population began taking control of the government about a dozen years ago, I think you=ll find a lot in this book that says your fears are well founded. As many have pointed out, the Republic is once again passing through perilous times. The concept of a constitutional democracy has been under attack--and by the American government no less!

The mid-term elections of 2006 give hope that the best values and traditions of the country will ultimately prevail. But it could prove a huge mistake to think that the enemies of freedom and equality have lost the war just because they were recently rebuffed at the polls. I’ll be very much surprised if their leaders don’t frame the setback as a test of the followers’ faith, causing them to redouble their efforts. They came so close to getting what they want, they’re not likely to pack up and go away without an all-out drive.

But even if their leaders cannot find an acceptable presidential candidate for 2008, even if authoritarians play a much diminished role in the next election, even if they temporarily fade from view, they will still be there, aching for a dictatorship that will force their views on everyone. And they will surely be energized again, as they were in 1994, if a new administration infuriates them while carrying out its mandate. The country is not out of danger.

Yes, the USA is definitely not out of danger, and we will see during the course of 2016 whether our fears are justified. Let's just say that with "Trump-mania" in full swing, the year is off to a bad start.

(Many thanks to AnnetteK and junasie14 for providing the inspiration to this post!)

Shawn Patterson, Oscar- and Grammy-nominated songwriter, presents four songs from his upcoming musical about Sarah Palin, "It Came From Wasilla" - Plus: "Snacks and Socks" about current events in Oregon

By Patrick

The composer and songwriter Shawn Patterson, who received an Oscar- and a Grammy nomination for his truly awesome song "Everything is Awesome" from the even more awesome "Lego Movie"...

...makes good on his promise to write a musical about Sarah Palin and published the first four songs from the upcoming musical on the website www.itcamefromwasilla.com. We very much hope that the musical will finally find its way on stage, as the published songs are wonderful and very witty!

These four songs are called:

1. WE'RE ALASKA (AND WE ARE BETTER THAN YOU)

2. AMATEURS BUILD THE ARK

3. NORTHERN LIGHTS

4. TROOPERGATE

The lyrics show that Shawn Patterson has done some diligent research about Sarah Palin and the environment she emerged from. Also, the lyrics of the song "Troopergate" are a very accurate narration of the facts of one of Sarah Palin's famous scandals.

I cannot embed the songs here, but you can listen to them on the mentioned website (screenshot):

So, enjoy the songs! We cannot wait for the next ones! :-)

The website explains:

Welcome to the brand new stage musical from Academy Award and Grammy nominated Composer and Songwriter Shawn Patterson, “It Came From Wasilla”. From the remote, no rules frontier of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, this is the unknown, fictional / non-fiction story of Governor Sarah Palin and her best friend, Jesus that you never heard.

Set on a mission to lead the USA with their hard-core conservative values; Sarah and Jesus climb, seek, bumble and destroy their way all the way to the top of the presidential campaign trail. Along with husband Todd, bratty teen daughter Bristol, white trash boyfriend Levi Johnston, and Sarah’s faithful staff, this ensemble story is a genuine rags to riches tale with heart.

Necrophilia, power, sin, witchcraft, teen pregnancy, greed, lust, politics, corruption, black mail, religion and more all set to over the top catchy songs; this is dark musical comedy at it’s finest. It’s “The Wizard of Oz” meets “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”… meets a fully loaded crack pipe. This musical is currently being shopped in both New York and Los Angeles.

We do hope that Shawn Patterson will be successful in bringing this musical to the big stage. After all, the public interest in the Palin-family never ceases, as the current new very public "baby-battle" proves.

Also, Sarah Palin can be seen as the person "who started it all", who brought the "crazy" into mainstream politics. Donald Trump is her rightful heir, and it is definitely worth to explore where the crazy came from. It comes from a little town in Alaska, where a night in the "Mug Shot Saloon", just round the corner of Sarah Palin's house, is regarded as a great night out.

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BONUS 1:

Just today, Shawn Patterson also uploaded a brand-new song on youtube, about some Yahoos in Oregon, which you will certainly enjoy: "Snacks and Socks."

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BONUS 2:

This one is of course unrelated to Sarah Palin, but on the internet, we can also be heroes, just for one day:

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BONUS 3:

For the occasion, in memory of David Bowie - one of the most beautiful music-videos ever published:

The custody-drama between Bristol Palin and Dakota Meyer continues: The "Daily Mail" reports that Dakota also filed for custody in Kentucky, and that the Kentucky court decided to establish paternity for baby Sailor Grace - Meanwhile, Bristol Palin slams Dakota Meyer on Instagram! - UPDATE: Bristol Palin confirms on her Instagram that Dakota Meyer has never met their daughter Sailor Grace

Bristol Palin (bsmp2) on her Instagram, 3 days ago

Explanation for this emoticon

By Patrick

Yes, here we are again, it's again about Bristol and Dakota. It is not "drama", because it is "drama drama drama" in this custody battle which is already off to a very rocky start.

The "Daily Mail" reports today that Dakota Meyer not only filed for custody for baby Sailor Grace in Alaska, but he also filed for custody in Kentucky, in the Adair District Court, on December 29, 2015. This means two things: First, Dakota Meyer is absolutely serious about this case, and second, the additional filing Kentucky might give him an advantage.

But there is more: The court in Kentucky has already decided that the "action is pending" in order to establish paternity."

Screenshot:

So it is clear that paternity has to be established, one way or the other. There are actually several possibilities to establish paternity in Kentucky, as this website explains.

Excerpt:

How To Establish Paternity

There are two basic paths that unmarried couples with a baby can take to establish paternity: the parents can sign a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity (VAP), or the question of paternity can be adjudicated (decided) by a judge of district court after someone files a paternity lawsuit.

Using the VAP form

The first way, which also happens to be simplest, is that the parents can choose to sign a VAP form. The VAP process is managed by the Kentucky Paternity Acknowledgement Program (KYPAP). When you go to the hospital or birthing facility to deliver your baby, the medical staff will give you the VAP. Staffers can also provide you with informational materials and help if you have questions. They can’t answer legal questions, but can make sure you’re directed to someone else who can offer help.

Both parents should read the VAP and, if they understand it and agree with it, both should sign and date it in the presence of a notary public (a professional witness registered with the State of Kentucky). The hospital or birthing center will have a notary public on staff and available to help you. The father’s name will then be added to the birth certificate, and the hospital or birthing center will send the birth certificate to the local Health Department. The Health Department will in turn send the certificate to the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics.

The VAP form is usually signed in the hospital, after the baby’s birth, but it can be signed outside the hospital, too. The forms you’ll need are available at your local registrar’s office. The registrar can also answer questions, notarize the paperwork, and forward the forms to Vital Statistics.

Parents always have the initial right to demand genetic testing to make sure there’s a DNA link between the father and the child. If parents aren’t sure about the biological paternity of a child, they should go to the local child support office in the county where the mother lives and ask for assistance in obtaining genetic testing to establish a DNA link between the parents and child. They shouldn’t sign a VAP if they have any doubts.

By signing the VAP, the parents are agreeing that the father is the biological father. The father agrees that he may become responsible for paying child support and medical insurance expenses (possibly including “costs of confinement,” which mean the prenatal medical and birth expenses incurred by the mother). The father also acknowledges that he doesn’t have custody or visitation rights simply because he signed the VAP. However, by signing the VAP, he has earned the opportunity to go to court and ask a judge to give him custody and visitation rights.

So that will be interesting, as Bristol Palin has only two choices, which are evidently both very inconvenient for her: Either establish paternity voluntarily, or be forced to take a DNA-test. Either Dakota is the father, which would give him rights, or he is not the father, which would be the most embarrassing thing ever for the Palins, and would even eclipse the infamous "Palin-brawl" in Anchorage.

But why would Bristol Palin have a problem with establishing Dakota Meyer as the father?

The answer is simple: Bristol Palin obviously hates Dakota Meyer.

The exact reasons for her hate are still unknown, but despite the fact that Bristol should know better, she has no problem with expressing her hate in public, already at this early point. It is not only her rather infamous mother Sarah Palin who already slammed Dakota Meyer in public...

...but Bristol Palin herself cannot help it either. Very recently, on her Instagram, where she has the username "bsmp2", Bristol openly "applauded" one of her fans, who said:

rosalyn1229 Count your blessing with gunfire, that you never married that scum of an ex. Medal of Honor my eye....... Medal of Moocher more fitting!

Screenshots:

The symbol with the raised hands has a very straightforward definition:

So, if it already starts like this, then it is guaranteed that we will see much more of the same in the future, because the Palins are not exactly known for keeping their mouths shut.

For the record, Dakota Meyer's family is also not happy. The "Daily Mail" reports:

Now Meyer's family have told Daily Mail Online they are 'hurt' over the doubt that has been cast and insisted that Meyer 'has a right to that child', whose birth Palin announced on December 24.

Speaking from the family home in Greensburg, Kentucky, Meyer's grandmother, Jean, 85, said: 'It happens every day that a mother tries to keep a child from the father and you just have to deal with it.

'But I would say it does hurt [to have to prove paternity]. But that's just the way the law is – you have to get permission here and permission there.

'I really think Dakota will do the right thing and I think he has a right to that child.'

Referring to Bristol, Jean said: 'I've met her but I don't really know her. But I helped raise Dakota and I do know him. He's a strong young man and a good one.'

She added: 'He will be a father to his child and he'll be a good one he's just got to get this girl and the law to agree.'

The "Daily Mail" also posted the first page of the legal document filed in Alaska by Dakota Meyer's lawyer, which is the first time I have seen it:

The most interesting quote in there:

"Meyer believes that he is the biological father 

of the minor child."

Personally, I am not so sure what to "believe".

In any case, the custody battle will continue, with lots of "drama drama drama."

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UPDATE:

Great find by our reader "greenandgreens": Bristol Palin confirmed on her Instagram that Dakota Meyer has never met the baby Sailor Grace!

Oh yes, I forgot: Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer, who made it clear through his custody lawsuit that he wants to be a part of the child's life, is OBVIOUSLY a deadbeat dead. Why should he given the opportunity meet the baby...

But seriously: The Palin-family has a long history of trying to shut out fathers from their children, in particular Levi Johnston and Trooper Mike Wooten.

Screenshots from Bristol's Instagram:

The Palin-family has an atrocious track record when it comes to custody trials.

After Sarah Palin became the Republican nominee for Vice President, the media discovered court records which put members of the Palin-family, and Sarah Palin in particular, in an awful light - as well as their lawyers. A judge went so far as too severely criticize the members of the Palin-family for their terrible behaviour during the trial.

Newsweek reported in September 2008:

An Anchorage judge three years ago warned Sarah Palin and members of her family to stop "disparaging" the reputation of Alaska State Trooper Michael Wooten, who at the time was undergoing a bitter separation and divorce from Palin's sister Molly.

Allegations that Palin, her husband Todd, and at least one top gubernatorial aide continued to vilify Wooten—after Palin became Alaska's governor and pressured state police officials to take action against him—are at the center of "Troopergate," a political and ethical controversy which has embroiled Palin's administration and is currently the subject of an official inquiry by a special investigator hired by the state legislature.

Court records obtained by NEWSWEEK show that during the course of divorce hearings three years ago, Judge John Suddock heard testimony from an official of the Alaska State Troopers' union about how Sarah Palin—then a private citizen—and members of her family, including her father and daughter, lodged up to a dozen complaints against Wooten with the state police. The union official told the judge that he had never before been asked to appear as a divorce-case witness, that the union believed family complaints against Wooten were "not job-related," and that Wooten was being "harassed" by Palin and other family members.

Court documents show that Judge Suddock was disturbed by the alleged attacks by Palin and her family members on Wooten's behavior and character. "Disparaging will not be tolerated—it is a form of child abuse," the judge told a settlement hearing in October 2005, according to typed notes of the proceedings. The judge added: "Relatives cannot disparage either. If occurs [sic] the parent needs to set boundaries for their relatives."

(...)

In a press release issued last week by her new lawyer, Palin continued to attack the character of Wooten—still serving as a state trooper in Palin's hometown of Wasilla. The release repeats allegations that Wooten had threatened members of her family, including her father, with violence; that Wooten had threatened to "bring" Palin and members of her family "down;" and that Wooten had once been the subject of a court-imposed domestic-violence protection order. A court filing by Wooten's lawyer indicates that within months of being issued, the violence protection order was dismissed.

There was a court-imposed domestic-violence protection order against Wooten in place, Sarah Palin's lawyer claimed in September 2008?

A very bold claim indeed! We at Politicalgates reported about this particular chapter of Sarah Palin's history already in a detailed post from June 2012. It turned out that the judge dissolved the order immediately after he discovered that he had been lied to, and even scolded Sarah Palin's sister Molly for keeping Wooten's kids away from him.

This was explained in detail in an old post by (former) Alaskan blogger Andrew Halcro, which is still available today via the Wayback Machine:

In a statement released on September 2 through her attorney Thomas Van Flein, Palin once again shows how her propensity for a misrepresentation of the facts got her into trouble to begin with.

Palin is attempting to get the investigation moved into the executive branch so it is reviewed by the personnel board.

In her statement, Palin writes, "In 2005 and early 2006, State Trooper Mike Wooten was the subject of a court-imposed Domestic Violence Protective Order."

As has been the governor's history with this issue, she offers up another twisted fact.

In 2005, Palin and her sister Molly went to the Palmer Courthouse while Mike Wooten was in Portland with his stepson. They convinced a judge to grant Molly a domestic violence restraining order against Wooten. This was done so Molly could retain full custody of the children.

When Wooten returned from Portland, he realized that there was a order prohibiting him from seeing his kids. Three weeks later, Wooten was granted an appearance in front of the couple's divorce judge.

In front of Judge Suddock, Molly testified that Wooten never hit her or never physically abused her or ever touched the children. She told the judge she was feeling pressure from her family to file the order.

Suddock immediately dissolved the order because there was no proof of any domestic violence and called the order an abuse of the legal system. He then scolded Palin's sister for keeping Wooten's kids away from him.

This appears to be Palin's classic approach to deflecting attention away from situations she has created; blame the other person.

Money quote:

"In front of Judge Suddock, Molly testified that Wooten never hit her or never physically abused her or ever touched the children. She told the judge she was feeling pressure from her family to file the order."

This should give Dakota Meyer something to think about.

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BONUS:

A "blind-item" regarding baby Sailor Grace has been posted.

I believe that there is a very good chance that this blind-item is spot-on.

Also includes the picture of a lovely little sailor. ;-)

See for yourself:

The inevitable drama, here it comes: Dakota Meyer files custody suit against Bristol Palin and wants joint custody for daughter Sailor Grace as well as child support - UPDATE: Dakota Meyer's lawyer clarifies that he does not seek child support at this point

That will teach Sarah Palin not to wag her finger in Dakota Meyers face...

By Patrick

Drama, here we come! Did we predict it, or did we not?

"TMZ" has the scoop and reports that Dakota Meyer filed a lawsuit against Bristol Palin, demanding  joint custody for their daughter Sailor Grace, and Dakota Meyer is asking for child support as well!

Unfortunately, "TMZ" did not make the legal documents available to the public, but from the Alaska Court Records we can see Dakota Meyer filed the custody case yesterday, on January 4, 2016 (click on "Search Cases" and then search for Dakota Meyer's name, but be aware that there is actually another "Dakota Meyer" living in Alaska).

Click on screenshot to enlarge:

This is now already the third custody case for Bristol Palin. She fought two heated custody battles against Levi Johnston, and the second custody case finally ended in a confidential settlement, apparently to the satisfaction of both parties.

See our extensive reporting about the second custody case against Levi Johnston here, here, here, here and here, with many original documents from the trial exclusively published here at Politicalgates. Levi Johnston had to endure relentless attacks coming from Bristol Palin's lawyer against him.

However, Dakota Meyer is not just anybody. He is a Medal of Honor recipient, a public figure as well as a military hero for many conservatives, and he surely is not taking any garbage coming from the Palin-clan. So it will be interesting what will happen during the custody trial, as well as in public, because the tabloids will now surely be all over this matter.

I could not find the original court documents, although "TMZ" claimed that they obtained the documents. If you find a link to the documents, please post it in the comments.

Yes, Sarah Palin should have thought twice before she wagged her finger in Dakota Meyer's face!

This is a "lose-lose situation" for the Palins, but we are not surprised about this development at all.

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UPDATE:

Dakota Meyer's lawyer released a statement and said that the inital reports about Dakota seeking child support were false (this now disputed fact was originally reported by "TMZ", who broke the story about the custody suit).

AP reports:

Dakota Meyer filed a lawsuit against Bristol Palin in Alaska Superior Court on Monday seeking joint custody of their child, Sailor Grace Palin. The child was born Dec. 23.

"Dakota couldn't be more excited to be a new father and the best dad that he can be," his lawyer, Kimberlee Colbo, said in an email to The Associated Press.

"To him, that means being a big part of his daughter's life. Beyond that, he'd really appreciate and thank his friends, supporters and the news media for respecting the privacy of each family in this very personal matter," Colbo said.

Attempts to reach a spokesman for Bristol Palin, who competed twice on "Dancing with the Stars" and had her own reality show on cable, weren't immediately successful. The Palin family lawyer declined to comment.

Meyer, a former Marine living in Greensburg, Kentucky, was engaged to Palin, but the wedding was abruptly called off a week before it was to take place last May.

Meyer is seeking joint custody and shared physical custody of the child, and the court could decide child support.

"At this point, no one is seeking child support," Colbo said.

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NEW POST:

The custody-drama between Bristol Palin and Dakota Meyer continues: The "Daily Mail" reports that Dakota also filed for custody in Kentucky, and that the Kentucky court decided to establish paternity for baby Sailor Grace - Meanwhile, Bristol Palin slams Dakota Meyer on Instagram!