(Note: I wrote this article for the Sarah Palin's Earthquake Movement. It is cross-posted on their website.
POLITICAL CAREER
SARAH PALIN
- Governor of Alaska, the first female and youngest in the state's history, 2006 - 2009
- Chairperson of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 2003 -2004
- Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, 1996 -2002
- City Council Member, Wasilla, 1992 1996
- Vice Presidential Candidate, 2008
MITT ROMNEY
- Governor of Massachusetts, 2003 -2007
- Presidential candidate, 2012, 2008
- US Senate candidate, 1994
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT
SARAH PALIN
Alaska Gas Inducement Act (AGIA). GovernorPalin successfully negotiated a partnership of two private oil companies and started a long-stalled project to build a natural gas pipeline. She also took to court ExxonMobil for sitting on their leases to develop reserves at Point Thompson on the North Slope. She won and after decades of minimal activity, drilling for oil and natural gas at Pt. Thompson began.
The pipeline would supply a maximum of 41 billion cubic meters per year of natural gas from Alaska to Lower 48, leading the country towards energy independence.
The pipeline is the largest private sector infrastructure project in North America and can be seen from space.
MITT ROMNEY
Massachusetts Healthcare Insurance Reform law, also known as Romneycare. It was the model for Obamacare, according to the White House. Enacted in 2006, its central piece is the individual mandate, which requires individuals to purchase health insurance, or else be penalized with fines.
Some similarities between Romneycare and Obamacare:
(1) Both require those who are able to afford coverage and do not purchase it to pay tax penalties.
(2) Both create a new individual insurance marketplace (Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector for MA, exchanges for Obamacare).
(3) Both require employers, with at least 10 employees for MA, 50 for Obamacare, that do not offer health insurance to pay a penalty.
ECONOMIC POLICY/PLAN
SARAH PALIN
PALIN'S FIVE-POINT ECONOMIC PLAN
My plan is about empowerment: empowerment of our states, empowerment of our entrepreneurs, most importantly empowerment of you our hardworking individuals because I have faith, I have trust, I have respect for you.
1. We must stop expanding an out-of-control and out-of-touch federal government. ... All power not specifically delegated to the federal government by our Constitution is reserved for the states and for we the people. So, lets enforce the 10th Amendment and devolve powers back locally where the Founders intended them to be.
2. We must repeal Obamacare! And rein in burdensome regulations that are a boot on our neck. Get government out of the way. Let the private sector breathe and grow. This will allow the confidence that businesses need in order to expand and hire more people.
3. No more run away debt. We must prioritize and cut. Cancel unused stimulus funds own up to the debt challenge that is entitlement reform. The status quo is no longer an option. Entitlement reform is our duty now, and it must be done in a way that honors our commitment to our esteemed elders today, while keeping faith with future generations.
4. Fourth, it is time for America to become the energy superpower. The real stimulus that weve been waiting for is robust and responsible domestic energy production. We have the resources. Affordable and secure energy is the key to any thriving economy, and it must be our foundation. Drill here, drill now.
5. To make America the most attractive and competitive place to do business, to set up shop here and hire people here, to attract capital from all over the globe that will lead to an explosion of growth, instead of chasing industry offshore, I propose to eliminate all federal corporate income tax. This is how we create millions of high-paying jobs. This is how we increase opportunity and prosperity for all.
But here is the best part: To balance out any loss of federal revenue from this tax cut, we eliminate corporate welfare and all the loopholes and we eliminate bailouts. This is how we break the back of crony capitalism because it feeds off corporate welfare, which is just socialism for the very rich. We can change all of that. The message then to job-creating corporations is: Well unshackle you from the worlds highest federal corporate income tax rate, but you will stand or fall on your own, just like all the rest of us out on main street.
MITT ROMNEY
ROMNEY'S 59-POINT ECONOMIC PLAN
(Excerpts from Believe in America)
Mitt Romney will rebuild the foundations of the American economy on the principles of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation. His plan emphasizes critical structural adjustments rather than short-term fixes. It seeks to reduce taxes, spending, regulation, and government programs. It seeks to increase trade, energy production, human capital, and labor flexibility. It relinquishes power to the states instead of claiming to have the solution to every problem.
The plan does not increase the size of the federal budget or bureaucracy. To the contrary, it cuts spending and streamlines regulation. It does not promise the immediate creation of some imaginary number of jobs, because government cannot create jobsat least not productive ones that contribute to our long-term prosperity. It is economic growth, not government growth that provides productive opportunities for American workers. That is the lesson of these past three years, and one that America has learned well even if the White House has not.
Any American living through this economic crisis will immediately recognize the severity of the break that Mitt Romney proposes from our current course. He is calling for a fundamental change in Washingtons view of how economic growth and prosperity are achieved, how jobs are created, and how government can support these endeavors. It is at once a deeply conservative return to policies that have served our nation well and a highly ambitious departure from the policies of our current leadership. In short, it is a plan to get America back to work.
Top 5 of his 59-point economic plan:
1. Maintain current tax rates on personal income
2. Maintain current tax rates on interest, dividends, and capital gains
3. Eliminate taxes for taxpayers with AGI below $200,000 on interest, dividends, and capital gains
4. Eliminate the death tax
5. Pursue a conservative overhaul of the tax system over the long term that includes lower, flatter rates on a broader base.
See the rest of his proposals - from the 6th to the 59th here.
FOREIGN/DEFENSE POLICY
SARAH PALIN
Excerpts from her Tribute to the Troops remarks at Colorado Christian Universit (CCU) on May 2, 2011, her 5-point use of military policy.
First, we should only commit our forces when clear and vital American interests are at stake. Period.
Second, if we have to fight, we fight to win. To do that, we use overwhelming force. We only send our troops into war with the objective to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible. We do not stretch out our military with open-ended and ill-defined missions. Nation building is a nice idea in theory, but it is not the main purpose of our armed forces. We use our military to win wars.
Third, we must have clearly defined goals and objectives before sending troops into harms way. If you cant explain the mission to the American people clearly and concisely, then our sons and daughters should not be sent into battle. Period.
Fourth, American soldiers must never be put under foreign command. We will fight side by side with our allies, but American soldiers must remain under the care and the command of American officers.
Fifth, sending in our armed forces should be the last resort. We dont go looking for dragons to slay. However, we will encourage the forces of freedom around the world who are sincerely fighting for the empowerment of the individual. When it makes sense, when its appropriate, we will provide them with material support to help them win their own freedom.
I believe that America must never retreat into isolation. The world would be less safe and less free without our leadership. We cannot be the worlds policeman granted, or the worlds ATM. But we can lead by example. By our words and, when necessary, by our actions, we must and we will remain the worlds abiding beacon of freedom.
MITT ROMNEY
Excerpts from his speech at The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina.
"First, American foreign policy must be prosecuted with clarity and resolve. Our friends and allies must have no doubts about where we stand. And neither should our rivals. If the world knows we are resolute, our allies will be comforted and those who wish us harm will be far less tempted to test that resolve.
Second, America must promote open markets, representative government, and respect for human rights. The path from authoritarianism to freedom and representative government is not always a straight line or an easy evolution, but history teaches us that nations that share our values will be reliable partners and stand with us in pursuit of common security and shared prosperity.
Third, the United States will apply the full spectrum of hard and soft power to influence events before they erupt into conflict. Resort to force is always the least desirable and costliest option. We must therefore employ all the tools of statecraft to shape the outcome of threatening situations before they demand military action. The United States should always retain military supremacy to deter would-be aggressors and to defend our allies and ourselves. If America is the undisputed leader of the world, it reduces our need to police a more chaotic world.
Fourth, the United States will exercise leadership in multilateral organizations and alliances. American leadership lends credibility and breeds faith in the ultimate success of any action, and attracts full participation from other nations. American leadership will also focus multilateral institutions like the United Nations on achieving the substantive goals of democracy and human rights enshrined in their charters. But know this: while America should work with other nations, we always reserve the right to act alone to protect our vital national interests."
JOBS CREATION RECORD
SARAH PALIN
Under her watch, (December 2006 - July 2009)
- Alaska ranked 2nd in the nation for job growth.
- Alaska ranked 3rd in the nation for change in the unemployment rate relative to the national average.
MITT ROMNEY
Under his watch (January 2003 January 2007)
- Massachusetts ranked 47th in the nation for job growth.
- Massachusetts ranked 34th in the nation for change in the unemployment rate relative to the national average.
FISCAL POLICY
SARAH PALIN
Largest Surplus: $6.979 Billion (FY08)
Largest Deficit: -$292 Million (FY09)
Average Annual Surplus/Deficit: $2.633 B
Average Revenues: $10.790 Billion
Surplus/Deficit (% of Revenues): 24.40%
- Vetoed half a billion dollars in spending, the largest veto in state history,
- Cut more than $1Billion spending in her FY2010 budget vs. her predecessors FY2007 budget,
- Invested $5 Billion in the state rainy-day fund,
- Forward-funded education.
- Reformed state employees pension system to make it solvent.
- Alaska's credit rating was upgraded twice: by S&P in March 2008 from AA to AA+ and then again in 2012. The upgrades were direct results of the conservative and commonsense fiscal policy implemented by Palin and continued by the current governor Sean Parnell.
MITT ROMNEY
Largest Surplus: $1.570 Billion (FY05)
Largest Deficit: -$23 Million (FY07)
Average Annual Surplus/Deficit: $897 Million
Average Revenues: $22.896 Billion
Surplus/Deficit (% of Revenues): 3.92%
- Vetoed more than 800 spending items passed by the Legislature,
- Cut taxes 19 times,
- Invested $2-billion in state rainy-day fund.
However,
- The Legislature overrode most of Romney's spending vetoes, sometimes unanimously.
- Spending rose by 22% during his tenure, almost twice the rate of inflation.
- Corporate taxes and state fees increased by $750 million a year, exceeding his tax cuts.
Massachusetts also received a credit rating upgrade from AA- to AA in 2005.
ETHICS REFORM/FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
SARAH PALIN
- Signed the most sweeping bipartisan ethics reform into law, making it a crime for elected officials to trade votes with political favors.
- Unwilling to be part of the Corrupt Bastards Club, she resigned her post at the AOGCC and blew the whistle on the ethical lapses and conflict of interests of, among others, her fellow Commissioner Rudy Ruedrich who was also serving at the same time as chairman of Alaska Republican Party. In the end, the FBI investigations resulted in arrests and jail times for some public officials and with Mr. Ruedrich paying the state's largest fine for ethics violation.
MITT ROMNEY
Nothing found on record.
PRO-LIFE/ABORTION POSITIONS
SARAH PALIN
- Opposed to abortion except to save the mothers life.
- Would counsel victims of rape to choose life, and persuade them to choose life for their babies."
- Gave birth to a child with Down Syndrome.
MITT ROMNEY
- Effectively ran as Pro-choice for Governor (2002) and Senate (1994) but switched to pro-life in 2005.
- Says abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother.
- Held a fundraiser with a maker of morning-after pill in May 16, 2012 - Romneycare offers abortion to mothers with co-pay options ranging form $0 to $100.
DISCLOSURE OF EMAILS
SARAH PALIN
24,000 of Palin's emails (plus 17,000 on the second round) from state-issued computers were sought by the media and released to the public in an effort to embarrass her and her administration.
According to Drew Griffin of CNN: ...what we're seeing here...is a hardworking governor, working hard for the State of Alaska, a lot of discussion about policy, about taxes, about cutting budget, a lot of just the mundane state government work."
He added "...somewhat different than the narrative that we've been hearing from certain political parts of the country..."
Molly Ball of Politico wrote that Palins emails provided no big bombshells.
MITT ROMNEY
Before leaving the governors mansion, Romney's aides spent nearly $100,000 to purchase the hard drives of all state-issued computers used during his tenure and scrubbed all e-mails from a server.
Romney defended this move claiming that his emails could be used against him by his political opponents. "There has never been an administration that has provided to the opposition research team, or to the public, electronic communications. So ours would have been the first administration to have done so."
John Wonderlich , an advocate for open government said, "That's the most explicit statement of Gov. Romney treating public records as fundamentally campaign materials. The way we should view public records is not through the lens of a campaign, as he did, but through the lens of a government that serves the people's interest."
APPROVAL RATINGS AS GOVERNOR
SARAH PALIN
Highest: 93% (May 2007)
End of Term: 56% (June 2009)
MITT ROMNEY
Highest: 66% (November 2003)
End of Term: 34% (November 2006)
FUN TIDBITS - BET ON IT!
SARAH PALIN
In her TV show, Sarah Palin's Alaska (fourth episode, She is a Good Shot), Palin went caribou hunting with her father Chuck Heath and a friend, Becker. She fired five shots to down a caribou using two of her father's guns but missed. She then borrowed Becker's gun and shot the animal at first attempt. She believed the scopes of Chuck's guns were off and made a $5 wager to prove her point. After testing his guns and missing several targets, Chuck conceded that Sarah was right. The scopes were misaligned.
Sarah Palin, indeed, is a good shot.
MITT ROMNEY
In the Iowa presidential debate, Rick Perry accused Mitt Romney of suggesting that individual mandates should be a model for national health insurance, as was written on the MA governors book. Romney offered Perry a $10,000 wager to prove him wrong. According to Politifact, although Romney had long advocated for individual mandates, that reference was never found in Romney's book.
Romney kept his money but lost the image contest. The wager only added to the perception that he was out-of-touch. According to ABC News, an average Iowan takes three months to make $10,000.
REFERENCES
On Political Career:
Major Accomplishment:
(AGIA)
(Pipeline discharge)
(Point Thompson)
(Romneycare)
Economic Policy/Plan:
(Palin)
(Romney)
Foreign and Defense Policy:
(Palin)
(Romney)
Jobs Creation Record:
Fiscal Record:
(Palin)
(Romney)
Ethics Reform/Fight Against Corruption:
Pro-life/Abortion Positions:
(Palin)
(Romney)
Disclosure of E-Mails:
(Palin)
(Romney)
Approval Ratings:
(Palin)
http://sarahpalin.the2012presidentialelections.com/job-approval-ratings/
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-06-21-state-bipartisanship_N.htm
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-06-21-state-bipartisanship_N.htm
(Romney)
Fun Tidbits:
(Palin)
(Romney)
