Church & state

“State paid for trip when Palin told students to pray for pipeline“

Gov. Sarah Palin used state funds in June when she traveled from Juneau to Wasilla to speak to graduating evangelical students and urge them to fan out through Alaska “to make sure God’s will be done here.”

State records show that Palin submitted a travel authorization for a quick round-trip visit to attend the June 8 graduation of the Master’s Commission program at the Wasilla Assembly of God, the church where she was baptized at age 12. The only other item on the agenda for that trip was a “One Lord Sunday” service involving a network of Mat-Su Christian churches earlier that morning at the Wasilla sports complex.

The records show Palin flew from Juneau on Saturday, June 7. She returned to Juneau that Monday afternoon. The plane tickets cost the state $519.50, and she claimed an additional $120 for meals and other expenses.

Fly home for church services for the weekend, call it official state business, and charge the taxpayers $640 bucks. Nifty trick.

* * *

State Senate President Lyda Green, Republican, of Wasilla, Alaska, on Gov. Sarah Palin:

“She’s not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president? Look at what she’s done to this state. What would she do to the nation?”

Sen. Thad Cochran, Republican of Mississippi, on Sen. John McCain

“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.”

* * *

To understand what likely prompted McCain to choose Palin, here’s Funny or Die with what may be the most astute analysis of John McCain at Saddleback that I’ve seen anywhere:

http://www2.funnyordie.com/public/flash/fodplayer.swf?af2c813e

Yep. …

The Culture Wars are here again
We’ll appeal to hate and fear again
We’ll declare ‘The End Is Near’ again
Culture Wars are here again …