Sarah Palin's First Amendment Rights

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am sick and tired of GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. If I never have to see her winking, sneering countenance again it will be too soon.

But as hard as I pray for the end of her 15 minutes of fame, I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Because even if McCain-Palin loses (which is the main thing I've been praying for), she has made it very clear that she's not going to go quietly back to Alaska. And there is a faction of the conservative right wing who love her and see her as the future of their party. So for better or worse (mostly worse), we'll be seeing a lot more of her here in the lower 48.

So I've been trying to ignore her. Unfortunately, she makes that really hard, because now that she's "gone rogue" and veers off her carefully crafted script, she seems to come up with some new outrageous statement every single day.

The latest: complaining to a conservative radio host that journalists who criticize her for negative campaigning against Barack Obama are infringing on HER First Amendment rights.

As ABC News reports:

"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Governor Palin, have you ever READ the First Amendment? Because time and time again, you have indicated that you have NO UNDERSTANDING OF IT AT ALL:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Let me explain it to you.

In this country, there shall be no official church or religion. That means that you are free to attend the church, synagogue, or mosque of your choice. They're all cool. Even Islam. (Even atheism.) And if your minister wants to exorcise demons from your body, that's OK. Just don't try to pass laws in this country that are religious in nature or force all the citizens to adhere to the tenets of your religion.

If you want to say Barack Obama "pals around with terrorists," that's OK. Even if it's not true. And because he's a public figure and you're both in the middle of a very heated election campaign, you may even be able to get away with that and not be faced with a libel suit.

However, if you are caught telling lies, you can expect to be called on it, because the First Amendment also guarantees a free press.

What that means, Governor Palin, is that they can report the news as they see it and say what they like (as long as it's not libelous). And if the media wants to describe your negative commentary as "going negative," that's THEIR First Amendment right. Some would say it's their constitutional duty; another in the set of checks and balances that are supposed to protect the American people from any one person or entity grabbing too much power.

So say what you like. Just don't expect the press to just report what you said and neglect its duty to check the facts.

Frankly, I'm surprised you got to be governor of a state with such a thin skin. As the MOMocrats are fond of saying, successful women in politics need brass ovaries. I suggest you grow a pair.

By the way: the First Amendment also guarantees citizens the right to freedom of assembly. That means we can all pal around with whomever we like.

Donna Schwartz Mills usually exercises her First Amendment rights at her personal blog, SoCal Mom.

Comments

[Sarah]

Is it really too much to ask that those individuals who seek executive offices created by the Constitution have actually read that fine document and understand its purpose, how it functions, and what rights it protects from infringement by what entities?

It does not bode well for us as a nation that we have a candidate for VP who would have to be educated about such basic Constitutional principles.

[Texas Dem]

This is not a woman for whom the truth holds much value. Sarah Palin tries to pass herself off as an "average Joe", but I don’t know of any “Joe Sixpacks” or “Joe the Plumbers” that live in houses worth half a million dollars! I looked up her property tax records, not all that hard to do, and her house value is $552,100.00, roughly 10 times what mine is worth! I work two jobs and almost lost my house this year. I am also a single mom making around $30,000, on two jobs. I do not see how she can compare herself to the millions of “regular Joes” out there; she has absolutely no understanding of what it is to live poor. I know real estate values in Alaska are probably a bit higher, but even at that, this is one expensive house! Not exactly someone who needs the RNC to buy clothes for her.

For that matter, John McCain, when defending the decision to buy those clothes for her, made the statement that she and her husband live “frugally.” Okay, further investigation into their property tax records show that they have at least partial ownership in 4 other pieces of property, one that appears to have a cabin on it worth $55,400.00 (worth my house), and 3 other pieces of real estate worth $18,000.00, $17,300.00, and $12,000.00 respectively, for a combined total of $102, 700.00. These are not people living frugally. Living frugally is living in a house you can barely afford, that needs repairs you can’t possibly afford to make, and eating a lot of Ramen. I seriously doubt that Sarah Palin has ever had to make do like that. I know the other candidates also live in expensive houses, but she is the one trying to sell herself as the “folksy, regular Joe kind of soccer mom” which she clearly is not. And exactly why is it okay for us to send billions of dollars in aid to foreign countries every year, but anytime someone wants to help the people in this country, it is “socialism”? By her own argument, would that not make her plan to funnel taxpayer money to families with special needs kids “socialism?”

Anyway, these property records are public information. Check them out for yourself. Go to www.matsugov.us, click on Property and Maps, click on pull-down My Property, and do an Owner Search for "Palin". It’s all right there. Three of them will pull us with Palin, but show as “Richter, Scott” and “Richter Investments,” their names are on there too.

[Scheherazade Khan]

I am really surprised that it has taken her so long to protest against "infringements" on her constitutional rights. That has been going on for 8 long years! I wonder if she noticed? Anyway, being on the "flaming" liberal end of the spectrum causes me to always defend a person (s) right to speak their mind, including and certainly not limited to, publishing accordingly. It has been absolutely mortifying to read some of the "opinions" out there on Muslims, but, if I, as a Muslim, cannot express tolerance for dissent and difference, then it would make me no better than the plethora of racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-semitic ignoramuses that preach variations of hate.

[Lawyer Mama]

If she became president she'd probably be all for John Adams' sedition laws. That is if she knows what they are. I have a feeling her understanding of all American history is spotty. That woman seriously needs to sit down and read the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. And then discuss them with someone who actually understands them.

[eros]

for me, gov. sarah palin is really good looking, no doubt. hope her good looks carried on to her first amendment rights as good looking as she is, benifiting people of america.

[babler]

eros, is that supposed to make any sense?

[Karoli]

What's scariest is that she's a journalism major. Be very afraid.

Great post, Donna. I love it when you get all het up. :)

[ewoman]

I want her health records. Like yesterday. This woman is way beyond bounds.

[cynematic]

And that was the scariest Halloween story of all, children, the one about the lady who was the vice presidential part of a presidential campaign who showed she had NO CLUE what the first amendment of our constitution means and totally warped the definition of censorship to now refer to "mean things people say about what I say."

And the hobgoblins who are just as ignorant as she is hopped up and down and stamped their little feet and howled along side her.

Show Palin the door! She's dangerously ignorant.

[zumpie]

I'm firmly convinced her medical records would reveal she's Trig's GRANDMA (and he has FAS, not Down syndrome)and that's why she refuses to release them. Anyway, soon enough she'll be Alaska's problem and just a footnote as the most embarassing VP pick, ever.

Also, eros, your criteria for voting is someone's physical attractiveness? I guess you're part of the dwindling group of wingnuts who back Boris and Natasha.

[Linda Schwartz]

As soon as I saw the heading, I knew I would find you as the author :)

[JZMom]

I agree with all of those in the "faction of the conservative right wing who love her and see her as the future of their party." Please let her be their future, which can only help the Dems be stronger.....