[Grovenet] AIP

[Steele, Mike]

Speaking of political parties as we have been doing on Grovenet
recently, here's an interesting tidbit about Sarah Palin, McCain's VP
choice. She was at one time a member of the Alaska Independence Party (I
wonder how they pronounce the acronym, AIP?)...to wit, from Daily
Kos/Liz Arnett:
 

*  ...the AIP is a political party in Alaska whose motto is "Alaska
First."  Its goal is to have a vote on Alaska's state status so that
Alaskans may decide whether the state should secede, become a territory,
become a commonwealth, or remain a state. 

*  The AIP has what most Americans would qualify as radical views on the
relationship between the federal government and Alaska, including a
belief that the federal government should be dissolved if gun rights are
ever abolished or curtailed, a belief that the federal government is in
breach of the Constitution, and complete opposition to environmental
regulations and public ownership of Alaskan land. 

*  Yesterday night, it was is confirmed that Sarah Palin and her husband
were members of the AIP at least in 1994. Indeed, Palin reportedly
attended the AIP convention. 

*  In 2007, the Vice Chairman of the AIP, Dexter Clark, not only
referenced Palin's membership, but also said that since she joined the
GOP, "she is pretty well sympathetic to her former membership."  Clark
also goes on to discuss the need to "infiltrate" the major parties. 

*  In 2008, Palin recorded a message for the AIP's annual convention,
stating that Alaska has "a great promise to be a self-sufficient state"
and encouraging them to "keep up the good work."
 
 
I thought we had settled this matter of secession, more or less, when
General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox.  But then
perhaps Sen. McCain was sleeping through that part of his history class
at the Naval Academy-so, Palin and AIP would not have registered on his
72-year-old brain.
 
--Mike