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There Goes Palin’s Neighborhood

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Posted on May 27, 2010

By Ruth Marcus

I’m with Sarah Palin on this one.

Her new neighbor, it turns out, is author Joe McGinniss. Coincidence? I think not. McGinniss wrote an unflattering profile of Palin for Portfolio magazine last year, and he’s now writing a book about the former Alaska governor. So he’s moved in next door.

Apparently, this is really next door. As Palin posted on her Facebook page alongside a picture of McGinniss, “Here he is—about 15 feet away on the neighbor’s rented deck overlooking my children’s play area and my kitchen window. ... Wonder what kind of material he’ll gather while overlooking Piper’s bedroom, my little garden, and the family’s swimming hole?”

Palin’s intimations of pedophiliac voyeurism are characteristically aggrieved—said “swimming hole” is a public lake, after all—but I’d feel pretty aggrieved in these circumstances as well.

McGinniss’ choice of venue is outrageously, unnecessarily intrusive. There is—there used to be and should be, anyway—a difference between reporting and stalking, serious journalists and paparazzi. Not that I’d want to make my living chasing celebrities, but the paparazzi, at least, have an excuse: They have to stick their cameras in people’s faces to do their jobs. McGinniss and Marcus don’t. People, politicians included, deserve a zone of privacy, literal as well as metaphysical.

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Slate’s Jack Shafer says he has “no problems, ethically or morally, with him [McGinniss] getting as close to his subject as possible,” and puts McGinniss’ behavior within a “long journalistic tradition of wearing sources and subjects down until they surrender.” His examples include “knocking on the door of a grieving family to ask them, ‘How do you feel?’ ” and “frequenting a subject’s favorite bar, place of worship, and subway stop until he cracks.”

I’ve had to do that knocking—not easy—but I was taught not to besiege grieving families. If that’s changed, too bad on us, but there are remedies against such harassment. Going to a public place in pursuit of a source is different from essentially spying on the source in her private domain.

This was, it turns out, something of a grudge rental. McGinniss’ son wrote in an e-mail obtained by Politico’s Ben Smith that the owner “sought out the author because the Palins had crossed her (owed her money for renovations she had done at their request and never paid her for).”

As McGinniss Jr. explained, “If you were writing a biography of Tiger Woods and had the chance to move in with him, or his pool house, or rent next door or down the street from him—it would be journalistic malpractice not to.” Yes, if Tiger invited you to move in, or rent the pool house, you’d be crazy not to. But positioning yourself so you can watch his every move, day in and day out, for five months?

“People who write about politics, campaigns, they travel with the candidates, stay in the same motels, ride the bus, eat breakfast, hang out any and everywhere they can to get access,” the e-mail added. “We want to read the work of someone who is as close to their subject as possible. That’s called reporting.” But there is a private sphere even on a political campaign. Reporters don’t camp out in the hotel room next to the candidate and put their ears to the wall.

In a statement, McGinniss’ publisher promised that the author “will be highly respectful of his subject’s privacy as he investigates her public activities.” Really? So respectful of her privacy that he invaded it? Plow through all the papers, interview all the sources you want. But seizing the opportunity to live next door is creepy.

The Yiddish word mensch refers to a decent person. I’ve always believed that it is possible to practice good, hard-hitting journalism and behave like a mensch. I’ll wait for the book to judge McGinniss’ journalism. It’s not too early, though, to conclude that he is no mensch.

Ruth Marcus’ e-mail address is marcusr(at symbol)washpost.com.

© 2010, Washington Post Writers Group


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By Tobysgirl, May 31, 2010 at 4:52 am Link to this comment

Leefeller, I’ve wanted to print up a bumper sticker:

SARAH PALIN GIVES BIMBOS A BAD NAME

I thought it was interesting when the media kept focusing on her supposed popularity with women in 2008, that a poll showed she was much more popular with men than women. Thinking with their brains, the ones between their legs, no doubt.

She is pretty, but people lose their appeal for the thinking and sensitive when they are 1) cruel (advocating the slaughter of wolves by sociopaths in planes and helicopters comes to mind), 2) vain (do you think?), and 3) stupid. However, plenty of men (and women) find cruel, vain, and stupid people attractive or they wouldn’t keep marrying them. One of the great shocks for me of growing up was realizing how many WOMEN are cruel, vain, and stupid, absolutely bereft of feminine virtues.

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By Leefeller, May 30, 2010 at 3:03 pm Link to this comment

Lockweed, are you 80 plus years old or just a moron? Palin for me offers nothing to the table except her wonky eyes and the fact she played the flute and maybe she won the Mrs. Wolf bate beauty contest a while back!

Lockweed,
one could say I am an ugly man who is jealous of Palin’s alleged beauty, but personally by my taste,  I find her butt ugly, to each his own! Her personality speaks volumes and supports the practices of celibacy or even becoming gay.

All the time she spent playing the flute and going to charm school did nothing to support her femininity. Actually she makes me want to become a Muslim, just so she would have to wear a Berka and never be heard from again, as sexist as that may be! Every time I happen to listen to her I have to grab a barf bag.

I do not mind outspoken women, actually I prefer a women to speak her mind, but first they need a mind to speak. Palin offers nothing, her mind seems empty and she offers little to think about, actually absolutely (and I hate absolutisms)  nothing to think about. 

Maybe this makes sense, only morons must like her!

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By Tobysgirl, May 30, 2010 at 2:13 pm Link to this comment

Lockweed, that is supposed to be a JOKE about living in the last geologic age. You used the word filth, not I. Can you remember what you wrote? If you proofread your own comment, I couldn’t use your poor spelling to make another JOKE.

I was never a bully and never a coward, since the two go hand in hand. The unattractive comment is so hilarious I can’t stop laughing. If poor Sarah Palin had one single person in her life who truly cared about her, they might get her to shut her mouth, which she only opens to change feet.

And I am a little sick and tired of commenters who can’t spell, punctuate, and apparently proofread. So I have no qualms about exploiting their inanities.

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By Leefeller, May 30, 2010 at 8:50 am Link to this comment

You know I found someone who says Sarah Palin is hot.  I asked what do you mean by hot? He said she is a real hottie.

Aside from the fact the guy is like 80 years plus a decade and cannot see out of one eye and seems blind in the other and his hearing seems to work about as good as our governments.

I find this amusing.

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By Inherit The Wind, May 30, 2010 at 3:38 am Link to this comment

John Kace, May 30 at 2:09 am #

“but there are remedies against such harassment” Like a bullet in the head. But pussy whiny liberals would protest. Not in the streets mind you they are so dirty and the people you meet there oh no.
****************************

Another Cheney tough guy! Advocating violence from a safe distance of the anonymity of the Internet.

Our nation and our Constitution was formulated to neutralize the effects of attempts to force compliance with a particular POV at the point of a gun.

220 years ago they tried to undo the methods used that have caused 100,000 years of human misery.  And this poster would return us to that savagery, along with Sarah Palin.

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By John Kace, May 29, 2010 at 10:18 pm Link to this comment

Kerryrose on may,27 8:45” Just imagine her with a nuclear bomb.” That is truly frightening. She is just a puppet. The tea-party is just people who are sick and tired. Nobody or no thought process owns it and the sooner you snobs realise that the better.

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By John Kace, May 29, 2010 at 10:09 pm Link to this comment

“but there are remedies against such harassment” Like a bullet in the head. But pussy whiny liberals would protest. Not in the streets mind you they are so dirty and the people you meet there oh no.

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By suziekidder, May 29, 2010 at 6:07 pm Link to this comment

Guys:  I should have signed in ... feel free to post under swkidder as I should have written my comment ... My Bad.  SWK

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By Suzie Kidder, May 29, 2010 at 6:04 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Talk about a tempest in a Tea Pot.  Ruth, possible you might have more important things to worry about?

Personally I think that Ms. Palin and Mr. McGuinness are exceptionally well matched.  If ever there were two people who richly, and comprehensively, deserved one another - these would be they.  My vote is to stand back, watch them go at one another, and appreciate what looks to be one of the choicer episodes of street theatre running this summer. 

And it will give us all something amusing to watch in the middle of the serious environmental catastrophe that’s unfolding in the Gulf, the tragedy of hurling yet more young soliders into the lost cause of Empire where all the “ground they gain” is paved with dead civilians, and the global economic meltdown to which we have yet to apply any real solutions.  Without the distractions of Alaskan Hatfields and McCoys ... why we might have to begin to pay attention to the real fight that’s right in front of our eyes.  This would not be the one being framed as “taking our country back from Obama’s illegitimate government.”  Rather, it’s the one that’s about “taking our government back from Wall Street/Big Oil/Big Pharma/Big Insurance/etc.” so that we can give ourselves “our country back.” 

But in the meantime, I really look forward to hearing what Bill Maher, Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert have to say about the latest front in the War on Terror - Episode 4, Wasilla.

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By Lockweed, May 29, 2010 at 4:15 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Tobysgirl says “what world do these people live in that they go around
smacking that filth down ....They remind me of kids at school who tried to bully
me in the last geologic age”.

Anyone that lived in the geologic age must be very old.  But if someone
defends a man whose intention is to spy on and harass Palin and her family,
maybe Tobysgirl was the bully and twists the story to paint herself innocent. 
Whenever a schoolyard bully is accused he always turns it around and accuses
his victim.  Just as Tobysgirl does here defending the harasser (and who knows,
maybe a pervert) and calling the victim filth. 

Or this might just be an unattractive woman happy to see an attractive woman
harassed.  Picking up on my spelling error and referring to the attractive Palin
as “Plain” lends support to that theory.

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By purplewolf, May 29, 2010 at 3:27 pm Link to this comment

Leefeller: I have nothing against sump pumps or the people who make, sell and install them. Sump pumps are a very handy item to have if you need, one as my girlfriend has in her home. However, S.P. only makes speaking engagements on the $$ paid to her and she no doubt would not associate with the kinds of people who make their living as most of people, myself included working in common everyday jobs.The company that paid her would have been further ahead to give their employees a pay raise or help cover medical insurance if they offer it or to give the employees a bonus, it would have done more good for the workers than paying someone who had already raked in over 12 million dollars since quitting the governorship last July. 

Do not believe her false front that she is like the every day Joe or Jane working person.Anyone who has to brag and have photo ops, as she does, doing common labor is only doing so to try to convince everyone else that she is something she really is not.Other wise she wouldn’t be trying so hard to convince others with all her little stunts.She has tasted $$ and fame and she wants more. And I just can’t buy into her statement about mowing the grass with her baby in a harness on her as she is cutting the grass.Not the safest thing to do. Why isn’t Todd doing it or the hired help she still has she claims to have fired-they were never fired, the job title name only changed. Slick these political hacks are.

Besides S.P. just doesn’t seem like she would have the time to do all the things she claims to be doing, especially when she is constantly going all over the world raising money, giving speeches, book signings etc..

Too bad they don’t make a giant sump pump that would suck Sarah and family away forever. Let that be filmed, it would make a good horror flick.

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By Leefeller, May 29, 2010 at 12:26 pm Link to this comment

Well there are rumors started by an unknown critic, that Sarah likes to deep fry wolf burgers in bear fat, only wearing a skimpy apron with the blinds up!

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By Tobysgirl, May 29, 2010 at 12:09 pm Link to this comment

Lockweed writes: You don’t have to be a supporter of Sarah Palin to think this is disgusting behavior.

Yeah, it’s disgusting to have neighbors, all right. I have to put up with a teabagger who had a realtor tell my husband that our values don’t fit in with his plans. He makes me real uncomfortable, and I just have to live with it.

Lockweed further writes: If I was Plain’s husband I would be tempted to smack that filth down.

Well, Plain is a good name for her, but my question is what world do these people live in that they go around smacking that filth down? What did Plain say about Alan Grayson, that she was going to take him out? They remind me of kids at school who tried to bully me in the last geologic age. Big mouths, full of the filth they want to smack down, and as my husband asked, Did Alan Grayson want to go out with Ms Plain?

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By Inherit The Wind, May 29, 2010 at 11:05 am Link to this comment

BTW, McGinniss was a famous muck-raking journalist even before anyone had heard of Woodward and Bernstein.

I would think Palin would be an expert on sump pumps—she’s always in the sewer with her statements.

How is renting a house an invasion of privacy? Is he photographing through the windows?  Secretly placing mikes under her and Todd’s pillow (yech!!!)

Palin’s assertions implied McGinniss is somehow barred from a public pond.

When he breaks a law (like she did, posting pictures of HIM in his new home) she’ll have a legitimate complaint.

Until then, suck it up, Sarah—the rest have to listen to the shit you spew publicly, you anti-Constitution secessionist traitor!

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By Leefeller, May 29, 2010 at 8:49 am Link to this comment

Purplewolf, what you got against sump pumps?

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By purplewolf, May 29, 2010 at 8:14 am Link to this comment

for those thinking he is close to her house-15 feet away as she claims go look in the Truthdig archived stories: The House That Todd Palin’s Buddies Built Oct.13,2008-take a look at her house. Do you see any close neighbors around the forest surrounding her. Betcha you don’t either.

If she really wants to “be alone” from all of this, then she needs to stop all of her public meetings, speeches and appearances and go back and take care of her family, which has been sorely neglected due to her political career before and after the McCain campaign.

The last speech I heard on the news which she gave was for a business that sold sump pumps. Not very impressive for the woman who thinks(?) she wants to run the country.

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By Money is funny, May 29, 2010 at 2:09 am Link to this comment

I am with her too. I do not like this lady at all because of the perceived threat that she poses, but this guy is invading her privacy on a level that would not be accepted by anyone included yourselves. There is and should be a line drawn between personal and private lives more or less in my opinion.

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By Inherit The Wind, May 28, 2010 at 8:05 pm Link to this comment

Joe McGinnis was famous before Palin could figure out how to wipe the snot from her nose.  He made a HUGE success with his 1969 book “The Selling of The President”.  He’s not some simple paparazzi—he’s been “big” for well over 40 years.

Actually, so far the only invasions of privacy I’ve seen is Palin’s invasion of McGinnis’s privacy!  He’s allowed to rent any damn house he can legally rent, regardless of who lives next door.

She doesn’t like it? Buy curtains!  Put up a “spite fence”! Put up shrubs that grow tall. That’s what the REST of use have to do when we don’t like our neighbors!

On what basis and by what RIGHT does she call a respected journalist a pedophile.  She may be a public figure but she doesn’t hold ANY office—-lady, that’s slander!  And in writing, it’s libel!  You don’t get to go around calling someone who pissed you off a sex offender just to get back at him.

B****! I hope he catches her screwing the landscaper!  That’s just about her moral level.

Anybody notice that in typical Palin style, someone did a job for her—and she stiffed ‘em?

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By James M. Martin, May 28, 2010 at 5:40 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

@Firefly: bravo!  Exactly what I would have wanted to say.

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By Lockweed, May 28, 2010 at 5:37 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Ruth Marcus makes the snotty comment that Sarah Palin is “characteristically
aggrieved”.  This and reading the other idiots comments on here defending this
peeping tom convinces me I should be more sympathetic to Sarah Palin.  You
don’t have to be a supporter of Sarah Palin to think this is disgusting behavior. 
Since his intention is to make her and her family uncomfortable, I hope the
neighbors do the same to him.  I can think of a few things that would make
McGinniss feel uncomfortable.  If I was Plain’s husband I would be tempted to
smack that filth down.

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By Leefeller, May 28, 2010 at 5:22 pm Link to this comment

It has been reported by unrealizable sources that Palin actually paid McGinniss rent, because she wanted the publicity after her dropping another la bomba at the Real estate convention!

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By purplewolf, May 28, 2010 at 5:10 pm Link to this comment

There is a good picture of Sarah’s home, shown surrounded by LARGE trees and there is not sign of a house 15 feet from her house in that picture, so she obviously doesn’t know how to measure distance either. To check out her house here on Truthdig. Go to the search section near the top right of the page and type in “The House That Todd Palin’s Buddies Built” Oct. 13, 2008.

This is just another publicity stunt by Palin. If she is so worried about her daughter Piper being the victim of child predators like David Letterman and now Joe the writer, perhaps she needs to withdraw her run for president in 2012,which is what she is actually doing though she still tries to claim she is not-right. If she actually believes her own lies and if she is really serious about keeping her children safe, she would not be running all over the world giving speeches to Japanese business people, television shows, book signing(not) tours, etc..She would stay at home and be a parent to her kids and not use them for her own exploitation as pawns for her iffy presidential bid.

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By firefly, May 28, 2010 at 4:06 pm Link to this comment

I don’t agree.

Palin has set herself up as moral champion of the
teaparty Republicans. She’s utterly scornful of any
criticism and her book is full, absolutely full, of
lies. The only way to expose her for what she is, is
sit right next to her and see for yourself. She wants
to be famous and in the limelight, then she has to take
the rough with the smooth like anyone else.

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By James M. Martin, May 28, 2010 at 3:51 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

You assume McGinniss has some axe to grind.  All the guy has to do is tell more or less the truth about this dimwitted dullard and his book will be heralded a masterpiece.  I don’t know why I cannot wait to read it.  It will only give me acute dyspepsia.

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By ardee, May 28, 2010 at 2:35 pm Link to this comment

JDmysticDJ, May 28 at 3:10 pm

Palin claimed an expertise on Russia because she “could see it from her home in Alaska”. Thus one must assume she is also an expert on everything that meets her eye, or not.

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By Tobysgirl, May 28, 2010 at 12:17 pm Link to this comment

I don’t know how anyone can feel sympathy for Sarah Palin, who can’t get enough media attention, and my suggestion for Ruth Marcus is GET A LIFE.

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By JDmysticDJ, May 28, 2010 at 11:10 am Link to this comment

Big Diomede Island (Russian) is visible from Little Diomede Island (U.S.) It’s a part of Alaskan folklore, and discussed like the weather. I know this to be a fact, because I once lived and worked in Johnny Horton Land (A little south east of Nome.) I, like Ricky Nelson, had a “Cute little Eskimo” girlfriend, and she was from little Diomede, so I know what I’m talking about.

When Sarah said “You can see Russia from parts of Alaska,” it was not one of her many insanities. Although thinking that that fact made her an authority on national defense, seems a little insane.

Sarah has spewed much bile from her mouth, but criticizing her by using this cheap shot, annoys me a little, (it’s a pet peeve.)

I realize I’m stretching into esoteric antiquity for my references, and actually Johnny Horton preferred the briars and the brambles of New Orleans. I’m only trying to be illustrative.

(Incidentally, Big Sam was a real dick!)

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By anonymous, May 28, 2010 at 8:55 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

what’s she hiding?

i think he should set up a web cam

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By roundrobin, May 28, 2010 at 8:50 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Just how close is “next door” to the Palins? In my working class neighborhood it’s pretty close but I don’t think Ms Palin lives in a neighborhood like mine. How big is her lot? His lot? Are there trees and bushes? How close is it really? Or is this just another snit?

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By Mundt, May 28, 2010 at 8:43 am Link to this comment

McGinniss is a stalker. He is also a Palin-obsessed, senile old lecher in the mold of Andrew Sullivan and Cadaver Dave Letterman. Todd Palin is either a wuss, or a man of remarkable civility & restraint.

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By psickmind fraud, May 28, 2010 at 8:43 am Link to this comment

McGinniss just wanted a good view of Russia, that’s why he moved there.

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By Pamela Troy, May 28, 2010 at 8:34 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Really? You’re on board with Palin publicly implying that Joe McGinniss is a
child molester?

You’d do the same, would you?

Are you on board with the predictable consequences of this kind of
irresponsible crap? Not only McGinniss AND his wife are now being targeted by
the online knuckle-draggers who hang on Palin (and Beck’s) every word.
Among some of the comments:

“There needs to be a ‘McGuinnisswatch.com’ with regularly updated photos of
his activities in Wasilla. Heck, we could start a ping list here, there are probably
Freepers in Alaska. Start with the make, model and license # of the car he
drives. Photos of him getting his mail. And doesn’t he live with a woman in
Amherst, Massachusetts? Who is she, and where does she work?”

” Deep background must be done on this freak . Address , phone # , bank info
and any legal issues , Also list the phone # and addreaa of his publisher. The
left are cowards and will run like the little bitches they are when pushed back.”

“I say we do the same but with more force. Find his mother and send someone
to live next door to her.”

“Here’s the sicko’s home address in Massachsetts–apparently his wife has
literary ambitions…cache it, it’ll be disappeared [Nancy Doherty’s website
address]”

“(Beneath a picture of Joe McGinniss’ wife:)

The stalker’s wife. I imagine she’s going to be annoyed at his absence to spend
five months drooling over a real woman.”

“Well, you know I live in a small town and we kinda have ways of dealing with
snoopy and/or unwanted outsiders. Vehicles get vandalized, pets mysteriously
disappear, phone calls in the middle of the night, the occasional random bullet
hole in the house siding, stuff like that. Oh, you want to file a police report?
We’ll get right on that….. next century. And good luck getting any witnesses to
stick up for you.”

“Alaska is a very big and wild state. I would rather see the individual picked up
in a bar or some such place and taken on a long, long, long ride………….then
left to the bears.”

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By Pamela Troy, May 28, 2010 at 7:52 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Really? You’re “with” Sarah implying publicly that someone is a pedophile? You’re
on board with that?

Are you also “with” the right wing bloggers who have, predictably, responded to
this by posting not only McGinniss’ email address, but his wife’s, along with her
picture and home address? You also onboard with the death threats have already
started popping up online?

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By skyjord, May 28, 2010 at 7:14 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Sorry, Sarah, but this is a natural by-product of the continuous seeking and marketing of celebrity status. You wouldn’t be bothered if you shut down your dimwitted persona. Or, as Harry Truman said, if you don’t like the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen.

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By FichenDich, May 28, 2010 at 4:20 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

STFU Ruth Marcus.  “You can’t choose your neighbors or your relatives.”

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By azythos, May 27, 2010 at 11:10 pm Link to this comment

Is the McGinnis guy living on Palin’s private premises? No. So, Marcus and Palin both, please stop disturbing.

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By purplewolf, May 27, 2010 at 10:50 pm Link to this comment

I saw the pictures that Sarah took and that were aired on TV 5-27-10 and the porch she complains about looking into Pipers room,the play area, kitchen and “her little garden”,is a lot further away than 15 feet. By her use of the words “little garden” she is trying to make herself seem vulnerable or helpless. Well I don’t buy that crap especially with her bragging about being known as: Sarah the Barracuda viva-sectioned with a rabid pit bull in lipstick and spliced with a fire breathing psycho bitch from hell.

And as for her family’s “swimming hole,” this is a public lake and not a privately owned lake, which means, especially since it has a public access, it was meant for public use for all people who want to use the lake. But for those who do enter the public lake beware, Sarah has those trigger happy rednecks with high power rifles in their black ops choppers that will take you out while you are enjoying yourself in the(her) public lake family swimming hole when they are not off killing the wolves that I have helped since 1986 to restore back from the point of extinction. What is that saying? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you also means the 4 leggeds too, Sarah and since you claim Todd is of Eskimo descent, you and he should be very aware of that fact. But then you are what we call in NDN country a Wanttabee.

Ah-hah, now it makes so much more sense as to why Blackwater, or the hired killers were formally known as Blackwater, have built their biggest training center in Alaska. To be Sarah Palins private shadow army, taking out anyone who says anything about her she doesn’t like, just like George Bush 2. Well those guys are going to be very busy for a long, long time and her money will run out very quickly as Sarah has a past track record of back stabbing and getting even with others after she has used them for her private gain. And that is a very long list indeed.

Since she has opened her mouth and put both feet into it up to her thighs with the “we don’t need no more frickin studies,drill baby drill the week prior before the Gulf oil incident, little was coming from her as it became obvious that we DID need more studies before bullying ahead like a freight train with her head up her derriere.Another similarity to G.W.

So since Sarah hasn’t been in the mainstream media for a few days,she has to stir up lies and hype to bring herself back into the media circus.And what is it with her using Piper as a victim of imagined sexual abuse all the time for? And as for complaining about privacy, sorry Sarah you lost that all by yourself every time you thrust you spouse and children out into the public spotlight, so no, you are no long allowed to bitch about your privacy being violated, you did it to yourself.

And last I heard, this is/was still America and that you cannot deny selling or renting to a person as long as they can pay the costs. As Americans I still think we are allowed to live where we want. I don’t necessarily like the fact that the house next to my home is rental and in the past we have had to deal with idiots, wild parties, goth vampires and drug dealers and the driveway is 4 feet from my bedroom window and the house is actually 12 feet away from that side of my house. Deal with it Sarah, your new neighbor is a lot further away that 15 feet. And besides there are large trees between your place and his. Have you never heard oc curtains? Close them and shut up and grow up too.

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By John, May 27, 2010 at 8:54 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m torn. I actually pity Sarah Palin, nutjob that she is, but maybe if she would actually give a real interview, journalists wouldn’t have to stalk her. It would be nice if she could enjoy some privacy, but she is clearly gunning for the most important job on the planet. Maybe we should be spying on her.

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By Leefeller, May 27, 2010 at 8:16 pm Link to this comment

McGinnis should learn some manners, moving in next door to her is most unusual and cruel and I love it. It is nice to know Palin can tackle big problems like this, she may be ready for president.

What Palin should do is get some outdoor loud speakers and aim them at at McGinniss’ porch, play her speehes 24/7, if he doesn’t run with his tail between his legs he must be stone deaf or in a comma!

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By ABC Psych, May 27, 2010 at 8:01 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The Alaska blogs are coming up with lots of information such as the house was used as a half-way house for addicts being released from prison.  Sarah didn’t object to that. When Sarah was mayor of Wasilla, she eliminated the laws which would have kept her from building her big hulking house so close to that neighbor. Her house is on half a story higher ground as the neighbor making it impossible to “peer” into upstairs bedrooms.  The offending deck appears to be on the other side of the house from the Palins.  Joe apparently has done nothing save introduce himself. Sarah should consider herself lucky. The neighbor reports that she received a very good rental offer from the National Enquirer and turned it down. Yes, having a journalist reporting on you living right next door is unnerving, but I’ll take a reputable journalist to the National Enquirer.

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By Reverend Money, May 27, 2010 at 7:55 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

McGinniss Jr didn’t build that house with it’s sight lines next door to Palin’s property. Why didn’t she have a problem with whoever was living there before? Why wasn’t she calling them pedophiles?

Palin’s problem is the guy is an author who is writing a book about her and it’s likely to not be complimentary.

I’m not surprised to see Ms Marcus take Palin’s side in this, including having no problem with Palin’s outlandish claim that the man is a pedophile. After all she has written that American torturers should not be prosecuted for their crimes.

I don’t know who I have less regard for Palin or Marcus.

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By SteveL, May 27, 2010 at 7:33 pm Link to this comment

Still mystified as to why someone like silly Sarah gets as much media attention as she does.  Seems like it has been firmly established she has the mentality of a 4th grader many times.

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By Noisefactor, May 27, 2010 at 7:25 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Well, the life of the ‘Tea Partiers’ scare tactic seems to have run out, so now its time for the Democratic spin machine to go back to Sarah Palin.

This is all the Democrats have to offer.  Scare tactics about Sarah Palin and the Tea Partiers.  You are supposed to be so afraid of them, that you don’t notice that the wars are escalating and expanding, that wall street has all the money, and that the stock market went up a lot on the news that health reform was blocked for the next four years.

The Democrats run a variation of the ‘politics of fear’.  The only difference is the pattern.  With the Democrats, you are supposed to be so afraid of Sarah Palin that you don’t notice the Obama is running “Drill, Baby, Drill” and “Spill, Baby, Spill” in the Gulf of Mexico

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By Jimnp72, May 27, 2010 at 5:44 pm Link to this comment

I take issue with the writer’s claim of Sara being a “person and a politician.” In my
view, she is neither.
Happy to call her a human being when she starts acting like one. A politician?
Maybe in her next lifetime.

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kerryrose's avatar

By kerryrose, May 27, 2010 at 4:45 pm Link to this comment

Please, I find posts from this blogger always extremely facile, but this is too much.

Maybe he felt it would be instructive and amusing to watch Palin’s response to his presence.  Palin overreacted with the typical hysteria, and acted as a bully by POSTING PICTURES HERSELF OF MCGINNESS ON HIS PORCH.  All the crap about victimization, and riling all her twitter/facebook fans is an attempt to bully her way into control. Just think of her with a nuclear bomb.

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By ardee, May 27, 2010 at 4:10 pm Link to this comment

Sarah Palin insults the intelligence of every decent American ( or damn well should). She is a national embarrassment as well. I find it difficult to find any sympathy for her in this or any other situation.

Perhaps she should forget this journalist and look at Russia instead, as she noted she could see it from her home ( not).

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By Lisa, May 27, 2010 at 2:18 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Obviously the situation has gotten under $arah’s skin, but she’s handling it very badly by giving McGinnis the very thing he wanted.  That ridiculous Facebook entry with the sexy tank top & shorts imagery, the improbable mowing of the yard with a baby strapped on her back and the allusions to perverted peeping at Piper were classic $arah and worth a chapter in itself.

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