Palin’s Private Tanning Bed in the Alaska Governor’s Mansion

[calmblueocean]

One of Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin’s First Actions as Alaska Governor Was to Equip the State Building with a Tanning Bed

“The governor did have a tanning bed put in the Governor’s Mansion,” Roger Wetherell, chief communications officer of Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, confirmed to this newspaper. “It was done shortly after she took office and moved into the mansion.”

The home tanning bed in the Governor’s Mansion in Juneau adds a trivial fact among the many, big and small, coming to light about the right-wing’s latest celebrity, McCain’s gamble to try and wrestle the election away from Democrat Barack Obama, but one that – tug the thread – leads to other questions about elitism, ethics, public health and the insufferable phoniness that plagues politics and politicians.

...Tanning salons are an absolute fad, especially popular among high school and college students, most of whom can’t afford to own such a machine – which can cost upwards of $35,000 – at home.

Judy Bockman, an Alaskan assistant attorney general who administers the states ethics act, says the governor is mandated to disclose any gift exceeding $150 in value if that gift is in anyway connected to her official position or if it is intended to influence the performance of her public duties. And a gift is defined, she says, “as the transfer of property to a public official at less than full value.”

Bockman says she was not aware of Palin’s tanning bed. That fact would seem to indicate that the governor did not list it as a gift, since such disclosures are to be filed with “a designated supervisor,” which in the case of the governor is the state’s attorney general.

-- http://www.narconews.com/Issue54/article3191.html

[FrenchieCat]

1. She is envious of Barack.....

I am sure.

He don't need to stinkin' tanning bed! :rofl:

[grasswire]

2. I am VALIDATED!!

Many days ago I questioned where Palin got the tan she sports on her legs!! Now we know.

[NYC_SKP]

3. OK, then it's "Malibu Caribou Barbie" from now on!

And the magnificent snowmaching racing Todd...

[mzmolly]

4. LOL

:rofl:

[CoffeeCat]

9. LOL!!

OMG...these people's REAL LIVES are full of hilarity!

These people are a big joke.

[Kalyke]

40. One step up from trailer park trash.

(Note: Not everyone who lives in a trailer park is trash, but trash is trash whether it's in the trailer park or the governor's mansion).

[lumberjack_jeff]

43. Her pink jeep has a spittoon and gun rack. n/t

[truthisfreedom]

5. Where did this tanning bed come from? That's the next question for reporters to start asking.

Just exactly where did she get this tanning bed?

[grasswire]

7. they're working on it

Following leads and seeking tips.

[Phredicles]

11. Yeah, isn't a $35,000 tanning bed pretty steep on a governor's salary?

And I thought the First Dude was making like 50k a year. And five kids aren't cheap either, even if not a one of 'em is ever going near a college.

[RamboLiberal]

15. First Dude made 95,000 - I remember posting a piece on it n/t

Maybe she ought to ask McCain about skin cancer!

[harun]

21. No way she paid for it. Taxpayers did.

[Democat]

22. If the taxpayers paid for her tanning bed

The Democrats should be sure to let the media know.

It plays into the "abuse of power" and "she supports government waste but speaks like she doesn't" images of her that need to be repeated and reinforced.

I hope Democrats will do more research on this tanning bed and find out who paid for it.

[Divernan]

36. Odds are good that none of the Palin kids will ever go near a college

What with the oxycontin addiction, alcoholism, other recreational drugs, criminal vandalism record, indiscriminate sex, high school QPA's less than 2.0(Todd) and dropouts(oldest dtr. and her babydaddy), failure of abstinence only education - all of this for just the two oldest Palin kids, the future of the 2 younger daughters does not look likely to include college.

And yet you still have these airheaded idiot women raving about what a great mother Sarah is.

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

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[link:www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html|Click
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[L. Coyote]

6. Okay, I was wrong. She had prepared for this candidacy.

This is just more lipstick on a pig.

[Chloroplast]

8. A tanning bed? She's too old to not realize the risks.

I'm sure the official response will be that it was for her children...the same kids that were farmed out around the country. :eyes:

[Colobo]

10. Jeez! She keeps giving and giving...

[leftstreet]

12. LOL I misread the the title as private "training" bed ~WOOT!~

:rofl:

[pnwmom]

13. One of Ted Stevens' "friends" probably gave it to her.

Wouldn't it be funny if a tanning bed were the thing that brought her down?

[Jennifer C]

14. Strong point

"Then, of course, is the fact that Palin’s running mate, presidential candidate John McCain, is himself a survivor of skin cancer and has been active legislating and advocating for its prevention."

I wonder what exactly McCain would say if a reporter asked him about Palin's home tanning habit?

[Eric J in MN]

16. Until I see the receipts...

...I won't believe that Sarah Palin paid for an addition to the governor's mansion out of her own pocket.

I suspect that the taxpayers paid for the tanning bed.

This is a woman who charged the state of Alaska travel expenses for days she spent at home.

[Democat]

17. If Kerry had a personal tanning bed it would be the top story

The Democratic Party should do some research and put out some press releases to the media on this.

No reason to run ads on something this trivial, but it would be good to have the information out to the media and to have a Democratic talking head mention it on TV every now and then - just to make sure that the voters can have a laugh at her expense.

Every bit of information that undermines Palin is worth getting out there.

[Cosmocat]

24. AGAIN, it never ends, the hypocrasy ...

as noted, had Al Gore, John Kerry had tanning beds put into their offices or in their homes, the Hannities of the world would be going ape snot about "phoniness" and "elitism" ... And, the MSM WOULD spend an entire week saying how bad it was for the D, and the rest of the campaign saying how it proves the phoniness of Ds ...

W T F !!!

[karynnj]

41. I agree

It would have been worse than the few hours of windsurfing. I do think that questions of illegal gifts should be asked, though they should be asked, though it might be better if it were asked first by Alaska Democrats. There has to be at least one legislator in the position to raise the question (in spite of her known vindictiveness.)

You are right that even just having one opens vanity questions and possibly lends suspicion towards her outdoors image. As Obama has smoked relatively recently (shortly before he ran), the health question aspect really isn't that usable, unless Palin ever addressed the issue and said it shouldn't be used. (That would also have been the issue with Kerry, as he and his wife really have advocated a healthy lifestyle and Teresa has sponsored a conference on environmental toxins and cancer, and other issues, such as women's health for over a dozen years. As it is, he likely is good about using sun screen while windsurfing and biking because I don't think there were any photos of a sun burnt Kerry - just a photoshopped "orange" Kerry.)

[bridgit]

18. In Alaska!? Little sun for months Alaska!? I might utilize one myself...

[Democat]

19. Was hers illegally paid for by taxpayers?

Or an unreported gift from some special interest?

There seems to be a growing chance that Palin was involved in tax fraud. I hope Obama's people are researching this for October release.

[bridgit]

42. This type of tack will not prove productive, it will be seen as cheap & picayune

Many even here quote or link to McClatchy but maybe only when we like the news or opinions, I would refer you to a piece that ran in yesterday's Sac Bee Forum by David Goldberg - Sarah Palin: Bridging Facts and Fiction, the short of it is this:

Was Palin accurate as to bridge to nowhere? Yes, with an explanation

Was Palin accurate as to her 'reform' image? Yes, with an explanation.

Was Palin ever a member of AIP? No.

As Mayor, did Palin order books be banned? No.

As Gov, did Palin bill state for 'meal money'? Yes. And the frame is that she had it coming as a state worker to the tune of $60 per diem.

Did Palin put the jet on E-Bay? Yes, but it didn't sell there, and so on & on & on...

The net result is being played as though Palin has some 'put upon woe is me' factor to draw from as a result of such hyper, or misplaced scrutiny. I know DUer's love 'the explanation', when in the hands of others we don't like it. And so we reserve it for ourselves. But in this cycle, complaining about someone's tanning bed has the very real likelihood of falling as flat as a flap-jack on a kitchen floor with republicans already up, running, and hitting back much harder and quicker.

Looking up I see on CNN the tag-title: Palin Goes Solo...I have no interest in providing her yet another laugh line cept this one about her access to a tanning bed taxpayer paid for or no. Especially in that I'm taking your question to heart and agree...we don't even know.

Though I agree here most definitely, "I hope Obama's people are researching this for October release." I hope they're doing something.

[Democat]

44. Even though I don't like it, I do think that these things are needed

The Republicans are brilliant at starting millions of small rumors about our candidates to try to undermine their character and credibility.

It would be a strategic mistake to think that the Republicans do that for no reason.

It might seem petty and cheap, but in the end, the pictures of Kerry windsurfing and the Edwards haircut stories did play into a negative character narrative.

Certain voters, maybe certain female voters especially, may see the "tanning bed" story as just a little more proof that Palin is nothing more than an empty suit Barbie who is nothing compared to real strong women like Hillary.

It's sad that politics has come to this, but we don't make the rules. Republicans use these type of stories against our candidates all of the time. It's about time we turned that back against them.

[bridgit]

47. Ultimately I do agree. And it has had warming effect on me to see McCain/Palin...

unable to support the weight of their own BS of late. The gap is widening, it's easier for me to see the inclusion of means you refer to. I've had a change as well hearing McCain's sick-ass Ad, his lie about Obama's educational bill, or so it was McCain's charge. People like they running McCain's campaign (they're already saying McCain is too weak to even make his own decisions) deserve no better than to be pushed in a mud puddle imo.

[dkf]

49. Salon has an article about how she illegally used city funds to decorate her Wasilla office.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/17/palin_mayor/

[LeftishBrit]

20. What amazes me is that she doesn't realize how dangerous such things are..

Perhaps her running-mate, who has suffered from skin cancer, could enlighten her about the health risks.

And if she doesn't care about the risk of death, she might care that it's bad for your looks in the long term; causes premature skin ageing.

What a stupid idiot.

[Avalux]

33. Risks don't matter when you are an instrument of god.

Everything is "god's will". In fact, god probably told her to get it! ;-)

[Divernan]

34. Sarah has NO long term concerns, cuz the Rapture is just around the corner.

She needs to be tan when she meets her personal lord and savior.

[tanyev]

23. If she's not careful, she'll soon have something else in common with McCain.

[Jennicut]

25. OMG...what an elitist bitch. I can't afford a tanning bed in my house, can you?

This is Phalin's equivalent to the $400 haircut. So much for being a hradworking middle class person like they tried to portray her as. Plus, she probably has an increased likelihood for skin cancer...her and McLame will be two peas in a pod.

[goldcanyonaz]

28. Amazing how the word bitch flows so easily off the keyboard around here.

and, from another woman, disgusting.

[Jennicut]

30. Well, I call Bush and McCain dumbasses, its kind of equal to me, I am not trying to be sexist, sorry

I won't use it again, its just she really makes me angry. And she is acting elitist when trying to pretend she is not while accusing Obama of being one.

[BigDDem]

26. Maybe she'll sell it on Ebay...

kinda like that plane. :eyes:

[flpoljunkie]

27. She may now!

[flpoljunkie]

29. She may now!

[Heidi]

31. Kick!

:kick:

[southpaw]

32. I guess once she became governor...

she figured she was too goddamned high-and-mighty to use the tanning bed in the back of the bait-n-tackle shop like the rest of us!

[KansDem]

35. All right!!! "Tanning Bedgate!"

So many "-gates," so little time...

[krabigirl]

37. What a bimbo. If this is true, yikes.

[crazylikafox]

38. Oh my. Now McCain & McPain can both die of melanoma in office..

Can Nancy Pelosi be President now????

[Blue_Roses]

39. I KNEW IT! No one can be that tanned in Alaska

without tanning help. While I could care less about this since I like to indulge every now and then in a tanning bed, it just shows a little more about Ms. Palin's *cough* character.

[progressivebydesign]

45. Alaska: Land of the Manufactured Sun. n/t

[Quantess]

46. So what.

So, she gets more wrinkles, and earlier. Say hello to leatherface in a few years.

Maybe even melanoma. I had a friend (is it too elite to say college friend?) who had melanoma cancer removed at age 25, due to her attraction to tanning beds.

[Bravo Zulu]

50. tweety said she uses it to treat her depression!

[Democat]

51. Depression?

Is that a joke or does she really have depression issues?

Either way, if you dare to do anything but praise Palin, you are a sexist! :evilgrin:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

53. That's a very dangerous word to throw around, after the Eagleton matter

Depression can be very serious. Has Palin been under treatment for serious depression?

[crazy_vanilla]

52. mmmm, crispy

:crazy: