Palin had "executive experience" in the PTA...FALSE!

[babylonsister]

I find it absolutely pathetic that, a) McBush tried to use this as experience for the possible VP of the US, and b) that he lied about it!

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/696/

The statement
McCain: Palin had "executive experience" in the PTA.

John McCain on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 in
Palin was a member, but not an officer, of PTA



It’s a line on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s resume that likely resonates with a lot of parents: one-time member, PTA. But we wondered if Sen. John McCain overplayed that credential in the days following the announcement that she was his running mate — particularly as questions were being raised about her experience relative to being vice president of the United States.

In an interview on NBC’s Nightly News, McCain included Palin’s involvement with PTA as one of the examples of her “executive experience.”

“Well, let me just point out, facts are funny things,” McCain said. “She’s been in elected office longer than Senator Obama. She’s been the chief executive of the state that supplies 20 percent of America’s energy. She has balanced budgets. She’s had executive experience as governor, as mayor, as a city council member and PTA.”

And in an interview with People magazine, McCain again cited Palin’s experience with the PTA when asked what drew him to selecting her.

“Obviously, I found her to be very intelligent and very well-versed on the issues,” McCain said. “But I think the important thing was that she’s a reformer. She’s taken on special interests since she ran for the PTA and the city council and mayor. The courage, I guess, is what most impressed me.”

While admirable, we wondered how much executive experience Palin could actually claim to have gotten by serving on the Iditarod Elementary School PTA, let alone what special interests she may have taken on.

Frankly, we were made to feel petty for even asking. Michael Goldfarb of the McCain campaign responded to our request for PTA details with this e-mail:

“Of all the smears you could look into against Gov. Palin—that she supported Pat Buchanan (we actually ruled that False ), that she was a member of the Alaska Independence Party, that her baby was really her daughter’s — you all want to investigate her career in the PTA? Don’t waste our time.”

But since it was McCain and other campaign staffers who kept touting that service in the PTA, we felt it was fair to flesh it out. Was Palin a PTA president or treasurer? Did she run a successful fundraiser?

We largely met with a wall of silence from school district officials.

more...

[Barack_America]

1. Besides, isn't the PTA some bullshit "community organization"?

:sarcasm:

[greatscott15]

17. Wrong Strategy

Folks this constant bringing up of trivial issues with Palin is why we are down in the polls. All we are doing is giving her free air time.

Come on. Most of this stuff is crap. Americans don't care if she was late returning a libray book. I am sure Obama has skeletons in his closet also. Do we really want to bring all this stuff out? With MSNBC canning Mathews, we are getting backlash. Now watch the media drool over Palin.

McCain has inoculated her from the more serious stuff coming later.

We need to focus on McCain, not Palin. As long as we keep this rumor mongering up, we are just giving them free air time, and garnering sympathy from the stupid American voters.

Lets focus on the real issues. I am tired of hearing about Palin.

[dkf]

2. McCain takes Ms. Moose's carefully evasive statement and turns them into lies.

What a moron.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Being a "city council member" isn't executive experience, either. NT

NT

[Major Hogwash]

4. Let's shred Palin apart - it shows the poor decision making of McCain!!!!

The slobbering old man who can't remember how many houses he owns.

[Retrograde]

5. She and her handlers are reliable, aren't they?

Every thing they say about her turns out to be wrong.

Eric J in MN, I'd say being a city council member is a lot like being a state senator. Yes, maybe she didn't serve as long as Obama on paper, but you gotta remember they have long nights in Alaska (yeah, this doesn't make sense to me either, which is why I'm expecting something about Alaska's unique features to be used as an explanation for something)

[Erin Elizabeth]

6. How do you "take on special interests" with the PTA?

Seriously. I'm on the executive board and sit on the board for our district council of PTAs (just one of our high schools is bigger than the whole town of Wasilla).

I fail to see how you could do any serious ball-busting in those roles. Who are the special interests? Dads Against Lactose? Moms for More Field Trips?

[Waiting For Everyman]

7. The "hockey mom" meme needs checking too.

Local bloggers said she was one for only "about five minutes", but didn't elaborate.

I agree, MajorHogwash. This "background" or "story" is what she's running on - shred it. That leaves McCain discredited too for poor judgment, and not likely to make it through a term himself, and running without a viable ticket.

The best he could do then... he'd be forced to replace her, fast.

[Erin Elizabeth]

8. OMG I just read the link.

She was just a member, never an officer. And she was only a member for two years.

Do you know what it takes to be a member? Cough up three bucks. End of story.

[scorpiogirl]

13. And they think they're going to somehow

impress other mom's with this kind of exaggeration? They really do think people are stupid.

[Jade Fox]

27. Yes, virtually every parent knows.......

just how much "executive" experience is acquired by yawning through regular PTA meetings.

[scorpiogirl]

9. At this point

I think Palin's image is just a total fabrication of the McCain campaign. Just about everything is turning into lies and bullshit. I can't imagine another four years of this crap. I'd like some fucking honesty!

[dansolo]

10. 20% of America's energy? WTF?

I can believe that Alaska has 20% of America's energy reserves, but he makes it sound like Alaska provides 20% of America's energy, which is bullshit.

[kestrel91316]

11. Well I'm sure she baked cookies........

[Erin Elizabeth]

15. Or bought them at the store....

That's tough. I remember the year I sent juice for the holiday parties. I think I should be the Vice President of the United States.

[kestrel91316]

18. No way. It's MY job. I baked two homemade peach pies for a

Labor Day gathering with friends last weekend. I'm way better qualified for VP than you. AND Sarah.

[Erin Elizabeth]

19. Whoops, you win, No homemade pies here.

[kestrel91316]

21. And my crusts this time were the most tender and flaky I've ever eaten, not to brag.....

[kestrel91316]

12. Well I'm sure she baked cookies........

[tanyev]

14. What does John McCain think the PTA is?

All you had to do to join any I've been involved with is simply show up for a meeting.

Some of them, all you had to do to become an officer was to miss the election meeting. :)

[Erin Elizabeth]

16. ROFL! How do you think I'm secretary???

The former secretary resigned in the middle of the year (they moved) so I was nominated as the interim secretary. I said fine, ok, but just to finish out the school year.

The no one was nominated to be the secretary this year so I just sort of....inherited the job, I guess.

[dailykoff]

20. Sure it's false. She was handpicked by BP and fast tracked into the governor's office

and it worked so well they're fast tracking her into the Oval Office. So of course her resume is a sham, along with everything else they're telling us about her. She's a female Ronald Reagan. Sucks don't it?

[Quantess]

22. Parent Teacher Association?

Is that the PTA we're talking about?

[babylonsister]

23. Yep. Can you imagine that being used as executive experience?

I'm continuously amazed, and not in a good way.

[Quantess]

24. Color me unimpressed.

They're padding her resume with PTA experience?? Unbelievable. What a joke.

[Shoelace]

25. I was PTA VP for a year, guess I should run for an office

because I baked cakes to raffle off for a new Gym for our children. BFD!
In no way would any PTA experience make a person fit for a national office.
Community organizer, yes but US VP? In a word, NO!

[AngryOldDem]

33. She even trivializes the PTA/.PTO.

I was never a PTO officer, but I sure as hell baked my share of cookies and chaired my share of school events.

For some reason, the fact that even this little bit of Palin's CV is an apparent lie pisses me off more than anything else that's come to light. Thanks, Sarah, for trivializing this part of community service -- and yes, that is exactly what it is -- which some of us took very seriously for the sake of our kids. We didn't do it to pad our resumes; we didn't do it to "look good." We did it for our kids.

[intheflow]

26. I love how the national PTA spokesman likened

Palin being a PTA member (doing community service) with Obama being a community organizer. Makes me think he's not exactly a Palin fan. :rofl:

[kath]

28. The typical narrative floating around in the press about Palin's history

says that she was first involved in the PTA (quite a few of the articles say she was President -- WRONG, apparently), then was elected to the City Council, from there to Mayor, etc.

Well, let's examine the timeline. She started on the City Council in 1992 - at that point Track would have been THREE YEARS OLD (he turned 3 on April 20, 1992) and Bristol would have been turning TWO (or not-quite-two) - her 2nd birthday would have been in October 1992.
How in the heck would the mother of a 2-yr-old and a 3-yr-old been involved with the PTA???

(this point was brought up on of the Alaska blogs. I read it last week, but can't find it now)

The famous "I've Known Sarah Palin since 1992" letter says this about Palin's PTA service:
CLAIM VS FACT
*"Hockey mom": true for a few years.

*"PTA mom": true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since. http://community.adn.com/adn/node/130537


Track wouldn't have been in elementary school until well AFTER Palin began her stint on City Council.

So the breathless "From the PTA!! To the City Council!! To the Mayor's Office!! To the Governor's Mansion!!" story is BULLSHIT.

[kath]

29. Palin herself started this lie-

in her speech on the day that McSame announced her as his choice for VP, Palin said:
"I got involved in the PTA and then was elected to the city council, and then elected mayor of my hometown"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/29/AR2008082901882.html

Sorry, Sarah, not buying it. Parents of kids who are 2 and 3 and younger DON'T join the PTA.

[adamuu]

30. wow.

can't argue with that timeline.

[kath]

31. kick. Yeah, it's a small thing, but it shows that, like the Chimperor, this woman lies every time

she opens her mouth.
She really IS Bush in a skirt.

[JuniperLea]

32. Her only degree is a BS in communications/journalism...

And it took her four years and three colleges to get that right! I'd sure like to know why it took so long and so many schools for that one little degree.

I have the same degree... and I can prove I was Cub Master with the Boy Scouts of America... I'm as qualified!

[Vinca]

34. I was in the Girl Scouts. Can I be Secretary of the Interior? nt

[shadowknows69]

35. And I used to run the school D&D club

You know how hard it is to organize two elves, a dwarf, a human chaotic evil cleric and a half orc druid?