Palin lies about hunting from helicopters in new book

By Raw Story
Monday, November 16th, 2009 -- 9:45 am
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palin gun kuwait3 Palin lies about hunting from helicopters in new bookAlaska Gov. Sarah Palin is taking a lot of heat over purported inaccuracies in her new book, Going Rogue.

Among the less-known is a claim Palin makes that Alaskans don't shoot wolves from helicopters, a fanciful image touted by liberals in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Referring to a prank call where she thought she was talking to French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Palin writes that the prankster "suggested we get together and hunt from helicopters, which Alaska hunters don't do."

"Then [the fake] Sarkozy started talking about hunting and suggested we get together and hunt from helicopters, which Alaska hunters don't do (despite circulated Photoshopped images of me drawing a bead on a wolf from the air)."

But Media Matters for America has found that the aerial hunting program wasn't just something Alaska hunters do -- its a program Palin herself endorsed.

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"In 2007, Palin introduced a bill to 'simplify and clarify Alaska's intensive management law for big game and the state's 'same day airborne hunting' law,' which she stated would 'give the Board of Game and state wildlife managers the tools they need to actively manage important game herds and help thousands of Alaskan families put food on their tables,'" the group notes.

On Sunday, Palin attacked the Associated Press for questioning claims in her book.

Former Alaska Governor lashed out at the Associated Press Sunday for doing a fact-check on her memoir, "Going Rogue."

"Amazingly, but not surprisingly, the AP somehow nabbed a copy of the book before it was released," she wrote on her Facebook page. "They're now erroneously reporting on the book's contents and are repeating many of the same things they spewed during the campaign and afterwards. We've heard 11 writers are engaged in this opposition research, er, "fact checking" research!"

The AP reported that Palin's account often contradicted her record as well as current events. Her depiction of the McCain campaign is also frequently at odds with internal campaign emails.

Alaska state wildlife officials do target wolves under a program aimed at protecting caribou and moose. Reported the Anchorage Daily News in 2008:

State wildlife officials believe they have saved more than 1,400 moose or nearly 3,000 caribou -- or some combination thereof -- with a winter program to kill wolves from aircraft, although the wolf kill remains far below what the state wanted.

Pilot-gunner teams have taken 124 wolves to date, according to Bruce Bartley, spokesman for the Alaska Division of Wildlife Conservation. The goal was 455 to 670 wolves.

Correction: The original version of this story suggested that Palin had introduced legislation regarding wolf hunting. The legislation did not in fact specifically refer to wolves.

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Story comments are below...

  • I don't think I'd even believe the page numbers in her book.
  • bobdevo
    Would point out that most aerial hunting involves light planes rather than helicopters. Helicopters are expensive and maintenance heavy . . .
  • a terrible and erroneous women, making keeping the population controlled a fucking sport...
  • libertate
    Sarah Palin thanks raw story for the free publicity.
  • edwards_com
    Amen,
    Stories about her are a distraction. I wonder what is really going on in Afghanistan & Iraq which is a total disaster.
  • lorn
    agreed.

    An hour ago there were 4 out of 12 headlines here featuring Palin. So when does Nancy Grace start working here?
  • SouthernYankee
    hey ed, what's up. I wrote you at the e-mail address you gave me. It came back. Then I wrote it at the first one you sent it to me.
  • edwards_com
    I will try it again using our read email & real names. Give it a few minutes
  • Phil E. Drifter
    I wonder what Sarah thinks god thinks about her going around and killing the other animals he put on Earth. I doubt she even eats wolf meat or bear meat, which separates her from what American Indians or hell even supermarkets do; if you're going to kill an animal, at least have the decency to have good reason for doing so, i.e. for the meat it provides, for the fur to provide clothing/heat retention, etc.

    She probably takes her wolves to the taxidermist to be skinned so she can have another throw-rug.
  • daman2012
    "I doubt she even eats meat" and "she probably.."

    How can you be so critical when it's clear that you do not even have a friggin clue of anything!
  • davewtf
    I have read that her and other Alaskan's kill for the meat. I have no trouble believing this, unlike her comment about seeing Russia from her back yard...
  • cdd
    lol! She opens her back door and shoots a squirrel then hangs it on the wall thinking it's the latest from HGTV.
  • Phil E. Drifter
    Facebook page. "They're now erroneously reporting on the book's contents and are repeating many of the same things they spewed during the campaign and afterwards. We've heard 11 writers are engaged in this opposition research, er, "fact checking" research!"

    LOL
  • blackblake
    It is amazing that people give her credence and respect - I am weary and disheartened with the lack of discernment and lack of analytical thought that people exhibit in America. As a 51yr old male who people would consider as an alternative lifestyle ( tattoo's & piercings etc...) living being, I shake my head in utter disgust and lament for our future. In closing I would like to propose that that there is no such thing as separation of church and state in our society and that all religious organizations should be taxed as they are a PAC (political action committee) I am constantly being being bombarded with their moral(?)interpretations of their god, why oh why doesn't anyone question their lack of following their own books' stance and verbage. I could go on ad nauseum ...thanks for allowing me to vent !
  • boudin
    "Amazingly, but not surprisingly, the AP somehow nabbed a copy of the book before it was released," she wrote on her Facebook page.

    Amazingly and surprisingly are the same thing; they are synonyms of each other.

    What an idjit.
  • allenallen
    'nabbed' Like the press does not get pre-release books to prep reviews so the review can time with the book release. "Nabbed," like they're shoplifters.

    She is one nasty character. :-(
  • saraswati
    Amazon: $9 a copy. Gee, let's buy more than one and save money!

    I wouldn't even line my garbage can with that book! What are the libraries going to do with 1.5 million copies of her "boook". Maybe she'll have to take them to Wasilla and burn them.
  • I think Palin's statement that "Alaskan hunters" don't "hunt from helicopters" is technically true if she considers these wildlife management culls and not hunts as in 'recreational' hunting. It's also possible that these are done from small planes (which many Alaskans fly) and not helicopters which are not too useful in much of Alaska much of the year.
  • allenallen
    Yes, careful words... her adding helicopters. Reminds me of when the Cheney and Rove bunch kept saying (about the Wilson CIA reveal) something like "I didn't even know her name." That never rebutted that they didn't tell people things like, "Oh, Joe Wilson, you know his wife is a CIA agent..." The fact that they didn't know the name was "Valarie Plame" was not germane and I saw them get away with that on every news network.

    OK, so your aerial hunting isn't helicopters. Wow... got me there. :-(

    I'm just shocked at my fellow citizens, that they buy anything from Mrs. ShamWow. What a bunch of chumps.
  • Hooker
    When is a tv interviewer going to confront Palin with he lies? It would have to be a series.
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