Wednesday, October 22, 2008

In Defense of Palin

Should travel expenses for Sarah Palin's children be held against her?

The Associated Press thinks so, publishing today a detailed investigation of expenses charged to the state of Alaska for airline and hotel expenses of Palin's daughters.

"Alaska law does not specifically address expenses for a governor's children," the report states, only expenses for "anyone conducting official state business."

Male governors probably fly around the country without their kids; after all, they may have a wife at home to raise young children if there are any.

Sarah Palin has pioneered a new approach to governing: taking her family along to some events.

Should she personally have to cover those expenses? No!

Alaska and any critics should understand that when a governor has young children and needs to travel, his or her kids go along. You want a celibate or elderly governor, fine, but if you elect a parent, that parent has the right to spend time with his/her children while traveling. That's part of the package when the governor travels.

It's the old model that children of politicians must vanish except when needed for a photo shoot.

The report complains that Palin and her daughter Bristol spent four nights in a hotel for a five-hour conference in New York City.

Well, if you flew from Alaska to NYC for a conference, would you spend only one night? They shared a room--is that room going to be any cheaper for just one person? No.

Does anybody honestly think Palin's choices should be flying back after one night--or paying for the extra 2-3 nights herself?

It benefits Alaska for its governor to become familiar with a city as important as New York, to visit Ground Zero, meet with Mayor Bloomberg, etc.

To make complaints about the Palin kids' travel expenses is sexism at its worst.

No comments: