Why is This '

[Anonymous]

Does this bother you at all?

Sarah's husband, Todd Palin, and according to the ethics committee, Todd had total access to the governor’s office and all of its resources, which he used to make countless phone calls, set up meetings, and apply pressure to a range of subordinate state employees.

Although come to think of it, allowing one’s oil-field-operator husband to conduct your state business certainly bolsters the Sarah Palin claim, “I am not politics-as-usual.”

[Anonymous]

Are you really going to assume that Michelle is sitting home all day baking cookies and playing tennis while Barrack is at work? Im sure she's heavily active and we just dont know about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you really going to assume that Michelle is sitting home all day baking cookies and playing tennis while Barrack is at work? Im sure she's heavily active and we just dont know about it.

Doesn't she have a law degree and work? And not work in his Senate office at that?

[Anonymous]

http://www.zimbio.com/Michelle+Obama/articles/113/Michelle+Obama+Power+Behind+Barack+Obama

She got a huge pay increase in 2004, AFTER Barack got a seat on the Senate.

[Anonymous]

The thing that troubles me about Todd Palin is that the report implies that he controlled access to Governor Palin. We know Hillary Clinton was heavily involved in Bill Clinton's work. Did she control access to him?

Would be interesting to see a neutral (if such a person still exists) comparison of the kinds of involvement the Clinton and Palin spouses had/have in their respective governments.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the individuals. Nancy Reagan was notorious for controlling her husband's schedule and got into some heated battles with the chief of staff. Hilliary was pretty straight forward that she would be active in policy and was probably the most politically active first spuse in recent years. Laura Bush seems to be more of a behind the scenes supporter but not engaged in policy.

I doubt Michelle will be as active as HRC since although she is an accomplished professional and very smart, she doesn't seem to have shown significant political ambition. My guess is that she will do much more for her chosen priorities than decorate and have tea parties but she will not try to be a co-president or hang out in the office.

The Palin's approach to public office is baffling to me. I just can't imagine a Gov's office with the spouse hanging out all the time and a crib in the corner. Its even stranger when you think about how many days she teleworked from her home in Wasila.

[Anonymous]

Interesting analysis, PP. Thanks.
Yeah, that's the thing about the Palin story -- the image of T. Palin hanging out in the office. I'm assuming that at the v.p. and pres level most political spouses are too busy handling their own affairs or actively supporting their elected spouses in various activities to be hanging around like that.

But then I have no idea what life is like at the governors' mansions around the country. Maybe this happens more often at this level.

[Anonymous]

a crib in the corner

of her office? What's wrong with that? Sounds like a step forward for all of us to me. Let's be a bit more progressive in our views on how parenthood and working lives can intersect.

[Anonymous]

"of her office? What's wrong with that? Sounds like a step forward for all of us to me. Let's be a bit more progressive in our views on how parenthood and working lives can intersect."

There is a difference between progessive and practical. Some jobs are more intense than others and frankly you are there to to do the job. If you have a low key position it probably could be done but not one with significant authority, stress and intensity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the individuals. Nancy Reagan was notorious for controlling her husband's schedule and got into some heated battles with the chief of staff. Hilliary was pretty straight forward that she would be active in policy and was probably the most politically active first spuse in recent years. Laura Bush seems to be more of a behind the scenes supporter but not engaged in policy.

I doubt Michelle will be as active as HRC since although she is an accomplished professional and very smart, she doesn't seem to have shown significant political ambition. My guess is that she will do much more for her chosen priorities than decorate and have tea parties but she will not try to be a co-president or hang out in the office.

The Palin's approach to public office is baffling to me. I just can't imagine a Gov's office with the spouse hanging out all the time and a crib in the corner. Its even stranger when you think about how many days she teleworked from her home in Wasila.

I'm sure Governors or Presidents discuss politics and policies with their spouses, but I don't want the un-elected spouses attending all or most of the meetings. What the Palins have done in Alaska is unethical and unacceptable. They're using their influence to intimidate subordinates for non-state related affairs - personal retribution. I don't want such pettiness when it comes to policymaking and getting different departments to work together.