Gee Norman, you're not a Republican by any chance are you?

Gee Anonymous, there isn't anything wrong with being a Republican is there?

Is there anything partisan about waiting to hear the full story?

Gee Anonymous2, isn't "Republican" synonymous with censorship?

Gee Coral, isn't Coral synonymous with dumbass?

Can we please cease with the juvenile sarcastic name calling FROM BOTH SIDES? I thought I was subscribed to the newsletter of an organization of professionals.

This is just ridiculous. I don't care if it was within her power and prerogative to fire the librarian, but why was this even necessary? Librarians don't threaten anyone, except right-wing conservative nutjobs who want to censor books. I have been a librarian in three states and both for children and adults. This reeks.

If she truly supported freedom, as she claims she does, she would not act like a soviet dictator by purging all the local city officials and controlling the information that people have access to at the local library.

Check out the article at the Anchorage Daily News website written by Rindi White - "Palin Pressured Wasilla Librarian."

The fact is, the news coverage until today has been very sketchy, and one or two sentences of old articles have been the basis for much commentary. Today's Anchorage Daily News article adds somewhat to the story, and I'll write about it shortly.

Norman, I am so glad to see that you are reviewing these comments. It is time for either LJ or AL to step up to the plate and and outside the safe job of reporting on the usual and do some serious investigative reporting on this story. If not the library journalist community, then who, is most informed about such issues and most responsible for protecting the information rights of citizens, if not us? This is an extremely serious issue when the outcome could affect this country's highest office and therefore our basic tenets and rights. It's time to thrust aside the inuendo and acrimony and learn the truth, whichever way in pans out.

Chilleigh, right-wingers are not the only censors. Extremists on both sides of the liberal/conservative spectrum are guilty of the act.

When is the last time a Bush supporting anybody has been allowed to speak at ALA? (We have certainly been "treated" to an endless line of Bush haters.) It makes me often wonder: who is being censored? And who is doing the censoring?

If she truly supported freedom, as she claims she does, she would not act like a soviet dictator by purging all the local city officials and controlling the information that people have access to at the local library. Branew . You're an idiot. Do you think the next president will keep the current cabinet or pick their own? You liberal idiots will vote for anyone that robs Peter to pay Paul.

Come on people! To quote Hank Hill, “I don’t know whether to laugh or vomit.” 3 things I’ve got to say: 1. We all know there’s no such thing as a stupid question. New mayors and city councilors ask questions like this. Newbies don’t know the ropes, the rules. That’s why they’re loose cannons. Was she asking for herself or asking for a group of supporters? Was there any censorship? Apparently not at that time, with that director, or don’t you think that wouldn’t have been news? Did Mayor Palin make up new rules? See for yourself at www.cityofwasilla.com/index.aspx?page=136 So what’s the big whup? Get real. B. Emmons (now Baker) actively and openly campaigned for the incumbent. Yard signs, canvassing, bumper stickers, the works. That’s a risky game to play. If you lose, you lose doubly. And then the longer you stick around, the worse it is. Payback is a bitch. Only Lincoln and Obama seem to want to surround themselves with other viewpoints. Palin didn’t. Her right. III. So don’t dislike Palin for that. Better to look at what Palin did for library service in Wasilla. Did it change for the better during her tenure? From my limited knowledge, it didn’t. She didn’t care for it. She didn’t grow it (budget 1997 $556,987, budget 2002 $584,355: www.cityofwasilla.com/index.aspx?page=136). It languished, it suffered. Did Wasilla build a new library to replace the tiny, cramped one pictured above? No, Palin built a $14.7 million sports complex. To which they are now adding a $1.2 million kitchen (www.frontiersman.com/articles/2008/01/26/local_news/doc4795bc2348e72676451936.txt) with the help of Palin pork (www.cityofwasilla.com/index.aspx?page=136) from the state government. Now that’s a reason to dislike her. I know Republicans that relish libraries, build them and support them. They know minds are at least as important as bodies. They don’t meddle, they don’t dictate their religious and moral beliefs. They want an informed electorate. Country first! She’s self-admittedly a pit bull. A breed notorious for being tenacious, vicious, temperamental, scary, and uncontrollable. Is that the dog you want in charge? Or do you want a organizing border collie that’s smart, thoughtful, loyal, gentle natured and a hard worker? And doesn’t need to fool you with lipstick?

"You liberal idiots will vote for anyone that robs Peter to pay Paul." Calling people idiots is an idiotic way to have a conversation. And you don't mention that frequently Peter got his riches by robbing lots of other people in the first place. If you really believe that the rich are paragons of virtue who all pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, I've got a bridge in NY you might be interested in. Boy, the Interweb sure is an ugly place.

Or it was made by working hard, but then taxed to death to pay for social welfare. Socialist Marxism is where this country is heading. Be prepared. And you're right name calling is not the right thing to do. Sorry for the remark.

While the opinions expressed in these postings seem very divisive, I do celebrate the essential freedom that allows individuals to communicate their beliefs, both reasoned and passionate. My central question is “Will the personal politics of any candidate so significantly intrude on my profession to the extent that I will spend more time and energy fearing retribution for embracing the tenets of intellectual freedom for myself and all library patrons.” It is unclear exactly to what extent Mayor/Governor Palin truly advocated censorship of library materials. However, the fact that the question (rhetorical or otherwise) was asked of a librarian is alarming. We have a way of determining Governor Palin’s opinions on these and other issues. Perhaps ALA should work to insure that candidates are asked these questions at the upcoming debates.

To librarians across the country. Do you enjoy patrons viewing adult websites openly in our libraries? Do you like children walking by that material?No one is banning books. That is censorship. People just may not want tax dollars going to filth. I know that is a personal thing of what I consider filth or art.If books are printed and available from publishers, where is the censorship. We should be able to pick and choose where a re tax dollars are spent.Freedom has a cost. And it could be its own destruction.This website is censored, what a contradiction.

Didn't I also hear about her firing (or trying to fire) a policeman for arresting her sister - or something to that effect. I hardly have all the facts, but that's two incidents where she tried to bully someone.

Politics is all about influence. People found faults with Mother Teresa when they put her into the rank of Saints. Since you guys are perfect and have never tried to pressure or influence people you may cast the first stone.

You Democrats get so viciuous when you smell defeat. You have all turned into James Carvil x 10! Get the facts.

Dont spread falsce info about her trying to fire a policeman. He tazered his 9 year old son.

Jackelope, I believe that you have YOUR facts wrong. The person fired was the one in charge of the police officer AND there is an ongoing investigation into whether the firing was an abuse of power on the part of Gov. Palin. CNN just reported last night that Palin's attorney's have filed paperwork hoping to have the investigation delayed until after the election. It makes me wonder what they are afraid of shining a light on.

Not afraid of anything. Just does not need the distraction right now. She's probably busy.

My wife is a librarian, and I was doing research to determine whether there was any substance to the allegations about Sarah Palin. I was looking for unbiased reporting and intelligent debate of this issue - looking for facts. I was instantly attracted to this site. I was apalled. Instead I found a group of five year olds who can't debate or discuss without resorting to name calling, partisan reprisals, and, of all things in a library journal, an ignorance of and wide disregard for facts. Apparently, people's good sense and manners go out the window when it comes to politics.

In response to: Shrinking Man September 5, 2008: I hope everyone reads your reasonable, wise comment. This feeding frenzy has gotten crazy. Let's get the facts and more information before drawing conclusions. Whether you like Palin or not, no matter your political affiliation, no one deserves to be condemned before the facts are in. Whatever happened to reason?

Postings keep getting rejected either because of html which is not present in my posts or because I'm using language common to spam. No matter how I edit posting it gets rejected for these reasons. I'm hoping this one will make it through.

OK. I'm stripping out protocol portion of url. CAUTION: PLEASE READ .... Sliming Palin September 8, 2008 False Internet claims and rumors fly about McCain's running mate. www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html

I'm surprised when people inquire if the author is a Republican by any chance? Does that mean that only Democrats are interested in finding out the truth about book challenges? Or does it mean that Republicans are the only people who want to be as well-informed and open-minded as possible? Neither of those could possibly be true. And - it's none of your business but - I'm a Democrat and what I support is providing the best and most complete information to our customers by having the best and most complete information ourselves.

However, that quote from Emmons is several years old, exactly. i would trust a quote that was said at the time of the event rather than a modern quote. people tend to forget over the years. old, yellowed newsprint doesn't.

Do note that I've posted several follow-up pieces on this blog. See "Recent Posts."

Actually - being a Republican these days says one of two things about you. 1. You are a lemming. 2. You are a fascist pig.

Why is there any attempt to dimiss this sort of question - particularly as someone new and trying to learn the ropes? What if instead she had asked if the woman 'could live with murder'? Is that learning the ropes? If she is so incredibly stupid as to not know that censorship is wrong without that sort of question, then she definitely has no place being VP. (or anywhere close to any reins of power for that matter)

That this is an LJ related blog is appalling to me. I am a librarian and Republican and I am vehemently opposed to censorship. If Palin made a genuinely serious attempt to ban books, I will have a difficult time voting for that ticket. BUT, it is totally OK with me that she fire a director who publicly supported her opponent. That - like it or not - is part of the democracy we live in. Let's all wait for all the facts to come in, make our own reasoned and rational decisions based on those facts, and our other political beliefs. And let's behave as the intelligent professionals we are supposed to be. I am ashamed of at least 40 percent of the previous postings. Passion is one thing - but vitriol and irrationality are quite another.

It is not okay that she tried to fire someone just because she supported someone else in an election. If she is doing her job and doing it well, then it should have no bearing. I can't imagine that a town of that size would have all that many professional librarians available to it. Palin just wanted to get someone in who would go along with her extreme views. A lemming.

You know how to get a librarian off your front porch. Pay for the pizza. You know how to get a democrat off your front porch. give him the welfare check to pay for the pizza. I crack myself up.lol

Do you think if Osama wins he will keep Rice as Secretary of State?

You know, Libraries are not a right. They are a privilege in this society. We as a people can vote things in or out and surely do not need to send funding to them. There is all kinds of censorship in this country.School kids cannot mention Christ in school, but can mention Mohammed.They say you cannot mention Christ because separation of church and state,which by the way is not in the constitution. You can mention Mohammed. Are they saying that Islam is not a valid religion or to scared to say anything. Just a question

Why does everyone assume that Palin's motivation for asking the librarian if she could live with censorship of books was that she (Palin) was intending to ask the librarian to censor certain books? Geez. What if Palin was simply asking about policy and testing the librarian to see how she would respond to such a request? Everyone seems to want to jump to the same conclusion.