‘Walking billboard’ attack on Sarah Palin

A Democratic blogger who uses the pen name 'Celtic Diva' has lodged an ethics complaint against Sarah Palin, claiming she used her high profile as Governor of Alaska to advertise a certain brand of winter clothing when she attended the recent Iron Dog snow machine race in which her husband Todd was competing.

According to a report in the Anchorage Daily News, Linda Kellen Biegel claims Palin "improperly used her position and state resources to serve her personal financial interests by being a walking billboard for Arctic Cat, a private for-profit company and family business sponsor".
 
In exactly the fashion the American public have come to expect of their former vice presidential candidate, Palin responded yesterday by launching an incredulous and aggressive attack on the blogger and "this latest bogus ethics complaint".

Said Palin: "This would be hilarious if it weren't so expensive for the state to process these accusations and for me to defend against these bogus harassments."

She went on: "Yes, I wore Arctic Cat snow gear at an outdoor event, because it was cold outside. And by the way, today, I am wearing clothes bearing the names of Alaska artists, and a Glennallen Panthers basketball hoodie. I am a walking billboard for the team's fundraiser!"

Palin continued: "Should I expect to see an ethics charge for wearing these, or the Carhartts I wear to many public events? How much will this blogger's asinine political grandstanding cost all of us in time and money?"
 
This is the tenth such ethics complaint that Palin has had to defend herself against. The 45-year-old said last week that the state of Alaska has had to spend more than $500,000 dealing with the complaints - six of which have simply been dismissed. Of the other four, one has been 'concluded' and three more are pending investigation. ·