Palin’s Media Bash-a-thon Continues

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Recently, clips of an interview Sarah Palin gave to conservative filmmaker John Ziegler caused a stir because of Palin’s comment that the media was on a mission to “seek” and “destroy” her vice presidential candidacy. At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, Ziegler was on hand to show the full, unedited interview he did with Palin on January 5th in the governor’s Wasilla, Alaska, home. Lasting roughly 40 minutes, the interview is full of fusillades launched at the mainstream media, many of most of which have already become public but some of which have not. Below are some moments from Palin – she calls the scandal surrounding the birth of her son Trig “the epitome of stupidity,” defends her interview with Charlie Gibson, and says that she would do it all over again.On the speculation about the birth of her son Trig: “We were thinking this is the just the epitome of stupidity in terms of what the media will delve into and try to twist and portray very inaccurately. Little did I know that was just the beginning.”

On her infamous “Bush Doctrine” moment with Charlie Gibson: “What the heck was wrong with that answer? Ask anybody in the Bush Administration what the Bush Doctrine is and I’ll bet you you’ll hear the same thing…. There are legitimately many interpretations of what the Bush Doctrine is.”

On whether Charlie Gibson’s attitude, which Ziegler describes as “condescending,” would have been different if he had been interviewing Barack Obama: “I have to honestly say I think there would have been much more respect shown.”

On whether she would do it again, despite her treatment by the media: “I would do it again though, knowing that there is great need in our country for reform. There is great need in our country — I think we need to get back to the basic tenets that built up the Republican Party… if there is opportunity I can see to help, I would do it again.”

Sounds like Palin vs. the Media, Round 2, is set for 2012.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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