FACT: This smear was concocted from a photograph of Palin published by the New York Times.
The photo dates from Palin's stint on the Wasilla City Council. In the photograph, a document can be seen on Palin's desk that reads "Con-Con Call." The document was identified as a perodical published by the John Birch Society. Therefore, Councilwoman Palin was in possession of JBS materials -- so she must be a John Bircher!
Unfortunately, the John Birch Society itself balks at the notion that Palin was ever involved with the group. The Politico reports:
The current, and then, president of the group, John McManus, confirmed that the cover fit the description of a 1995 issue of the magazine. The headline, "Con-Con Call," refers to discussion at the time of a constitutional convention. The headline appears above a picture of then-Utah Governor Mike Leavitt, who had floated the notion as a way of returning the balance of power back toward the states. But the author warned that the convention could actually be a devious ploy aimed at increasing government power.
McManus said Palin wouldn't have had to have any connection to the society, or the journal, to have wound up with that issue on her desk.
"We sent thousands of copies of that newsletter out to all kinds of people trying to forestall the constitutional convention," McManus recalled. "The plan at that time was for us to send copies of that newsletter to county commissioners, mayors, state legislators, local officials." (emphasis added)
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