Sarah Palin - A Real "Compassionate Conservative"

The bloom is falling off the Sarah Palin rose faster than I thought, as she continues to ooze a new sickening scandal on an almost daily basis. The outrage du jour is, would you believe... the governor of Alaska having to pass a law to stop Mayor Palin's Wasilla from charging rape victims $300 to $1,200 each for their own forensic exams?

Nah, I wouldn't believe it either. Which is why I am so flabbergasted that, unless somebody hacked the website of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, it appears to be true:

ANCHORAGE - Gov. Tony Knowles recently signed legislation protecting victims of sexual assault from being billed for tests to collect evidence of the crime, but one local police chief said the new law will further burden taxpayers.

...

We would never bill the victim of a burglary for fingerprinting and photographing the crime scene, or for the cost of gathering other evidence, Knowles said. Nor should we bill rape victims just because the crime scene happens to be their bodies.

While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests.

Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon does not agree with the new legislation, saying the law will require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams.

In the past weve charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible. I just dont want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer, Fannon said.

Isn't that special? He was just looking out for those poor taxpayers, folks! We all know they need more protection than mere rape victims.

You think maybe Mayor Palin could have decided to redecorate her office one time less to save some of that money? Oh wait -- that's a "bleeding heart liberal" concept.

This should do wonders for McCain's effort to get women voters.