- ‹ previous
- 2344 of 8922
- next ›
Palin Report: The Mavericky Governor "Abused Her Power"
Were Sarah "I can see Russia" Palin not already having a tough time on the campaign trail, the report released on Friday by a special prosecutor in Alaska finding that she "abused her power" might be more of a blow to the McCain-Palin campaign. But even though she has already fallen in the polls, there is room for more of a drop. And now the mavericky reformer who is part of a campaign attacking Barack Obama as old-style Chicago pol looks like a lying, vengeful pol herself.
The report was commissioned by a bipartisan group of Alaskan legislators after Palin was accused of firing her public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, after Monegan did not dismiss Mike Wooten, a state trooper who had gone through an ugly divorce with Palin's sister. Though Palin--pre-veep campaign--had pledged to cooperate fully, once she became part of the Republican ticket, she reneged on that promise, as the McCain camp tried to shut down the investigation. But the Alaskan courts refused to short-circuit the investigation, and Stephen Branchflower, a former prosecutor retained by the Alaskan legislators, managed to finish his inquiry, after getting reluctant witnesses--including Todd Palin, the governor's husband--to answer written questions.
The report is blunt:
I find that, although Walt Monegan's refusal to fire Trooper Michael Wooten was not the sole reason he was fired by Governor Sarah Palin, it was likely a contributing factor to his termination as Commissioner of Public Safety.
Branchflower explained that Palin's firing of Monegan was "lawful"--because she has the authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads--but that Palin "knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired." She thus violated the state Ethics Act which says that "any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust." The violation was not the dismissal but the exertion of pressure Palin either orchestrated or permitted.
Before the report was released, the Palin camp was busy spinning, claiming it would not mean much because Branchflower had not interviewed Palin. But as Branchflower notes in the report:
Out of deference to her position, no subpoena was issued for Governor Sarah Palin. However, she was requested to cooperate with the investigation by providing a sworn statement. She has not done so. Governor Palin's sister Molly McCann was requested by me to give a deposition; she declined through her attorney.
So now this supposedly new-and-clean politician whom McCain has been selling as an antidote to business-as-usual politics in Washington has been found to have violated a law of her own state. Hard-core Palin supporters will, no doubt, accept the party-line: this was a partisan witchhunt. They will ignore the fact that the investigation was a thoroughly bipartisan endeavor. (At the legislative meeting today that led to the report's release, McCain-Palin volunteers dressed up as clowns and handed out kangaroos--as in kangaroo court--in a stunt that was reminiscent of the GOP protests during the Florida recount and an action that demonstrated the McCain-Palin camp has no regard for the day-to-day workings of government.) But if the McCain crew still harbors hope that Palin can appeal to indie voters as a reformer, this report will make that now difficult task even more difficult.
Maybe now she'll stop writing "Empress Sarah the Great" over and over on her desktop blotter.
FREE AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY
I don't know what all the fuss is about. Surely, this is a Republican 'right of passage'. Can you say, 'Dick Cheney'?
Interesting diversion. An ethics probe right before a presidential election. She did not break any laws but the ruling itself seems a tad political. Monegan was insubordinate and Palin had
every right to fire him. During that time she was trying to protect her family from a psycho trooper. Did she file a civil complaint or did she even need to. The media will put this to good
use to discredit Palin in any case. That's what they have wanted anyway to take the scent off of Obama and his domestic bomber friend. How convenient but not surprising. Let's see, next SNL skit: Trooper caught by Palin screwing drunken bear which happened to be her sisters pet.
come on campbell, this investigation was started before palin was on the ticket, cry all you want, facts are facts, she abused her power.
Palin was drunk. The bear just happened to get flirty with the wrong alcoholic slut.
FREE AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY
Yeah, Campbell, they made it all up just to get her. Try reading the report. Start about page 52 where it lists the conduct of Governor Palin and her husband. This all started back in 2005 so it was obviously just ginned up 'right before the election'.
I can see why she thought that increased power for the VP's office was a good thing. I don't know whether the people in Alaska will want her back as governor when this is all over. Sorry, this is one person definitely NOT qualified for higher office.
Campbell,
And you know this trooper is psycho based on what sworn testimony? Wake up and smell the shit this woman is made of.
The ethics investigation was initiated by Republicans, who BTW control a sizable majority of Alaska's government. The results should have been published before the election--either way. They would hardly be as valuable after Nov 4th.
She's a female Peter Griffith ("Family Guy"). I'm not sure she is as smart as Bush-W. Its hard to know because she has only done a total of like five news interviews and two of those have been on Fox, with softball questions. If I were a Republican, I would be very afraid on that basis alone.
The last 8 years has proven justification can and will be made for staunch, Neocon partisan politics. No matter how low you go. I say it is high time for us all to do our part and take a Neocon on a hunting trip just to thin 'em out a bit.
T. Hunt you are asking Campbell to read the report. Campbell, like most repubs is not interested in reading it. Campbell is busy spinning it.
Campbell's job is to sow doubt on left-wing blogs, not to read reports.
David, this was a good article, as it goes right to a truth about Sarah that belies all of her rhetoric: that she is a politician just like the ones we see in Washington, albeit amateurish. To brazenly use her position of power to get her former brother-in-law fired so that her sister could get full custody of their child and then to believe that she could quash all investigation on the matter by refusing to cooperate takes some hubris. It's refreshing to know that there are still some decent people who care about finding out the truth, as the bipartisan group of legislators did when they investigated and put out the report.
What I hope that you can do next is to find out more about Todd Palin's role in the Governor's office in Alaska. In the report, it is said that there is evidence of Todd Palin contacting state officials to get Wooten fired. It was found during their investigation that, although Todd did not have a desk, he occupied a conference table, together with a telephone and other office supplies. I find it hard to believe that his sole reason for being in the governor's office was to get Wooten fired---he is probably doing more of the legwork in the office than they would have us believe.
Sarah Palin has demonstrated over and over that she lacks intellectual curiosity on substantive matters, as if she is just pondering about these questions for the first time in her life when Couric or Gibson asked her. The reason for McCain's camp keeping her away from the media's scrutiny increasingly became apparent---we would find out that she is not qualified for the VP position. Which brings us to the question: has Sarah Palin truly been at the helm of the executive office of Alaska or has it been a sham? If it's been a sham, and she's been the face of the government but not the brain, then who is running the state of Alaska? I found it interesting that, as reported by the Associated Press on September 12th, Todd Palin "has emerged in the days since as also a powerful figure in his wife's administration. Despite holding no government position, he attends official meetings and is copied on e-mails concerning state business." This investigation into Sarah's abuse of power showed Todd playing a prominent role in the office. I'm beginning to believe, given the minimal evidence available thus far, that Sarah holds the executive office in name but the true governor of Alaska might just be Todd Palin.
Thanks.
Out of deference to her position, no subpoena was issued for Governor Sarah Palin
Isn't the failure to issue a subpoena a gross abuse of power? This man was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, and yet fails to use his full lawful authority to question the very person who is the subject of the investigation? What utter nonsense. If Palin had hired or fired someone out of "deference," she'd have been castigated for failing to adhere to the law. Branchflower declined to issue the subpoena because he knew he'd lose that battle badly, and it would delay the release of his hatchet job.
The report is a huge waste of taxpayers' money, fabricated solely to create an "October surprise" as promised by the man who supervised the probe.
Sarah Palin's IQ is 83. Todd Palin is a high school dropout. These two are one heartbeat away from the highest office in the country, if McCain is elected.
Hey, I find that the clown suits were quite appropriate! Probably more so than they even realized.
I think this ruling is just as legitimate an issue as the Reverend Wright issue or the way Obama was his first election in Illinois. I think the same gullible voter behavior is responsible for either of these individuals for being in this election.
Yeah keep on Raving,Raving. In your dreams this is a waste of tax payers money. You mean Palin is a waste. If you can't see it then bang your head against the wall some more.