Troopergate...
Brain of J.Lo
Posts: 3,259
Palin won't meet with 'Troopergate' investigator
By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 19 minutes ago
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A campaign spokesman says Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin won't speak with an investigator hired by lawmakers to look into the firing of her public safety commissioner.
McCain campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan told a news conference Monday that the governor, the Republican nominee for vice president, will not cooperate as long as the investigation "remains tainted." He said he doesn't know whether Palin's husband would challenge a subpoena issued to compel his cooperation.
The campaign insists the investigation has been hijacked by Democrats. It says it can prove Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was fired because of insubordination on budget issues — not because he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.
By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 19 minutes ago
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A campaign spokesman says Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin won't speak with an investigator hired by lawmakers to look into the firing of her public safety commissioner.
McCain campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan told a news conference Monday that the governor, the Republican nominee for vice president, will not cooperate as long as the investigation "remains tainted." He said he doesn't know whether Palin's husband would challenge a subpoena issued to compel his cooperation.
The campaign insists the investigation has been hijacked by Democrats. It says it can prove Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was fired because of insubordination on budget issues — not because he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.
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Comments
Just the kind of character we need in the White House.
And he who forgets, will be destined to remember...
Well, of course she is innocent. She just doesn't want to participate in this investigation because it's so tainted by the Dems.
Those poor Republicans. They just can't get a break. I feel for them. I really do.
I guess tasering your stepson is an acceptable form of punishment where you are from. Also drinking on duty too.
98 CAA
00 Virginia Beach;Camden I; Jones Beach III
05 Borgata Night I; Wachovia Center
06 Letterman Show; Webcast (guy in blue shirt), Camden I; DC
08 Camden I; Camden II; DC
09 Phillie III
10 MSG II
13 Wrigley Field
16 Phillie II
Yes, that's exactly what I'm getting at. Thanks for helping me clear that up.
:rolleyes:
We all know that what the trooper (admittedly) did, wrong or not, is not the issue. The investigation centers around whether or not she inappropriately used her position to influence the actions of her subordinates. It's not a contest to see who was "more wrong".
with those actions he should have been at least suspended.
98 CAA
00 Virginia Beach;Camden I; Jones Beach III
05 Borgata Night I; Wachovia Center
06 Letterman Show; Webcast (guy in blue shirt), Camden I; DC
08 Camden I; Camden II; DC
09 Phillie III
10 MSG II
13 Wrigley Field
16 Phillie II
That isn't the issue here. What about the man who lost his job over this? Hint: It wasn't her brother in law.
If you don't do your job you would be fired too. It amazes me people on here say cops that do shitty things should be fired then when one does somehting shitty, they deffend his actions since he was Palin's former brother-in-law. The cop should have been fired point blank.
98 CAA
00 Virginia Beach;Camden I; Jones Beach III
05 Borgata Night I; Wachovia Center
06 Letterman Show; Webcast (guy in blue shirt), Camden I; DC
08 Camden I; Camden II; DC
09 Phillie III
10 MSG II
13 Wrigley Field
16 Phillie II
He was, as far as I know.
The troopers actions, no matter how heinous, don't justify Palin's alleged unethical actions.
I agree that he most likely has no place in the Police force.
The problem though, is repeatedly using your executive power to pressure actions that shouldn't be under your control. Also, they alledgedly accessed his private employee files in the Police department, including things like Workman's comp, etc... that they had no business seeing.
No it is not acceptable but the McCain/Palin ticket is running on a message of change and government accountability. If she has nothing to hide then why not cooperate with the investigation. Why the secrecy? Haven't we had enough of this type of behavior from the Bush Administration.
This is like white trash Jerry Springer shit. We don't want that with our Vice President.
The Alaska State Senate Judiciary Committee (who issued the subpoenas) has a 3-2 republican majority (http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_com_info.asp?comm=SJUD&session=25).
I know they have problems with the committee chair, but their party has a majority in the committee. So why the big deal, unless of course she has something to hide?
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
By STEVE QUINN, Associated Press Writer 40 minutes ago
JUNEAU, Alaska - Five Republican state lawmakers filed suit Tuesday to end the bipartisan investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of the public safety commissioner even though the vice presidential candidate once said she welcomed the probe into allegations of abuse of power.
The lawsuit called the investigation "unlawful, biased, partial and partisan." None of the lawmakers who filed the suit in Anchorage Superior Court serves on the bipartisan Legislative Council that unanimously approved the investigation.
The scandal known as "Troopergate" gained national attention after Republican presidential candidate John McCain chose Palin as his running mate. Since then, Palin and the McCain campaign have sought to distance Palin from the controversy and have taken actions that could slow its resolution until after the November election.
Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan in July. Weeks later, it emerged that Palin, her husband, Todd, and several high-level staffers had contacted Monegan about state trooper Mike Wooten, who had gone through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister before Palin became governor. While Monegan says no one from the administration ever told him directly to fire Wooten, he says their repeated contacts made it clear they wanted Wooten gone.
Palin maintains that she fired Monegan over budget disagreements, not because he wouldn't dismiss her ex-brother-in-law. Still, she said in July that she'd welcome and cooperate with the investigation ordered by the Legislative Council. "Hold me accountable," said had said.
McCain campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan now calls the investigation "tainted."
Alaska's House Speaker, a Republican who voted to authorize the review two months ago, on Tuesday questioning its impartiality.
Rep. John Harris wrote that what "started as a bipartisan and impartial effort is becoming overshadowed by public comments from individuals at both ends of the political spectrum." His comments were in a letter to the Democratic state Sen. Kim Elton, the committee chairman.
On Tuesday, three state representatives and two state senators sued Democratic Sen. Hollis French, who is overseeing the investigation; Juneau Democratic Sen. Kim Elton, who heads the Legislative Council; independent investigator Steve Branchflower; and the Legislative Council itself.
The lawsuit seeks to either delay the investigation until after the Nov. 4 general election or remove French and Elton.
"There is no nonpartisan reason to complete this investigation until after the election," said Anchorage attorney Kevin G. Clarkson. "We just want to take the politics out of it and bring fairness back into it."
Clarkson said he and a nonprofit legal firm in Texas, Liberty Legal Institute, were donating their work on the suit. A phone message for French was not immediately returned.
The Legislative Council, made up of four Democrats and eight Republican, voted unanimously to investigate the circumstances of Monegan's dismissal. Although Monegan was an at-will employee who could be fired for almost any reason, lawmakers wanted to see whether Palin tried to use her office to settle a personal score with Wooten.
Last week the state Senate Judiciary Committee voted to issue subpoenas for Todd Palin as well as nearly a dozen others and to gain phone records of a top aide to the governor. The subpoenas seek to compel their cooperation in the investigation.
O'Callaghan said Monday that Sarah Palin, who was not subpoenaed, was unlikely to speak to Branchflower and that he didn't know if Todd Palin would challenge his subpoena. At the same time, the campaign released e-mails it claimed supported Sarah Palin's assertion that disagreements over budget were behind Monegan's firing.
Among the e-mails released was a farewell note by Monegan. In it, he suggested the governor had reason to believe she had lost his support, and he urged his former colleagues to communicate better with her.
"For anyone to lead effectively they must have the support of their team, and I had waited too long outside her door for her to believe that I supported her," he wrote. "Please, choose a different path."
Palin's lawyer has sought to have the three-member state Personnel Board take over to investigation, alleging that public statements made by French indicated the probe was politically motivated. French had said the results of the investigation could constitute an "October surprise" for the McCain campaign, and he later apologized.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I'm still waiting for someone to pull the plug on this joke of a situation.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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( o.O)
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I told my sister that if the McCain came out and said, "just kidding, guys!" about the whole thing, I'd actually vote for him out of respect. That would be one awesome prank.
Unfortunately, it's looking less and less like that's going to happen.