Gov. Sarah Palin abused the powers of her office by pressuring subordinates to try to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired, an investigation by the Alaska Legislature has concluded. The inquiry found, however, that she was within her right to dismiss her public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, who was the trooper’s boss.
A 263-page report released by lawmakers in Alaska found that Ms. Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, had herself exerted pressure to get Trooper Michael Wooten dismissed, as well as allowed her husband and subordinates to press for his firing, largely as a result of his temperament and past disciplinary problems.
“Such impermissible and repeated contacts,” the report states, “create conflicts of interests for subordinate employees who must choose to either please a superior or run the risk of facing that superior’s displeasure and the possible consequences of that displeasure.” The report concludes that the action was a violation of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.
What now lies ahead is not fully known at this point. Ms. Palin could be censured by the Legislature, but that is unlikely…
No kidding.
Results like this are always complicated by politicians taking care of their own. The Legislative Committee which issued this report is bipartisan. Their trepidation about mandating sanctions for lousy ethics are probably bipartisan as well.
How will American voters react?
#58 “and I’ve not seen or heard any republicans who want to impeach him and his regime? Fucking hypocrites.”
What’s even weirder is that no one in the Dem leadership wanted to impeach either. When you have the opposition leaders not supporting you’ll not get a President’s own party to join…
#60 – O’Furniture
>>Bush will be gone but the current mess that is
>>Pelosi & crew remain.
More “GO”? You’re saying that because the Democrats “have created a mess”, the Democrats are going to annihilate the Repubs on November 4th?
Very insightful, O’Furniture. Hmm.
>> How will American voters react?
React to a serious ethics violation by a Republican?
1) Republicans will yawn.
2) Conservative pundits will create noise.
4) A few Democrats will complain.
5) Most Americans will be confused and say “oh they all do it” and turn the channel to CSI.
Happy Domestic Violence Awareness Month! By saying Palin was at fault for her family’s repeated complaints is essentially saying that any family who is too vigorous in complaints about domestic violence can be censored. Well, not just any family.
Allow your hate speech to fall on me…
Oh, but if it is a Democrat’s ethics problem, the reaction is very different.
#65 – Jeff
“Domestic violence”?? wtf?
#61 QB said
“That anger is coming from fear that things are collapsing and could turn uglier.”
The fear is there because things really are collapsing and there are no “good” leaders in sight.
Obama/McCain/Biden/Palin/Pelosi/Reid/”W” and etc., should not (and apparently do not) inspire confidence in anyone.
Like it or not, that is a fact.
#63 “More “GO”? You’re saying that because the Democrats “have created a mess”, the Democrats are going to annihilate the Repubs on November 4th?”
No, what I’m saying is that Obama (not a longtime DC pol) will be in. Pelosi & crowd are totally worthless and need to be replaced also with fresh blood.
#68 – Ranger Andy
>>Obama/McCain/Biden/Palin/Pelosi/Reid/”W” and
>>etc., should not (and apparently do not)
>>inspire confidence in anyone.
Unfortunately for the right wing, Obama and Biden DO inspire confidence in a lot of people. That’s why they’re kicking ass in the polls.
#70 “Unfortunately for the right wing, Obama and Biden DO inspire confidence in a lot of people.”
If Biden was running for Pres I would have voted for him.
Oh well.
#69 – O’Furni8ture
>>Pelosi & crowd are totally worthless
I don’t vote for (or against) Pelosi. I’m not from her district.
I’d sure as shit rather have HER in there than hypocritical losers like Bill Frist, “Newt” Gingrich, and Tom Daschle. Now THERE were some totally worthless politicians.
#71 Biden is best of the bunch by far.
#70 Mister Mustard
Not a good argument – The purpose of today’s polls are to influence thought not reflect reality.
It ain’t over till it’s over.
#74 – contempt
>>The purpose of today’s polls are to influence
>>thought not reflect reality.
Oh yeah! The poll are all part of a vast left-wing conspiracy. Haw haw haw! HAW!!!
Obama should just take the rest of the election season off, visting with his cousin Odinga, Bill Ayres, ACORN, and all the rest of his seditious compadres.
HAW!! Sorry, ‘tempt. Usually it ain’t over till it’s over. In this case, though, it’s over. Between Palin’s ethical lapses and televised footage of McBush’s rabid attack dogs chanting “BOMB OBAMA” and claiming he’s an “Arab”, it’s over. Trust me.
#72 “Newt” Gingrich, and Tom Daschle. Now THERE were some totally worthless politicians.”
Actually, the combo of Bill & Newt is about as good as it gets.
#76 Paddy said: “Actually, the combo of Bill & Newt is about as good as it gets.”
That’s crazy talk!
#78 “That’s crazy talk!”
If prosperity is crazy…
#67
From the NY times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/us/10trooper.html?pagewanted=2
Right or not, they may have been trying to protect their family. I don’t trust the media, and the half quotes and shoddy investigation and ignoring the relevant stories, on either side. I’ve defended Obama from the same thing.
This debate should be about ideas. Smearing each other, which has been on both sides to me is unacceptable. – Jeff the independent.
A couple of people here, plus countless others on the internet, keep describing Wooten (Palin’s ex-brother-in-law) as a guy who “tasered a child.” This is an excellent example of the sort of half-truth (or less) that pervades politics so often.
According to Wooten, whose side is seldom mentioned, the fuller version of the story is that when he had become a new taser trainer in his department, his stepson was extremely curious about the device and what it felt like. The boy ASKED to be tasered, and Wooten agreed only after taking special precautions to make the device as safe as possible. He used a special training cartridge to administer the lowest possible shock, and the duration of the shock was less than a second. This all took place while his stepson laid on the floor surrounded by pillows and in the presence of his wife (this was before the bitter divorce). His stepson later bragged about having been tasered. Since then, Wooten has admitted that he used very poor judgement in the incident.
Of course, the short version of this is that he’s a sociopathic monster who tasered a child, yet he somehow managed to survive an internal investigation and remains employed. The short version sounds a little less credible than the long version.
If we’re going down the path of guilt by association, we’ll have to start smearing all those U.S. Senators who palled around with Sen. Ted Stevens, who is under indictment for seven counts of failing to disclose thousands of dollars in services he received from a company that helped to renovate his home. The former CEO of that company already pled guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges and is cooperating with prosecutors.
The good news is, the home renovation turned out lovely 😉
#82 “Yeah man. Those smart folks are all damned commies, marxists, and seditionists. ”
I don’t think they are any of those things. I think they just aren’t that bright. Graduates of those “higher institutions of learning” (both parties & international banking) have been screwing up royally for quite a while.
Truman was better than any modern pol and look at which Ivy League institution he attended…
Yep…the report was unanimous. It was written by one guy–a political hack in the tank for Obama. And he agreed with himself.
The proper investigation is being done by the state personnel board, as provided in state law. Even the Legislative committee admits they have no authority in this matter. (See Hollis French’s comments in today’s Anchorage Daily News article.)
If you had a man, who wore a gun at his job, threaten your father your sister and yourself, ask yourself what you would do. I know what I would do, everything in my power to protect myself and my family.
This isn’t a story, it’s a hatchet job. The “committee” didn’t approve approve the story, they allowed it to be released.
If given a choice between protecting my family today or run the risk of looking petty in a year, this becomes an easy choice. This is nothing more than a distraction, brought to you be the democrats.
I wonder why this was brought up now. Easy answer – Politics.
Politics = Poly – from the greek meaning many; ticks – meaning blood sucking pests.
Many blood sucking pests, kinda describes Obama/Bidens Campaign.
If it’s not Acorn breaking the law all over the country signing up dead people to vote, it’s Barak, claiming innocence on the financial meltdown. It is now abundantly clear the Democrats are responsible for the meltdown.
Two years ago voters voted for change and look at what they got in return:
– The biggest financial failure in history, brought to you by the democratic party, and
– The shrillest congress in a generation, brought to you by the democratic party. AKA the do-nothing congress. Thank you Nancy and Harry.
While Obama does the smooth talking car salesman routine (sorry to all the car salesman), his peers and henchman and destroying the country.
Be afraid, Be very very afraid.
So tell me guys.. Know any woman her age in a position of power (or mid-level management) that wouldn’t do the same thing? ’cause as far as I know EVERY Woman hitting the mid 40s behave exactly like Palin.
Ok Wooten was an awful State Trooper and was a danger and embarrassment to Alaskans. Palin was made critically aware of this because of a family connection and wanted him fired. Monegan’s refusal to fire this guy knowing all he new about him would give anyone cause to wonder if he should be holding the Public Safety Commissioner Job. Palin out of frustration did abuse her office and had him sacked then tried to cover it up. Not the crime of the century. Of the hundreds of reasons not to vote for her I don’t think this is one of them. Frankly I’m more disgusted in how the Mc Cain campaign handled this than what Palin did. If she would admit it and apologize to Alaska I’d forgive her. I still wont vote for her but I will forgive her.
An Alaskan
Bipartisan?
10 Republicans and 4 Democrats.
The Republicans outnumber them more than 2 to 1.
The report is slanted in her favor. If it was as it should be they would be discussing impeachment according to the Alaska state constitution.
For those that don’t know
Obama is going to win by a landslide or large margin. Which I predicted back when John McCain picked his little racist hate monger sidekick. Not only that but the Democrats are going to get a filibuster proof majority in the senate too.
LOL I can’t wait to see the look on the face of all you America hating Republicans. Lets Remember YOU are the ones that supported G.W. Shrub and all his policies that lead to this!!! So in my book your decision making ability is pure fucking SHIT!!!
Let’s say Palin and family did feel threatened. Exactly how would firing trooper make them safer? Its not like he was going to be in jail or anything.
#85 – Rog
>>Yep…the report was unanimous. It was written
>>by one guy–a political hack in the tank for
>>Obama.
Are you on drugs? The committee was stacked 10 to 4 in favor of Palin.
>>The proper investigation is being done by
>>the state personnel board, as provided in
>>state law.
Now THERE’S a stacked jury. Three people appointed by the governor. And she actually REQUESTED an investigation by the state personnel board, in a failed attempt to have the ethical lapse “looked into” by her own underlings.
Talk about sleazy.
#89 “Lets Remember YOU are the ones that supported G.W. Shrub and all his policies that lead to this!!!”
That’s funny. This disease has been incubating for FAR longer than 8 years and it took insane acts from BOTH parties to cause the infection.
#92 – O’Furniture
>>That’s funny. This disease has been incubating
>>for FAR longer than 8 years and it took insane
>>acts from BOTH parties to cause the infection.
What’s funny is how there were no symptoms (even in hindsight) until Dumbay and his herpetic band of flunkies caused the infection to spring forth full grown.
Time to break out the acyclovir and keep the Oval Office free of further infection.
Only ONE HUNDRED more days. Yee-haw!!