Palin won't meet

[jdobbin]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26727937/

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.

I said from the beginning that appointing someone running mate with an ongoing investigation against them seemed more risky than necessary.

[sharkman]

Fair enough. It remains to be seen what evidence Palin has to defend herself. I suspect McCain is too smart to not have looked into this investigation carefully and was satisfied with the outcome. You have to admit his democrat opponents are trying to smear her with anything they can find, and some things they can't find.

There are reports that the dems have unofficially airdropped a team of lawyers and investigators into Alaska to dig up dirt. And it is not done to find out what kind of person she is, but to bury her since she is a legitimate threat to their claims on the Whitehouse.

[CANADIEN]

Fair enough. It remains to be seen what evidence Palin has to defend herself. I suspect McCain is too smart to not have looked into this investigation carefully and was satisfied with the outcome. You have to admit his democrat opponents are trying to smear her with anything they can find, and some things they can't find.

There are reports that the dems have unofficially airdropped a team of lawyers and investigators into Alaska to dig up dirt. And it is not done to find out what kind of person she is, but to bury her since she is a legitimate threat to their claims on the Whitehouse.

Thinks for reminding us that nobody (either Democrat or Republican) has tried to smear Obama with claims that he is a secret Muslim. And we all know that nobdy is watching Bidden like a hawk hoping to find some juicy and embarassing tidbits.

But I must confess John McCain is a very smart guy. The Legislature investigation into Palin's alledged improprieties (which, shall it be reminded, was approved unanimously by a bipartisan committee) has barely started, and he's already happy with its conclusion.

Edited September 16, 2008 by CANADIEN

[Guest American Woman]

GOP lawmakers sue to stop Palin investigation

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.

Must be something to hide............ why else would they be trying so hard to stop it?

[Shady]

Taser-gate is over. Emails and documents have been release showing gross insubordination on the part of the individual in question.

[CANADIEN]

Taser-gate is over. Emails and documents have been release showing gross insubordination on the part of the individual in question.

Individual? In the singular? Are we talking about Sarah Palin's former brother-in-law, or one of her subordinate trying to push for his dismissal.

If we are talking about the former brother-in-law, he doesn't belong in any police force. But his case was handled according to police procedure. Any involvement on this issue by the Governor and her staff after she was elected would, if proven, would show at best poor judgement on an issue that had "potential conflict of interest" written all over it, and at worse abuse of the powers of her office.

Or are we talking an individual reporting to Palin? According to Walter Monegan, the former Public Satefy Commissioner, THREE appointees of Palin, plus her husband and herself, approached him regarding Palin's former brother-in-law, making it clear they didn't think the man should remain a state trooper. If all the facts have been released, why did a committee of the Alaska legislature voted UNANIMOUSLY to appoint an independant investigator? Why did the legislature's judicial committee issued a subpoena for Palin's husband to testify?

Edited September 17, 2008 by CANADIEN

[BubberMiley]

McCain's campaign is the one air-dropping people into Alaska to stall, stall, stall this investigation until after the election because they know it's bad. The "insubordination" is the police chief's refusal to submit to Palin's demands to make rape victims pay out of their own pocket for investigations into their cases.

[M.Dancer]

McCain's campaign is the one air-dropping people into Alaska to stall, stall, stall this investigation until after the election because they know it's bad. The "insubordination" is the police chief's refusal to submit to Palin's demands to make rape victims pay out of their own pocket for investigations into their cases.

I doubt that considering it was the Police department policy and the policy was made illegal by the State legislature. Palin had no say in the issue.

[CANADIEN]

McCain's campaign is the one air-dropping people into Alaska to stall, stall, stall this investigation until after the election because they know it's bad. The "insubordination" is the police chief's refusal to submit to Palin's demands to make rape victims pay out of their own pocket for investigations into their cases.

Not confusing issues a bit are you?

FACT 1: In the 1990's, shortly after Palin became mayor of the town of Wasilla, she fired the chief of the local police. There was stong suspicion that this was pay back for the polocy chief having supported the former mayor during the election.

FACT 2, unrelated: Busget records from the ciity of Wasilla indicate that the police started charging rape victims for the cost of the rape kit in 1998-1999, more than one year after the previous chief of policy had been fired. The policy was apparently an idea of the new chief of police, not Palin even though she approved the bydget that included it When the State passed a law in 2000 banning this practice, the chief of police protested on the ground it would cost the taxpayers about $15000 a year (less then $3 per habitant).

FACT 3: Unreleted: The "TrooperGate scandal" being investigated has nothing to do with facts 1 or 2, except for Palin's name.

Edited September 18, 2008 by CANADIEN

[CANADIEN]

I doubt that considering it was the Police department policy and the policy was made illegal by the State legislature. Palin had no say in the issue.

She appproved the budget proposal from the police department that included charging rape victims for the kits. As the mayor, with power to hire and fire chief of police at will, and a say on budget issue, she had the capacity to block the idea. Her inaction forced the Governor to step in.

[jdobbin]

Now both Palins are refusing to appear before the committee.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26777544/

Alaska legislators were scheduled to meet Friday to review the investigation after the state attorney general declared that Palin and her staff would reject subpoenas seeking their testimony.

Todd Palin, husband of the Alaska governor, on Thursday announced he would refuse to testify. Palin had been subpoenaed to appear Friday in the probe. McCain-Palin spokesman Ed O'Callaghan said Todd Palin no longer believes the Legislature's investigation is legitimate.

[Kingmaker]

Now both Palins are refusing to appear before the committee.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26777544/

On what grounds can Todd Palin possibly refuse to appear?

Edited September 19, 2008 by Kingmaker

[Liam]

...According to Walter Monegan, the former Public Satefy Commissioner, THREE appointees of Palin, plus her husband and herself, approached him regarding Palin's former brother-in-law...

Can anyone tell me why Todd Palin inserted himself into a state matter in the first place? I can understand wanting to be on your sister-in-law's side, but that doesn't give him the right to be a participant in official state business. Does this strike anyone else as a bit Imelda Marcos-like: the spouse getting involved in a state matter and "leaning" on certain government employees?

[bush_cheney2004]

Can anyone tell me why Todd Palin inserted himself into a state matter in the first place? I can understand wanting to be on your sister-in-law's side, but that doesn't give him the right to be a participant in official state business. Does this strike anyone else as a bit Imelda Marcos-like: the spouse getting involved in a state matter and "leaning" on certain government employees?

Oh, you mean like Hillary Clinton and health care back in 1993?

[jdobbin]

On what grounds can Todd Palin possibly refuse to appear?

That he is above all that?

[Liam]

Oh, you mean like Hillary Clinton and health care back in 1993?

No symmetry whatsoever. Hillary was asked to run her husband's task force -- she had an official role. The Todd Palin equivalent would be if Hillary, as first lady, called the FBI chief to make vague threats against him.

[bush_cheney2004]

No symmetry whatsoever. Hillary was asked to run her husband's task force -- she had an official role. The Todd Palin equivalent would be if Hillary, as first lady, called the FBI chief to make vague threats against him.

Whose talking about mere threats.....compare the Clinton's body count to the Palins'.

[peter_puck]

Taser-gate is over. Emails and documents have been release showing gross insubordination on the part of the individual in question.

It is not about Tasers or the alleged insubordination of the person who got fired. It is about the alleged inappropriate behavior of the Palin, her family and her office. She appears to have used her position to get back at he former brother-in-law.

If this officer should have been fired, it was the job of his supperiors to do it. Palin should have recused herself from the issue (since it was so minor, in terms of a State, she should have stayed out entirely). Instead her office, her husband and she pressured an official to fire this guy. A judge had already told the family earlier to stop trying to get this guy fired.

Not the biggest crime ever commited by a politician (especially since this guy is not really a sympathetic character). But none the less she should not have done it. Using your government job to settle a personal grudge is "small town cheap".

[CANADIEN]

It is not about Tasers or the alleged insubordination of the person who got fired. It is about the alleged inappropriate behavior of the Palin, her family and her office. She appears to have used her position to get back at he former brother-in-law.

If this officer should have been fired, it was the job of his supperiors to do it. Palin should have recused herself from the issue (since it was so minor, in terms of a State, she should have stayed out entirely). Instead her office, her husband and she pressured an official to fire this guy. A judge had already told the family earlier to stop trying to get this guy fired.

Not the biggest crime ever commited by a politician (especially since this guy is not really a sympathetic character). But none the less she should not have done it. Using your government job to settle a personal grudge is "small town cheap".

It is a bit more than small town cheaps. It is abuse of the power of Governor's office for personal gain (in this case, settling a personal score).

[the janitor]

They have to prove she acted outside her legitimate role as governor. There are other issues involved, ones in which the governor has every right to fire the guy.

I hope she gets away with it 'cause I like her. If it was Hillary on the other hand, I'd say roast her hiny.