Now, this couldn’t have anything to do with Palin being a rising start in the GOP, not to mention that many Conservatives would be very pleased if she was picked to be McCain’s VP, could it?
When Sarah Palin was elected governor as a Republican outsider in 2006, she didn’t just take on an incumbent from her own party. She took on Alaska’s Republican establishment.
Ms. Palin vowed to clean up a long-cozy political system that had been sullied by an FBI corruption investigation. She endeared herself to Alaskans by making good on her reform promises and showing homey touches, like driving herself to work.
Now, one of the bright new stars in the Republican Party has suddenly become tarnished. The state legislature this week voted to hire an independent investigator to see whether Ms. Palin abused her office by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as an Alaska state trooper.
“This is a governor who was almost impervious to error,” says Hollis French, a Democratic state senator. “Now she could face impeachment, in a worst-case scenario.”
The probe, which has been given upwards of $100,000, is expected to last through November, which, despite are system where people are innocent till proven guilty, will more then likely take her out of any consideration to be McCain’s VP.
Ms. Palin’s supporters dismiss the so-called Troopergate incident as trouble stoked by her enemies.
“Many of those who had been in positions of power and authority have been very envious over the past year and a half, with Ms. Palin’s great popularity,” says Soldotna Mayor David Carey.
Jindal/Palin or Palin/Jindal 2012, provided McCain loses, or 2016, when he wins.
Of course Troopergate is non-scandal — basically Palin’s state trooper ex-brother-in-law said he wanted to kill Palin’s dad and they’re investigating Palin for talking to the police about it!?!
And this is from the ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS, which should put an END to “troopergate” ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!
“Issue’s not why Monegan was fired, but why trooper wasn’t
ELISE PATKOTAK
COMMENT
(07/29/08 23:20:50)
They called Ronald Reagan the Teflon president. I think we should start calling Sarah Palin the Teflon governor. Based on people’s reaction to the recent dustup over the dismissal of Walt Monegan, I’d say the lady would pretty much have to pile up more indictments than all our current politicians combined before people would start to seriously question her.
This is going to make some people absolutely nuts. Unfortunately, for those seeking to find some dirt that will stick and bring down her still astronomically favorable ratings, this current dustup is probably not the ticket they are seeking. Firing someone who is a political appointment is done all the time. Since losing your job is a common experience for most of us, the termination of a commissioner is just not something that gets people’s dander up.
Of course, the idea that no one should be fired for refusing to cave in to pressure to circumvent state personnel rules is pretty much a no brainer, assuming the allegations are true.
Except in this case, the employee being discussed is a trooper who carries a gun and the force of law based on the authority given to him by, ultimately, us. He also happens to be an employee who somehow managed to Taser his 11-year-old stepson and get away with it.
The limp explanation that he was trying to show the young man how it felt is simply stupid and an insult to any thinking, reasonable adult. Assuming we want the people we authorize to carry guns and use them in our name to be adults, he should have found a much, much better way to get this lesson across.
In fact, his actions went beyond stupid and, for many of us, straight into the realm of criminal. I’ve had parents on my caseload whose kids would have been permanently removed from them if we’d gone to court with that.
So this particular trooper is probably not the poster boy the anti-Palin folks might want to trot out to show her misusing her power as governor. At least, the people I’ve talked to all seem to shake their heads and say that yeah, if she did exert pressure, she shouldn’t have. And then they look up and say, “But man, what about that trooper!” They zip right past her possible actions and land squarely on the trooper. The minute the story reaches the point where he’s Tasering his stepson, people start lining up behind Palin. Because most people don’t want Mike Wooten to be the trooper responding to their call for help if this is any indication of his ability to make sound or reasonable judgments. And that seems to trump any inappropriate actions on her part as the focal part of the story.
It’s becoming glaringly evident that public opinion is on Palin’s side insofar as they wish this man had lost his job as a trooper somewhere between taking a moose illegally, drinking in a trooper vehicle and Tasering his stepson. And they wonder why the state troopers tolerate this behavior in their ranks.
Monegan was right to not cave if the alleged pressure was there from the administration to intervene in a personnel matter that had already been resolved internally, as insulting as that minimal response seems to be. While the legal right and wrong of the matter might ultimately break toward Monegan and against Palin, it will probably only make her a more sympathetic character, as people side with the person who tried to rid the troopers of someone who seems questionable at best as trooper material.
Let’s think about this. He was stopped in his vehicle after a bartender called troopers to say he thought Wooten might be driving drunk. The trooper who stopped him admitted to smelling booze on his breath but made the decision that he didn’t need to take a Breathalyzer because Wooten didn’t seem drunk. Raise your hand if you think that trooper would not have given you a Breathalyzer test under the same circumstances. Yep, as I suspected, not a hand in sight.
Which brings us to the point most people are at. Palin isn’t their problem. A state trooper agency that thinks this man should still be wearing a badge is.”
The Republicans outnumber the Democrats in the House in Alaska by 25 to 16. If she is investigated it is because her own party voted for it.
“Many of those who had been in positions of power and authority have been very envious over the past year and a half, with Ms. Palin’s great popularity,†says Soldotna Mayor David Carey.” Sounds like envy and fear drove the democrats over the edge, nothing new there.
I’m waiting until enough American’s are fed up with the criminal anti-american democrats and start the shooting war. Very few democrats will survive, none of them politicians or their families. That’s what it’s coming to.
Unfortunately, Ted, to many republicans are squishy, and give in to Dems. You’re right, the investigation should be over, and the trooper fired. Period. But, squishy!
4 years of Obama could cause that, Scrapiron.
Timing on VP Palin announcement:
1. Several days after gasline passed in Alaska.
2. Several days before the Olympics.
3. Ideally before Obama names his Veep (especially if Obama were to name a woman or Hillary).
Hey, McCain, why not Monday (tomorrow Aug 4) and LET THE GAMES BEGIN already!!!
In any event, stand by this week!
And regarding Gov Sarah Palin, Joe over at palinforvp.blogspot.com says:
Now that Palin has successfully maneuvered two tremendously difficult bills through the Alaskan legislature, each having to do with energy, she truly has stature on the entire energy issue, and has stature as a governor who can get things done in a political world where stalemate usually rules the day.
I now agree that McCain should make his move.
Imagine the ads…
1. “She is a young woman who ran against the Republican establishment, and has effectively moved Alaksa in the direction of reform, against all odds.
Don’t just hope for change, VOTE FOR IT. McCain/Palin 2008.”
2. “She is a governor who in 2 years of office passed a law that had been lanquishing for years; a law that will allow for the flow of natural gas resources from the great state of Alaska to the midwest, into energy hungry areas. Against all odds.
Don’t just hope for change, VOTE FOR IT. McCain/Palin, 2008.”
3. “She is a governor who insisted her state legistlature stay in session until a true energy plan could be put into place offering real and immediate relief to Alaska’s citizens during this difficult energy crunch.
Don’t just hope for change, VOTE FOR IT. McCain/Palin, 2008.”
4. “She is a mother of 5. She is an avid hunter, fisher, one who loves and believes in the importance of the environment for us and for future generations. She also understands that energy resources can and should be tapped in ways that do not threaten our land. She believes it and is doing it.
Don’t just hope for change, VOTE FOR IT. McCain/Palin, 2008.”
5. John McCain. The Original Maverick. Sarah Palin. The New Maverick. Together they fought ‘A Bridge to Nowhere’ and knocked the establishment on its heals. Together, they will reform America.
Don’t just hope for change, VOTE FOR IT. McCain/Palin, 2008.”
Congratulations, Governor Palin. Senator McCain, please make your move.