Braindead gets a pass from the State Patrol

[47of74]

Oh, how nice.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A trooper pursued an SUV that was speeding on a highway at 90 mph with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad inside, but declined to pull the driver over after realizing who was inside, audio recordings released Tuesday indicate.

The recordings released to The Associated Press capture dispatchers laughing about the April incident afterward. But the veteran investigator who initiated the pursuit, Special Agent in Charge Larry Hedlund, was put on administrative leave days later after complaining internally that the trooper who was driving the governor was given a pass, Hedlund's attorney, Tom Duff, said.

"Did you get the wind, the word on who that vehicle was?" Hedlund could be heard asking the dispatcher in the recordings, before chuckling. "I guess my career doesn't have enough problems the way it is. It was the governor."

Hedlund, of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, had called a dispatcher to report a black Chevrolet Tahoe that was driving a "hard 90" mph on westbound Highway 20 near Iowa Falls. The dispatcher called for the assistance of a nearby trooper, who eventually moved to intercept the vehicle several miles away after the SUV turned onto the Interstate 35 southbound ramp. The dispatcher also checked the vehicle's license plate number, which raised suspicion when it did not turn up in a computer database.

Apparently Braindead is above the law as far as the State Patrol is concerned. Nice.

[progressoid]

1. Sadly, this won't stick to him.

The driver or maybe the trooper will get in trouble.

[Bluzmann57]

2. When branstad was gov the first time...

His kid got into a car wreck which caused another kid to die. Branstad's son was driving while drunk, or something else, at the time and crashed into another vehicle causing an occupant to die. He was never charged with anything. At the same time, there was a guy who dropped his cigarette, bent over to pick it up, and ran over a family in a campground. He was stone sober and got charged with vehicular homicide, doing 5 years in prison.
I am not condoning the cigarette guy's actions and he likely got what he deserved, but why didn't branstad's kid get charged with at least drunk driving?
And to make things even more insane, a local "radio personality" actually stuck up for branstad and his kid. "Parents all over Iowa worry about their children doing something like this". True, but the same host tore into cigarette guy (sorry I can't remember his name). Hypocritical asshole.

[47of74]

3. That's one thing that burns me up about the Republicans

Their hypocrisy. They go on and on about personal responsibility. But if it's them or a member of their family that personal responsibility crap goes right out the window.

[IADEMO2004]

4. Looking for updates "Move along nothing to see here"

Dash video

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2013/07/08/lt-gov-trooper-driving-and-governor-scheduling-are-now-under-review/article



Nice and tidy under the personnel matter rug

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52381096/ns/local_news-des_moines_ia/t/governor-speeding-troopers-investigated/

Gov's Weasel words:

We asked the governor whether he thought it was appropriate for his driver to be going nearly 20-miles per hour over the speed limit.

“I don`t try to backseat drive or tell the troopers what they should do. I have confidence in them and I think they do a good job.” Governor Branstad replied.

[Julian Englis]

5. Investigator who brought this matter to light fired!

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130717/NEWS/130717027/Hedlund-ve-been-treated-like-criminal-?nclick_check=1

[progressoid]

6. Oh, I'm sure that was just a coincidence...

NOT!