Troopergate: Not Over Yet

[Richardo]

Source: Newsweek

...Some weeks ago, the McCain team devised a plan to have Palin file an ethics complaint against herself with the State Personnel Board, arguing that it alone was capable of conducting a fair, nonpartisan inquiry into whether she fired Monegan because he refused to fire Wooten, who had been involved in a messy custody battle with her sister. Some Democrats ridiculed the move, noting that the personnel board answered to Palin. But the board ended up hiring an aggressive Anchorage trial lawyer, Timothy Petumenos, as an independent counsel. McCain aides were chagrined to discover that Petumenos was a Democrat who had contributed to Palin's 2006 opponent for governor, Tony Knowles. Palin is now scheduled to be questioned next week, and the counsel's report could be released soon after. "We took a gamble when we went to the personnel board," said a McCain aide who asked not to be identified discussing strategy. While the McCain camp still insists Palin "has nothing to hide," it acknowledges a critical finding by Petumenos would be even harder to dismiss.



Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/id/163465

---

Again, McCain gambles and loses - the Personnel Board, which is hired and fired by Palin - showed some dignity and independence and refused to make itself a kangaroo court on Palin's behalf. Kudos! :toast:

[Parentalcontrol]

1. Palin should be in jail

When poor people break the law, they go to jail.

[patrice]

2. True.

I did a little informal survey at a Juneteenth celebration a few years ago and asked people "What is Justice?" At first I was puzzled when some people responded: "Justice is Just Us." Now I know better.

http://www.famm.org/

:hi:

[livetohike]

3. Welcome to DU!

:hi: and I agree.

[beac]

12. Here's a useful acronym I learned here on DU:

IOKIYAR - It's OK If You're A Republican

It's the first plank in the Republican platform.


And welcome to DU! :hi:

[crossroads]

13. Welcome to DU

[livetohike]

4. Thanks for posting this. I hope Troopergate ends Palin's

political career and she can go back to being a Fisherman's wife.

[jb5150]

8. Better than that

The "wife" of her cellmate....

[crossroads]

14. Welcome to DU!

[Lance_Boyle]

15. I think you mean "fishwife."

;-)

[msongs]

5. so, any ads running yet about Palin's ethics violations? nt

[YDogg]

6. Doncha hate it when that happens?

;-)

[CitizenPatriot]

7. please let me kno who I can pay to get that add running nt

[PatrynXX]

9. who left that beagle in there?

other than the beagle across the street.. been rather obsessed on politics this year because out 10 1/2 year old beagle died in late January. :( This is what I get for the year of UNO. Nothing but beagles.


No other dog breed out there can sing. (one of my late grandpa's had a beagle so when I was rather young I grew up near her. ) then we owned one. Imagine lung cancer of all things :( Cute sig nonetheless.

[bluedeminredstate]

11. I have a beagle too.

He could double as a pot-bellied pig, but he's adorable with his white face, bordered by caramel that makes a heart-shaped outline around his sad, pleading hound eyes. How about those beagle eyes? They make your heart melt. Charlie is my baby - rescued from a shelter and I wouldn't take him anywhere where people might boo him. Not that they would - they'd be awestruck at his cuteness!

Beagles rock! I'm sorry for your loss. I hope another beagle chooses you to be his pack leader some day.

:hi:

[beac]

10. Petard meet hoist!

Of course, Newsweek is 'in the tank' b/c they refused to air-brush the Governanchor's smug mug on their cover. :crazy:

[geminifemini]

16. Sarah's house that Todd built?

I just read this from daily kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/11/111018/34/47/627460

 

[joewicker_TX]

17. Here is the link to the Branchflower Report

Makes for some interesting reading! This will open in a PDF document.

http://media.adn.com/smedia/2008/10/10/16/Branchflowerreport.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf

[Steerpike]

18. Good Morning

Right now, nothing can be done to her. The state house does not have the authority to levy punishment for these offenses. If someone files charges against her in court for ethics violations, and she is found guilty, she can be fined and censured. Talis Colberg the attorney general could be in trouble for stonewalling the investigation.
The governor was not found guilty of improperly firing monegan. She had every right to do so...

She was found guilty of violating the ethics act. When she tried to have trooper wooten fired for "personal" reasons. This is a "medium sized' violation. Not punishable by jail or heavy fines (possibly up to 5000 dollars).

Once again it's not the "crime" that sinks a politician...it's the cover up...

Right now she has sunk to an all time low of 65 per cent approval in Alaska.