Alaska paper: Abdication by Palin-When did the McCain campaign take over the governor's office?

[dkf]

Published: September 20th, 2008 12:53 AM
Last Modified: September 20th, 2008 02:47 AM

Gov. Sarah Palin has surrendered important gubernatorial duties to the Republican presidential campaign. McCain staff are handling public and press questions about actions she has taken as governor. The governor who said, "Hold me accountable," is hiding behind the hired guns of the McCain campaign to avoid accountability.

Is it too much to ask that Alaska's governor speak for herself, directly to Alaskans, about her actions as Alaska's governor?

A press conference Thursday showed how skewed Alaska's relationship with its own governor has become.

McCain-Palin campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan announced that Todd Palin will not comply with a subpoena to testify about his role in Troopergate, the Legislature's investigation into whether Palin abused her power in forcing out former public safety commissioner Walt Monegan.

O'Callaghan also announced that Alaska's governor is "unlikely" to cooperate with the investigation by the Alaska Legislature about questionable conduct by Alaska's chief executive.

Monday, he and campaign sidekick Meg Stapleton stood before Alaskans and defended the official personnel decision by Alaska's governor to fire Alaska's public safety commissioner. ABC News reported that Gov. Palin's official press secretary, Bill McAllister, paid by the state of Alaska, didn't even know the McCain staffers were meeting the press to defend his boss.

Is the McCain campaign telling Alaskans that Alaska's governor can't handle her own defense in front of her own Alaska constituents?

http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/531725.html
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/20/65549/5407/653/604480

Wow, these Alaskans sound pissed, as they should be. John McCain has shown us how much he respects Palin's leadership by shoving Sarah Palin aside and taking over. Obama was right! John McCain is a male chauvinist PIG.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. LOL! McCain is now the de facto governor of Alaska?

[dkf]

3. I guess being the Governor of Alaska is so challenging

that you can leave it for months and the place will pretty much run itself.

[crazylikafox]

6. Oh goody. Is so, then he has that "executive experience"

We should be seeing the ad on our teevees soon.

[glitch]

19. Why not? Palin is now the de facto Republican candidate for President.

Well, figurehead, since that is all the Republicans have been willing to offer.

[LiberalFighter]

21. Will they decide that McCain now has executive experience?

[ORDem]

23. Perhaps they should offer him the job permanently. n/t

[maseman]

2. Sounds like the people of Alaska are

getting kind of sick and tired of the bullshit. They don't seem happy at all overall with the treatment they are getting.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Maybe Alaskans will someday stop putting corrupt charlatans in office--

yeah, I know, she gave them shitloads of money in their yearly handouts, so a big fat favorability rating for her--but they are responsible now for us having to deal with this skank on a national level. Take her back, Alaska, she's all yours.

[DebbieCDC]

8. weinerdoggie, I love your posts

They are always spot on

Must be the weiner dog owners clique mentality

[TwilightGardener]

13. ...

:)

[rosesaylavee]

5. K & R

This needs to be seen.

[SDJay]

7. My ex-fiancee was from Alaska...

and if there's one thing I know about that place, it's that perhaps above all else, Alaskans HATE IT when 'outsiders' come into their territory and tell them how to handle their business. This shoving of Churchy Spice into a hole and making room for Washington DC lawyers has got to be going over about as well as a turd in the punch bowl for most of them.

Obviously this is highly unlikely at-best, but wouldn't it be great to see Alaska go blue in November? Talk about a referendum...

[mamalone]

9. Churchy Spice?!?!

Oh. My. Goodness. :rofl :rofl: That one got the whole family laughing:rofl:



Did you come up with that yourself? and do you mind if I "borrow" it?

[SDJay]

15. Use it... Spread it... Shout it...

I did not come up with it myself. A few of my friends were talking over way-too-many beers one night, and one of them commented on how she's basically a vapid spice girl. Another talked about 'Ms. Churchy' potentially being in control of the red button. Drunken 'intelligence' led us to that moniker. I think it fits. Glad you enjoyed it, as that's all I call her now, and boy does it PISS off the R's when I use it on them.

[alterfurz]

16. here ya go...

[SDJay]

17. Thanks...

A graphic behind a moniker is always a good thing... Nicely done. :rofl:

[mamalone]

27. I will indeed!

and actually already have;) Thanks!

[juno jones]

31. One moniker I love is Pravda's 'Bag of Hair'

But Churchy Spice will do. Thank you!

[Blue_In_AK]

26. Your ex-fiancee is correct.

There is NOTHING we hate more than Outsiders running our affairs. We may have corrupt politicians, but at least they're OUR corrupt politicians. John McCain is not ours, and we don't want him. Sarah has abrogated any claim to being a real Alaskan with her performance during this charade.

[calimary]

30. Welcome to DU! "Churchy Spice"!!!! That is SPECTACULAR!!!

SDJay - I salute you! :patriot:

It should DEFINITELY be said, read, and SPREAD!


:yourock:

[stillcool]

10. John McCain rolls over for the fundies..

and Alaska rolls over for John McCain.

[intheflow]

11. I don't think Alaskans are as united for Palin as the CM makes them out to be.

And I think her favorability there is probably dropping faster than elsewhere in the country, due to just this type of bullshit interference by the national GOP.

[Blue_In_AK]

28. You've got that right, InTheFlow

This Sarah we're seeing now is a complete stranger to us. Even people who supported her wholeheartedly in 2006 are shaking their heads in disbelief. I can't wait to see the next poll on her favorability here, but my guess is no one will do one until after the election. She's going to have a hard time when she comes back here.

Here's a link to "Anchorage Edition" - a weekly PBS public affairs program - which includes a panel of journalists across the political spectrum, from very conservative Paul Jenkins to liberal Larry Persily. There's a half-hour link to the audio that is very revealing as to how Sarah's faring with the local journalists. It's not good.

http://kakm.org/2008/09/19/anchorage-edition-september-19-2008/

[intheflow]

33. That was very interesting to listen to!

If you hadn't told me there were conservatives on the show, I would not have known it by listening. It's pretty clear that this whole GOP interference is not going over well in Alaska if you're paying attention at all to Troopergate, but if you're not that plugged into politics, then I can see how people could think Alaska is behind Palin 100%. I'm hoping the whole "Wooten disobeyed me to get additional funding to stop sexual violence" meme takes off nationally--I think the US press will pick it up within the 24-hours, the Times UK ran an article on it yesterday. Obviously Fox won't be joining that chorus, but I seriously think the GOP has made a huge mistake by sequestering Palin from the majority of the press. NBC seems to be embracing the new liberal news market and ABC seems to also be reporting on this quite regularly--perhaps Gibson had some sway over them as he interviewed her and found her to be as shallow as a mud puddle. (Hey, we can only hope!)

[Blue_In_AK]

36. Just a minor correction,

and I'm sure it was just your haste in typing, but it was Monegan, not Wooten, who sought the federal funding. Wooten's the former brother-in-law. There are also some reports coming out now that Palin's office illegally accessed Wooten's confidential personnel file in an effort to discontinue his worker's compensation. I'm sure there will be more on that in the upcoming days. Jason Leopold reported on this a few days ago http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3740.shtml and here is the report from last night's local newscast that mentions it. http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9043714


Since the purpose of the investigation was broadly stated as investigating "abuses of power," there's more involved here than just the firing of Commissioner Monegan.

[intheflow]

37. Of course I meant Monegan.

Not enough coffee coursing through my veins today. :boring:

I understand that Monegan is/was very well respected in the state before Palin decided to fire him, so this isn't going down well for that reason, too. Vilifying respected members of your community is a bad PR move. But then again, withdrawing your cooperation in an ethics investigation after saying you want to be held accountable is also pretty bad PR. Obviously the national GOP doesn't care--as long as they can spin Palin as a victim of the angry left, but if they're not successful in stealing this next election, Palin's name will be mud should she try to run for reelection. What a happy thought!

[Blue_In_AK]

38. More on the "vilifying of respected members of the community"

here from state Representative Les Gara.

http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2008/09/karl-rove-in-alaska-mccains-spin-and.html

http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2008/09/saradise-lost-chapter-sixty-four-alaska.html

[PATRICK]

12. The so-called "vetting" team

which was only the belated appearance of the Rove cover up squad, brutally revealed in its catch-up application of routine candidate protection.

Dems have to vet to see how they might be attacked. Since most GOP members have problems that no Dem could survive with, "vetting" only involves covering up, bluff and lies, controlling media spin easily(they own it).

[mopinko]

14. clearly a worthy predecessor

to the throne of dick cheney.

[madmusic]

18. k&r

[grantcart]

20. Just think how pissed they are going to be when the rest of the country stops

sending money to Alaska to pay for their infrastructure while they swim in oil money.

those "Thanks but no thanks" may end up being the most expensive 4 words in the English language.

Wonder how popular Palin is going to be when Alaska is cut off from the public teat.

[Blue_In_AK]

29. We have fully expected to have pork reduced

since the Democrats regained the majority in Congress, and we're fine with that. But in fairness, I don't think you can cut Alaska off completely from federal funds unless you plan to cut other states off, too. There are some federal moneys that we're entitled to as American citizens, just like everybody else. We still pay taxes just like you -- big shocker, I know, but you're going to get a piece of our rebates and PFDs.

[Ichingcarpenter]

22. Quit picking on Palin she just had a baby and has taken Maternity Leave

So somebody had to take up the slack.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

24. When Palin loses her bid to become VP in November

I wonder if she'll have much of a political career in Alaska to return to. She might have trouble getting re-elected in her own party because she's given her potential opponents so much ammunition against her.

[Blue_In_AK]

25. Yes, we're pissed.

Sarah is dooming herself here in Alaska.

[Peacetrain]

32. Yowser.. do not mess with Alaskans!!

[Zech Marquis The 2nd]

34. excellent question

Why is the McCain campaign speaking and acting in place for the Governor's office and staff ??? Things that make you go,"hmmmm...."

[1Hippiechick]

35. Of course, he AND the republican party are chauvinist pigs. W/airhead Palin, they have effectively

eliminated a woman running for president, much less being elected. Palin has set the LEGITIMATE female politicians BACK, and I think any female politician is an IDIOT to support her! To me, ANY female who supports Palin is a blithering idiot.