How very Republican of her:


Palin's stall
Governor is stonewalling the Troopergate investigation

Anchorage Daily News

(09/05/08 00:11:45)

Gov. Sarah Palin is taking the wrong approach to Troopergate. She
should be practicing the open and transparent, ethical and accountable
government she promised when running for governor and boasts about now
that she's on the national stage.

Instead, Gov. Palin has begun stonewalling the Legislature's attempt
to get the bottom of allegations that she, her family or staff
violated ethical or state personnel rules.

As a result, the Troopergate allegations hang over Palin's future and
cloud her candidacy for vice president.

The allegations are that she, her family or administration improperly
pressured then-Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire Gov.
Palin's ex-brother-in-law, state trooper Mike Wooten, who had been in
the middle of a custody dispute with Palin's sister.

In July, when legislators started talking about conducting an
investigation, Palin denied any wrongdoing and said she welcomed an
investigation.

"Hold me accountable," she said.

The Legislature took her up on that offer. But this week, she
basically told the Legislature, "Never mind."

Palin's lawyer has asked the Legislature to drop its investigation. He
had the governor file an ethics complaint against herself, in a bid to
turn the entire matter over to the state Personnel Board, which would
hire an independent investigator.

This is not an open and transparent attempt to establish Gov. Palin's
accountability. It is an attempt to drag out the investigation until
after voters decide the fate of her vice-presidential bid.

Instead, Gov. Palin should honor her pledge to cooperate with the
Legislature's investigation, conducted by former state prosecutor
Steve Branchflower.

She could start by telling aide Frank Bailey he has to talk to the
legislative investigator. She should fire him if he doesn't.

Bailey was caught on an audio recording of a phone conversation with a
Public Safety Department official, in which Bailey pushed to get
Wooten fired.

Bailey was put on paid leave, not fired. A spokeswoman for Palin said
that while Bailey is on the state payroll, Palin can direct him to
cooperate with the legislative investigation.

So why is Bailey still on the payroll, after he bailed on a scheduled
interview with the legislative investigator Wednesday?

The Legislature hasn't given its investigator the power to subpoena,
or compel, testimony of witnesses. Subpoenas appeared unnecessary,
since it appeared the governor and administration would be
cooperating.

That's over. It's time for the subpoenas.

The Legislature's investigation is supposed to be wrapped up by Oct.
31. That's obviously poor timing from the standpoint of the McCain-
Palin presidential campaign, coming just a few days before the
national election.

Instead of trying to delay the whole thing, Palin should take a cue
from U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, who asked that his corruption trial be
moved up so it would be completed well ahead of the November general
election. Voters deserve to know the outcome of Sen. Stevens trial and
the investigation into Palin.

When this investigation into Troopergate started, Gov. Palin's
response was refreshingly open. Since she became the Republican
candidate for vice president, her approach has changed for the worse.
America deserves the same openness and ethics from vice-presidential
candidate Palin that she promised to Alaska voters in 2006.

BOTTOM LINE: Gov. Palin is stonewalling on Troopergate; the
Legislature should issue subpoenas.

'Threat'?

Palin's lawyer tries to play Secret Service card

Gov. Sarah Palin's lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, made an absurd threat in
his battle to get the Legislature to back off its ethics investigation
of the governor and her staff.

Van Flein said legislative investigator Steve Branchflower tried to
call First Gentleman Todd Palin directly on "a secure and confidential
line. This represents a serious security breach that we may be
obligated to report to the Secret Service."

Hello? Branchflower is acting on behalf of the Legislature. That's a
security breach?

Lawyers are supposed to vigorously represent their clients, but
claiming that a legislative investigator's phone call may be a
security matter worthy of Secret Service attention is ridiculous.

Gov. Palin should keep her legal attack dog on a shorter leash.

BOTTOM LINE: More obstruction from Palin in Troopergate.

"hk" wrote in message
...
How very Republican of her:


Sounds more like Democrat operation. Where is the investigation of $90k in
a Democrats freezer. And the use of the National Guard to retrieve it?

CalifBill wrote:
"hk" wrote in message
...
How very Republican of her:


Sounds more like Democrat operation. Where is the investigation of $90k in
a Democrats freezer. And the use of the National Guard to retrieve it?

Let's not forget that citizens of Jefferson's district in New Orleans
were still stranded on their roof tops while Jefferson had the National
Guard "escort" him to his house to rescue his frozen $90K.