Now she refuses to testify!?!! (Palin)

[Dr. Paragon]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26727937
Palin won't meet with 'Troopergate' investigator
Campaign says governor won't cooperate because investigation is 'tainted'.

updated 7:48 p.m. CT, Mon., Sept. 15, 2008
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A campaign spokesman says Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin won't speak with an investigator hired by lawmakers to look into the firing of her public safety commissioner.

McCain campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan told a news conference Monday that the governor, the Republican nominee for vice president, will not cooperate as long as the investigation "remains tainted." He said he doesn't know whether Palin's husband would challenge a subpoena issued to compel his cooperation.

The campaign insists the investigation has been hijacked by Democrats. It says it can prove Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was fired because of insubordination on budget issues -- not because he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.
Damn! Flip-flopping like that'll give you whiplash.
:rolleyes:

[Hatter]

Clearly her alleged misconduct is the fault of the Democrats. :boggle:

[Singularity]

Wow, that's right out of the Bush administration's playbook. Isn't it a little early to assume that she'll be able to get McCain to pardon her?

[Name Lips]

If the investigator is "tainted," doesn't that mean she's accusing the Alaska state legislature of being "tainted" too?

I get the feeling everybody is "tainted" except her people.

[Varaj]

Those dirty dems set this up even before she was a VP candidate. That is low tactics there. Dems probably did it because she has tits.

[Singularity]

This could be the meltdown I've been hoping will set the McCain campaign back.

[AZRogue]

It's a big mistake on her part. I wonder if they even realize how big.

You don't market yourself as the champion of reform and a fighter of corruption and then start acting like you are, yourself, corrupt.

[Random Encounter]

I think when she said that she wasn't like the usual 'old boy's club' of Washington politicians, that she was different from them, everyone assumed she meant that she wasn't money grubbing, corrupt and power hungry.

Now it's obvious that what she really meant was that she just wasn't as good at hiding it as they are.

[Utrecht]

As one of the defenders of Palin (well at least wanting some rational accounting)

I do have to say based off on initial read, this is a bad move.

[Sobek]

It's a big mistake on her part. I wonder if they even realize how big.

You don't market yourself as the champion of reform and a fighter of corruption and then start acting like you are, yourself, corrupt.
This. Really, I'd like to know if she did this. I doubt it'd affect my vote, since I assume some level of cronyism throughout politics. But, it would be nice to know how cut-throat she really is.

[Hatter]

This. Really, I'd like to know if she did this. I doubt it'd affect my vote, since I assume some level of cronyism throughout politics. But, it would be nice to know how cut-throat she really is.

From what I read of her sister's ex, I can't say I'd blame her for trying to get him fired. Still, an abuse of power is not good when you're running on a message of reform.

[PWD]

It's what pained me the most about trying to convey opposition to Bush to certain true believers. Even if you believe deeply that what you're doing is right, sometimes there are lines you shouldn't cross.

Then again, sometimes you should, I'm a pragmatist after all, but you've gotta think real hard.

[Sobek]

From what I read of her sister's ex, I can't say I'd blame her for trying to get him fired. Still, an abuse of power is not good when you're running on a message of reform.
I don't disagree. If I sounded blase, it's only my political cynicism leaking through.

[Sobek]

It's what pained me the most about trying to convey opposition to Bush to certain true believers. Even if you believe deeply that what you're doing is right, sometimes there are lines you shouldn't cross.

Then again, sometimes you should, I'm a pragmatist after all, but you've gotta think real hard.
And I think that's where Bush ultimately lost my support, too. My lines were just in different places than yours -- or my interpretation of events were.

[PWD]

And I think that's where Bush ultimately lost my support, too. My lines were just in different places than yours -- or my interpretation of events were.

See, and that makes for fascinating discussion, with or without beers.

[Dr. Paragon]

Imagine my surprise....:rolleyes:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26742379/
JUNEAU, Alaska - Five Republican state lawmakers filed suit Tuesday to end the bipartisan investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of the public safety commissioner even though the vice presidential candidate once said she welcomed the probe into allegations of abuse of power.

The lawsuit called the investigation "unlawful, biased, partial and partisan." None of the lawmakers who filed the suit in Anchorage Superior Court serves on the bipartisan Legislative Council that unanimously approved the investigation.

The scandal known as "Troopergate" gained national attention after Republican presidential candidate John McCain chose Palin as his running mate. Since then, Palin and the McCain campaign have sought to distance Palin from the controversy and have taken actions that could slow its resolution until after the November election.

Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan in July. Weeks later, it emerged that Palin, her husband, Todd, and several high-level staffers had contacted Monegan about state trooper Mike Wooten, who had gone through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister before Palin became governor. While Monegan says no one from the administration ever told him directly to fire Wooten, he says their repeated contacts made it clear they wanted Wooten gone.

Palin maintains that she fired Monegan over budget disagreements, not because he wouldn't dismiss her ex-brother-in-law. Still, she said in July that she'd welcome and cooperate with the investigation ordered by the Legislative Council. McCain campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan now calls the investigation "tainted."

On Tuesday, three state representatives and two state senators sued Democratic Sen. Hollis French, who is overseeing the investigation; Juneau Democratic Sen. Kim Elton, who heads the Legislative Council; independent investigator Steve Branchflower; and the Legislative Council itself.

The lawsuit seeks to either delay the investigation until after the Nov. 4 general election or remove French and Elton.

"There is no nonpartisan reason to complete this investigation until after the election," said Anchorage attorney Kevin G. Clarkson. "We just want to take the politics out of it and bring fairness back into it."

Clarkson said he and a nonprofit legal firm in Texas, Liberty Legal Institute, were donating their work on the suit. A phone message for French was not immediately returned.

The Legislative Council, made up of four Democrats and eight Republican, voted unanimously to investigate the circumstances of Monegan's dismissal. Although Monegan was an at-will employee who could be fired for almost any reason, lawmakers wanted to see whether Palin tried to use her office to settle a personal score with Wooten.

Last week the state Senate Judiciary Committee voted to issue subpoenas for Todd Palin as well as nearly a dozen others and to gain phone records of a top aide to the governor. The subpoenas seek to compel their cooperation in the investigation.

O'Callaghan said Monday that Sarah Palin, who was not subpoenaed, was unlikely to speak to Branchflower and that he didn't know if Todd Palin would challenge his subpoena. At the same time, the campaign released e-mails it claimed supported Sarah Palin's assertion that disagreements over budget were behind Monegan's firing.

Among the e-mails released was a farewell note by Monegan. In it, he suggested the governor had reason to believe she had lost his support, and he urged his former colleagues to communicate better with her.

"For anyone to lead effectively they must have the support of their team, and I had waited too long outside her door for her to believe that I supported her," he wrote. "Please, choose a different path."

Palin's lawyer has sought to have the three-member state Personnel Board take over to investigation, alleging that public statements made by French indicated the probe was politically motivated. French had said the results of the investigation could constitute an "October surprise" for the McCain campaign, and he later apologized.

The campaign insists that French, Branchflower and Monegan are friends, even though the men say they only know each other professionally and have never socialized. Democrats charged that the McCain campaign was trying to stall the investigation.

"Rather than cooperating with the investigation, the Republican presidential campaign is doing everything it can to stall and smear," said Patti Higgins, chairwoman of the Alaska Democratic Party.

McCain campaign spokeswoman Meg Stapleton denigrated Monegan at a news conference Monday, accusing the veteran law enforcement officer of "insubordination," "obstructionist conduct" and a "brazen refusal" to follow proper channels for requesting money.

When Monegan was fired, the governor offered to let him head the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Asked why someone with a history of insubordination would be given such a position, Stapleton said that without having to deal with a budget, Monegan would be able to focus on alcohol abuse issues.

The governor "respects the fact that he was respected in the community," she said.

Thomas Van Flein, a lawyer for the governor's office, cited the newly released e-mails Monday in asking the Personnel Board to find no probable cause for an ethics investigation.

In an interview Monday night, Monegan said Palin never raised concerns about his management. In fact, at an event in May, she singled him out and praised his efforts to reduce violence against native women.

"In my time as a commissioner, the governor has never talked to me about complaints about my efforts," Monegan said.

[Varaj]

Imagine my surprise....:rolleyes:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26742379/

I too am shocked that the reps let this vile plot to destroy Palin even start. The evil dems used their atheist black magic to predict the future and only right god fearing reps can hope to stop this. I believe the gays were involved in the dark ritual. I'm sure it was gays having sex with animals while on top of burning flags.

[Freedom Canadian]

From what I read of her sister's ex, I can't say I'd blame her for trying to get him fired.

She's not even investigated for trying to fire her ex in-law. She's being investigated for firing the safety commissioner because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex. No matter how scummy the trooper was, it doesn't mean the commissioner deserved to lose his job.

[Pigs in Space]

Wow, that's right out of the Bush administration's playbook. Isn't it a little early to assume that she'll be able to get McCain to pardon her?

Can the prez pardon people?


That seems a little un-democratic.

[Singularity]

Can the prez pardon people?


That seems a little un-democratic.

Hell yes, and they all do. Clinton especially pardoned a bunch of scumbags on his way out the door. Bush will most likely do it too.

[Name Lips]

They usually save it until the end of their last term, then they go pardon all the criminals that took the heat for them over the course of their presidency.

[Random Encounter]

"There is no nonpartisan reason to complete this investigation until after the election," said Anchorage attorney Kevin G. Clarkson. "We just want to take the politics out of it and bring fairness back into it."

No nonpartisan reason? How about this: the people of this nation deserve to know how Pelin uses the power granted her by the people as an elected official before they cast their vote Nov 4th. If her name is cleared it could be a huge boost for the McCain campaign and if not a huge pain for them, but letting it hang out there just puts a big question mark over her head. This isn't about being partisan, it's about wanting to know the results of the investigation as it is extremely relevant to understanding both Palin's politics and her character.
I already feel that by trying to strongarm, manipulate, deny and now delay the investigation her reputation is getting torn too tatters anyway, no matter the results of the investigation.

[Singularity]

Obama is back out ahead of McCain in the polls. MSNBC is citing this and the fact that McCain downplayed the recession on Monday as the main reasons.

[Hatter]

The market and economic trouble is an advantage for the democrats.

[Utrecht]

Obama is back out ahead of McCain in the polls. MSNBC is citing this and the fact that McCain downplayed the recession on Monday as the main reasons.

Polling does not quite support that assessment...

Gallup has Obama up
Rasmussen has McCain up
Hotline has Obama up

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

All are well within the margin of error.

[Name Lips]

It is a statistical tie.

It probably will be until November. It probably will be a statistical tie up to a month or two later... with all the drama that carries with it.

[Lmik]

Yay - it will be a tie right up until Fox grants it to the Republicans again. It must be very simple having a news channel picking your presidents for you.

[Utrecht]

Yay - it will be a tie right up until Fox grants it to the Republicans again. It must be very simple having a news channel picking your presidents for you.

Because clearly that is what is happening this year :rolleyes:

You need to broaden your horizens a bit my friend.

In 1784 - you could say "It must be very simple having a broadsheets and pamplets picking your presidents for you"

In 1908 you couls say "It must be very simple having a newspapers picking your presidents for you"

This crap has been going on for as long as there were presidential elections.

[FeatsofClay]

Because clearly that is what is happening this year :rolleyes:

You need to broaden your horizens a bit my friend.

In 1784 - you could say "It must be very simple having a broadsheets and pamplets picking your presidents for you"

In 1908 you couls say "It must be very simple having a newspapers picking your presidents for you"

This crap has been going on for as long as there were presidential elections.

Except the newsmen of today, the most biased ones, would flush to hear their predecessors "report". :tongue:

[Utrecht]

Except the newsmen of today, the most biased ones, would flush to hear their predecessors "report". :tongue:

go and look up some of those pamplets or read the muckracking journalism of the early century darn right nasty - the only reason why this stuff appears worse is because of the 24 hour nature of news today.

[Varaj]

go and look up some of those pamplets or read the muckracking journalism of the early century darn right nasty - the only reason why this stuff appears worse is because of the 24 hour nature of news today.

As crappy as US news media is, it is leaps and bounds better than what it was 80 years ago, so I concur with Utrecht in this. Even early film and TV news was horrendously biased.

[FeatsofClay]

go and look up some of those pamplets or read the muckracking journalism of the early century darn right nasty - the only reason why this stuff appears worse is because of the 24 hour nature of news today.

It seems you are vigorously agreeing with me.

Want worse, go back to colonial times. :)

[Utrecht]

It seems you are vigorously agreeing with me.

Want worse, go back to colonial times. :)

Quite - sorry misunderstood.

[FeatsofClay]

Quite - sorry misunderstood.

We would make a great married couple in an 80's Billy Crystal movie. :)

[Singularity]

Even Fox is far more objective than old media sources. The other thing that critics of Fox News don't seem to want to take into account is that CNN is the liberal equivalent.

[Name Lips]

Somebody needs to invent a computer program that can take the intersection of CNN and Fox News so we can see what unbiased news looks like.

[Lmik]

I agree - media coverage is much better than 50 or 100 years ago. What really has made the change however is not journalistic integrity but being able to access and compare opposing news sources easily on the internet to (as Utrect put it) broaden my views.

I was just making a wee joke on the Gore Bush result in Florida (maybe its an urban myth that Fox declared the winner rather than the voters) but we have to get our jabs in at the REpublicans whenever we can because soon it is going to be four more years of.........

[Singularity]

Somebody needs to invent a computer program that can take the intersection of CNN and Fox News so we can see what unbiased news looks like.

They have, and Microsoft helped invent it. It's called MSNBC, and it's the only news channel that I feel is worth watching. Yes, there are some liberal anchors, but there are also conservative ones too, and it actually skews pretty neutral.

[Janos]

Yes, there are some liberal anchors, but there are also conservative ones too, and it actually skews pretty neutral.

Meanders down the line like a drunk taking a sobriety test you mean. But the MSNBC drunk does keep aiming to walk the line, which is more than the other two can claim.

[Name Lips]

The latest: Key witnesses are now refusing to testify. Republicans on the bipartisan investigation panel are making noises about stalling the proceedings. More Republicans are saying the results shouldn't be released until after the election. And the results will be useless anyway without the key witnesses who are mysteriously clamming up.

Basically the investigation is falling apart.

[Random Encounter]

Somebody needs to invent a computer program that can take the intersection of CNN and Fox News so we can see what unbiased news looks like.

I have some friends who don't trust ANY of the U.S. news channels and get thier news fill from BBC news.

[Singularity]

Meanders down the line like a drunk taking a sobriety test you mean. But the MSNBC drunk does keep aiming to walk the line, which is more than the other two can claim.

Yeah, I'll agree with that assessment. I sometimes get pissed off when Scarbrough opens his gob.

[Varaj]

I have some friends who don't trust ANY of the U.S. news channels and get thier news fill from BBC news.

Don't trust that either. Get your news from at least 5 news sources from at least 3 countries.

[PWD]

Don't trust that either. Get your news from at least 5 news sources from at least 3 countries.

Then translate through a babelfish cycle of at least six languages before returning to english.

Then read through your grandfather's prescription glasses while standing on your head and yodelling the national anthem of Yugoslavia.

[Varaj]

Then translate through a babelfish cycle of at least six languages before returning to english.

Then read through your grandfather's prescription glasses while standing on your head and yodelling the national anthem of Yugoslavia.

Word to the mother fucking k!

[Name Lips]

There's somebody... were they here at KT?... who said they liked the South Africa news the best. It was still in English, but it was news from an entirely non-western point of view. Very interesting to see what they think is important enough to report from around the world.

[Singularity]

There's somebody... were they here at KT?... who said they liked the South Africa news the best. It was still in English, but it was news from an entirely non-western point of view. Very interesting to see what they think is important enough to report from around the world.

Ah yes, make sure that Allah is mentioned in every other sentence. Non-western news irritates me quite often because it is far from non-biased.

[Dr_Avalanche]

Just an FYI, if you're getting your news from South Africa, it's exceedingly unlikely that they are going to be islamic in nature. 1.5% of South Africa's population is muslim according to the CIA World Factbook. Compared to some nearly 80% Christians.

[Ink Bleeder]

Ah yes, make sure that Allah is mentioned in every other sentence. Non-western news irritates me quite often because it is far from non-biased.

In South Africa? :confused:

[Merganser]

Ah yes, make sure that Allah is mentioned in every other sentence. Non-western news irritates me quite often because it is far from non-biased.

Seriously, what the fuck? Just because Darkfire's a muslim doesn't make the whole damn country muslim. Buncha wacky Anglicans down there (Desmond Tutu? You remember Desmond Tutu, right?) and probably a peck o' Dutch Reformed.

[Darkfire]

There's somebody... were they here at KT?... who said they liked the South Africa news the best. It was still in English, but it was news from an entirely non-western point of view. Very interesting to see what they think is important enough to report from around the world.

That would've been me :) and I still do prefer it (though the BBC is not so bad on most days)

[Singularity]

Seriously, what the fuck? Just because Darkfire's a muslim doesn't make the whole damn country muslim. Buncha wacky Anglicans down there (Desmond Tutu? You remember Desmond Tutu, right?) and probably a peck o' Dutch Reformed.

Yes, I may have misrepresented the type of news that appears on the air in South Africa. I apologize for the uninformed cheap shot.