Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Palin Failin’ on Troopergate

Sarah Palin has seen better days.  Heck, she’s seen better weeks, better months and – by the time this VP mis-choice is over – better years.

Troopergate just went nukular.

“In Dozens of Calls, Palins and Aides Pressed for Trooper’s Removal” NYT

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The 2007 state fair was days away when Alaska’s public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, took another call about one of his troopers, Michael Wooten. This time, the director of Gov. Sarah Palin’s Anchorage office was on the line.

As Mr. Monegan recalls it, the aide said the governor had heard that Mr. Wooten was assigned to work the kickoff to the fair in late August. If so, Mr. Monegan should do something about it, because Ms. Palin was also planning to attend and did not want the trooper nearby.

Somewhat bewildered, Mr. Monegan soon determined that Mr. Wooten had indeed volunteered for duty at the fairgrounds – in full costume as “Safety Bear,” the troopers’ child-friendly mascot.

Oh no, it doesn’t get much better than this.  McPalin the Wolf Hunting, Polar Bear-hating Mavericky ex-Mayor gunning for Skippy the Safety Bear.

And the compost hits the immemorial blower.

“To all of us, it was a campaign to get rid of him as a trooper and, at the very least, to smear the guy and give him a desk job somewhere,” said Kim Peterson, Mr. Monegan’s special assistant, who like several other aides spoke publicly about the matter for the first time.

Ms. Peterson, a 31-year veteran of state government who retired 10 days before Mr. Monegan’s firing, said she received about a dozen calls herself. “It was very clear that someone from the governor’s office wanted him watched,” she said.

Todd Palin is apparently prepared to throw himself on the grenade.

Times Online has this:

Sarah Palin’s husband campaigned for years to help get his former brother-in-law kicked off the state police force, newly released affidavits show.

….

The 52-page document reveals the extraordinary level of access Todd Palin, nicknamed the ‘First Dude of Alaska ‘ , had to top state officials, more than a dozen of whom he contacted directly to complain about the trooper.

Well, heck, what’s the use of being married to a politician if you can’t exploit that to have undue influence over legal and government operations?!?

Lemme get this straight, Governor, you have been OK palin’ around with a secessionist bent on subverting the government of his state and country?  You’ve been so comfortable palin’ around with him, that you have lived with him for more than twenty years, born his children, paid for his travel and provided him with direct “official” powers within your elected offices?

hmmmm….  And that’s your best case argument?


Mrs Palin had been resisting a subpoena by lawmakers looking into Mr Monegan’s firing since mid-September. She initially said she would co-operate with the investigation, but changed her mind after being announced as the surprise running mate on the McCain ticket.

Now, gosh darnnit, Gov’ner, why would that be?

NYT – Immediately after Mr. Monegan’s firing, Ms. Palin said her intent was to change the department’s direction. (She declined to be interviewed for this article.) She has since offered a variety of explanations for his ouster, most recently accusing him of insubordination and opposing her fiscal reforms.

Fiscal reforms?  Like stopping him from getting resources to combat violence against women, a problem so rife in your state as to approach Olympic Sport proportions?

On Jan. 4, 2007, a month into the Palin administration and his tenure as public safety commissioner, Mr. Monegan went to the governor’s Anchorage office to talk with Todd Palin, who had requested the meeting.

Hang on, the State Police commissioner was summoned to the governors’ offices to meet with her husband???  Is this First Dude of yours in power or not?  If so, is he acting at your behest or not?  Are you in charge, “Governor”, or are you an incompetent patsy just doing what your family tells you and therefore not qualified to even hold the reigns of a Junior Hockey team?

Mr. Palin was seated at a conference table with three stacks of personnel files. That, Mr. Monegan recalled, was the first time he heard the name Mike Wooten.

Ahhhh!  So you were there, Gov. Palin!  With stacks of personnel files!  No doubt just doing clerical work, catching up on your inbox?

Several evenings later, Mr. Monegan’s cellphone rang. “Walt, it’s Sarah,” the governor said before echoing much of what her husband had said. Mr. Wooten, he recalls being told, was “not the kind of person we should want as a trooper.” He told the governor, too, that there was no new evidence to pursue.

OK, my snark cup runneth over.  I could keep up this pretense of being Shocked and Awed at all this, but it appears that the story as told much earlier is essentially the truth.  Sarah Palin abused the power of her office for personal reasons – personal reasons which ran counter to the best interests of her constituents – and furthermore proffered inappropriate powers and duties onto family members.

Run, Sarah.  The Redcoats are coming.


5 comments

  1. From the AP an hour ago:

    On the eve of a report on a legislative panel’s abuse-of-power investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, campaign officials released their own report clearing her of any wrongdoing.

    Well, that clears it all up, then.  I mean, if the McCain/Palin’ campaign report on their candidate’s activity says she did nothing wrong, then it must be true.

    ….

    I promise not to laugh.  It would be uncouth.

    BRB.  gotta go water the dog, or walk the plants, or howl at the moon or something…

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