Saturday, October 11, 2008

Palin denies she abused power

And she's lying.

That was easy.

By the way: the vote was 12-0. And there were 8 republicans on the panel.

The report explained. (She broke no laws regarding Monegan's firing; she broke the law in regards to the pressure put on him to fire Wooten.)

The Anchorage Daily News gets out the chainsaw:

The governor let her husband, Todd, use the governor's office and its resources, "including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired," Branchflower wrote.

"She had the authority and power to require Mr. Palin to cease contacting subordinates, but she failed to act," he wrote.

This created conflicts of interests for the state employees Todd Palin was contacting. "They must choose to either please a superior or run the risk of facing that superior's displeasure and the possible consequences of such displeasure. This was one of the very reasons the Ethics Act was promulgated by the Legislature," Branchflower wrote.


[puts on chirpy squirrel voice] "I'm gonna reform Washington!"

Uh huh.


Digg!

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please put her in jail.

Do we need chenney in office again?.

Shame on us.

Anonymous said...

Abusing Power ha? Now that is what I call Executive Experience. Blah

Anonymous said...

Sounds like she is hinging her argument on a technicality of language, that she "violated no law". The inference is that it wasn't criminal behavior. But this was never a criminal justice issue. It has been about the ethical use of power and abusing it in order to go after someone. While that alone might not disqualify her candidacy for vice president, it does add yet another question about her fitness for the office, and the Republican party only damages its own credibility by falling on a sword for this person. Clearly, Palin has given her husband a lot of de facto authority in her office, and that is worrisome for obvious reasons. The idea that an open secessionist with a high school education might have that kind of influence on a national level is very troubling to say the least.

Charliie Bradley said...

I think the Governor has two important tasks which must be fullfilled IMMEDIATELY. The first is to resign as Governor of Alaska and the second is to ask McCain to choose another running mate. All along I've been saying this woman is dangerous, as have so many others, and it turns out that we're right.

Unknown said...

I would really like to know why Todd Palin had the run of the Governor's office to begin with? Why is he so involved in the State of Alaska's government if he isn't a voted in person. Just because he is married to Governor Palin, doesn't give him the right to use her office at his whim. And, how can she deny anything after the report was issued saying that she "abused her power"? And why is she getting her rallies so enthralled in hatred? Spouting off hate remarks such as "pallying around with terrorists"? Is Sarah Palin a closet racist? She doesn't have the stuff to admit it if she is.....

Wendell Franklin Wentz said...

What did you expect her to say?

Anonymous said...

Why are they wasting time on this minor incident? Start questioning Obama and his terror friends instead.. !

Anonymous said...

The lawyers representing Palin and her husband, Todd Palin, issued a three-page attack on the investigative report, including the contention that Ethics Act violations can only involve financial motives and financial "potential gain, or the avoidance of a potential loss."

I'm no legal expert, but the statute does read:
The legislature reaffirms that each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust.

LT said...

Last anonymous:

Statute reads: "...personal OR financial interest..."

Did you somehow miss that? And are really you unable to come up with any other circumstances that would violate the Ethics Act that wouldn't have anything to do with money?

Anonymous said...

*PALIN BILLED ALASKA FOR FAMILY CHURCH OUTINGS - *

Palin and her family have spent more than $13,000 in taxpayer funds since
2006 to attend at least 10 religious events and meetings with Christian
pastors, including Franklin Graham, Billy's son.

Are we asking them to vet her? Since she does not talk to anyone, god help us all. She's another vp, like under Bush now and we need a CHANGE. NO way no how no mcshame

Anonymous said...

Is it time for her to resign the campaign....you betcha!

Unknown said...

It was Alaskan Republicans who initiated the bipartisan enquiry and she agreed to it. However, when she agreed to be McCain's running mate, the Karl Rove style group running the McCain campaign, decided it was the Democrats who inutuated the enquiry. The Republicans are a bunch of sleaze bags running a very dirty and lie-filled campaign. Hopefully Americans are not so dumb to vote the McCain/Palin ticket into office.

Unknown said...

If she goes to jail, she would simly run the country from a cell block. That seems to be the direction this country wants to move, so be it.

see "Idiocracy."

Anonymous said...

Wow Anonymous, way to show your free-thinking spirit. Just because your party leaders call someone a terrorist, you automatically believe them. Just like when they said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq,...whoops! Just like they said that Saddam had close personal ties to the people responsible for the terrorist attacks on 09/11/01...whoops! And this is the same crowd that stood by and watched a city drown because the man in charge was not well bursed in public policy or emergency management,..no, he was a campaigner and an Arabian Horse judge that got FIRED!...WHOOPS!! Or how about the folks who 'pal around' in the White House and think it's cool to play fast and loose with the confidential identities of CIA agents (that actually preventing nukes gettig into our enemies' hands) who present evidence that go against their agenda, big WHOOPS!!

Yeah, I'm sure you know what to sift out as truth, with ALL the credibitlity that they have and track record for being right. I envy your blind faith and short memory, it must really help people like you sleep soundly at night.

As far as the Republican brand, this is kinda of one of those situations where they're the owners of a big and popular (within demographic segments) restaurant and franchised out to some owners who now couldn't pass even a basic health inspection. I'm really going to enjoy the walking papers the party gives McCain and Palin when their shennanigans, lies, antics, and failure to uphold the same values their party holds dear becomes too much to bear.

Once its over there will be no one keeping McCain from the retirement home escapee squads, or the Palins from doing a Couples' Perp walk.

Anonymous said...

People (as usual) focus on the wrong issue. This is not, of course, about firing Monagan. This is about allowing a family member the run of the Governor's office to gain a *personal* benefit - which was to fire a despised brother-in-law (or ex).

This should raise other questions - what other uses did Todd Palin put the Governor's office to? Did he gain any other benefits from this? Did Sarah Palin allow any other uses of the Governor's office for personal gain (such as billing the government... er *the people*... for personal events and time)?

When someone says that the opposition candidate has questionable judgement, one should always make sure one's own closet is empty.

Yeah, the Republicans will say "But Todd isn't a terrorist", but the fact is that Ayers was never given privileges of the office, regardless of what else he may have done, and there is no evidence that there has ever been any quid pro quo in that relationship.

However, according to this report, which was not disputed, Palin has a history of allowing a person who was not elected to use the facilities and privileges of the elected office for personal benefit.

This, my friends, is what I would call questionable judgement.

Anonymous said...

"Inspite of that, Gov. Palin's firing of Commissioner Monegan was a PROPER and LAWFUL EXERCISE of HER CONSTITUTIONAL and STATUTARY AUTHORITY to hire and fire executive branch department heads" that is right from the report. Doesn't matter how many were from the GOP on this panel. as we all know the GOP doesn't really like her since she took on there good old boys network and beat there friend the former Gov. The panel even states they can't do anything about this. They just want to embarrass her and it will not work. Now more then ever I will vote for Palin and McCain. Shall we talk about tony, or acorn?? that would be fun for a real panel to look into. All of these attacks on her just because your so afraid of her point of view.

Unknown said...

Trig 2016!

Anonymous said...

She took on the Old Boys network so she could put her own in place

MileHiRod said...

First, it was an ethical violation. When you hold an office of public trust, you are subject to losing that office. As a lawyer, I know what the ramifications are, disbarment is certainly a possibility.

But the report aslo says that they have lied. The stories about the taser and threats were lies, cover.

In plain Palin speak, she is a liar.

Anonymous said...

Not just mediocre, crooked too. The US as the shining beacon of freedom, justice and democracy in the world. Yeah, right.