Palin Investigation Stalled By McCain Campaign, State Legislator Says

ABC News reports:

Is the McCain campaign afraid of an 'October surprise' involving vice-presidential pick Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska?

The Alaska state senator running an investigation of Gov. Palin says the McCain campaign is using stall tactics to prevent him from releasing his final report by Oct. 31, four days before the November election.

"It's likely to be damaging to the Governor," said Senator Hollis French, a Democrat, appointed the project manager for a bi-partisan State Senate Legislative Counsel Committee investigation of claims that Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired.

An Anchorage Daily News story suggests that Palin's lawyer is helping stall the investigation. He's trying to get the probe into the hands of a governor-appointed board:

The state has hired a private lawyer to represent Gov. Sarah Palin's office in the Legislature's investigation into the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. The lawyer already has challenged whether lawmakers even have authority to oversee the inquiry.

...

Van Flein said the investigation should be handled by the state Personnel Board, not the Legislature, because it's "statutorily mandated" to handle ethics cases. The three-member Personnel Board is appointed by the governor.

And he's making it difficult for Special Counsel Steve Branchflower to interview Palin:

Branchflower hasn't been able to set up an interview with Palin. French said the state will fly Branchflower to wherever Palin is on the campaign trail if needed.

"Clearly the governor's new political role will make it more challenging for her to make time for this investigation," French wrote. But Palin needs to be interviewed sometime in September, he said.

Van Flein said the investigation is "bad timing" in the middle of a presidential campaign. He said he couldn't guarantee her availability this month.

If witnesses don't become available, French says, he'll ask for subpoenas.

Comments

[BlueZoo]

The State of Alaska hires an attorney for Palin? What does their Attorney General do? Isn't this his job? I see cover-up written all over this story!

[abouttime]

A cover-up seems to be currently in the progress to me too. almost certainly!

[DoTheMath]

This is a classic:
"Van Flein said the investigation is 'bad timing' in the middle of a presidential campaign. He said he couldn't guarantee her availability this month. '

Clearly, it's the presidential campaign which is "bad timing" in the middle of an investigation. The investigation, or at least the authorization for it, preceded Palin's involvement in the campaign.

McCain and Palin chose to create this "bad timing" and should be the only ones to suffer the consequences.

[GregbeingFrank]

Obama's right on target when he says children of candidates are off limits. Yet, I think there's more to what Obama is saying there then just the children. How comfortable can Obama be feeling right now with the Palin Controversy? While his supporters are having a field day attacking Palin - Obama I think is smart enough to know this won't benefit him like his supporters think. What about Obama's VP pick... Biden/Plagerizing... What about the feminists who encourage women to go into the work place - all of a sudden say it's inappropriate when a Conservative does what the feminists say what women should do? IF Obama loses the election do you see how the election which seems to be his to lose - can be attributed to many of his supporters who did him more harm than good? http://us.imdb.com/name/nm2734923//nm2734923/

[american2008]

Ya, keep trying!

[txgal44]

You can't blame this on Obama. He has nothing to do with this. People have a right to know about Palin! Not her children, but Palin herself. She has to go through it like everyone else. If you want to blame someone, blame McCain! He's using this woman and now it's backfiring. I feel sorry for Palin. I really do. But don't put this on Obama. He's run a near perfect campaign and it's just not his style to stir all this up! You Repubs need to get a grip! Why did you nominate McCain anyway? I'm still trying to figure that one out!

[Ndw]

Oh, they'd blame Obama for anything and everything. Why stop now?

Obama gave THE best defense of this woman that I've yet to see, he gave a message of hope to her daughter. Yet the tr0//s here are blaming him. Willful ignorance and willful malice, & that's all.

[hunterjond]

Please keep in mind that the news regarding Bristol Palin was put out there by the Palins and the McCain campaign in order, they say, to refute the OTHER rumor. I really have to ask why they felt they had to offer indirect "proof" by outing their own daughter's pregnancy rather than simply offering the appropriate hospital records of the birth.

[writerswrite]

Oh come on. You cannot seriously be comparising Biden to Palin in ANY way.

[Grunty1]

Quit spamming.

[abouttime]

We're all equal, but some are more equal than others" - George Orwaell in Animal Farm

This is damaging to due process and exemplifies "politcal" appointments of judges by crimminal executives who want "Justice for all" to exclude their co-conspiritors in crime..
We already know Palin vetted potential appointees based on personnal, politocal and religious purposes. The Alaska state Personnel Board she appointed is tarnished and should yield to the legislature, who definately has the right and obligation to get to the bottom of this sordid tale of poaaible corruption.

[MikeLee7125]

MCCAIN (noticing empty office) Hey, where is everybody?
PALIN Oh I fired them all.
MCCAIN You fired the entire campaign staff?
PALIN I don't think they were supporting me 100% They weren't team players. And they didn't want to buy ad space to trash my no good brother in law!
MCCAIN But who's going to organize my campaign appearances?
PALIN I already took care of that. See.
MCCAIN Wait, these stops are all in Alaska
PALIN Oh the rest of the 49 can go to hell. Alaska is its own country!

[abouttime]

That's good.
I get it.
LOL

[mykefilm]

Found this on the net. It was published in April 2008. Sarah Palin flew on an airplane 8 hours before her baby was born. Talk about judgement!

http://www.adn.com/626/story/382864.html

[TRichards]

The most lasting and destructive legacy of Bush-Cheney will not be the ghastly Supreme Court it has established (with copious help from H.W. Bush and Reagan) but, even worse, the mastery of the art of stonewalling. They've shown how it is done with impunity. Bush II (McCain of course) will continue the new tradition.

Democracy is dead. We have not just its rotting corpse dressed up like Uncle Sam . . . and fiercely cynical, hollow slogans such as "country first".

I'd like to say that the Democrats offer some hope, but it's just the party of the lesser evils. But, fear not, they'll find a way to close the gap.

[akkadian]

...and to think that Rove vetoed Liebermann as VP in favor of Pal-in..
this points to a failure of judgement on Rove's part and weakness
from McCain for enabling this disaster.

[Synnerman]

McCrook.

[wpiv926]

Just like Bush, Rove, Cheney, etc. I'm too important now to come and testify. This Palin thing isn't going away and the McCain bunch knows it. They will let the right wing noise machine pumpout lies to supporters today, get them all riled up, then pull the rug out from under her before the roll call, then blame LIBERALS for her demise, what with all the ground work laying Hannity and them are doing. Republicans are without shame. They beserve every bit of scorn they are getting right now.

[vegangoddess]

not so sure they'll pull the rug because they are flying Levi in to complete the family photo. They brough Bridget out of the slave quarters for the day to parade her with their other "brown" trophies. It's amazing how these neo-cons can talk about taking hats on and off as if you are either a party of American. Aren't they always American??? I thought they had the flag tatooed on their asses!!

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

OCTOBER SURPRISE?--MEET SEPTEMBER DISASTER!

[starfire426]

Please, people...et's heed Senator Obama's warning about attacking the young people in this ongoing scenario (it will resolve itself one way or the other).The Repubs are already attempting to try and make the release of all of this information an attack coming from Senator Obama's campaign (earlier today I saw on CNN a delegate from the Repub Convention mention that "it was liberal blogging sites like Daily Kos that was stirring up all of the negativity towards Palin and her daughter.") We don't want them to try and spin this and cost Senator Obama any harm to his campaign.

In any case, there is plenty of fodder out there on Palin to have the Queen of England dethroned if this was about her, so let's concentrate on the issues at hand.

[TheHandyman]

What? Like impeachment!? Politically naive people like you are so foolish, or are you a paid shill for the GOP who doesn't want the rocks overturned? In case you don't know this, she cannot be held accountable federal government for something she did that was against State law! Quit worrying about Obama, he's not worrying about you!

[sandpiper1]

Obama stated catergorically that it did not come from his campaign. He reiterated strongly that families and kids should be off limits. Remember what the Rep. did to Michelle? They like to dish it out but whine when it reflected back at them. I read that McCain made remarks about Malia and Sasha being brats but have no proof. If true, it will eventually come out. Obama is not responsble for Daily Kos or any other bloggers comments or news stories.

[bowlegs339]

Its not even about Palin's daughter. The fuss is about about McCain's judgement in picking someone who is not qualified nor properly vetted to be his VP. It also calls into question Palin's judgement on supporting abstinence only programs. Guess abstinence didn't work in the Palin household. Who give a darn about Bristol Palin, she's just a casualty of war outed by her own mother.

[SMP]

Leak it out mid October............................where there is a will there is a way.......................THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!!!!

[shubes61]

dear senator mccain,
thank you so much for reuniting the democratic party! :D

yours sincerely,
me.

[Old time Dem]

You can stall all you want, but if the investigation is not completed regarding palin's abuse of power the are a lot of folks casting their ballots for Bob barr.

Those of us who have lived through the Clinton scandals are not voting someone into office that may be indicted.

[sandpiper1]

Are you guaranting this?

[gascelebrations]

Classic!

[jcwtts1]

Gotta tell you, I love the idea of Palin being under subpoena...

J

[IcyAlaskan]

Go Hollis...get those subpoenas, you know that's the only way she'll play now. "Hold Me Accountable" has been dropped in favor of "I'm gonna be the next vice-president, nyah nyah nyah". Where'd she find this Van Flein character? He's not from around these parts. Don't give in and don't give up!

[mcamp52]

What does McBush need to do to further prove he is utterly unfit to govern? This appointment is insane and this appointment is an embarassment to our country. There is something scary and evil about this Republican ploy and the sooner Ms. Palin (and McCain) are exposed for the puppet nutjobs they are, the sooner we can get on with rebuilding our country. Just how stupid do the Republicans think we are?