Sarah Palin Troopergate: Republicans Fail To Unseat Democrat Overseeing Investigation

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A Republican effort failed Monday to unseat the Alaska state senator overseeing the ethics investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power when she dismissed the state's public safety commissioner.

Democratic Sen. Hollis French was accused of manipulating the probe for political effect on national and state elections. Republican Rep. John Coghill last week asked the Alaska Legislature's Legislative Council, the body that appointed French to oversee the investigation, to discuss replacing French.

Coghill said he believed the investigation was lacking in fairness, neutrality and due process after French was quoted in media reports that the probe's results were going to be an "October surprise" that is "likely to be damaging to the administration."

On Monday, Democratic Sen. Kim Elton, the head of the Legislative Council, turned down his request. French's decisions to date have been appropriate, bipartisan and unchallenged, Elton wrote to Coghill. And the comments French made were "corrected in a very public way in the media," Elton wrote.

The investigation is examining whether Palin abused her power by firing Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. Monegan has said he felt pressure from the Palin family and staff to dismiss a trooper, Mike Wooten, who went through a messy divorce from Palin's sister.

Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower, who was hired to conduct the investigation and compile its findings, "will not discuss the status of his review with the media," Elton said.

"I'm sure that all of us can work in a nonpartisan way to accomplish the charge given to the investigator by the Legislative Council," Elton said.

Coghill told The Associated Press on Monday that he was disappointed that Elton seemed to miss the political nature of French's statements and that he would appeal to the council chairman again.

"We all support somebody in this political race, but he took it right smack into this (investigation)," Coghill said of French. "I don't want to stop the investigation, but I think Sen. French has made it very difficult to get an independent view."

Elton declined an interview request Monday but said through his spokeswoman that he will not call a Legislative Council meeting until the investigation is complete. Alaska's House and Senate Judiciary committees meet Friday to decide whether to grant subpoena power to the investigators.

Comments

[serena1313]

How is it possible that voters are willing to accept a completely unknown candidate?

An AOL poll asked if Sarah Palin's record should be questioned. I was astounded that more than twice as many voted no ! If McCain is (god forbid) elected, Palin will be one heartbeat away from the most powerful position in the world. How is it possible a majority do not think she should be vetted!!

Can we trust someone who continues to lie about her record and makes blatantly false accusations against her opponents despite having been debunked by the press? Do Palin's actions match her words?

The public has lived with, for 8 years, an administration that easily lied, twisted the truth and has been less than forthcoming -- do we really want more? Have we not learned our lesson!!

Don't be blinded by ideology.

McCain expects us to accept Palin on his word alone is insulting! Worse some voters do not give a flying f__k! .... (excuse my french, but this really is too much)

Don't You think we ought to know where Palin stands on the issues and who she is before giving her the keys to the WH.

After all our lives, our world and your children's future are at stake!

What kind of world do you want your children to inherit? That is what this election is about!

No person running for office should ever, ever, ever, ever be taken at face value.

[scordsdu]

Dear Publius:

FYI "Troopergate ". The Wolves trying to Police themselves, what a joke! I tried helping US Representative Tammy Baldwin with this and it's dangerous. If the Police don't run her down with their cars while crossing the street with kids in a school zone, they'll try to get her some other way. I feel sorry for Palin having to put up with the twisted Powers' bologna.

[chabuka]

I couldn't be more thrilled....but the GOP will stonewall and obstruct...its what they do...take a look at our politized DOJ..(Thank God its not up to Nancy Pelosi and John Conyers or we would never have an investigation) I hope this investigation sees the light of day and at least a month before the election...you got nothing to hide, toots..? Then you got no worries...

[snowdog]

This report will never see the light of day.

[FORLOMC]

If she did nothing wrong, why is she fighting the investigation. If there is nothing to hide, I would want my name to be cleared. I think she knows she abused her power and is willing to do what ever it take to lie and cover it up. Seems pretty straight forward if you ask me.

[osage]

Sarah Palin in John McCain's fool's gold. She takes the focus off his Bushbot record and offers a bright shinning lie of distraction. And right wing religious zealots are the most low informtion voters in America, so naturally they are diggin the lies she offers up to reel in the suckers. If Republicans could run on a "record" of accomplishments, they wouldn't need to resort to attacking their opponent and lying about who and what they are. Telling voters the truth is not an option for a party that's shoved the incompetence, corruption and dishonesty of George W. Bush down our throats for the last eight years. Sarah Palin is glitter without substance. The more that's known about her, the less she looks genuine. Faux-Christian Americans represent the choir that Karl Rove's accolytes are misleading by singing fictional songs of praise to trick voters into buying the most blindly ambitious and untrustworthy politicians in America.

[Okieborn]

And The Beat Goes On !!
Turn Up The Heat so Mccain will be BEAT !!!

[lthuedk 1]

http://www.light-to-dark.com/palin_speaks_to_god.html

[onlysc]

Ahhh, a candidate under investigation. Good representation.

http://www.democrats.sc/blog/2008/09/03/top-10-reasons-why-sarah-palin-is-unfit-to-lead-our-nation/

[wdw101]

trooper gate is a joke.......it happens all the time......and it is ok

[Unhinged101]

leave it to a neocon to dismiss corruption as being, "ok."

[serena1313]

Iam not sure if you are being sarcastic. While I agree it happens too often, but even once, it is 1-time too many so... No.... it is Not okay !

The abuse of power affects all of us eventually in differing degrees, but don't kid yourselves, it is not in a positive way. Sometimes it is immediately noticeable, other times it isn't. Nevertheless after 8 years of the Bush administration's abuse that led to the erosion of: our civil rights, a weakened Constitution and the dismantling of the check-and-balance system necessitates intensely vetting Sarah Palin.

For the past two years Obama has been vetted, his past completely exposed and his story is well-known. McCain to a lesser degree because the press has not been as diligent as they should have been. Nor can John McCain expect solely on his say-so for us to accept Palin without a full vetting.

Moreover by keeping Palin hidden from the press McCain is being incredibly arrogant and disrespectful of the public. They will work for us if we, the people, decide to hire them. But first they need to prove themselves worthy and so far Iam not convinced.

[tlgeiger62]

Time is running out! We cannot continue to focus on this woman...use what time is left in this campaign to fight for the CHANGE Obama will bring.

Find you local office here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages

[loax]

Phil Gramm got it right- the REPUBLICANS are whiners. Not to mention it will be a cold day in Hell when any journalist has to show defference to Palin because she is a woma. How insulting and demeaning is that? If she can't hold her own with the press, then that is their problem. I want to know everything about this woman!

[neocon666]

Exactly -try to imagine the conservative media's reaction to Barack Obama's campaign demanding that they show defference to him because he's a member of a minority group (well, half of him, anyway).

[fistbump]

You mean by falsely calling him a Muslim? They haven't shown him any deference as far as I can see.

[wdw101]

and if she doesn't make herself available? now what?

[TerroristManGonnaGetYa]

Investigate and let truth define her. She'll start talking then.

[TN60]

Part II

Folks, how do you feel about your tax dollars that went to a "Road to Nowhere" up North when her majesty kept the money and used it.

Big Oil rules Alaska and whomever supports their corrupt efforts gets ahead in the political game. Palin has been "Big Oil's" candidate for all these years. The "pipeline to nowhere" hasn't even been started, yet her majesty is willing to give the Canadian goverment $500,000 to take over building the pipeline, should it ever start, and that gives Canadians jobs, not US citizens jobs. The $500,000 is just a bonus for them to start, not the actual money it would take for them to build it.

Now, "her Moose Majesty" ,according to the McCain campaign, will not go before the press and answer questions until they, the Press, shows RESPECT AND DEFERENCE to her.

What I want to know is what makes her a** so gd special that we have to bow down to her presence in DEFERENCE, before we dare ask if she is qualified to be VP of these United States in which we all live? Is this a gd CORONATION and just who is at the top of the McCain ticket./ Is it PALIN/MCCAIN

[TN60]

Before "Her Moose Majesty" came on the scene, I have to admit that I had never paid any attention to our 49th state other than it was a great place to take a cruise. Since then, I'm afraid that we, in the lower 48, paid too little attention to the "goings ons" in Alaska especially to Todd Palin's 'the first dude" wanting to secede from the United States. That should run shivers down all our spines.

From reading about the modern day Alaska, I've gleened two or three things:

1. Republican strong holds and Big Oil rules the fiefdom like a old fuedal kingdom!
2. Corruption is so rampart in Alaska that it is a "given".

"Uncle" Ted Stevens, their Republican Senator is under indictment. He who supported Palin and she in turn supported him. That is before she was against him. The same goes for their Congressman who is also under indictment. They have been so blatant about their corruption, as has Palin in her short political career, that they can't concieve of anyone questioning them on it.

When the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" became fodder for pork spending, suddenly Palin was against it.

Part 1

[CyrusBeaucephus]

They will however continue to whine incessently until the election. Good luck with that GOPers.