Palin May Have Fired Aide Over Affair

The Wall Street Journal reports on another Sarah Palin firing -- one that sheds light on the way she mingled personal and political business:

Sarah Palin and John Bitney go way back. They were in the same junior-high band class. Mr. Bitney was a key aide in Gov. Palin's 2006 gubernatorial campaign. When she took office, she gave Mr. Bitney a job as her legislative director, and a few months later stood beside him at a news conference and praised his work.

"Whatever you did, you did it right," she told Mr. Bitney and his team.

Seven weeks later she fired Mr. Bitney for what her spokeswoman now describes as "poor job performance."

What happened in between? According to Mr. Bitney, Gov. Palin got a call from another old friend, Scott Richter, informing her that his wife, Debbie Richter, and Mr. Bitney were having an affair. Mr. Bitney had kept that secret from the governor, even as he told her of his divorce, he said.

...

When Gov. Palin was notified by Mr. Richter in July 2007, she called Mr. Bitney into her office. She already knew he was going through a divorce, and, Mr. Bitney said, he had "led her to believe there weren't going to be any more surprises."

Mr. Bitney said the governor "indicated to me that she was hurt, disappointed and upset, and that she didn't know what she wanted to do."

A few days later, Gov. Palin's chief of staff "indicated to me that I needed to leave the governor's office," Mr. Bitney said.

The Politico has more:

While Palin's office framed the departure as an "amicable" mutual decision, Bitney told Politico that Sarah and Todd Palin "were upset with me about my divorce and who I was dating, and they didn't want that in the governor's office. I wanted to stay with the governor and support the governor -- we're talking about someone who's been a friend for 30 years -- but I understood it, and I have no ax to grind over the whole thing."

Still, Bitney took a line from the "Seinfeld" character Elaine, deeming Palin "a bad breaker-upper."

Palin also fired, according to the Politico, "a campaign adviser whose mother-in-law fought Palin's legislative agenda, a local political mentor who she felt represented the "old boys' network," a police chief who she said tried to intimidate her with "stern look[s]" and a state commissioner who refused to fire her sister's ex-husband."

Comments

[FullOnReality]

keep trying hippies. all you're doing by going after Gov. Palin is digging yourselves deeper and deeper. poor ole barak marx is going to get thumped big time in november.

[Chey]

So let me get this straight. It's ok for the Republicans to desperately dig up dirt on Obama about his religion, family, and his pastor, but couldn't find anything that could stick. I mean they were totally reaching with Barack. But God forbid anyone dig up dirt on this woman that has a 16 year old daughter pregnant by an 18 year old (statutory rape) and has a history of firing people for no reason.

It's politics and if it's ok for one person than it's ok for the other.

[stepintothelight]

Unless you are a Black Man. Then you will have to deal with the dynamics of rule change that happens when the big WHITE lie starts to collapse!!!

[BobsNotWorking]

I guess we'll see Spiro.

[RealitySlap7]

Unfortunately, the old adage "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people" rings loud and strong in these united states....­.but then again, we are reaping as a people exactly what we have sown, but at some point even the village idiot has to say enough is enough! As a very patriotic American, I hate what the republicans have and continue to do to my country...­.there really is a cultural divide in this country just as deep as the one leading up to the American Civil War....as much as I'm disgusted with republican policies, I am even more disgusted with those who continuously vote for politicians who support the neanderthal policies of the Republican Party.

[Chicago48]

This is a non-story and means nothing. Plenty of politicians (Governors, mayors) fire people for stuff like this esp. if it becomes embarassing to their administration. We don't know the specifics. All we're getting is that she's very vindictive and fires people at the whim. If you're an appointee you're subject to firing if you chew gum wrong. However, the firing should have had an appeal process.

[gulfcoaster]

Even assuming that you're right and that it happens all the time, don't forget that this woman is campaigning on a platform of transparency and ethics in gov't. She shouldn't be allowed to hold herself out as "little miss breath of fresh air" while at the same time engaging in this type of behavior. She should at least be honest and tell the public that if she's elected she intends to delve into the private lives of those who work for the gov't. Then, if the public puts her into office we'll only have ourselves to blame. And it hardly shows a willingness to be transparent when every time someone criticizes her the campaign cries fowl.

[Independent360]

I guess that is one of the duties she can perform for McCain. Palin doesn't fit McCain's description for VP; however, Palin has terminated employees on several instances. This maybe the one area she has experience in that the McCain camp talks about in re experience? Perhaps McCain can demean women more than by just selecting a woman with little no experience for VP and make her the highest paid Office Mgr.

STEPHANOPOULOS: What authority would you delegate to the office of vice president? And should those authorities be more clearly defined through a constitutional amendment?

MCCAIN: Having been considered for that post several times, I've thought a lot about that. The vice president really only has two duties. One is to cast a tie-breaking vote in the case of a tied vote in the Senate. And the other is to inquire daily as to the health of the president. I really would do what some presidents have done in the past.

A vice president brings a certain area of expertise and talent. I would probably assign some of those areas, like telecommunications or some other important issues.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So not as wide-ranging as Vice President Cheney had?
MCCAIN: Look, I would be very careful that everybody understood that there's only one president.

Source: 2007 GOP Iowa Straw Poll debate Aug 5, 2007

[rene50]

really i am from the netherlands.
What I and many others do not understands how it is possible that a republican candidate is not a landslide behind in the polls.
Your country elected a war criminal as president,who should be in the hague.
We cannot understand why so many americans are still behind a bush clone,way too old who choses a puppy doll who really looks awful as his running mate.
What will happen if the old man dies,is she the one who is going to rule the world.
Un believable that the polls do still give the old man a victory.
The republicans gave you a lot of dead bodies,are destroying the world,your country is almost bankrupt.
Human rights they never heard of that.
guantanomo a a legal torture camp.
I still hope that obama wins,I put my hope to the debats,for Obama will beat the old man easily in the debates,
But your country is very good in electing the wrong persons,in stealing elections,in killing democates candidates and peacefull people like martin luther king.
I always wondered why has there almost never been such attacks on republican candidates.
The other thing we in holland wonder why on the republicans convention there were hardly any not white people,looks to here still a party who is against coloured people.

Also that talk about the greatest country in the free world.. well that is not true.

[mikekev58]

I won't defend anything about the way campaigns are conducted here. It's just a matter of fact that Republicans will stoop as low as they can to win and that our so-called "liberal media" will extend the narrative that the Republicans set up. Today, the media is atwitter over an innocuous statement Obama used and the breath taking accusation of sexism by the McCain-Palin camp. Democrats have to battle not only a ruthless, take-no-prisoners strategy by the GOP but also with the dimwitted, lazy media that makes a non-issue into a major issue. It's disgraceful, but it's become the American way in politics.

I would take issue with your comment that our country elected Bush. It's clear he stole the first term and the corruption in Ohio on Election Day '04 gave him a very tarnished win. As I understand it, it was the narrowest win for an incumbent president. So, when I hear that "we" elected him, I will say with a loud voice, "No, WE didn't elect him either time." 51 - 49 per cent is still a win, but it's obviously not a mandate from the American people.

[lexkw]

I know facts have no meaning to those who hate George Bush, but I'll give it one more try. The NY Times along with several other media outlets who wanted nothing more than to prove Bush stole the election did their own independent count of the votes and finally had to admit in print that in the election of 2000, Bush had the majority of votes.

The voting in Florida would have been a moot point if Al Gore had just carried his home state. Same for John Edwards in 2004. When those who know a candidate best withhold their vote, that says a lot about the quality of the candidate.

The irony is that I'm not a supporter of George Bush. The Democrats could have had my vote, especially in 2004, but they keep pulling candidates out of the field of the far left and then when they are not elected they can't accept that they chose a bad candidate. The best they can come up with is that the election was stolen.

[lexkw]

If it is not the greatest country, do you have another nomination? Also, considering the Dutch's historical 'dealings' with Africa and other parts of the undeveloped world, please be careful about accusing anyone else of being against coloured people.

[stepintothelight]

Hey idjit ... do not speak for us. Your stupidity does nothing but reinforce the idiocy your ilk has painted as American mentality.

[stepintothelight]

Sounds like somebody out there needs to adapt a preemptive strategy. I know this country is looking more menacing every day. And I am on the inside looking out!!!

[MRb1000]

Read!
http://www.nationalenquirer.com/_palin_family_shockers_what_sarahs_really_hiding/celebrity/65407

[RobinSeattle]

Well Republicans, you only have yourselves to blame. You gave the Enquirer lots of credibility when you demanded that the MSM pick up the Edwards affair story and now that paper presents you with some pretty lackluster parenting and infidelity on Sarah Agnew-Palin's part.

Enjoy!

[skeptaholic]

Johnny B. Goode better watch out for his job.

http://www.usvetdsp.com/mcaindiv.htm

If Palin reads this, she might fire him.

[BobsNotWorking]

Wow that's funny! I've gotta say though - she is one hot mama! I'm sure every piece of wood in Alaska's been chasing her since she was twelve or thirteen. It won't surprise me at all if this family actually does have these kinds of things going on. We all know that beauty can be real big trouble. A little like red meat tossed into a lion's den. There is gonna be trouble.

[6LUKE2026]

If I was Levi Johnson, I'd insist on a paternity test.

[jcoppo]

Hypocrisy is the very core of the Greedy Oil Party.

[Whinger]

Everything that glitters is not necessarily gold.

One of these days her boots may walk all over you!

[FACINGREALIT]

Latest Enquirer is more bad Palin news

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/_palin_family_shockers_what_sarahs_really_hiding/celebrity/65407

There is also another 'alleged' b a b y d a d d y (either this guy is really crazy or he has some real proof ) either way this Palin mess is getting to be too crazy! I don't know what to think anymore - I pray it is not a H o a x or this kid's life is over as he knew it!

http://www.blackbottom.com/watch.php?v=WdBJd9b9i8A

[darker]

Why is Palin firing others for affairs? It's NONE OF HER AFFAIR!
Palin should get off her HIGH MOOSE and get down to earth with all us "real people".

The fact that Palin's a politician makes her UNREAL.
Another Republican LIAR presented by 8 YEARS OF BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

NO THANKS...

[blogger2008]

In just pray the American public sees beyond their noses...Th­at's all!

[pixie]

Sarah Palin makes Bush and Cheney look sane.

This woman is a serious nutcase.

[truthsayer]

Amend that to say Bin Laden, other terrorists and world leaders - didn't mean to imply that Bin Laden is a "world leader"...­..however, after 7 years of big, scary Bush/Cheney, he is still alive.....­..

[truthsayer]

If poor Ms. Palin is afraid to talk with reporters, how in the world is she going to take on Bin Laden, and other world leaders? Whose coattails will she hide behind then? This woman could be a heartbeat away from the presidency and she's afraid of talking with the media? Wow. I knew Republicans were cowards...­....

[zann]

They seem like some goofy comedy team, making one absurd claim after another, yup yup. I'd watch them on a sitcom as long as I don't have to see them pretend to tell the truth any more.