Palin Reason For Quitting Appears To Be False

The Plum Line:

One of the chief reasons Sarah Palin has given for resigning as Governor of Alaska is that her state's taxpayers are being forced to spend money defending her government against ethics complaints that would otherwise fund teachers, cops, and road repair.

But in response to our questions, a spokesperson for the Alaska governor's office just gave us new information that casts serious doubt on this assertion. The revelation makes the resignation episode even stranger, and raises fresh questions about the real reasons for her abrupt departure.

Read the whole story: The Plum Line

Comments

[Wstephen]

I urge you all to go to WSJ website and read Noonan's entire column. It is beautiful, and absolutely right-on about why the republican party should say a relieved "good riddance" to SP.

[lifesucks]

SP supporters - the real enemies are the repugs that Palin will have to run against in the primaries, should she decide to announce her candidacy. Do, you think they are not trolling for ammo on the Internet that they can shape into ads against her. Do you also think that these men are simply going to hand Palin the nomination and then line up to be her VP?

So, the real showdown has yet to begin. The male repugs are standing by waiting to make their move, and it ain't gonna be a pretty sight.

[TheWaffle]

I almost hope that she will join the 2012 race just to see Mitt Romney destroy her at the debates.

[dotbed1]

Why are we still talking about Sarah Palin? The BIG story today should be about the" TWO FEMALE" FIREFIGHTERS in the city of HOUSTON Tx who are being harassed on the job in a manner that borders on treatments of minorities and women of long ago . Who said that we have come a long way ? There are those who are still angry because we now have a BLACK President and are lashing out at those who they see is different . The long serving FF in Houston have been on the job for 16&7 yrs .They have been called names ,slurs over the firehous speaker system and other very ugly hateful things . The two FF had to take vacation time and the AG office is investigating charges against the 50 MALE FF who are behind this terror. This is racisum at it worst , however no one in the media are covering this, not CNN, MSNBC,FOX, or anyother large tv orginations . What is the deal with that ? Could it be that Judge Sotomayors confermation hearings are coming up and they do not want to bring enfience to the fact that what she ruled on in the FF test that she threw was the right thing to do .Come on CNN get the out there.Women who are working to take care of their families should not have to deal with terror on the job from MALE co-workers . This is racists behavior and should not be

[lifesucks]

I would say yes to all of the above. There is certainly the smell of retalitation in the air on all points. Perhaps Roland Martin will cover these overt issues of racism on his new CNN show.

[skatoolaki]

Actually, this would fall more under "sexist" than "racist" behavior, but yes, you have a valid point otherwise.

[Fishstory]

Palin is a snakeoil saleswoman. The state has spent less than $300,000 on ethics complaints (5 of which were filed by CONSERVATIVES!). Over half of that money was spent on Troopergate, an investigation Palin called for herself. She is just trying to drum up sympathy so people will donate to her PAC. It is shameless. She is no better than the televangelists that bilk the elderly out of their fixed income by playing on their emotions and their faith.

http://www.adn.com/palin/story/850854.html

Reformers don't collected per diem for staying at home and then try to avoid paying taxes on it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/02/18/ST2009021803325.html

[bogues]

In Palin's resignation announcement the other day, she said she and her husband had personally incurred about $500,000.00 in legal fees that they were having to pay. I saw an interview with a young woman who helped create a legal defense fund for Sarah when she first got tapped for the VP position. Either the defense fund has been unsuccessful in raising enough to cover those expenses or Palin is trying to get people to feel sorry for her and misleading them in the process.

[lifesucks]

It's called the Alaskan Trust Fund that Palin and her husband started with the help of her bff Kristan. On one of her PAC websites, it states that the fund was specifically designed to handle the legal fees for not only Palin and her family but other government staffers so that it would not interfere with their ability to run an effective administration.

So, I too wonder whether or not they raised enough money to handle these legal fees. Have any other administration officials had to use it?

[lvdragonlady]

Did anyone really think she would tell the truth about why she is resigning? Like that would happen.

[fedupinfla]

Not as long as she can milk the sympathy vote...

[jimbeaux1961]

See, this is just one more frivolous charge Sarah has to defend herself against! Why can't you people just leave her alone?

[widdles]

We will gladly leave her alone . . . . . when she leaves us the heck alone!!

[lifesucks]

Well, for one, I personally did not file an ethics charge against SP, and secondly the most amount of money was spent on issues that Palin brought on herself - like the firing of Walt Monegan.

When someone takes an elected office or they decide to run for an elected office they should be subjected to all the scrutinity availalble, and I don't care who it is. We - aka - you people - have the right to know and express our concerns.

[fedupinfla]

First of all, it was Palin herself whose actions warranted ethics investigations. Despite what you think, there isn't this mass conspiracy of people sitting around just thinking up reasons to file complaints.
Palin was the one who told Alaska to "hold her accountable" and then proceeded to hire her school friends to work on the very personnel board thats supposed to investigate her...So guess what?!? A lot got thrown out as "frivolous" that shouldn't have.

I'm hoping the latest complaint filed (collecting per diems for staying in her OWN HOME) won't be as easier dismissed....

[mudkitten]

I'd be happy to "leave her alone", but not unless she is honest and ethical. She seems unable to do that, so we are going to hold her accountable, just like she told us to when she was elected.

[Prakosh]

It's obvious from looking at her resume, that besides having 5 babies she really hasn't produced much except her house and that sports arena at a cost of $27 million to the U.S. taxpayers and $20 million to the taxpayers of Wasilla. That's not bad for a sports arena that supposedly only had a $13 million dollar price tag. Yet, when she gets ready to quit another job, she whines about wasting taxpayers money. With her record I'd say even if she didn't get the specifics correct, she was at her core onto something. Unfortunately it will be awhile before the taxpayers find out just how much money she frittered away in her position as governor. But I can't believe given her exemplary record that it won't prove to be substantial.

[Halfling67]

Let me guess.

She's pregnant and the father is not her husband.

No?

[LeftVetPatriot]

So, you're saying she's a quitter AND a liar!?

[Wiseronenow]

What I find even more interesting is that the Palin tr0//s were extolling her virtues because she represented something they wanted to be. Now that she has quit, is she equally exposing what her following actually represents? Kind of hard to come to the defense of a looser even for tr0//s.

[LetMeUnderstandThis]

Surprise! another lie from the Quitter!

[hortonhearsdawho]

she's having an affair with perry...

[hrholmes]

actually it was the tag team of spitzer, ensign and sanford.

[progressivegreg]

Sarah Palin, the Ultimate example of "The Peter Principle"!

[PurplePeon]

Apparently the article's author has never heard the phrase "time is money."

While the lawyers would be collecting salaries regardless, it does take them away from completing other duties in a timely manner. There is no mention of what has to be put on the back burner in the time being. The article also does not take in to account extra costs incurred beyond simple salaries, which anyone who has ever dealt with lawyers before, knows they really add up. And no mention of tying up state resources while the time-consuming, frivolous complaints are being dealt with.

Anyone who thinks the false complaints do not have a monetary burden on the state is seriously fooling themselves.

[MJD NewYork]

Here's yet ANOTHER Palin lie:

Palin lied when she wrote in the NYT that a comprehensive review by Alaska wildlife officials showed that polar bears were not endangered; in fact, email correspondence between those scientists showed the opposite.

[PurplePeon]

Palin has a NYT byline? This I've got to see. Give me a link.

[MJD NewYork]

This is fun!! Yep, you got it. Another Palin lie:

Palin lied when she recalled asking her daughters to vote on whether she should accept the VP offer; in fact, her story contradicts details given by her husband, the McCain campaign, and even Palin herself. (She later added another version.)

[PurplePeon]

Yup, I actually caught that contradiction the same day.

[MJD NewYork]

And the Palin, the pathological liar, just can't stop herself:

" In an interview last week with CBS News anchor Katie Couric, Palin suggested that her contact was more than just awareness of Russia's nearness. When Couric asked Palin if she'd "ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians," the governor replied, "We have trade missions back and forth."

But Steve Smirnoff, the Russian Federation's honorary consul in Anchorage, said Palin never accepted his invitation to open a dialogue with Alaska's neighbor."

[PurplePeon]

It was a BS political answer, granted.

But lets not forget what is typical of all politicians. Even the Messiah.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/personalities/barack-obama/statements/byruling/false/

[serialcoma]

Except the complaints weren't frivilous and resulted in palin's having to repay the state for her childrens' travel expenses, her charging the state per diem while living in her own house, resulted in the disclosure of improper use of private e-mails to conduct state business and in the revelations regarding Todd Palin's improper role in the Troopergate investigations... you should really try and learn some facts before defending criminal activities...

[PurplePeon]

How many complaints, out of how many filed, were validated? That's right. So, with that in mind, how can you say they weren't frivolous?

[lifesucks]

SP said that the money being spent on "frivilous" ethic charges took money away from other things - according to this person in AK, such was not the cases. Perhaps you should take your argument up with him.