Round 2 Of McCain Troopergate Stall: Part Karl Rove, Part Laurel & Hardy

Since Monday the McCain camp has stepped up its personal attacks against Alaskans. They've continued their D.C.-style tactics against neighbors in this small state. The game plan is to find an excuse to stop our Legislature's Troopergate investigation, and hide evidence McCain's folks really don't want to surface before November's election. It's been a little Karl Rove, and parts Laurel and Hardy. How else can you explain the following?

Friday the Attorney General's office promised state witnesses would comply with subpoenas the Legislature issued last week. Tuesday the Governor's Attorney General flip flopped, and announced that state witnesses wouldn't comply because, well, and I'm paraphrasing here - - he's changed his mind. And in what has to be an idea hatched after a 4th Martini at Chilkoot Charlies, Governor Palin's attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the ethics claim she filed against herself two weeks ago. Yup. She really filed a complaint against herself. Tuesday she said she's discovered, after a thorough investigation of herself, that she's done nothing wrong. Does anyone know how to get a hold of Jon Stewart and Tina Fey?

It's silly season up here in the far north, but this week's moves are aimed at one thing: John McCain's effort to find cover for being disingenuous. See, before Governor Palin's nomination for the Republican VP spot, she did the honest thing. She admitted the evidence -- of roughly 20 contacts between her staff and husband with Public Safety officials, seeking the firing of Governor Palin's former brother-in-law -- might lead a reasonable person to the conclusion that the she misused her office to fire a state employee. So when Alaska's Republican-led Legislature called for an investigation, she did the honorable thing and said she and her staff would comply. She denies any wrongdoing.

Things changed on August 29 when Governor Palin was added to the McCain ticket. Since then his handlers have told her she can't testify. They don't want the evidence in this case to come out. They don't want her to testify under oath. They don't want other witnesses to testify under oath. So they have engaged in daily maneuvers to attack, as disloyal to the McCain campaign, anyone who wants the investigation to move forward. They've now attacked two well respected prosecutors, and perhaps the state's most highly regarded law enforcement official -- the Public Safety Commissioner she hired, and then fired, Walt Monegan.

Every day this week McCain operatives have sung the same tune. Today a guy with an East Coast accent, who knows nothing about Alaska, stood in front of a McCain-Palin banner to lead the attacks against people he doesn't know. At press conferences on Monday and Tuesday campaign staffer Megan Stapleton spit vitriol to repeat her argument that this investigation is really a "Democratic" attack on Governor Palin. See, that's easier than just saying their VP has reneged on her promise to testify. It's easier than just saying they don't want anyone testifying before the November election. It's easier than admitting they are stonewalling a legislative investigation. Oh -- and I know they hate partisan stuff. Yesterday 5 Republican legislators -- all allies of Governor Palin, all supporters of the McCain campaign, filed a lawsuit against the Legislature to stop the investigation.

Here are a few things MCCain's operatives failed to say. There are a few small facts that make it hard to style this as a Democratic investigation. One is that Alaska is a Republican State. We have a Republican Governor and a Legislature of 34 Republicans and 26 Democrats. This summer the Legislature's Legislative Council voted 12-0 (8 Republicans and 4 Democrats) to hire an investigator, and appointed Democratic Senator Hollis French, a well-respected former prosecutor, to find an investigator.

Governor Palin stated she and her employees would comply with the investigation. French then hired Steve Branchflower, a former DA who most recently was hired by legislative Republicans to run the state's Office of Victims rights. And on Friday the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 3-2 (2 Democrats and 1 Republican in favor); and the House Judiciary Committee issued a 7 - 0 (5 Republicans, 2 Democrats) advisory vote, to issue subpoenas to witnesses the McCain camp had previously stopped from testifying.

Over the last two days McCain's outside operatives have vilified former prosecutor Hollis French -- as an Obama supporter who must have called this investigation to hurt the McCain ticket. But French was appointed to oversee the investigation by a 12 - 0 Legislative Council vote, and is probably the state's most respected legislator -- by Republicans and Democrats alike. He's so popular the Republican Party couldn't find anyone to run against him this year. They've called former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan -- a Native Alaskan who has served Republican and Democratic Administrations with honor, and put his life on the line in uniform- - "insubordinate." Odd, given that when Governor Palin fired him she offered him a different job. I guess being "insubordinate" was a job requirement for the new position. And they've challenged the independence of an investigator and former DA, who has no animus anyone can find.

Those Swift boat ads taught the McCain folks that if you say something untrue enough times, it can stick. My favorite moment of the week came when Governor Palin's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss Palin's ethics complaint against herself. Stay with me. Her attorneys have been buying the peyote, not me. See, on August 29 they needed to find a way to stop the Legislature's investigation. They tried asking the Republican leaders to call it off, and take one for the team. But the Senate President and others honorably said no. So they came up with an argument that the State Personnel Board -- 3 people appointed by Governor Palin and her Republican predecessor Frank Murkowski - had "exclusive jurisdiction" to investigate wrongdoing by the Governor.

The Legislature wasn't amused. So Governor Palin then filed a complaint against herself. That, they said, put "jurisdiction" in the hands of their friends at the Personnel Board. They argued that since the Personnel Board was now proceeding with an "investigation," the Legislature couldn't. To put icing on the cake, on Monday the Governor's attorneys moved to dismiss the Governor's case against herself. They said, and I loosely paraphrase again -- that they tried really hard and just couldn't find any evidence that the Governor did anything wrong. OK. I can't believe I just wrote that. And I wish it weren't true.

These are the things you have to do when your presidential candidate doesn't want his VP to honor a promise, and doesn't want evidence to come out before an election. These are the things you have to do if your folks aren't going to comply with a subpoena. That's because without spin the headline might read: "McCain Interferes With Investigation Palin Agreed To." How easy it is to re-write a headline. They learned that during the Swift boat campaign too.

All we can hope for is that members of the press will abide by what's taught in journalism school. Not to repeat the spin of political operatives without reporting the truth. Not to write "he said she said" stories, and pretend the truth is somewhere in the middle. But to report the facts. No matter how you spin it, Governor Palin promised to comply with this Legislative Investigation. McCain's folks got her to change her position. And the Legislature that voted for the investigation did so on a bi-partisan basis. End of story. End of headline.

Over the next few days McCain's folks will try to get local legislators to step in line, out of party loyalty, and reverse their vote to investigate Troopergate. But many local Republicans, like Senate President Lyda Green, have so far refused to play those politics. Stay for more from McCain's Campaign for "Change." They've tried to change the truth. They've succeeded at changing Governor Palin's promise to comply with this investigation. Let's see what they'll change next.

Rep. Les Gara, Anchorage, Alaska

Comments

[Gitmo]

This (trooper-gate/cover up) should disqualify Palin right here.

Her 15 minutes are almost up. The Palin bubble is bursting, I knew people would eventually recognize that she is nothing more than a pathological serial liar.

[Pupadup4oBama]

Even the TODAY show was calling her out on her lies and his flip-flops.

[bbbear]

I hope you're right, but never underestimate the utter stupidity of the American people!

[chf2go]

Thanks be to Jesus!

[yukonark]

HuffPost's Pick

Palin's promise of a transparent administration is now sitting on the dung-heap of Alaska politics along with all the major and minor players of the Corrupt Bastards Club. Great article, Les. Also, I never knew you could get martinis at Chilkoot Charle's.

[karela]

HuffPost's Pick

Mr. Gara,
How about submitting this as an op ed piece to the New York Times or the Washington Post? They do this kind of thing sometimes and you are a member of the Alaska House. If you could find an elected republican who would co sign with you, even better.

[athenasword]

Amen to that. The details of this are getting lost on MSM. For example if you only read AP, you'd think it was a lopsided, Democratic led investigation and you may or may not even know that the Republicans of Alaska have played a lage role. Whatever the findings, the investgation may well be invalidated and branded as too partisan to even consider, by the time Rove's team is done.

[libertasdon]

By election day, I have a hunch that Troopergate will recede to nothing much. Palin and Biden will each have their pluses and minuses. The ordinary voters will have had sufficient time to realize that Governor Palin is a refreshingly new political person, one who they can understand and one who will be secondary to John McCain. Biden will be viewed as not Hillary, but certainly experienced, particularly where Obama is not. The focus of the independents will turn to the top of the tickets and how the Presidential candidates did in the debates. Barring unforeseen surprises, it will come down to what do the independents believe is more in the country's best interests: a bright new Senator with little experience, but with no baggage from the last eight years, or an experienced Senator who can demonstrate bipartisanship and the independence of a so-called maverick. Will the independents and other swing voters accept the fresh appeal of Obama, or will they see McCain as an independent Republican with the necessary experience?

[spottedlily]

Bless your Heart. You're trying real hard to be a good person -- but you have been brainwashed
and do not see the republican authoritarians for what they are. Amazing how sheep are so easily led - all with the wool over their eyes.
Stay good and thoughtful. But wake up.

[DrToketee]

No matter what happens in this investigation, people should understand - AT THE VERY LEAST - that this is a PREVIEW if what a McCain-Palin administration would be. In fact, it would likely make the corrupt ol' Nixon gang look like choir boys ...

[mimple]

I do like the Nixon comparison. This break-in, into Palin's E-mail is like the Break-in done to the DNC back in the Nixon days, only this time it is the Democrats doing the breaking in to the Republican house. I wonder if Obama will have the class to resign like Nixon did. I also think you are right about how corrupt the Democrats will get in their attacks, if we get a McCain-Palin administration.

[MadxAsxHell]

Prove the break-in was done by Democrats.
Prove the break-in was done by the Obama campaign.
Prove that Obama authorized the break-in.
Prove the break-in wasn't a Rove dirty trick to smear Democrats.
Prove they didn't know the break-in was going to happen and wiped away all incriminating eMails.

Nixon didn't resign because he authorized the Watergate break-in. Nixon resigned because he was about to be impeached for obstructing justice. He knew there were 67 votes to convict in the Senate.

If you can't prove Obama authorized the break-in, then you are just f@rting into the wind with the usual Republican propaganda.

[athenasword]

Did you even read the article? You don't acknolwedge the Republican support for this investigation?

[DCinFrance]

Excellent read, clear and well written. I love Les to send this as an op piece to the NYT. I believe it would get some legs.

[mimple]

It may hard to turn people, at least honest people, against Palin in this "Trooper Tazers children Gate story. Everyone now knows this despicable Trooper tazered his 10-year-old stepchild, and threatened to kill Palin's father. I think all sane people, Liberal and Conservative, will be with Palin on this one. Who knows though, there are some very crazy people out there that don't care about a Trooper that tazers children or threatens to kill people, as long as they can help destroy their political opposition.

[Squirtapotamus]

The Judge overseeing the divorce warned Sarah Palin to stop with the slander attacks as the were damaging the children's relationship with their father and was a form of child abuse. This was before Sarah became Govenor, tried to get the trooper fired, and then fired the trooper's boss because he was disloyal in refusing to comply with her abuse of power. So then mimple here claims that "all sane people, Liberal and Conservative, will be with Palin on this one."

What an evil thing to say. You're willing to defend abuse of official power to score this kind of personal spite against a hated family member? You are the crazy person.

[mimple]

I don't think you have it correct. I personally don't like the undeniable facts that the criminal Trooper tazered his 10 year old stepchild, and there is something wrong with people who threaten to kill your family member. I was going to say, "I could be wrong on that", but, I AM NOT WRONG ... YOU ARE!!! What Palin did was not only legal, but also the best possible thing to do with a person like the corrupt Trooper in this “TAZER-GATE” investigation.

[Mabila]

You miss the point. She should have stayed clear and allowed the law of the state she governed to take it's course. She abused her power.

[debrouillard]

Well,why dont they go to court and prove that,I a sure if it was true then we would be cheering her for protecting the laws of the land,dont you think?

[LCRover001]

If it did happen then Palin and the rest of her family are guilty of child endangerment, it is against the law to not report child abuse you know. The first time this was brought up was not when it happened but during a divorce and custody battle. A judge told the Palin family to stop spreading this vindictive trash because it was not true and their bad mouthing of the father was harming the children involved. The judge told them to stop spreading unfounded rumors to try to get the father fired from his job, they never did.

Gov. Palin is guilty of this and it seems there is something under the surface that is much more damaging or they would not have started fighting so hard to put a stop to it.

The regard for the law the Republicans show is disturbing, do we want 8 more years of "leadership" by people who do not respect or follow the law?

I don't.

They say this is about credibility, well that hits the nail on the head because from where I'm sitting she has none. This investigation was about abuse of power and from what I'm seeing how her hand picked administrating is handling this now proves she did and is still doing it.

[spottedlily]

McCain's no maverick; he's a rogue. (1st definition)

This should be THE central issue in the campaign now.

How could the national media report Palin's involvement in the investigation as an afterthought? How could Obama miss this?

When McCain picked Palin he showed his utter lack of integrity. He should have disqualified her when he first learned of the investigation: simply because there was the POSSIBILITY she could be found guilty.

Obama should have pounced on McCain's decision IMMEDIATELY! See this doesn't attack Palin, it attacks McCain's decision- making and honor.

McCain is abusing his power in an attempt to squelch investigation into Palin's alleged abuse of power. Who is he to interfere in Alaska's bipartisan investigation?

He shows contempt for our system of ethics and laws.

He shows the national Republican party is criminal.

They are ruining us.

We must make this known everywhere. We must shame McCain for ignoring
this investigation in the first place. Palin should be forced off the ticket. He should be so thoroughly disgraced that he and his second-choice nominee lose this race horribly.

We must stop getting abused by these pigs with their attack dogs. (Note: the reference is sublimely apt as it comes from Orwell's "Animal Farm" -- where there is not even a mention of lipstick.)

[blasphemera]

I thought this whole thing was starting to feel like Animal Farm, too. As a people, we can't entirely escape blame, we've been acting like the drunken, irresponsible, abusive farmer.
Funny, I thought GB was the Orwell king as big brother.
Here come the pigs and the dogs to keep them company.

[ThinkCreeps]

Recall. Convict. Jail.

[gouge]

OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE -its a crime. Lets see CNN print the news and not spin this -as they have been doing. The other night -they literally had the byline up on their site, 'Obama taints probe'....­.I wrote them a congratulatory note on their descent into FLAT OUT EVIL.

[oregondemgrl]

Thanks Les great article!!

[zeboking]

Hmmmmmmmmmm, looks like the lipstick on the pit bull is fading.

[GoCards1978]

I doubt Revlon will be hiring her anytime soon.

[debrouillard]

There was never a pitt bull there,just lipstick.

Pitt bulls dont hide away,they face their adversaries.

What she has been doing since her pick is hide,tuck and run.

[westportmike]

Really great blog Les. Will get it to as many people as I can.

[al11]

keating 5 keating 5 keating 5 keating 5

[cracker]

Like Nixon, Obama needs to be investigated for having one of his people hack into Sarah Palin's emails and posting her personal information. I don't think it's a coincidence given that not even a week ago he was complaining that McCain doesn't use email. Now we know why he was complaining: probably tried to hack McCain's and couldn't. But like good Stalinists, you all will defend him because you don't really believe in free speech or the right to privacy, you believe in harassing and trying to intimidate those with whom you disagree. And you have to try to shut Sarah Palin down using thug tactics because you can't fight her with ideas in the public sphere. And weren't you people going to unite us all? You're just nasty

[Pupadup4oBama]

Wow, you are REALLY reaching there with the "coincidence" that Obama mentioned McBush's computer illiteracy.

Good luck to YOU in trying to prove anything.