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

[NotImpressed]

Obama campaign:
Sues to stop disenfranchising people who've been foreclosed on.

McCain campaign:
Sues to stop investigation of VP nominee for abuse of power.

Country first?

[CTtransplant]

Thank you, NotImpressed! Simple and to the point!

[mojojanglesjoe]

LOL!!! When my father told me people have their priorities all wrong these days, I think he was talking about the republicans.

[BIG JOHN]

THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF HOW THE U.S. WILL BE RAN IF THESE TWO PEOPLE ARE IN THE WHITE HOUSE. WHAT HAPPEND TO GOV. OF THE PEOPLE, OH I FORGOT ONLY CONSERVATIVES ARE PEOPLE.

[Agent420]

Journalists are an endangered species and should be listed.

[Calidris]

What's the difference between a Wasilla hockey mom and a pitbull?

Flip-flops

[gouge]

WOW! thanks Les for the terrific piece -everyone at Huffpo should read this, and get up to speed on what's going on. Looks like obstruction of justice to me-

[applescruff]

McCain and Palin are already sounding like a third term of a Bush Administration. Won't honor supoenes,don't have to cooperate. "Big partison witch hunt....yada yada same old song and dance.

[AnABCinCA]

So bizarre. Ultimately, this is a matter for the Alaskan government to work out, so it will be up to the citizens of Alaska to make their feelings known to their elected representatives. After McCain's people are long gone, those legislators will have to face their constituents, so they'd better do the right thing.

[CL696]

Did you say Travelgate?

[IhaveaDREAMwhitegirl]

Laurel and Hardy, more like Looney Tunes : Yosemity Sam - - McCain
Bugs Bunny__guess
Elmer Fudd - - - - Palin
(w/lipstick)

Fog Horn Leg Horn-- Thompson (thanks Jon Stewart!)

Keystone Kops would have to be McCain's campaign strategist.

Are my musings immature? Possibly, but I can't get the "Three Stooges" theme song out of my head since reading todays blogs! Truth!

[The5thW]

Just watched Chris Matthews completely mis-characterize this story. Unbelievable the drek the average voter hears. Honest people like this guy and Moneghan build this country and fools and liars run it in the ground.

[Snerdgronk]

Yes ... That seems to be the case - builders of community and exploiters of community. The exploite(R)s could not have done so without enabler and fools. The fools have had their day ... hopefully.

Kes Gara is one of 'them' journalists who renew my faith in the human project, in the process of self conscious thought ... thought characterized by the ability to think about itself, its construction and about its content.

As an endeavor, it stands in stark contrast to the Mc'Cane'/Palin blatant lying, clearly repeating what is patently false, and moving the polls when doing so ... Quite the unbelievable phenomenon!

Snerd

[caligal83]

Has anyone taken an opinion poll of Sarah Palin from Alaskan residents since she was nominated? I would love to know her approval rating now.

[mperry129]

Here's an anecdotal sample for ya:
http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/09/14/alaska-women-reject-palin-rally-is-huge/

The showing was impressive...the largest political rally in Alaska's history was anti-Palin.

[Tobiasism]

Thank you for that.
How the hell do we get the media to cover thsi coverup?
The media does like a coverup story.

[normathumb]

How is this interference from the McCain staff not obstruction of justice? How is it these guys have any standing in this case? This is such a shameless coverup of an issue that was already in process before palin was selected. McCain bought a car with no exhaust system and two flat tires, as is, and now wants to wax it up and pretend nothing is wrong.

[libertasdon]

""How is this interference from the McCain staff not obstruction of justice?"

--Posted by normathumb on 9/17/08

Because there is no legal obligation for the governor to cooperate. There must be an underlying crime and a legal basis for compelling the governor to testify, such as a valid subpoena. The tactic of investigating a government official for exercising a legal right, such as firing a subordinate who serves at the pleasure of the official, makes good politics only so long as the discussion fails to focus on the lack of probable cause that a law was broken. Ostensibly, the Alaska legislative council would say, "we want to investigate to see if any law was broken." This is called a fishing expedition and, generally, targets of such ignore these tactics. Time will tell. If there is no there there to this investigation, then McCain and Palin will be vindicated, and possibly elected. If sufficient evidence turns up to support a charge, then the governor can kiss her reputation good-bye.

[flabingo]

I am a republican who is ashamed of my party? First they picked George Bush and now McCain.. I just changed parties. I am now an American for Obama. My problem is I care about my grandchildren.

[Bongborg]

Congratulations on coming to your senses. Don't worry, it is happening to a lot of y'all, you just don't hear about it because most of you are ashamed of being wrong for so long.

[CTtransplant]

Wonderful! Welcome aboard the 'honor and integrity' train!

[oregondemgrl]

Great!! I love it- American's for Obama.

[bobdob]

You know what? I don't even care about this crap. Let them stonewall. Sarah Palin is already a stone around McCain's neck. Not because of her, but because of what choosing her says about him. She's had her fifteen minutes of fame. Her lies have nearly done her in. Tina Fey will most likely finish the job.

[justobserve]

"She really filed a complaint against herself": So she also thinks she did wrong! Let's hope that voters there don't dump Palin on the country by voting for McCain-Palin. Alaskans: Please put Country First by NOT vote for them. Vote Obama! She is your popular governor so please keep her there.
"I KNEW McCAIN 2000, but McCAIN 2008, YOU ARE NO McCAIN 2000! PALIN: "THANKS BUT NO THANKS, BUT WE KEEP THE MONEY".