What Is Todd Palin's Agenda?

Who is Todd Palin?

According to the Alaska legislative report on what has become known as Troopergate, Sarah Palin's husband used the Governor's office to promote a personal agenda. Indeed, while the report found that Governor Palin "unlawfully abused her authority" in her obsessive vendetta against her former brother in law, the 263 page document focuses heavily on "First Dude" Todd's activities.

The report specifically charges not only that "Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired," but that she "permitted Todd to use the Governor's office and the resources of the Governor's office, including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired."

We also learn from the report that Todd Palin regularly sat in on Alaska's cabinet meetings, which, by the way, are not open to the public, as well as official discussions on the state budget, and that he appears to have been copied on hundreds of official e-mails as a matter of course. In addition, he has taken publicly-funded trips with state commissioners to inspect Alaskan mines and the proposed route for a new pipeline.

Todd Palin is far more than just the Governor's spouse. He himself told investigator Stephen Branchflower in an affidavit that "I have heard criticism that I am too involved in my wife's administration. My wife and I are very close. We are each other's best friend. I have helped her in her career the best I can, and she has helped me."

Does that mean that John McCain and Sarah Palin will give Todd Palin a substantive role in their administration if they are elected? It would appear so, by the McCain campaign's own admission. Taylor Griffin, a spokesman for the McCain campaign, compared "the role Todd has played" to those of First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton, and one that "I don't think is dissimilar from other spouses, and I think it's an entirely appropriate role. And Todd will play an appropriate role as the spouse of the vice president."

The McCain campaign should be commended for its honesty. Earlier in the campaign, John McCain argued that "spouses should not be an issue in this campaign," but that was before his own campaign staff admitted that Todd Palin would in fact "play an appropriate role" in a McCain-Palin White House.

We are entitled to know what that role is likely to be. Is Todd Palin going to call government officials from the White House to lobby for or against political allies or enemies? Is he going to summon cabinet members into the Vice President's office to try to get a relative hired or fired? That is, after all, his track record.

Todd Palin also appears to have lobbied Alaska state legislators on issues other than his former brother in law's continued employment. When Republican State Representative Jay Ramras, the chairman of the Alaska House Judiciary Committee, saw the Todd Palin outside the legislative chamber one day last year, "My colleagues told me he was lobbying for the governor's position on oil taxes." This made Ramras uncomfortable. "I think that when the spouse of an elected governor steps away from safe issues that are nonpartisan in nature," he said, "that it is bad for the legislative and executive branches, and Todd Palin would not be an exception to that."

Equally important, if Todd Palin is going to be one of the Vice President's most senior advisors, if not the most senior, he should be made available to the media to answer questions about his political views. The little we know about him is disconcerting.

For seven years, from 1995 until 2002, he was a member of the controversial extreme right-wing Alaska Independence Party. This is a party whose principal goal is a statewide vote on whether Alaska should secede from the United States, and whose founder's nuggets of wisdom, featured prominently on the AIP's website, include "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions," and "The problem with you John Birchers is that you are too damn liberal!"

What, if anything, did Todd Palin do as a member of the AIP? Did he actively support Alaskan independence, and if so, by what means? The Alaska Independence Party is affiliated with other extremist right wing political groups around the United States, including the Constitution Party (formerly the U.S. Taxpayers' Party) which wants to "restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations." Does he see himself as "an Alaskan, not an American"? What does he think about American institutions such as, say, the Supreme Court and Congress? Does he, like AIP founder Joe Vogler, consider the John Birch Society to be "too damn liberal"? Earlier this year, AIP Vice Chairman Dexter Carter urged party members to "infiltrate" the two major parties. Come again? Is that why Todd Palin is now a registered Republican?

We know that Sarah Palin has been "palling around" with Todd. We don't know with whom Todd Palin has been, or for that matter may still be, "palling around."

At the very least, both John McCain and Sarah Palin should tell us whether they approve of Todd Palin's past membership in the AIP and whether, if elected, they will allow him to use the apparent authority of the White House to promote a personal agenda.

Menachem Rosensaft is a lawyer in New York City.

Comments

[JMcCoy]

Todd has gotten a pass on the issue of his involvement in the AIP. Why is that? If Michelle Obama can be demonized for making a statement about being proud of her country for the first time in her adult life; why isn't Todd questioned about wanting to not be a part of the US? Why isn't he being asked why he hates America? We can ask quesitons now or we can regret it later. I am so concerned that McCain/Palin/Palin is going to continue America of the slippery slope that Bush/Cheney put us on. We have to change course or we will regret it together.

[MajorKong]

"What are we going to do tonight Todd?"
"Same thing we do every night Sarah - try to take over the world!!!!"

[lillypad1]

What Is Todd Palin's Agenda?--To Ride His wife's Coattaill!!!!

[KathyinCT]

Hmmmmm . . . . . .

So MAYBE the thing that the media and voters should be pursuing is -- WHO IS TODD PALIN?

Let's take off the gloves and talk about who HE pals around with, whether he's a Christian or a HEDONIST? You've heard about those hedonists, haven't you. You know about WHAT THEY DO, yes?

And whose living room did Todd Palin start his political career in?

By the way, from henceforth, his name is T. Odd

Very odd.

[hortonhearsawho]

Todd thinks Agenda is a foreign country...

[all4peace]

Or an imported beer...or the name of liberal's hunting dog!
AGENDA...c­ome here boy...sit.­..stay...h­ave an all natural, veggie treat!

[mishi]

Agenda is a foreign country - he can see it from his front porch.

[Chansmom]

Todd Palin wouldn't be in the same league as Eleanor Roosevelt or Hillary Clinton. I find it laughable that the McCain folks would even try to put him there.

He's nothing more than a husband who's been given power when he shouldn't have had any, and very inappropriately was given.

[philopatris]

I'll probably bore everybody as much as the TU BETCHUS column from Maurenn Dowd did.
But as a professor of ancient languages, I suddenly realized when a colleague mentioned it at the office today.
PALIN is ancient Greek for BACKWARDS.
(palindrome=/palin, backwards +drom- like in hippodrome, horse/run: a statement that is the same read backwards, like the first words of Adam to Eve, MADAM IM ADAM ).
Check it out.
Backwards are what she and her husband both are, for the kind of important jobs they think they can do.

[JodyMcg]

The Governor may be exempt from some legal actions but not the spouse. Hopefully, Monegan and others will sue Todd Palin in civil court. We never see Todd holding that baby. They pass that poor kid off to the daughter. What kind of a father is he? What kind of a man is he? So he's into snow mobiles. What causes other than the AIP does he concern himself with? What non-profits is he involved in? Todd Palin is one SCARY first dude.

[pixiepotpie]

Well, as much as i hope you're right on that, i wouldn't bet the farm just yet. after all, a whole buncha IDIOTS voted for bush (the second time, even), sooo..... uhhh..... sigh.

[realspirited]

Todd Palin should be vetted - extensively. In the past if a spouse of a candidate had questionable ties, then that candidate was out the door with a resounding "Next" yelled to the next person in line. How come the Republicans want to settle on McCain/Palin this time around? There's just too much that doesn't compute. McCain hass been around forever, so why are they promoting him now? And this deal with Palin is absolute stupidity. Is this the best the Republicans could come up with? How sorry is this mess?

[suz1941]

Todd Palin...Re­member what Bill Clinton said during his first campaign about Hillary that you "can get two for the price of one" and the uproar it caused.

Does this mean that Todd, this sometimes employed husband with a high school diploma will be privy to all the secret codes and the "red phone" or "football". Listen up everyone, it's great to comment on articles written, but you need to find and convert everyone you see that is registered to vote and leave the computer and get out the VOTE! It is bad enough that Palin is a heartbeat away from McCain, but that her closest advisor is Todd Palin who has already shown what he thinks about his place in Alaska.

Alaska, you might want to wake up and replace your governor as soon as possible. With any luck, she'll be back in November. Start planning now.

[goph8r]

This pretty much says it all...

You can know everything you need to about the Palin's after you see this. I fear we broke the country and there is not enough glue to put humpty dumpty back together again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exiyBYnJ00

Spread that around!

[dsmyre]

Why doesn't Todd wear a wedding ring?

[CCverve]

And where is American flagpin?

[MovingtoNorway]

I'd just like to know if he is mute or speaks. has he ever said anything???

[Wasillamom]

His agenda is power and control over his domain--and SP lives under his dominion. SP is a submissive woman, along the lines of the Southern Baptist doctrine for women. She's no femnist. Her campaign has set women back. It confirms the conservative fear about electing women to high office, that they will cave under pressure from men, especially their own husbands.

[JodyMcg]

Todd Palin is one scary first dude.

[MovingtoNorway]

Interestin­g...

[bluedog in redstate]

What people really overlook is the obviousness of her agenda...i­t's his agenda. His name is all over the reports and is exponentially more involved than other "first spouses" because it's more acceptable to expect intervention by a male spouse. But the important part is this: Due to her neo-conservative (debate me on that if you wish) leanings, especially socially, she lives in a male-centric household where Todd calls the shots. So you think when he has a preference, idea, or wild hair up his a$$, he's going to keep quiet? Or will he (and has he already) told the little missus what to do, say, and think? Just because Falin' has the title doesn't mean she's in charge. She defers to her man in and out of Wasilla. And since this guy is complely untouchable, untenable, and terrifyingly autonomous, we may have a de-facto leader on our hands. One even more unqualified that his wife. And THAT'S both horrifying and unacceptable.