GOP vs. GOP Over Palin Inquiry

(The Nation)  This column was written by John Nichols.

Here is an interesting twist on the McCain campaign's determined effort to shut down the investigation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's abuses of power in what has come to be known as the "Troopergate" scandal.

Palin stands accused of dismissing the state's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law, a state trooper with whom the governor was feuding after he and her sister divorced.

If Palin did so abuse her office, she could face any number of penalties, up to and including impeachment as governor. That would make it harder to pitch Palin as an "original maverick" reformer.

The McCain camp has tried a number of moves since Palin's selection to close down the bipartisan inquiry -- which was approved by the state's Legislative Council but is being conducted by a respected former prosecutor -- into the governor's alleged wrongdoing. If Alaska was a typical state, this partisan move might have worked. But Alaska is a very small state where top Democrats and Republicans have traditions of working together -- especially on ethics inquiries.

So, even though Republicans dominate the legislature, the McCain camp has been rebuffed.

Now, McCain's aides have gotten a handful of legislators who are tied to the campaign to file a suit in Alaska's Superior Court demanding that the investigation be halted. The clear goal is to prevent the completion of what is likely to be a damning report regarding Palin's misdeeds before election day -- as was evident when McCain aides suddenly began appearing on national news shows, fully briefed and ready to cheer on the suit, just moments after Alaskans learned it was being initiated.

What are the grounds for this suit? state Sen. Hollis French, who is managing the investigation at the behest of the legislature, is a Democrat who backs Barack Obama for president.

The five legislators name French and another Democratic legislator, Kim Elton, in the suit, as well as special investigator Stephen Branchflower and the Alaska Legislative Council. "The Partisan actions of Sen. French, Sen. Elton and the Legislative Council have tainted the investigation beyond the appearance of impartiality required under the Alaska Constitution," claims Kevin Clarkson, Esq., of the firm Brena, Bell & Clarkson, P.C., and counsel in the suit.

Here's the amusing part: The Alaska Legislative Council is a permanent interim committee of the Legislature and is responsible for conducting the business of the full Legislature when it is not in session.

The Council, which approved the Troopergate inquiry and is paying for it, and which has stood behind French despite the partisan attacks, is made up of 8 Republicans and 4 Democrats.

In other words, the McCain campaign's allies in Alaska are suing Republicans in order to protect Palin from a bipartisan inquiry.

Needless to say, the national McCain operatives who appeared on cable news shows to promote the suit failed to mention that detail.
By John Nichols
Reprinted with permission from The Nation

[urnot]

The national republicans have turned cover-up and obfuscation into an art form. it''s bad for the country, and horrible for the sense that justice will prevail.

Whenever confronted with any hint of investigation into their activities, they do everything to derail the investigation.

It seems that they have something to hide, whether or not they do.

Calling in the big guns like this US attorney and terrorism prosecution expert only makes it seem more so.

[cncrndctzn]

Palin''s behavior, the obvious attempts by McCain''s court to delay this investigation, and the newly discovered flagrant flouting of court subpoenas for several witnesses (including Palin''s husband), are exactly the same sort of disdain for the law that Bush has exhibited in his years in office. These power-hungry, ruthless egoists think that they''re above the law. We do NOT need that. I''m beginning to think that Palin is more an example of "more of the same" than McCain himself! I pray that the people in this country are not foolish enough to vote McCain and Palin into office. That will wreak more havoc on this country than it can stand. Wake up, people!!!!

[dmgenet]

Palin could possibly be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. McCain is still being treated for cancer and his old age can be a concern. We don''t need *** Cheney II in office as President. He did enough damage as Vice-president.

[messiahx4eve]

Have you ever heard of aerial hunting? It''s a brutal practice. Wolves are shot from low-flying aircraft or chased to exhaustion, then killed at point-blank range.

Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for Vice President, promotes this barbaric practice, exploiting a loophole in the Federal Airborne Hunting Act to allow private wolf killers to shoot down wolves using aircraft. To encourage the killing, she even proposed a $150 bounty for the left foreleg of each dead wolf!

We have to get the word out about this! Please watch this powerful new television ad by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, and then share it with every wildlife lover you know:

http://actionfund.defenders.org/palintvwolf

This is the truth about sarah palin, she is about as american as satan is christian. The woman is an abomination to wildlife and all of god''s creatures, she is a pathetic liar, power abusive and ******** monger. Going with mccain/palin is like getting a front row view of the end of our great nation.

[dmgenet]

McCain''s campaign sleaze factor is going way up on the ''Troopergate'' issue. If there is no problem why the law suit? If I were Alaskan electorate Id be pissed off at the intrusion. They might be Republicans and Democrats but they live up there for a reason and that is...leave us alone. And to think I liked McCain 2 years ago. He hasn''t even been elected President yet and already he is drunk with power. Good reason for NOT electing him to the highest office.

[dmgenet]

Already the Republican whisper campaigns and misinformation has been denigrating the brother-in-law hoping to neutralize the media attention. It may be nothing but the Republicans don''t want their prize heifer slaughtered before the election. Never mind the lipstick.

[noloyalisti]

Failin Palin said a number of times that she would fully cooperate with any investigation regarding alleged misuse of power. Is she a flip-flopper like Same? Or is she just against the rule of law like most of the Republicon criminals? Or for different rules for the rich like most Cons?

[notblue]

tony-31, it is true, that''s why there are more repubs on the panel than dems, it''s the typical biased CBS headline that keeps you 67 percenters confused.

[tejasdemo]

I go out of town...ask my menopaused out wife to do 1 frickin thing for me while I''m gone..does she do it ?

No !

Then she is yellin at me because it didnt get done. The next day she asks me if I want her to still do it.

No, crazy wack job...you just lay down and watch your stupid soap operas and take advil constantly.

This country needs a woman in the white house like we need a hole in our heads !!!

[tx_doughboy]

I would like to remind you folks that about a GOP concern over another leader who 10 years ago "abused his power." Lucky for us that abuse only amounted to tainted dresses and cigars, not the destruction of careers as a result of jilted family members. Where''s Ken Star when you need him?