Troopergate Still Hounds Palin

CBS Evening News: Witness Refusals To Answer Subpoenas The Latest Development In Corruption Probe

(CBS)  Demonstrators gathered Saturday in Anchorage to demand that Gov. Sarah Palin keep her earlier pledge to cooperate with the corruption probe know as Troopergate.

But an investigation that once seemed of interest only to Alaskans has taken on much greater significance with her presence on the Republican presidential ticket, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

At the Alaska Legislative Building in downtown Anchorage Friday, the hearing room was ready for seven state employees subpoenaed to testify. But no one showed up.

The inquiry into Palin's firing of the head of the state police began with her promising full cooperation.

"I did not abuse my office powers, yeah, and I don't know how to be more blunt and candid and honest about it but to tell you the truth that no pressure was ever put on anybody to fire anybody," Palin said in July.

But now, 10 witnesses associated with the governor, including her husband Todd, have refused to testify.

Palin's supporters complain the investigation is being used to smear her as she campaigns as John McCain's running mate. They think any findings will be tainted.

"If this is all supposed to be done at arm's length from the political process, I think the genie's out of the bottle," said State Sen. Gene Therriault, a Republican. "And I don't know how you can put him back in."

Supporters of the inquiry say presidential politics is behind an all-out push to close the investigation down.

"There are many efforts to try to stop the investigation, no doubt about it," said Democratic State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, who told CBS News he thinks the McCain campaign is behind those efforts.

Alaska's attorney general has filed a lawsuit challenging the "validity" of the subpoenas issued in the investigation. And six Alaskan lawmakers who support Palin are seeking a temporary restraining order to bring the investigation to a halt until after the election.

While Palin remains popular in Alaska overall, Troopergate and the presidential campaign seem to be taking a toll on her popularity even here.

A month ago when she got the vice presidential nod, her favorable rating among Alaskans was 82 percent. According to a poll released this week, that number's dropped to 68 percent.

[hillary1973]

Why does MAYFERY insist on yelling at everyone in crazy rambling sentences with poor grammar?

[hillary1973]

She is virtually incomprehensible. This was the closest she came to making any sense because they didn''t ask her anything that she had to be coached on. It''s almost like her brain doesn''t process most of the questions.

You realize she could not name another Supreme Court decision besides Roe v Wade. They teach that in grade school. She''s just like Bush, incurious.

[seenitallx9]

We believed Bush and now we''re in a heap o'' trouble. Go ahead and believe Sarah and McCain who are putting up a smoke screen so you can''t see the truth. See how far down is. McCain has no conscience. He left his first wife who loved him and waited for him. He''s unreliable and senile. His lack of judgement gives him away.

[seenitallx9]

We believed Bush and now we''re in a heap o'' trouble. Go ahead and believe Sarah and McCain who are putting up a smoke screen so you can''t see the truth. See how far down is. McCain has no conscience. He left his first wife who loved him and waited for him. He''s unreliable and senile. His judgement gives him away.

[ibwilliamsi]

It boggles the mind that interviewing a Vice Presidential Candidate should be considered "shameful", or that any adult should think that the American People should "just acknowledge" someone''s accomplishments without question.

But what is worse is that learning constitutional law as preparation to be the President of the United States of America should be seen as "memorizing outdated documents" while shooting a moose and nepotism qualifies you to get a free pass, no questions asked.

This country has had enough "stupid" in the past 8 years. It''s time for an intelligent leader. If you''re not stupid, you''ll vote for Obama.

[expression12]

this is for "Cinn00" please learn how to spell before you post your silly comments. your comment made no sense.

[juwboy]

This Comment, posted yesterday, was deleted by CBS:

History, from the lips of Joe Biden:

"When the Stock Market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on television and ..."

1. Franklin Roosevelt was President, 1933-1945.

2. The Stock Market crashed in 1929.

3. The only televisions in 1929 were prototypes in inventors` research labs.

CBS, why was this deleted? The Joe Biden quote is accurate and his ignorant statement was made just a few days ago.

[charlenew222]

Here''s a link to a video of Sarah Palin and her own words on the increased scrutiny as a woman vying for political office.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9Y8FKAsxmk
So, according to Sarah, you need to face the scrutiny head on, speak to it, work harder and prove yourself.
This is a far cry from her being hidden away from the press, or refusing to talk with the press.
Our politicians are completely hypocritical these days. And the press never calls them on it. Transparency my foot. And where is Ms. Palin ? and where are her tax returns? And where are Mrs. McCain''s tax returns.
The news seems so narrow these days. The news get one story and runs it again and again. Why hasn''t the press used Palin''s own words to question why she is now not available ????
For heaven''s sakes, develop some hutzpah. Don''t repeat the same old tired lines. Do your job - question, question, question. Shine the light in the corners . . .
What happened to the press reporting on almost 40 employees of the McCain campaign who have worked for or on behalf of Freddie Mac and Fannie May, and the hundreds of thousands of dollars they have received from those organizations ??? As this news was just about to come out, McCain pulled his "Hail Mary" stunt of (not) suspending his campaign, and the news media COMPLETELY dropped the ball on that story. WHY???
Why has Palin been given such a pass?

[cinn00]

Dear John McCain,
This interview is a wonderful testament to you and your running mate Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin''''s assests to our country are being vastly underestimated and her responses taken out of context, just like the media does to everyone incliding Barack Obama and Joe Biden, etc.
Let''''s get past this grilling the candidate phase (Katie...shame shame) and give her credit for who she is, a strong smart woman whom is governor (with the highest approval rating in the nation) and has acheived more than most people in their life. Just because she hasn''''t spent her life going to Harvard memorizizng outdated doctrines, doesn''''t mean she hasn''''t been serving our country. She even raised her son to respect this nation so much that he is going to Iraq to honor this country. Don''''t we all wish we had such strong convictions?
Thank you Gov. Palin for being a Patriot! And thank you John McCain for rescognizing this patriot and giving her a platform to share her patriotism!

[pearlsm]

This individual needs to understand the meaning of the word transparency, and that she needs to walk it, not just talk it. I am tired of the constant complaining about how she''s been treated with regard to Troopergate and her other actions as a governor--the bottom line, Governor, is if you want to run for one of the highest offices in the land, you''d better be ready to be put under a microscope (there''s that transparency thing again)--if you made questionable decisions, this is where you are going to reap the consequences. If you believe you didn''t do anything wrong, then you have nothing to hide and you owe it to your constituents to prove it. They didn''t ask you to run for VP--you made your bed, now lie in it.
(And quite frankly, watching the Couric interviews has been painful--it is so obvious that Palin is in so far over her head--just a pawn being used by the campaign to garner votes from uninformed people). As a woman, I am saddened that there are women out there who are actually supporting Palin just because of her ***.