Palin is done! Panel found she unlawfully abused her power as governor!!

That's it, folks. The McCain/Palin ticket is history.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Oct 10) - Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday. The politically charged inquiry imperiled her reputation as a reformer on John McCain's Republican ticket.
Investigator Stephen Branchflower, in a report by a bipartisan panel that investigated the matter, found Palin in violation of a state ethics law that prohibits public officials from using their office for personal gain.
The inquiry looked into her dismissal of Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan, who said he lost his job because he resisted pressure to fire a state trooper involved in a bitter divorce with the governor's sister. Palin says Monegan was fired as part of a legitimate budget dispute.
The report found that Palin let the family grudge influence her decision-making even if it was not the sole reason Monegan was dismissed. "I feel vindicated," Monegan said. "It sounds like they've validated my belief and opinions. And that tells me I'm not totally out in left field."
Branchflower said Palin violated a statute of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.
"I disagree," said Palin attorney Thomas Van Flein. "In order to violate the ethics law, there has to be some personal gain, usually financial. Mr. Branchflower has failed to identify any financial gain."
The statute says "any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that (public) trust."
Palin and McCain's supporters had hoped the inquiry's finding would be delayed until after the presidential election to spare her any embarrassment and to put aside an enduring distraction as she campaigns as McCain's running mate in an uphill contest against Democrat Barack Obama.
But the panel of lawmakers voted to release the report, although not without dissension. There was no immediate vote on whether to endorse its findings.
"I think there are some problems in this report," said Republican state Sen. Gary Stevens, a member of the panel. "I would encourage people to be very cautious, to look at this with a jaundiced eye."
The nearly 300-page report does not recommend sanctions or a criminal investigation.
The investigation revealed that Palin's husband, Todd, has extraordinary access to the governor's office and her closest advisers. He used that access to try to get trooper Mike Wooten fired, the report found.
Branchflower faulted Sarah Palin for taking no action to stop that. He also noted there is evidence the governor herself participated in the effort.
Wooten had been in hot water before Palin became governor over allegations that he illegally shot a moose, drank beer in a patrol car and used a Taser on his stepson.
In proceedings revealed by the report, former Alaska State Trooper Col. Julia Grimes told investigators that Sarah Palin called her in late 2005 to discuss why Wooten hadn't been fired, and Grimes told her the inquiry was confidential by law.
"Her questions were how can a trooper who behaves this way still be working," Grimes said. "I asked her to please trust me, that because I can't tell her details I would ask her to please trust me that I would take the appropriate action if and when I knew what the findings were. ... I couldn't have another conversation with her about it because, again, it's protected by law."
Grimes said Todd Palin also contacted her by telephone in late 2005 to discuss the confidential investigation of Wooten.
Wooten's disciplinary case was settled in September 2006 — months before Palin was elected governor — and he was allowed to continue working as a trooper.
After Palin's election, her new public safety commissioner, Monegan, said he was summoned to the governor's office to meet Todd Palin, who said Wooten's punishment had been merely a "slap on the wrist." Monegan said he understood the Palins wanted Wooten fired. "I had this kind of ominous feeling that I may not be long for this job if I didn't somehow respond accordingly," Monegan told the investigator.
For months afterward, Todd Palin filed complaints about Wooten, saying he was seen riding a snowmobile after he had filed a worker's compensation claim and was seen dropping off his children at school in his patrol car. Monegan said Wooten's doctor had authorized the snowmobile trip and his supervisor had approved his use of the patrol car. Monegan said Alaska's attorney general later called him to inquire about Wooten, and Monegan told him they shouldn't be discussing the subject.
"This was an issue that apparently wasn't going to go away, that there were certainly frustrations," Monegan said. "To say that (Sarah Palin) was focused on this I think would be accurate."

FoxNews has already launched its counterstrike. They have been running special reports on Bill Ayers all morning.
[Edited 10/11/08 5:26am]

Fox News in launching a counter attack?

What did Biden abuse his power, too?

Fox News is ridiculous. There is NO comparison between Obama's affliation with Ayers and Palin's abuse of power. Whether one agrees with him, Obama DID NOT go against the law or ethics by affliating himself with Ayers--except if Obama was involved in the bomb-blasting which he was not. Besides, McCain himself if pulling back on this rhetoric, so I would hope Fox would do the same. Of course, to me, it will be Fox News who will cost McCain. Maybe McCain did not want to run this type of campaign but was "pushed" into it by these crazy people like Rove. I cannot stand that guy Rove.

Palin was directly resposible for her situation--just like McCain was directly responsible for the Keating 5 situation at least as far as his judgment.

I a way, Palin and McCain's situation is the same because I read that she did NOT break any laws, but she just used very poor judgment to the point that this is an impeachable offense so.

MrSoulpower said:

FoxNews has already launched its counterstrike. They have been running special reports on Bill Ayers all morning.
[Edited 10/11/08 5:26am]

MrSoulpower said:

FoxNews has already launched its counterstrike. They have been running special reports on Bill Ayers all morning.

I've often wondered if construction of a red lightsaber takes place before you can become a Republican, or is it something you do after initiation. Dah, well...

She's a rotten personwith a phoney smile, kick her out now !
[Edited 10/11/08 6:00am]

Adisa said:

MrSoulpower said:

FoxNews has already launched its counterstrike. They have been running special reports on Bill Ayers all morning.

Last night Fox was saying she'll basically get a firm talking to and nothing more. They're probably right.

It won't matter as much as some think it will. The Dow may go below 6,000 before Halloween at this rate. That's what will do the GOP ticket in.

It was funny watching Newt Gingrich on Fox News. You noticed that he carefully chose his words avoiding "abuse of power" and instead said " If they do conclude that she was too moved by her sister's divorce and put too much pressure on, it will probably be bruising, not seriously." He (Newt) stressed that Palin is not corrupt(yeah right) and the brother in law did "weird" things (probably). Naturally he closed with a comparison to Democrats who have done much worse (No big surprises here).

Boy,you got to give Newt credit for being shameless.

He serves divorce papers on his first wife while she was hospitalized for cancer treatment.He chaired an education program for Republican candidates that, among other things, taught how to call your opponent names, like "pathetic".

While leading the drive to cripple the Presidency of Bill Clinton over a blowjob, he was cheating on his second wife by boinking one of his staffers after her choir practice.

Then, when impeachment failed, and the R's lost seats in 98, he had a snit. In spite of the fact that his constituents had reelected him to represent them, if he couldn't be majority leader in the House, he was gonna take his ball and go home.So he quit.

Now most people, having left a trail of slime and shame through his public life, would have stayed home and fished, maybe write a book, and avoid the cameras.But Newt is still in the thick of it, partly thanks to fox, which is willing to confer "elder statesman" status on any has-been right winger (see Ollie North).


McCain/Palin show is funny and crazy and they have the nerve to question Obama's character? Shoot Obama is looking like a saint comapred to these characters on the Right.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

MrSoulpower said:

FoxNews has already launched its counterstrike. They have been running special reports on Bill Ayers all morning.
[Edited 10/11/08 5:26am]

yeah, i flipped over to O'Reilly and Hannity throughout the evening to see if they were showing anything about the report. as if i didn't know the answer to that one...

namepeace said:

IrresistibleB1tch said:

yeah, i flipped over to O'Reilly and Hannity throughout the evening to see if they were showing anything about the report. as if i didn't know the answer to that one...

It won't matter one bit to the folks they are speaking to.

You guys know HIIN is off crying somewhere. Hiin

It will be ok, at least she wont go to jail..lol

Wave your wildsigns high!!

McCain and his campain is either really stupid or they are purposely throwing the race to Obama. They are making blunder after blunder. The vp pick,stopping the campain to go to washington to fix the economic emergency, flip flopping his views on the economy. He is a bigger puppet than Obama...they just give him his talking points and he is repeating the same crap day in day out.
Obama's campaign has run much smoother...they cant make nothing stick to this dude..... there is the lawsuit about his birth certificate and wether he is a us citizen, there is the issue with his Pastor of 20 years, associations with Ayers ( a terrorist and left wing lib), accusations of gay sex and drug use in his past....Yet nothing sticks... this is incredible. Now dont get me wrong I am not an Obama or McSame supporter I truely believe both are puppets and the same people control the strings...so matter who wins...we are screwed.

I don't think Palin is done. In order to support her up to this point, people obviously turned a blind eye to all of her other numerous blunders. These people are voting for the party and not the person.

Hmmm, seems like Sarah treats other people, and the Rule of Law, just as poorly as she treats her daughter.

I'm not surprised.

Can I point out that if her actions were unlawful, she would be charged with a crime?
The state apparently has never needed a specific law barring the Governor from using the office for personal business or ethics violations.
She didn't do it for personal gain, which I think is part of the problem with prosecuting any violation.
It is certainly an abuse of power.

How it will affect the campaign? I don't think the McCain campaign cares anymore.
Keeping her or ditching her is the same basket full of snakes to reach into.

2freaky4church1 said:

You guys know HIIN is off crying somewhere. Hiin

It will be ok, at least she wont go to jail..lol

thepope2the9s said:

http://prince.org/msg/15/286132


BARACK OBAMA, FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!! Get used to it HATERS!!

namepeace said:

SUPRMAN said:

2elijah said:

Alaska Probe Says Palin Abused Her Authority
Vice-Presidential Nominee's Camp Says Governor Acted Properly and Is 'Vindicated' by Report Examining Firing of Official
By JIM CARLTON

A long-awaited Alaska legislative report concluded that Republican Sen. John McCain's vice-presidential running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, abused her authority and broke state ethics law by trying to remove her former brother-in-law from his job as a state trooper.

But the report also concluded that the Republican governor did not unlawfully fire her public-safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, who said he had been pressured to oust the trooper, Mike Wooten. The report said other factors were involved in Mr. Monegan's controversial dismissal.
[WAUKESHA, WI - OCTOBER 9: Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) speaks as Republican vice-presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin listens during a town hall meeting at the Center Court Sports Complex, October 9, 2008 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. McCain and Palin spoke about off-shore drilling and making the economy stronger. (Photo by Joshua Lott/Getty Images)] Getty Images

Sen. John McCain speaks as Republican vice-presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin listens during a town hall meeting in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

The report, by investigator Stephen Branchflower, was a potential setback to Sen. McCain's lagging presidential campaign. It was released late Friday in Anchorage by the state legislative panel that commissioned it. The bipartisan panel, with two members absent, voted 12-0 to release the findings to the public.

A spokesman for the panel said it would probably have to wait until the Alaska legislature reconvenes in January before deciding whether to take further action.

Gov. Palin's spokesman issued a statement saying the investigation "vindicated the governor by finding that she acted within her constitutional authority to remove 'at-will' employees," referring to her commissioner. He added that the findings of ethics-law violations "required speculation and assumptions" that "could not be supported solely on the basis of the evidence."

The McCain campaign issued a statement that said the report "illustrates what we've known all along: this was a partisan led inquiry run by Obama supporters." The statement added: "Lacking evidence to support the original Monegan allegation, the Legislative Council seriously overreached, making a tortured argument to find fault without basis in law or fact."

Mr. Branchflower, who based his report on interviews, emails and other records, said Gov. Palin violated Alaska's Ethics Act. The statute is meant to "discourage executive branch employees from acting under personal interests in the performance of their public responsibilities," he said.

The governor engaged in "official action" by her inaction "if not her active participation" in assisting her husband, Todd, to get Trooper Wooten fired, the investigator said. Mr. Palin gave testimony to the investigator that he repeatedly tried to get the trooper removed, as a threat to the public as well as his family.

Mr. Branchflower's report pointed out that Gov. Palin had declined to be interviewed. "An interview would have assisted everyone to better understand her motives...," he said.

"We are trying to find if there was any misuse of power or any laws broken," David Guttenberg, a Democratic representative, said after he and the other panel members huddled behind closed doors for more than six hours to review the report. "Hopefully, this report will help."

It wasn't immediately clear what penalties the governor could face. Wevley Shea, a former U.S. prosecutor who has served as an ethics adviser to Gov. Palin said one possible penalty under the statute could be censure by the legislature.

Release of the report, which runs to some 1,300 pages, follows a difficult stretch for the McCain-Palin ticket, when their Democratic rivals, Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden, widened their lead in public-opinion polls, both nationally and in many battleground states. The report's accusations of ethical violations by Gov. Palin could also undermine a core message that Republicans have raised against Sen. Obama in recent days: that he has ethical problems because he is connected to the "Chicago machine" of corrupt politicians and donors.

The trooper saga began in 2005, before Sarah Palin was elected Alaska's first woman governor in 2006. Her sister, Molly McCann, was going through a divorce with Mr. Wooten and obtained a domestic-violence protective order in 2005 that triggered an investigation by the Alaska State Troopers into Mr. Wooten's conduct.

The trooper scandal took on major national importance after Gov. Palin was named as Sen. McCain's running mate in late August. The governor subsequently backed off an earlier pledge to cooperate with the legislative probe, instead hiring an attorney who sought to move the case to the jurisdiction of a state personnel board under her control. A showdown loomed when the governor's office said at first it would not comply with legislative subpoenas in the case.

After many Democrats -- as well as some of the governor's own supporters -- criticized the stance, her husband and others named in the subpoenas agreed to comply with them.

Write to Jim Carlton at jim.carlton@wsj.com

IrresistibleB1tch said:

SUPRMAN said:

Can I point out that if her actions were unlawful, she would be charged with a crime?
The state apparently has never needed a specific law barring the Governor from using the office for personal business or ethics violations.
She didn't do it for personal gain, which I think is part of the problem with prosecuting any violation.
It is certainly an abuse of power.

How it will affect the campaign? I don't think the McCain campaign cares anymore.
Keeping her or ditching her is the same basket full of snakes to reach into.

i think he stopped caring when the Rove disciples in his campaign told him he couldn't pick Lieberman.

RodeoSchro said:

IrresistibleB1tch said:

i think he stopped caring when the Rove disciples in his campaign told him he couldn't pick Lieberman.

Which begs the question - didn't John McCain have enough moral fiber to stand up to the Rovians and instead do exactly what HE wanted to do?

If I'd been through what McCain had - from his POW experience to getting smeared by Bush to coming back from the brink of extinction to win the Republican nomination - there is no way in HELL I would have let ANYONE tell me I couldn't pick whomever I wanted to pick.

If John McCain can't stand up to Karl Rove, what makes anyone think he can stand up to Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong Il?

SUPRMAN said:

Palin is not done. She is not a candidate folks, she is barely human. She is simply a symbol to the right wing extremists that John McCain will do anything to win, including pandering to extremists and a handful of women still holding onto their 'Hillary' flags.
Even worse, whatever happens after this election, Sarah Palin will have a long career in politics because she's the darling of the extreme right. Pretty. Dumb as a box o rocks. They don't care. Evangelicals could care less that Sarah Palin couldn't name one magazine she reads or that she thinks she has foreign policy experience 'cuz Russia's right across the border'.
I feel a little dumber everytime I hear her speak.
But the extreme Right could care less. She is them, are they are her. Pro-life without exception, God fearin', Bible thumpin'. They have one agenda and she embodies it.
Sarah Palin, like a cartoon super hero, is a symbol, a pander, but not a candidate.

MrSoulpower said:

That's it, folks. The McCain/Palin ticket is history.