- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 5
-
Sparkle (0)
The Anchorage Daily News published the "Troopergate" public report released by the Anchorage state legislature. Among the findings: that Governor Palin did abuse the power of her office, but that she also had a right to hire and fire executive appointments; that the workman's compensation for Trooper Wooten's claim was handled properly, and that the state attorney general did not provide email correspondence as requested by investigators.
The report is fascinating reading, and it's not difficult at all to see where the abuse of power finding arises; especially when hearing about Todd Palin asking the Public Safety Commissioner to meet in Governor Palin's office.
I don't remember any spouse of an elected official exercising such power. Some will say that Nancy Reagan did on behalf of her husband, but she didn't call meetings on his behalf. Other will mention Hilary Clinton, but when Bill Clinton did try to involve his wife in promoting universal health care, he was slammed royally by Congress, and had to back off. From that point on, Hilary Clinton played the "First Lady" role, by the book. Again, though, she never called public officials into the Oval Office and demanded action.
I don't think there's anything wrong with a spouse of an elected official getting involved in causes, but I do think it's incredibly wrong to actually pull officials into meetings, especially in a formal surrounding. Think of Laura Bush calling the head of the CIA into the Oval Office, and presenting supposed evidence of weapons of mass destruction and demanding he do something about it. Frankly, we couldn't imagine it -- no leader, not even a bad one, would allow such an action to happen.
Returning to the report, it's well written. No one denies that Palin had the right to fire Monegan. It was her actions in getting other officials to approach him on behalf of her sister, and Todd's presumption of authority that were dead wrong, and in violation of Alaska's own ethics act.
Add this finding to her attempts the last few weeks to incite hatred, even violent hatred, against Obama, and I think it would be difficult to deny that Sarah Palin as Vice President, or especially President, would not be in the best interests of this country.
