Panel: Palin Acted Within Authority

This one of the more balanced articles I've seen on the so-called "Troopergate" scandal. The full article can be found here.

While many analysts were quick to accuse Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin of wrongdoing, this story starts out like this: "The chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday that Governor Sarah Palin broke no laws when she tried to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper."

Investigator Stephen Branchflower said, "...Governor Palin's firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads."

Branchflower also said Palin was in violation of a statute contained in the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics act, though the legislature has no authority to administer sanctions. So what was the point? A hundred thousand dollars later, and it turns out to be meaningless?

Palin's lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, said, "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."

Alaska state senator Gary Stevens, who was on the investigative panel, said, "I think there are some problems in this report. I would encourage people to be very cautious, to look at this with a jaundiced eye." This is NOT the McCain campaign talking. It's a guy on the investigative panel.

The report produced by the investigator "...notes a few instances in which Palin pressed the case against trooper Mike Wooten, but it was her husband, Todd, who led the charge. Todd Palin had extraordinary access to the governor's office and her closest advisers...." Sounds a lot like Hillary's access in the Clinton White House, doesn't it? And again, this is Todd Palin we're talking about, not Sarah.

This whole thing has been what can only be called a "kangaroo court." Any credibility this investigation might have had died the minute Alaska Democrat Hollis French, who was charged with oversight of the investigation, said the report would be an "October surprise" for the McCain - Palin ticket. And now we're supposed to take it seriously?

Would any Democrats take it seriously if a Republican had made such a comment about an investigation into a member of the Democratic ticket? The fact that this "story" has failed to get any legs, that it has already essentially died as an issue, is testament to the fact that people see it for what it is.