Todd Palin refuses to testify

[Minstrel]

It was their state congress doing its oversight. Now it's a team of Obama and DNC paid lawyers stirring up shit.

It wasn't a scandal at all. People are making it into one now for political gain.

I disagree. It was a scandal even prior to her becoming the VP candidate. It's simply become an extremely politicized scandal now and hyped well out of proportion with its significance.

 

[Denny Crane]

I disagree. It was a scandal even prior to her becoming the VP candidate. It's simply become an extremely politicized scandal now and hyped well out of proportion with its significance.

It wasn't a scandal.

She fired a guy, he complained, the authorities look into it. He gets his fair hearing. Everyone's willing to cooperate, nothing to fear of a little sunlight on the process.

A lot less of a scandal than a cop drinking and driving around in his patrol car and calling all the witnesses to it liars.

 

[maxiep]

I disagree. It was a scandal even prior to her becoming the VP candidate. It's simply become an extremely politicized scandal now and hyped well out of proportion with its significance.

Not to get semantic, but doesn't the word "scandal" imply some sort of hype by itself? This issue was part of the vetting process and up to the point where Gov. Palin joined the McCain campaign, she apparently bent over backward to cooperate with the investigation, even taking the step of telling the Alaska AG to investigate it as well.

Now that--as we both agree--it has become highly politicized beyond a simple matter for the State of Alaska, her strategy with dealing with the incident has changed. In my mind, it's a different enemy, so the battle needs to be fought differently as well.

 

[barfo]

Not to get semantic, but doesn't the word "scandal" imply some sort of hype by itself? This issue was part of the vetting process and up to the point where Gov. Palin joined the McCain campaign, she apparently bent over backward to cooperate with the investigation, even taking the step of telling the Alaska AG to investigate it as well.

That's a bit of spin, I think. She asked the AG to investigate 'as well' knowing that the AG himself was a participant in the 'scandal' or whatever you want to call it.

barfo

 

[Minstrel]

Not to get semantic, but doesn't the word "scandal" imply some sort of hype by itself?

I'm not sure. I use "scandal" to mean an accusation of wrong-doing in a public figure that requires investigation.

she apparently bent over backward to cooperate with the investigation, even taking the step of telling the Alaska AG to investigate it as well.

From what I've read, this is not a reasonable description of her motivation in telling her attorney general to investigate. She supposedly had him do his own investigation for her, so she would know what an independent investigation could be expected to turn up. In other words, it was an information-gathering mission for her own ability to better defend herself. Not an attempt to hold herself accountable.

 

[Denny Crane]

I'm not sure. I use "scandal" to mean an accusation of wrong-doing in a public figure that requires investigation.



From what I've read, this is not a reasonable description of her motivation in telling her attorney general to investigate. She supposedly had him do his own investigation for her, so she would know what an independent investigation could be expected to turn up. In other words, it was an information-gathering mission for her own ability to better defend herself. Not an attempt to hold herself accountable.

Did she make a pact with Satan somewhere in there?

 

[maxiep]

That's a bit of spin, I think. She asked the AG to investigate 'as well' knowing that the AG himself was a participant in the 'scandal' or whatever you want to call it.

barfo

That's a bit of spin as well.

 

[Minstrel]

Did she make a pact with Satan somewhere in there?

Not to my knowledge. Hopefully, it will all come out in the investigation(s).

 

[The_Lillard_King]

To help put this in pespective . . . how often are governor's under a formal investigation by state congress? (again, all befoer she was VP)

It is more than one perosn saying they wre fired wrongfully, many of those claims don't turn into formal investigations. There were some strange facts going on here that rose to the level of investigation. How starge to me would be answered by knowing how often these kind of investigations are done.

The only time I think I would here about a governor being investiagted by congress is here is Oreogn, and I don't recall teh last sitting governor being investigated.

Of course if we talk about former governors being investigated . . . all I need to say is Neil Goldschmidt (a democrat) and whatever gave them suspicion to investigate was the right call . . . in that case where there was smoke, there was fire.

 

[Denny Crane]

To help put this in pespective . . . how often are governor's under a formal investigation by state congress? (again, all befoer she was VP)

It is more than one perosn saying they wre fired wrongfully, many of those claims don't turn into formal investigations. There were some strange facts going on here that rose to the level of investigation. How starge to me would be answered by knowing how often these kind of investigations are done.

The only time I think I would here about a governor being investiagted by congress is here is Oreogn, and I don't recall teh last sitting governor being investigated.

Of course if we talk about former governors being investigated . . . all I need to say is Neil Goldschmidt (a democrat) and whatever gave them suspicion to investigate was the right call . . . in that case where there was smoke, there was fire.

Guilt by association with other governors who committed wrong doing is not guilt at all.

Gray Davis of California should have been investigated (the fire's well known) but the legislature was his party and wouldn't do it.

On the other hand, when the head Democrat in the Alaska state congress calls for impeachment before anything is investigated, the investigation looks like a sham.

BTW, Illinois Governor George Ryan was heavily investigated during his term. Convicted of all kinds of bad things shortly after he was defeated for reelection.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Guilt by association with other governors who committed wrong doing is not guilt at all.

Gray Davis of California should have been investigated (the fire's well known) but the legislature was his party and wouldn't do it.

On the other hand, when the head Democrat in the Alaska state congress calls for impeachment before anything is investigated, the investigation looks like a sham.

BTW, Illinois Governor George Ryan was heavily investigated during his term. Convicted of all kinds of bad things shortly after he was defeated for reelection.

So how often has a sitting Alaskan governor been investigated, do you know? How often does the other party conduct an investigation against a governor of a differnt party?

The attitude seems to be that it is no big deal . . . I think any governor being investigated is a big deal. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe it happens all the time and I jsut don't hear about it.

But I'm not buying this is politcally motivated. It might be now, but at the time they decided to conduct an investigation, Palin was basically a no name governor. I beleive the facts were compelling enough to decide to look into it. Is it that much of a stretch? The fact Todd Palin alone was getting involved in all this and he had no gov't title but participated in this incident via emails and phone calls. That's wierd, but maybe that is just Alaska politcs for you.

 

[maxiep]

So how often has a sitting Alaskan governor been investigated, do you know? How often does the other party conduct an investigation against a governor of a differnt party?

The attitude seems to be that it is no big deal . . . I think any governor being investigated is a big deal. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe it happens all the time and I jsut don't hear about it.

But I'm not buying this is politcally motivated. It might be now, but at the time they decided to conduct an investigation, Palin was basically a no name governor. I beleive the facts were compelling enough to decide to look into it. Is it that much of a stretch? The fact Todd Palin alone was getting involved in all this and he had no gov't title but participated in this incident via emails and phone calls. That's wierd, but maybe that is just Alaska politcs for you.

Check out Frank Murkowski.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Murkowski

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Check out Frank Murkowski.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Murkowski

He doesn't sound all that great . . . I skimmed it, I didn't see it, was he investigated as governor?

If so I think that gives argument to maybe this is what they do in Alaska (so it is political), investgate their governors . . . it must be an Alaska thing.

 

[Denny Crane]

He doesn't sound all that great . . . I skimmed it, I didn't see it, was he investigated as governor?

If so I think that gives argument to maybe this is what they do in Alaska (so it is political), investgate their governors . . . it must be an Alaska thing.

The dude is under indictment and running for re-election right now.

 

[barfo]

The dude is under indictment and running for re-election right now.

Murkowski? No, you must be thinking of Don Young or Ted Stevens.

barfo

 

[Denny Crane]

My bad ^^^ It's current Senator Ted Stevens

 

[maxiep]

My bad ^^^ It's current Senator Ted Stevens

Yeah, Murkowski was so dirty he had to leave elected office altogether.