Is Sarah Cooked? Baked Alaska Problems

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Registered: 09-08-2008
Is Sarah Cooked? Baked Alaska Problems
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Wed, 09-10-2008 - 5:04am

http://www.newsweek.com/id/156258?tid=relatedcl

McCain’s ‘Hail Sarah’ Pass

Palin's debut was good theater, but there's a reason that rookies rarely score hat tricks.

From beauty queen to vice-presidential candidate. A look at the life and career of John McCain's historic choice for a running mate.

By Jonathan Alter | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Aug 29, 2008 | Updated: 5:18 p.m. ET Aug 29, 2008

Happy birthday, Johnny Mac! You're 72 now, a cancer survivor and a presidential candidate who has said that the most important criterion for picking a vice president is whether he or she could immediately step in if something happened to the president. Your campaign against Barack Obama is based on the simple idea that he is unready to be president. So you've picked a running mate who a year and a half ago was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of about 7,000 people. You've selected a potential leader of the free world who knows little or nothing about the major issues of the day beyond energy. Oh, and she's being probed in her state for abuse of power.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's debut in Dayton, Ohio, on Friday was good political theater. She delivered a pitch-perfect speech with a panache that suggests she could be a natural on the national stage. Maybe Palin is a north-country version of Obama—an autodidact who, while juggling so many other things, managed to educate herself on the deductibility of health-care benefits and the constellation of forces in the Sunni Triangle. She speaks cogently and convincingly on television, which is a huge advantage. It's not hard to see why she appealed to McCain: her middle-class roots; her older son headed for Iraq with the U.S. Army; her (recent) opposition to the earmarked "bridge to nowhere." If camera-ready Palin helps McCain close the gender gap and win in November, she'll be history's hockey mom.

But there's a reason that rookies rarely score hat tricks. It's not her lack of name recognition; America loves a fresh face, especially one that's a cross between a Fox anchor and a character on "Northern Exposure," the old TV show about an Alaska town roughly the size of Wasilla. The problem is that politics, like all professions, isn't as easy as it looks. Palin's odds of emerging unscathed are slim. In fact, she's been all but set up for failure, which is yet another reason McCain's choice may prove to be irresponsible.

"What is it exactly that the vice president does all day?" Palin offhandedly asked CNBC anchor Larry Kudlow in July. Kudlow explained that the job has become more important in recent years. Palin knows the energy crisis well, even if her claim on "Charlie Rose" that Alaska's untapped resources can significantly ease American dependence on foreign oil is unsupported by the facts. But what does she know about Iranian nukes, the Arab-Israeli conflict, or the future of entitlement programs? And that's just a few of the 20 or so national issues on which she will be expected to show basic competence. The McCain camp will have to either let her wing it based on a few briefing memos (highly risky) or prevent her from taking questions from reporters (a confession that she's unprepared). Either way, she's likely to belly-flop at a time when McCain can least afford it.

Even on energy, Palin has her work cut out for her. First she has to convince McCain to reverse himself and support drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Her much-repeated sound bite that ANWR is only the size of the Los Angeles airport and thus drilling there is not environmentally destructive sounds good, but won't do much to counter the argument Obama made in his acceptance speech, which is that drilling is only a "stopgap" measure. Palin, who supported Steve Forbes's run in 1996, will benefit from very low expectations in her debate with Joe Biden, but she's going to have to have a photographic memory for new information to avoid getting creamed.

Governors often run for president, but only after many months of prep work on what they might confront in the White House. (The last governor nominated for vice president was Spiro Agnew in 1968.) Obama's résumé may be short but he now has plenty of practice sparring in the heavyweight division. Palin is more exposed. Even veep candidates with extensive Washington experience like Geraldine Ferraro and Dan Quayle were nonetheless grilled on policy and proved a drag on the ticket when they looked unpresidential.

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Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 2:54pm

http://www.cnbc.com/id/26315278/for/cnbc
McCain and Palin castigate the earmarks she seeksBy JENNIFER LOVEN updated 2:05 p.m. ET Sept. 10, 2008 Font size: FAIRFAX, Virginia - Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, equated lawmakers' requests for funding for special projects with corruption on Wednesday, even though Palin herself has requested nearly $200 million in so-called "earmarks" for her state this year.

Campaigning in Virginia, McCain blamed earmarks — the practice of lawmakers slipping special requests for money for home-state projects into Congressional spending bills — for high food and gasoline prices and the trouble that many homeowners face in making mortgage payments. He vowed again to veto any bill that contains such funding.

"I got an old ink pen, my friends, and the first . . . earmark, big-spending bill that comes across my desk, I will veto it. You will know their names. I will make them famous and we'll stop this corruption," McCain said during a rally at a park in suburban Washington, D.C.

Palin has sought $197 million worth of earmarks for 2009, down about 25 percent from the $256 million she sought in the 2008 budget year. As mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, she hired a lobbyist to seek federal money for special projects. Wasilla obtained 14 earmarks, totaling $27 million, between 2000-2003, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama hasn't asked for any earmarks this year. The Illinois senator sought $311 million in such funding last year. McCain, an Arizona senator, doesn't seek earmarks for his state.

Undaunted by his running mate's ties to earmarks, McCain said: "I've fought big spenders in both parties who spend your money on things you don't need, and things you don't want."

Palin said she was ready to join McCain in Washington "so we can end the corrupt practice of abusive earmarks after all."

The practice of earmarking is a longtime target for politicians running for office. Many find that, once in office, requests from constituents for help on a particular project is too tough to resist and support bringing that kind of money home to their states and districts.

The campaign said McCain and Palin drew the biggest non-convention crowd of his campaign, with local officials reporting an estimated 23,000 at the event.

The enthusiasm seemed driven primarily by the presence of Palin, who has electrified both McCain's campaign and the party since he announced her as his running mate almost two weeks ago.

Whether that fervor sticks to McCain will be tested when Palin splits off from her running mate for the first time to return to Alaska for a few days.

McCain was traveling to Philadelphia for an afternoon roundtable with women business leaders in a diner. He was to spend Thursday, the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and New York for events marking the milestone before returning to Washington on Friday evening.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 8:44pm

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/09/10/judge-accused-palin-of-form-of-child-abuse/

Judge Accused Palin of Form of 'Child Abuse'

By David Knowles
Sep 10th 2008 9:24AM
Filed Under:eBreaking News, Scandal, Sarah Palin

Newsweek has been following up on the "Troopergate" story, and has identified court records in which a judge-- presiding over the divorce proceedings between Sarah Palin's sister, Molly Hacket, and former husband, and Alaska State Trooper, Todd Wooten--accused Palin of making improper public attacks against Wooten:

Court documents show that Judge Suddock was disturbed by the alleged attacks by Palin and her family members on Wooten's behavior and character. "Disparaging will not be tolerated--it is a form of child abuse," the judge told a settlement hearing in October of 2005, according to typed notes of the proceedings. The judge added: "Relatives cannot disparage either. If occurs the parent needs to set boundaries for their relatives."

Why "child abuse"? Because Wooten and Hacket were fighting over the custody rights of their children.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 9:36pm
No Sarah isn't cooked but I do think she has turned the Dems plan upside down and they are not sure how to proceed, they will hand the election to Mccain if they keep beating up on Sarah however, I have made this bet with many people.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 9:37pm

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=213&sid=1470073

Subpoenas to be issued for Troopergate probe

September 6, 2008 - 2:12pm

By STEVE QUINN
Associated Press Writer

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Legislature is hastening its ethics investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner, making it far more likely it will be completed before November's election.

State Sen. Hollis French said Friday that seven witnesses told the Legislature's investigator they will refuse depositions and canceled their meetings. French, who is overseeing the investigation into whether Palin abused her power, said the Legislature will subpoena these witnesses, who do not include the governor.

Lawmakers say they have put the investigation on a fast track now that Palin is Republican John McCain's running mate. The investigation previously was expected to end on Oct. 31. French said the new target date for investigator Stephen Branchflower to complete the report is Oct. 10.

"It's just basic fairness to the governor," said French, an Anchorage Democrat who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We started to focus on Oct. 31 because that's the end of Mr. Branchflower's contract, but our motion says prepare a report in a timely manner."

In July, a state oversight committee approved $100,000 for an investigation into whether Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan because he would not dismiss a trooper, Mike Wooten, who went through a messy divorce with her sister before Palin's election as governor.

"I would like to put this behind me and move on with my life," Wooten said in an interview with The Washington Post, published on its Web site Friday night. "I don't wish ill will on anyone. I think that the nomination that Sarah got is great for the state of Alaska. I wish her good luck and the family good luck. I honestly think that everyone involved in this wanted to put this beyond us."

Wooten said he was proud he had once been part of the Palin family, but he contradicted Palin's statement that she overheard him in 2005 threaten her father during an argument with Palin's younger sister, Molly McCann, Wooten's wife at the time. Wooten noted that an internal investigation failed to sustain the death-threat allegation.

"That did not happen," Wooten said. "There was obviously arguments between Molly and I, but there were no confrontations where I threatened to kill her father. I haven't threatened to kill anyone in that family."

Wooten said he had no direct information about efforts to have him fired after Palin became governor in 2006.

French and Branchflower, both former Anchorage prosecutors, said the state's Legislative Council has the right to authorize the investigation.

But Palin's state-hired attorney Thomas Van Flein said the matter should be taken up by the state's personnel board, made up of three people appointed by former Gov. Frank Murkowski. Van Flein and Palin have asked the three members to resolve the dispute over the firing.

In the meantime, several state employees working for the governor or her administration and deemed crucial witnesses by Branchflower have canceled appointments to give depositions. All potentially could be subpoenaed.

The state's two judiciary committees will meet Sept. 12 to call for the subpoenas, but Palin will not be among those targeted.

"I'm pleased that Gov. Palin will not be subpoenaed," said Rep. Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "I don't think it's appropriate that we attach a tinkerbell to her sweater. That would be a bad show on our behalf."

One of the employees is Frank Bailey, the governor's director of boards and commissions. He was recorded on tape questioning why Trooper Mike Wooten was still employed.

Wooten divorced Palin's sister and served a five day suspension after the Palins filed a complaint against him for threatening Palin's father.

The Palins also accused Wooten of using a Taser on his stepson, drinking in his patrol car and illegally shooting a moose.

In the recorded conversation, Bailey is heard telling a lieutenant with the state trooper's office: "Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, why on earth hasn't, why is this guy still representing the department? He's a horrible recruiting tool. ... You know, I mean from their perspective, everyone's protecting him."

Bailey is on paid leave. Last week he gave a sworn statement to Van Flein, telling the attorney he acted on his own.

But Bailey's lawyer Greg Grebe had kept Bailey from meeting Branchflower because, like Van Flein, he questioned Branchflower's jurisdiction.

Separately, senior Assistant Attorney General Mike Barnhill wrote a letter to Branchflower, complaining that the investigation is moving beyond the scope of Palin's firing of Monegan.

Barnhill says the investigation is now looking into whether employees from the Department of Administration illegally obtained confidential information from Wooten's personnel file.

Barnhill wrote that depositions of employees from the Department of Administration are "canceled until further notice."

French, however, said the written mission of the investigation, as approved by the Legislative Council, is clear. It states Branchflower is to "investigate the circumstances and events surrounding the termination of former Public Safety Commissioner Monegan, and potential abuses of power and/or improper actions by members of the executive branch."

___

Associated Press Writer Pete Yost in Washington contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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By STEVE QUINN
Associated Press Writer

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Legislature is hastening its ethics investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner, making it far more likely it will be completed before November's election.

State Sen. Hollis French said Friday that seven witnesses told the Legislature's investigator they will refuse depositions and canceled their meetings. French, who is overseeing the investigation into whether Palin abused her power, said the Legislature will subpoena these witnesses, who do not include the governor.

Lawmakers say they have put the investigation on a fast track now that Palin is Republican John McCain's running mate. The investigation previously was expected to end on Oct. 31. French said the new target date for investigator Stephen Branchflower to complete the report is Oct. 10.

"It's just basic fairness to the governor," said French, an Anchorage Democrat who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We started to focus on Oct. 31 because that's the end of Mr. Branchflower's contract, but our motion says prepare a report in a timely manner."

In July, a state oversight committee approved $100,000 for an investigation into whether Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan because he would not dismiss a trooper, Mike Wooten, who went through a messy divorce with her sister before Palin's election as governor.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 9:50pm

((((No Sarah isn't cooked but I do think she has turned the Dems plan upside down and they are not sure how to proceed))))

lol. But the heat is on. Sarah's undoing will be at the hands of ...Sarah herself. lol. Her troopergate is growing like a wart each day there are new stories that show she is guilty. The democrats don't have to do a thing. Except sit back and watch her and McCain implode. lol.

Just like Mccain said, in that creepy voice, if Barack had done town halls the tenor of the campaign would have been different. Venidictive, much! So without that creepy voice, maybe we would see Sarah in a more favorable light if she had not attacked the media or fired those two guys or lied about returning the money for the bridge to no where, yada yada. She sure has made herself an easy target for the media. She painted a bullseye on her forehead with those snarky remarks. lol.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 10:08pm

True if the attack dogs were off of her personally in sound bites, Dick Morris is a smart guy, you do that but you keep your mouth quiet of attacks because the public does not like personal attacks.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 10:21pm

((((The public won't care what they pull up if this continues same as Clinton with Whitewater, the reps were so busy disparaging Hillary the public didn't care about Whitewater.)))

This is the information age...1996- not so much. All of McCain's "fake outrage" is out on the internet(S) and the lies they are passing about Barack- out, too. So, if anyone gets a more negative response it will be McCain. Just like Hillary did in the primary. And now McCain is almost angry that the troops are coming home??? Americans will not like his war loving response at all. It's McCain that's handing over his election. And Sarah is helping him. Thanks, Gov'nuh! lol.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 10:27pm

Wow did you even read what I typed, seriously.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 10:30pm

Wow honestly how old are you, because it wasn't 1996 when it happened.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Wed, 09-10-2008 - 11:51pm
Inhaling....Ahhh. lol.

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