Learn it! Speak it! Live it!
Bring Christmas to a child in need!
An 'urgency': Sensing threats to institutions of society, church leaders make declaration 
Click to Print
Include Comments
Alaskagate
From what I’m reading, Alaska is in a political scandal blizzard. You’ve got the much-buzzed-about Troopergate, where Gov. Sarah Palin is suspected of firing of a commissioner because he wouldn’t fire a state trooper who divorced her sister. Then there’s Republican congressman Don Young, the only representative from the state, who is also under corruption investigation.
Then today tapes of conversations from two years ago came out in Alaska Republican Sen. Ted Stevens’ corruption trial. Stevens is still running for reelection and might even win depending on how the trial goes. He is being charged for concealing gifts from an oil company, which he denies.
In the tapes, laced with profanities, he told his oil executive friend:
“The worst that can happen to us is we run up a bunch of legal fees, and might lose and we might have to pay a fine, might have to serve a little time in jail.”
But, he adds:
“We didn’t do anything wrong.”
Stevens’ oil buddy was cooperating with a federal corruption investigation, and allowed his conversations to be recorded. Pretty slick!
back to top58 Comments to “Alaskagate”
There is also the new email scandal. Not the Yahoo! scandal, but a new one where Sarah used her old campaign server to run a secret email list to for her loyalists, called Palinistas.
ABC NEWS Oct, 1. 2008: “News of yet another private email account for Sarah Palin could affect the Troopergate probes by the Alaska state legislature and the state personnel board, the Washington Post reports this morning.
Palin and a close circle of aides had accounts on the “PalinForGovernor.com” domain, a privately-run domain she had used for her campaign, that paper found.”
This news resulted in this lawsuit being filed in Alaska Superior Court:
[W]atchdog Andree McLeod filed a lawsuit Friday seeking another round of Gov. Sarah Palin’s e-mail messages and a court order preventing the would-be vice president from destroying the records.
Report comment to moderator
Report comment to moderator
So, the thread is about Stevens’ trial — innocent until a jury convicts — and what we get is Palin. It’s so typical of the Dems to use the courts. By the time the matter is heard, the election will be over. They don’t need to really have a case, they just have to pretend they have one.
Report comment to moderator
Here’s another interesting piece of information on “Troopergate”:
Guess who’s defending it and trying to stall it until after the election?
Yup, the friends of Dr. Dobson and the Christian Right: Liberty Legal Institute.
As Dana Carvey used to say, “Isn’t that special!
Report comment to moderator
“It’s so typical of the Dems to use the courts.”
NJL- Andree McLeod is a Republican, dear….
Report comment to moderator
What I understand of Troopergate, the trooper in question had threatened Palin’s father and tazered a ten-year-old boy. Perhaps there were other bouts of misconduct which added to these made for a good decision to fire him.
Report comment to moderator
Perhaps, but everything I’ve read indicates he was disciplined according to policy at the time. It was later, after she became governor, that Palin and her husband tried to get the Public Safety Commissioner to fire him. When he didn’t, Palin fired the Public Safety Commish in retaliation.
Report comment to moderator
Philw,
AND abused his wife… He was a scumbag, and should have been fired long before. And as for the “personal” issue, who wouldn’t have fired him for threatening their father? Sheesh.
Report comment to moderator
RPN,
(Good to see you changed your name, by the way – thank you.)
“Retaliation” eh? Seems there was something in Palin’s election platform about say….. “Anti-corruption?”
Just sayin.
Report comment to moderator
Actually, it’s the Republicans who are trying to use the court to stall or stop the Alaskan Senate’s investigation into “Troopergate”
Report comment to moderator
“Guess who’s defending it and trying to stall it until after the election?”
Oh gee.. whatever shall we do? It’s misconduct after misconduct!
NOT! I know you hate Focus on the Family and Jim Dobson, but just naming them doesn’t bring up the boogeyman for most folks in the US.
I don’t suppose it’s an issue for you that there’s a small army of journalists, lawyers, and “investigators” of all stripes who traveled to Alaska for the express purpose is to dig up anything and everything on Palin that they can discredit her for? You don’t suppose they’d stretch the truth or make anything up “just because” do you? No? Very gullible aren’t you?
Report comment to moderator
MiM: Supposedly DQ McCain’s legions “thoroughly vetted” Ms Palin. Yet all this stuff either immediately bubbles or is so easily stirred up to the surface. Just another example of DQ’s leadership abilities?
I can’t imagine anyone “vetting” a candidate for national office without inquiring into various email adresses the candidate would have used. Or about existing legislative inquiries into the candidate’s conduct in office. Or potentially illegal expense/travel account abuses. I also would suggest that any pol from Alaska, La, WV,Tx or several other states might get exceptionally heavy scrutiny.
As for Mr. Stevens, one of the slickest lies I have heard come from a politician was his righteous claim that he had “paid all the bills that he had received”. Easy to do when your buddy doesn’t bill you…
Report comment to moderator
“Gov. Sarah Palin is suspected…”. Well, I guess that is as good as guilty.In politics suspicion is as good as guilty.
Trooper Mike Wooten was found drinking in his patrol car, he intimidated his wife and threatened to shoot her father Chuck Heath. Palin’s sister filed for divorce the same day (Apr 11, 2005).
What I don’t understand is why he wasn’t prosecuted for criminal threatening?
And why after a 482 page report came out in which “the record clearly indicates a serious and concentrated pattern of unacceptable and at times, illegal activity occurring over a lengthy period” was he only suspended for 5 days.
What does it take for justice to be served in Alaska?
Report comment to moderator
What I heard was that Congressman Young took bribes..er um I mean “CAMPAIGN DONATIONS” from a Florida developer.
Young voted to fund some project that enriched the Fla land man. I expect any day he’ll do a Chris Dodd and admit that the campaign donations DID NOT shape his legislative voting record.
Oh wait.. Chris Dodd so far hasnt done a Chris Dodd: “I did not have financial relations with that subprime mortgage company, Countrywide.”
And ya know whut? I’m thinking folks in Conn land will return that con man to the US Senate
Report comment to moderator
RPN, thank you for the correction, Sweet Pea.
Report comment to moderator
This thread is getting very entertaining. The charges agaisnt Palin were brought by Republicans in Alaska before she was named VP candidate. Now the McCain campaign, again Republicans, are trying to stall it out. If there was no problem, they should want it done and out ASAP. That they don’t speaks volumes. Sarah seems to run her government like a mini version of the Bush administration. People need to know this about a candidate they just met a few weeks ago, and may well end up being President.
Report comment to moderator
Re: #11
I find it hilarious to complain about the small army of people “digging” up stuff on Sarah Palin, when the Republicans have a small army of people “digging” up stuff on Obama!
Sarah was sprung on the American people a mere two months before they’re supposed to vote on her for the second highest office in our nation. Dang right we need a small army “digging” up stuff on her! Obama’s been under the microscope for over a year and a half. Time is of the essence, so Sarah is just gonna have to endure the scrutiny. Or she can withdraw and let a qualified and vetted nominee take her place.
Report comment to moderator
No problem, NJL. [Snoopy jump and float with beating heart --she called me sweet pea!
]
Report comment to moderator
Man, and I thought Louisiana was a corrupt state. I wish our friends in Alaska would stop trying to horn in on our “action”. Isn’t it enough that we lost New Olreans to George Bush’s inept governance? At least leave us something to be proud of!
Report comment to moderator
(I believe it was actually a bipartisan commission that included Republicans, but point taken.)
This is key.
The results of the Troopergate investigation were slated to be released in the last week of October. This was a date set long before Palin became the VP pick. The commission offered to move the date up to early October in order not to exercise undue influence on the election, but even that is not enough for the McCain campaign. They have tried to stall this investigation and its report in every way possible, from legal maneuvering to jurisdiction questions even to instructing witnesses (including Todd Palin) not to cooperate with their subpeonas.
So it is beyond ridiculous to accuse Democrats of using the courts to influence politics in this matter. The court dates were set long before Palin was chosen, and now that she has been, it is Republicans who are trying to game the courts for political advantage.
Report comment to moderator
ANLIR: Man, and I thought Louisiana was a corrupt state.
Unfortunately true, but at least the people of Louisiana aren’t stupid.
I think Palin still officially endorses Stevens’ reelection.
Report comment to moderator
“Obama’s been under the microscope for over a year and a half.”
And my goodness, the idiots STILL nominated him….
Report comment to moderator
“…but at least the people of Louisiana aren’t stupid.
Well, excepting the ones that re-elected Ray Nagin, and the ones that didn’t insist the levies get rebuilt, and the ones the didn’t understand that “below sea level and category 4 hurricane don’t mix”, and the ones the supported the most corrupt political establishment of the nation, and…
Report comment to moderator
And I rather doubt that Kathleen Blanco had an 80% approval rating….
Report comment to moderator
“Had” is the operative word. Sarah doesn’t either, anymore, also.
Report comment to moderator
John McCain’s been under the microscope for 26 years and my goodness, the idiots STILL nominated him…
So there ya have it.
Report comment to moderator
JJF-
You are correct. Palin is being investigated by an independent investigator, hired by a unanimous vote of a bipartisan committee of the Alaska Legislature. Given Alaska’s Republican leanings, the majority on the commission are Republicans.
Report comment to moderator
If anyone’s interested in in-depth investigation of this, here’s the starting point:
Transcript of Sarah Palin with troopers in domestic complaint incident, on 5/1/2005.
Here are the trooper’s notes from the meeting.
On 8/10/05, Sarah Palin emailed Col. Julia Grimes, director of the Alaska State Troopers, on Wooten, saying that “his actions do not merely reflect poorly on the State, but his actions may cause someone terrible harm.”
On 8/18/05, Sarah Palin was re-interviewed, along with Todd Palin and the bartender of the Mug Shot Saloon. Trooper’s Notes.
…more to come…
Report comment to moderator
I have a comment with four links that’s “awaiting moderation.” Hopefully it’ll be approved soon, I hate making four comments with one link in each; but in the meantime, I’ll add this:
Wooten suspension letter from Grimes
The record clearly indicates a serious and concentrated pattern of unacceptable, and at times, illegal activity occurring over a lengthy period, which establishes a course of conduct totally at odds with the ethics of our profession.
…
It is nearly certain that a civilian investigated under similar circumstances would have received criminal sanctions. These events are unacceptable, constitute a gross deviation from our department’s standards, and will not be tolerated.
(My first comment contains more background on Wooten, including a transcript and trooper notes from interviews with the Palins and others).
Report comment to moderator
“Sarah doesn’t either, anymore, also.”
No thanks to the liberal media smears. When it all comes down to it, they got nuthin.
Report comment to moderator
We’ve been warning people all along that Lumpy and his/her lefty associates would be resorting to never-before-seen vicious attacks on the McCain/Palin ticket ever since Sarah was announced.
None of this is surprising, yet strangely humorous to watch.
Report comment to moderator
So the Republicans are the ones trying to investigate *palin eh? I wonder if they’re the same corrupt establishment Republicans she was running against when she won the election?
*For some reason this evening, I can’t use the capital “p” because it brings up Windows Media player… (man it’s way past time for a new computer.)
Report comment to moderator
Maybe a Mac?
Report comment to moderator
At worst, Sarah Palin fired a department head who refused to fire a state trooper who harmed and threatened members of her family. But the evidence suggests that she stayed out of the situation involving her ex-brother-in-law, and the Public Safety director was fired for insubordination on budget issues.
Even if you put the worst possible construction on the firing of Walt Monegan, it’s not reasonable to lump it in with serious allegations of corruption against Ted Stevens and Don Young.
Fair criticism is one thing, but in recent posts (e.g. this one and Woodlief’s latest) WORLD bloggers have been repeating unfair and unjustified Obama campaign talking points against Palin. The comment threads have become increasingly inhospitable to conservative Christians. It’s as if WORLD is part of the campaign to depress conservative enthusiasm and turnout.
Barack Obama is the most pro-abortion presidential nominee in history. Has WORLD been taken over by the sort of evangelicals who take the “nuanced” view that abortion is morally equivalent to waging war against terrorists?
Report comment to moderator
Isn’t it enough that we lost New Olreans to George Bush’s inept governance?
Anlir, say it isn’t so! New Orleans got destroyed because of George Bush’s ineptness! Wow. Now, who made that decision to destroy the city and teach Bush a lesson, and how did they pull that off? And the media must have been in on it too, to report that a storm destroyed the city. Scary stuff, this. I do think that it makes Nagin doubly at fault, if he was involved in the planning of this disaster.
Report comment to moderator
Matt and Michael Bates:
Perhaps you are right. Perhaps the firing of this trooper is a harmless affair, or at worst a minor intermingling of Palin’s personal and professional roles that hardly warrants attention.
But it’s impossible for us to make that judgment with so few of the facts and testimonies before us. And who has those facts and testimonies?
The commission that the McCain campaign is trying to stall, and the witnesses the McCain campaign instructed not to testify.
Report comment to moderator
Michael Bates-
Why is the McCain campaign trying to stall out the Alaska investigation? If it is as you describe, there is no reason to fear the facts. Rather, they should be made known far and wide.
Here at World, we are more concerned with the realities than promoting an immoral candidate like Palin or McCain. Marvin Olasky can’t stand John McCain, at least from what I have read.
Can you show us how Obama is more pro-abortion than any other candidate in history? How does this relate to the current election?
Report comment to moderator
Michael Bates
A little sparse over on your blog? LOL – so we find you here fishing for whatever you might not have on your own blog?
You wouldn’t be posting on WORLD if it weren’t impacting this election AND — your own blog? LOL – you aren’t that hard to figure out.
Propaganda isn’t working ?? if it were, we wouldn’t have to spoon feed those from socialism’s left.
Stick around you might learn something!
Report comment to moderator
Michael-
Victoria is not typical of World, nor does she speak for any of us. Please, join us anytime. We would love to hear what you have to say.
Report comment to moderator
Stevens: “If there’s a violation of the elections law then that’s a corporate violation.”
Allen: “Yeah.”
Stevens: “This thing shouldn’t get your bind, little buddy.”
Allen: “Well it has man, all day.”
Stevens: “Well, well you gotta just stand back and say, what’s gonna happen when it’s all over, you gotta get a mental attitude that these guys can’t really hurt us, you know, they’re not gonna shoot us, its not Iraq, so what the hell. Worse that’s gonna happen to us is we round up a bunch of legal fees and might lose and might have to pay a fine, might have to serve a little time in jail.”
Report comment to moderator
So RPN, you support the prosecution of Stevens, but do you support prosecution of Obama when he accepts campaign contributions from foreign influence peddlers, which is also against Federal Law? Bet not. Just like every other Liberal, it is do as I say and not as I do. That is your philosophy.
Report comment to moderator
“Can you show us how Obama is more pro-abortion than any other candidate in history.
Oh please….
That recent spin that Obama is more pro-life is such a pathetic lie, and twists the truth exactly 180. Not even you can believe such a transparent false….
Or can you?
Report comment to moderator
There are scandals ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE that the mainstream want there to be scandals. This does not minimize the legitimacy of getting to the bootom of any scandal, but it is high time to point the finger at the most scandalous sector in the nation–the highly selective and immunized mainstream media.
Report comment to moderator
Palin fired the department head because he was grossly incompetent in his duties and extremely insubordinate, refusing to follow directives and in fact countermanding them. She should have fired him long before she did. It had little or nothing to do with the child abuser trooper that the moron wanted to keep employed. She should have done more about that, earlier.
I notice the usual leftwing goons here supporting the child abuser – and those who would protect the child abuser – as usual, in order to try to score some political points among themselves. Bleah.
Note also that the head of the investigation is a rabid Democrat/ Obama operative who has verbally threatened to destroy Sarah Palin – now THERE is a ‘fair’ investigation!
Also note that those in Palin’s administration have graciously offered to testify to this witch-hunting Democrat-media Inquisition, even though the ‘investigators’ are bought and paid for by the Obama campaign.
Note also that the few ‘Republicans’ who support this travesty of an investigation are the old-guard Republicans who Palin threw out when she cleaned the place up; they were in bed with the Democrats to begin with – and still are.
Also note that the Democrat ‘investigation’ of Ted Stevens is falling apart due to key exonerating evidence being purposely withheld from the defense in direct violation of the law. This is typical Democrat/Marxist-Leninist contempt of justice; If Obama is elected, expect to see even more Soviet-style purge show trials of all who run afoul of the Machine. And I don’t even like Ted Stevens – he is another of the old guard who should be booted – legally.
Finally, in the news-you-won’t-read-about in the Controlled Media, the investigation into Obama’s extensive and secretive ties to the Chicago mob may be heating up – his bank-roller (the mobster that bought Obama’s mansion for him as a typical Chicago pol bribe,) Tony Rezko, may be getting ready to sing like a canary. Unless of course he gets a bullet- or an ice pick – in the brain before he sings – which is the usual historical way the Left handles this sort of situation.
That would truly be rich – Obama gets elected by the usual assortment of witless slaves, functional morons, and public parasites (with the usual assist from the dead people and dogs in the inner cities), then gets indicted for corruption and bribes. Is found innocent (of course) by an OJ Simpson-style Chicago jury in direct contradiction to all evidence, and then goes to the White House.
Report comment to moderator
As the Leftwing goons for Obama here and elsewhere know very well, Obama is the most pro-death (pro-abort) major party candidate for President in American history. He has received a 100% rating from the rabidly pro-child-murder organizations Planned Parenthood and NARAL and has been called the most pro-abort candidate ever by both friend and foe.
He is a particular fan of the procedure known as ‘partial birth abortion’ in which a live healthy full-term child is yanked squirming from the mother and dispatched by ramming a sharp instrument into her brain, then cutting the child up with a mechanical saw or knife, and dropping the still trembling reflexing limbs into a waste bin.
He has even horrified the other pro-aborts in government by being even more extreme in his pro-death activities than they dare, voting against a law that would require care for healthy babies born after botched ‘partial birth’ abortions. He has consistently gone further in his support and enabling of abortion then any other legislator. He is politically, financially, and spiritually owned and operated by the butchers in the industry itself.
Report comment to moderator
Drill, they also know full well that Obama is pro-terrorist. He has accepted monies from Hamas and even their endorsement. I hope McCain lambastes Obama over his connections with Hamas in tonight’s debate.
Report comment to moderator
Obama is pro-terrorist?
D**n some of you people get ugly when you’re losing.
How about this: McCain is pro-Nazi. And pro-communist. And pro-King-George-III.
These ridiculous assertions hurt your own party more than anything else. People stop believing you are capable or rational thought after a while.
Report comment to moderator
…”Troopergate, where Gov. Sarah Palin is suspected of firing of a commissioner because he wouldn’t fire a state trooper who divorced her sister.”
It would seem that she fired the commissioner for not being competent enough to get a psycho officer off of the force (a psycho officer who also happened to be divorcing her sister). The officer appeared to be a real (and general) public danger, as well as a specific danger to the Heath family. He needed to be removed, and the commissioner who couldn’t fo so was properly removed.
If several big city police oficers were shown to dangerous to, let’s say, minority group members – demonsterably so dangerous – and the police commissioner could not remove them so as to protect the public, the commissioer would be properly removed. No real difference here.
Report comment to moderator
JJF,
Actually, it may be fair to call McCain “anti-free speech” (remember McCain-Feingold).
And I do think Obama has been too soft on terrorism and I think his voting record indicates that. But I will agree that it is over the top to call Obama “pro terrorist.” What Obama is is “pro-getting-elected.” Beyond that, I doubt he really believes much of anything substantive or with clear conviction.
Report comment to moderator
JJF: You bet Obama is pro-terrorist. He is a close associate of a known and unrepentant terrorist and murderer who kicked off Obama’s political career for him – and who has been in frequent communication with Obama until shortly before Obama was selected to run for President by the Politboro that squats and feeds on this country.
Further, he sat for twenty years as a disciple of a man who repeatedly spewed hatred and anti-American statements that resounded with and encouraged even the most base cowardly terrorist who ever chopped off the head of a tied-up woman or blew up a bus filled with school children. And Obama called that man spiritual mentor and dear friend.
Just because you want to enslave yourself to the lies and coverups of a decaying culture in an evil era – and support a candidate who has no respect for human life – or the Republic or its people – should not require that you demand for others to be so enslaved as well.
Or maybe that IS the condition for such a slavery, on second thought.
Report comment to moderator
The state workers are going to testify to the committee.
The state Department of Law “consulted with the seven state employees and advised them of their options,” a statement from Colberg’s office said.
All seven have decided to cooperate with the investigation, the statement said.
“Despite my initial concerns about the subpoenas, we respect the court’s decision to defer to the Legislature,” Colberg said. “We are working with Senator Hollis French to arrange for the testimony of the seven state employee plaintiffs.”
Report comment to moderator
Well JJF. The facts do not lie about Hamas and Obama:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives2/2008/04/020315.php
Report comment to moderator
While it is important to know the background of this “scandal”, which means knowing who Wooten is and the complaints against him, the real issue here is not “Was Wooten bad?” but “Was Monegan improperly pressured either by Palin or by someone under orders from Palin?”
It is known that there were disagreements on the budget and other issues between Monegan and the Palin administration. So it’s not like there were no other issues besides Wooten that could have gotten Monegan fired. Also, Monegan was not simply left out in the cold, but he was offered a position as head of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, where he could have focused more effectively and full-time on alcohol issues. He refused it.
Now, I don’t think that the announcement was handled that well (it was too vague as to reasons for the firing). The opening for spin or political attack was there, and Andrew Halcro took it. A political opponent of Palin, he met with Wooten for over three hours, nearly a week after Monegan’s firing, and then posted an article on his blog raising allegations that Monegan was fired for refusing to fire Wooten. This was the beginning of these allegations. It raises questions as to the motivations behind them.
Some questions:
-If Palin had wanted to pressure someone to fire Wooten, why did she need to pressure Monegan? After all, if she was going to “abuse” her power by pressuring someone, why not exert that pressure on Wooten’s immediate superior, Col. Julia Grimes, the head of the State Troopers?
-The time gap. Why would it take 1 1/2 years to fire Monegan because of Wooten?
-If getting Wooten fired was her quest, why did she not take such steps in 2005, instead of specifically stating under deposition that she was keeping silent so as not to put his job at risk?
Report comment to moderator
It’s the cover-up that always get them every time. The underlying crime usually isn’t that bad. It’s all the stuff the politician does to cover it up that lands them in hot water.
Report comment to moderator
There are questions about Monegan’s truthfulness.
For more than a week, Monegan has also falsely accused the Governor of having only four in-person meetings with him over the last 17 months. In fact, a quick review of state records proves more than two-dozen meetings, including one-on-one meetings and calls, Cabinet meetings and visits to the Governor’s home. This does not include meetings with the Chief of Staff and Special Assistants, community events and staff functions. Notably, the Governor and the former Commissioner made several trips to remote areas of the state in an effort to address public safety issues in rural Alaska. In fact, there were three separate trips that the Governor and former commissioner Monegan took together including Bethel, Dillingham and twice to New Stuyahok. During those trips, the Governor and Monegan were seated together and spent their days together tackling rural issues. Several commissioners and cabinet members have also countered Monegan’s claims.
Report comment to moderator
Monegan said that Todd Palin pressured him about Wooten. But he was instructed to speak to Monegan by the head of the governor’s security, Special Agent Bob Cockrell. Again, see the link in 55:
“When made aware of the security concerns regarding a state trooper, I instructed the First Gentleman to contact the commissioner of Public Safety,” Cockrell said. “It is standard protocol to ask every governor about any threats they perceive or have realized. I will not hesitate to set the record straight in answering these false allegations by former Commissioner Monegan.”
Cockrell, who joined the Alaska State Troopers in 1963, started with the Office of the Governor in 1983, under Governor Bill Sheffield. He is now serving his sixth governor.
Report comment to moderator
Well JJF. The facts do not lie about Hamas and Obama:
Well Joe, this link says nothing about Obama taking money from Hamas, which you accused him of. I don’t see how it matters what somebody external says about him, since (1) Obama has no control over and (2) Hamas can’t vote in U.S. elections.
But you claim he actually accepted money from Hamas. Got any evidence of that? Or is this, like Drill’s Ayers obsession, another case of sleazy innuendo masquerading as evidence?
Another liar for Jesus? Or do you have more than you’ve shown so far?
Report comment to moderator
Well little Stevey boy. Here is the proof. http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/08/obamas_donor_contributions_sil.html
You are the Liar Stevey.
Report comment to moderator
back to topJoin The Conversation
You need to be a registered user of WORLDonTheWeb.com to "join the conversation."
If you are not a member yet, what are you waiting for? Register / Login Now!