If he was really threatening her family like she claims, why didn’t she file a police report? Something fishy about that.
And let me add – the other hope is that this story will take time away from the current glurge of fabricated nonsense regarding Ayers and ACORN, which is getting lots of play on Fox et al.
(And I hate to say it, but I think some of you have been whooshed by Scylla!)
Yes, the abuse was illegal. The report points out the statue that was violated — AS 39.52.110(a) of the Ethics Act. But the abuse wasn’t in firing Monegan, which she had the authority to do even with a half-ass reason. The abuse was in was pressuring Monegan to fire Wooten for personal reasons. That’s something she wasn’t allowed to do, and she broke the law in doing it.
Seconded. It’s the collateral damage that is what makes it suspect.
The problem here is with the phrase “by all accounts.” The only accounts I’ve seen are from the Palin camp – not the most unbiased source. I’d love to see a second side of this, because I, too, am left with the impression that this guy is a scumbag… but I also realized that I couldn’t come to any other conclusion, with the information I have!
Is Wooten a Good Trooper? ADN 7/28/2008
The whole article is pretty thorough, and gives a good time line of who did what and when.
Monegan wasn’t involved in the initial investigation or reprimand–he didn’t become the head of the Department until a year after the investigation and reprimands. I think that’s what needs to be clarified here. Palin pressured Monegan to fire a man who had already been investigated and reprimanded. Monegan had no reason to fire Wooten, and so Palin fired Monegan instead.
One of the charges in Nixon’s Articles of impeachment was misuse (i.e. abuse) of power.
Article 2
- In disregard of the rule of law, he knowingly misused the executive power by interfering with agencies of the executive branch, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Division, and the Office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force, of the Department of Justice, and the Central Intelligence Agency, in violation of his duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
Which is a hell of a lot more serious than a blow job,
ETA Cite: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10302432#post10302432
Ah, notice I said cookie and not pie – the gist of the blurb was on 
You’re confusing two different people. Mike Wooten was the trooper who, according to the Palin family, is the “crazy mofo”. The investigation was over Palin’s firing of Walt Monegan. There are no allegations Monegan threatened anyone.
I like the fact that they’re waiting on the investigation by the personnel review board, a body she can dismiss at will. No one but the mindless faithful will swallow this.
I can see the rap a comin…
*Sarah Barracuda
Authority abusah
Hooked up with a losah
November 5th blusah
Pimpin out her daughter
Wonder what it bought her
Gonna be a slaughter
Now they fckin caught her
I don’t buy the “Wooten used a TASER on his stepson” line. At least not as it’s implied. There are too many ways that could have gone down, not all of them maliciously.
Much to the dismay, I’m sure, of the more delicate types, there are times when male bonding — especially of the father-son kind — involves some sort of mutual suffering or endurance. In fact, it reminds me of the time my older brother (the good one) allowed me to lick my fingers and touch the contacts of a radio battery as he had just done. It hurt like hell, but I wanted to try it. Because enduring pain was cool and manly. After I blew on my burned fingers for a while, we had a good laugh. We were just Appalachian trash, much like the Palins. And I can easily see how her family might routinely engage in bone-headed tomfoolery. Probably the whole bunch of them have been shocked, burned, farted on, and kicked in the ass many times over in the course of their lives.
This was from his interview on CNN:
So serious his boss deserved to be fired? By that logic, shouldn’t Cheney be removed from office due to Scooter Libby’s deeds?
How long before the tearful press conference in which she admits she may have done something (unnamed and unspecific) wrong but it was because she loves her family? And of course the accompanying “this woman is a hero” responses by the base.
Oh wait… press conference… not gonna happen.
Web cast maybe?
I suppose you’re right. Remember McGovern in 1972! But I can’t help but have a sneaking suspicion (read: dread) that it might work in his favor if she made an exit before the end of the month and were replaced by a real powerhouse running mate.
During Rachel Maddow’s interview with Monegan yesterday, she asked him if he felt vindicated. He said he was of two minds about all this because during his tenure he tried to protect Palin from getting herself into exactly this position.
Given Palin’s huge approval ratings while governor, all she really had to do was put on her best folksy manner and say “gosh darn it, I was only tryin’ to protect my family and ol’ Todd got a little carried away 'cuz he loves his family so gosh darn much, and if I overstepped my bounds, well I’m just really sorry and it won’t happen again.” The issue would have been dead. It really wasn’t even too late once she was the VP candidate, but the McCain campaign decided to turn it into a circus.
Technically, she could face impeachment charges, but there aren’t the votes for it and anybody who DID vote for it would find himself out of a job, as Palin is still hugely popular here. The most I would expect to see might be censure, but more likely a written reprimand.
It is not just a legal issue. Whether she can escape legal ramifications is one thing, but abusing her power and being a petty tyrant are ethical and moral problems. She reveals who she is and it is ugly. She seems like Nixon.
OK, so she abused her power and broke the law a little. Is that some kind of big hairy ass deal or somethiing? And doncha know, if that Putin character tries any of that Commie witchcraft on her, he’s gonna get a big surprise!
So what I want to know is who’s going around saying she oughta be unpeached, or something? Could it be…Satan!?
You know, Putin’s got a Tiger now.
In my mind, that makes him extra scary!