Until Sarah Palin, Alaska hadn’t had a popular governor, at least not while in office, since Bill Egan way back before OIL. Alaska’s government is so powerful and pervasive that as soon as a governor takes his/her hand off the Bible, half the people hate him. Sarah Palin defied all that and has maintained phenomenal approval ratings all through her tenure, albeit still a short one. That may have just changed.
In a state where everybody knows everybody, the personal is the political, but there are lines you’d probably best not cross. Gov. Palin may well have found that line:
http://www.adn.com/front/story/469135.html
When your interviews with State Trooper investigators regarding your sister’s ex-husband are on the front page of the Anchorage Daily News, your career indicator light should be flashing brightly. When you fire a well-respected commissioner without a credible explanation, your career indicator light should be flashing brightly. When that well-respected former commissioner plays kiss and tell, you have a problem.
Now, I’ve fired a lot of public employees and I’ve had political principals suggest that I fire public employees. I, like most political managers, kept a nice, neat little list in my head filed under “just give me a chance” - still do! But when you act on it, you’ve just bared your breast to the storm.
It certainly seems as if Governor Palin wanted her ex-brother-in-law fired. In point of fact, it pretty much looks like he should have been. If you’d like a glimpse into Alaska’s version of Divorce Court just peruse the ADN’s political blog here: http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/blog/24417
Just for the record, I don’t think this tawdry mess had much to do with the commissioner of public safety’s firing. She had a serious beef with him on budget issues and if you want to get to the bottom of something, follow the money. That said, blood has been drawn and the aura of invincibility is gone. Now, about that VP slot?
Out of curiosity
qlangley Saturday, July 19th at 8:33AM EDT (link)If Sarah Palin is elected VPOTUS and Sean Parnell is elected US Representative in November who gets to be governor? Does either Palin or Parnell have a window to get a Lt. Governor in place before having to leave office? If they can’t, does it go to John Harris? Is that a good thing?
Quentin Langley
Editor of http://www.quentinlangley.net
Well
Rod_Patrick Saturday, July 19th at 8:51AM EDT (link)I’ve been following this story of the trooper Wooten and Walt’s previous gaffes and inefficiencies.
And I don’t think this recent whining by Walt will do any damage against the Governor. Let me quote some of the comments on the said ADN article:
Walt is using the case of child abuse case as the main reason of his firing. Truth be told, Walt’s office has been battled by hundreds of past alleged errors and inefficiencies. This custody battle of the Palin’s is just the icing in the cake. And many have welcomed the decision of throwing Walt under the bus.
If Walt really thinks he is sidelined and he’s a victim, he should go to court and sue the Governor. ADN (for me a biased news agency) is not the proper venue to air his grievances. Doing the same makes Walt like an unprincipled Democrat. In fact, here’s one sympathetic comment from Walt’s supporter suggesting the same:
His silent supporters (because of self interests) couldn’t single out any thing that will directly incriminate the seating Governor.
In just less than 2 years, Palin has turned the corrupt Alaskan bureaucracy up side down. That’s the real change we can expect from Sarah. She has a spine that many of our current leaders don’t have.
Besides Walt’s craps about procedures and ethics, the question remains the same: Did Walt perform his duties according to the standard expected of him by the people? Is he really willing to be subjected to the scrutinity of the Alaskan people?
When it comes to inefficiency and corruption, Democrats and Republicans are just the same. They are politicians and public servants that deserve the scrutinity of the people.
Instead, the budget issue of the Governor is really a good topic that you should have brought here. It will show us a different perspective from a Republican Governor.
And that’s the real essence of energy card bill being proposed by the Governor.
For me, you’ve just highlighted the toughness of this woman. McCain will need this woman to do the same with many of our lameduck federal agencies, and with the enemies of the Government.
It was too soon to make her VP anyway
Neil Stevens Saturday, July 19th at 9:24AM EDT (link)Let’s see how she performs. You don’t have to be universally loved to have done a good job.
Want to run for conservatives? Give.
There Is No Crisis
And you know all this just how, Rod?
Achance Saturday, July 19th at 9:44AM EDT (link)Actually, Moneghan inherited the problem with Wooten, the events at issue happened in ‘04 - ‘06, before he was commissioner or she became Governor, much of it before she was even a candidate.
I’m not defending him, I think he, like most top cops in a unionized city or state was way too cozy with the union, as was his predecessor. Much of this happened on my watch, and the DPS kept the dirty laundry so well hidden that I only knew about any of it from a very off the record conversation over drinks.
Wooten had been disciplined for those acts the Palins and others complained about which could be substantiated. There isn’t a formal double jeopardy rule in labor arbitration but the principle certainly attaches. So long as he didn’t do something to initiate new charges, there was nothing to be down with Wooten. I don’t know whether it was Monegan or his predecessor who reduced the discipline from ten days down to five. If it happened before July 1 of ‘06, to be legal it would have had to have my signature and I damn well know I didn’t do it.
Since you’re so convinced that she’s completely reformed that nasty, corrupt bureaucracy, perhaps you can point me to one concrete step she has taken in doing so. I will give you that she removed almost everyone that Murkowski appointed, but that was only the thinnest veneer over the State’s appointed management. So, other than a few of her own appointees, she basically has Tony Knowles’ appointees or their proteges running things.
In Vino Veritas
If everybody likes you
mbecker908 Saturday, July 19th at 10:01AM EDT (link)you’re NOT doing you’re job.
That's been the "hit formula"
Achance Saturday, July 19th at 10:10AM EDT (link)here. The only two term governor we’ve had since oil was Knowles, the Democrat, and even he was never elected with a majority. His specialty was doing absolutely nothing and if anything good happened, he ran over and gave a press conference taking credit for it, if anything bad happened, he ran out and gave a press conference blaming the Republican Legislture for it.
In Vino Veritas
My answer to this disappeared, Quentin.
Achance Saturday, July 19th at 10:35AM EDT (link)Must have gone away with your double post.
I’m winging this from memory from a conversation with the AG back when Gov. Murkowski had heart surgery, so it might be a little off.
In the extraordinarily unlikely event that happened, she would resign first so that Parnell could become Governor. He would designate his successor from the Cabinet officers and then resign. The Lt. Gov. would remain vacant for the remainder of the term. Alaska would have an appointed governor, quite possibly one who has never run for or held public office. There is no similar provision to the federal scheme which reaches into the Legislative Branch.
In Vino Veritas
I heard you
Rod_Patrick Saturday, July 19th at 11:11AM EDT (link)and I agree with some of your points.
But I believe that many of the stretched stories about Palin are orchestrated by Andrew Halcro himself. Those who fell grace from Palin’s administration are lining up (both republicans and dems) to the office of Halcro to support his own twists. For one, it was Halcro who earlier brought the idea that Walt might have been pressured by Palin. Now here comes Walt providing all the so-called evidence that Halcro needs to malign the Governor (actually it’s Todd, not the governor himself).
Even the State Senate President is openly opposing Palin, not just on the issue of Monegan. In fact, it’s Lyda Green who is shouting over the roof to hire a special investigator on the firing of Monegan under the guise of “unbiased truth and facts” and speculations. But Lyda is calling for the investigation to “know why Monegan was fired”.
But ADN, Halcro, Lyda and Walt dismissed a major fact in this issue: The position of Commissioner of Public Safety is just an appointee of the Governor. If the Governor loses confidence of his/her appointee, he has the authority to immediately fire him/her. It was Palin who appointed Walt. It’s also her prerogative to fire/retain him. Walt is sour graping. He is just similar to those whining WH appointees fired by the Bush Administration.
Lyda and many of the Republicans just can’t get over with the fact that one of their Republican comrades (Stevens) has to go down due to corruption, disregardin the fact it was Steven pleaded guilty.
Conclusion: Instead of supporting the Governor, each of them are trying to bring her down. We, the Republicans, must be the ones cleaning our ranks. If it is done by the other party, it will be very damaging. We must clear that policy and implementation issues are two different animals. Yes we strongly agree on policies. But when it comes to implementation, the party and principles should not be an excuse to corruption and inefficiency. That also applies to Sarah and the rest of the Republican leaders and nominees.
Now here comes my real issue on the post. Am I missing something here? Is RS directly supporting one VP candidate already? Is it Romney?
My problem is this: What if McCain selects Palin as his VP? Should we retain this post here at RS? Same issue applies to Romney, Jindall and other VP candidates who may also have problems of their own.
I dunno. I welcome your advice here, guys.
Piece of advice, Rod;
Achance Saturday, July 19th at 12:11PM EDT (link)don’t rely on the Anchorage Daily News for insight into Alaska’s Republican politics.
Now I agree that the first liar probably doesn’t have a chance in this whodunnit, and both the Halcro and ADN Blogs are mostly populated by nuts and lefty Palin haters, but something ain’t right here.
In Vino Veritas
So, Achance
Brian Simpson Saturday, July 19th at 2:03PM EDT (link)You’re saying he’s qualified to be the Speaker of the House.
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Important principles may and must be inflexible. ~ Abraham Lincoln
It's the Democrat way!
Achance Saturday, July 19th at 2:10PM EDT (link)Do nothing, take credit for anything good, blame some Republican for anything bad.
If you can’t beat the Rs on policy, and you usually can’t, you adopt the policy then start the “but we can do it better” mantra. Then you keep the Stupid Party talking about how to do it better until the next election cycle and attack them for not doing anything at all. It’s a hit formula!
In Vino Veritas
No, its the big stuff that gets you
Mike gamecock DeVine Saturday, July 19th at 3:52PM EDT (link)Would Reagan have not been relected in 1984, despite the economic rebound, if he had a bro-in-law scandal?
yes
People care about national defense and their wallets.
see clinton 1996
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson