5 posts tagged “recall palin”

On the same day Republicans surrendered a symbolically significant seat in the Senate, the Sarah Palin wars erupted again inside the party. Leaks followed by trash-talking followed by recriminations.

The latest Palin flare-up began in Vanity Fair with a lengthy article by Todd S. Purdum examining the Alaska governor's past and her potential future. The controversy migrated instantly to the Web and the blogs -- it was, in fact, made for the viral communication that dominates today's politics -- and became even more intense, nasty and personal.

The Palin controversy highlights personal enmities and strategic disagreements among Republicans. The victory by Democrat Al Franken over Republican  Norm Coleman for a U.S. Senate seat representing Minnesota, though long anticipated, drives home the degree to which Republicans are now a true minority party. Together, the controversies are another double blow to the weakened party.

Republicans grappling with how to respond to their latest setback in the Senate were appalled by the sniping over Palin. The criticism in Vanity Fair and the angry reaction by Palin defenders echoed the breakdown that occurred at the end of  Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. For several days this fall, the two camps fired at each other at the expense of both Palin and McCain. The charges and countercharges aimed at Palin were, to many Republicans, shocking and inexcusable, a messy end to a dispiriting campaign. But that was not the end. Seven months later, it continues.

Read More Washington Post

Other News Haley Huddles with Top GOP Strategists

Please, please run! Run as fast as your southern, white male, insider, GOP legs will carry you. And use the Palin Brand, it can help you acheive this goal, that'll help show the nation the New Improved GOP.

STIMULUS: Palin makes Alaska the sole state to reject energy cost relief.

Excellect observation from mudflats.net 

The Daily News in an op-ed piece yesterday said something interesting.

Alaska citizens have a right to file ethics complaints against their elected representatives. State law guarantees it. But when Alaskans use the ethics law to score political points, they abuse that right — and may put it at risk.

Score political points?  Abuse their rights as citizens?  Wow.  That’s a fairly strong accusation.  And it makes the assumption, of course, that the complaints are frivolous, and without merit.  It sounds like something we ought to know.  But how do we determine if the complaints are indeed frivolous?  Well, we could either take the word of the ADN editorial staff, or perhaps…there’s another way….

Guess what?  There is actually a procedure for making that determination.  And that procedure goes something like this:

The citizen who files the ethics complaint puts together their paperwork, and cites the specific part(s) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act that they believe have been violated.  Then that person brings their complaint to the Department of Law.

The Department of Law makes sure that all the basics are covered, then they stamp it, and take it in.  Then the complaint goes to the Personnel Board (which this unethical gov has appoint 2 of 3).  The Personnel Board then hires an investigator to investigate. They ask all kinds of questions, make phone calls, do research, and gather whatever new information that they need to make a determination about whether things should proceed to the next level.   That investigator will decide if the case does or does not have merit. That investigator will decide whether the investigation goes forward or not.  If the complaint is completely “bogus,” as the governor’s office is fond of saying, then the investigator can dismiss it outright.  If the complaint is the result of someone abusing their rights, or is without merit, it gets tossed out. Done.

If, however, the complaint is not “bogus,” and the investigator thinks that there’s something to it,  they writes up a nice report, states their findings and recommends a hearing.  Then the Personnel Board reads the recommendation, holds the hearing and comes to a conclusion.

So that’s the story of how we find out if a complaint is being used “to score political points” or whether it’s actually got merit.

And right now, as you read this, there are investigators on the case who are making those determinations.  You can imagine them in their snazzy tweed overcoats and those Sherlock Holmes hats with the flaps over their ears, wielding giant magnifying glasses, and investigating their little hearts out.

So, unless somehow the editorial board of the Anchorage Daily News has not only permeated the thought process of all the investigators working on these ethics complaints, but has also acquired the power of precognition, they actually don’t know whether these complaints are frivolous or not.  And generally, if you don’t actually know the facts, it’s prudent not to act like you do, nevermind write a whole editorial about it.

And if they have acquired these superhuman skills, may I humbly suggest that they apply them to some loftier humanitarian purpose than writing op-ed pieces for the Anchorage Daily News.

Mudflats