Slog - Comments on Disaster, Part 2 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power The verdict on Troopergate: abuse of power. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A legislative committee investigating Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has found she unlawfully abused her authority in firing the state's public safety commissioner.... Copyright 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:40:21 -0800 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:58:59 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by i have a medium penis What's that you say? The sky is blue?

Huh....

]]> i have a medium penis http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170520 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170520 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:39:25 -0800 Comment by Mr_Friendly Hmm. Report released on Friday at 5:30 PST. My guess is they try and sweep this under the rug and hope it goes away by Monday morning. That or blame the liberal media.

]]> Mr_Friendly http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170521 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170521 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:45:16 -0800 Comment by Ziggity Yeah - excellent timing on that October surprise, fellows.

]]> Ziggity http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170530 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170530 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:51:51 -0800 Comment by stinkbug ok, I guess I'm dumb.

does "unlawfully abused her authority" mean the same as "abused her power... but violated no laws"? because cnn says the latter.


]]> stinkbug http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170533 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170533 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:56:34 -0800 Comment by David CNN and the NYTimes do seem to contradict each other on the legality issue. The verdict itself (linked from NYTimes) says:

...Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.

However, the report goes on to say:

...Governor Palin's firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads.

I read that to mean that while the firing itself was legal (she had the authority as governor to do so), the reasons for the firing violated state ethics laws.

But I'm no legal expert, so anyone who has a better reading, please feel free to correct me.

]]> David http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170548 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170548 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:12:44 -0800 Comment by Obama4Lyf Oooooh the fat lady has a sexy voice!

]]> Obama4Lyf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170550 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170550 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:15:13 -0800 Comment by 4f...sake it wasn't clean
it wasn't business, it was personal

integrity, anytime soon?

]]> 4f...sake http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170554 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170554 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:21:59 -0800 Comment by jon c it's over. nail in the coffin.

]]> jon c http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170560 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170560 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:31:09 -0800 Comment by David Ok, CNN has updated their headline and story, which now reads:

Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan's refusal to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten from the state police force was "likely a contributing factor" to Monegan's July dismissal, but Palin had the authority as governor to fire him, the report by former Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower states.

However, it states that her efforts to get Wooten fired broke a state ethics law that bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action.

Guilty, guilty, guilty.

]]> David http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170564 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170564 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:38:13 -0800 Comment by stinkbug She should be forced to watch the work ethics episode of The Office from last night.

]]> stinkbug http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170568 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170568 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:47:32 -0800 Comment by asteria So it's still OK that she fired Monegan because he wanted funding for a sexual assault initiative and she didn't? "Legitimate budget dispute" my ass.

]]> asteria http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170571 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170571 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:52:12 -0800 Comment by the bells....the bells That Parah Salin is ceal runt.

]]> the bells....the bells http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170572 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170572 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:53:01 -0800 Comment by DP Kind of interesting how this isn't mentioned at all on Drudge Report.

]]> DP http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170579 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170579 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:18:21 -0800 Comment by AJ It's not the action, it's the motivation behind it.

It's completely legal for a police officer to cross through a red light by flashing their lights, but they don't always do it with the proper motivation.

You know, code of conduct for your office and such.

]]> AJ http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170580 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170580 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:22:43 -0800 Comment by AJ @2: The weekend media fog does not exist in election season. Woo-de-hoo.

]]> AJ http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170582 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170582 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:25:14 -0800 Comment by kinaidos Does McCain wonder if perhaps he's still in a vietnamese national pow camp, and that all this was just a bad dream?
Pleace Hoa, pull out another fingernail, or whatever that is you do so well, this has to be a dream....

]]> kinaidos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170586 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170586 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:39:18 -0800 Comment by Steve @4,5 - pushing Monegan to fire Wooten: violated ethics rules. Firing Monegan: OK, because the law says she can fire him for any reason, or for no reason at all.

]]> Steve http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170589 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170589 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:44:28 -0800 Comment by RainMan What she did may be perfectly legal but that doesn't make it right. A cop who pulls you over for doing 5 mph above the speed limit while everyone else is doing 80 has the legal right to give you a ticket but would be a complete asshole for doing so.

]]> RainMan http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170591 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170591 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:50:28 -0800 Comment by maxsolomon@home inside baseball. anyone stupid enough to vote mcshame/failin won't care.

]]> maxsolomon@home http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170606 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170606 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:29:18 -0800 Comment by Bob Monegan was an "at will" employee. She could fire him at anytime without cause. But all the crap along the way was unethical.

]]> Bob http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170615 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170615 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:58:00 -0800 Comment by Rank Stranger What's the difference between Sarah Palin's mouth and her vagina?

Only some of the things that come out of her vagina are retarded.

]]> Rank Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170620 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170620 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:15:39 -0800 Comment by Y.F. "...unlawfully abused her authority..."

Wait, aren't all abuses of authority unlawful? If it were lawful it wouldn't be an abuse of power.

]]> Y.F. http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170621 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170621 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:16:55 -0800 Comment by Ryan Agreeing to be McCain's VP might have killed her career.

Screw this coming back in 2012 nonsense; she's now a tainted brand who's been burning bridges like an arsonist up in Alaska to try and cover up her scandals. Now she gets sent back to a house with a cracked foundation, with a reputation that's gone from zero to -bazillion in two months flat.

Hope you enjoyed your moment, Mrs. Palin, because the moment is over.

]]> Ryan http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170624 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170624 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:29:32 -0800 Comment by Bob I'll miss her, she got me an interview with Anderson Cooper, a story I can tell my grandkids one day and they can say "so what?"

]]> Bob http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170630 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/abuse_of_power#c1170630 2008 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:58:59 -0800