Palin Same Old GOP Corruption, Troopergate Stonewalled

Sarah Palin has been portraying herself as an outsider, a person who wants transparency, someone who will shake up Washington. Think again. As Palin and McCain tour the country in the “bullshit express,” Alaskans are dealing with Palin’s lawyer and Washington tactics to stall and bury troopergate. Boy that’s a change from the last eight years of Bush corruption.

Apparently in July when the troopergate investigation got underway, Palin said “hold me accountable,” now Palin has changed her mind. Alaskans took her word when said “she and her staff would cooperate fully” now they will have to be subpoenaed. How Republican. After Palin was announced as the GOP veep and troopergate became known to everyone, Palin hired Anchorage attorney Thomas V. Van Flein. The McCain camp says they are not involved, I highly doubt it. After all one of McCain’s top dogs is Karl Rove’s protege Steve Schmidt.

Like the Bush administration, Palin and her attorney believe in blocking the truth. The Alaskan Legislature’s investigation report on Palin’s abuse of power is due Oct. 31, however, Palin’s attorney is pressuring the legislature to produce the report after the 2008 presidential election. Talk about Palin and McCain’s mantra to end corruption.

According to the Anchorage Daily News Alaskans are far from pleased with Palin.

Palin’s lawyer has asked the Legislature to drop its investigation. He had the governor file an ethics complaint against herself, in a bid to turn the entire matter over to the state Personnel Board, which would hire an independent investigator.

This is not an open and transparent attempt to establish Gov. Palin’s accountability. It is an attempt to drag out the investigation until after voters decide the fate of her vice-presidential bid.

Instead, Gov. Palin should honor her pledge to cooperate with the Legislature’s investigation, conducted by former state prosecutor Steve Branchflower.
The Legislature hasn’t given its investigator the power to subpoena, or compel, testimony of witnesses. Subpoenas appeared unnecessary, since it appeared the governor and administration would be cooperating.

That’s over. It’s time for the subpoenas.

The Legislature’s investigation is supposed to be wrapped up by Oct. 31. That’s obviously poor timing from the standpoint of the McCain-Palin presidential campaign, coming just a few days before the national election.

Instead of trying to delay the whole thing, Palin should take a cue from U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, who asked that his corruption trial be moved up so it would be completed well ahead of the November general election. Voters deserve to know the outcome of Sen. Stevens trial and the investigation into Palin.

When this investigation into Troopergate started, Gov. Palin’s response was refreshingly open. Since she became the Republican candidate for vice president, her approach has changed for the worse. America deserves the same openness and ethics from vice-presidential candidate Palin that she promised to Alaska voters in 2006.

BOTTOM LINE: Gov. Palin is stonewalling on Troopergate; the Legislature should issue subpoenas.

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