I honestly am just so frustrated with what Gov. Palin has been doing and saying, I cannot write what I was going to write. What she is attempting to do with Walt Monegan - shift the blame and public disgust to him, rather than be "open" and "welcome the investigation" as she has repeatedly promised in the past - is just beyond digust to me.
For those of you that do not know, Walt Monegan is the central figure in the Troopergate situation. His firing was a shock to many, and gained attention it specifically BECAUSE OF THIS MAN'S EXCELLENT REPUTATION and propensity to fight for those who needed it the most. Nobody saw the firing coming. Palin has fired many people before, and it did not gain a quarter of the attention that firing such a stand-up guy did.
I was dismayed to read in comments from around the nation, that this smear is working, at least for some people. I urge you, please look at all the facts, from the beginning of this whole mess, before you pass judgement on a man who did nothing but do his job, and do it well.
A few facts:
- People who don't know the situation are criticizing Monegan for not firing Wooten - but Walt Monegan was not Wooten's boss at the time of the incidents Palin describes, or at the time of the Wooten investigation. Nobody is defending Wooten except the union - everyone pretty much agrees he's a creep. But the actions he committed were investigated for quite a while, and diciplinary actions taken against him. It wasn't enough, but that wasn't Monegan's call.
Monegan was not Wooten's "boss" until Palin took office - WELL after everything she described happened. On her urging, he did look at the file, but I would be alarmed if anyone tried to repunish anyone for a crime they already committed. He found NO new evidence - and Palin has never presented any past what happened when her sister and brother-in-law were going through a divorce. PLEASE, take in the phrase "double jeopardy." Monegan acted with utmost integrity for his badge by following exactly what justice dictates. I do not agree with half of the sentences given out for crimes - but then where is our justice if a judge, years after the criminal has been convicted, sentenced, and completed it, decides that wasn't really enough time after all, and he should do more? We would be outraged, and justice crumbles.
- This investigation started well before anyone thought Palin was even half a factor in the VP bid. It was not something cooked up by Obama's campaign - Palin did this all by herself.
- Monegan was offered another job by Palin, instead of getting fired. She now claims that one of her problems with him was that he wasn't going aggressively enough after the high alcoholism rates in Alaska. The job she offered him? Executive Director of the State Alcohol Beverage Control Board.
-On the subject of offering him a new job, Palin now claims she offered it to him because of the esteem the "public" held for him, instead of just firing him outright (she's right about the esteem we hold for him anyways.) But really, he was showing "rogue mentality," "outright insubordination" and "escalating patterns of insubordination"... so she offered him another job? Even if he was showing all these horrifing traits, my word, I would hope I could have governor who wouldn't keep such a guy on because other people liked him!
-Another of the reasons Palin came up with, after the fact, for firing Monegan- he wasn't doing enough to hire more troopers. Yet his budgetary plan for the troopers was focused on recruitment efforts, more funding to get them, more funding to keep them. Meanwhile, Palin is trying to lop off $2.5 million from the trooper budget, even now.
- She says, only since Monday, that he showed a "rogue mentality" and "outright insurbordination." But where is the progressive action? Where are the warnings, the meetings with him to discuss his actions? She claims there was an "escalating pattern of insubordination" - but she cannot provide the evidence to show her own pattern of corrective action against him. Wasn't he warned? The "evidence" she provided this week show a selective handful of e-mails from other people that complain about Monegan or his department. Like every single high-level department head of any state government doesn't have a slew of complaints about how they should be doing things differently. NOTHING on where Palin corrected Monegan, told him to stop, NOTHING on where Monegan was told his actions were wrong, nothing, that is, except the numerous phone calls, e-mails and reminders about Palin's ex-brother in law.
- At first Palin welcomed the investigation - said there was nothing to hide. Now? She is "unlikely to cooperate." The first was said before evidence was found, and before she was selected to run as McCain's running mate. The second was said after the evidence was found, and after she was selected.
Even Republican friends I have are shocked at this new treatment - not at what has been "discovered" now about Monegan, but about the ruthless way Palin is willing to claw at a good man's reputation so she won't sink. The nation hasn't had Monegan around forever, they don't know all the good he's done, and the honest and open way he's done it. It is horrifying to me what we are witnessing now on a national stage. It is clear that the McCain's camp is running the show - all questions are being routed to them, and the investigation took a crazy spin the second she was announced.
Whatever you believe about Sarah Palin and this investigation, I just ask you to not believe what is being said about Walt Monegan now. There is a surge of support for this man, and not from paid lawyers and political colleagues who might benefit or lose, depending on the outcome. People from all around the state are behind him, democrats, republicans, independendants. We hope the nation will hear what his supporters have to say - not just the opposition, who have much to gain by thiis man's destruction.
8 comments:
I hope you folks up there can hold back the wave of Feds that have come up there to make sure there is no investigation. I was so happy to see the news of your demonstration against Miz Sarah, and hear on Ed Schultz the frustration and exasperation we have been feeling about this terrifying choice for McCains stand in.
Please keep it up, we are counting on the good folks of Alaska as never before !
Good essay, I think she is showing her true colors now. I wonder what kind of long term damage she is doing to herself in Alaska. I hope she is looking at some property down in Idaho, next door to Murkowski.
As an Alaskan who came of age in Texas back in the 80s, I now know how the few liberals in Texas felt when GWB was foisted on the nation in 2000. He was a fraud as is Sarah. It is so obvious to the reality based folks. ann, we are trying up here, and I think it is working as evidenced by her sinking approval ratings http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/17/195514/801/936/602155
Great post - I am going to point people to it on my blog!
PS - why don't you drop the whole word verification thing. It is a pian in the neck!
Great post. When I heard about the possibility of McCain selecting her, I said no way because I had been following this scandal at Josh Marshall's talking points memo site. THAT was before most of this was known.
oh, dear one, fear not. Walt's only become the poster child for of all the sacrificial lambs that lay in a bloody pool left out of politically motivated desperation. when the dust settles, when someone is asked to atone for this great disgrace, i have no doubt that Walt will stand victorious. because at the heart of it, we all see a good man refusing to sell out to the media, who would rather hold back to let judicial process continue unbostructed - even when justice seems to be denied.
On a different sour note, who is Michael A. Nizich? He shows up as the sender on a lot of those Yahoo emails from Sarah's hacked acount, as viewable at the cached page http://wikileaks.org.nyud.net:8090/wiki/VP_contender_Sarah_Palin_hacked.
Each of his emails seems to have a notation (GOV) in his email contact line, perhaps meaning Sarah was conducting government business with him via the Yahoo account.
Sarah, you need to live up to your claims of being honest and transparent. Just say NO to the lawyers from the campaign that are telling you what to do. It's about doing the right thing, Sarah.
If you don't have the integrity for this business, get out of the race.
Atto,
Nizich is Palin's chief of staff. So, yes, they were doing official business on her private account to evade accountability.
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