Big rally, Alaskans demand truth, and two Tlingit moms

Alaskans demanding justice!

Today at least 1200 (don't have the final count yet) fellow Alaskans gathered for the Hold Palin Accountable Rally, hosted by Alaskans for Truth. The gathered to demand that the state government be taken out of the McCain campaign's hands and be put back in the hands of Alaskans.


And just who was a surprise guest?

Walt Monegan's mom!

Yes, the same Walt Monegan that was fired by Gov. Palin, and was the reason this whole Troopergate investigation began. The crowd rippled when it was announced who was speaking, and many got quite emotional. She began by saying she didn't realize her son "had so many friends."










After Betty (Walt's mom) spoke, she was flooded with people that wanted to speak with her.

One of them was this woman hugging her, who said that she worked for APD in the 80's, where Walt started. Walt had supported her in sexual harrassment claims she had made against other officers, and gone beyond what liability meant. He made sure she was okay, made sure she got professional help, counseling. She wanted Betty to know she supported Walt.



There were quite a few speakers, talking about anything from personal experiences with Gov. Palin to demanding that Talis Colberg resign or be fired, to support for Walt Monegan.

The recent taking over of the state government by the McCain campaign got the most response from the crowd, as well as the smearing of Walt Monegan by Palin's administration.





There was a petition available for all to sign, demanding justice through the removal of Talis Colberg.











I see Celtic Diva speaking! Do you?

Okay, neither do I, but here she was. She talked about a response that many people here in Alaska had. When she first met her, she thought, "All right, she's pretty good." Palin is pretty personable.

But she also talked about the more recent revelations we've had about Palin, beginning before the VP thing, about Palin's vy for power, and cover-ups. Much of what was said was about not knowing much of Sarah except her personality, and now that we know... well...


Lots of dog owners in attendance, including this one who joked about her "pit bull against Palin."

















But the Palin supporters were out too!

Or... well, it was pretty much this one guy, who kept shouting "Support Palin!" at intermittent times. the 1200 other voices shouting something much different did not allow for much else.

I did hear (but not see) that there was someone with a sign down lower in the road, that said, "Bitter women ahead."

Maybe the same person who asserts that any questioning of Sarah Palin is sexist?



The rock star of the day though really was Walt's mom. She spoke only briefly, and was really surprised by all the attention, but she carried both a sense of humor and an emotional support of her son through it all. Even while being surrounded by media and Walt Monegan supporters, she carried herself very well, and joked about what her son might say once he found out about all this. She also spoke eloquently about how proud she is to be Tlingit, and that her son is proud also. I will post later about some of the many Alaska Native overtones that took place throughout the rally.

Note: Did you know Walt Monegan's dad was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor?



Two awesome Tlingit moms!

My own mother, and Walt Monegan's mom! The next governor and Lt. Gov., you think?

This is actually right after they hugged, and my mom said, "When I heard who you were, I just had to come over and meet you."

Betty's response,

"Because I'm Tlingit?"

:) Well, Tlingit people DO like meeting other Tlingit people... :)


Short clip of the main protest.

Sarah, stop the slander

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.