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Though many of us suffer from Palin Factor Fatigue, it is irrefutable that there is a nagging curiosity to have the question answered, ?How in the world did Sarah Palin become so popular and why do we still need to hear about her?? My book answers these questions in detail and urges us all to be vigilant. She is one of a small pool of ?rising stars in the republican party? as John McCain stated as recently as January 25, 2009 on Fox News Sunday.
As unbelievable as her meteoric rise was we cannot delude ourselves, turning our backs once again, into thinking that she and those like her are going away. This woman is joined by millions of loyalists whose perception is that she was persecuted in the media, stifled by McCain, and mocked by liberals - and now the theocratic conservatives are regrouping with a vengeance!
"Blue Oasis" began in 2005 in its Blogger format (now an archive) and became possibly the first Alaska Blog on Progressive Politics. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis was honored to represent Alaska as the state blog.
Transition--Community Blog
In September 2008, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis moved to a Soapblox Community Blog format. Readers can become full participants by registering on the blog to comment and write "diaries." Diary titles appear on the right sidebar for folks to read and provide comments. Blog editors may choose to move some of these diaries to the front page.
While this Community was formed specifically with Alaska in mind, all "friends of Alaska" are welcome as members!
**Note about registering** Scroll down the right side until you find the link to register. Then, just follow the instructions!
**Note about comments** To comment on a story, click on the heading and then look for the "comment bar" at the bottom (it's light grey, I can't seem to change it). I believe the font color NOW permits you to see the "post comment" text.
YOUR BLOGMISTRESS
My name is Linda Kellen Biegel and I am a former 15-year Federal employee. Thirteen of those years were spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I am also semi-retired from the Alaska music scene (singer, sound tech, stage manager, logistics).
When the blog was chosen to represent Alaska in the DNCC State Blogger Pool at the Denver Convention, I attended with the help of Alaska Real blogmistress, Writing Raven and my daughter Morrigan. On August 29th, one day after Barack Obama's inspiring speech at Invesco Field , my life took another turn as it did for all Alaska bloggers when Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen to be John McCain's VP running mate. Since then, I've either assisted or have been interviewed by media from the UK, Italy, Australia and Germany as well as national media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, NY Times, ABC Good Morning America's Kate Snow, National Journal, Dallas Morning News, LA Times, and NPR.
Presently, I work as a freelance writer, PR, event coordinator, community organizer, wife to computer programmer Josh and mother to 11-year-old Morrigan. Our family especially enjoys our summers in Alaska where we get to subsistence set-net fish Sockeye salmon as well as halibut fish/whalewatch in the family's homemade aluminum boat, "The Neverdone" (when it's working). We reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Origin of "Celtic Diva"
I've used "Celtic Diva" as a screen name since the early 1990's on Web TV.
"Folks have asked about my Celtic heritage, especially in light of my name. What they don't realize is that I'm adopted. I was born Valerie Morehead of the Clan Muirhead. I was adopted at three-months-old by the Kellens. I always "knew" I was Celt even before really knew. I was drawn to all things Scottish, especially music. That's why my parents eventually told me at age 16."
"Linda is well-known in Alaska & beyond as the prominent progressive political blogger Celtic Diva of Celtic Diva?s Blue Oasis. But back in the day, the early 1990s, I knew her as Linda Kellen, a member of the local folk/rock band Sky is Blu, which amongst other things performed in at least a couple or so of the annual women?s show Celebration of Change, in which I also performed. And if you don?t already know, let me tell you: Linda is one fine damn singer."
I went on after the break-up of "Sky is Blu" to perform with various Alaska musicians and work with national folks like Bo Diddly, Coco Montoya, Debbie Davies, Taj Mahal, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bad Company, Creedence Clearwater, Carny Wilson, etc...
USA Women's Olympic Hockey Team Star Kerry Weiland with our friend Isabella and my daughter Morrigan at St. Baldrick's Day
(Scroll down to find posts.)
(Please register to participate in diaries and comments! We'd love for you to join our Community!)
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DISCLAIMER: I am printing this email for no other reason than Anchorage Mayoral Candidate Paul Honeman sent it to me this evening. His opinions are NOT mine. I have made NO decisions regarding the mayoral race as I'm not yet clear on all of their political stances. I don't even know if I will publicly support a specific candidate in this race.
So, yes, that means...for the moment...I would be happy to print writings from the other candidates. However, as the Blue Oasis blogmistress is known to become peevish at times (hard to believe, isn't it?) I won't promise how long that will be true. ;-)
By the way, I think that Paul Honeman's REAL motivation when he sent this email was to attach a picture because the one I used in my last post about the mayoral candidates was so bad! :-D
-------------------------------------------
I welcome my friend and former boss - Walt Monegan to the Mayoral campaign.
I would have preferred that Walt run for a state seat - and offered to assist in his campaign for Lt Gov. or Gov in 2010. Either way - Walt was classy enough to call me yesterday (last Thursday) and advised that he would be running for Mayor as one of my competitors.
I am and always have been non-partisan in my registration and my vote. I am fiscally conservative and yet progressively concerned about the proper, efficient and effective government services.
I am the ONLY candidate who has run for this seat before (1987) and I must state that I am not interested in any other elected office. Can you really say that about my challengers? I ask this in the context that a 'professional politician' as we have experienced time and again does not always act in the best interest of the taxpayer when constantly considering their 'next job'.
Selkregg and Sullivan (possibly Claman) - Assembly, Mayor, what next??
Croft, Legislator, oh wait - no Governor, nah - Mayor (what next)
I respect and even like each and every other person for many reasons. And yet, the main reason for my bid as Mayor of Anchorage is to demonstrate that Anchorage residents, Alaskans and out-of-state visitors deserve, and will receive better than the partisanship bickering and politically motivated service delivery - or lack thereof that we have witnessed in our great city.
I believe that my biggest challenge will be explaining to voters why I am deeper and broader than just public safety. And I am up to that challenge for those willing to openly communicate. Please visit www.honemanformayor.com to learn more. I look forward to the April election. At the end of the day - actions speak louder than words. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Anchorage ! Paul Honeman
Don't get me wrong, I'm one of the people who believes that Walt should run for office...just not THAT office THIS year!!!! The list of candidates for the office of mayor is getting longer by the minute.
The good news: We have some great Progressive and Moderate candidates running!
The bad news: We have TOO MANY great Progressive and Moderate candidates running!
The truly ugly news: Only one candidate is a hardcore Conservative. Therefore Progressive and Moderate vote are in danger of splitting enough that Dan Sullivan ends up as king of the island.
In the name of all that is holy, don't make me live through Dan Sullivan as mayor!!!!!
In order to do this, folks are going to have to think about the good of Anchorage and vote themselves off of the Island ahead of time...or not get on the Island at all. (BIG HINT Matt Claman!) There are other offices open for a run in the not-too-distant future...like in 2010? I can see several of the mayoral candidates who have the experience to make it a great campaign for Governor!
For now, we can only sit back and watch. I expect the emails and phone calls will be flying fast and furious. I only hope that everyone treats each other with respect...
Mr. Monegan spoke on what he's learned over the years about the relationship between the people and their government. "Basically, what I want to talk about, and what I've been invited to speak on, is the importance of the integrity of our government and its leaders."
He discussed his appreciation of our Founding Fathers and how "the law of the land" includes an understandting that "If the government starts to become more oppressive, the citizens not only have a right but an obligation to alter or abolish the government."
Trust was his recurring theme, as he recounted his understanding of its importance through his career in public safety:
"Trust is both powerful and yet so fragile. It empowers the police to do the things they are required and requested to do and yet they have to walk a very fine line that safeguards both the citizens and their constitutional rights."
"We in the police are better schooled on being accountable and being watched than any other part of the government."
He also wanted us to understand more about him and his decisions:
"I know many of you perhaps wanted to hear about what was so well reported by the media last fall and summer. I'm telling you what I believe and I hope would provide some insight to who and what I am. I would hope there was also an understanding to the adherence of values coupled with the appreciation of that powerful yet fragile trust would give you some insight why I took the path that I chose."
Monegan is a captivating speaker, exuding a quiet strength that draws you to him. He also clearly has a depth of concern about public safety...he has so much knowledge and he wants to share it. During the questions and answers about the proposals he put forward as Commissioner regarding multi-pronged solutions to the horrendous domestic violence and sexual assault problems in Rural Alaska, he became quite animated. It was obvious to everyone that he still feels quite passionate about the issue. Not surprisingly, it turns out he's currently working with social services groups.
Do I hope that Walt's re-emergence in the public forum causes the Palin Administration concern? Yes...yes I do. Happily, there may be good reason for them to be concerned.
Monegan's first question from the audience was that the student had heard a "rumor" that Walt Monegan may be running for Mayor.
He said, "I heard that rumor too. Next question?"
The next time politics was mentioned someone wanted to know if he was running for Governor. The answer there was more interesting as he discussed how he's seen a number of political positions function and how some of them posed unique challenges. He then discussed how much he loved to dig into a challenge and then his discussion moved away from the topic.
The third question on the subject was from APRN, who first asked if Walt was going to take any action against the State on being called a "rogue" and he said "I love the State of Alaska so the answer is no." Then she asked for a firmer answer to the question about running for governor and he said he didn't want to violate the non-political requirement of speaking at UAA.
I took that as my cue and I asked the last question of the day:
There are a lot of people who support you that I'm sure have let you know and there are a number who have not let you know and they would like to see you take some prominent leadership position in the State. Is there anything you can tell them without getting specific about that happening in any form?
Walt's reply:
As long as it's not violating any rules I could honestly say that my wife and I are talking about it.
I told my husband that he couldn't stop me from signing up for THAT campaign! :D
I strongly recommend that you listen to the entire recording. At one point he spoke to the audience like they were new recruits in the Police Academy. He also shared a beautiful speech he made at last year's graduation. It's just under and hour and well worth the listen.
Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1 p.m. Professional Studies Building (PSB), Room 158
The former commissioner of public safety for Alaska and Anchorage's former police chief, Walt Monegan, will be the guest speaker at the Department of Journalism and Public Communication's monthly Brown Bag Lunch on Dec. 3. Monegan will discuss events that thrust him into the national spotlight after he was dismissed from Governor Sarah Palin's administration.
The disgusting treatment of Walt Monegan by McCain/Palin's misnamed "Truth Squad" was the reason "Alaskan's for Truth" was formed. You can bet I'll be there!
Two prominent Alaskan politicians have demanded an apology from the McCain Campaign for their libelous/slanderous smears of former Marine and long-time Alaska Public Safety leader, Walt Monegan.
Gail Phillips, Former Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives and Chancy Croft, Former President of the Alaska State Senate make a clear and respectful request to John McCain and his Campaign to undo the damage the misnamed "Truth Squad" did to Walt Monegan's reputation, his employability, and his emotional well-being as well as the well-being of his family and friends.
We are asking all of you to help in this endeavor.
Please email this to your lists and send respectful letters (Gail Phillips has given us all permission to copy any part of their letter we may wish) to the address below, asking for an apology for Walt Monegan:
Honorable Senator John McCain
John McCain 2008
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215
(CC is discussing this on her show "Cutting Edge" today (3:00 - 6:00 pm Alaska time) http://www.kudo.com.)
I recieved a forwarded email today that Bill McAllister sent to his "special" media contacts. (Since I was told to leave the McCain-Palin Campaign office because I was an unfriendly "blogger," I already knew I wasn't "special".)
I guess Bill is a little peeved about how "Troopergate" went...and is still going under the Personnel Board:
There was much news coverage in the Troopergate matter concerning whether state employees would testify, whether subpoenas would be honored and so on. Yet, it now has been 12 days since those depositions have been disseminated by our office, and I am unaware of any news stories covering what the employees actually had to say.
For those who might not have read the depositions, below is my memo to one reporter who claimed to have read them and found nothing remarkable. It seems that only one side of the story is being told. As professionals, I'd think you'd hate to see that.
The bottom line is that months before Monegan was reassigned (a reassignment to a six-figure job, which he refused), there was plenty of internal administration discussion about his failure to support the governor on the budget and his attempted interference with union contract negotiations.
FYI.
--Bill
The memo consisted of one line:
From: McAllister, William D (GOV)
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 1:35 PM
In regard to the depositions, I'm surprised to hear you say there's nothing there indicating that Monegan was a management problem. You say "nothing jumped out." That's amazing. Consider the following.
He then showed a list of quotes from Talis Colberg's very slanted "depositions" taken during the "investigation before the investigation." He then showed a list of quotes from the "depositions" from the seven criminals who didn't bother to show up for their subpeonas, but submitted written answers to questions from Investigator Branchflower (in a strangly similar writing style as whomever wrote Todd Palin's "testimony"). They are clearly trying to paint a negative picture of Walt Monegan. Rather than show you the quotes, I'll just give you the links to the actual depositions. That way, you'll get to see them in context as I discuss them and you can judge for yourself if you feel they do anything other than make you respect Walt Monegan even more.
The following is my response:
Mr. McAllister:
I just read your extended "whine" to the media as well as these things you call "depositions." After reading them one more time, it's obvious that you, the Governor and the McCain-Palin Campaign are so completely out of touch with reality you don't even understand why you are LUCKY the media isn't covering this.
State Legislator Follows Up On Trooper Letter To Call for Independent Investigator
ANCHORAGE -- Today an Alaska legislator called on the State's Attorney General to appoint an independent investigator to look into possible criminal witness tampering by McCain-Palin campaign staff in Alaska. Rep. Gara's call came at the suggestion of the Director of the Alaska State Troopers, who called the potential of witness tampering matter "serious."
Director of the State Troopers, Colonel Audie Holloway, suggested in his letter that the state call on the State Troopers to hire an independent investigator.
Over the past two months McCain-Palin campaign staff tried to stop the Alaska legislature's bi-partisan Troopergate investigation, which recently concluded with a report that that state's ethics law was broken. See Michael Isakoff, Newsweek, "Can He Stop Troopergate?" (Sept. 16, 2008). "Until Senator McCain sent campaign staff up here on August 29, everyone, including the Governor, agreed the Legislature's investigation was proper. After the McCain staffers arrived, people who were willing to testify starting violating their subpoenas. It's not rocket science that someone worked to change their minds, and that's a crime under Alaska law," said Rep. Gara.
The legislative investigation was initiated by a bi-partisan committee of 8 Republicans and 4 Democrats in July, before Governor Palin was named to the McCain ticket. On October 10 that committee voted unanimously to release the independent investigator's report finding one ethics violation, and finding that the Attorney General had improperly withheld documents.
Alaska's witness tampering law makes it a crime to "attempt" to "induce" a person not to show up for a legislative subpoena. See statutes below. Approximately 10 witnesses failed to show for subpoenas during the Legislature's investigation into whether Governor Palin or her staff acted improperly in seeking the firing of her former brother-in-law, a State Trooper. After failing to cooperate with subpoenas, these witnesses have since provided written statements.
Starting on August 29 the McCain campaign tried to create public pressure to stop the investigation with near-daily press conferences, and participated in unsuccessful legal efforts to try to stop the investigation.
The independent investigation concluded on October 10, 2008, when the investigator's report was released by a unanimous vote of the Alaska Legislature's Legislative Council. A separate investigation by the State's Personnel Board is ongoing.
For further information, contact Rep. Les Gara with questions at (907) 250-0106.
________________________________________
Alaska's witness tampering statutes follow:
Alaska Statute 11.56.545 -
"(a)Tampering with a witness in the second degree: A person commits the crime of tampering with a witness in the second degree if the person knowingly induces or attempts to induce a witness to be absent from an official proceeding, other than a judicial proceeding, to which the witness has been summoned. (b) Tampering with a witness in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor. (Emphasis added).
AS 11.56.540 has similar elements, and is a felony.
Rumor has it that Sarah Palin is scheduled to speak at the Alaska Federation of Natives Conference on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008 from 10:20 to 10:35 AM at the new Convention Center -- G & 7th in Anchorage. Will try to verify
I wonder what brought that on?
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The Anchorage Daily News posted several articles today covering Sarah Palin's racial problems within the state.
The first one was about the relationship of Native Alaska with Palin, based on an interview with Rhonda McBride, Palin's former rural affairs advisor who left this week:
After two years working with rural communities faced by desperately rising energy costs, McBride herself decided the critics were right about the need for a stronger Native presence in state government.
"You begin to realize there's a certain moral authority a Native voice has," McBride said last week, one day after announcing her resignation.
Of course, our friend over at Alaska Real, Writing Raven, had an extensive piece on the resignation on Wednesday, where she revealed the actual resignation letter McBride sent out, as well as a nice analysis for people unfamiliar with Alaska Native issues. There were two parts of the letter/Raven's post that were particularly poignant. First, one addressing DCRA:
My personal opinion is that the Division of Community and Regional Affairs needs to be restored as a department, so that Rural issues get the attention they so desperately deserve. While that may no longer be politically practical, the DCRA director needs more of a voice at the highest level of Government. Perhaps the director could become a quasi-cabinet level position.
(Okay, this is pretty critical of how Rural affairs are being handled. There's a whole lot being said in very few words, but clearly a cry for change. Which I think most involved in Rural affairs would agree is desperately needed. I myself [please see earlier posts] don't believe Palin's administration has done an eighth of what should be going on right now.)
The second addressed Walt Monegan:
I have much appreciated the mentoring I have had from Commissioner Emil Notti and former Commissioner Walt Monegan.
(This was most surprising to me. Clearly, support of Monegan is an unpopular issue in Palin's administration right now. A strong disagreement with the tone Palin's administration... which she will still be part of until next week... has taken about Monegan. It also speaks to the great respect that people had for him - and continue to have - before and after his firing.)
And Walt Monegan is definitely an issue among Alaska Natives.
The state Personnel Board investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of Walt Monegan has broadened to include other ethics complaints against the governor and examination of actions by other state employees, according to the independent counsel handling the case.
The investigator, Tim Petumenos, did not say who else is under scrutiny. But in two recent letters describing his inquiry, he cited the consolidation of complaints and the involvement of other officials as a reason for not going along with Palin's request to make the examination of her activities more public.
Two other ethics complaints involving Palin are known. One, by activist Andree McLeod, alleges that state hiring practices were circumvented for a Palin supporter. The case is not related to Monegan's firing. The other, by the Public Safety Employees Association, alleges that trooper Mike Wooten's personnel file was illegally breached by state officials.
Gov. Sarah Palin's former public safety commissioner says the governor smeared him and he wants a hearing to clear his name.
Walt Monegan on Monday asked the state personnel board to allow him a chance to disprove the vice presidential nominee's assertion he was a "rogue" and insubordinate commissioner. The board is investigating Palin's July dismissal of Monegan.
"Governor Palin's public statements accusing Mr. Monegan of serious misconduct were untrue and they have stigmatized his good name, severely damaged -- and continue to damage -- his reputation, and impaired his ability to pursue future professional employment in law enforcement and related fields," said the hearing request filed by Monegan's lawyer, Jeff Feldman.
Of course, let's not forget the interesting revealations on the building of the Palin house, which seemed to (coincidentally) coincide with the building of the Wasilla Sports Complex right down the road:
What an unusual situation. Giant construction contracts are being awarded to campaign contributors at the same time that "buddies" who just happen to be contractors are "helping" Todd build their two-story house. At the same time Sarah ensures there will be no public record of building permits. WTF? How is this different from the Stevens situation?
We need to know:
Who Built Sarah Palin's House?
Then we have the great investigative work being done by Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert over at Salon.com regarding Sarah Palin's "right-wing pals"--connections like former Alaska Independence Party Chairman Mark Cryson, who most Alaskans didn't realize had such an influence over Sarah's career:
Though Chryson belongs to a fringe political party, one that advocates the secession of Alaska from the Union, and that organizes with other like-minded secessionist movements from Canada to the Deep South, he is not without peculiar influence in state politics, especially the rise of Sarah Palin. An obscure figure outside of Alaska, Chryson has been a political fixture in the hometown of the Republican vice-presidential nominee for over a decade. During the 1990s, when Chryson directed the AIP, he and another radical right-winger, Steve Stoll, played a quiet but pivotal role in electing Palin as mayor of Wasilla and shaping her political agenda afterward. Both Stoll and Chryson not only contributed to Palin's campaign financially, they played major behind-the-scenes roles in the Palin camp before, during and after her victory.
Palin backed Chryson as he successfully advanced a host of anti-tax, pro-gun initiatives, including one that altered the state Constitution's language to better facilitate the formation of anti-government militias. She joined in their vendetta against several local officials they disliked, and listened to their advice about hiring. She attempted to name Stoll, a John Birch Society activist known in the Mat-Su Valley as "Black Helicopter Steve," to an empty Wasilla City Council seat. "Every time I showed up her door was open," said Chryson. "And that policy continued when she became governor."
***UPDATE***
Daily Kos has a diary with a number of videos linking Palin to the Alaska Independence Party. This one is of a CNN interview today with Max Blumenthal, the Salon.com writer who was up here doing extensive research on Sarah Palin's right-wing influences:
Here is an interview that Max David did with former Alaska Independence Party Chair, Mark Chryson while Max was in Alaska:
No, Sarah, it ain't over 'til it's over. Alaska is not the same state that you left.
Andrew's Blog is a must-read on EVERY topic. If it wasn't for him, Troopergate never would have come to light. One of the best parts, though, are all the comments, as they truly reflect a mix of love and hate!!!! It's amazing how many Palinbots post there!
Anyway, I found this comment today that made me terribly proud of all of us!
Hooray, Alaskans!
Submitted by Buckeye (not verified) on Sat, 2008-10-11 05:15.
There's no doubt in my mind that, had this taken place in my home state of Ohio, an investigation would not have happened. My legislature would've caved to political pressure and tried to sweep it under the rug. I think Sarah & Todd Palin underestimated the independence of the Alaskan people and their love for Walt Monegan. I want to thank you all for your dedication to truth. I shudder to think of how Sarah Palin would've behaved as VP. I shudder to think of how Todd Palin would've behaved with Sarah as VP. Here's hoping Sarah Palin slides into obscurity and becomes a small footnote in American history. We don't deserve such people in politics, and neither does Alaska.
Over the weekend, I commended Dan Fagan for his op-ed piece in the Anchorage Daily News. Today, I was cheering Lyda Green for the great job she did on Rachel.
Now, I have to applaud her for her interview on...no, I'm not kidding...Mother Jones MojoBlog:
For two years, Green feuded with Palin over key policy matters. But in recent days, Green has become even more dismayed with the Palin pick, for she believes the McCain-Palin campaign has undermined the rule of law in the Last Frontier. She says she has watched with outrage as McCain-Palin operatives have flown into her state and interfered with the so-called Troopergate investigation--the official, approved-by-the-legislature inquiry into whether Palin dismissed her public safety commissioner because he refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper who went through a messy divorce with Palin's sister.
Calling herself a "raging Republican," Green says, she is "absolutely disgusted, embarrassed, and ashamed" by the McCain-Palin campaign's intervention in the Troopergate probe.
I feel like I've slipped into a parallel universe...
I have to give Fagan and Lyda Green their props. They are reportedly taking an unbelievable amount of abuse from fellow Republicans (remember, they are hearing from the same Palinistas who called the leaders of the Women's Rally and said nasty things to them). As some of us have learned over the years, it's much easier to stand up against one's "enemies" than it is to stand against those who are normally one's allies.
In this Palin issue, I have to stand with them and give them my support.
The most important piece that folks need to take from this is that fearing the damage Palin could do in the White House is definitely NOT a partisan thing. The fact that Fagan, Lyda Green and Andrew Halcro are saying the same things as many Democratic Legislators and Liberal blogger-types is a good indication of just how afraid everyone should be.
Last week, a group of organizers put together a great show of support for women and women's issues around the state in the "Alaska Women Reject Palin Rally."
This week a number of people have said they are not done, they want more ways to get involved.
A group of us are getting together tonight to discuss this. While another possible rally is on the list of possibilities, we will also be exploring the best ways to get the information out and raise awareness of the truly heinous issues which have come to light as a result of the Palin Candidacy. Most important, something must be done about the McCain Campaign takeover of the Alaska Department of Law as well as the horrible smear campaign against our fellow Alaskans like Walt Monegan.
Any input you may have that I can bring to this meeting is VERY WELCOME. Please feel free to leave comments or write diaries. The meeting is this evening.
Everybody was talking Saturday about the the Anchorage Daily News editorial because of it's strong insistance that Palin should come home to "explain to the Alaskan people" about Troopergate.
However, it seems no one was paying much attention to another Op Ed piece by Conservative talk show host Dan Fagan. I admit, I usually avoid his editorials as well but I'm glad I read this one. It was probably the best summary I've read all week of the egregious ways the McCain-Palin people have taken over Alaska's Department of Law.
Yes, I just paid that very large compliment to hard-core right-winger Dan Fagan...hell hath frozen over. Sarah Palin's idiocy is causing us to make very strange...errrr...bedfellows.
However, there was another very important piece in his writing that reflects what a number of us have been saying this week...with additional information:
Why do she and her new handlers in the McCain camp believe there is something in Troopergate that could cost them the election?
The real damage to Palin from Troopergate comes with an injury claim involving trooper Wooten when he hurt his back while in the line of duty.
Independent investigator Steve Branchflower testified recently he believes someone in the governor's office tried to block Wooten's workers' compensation injury benefits.
Harbor Adjustment Services, the company hired by the state to process, evaluate and decide on workers' benefit claims, had great financial incentive in bowing to pressure from the governor to deny Wooten's injury claim.
Obviously, the state is Harbor Adjustment Services' largest client. The owner of the company denies the governor's office pressured her to deny Wooten's benefits. Why wouldn't she? Ratting out the governor could cost her the lucrative state contract.
But Branchflower says an employee with Harbor Adjustment Services contradicts the owner and has testified the governor's office did apply pressure to deny Wooten his benefits.
Branchflower says the unnamed employee testified, "I don't, you know, care if it's the president who wants the claim denied. I'm not going to deny it unless I have the medical evidence to do that,"
We know which employee is testifying about this to Mr. Branchflower.
So I saw this article referenced on the KBYR website and when I saw the date (1994) and the fact that none of the allegations were substantiated, I ignored it.
Monegan denounced the allegations as "either half-truths or pure fabrications." He points out that Moldovan made her accusations in the midst of a bitter fight over who would get the couple's daughters.
If any of the allegations had been documented, he said, he would have been fired from his Anchorage police job and never been hired by Palin as Alaska's top cop in 2006.
Nice, huh? Bah...who needs facts when lies are so much more convenient!
Speaking of facts, here's the link to the case on "Court View." It looks like a very contentious child custody issue...and nothing more.
Plus, if there was more to it shouldn't Chuck Kopp have found it as he was in charge of vetting Walt Monegan? Or is she admitting to an entirely new level of incompetency?
Again, as Troopergate is about Sarah Palin's behavior not Walt Monegan's divorce from 1994, this is just another distraction by the "Hit Squad."
"The last straw," her lawyer argued, came when he planned a trip to Washington, D.C., to seek federal funds for an aggressive anti-sexual-violence program. The project, expected to cost from $10 million to $20 million a year for five years, would have been the first of its kind in Alaska, which leads the nation in reported forcible rape.
The McCain-Palin campaign echoed the charge in a press release it distributed Monday, concurrent with Palin's legal filing. "Mr. Monegan persisted in planning to make the unauthorized lobbying trip to D.C.," the release stated.
The document, a state travel authorization form, shows that Palin's chief of staff, Mike Nizich, approved Monegan's trip to Washington, D.C., "to attend meeting with Senator Murkowski." The date next to Nizich's signature reads June 18.
And here's their explanation:
According to Ruaro, Monegan asked for -- and received -- approval for the travel without telling Palin's staff his reason for going. "As a matter of routine, the travel was approved by Mike Nizich ... weeks before the actual purpose was made clear by former Commissioner Monegan," Ruaro wrote.
"When you receive permission to travel, it does not mean that you receive blanket authorization to discuss or do whatever you would like on that trip," he added.
**pauses to laugh uproariously**
15+ years with the Feds taught me that when a boss has signed their employee's travel orders, unless there are stipulations on there as to what he/she can or cannot do, that boss has authorized him/her for the trip.
If that boss was stupid enough NOT TO BOTHER to find out where or why the employee was going on the trip and what the employee was planning to do once he/she got there, guess what? The boss is STILL responsible for his/her travel!
In other words, YOU CAN'T BLAME THE EMPLOYEE IF YOU'RE A CRAPPY SUPERVISOR!
Palin better stick to her (quite true) talking point that as Governor she can fire any appointee she wants. There's no way she's going to sell this one as a legitimate argument. As a matter of fact, the actual evidence now backs up Monegan.
It's just been a bad week for the McPain Campaign!
Like many Alaskans, I was absolutely horrified when I saw the smear campaign against Alaskan hero Walt Monegan. Worst of all, it was initiated by the McCain Campaign! Sure, they used the face and voice of opportunist Meghan Stapleton but that was simply an attempt to trick us into thinking Alaskans were driving it.
Walt Monegan has been the only member of the Palin Administration who has a proven record of direct service to the people of Alaska. In the 18 months he served as Commissioner, he made a superhuman effort to increase and improve services to Rural Alaska that were and are severely lacking.
His priorities are even obvious from the description of the above photo:
Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, a member of the Village Public Safety Officer task force, talks about the state funded program at his office in Anchorage, Alaska Monday, Jan. 28, 2008. A seven-member panel released a report to the state Senate on Friday, Feb. 1, calling for significant changes in the Village Public Safety Officer program including hefty pay raises, more than doubling the size of the force and enlisting help from agencies to develop acceptable housing where needed. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)
According to Peggy Brown, who heads the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Monegan wanted to use the federal money to hire retired troopers and law enforcement officials, and assign them to investigate the most egregious cases of sexual assault -- including those against children.
In other words, if Palin's new story is true, she fired Monegan for being too aggressive in going after child molesters.
At the press conference, the McCain Campaign surrogates had this chart (photo courtesy of Anchorage Daily News) as well as a handout with the same pictures. The insinuation was that the Alaska Legisature was pursuing this investigation at the behest of the Obama Campaign.
Often, the "guilty" party accuses the "innocent" party of what the "guilty" party is actually doing...in this case, interfering in the investigation...in order to deflect attention.
The day after the announcement was made that Walt Monegan got fired, I did a "crap shoot" move and sent an email to his state address. In the email title, I wrote about the fear that hit me as soon as I heard of his firing--that all of his work on sexual assault/DV would fall by the wayside. Everything I'd read about him told me that issue more than any other was near and dear to his heart. In that email, I put my phone number.
Several hours later, I got a call. At that time, Walt Monegan wasn't talking to anyone.
He wouldn't really discuss much. I wasn't allowed to take it on the record. He made it clear to me how important the sexual assault issue was to him. In response to my question about what was going to happen now that he was gone, he stated he "would hope" Governor Palin would continue to work towards a solution to the problem.
The way he said it wasn't very convincing.
As ABC reported yesterday (they've got 8 people up here in Alaska right now, by the way):
"She's really done a lot of work on oil and gas, but when it comes to violence against women and children. . . we haven't been on her radar as a priority," said Peggy Brown, executive director of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The Juneau-based group is an umbrella organization for shelters and anti-violence programs around the state.
State troopers respond to most domestic violence calls outside of Alaska's major cities, but they're too short-staffed and under-funded to do it well, according to Robert Claus, a recently retired trooper.
"The training says you always respond to domestic violence with two people, [but] for most of my career that hasn't been possible," said Claus, who lives on the remote island he patrolled for 15 years. "So how do you go down the list and do what you're supposed to do separate the people, transport one person while taking care of the kids and victim? You have to pick and choose. We haven't seen the money to do that."
At the press conference, Meghan was reading from a HUGE binder of paperwork.
So the question posed to me earlier: how did they get all that information so quickly?
Well, it wasn't as fast as folks may think.
August 29th--the day Sarah Palin was announced as the VP Candidate: Riding in Kaerick's car in Denver, I got a call from a friend that blew my socks off...McHugh Pierre told her the McCain people were coming to Alaska the next day to deal with Troopergate! That told me very clearly that they had NOT vetted her beforehand but I never realized it meant anything more.
September 9th-11th--The huge pack-'O-media has decended on Alaska...rumors swirl about a number of suited non-media folks doing the same research in the same places. The McCain Campaign accused the Obama Campaign of "air-dropping" lawyers into Alaska, which the Obama Campaign definitively denies. McHugh's comment finally makes sense.
So, the McCain people have been doing their backwards vetting/smearing campaign since August 30th, since I have no reason to doubt the word of a Republican spokesperson.
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