The Osterley Times: Devastating ABC Investigative Report on Troopergate

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Devastating ABC Investigative Report on Troopergate

There appears to be some substance to this Troopergate business, and this ABC News report does a better job of explaining what's behind it than any other report I've seen on this.

McCain's staff implied when he named Palin as his coice for VP that they had vetted the matter and that it was simply a local issue of which they were confident she would be cleared. If that was the truth, why are they now applying such pressure to curb the probe into what Palin did or did not do here?

Key Alaska allies of John McCain are trying to derail a politically charged investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner in order to prevent a so-called "October surprise" that would produce embarrassing information about the vice presidential candidate on the eve of the election.

In a move endorsed by the McCain campaign Friday, John Coghill, the GOP chairman of the state House Rules Committee, wrote a letter seeking a meeting of Alaska's bipartisan Legislative Council in order to remove the Democratic state senator in charge of the so-called "troopergate" investigation.

Coghill charged that the senator, Hollis French, had "politicized" the probe by making a number of public comments in recent days, including telling ABC News that Palin had a "credibility problem" and that the investigation into the firing of public safety commissioner Walter Monegan was "likely to be damaging to the administration" and could be an "October surprise." Wrote Coghill: "The investigation appears to be lacking in fairness, neutrality and due process."

Is this representative of the "change" Washington should fear if these two ever get into office? Because it sure looks like more of the same to me.

But Coghill, who told NEWSWEEK that he has the backing of Republican Speaker of the House John Harris in his effort to remove French, suggested Friday that the investigation into Palin's firing of Monegan should be shut down entirely. "If this has been botched up the way it has, there's a question as to whether it should continue," Coghill told NEWSWEEK.

Firing people before an investigation has reached a conclusion is really going to be an exciting new development in Washington, I can hardly wait for this change to occur.

"How can this possibly be read as anything but a partisan attempt to shut down a legitimate investigation that was approved and funded with bipartisan support?" said one state Democratic legislative aide, who asked not to be identified because of the political sensitivities. Coghill told NEWSWEEK that he decided to write his letter to strip French of his position on his own-without any coaxing by McCain campaign officials.