The Alaskan legislature released a report from its investigation into Sarah Palin’s use of government authority in relation to her personal differences with her ex-brother-in-law. The report found that Palin broke ethical laws but no criminal laws. In response, Palin claimed she was “vindicated.” The Anchorage Daily News is not amused.
She claims the report “vindicates” her. She said that the investigation found “no unlawful or unethical activity on my part.”
Her response is either astoundingly ignorant or downright Orwellian.
Page 8, Finding Number One of the report says: “I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.”
In plain English, she did something “unlawful.” She broke the state ethics law.
Either astoundingly ignorant or downright Orwellian? How about both?
The report concluded that she placed impermissible pressure on subordinates to advance her personal agenda of firing her ex-brother-in-law.
By claiming she was vindicated, she’s engaging in the sort of up-is-downism that has characterized the Bush administration. It was sort of funny when Monty Python used the tactic in the sketch about the dead parrot, but it’s not really an admirable trait in a potential President.
I was looking through headlines on this subject on Google shortly after the report came out over the weekend. One headline said that her lawyers were lambasting the decision as a partisan smear.
The next headline said Gov. Palin heralded the decision as a vindication. Reports that she described it as ‘double plus good’ are not to be believed, however.
The lawyers argument as I understand it was that Palin didn’t abuse her authority within the meaning of the statute because there was no profit motive — simply a harmless family vendetta.
All joking aside, I have a teeny-tiny bit of sympathy for her original action in that she was arguably protecting her family. On the other hand, calling the report a vindication calls her character into question.
Amazing how the legislature could do that when they’re not even in session – and what the legislative council did was to vote to release the report – not endorse it.
And of course there is no possibility that the work of this one (1) Obama supporter, appointed by an Obama supporter, could be wrong or biased.
She’s just another GOP victim. Obama’s power extends all the way to the Alaska legislature. He probably transmitted the thoughts into her brain that made her pursue this vendetta.
Which does nothing to address the point.
Besides, everyone knows the rule of “shiny side out” to stop the evil mind rays!
The point being, if the work of that Obama supporter is wrong or biased, then maybe someone on her side should demonstrate how or why that is so. This Branchflower guy documented actions that she and the “First Dude” took. I haven’t heard any defense by her other than to pretend she doesn’t know how to read.