Op-Ed: Sarah Palin Changes The Game In Troopergate Saga

After changing her previous stance to cooperate with the Alaska State Legislature in the so-called "Troopergate" investigation, Sarah Palin has agreed to Cooperate with the States Personnel Board in its separate investigation.

In a move that many of her ardent supporters will attempt to portray her as having unbridled integrity, Sarah Palin has indicated she will cooperate with a separate probe run by a state panel controlled by the Governors office. The State Personnel Board is a three-member panel appointed by the governor. Panel members can be fired by the governor for cause. The current panel consists of two members that are holdovers from the previous governor and a third whom Palin reappointed. Earlier this month, Governor Palin's attorney Thomas Van Flein, filed on her behalf, an ethics complaint against herself to Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg. The governor then asked that it go to the three-person Personnel Board as a complaint. Van Flein, also asked the state legislature to drop its own investigation into the Monegan matter, which the State Senator running the investigation Hollis French, immediately refused. Palin initially agreed to participate in the bi-partisan investigation. However, since becoming John McCain's running mate, Palin has contended that the investigation has become partisan and that she would not cooperate with the elected officials investigation. Palin also contends that this is a political witch hunt being undertaken because she was tapped to be the Republican choice for VP. But this investigation began before she was tapped and there are some very serious ethical issues involved in this probe. Meanwhile two state lawmakers, Rep. Les Gara and Sen. Bill Wielechowski, both democrats said they are evaluating Alaska's criminal code to see if it applies in what's become known as the Troopergate probe. The two have urged state police to investigate why subpoenaed witnesses, including Palin's husband, did not testify before the legislative committee last week and are said to be mulling witness tampering charges against the McCain/Palin campaign. If these allegations bear fruit, then the McCain/Palin campaign will look even more like the Bush/Cheney administration whose tactics they have openly deployed during this election cycle. McCain spokesman Taylor Griffin said the campaign has not advised any witnesses on how to respond to subpoenas. Before being named as John McCain's running mate for the Vice-Presidency, Sarah Palin was said to have enjoyed an 88% approval rating among Alaska residents. But indications are that some of her Alaska supporters are turned off by the way she is handling herself, or being handled by the campaign, as this inquiry goes forward. If anything the McCain campaign folks have drawn negative attention towards Sarah Palin and their ticket by the course of action they have engaged in. Surely if the reasons she wanted the trooper fired are true, Americans could surely forgive her for her actions, but only if she is honest about them. We are a forgiving nation. Our country needs some real openness in governing as the Bush/Cheney years wind down, and the McCain/Palin advisers are not serving their party well. If this is what they are about, then they will not serve America well. After all their slogan is "Country First". Fellow DJer Jamie M. Kisner wrote a very smart and compelling OP-ED last week. If you have not already, read it and ponder.