Palin’s Parting Gift to Alaska – Another Constitutional Crisis. Gee, Thanks.
What is there to say? You do what you know. And Sarah Palin knows constitutional crises. Let’s look back at some of the highlights… Remember back when former Attorney General Talis Colberg suggested to state employees that it was OK to ignore legislative subpoenas in the Troopergate probe? He was really careful when questioned to say that he didn’t actually tell them not to testify, he merely pointed out that testifying was sort of an “option.” This set off a storm of protest from…well…anyone who knows anything about what a subpoena is. At odds with the legislature, the posture of…
Legislative Session Required to Confirm New Alaska Lt. Governor. Isn’t That ‘Special?’
Legal opinion is in, and a special session of the Alaska state legislature looms. Yup, that means that in all likelihood, this pack of hearty souls who have had to endure what must have felt like the longest gubernatorial partial term in the history of ever….isn’t done yet. The Commissioner of the Department of Corrections who, for some reason, was chosen and accepted the #3 spot in gubernatorial succession has decided he’d rather not have the job of Lt. Governor after all. Not that anyone necessarily blames him. Even he recognizes that Sarah Palin’s former high school buddy suddenly plopped in…
Palin’s Milllllions of Dollars!
Part of Palin’s reason for quitting the governorship, so she says, is financial. Why should the state be spending “million of dollars” in dealing with “frivolous ethics complaints” and frivolous lawsuits and just general…frivolity? Heck, according to the governor, the frivolity takes up 80% of the administration’s time these days. And that’s a lot! Think for a moment what we could be doing with that money. We could be funding the State Troopers! No, we haven’t really done that before, but we could do it now. We could fund teachers! OK, we wanted to cut that stimulus money for education,…
Buckle Up. The Palin Transition Begins.
OK folks, here we go. Rub your palms briskly on your face, and shake out your arms. The Palin transition begins… So, last February, Sarah Palin appointed someone to be third in line for the governor’s office. That someone was Wasilla High School pal Joe Schmidt, Commissioner of the Department of Corrections. An odd choice for several reasons. But nevertheless, it’s the governor’s prerogative to choose, and he was confirmed by the legislature. Now presumably, whomever accepts the position of #3 in line to the throne is thinking … “Wow. If anything happens, like the governor deciding to run for…
Palin Wonders Why Sudden Resignation is Such a “Darn Big Deal?”
After Friday’s stunning announcement that in a few weeks she is quitting the governorship, 18 months before her first term is up, Sarah Palin has gone fishin’. Kate Snow from ABC News has caught up with her near Dillingham, where Palin told her that she didn’t understand why the sudden resignation of a first term sitting governor who is rumored to be a contender for her party’s presidential nominee in the next election cycle is “such a darn big deal.” Really. You can see the video clip from ABC News HERE. Palin: Conditions have really changed in Alaska in the…
Open Thread – Where Was Sarah?
Residents in Juneau felt left in the lurch on the 4th of July. Where was the governor? The governor spent the Fourth of July weekend in Juneau but was only spotted briefly on the sidelines of the capital city’s parade. She had been invited to ride in a convertible, as she did last year, but never told organizers whether she would attend. Juneau parade director Jean Sztuk said officials drew up banners in case Palin showed and was willing to take part. As the last of the parade’s clowns and marching bands headed past her, Sztuk gave up on Palin….
Shannyn Moore in Palin’s Crosshairs.
[A similar piece is up on The Huffington Post. This one is just for Mudflatters] Just when you thought you’d seen the back end of him, he returns; one of our favorite characters here at the Mudflats. I refer, of course, to Sarah Palin’s personal attorney, and the man in Alaska with the most dastardly sounding bad guy name ever: Thomas Van Flein. I put his last name in bold italics to remind you to pronounce it with a dastardly accent. I still don’t actually know what he looks like, but for our purposes in the past, we have imagined…
The Great Band-Aid Cover-Up…
We all know someone who gets so into telling stories about themselves that they tend to adopt a facts-optional attitude about it. I mean if it’s not hurting anyone, and it makes for a good story, then what’s the problem, right? When I read the Runner’s World interview with Sarah Palin, I noticed her story about going on a run with the Secret Service during the campaign. She slipped while running, fell, and hurt her hand. Yup, I remembered that. But then there came a part about her swearing the Secret Service to silence so the story would never get…
What We Have Here…is a Failure to Communicate.
And a new communications director shall be made manifest, and it shall be a bold decision, and his name shall be David Murrow…presumably no relation to Edward R. Back on June 6, “The Ear,” column of the Anchorage Daily News reported the rumor that Murrow was on deck. Sources say he was offered the job on May 26, and his first day was June 10. His first action as Palin’s Communications Director was, ironically, NOT announcing his own hire for 19 days and counting. The Juneau Empire finally has something up. Murrow said he was too busy to talk to…