Sarah Palin ain't much of a redneck. Don't get me wrong: I got a lot of love for Sister Sarah, but I am a little disappointed with her and Todd regarding this Troopergate business.
They've got this dick of a state trooper ex-brother-in-law screw-up named Mike Wooten. Frankly, you can just take one glance at this guy and intuit that he needs to be taken out behind the barn and knocked in the back of the head. Besides his looks, he's been known to drink in his police cruiser and break game laws that he is charged with enforcing.
Oh yeah, and this dickhead tasered his 10-year-old stepson (e.g. the governor's nephew) to "teach him a lesson." Plus, he's made threats of physical violence against the Heath family. This includes a death threat against his ex's father, that is to say, also the governor's father.
Some people seem to think that it was in some way inappropriate to want this Wooten fired from the force. Apparently this mostly means that Todd Palin bitched about how badly this guy needed fired to pretty much anybody who'd listen for a couple of years.
So now there's been these big hearings in Alaska, rushed through so they could get their digs in before the election. I know they cleared the governor of any actual wrongdoing. I missed some of the fine details. But apparently they called Todd Palin in again to ask him why this Wooten still had frickin' kneecaps? Least ways, that's what I would have been wanting to know.
But this Wooten doesn't just have kneecaps — he's still got his trooper job. Sarah Palin certainly didn't push the point with Wooten very hard. She's the f'ng governor of the f'ng state. She could get a trooper fired if she really applied herself, m'kay?
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Lisa Solod Warren
Um, Al, I think it's against the law to just take someone out it in the woods and beat the shit out of them.
I'm just sayin'.
Also, using the power of your office to put pressure on someone you hired to ask him to fire someone just because you don't like him is also against the law, apparently. Palin was found to be in abuse of her power, although she likes to say she was cleared of all charges.
Although Alaska is, perhaps, the last frontier, they still don't allow frontier justice up there and still have to abide by the laws of the country to which they are still attached (witness Ted Stevens) so she should, perhaps, have figured out another way to get this man fired if indeed what he was guilty of were firing offenses.
BTW,the tasering of her nephew happened 3 years before she reported it. So it couldn't have bothered her THAT much:)
Anyway, certainly an interesting piece of redneck "fiction," which one doesn't get to read much of these days.
2 - Al Barger
Miss Lisa- "just because you don't like him" is not even a vaguely valid description of this situation. Also, putting a beatdown on a schmuck who is threatening your family might be considered to be against the law (if they can prove it) - but it ain't the same thing AT ALL as Ted Stevens taking bribes.
In fact, despite being motivated by a gotcha desire to knock down the vice-presidential candidate, their commission said that she hadn't broken any laws. They can say all kind of caveats that they don't think she was acting very nice, but that's just bullcrap chin music. She didn't break the rules - though perhaps she should have, or at least stretched them a bit. I just know this schmuck shouldn't still be on the payroll.
This is one of the most bogus excuses for a "political scandal" that I've seen. She apparently made maybe a couple of calls complaining about the guy - which considering how much dumb stuff he was doing even besides with the Heath family would be perfectly reasonable.
The state police work for the executive branch, ie the governor. If the governor has intimate knowledge of one that they don't simply dislike, but is regularly doing illegal and unprofessional stuff, then I don't see why they shouldn't put out a word to drop the loser. Or perhaps you think it better to wait for Wooten to be out drinking in his police cruiser and hurt somebody, leaving the state liable.
It's pretty clear from the years of complaints (not just by the Heaths) that the cops have been covering for their own. I'd be thinking she should be looking to clean house up the line of the corrupt individuals who are covering up for this guy, and who knows what other rogues.
And in what aspect is this story "fiction"? Best I can tell, everything here is true. I only listed a couple of the most clearly documented accusations against Wooten.
3 - Leslie Bohn
Al is completely incorrect. The Branchflower report says the governor violated AS 39.52.110(a) of the Ethics Act, a state LAW:
...each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust.
The AS means "Alaska Statute." "Violating a statute" means "breaking a law."
4 - Clavos
Kneecapping isn't enough. The mope needs a round in the testicles too.
5 - Glenn Contrarian
Interesting how the conservatives are SO serious about following the law...'cept for when it applies to them.
Perhaps the more telling act of Palin would be her aides' - and her husband's - refusal to comply with a CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENA.
As far as I'm concerned, that's FAR worse than her actual firing of the state safety commissioner. That's essentially saying, "I'm the governor and because of that, my family and friends are ABOVE THE LAW."
How many of Bush's aides have ignored subpoenas?
And how many Democratic governors or presidents have ignored congressional subpoenas?
Ah, but I FORGET! It's OKAY for Republicans to ignore Constitutional law, 'cause they're REAL American patriots. But not those commie Dems....
6 - Lee Richards
Hell yeah, an eye for an eye has always worked so well before!
7 - moon
Sarah's comments show that she has a few things in common with some posters on this forum:
1. Intolerance
2. Unbridled hostily
3. Obsession with "getting Even"
4. She IS a redneck (in red leather, paid for by campaign contributions)
5. Shooting from the hip
6. Jumping to conclusions
7. Full of fascist propaganda
The only thing I am unsure of is the skill level of the folks here at picking up dollar bills without using their hands.
Somebody said that this is just an election, and he was right. None of you has any power to influence who will be the next president, but you are at each others' throats anyway.
I don't get it. You weren't all that concerned when all the shit that's hitting the fan now was PREDICTED over a year ago by a number of folks--including this poster.
Why the big panic to lock the barn when the horses have escaped already?
8 - Dave Nalle
Glenn, what the people you erroneously call 'conservatives' understand is that law is often inadequate to properly address issues of right and wrong. If you violate a bad law, sometimes it is the law which needs to be changed rather than punishing the transgressor.
Dave
9 - Dan(Miller)
Police brutality is apparently a significant problem all over the U.S. (and, I understand, in most parts of the world). Often, but not consistently, it adversely affects members of minority groups.
There is, apparently Perhaps there might be some useful focus on why it seems so difficult to get rid of rogue cops and whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps Officer Wooten might be a starting point, since his situation seems to have been well ventilated and contentious matters of racial prejudice could be avoided.There doesn't seem to be much dispute about what Trooper Wooten did, only as to the manner with which his conduct was dealt. Is anyone else unhappy that Trooper Wooten is still a State police officer?
According to Human Rights Watch (linked above),
Dan(Miller)
10 - Dr Dreadful
Dave, what you seem to be saying is that a bad law is any law which the people Glenn calls 'conservatives' fall foul of.
11 - pablo
Barger,
Sarah Palin Ain't Much of a Redneck, but you sure are, thank you for showing your true colors, you usually do. :)
12 - Dr Dreadful
Dan, the problem with getting rid of 'bad apple' cops is a worldwide problem, not just an American one. The 'look after our own' mentality is deeply embedded at all levels of police hierarchy, and the consequences of violating the 'code' can be brutal, even for top brass.
It's partly the nature of the job and partly the quasi-military command structure of most police forces (having ranks such as 'sergeant', 'lieutenant' and 'captain' doesn't help). Everyone watches one another's backs. It tends to produce a very close-knit, inward-looking, 'us versus them' culture.
But I'm sure, having been a lawyer, you know this very well.
13 - Dan(Miller)
Doc,
Thanks for the clarification. I noted in Comment #9 that police brutality is a problem "all over the U.S. (and, I understand, in most parts of the world)," but perhaps I should have cited an additional study to highlight the international nature of the beast.
What I was hoping might be picked up is that Governor Palin faced some rather high hurdles in trying to do something, and that perhaps the reasons why Trooper Wooten remains a State trooper are more worthy of analysis than somewhat partisan attacks on her (unsuccessful) efforts.
Dan(Miller)
14 - moon
Bad cops, huh?
I would put Mexico up against any country in the world for having crooked, brutal, corrupt cops.
There's a new scandal every day here--usually involving a whole bunch of cops, including the top ones.
Now someone in the Senate or the Chamber of Deputies is callilng for ALL cops to be fired and new ones hired.
Sigh.
That's only about the millionth time in the 15 plus years I have been here.
15 - Dr Dreadful
First of all, Dan, 'Trooper' Wooten is by all accounts a Neanderthal nutbucket who would fulfill his rightful place in Alaskan society by being compelled to parade up and down the busiest street in Anchorage with no pants on, followed by a McCain/Palin campaign vehicle blaring out this classic tune over the loudspeaker.
Under normal circumstances I think Palin would be quite justified in insisting that he got the boot. The problem is that Palin just happens to be the governor and Wooten just happens to be her ex-brother-in-law. Can we all say 'conflict of interest'? After a count of three...
I understand the instinct to do whatever is in one's power to protect one's family, but in the circumstances Palin should be have been more circumspect. (Apologies for the excessive number of circums in that sentence.) It would perhaps have been better if she had asked the lieutenant-governor (if such an office exists in Alaska) to pursue the matter. As it was, she committed if not a breach of ethics, then at the very least a serious error of judgment.
16 - Dr Dreadful
Moon, Mexican cops have an abysmal reputation and I've heard a million horror stories about them.
I hope I never meet one.
17 - moon
Doc wrote:
"Mexican cops have an abysmal reputation and I've heard a million horror stories about them."
All true, too. But the real bad numbers are the Top Cops. They get so much money from drug trafficking that they have a lot to protect, and will do anything to protect their ill-gotten gains. A few were just outed by one of the cartel capos a couple of days ago.
18 - Glenn Contrarian
Dave -
I notice you said NOTHING about the ignored Congressional subpoenas by aides of Bush and Palin...nor did you provide a single example of a Democratic president or governor allowing their staff to ignore a subpoena.
Tell me some more about Republican respect for the law and the Constitution, please.
19 - Condor
Let me tell you all something. If a federal law enforcement officer (LEO), or a military LEO ever tasered a 10 year old, whether it was for fun or not, would be immediatedly dismissed or hauled into a courts martial and probably stripped of rank and booted. Period.
Drinking on duty or drinking while carrying a firearm is also a felony in CCW states.
So there's 2 instances why I still question this troops continued employment. I don't care who he's related to or anything else. He misused his taser, and he was drinking while fully armed and under the authority to use those weapons.
'nuff said
20 - Cannonshop
Having finally (I think) burned through all of my remaining emotional investment in this race (that is, reaching the point of "Acceptance of the inevitable") I am still astounded at how many folks are so interested in protecting this Wooten guy.
Apparently, Democrats LOVE their cops crooked, dangerous, and unstable. It's very telling.
21 - Dan(Miller)
Cannonshop,
Don't give up. Please. The only things which are "inevitable" are death and taxes. Somehow, I don't think that Senators Obama and Biden should count their chickens before they come home to roost.
Dan(Miller)
22 - moon
This poster has not seen any dems calling to protect Wooten.
What's going on is Palin's abuse of power is scary to a lot of folks--to me, for example, and I don't even live in the US.
SOmeone as patently mean-spirited as Palin, as ignorant of the world we live in and as belligerant would be like putting Bush in a tanga and having him do a table dance in the Pentagon while chanting, Bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb (country of your choice goes here).
23 - moon
Gore Vidal, who writes rings around anybody on this site, has a good piece reprinted on Commondreams today.
Cover your eyes, Nalle.
24 - moon
Sorry, it's called JOhn McCain in the Echo Chamber.
25 - pablo
Moon,
I am a big fan of Gore Vidal too.