[Vision2020] Sarah Palin and "Troopergate"

[nickgier at adelphia.net]

Thanks, Tom, for finding this.

You should have posted the text, which I've done below

TrooperGate - The Damning Audio Tape (4 Updates)
by Eman of the Daily Kos
Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 07:46:17 AM PDT

This damning audio tape of a recorded phone call from Palin senior staffer Frank Bailey to an Alaska Public Safety Department staffer.

First Palin claimed she knew nothing about any pressure from her office to fire her ex-brother-in-law, and her subsequent firing of the Public Safety Director Walt Monegan when he would not do so.

Palin now admits DOZENS of contacts to state police, both from her staff and from her husband, Todd, but admitted only after this TrooperGate recording surfaced.

UPDATE 10:53 am - Thanks to MA Liberal for pointing out that Talking Points Memo has the details here.

UPDATE 12:35 pm - TPM TV has the video up - KTVA, Local CBS Affiliate, Reports On Palin Trooper-Gate Scandal.  It just gets more damning.

UPDATE 1:05 pm - As I think about it, this is exactly like the Bosnia story - CBS has footage but won't broadcast it nationally until enough people scream.

UPDATE 4:05 - First time on the Rec List - WOW - DiggIt

more below the fold...

    * Eman's diary :: ::
*

Frank Bailey, the Palin senior staffer initiating the recorded phone call is evidently dumb enough (or brazen enough) to relay pressure on behalf of Governor Palin on a known-to-be-recorded police line.

It is a very long call, and the good stuff doesn't start until after a few minutes of hemming-and-hawing on a warm-up issue.  Bailey is clearly testing the waters for the meat of his call.

I was bored the first few minutes, but was riveted to this conversation after it got to the good stuff.  It just gets better and better as it continues.

It is obvious that the intent of the call was intimidation concerning the governor's ex-brother-in-law.

The recording's repeated references to "Both the governor and Todd..." certainly contradict Sarah Palin's claims of being out-of-the-loop.  In fact, at the end, both parties agree to exchange information and keep the governor informed.

The most damning section, which clearly contradicts Palin's position is this one:

    "I'm telling you honestly, you know, she really likes Walt a lot, but on this issue, she feels like it's, she doesn't know why there is absolutely no action for a year on this issue. It's very, very troubling to her and the family. I could definitely relay that."

Yes, one of Palin's own senior staffers clearly states that he IS relaying a message from "her (Sarah Palin) and the family."  Case closed.

This is government slime, manipulation, and intimidation at its worst.

The Washington Post has the first interview with fired Public Safety Director Walt Monegan since this story hit national news.  Monegan details how he tried to keep Governor Palin's pressure at arm's length:

    Monegan, who was fired by Palin's office in July, told The Post that the subject came up when he invited the governor to a birthday party for his cousin, a state senator, in February 2007 during the legislative session in Juneau.

    "As we were walking down the stairs in the capitol building she wanted to talk to me about her former brother-in-law," Monegan said in the first interview he has given since Sen. John McCain announced on Friday that Palin would be his running mate on the Republican ticket. "I said, 'Ma'am, I need to keep you at arm's length with this. I can't deal about him with you. If need be, I can talk to Todd."

One of the allegations currently under investigation in Alaska is whether or not husband Todd, as the acknowledged go-between, was copied on official state emails regarding this issue.

Another allegation which seems to be substantiated by Monegan's interview this week is the fact that Governor Palin lied publicly about her involvement, and only began admitting anything after this Troopergate recording surfaced in mid-August.

While SOME of the many allegations against Trooper Wooten were substantiated, it appears that he was disciplined and suspended for those just as any other trooper would have been.

This recording details a huge laundry list of additional allegations, most from Todd Palin's private investigator, and clearly brought out on behalf of Governor Palin.  The way the laundry list is presented over-and-over in the lengthy phone call, it is obviously intimidation.

Both the caller and the recipient ("Don't worry, we'll have the Governor's back covered...") should be immediately suspended, if not fired, along with the governor herself.