Palin "clears herself" in Troopergate, day before report

[MattusMaximus]

Wow, you can't make this stuff up. Seriously

Palin pre-empts state report, clears self in probe

Trying to head off a potentially embarrassing state ethics report on GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, campaign officials released their own report Thursday that clears her of any wrongdoing. ...

Mmmkay, so let me get this straight. The investigation, which was approved and conducted by more Republicans than Democrats in the Alaska state legislature, was supposedly "too partisan" because it had "been infiltrated by Obama operatives."

Yet, we are to believe McCain's own campaign is giving it to us straight, and in a completely unbiased and non-partisan manner, when they "clear" Palin on their own?



Hell, we should just let all politicians investigate themselves, since they're so trustworthy and have no agendas! Thank you McCain/Palin for opening my eyes!

Do these people seriously think we're that stupid? Or is this just more fodder for the base?

 

[Darth Rotor]

Palin "clears herself" in Troopergate, day before report

So, is she a Scientologist now?

 

[MattusMaximus]

Oh, snap!

 

[qwints]

From what I've read, it looks like she was saying that this was what the report was going to say. It looks like her husband is going to fall on his sword for the scandal.

 

[BenBurch]

Didn't Nixon clear himself too?

 

[Puppycow]

Wow. That is one of the best headlines EVAH!

It'll be interesting to compare Palin's "report" with the official one that comes out tomorrow.

I have a hard time believing that a mostly republican legislature would have it in for her.

I'm also still skeptical about anything the Palins claim about Wooten.

Todd Palin Waged Campaign To Get Trooper Fired

In his statement, Todd Palin made clear that he carried a grudge against Wooten, a state trooper who was embroiled in a family dispute with the Palins, during and after a messy divorce from Sarah Palin's sister.

"I had hundreds of conversations and communications about Trooper Wooten over the last several years with my family, with friends, with colleagues, and with just about everyone I could -- including government officials," Palin said.

BTW, does anyone know enough ebout tasers and "stun guns" to clear up the following discrepency? The Yahoo article says the following:

Although the report describes Wooten as a separate issue, the McCain campaign goes into great detail about the "rogue" trooper and his "long history of unstable and erratic behavior." The campaign describes allegations of violence, including threatening Palin's family and shooting his stepson with a stun gun.

But in an interview with Hannity, Palin said this:

"This trooper tasered my nephew...that was...it's all on the record. It's all there. His threats against the first family, the threat against my dad. All that is in the record. And if the opposition researchers chooses to forget that side of the story, they're not doing their job."

Is a stun gun the same thing as a taser? And what are the details of that incident?
Can't tasers be set at different levels, from mildly irritating to extremely painful?
I don't know much about them, which is why I ask.

 

[MattusMaximus]

From what I've read, it looks like she was saying that this was what the report was going to say.

Wow, before the report even came out and anyone had a chance to read it. She must be psychic! Or perhaps Jeebus is just beaming the info directly into her head?

It looks like her husband is going to fall on his sword for the scandal.

How noble of him. But can we then go after Palin & McCain via the guilt-by-association argument?

 

[MattusMaximus]

Wow. That is one of the best headlines EVAH!

True dat.

It'll be interesting to compare Palin's "report" with the official one that comes out tomorrow.

Oh, I can't wait to see the GOP spin on this one

I have a hard time believing that a mostly republican legislature would have it in for her.

Hey PC, c'mon. All those northern Republican-types are just a bunch of commie pinko socialists in league with Obama. I'm surprised you didn't know that!

<sarc off>

 

[R.Mackey]

Is a stun gun the same thing as a taser? And what are the details of that incident?
Can't tasers be set at different levels, from mildly irritating to extremely painful?
I don't know much about them, which is why I ask.

Generally speaking, a "stun gun" has studs that conduct electricity, but you have to physically touch the subject to adminster a shock, whereas "tasers" shoot out barbed electrodes for several feet. Some people use the terms interchangeably. The newspapers probably are talking about the same thing, whichever it really was.

You can usually control the duration of the shock, but I'm unaware of one with a variable pain setting. Could exist, though.

 

[SezMe]

From the OP link:

Although the report describes Wooten as a separate issue, the McCain campaign goes into great detail about the "rogue" trooper and his "long history of unstable and erratic behavior." The campaign describes allegations of violence, including threatening Palin's family and shooting his stepson with a stun gun.

There's your spin. The GOP is going to make this about Wooten, who is easy to not like, not about Palin.

 

[Puppycow]

Here's what wikipedia says about that incident

Taser incident

Wooten was also found to have violated department policy in using a Taser on his then 11-year old stepson in 2003. He told investigators that he did so "in a training capacity" after the child had asked to be tased.[17][20][28][29] In a statement to police, the boy said "he wanted to be tased to show that he's not a mommy's boy in front of Bristol [his cousin, Palin's daughter]. Following being tased he went upstairs to tell his mother that he was fine."[15] In a statement to police, Molly McCann said "she was up stairs giving a bath to the kids … Mike was going to show Payton what it feels like and she told Mike that he better not."[15] According to Molly's account, she remained upstairs during the incident.

Although the Taser incident happened in 2003, it was not reported to police until on or after April 11, 2005, the day McCann filed for divorce. On June 6, 2005, a police investigator asked Bristol why they "waited so long and brought the incident up after two years." Bristol said "because of the divorce."[15]

Here's the article on tasers. I was wrong about the different levels, but it can either be shot or held directly on the body which is probably what happened.

The key point though is that this wasn't reported at the time, but only later because of the divorce.

 

[GreyICE]

Here's what wikipedia says about that incident



Here's the article on tasers. I was wrong about the different levels, but it can either be shot or held directly on the body which is probably what happened.

The key point though is that this wasn't reported at the time, but only later because of the divorce.

Here's what happens when you're hit by a taser, assuming you don't have a medical condition, aren't drunk/high, and are only hit once:

It hurts like all hell. In controlled conditions its a lot less dangerous than getting 120V current, which is reasonably safe in and of itself (I think most of us have gotten hit by 120 at some point and time, and although its not fun, we're still here).

 

[Tricky]

Wow, you can't make this stuff up. Seriously

Palin pre-empts state report, clears self in probe



Mmmkay, so let me get this straight. The investigation, which was approved and conducted by more Republicans than Democrats in the Alaska state legislature, was supposedly "too partisan" because it had "been infiltrated by Obama operatives."

Yet, we are to believe McCain's own campaign is giving it to us straight, and in a completely unbiased and non-partisan manner, when they "clear" Palin on their own?

[URL]http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/imagehosting/774747dc5f01571c1.gif[/URL][URL]http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/imagehosting/774747dc5f01571c1.gif[/URL][URL]http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/imagehosting/774747dc5f01571c1.gif[/URL]

Hell, we should just let all politicians investigate themselves, since they're so trustworthy and have no agendas! Thank you McCain/Palin for opening my eyes!

Do these people seriously think we're that stupid? Or is this just more fodder for the base?

Unbefrikkenleivable. I pretty much figured the troopergate thing was blown out of proportion, but watching Palin panic and do something this stupid makes me think that maybe she does have something to hide. Methinks thou dost protest too much, Sarah.

I think that this stunt will convince a lot of people regarding Palin's honesty, but probably not in the direction the GOP wanted to convince them.

On a positive front, the GOP has perfected time travel. This is the second time in a week or two they've been able to post news before the news was made!

 

[gdnp]

So Palin's defense is that she didn't know what her husband was doing? Sounds like a nice, close family. We already know what a close eye they keep on their kids.

 

[Upchurch]

So Palin's defense is that she didn't know what her husband was doing?

That's one way of putting it. Another is that she allowed her husband to abuse the Governor's power.

 

[Upchurch]

If the OP info is true, I just realized something. Maybe a "maverick" is someone who has squeaked out from underneath an unethical abuse of power allegation?

 

[chulbert]

So Palin's defense is that she didn't know what her husband was doing?

I suppose it's possible but it strikes me as unlikely. Your husband meets with your staff several times in order to further the termination of an individual who won't execute revenge on your-brother-in-law? And he never even mentions it? Neither does the staff with whom he met?

Smells fishy.

 

[Puppycow]

The NY Times has just published a story that basically lays out all that is publically known about this whole sorry saga. After reading it, I felt that Mike Wooten, as well as Monegan and other who were harrased about him, is the real victim here. Todd Palin is a sociopath. Wooten's crimes add up to little more than small misdemeanors, for which he was punished with a 10-day suspension (reduced to 5). The punishment fit the crimes, which were minor. Wooten volunteered to work with children. He's not the terrible person that the Palins are trying to paint him as.

The Palins hired a private investigator to look for dirt on him, and constantly harrased his boss about him. Monegan couldn't fire him, as that would be against the rules.

 

[not_so_new]

I suppose it's possible but it strikes me as unlikely. Your husband meets with your staff several times in order to further the termination of an individual who won't execute revenge on your-brother-in-law? And he never even mentions it? Neither does the staff with whom he met?

Smells fishy.

Smells like wiggle room to me.

 

[MattusMaximus]

That's one way of putting it. Another is that she allowed her husband to abuse the Governor's power.

I call guilt-by-association