Anchorage Daily News: Palin is Orwellian

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Sarah Palin's reaction to the Legislature's Troopergate report is an embarrassment to Alaskans and the nation.

She claims the report "vindicates" her. She said that the investigation found "no unlawful or unethical activity on my part."

Her response is either astoundingly ignorant or downright Orwellian.

Page 8, Finding Number One of the report says: "I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act."

In plain English, she did something "unlawful." She broke the state ethics law.

Perhaps Gov. Palin has been too busy to actually read the Troopergate report. Perhaps she is relying on briefings from McCain campaign spinmeisters.

That's the charitable interpretation.

Because if she had actually read it, she couldn't claim "vindication" with a straight face.

Palin asserted that the report found "there was no abuse of authority at all in trying to get Officer Wooten fired."

In fact, the report concluded that "impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired."

Palin's response is the kind of political "big lie" that George Orwell warned against. War is peace. Black is white. Up is down.

Gov. Palin and her camp trumpeted the report's second finding: that she was within her legal authority to fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. But the report also said it's likely one of the reasons she fired him was his failure to get rid of her ex-brother-in-law trooper.

That's not "vindication," and surely Gov. Palin knows it.

Gov. Palin does have a defense. She could have said:

"I'm gratified that the report confirmed what I said all along, that I had the authority to terminate Walt Monegan as public safety commissioner.

"I absolutely disagree that I violated state ethics law. In repeatedly complaining about trooper Mike Wooten, Todd and I were not pursuing a personal vendetta. We were trying to protect the integrity of the Alaska State Troopers from having an arrogant, almost-out-of-control law-breaker in their ranks. Because the action we were seeking was in the public interest, not purely our personal interest, there is no ethics law violation."

Gov. Palin and her husband felt so passionately about Wooten because the case was so personal to them. Their passion blinded them to any other considerations.

They had no sense that the power of the governor's office carries a special responsibility not to use it to settle family scores. They had no sense that legal restrictions might prevent the troopers from firing Wooten. They had no sense that persistent queries from the governor's office might be perceived as pressure to bend state personnel laws.

Gov. Palin and her husband were obsessed with Wooten the way Capt. Ahab was obsessed with the Great White Whale. No Wooten, no peace.

Has Gov. Palin committed an impeachable offense? Hardly.

Is what she did indictable? No.

But it wasn't appropriate, especially for someone elected as an ethical reformer. And her Orwellian claims of "vindication" make this blemish on her record look even worse.

You asked us to hold you accountable, Gov. Palin. Did you mean it?

Bottom line: Gov. Palin, read the report. It says you violated the ethics law.

http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/555236.html

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Ethics are core to a politician's credibility and basic honesty. This finding certainly calls her character into question far more than any controversial association ever could.

[almaty 19]

wow, i wonder if she knows her orwell was? doublespeak?

Edited October 14, 2008 by almaty

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

wow, i wonder if she knows her orwell was? doublespeak?

Slightly O/T - but I think Orwell was probably well-aware that the political truths in his work would be hijacked to advance the cause of political ignorance.

[mud 0]

Obviously not proportionate but Hitler believed what he was doing was right despite the truth.

[rocks 494]

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

[ginger1981 0]

Deny, deny, deny until it becomes the truth.

[Mononoke28 137]

Obviously not proportionate but Hitler believed what he was doing was right despite the truth.

That's because it's easier to deal with things and situations if you find ways to justify your cause. Same with terrorists who think that killing people in the name of Allah is good enough to do so, same with the KKK, same with communists, the list goes on.

Up until I saw the interview of Palin with Katie Couric I had a lot of respect for her because it's not easy to get where she's at and still be a mother and a wife. That's pretty admirable. But then I saw the interview and I was just sitting there in pure shock. Not the best VP candidate for sure. And she did it all herself.

Diana

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Love Orwell. My fave is 1984, which I read in 1984.

As for Palin, well.....

[mud 0]

Obviously not proportionate but Hitler believed what he was doing was right despite the truth.

That's because it's easier to deal with things and situations if you find ways to justify your cause. Same with terrorists who think that killing people in the name of Allah is good enough to do so, same with the KKK, same with communists, the list goes on.

Up until I saw the interview of Palin with Katie Couric I had a lot of respect for her because it's not easy to get where she's at and still be a mother and a wife. That's pretty admirable. But then I saw the interview and I was just sitting there in pure shock. Not the best VP candidate for sure. And she did it all herself.

Diana

I respect you ten fold for admitting that you backed her originally. Most people would try to hide that and just jump on the Obama/Biden ticket. I was turned off from the get go because it was a huge insult to american women to just pull a random woman out of nowhere (and I don't mean Alaska, just someone noone had heard of previously) and expect every woman voting for Hillary to swap to Sarah just based on her sex. That's an enormous insult. Her interviews just helped me justify my decision. Hillary was running because she is a great woman and basically helped run the country already.. has loads of experience and was really prepared I think. The only similarity between Palin and Clinton is pretty obvious. That similarity doesn't warrant a VP spot haha. I work with an office full of republicans, and a lot of them fully support McCain, but can't seem to decide one their vote due to the huge mistake known as Palin. I'm glad you see the light. I've seen women walking around down here with Palin Power pins on.. it's disgusting.. I want to stop them and ask them what exactly that means.. but I think they're too far gone.

[Mononoke28 137]

Well, I've never backed her up politically but I think she's done a lot for women. The last time a woman was running for VP was back in '84 with Geraldine Ferraro, so it's a pretty big deal. Besides, you don't get to be governor of any place just because of the way you look. BUT, I don't think she's got the wisdome to be our next VP. We have to be realistic and consider the fact that McCain may kick the bucket at any time because of his age and if she may as well be our next president. Now that's scary! If Obama drops dead for any reason, I think Biden would not be a bad choice to take over.

Diana

[NavarreMan 10]

I respect you ten fold for admitting that you backed her originally. Most people would try to hide that and just jump on the Obama/Biden ticket.

Those of us who have never backed her get no respect? #######

[NavarreMan 10]

Besides, you don't get to be governor of any place just because of the way you look.

Very true! Just look at Arnold.

[mawilson 2,133]

Love Orwell. My fave is 1984, which I read in 1984.

As for Palin, well.....

Damn you're old!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The criticism of Palin as being a few sandwiches short of a picnic was fairly well established in the Alaskan local news services. It wasn't until she did those interviews that it became really obvious how true that is.