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You are here: Home / Politics / Politicans / Lies, Damned Lies, and Sarah Palin / Interesting Troopergate Stuff

Interesting Troopergate Stuff

by Michael D.|  September 24, 20088:35 am| 27 Comments

This post is in: Lies, Damned Lies, and Sarah Palin, Republican Stupidity

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This is great reading. We learn that:

1. The New York lawyer that John McCain sent to Alaska to help defend Sarah Palin, Edward O’Callaghan, is not a members of Alaska’s Bar. That’s a problem? (Updated for clarity: O’Callaghan admitted to Newsweek’s Michael Isakoff that he’s providing legal advice.) The author notes:

The pickle O’Callaghan’s wagging tongue has gotten its owner into is that, pursuant to Alaska Statute 8.08.230, a person who is not a member of the Alaska Bar who while physically present in Alaska “engages in the practice of law” is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. And in Alaska the “practice of law” includes “rendering legal consultation or advice”.

2. Alaska is one of only a few states where the Attorney General is appointed by the governor. Sarah Palin’s pick?

Prior to being plucked from obscurity by Sarah Palin, Talis Colberg was a home grown Mat-Su Valley homeboy who practiced workers compensation law by himself out of a small office in downtown Palmer, a farm town (of sorts) down the road from Wasilla. When news of his nomination reached Anchorage, to the man and woman, I and every other lawyer of my acquaintance said, “Talis who?” No one, and I mean no one (other than the few attorneys who practice in Wasilla), had ever heard of the fellow.

Perhaps, in choosing Sarah Palin herself, McCain was just following her lead. Being Mavericky! Talis Colberg has since gone into hiding. It would be hilarious were it not indicative of how a McCain-Palin administration would operate.

3. Troopergate is a partisan witchhunt? Not quite:

[C]onservative Republican Charlie Huggins cast the deciding vote [to isssue subpoenas]; which puts the lie to Van Flein and O’Callaghan’s repeated bald assertions that the Troopergate investigation is a partisan Democratic witch hunt.

Enjoy: How Alaska’s AG defied the public’s interest to cover for Palin in Troopergate

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Previous Post: « How Is This Legal?
Next Post: Michael Goldfarb and the Truth »

Reader Interactions

27Comments

  1. 1.

    Brian J

    September 24, 2008 at 9:08 am

    This is more of a guess than anything else, since, like many people, I am far more in the dark about this stuff than I’d like to admit, but can you imagine how fucked up things might be if Bush picked a hack instead of Bernanke? Say what you want about him, but the guy is a scholar of the Great Depression who has actual expertise in matters of economics. Paul Krugman, who said this long before I did, says we can thank Harriet Miers for having Bernanke. But seriously, imagine what sort of garbage we’d be hearing if, say, Don Luskin was Fed Chairman.

    Would we be so lucky with McCain and Palin?

  2. 2.

    Ronnie P

    September 24, 2008 at 9:30 am

    O’Callaghan admitted that he’s providing legal advice to Newsweek’s Michael Isakoff.

    Huh? This needs clarification or elaboration.

    Update from Michael D. It’s in the article:

    When O’Callaghan appeared last week at an Anchorage news conference Michael Isikoff of Newsweek Magazine reported: “O’Callaghan told Newsweek that he and another McCain campaign lawyer (whom he declined to identify) are serving as legal ‘consultants’ to Thomas Van Flein, the Anchorage lawyer who at state expense is representing Palin and her office in the [Troopergate] inquiry. ‘We are advising Thomas Van Flein on this matter to the extent that it impacts on the national campaign,’ O’Callaghan said. ‘I’m helping out on legal strategy.’”

  3. 3.

    cleek

    September 24, 2008 at 9:36 am

    Would we be so lucky with McCain and Palin?

    i’m sure there are multiple former beauty queens with accounting degrees he can choose from.

  4. 4.

    SGEW

    September 24, 2008 at 9:36 am

    As always, the Onion has the final word on an issue.

    This week’s Point/Counterpoint:

    Point
    Gov. Palin Has No Foreign Policy Experience, Refuses To Acknowledge Global Warming, And Supports The War In Iraq

    By Roger Hobaugh, Concerned Citizen

    Counterpoint

    Please Keep Your Voice Down, My Poor Retarded Child Is Sleeping

    By Gov. Sarah Palin, Republican Vice Presidential Nominee

  5. 5.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    September 24, 2008 at 9:41 am

    I must have been channeling my inner John Cole. I just got done reading that same piece via a link at Sullivan and #2 jumped out at me as well. Whenever EVERYBODY in the know says, “Who?” you might want to rethink your choice. Sounds a lot like another Republican executive known for appointing people based on … things other than actual qualifications that might make them fit for that office.

    Brownie and Harriet Myers be damned! I’ve got me some Talis … bitches. Talis?

  6. 6.

    bago

    September 24, 2008 at 9:42 am

    Sooo, yeah. I had a 15 year old cousin of mine running the liquor stork in bumfuck, AK. Laws aren’t really rules so much as suggestions.

  7. 7.

    bago

    September 24, 2008 at 9:45 am

    Tali was highly technically competent! If not I suggest you go for your Quarian Ally Achievement sir!

  8. 8.

    NonyNony

    September 24, 2008 at 9:49 am

    I just got done reading that same piece via a link at Sullivan and #2 jumped out at me as well. Whenever EVERYBODY in the know says, “Who?” you might want to rethink your choice.

    Yeah. I read that and the first names that popped into my head were “Harriet Meirs” and “Alberto Gonzales”.

    From what I’ve read about Palin, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that she and Colberg were buddies in High School. Apparently most of her appointments have been old High School class buddies. Someone said that you could almost use the Wassila High yearbook from her graduation as a photo gallery of her appointments. I imagine it’s either that or he was a big contributor to her runs for office because otherwise why snag some no-name workman’s comp lawyer to be Attorney General?

    (And the legislators that approved him as the AG should be impeached for failing to do their damn jobs. If you have a veto, bloody well use it when the executive is about to do something stupid – that’s why you have the freaking veto power, jackasses.)

  9. 9.

    Comrade Scrutinizer

    September 24, 2008 at 9:51 am

    I had a 15 year old cousin of mine running the liquor stork in bumfuck, AK.

    Did the liquor stork bring those little baby bottles of airline whiskey?

  10. 10.

    cleek

    September 24, 2008 at 9:54 am

    Troopergate is a partisan witchhunt? Not quite:

    never fear, Palin’s former church has taken care of the witches.

  11. 11.

    SGEW

    September 24, 2008 at 9:57 am

    Matt Volz wins the day with the absolutely snarkiest lede I’ve ever seen from the Associate Press:

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Less than a week after balking at the Alaska Legislature’s investigation into her alleged abuse of power, Gov. Sarah Palin on Monday indicated she will cooperate with a separate probe run by people she can fire.

    (emphasis added)

    w00t.

  12. 12.

    SN

    September 24, 2008 at 10:09 am

    Did you see comment #4 in the article John linked to? I don’t know the accuracy of what’s been outlined there but wow, what a read! The people Palin appointed to run the government have outstanding resumes citing “cow lover, ex-wife of Palin’s business partner, and college drop-out.” It makes the Bush administration’s picks of Brownie, Miers, and Goodling look serious and studied. But I guess if you are Palin and your resume reads “hockey mom, beauty pageant contestant, sportscaster, and 5 colleges” you need to pick people who make you look really smart and competent.

  13. 13.

    Not My Fault

    September 24, 2008 at 10:10 am

    Does any of this make any difference at this point?

    The election will be decided (one way or the other) based on whether the democrats in general, and Obama in particular can save us from the disaster we are in. (insert quote about life not being fair here.)

    Everything else just seems like noise.

  14. 14.

    Comrade The Moar You Know

    September 24, 2008 at 10:33 am

    SGEW Says:

    Matt Volz wins the day with the absolutely snarkiest lede I’ve ever seen from the Associate Press:

    What a tragedy that the only reason that the press has finally been goaded into doing their jobs is because the McCain campaign told the media to go fuck themselves.

  15. 15.

    DrDave

    September 24, 2008 at 10:40 am

    What a tragedy that the only reason that the press has finally been goaded into doing their jobs is because the McCain campaign told the media to go fuck themselves.

    At least they are doing their jobs, ragardless of the reason.

    The media is smacking back this year with more conviction than I can recall in years. For now, I will not care why they are doing their jobs; I will just be grateful that they are.

  16. 16.

    DrDave

    September 24, 2008 at 10:41 am

    What a tragedy that the only reason that the press has finally been goaded into doing their jobs is because the McCain campaign told the media to go fuck themselves.

    At least they are doing their jobs, regardless of the reason.

    The media is smacking back this year with more conviction than I can recall in years. For now, I will not care why they are doing their jobs; I will just be grateful that they are.

  17. 17.

    dadanarchist

    September 24, 2008 at 10:44 am

    This is all too hilarious.

    The Moose Lady better pray to her vengeful sky god that she and Grandpa Simpson win, because I think her career in Alaskan politics is just about over.

    The best part, of course, was this entire charade was completely unnecessary.

  18. 18.

    Comrade Napoleon

    September 24, 2008 at 11:07 am

    The Moose Lady better pray to her vengeful sky god that she and Grandpa Simpson win, because I think her career in Alaskan politics is just about over.

    I just type a long post that makes this basic point but wordpress ate it. My impression is that people think she is the future of the Republicans when I think that she will never again win an elective office. She is toast.

  19. 19.

    tBone

    September 24, 2008 at 11:28 am

    Tali was highly technically competent! If not I suggest you go for your Quarian Ally Achievement sir!

    It depresses me that I understood this.

  20. 20.

    nicethugbert

    September 24, 2008 at 11:39 am

    Of course it’s partisan! They’re meanies! Besides, they’re not showing deference to the Governess.

    Cooperating with a separate probe run by people she can fire is so Decider, no? Not, a little conflictofinterestish?

    I wonder when they’ll dump her now that they got the conservative early vote out of her. Oh, wait, she’s off the radar.

  21. 21.

    Dennis - SGMM

    September 24, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    I’m sick and tired of people complaining about Sarah Palin’s lack of experience. She’s obviously mastered lying, revenge, cronyism, misappropriation of funds, placing herself above the law, and derailing investigations.
    What more could a Republican want?

  22. 22.

    Pooh

    September 24, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    FWIW, as an Alaskan attorney, Talis is generally regarded as a decent enough fellow who’s slightly out of his depth and sort of knows it, and so has let the departments at the AG’s office (largest law firm in the state, don’t you know) largely run themselves. That is, until he got the McCain Truth Squad Bumrush.

  23. 23.

    Comrade Tax Analyst

    September 24, 2008 at 12:53 pm

    I just type a long post that makes this basic point but wordpress ate it. My impression is that people think she is the future of the Republicans when I think that she will never again win an elective office. She is toast.

    This has also happened to me several times(and probably to a lot of you). What I do now when I’m getting wordy is do a “copy” (you know, “right click/copy”) and THEN click “Submit”. If Word Press eats it I can paste it to a new Word Doc and save it and try to post again in a bit…and as an added bonus, I get to read it again before I post it. It’s stopped me on a couple occasions (but by no means all) of making a complete ass of myself (in which case I try to modify it to only make a 75-80% ass of myself).

  24. 24.

    Comrade Tax Analyst

    September 24, 2008 at 12:58 pm

    Oh, one more thing on WordPress swallowed posts: If you are at that WordPress screen giving you the bad news, click on the “back” arrow up at the top right corner of your screen. That takes you (or it least it takes me) back to the “Leave a Reply” screen and SHOULD still have your typed comment in that dialogue box. At that point you highlight the text and can do the “copy” function and paste it to Notepad or a word doc to try and post a bit later.

  25. 25.

    Comrade Tax Analyst

    September 24, 2008 at 12:58 pm

    Oh, one more thing on WordPress swallowed posts: If you are at that WordPress screen giving you the bad news, click on the “back” arrow up at the top right corner of your screen. That takes you (or it least it takes me) back to the “Leave a Reply” screen and SHOULD still have your typed comment in that dialogue box. At that point you highlight the text and can do the “copy” function and paste it to Notepad or a word doc to try and post a bit later.

  26. 26.

    Jeff

    September 24, 2008 at 1:10 pm

    Actually, Troopergate is all about getting even:

    The real damage to Palin from Troopergate comes with an injury claim involving trooper Wooten when he hurt his back while in the line of duty. Independent investigator Steve Branchflower testified recently he believes someone in the governor’s office tried to block Wooten’s workers’ compensation injury benefits.

  27. 27.

    Kамраd Kомисaр Xenos

    September 24, 2008 at 1:26 pm

    The whole Wooten divorce case is full of psychotic episodes by the whole Palin family. Demonstrates that they are a clan of assholes who need to be kept far from any real responsibility. If she is elcted, you can’t say we weren’t warned.

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