GOP Tries to Quash Palin Investigation Until After Election

In one of the more blatant moves to keep transparency out of the electoral process seen in some time, a group of Republican lawmakers in Alaska are filing suit to try to stop the abuse of power investigation of Governor Sarah Palin. As with many of the stories coming out of Alaskan politics of late, the cast of characters involved is probably even more interesting than the obvious nature of what they are trying to do.

Five Republican state lawmakers on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking to halt an inquiry into Gov. Sarah Palin’s dismissal of her public safety commissioner, arguing that the Legislature has exceeded its authority by conducting a “McCarthyistic investigation.”

The lawsuit, filed in the state’s Superior Court, comes as the McCain-Palin campaign has escalated its involvement in the bipartisan inquiry, providing Ms. Palin’s lawyer with help and mounting a public relations offensive.

I certainly agree that somebody is playing politics here, but this looks like it’s going to be an extremely tough sell for the local GOP and the McCain-Palin team. First of all, this was an investigation that began before Palin was ever named as the VP pick, and she previously stated that she would welcome the investigation and would cooperate. The Governor now has to find some way to walk back from those statements without making it look – as it clearly does – like they are trying to stop the process to keep the GOP presidential ticket afloat. There is also the matter of the individuals bringing this action. Of course they are all Republicans… that was to be expected. The group is comprised of Rep. Wes Keller, Rep. Mike Kelly, Rep. Bob Lynn, Sen. Fred Dyson, and Sen. Tom Wagoner.

It is worth noting that Wes Keller is an Elder in Sarah Palin’s church and she appointed him to his current seat. Of course, given the things we’ve learned recently about Palin’s apparent penchant for cronyism and nepotism, it might be difficult to find any governmental entity up there today not populated with her friends from church, high school classmates or fellow members of the Moose Hunt BBQ Club.

One of the problems with bringing in bench-warmers in the spin wars is that they tend to be rather ham-handed about it. Filing this suit might have carried a tiny bit more credibility if they hadn’t gone so far as to include the following phrase:

“There is no nonpartisan reason that” the investigation “needs to be completed prior to the election on Nov. 4, 2008,” the lawsuit said.

They really should have run this paperwork past Rick Davis first in order to at least try to make it a little less obvious. My friend Ed makes note that the Republicans bringing the suit are complaining (among other things) that one of the Democrats heading up the investigation made a contribution to the Obama campaign. Imagine that… a Democratic politician contributing to his party’s nominee. He may have also said things supporting Obama and in opposition to Palin. Stop the presses! They may have partisan politicians in the Great White North also!