MSM keeps saying Palin didn't break the law: She did not break one law but broke another

[usregimechange]

Are they reading the correct report?

[lligrd]

1. That Is How I Read It And MSNBC Had An Expert On Who

said the same thing. He clearly stated that she broke a State law. Also said it would be up to the Legislature to decide if she should be impeached or tried.

[Why Syzygy]

3. Not the Legislature ...

Legislative leaders said that in cases like this, a violation of the ethics law would typically be resolved by the state Personnel Board. However, that chain of events is complicated by the fact that the panel is conducting an inquiry of its own. Ms. Palin has pledged to cooperate with that investigation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/us/politics/11trooper.html?pagewanted=2&ref=us

Ms. Stapleton added that the governor “feels absolutely vindicated” because the report concluded that Ms. Palin was acting within her legal authority when she “reassigned” Mr. Monegan. On July 11, he was told by the governor’s acting chief of staff that Ms. Palin wanted him to head the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and that she wanted to take the public safety agency in a new direction.

In an e-mail statement, Ms. Stapleton said the report showed that the investigation was a “partisan led inquiry run by Obama supporters and the Palins were completely justified in their concern regarding Trooper Wooten given his violent and rogue behavior.”

Minutes after the report was released, the Obama campaign sent an Associated Press article in an e-mail message to reporters, with the subject line, “Palin ‘unlawfully abused her authority.’ ” It contained no other comment.

...

Mr. Branchflower based his finding of abuse of power on Alaska’s Executive Branch Ethics Act, which was established to “discourage executive branch employees from acting upon personal interest in the performance of their public responsibilities and to avoid conflicts of interest in the performance of duty,” the report says.

It says, however, that “Governor Palin’s firing of Commissioner Walt Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads.” It cites the Alaska Constitution, which says “the governor may discharge department heads without cause.”

[Duer 157099]

2. It's exactly identical to the US attorney firings scandal

While it's true that they "serve at the pleasure of" the AG, which means they can be fired for any or no reason (and that's the part the Palin camp is trying to focus on), there is another law about ethics that she violated in the process of getting him fired. Just like the US atty thing.

So the media already had the meme down about how to confuse the issue.

[Why Syzygy]

4. She's ready on Day 1...

if you live in Bush's world. MacSAME..

[philosophie_en_rose]

5. She violated some laws, but not others.

If you include the rules and policies codified by the Alaska legislature as "the law," then abusing her position for personal reasons is a violation of the law.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. She broke the law in firing Monegan but not in the case of the workman's compensation case.

[grasswire]

7. Michael Isikoff reported on the distinction

He said that firing the guy for insubordination was lawful but apart from that she abused her authority by applying pressure over a personal matter.