Palin issue: Why defend thug state trooper?

[ildemo]

http://www.adn.com/politics/story/476430.html

Check the link above to see some of the background on this state trooper, Mike Wooten, that Palin wanted fired. He is a drunk thug. He threatened to kill a man, he threatened to kill his wife, he has been the subject of a restraining order, he is a negligent driver, he was stripped of his badge and weapons, he has a long record of disciplinary action, he is hot-headed, he's been suspended, he's been on probation, he's been married and divorced four times, he carried out personal business on state time ...

With a record like that, are we really supposed to believe that he never also beat his wife, Palin's sister, during their marriage?

I can't believe DU, of all places, can't recognize a testosterone-laden bully cop when they see him. Are we so viciously opposed to Sarah Palin that now we ream her for trying to get rid of a police goon who should never have been given a badge and gun in the first place?

If we're going to slam Palin, we should find LEGITIMATE issues for doing it. Otherwise we are just turning into a mindlessly partisan, misogynistic forum that protects woman-beating cops for political gain. This bastard DESERVES to be fired. In fact, he probably belongs in JAIL.

[roguevalley]

1. most of what he was blamed over was found to be not true. Todd

Palin is out for blood. Go back and read more.

[ildemo]

3. Click on the link.

It's from the Anchorage Daily News. Wooten is a thug.

[roguevalley]

11. I live here. I have been reading this for weeks.

[chat_noir]

22. from a FReeper who lives in Palin's hometown

For the record if you are interested the poached moose was butchered by Palin’s father and distributed and eaten among the Palin family. It was only two years later when the Palin family brought it up. Not much hypocrisy there right? As for Taser incident you might want to read up on that too. Not too smart but it was not how it was presented. Remember the Palin family filed over thirty complaints against the brother in law, all of which were investigated and only two were found to have any merit.



20 posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008 10:47:03 AM by strongbow

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047936/posts?page=23#23

[ildemo]

25. I didn't bring up the moose ...

and taser issues. They sounded pretty trivial to me. I'm more concerned that he's an abusive alcoholic with a patrol car.

He's probably a Republican too. Would that make any difference to you? Maybe then you would stop protecting him?

[roguevalley]

55. I'm not protecting him, I live here and am more informed about

ALL of the situation and I suspect that if you were a serious DU'er you would have a profile. Bye.

[MNDemNY]

79. You should stop protecting that vile vindictive B***H.

When she and her staff stepped outside of legal procedures, she is no better than the Cheney/Bush regime, the end. Maybe Wooten should be in jail and fired, but that is not the point, go back to freeperville. I thumb my nose to you and your ilk. Any one on this board who would remotely defend this creationist, home schooling, anti choicer is clearly not interested in the principals of the Democratic party.

[chat_noir]

23. An Alaskan blogger writes:

Sarah Palin’s sister Molly married a guy named Mike Wooten who is an Alaska State Trooper. Mike and Molly had a rocky marriage. When the marriage broke up, there was a bitter custody fight that is still ongoing. During the custody investigation, all sorts of things were brought up about Wooten including the fact that he had illegally shot a moose (yes folks this is Alaska), driven drunk, and used a taser (on the test setting, he reminds us) on his 11-year old stepson, who supposedly had asked to see what it felt like. While Wooten has turned out to be a less than stellar figure, the fact that Palin’s father accompanied him on the infamous moose hunt, and that many of the dozens of charges brought up by the Palin family happened long before they were ever reported smacked of desperate custody fight. Wooten’s story is that he was basically stalked by the family.

After all this, Wooten was investigated and disciplined on two counts and allowed to kept his position with the troopers. Enter Walt Monegan, Palin’s appointed new chief of the Department of Public Safety and head of the troopers. Monegan was beloved by the troopers, did a bang-up job with minimal funding and suddenly got axed. Palin was out of town and Monegan got “offered another job” (aka fired) with no explanation to Alaskans. Pressure was put on the governor to give details, because rumors started to swirl around the fact that the highly respected Monegan was fired because he refused to fire the aforementioned Mike Wooten. Palin vehemently denied ever talking to Monegan or pressuring Monegan in any way to fire Wooten, or that anyone on her staff did. Over the weeks it has come out that not only was pressure applied, there were literally dozens of conversations in which pressure was applied to fire him. Monegan has testified to this fact, spurring an ongoing investigation by the Alaska state legislature. But, before this investigation got underway, Palin sent the Alaska State Attorney General out to do some investigative work of his own so she could find out in advance what the real investigation was going to find. (No, I’m not making this up). The AG interviewed several people, unbeknownst to the actual appointed investigator or the Legislature! Palin’s investigation of herself uncovered a recorded phone call retained by the Alaska State Troopers from Frank Bailey, a Palin underling, putting pressure on a trooper about the Wooten non-firing. Todd Palin (governor’s husband) even talked to Monegan himself in Palin’s office while she was away. Bailey is now on paid administrative leave.

As if this weren’t enough, Monegan’s appointed replacement Chuck Kopp, turns out to have been the center of his own little scandal. He received a letter of reprimand and was reassigned after sexual harrassment allegations by a former coworker who didn’t like all the unwanted kissing and hugging in the office. Was he vetted? Obviously not. When he was questioned about all this, his comment was that no one had asked him and he thought they all knew. Kopp, defiant, still claimed to have done nothing wrong and said to the press that there was no way he was stepping down from his new position. Twenty four hours later, he stepped down. Later it was uncovered that he received a $10,000 severance package for his two weeks on the job from Palin. Monegan got nothing.


http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/what-is-mccain-thinking-one-alaskans-perspective/

[ildemo]

27. I've been laid off twice.

I'd be delighted to have been offered another job.

[Caliman73]

40. laid off is different than fired

Laid off means no work. Fired is supposed to be for "good cause". Often employers will offer something else to avoid having to prove why they fire someone. Not the same. Why do you continue with this?

We don't know all of the facts. Maybe the guy is a jerk and maybe he did all the things he is accused of. We don't know and it is INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty. All people are saying is that this "ethical" new candidate is under investigation so it is something to look at. Kinda like Jon Edwards can't ever run on family values. If she has abused her power in office, that is an ethical violation and should be noted.

[XOKCowboy]

48. Not as a STATE Public Safety Commissioner

Go away little troll.

[Sanity Claws]

2. Bullshit

If he was really all those things, Palin would not need to put pressure on someone else to fire him.
All that was required was to report those things to the responsible body and have them investigate. If true, he would be fired.
However bad the trooper allegedly was, would not excuse an abuse of power.

[ildemo]

5. News flash: Cops protect thug cops. n/t

[roguevalley]

56. people who don't know the whole story and don't live in a place

but pretend to be experts are silly. bye again.

[bushmeister0]

4. I don't think anyone is protecting a thug cop.

The issue is, I think, her using her authority as governor to settle personal scores.

Walt Monegan was the one who got fired for refusing to fire the cop. He's not a thug cop.

Troopergate isn't the only problem with her.

See here:

http://www.andrewhalcro.com/shadow_governor

[ildemo]

9. Criticizing Palin

>>Troopergate isn't the only problem with her.

See here:

http://www.andrewhalcro.com/shadow_governor<<

Then criticize her for THOSE things. Not for trying to fire the goon who abused her sister.

[CatWoman]

49. I think you need a bigger shovel.

[roguevalley]

57. okay, listen up. She cannot USE HER OFFICIAL OFFICE TO SETTLE

A SCORE! Its against the law. why the fucking hell don't people get this simple fact? "trying to fire the goon who abused her sister"

They made 30 charges. 28 got thrown out. She used her office to try and coerce an action for a personal vendetta. Remind you of anyone? Jeez. Get real. This is about her abusing her office. Try living here or at the least, be better informed. Unless government officials breaking the law for personal advantage is now normal life for you now. That's sorta Bushian don't you think?

[bushmeister0]

70. Sorry, the link is no good.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. The fact he might be a thug is one thing.

The fact that she used the color of her authority to go after him is another. The fact is, a properly run civil society has systems in place to determine whether a person, officer, trooper or garbageman loses his or her job. When public employees start getting hired and fired on the whim of official, like governors, you have a system that is in dire danger of breaking down into a patronage machine.

Is the system perfect? No. Hell no. But that is the system.

And not to defend a person who well might be a fine example of a turd, but the ADN printed allegations. They are different from findings by the review process, by one hell of a long shot.

I would like to add, here, that I would not consider myself a great fan of police personnel in general. And that is gross understatement.

[ildemo]

7. Exactly

>>I would like to add, here, that I would not consider myself a great fan of police personnel in general. And that is gross understatement.<<

Me neither. That is why I am so disgusted that this has become the defend-thug-cops forum.

[angstlessk]

8. you sound like a typical..what exactly is the name of it again...

you do not read do you? this is about her abuse of power NOT about protecting a thug cop. You believe the entire legislature of Alaska is protecting a thug cop?

oh..I remember now...but I am not allowed to call one out!!!

[ildemo]

10. I think I sound like a guy who hates thug cops. n/t

[Iggo]

16. Say "thug cop" again.

You know you want to.

:rofl:

[ildemo]

32. I must have lost my way.

How did I get into the Free Republic-cops-can-do-no-wrong forum?

[roguevalley]

59. what tmorris said. by the way, you say free republic like you know

it really well ...

[Iggo]

76. I was just inviting you...

...to use your talking point again. I found your concern very entertaining.

[roguevalley]

58. I think you sound like a guy who hates cops, especially thugs. And

I think you are selective in your thinking because we have a thug governor up here abusing their authority. Thug was determined by a hell-bent family trying to settle a score. The charges came during the custody fight over the kids. I don't suppose people lie or say untruths during custody battles ...

[tkmorris]

18. NO ONE IS DEFENDING THE GUY

Did I get your attention? Good.

The point is simply this. No matter what this guy is, angel or thug, it does NOT, repeat NOT, allow her to use her office to pressure his boss to fire him. There is a clear conflict of interest here and it does not require defending the man to recognize it.

[ildemo]

24. Yes, much better ...

to let an abusive alcoholic stay on the trooper force.

BTW, what party do you suppose the trooper belongs to?

[roguevalley]

60. hey, twit, until the investigation is over no one knows what anyone

says is true. why don't you take your 'concern' and your willingness to allow a government official to use their authority to settle personal scores elsewhere. you know you want to.

[roguevalley]

61. it is very likely that the cop is a republican. Get this about alaska,

there are more independents in alaska than any other party.

[regnaD kciN]

12. Ahh...a defense of Palin from a low-count poster...

...why am I not surprised?

The point is, even if all the charges are true, the proper response to such a person is to bring criminal charges against the guy right after the incidents take place. Not to wait until, some time later, the guy's ex-in-law gets in power and orders him fired (and anyone else fired who doesn't go along with it, for good measure). There's a big difference between making sure justice is done and using newly-acquired political power to settle personal scores.

[ildemo]

29. So taking a badge and gun away ...

from an abusive alcoholic is "settling a personal score."

Who cares when the discipline happens? This guy needs to stop being a cop ... NOW.

[roguevalley]

63. how about due process? what is there about the fact they investigated

and dismissed most of the charges don't you get?

[roguevalley]

62. they were investigated and dismissed. that started vendetta-gate

[Lex]

13. If there are rules about firing thug cops, then she should've followed them.

You agree with that, don't you?

You are all off point with your OP.

[ildemo]

30. Well God forbid ...

that a governor break some rules. Far better to let an abusive alcoholic keep his gun, badge and patrol car.

I'm a hell of a lot more afraid of any abusive alcoholic cop than I am afraid of any politician. Politicians can't throw you in jail on false charges and make you lose your job. They don't have guns, handcuffs and jail cells.

[Caliman73]

43. Politicians

Just have the power to order 4000 troops to their death in a country we had not legal right to invade. Politicians have the power to say stupid things that will get us into a shooting war with one of the only other powers in the world who can do us significant harm. Sure we don't care if politicians break a few rules like spying on their own citizens, giving corporations free reign over the economy, take away the health care of our brave soldiers who followed orders and return maimed and psychologically damaged.

But you are right, one police officer who allegedly did some bad things is more dangerous than politicians that break rules. :sarcasm:

[ildemo]

80. A bad cop ...

can ruin your life a hell of a lot faster than a bad politician.

[roguevalley]

64. tell us the root of your outrage here, the cops and booze and jail

that it eating at you. you will feel better. frankly, I don't know what else is motivating you to allow a governor to go after anyone that pisses her off because she has all this power. You have odd priorities for outrage.

[Iggo]

14. Because she abused her power...

...as governor to go after the guy. It's not about what he did. It's about the laws she broke to get even.

Get it?

[Lex]

15. I think the point has been intentionally missed.

ya know?

[truebrit71]

17. No kidding right? It's not what kind of bastard the brother in law was, it was HER abuse of power...

...that broke the law...

[ildemo]

33. Yeah.

Drinking beer in your cop car isn't against the law.

[ildemo]

31. If she broke any laws,

and I don't know if she did or not, then she did it to get an abusive alcoholic cop off the road.

What about the rules against being an abusive alcoholic cop? Don't they count?

[roguevalley]

65. ok. you finally outed yourself here. Don't know whether or not she

broke laws. Our state is spending 100K to investigate her based on a BI-PARTISAN decision by the legislature. If you lived here you would understand just how IMPOSSIBLY RARE such a thing was and then maybe you might get it that there is something here beyond what you are willing to attest to. She didn't do this to get a cop off the road. She did it to get even with an enemy, something she has a long, long history of doing. But you don't live here. You don't know crap. The alcoholic abusive cop charges were investigated and dismissed. Oh right. You are the expert. Not the guys up here.

[Iggo]

75. Or she did it to get revenge...

...against the man what wronged her sister.

What about rules against abusing your power as an elected official and governor of one of the United States? Don't they count?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. This is the whole "well terrorists are bad people" argument

used to defend Gitmo.

[TexasObserver]

20. It's not the business of the governor to use state assets to punish her brother in law.

The governor was out of line, as in misusing her position. It matters not what the guy did or did not do. You swallow hook, line and sinker the story she tells. Why?

[ildemo]

35. It's not her story.

It's the story of the abusive cop's superiors! Did you click the link?

[The Straight Story]

21. If she didn't do anything about it, that would be an issue as well

:)

[noamnety]

26. Why do something about it -

and then cover up her involvement?

That, to me is the issue. If she had reason to believe he shouldn't be a trooper - which is likely, she should have been above board. The sneaking around and covering up looks bad.

[roguevalley]

66. she covered it up because she knew she broke the damned law

she also had the attorney general investigate her to find out what she was facing. that is fucking unethical.

[ildemo]

36. First sensible reply yet. n/t

[countryjake]

71. She didn't do anything about her brother-in-law until after her sis was done with him.

Only after custody issues were raised during the divorce, did the Palin gang decide to go for blood with that guy. According to Walt Monegan, he was contacted more than two dozen times by Sarah, her husband, and her aides, trying to get him to take some action against the brother-in-law, and the complaints were after-the-fact, not concerning ongoing events. It's a nasty custody battle, with a politician wielding her office like a damn billy club.

Sounds like Wooten's thuggishness was perfectly acceptable, until he was no longer a part of that family.

Now that's scary.

[alittlelark]

28. A government official cannot use his/her position

to exert pressure. In regards to personal issues, if an ordinary citizen cannot do it, that gov't official cannot either.

[ildemo]

37. See Message 34.

I take it you've never been arrested on a false charge by a macho cop trying to impress women so he can get laid.

[alittlelark]

41. You are directing me to a mssg that says 'You FAIL'

:crazy:

[fascisthunter]

46. That Poster Doesn't Deal with Reality all too well

[alittlelark]

50. The 'Doesn't Deal W/Reality' disease is being dealt with

Obamaculation. We won't be able to innoculate all of the country... 20-30% have aggressive parasites that will attack the Obaminocculants.

[roguevalley]

67. so you finally say it out loud. Poor thing. Get therapy and stop

playing martyr on the forum. you don't live here. you haven't seen this for weeks and you don't know what you are talking about. you are projecting your own life on this situation and that's sad. excusing a rogue governor for your own needs is sad.

[fascisthunter]

34. lol

try again... you FAIL!

[ildemo]

38. Shit I might as well be on an LEO forum.

A bunch of cop defenders protecting an abusive alcoholic cop who has probably never voted Democrat in his life to boot.

[alittlelark]

42. There are other forums you could be on.....

lots and lots and lots of other forums.

Perhaps the cop has never voted 'D' in his life.... there many on this forum that could say the same (but won't).:silly:

[Marr]

45. Odd that you would suggest the law be applied differently, according to political persuasion.

Where have I heard that before? Someone... hmm... nope, can't think of it!

[roguevalley]

68. BWAHAHAHAHAhAA!

[ColbertWatcher]

39. "With a record like that" why didn't the state of Alaska fire him long ago?

Why did it take personal shenanigans to get him fired?

How many other state troopers are bastards, but have the fortune of not hurting the feelings of the governor's sister?

Something's fishy with this story.

[Marr]

44. Haha- your concern is noted. :)

[mitchum]

47. I think it says a lot about the sense of judgement of Palin and her sister

Maybe it's genetic?

[spanone]

51. there is an investigation going on...you assume he is beating his wife...that is wrong

nwmhtt

[blonndee]

52. So it's okay to abuse your power if it might be "for a good reason"? Sounds like bushie logic.

[Disturbed]

53. Now she claims that she had nothing to do with him being fired.

It was one of her staff that had him fired without her knowing about it or ordering that it be done.

I don't feel that anyone here is defending the State Trooper.

[roguevalley]

69. her old man pushed and pushed and so did aides. How did the

aides know about it unless she told them to do it? its a family matter and unless she told them, they wouldn't know would they.

[alfredo]

54. If she is telling the truth about him, then she has a right to be angry

at him. Still that doesn't mean she can use her office to punish him. That's abuse of power, no matter how justified she was for wanting to throttle him.

We don't need a President and Vice President that allows their anger to influence their decisions. We need at least one cool head up there.

[Dutch]

72. Why defend abuse of executive power?

[radfringe]

73. he may be a bastard

but the issue is abuse of power

if palin were not governor - what would be her options, or rather her sister's options?

if this "bastard" were not related to her, would she have done the same thing on behalf of some other woman?

sorry, if this is true, and she used her office in this manner, then the issue is abuse of power. If she feels the issue is about protecting women from abuse then she should be pushing for stronger laws, and funding for abused women programs, educating the public etc.

[marshall]

74. all this bullshit is going to blow up in our faces

People need to watch the wild accusations. Remember the Clintons--they fought wild accusations and came out even better for it.

[johnaries]

77. Then why wasn't any of this brought up when it happened?

They only started making these claims during the custody battle. If you ask me, these accusations stink to high heaven. One of the accusations was that he killed a moose illeagally - yet Todd Palin was on the hunting trip WITH him! Fa' Chrissakes!
Besides, the issue isn't about him at all, it's about abuse of power. Haven't you seen enough powerful Republicans smear someone just because it was expedient?

[goodhue]

78. That may well be, but ethics investigation relates to abuse of power on her part