In Palin's Legal Defense Fund Debacle, She Has Only Herself To Blame

FR | 6-25-10 | Bob J

[Bob J]

Information in this post is gleened from two sources;

http://www.facebook.com/notes/sarah-palin/the-cost-of-legal-warfare-a-few-words-about-todays-defense-fund-agreement/401885808434

http://www.adn.com/2010/06/24/1339431/settlement-of-ethics-complaint.html

Yesterday, Sarah Palin's legal defense fund was judged to be in violation of State ethics laws. I have followed this controversy and to be fair, I found the objections to it to be a little thin, but most of us don't live in Alaska and are not famliar with the subtle tones of their ethics laws and issues.

I will say this, IMO most if not al of the problems with it could have been avoided early on but Palin in concert with her advisors made several bad decisions and missteps that brought it to this point.

1. Alaska State Ethics Laws

Much is made of the back bencher dems in Alaska who filed ethics complaint after ethics complaint which "hounded" Palin out of office. But we have to remember this severely flawed ethics law was one that was championed by Palin and which she signed into law.

Now it happens that sometimes flawed laws get passed and signed but when they are discovered it is possible to go back and fix it. From the beginning of these ethics charges right up until now I've never understood why a Republican Governor with a 2/3rds majority in the State Congress couldn't just go back and amend the law allow the State Attorney General the ability to handle and defend these issues (like most states) and also if the charges are thrown out or deemed without merit allow the politician in question to recover any legal costs incurred.

Seems reasonable to me, why was this never done, maybe never contemplated by Palin or the pubs in Alaska? Palin supporters make much hay about how the law is flawed, how it was used to harass and bankrupt her, just fix it, dammit!

2. Rejecting sound legal advice

Supporters repeat over and over how Palin was only following the advice of her attornesy, fair enough, that's what most do. But this isn't entirely true. Yes Palin accepted what ammounted to the final product of her advisors but early on it was "strongly advised" by her personal attorney to have the fund vetted by the Alaska Department of Law to make sure it was legal under Alaska ethics law.

"But Palin instead chose to follow the advice of another attorney who recommended against seeking input from the attorney general, and instead to simply contest the "inevitable" ethics complaint when it came, Petumenos wrote in his report."

Huh? Why?

3. The "Alaskan" Connection

Next, Palin asked that "we keep it Alaskan".

Now I'm not exactly sure what this means but I guess it means that it be controlled and staffed by Alaskans. It seems to me a competent chief executive would want to get the best possible people to handle affairs no matter where they come from. But this led to her team turning down an offer from a former White House Special Counsel to serve as trustee. Instead she chose a personal friend and community volunteer, Kristan Cole.

Huh? Why? The stated reason was that Cole was someone Alaskans would know, but what difference would that make? Probably 95% of donations would be coming from outside the state, it seems those donors would recognize and a former White House Councel over some soccer mom friend of Sarah's. The only reason I can think of is because it has been the case (although who knows in this one) that trustees of these kinds of fun receive a considerable salary to market, manage and disburse the fund. Maybe Palin wanted to "keep it in the family" like Hillary did when she made the famous White House Travel Office scandal comment "We have to get OUR people in these spots".

Whatever, that decision was involved in her losing this ethics complaint because Palin had appointed Cole to several volunteer boards and therefore "worked" for Palin and the relationship could engender a political payback down line.

Thin, I agree, but could have been avoided if she hadn't rejected good sound advice and offers.

4. The Name and Website.

This one I just don't understand. They decided to call this the "Alaska Fund Trust".

Huh? Why not call it the "Sarah Palin Legal Defense Fund" so no one would be confused as to it's purpose? Second, on the website created for the fund they described it as "Official". Well the word "official" has legal connotations. By slapping that lable on it they gave the impression it was sanctioned not only by the Governor but by the State of Alaska.

Just a dumb move. But that's what happens when you have your volunteer personal friends handling things and making decisions instead of experienced, competent professionals. And if it wasn't her frinds making those decisions then it means Palin was, which is even more disturbing.

Palin supporters want us to believe she is ready for the oval office. I've researched her history and find these kind of missteps and bad decisions throughout her career. In this case it wasn't five or ten years ago, these things happened in the last year or so.

If Palin can't handle and make good decisions in something as simple as a legal defense fund, how can we trust her to make the right decisions sittig in the oval office with her finger on the button?

[mnehring]

oooo, you are getting into humping Bob’s thread too? How kinky.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” oooo, you are getting into humping Bob’s thread too? How kinky. “

Hmmm....leave the comedy to professionals, please.

[MaggieCarta]

But people should read this and draw there own conclusions, is what I say reasonable?

I think you are very reasonable, BobJ. But, then again, I am the FR poster princess for (alledged) PDS.

I fail (utterly fail) to understand why, given a Republican majority, Mrs Plain, oops, Palin, didn't correct the bill. She does have only herself to blame.

I think she doesn't seek, or doesn't accept, competent advice. Not an indicator of good leadership, IMHO.

[mnehring]

So, BobJ is humping his own threads while thinking about Palin and you joined him. Hmmmmm...

[hennie pennie]

Don't be silly. Of course they know about FR, she's even commented upon it to people who've gone to book signings.

Tens of thousands of people in the public eye keep up to date HERE with what is chatted about them.

The only public figure I'd be interested in knowing the freeper user ID is Annie. She is so funny and so articulate and so intelligent. But I'll never know what name(s) that Ann Coulter posts here under, and it's NOT my business anyway, it's just "fan club" curiousity, LOL!

[stephenjohnbanker]

How old are you?

[EveningStar]

Don't be silly. Of course they know about FR, she's even commented upon it to people who've gone to book signings.

I'll take you at your word on that part. Now, do you really think the Palins regularly read FR threads about them?

[mnehring]

Old enough to know that douchbaggery can only be met with mockery and young enough to still have fun doing it.

[hennie pennie]

HUH???????

WHERE did I ever infer, much less state, that the Palins would "...regularly read FR threads about them ---- HUH???

Why don't you learn how to READ before you go attacking freepers for things they never wrote????

That is ALMOST as silly as stating that the Palins are so provincial & ignorant & non-web saaavy that they don't nuthin' 'bout the MOST POPULAR AND WORLD REKNOWN CONSERVATIVE WEBSITE anywhere.

I said that I believe that Governor Palin stays current with: freeper Bob J's postings about her --- and well she should, it's the only logical constructive criticism available to her.

She's in a Universe peopled with enthusiastic Palinistas and die hard crazy fringe far leftwingers ---- neither group of either groupies or leftwing moonbats have any constructive criticism.

But with Bob J to read, what more would any sincere motivated politician need? She's prolly even thinking about hiring him as a consultant.

[calcowgirl]

BobJ could post the weather report for Wasilla Alaska, and the Palin Rabid Response Team would scream
that he was organizing an Indian rain dance just to mess up Sarah's freshly coiffed hair.

ROFL!

[hennie pennie]

I seriously try to stay away from Palin threads, it's like I dive into a pool of paid posters who are keyboarding talking points created by Meg Whitman and her BFF Mittens Romney - it's as though many so-called Palinistas are INTENTIONALLY meant to appear irrational, meant to look like a mob of adolescent groupies, and thus be a bad reflection upon Governor Palin.

Y.A.W.N.

lol!!!

I mean really...... WHERE else on FR would you find posters asking if Sarah & Todd Palin had EVER HEARD OF FREE REPUBLIC????? Weird orchestrated talking points, IMO.

[sickoflibs]

Someone just reminded me of one I missed, #5:

1) Never say that “ Palin is not qualified “ or “ not ready to be president.“ That is the greatest sin.
2) Don’t say that she is “not electable”, jeeze, that’s generating negative Karma.
3) Don’t say she is not interested. Alternatively she is not obligated to run either. But we need her to run to save us, even if she doesnt want to, but she doesnt have to. All clear??
4) Don’t say she is a RINO just because she campaigned for a RINO. She had to do that because .... OK this will be understood later, Have faith!
5) Never, ever, ever say Palin quit. She did not quit! She resigned to save the country. She was forced to resign by ‘the enemy’ for the good of Alaska and the country. Only losers quit, not future presidents.

[calcowgirl]

In post #109, you said:

WHERE did I ever infer, much less state, that the Palins would "...regularly read FR threads about them ---- HUH???

... I said that I believe that Governor Palin stays current with: freeper Bob J's postings about her ...

How could the Governor "stay current" with BobJ's posts unless they "regularly read FR threads about them"? Are you suggesting they stay current with BobJ's posts on a forum other than FR or that they seek out BobJ's FR posts about the Palins that he makes on threads that are NOT about them? Does not compute.

Looking back at your post #84, you said:

I'd bet money that Governor Palin and her husband read EVERY single comment that either Bob J and mkjessup ever post here [emphasis added].

How can one "read EVERY single comment that Bob J or mkjessup ever post here" if they don't "regularly read FR threads about them"?

Looks to me like you not only inferred but clearly stated that the Palins would regularly read FR threads about them, specifically BobJ's and mkjessups posts.

[calcowgirl]

LOL. A classic. ;-)

I think mnehring should get back over here and hump BobJ’s thread.

[DoughtyOne]

Is it me, or is the level of comprehension in this nation going south? LOL, I think...

[calcowgirl]

Pay no attention to what I say, only to what I said that I said.

Or something like that.

It is not just you. LOL.

[DoughtyOne]

Okay, so when did I ever hold you accountable for anything other than what you said you said? I have said I didn’t, so you must now forget when I may have done so. ;-)

I know you were referring to some of the nincompoops, so..., just kidding. And since I just said that...

It’s fun posting like some of the others do.

[hennie pennie]

Are you serious?

Is this a joke?

Aren't you aware that the search functions here on FR make it possible to not have to read entire threads, but only the comments made by specific posters?

I'm sure that the Palins wouldn't waste their time with most of the threads; however, BobJ and mkjessup posts --- that's a different matter, entirely.

POSTS BY BOBJ --- http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:bobj/index?tab=comments

POSTS BY MKJESSUP --- http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:mkjessup/index?tab=comments

I thought that ALL freepers stayed current with the owner/founder of the site, but I suppose if you don't know how to use search, that I am mistaken:

POSTS BY JIM ROBINSON --- http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:jimrobinson/index?tab=comments

There's several of freepers that I've followed for over at least a decade, and there's NO way that I read each & every thread they participate in, but I still check their COMMENTS regularly.

[VeniVidiVici]

Don’t bother. They could really GAFF what type of reasoned argument one could put forth concerning Sarah Palin. They suffer from rectal-cranial inversion. What else could it be?

I mean we know the press shapes the perception of the masses concerning Republicans. They’ve done it for as long as I can remember starting with Gerald Ford and continued with Reagan, both Bushes, Quayle, Gingrich, on and on and on. The underlying tone is always the same: Republicans inept, Republicans stupid, Republicans not ready.

This especially has been the case with Sarah Palin. From day one, they have been riding her like no other candidate I can remember. The vast majority of the information out there is false but has been repeated so often it’s thought of as the truth. For example, there really are dumbasses who think you can’t see Russia from Alaska.

So now we have supposed principled conservatives breaking out the long knives for Sarah Palin and helping the State Run Media with their propaganda effort. What I find particularly amusing is any defense of Sarah Palin is met with derision and accusations of being a “PalinBot”. LOL! I almost feel like I’m reading Cynthia McKinney writings that claim any attack on Obama means you’re a racist!

Since we are years from an election in which Sarah Palin may or may not participate, I can only guess what the real mission of these PropagandaBots might be. Experience, or lack thereof, seems to be a common theme but since any election is years away I’m not sure how that plays into the here and now.

They don’t advocate, they denigrate and at this point in time only succeed in helping those who work against us.

[hennie pennie]

Here is where Governor Palin gets her best advice:

Constructive Criticism Brought to You Daily Courtesy of Bob J ------------------------------------------ http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:bobj/index?tab=comments