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Branchflower report on Tasergate (is): Just one guy's opinion (snip-title edited for length)
TownHall ^ | October 10, 2008 | Bill Dyer

Posted on 10/11/2008 9:57:09 AM PDT by bobsunshine

(snip) Today, however, in an episode of political theater that would make Josef Stalin blush, French gave it his very best shot: The investigator he hired and directed, Steve Branchflower, has labored mightily and given birth to a bloated and redundant 263-page report which boils down, for purposes of the ongoing presidential campaign, to two paragraphs that completely contradict one another. And the one of them that's unfavorable ignores the most important — indeed conclusive — evidence on point, but goes on to provide Branchflower's guess as to whether Gov. Palin has done anything improper.

Please understand this, if you take nothing else away from reading this post: The Branchflower Report is a series of guess and insupportable conclusions drawn by exactly one guy, and it hasn't been approved or adopted or endorsed by so much as a single sub-committee of the Alaska Legislature, much less any kind of commission, court, jury, or other proper adjudicatory body. It contains no new bombshells in terms of factual revelations. Rather, it's just Steve Branchflower's opinion — after being hired and directed by one of Gov. Palin's most vocal opponents and one of Alaska's staunchest Obama supporters — that he thinks Gov. Palin had, at worst, mixed motives for an action that even Branchflower admits she unquestionably had both (a) the complete right to perform and (b) other very good reasons to perform.

(Excerpt) Read more at hughhewitt.townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: branchflower; palin; probe; tasergate; troopergate
From the article (note: had to cut title - too long to post):

Gov. Palin's office and the McCain-Palin campaign have each put out press releases making some of the same points I've made in this post. And Gov. Palin's lawyer has issued a five-page response to the Branchflower report which notes, among other things, that "[e]very prior reported Ethics Act violation involved financial motives and financial 'potential gain, or the avoidance of a potential loss.' ... Here, there is no accusation, no finding and no facts that money or financial gain to the governor was involved in the decision to replace Monegan." Palin's lawyer response:

http://media.adn.com/smedia/2008/10/10/19/349-Response_to_Branchflower_Report_10-10-08.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf

1 posted on 10/11/2008 9:57:10 AM PDT by bobsunshine
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To: bobsunshine
Here is link to Palin’s Lawyer response:

http://media.adn.com/smedia/2008/10/10/19/349-Response_to_Branchflower_Report_10-10-08.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf

Also from the update of the article:

Even the Anchorage Daily News is misrepresenting the meaning of this report: I just received an email update from it in which it claims that “Today Alaska legislators found Palin did abuse her power in the ‘Troopergate’ controversy.” That's absolutely false — the Alaska Legislature is not in session, and all that happened today was that the 12-member Legislative Council that received the Branchflower Report voted unanimously to release its first volume (the 263-page .pdf file linked above) to the public.

2 posted on 10/11/2008 10:01:47 AM PDT by bobsunshine
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To: bobsunshine

In the end, just a big nothingburger.

Again.

I’m still voting for Sarah.


3 posted on 10/11/2008 10:02:19 AM PDT by alloysteel (Just because you are a target, does not mean you have to be a victim.)
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To: bobsunshine

How in the world do you “abuse your power” and not do anything wrong? Are they saying she was morally wrong? And who gets to decide that? Oh, I forgot, Obama supporters.


4 posted on 10/11/2008 10:03:43 AM PDT by Terry Mross
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To: bobsunshine
So we've reached another milestone in this country's de-evolution - the press at large, though fundamentally dishonest for years, is now willing to print absolute, boldface, demonstrable LIES, representing them as the truth, to achieve their own political ends.

This is very, very dangerous.

5 posted on 10/11/2008 10:04:33 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: bobsunshine

I have a simple question, could Monegan have fired Wooten, a union employee, even if he wanted too? It seems to me that there was a union process in place and all Monegan could do is produce charges and leave it up to others as to the punishment.


6 posted on 10/11/2008 10:07:33 AM PDT by Soliton (> 100)
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To: bobsunshine

Essentially, Governor Palin is accused of “likely” having committed thought crimes.


7 posted on 10/11/2008 10:13:28 AM PDT by Schnucki
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To: bobsunshine
Today's Chicago Tribune's banner headline:

Report: Palin abused power

8 posted on 10/11/2008 10:17:11 AM PDT by dr_lew
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To: dr_lew

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/09/figures-top-attack-dog-in-palin.html


9 posted on 10/11/2008 10:19:22 AM PDT by fantom
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To: bobsunshine
Defend this, Democrats.


10 posted on 10/11/2008 10:20:40 AM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: bobsunshine

Would Menegan been fired had there been NO Trooper?
Yes of course. That is why this should not be an issue, and would not be an issue if the media were even a little fair.


11 posted on 10/11/2008 10:39:56 AM PDT by Lets Be Frank
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To: dr_lew
The MSM is so in the tank for Obama. I hope McCain and Palin understand this - from the movies:

Listen Sarah, and understand. The terminator (press) is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

And his name is to be stricken from every obelisk, every temple, every statue. So let it be written, so let it be done.

12 posted on 10/11/2008 12:07:40 PM PDT by bobsunshine
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To: Schnucki

you nailed it!


13 posted on 10/11/2008 2:14:58 PM PDT by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help)
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