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Delay and Conquer: GOP Politicians Appeal Troopergate Ruling

In a clear effort to simply delay an investigation until after the November election, Alaskan GOP politicians have appealed the recent ruling upholding the investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Peter Michalski dismissed their lawsuit Thursday shortly before the debate. I discussed the ruling on the Rachael Maddow Show. This is precisely the same tactic used by Dick Cheney and the Bush Justice Department in filing motions and appeals to advance meritless claims for the sole purpose of delay. In political cases, justice delayed is justice.


The Alaskan Supreme Court has agreed to hear the emergency appeal next Wednesday.

There is no serious question that Palin and her husband and her aides are refusing to comply with perfectly proper subpoenas issued in a perfectly legitimate legislative investigation. This is a core matter for legislative oversight and the subpoenas were issued by both Republicans and Democrats. As I mentioned on the Maddow Show, I know of no prior candidate for president or vice-president who sought those offices while refusing to comply with such lawfully issued subpoenas.

The fact that the parties themselves are not challenging the subpoenas tends to magnify the clearly political and frivolous aspect of this lawsuit. It is perfectly appropriate for a party to challenge a subpoena when there are reasonable grounds. Here there is no reasonable ground and these GOP politicians are using the legal system to facilitate the political campaign.

Whatever your party or your politics, it should come as a very alarming position for not just a candidate but her spouse to simply refuse to comply with such subpoenas. She will be asked to take an oath to uphold the Constitution. If she refuses this basic demand of her own legislature, it is hard to imagine what she defines as her duties under that oath. The principles of not just the separation of powers but the very rule of law are undermined by such an obstructionist position.

She also risks starting office as vice president while facing the possibility of a contempt order in Alaska. The obvious assumption is that, if the GOP can delay this investigation, they can scuttle the matter once she is elected — or comply after the election when negative disclosures will not matter. However, she is also risking the possibility of a contempt order. While the office of vice president does not demand much, it is pretty difficult to preside over the Senate from an Alaska courtroom or jail cell.

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29 thoughts on “Delay and Conquer: GOP Politicians Appeal Troopergate Ruling”

  1. somehow this is no longer included with the reference:

    Pronounced Pur-DIN-alice – The recipe of President Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States. Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson had cards printed with the LBJ’s “Pedernales River Chili” recipe. She is quoted as saying, “It has been almost as popular as the government pamphlet on the care and feeding of children.”

    “Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic initation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better.” – by Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States

  4. Patty,

    I checked out the recipe for spicy veggie stew. I think it actually sounds tasty, I’m just a purist with my food nomenclature.

    My favorite pairings are:
    Ruachbier (A German beer made with smoked malts) with smoked ham
    Quadruple or Abbey 12 (a Belgian style, you’ll probably have to split a 750 bottle with somebody) with a big thick steak.
    Witbier (slightly citrusy wheat beer) with lightly seasoned seafood
    And a Barley Wine or Old Ale (English style, not the American they’d be too hoppy) with Stilton Cheese

  6. Pardon us, Mespo asked me for a veggie chili under another thread a few days ago. I also make chili with meats – usually.

    ‘Oktoberfest’ sounds appropriate here, Gyges – lol.

    I don’t know a lot about beers of the world and food pairing
    – beyond ‘Super Bowl’ fare!

    p.s. In this context, alcohol is used to deglaze the pan while cooking. Unless this is for an adult gathering, Mespo has kids!

  7. BTW the malty beer is to help replace the “browned” flavor you’d get with meat.

  8. Patty C,

    Setting aside my snobbery at calling anything without meat “Chili,” I’d recommend using something like a nice malty beer like an Oktoberfest (or Marzen depending on the time of year), porter, or Scotch beer (I’d go with Belhaven’s Wee Heavy). If you’re feeling really daring and can find one, a Rauchbeir would add a fantastic smokey flavor. Any of those would go well with it to serve. I do however hold that you can’t find anything that pair better with spicy food then a good IPA. A really good eye opener for the possibilities of pairing beer with food is “The Brew master’s Table” by Garrett Oliver.

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