Alaska might decide the 2008 race for the presidency.
Alaskans elected Sarah Palin to be our governor two years ago, believing her to be a breath of fresh air in Alaska politics. In the speech that followed her taking the oath of office, Palin told us to hold her “accountable.”
Then Troopergate erupted. The public and its elected officials wanted to know whether Gov. Palin fired Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan because he wouldn't rid the Alaska State Troopers of her former brother-in-law, who went through a messy divorce with Palin's sister, and whether Palin, her husband Todd and staff improperly obtained brother-in-law Mike Wooten's confidential information.
Palin again challenged: “Hold me accountable.”
It's when the state Legislature established a bipartisan team - 10 Republicans from the governor's own party and four Democrats - and that team hired an investigator, that the governor began to renege on her I-should-be-accountable-too mantra. Investigator Stephen Branchflower interviewed Monegan, and sought to talk with Palin's husband and staff.
Meanwhile, Gov. Palin became the Republican nominee for vice president in John McCain's presidential bid. The Republican ticket handlers came to Alaska to impede the legislative investigation. Not only would the governor not cooperate now, but neither would family and staff members. So much for allowing Alaskans to hold her accountable.
The Republican Outsiders accused Alaska of producing a tainted investigation even though the investigating legislative Republicans voted unanimously to pursue it. The Outsiders sought to delay the investigation until after the Nov. 4 general election for president and vice president.
The Outsiders are underestimating Alaskans.
You see, we wanted that breath of fresh air - accountability. We believe honest politicians prevail in the end. We know we have every right - and the responsibility - to know what our government officials do in our name. And we know that, if officials aren't conducting business appropriately, we demand - and would demand whether the governor gave us permission or not - that they be held accountable. We have three branches of government to hold one another accountable.
Alaska not only wants but needs an investigation into the Palin administration's actions in regard to Trooper Wooten. We want our governor and the Republican party cleared of any wrongdoing. Delay tactics not only make the governor look guilty, but cast Alaska in a bad light on the national stage.
A delay will tend to tip undecided voters in the presidential race against Republicans. Not only in Alaska, but in other states where voter turnout will determine the next White House occupant. The McCain/Palin ticket should follow Sen. Ted Stevens example in a case brought against him by the Justice Department and cooperate with the investigation in order to bring the issue to a conclusion before Election Day.
Troopergate isn't going away. It might be most difficult to see it through, but there's no way around it. It's out there, and until Gov. Palin is cleared, there's a cloud of suspicion over the McCain/Palin ticket - here and across the nation.
The White House race is too close for Alaskans to be taken for granted this election season. While Alaska usually votes Republican, most voters aren't registered that way; and this election season is anything but “usual” in this state. Our issues and three electoral votes could be the deciding factor in who will be president - and vice president - of the United States.
