Tapper on Palin: ABC 10/13/08

Jake Tapper on Sarah Palin
"Good Morning America" 7:30am
Package

TOPIC: Sarah Palin, Troopergate

TRANSCRIPT:
JAKE TAPPER [VO]: At issue: did Governor Sarah Palin do anything wrong when she tried to get her sister's ex-husband Mike Wooten [...]fired as a trooper? And did she do anything wrong when she fired the Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monagen after he refused to fire Wooten? Monegen told ABC news[...] that the pressure from Palin was intense.

MONAGEN [recording]: I understand that people get emotional around issues like divorces,and to some extent it was venting, but when it began to continue and continue I realized it was less venting and more perhaps an obsession.

JAKE TAPPER: The investigative report concluded that Palin had abused her power and had violated state ethics laws, so how did Palin respond?

SARAH PALIN: If you read the report, youll see that there's nothing unlawful or unethical about replacing a cabinet member. You gotta read the report, sir.

[...]

JAKE TAPPER : The report concluded there was nothing unethical about replacing a cabinet member, Monagen, but investigator Steven Branchflower said there was something clearly unethical about the efforts by Palin and her husband to fire her sister's ex husband. And the woman heralded for her authenticity also says this:

SARAH PALIN: And thankfully, the truth was revealed there, in that showed that there was no unlawful nor unethical activity on my part.

JAKE TAPPER: That is not what the report states, Branchflower writes " I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating...the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act" by trying to have Wooten fired for personal reasons and yet in a conference call with Alaska reporters, Palin said this:

SARAH PALIN: I'm very very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing...any hint of any kind of unethical activity there. Very pleased to be cleared of any of that.

JAKE TAPPER: But the report clearly did not clear her of any unethical activity

[...]

A Palin spokeswoman explains that when Palin says she's been cleared of ethical violations, she's talking about the part of the report that cleared her in firing Monagen, ignoring the other part of the report about Wooten.



[...]The investigation concluded that those [stated fears] quote were not bonafide and were offered to provide cover for the Palin's real motivations to get Trooper Wooten fired for personal, family related reasons.

LABEL: JT SP ABC 10-13-08 7.30 (LAD#5) VBb

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Palin
• Troopergate
• Confusion
• Tapper

[lorililac]

Any Governer who wouldn't fire A drunk, child abusing, wild life shooting State patrolman would be a BIGGER LOOZER than Sarah.

[jalisco78]

Just imagine her as President of the United States of America.

[097Gmc]

she really is stupid... she can't even read....

[WILLIAMCOOKE]

I remember Nixon. As much as he is vilified today, he did open the door to Communist China and the USSR. No small feat. He did have an amazing intellect, even tho his personal flaws overshadowed much of his accomplishments. Palin? A closer peer is Captain Kangaroo! (No offense to the Captain.)

[kcmet79]

Palin:

EPIC FAIL

[esterwood1]

I like McCain better then Obama. But this chick is just a lier! At 72 McCain could check out at any time. Can't take a chance, she is too risky.

Obama 08.

[bluedov69]

LOL, Taking notes and abusing state laws somehow shes starting to sound like President Nixon

[bluedov69]

Hmm never say never!! We just have to pray that type of person never takes official office she would be so incompetent that the house speaker, another woman Pelosi would have to take over. Now that is a REAL MAVERICK!!!

[sssdeecee]

So how do the conservatives reaction to these IN YOUR FACE lies by Palin! It's right there, right now!

Come-on, I am going to really enjoy one of you nutbars excusing these outright lies!

Go ahead, it's your move!

[tenminutestillwopner]

Sure she could be VP. She took good notes over the past 8 years while D. Cheney occupied the post.