Is Gov. Sarah Palin ready for what's coming her way?

What makes Jeralyn question whether Palin is ready for the national stage? I believe Republicans made menacing comments like this about Obama when he first spoke at the Democratic Convention in 2004. I assume Palin is an adult, and an informed politician, and that she is ready (unless Jeralyn is speaking to the talking point memos obviously circulating and redundantly posted on nearly every left blog in the past two days).

In the past two elections, our party has elected Joe Lieberman and John Edwards as the Vice President. Both of these choices turned out to be unmitigated failures. For the ticket. For the party.

the family allegations from the Heath side are part of a custody case which is ugly. There is some thought the family wanted him fired because then he could not have custody because he would not have a job and might have to move away. there's no information in the accounts so far as to who has custody and who is fighting and for what.  I have not seen the actual papers on the custody case anywhere on the internet that I can find yet so I at least can't tell and am suspending judgement on the custody part until someone gets them.

Don't be spoon-fed information.
Do your own investigating.
Do your own research.
Form an opinion on your findings.

For me, all I had to know about Palin was her rabid anti-choice views.  Does it for me.  No pass no go no nada.

I wouldn't ask any blogger to "help me" figure out anything.  Keep your own counsel.  Better that way anyway, so you can blame only yourself or congratulate yourself on your vote.

I'm glad Jeralyn is posting.  She cites good sources and we can add things up for ourselves.

My research comes from mainstream media articles found not on Google, but on Lexis/Nexis. If you have better sources, let me know.

I make no accusations, I present information previously reported in reputable publications. You are free to discuss the import and state your feelings as to why it doesn't matter to you or is unfair to her.

Keep in mind that no one is allowed to shill for a Republican candidate on this site. If you want to oppose the Democratic ticket, you get four comments a day to do so, without personal attacks or insults. That's more than generous.

This seems, according to wikipedia, to be a generic term for any scandal involving state troopers.

They cite 3.

With all due respect, Jeralyn, is this personal?  Because it's starting to look that way, and I have to say, it isn't pretty, and it's getting a little Drudge-like.

But it came darn close to happening here, too.  That's when having legislators on the board helps, as they finally could make clear that we meant it.

So since there's not a link here, did the Alaks museum staff actually quit, or did their threat loosen up some funding for the museum, as happened here?

That's the point.  It was cutting "wasteful spending."  She -- and Alaskans -- would still want the money.  As if they'd say "No money for us!"

she also vowed to sell the plane the former Gov had bought on the taxpayer's dime and she did. Instructing her people to take pictures the day she started and put it up on Ebay. It tok three tries but she eventually sold it for a profit and she never used it once.

What's wrong with Alaska?

Since her election as governor last November, Palin has made a public point of cutting down on Alaska's excesses, and challenging the easy habits of its past -- getting the state to put Murkowski's infamous jet up for sale on eBay, canceling pork projects and firing patronage appointees. By early this summer, with the scandals plaguing the rest of the Republican Party, Alaska Democrats had made some headway in the polls.

(Bolding by me)

I have to wonder if some of the people complaining the loudest now aren't related to those who were fired?  

You know why I used to call myself a Dem? Because Democrats stood up for those who were bullied--women, gays, minorities, union workers, those of lower socioeconomic classes--and fought for those without the power to fight for themselves.

While someone like Palin certainly has the resources to defend herself against the bullying coming from the left, and while I find her political beliefs reprehensible, that still doesn't justify the "means to an end" mentality I see coming from the Dems this year, first throughout the primaries and now with McCain's choice of Palin.

As a Democrat I think that assaulting/framing Sarah Palin's character is a bad. freaking. move.

"Her policies are that of McCain.  And these policies are wrong for America."

Fin.

Some are defending here here; I'm not.  But let those that are defending her on Talk Left be a small indicator of how this may go over with the general public, much less indies or Republicans alone.

Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin maintains she didn't fire Police Chief Irl Stambaugh three years ago because he supported her election opponent John Stein. But even if that was her reason, she was within her rights to dump Stambaugh, a federal judge has ruled.

The police chief serves at the discretion of the mayor, and can be terminated for nearly any reason, said U.S. District Court Judge James K. Singleton in a ruling Friday that dismissed most of Stambaugh's claims against the city.

Stambaugh led the Wasilla police force from its founding in 1993 until early 1997. Palin fired him in January 1997, shortly after she took office.

Stambaugh sued, accusing her of contract violation, wrongful termination and gender discrimination. He said his contract forbade his being terminated without cause.

But Singleton said that under state law, police chiefs serve at the behest of the mayor unless otherwise specified by city ordinance. Stein, the former mayor, had worked out an agreement with Stambaugh forbidding termination without cause, but the city council never voted on it, Singleton ruled.

Stambaugh now serves as executive director of the Alaska Police Standards Council in Juneau.

Wooten served, as I understand it, 'at her pleasure' (sorry, that sounds icky, but it's the phrase that's used).

That means she can fire him for no reason at all, if she wants, even if it's just that he looked at her funny one day (compare: Obama couldn't pick Clinton as VP because they weren't 'compatible').  Or for political reasons.  Or because he likes Captain and Tennille and she doesn't.  Whatever.

At least, that's the best I can find on the situation.  If anyone has a link to a reputable source showing the DPS was not essentially an 'at will' political employee, please post it.

IF he did what's been alleged, and she pressured her Director of Public Safety to fire him instead of just suspending him, is that an ethics violation?

If he did what's been alleged, but she pressured her DPS to fire him only because her sister was in a custody dispute with him, is that an ethics violation?

What if it was both?  What if he's really a guy who should have been fired (according to the rules and procedures of the DPS), but she only knew about his particular bad acts because of the connection to her as her brother-in-law?

What if he should have been fired, but other troopers haven't been fired for similar acts, only because Palin had no knowledge of their acts or simply just didn't pressure DPS on their cases?