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My fav bits:
Oh page 44 a guy from Palin's security detail says he met with the Palins right after the election to go over arrangements and asked them about anything like, you know, a crazy ex-brother-in-law threatening to kill all the Palins he might need to know about. They said they couldn't think of anything. A couple of months later, all of a sudden there's this crazy brother-in-law threatening to kill all the Palins and no evidence to support this or anything, just Todd Palin's word for it. And Todd Palin calls the guy several times after to make sure he's all warned up about this threat. Over the same time, Sarah Palin cuts her security detail by half and pretty much stops taking security along anyplace with her. Which is mostly around home. (You know, the whole "I'm not only not going to work in the capital with everybody else, I'm going to collect per deim year round for sleeping and eating at my house" thing.) Which is also where Mike Wooten still lives and works.
And
Palin's sister got less of a community property split than she wanted and less spousal support because the judge was concerned that her ex-husband was going to lose his job any day now due to pressure from her and her family and thus would likely be unable to pay at his current assessed income level. Nelson "HA-HA" to that.
Seriously, there's many a snorfle, snicker and jaw drop to be had.
And then when you have finished, here are a couple of interesting analysis' :
The Troopergate Report
In addition, both Palins treated their subordinates terribly. As I said above, I can understand wanting to make sure that the initial investigation of Wooten had been fair and thorough. If Sarah Palin had those concerns, it would have been fine for her to ask about them, provided she made it clear that she did not mean to pressure anyone. Both the Colonel in charge of the investigation and Monegan took the Palins' initial inquiries in this way: as attempts to make sure that everything had been done right. And had the Palins stopped there, there would be no problem.
But they didn't. And it is absolutely not OK to go on calling people about it even after those people have made it clear that they cannot do anything else, and that the Palins' continued contacts were inappropriate.
Walt Monegan warned Palin about further contact several times. ("Monegan: And I said ma'am, I need you to keep an arm's length at this -- on this issue." (p. 28)) When her various subordinates called him about Wooten, he told them that if Wooten ever sued, their attempts to talk to him would be discoverable as evidence, and might make both the State of Alaska and them personally liable in court. He was very, very clear about the need to back off, and the consequences of not doing so.
To my mind, you should not ask your subordinates to do something that violates the rules in the first place. But if, for some reason, you do, and your subordinates tell you, correctly, that they cannot do it without violating the rules, and moreover that your continued efforts are exposing both you and them to legal liability, you back off. Leaving aside any unfairness to Wooten, this is just completely unfair to your subordinates.
Many of us have either been asked by a superior to do something illegal or wrong, or know someone who was. It's a horrible position to be in: to be asked to choose between your job and morality or the law. A good boss will not put his subordinates in this position in the first place. But no boss who had a shred of decency, or who saw her subordinates as people and not as mere underlings, would keep pressing after her subordinates had made it clear that they did not want to do it, or that they were uncomfortable doing something that was morally or legally wrong.
and
Failure to draw boundaries: Why ethics matters
Sarah Palin does not distinguish between the private and the professional. As such, she blurs boundaries. This leaves her open to continual ethical lapses.
Most professions offer some training in ethics. But an ethics code, no matter how detailed, is no substitute for extensive training in ethical decision-making. And many people who enter politics may stumble seriously for lack of sensitivity to ethics. Awareness of boundaries and the ability to draw firm boundaries goes a long way toward protecting oneself from ethical lapses. I doubt politicians get any training in that. And then we’re just left with the person’s own ethical understanding. That, to my mind, is exactly why character and temperament are so important in picking leaders.
...
2. Palin’s excuse for why her husband was involved in dealing with Walt Monegan (the Commissioner fired in Troopergate) is that she and Todd are “so close.” He’s always “helped her in her political roles.” Thus, he inappropriately had access to personnel files. And there were breaches of confidentiality. He often sat in on state meetings. Not appropriate. He’s not sworn in to an office, but is simply “meddling” in government. Imagine if Palin had a federal job with a security clearance and violated that security boundary!
3. When a politician mixes personal and professional roles, he or she is not looking out for the citizens’ interests so much as for his or her own. We see that in the Palin’s per diems (for staying at her own home) as well as in charging the state for her family to fly around with her at state expense. Failure to pay her taxes or considering that paying taxes is “not patriotic” is a similar problem of a greater magnitude.
4. Drawing boundaries helps a person make ethical decisions. Depending on one’s role, there are role-specific obligations. It seems that Palin is unable to recognize that professional obligations - in her role as governor – supersede family ties. Or that her obligations to the voters and to the law supersede her own needs or preferences as a private individual.
...
6. Lack of drawing these ethical boundaries has gotten Palin into other hot water. And there is also another ethical/legal issue that she is facing in addition to the just concluded Troopergate investigation. In Alaska a government official cannot speak publicly for or against a ballot initiative. But she did that! She excused herself from this law, she assumed, simply by saying something like, “Well, I’m just going to take off my governor’s hat and talk to you as a private citizen.” And she gave advice about how to vote and that swung the vote! So now she’s facing that problem too. And it is completely due to her lack of awareness of boundaries and ability to draw them. (link to come)MORE
As far as I know it was the Pakistani Pres who came on with the flirting, that wasn't her fault. While she did wink at the camera, it surely wasn't her fault that Rich Lowry embarrassed himself over her. Seriously, men need to frigging well learn some bloody self control, themselves. But the rest of this is great.