I was over at Shanyn's last night and the question on everybodys lips was "Why is the Governor resigning now?" And after so many seemingly ineffective ethics complaints and scandals it is a very good and very difficult question to answer.
Was it Dairygate? Prisongate? Babygate? Religiongate? Or some other gate?
Well the people at Think Progress believe it is the often overlooked Housegate, which like many of the other gates has not received the kind of national attention it deserves.
Here is what Think Progress has to say about it:
Max Blumental reports on The Daily Beast that Sarah Palin may have quit her job today because she was trying to avert a major, yet-to-be-disclosed corruption scandal. The gist of the rumor is that an Alaska building company called Spenard Building Supplies (SBS) was awarded a contract by Palin to build a hockey arena in Wasilla, AK, and in return, SBS helped construct Palin’s home.
This is a very viable scandal that could have very likely caused Plain to have been impeached.
Is this THE reason that Sarah decided to call it quits? Right now, at this moment, it is as good of a theory as any.
However here is what I think. Regardless of WHICH scandal finally drove a stake through the heart of Sarah Palin's political career, you can bet that we are about to learn a whole lot of other juicy scandalous information about our Governor which may even overshadow whatever inspired Fridays bizarre and unexpected press conference.
In other words kids if you thought this story was over I am afraid to say that this may just be the beginning. Stay tuned.
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The proverbial dirt is just about the hit the fan for Palin.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
Happy 4th to you and your daughter!!
ReplyDeleteShe just HAD to tie in her little speech to our nation's independence celebration ... just because she is SUCH A PATRIOT!!! pffffft ..
I don't know about you but I'm going to concentrate on visualizing orange jumpsuits...
Of course everyone wants to know the real reason. I am not convinced it is housegate because I think she would try to ride that out and furthermore, she has to have known it was brewing for quite a while because the feds have been collecting documents on it. So if that were the main issue her resignation wouldn't have been so hasty:
ReplyDeletefrom http://www.andrewhalcro.com/
"A day of interviews with some of Palin's closest allies on various media outlets, including her own brother, showed that they didn't know about the decision until this morning. Palin's commissioners had no idea and Lt. Governor Parnell was told Wednesday night.
In addition, earlier this morning I received an email from a friend who wrote, "I just heard from some of my friends that Todd was in Dillingham fishing and had to quickly abandon his boat and leave other people in charge of the setnet to get back to Sarah, doesn't sound like a planned resignation."
According to several reporters I spoke to today, the release announcing the press conference this morning was sent out at 9am. The press conference was to be held at 11am, fifty miles outside of Anchorage at the governor's home, thereby not giving the media any advance notice."
What about the iceberg? Was that in the above list or is another matter?
ReplyDeleteLivvy
Google John Rowland, our esteemed ex-con Ex-GOP governor. He did time for the same sorts of things. She and Taahd are done. Stick a fork in 'em.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th Gryphen--I think your right about, maybe just the beginning, given Parnell's statement of gratitude to Palin. She's God's greatest gift to Alaska and the nation. Scary shit, or maybe he's just talking out of his ass. Where in the hell do these people come from? Her accomplishments in 30 months would have taken 2 terms for a lesser mortal. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteHas Hillbilly Mansion-Gate been properly vetted ?
ReplyDeleteWhere is the source of this reporting, OTHER than what the Village Voice reported ?
How has this been independently verified ?
Have the neighbors been interviewed ?
Is someone at SBS talking off the record ?
What about the Feds ?
Is there a Bill Allen angle to all of this ?
I find it interesting, and nobody has reported this, that Tim Petumenos works for the same law firm that represented the City of Wasilla over the protracted land battle that the sports center sits on.
Birch Horton Bittner and Cherot made a bundle of money off of that one.
Bittner is also Uncle Ted's brother in law.
Wasn't she running Stevens' PAC while she was Mayor of Wasilla ?
Wasn't Steven Silver hired as a lobbyist to get the money for the Sports Center in the first place ?
Someone should be digging into this one.
Anonymous 7:12,
ReplyDeletemy understanding is that the Feds have been looking at SBS's books. There is a LOT of evidence that this investigation is moving forward.
I want every American voter to acknowledge Palin has not the intelligence, the education or the integrity to be in a position of power. For starters a statement of apology from Sen. McCain would be nice. The forthcoming revelations about Palin are just cover for MSM. MSM doesn't want to admit that through their own incompetance this country was exposed to the threat of having Palin installed as president. MSM should have been on top of these stories BEFORE the 2008 election. MSM, you OWE us.
ReplyDeleteI do not and did not think it is over. She has just wetted the appetite of the national media to ferret out the real reason she has resigned.
ReplyDeleteThose who think she is planning on focusing her attention on a presidential run in 2012 may be right, but delusional at the same time. If she thought she has taken a beating by the media now, what does she think will happen if she really tries to hog the limelight of the national stage? It could resemble a huge political dismemberment that will make this look like childs play. IMHO. Her fellow republicans will be the ones steering that train wreck.
I think we have all learned that Sarah is all about Sarah and will do anything to keep the attention and weird over the top worship by her followers. Like an adrenaline junky she won't be able to weather the withdrawls of being out of the spot light.
I keep wondering if she might start her own church? I was going to type "nothing would surprise me at this point", but realized somehow she always manages to make my jaw drop.
I'm a little confused ... would this (Housegate) have been an impeachable offense considering it had occurred prior to her Governorship? Granted, I believe that there is plenty of muck that can (and hopefully will) be dredged up on GINO and am thankful that she's resigned, but I'm failing to understand how something that she (likely) did prior to being in the Office of Governor would be cause for impeachment.
ReplyDelete(Further, with all the 'gates' out there, I'm honestly hoping that the rest don't get swept under the rug if Housegate is the one that nails her ... my fear is that she'll find a way to slip out of this, as she has with the ethics complaints, and go on her merry way, maybe showing back up on the national political scene again.)
Unfortunately, I don't think there's a stake through the heart of her political career yet. She hasn't disappeared in a poof of dust. That was not an I'm Going Away speech; that was an I'm Regrouping to Come Out Fighting speech.
ReplyDeleteShe wasn't nervous, she was royally pissed off. The woman has too much self-confidence, is too delusional, is too used to lying her way out of everything to ever believe that anything or anyone could bring her down. She knows something is coming, and for some reason she thinks she can handle it better if she's not in office. Once she sweeps it under the rug, she'll announce she's running for president and the nightmare will begin all over again.
I hope she's wrong. But at the moment, she knows more than we do, both about what is coming and what her resources are to fight it. So you guys up there can't relax. One might hope that with her no longer governor, maybe some who have been too fearful to talk will now start spilling the beans. But all her people will still be in place, right? So I can't see that happening. Yesterday, I was up. After a night's thought, I'm more worried. There is still much to be done to make her go away for ever. Poof.
Three words:
ReplyDelete"Third Party Candidate"
She's embracing her inner Bircher, flippin' the bird to the GOP and re-branding the AIP as "AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE PARTY". Once again, Todd will check the wrong box 'accidently'.
-Laz
http://omfgalaska.blogspot.com/
My bet is that it's a personal thing and my first choice is that there's a divorce coming. Second choice is that one of her daughters is knocked up again. Sure would be fun if Gryphen would start a little fun poll on this thing. The winner could be awarded the right and the pleasure of driving a stake through her heart.
ReplyDeletemidnightcajun - I so agree - I fear she will think that as a private citizen she can avoid accountability and challenge - and wait out whatever is hot on her heels - and in a few years everyone with have forgotten and she can dismiss whatever problems she has as "old political attacks" and regroup and come back! I everyone needs to stay on top of her!
ReplyDeleteI don't think she is going away from the spotlight, she still craves attention. It has become an addiction to her, but I cannot see how she will ever be considered as a viable political candidate. There was a segment on KO on Thursday night about the very same thing pointed out by Lynn D @7:40 am; if she thinks the media have been out to get her, she is in for a rude awakening, she will be forced again and again to answer questions she prefers to just wave her hand and dismiss. I see her as the female Boss Limbaugh. She has the capacity to stir up the right wing nuts. That unfortunately is her real talent.
ReplyDeleteSoCalWolfGal
I, too believe it will Housegate, However, in the front part of her speech she did mention that she took a "dairy out of government and put it into the private sector." Big deal, all she did was funnel money and favors to her farmer friends.
ReplyDeleteI think that perhaps she can picture the scene of an early morning visit with handcuffs and the FBI, just like happened to Blagojevich. That rambling speech was to ensure that she got to record what SHE wants for history before she is not able to speak out. It was Brag, Brag, Brag about herself and all of her wonderful accomplishments....it was so over the top. And.....LYING again about "2 million" to pay for all the ethics complaints when just the day before it was reported at $296,000. Sheesh.
Wonder if some of her commissioners will not make Parnell's list? He has been quietly watching all of this. People say he is a decent man...but so was Talis. Either way, he was left with a mess.
The only non-criminal reasons I could think of for Palin to resign would be money and fame - the two things she really craves. But she enjoys power and control also too... Very much evidenced by the fact that everyone in her life is controlled by her and everyone in her life is there to serve her.
ReplyDeleteTherefore I do not think she would just walk away from being governor, even if it meant she could get richer faster.
No something or someone spooked Sarah Palin into leaving and leaving fast.
I don't think she will ever really be gone - she's just too juicy as tabloid fodder to ever be gone gone. But I do believe that she is no longer a threat to run for President.
No, I fall firmly on the side of there is whole lot more to this story than we are seeing or being told right now. But I do believe that Sarah Palin did not walk gently into that good night. Something or someone forced her to run out the door without looking back.
midnight cajun: I agree, she sounded pissed off in her speech. I wish one of those 'lie detector' professionals (those who read mini expressions) would interpret what they saw. Her lips were tight, she talked fast, she looked clearly uncomfortable. It wasn't a contrite, "I've done something wrong" attitude. It was more of a "I've been caught and I'm really upset about it" attitude. She looked nervous. Ok, giving a speech about resigning must be nerve-wracking, but this, I think, was something that was forced upon her, if not by people, then by circumstances.
ReplyDeleteGrypen: You and others have talked about the 'iceberg' as if you know what it is. And your last couple of lines are another 'teaser'. For gawd's sake, would you now please tell us what you think is happening or what the iceberg really is?!?!
I'm sure John McCain just called Joe Lieberman and said " I'm sooooo sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteone word....
ReplyDeleteREX
OK maybe two
LEVI
maybe spending time w/ her family was shortchanged by her having to play gov?
Over?
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding, this stuff is just starting to snowball!
I for one can't wait to see what truth starts finally coming out.
To all the people (Gryph, AKM, Shannyn, Linda, Syrin, Phil etc. etc. etc.) who had the balls to take The Gash on, I thank you. You people all inspired while working very hard and dilligently to bring light to dark shadows.
I think this is a GREAT lesson in how we the people can affect great change.
I enjoyed seeing her oh so fake smile and confidence as she made a speech she didn't really seem to want to make.
Let this be a lesson to politicians EVERYWHERE! When you invite the people to check out your open and transparent operations, we will. Even if we aren't your constituants.
I'm going to do something I really avoid doing and type her name just so I can say this:
Sarah Palin~~~ PWNED!
Postergirl, the "iceberg" was the IRS investigation. But the focus of that investigation has not been completely clear. It COULD have to do with Housegate and more evidence is suggesting that it does.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that there are still tons of information that people have been keeping secret out of fear of, or respect for, Sarah Palin. I believe THAT information will start to gush forth now that she is stepping down.
Yep.
ReplyDeleteI think Palin thinks that if she's not Governor anymore, that whatever it is won't be important enough for the media to cover, thus saving her embarassment. This is a face saving move for "all about ME" Sarah. It has nothing to do with what's best for Alaska or even what's best for her family and everything to do with what's best for Sarah.
She thinks if she's no longer governor it will all magically go away.
But that's not how it works. When whatever it is hits, she'll still be all over the media. And whether she's Governor or not, she'll still be indicted. Becoming a private citizen doesn't make it all go away.
But I'm not surprised that Palin thinks this way.
She's been wrong so many times before.
I don't think Gryphen really has a iceberg or he won't comment on what he knows because he is afraid of being wrong -which I can understand. You have to give credit to Shannon Moore as she doesn't seem to hold back at all.
ReplyDeleteThank you Alaska for the wonderful gift. I think I'll send you a Cottonmouth Water Moccasin in return. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteI think once she steps down and isn't there, even if her people are still in place, Alaska will become like the battered woman who realized the abuser is not there and maybe, just mabe it is OK to take a breath. Having done this and survived, now the victim decides it is ok to start whispering. When nothing happens after the whispering, another breath is taken and wow!!!! it feels good, suddenly the whisper will turn to a voice and the next thing you know, people will be talking in not so hushed whispers.
ReplyDelete"That rambling speech was to ensure that she got to record what SHE wants for history before she is not able to speak out."
ReplyDeleteI agree with that also. I do not think she was supposed to make that speech. I would guess she advised NOT to make the speech - thus the surprise of Todd and other to be pulled in at the last minute.
But this is our 'mavericky' Sarah. She was determined to have a chance to go out on her terms and remind everyone what a 'great' Governor she had been.
It was an extremely bizarre speech. And it definitely gave (me) the impression that she was leaving because staying would be worse.
I do not think she can face the humiliation of being criminally investigated while Governor.
And if it is over her house she probably is pissed! She probably really truly believes in her heart and soul that getting nice houses for free is just what you get when you are an Alaskan politician. It is what Uncle Ted told her!
Gryphen - Thanks for all the details - All these signs point to this being a very hasty decision - as did her tension and demeanor yesterday - Something Happened!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I can not imagine she will shrink from the limelight - to the contrary, even if she has to fight through some problem, I bet she will take on the media on her own terms, friendly-fluff interviews and GOP-friendly appearances - all the glam w/o the hard parts.
Until, that is, the feds carry away in a red jumpsuit! I can dream, right?
"the "iceberg" was the IRS investigation"
ReplyDeleteSo where did the story of this investigation orginate ?
From the Daily KOS
Our information comes from local Alaskans who follow Palin, and who have been keeping an eye on this for some time, while keeping it quiet at the request of federal investigators.
Update: This just in my inbox, from a source connected sometimes to CNN:
"Here's a quote I got from law enforcement here in Alaska yesterday afternoon regarding Palin "a criminal indictment is pending authorization."
That's some pretty heavy stuff if it's true.
Why would the Feds risk their case by talking to someone affiliated with CNN, or with bloggers ?
Doesn't make sense after all they've been through.
Who is this "CNN source" ? ? ?
Very, very interesting - It all seems to be coming back to one or two people, but hasn't been independently verified by anyone outside the circle.
I have to see more before I will bite on this one, although there is some very intriguing background here, to be sure.
Just not very well vetted at this point.
MadCityKaren...
ReplyDeleteAbout whether Housegate would be an impeachable offense considering it had occurred prior to her Governorship?
Fraud is fraud, no matter when it occurred.
As a matter of fact, in addition to Housegate, the "dairy out of the hands of the state" is another fraudulent affair she was involved in. She authorized putting the dairy INTO the hands of the state, and the loans the state made have never been paid back (according to Andrew Halcro's blog info). That's Palin's doing.
And then there's the issue of Trig. Assuming rampant speculation and all those photographs showing "fake" are correct, even if she adopted Trig with the best of intentions, the fakery to qualify the infant for specialized care available under Palin's government insurance is also fraud.
----------------
I wonder if Bristol and Willow didn't appear at their mother's side during the press conference because they decided between themselves that they'd been humiliated by their mother enough.
After what Bristol went through last fall, and what Willow went through during the uproar her parents caused after the Bristol-baseball game "joke" (more humiliation for Bristol, too), I would bet they're barely civil to their mother AND their father.
Poor Piper probably can't understand why everyone's so mad at each other, since her mother's bizarre behavior is all she's probably ever known.
I wish people would stop chastising Gryphen for not speaking out re the Iceberg. Clearly, the feds are involved and asked that this be kept secret-- which is the right way to handle it. We saw how Republicans and even Democrats handled the Blago thing -- he was guilty before the evidence was even submitted, which (as much as I dislike what he did) is a violation of the process. He was forced out of office publicly and shamed righteously before evidence had even been heard.
ReplyDeletePalin left before that could happen to her--but what she doesn't realize is that NOW it is OK to reveal what the charges may be, because it no longer impacts politics.
Unless the feds haven't finished gathering info-- in which case, let's let them do their job and have fun speculating.
But let's NOT blame the courageous, hard-working bloggers of Alaska for not revealing what they know.
Let's thank them for their vigilance and patriotism! Happy 4th!
Huffington Post is now carrying an item that Levi is shopping a "tell all" book....
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank Sarah Palin for making it at least possible that we Arizonans can end John McCain's Senate career in the 2010 Election. Palin's troubles are a glaring example of poor judgement on McCain's part for choosing her in the first place. Time for him to retire!
ReplyDeletenot that sarah said...
ReplyDeleteBut let's NOT blame the courageous, hard-working bloggers of Alaska for not revealing what they know. Let's thank them for their vigilance and patriotism! Happy 4th!
I totally agree!
Let's thank them for their vigilance and patriotism! Happy 4th!
@not that sarah: I live in Illinois, and I heard Patrick Fitzgerald's press conference where he read exerpts from Blago's taped conversations. Blago's own words, selling political offices, strong arming newspapers to write favorable articles or he would cut funding for their baseball team, strong arming a children's hospital funding in return for cash. Fitzgerald made all of this public because he feared that our governor would do more damage. Blagojevich was impreached and removed from office to prevent him from doing further harm to the state. He still needs to stand trial for the criminal charges. One is political, the other is criminal.
ReplyDeleteThe *iceberg* is different than Gryphen's info.
ReplyDeleteHe has said this time and time again.
BS(bible spice, new name now)Had to step down before Thor's hammer ie: *iceberg* hits. As Gryphen said if it is housegate which it is looking like it is, this would be a impeachable offense. A sudden indictment would cause her to do what she did yesterday. It will probably happen the first part of next week.
She won't be able to sweep this under the rug. Not with the feds.
Thank you all to Alaskan Bloggers who keep up, even when everything seemed hopeless, America dodged a bullet last NOV. and the bloggers of Alaska educated us on the "little shop of horror" Sarah Palin.
Now they are through with her too! And we are too...MSNBC was saying yesterday her polical career is "ruined"! She will never be POTUS!
It is a great day for all! Happy 4th of July Everyone!
Even if HouseGate isn't an impeachable offense, it probably leads to offenses she did commit while Governor.
ReplyDeleteYou don't just decide one day to commit embezzlement. And if you have a habit of doing it, you don't just decide one day to stop and never do it again.
If she did it as Mayor she's continued as Governor. The reason the investigation may be taking so long is that one thing leads to another which leads to another and they all need to be investigated and evidence collected.
I think the investigation is coming to a point where they can get an indictment and a warrant and Palin found out. She's doing damage control.
Housegate wont be about impeachment or ethics. It'll be about 3-5 years in Club Fed. toad too.
ReplyDeleteNow, who'll watch the kids?
Has anyone heard about or have documents showing that SPS (Spenard) was getting about half a mil a year from the State for something relating to environmental impacts?
ReplyDeleteGryphen, is Sherry's sentencing this week? Any sign that's connected to the resignation? I hope Rex can still get fairness for Sherry and a book deal for Levi. And then you can talk!
ReplyDeleteThank you Gryphen, for clearing up what the 'iceberg' is. It's what I thought, but couldn't be sure based on what was written. I have been following your blog on a daily basis.. often more than once a day! It's thanks to you and other bloggers that any of this gets into the national media in the first place. They're lazy, and you guys are the true pit-bulls! (in a good way :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree that the s@#*t is about to hit the fan... it's already started with this bizarre resignation. The C4Peers and other like them have gone off the deep-end, spinning this among themselves as if it's a FANTASTIC thing, that she is so shrewd and clever us mere mortals just can't conceive of such clever "thinking ahead". I am convinced now that short of murder, or telling them she is now an atheist, nothing, absolutely nothing will make them question anything she does or give up their support of her.
Anonymous 10:18, I understand why everyone did what they thought they needed to with Blago, however, hearing bits of evidence with no context is NOT the way a person is supposed to be tried. It is not my objective to defend Blago, nor to question why that was done-- I was merely using it as an example that may have scared Sarah, and also as an example of why and how people are asked to not comment on possible and/or pending investigations. Agt that time, people wondered why several top politicians said nothing. Later, we all learned that they were complying with the FBI's request that they not speak.
ReplyDeleteMy real point was people should not be criticizing Gryphen for not spilling the beans, because there very well may be good reason why he wasn't.
As for your comment that one was political and one criminal, it is against the DoJ policy for investigations into a politician to be revealed during an election or to be used politically. therefor, my comment regarding the impact of revealing this investigation on Palin may have changed when she resigned.
As for housegate, if it is the issue, that is also criminal. Furthermore, her ethics misdeeds and abuse of power makes Blago look like a circus clown. To my knowledge, Blago didn't hunt down private citizens he had a beef with and use his power to ruin their lives and livelihood.
Thanks again to all the Alaskan bloggers who put themselves on the line every day to expose Palin's abuse of power, corruption, and distant relationship with the truth.
Just to clear something up from Gail @ 6:44
ReplyDeleteThe comment about Todd leaving the setnet operation in charge of someone else doesn't sound true to me. A commercial permit holder is required to present the permit card and ID in order to sell the fish. There is no reason to keep fishing if you can't sell the fish. I don't believe the "friends" that were quoted are from AK. He may have left quickly - but little inaccuracies like this cast doubt on this comment
@anon 9:09...a cotton mouth snake would be easier to deal with than Palin. Take a shovel and smack it.
ReplyDeleteWhy would a company as large as Lanoga Corp, owner of SBS at the time, bend over for an unheard of small town mayor? Now owned by Fidelity in case people wonder how they compete with Home Depot and Lowes. Its the other way around,they own their own barge line. SBS hasn't been locally owned since 1978. Google them, they have an about us page.
ReplyDeleteIf you all haven't seen the letter from Sarah's attorney you might want to take a look at C4P.
ReplyDeleteI do believe the iceberg has melted. I would be very careful of what you say or you may have to repeat it in court.
Why would Sarah go to Juneao this weekend? Go clean out while everyone is away on holiday weekend? If people quit jobs that have a lot of sensative databases, papers, etc, you don't let them back in to tamper with or leave with sensitive information. Big distraction this weekend and she gets to go though everything she likes while everyone is spinning over her announcement.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Anon...it was not something I said, it was something I read. The rumors are certainly flying!
ReplyDeleteat last she has taken a good decision!!
ReplyDelete