Barack Obama Elected President!

[Roman]

Here is a fact.

If she was such a great choice......why are the McCain campaign and the RP still defending her 5 days later?

[George008]

I am sorry that you aren't going to respond to any more of my posts. I find that disappointing. You have a good grasp on the real issues and have a fantastic way of expressing your stances.

I guess different people interpret respectfulness in different ways. When someone even slightly suggests what arguments I can or cant use in the future or how I should approach my arguments (as you have done in the past), I feel a bit disrespected and will respond accordingly.

You as well, have fun.

B/c the dems are still attacking her...5 days later..

[Roman]

And I have been pulling story after story about her off the net.

Not to mention that her page at Wikipedia has been scrubbed clean since she was picked. They are trying to find out by whom.

Now, once again.....why is that necessary?

[George008]

I dont. I have said here several times I would have picked Huckabee.

[Roman]

(CNN) -- As she takes part in the Republican National Convention with Sen. John McCain, the abuse of power investigation facing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin at home is charging ahead, and the governor is expected to be questioned this month, according to the lawmaker overseeing the investigation.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hugs Sen. John McCain at a rally Friday in Dayton, Ohio, announcing her selection.

Palin's attorney is locked in a legal battle with the Alaska legislature, insisting that it does not have "primary jurisdiction" in the matter. The Democratic chairman of the Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, has threatened subpoenas if Palin doesn't continue to cooperate in organizing witness interviews.

Letters between the two sides show a legal back-and-forth over several sticking points, with the committee chairman saying that Palin's newfound status as McCain's running mate "does not change the steps" the committee is taking and that he requests a "September date for the governor's deposition."

The inquiry boils down to whether Palin used her power to have a state commissioner fired for refusing to dismiss her former brother-in-law from the state police. She has denied any wrongdoing.

Her sudden, unexpected entry into the presidential race has taken the web of characters involved in the dispute and thrust them into the national spotlight. Watch McCain praise Palin »

The case centers on Walt Monegan, the public safety commissioner who was let go in July. After his dismissal, he said he had felt pressured by the governor's office to fire state trooper Mike Wooten, who had been in a messy divorce and child custody battle with Palin's sister.

Monegan said members of the governor's staff and her husband, Todd Palin, had called and questioned him about Wooten.

At a news conference last month, Palin acknowledged that her administration had made more than 20 calls to the Department of Public Safety regarding Wooten. However, she said that Wooten had nothing to do with Monegan's firing and that she had simply wanted new leadership to take the Department of Public Safety in "a new direction." The post of commissioner is a gubernatorial appointment.

"The individual inquiries taken by themselves are one thing. Many of these inquiries were completely appropriate; however, the serial nature of the contacts understandably could be perceived as some kind of pressure, presumably at my direction," she said.

Palin revealed a recording of one phone call made by her boards and commissions director, Frank Bailey, to a trooper lieutenant. In the call, Bailey complained that there had been "absolutely no action for a year on this issue" and said that Palin and her husband were frustrated that Wooten was still a state trooper.

Professional career: Television sports reporter, 1987-89; co-owner, commercial fishing operation, 1988-2007; owner, snow machine, watercraft and all-terrain vehicle business, 1994-97; chairwoman, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 2003-04.

Married: To Todd Palin; five children. The oldest, Track, serves in the U.S. Army; the youngest, Trig, has Down syndrome.

Sources: Almanac of American Politics, CNN

"I am truly disappointed and disturbed to learn that a member of this administration contacted the Department of Public Safety regarding Trooper Wooten," Palin said in a statement last month. "At no time did I authorize any member of my staff to do so."

Palin placed Bailey on paid leave until the investigation is over.

The state Legislative Council -- a bipartisan group of lawmakers -- voted in July to spend $100,000 on an investigation and hired Stephen Branchflower, who spent 28 years as a state prosecutor in Anchorage, as special counsel to lead it. The council chose Sen. Hollis French, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, to manage the investigation.

On Friday, Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, sent a letter via e-mail to Branchflower. "We fully welcome a fair inquiry into these allegations, and believe that the Personnel Board is statutorily mandated to oversee these proceedings," he said, adding that under state law, the Personnel Board has "primary jurisdiction."

The Personnel Board is "an independent agency composed of members appointed by the governor," according to its Web site. Its duties include hearing ethics complaints against Executive Branch employees.

Palin's attorney also wrote that he understood that there was an "informal agreement to share information the parties obtain through their own inquiries." He requested copies of all witness statements, documentary evidence, a witness list and the "complaint or other charging document."

And he requested a meeting with the investigator, Branchflower, to schedule depositions of witnesses.

Van Flein vowed full cooperation and said he would reciprocate in providing information.

Branchflower did not respond to the letter. Instead, French wrote a response Monday, saying the Personnel Board "would not have jurisdiction unless someone filed a complaint."

"I hope you are not suggesting that the legislature does not have the authority to investigate possible violations of law by members of the Executive Branch," he added.iReport.com: What do you think of McCain's VP pick?

French asked whether Palin was aware that her attorney seemed to be "challenging" the legislature's jurisdiction. "Such a position is at odds with our state's constitution, and with your client's public statements."

As for the copies of witness statements, French wrote that he had instructed Branchflower not to comply.

"I think you would agree that it would be highly unusual for an investigator to share information with one of the targets of the investigation. I am unaware of any precedent for such an arrangement."

He also said he told the investigator, Branchflower, to stick to his established schedule for interviewing witnesses -- and that any delays "would cause me to convene a meeting of the Judiciary Committee and ask that subpoenas be considered."

Although Palin's "new political role" as Sen. John McCain's running mate "will make it more challenging for her to make time for this investigation," French wrote, her promises to cooperate and her vows that the campaign trail will not interfere with state business "should result in a concrete willingness to schedule and conclude her deposition."

The two letters were first published by the Anchorage Daily News. Van Flein's office then provided copies to CNN.

[Adam]

And I appreciate that. I just wish some high profile republicans would stand up and say the same because I can't see much of the party actually fully supporting this move.

I thought Huckabee would have been the right choice too. I don't agree with his policies, but he is a social conservative, is a fun guy who is a great speaker and he compliments John McCain well. He basically has what Palin has, minus all this baggage, and above all experience.

[George008]

All true (about Huckabee). The main factor that hurt Huckabee was that he is not a woman.

What I don't understand is why would republicans be expected to do this? I never saw any prominent democrats come out against Biden. Many felt Clinton would have been a better choice, but none said so. Maybe I missed it. Did any of them say that?

[Jess]

First of all the claims and they are claims not allegations against Obama were fully vetted. The media and independent analyst have said they were much ado about nothing. I guess there is good and bad about the process. I personally think bringing up fake issues and calling them real are bad for the process.

I agree with almost everyone else, I do not think Gov. Palin's daughter should be an issue in this race unless it somehow reveals policy hypocrisy on the governor's part. No one has said that it does. I hope this brings an end to the radical right turning their noses up at teenagers that have sex.

Now I do think the Gov. claiming to be anti-earmark and then it being revealed she benefitted greatly from them as a mayor is fair game. I think the fact that she actually did support the bridge to nowhere and then belittled Congress for not working harder for it when it failed is fair game.

I also think the investigation is fair game. I think that there are crimes and sins in politics. She may not have created a crime in demanding that her brother-in-law fired, but it was still pretty lousy. I think it's fair to bring up Biden's little incident. I also think it is fair to mention it was 20 years ago and one paragraph. He also dropped out of a presidential race because of it.

On Palin, I think if she were a male, people would be having a fit because it would not have been the best pick. Also, it's pandering. I've made no secret that I really dislike the social conservatives in the GOP. McCain pandered to them with this pick.

So people criticized Obama for picking Biden who beefed up his credentials. McCain likewise deserves criticism for picking Palin to beef up his right win Nazi credentials. OK, that part was just kidding, but he did pick her to beef up his conservative credentials. Even then, there were far better choices. There were a lot of questions on why not Hillary. Why not Huckabee or Fred Thompson?

I also think it's fair to evaluate the process by which both men vetted their running mates. It really bothers me that the media is focusing so hard on questions regarding Gov. Palin's children and not on important issues like the investigation and what the real story is, and questions of why she was selected. JMO.

I also think Huckabee was the best choice. It would not have made any difference to me because I'm a Dem, but I think Huckabee would have been a good choice.

[Southofnowhere]

I'm prolife as well and am SICKED by all the uninsured babies that are dying becsuse of Bush/McCain refusing to help them.Obama has major plans to help them and their Mothers and in doing so cut way down on abortians. He's also is for gay adoption which well keep many babies alive. McCain and company would sooner have babies die than have them be adopted.

The USA as infant death rates that == the Thrid World.

[George008]

Be careful....Palin is not a nazi. Come on now.

[George008]

Where are uninsured babies dying? OMG! Can they not get covered with Medicade? I thought emergency rooms had to attempt to save lives no matter if the patient is insured or not.

I did not think hospitals could refuse service to anyone.

[Jess]

Casey, I said that was a joke. She is a right-winger.

[George008]

As a pro-lifer how can you support a candidate that agrees with partial birth abortion???

[Southofnowhere]

All over the USA , milllions every year because of lack of pre-natal care. Obama has plans to end that and save millions of babies.

[George008]

. That's not something to joke about. You guys would kick me out of here if I joked about Obama being a Marxist.

Do you have any sources on that? I am doing a paper for my ethics class about healthcare and abortion. That would really help me.