As just reported by Keith on "Countdown," Sarah Palin has announced she will not cooperate with the Troopergate investigation. The McCain campaign says she will refuse to speak with the investigator appointed to look into the firing of Walt Monegan, her public safety commissioner
From the AP:
McCain campaign spokesman Ed O'Callaghan told a news conference Monday that the governor, the Republican nominee for vice president, will not cooperate as long as the investigation "remains tainted." He said he doesn't know whether Palin's husband would challenge a subpoena issued to compel his cooperation.
The campaign insists the investigation has been hijacked by Democrats. It says it can prove Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was fired because of insubordination on budget issues - not because he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.
Not much more to add for now, just wanted to get it out there for discussion. As Keith said (paraphrasing) just a few minutes ago: "It's like she she has a neon sign over her: 'I'm hiding something!' " (Thanks newdem1960 for the quote!).
UPDATE: More from KTUU, Anchorage's NBC affiliate:
McCain spokesman O'Callaghan also told reporters at a press conference he "doesn't know" whether Todd Palin will challenge his subpoena in the matter. I would suspect that's a yes.
Also from KTUU:
The campaign attacked the independent investigation into the termination of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan on the basis that it was politically biased.
Campaign officials also offered a more detailed description of how and why Gov. Palin terminated Monegan.
They said he displayed "egregious insubordination" in going around the governor's office to increase the Department of Public Safety's budget.
They say he engaged in "obstructionist conduct" and had a "brazen refusal to follow instructions."
The campaign says Monegan made multiple trips to Washington, D.C., to try to get earmarks from Congress even through the governor didn't want them.
Earmarks? You've got to be kidding me!
Then there's this from the Mudflats blog:
And I have yet to have anyone explain to me how a Republican dominated Legislature could have voted unanimously to proceed with the investigation by special investigator Stephen Branchflower, and have been "hijacked by Democrats." That story may cut it with her new-found friends in the Lower 48, but it’s not cutting it here in Alaska. I think that this move lost her a lot of respect with Alaska lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and with a lot of Alaskan voters. There are plenty in Alaska who are caught up in Sarah-mania, and will defend her no matter what she does, but not everyone.
UPDATE 2: Here's Rachel's piece on the developing scandal: