Palin's Morphing into Cheney Continues

The Anchorage Daily News reports:

With state officials again defying legislative subpoenas in the investigation of whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power, the war between state lawmakers and Alaska's attorney general is escalating.The governor's chief of staff, Mike Nizich, and six other Palin aides didn't show up Friday to honor subpoenas ordering them to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee chairman, Anchorage Democratic Sen. Hollis French, said they could be found in contempt when the full Legislature convenes in January, a finding that carries potential jail time.

And not unlike the situation down here in DC, it looks like there could be no resolution until it's too late for voters to actually have a full picture on which to base their decisions.

Looks like you'll just have to settle for the fact that Palin, her husband and her employees are lawlessly defying legislative subpoenas and trying to sue their way out of them. Dang.

Once again, here's the bottom line of Boss Palin's game:

100% pure, unadulterated power play here. Here's Palin's bet, broken down for you:

1. The penalty for blowing off your subpoena is a contempt charge
2. Charging a witness with contempt requires a majority vote of at least one house of the state legislature
3. The legislature is officially out of session until January
4. Therefore, there can't be any penalty against him until it's too late and the election is over

Pretty sweet, eh?

The rest of the story remains the same: either there is an Alaska State Legislature, or there is not.

Sarah and Todd Palin, with the help of a hotshot lawyers on the McCain payroll, say there's not, and that as reigning Prom Queen and King of Alaska, the Rule of Law may kiss their frosty asses.

And once again, the two sides are playing completely different games. That the legislature has the authority to issue subpoenas is beyond question. Yet, the McCain campaign has dispatched lawyers to Alaska to question it anyway, knowing that there won't be an answer at least until it doesn't matter anymore, for McCain's purposes. Meanwhile, the Legislative Council (and, arguably, national Democrats) appear ready throw up their hands and agree to wait it out, because "some say" there are "gray areas." Oh, there will be Sternly Worded Letters^TM of course. But don't expect them to join the game the way the other side has, and introduce their own game changing legal theories to test the boundaries -- like just holding an inherent contempt vote right away and issuing arrest warrants.

Doubtless there will be calls for a hands-off approach, counting on Palin to self-destruct in the coming days. But take note that they'll come alongside warnings not to "misunderestimate" Palin's survival skills, or that she's sandbagging us going into the debate. Approaching this with caution is always good advice. Just so long as caution isn't confused with capitulation. As Palin's national reputation quickly becomes one of an evasive pol who's in way over her head, and who only does herself more damage every time she opens her mouth, it's hard to argue that now's the time for Alaskans who want answers from their governor -- and who now have the benefit of the national spotlight to get them -- to instead lay off and let the chips fall where they may.

The Alaska State Legislature's phone is ringing at 3 a.m. Will anyone answer?