No wonder why the McCain campaign is so desperately flailing around, trying to change the subject from Sarah Palin being a "barracuda" (her nickname since high school) - and not in any good way:
Court records obtained by NEWSWEEK show that during the course of divorce hearings three years ago, Judge John Suddock heard testimony from an official of the Alaska State Troopers' union about how Sarah Palin-then a private citizen-and members of her family, including her father and daughter, lodged up to a dozen complaints against Wooten with the state police. The union official told the judge that he had never before been asked to appear as a divorce-case witness, that the union believed family complaints against Wooten were "not job-related," and that Wooten was being "harassed" by Palin and other family members.Court documents show that Judge Suddock was disturbed by the alleged attacks by Palin and her family members on Wooten's behavior and character. "Disparaging will not be tolerated-it is a form of child abuse," the judge told a settlement hearing in October 2005, according to typed notes of the proceedings. The judge added: "Relatives cannot disparage either. If occurs the parent needs to set boundaries for their relatives."
"It is the mother's responsibility to set boundaries for her relatives and insure they respect them, and the disparagement by either parent, or their surrogates is emotional child abuse,"He added that: "If the court finds it is necessary due to disparagement in the Mat-Su Valley for the children's best interests, it will not hesitate to order custody to the father and a move into Anchorage."
Lovely, huh? Josh Marshall weighs in:
Remember that Palin's Trooper-Gate scandal revolves around her apparent efforts to use her power as governor to have her ex-brother-in-law, an Alaska state trooper, fired from his job. The trooper, Michael Wooten, was in a long-lasting and bitter divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister. (Once the state Commissioner of Public Safety, Wooten's ultimate boss, wouldn't do the deed, she fired him.)Now it comes out that before she even became governor -- and was in a position to abuse her power of office -- Palin had to be warned by the judge in the divorce case that her harassment of Wooten amounted to "a form of child abuse."
Do we want someone who behaves like this anywhere near the White House? I thought not. Also, what does this say about John McCain's judgment in picking Palin in the first place? Either his campaign was extremely shoddy in "vetting" Palin, which would be a sign of negligence and incompetence. Or, it vetted her and found this information but didn't care, which is a sign of something even worse - indifference to what a judge called "a form of child abuse."
Of course, we know exactly why John McCain picked Palin as his running mate - the Karl Rove "base strategy" to win back the religious right and ultimately salvage his chances at winning the election, no matter how extreme, bizarre, and unqualified Palin happened to be. John McCain putting "country first?" Not in this case, that's for damn sure. Imagine Sarah Palin becoming president? God help us if that ever happens.
Also, remember Jim Webb saying about the Allen campaign, "the fish rots from the head down?" Another great applause line. And oh, yes, the McCain campaign - 4 more years of Dubya - does stink like a several-day-old fish, let's just get THAT straight!
In the shifting scales of personal responsibility, justifiable actions, and double standards, what is amazing to me, for all their sanctimonious and selfrighteous bluster, these Holy War howling righ-wing evangelicals claim this type of behavior is not acceptable to them but they will turn a blind eye to someone from their ranks that engages in this very behavior. GIVE ME A BREAK. Apply the phrase in whatever form you like but I guess it holds true across the board, "He might be a SOB, but he's our SOB."
I also hope that those who dislike Palin will spend more time talking about scandals like these, and less time throwing insults about how she's "white trash" or whatever if they truly wish for the McCain/Palin ticket to lose. I'm not necessarily against insults, but those kind are beside the point, and change the debate to one that won't help Obama/Biden to win.
The problem with Palin isn't whatever stereotype of a socioeconomic group people come up with. The problem with Palin is that she has bad policy positions, and a history of vindictiveness, abuse of power, and lying. Emphasize that, back it up with stories like the source one in Newsweek, and we'll be solid.