Palin Takes Yet Another Tactic From the Bush Playbook

Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 9:02 AM on September 24, 2008.

It's almost comical how many unanswered questions there are surrounding Sarah Palin's "Troopergate" scandal. Why'd she fire Walt Monegan? Why has she changed her story about what prompted the decision? Why did she break her word about cooperating with the bipartisan investigation? Why are her aides and her husband refusing to honor subpoenas?



Since joining the Republican ticket, Palin hasn't made any real effort to answer questions about the controversy. As of yesterday, though, Palin has decided to stop answering scandal-related questions altogether.

Republican campaign officials indicated they are done answering questions about an investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner Tuesday, citing a request by a state investigator.

"He has asked to keep things confidential, so we will respect those wishes," campaign spokeswoman Meg Stapleton told reporters.

It's the trick the Bush team perfected: "We can't comment while an investigation is underway."



Indeed, in an especially amusing twist, Palin's spokesperson told reporters yesterday that Palin "cannot wait for her story to be told," which, oddly enough, is eerily similar to what the Bush White House said when waiving off questions about outing an undercover CIA agent and the subsequent cover-up.



All of this continues not to go over well back in Alaska:

Calling herself a "raging Republican," [Alaska State Senate president Lyda Green] says, she is "absolutely disgusted, embarrassed, and ashamed" by the McCain-Palin campaign's intervention in the Troopergate probe. Green is alarmed by the McCain squad's use of hardball tactics and "the length to which they're going to impede and delay" the investigation.

Sometimes when folks act like they have something to hide, it's because they have something to hide.

Tagged as: bush, alaska, palin, troopergate