So apparently, McCain/Palin refuse to respond to the legislative investigation about Palin's abuse of power as Governor. Let me be specific to the article: "allegations that she and her advisers pressured then-Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire a state trooper going through a bitter custody dispute with her sister -- and that Monegan was terminated when he refused. "
McCain/Palin refuse to respond on the basis that the investigation is all a dramatic partisan attack by Obama operatives. (They really did use the word "operatives", I am (unfortunately) not making this up.)
So, an inquiry into poor decision-making and qualifications by a candidate is deemed "partisan politics" and can be dismissed? If you're running for office, you can just refuse to cooperate with a formal, legal investigation?
Wow, that sounds like some Privilege. I don't think the average American is able to do that.
But wait...this sounds familiar...I'm trying to remember ...Oh Yeah! When Cheney refused to respond to the Supreme Court about his Energy Council. A quote from this write-up:
Indeed, the Court may have avoided an ultimate decision in the case in part because of the political reverberations that would doubtless have resulted from their examining the separation of powers issues (read: the secrecy powers of the presidency) in an election year.
Oh wait. Maybe I meant the case where the Bush Administration invoked executive privilege regarding the EPA inquiry into emissions in California. That happened just in June of this year.
Or perhaps I'm thinking of the firing of 9 U.S. Attorneys, at which the Bush Administration ALSO invoked executive privilege, AND tried to make it so that the courts could not decide otherwise. In what the article claims -
"What this statement is saying is the president's claim of executive privilege trumps all."
It looks like the Bush Administration feels that they don't actually have to be held accountable for anything they do, which means the law of our country doesn't apply to them. If they say they aren't going to tell us why, we can't do anything about it. It would be deemed a "purely political" act to pursue justice.
This time, McCain/Palin are using the idea that this is all cooked-up by partisan politics from the Obama campaign. I'm wondering if "partisan politics" is now the fall back until they are elected and can use "executive privilege" instead. One way or another, it appears that McCain/Palin have taken lessons straight from the Karl Rove/Dick Cheney book of Checks and Balances - when questioned, refuse to address the question.
Wish they could teach Bush that, I imagine - but he's got "when questioned, act dumb" down perfectly.
Seriously, when is this campaign going to stop being juvenile? From bogus claims of sexism about the word "lipstick" to the dismissal of ANY inquiry about the candidates' qualifications as being "partisan politics", I'm just astonished at how stupid the Republicans must think we Americans are. Perhaps that is why McCain is long on war-hero stories and short on actual descriptions of his plans to deal with the issues facing this country.
It's all fluff, smoke and mirrors. Because in the end, the Republican Candidates are privileged...and they don't have to live up to their responsibilities like everyone else.
(originally posted at Exponential)
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