Time Magazine writer Nathan Thornburgh sums it up:
But the Branchflower report still makes for good reading, if only because it convincingly answers a question nobody had even thought to ask: Is the Palin administration shockingly amateurish? Yes, it is. Disturbingly so.
"Disturbingly so."
It should disturb you. What the investigation shows is that Palin created an administration that is so bush-league that they are incapable of executing even a small-town abuse of power without committing more errors than the Bad News Bears. This is the leadership we want running our high-octane maneuvering with Russia, Iran, China and North Korea?
Consider the report's findings. Not only did people at almost every level of the Palin administration engage in repeated inappropriate contact with Walt Monegan and other high-ranking officials at the Department of Public Safety, but Monegan and his peers constantly warned these Palin disciples that the contact was inappropriate and probably unlawful. Still, the emails and calls continued - in at least one instance on recorded state trooper phone lines.
Can you imagine how hard the Russians would have try to keep straight faces dealing with these Keystone Cops? Can't you just hear the post-meeting debriefings of the North Korean delegation?? "No, Dear Leader, I'm serious. She took me aside and whispered a bribe in my ear. Here's the recording from the microphone in my jacket."
The state's head of personnel, Annette Kreitzer, called Monegan and had to be warned that personnel issues were confidential. The state's attorney general, Talis Colberg, called Monegan and had to be reminded that the call was putting both men in legal jeopardy, should Wooten decide to sue. The governor's chief of staff met with Monegan and had to be reminded by Monegan that, "This conversation is discoverable ... You don't want Wooten to own your house, do you?"
Monegan consistently emerges as the adult in these conversations, while the Palin camp displays a childish impetuousness and sense of entitlement.
Let me get this straight, the state's head of personnel had to be told by the person she was trying to unethically leverage over an issue concerning state personnel that state personnel files were confidential?? The state attorney general had to be reminded by the state official he was trying to illegally influence that he could be sued for trying to illegally influence state officials???
Great Murphy's Ghost!
Senator McCain wants to send the author of this Rodney Dangerfield standup routine up against the folks who managed to fool the entire US Intelligence service? Is he out of his ever-loving mind?
But even though she won't likely face any legal repercussions, the amateurism and cronyism of her brief administration hardly leaves Palin sitting pretty.
No, it doesn't. But one thing it does do is leave me shaking in my boots and Putin falling off his chair. If there is any logic in putting this person is a position to act as a foil to our enemies it is only this: it can be hard to plot against us when you are laughing too hard to breathe.
-chris
