links for 2008-11-04

These findings differ from those of the Branchflower Report because Independent Counsel has concluded the wrong statute was used as a basis for the conclusions contained in the Branchflower Report, the Branchflower report misconstrued the available evidence and did not consider or obtain all of the material evidence that is required to properly reach findings.

A new report just released — hours before the polls open on Election Day — exonerates Gov. Sarah Palin in the Troopergate controversy.

The state Personnel Board-sanctioned investigation is the second into whether Palin violated state ethics law in firing her public safety commissioner, and it contradicts the earlier findings by a special counsel hired by the state Legislature.

Both investigations found that Palin was within her rights to fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

But the new report says the Legislature's investigator was wrong to conclude that Palin abused her power by allowing aides and her husband, Todd, to pressure Monegan and others to dismiss her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten. Palin was accused of firing Monegan after Wooten stayed on the job.

"A new report just released — hours before the polls open on Election Day — exonerates Gov. Sarah Palin in the Troopergate controversy," the Anchorage Daily News writes.

As the newspaper adds, "the state Personnel Board-sanctioned investigation is the second into whether Palin violated state ethics law in firing her public safety commissioner, and it contradicts the earlier findings by a special counsel hired by the state legislature."
But today's report concludes that "these findings differ from those of the (legislature's) Branchflower Report because Independent Counsel has concluded the wrong statute was used as a basis for the conclusions contained in the Branchflower Report, the Branchflower report misconstrued the available evidence and did not consider or obtain all of the material evidence that is required to properly reach findings."
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Exit Trooper-gate as an issue against Sarah Palin.

Alaska's Personnel Board concluded Monday that Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin did not violate ethics law by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police, contradicting an earlier investigation's findings.

The announcement comes a day before Palin and Republican presidential nominee John McCain face voters in Tuesday's presidential election.
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Bye Bye Trooper-gate…..

Teachers across Orange County have launched a grassroots effort to show support for Proposition 8 and their anger over the state teachers union's decision to spend $1.25 million to fight an initiative that would define marriage as being only between a man and woman.

"I'm tired of having them suggest all teachers support it," said Jeff McPherson, 43, a sixth-grade teacher at Parkview Elementary School in Garden Grove. "I know not all teachers support it."

"They've always endorsed candidates and issues, but we have so many problems in education and all that money should be funneled toward protecting class sizes and teachers' jobs," said Chris McLaren, 57, a kindergarten teacher at Chaparral Elementary School in Ladera Ranch.
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I missed this on Friday. But, these teachers are indeed courageous to buck the California Teachers Union (CTA)

This is one of those political moments that really needs few words.

We'll no doubt hear much more about this incident in coming days.

Right now, we'll just leave this video for Ticket readers to view and judge for themselves. It's Sen. Barack Obama, according to the caption on YouTube posted just minutes ago, speaking to a friendly crowd in Raleigh, N.C., today.

He's talking critically about his opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, and the kind of distasteful gotcha politics that occur in Washington. And he says, "That's all right. Sen. Clinton looked in her element."

Watch the video right then. The presidential candidate raises his right hand to seemingly scratch his cheek.

He doesn't use his whole hand though. Just one finger. Briefly. A couple of strokes.
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No class Barry

Republican congressional candidate Bill Russell's rally on Sunday featured several Iraq war veterans vehemently criticizing U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown), who they say betrayed them when he said troops in Iraq killed innocent civilians in Haditha "in cold blood."

Those remarks sparked Russell to run against Murtha and have been a theme of his campaign ever since.

During the rally, Shawn Bryan, a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps., said Murtha visited his unit in Iraq in 2005. At the time, Murtha told the troops "what a great job we did," Bryan said, only to see him tell his district back home he no longer supported the effort.
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Rep. John Murtha is a disgrace…..

Barack Obama will probably win the 2008 presidential election. If he does, we conservatives will greet the news with our usual resolute stoicism or cheerful fatalism. Being conservative means never being too surprised by disappointment.
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Conservatives are used to disappointment and always battle back. Down but not out. But, the race is not over until the votes are counted.

A message to supporters of California Proposition 8 – Protect Traditional Marriage

U.S. Navy officials say one of two short-range ballistic missiles shot from a military facility in Hawaii in a defense system test was hit by an interceptor missile fired from a Navy ship.

Vice Adm. Samuel J. Locklear says Saturday's trial marked the first time that the Navy — rather than the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency — oversaw the firing of a so-called Standard Missile-3 interceptor against a ballistic missile target.
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But, Barack Obama and the Democrat Congress plan to gut the Missile Defense Agency.