I see something wrong on both ends.
What business is it of Todd Palin that this guy get fired? How is it in his place or within his jurisdiction to push the matter? Because he's related to the guy? That shouldn't matter in this case.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/...html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Wooten had been in hot water before Palin became governor over allegations that he illegally shot a moose, drank beer in a patrol car and used a Taser on his stepson. The Palins said they feared for their family's safety after Wooten made threats against them.
If all that is true then yes, he should be fired. The problem is the means through which he was fired.
They have systems of investigation for police crimes do they not? Circumventing those systems just because of any personal issues is wrong and shouldn't be allowed.
Lastly, how did Palin ask the guy to be fired? Did she tell the commissioner to look into the crime and do an investigation? Or did she demand he be fired?
It sounds like she said fire him. That is abuse of power because it circumvents the system of rules and laws in place to handle these things and it sets a very bad precedent. That article said they already did an investigation and the guy was allowed to continue working. Why? It doesn't matter in this case why he was allowed. What matters is that Palin wouldn't leave it alone when it was finished.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/...html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
permitted Todd to use the governor's office and the resources of the governor's office, including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired
That sounds like a bit of a personal grudge fueling this to me.
So the commissioner didn't fire the guy. Why? Maybe because he wanted to do an investigation? Actually confirm the charges first? Or because he saw the reasoning behind it, her personal feelings, to be the wrong motivation?
Being a commissioner, it is well within her right to fire him. Thats not the problem. The problem is everything else.
I may support the McCain camp in a lot of areas but I'm still not blind to something thats wrong. This whole situation, unless I'm missing something, is wrong.