Palin 'Troopergate' Scandal

This morning the world was asking "who is Sarah Palin?"

By the afternoon, people were asking "what is Troopergate?"

That's because it turns out John McCain's seemingly unblemished choice for a running mate might have a big ugly ethical stain on her young political career. This whole thing is a big messy he-said she-said that reeks of a bad Jerry Springer episode. Let's break it down.

Sarah Palin is accused of using her position as Governor of Alaska to pressure her Public Safety Commissioner, Walt Monegan, to fire a state trooper, Mike Wooten. After she fired Monegan, suspicions arose that it was because he refused to cooperate.

Why would she want this state trooper fired? It turns out Wooten went through a messy divorce with Sarah Palin's sister, Molly McCann. The Palin family had previously made several complaints and allegations against Wooten.

According to the Associated Press they accused Wooten of drinking beer while in his patrol car, illegal hunting, firing a Taser at his 11-year-old stepson, and threatening to kill Sarah Palin's father.Wooten was suspended over the allegations for five days in 2006 but is still on the job.

So basically, it looks like the Palin family has it in for Mike Wooten and Sarah Palin crossed the line and used her power as Governor to get him fired.

It looks especially bad for Palin because she was elected Governor on an ethics reform platform in 2006. This is all old news to anyone living in Alaska, so why would the McCain camp choose a VP candidate under investigation for such a messy scandal?

Probably because they know something we don't.

Either they have investigated and trust Palin's account of events, or they just don't think people will care. Either way, it seems that Palin was just such a sexy VP choice that they couldn't toss her aside.

This whole thing could turn the most innovative, interesting move in the Obama/McCain race into a blunder that could be the nail in the coffin for McCain's flailing campaign. It'll take some deft maneuvering during the Republican National Convention next week to position Palin as a VP who could feasibly handle the responsibilities of the Presidency.

What we have here is a make or break move from the McCain camp. By the end of the RNC next week, we'll know the score. Either this move gives McCain a fighting chance against the Obama money machine, or it will bury the campaign so deep in the polls that all hope will be lost for the Republican candidate.

What do you think? Vote here.


(Getty Image used above)