"Troopergate" and the Office of Vice President

A 263 page report has come to the conclusion that Sarah Palin acted unethically in the so-called, "Troopergate Affair". When, after she became the Governer of Alaska, she apparently demanded that Alaska's Head of Police, Walter Monegan, dismiss Trooper Michael Wooten from his job. The said, Michael Wooten and Palin's sister, Molly, had gone through a particular messy divorce.1 As the report was the result of rather intensive and conclusive research that covered a number of weeks what might we, at least, expect from Palin? Did you say, "an apology". Not on your life and Sarah was having none of it as she told her fans that there was no abuse of office on her part.2 Fortunately, for all of us, she was speaking in a part of the world where any Republican candidate would be applauded, loved and given the benefit of the doubt and for these die-hard Republicans it is especially easy to love spunky, gutsy Sarah. It would appear, however, that elsewhere a lot of American voters will heed the 263 page report and the conclusive evidence that suggests that this is not a nice lady and that she is, indeed, capable of bearing the type of grudge that we might normally associate with a Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler or Mao Tse Tung. Die-hard Republicans won't be reading the report, won't be reading summaries of the report and won't be bothering too much about the report, full stop.! However, die-hard Republican voters are not going to win the election and the conclusions of the report represent good news not only for Barrack Obama but for all of us and all the more so in light of an article in today's 'New York Times'.
The article, "The Vice President as More Than a Standby", discusses how, starting with Walter Mondale, the Vice President in the Carter administration, and culminating in Dick Cheney, the powers invested in, or otherwise taken by, the Vice President have been increasing. Now, while Joseph R Biden called efforts by Mr Cheney to expand the power of his office as, "very dangerous",3 Palin, while not exactly clear of what the job entails, says that she "hoped to be given even more authority."4 What does she mean, even more than Dick Cheney? This becomes very worrying and all the more so because this really is a lady who doesn't know her arse from her elbows, the very same arse and elbows that play a far greater role than her little brain and her unethical behaviour when it comes to her attracting votes. Dan Quayle, a man with a brain about the size of Palin's but with a lot less ambition and with a less pretty arse and elbows, went to Dick Cheney to tell him about the boring aspects of the vice president job; fund-raising, foreign travel etc. Dick simply said to Dan, "I have a different understanding with the president." Hopefully, the report on the "Troopergate" affair will make it less likely that we will ever have to find out Palin's understanding with the president and her understanding of the office of vice president.
The picture shows Sarah Palin, hand on heart, hope to die if I tell a lie. "aaaahhhaaaaggghaaahh"
1 'Süddeutschezeitung' 13 October, 2008, p7 (article in German)
2 Ibid
3 Süddeutschezeitung' 13 October, 2008, 'New York Times' supplement, p3, essay John M Broder
4 ibid
5 ibid