Ramras, Celtic Diva: Palin Book Would Be an Ethics Violation
Celtic Diva has transcribed portions of the question-and-answer session between Representative Jay Ramras (RINO-Fairbanks) and Wayne Anthony Ross during the Attorney General confirmation hearing.
The exchanges are entertaining in how they reveal Ramras' focus on the petty, and Ross' blunt manner of response:
Ramras: "We have a Governor who is provocative in a lot of her actions. Recently it comes to mind when she was in Fairbanks for the finish line for the Iron Dog she was wearing Arctic Cat gear...Arctic Cat letters..."
Ross: "It was provocative, she looked very good in them, didn't she?"
[...]
Ramras: Presently, General, there are some concerns in this building about the focus of our chief executive because she's taken a speaking engagement in Indiana for a 36 hour period with only 72 hours to go in the Legislative Session. Although she's available by phone, there's a reason we have you here in front of us because we're not interested in doing the confirmation hearing telephonically. Nor are we interested in having a Governor available telephonically with only three days to go in the session.
So my question for you...as the Governor's attorney as well as the chief attorney for the State of Alaska...how are you going to advise the Governor, with these lucrative offers she has on the table to write a biography and the requirement for anyone who writes a book to take a book tour across the country? Are you going to advise the Governor that this is something that is within her rights and purview or is that something that infringes upon the rights of all Alaskans?
Ross: I don't know how I'm going to advise her because the question hasn't been made and I don't know all the facts.
Ramras: I'm posing the question to you, general as her...
Ross: ...Whether that's part of her job or not, I'm not making any decisions on that. Whether she should wear Arctic Cat or I should get in trouble for wearing a Stetson, I'm not making any decisions on that. If the questions come to us maybe we'll have to make a decision at that time. I'm sure she feels appreciative that you guys are going to miss her for two days while she's outside giving a speech. She's never talked to me about it and I'm sure you'll be in her heart and mind the whole time.
Ramras: I'm quite certain we all will be.
Let's everyone agree that Ramras comes across as a silly, petty man. Like Andrew Halcro, he gives off the majorly creepy vibe of a jilted ex-boyfriend who obsessively stalks the object of his affections. We've got plenty of info on Ramras, the Jerk from Fairbanks, here - including his infamous "vagina" remark in reference to the Governor.
His obsession about the Governor's short out-of-state trip for the Right To Life banquet is astonishingly hypocritical - Ramras himself bailed on the legislative session this year to take a taxpayer-funded junket to Washington, D.C. And to obsess about things like frivolous ethics complaints and a purely hypothetical book deal or book tour is just bizarre - especially his assertion that Palin writing a book "infringes on the rights of all Alaskans."
Ramras hints, and Celtic Diva outright states, that the PDS-infected Palin opposition will view any book authored by the Governor as an ethics violation, because nobody would be interested in her were it not for her position as the Governor of Alaska. The law that Celtic Diva cites can be found here...the quote is:
(b) A public officer may not
(1) seek other employment or contracts through the use or attempted use of official position;
(2) accept, receive, or solicit compensation for the performance of official duties or responsibilities from a person other than the state
Clearly (2) does not apply because it's not the Governor's "official duty" to write an autobiography. Does (1) apply? I really don't think so. The public interest in Sarah Palin does not result from her official position as Governor. Nobody is lining up to sign book deals with Mike Rounds or Brian Schweitzer. It results from her unique and fascinating life story.
In my mind, these types of complaints are clearly abuses of the ethics laws, which were intended to prevent the type of pay-for-play schemes that Blago was taken down for. It would be one thing if Governor Palin took "consulting fees" from the oil industry, because she has influence over law and regulation that affects that industry. But what influence does the Governor of Alaska have over the book publishing industry? What benefit would a book publisher achieve from a corrupt payoff to the Governor of Alaska?
No, this is simply an example of a law being used as a blunt weapon to attack the Governor and silence her, not to protect the public interest of Alaska. But perhaps she should seek out a legal opinion beforehand. If that went against her, I suppose she could donate the book proceeds to charity, though that seems to me grossly unfair.
What do you think? Throw in your two cents in the comments.
UPDATE: Our ever-vigilant tipster TommyReport has noticed that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is writing a book.
Posts
49 comments:
I'd exercise caution on this matter. I think your advice is sound about obtaining a department of law opinion first.
I'd have to see whether or not the law reads in an "intent" requirement in the ethics laws...if so, then she should be good, especially if she obtains a DOL opinion.
If not, steer clear of the book.
Ramras and Celtic Divo prove how petty they are nearly everyday.
Ramras is a clown act in the legislature up there ... he needs to go back to selling chicken wings or whatever he was doing previously.
Diva, well I don't know what she was doing previously and I don't want to know.
It looks like PDS can create strange alliances.
I think it depends on the nature of the book. If the book is about her as an individual, fine. If it's a list of things she's willing to take bribes on, that's different. ;-)
In all seriousness, though, I see no reason why a sitting governor couldn't have a book deal under the terms you listed.
Jindal is writing a book.
I noticed that Jindal is allowed to do many things Palin is not...
fundraise out of state
write books
make "partisan" statements
etc.etc.etc.
Regardless they'' be another ethic complaint out of this, consulting Annette Kreitser on the
deductability trip issue, didn't resolve the matter, it was revised against her. So was the per diem issue. Yet another reason for the legal fund
So if she decides not to run for governor in 2010, and she is not holding public office, can she write a book?
I think she should not run for re election, write a book or two, accept all of the speaking invitations and prepare for 2012.
Here's a scenario...can she write a book if she is "on leave" from her governor's position assuming that it's determined that she cannot as governor. Is there a distinction between a governor on a leave of absence and a governor not on a leave of absence?
The hypothetical scenario that I'm envisioning is her winning re-election and then taking a leave of absence before the session convenes to run for president. The book can be released at the same time.
I don't see her running for re-election. There is nothing but headaches for her with the clowns up there. And, she could not feel free to come to the lower 48 to help other candidates.
TommyReport
I like the leave of absence idea. But I bet the same rules apply for the book. I don't know.
She can write anything she wants as long as she is not governor right? So if she takes a leave of absence she turns the reigns over to the lt governor so technically she's not the governor so she can release a book right?
Juju, if she doesn't run for re-election she'll get tarred with the same brush they use on Romney, that's she a one-term loser who couldn't win in her own state.
They want to make her life miserable, regardless, precisely because she holds such promise
Sad as I am at the prospect juju, a big part of me agrees with you. I can't possibly see her wanting to continue in politics after the unprecendented smear job that will never, ever end as long as she holds any political office.
But it would sadden me because to drive her from politics is exactly the reason they are doing this to her. This woman is nothing if not a fighter, and if she leaves the political scene don't think for a minute that all this petty garbage will stop. There'll just be civil lawsuits instead of ethics charges, the media will criticize her for being a quitter who couldn't hack it, and many of her supporters who were counting on her to bring real historic change to our rapidly disintergrating nation will be so let down they'd be inclined to believe it.
If these ugly evil bastards--yes CelticDiva I include you--are suuccessful, if we let the psychotic left and their media prostitutes dictate our destiny and hers we will never, never again see good, middle class family people aspire to higher levels of public service. And if the Republican party just throws her under the bus to protect their own interests then it is over, for all of us.
What she and her family need now is our love and support.
What a prissy issue for the BULLIES to embrace as self righteous protectors of the public good! Gag! Gag!
Negligent, purposeful and systematic abuse of LAW is in itself UNETHICAL and contemptuous.
Stupid is as stupid does!!
If Uppy or Jim (or even Linda herself) finds their way onto this thread, could you please provide me with a link to the actual districts included in the municipality of Anchorage. In other words, which districts are allowed to vote in the Anchorage mayor's race and which districts are not.
The best way to show our support for Gov. Palin is to contribute to SarahPAC. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's true. The more money she raises, the more encouragement she will take from that. Money is power, and the more money she has to help finance campaigns here in the lower 48 in 2010, the more political IOU's she'll be able to present for payment in 2012.
Whenever I see her giving a speech or doing a press conference, I see a woman with an almost bottomless inner strength, like no one I've ever seen before. Something tells me that she is far from leaving the politcal scene, and she's not about to be run out by lowlife's like Celtic Diva, Mudflats, James Car-vile, David Axelrod, George Soros or any of them.
What a bunch of children - she can't leave the state for a day and a half without them carping? I thought I read that she was making the trip on personal time? Do they think they own her?
I don't see how her writing a book would infringe on "all Alaskans" - do they all want to write books about their lives and political careers and they are afraid they won't get contracts?
TommyReport,
http://www.muni.org/iceimages/Assembly2/AssemblyDistrictMap2008.pdf
All districts vote for mayor.
Comparing SP to Romney for being a one-termer is missing the mark. Sarah's been EFFECTIVE as a governor, not a washout. Check the state budgets.
If you want to see a TRULY incompetent beta male who hasn't even accomplished running a lemonade stand but is great at voting "present," take a look at TOTUS.
If Sarah needs book funds, she should be writing now. The first free day she has as a private citizen and not as the state's mommy, should be the day the book goes to press.
Sure, the haters in AK and the lower 48 will again try to sue and say she did it on state time, but they'll have to prove it. Let the ijits dredge Lake Wasilla for her laptop.
By then, everyone will be so sick of nitpicky lawsuits and living under totalitarianism that even Sarah's harshest critics will line up to vote for her.
When it comes to Sarah vs Zero, Sarah will have not only the base, but PUMAs, old-school dems, Libertarians, Constitutionalists and indies lining up to vote for her.
With the busy life she has been leading for several years, it would be good for her to take the time to write a book and do some reflection. Constant distractions by queries from the press and decision making in office can not leave her much time for thinking.
This woman and her family deserve a couple of years off.
This is utter nonsense. No person with half a brain could possibly construe an ethics law as a ban on writing a book. Am I missing something? Politicians write books all the time. Celtic Diva's hero, Lord Barack Obama, wrote two. Did they violate ethics laws? I say Governor Palin should write any book she wants, hopefully more than one. I know I'll buy them ASAP. If the morons want to file an ethics charge for that, let them. It will get laughed out of court in a New York Minute. I am guessing that she (Celtic Diva) is under orders from her Dear Leader to try and stop Governor Palin from writing a book because everyone knows it will be an immediate best seller and will allow the Gov. to reintroduce herself to the nation on her terms, not on the terms of the MSM.
I would also guess that Celtic Diva is a bit jealous of the fact that Governor Palin's book will be a huge success on a level that she (Ms. Diva) will never come close to achieving with her pathetic infantile blog.
Yes making complex decisions on major projects, while entertaining
the pitiful ignorance of journalist who prize style over substance, is a hard course to
follow. Managing a large family at the same time, wasn't easy either.
She probably had some idea when she embarked upon it, 16 years ago, yet increasingly found
many of the officials she would come to deal with, weak and devoid
of anything approaching a vision for their state or the nation.
So stop with the preening condescention, of whatever you think are her intellectual abilities
Here is the audio from yesterday of the Confirmation Hearing: State of Alaska Attorney General
Listen to the Ramras exchange around 1:40:00
http://www.ktoo.org/gavel/archive.cfm?audio=14757&request=AF572E237A011AD66930925187623756
If you saw the clip of her PC yesterday she looked very tired...she is for a day and half they all went to DC for a week...No ones says Todd cannot write a book and it would sale...
Good thing Jindal doesn't have to comply with Alaska's ethics laws! wink!
AA,
I wsn't aware that Alaska's ethics laws pre-clude writing a book.
Gov. Palin in the Charle Rose green room. Being governor is some what like babysitting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZlWnCcBFpo
Sounds like to me they're scared that she WILL write a book, expose all these crybabies for the vindictive hypocrites they are, because they know it'll be a massive bestseller!
Karma, baby.
"I wsn't aware that Alaska's ethics laws pre-clude writing a book."
There's pretty much a library of things about Alaska law that you and most on this site aren't aware of...and a list of violations for which the Governor has yet to be held accountable.
Linda,
Since you're here commenting, I'm wondering if you could offer a brief explanation of who exactly is harmed, and how, by Governor Palin wearing an Arctic Cat jacket, or by writing a book.
This is a serious request for information - I understand that you are arguing this is illegal, but I am wondering who the victim is.
Actually, Celtic, I have reviewed the pertinent part of Alaska law of which you speak, and as a trial attorney, member of 3 state bars and the federal bar, I can state with adequate authority that, as is the case with most laws, the ethics laws of Alaska are open to legal interpretation. Rarely is the law straightforward; it is drafted by legislators who most often are not jurists or litigators.
BTW, I'll assume you are speaking of "alleged" violations by the Governor; as we all learned in high school, in the United States one is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, at least in criminal matters. In these civil issues, the trier of facts would still need to use a standard upon which reasonable men could not disagree.
CelticDiva ... I noticed your blogger pic, it says "Bring the troops home."
So why isn't that warmonger Obama bringing the troops home? He even requested more money and troops for Afghanistan ... why are the troops still in Iraq?
Why did you believe his lies?
"I can state with adequate authority that, as is the case with most laws, the ethics laws of Alaska are open to legal interpretation."
That's correct, and considering I highly doubt you are an expert on the Alaska Constitution, I'll stick with the opinions of Jack Coghill and Vic Fisher, two of the men who wrote it and who know the spirit of the law behind it.
And yes, I have disdain for outsiders who presume to be experts on a state they know nothing about.
Celtic,
Only in your nutty fantasy land were the Alaskan ethics laws written to prevent one from writing a book.
This is a good example of the wonderful diversity we have in our states, and yet we have a solid union. Such a great invention: The United State of America.
Celtic,
why does President Obama keep these wars going?
Is he in the pocket of Halliburton or (enter liberal conspiracy here)?
Linda may or may not believe that our troops are JUST airraiding villages and killing civilians as our President believes.
Obama: troops just airraiding villages and killing civilians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrW4fOGIMVY
What an unpatriotic statement.
Celtic,
Are you suggesting that Rep. Coghill will consider a book written by Governor Palin to be a violation of Alaskan ethics laws? That's an interesting position you're promulgating since Coghill supports WAR and it was very clear from the hearings yesterday that WAR thinks the whole thing is a joke. He's quite right, by the way.
If Hollis French were to write a book on tasergate, for example, would that be a violation of state ethics laws (not that there would be any interest in such a book of course). If Kim Elton were to write a book on his quid pro quo with your Dear Leader, would that be an ethics violation? In Elton's case, which would be more harmful to Alaskans in your opinion? That he (Elton) accepted Obama's bribe and wasted tens of thousands of Alaskan taxpayer's money on a patently absurd investigation in return for a plum job with the Department of Interior? Or, that he deigned to write a book at all? Since you aver to be an expert on Alaska law, is it only an ethics violation if someone writes a book that will actually sell? Or is the simple act of writing a book an intrinsic violation of Alaska ethics and therefore harmful to Alaska? PLease explain...
Smoking Hot Chick said...
"And yes, I have disdain for outsiders who presume to be experts on a state they know nothing about."
Azeroth?
Celtic, I'm assuming Mr. Coghill and Mr. Fisher are constitutional lawyers? I've tried over 3 dozen cases involving ethics violations based on various state constitutions. The burden of proof is the same regardless of the constitution involved. They are very, very difficult cases to prove, which is why few are ever brought to trial.
How many ethis violations have been filed against Gov. Palin? How many have been dismissed? How many have been brought to trial before a court of competent jurisdiction?
Too bad I have a full trial schedule for the next 6 mos. or I'd happily visit Alaska and fulfill my pro bono obligation by representing the Governor.
The governor should do it anyway. As long as the book is written by Sarah Palin instead of Governor Sarah Palin, it is all good.
Yes, Diva you can file your ethics charge anyway and you will lose.
Despite what you think, Diva, you don't the power to deny any single US citizen their right to freedom of speech.
You think you do, but you are wrong. You will do nothing more than cost the taxpayers more money. The governor will have millions to defend herself with by that time.
Eventually the taxpayers will turn on you. In fact, many of them have. Clearly you are too chicken to show your face around any legitimate news source that may challenge your reasoning.
How much do you think the taxpayers will take of this garbage?
The governor can even write a book spanning her life all the way up to when she was sworn in as governor, including her time and thoughts as she ran for governor, and easily avoid any ethics violation.
Millions upon millions will buy that book including myself.
hey celtic divo, what happened to that "Secret letter?"
....
In the liberal worldview assertions are the truth, everything else is hateful opposition to the agenda. All those who oppose the agenda are evil. There are no facts other than what proves the assertion, all else is misinterpreted or irrelevant data. The agenda determines the assertion, the assertion is the truth and only the relevant facts support the assertion. Anyone who attempts to subvert the truth of the assertion is evil and their minds are full of hate. Thus forms the perfect circle of liberal thought, the agenda, the truth and the relevant facts. If you are a lawyer reading this, you know why the American system of law has nothing to do with justice, the perfect circle is drawn by the line of argument.
Governor Palin already said she would write a book, if is is good for Alaska and her family..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EAwzRn5gO8
She should simply write the book, and donate ALL the proceeds to charity, which one I'm not sure. She's got a legal defense fund to take care of the small, seedy folks harrassing her, and her PAC for political funds.
What a contrast this would be to Barack and Joe's measly 1/3 to 1/2 of one percent giving habits, and of course Barack pocketing all those millions for his books. It would probably end up making a multi-million dollar statement that would be far more valuable than any number of campaign ads, in the event she was to run.
"She's giving away all that money? How dare she? Barack, get busy on another book. We're gonna give this sucker away ..... or at least say we are."
Watching the NYTimes and liberals everywhere agonizing over having her book at the top of the best-seller lists for weeks on end and not being able to file ethics charges or paint her as a greedy opportunist ----- priceless.
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