Palin's attorney billing Alaskan taxpayers $95,000 for defending her against them?

[bushmeister0]

The state legislature is investigating her in the troopergate inquiry.

Her lawyer Thomas Van Flein who, according to the AP, "previously represented the Palin family in another matter" (God knows what that was!), "is permitted to bill the state up to $95,000 for work in the current case, in which Palin is accused by the state legislature of having the public safety commissioner fired after he refused to fire a state trooper who divorced the governor's sister.

Van Flein saw no problem with the arrangement. 'Our representation is dual but the billing is not,' he said in a telephone interview from Anchorage. 'Matters involving a personal issue will not — and have not — been billed in the government contract."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080903/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin_troopergate_1

No conflict of interest there!

But get this . . . I'm assuming you all know already the troopergate story by now. . .

The Philadelphia Examiner reports . . .

"(Walt) Monegan was fired in July, after he declined a transfer to become the director to the state's alcohol control board.

At the time Palin said she wanted the department to move in a new direction. But later, after Monegan said he felt pressured to fire Wooten, Palin at a news conference said Monegan wasn't a team player, didn't do enough to fill trooper vacancies and battle alcohol abuse issues in rural Alaska (even though she offered him the job of "director to the state's alcohol control board." Hmmm. . .)

A month after Monegan was dismissed, Palin revealed that at least two dozens calls were made from her staff members to Department of Public Safety officials, also questioning Wooten's employment. But she denied orchestrating the calls.

One of those took place between Frank Bailey, Palin's director of boards and commissions, and an Alaska state trooper serving as a liaison to the Legislature.

In the recorded conversation, Bailey is heard saying: 'Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, why on earth hasn't, why is this guy still representing the department? He's a horrible recruiting tool. ... You know, I mean from their perspective, everyone's protecting him.'

(What offical position does "Todd" hold in the government?)

Palin has said she had no knowledge of the call, and Bailey told The Associated Press that he made the call without direction from anyone.

This investigation into Monegan's dismissal has more than its share of subplots as well. The probe into Palin's involvement if any was ordered by a Republican-dominated state legislative council that includes one of the lawmakers under a federal bribery indictment. And (Stephen) Branchflower, the (legislative)investigator, is a former Anchorage prosecutor whose wife used to work for Monegan at the Anchorage Police Department."

http://www.examiner.com/a-1565235~Palin_hires_attorney_for_Troopergate_investigation.html

The plot thickens. Very nasty bunch. McLamebrain has apparently stirred up a hornet's nest of political infighting and family intrigue into the campaign.

Are the Palins the Sunnis or the Shiites? I can't remember, better get some Joe-mentum going there John!

Palin has mere hours to survive as the VP nominee, doesn't she?

[Boz]

1. Theres another subplot, Track was caught and charged with vandalism, the SAME trooper

was the arresting officer. MORE TO FOLLOW Small town coincidences make for interesting vetting, if you did it.

A nightmare if you didnt. Guess which one McCain is having.

[bushmeister0]

2. Wow!

Anyone want to set up a ticker to Palin's departure?