Let's be accurate, this is REALLY about a woman (and family) scorned!
Photo courtesy of KTUU Channel 2Per the Law Encyclopedia: Motive--An idea, belief, or emotion that impels a person to act in accordance with that state of mind.
Here is a comment (and my response) that I received in regards to Chuck Kopp's firing:
Polarbear said...:
In the Palin family, as for many of us, children come first. I think the Palin family felt, with some justification, that the children were in danger. The Commissioner was caught up in representing the trooper and the labor contract rather than the public. The issue is about who speaks for and protects the children. When the State Troopers did not rise to that task, the Palins formed rank around the children, wholly predictable given their family values. It was at that point when Commissioner Monegan should have had a tool to bring in an external investigator, but he did not have that tool. The problem ought to be de-politicized a bit, and approached with a little more understanding. The causes of this problem can be fixed, so that it does not happen again. I recommend dropping the perception of political advantage on this problem. I am hoping that 'Progressive' means fixing problems, and not falling into the same old pattern of partisan politics accompanied by polarization.
7/26/2008 10:24 AM
CelticDiva said...
Polar:
I know all about "trancending partisan politics" as during this entire issue, folks who generally hate me on the ADN site were actually giving me compliments in their comments.
I felt the need to take a shower.
While I believe that maybe the Palins have talked themselves into thinking this was about the children, Sarah's email to former Col. Julia Grimes betrays otherwise.
NONE OF THIS STARTED...MIKE WOOTEN WASN'T DEEMED "DANGEROUS" BY THE PALIN FAMILY...UNTIL MIKE WOOTEN WAS SEEN IN PUBLIC WITH HIS "MISTRESS."
Sarah is reacting as the sister of a "woman scorned" and while I agree that cheating parents do not provide the best role models, cheating in and of itself does not necessarily put the child in "danger."
The "righteous" Palins were perfectly OK with Wooten shooting a moose on his wife's tag...up to that point. Nothing was said about any tasering issue...up to that point. The more-than-36 charges didn't start flying...until that point.
What's more accurate here (and every piece of newly-discovered behavior is backing this up) is that the Heath/Palins act like the traditional Norwegian or Celtic clans of old--if you insult any member of the "clan" you will "suffer" until the last member's dying breath.
7/26/2008 11:43 AM
I later corrected "Norwegian" to "Norse"--Viking.
Today's Anchorage Daily News confirms the timeline:
The troopers' investigation into Wooten began after Chuck Heath -- Wooten's father-in-law and Palin and McCann's dad -- alerted troopers about a domestic violence protective order McCann had obtained against Wooten on April 11, 2005. McCann filed for divorce the same day, according to the court docket.And we know when and why that alleged threat, argument and ensuing accusations occurred thanks to Sarah Palin's email to Col. Julia Grimes...right after his affair was discovered:
The trooper had not physically assaulted his wife but intimidated her and threatened to shoot him, Heath told troopers, according to a memo about the complaint.
"When confronted with this affair that others in the community were talking about, Wooten threatened to kill his wife's father, Chuck Heath, if Mr. Heath followed through with his offer to help Molly get an attorney to help her if they were to divorce."Notice that I highlighted the text "When confronted with this affair that others in the community were talking about." I did so because that phrase shows great insight into what was REALLY bothering the Heath/Palins. Not only did he cheat on his wife, he flaunted it and shamed the entire "clan."
The Daily News article today shows the timeline of every charge that was found to be "sustained." That timeline provides the evidence that the safety of the children was NOT the primary motive behind all of this. Everything started right after the discovery of his affair, LONG AFTER THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED! (other than the "threat")
Why this is significant is that it helps to explain both the known and "alleged" behaviors of Governor Palin and "the First Dude" in this matter. They do not reflect a family filled with concern but they smack of a family ("clan") obsessed with revenge. Walt Monegan, who is learned in the subtleties of human behavior, must have identified this.
Regarding Wooten: Yes, it looks to me like Mike Wooten is a real bastard. However, having known a number of police officers, his story is not that unusual when it comes to the ability of officers to have interpersonal relationships and a decent family life. Officers are well-documented has having a high divorce rate.
As far as the other issues go, the investigation is over and he's already served his punishment. I think the "one more incident and you'll be fired" understanding is enough of a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head.
***UPDATE***
Lisa Demer is normally an excellent reporter for the ADN. However, I'm not so sure about today's story on Wooten. Several commenters on this story have questioned Lisa Demer's motives for writing it.
I'm kind of wondering the same thing.
If it's for the sensational value, I can understand that. This story is at 130 comments and climbing.
However, it does make Trooper Michael Wooten the target of even more speculation, possibly seriously compromising his on-the-job effectiveness and his credibility. Couldn't that hurt him in a custody case? Also, it takes the focus off of the real story, whether or not Sarah and Todd are abusing power and giving illegal access.
Isn't that what the Heath/Palins want?
I wonder how hard it is to remain neutral after covering a story like THIS?
Labels: affair, Chuck Heath, Col. Julia Grimes, divorce, Governor Sarah Palin, Molly McCann, Todd Palin, Trooper Michael Wooten
posted by CelticDiva at 12:50 AM
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6 Comments:
Celtic Diva: Thanks for taking so much time in this discussion.
Indeed, whole families sometimes do get their backs up when a family member is threatened or harmed. As you say, such behavior might be at work here. Yours is a plausible explanation.
Still, children were involved, threats had been made, a restraining order was obtained by a fearful mother, and behavior indicating stress, including violent threats, were reported from the possible assailant, all warning signs.
I am not willing to parse the information much further than that. We have bits and pieces of information, but probably not the whole story yet. Alaska's statistics regarding domestic violence are not good. With respect, it still seems to me that caution and forebearance are wise approaches until the whole story is known. Until then, I am giving wide latitude to the party who is consistently speaking on behalf of the children, which right now remains the Palin family. I think we should ease up a bit, and let all the facts unfold.
Thanks for your well-spoken opinion.
The point was never whether or not Wooten is a scumbag. He is.
The point has always been did Sarah get rid of Mongean because he would not break the rules and fire Wooten. He wouldn't.
I see you have been visited by the Sarah supporters as well. Aren't they just a hoot?
Hey, Polarbear :)
If you go to this DV case on the Court View website, you'll find that Molly did get her short-term (20 day) TRO (generally you need to say you are in fear for your life) but did not get her long-term:
3AN-05-01327CI McCann, Molly J vs. Wooten, Michael G. R.--DV matter dismissed No Contact order issued in divorce matter 3AN-05-6836 civil
Anyone who has worked in DV and Corrections or the Court system (I have) can tell you that is significant.
I also acknowledge that Michael Wooten's children can be equally harmed by repeated (and unfounded) attempts to deny them access to their father.
There is one person in all of this I find to be infallible--that person is Walt Monegan. He said that the Palins and members of the Administration made repeated attempts to influence his actions towards Wooten.
That's where the focus should lie and why an investigation must happen. We don't need articles on Wooten's fitness as a Trooper.
Having had an insiders look into a nasty custody case in my family, I find your explanation not only plausible, but probable, imho. I watched a 'woman scorned' systematically go through every possible questionable action by the other parent over a seven year period, whether it had to do with kids or not, inflate them to wild proportions, and clothe them in "It's not about ME, it's about the safety of my children." It was a chilling look into the human brain and all it's capable of, during moments of anger/rage/scorn/jealousy. The moment this story came out, I nodded my head thinking - yup, I know THAT dynamic. And I'm sure Monegan has seen it all.
It's really unfortunate because the parent who is ostensibly appearing to do what is 'best' for the kids (and may really believe it) can actually be doing a great deal of harm to them, and their future relationships with BOTH parents. Ugly.
But, regardless of Molly & Mike's relationship, let's not take our eye off the ball, which is - Did Palin's personal motivations play into Monegan's firing? That's the real issue, not getting the entire state of Alaska wound up in a custody battle.
Exactly...I've started looking at the emails involving Todd Palin and having worked for the Feds for many years, I was horrified that he was included in State gov't business.
It's why I read the Alaska Politics blog more than I read the ADN itself.
Sheesh, Todd's affairs never got this press. I'm sure Sarah would rather cover those up and make everyone believe all is cozy and nice on the home front.
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