Sarah Palin's powerful "First Dude" (He's her Dick Cheney)

Todd Palin has exerted unusual influence on his wife's Alaska government. In Washington, their methods would do Bush and Cheney proud.

Not long after Sarah Palin was sworn in as Alaska's governor in December 2006, her husband, Todd, started showing up in the state capitol in Juneau. He'd hang around her office, or he'd sit in on meetings with Cabinet officials or legislators. He'd leave for a few weeks to go work his $100,000-a-year oil job on the North Slope, then come back to Juneau (or Anchorage, depending on where Palin was spending her time). At some point, the "First Dude" became enough of a fixture in the statehouse that people just sort of figured he belonged there.

Soon, Todd Palin was getting copied on e-mails dealing with official state business. He had already helped write the state budget, gotten involved in personnel matters and called up lawmakers when he -- or Sarah Palin -- had a bone to pick with them. Apparently Palin's inner circle figured they better include him on messages about pending legislation or ongoing controversies, too. The First Dude's involvement in Palin's efforts to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police force have now earned him a subpoena from the Legislature, and he also allegedly intervened to have John Bitney (a former friend) fired from the state payroll for having an affair with the ex-wife of one of Todd Palin's buddies. The Washington Post reported last week that the Palins billed the state $1,371 for Todd's airfare to Washington, when he joined Sarah Palin at a National Governors Association conference, and for the whole family to fly around Alaska watching him compete in the Iron Dog snowmobile race.

In the Palin administration, Todd appears to have had an unusually strong role, the extent of which remains unclear. He is not on the state payroll and was never elected -- but the First Dude has crossed over from the standard-issue supportive political spouse to something far more influential, weighing in on policy and political matters in ways that few observers seem to understand. His apparent influence in his wife's administration -- some in Alaska have referred to him as the "shadow governor" -- has raised questions about whether a Sarah Palin vice-presidency would hand the same type of backstage power to Todd, and what that might mean in the running of the U.S. government.

(snip)

John McCain's campaign didn't answer a request for comment on Todd Palin or what his role in the Palin administration might indicate about how he'd be involved if McCain and Palin win the election.

more…
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/16/todd_palin/

when Bill was President. A spouse shouldn't be involved in making policy, they ranted. We didn't elect her.

How are they going to excuse the same kind of thing, maybe even more involvement, on the part of Todd Palin?




Oh, wait -- I forgot. Bad things are bad only when Democrats do them.

They use women to achieve their power. Losers.

However, while I was reading, I was reminded suddenly of the criticisms Republicans leveled at the first-lady during President Clinton's time in office. They charged that she was wielding undue influence in her attempts to improve health care coverage in America. I used to wonder what got them so riled up about that. Ultimately, spouses of executive figures will always wield a paradoxical mix of power and freedom. How they use it speaks volumes as to the character of their respective partners.

Now, I'm not saying the governor's husband is up to anything good, but whatever it is shouldn't matter to decent people in Ohio and Florida. Rational people tend to be swayed by rational ideas. Most of the irrational people are voting for the Republican ticket, no matter who is on it.

Election wise, the story is a distraction. A sideshow meant to make the road to victory that much longer. Obama is the only thing that will matter to the people who choose to vote for him in November. We would do better talking to our neighbors and each other about the virtues of our own candidates rather than trying to expose the flaws in theirs.