ARTICLE TOOLS

E-mail story

Comments

Printer friendly version

iPod friendly version

Share This

Text Size: A A A A

Tennessee: Scrutiny of Palin may help GOP, official says

By: Matt Wilson
(Contact)

Included in this article

Wendell Moore

If the national news media continues to investigate the so-called “troopergate” scandal involving vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the GOP ticket may get more votes, the Tennessee co-chairman of John McCain’s campaign said.

“It maybe helps us,” Wendell Moore, former chief of staff for Republican Gov. Don Sundquist who now works for Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., told the Hamilton County Pachyderm Club at its Monday meeting.

Information about Walt Monegan, the public safety commissioner fired by Alaska Gov. Palin, shows he deserved to be fired, Mr. Moore told the Republican group. The McCain campaign has argued that Mr. Monegan was insubordinate.

Gov. Palin has refused to cooperate with an Alaska Legislature investigation into whether she fired Mr. Monegan because he would not dismiss her sister’s ex-husband, who was a state trooper.

Wade Munday, spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party, said coverage of the troopergate scandal could paint Gov. Palin as a victim, but said it won’t be most voters’ focus on election day. He said the McCain campaign’s selection of Gov. Palin represented a turn toward “personality politics” in his battle against Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

“Voters simply are not going to allow themselves to be distracted,” Mr. Munday said. “They’re going to vote on the issues in this election.”

Mr. Moore also commented on an investigation into who hacked one of Gov. Palin’s personal e-mail accounts. David Kernell, son of Tennessee state Rep. Mike Kernell, D-Memphis, is accused of hacking the account.

“The FBI is involved,” Mr. Moore said. “I bet his life is about as miserable as it can be right now.”

Comments