Mike Nizich with Gov. Palin (photo from The Juneau Empire)
On April 22, 2009, Governor Palin's Chief of Staff Backlash, Mike Nizich made public something of which a number of us were already well-aware...that the Palin Administration wanted action taken against those private citizens who were attempting to hold her accountable for her unethical behavior:
I hope that the publicity-seekers will face a backlash from Alaskans who have a sense of fair play and proportion."
Some of us who have already experienced a measure of retaliation were curious what form Mr. Nizich's "backlash" would take.
We didn't have long to wait.
The last week of April brought a unique development: As a direct result of testimony given by Andree McLeod during the public comment portion of the Alaska Public Offices Commission meeting, a letter of inquiry was sent to Governor Sarah Palin asking pointed questions about her Public Offices Financial Disclosure statement for 2009.
This was not the result of a complaint. This was not the result of any required protocol stemming from a citizen-initiated action. This was a government watchdog agency hearing a citizen's testimony and FINDING THE QUESTIONS SO CREDIBLE the agency ACTED ON ITS OWN.
So what happened mere days after this letter reached the Governor?
Neanderthal radio talk-show host Eddie Burke was once again zapped by the electrodes directly linked to the Palin Administration. Eddie's rap completely changed from his daily barrage against all of us ethics complaint-filer types to a laser-focused attack on Andree McLeod. Suddenly, Eddie is claiming to file a document he incorrectly calls a FOIA to see all of Ms. McLeod's email to the State of Alaska.
Of course, "coincidentally," all of the Palin-bot blogs followed lock-step with EXACTLY THE SAME "STORIES" on Andree McLeod.
So who knows why this past weekend Mr. Nizich and his partner-in-unethical-behavior Annette Kreitzer decided to openly pass PRIVATE EMAILS to ADN's gossip rag Alaska Ear that were sent to them by Andree McLeod. Perhaps he got impatient waiting for Eddie Burke to figure out what a records request is and then write and send an intelligible one.
But the Ear's Sheila Toomey obediently did the Administration's bidding by making fun of Ms. McLeod's email, which expressed concern (even through a little humor) about the inappropriate attire she saw displayed in some Alaska State offices. Of course, Ms. Toomey neglected to include what she, Nizich and Kreitzer all knew...the context of those emails.
I mean after all, Toomey's own favorite saying is "the truth is so limiting."
If you do a simple Google search on "Andree McLeod," you discover that her former position with the Murkowski Administration (where Nizich and Kreitzer also served) was on the Alaska Workforce Investment Board, Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development. See that part of the title that says "Workforce Development?" Part of the job in that agency is to help people become employable and learn APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR IN WORKPLACE SETTINGS. As a former 15-year federal employee, I also know that April (when Ms. McLeod was in the state offices) is the time of year when all the new summer-hire and STEP (Student Educational Employment Program)employees come on-board with ALL government agencies, state and federal. With them comes all of their youthful inexperience and (often) inappropriate attire.
I completely understand why Ms. McLeod wrote the emails...had I witnessed this recently in federal offices THAT INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC, I would have done exactly the same thing despite the fact that I no longer work there. I also find it hilarious that on the Conservative websites, folks are saying the same thing.
I SO look forward to what Mr. Nizich has in store for us next! Considering he seems to perfectly exemplify the total divorce Governor Palin has experienced from ethics, I'm sure his next attempt at "backlash" will be quite newsworthy!
*******************************UPDATE WITH A COMMENT***********************
Can you imagine if Senator Begich's or President Obama's Chief of Staff forwarded an email that dealt with government business from a private citizen...to a gossip columnist in order to ridicule the sender??
How long would that person still have a job, do ya think?
**********************UPDATE--EMAIL WITH ADN AND SHEILA TOOMEY*****************************
I sent an email to Mark Dent (Alaska Newsreader), David Hulen and Pat Dougherty (editors of the ADN) which said:
I think that if Begich or Obama did the same thing, you guys would definitely be writing about it.
I then provided a link to this story. It seems that Mark Dent forwarded this to Sheila Toomey who emailed me back:
Your email to the above has been forwarded to me.
Your facts are incorrect. The governor's chief of staff did not forward me anything. The emails I quoted from are public documents. You may FOI them if you wish.
Thank you for your communication.
Sheila Toomey
This was my response:
Isn't that amazing?
You somehow KNEW that email was there and were able to do a records request on it SO SOON AFTER THE EMAIL EXCHANGE HAPPENED without any prior knowledge from the Chief of Staff!!!! You must have AMAZING psychic powers...the same ones Eddie Burke has as he "threatened" to do a records request at EXACTLY THE SAME TIME...THE DAY AFTER THE EMAIL WAS SENT!
(In the words of one of your editors, "Spare us!")
So tell me, how much did this records request cost you? I mean, since they are charging everyone else, they must have "played fair" and charged you for it as well, right?
Oh wait...that will come out in the records request I sent on May 7th and again today on all emails between you and the Governor's office as well as all records requests submitted by you!
(You see, my wonderful readers, records requests can work both ways.)
Not surprising, this is her response:
Once again, you make incorrect assumptions. Your tone suggests civil discourse will not be productive so I won't bother further.
Regards, Sheila
Note: After I establish I've sent a records request, she claims I've made "incorrect assumptions" but uses "my tone" as a reason not to correct them.
How convenient! ROFLMAO!
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