Miraculous Exoneration

Surprise, surprise -- Sarah Palin is innocent! According to James V. Grimaldi, blogging at the Washington Post:
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Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the running mate to Republican presidential nominee John McCain, did not violate state ethics rules in allegedly trying to fire her former brother-in-law from the state troopers, an investigator for Alaska's State Personnel Board concluded in a report released on the eve of the election.

The finding of the State Personnel Board is the opposite of that found by an investigator for the Alaska legislature. He found last month that Palin abused executive power when she and her husband engaged in a campaign to oust Mike Wooten, her former brother-in-law, from the state police force.

Over at the NY Times, Palin's lawyer spins the new findings as if they are an appeal ruling overturning the first investigator's findings:

With regard to the Legislature’s investigation by Stephen E. Branchflower, Mr. Van Flein wrote, "Mr. Petumenos determined that the Branchflower report’s findings that Governor Palin abused her power had no legal basis and that Governor Palin did not violate the Ethics Act as Mr. Branchflower incorrectly asserted."

But of course the second investigation was a parallel to the first, only it was conducted by three political appointees directly under Palin's control.

This is sure to be big news among wingers and other fools, but the timing is about as smooth as the rest of this clumsy-ass McCain campaign. It's impact should be limited to giggles in poll lines tomorrow.