State Senate Judiciary Chairman Hollis French is still "project manager" for the legislature's investigation into Gov. Palin's Troopergage -- and there's nothing wrong with that.

A Republican attempt to remove the Anchorage Democrat from overseeing the investigation has fizzled. Led by North Pole Rep. Jack Coghill, a supporter of John McCain, it was a partisan overreaction to comments Sen. French made about where the investigation, now being done independently by a former prosecutor, might lead.

The key word there is "might."

Yes, Sen. French said things that, stripped of context, might sound like he prejudged the outcome. Early on, he mentioned the I-word -- the findings might lead to "impeachment." Recently, he said the final report might produce an "October surprise" in the presidential election.

The key word, again, is "might." He was discussing the full range of possibilities, from no wrongdoing by the governor to the possibility of removal from office.

When he used the I-word -- speaking to the Wall Street Journal -- he was talking about "a worst-case scenario," as the Journal's July 30 story indicated. It was a statement of possible outcomes, not a prediction.

Around the same time in July, Sen. French told the Daily News that accusations of wrongdoing by Gov. Palin are "not a slam-dunk. She's got a defense." (See our July 22 editorial.)

Sen. French realized from the beginning that politics could interfere with a responsible, objective investigation into the case. "We need to hand this off to someone," Sen. French said at the time -- and that's what the Legislature did. All the investigative work is being done by a respected former prosecutor, Steve Branchflower.

"Steve Branchflower is the one gathering facts and writing the report," Sen. French said Monday. "And facts are facts. I can't create them or destroy them."

One troubling fact is already out on the table -- because Gov. Palin herself put it there. She released the tape on which her aide Frank Bailey is telling a trooper lieutenant that "Sarah and Todd" can't figure out why her ex-brother-in-law is still a trooper. Bailey also refers to information about the brother-in-law that may have come from confidential personnel or workers compensation files.

When French told ABC News the Legislature's report on Troopergate is "likely to be damaging to the governor's administration," he was stating the obvious. It will include Bailey's phone call, which has already been "damaging" to her administration.

Nonetheless, Sen. French could have handled the national media frenzy over Troopergate better -- as he himself admits.

"I should have had my project director hat screwed on more tightly and kept my mouth shut," he said Monday.

Sen. French and his Republican colleagues running the House Judiciary Committee have tried to de-escalate the politically charged environment surrounding Troopergate.

They have moved up the target date for issuing investigator Branchflower's report, so it will come out several weeks before the November election. They told Gov. Palin the Legislature doesn't plan to subpoena her, in hopes she'll honor her promise to cooperate and agree to be interviewed.

Still, the McCain campaign and its allies at Fox News are on the attack against Sen. French. Tuesday, the campaign sent e-mails about a Fox News broadcast that echoes Republican Rep. John Coghill's partisan charges and fingers Sen. French as a partisan supporter of Barack Obama.

And their point is?

"It's not surprising each side is supporting the nominee of our party," French said Monday. "That's why I'm not doing the investigation. That's why Jack Coghill is not doing the investigation. That's why Steve Branchflower is doing the investigation."