Monegan case

The Legislature has the right to investigate, including issuing subpoenas, Judge Peter Michalski wrote in his decision. And it's not for the court to move in on the Legislature's jurisdiction.

Gov. Sarah Palin, the McCain-Palin presidential campaign, Attorney General Talis Colberg and a handful of Republican legislators, all of whom have helped drag out the legislative inquiry, could continue their legal battle. The Liberty Legal Institute of Texas and five GOP state lawmakers did so on Friday, appealing Michalski's decision to the Alaska Supreme Court. Colberg said Friday he hasn't decided whether the state will join the appeal.

The state should not.

Everyone involved should let the investigation proceed to answer a simple question.

Did the governor or her staff apply improper pressure on Monegan to fire state trooper Mike Wooten, who was engaged in an unfriendly divorce with the governor's sister?

Alaska deserves answers, and in a timely way. It's doing no one any good for the Troopergate questions to drag on and on.

Opponents to this investigation need to step out of the way.

Legal issues aside, it never made sense for Palin and Colberg to put up such a fight over the investigation anyway. Palin has maintained all along that she fired Monegan for legitimate reasons. She also said from the beginning that she'd cooperate with the legislative inquiry.

With nothing to hide, what's the problem?

The McCain-Palin presidential campaign -- which has no business getting involved in the first place -- keeps holding press conferences saying the investigation is political, and that's what's wrong with it.

Of course the investigation is political. The governor is running for vice president. The Republican presidential campaign has inserted itself smack into the middle of Troopergate. And Colberg and Palin, by refusing to cooperate and telling state employees not to cooperate, have delayed meaningful results -- charging up the political atmosphere as the November election draws ever closer.

Sen. Hollis French, who is guiding the legislative inquiry that is being conducted by an independent investigator, has made injudicious statements along the way too.

Judge Michalski took that into account in his decision dismissing the case.

The Legislature is a political branch, he said, and you can't expect legislators to act as impartially as judges do.

In the court hearing, Michalski said, "We assume legislators have views on things and that they are partisan."

Even so, he said in his decision, the conduct of French, Legislative Council chairman Kim Elton and their hired investigator, Steve Branchflower, has not violated any individuals' right to fairness.

What could de-politicize the investigation?

Finishing it.

The Legislature has legitimate oversight into whether administration officials acted properly. That fact has been blessed by a Superior Court judge, though it seemed obvious in any case.

Palin and her attorney general should help the Legislature to cleanly get at the truth of the matter.

BOTTOM LINE: Delaying won't make it go away -- Gov. Palin and Attorney General Colberg should help the Legislature to resolve Troopergate.