September 18, 2008

Palin Should Give the Kid a Get Out of Jail Free Card

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The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes...

- Shakespeare

It appears, as of this date, that the G-Men are closing in on the "hacker" who compromised and then stole email from Sarah Palin's Yahoo account. It turns out that the miscreant suspect is a 20-year-old man whose father is a prominent Democrat in Tennessee.

State rep confirms that son is subject of Palin e-mail chatter -- The Tennessean

State Rep. Mike Kernell confirmed Thursday that his son, a University of Tennessee-Knoxville student, is at the center of heated Internet discussion into the hacking of the personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Kernell, a Memphis Democrat, confirmed that it is his 20-year-old son, David, who is being widely named on Internet blogs and chatrooms in connection with an unfolding story about Palin's hacked e-mail accounts.

Did he do it? Does the handle fit so there shall be no acquit? I suspect we shall know for certain in short order. If the father is willing to confirm to the paper, I'm also assuming the father will have the decency and honor to urge his son to fess up. Whether or not the boy's lawyer will agree is another question.

Be that as it may, the evidence that this is the culprit is dropping on him fast. So, if this person is indeed the one responsible, what should Sarah Palin do?
The Palin supporting sites are already in full hue and cry and thirsting for "bloooooood!" Fine, that's their gig. But Gov. Palin, it seems to me should -- and probably will-- demonstrate "the quality of mercy."

Palin should and will forgive him for what he did. Why? Because this man-boy is still just a kid and it doesn't help her, as a mother or a politician, to require that he does jail time.

Palin's position will make little difference to the law if it turns out that this man-boy did it. That prosecution will go forward no matter what. Hacking things is, after all, a federal crime. Bragging about it is a stupid crime. Bragging about it so that you actually can get tracked down and caught is a crime so stupid it requires both jail time and a mandatory drool-cup strapped on your chin.

But as far as Gov Palin is concerned here, revenge don't butter no parsnips. Better, much better, that she allow the entire country to see the better angels of her nature -- "With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right."

What parent of a 20-year-old man-boy doesn't know how troubled their child really is? I figure giving this kid a pass is probably worth about 9 million votes.


UPDATE: Kernell's father denies reports:
"Tennessee state Rep. Mike Kernell, Memphis Democrat, last night disputed published newspaper reports, including one in the Tennessean that said his son was the focus of the Palin hack investigation.

"I talked to David today and he has not been contacted, not a target by any federal group, any investigation," Mr. Kernell told The Washington Times on Thursday night. He was answering phones at his office late into the evening to clear up inaccurate media reports, he said.

When asked whether his son is involved in the case in any way, Mr. Kernell said: "I can't talk about my son. I can just tell you no one has contacted him or I about this." -Washington Times - Hacker wanted to 'derail' Palin

This report contradicts the earlier report (above) by The Tennessean.

VARIATION ON A THEME:

State rep says son focus of Palin e-mail hacking rumors :
State and Regional News : Knoxville News Sentinel

Asked whether he or his son, a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, had been contacted by authorities investigating the break-in of Palin's account, he responded:

"Me, no."

As far as his 20-year-old son, David, he said: "I can't say. That doesn't mean he has or hasn't (been contacted by investigators)."

Kernell, D-Memphis, cited the father-son relationship.

He said he had talked to his son today, but that he talks to his son regularly.

He declined further comment.

Posted by Vanderleun at September 18, 2008 3:49 PM | TrackBack
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

Good point. We only have to remember the stupid things we did when we were 20 years old, caught or not. And we certainly don't want to be judged NOW by what we did THEN.

Not to mention the things we will find out our kids did in high school/college - but that's another 20 Thanksgivings away.

Posted by: Obi's Sister at September 18, 2008 4:22 PM

that's exactly what she's going to do

Posted by: ahem at September 18, 2008 4:51 PM

You think a 20-year old is "just a kid"? How long are we going to keep pushing back the threshold of responsibility?

If Palin chooses to be merciful, fine, but she certainly shouldn't do it out of some misplaced view of 20 year old adults as children.

Posted by: Seerak at September 18, 2008 5:47 PM

I figure giving this kid a pass is probably worth about 9 million votes.

Maybe 9 votes.

Posted by: lorien1973 at September 18, 2008 5:49 PM

Ok, calling him a man-boy is, um, dumb. He is a man, by law and custom. He should face the law like a man. Lawyer up, for sure, but for you to call him a man-boy is to not recognize the severity of his actions.

Palin should let the Secret Service do thier job. He should feel the full weight of his actions. Let it go to court. Let her ask for leniency (sp?) at his sentencing.

Now, of course if you are trying to insinuate that President Palin should pardon this felon, then I can agree with that sort of thinking...

Posted by: garrett at September 18, 2008 5:49 PM

Wait until you get your identity stolen and your life ruined by some 20 year old "kid" then we will see if you are still quoting Shakespeare on the quality of mercy.

Sorry Gerard but that 20 year old man knew exactly what he was doing. He also knew it was illegal to do so and he did it anyway. He goes directly to jail-do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

Posted by: Nahanni at September 18, 2008 5:50 PM

Oh, puhleaze..... Of course I recognize the severity of his actions. So will the prosecutors if he is indeed arrested and arraigned.

Dumbth is as dumbth does and readeth.

This is about what is best for the candidate,not what is just for the kid.

Posted by: vanderleun at September 18, 2008 5:51 PM

Her political reaction aside, for the good of the contry this guy needs to serve serious jail time, and be denied the right to vote.
There was way too much forgiveness after the crap that was pulled in the 60s & 70s. That has lead us to a culture where rudeness is rewarded and hatred is a virtue.
Mark my worlds, the next step for the Left/Democrats/MSM will be physical political assignation. What has held most of them back is the knowledge that hurling defamation, insults, and bags of urine etc. will not be punished by the law, but acts of murder will be. How much longer will that line last?

When I look at Europe all I see is the 2nd fall of the Western Roman Empire. When I look at the Democrats all I see is the beginning of the fall of the Roman Republic. How long until the Gracchus (Gracchii ?) brothers' bodies are in the Tiber?

Posted by: EvilDave at September 18, 2008 5:51 PM

This punk needs to spend some quality time at a nice Federal pound-his-ass-hard Prison

Posted by: Robbins Mitchell at September 18, 2008 5:54 PM

Ahem.... yes, yes, yes and.... slowly now.... Y E S. If guilty, jail for all the reasons above. Serve the max. Etc.

That's not exactly the point I believe I clearly made.

As in -- above ---
===
"Palin's position will make little difference to the law if it turns out that this man-boy did it. That prosecution will go forward no matter what. Hacking things is, after all, a federal crime. Bragging about it is a stupid crime. Bragging about it so that you actually can get tracked down and caught is a crime so stupid it requires both jail time and a mandatory drool-cup strapped on your chin."

===

Forgiveness, however, will be much more beneficial to Palin than a no comment position or a "string him up" position.

It will be the smart position and therefore the one she'll take.

Posted by: vanderleun at September 18, 2008 5:55 PM

This "kid" is older than Track Palin. Track Palin, and thousands of others his age, joined the military and will put themselfes in harms way so this "kid" will be able to sit at home and commit a federal crime and expect to be let off easy because he's a "kid".

If you let this "kid" go, the message will be clear that anything is allowed if you want to go after peoples whose opinions you dont like.

Hack their email, hack their computers, break into their houses, steal their wallets. As long as you can get a little bit of info out of it, all will be forgiven.

Posted by: Erik at September 18, 2008 5:58 PM

I questioned your intelligence for calling him a man-boy and you find no object to that? It really was not bait, I find that attitude, pardon me here, dumb.

And you absolutely missed the best humorism I made today by talking about President Palin Pardoning passive-aggressive paranoid parentless perl-hacker prognosticating privacy pervert, you let that slide too.

So as for the forgivness. I do not know how she could come out and say she forgives him politically. I do not think it would help her. I think she would get more votes, but not nine million, by saying that identity theft is a very important issue and the laws should be strengthened and existing law should be enforced.

all this, imho.

Posted by: garrett at September 18, 2008 6:10 PM

If he is just a kid then that makes his parents responsible. State Rep. Mike Kernell should resign immediately so he can spend more quality time with his wayward little boy who is obviously in need of some male parental supervision. How dare he try to have a busy political job when his boy needs him so.

Posted by: FPR at September 18, 2008 6:12 PM

He's been soiling his pants for a few days now.

He's handed Sarah another opportunity.

The Secret Service has handed him more than a few tissues.

Dude, was it worth it? :))

Posted by: Kim at September 18, 2008 6:14 PM

Are there seriously people out there who think that someone who hacks an email account ends up in jail? Really?

Posted by: Commissioner Gordon at September 18, 2008 6:17 PM

My son made a stupid mistake. He smoked pot 3 weeks before he went off to Navy Boot Camp. Result: RE4 - never can enlist in ANY branch of the service; has to put that on all future job applications; spent 3 weeks sitting in an isolation barracks.

1 stupid mistake with a lot of long term consequences. Did I mention that he's 20? Personally, I grieve for his mistakes. Realisitically, he got what the Navy said he would get. It's not up to Sarah Palin to "forgive" him. It's now up to the law to decide what to do.

Posted by: Mary at September 18, 2008 6:18 PM

My son made a stupid mistake. He smoked pot 3 weeks before he went off to Navy Boot Camp. Result: RE4 - never can enlist in ANY branch of the service; has to put that on all future job applications; spent 3 weeks sitting in an isolation barracks.

1 stupid mistake with a lot of long term consequences. Did I mention that he's 20? Personally, I grieve for his mistakes. Realisitically, he got what the Navy said he would get. It's not up to Sarah Palin to "forgive" him. It's now up to the law to decide what to do.

Posted by: Mary at September 18, 2008 6:18 PM

I would be more inclined to show mercy if this arrogant SOB didn't post his ill gotten treasure trove on a Democratic web-site and if his father wasn't an elected Democratic representative( where do you think the kid learned his value system)..How would you feel if this was Obamas personal account and the kids father turned out to be a Republican State official...

Posted by: sirpatrick at September 18, 2008 6:26 PM

Know what would be too rich?

If that hacker community turned him into the new object of ridicule, like they do with so many others.

I'll even suggest a caption.

"Why so serious?"

Posted by: Kim at September 18, 2008 6:30 PM

Palin has nothing (more) to lose, and everything to gain by calling for clemency.

Not that that will ever happen. This (if this is the) guy is going to have his sack nailed to a board and hung up un the courthouse square.

Why? All those other politicans who are now wondering exactly what it is they have to lose should someone else start trying similar stunts.

By the way, I wonder how many people are aware that many states maintain active databases of patient specific controlled substance prescription drug use. That means pharmacies are required to report all controlled drugs dispensed, with all relevent patient data still attached. Typically this information is made available to law enforcement, State Medicaid & Workers Compensation, and anyone with a license to prescribe or dispense controlled substances. Who do you think is easier to spoof Yahoo or some 'overworked' civil servant at an 'underfunded' State agency?

Posted by: ThomasD at September 18, 2008 6:38 PM

Michelle Malkin has the whole story behind the hack, how he did it and how it was stopped by a hacker with morals.

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/09/17/the-story-behind-the-palin-e-mail-hacking/

Posted by: FPR at September 18, 2008 6:38 PM

Give him the option of jail time or three years in the USMC. . .you know . . .those other poor misguided kids.

Posted by: flopez at September 18, 2008 6:44 PM

Of course, the kid is a jerk and responsible for breaking the law. But what is equally horrid is the comment on another blog by a Lefty saying that Palin is a "fucking" Republican and deserved it. What is wrong with people this election? Is everyone slightly demented?

Posted by: Alexandra at September 18, 2008 6:45 PM

This is a tough one. It's a serious offense, but I'd hate to see the rest of his life ruined over one incredibly stupid act. My version of clemency would be something along the lines of 1000 hours of community service at a location of the Palins' choosing, in addition to the maximum penalty allowed by law(suspended contingent on 5 years good behavior). I'd hope that Todd would have him shoveling dogs**t in some kennel all winter, somewhere north of Fairbanks.

Posted by: Tom In AK at September 18, 2008 6:50 PM

I think he should get the typical penalty, and if there are mitigating factors a judge will hear them.

This was a group effort. Young people egging each other on to crack the email account, for malicious, even if mischievious purpose,

This was a serious crime and this is the kind of people who do it.
They need an example of a line not to cross. This young man should suffer so that others won't.

Posted by: SarahW at September 18, 2008 6:53 PM

Given the disgraceful way the MSM continues to treat this fine woman, and given the bizarre, hopeless hypocrisy of the AP in blaming her for this grotesque violation of her privacy, blood would taste good.

I bet she will show mercy, not because it will get her votes, but because she is a mom, and this boy is a kid.

There will be no insincerity in what she does. It is not what politicians do. It is what moms do.

And that is why she will get several million votes from her act.

Thanks for being a sane voice.

Posted by: Pavel at September 18, 2008 6:55 PM

Burn his ass.

Posted by: Ron J` at September 18, 2008 7:06 PM

Matters are out of her hands as to legal ramifications.

I think she will be gracious in her personal response.

If, though, someone was calling my daughter's cell, as has been reported, I would be very, very pissed.


Posted by: Kim at September 18, 2008 7:06 PM

Burn his ass.

Posted by: Ron J` at September 18, 2008 7:06 PM

Her son is 19 and in Iraq, this "child" is a MAN who broke the law with malice aforethought. If I was hacked by someone trying to hurt me personally I'd prosecute.

He wanted to "bring down" her candidacy. She should prosecute

Posted by: cara at September 18, 2008 7:10 PM

Palin should call for clemency. It's politically the right thing to do.

Obama should call for a maximum sentence. Otherwise he's tacitly approving his supporters committing crimes against their political opponents.

That's an escalating spiral. Like EvilDave, in this I see the end of the Roman Empire. Do we really want to read "they had it coming" stories when the families of candidates are killed?

Posted by: Dalryple at September 18, 2008 7:12 PM

Sorry. When one truly breaks the law, they must be punished. No slap on the wrist.

Posted by: Hank at September 18, 2008 7:21 PM

Sorry, but the prosecutors should go after this one. Palin should talk him into pleading guilty, then let them stick the family with restitution- including the Secret Service effort. Also, probation for the maximum allowed.

There needs to be a stiff price for this, because the political benefit could have been enormous (with anybody less mundane in their home email correspondence).

Posted by: Mike O at September 18, 2008 7:24 PM

Jug the little ba*tard and let him spend a year or so in jail. Then, after they're elected, consider mercy.

All of this 'he's only 20' crap reminds me of the people who want to let the Weather Undergrounders off the hook for the same reasons. The people they hurt are no less hurt because they're young and "idealistic" -- nah, no mercy at all. Just justice.

Posted by: Cato at September 18, 2008 7:25 PM

Forgive?
Puhleezzz
He bragged about it fer chrissakes!
Like a typical sociopath, he's only sorry he got caught.
He's not a kid, and this was not a harmless prank, he was hoping to inflict damage.
Would anybody have given Palin a break of any kind if something remotely suspicious had been found?

Posted by: Ricardo at September 18, 2008 7:28 PM

Nothing like getting a Felony when you are 20.

Posted by: austin at September 18, 2008 7:46 PM

Maybe this young man can be the herald of the dawn of a new age - Responsibility for one's actions.

I think we are all about to get a real healthy taste of that no matter what ends up happening to this ass.

We've let our government build the circus right in our living rooms.

And now we pay.

Posted by: TmjUtah at September 18, 2008 7:51 PM

This "kid" is an adult - by _law_. He broke the law as an adult and should be punished as an adult. In what country are 20-year olds considered children?

Good people will not run for public office if their private lives are raped by people like this a-hole. The abuse must be stopped and an example made. Jail time.

btw, I doubt pardoning this adult is worth one vote. Except maybe yours.

Actually, will you vote for her if she pardons him?

Posted by: John Beeker at September 18, 2008 7:57 PM

This "kid" was trying to game a USA Presidential election (what hurts Palin, hurts McCain).

I kind of want the election to the most important office in the world to be fair.

No mercy.

Posted by: mockmook at September 18, 2008 7:59 PM

I disagree: the best thing Palin can do is to leave it alone. Her response should be to say that authorities are handling it, and she has no further response.

Saying she forgives the guy has the potential to rile up the base who think that the Republicans have sat back and taken a beating from Democrats for too long without fighting back. It might sound good in theory, but it would be terrible to act on it. It would only serve to put the hacking into yet another news cycle as people "debate the implications."

She needs to stay focused on the issues and the upcoming debate, not even waste another minute on this.

Posted by: Jim B at September 18, 2008 8:00 PM

The 20-year old son of a Democrat who has been accused of a felony should be shown exactly the same amount of understanding and leniency as the 17-year old daughter of a Republican who found herself pregnant and unmarried.

Posted by: NahnCee at September 18, 2008 8:29 PM

Mr. Vanderleun is merciful. But as most commenters said, the man is 20 years old. Old enough. Old enough to take the consequence, I think. Ms. Palin should let the law take care of the case, but she should protect her password a little better.

Posted by: RKoo at September 18, 2008 8:33 PM

Yea, worst case the poor kid might have found something very damaging to Palin, and thrown the election, thus single handedly putting Obama in the white house. Plausibly, this might have lead to an increase in terrorist activity, culminating in a nuclear detonation in a major U.S. city, killing tens of thousands of innocent men women and children. But hey, no harm no foul. Forgive and forget. Yep, that's my motto.

Posted by: bc at September 18, 2008 8:37 PM

Ironically Kernell and his family are now on the receiving end of unwanted media attention, public ridicule and general unpleasantness more than Palin's. I agree that Palin should be gracious and move on.

However, given a pass? No how, no way. He is an adult and as such should be arrested and prosecuted and if found guilty punished appropriately. Jailing him is a waste of scarce resources and would only turn him into a moonbat cause célèbre/victim poster boy.

He should be fined, ordered to make restitution for costs and banned from computer ownership for 10-15 years. That would put a serious crimp in his lifestyle for a couple of decades.

Posted by: BJM at September 18, 2008 9:25 PM

UPDATED STORY TO INCLUDE REPORT
from the Washington Times

in which the father denies any of this is happening.

Posted by: vanderleun at September 18, 2008 9:30 PM

if it's really the 20 year old kid, then here's what i would do.

if mccain palin wins, palin should show mercy.

if they lose, let justice take it's course and the lefty asshole goes to jail for good...

Posted by: john marzan at September 18, 2008 9:51 PM

http://carlosechevarria.blogspot.com/2008/09/exposedan-obama-hacker.html


Do not give this Obama thug a pass, he knew full well what he was doing because he even said he was looking for dirt, plus that the FBI would be coming for him.....his daddy is a Democratic hack.

HE NEEDS TO BE ARRESTED, LET HIM USE THE INSANITY PLEA, BUT HE IS A MENACE TO SOCIETY, just like Barry is a cancer....

If Biden's email had been breached you would be singing a different tune....

Posted by: Carlos Echevarria at September 18, 2008 9:59 PM

In Christianity, forgiveness is offered only AFTER a show of contrition has been made by the sinner. It's also a personal matter, not one which should be dictated by the likes of you or anyone else.

In this case, no act of contrition has been made, save for rubico's confession on the net, which never expressed that he was remorseful in any way for his action. Thus, no act of contrition.

The perp was an adult, not merely some reckless child. He knew full well that what he did was wrong and what the possible punishment could be for invading the privacy of another. He was so blinded by the hope of finding something juicy to use against Palin (and the glory he'd receive for being the one to bring this information to the world) that his hubris caused him to forget about potential consequences until after he created a viral whirlpool on the net.

Let the full measure of the law be brought against him and to any website which reposted the material in question.

If Palin and her family and friends CHOOSE to forgive, they can do so at any time...

Posted by: Elaine at September 18, 2008 10:05 PM

Hacking someone else's e-mail and spying on their private life is an asinine thing to do, and I'd agree that the kid should be nailed to the wall if it was a private citizen who's privacy he'd invaded.

Palin's a politician, and by definition they are all for expanding their powers to intrude into our private life. If they want to intrude into my life, then it's only fair that everything they do should be open to the public (excepting state secrets). How they act in private and what they do is important data to have (for both parties).

What if he'd found some gross violations of law, sanity, or decency on Palin's e-mail account? If the VP has any skeletons, she'd be a gross security risk not to mention the risks if she became President. What if something was turned up that showed she'd make a bad leader (whatever that means to you)?

The kid deserves to be hammered, either way.

Posted by: brent at September 18, 2008 10:07 PM

Hacking someone else's e-mail and spying on their private life is an asinine thing to do, and I'd agree that the kid should be nailed to the wall if it was a private citizen who's privacy he'd invaded.

Palin's a politician, and by definition they are all for expanding their powers to intrude into our private life. If they want to intrude into my life, then it's only fair that everything they do should be open to the public (excepting state secrets). How they act in private and what they do is important data to have (for both parties).

What if he'd found some gross violations of law, sanity, or decency on Palin's e-mail account? If the VP has any skeletons, she'd be a gross security risk not to mention the risks if she became President. What if something was turned up that showed she'd make a bad leader (whatever that means to you)?

The kid deserves to be hammered, either way.

Posted by: brent at September 18, 2008 10:07 PM

It hasn't yet been proven that David Kernell is guilty. Under our system, you are innocent until proven guilty, despite the efforts of some (i.e., the media) to undermine that principle.

However, if it is proven without doubt that David Kernell did the deed, he shouldn't be shielded from the consequences, neither because his father is important and powerful, nor because some think his tender age is an excuse for stupid, malicious behavior. Nothing says we, as a society, have to tolerate people continuing to be irresponsible adolescents throughout their lives.


Posted by: RebeccaH at September 18, 2008 10:14 PM

Ah but, this "man-boy" is not a child. People younger than he are fighting wars right now. Plus, the hacker, using his handle, said that he did it with malice trying to find dirt on "troopergate" with which to burn her. Not just a prank by a kid. But alas, he admitted he couldn't find any, to his dismay.

Posted by: John at September 18, 2008 10:15 PM

One thing that people tend to forget is that seeing as this is a federal matter involving candidates for national office Sarah Palin may not have any say in whether or not this libtard gets prosecuted or not-simply put she can not stop the proceedings by trying to get the ccharges dropped. Sure she can "forgive" him but he will still do the jail time as required by federal law.

Of course he could always try to get a presidential pardon....

Posted by: Nahanni at September 18, 2008 10:23 PM

1: The little prick should go to jail, with a felony conviction.

2: Forgiveness requires repentance. If the little creep repents of what he did, and shows remorse, then we can talk about forgiveness.

So long as "forgiveness" doesn't involve skipping any of part 1.

Posted by: Greg Q at September 18, 2008 11:07 PM

As long as there is no public confession, it would be inappropriate to present a public forgiving. If there is a public confession - and not the usual 'I'm sorry if anyone feels offended' - a public reaction would capture another news-cycle and would be a good time to hammer home a message about personal responsibility.

Posted by: Daran at September 19, 2008 12:44 AM

There's no contradiction between reports. In the first one the father says that his son is in the center of Internet speculations, in the second one that he was not contacted by any authorities. Where's a contradiction?

Posted by: Nikolay at September 19, 2008 1:25 AM

Old enough to kill but not for voting hacking. I dont think so. Mercy is the right choice, but not because of the suspect's immaturity.

Posted by: tehag at September 19, 2008 4:32 AM

In the "For what it's worth" category I spent most of my 20th year in Vietnam; that was my second tour of duty in country.

Posted by: Michael at September 19, 2008 5:02 AM

As a mediator who has seen the power of victim-offender mediation in the courts, let me give another suggestion: the 20-year-old may not need to go to jail, but some kind of restitution should be in order.

What kind? How about some form of community service. Like a 40 hours of picking up trash on the side of the road. I would suggest he might teach under privileged kids how to use a computer, but I'm scared what he might pass on....

Posted by: Webutante at September 19, 2008 5:31 AM

So you are saying she should at least publicly forgive him even as the legal system grinds him to bits.

The bastard rifled through her email, looking for dirt. He could have stopped when he found nothing, but no, he had to then brag about what he did, publish what he found, etc., including private family picutres and... Palin's daughter's cell phone number.

And this is a "kid" old enough to vote, drive, fight, and maybe even drink. The law emphatically says he should know better.

I don't think Palin should personally strangle the kid, but there is nothing wrong with her still being angry and wanting to see him severely punished. The price of running for public office should not be this high.

And then there is the whole issue of deterance; coming down hard on him might scare other people into refraining from this.

What this kid did is closely akin to the watergate burglary. We gloss over the crime itself, in talking about the scandal, because nixon wasn't clearly involved in it, but the crime itself was serious: using dirty tricks to win an election. Whoever wins in November should win for the right reasons.

Posted by: A.W. at September 19, 2008 6:00 AM

The Secret Service and the FBI are involved. This no longer has anything to do with any 'mercy' on Governor Palin's part. There are also the laws in Alaska to consider. She may have some input at the state level, but ultimately, this was and is a federal offense. Legally, morally and ethically, there is nothing she can do. Yes, from a Christian pov, she can and probably will forgive him. Legally? What? Are you kiddin' me?

So my question for the author is this: "Are you stupid? ...or merely ignorant?"

Posted by: Warren Bonesteel at September 19, 2008 8:11 AM

They should give this butthead the chair, the chair.

Seriously, she should forgive him after he serves his sentence and apologizes to her publically.

Posted by: JB at September 19, 2008 8:47 AM

I think Sarah will forgive him; that's just what I perceive her nature to be. Whether she can actually give him a bye, within the confines of the law, is above my pay grade. If she can, she will. But my personal hope is that she lets the little bastard twist in the wind for awhile.

Posted by: TypicalWhiteGrandmother at September 19, 2008 1:20 PM

I think a sentencing agreement can be reached showing the injured party's mercy while still offering a measure of punishment that's fitting.

One year community service in Alaska. Six (winter) months' physical labor "from dusk til dawn" and six summer months' physical labor "from dawn til dusk" ought to do it. Winter chores: making shaved ice from glacial ice. Summer chores: caribou pooper-scooper.

At minimum wage--all wages applied toward his room and board (excess R&B costs to be billed to daddy-dhimmicrap).

Merciful, memorable, exhausting. Yeh, that'd about fit the ticket. Just the thing designed to teach the lil punk some manners, nothing ultimately destructive.

Posted by: David at September 19, 2008 2:31 PM