Dan Fagan’s columns of late are akin to a forlorn, desperate and dateless high schooler lamenting his lost love. Remember in high school losing your one, great love? So infatuated were we that her rejection turned us to anger and pain. Unchecked, these feelings drove toward hatred instead of love. Most grow out of those emotional tirades and mature. If we’re lucky, we find real love and settle into a life filled with kids and jobs on the roller coaster of a loving family life.

Some don’t grow up and can’t get over their rejection. Remember when Dan Fagan was all over Anchorage touting his great love for everything Sarah? His statements that he had this huge crush on Sarah? Did his research simply miss the fact that Sarah is happily married and totally committed to a great First Dude, Todd? Perhaps he thought his personal magnetism, charm and unmistakable wit would win her and she’d throw Todd under the bus.

Dan’s intensely angry and personal attacks on our Governor are now like hate crimes. They have nothing to do with political philosophy. Sarah’s conservative credentials are proven on the field of Legislative battle and in real life. Fagan’s conservative credentials are imagined in a world of his own political make believe. Dan still insists upon being known as a conservative. Ronald Reagan was a conservative. I knew Ronald Reagan. Dan Fagan is no Ronald Reagan.

His columns stopped being debates about public policy months ago. His radio attacks are worse. The last time I heard Dan’s rant was about Governor Palin’s book deal, quoting the Alaska Constitution supposedly forbidding outside employment. The Alaska Constitution in Article 3, Section 6 addresses the prohibition on additional employment by the State of Alaska, the Federal government or a Municipality of a sitting governor. It was meant to stop divided loyalty by having a state or U. S. senator or mayor finish out his or her term after becoming governor. It requires resignation from one before being sworn in to the next office. Just like US Senator Begich did. It removes the potential for conflicts of interest, nothing more.

Our Congressional Delegation, Governor, Lt. Governor and Legislators, and all of us have the same right and ability to make personal or private investments as we chose, including investing our own nights and weekends writing a book. You’d think a columnist and radio celebrity like Dan would understand the right to free speech. Americans have spent the last couple hundred-years defending our ability to write what we chose. It’s called free speech. Dan’s guest demanded that the Governor resign and leave the state because she’s writing a book. And, Dan happily agreed.

Let’s find out what this is all about. Is it just Dan the bachelor’s unrequited love? Is it a sexist display of jealousy at the personal and political success of Sarah? Or is it something more? Perhaps a financial purpose for his actions? How much is he being paid to take her down and by whom?

Dan Fagan has sworn to spend the next two years assuring Sarah’s defeat. Defeat by whom? On who’s campaign is Dan Fagan serving? What campaign and which companies fund his three hours of hate mongering and personal attacks on our Governor, five days per week plus a Sunday column? Are those contributions reportable to the Alaska Public Offices Commission? Or limited in dollar value as are all others? At Fagan’s advertising rates, the contributions are worth several hundred thousand dollars. Who’s footing that bill and to which candidate is this advantage provided?

Dan should clear the air. Who is his candidate to beat Sarah? Without such an explanation, we’ll have to assume that Dan’s high school like crush, rejected by a very good and very married lady, set him off the deep end. If so, somebody throw this guy an emotional life preserver or get him a date.

Continuing emotional tirades slapping the Governor are unbecoming a professional. Let’s return to reasoned debate, respectful disagreement and courteous contests of ideas. The Sunday Dan Fagan column repeating the forlorn “I was blind but now I see”, to describe how he knows the real Sarah Palin, is compelling proof that he does not.