Sifting the snow, one finds that Sarah Palin launched her personal vendetta against her ex-brother-in-law state trooper in 2005, when she was a private citizen and not in public office. The trooper and Palin's sister were in a child custody dispute and the trooper allegedly issued a death threat against Palin's father. Palin, using her husband and others as surrogates, continued her intention to have the state trooper canned after she was sworn in as governor. Personal vendetta becoming political action. She fired the state Public Safety Commissioner in July 2008 and, on August 1, the state legislature launched an investigation the findings of which are now coming forward. McCain did not name Palin his VP choice until late August 2008, plenty of time having passed for his candidate research guys to be fully aware of a high profile ethics investigation. The firing of the Public Safety guy and the investigation were well-reported in the Alaska public press. Translation: no excuse for McCain not knowing at the time of appointment.
McCain may well think he's a law unto himself, making judgements and decisions that satisfy his agenda with no due regard for the facts and their probable consequences, such as your V.P. nominee having her ethics officially criticized.
Hubby Todd, in an interesting role reversal, took the hit for his wife. The fill-in became the fall-guy.
As for sister Sarah, small town is one thing. Small minded is quite another.