Sarah Palin: Difference between revisions
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|publisher=Associated Press}}</ref> Polling from [[CNN]], [[Fox News Channel|Fox]] and [[CBS]] found that while Palin exceeded most voters' expectations, they felt that Biden had won the debate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/03/debate.poll/?iref=hpmostpop|title=Debate poll says Biden won, Palin beat expectations|accessdate=2008-10-04|publisher=Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.}}</ref> |
|publisher=Associated Press}}</ref> Polling from [[CNN]], [[Fox News Channel|Fox]] and [[CBS]] found that while Palin exceeded most voters' expectations, they felt that Biden had won the debate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/03/debate.poll/?iref=hpmostpop|title=Debate poll says Biden won, Palin beat expectations|accessdate=2008-10-04|publisher=Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.}}</ref> |
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In a campaign appearance on October 4, Palin accused Senator [[Barack Obama]], the Democratic candidate for President, of “palling around with terrorists”, referring to a ''[[New York Times]]'' article alleging Obama's relationship with [[Bill Ayers]], a founder of the 1960s radical group, the [[Weatherman (organization)|Weathermen]].<ref>Cooper, Michael. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/us/politics/05palin.html Palin, on Offensive, Attacks Obama’s Ties to ’60s Radical]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. October 4, 2008.</ref> The Obama campaign responded that the allegation was a "smear",<ref>{{cite web| last = Obama '08 | authorlink = Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008| title = The Truth about Barack Obama and William Ayers| url = http://fightthesmears.com/articles/22/AyersSmear | accessdate = 2008-10-08}}</ref> citing newspaper commentaries critical of the attack. Obama has condemned the Weathermen's violent actions.<ref>{{Citation| last = Dobbs| first = Michael| title = Obama's 'Weatherman' Connection| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]| year = 2008| date = February 19, 2008| url = http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/obamas_weatherman_connection.html#more |
In a campaign appearance on October 4, Palin accused Senator [[Barack Obama]], the Democratic candidate for President, of “palling around with terrorists”, referring to a ''[[New York Times]]'' article alleging Obama's relationship with [[Bill Ayers]], a founder of the 1960s radical group, the [[Weatherman (organization)|Weathermen]].<ref>Cooper, Michael. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/us/politics/05palin.html Palin, on Offensive, Attacks Obama’s Ties to ’60s Radical]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. October 4, 2008.</ref> The Obama campaign responded that the allegation was a "smear",<ref>{{cite web| last = Obama '08 | authorlink = Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008| title = The Truth about Barack Obama and William Ayers| url = http://fightthesmears.com/articles/22/AyersSmear | accessdate = 2008-10-08}}</ref> citing newspaper commentaries critical of the attack. Obama has condemned the Weathermen's violent actions.<ref>{{Citation| last = Dobbs| first = Michael| title = Obama's 'Weatherman' Connection| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]| year = 2008| date = February 19, 2008| url = http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/obamas_weatherman_connection.html#more}}</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
Revision as of 02:20, 12 October 2008
Sarah Palin | |
---|---|
![]() Palin in Carson City, Nevada on September 13, 2008 | |
11th Governor of Alaska | |
Assumed office December 4, 2006 | |
Lieutenant | Sean Parnell |
Preceded by | Frank Murkowski |
Chairperson, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission | |
In office 2003–2004 | |
Preceded by | Camille Oechsli Taylor[1] |
Succeeded by | John K. Norman[2] |
Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska | |
In office 1996–2002 | |
Preceded by | John Stein |
Succeeded by | Dianne M. Keller |
Member of the Wasilla City Council | |
In office 1992–1996 | |
Personal details | |
Born | [3] Sandpoint, Idaho, U.S. | February 11, 1964
Political party | Republican (1982 - Present) |
Spouse | Todd Palin (since 1988) |
Children | Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, Trig |
Residence(s) | Wasilla, Alaska |
Profession | Sportscaster Homemaker Politician |
Signature | ![]() |
Website | Alaska Governor Sarah Palin |
McCain–Palin campaign, 2008 Public image and reception | |
Sarah Louise Heath Palin (Template:Pron-en; born February 11, 1964) is the Governor of Alaska and the Republican Party's vice-presidential nominee for the presidential election of 2008 in the United States of America.
Palin was a member of the Wasilla, Alaska city council from 1992 to 1996 and mayor from 1996 to 2002. After an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor of Alaska in 2002, she chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004. She was elected governor of Alaska in November 2006 by defeating the incumbent governor in the Republican primary and a former two-term Democratic governor in the general election. She is the youngest person to have been elected to the position, and is Alaska's first female governor.
Sarah Palin was announced as the running mate chosen by Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain on August 29, 2008, and she was formally nominated at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Palin is the first woman to run on the Republican Party's presidential ticket and the first Alaskan nominee of either major party.
Early life and education
Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, the third of four children of Sarah Heath (née Sheeran), a school secretary, and Charles R. Heath, a science teacher and track coach.[6] She is of English, German, and Irish descent. The family moved to Alaska when she was an infant. As a child, she would sometimes go moose hunting with her father before school. The family regularly ran 5 km and 10 km races.[7]
Palin attended Wasilla High School in Wasilla, located 44 miles (71 km) north of Anchorage.[8] She was the head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at the school and the point guard and captain of the school's girls' basketball team. She helped the team win the Alaska small-school basketball championship in 1982, hitting a critical free throw in the last seconds of the game, despite having an ankle stress fracture. She earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" because of her intense play.[9]
Palin attended several colleges and universities. In 1982, she enrolled at Hawaii Pacific College but left after her first semester. She transferred to North Idaho community college, where she spent two semesters as a general studies major. From there, she transferred to the University of Idaho for two semesters.[10][11] During this time Palin won the Miss Wasilla Pageant[12][13] then finished third in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant,[14][15] at which she won a college scholarship and the "Miss Congeniality" award.[16] She then attended Matanuska-Susitna community college in Alaska for one term. The next year she returned to the University of Idaho where she spent three semesters completing her Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism, graduating in 1987.[10][11]
In 1988, she worked as a sports reporter for KTUU-TV and KTVA-TV in Anchorage, Alaska,[17] and for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman as a sports reporter.[18] She also helped in her husband’s commercial fishing family business.[19]
City council of Wasilla
Sarah Palin was elected twice to the city council of Wasilla, in 1992 and 1995. Palin says she entered politics because she was concerned that revenue from a new Wasilla sales tax would not be spent wisely.[20]
She ran for Wasilla city council in 1992, at age 28, against John Hartrick, a local telephone company worker, on a promise to bring "my progressive, competitive attitude" to the government.[21][22] She won 530 votes to John Hartrick’s 310.[21] On the council, she successfully opposed a measure to curtail the hours at Wasilla's bars by two hours, which surprised Hartrick because she was then a member of a church that advocated abstinence from alcohol.[21] After serving on the city council for three years, she ran for re-election against R’nita Rogers in 1995, winning 413 votes to Rogers' 185.[23]
According to Laura Chase of Wasilla, and former Mayor John Stein, Palin as city councilwoman mentioned to her colleagues in 1995 that she saw the book Daddy's Roommate and did not think it was suitable for a Public Library. The McCain-Palin campaign says that Palin was not advocating censorship.[24] City of Wasilla Library records indicate that there was never a request for the library to remove the book and that no books were ever censored or banned.[25]
Palin did not complete her second term on the city council because she ran for mayor in 1996. Throughout her tenure on the city council and the rest of her career, Palin has been a registered Republican.[26]
Mayor of Wasilla
Palin served two terms (1996–2002) as mayor of Wasilla. At the conclusion of Palin's tenure as mayor in 2002, the town had about 6,300 residents.[27] In 1996, Palin defeated three-term incumbent mayor John Stein,[28] on a platform targeting wasteful spending and high taxes,[29] and Stein says that she introduced abortion, gun rights, and term limits as campaign issues.[30] Although the election was a nonpartisan blanket primary, the state Republican Party ran advertisements on her behalf.[30]
First term
Shortly after taking office in October 1996, Palin eliminated the position of museum director and asked for updated resumes and resignation letters from top officials, including the police chief, public works director, finance director, and librarian.[31] Palin stated this request was to find out their intentions and whether they supported her.[31] She temporarily required department heads to get her approval before talking to reporters, saying that they first needed to become acquainted with her administration's policies.[31] She created the position of city administrator,[30] and reduced her own $68,000 salary by 10%, although by mid-1998 this was reversed by the city council.[32]
According to city librarian Mary Ellen Emmons, Palin twice inquired in October 1996 as to whether Emmons would object to library censorship.[33] Palin later spoke publicly about the issue, saying she had no particular books or other material in mind for removal.[33] No books were removed from the library.[34][35]
Four months later, in January 1997, Palin fired Emmons and Police Chief Irl Stambaugh, stating that she did not feel they fully supported her efforts to govern the city.[36] Following expressions of public support for Emmons and a personal meeting, Palin rescinded the firing of Emmons the next day,[34] stating that her concerns had been alleviated, and also stating that Emmons agreed to support Palin's plan to merge the town's library and museum operations.[36] Stambaugh, who along with Emmons had supported Palin's opponent in the election, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit alleging that his termination violated his contract, reflected gender discrimination, and was for political reasons;[37] he said, for example, that he had opposed a bill in the state legislature that would lift some restrictions on carrying concealed weapons, a bill supported by Palin.[38] The court dismissed his case, ordering Stambaugh to pay Palin's legal fees,[39] ruling that the mayor had the right to fire city employees for any reason, including a political one, or for no reason at all.[40]
Palin hired Charles Fannon to replace Stambaugh as police chief.[citation needed]
Despite a turbulent first year in office, Palin gained broad favor with Wasilla voters. She kept a jar with the names of Wasilla residents on her desk, and once a week she pulled a name from it and picked up the phone; she would ask: "How's the city doing?"[35] Using income generated by a 2% sales tax that was enacted before she was on the city council,[41] Palin cut property taxes by 75% and eliminated personal property and business inventory taxes.[42][43] Tapping municipal bonds, she made improvements to the roads and sewers, and increased funding to the Police Department.[30] She also oversaw new bike paths and procured funding for storm-water treatment to protect freshwater resources.[43] At the same time, she reduced spending on the town museum and blocked construction of a new library and city hall.[43] Palin ran for re-election against Stein in 1999 and won,[44] with 74% of the vote.[45] Palin was also elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.[46]
Second term
During her second term as mayor, Palin introduced a ballot measure proposing the construction of a municipal sports center to be financed by a 0.5% sales tax increase.[47] The $14.7 million Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex was built on time and under budget, but the city spent an additional $1.3 million because of an eminent domain lawsuit caused by the failure to obtain clear title to the property before beginning construction.[47] The city's long-term debt grew from about $1 million to $25 million through voter-approved indebtedness of $15 million for the sports complex, $5.5 million for street projects, and $3 million for water improvement projects. A city council member defended the spending increases as being caused by the city's growth during that time.[48]
Palin also joined with nearby communities in jointly hiring the Anchorage-based lobbying firm of Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh to lobby for federal funds. The firm secured nearly $8 million in earmarked funds for the Wasilla city government, and another $19 million for other public and private entities in the Wasilla valley area.[49] Earmarks included $500,000 for a youth shelter, $1.9 million for a transportation hub, $900,000 for sewer repairs, and $15 million for a rail project linking Wasilla and the ski resort community of Girdwood.[50] Term limits prevented Palin from running for a third term as mayor in 2002.[51]
Post-mayoral years
In 2002, Palin ran for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, coming in second to Loren Leman in a five-way Republican primary.[52] The Republican ticket of U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski and Leman won the November 2002 election. When Murkowski resigned from his long-held U.S. Senate seat in December 2002 to become governor, he considered appointing Palin to replace him in the Senate, but chose his daughter, Lisa Murkowski, who was then an Alaskan state representative.[53]
Governor Murkowski appointed Palin to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.[54] She chaired the Commission beginning in 2003, serving as Ethics Supervisor.[55] Palin resigned in January 2004, protesting what she called the "lack of ethics" of fellow Republican members.[56][57]
After resigning, Palin filed a formal complaint against Oil and Gas Conservation Commissioner Randy Ruedrich, also the chair of the state Republican Party,[58] accusing him of doing work for the party on public time and of working closely with a company he was supposed to be regulating. She also joined with Democratic legislator Eric Croft[59] to file a complaint against Gregg Renkes, a former Alaska Attorney General,[60] accusing him of having a financial conflict of interest in negotiating a coal exporting trade agreement,[61] while Renkes was the subject of investigation and after records suggesting a possible conflict of interest had been released to the public.[62] Ruedrich and Renkes both resigned and Ruedrich paid a record $12,000 fine.[55][63]
From 2003 to June 2005, Palin served as one of three directors of "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group designed to provide political training for Republican women in Alaska.[64] In 2004, Palin told the Anchorage Daily News that she had decided not to run for the U.S. Senate that year, against the Republican incumbent, Lisa Murkowski, because her teenage son opposed it. Palin said, "How could I be the team mom if I was a U.S. Senator?"[65]
Governor of Alaska
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Sarah_Palin_Kuwait_Crop2.jpg/220px-Sarah_Palin_Kuwait_Crop2.jpg)
In 2006, running on a clean-government platform, Palin defeated incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary.[66] Her running mate was State Senator Sean Parnell.
Despite being outspent by her Democratic opponent, she won the gubernatorial election in November, defeating former governor Tony Knowles 48.3% to 40.9%.[67] Palin became Alaska's first female governor and at 42, the youngest governor in Alaskan history.[68] She is the state's first governor to have been born after Alaska achieved U.S. statehood, and the first not to be inaugurated in Juneau; she chose to have the ceremony held in Fairbanks instead. She took office on December 4, 2006 and has been very popular with Alaska voters. Polls taken in 2007 early in her term showed her with a 93% and 89% popularity among all voters,[69] which led some media outlets to call her "the most popular governor in America."[59][69] A poll taken in late September 2008 after Palin was named to the national Republican ticket shows her popularity in Alaska at 68%.[70]
Palin declared that top priorities of her administration would be resource development, education and workforce development, public health and safety, and transportation and infrastructure development.[71] She had championed ethics reform throughout her election campaign. Her first legislative action after taking office was to push for a bipartisan ethics reform bill. She signed the resulting legislation in July 2007, calling it a "first step" declaring that she remains determined to clean up Alaska politics.[72]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Sarah_Palin_Kuwait_14.jpg/220px-Sarah_Palin_Kuwait_14.jpg)
Palin has sometimes broken with the state Republican establishment. For example, she endorsed Sean Parnell's bid to unseat the state's longtime at-large U.S. Representative, Don Young.[73] Palin has publicly challenged Senator Ted Stevens to come clean about the ongoing federal investigation into his financial dealings. Shortly before his July 2008 indictment, she held a joint news conference with Stevens, described by The Washington Post as needed "to make clear she had not abandoned him politically."[64]
Palin promoted oil and natural gas resource development in Alaska, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where such development has been the subject of a national debate.[74]
In 2006, Palin obtained a passport[75] and in 2007 traveled for the first time outside of North America on a trip to Kuwait. There she visited the Khabari Alawazem Crossing at the Kuwait–Iraq border and met with members of the Alaska National Guard at several bases.[76] On her return trip to the U.S., she visited injured soldiers in Germany.[77]
Budget, spending and federal funds
In June 2007, Palin signed a record $6.6 billion operating budget into law.[78] At the same time, she used her veto power to make the second-largest cuts of the construction budget in state history. The $237 million in cuts represented over 300 local projects, and reduced the construction budget to $1.6 billion.[79] In 2008, Palin vetoed $286 million, cutting or reducing funding for 350 projects from the FY09 capital budget.[80]
Palin followed through on a campaign promise to sell the Westwind II jet, a purchase made by the Murkowski administration for $2.7 million in 2005 against the wishes of the legislature.[81] In August 2007, the jet was listed on eBay, but the sale fell through, and the plane was later sold for $2.1 million through a private brokerage firm.[82] Palin lives in Juneau during the legislative session and lives in Wasilla and works out of offices in Anchorage the rest of the year. Since the office in Anchorage is far from Juneau, while she works there she is legally entitled to a $58 per diem travel allowance, which she has taken (a total of $16,951), and to reimbursement for hotels, which she has not, choosing instead to drive about 50 miles to her home in Wasilla.[83] She also chose not to use the former governor's private chef.[84] In response to criticism for taking the per diem, and for $43,490 in travel expenses for the times her family accompanied her on state business, the governor's staffers said that these practices were in line with state policy, that Palin's gubernatorial expenses are 80% below those of her predecessor, Frank Murkowski,[85] and that "many of the hundreds of invitations Palin receives include requests for her to bring her family, placing the definition of 'state business' with the party extending the invitation."[83] Palin also has been accused of using state government funds and governmental powers to promote religious causes.[86]
Federal funding
In her State of the State Address on January 17, 2008, Palin declared that the people of Alaska "can and must continue to develop our economy, because we cannot and must not rely so heavily on federal government [funding]."[87] Alaska's federal congressional representatives cut back on pork-barrel project requests during Palin's time as governor; as of 2008, Alaska was still the largest per-capita recipient of federal earmarks, requesting nearly $750 million in special federal spending over two years.[88]
While there is no sales tax or income tax in Alaska, state revenues doubled to $10 billion in 2008, For the 2009 budget, Palin gave a list of 31 proposed federal earmarks or requests for funding, totaling $197 million, to Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.[89] Palin’s decreasing support for federal funding has been a leading source of friction between herself and the state's congressional delegation; Palin has requested less in federal funding each year than her predecessor Frank Murkowski requested in his last year.[90]
"Bridge to Nowhere" and Knik Arm Bridge
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Palin_nowhere.jpg/220px-Palin_nowhere.jpg)
In 2005, before Palin was elected governor, a $442-million earmark for constructing two Alaska bridges was passed in the U.S. Senate as part of an omnibus spending bill. The Gravina Island Bridge was proposed to connect Ketchikan to sparsely populated Gravina Island where an international airport serves over 200,000 passengers per year and the existing ferry carries 400,000 passengers per year.[92] The Knik Arm Bridge (aka "Don Young's Way" after Alaska's Congressman Don Young) was proposed to provide an alternate link between heavily-populated Anchorage and Wasilla.[93] The Gravina Island Bridge proposal became nicknamed the "Bridge to Nowhere" because of the island's population of 50.[92] More rarely, the term "Bridges to Nowhere" has been applied to both bridge proposals.[94] Using this pejorative term, critics of the two bridge proposals gave them national attention as symbols of pork-barrel spending, and Congress responded to the intense criticism by stripping the earmark from the bill before final passage in November 2005 and instead giving the $442 million to Alaska as transportation money with no strings attached.[95]
In 2006, Palin ran for governor with a "build-the-bridge" plank in her platform, supporting the use of state and federal funds to construct the two bridges. She said she sympathized with members of a community that had been characterized by the press as "nowhere," and that she would "not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project ... into something that's so negative."[91] She also urged speedy work on building the infrastructure "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist."[96] As governor, however, Palin cancelled the Gravina Island Bridge in September 2007 saying that Congress had "little interest in spending any more money" due to what she called "inaccurate portrayals of the projects."[97] She opted not to return the $442 million in federal transportation funds.[98] She did maintain her support for a controversial highway on the bridgeless Gravina Island, committing $25 million in federal funds to the project saying through her spokesperson that it would open territory for development. Alaskan state officials said if the money were not used for the road it would have had to be returned to the federal government.[99] She also directed state officials to explore other ways to provide access to the island [97] Later, as a vice-presidential candidate, she characterized her position as having told Congress "thanks, but no thanks, on that bridge to nowhere," angering many Alaskans in Ketchikan who said that the claim was false and a betrayal of Palin's previous support for their community. [100]
Palin continues to support the Knik Arm project,[93] although in June 2008, she ordered a funding and feasibility review.[101] According to news reports, local residents and officials of Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna Borough, which would be connected by the bridge and causeway, are divided over the matter. Many residents feel a strong need for a more direct and less congested route linking the two areas, but many local officials have recently expressed concern that the bridge and causeway may be too expensive. Officials have discussed a ferry as an alternative, although Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna Borough have disagreed as to the appropriate site for ferry landings.[102]
Gas pipeline
In August 2008, Palin signed a bill authorizing the State of Alaska to award TransCanada Pipelines, the sole bidder to meet the state's requirements, a license to build and operate a pipeline to transport natural gas from the North Slope to the Continental United States through Canada.[103] The governor also pledged $500 million in seed money to support the project.[104] It is estimated that the project will cost $26 billion.[103] Newsweek described the project as "the principal achievement of Sarah Palin's term as Alaska's governor,"[105] but it faces legal challenges from Canadian First Nations (aboriginal peoples).[105]
Public Safety Commissioner dismissal
Sarah Palin dismissed Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan on July 11, 2008, citing performance-related issues, such as not being "a team player on budgeting issues."[106] Monegan said that he had resisted persistent pressure from the Governor, her husband, and her staff, including State Attorney General Talis Colberg, to fire Palin’s ex-brother-in-law, state trooper Mike Wooten; Wooten was involved in a child custody battle with Palin’s sister that included an alleged death threat against Palin's father.[107][108] Monegan stated he learned an internal investigation had found all but two of the allegations to be unsubstantiated, and he disciplined Wooten for the others,[108] He told the Palins that there was nothing he could do because the matter was closed.[109] When contacted by the press for comment, Monegan first acknowledged pressure to fire Wooten but said that he could not be certain that his own firing was connected to that issue[108]; he later asserted that the dispute over Wooten was a major reason for his firing.[110] Palin stated on July 17 that Monegan was not pressured to fire Wooten, nor dismissed for not doing so.[106][109] Monegan's replacement resigned on July 25, amid charges of sexual harassment in his previous job.[111]
The Republican-dominated[112] Alaska Legislature hired an investigator, Stephen Branchflower, on August 1 to review the Monegan dismissal; the atmosphere was bipartisan and Palin pledged to cooperate.[113][114] After she ordered her own internal investigation, Palin stated on August 13 that "pressure could have been perceived to exist, although I have only now become aware of it."[115] Palin announced that officials had contacted Monegan or his staff about two dozen times regarding Wooten,[109] that she had only known about some of those contacts, that many of those contacts were appropriate, and that she had not fired Monegan because of Wooten,[116] who remained employed as a state trooper.[117] She placed an aide on paid leave due to one tape-recorded phone conversation that she deemed improper, in which the aide appeared to be acting on her behalf and complained to a trooper that Wooten had not been fired.[118]
Several weeks after the start of what the media referred to as "troopergate", Palin was chosen as John McCain's running mate.[113] In a news story published September 2nd, the Senator running the investigation complained that Palin's hiring of private lawyers hampered the investigation, and suggested that the results of the investigation were "likely to be damaging to the Governor's administration."[119] After subpoenas were issued to Palin, her husband, and several employees, Palin stopped cooperating with the probe.[113] On September 1, Palin asked the legislature to drop its investigation, saying that the state Personnel Board, a three-member panel whose members she had appointed, had jurisdiction over ethics issues.[120] Palin also asked the Board to review the matter,[121] and on September 15, filed arguments of "no probable cause" with them.[122][123] On September 19, the Governor's husband and several state employees refused to honor subpoenas, the validity of which were disputed by Talis Colberg, Palin's appointee as Alaska's Attorney General.[124] On October 2, a court rejected Colberg's challenge to the subpoenas,[125] and seven of the witnesses, not including Sarah and Todd Palin, eventually did testify.[126]
On October 10, 2008, the Republican-dominated Alaska Legislative Council unanimously voted to release the Branchflower investigative report,[127] which found that Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor and violated the state's Ethics Act[128] when her office pressured Monegan to fire Wooten, but that firing Monegan "was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority". The report also found that Colberg had failed to cooperate fully with the investigation.[129]
Predator control
In 2007, Palin affirmed support for the 2003 Alaska Department of Fish and Game policy allowing the hunting of wolves from the air as part of a predator control program intended to increase moose and caribou populations for subsistence-food gatherers and other hunters.[130] In March 2007, Palin's office announced that a bounty of $150 per wolf would be paid to the 180 volunteer pilots and gunners, to offset fuel costs. Wildlife activists sued the state, and a state judge declared the bounty illegal on the basis that a bounty would have to be offered by the Board of Game and not by the Department of Fish and Game.[130][131]
2008 Vice-presidential campaign
Template:Future election candidate
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Palin_waving-RNC-20080903_cropped.jpg/220px-Palin_waving-RNC-20080903_cropped.jpg)
On August 29, 2008, in Dayton, Ohio, Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, announced that he had chosen Palin as his running mate.[132] McCain met Palin in a February National Governors Association, and it is reported that she made a favorable impression on McCain. He called Palin on August 24 to discuss the possibility of having her join him on the ticket.[133] As of July, Palin was one of those rumored to be under consideration though Palin expressed to an interviewer that she was unfamiliar with the duties of the Vice President and the productivity of the position.[134] On August 27, Palin visited McCain's vacation home near Sedona, Arizona, where she was offered the position of vice-presidential candidate.[135] Palin was the only prospective running mate who had a face-to-face interview with McCain to discuss joining the ticket that week.[133] Nonetheless, Palin's selection was a surprise to many as speculation had centered on other candidates, such as Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, United States Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.[132]
Palin is the second woman to run on a major U.S. party ticket. The first was Geraldine Ferraro, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1984, who ran with former vice-president Walter Mondale.[132] On September 3, 2008, Palin delivered a 40-minute acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention that was watched by more than 40 million viewers and was well-received by the crowd.[136]
Since Palin was largely unknown outside of Alaska before her selection by McCain, her personal life, positions, and political record drew intense media attention and scrutiny.[137] Some Republicans felt that Palin was being subjected to unreasonable media coverage, a sentiment Palin noted in her acceptance speech.[138] A poll taken immediately after the Republican convention found that slightly more than half of Americans believed that the media was "trying to hurt" Palin with negative coverage.[139]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/McCainPalin1.jpg/220px-McCainPalin1.jpg)
During the campaign, controversy erupted over alleged differences between Sarah Palin's positions as a gubernatorial candidate and her position as a vice-presidential candidate. While campaigning for vice-president, Palin touted her stance on "the bridge to nowhere" as an example of her opposition to pork barrel spending.[91] In her nomination acceptance speech and on the campaign trail, Palin has often said, "I told the Congress 'thanks, but no thanks,' on that Bridge to Nowhere."[140] Although Palin was originally a main proponent of the Gravina Island Bridge, McCain-Palin television advertisements assert that Palin "stopped the Bridge to Nowhere."[141] These statements have been widely questioned or described as misleading or exaggerations[142] by "virtually every media group in the US."[143] Newsweek remarked, "Now she talks as if she always opposed the funding."[144]
In September 2008, a hacker accessed a Yahoo! email account Palin uses, hoping to "derail her campaign,"[145] and precipitating an investigation by the FBI and Secret Service.[146] On October 8, 2008, David Kernell, 20, the son of a Democratic Tennessee state lawmaker, entered a plea of not guilty in federal court in Knoxville, the same day prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him with intentionally accessing Palin's e-mail account without authorization.[147]
A series of polls suggested that Palin boosted John McCain's campaign and excited the Republican base.[148] The McCain campaign briefly reversed its poll deficit. Palin may have boosted support among white mothers.[149][150] A WSJ/NBC News poll taken on September 9 indicated that 34% of respondents were more likely to vote for McCain as a result of the Palin pick, while 25% were less likely.[151] McCain chose Palin, in part, due to her potential to rally Christian conservatives behind his campaign.[133]
Since announcing Palin as McCain's running mate, McCain's campaign has restricted press access to Palin, allowing three one-on-one interviews and no press conferences with her.[152] Among the news organizations that criticized the restrictions were Newsweek and Time, but they still put Palin on their covers.[153] Palin's first major interview, with Charles Gibson of ABC News, met with mixed reviews.[154] Her interview five days later with Fox News's Sean Hannity went smoothly, with Hannity focusing on many of the same questions from Gibson's interview.[155] However, Palin's performance in her third interview, with Katie Couric of CBS News, was widely criticized, prompting a decline in her poll numbers, concern among Republicans that she was becoming a political liability, and calls from some conservative commentators for Palin to resign from the Presidential ticket.[155][156] Other conservatives remain ardent in their support for Palin, accusing the columnists of elitism.[157] Following this interview, some Republicans, including Mitt Romney and William Kristol, questioned the McCain campaign's strategy of sheltering Palin from unscripted encounters with the press.[158]
Palin was reported to have prepared intensively for the October 2 vice-presidential debate with Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Biden at Washington University in St. Louis. Some Republicans suggested that Palin's performance in the interviews would improve public perceptions of her debate performance by lowering expectations.[159][155][160] Polling from CNN, Fox and CBS found that while Palin exceeded most voters' expectations, they felt that Biden had won the debate.[161]
In a campaign appearance on October 4, Palin accused Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate for President, of “palling around with terrorists”, referring to a New York Times article alleging Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers, a founder of the 1960s radical group, the Weathermen.[162] The Obama campaign responded that the allegation was a "smear",[163] citing newspaper commentaries critical of the attack. Obama has condemned the Weathermen's violent actions.[164]
Personal life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Palin_family_retouched.jpg/220px-Palin_family_retouched.jpg)
In 1988, Sarah eloped to marry Todd Palin, her childhood sweetheart, because her parents "couldn't afford a big white wedding."[165] Todd Palin works for the London-based oil company BP as an oil-field production operator and owns a commercial fishing business.[166][20] The Palins have an estimated combined net worth of over $1 million.[167]
Palin describes herself as a hockey mom. The Palins have five children: sons Track (b. 1989)[168] and Trig (b. 2008), and daughters Bristol (b. 1990), Willow (b. 1995), and Piper (b. 2001).[169] Track enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 11, 2007,[170] and subsequently was assigned to an infantry brigade. He and his unit deployed to Iraq in September 2008, for 12 months.[171] On September 1, 2008, Palin announced that Bristol was five months pregnant and that she intends to keep the baby and marry Levi Johnston, the father of the child.[172] Palin's youngest child Trig was prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome.[173]
Palin was born into a Catholic family.[174] Later her family joined the Wasilla Assembly of God, which belongs to a Pentecostal association of churches.[175] Palin attended the Wasilla Assembly of God until age 38. When in Juneau, she attends the Juneau Christian Center.[176] Her current home church is the Wasilla Bible Church, an independent congregation.[177] Palin described herself in an interview as a "Bible-believing Christian."[174] After the Republican National Convention, a spokesperson told CNN that Palin "doesn't consider herself Pentecostal."[178]
Political positions
Palin has described the Republican Party platform as "the right agenda for America" because of its "respect for equality and respect for life and an acknowledgment that it is individual Americans and American families who can make better decisions for ourselves than government can ever make for us," and has stated that "individual freedom and independence is extremely important to me and that's why I'm a Republican."[4]
Palin is a social conservative. A lifetime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), she believes the right to bear arms includes handgun possession, and has supported gun safety education for youth.[179] She supports capital punishment.[180] In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, responding to a question asking the candidates whether they would support teaching creationism in public schools, Palin stated that she supported teaching both creationism and evolution. Shortly after that debate, however, Palin said in an interview that she had only meant to say she supports allowing the discussion of creationism in public schools, but says it does not have to be part of the curriculum.[181] Palin opposes same-sex marriage and supported a non-binding referendum for an Alaskan constitutional amendment to deny state health benefits to same-sex couples; however, early in her gubernatorial term she vetoed such a bill, citing its current unconstitutionality.[107][182] Palin has called herself "as pro-life as any candidate can be"[182] and has called abortion an "atrocity."[183]
Palin has stated that abortion should be banned in nearly all cases, including rape and incest, except if the life of the mother is endangered.[184][185] She has said she would support a constitutional amendment with that effect.[186] While governor she supported bills to require parental consent for abortion on minors, and to ban partial birth abortion; both measures were defeated.[187] When asked by ABC's Charles Gibson whether she felt Roe v. Wade should be overturned, she answered, "I think it should and I think that states should be able to decide that issue... I am pro-life." Pressing further, Gibson asked, "John McCain would allow abortion in cases of rape and incest. Do you believe in it only in the case where the life of the mother is in danger?" and Palin responded, "That is my personal opinion."[188] In a later interview with CBS' Katie Couric, Couric asked Palin why abortion should be illegal for a teen rape victim. Palin didn't directly address the legality of the procedure itself;[189] rather, she said a woman shouldn’t be punished for getting an abortion, replying "if you're asking, though, ... should anyone end up in jail for having an ... abortion, absolutely not. That's nothing I would ever support."[190] She is also a member of Feminists for Life.[183] She supports sex education in public schools that encourages abstinence but also discusses birth control.[183][191]
Palin has promoted oil and natural gas resource exploration in Alaska, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.[74] She brought suit to overturn the listing of polar bears under the federal Endangered Species Act,[192] and also opposed listing the beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet[193]. Specifically, the Alaska press release states "Governor Palin has asked NMFS to work with the state and other scientists to finalize and implement a conservation plan for the Cook Inlet stock of belugas."[194]
On global warming, Palin said that "a changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made."[195] She later said that "man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue" and that "John McCain and I agree that we gotta do something about it."[77][195]
Regarding foreign policy, Palin supports preemptive military action in the face of an imminent threat, and supports U.S. military operations in Pakistan. She declined to give a yes or no answer regarding whether U.S. military forces should make cross-border attacks into Pakistan without the approval of the Pakistani government.[196] She supports NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia,[197] and affirms that if Russia invaded a NATO member, the United States should meet its treaty obligations.[198]
Notes
- ^ "Commissioners - Terms in Office". Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, State of Alaska. May 15, 2006.
- ^ "Biographical Information John K. Norman" (PDF). Alaska State Legislature. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ "Alaska Governor Sarah Palin". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
- ^ a b Newton-Small, Jay (2008-08-29). "TIME's interview with Sarah Palin". Time. p. 3. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^
Gorski, Eric (2008-08-30). "Evangelicals energized by McCain-Palin ticket". Google News. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
{{cite news}}
: More than one of|author=
and|last=
specified (help) - ^ "NIC alum selected as U.S. vice presidential candidate". Media-Newswire. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ Johnson, Kaylene (2008). Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down (PDF). Epicenter Press. ISBN 0979047080.Johnson 2008, pp. 15–17
- ^ http://www.anchorage.net/467.cfm
- ^ Johnson 2008, pp. 27–31
- ^ a b "Palin education took her to five colleges". Associated Press via Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
{{cite news}}
: Text "date-2008-09-04" ignored (help) - ^ a b Boone, Rebecca (2008-08-29). "McCain's veep pick, Palin, has ties to Idaho". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ "McCain surprises with Palin pick". MarketWatch. 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- ^ Peterson, Deb (August 30, 2008). "Palin was a high school star, says schoolmate". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2008-09-01.
- ^ "Miss Alaska '84 Recalls Rival's Winning Ways". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ "Gov. Sarah Palin Was Second Choice in '84 Beauty Contest". US Magazine. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ Johnson 2008, p. 21
- ^ "Video: Sarah Palin:Former TV Sports Reporter". US magazine. August 31, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ "We know Sarah Palin". Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. August 30, 2008.
- ^ "Gov. Sarah Palin (R)". Almanac of American Politics 2008. National Journal. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ^ a b Yardley, William (2008-08-29). "Sarah Heath Palin, an Outsider Who Charms". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ a b c "Palin's Alaskan town proud, wary". Boston Globe. September 3, 2008.
- ^ "1992 Vote Results". City of Wasilla. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
- ^ "1995 Vote Results". City of Wasilla. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
- ^ Becker, Jo (September 14, 2008). "Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends and Lashed Foes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-28. Regarding library books, Chase stated: "Sarah said she didn’t need to read that stuff [...] It was disturbing that someone would be willing to remove a book from the library and she didn’t even read it. I’m still proud of Sarah [...] but she scares the bejeebers out of me." Chase was Palin's campaign manager for mayor in 1996.
- ^ Keller, Diane. "Reconsideration Requests of Library Materials".
- ^ Lott, Maxim. (September 5, 2008). "Top 7 Myths, Lies, and Untruths About Sarah Palin". Fox News.
- ^ "Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Alaska, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. June 21, 2006. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ Kizzia, Tom (2006-10-23). "'Fresh face' launched Palin: Wasilla mayor was groomed from an early political age". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Johnson 2008, p. 45
- ^ a b c d Yardley, William (2008-09-02). "Palin's Start in Alaska: Not Politics as Usual". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b c "Wasilla's new mayor asks officials to quit". Daily Sitka Sentinel. October 28, 1996.
- ^ Komarnitsky, S.J. (October 2, 1996). "Palin wins Wasilla mayor's job (10/2/1996)". TPM Election Central. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=
(help) - ^ a b Stuart, Paul (December 12, 1996). "Palin: Library censorship inquiries 'Rhetorical'". Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
- ^ a b White, Rindi (September 4, 2008). "Palin pressured Wasilla librarian". Anchorage Daily News. pp. 1B. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ a b
Armstrong, Ken and Bernton, Hal (September 7, 2008). "Sarah Palin had turbulent first year as mayor of Alaska town". Seattle Times.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Komarnitsky, S.J. (February 1, 1997). "Wasilla keeps librarian, but police chief is out". Anchorage Daily News. pp. 1B. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ Toomey, Sheila (September 10, 2008). "Firing suit in Wasilla hits court (2/22/1997)". Anchorage Daily News.
- ^ Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball."A Police Chief, A Lawsuit And A Small-Town Mayor"; NEWSWEEK, Sep 13, 2008
- ^ Isikoff, Michael (September 13, 2008). "A Police Chief, A Lawsuit and a Small-Town Mayor". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ Komarnitsky, S.J. (March 1, 2000). "Judge Backs Chief's Firing". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=
(help) - ^ 1992 Election ResultsCity of Wasilla
- ^ "As Mayor of Wasilla, Palin Cut Own Duties, Left Trail of Bad Blood - washingtonpost.com". Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ^ a b c
Kizzia, Tom (October 23, 2006), "'Fresh face' launched Palin", Anchorage Daily News
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Johnson 2008, p. 65
- ^ "October 5, 1999 Regular Election; Official Results" (PDF). City of Wasilla. October 11, 2005. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ "From Wasilla's basketball court to the national stage : Sarah Palin timeline". Anchorage Daily News. August 29, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ a b Phillips, Michael M. (September 6, 2008). "Palin's Hockey Rink Leads To Legal Trouble in Town She Led". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ “Numbers right, context missing”, Politifact.com from St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly (2008-08-31).
- ^ Schwartz, Emma. "Palin's Record on Pork: Less Sizzle than Reported". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
- ^ Krane, Paul (September 2, 2008). "Palin's Small Alaska Town Secured Big Federal Funds". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ The Associated Press (August 29, 2008). "Timeline of Gov. Palin's life and career". ABC News.
- ^ "State of Alaska Primary Election - August 27, 2002 Official Results". Alaska Division of Elections. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ^ Gay, Joel (August 29, 2008). "The Sarah Palin I knew". New Mexico Independent. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ "Commissioners - Terms in Office". Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, State of Alaska. May 15, 2006.
- ^ a b "Palin explains her actions in Ruedrich case". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ Johnson 2008, p. 80
- ^ Kizzia, Tom (October 24, 2006). "Rebel status has fueled front-runner's success". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Zaki, Taufen; Dennis, Stephen (March 14, 2008). "Randy Ruedrich defiant, still employed". Retrieved 2008-09-03.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|Work=
ignored (|work=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "The Most Popular Governor". The Weekly Standard. 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ "Attorney General Gregg Renkes Resigns". Stories in the News. sitnews.us. February 6, 2005. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ^ "Personnel board drops complaint against Renkes". Juneau Daily News. March 8, 2005. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ Dobbyn, Paula (December 5, 2004). ""Renkes Mixed Personal, State Business"". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ Johnson 2008, p. 81
- ^ a b Mosk, Matthew (September 1, 2008). "Palin Was a Director of Embattled Sen. Stevens's 527 Group". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Abcarian, Robin (September 4, 2008). "Sarah Palin's 'new feminism' is hailed: Outside the convention hall, questions are raised about the pro-life working mother's family responsibilities". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Palin's rise a model for maverick politicians". Washington Times. Retrieved 2008-09-03. See also: "Alaska Governor Concedes Defeat in Primary". The New York Times. 2006-08-03. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ^ Johnson 2008, p. 107
- ^ "Alaska Governor Sarah Palin". Alaskan State Govt. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
- ^ a b Ayres, Sabra (May 30). "Alaska's governor tops the approval rating charts". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
and|year=
/|date=
mismatch (help) - ^ "Palin approval rating takes huge dive". Alaska Report. September 24.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
and|year=
/|date=
mismatch (help) - ^ "Alaska Governor Sarah Palin". Gov.state.ak.us. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ Halpin, James (2007-07-10). "Palin signs ethics reforms". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
- ^ Carlton, Jim (2008-08-31). "Alaska's Palin Faces Probe". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ a b "State of the State Address Jan 17, 2007". 2007-01-17. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Bender, Bryan (2008-09-03). "Palin not well traveled outside US". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ Bender, Bryan (2008-09-13). "Palin camp clarifies extent of Iraq trip:Says she never ventured beyond Kuwait border". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ a b "Palin's Interview with ABC News". Fox News. September 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Shinohara, Rosemary (July 16, 2007). "No vetoes here". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- ^ Bradner, Tim (July 8, 2007). "Lawmakers cringe over governor's deep budget cuts". Alaska Journal of Commerce. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Cockerham, Sean (May 24, 2008). "Palin's veto ax lops $268 million from budget". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ Yardley, William (2007-08-25). ""Jet that Helped Defeat an Alaska Governor is Sold."". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ "Governor's Plane Wasn't Sold on Ebay". The Washington Post. 2008-09-06. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ a b Grimaldi, James V. (2008-09-09). "Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|co-authors=
ignored (help) - ^ The Anchorage Daily News, January 20, 2008: Palin does not use the governor's private chef, whom Palin transferred to the Lounge of the State Legislature.
- ^ Luo, Michael; and Leslie Wayne. Palin Aides Defend Billing State for Time at Home. New York Times, 2008-09-09.
- ^ Garance Burke (2008-10-11). "As governor, Palin sometimes bonds Church and state". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
- ^ Tuesday, January 29, 2008 By: Leslie K. Paige. "Citizens Against Government Waste: Alaska Begins to Grow Up". Cagw.org. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "McCain, Palin criticize Obama on earmarks - John McCain News - MSNBC.com". Msnbc.msn.com. September 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Palin's earmark requests: more per person than any other state". Seattle Times. See also: Associated Press: Taylor, Andrew, "Palins Pork Requests Confound Image".
- ^ Bolstad, Erika. "Palin's Take On Earmarks Evolving", Anchorage Daily News, (2008-09-08)
- ^ a b c Tom Kizzia (2008-08-31). "Palin touts stance on 'Bridge to Nowhere,' doesn't note flip-flop". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ a b Associated Press (2007-09-22). "'Bridge to nowhere' abandoned". CNN.com. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
- ^ a b Burke, Garance. “Palin and the Knik Arm bridge”, Associated Press via ‘’Anchorage Daily News’’ (2008-09-16).
- ^ Hulse, Carl (November 17, 2005). "Two 'Bridges to Nowhere' Tumble Down in Congress". The New York Times.
- ^ url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/22/alaska.bridge.ap/%7Cdate=2007-09-22|work=CNN|title='Bridge to nowhere' bandoned}}
- ^ "Where they stand (10/22/2006)", Anchorage Daily News, August 29, 2008
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link): "5. Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges? Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now - while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." - ^ a b
Governor's Office (September 21, 2007). "Gravina Access Project Redirected" (Press release). Governor's Office–State of Alaska.
Governor Sarah Palin today directed the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to look for the most fiscally responsible alternative for access to the Ketchikan airport and Gravina Island instead of proceeding any further with the proposed $398-million bridge.
- ^ Rosen, Yereth (September 1, 2008). "Palin 'bridge to nowhere' line angers many Alaskans". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ Kizzia, Tom. "Palin touts stance on 'Bridge to Nowhere,' doesn't note flip-flop", Anchorage Daily News (2008-08-31)
- ^ Palin "bridge to nowhere" line angers many Alaskans: "In the city Ketchikan, the planned site of the so-called 'Bridge to Nowhere,' political leaders of both parties said the claim was false and a betrayal of their community...."
- ^ "Proposed bridge faces questions". Juneau Empire (2008-06-10). Retrieved 2008-09-29: "Palin, a former Wasilla mayor, has said she supports the idea of a Knik arm bridge. But she also said the authority's plans must be reviewed."
- ^ http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/535145.html
- ^ a b Rosen, Yereth (2008-08-27). "Alaska governor signs natgas pipeline license bill". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ "Governor Palin Unveils the AGIA". News & Announcements. State of Alaska. 2007-03-02. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ a b "Palin's Pipeline to Nowhere". Retrieved 2009-09-23.
{{cite web}}
: Text "Newsweek Periscope" ignored (help); Text "Newsweek.com" ignored (help) - ^ a b Cockerham, Sean (August 14, 2008). "Palin staff pushed to have trooper fired". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ a b Demer, Lisa (August 30, 2008). "'Troopergate' inquiry hangs over campaign: 'Troopergate' inquiry hangs over campaign". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
For the record, no one ever said fire Wooten. Not the governor. Not Todd. Not any of the other staff. What they said directly was more along the lines of 'This isn't a person that we would want to be representing our state troopers.'
Cite error: The named reference "Demer" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ a b c Holland, Megan (July 19, 2008). "Monegan says he was pressured to fire cop". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ a b c Grimaldi, James V. and Kindy, Kimberly, James V. (August 31, 2008). "Long-Standing Feud in Alaska Embroils Palin". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Demer, Lisa (2008-08-30). "'Troopergate' inquiry hangs over campaign". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
Monegan said he believes his firing was directly related to the fact Wooten stayed on the job.
- ^ Posted by Alaska_Politics. "adn.com | Alaska Politics : Palin spokeswoman: Kopp never told governor about reprimand (Updated with comments from lawmakers)". Community.adn.com. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ "The state Legislative Council, which ordered the investigation, is dominated by Republicans", Palin Abused Power in Trooper Case, Alaska Probe Says (Update1)
- ^ a b c Espo, David (September 19, 2008). "Palin probe has parallels to 2000 recount fight". Associated Press.
- ^ Loy, Wesley (July 29, 2008). "Hired help will probe Monegan dismissal". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- ^ Grimaldi, James V. and Vick, Karl (September 4, 2008). "Palin E-Mails Show Intense Interest in Trooper's Penalty". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Sean Cockerham (August 14, 2008). "Alaska's governor admits her staff tried to have trooper fired". Anchorage Daily News. McClatchy. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- ^ Demer, Lisa (July 27, 2008). "Is Wooten a good trooper?". Anchorage Daily News.
- ^ "Namely, specifically, most disturbing, is a telephone recording apparently made and preserved by the troopers...", Anchorage Daily News (2008-08-13).
- ^ Ross, Brian and Tepper, Len (September 2, 2008). "'October Surprise' Over Palin Investigation?"". ABC News.
'It's likely to be damaging to the Governor's administration,' said Senator Hollis French, a Democrat… 'She has a credibility problem,' he said…. 'Now they may have to deal with an October surprise,' he said….
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Palin seeks review of Monegan firing case: Governor makes ethics complaint against herself to force action". Anchorage Daily News. 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ Demer, Lisa (September 2, 2008). "Attorney challenges Monegan firing inquiry". Retrieved 2008-09-02.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|workr=
ignored (help) - ^ Van Flein, Thomas. "Motion for determination of no probable cause" (2008-09-15).
- ^ Loy, Wesley (September 15, 2008). "Palin accuses Monegan of insubordination". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ Quinn, Steve (September 17, 2008), "Alaska AG: State employees won't honor subpoenas", The Guardian, UK
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link). - ^ Cockerham, Sean (October 2, 2008), "Judge refuses to halt Troopergate probe", Anchorage Daily News
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "7 Palin aides to testify in abuse-of-power probe", associated press, October 5, 2008
{{citation}}
: Unknown parameter|name=
ignored (help) - ^ Branchflower, Stephen (2008-10-10). "Stephen Branchflower report to the Legislative Council" (PDF). State of Alaska Legislature. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
- ^ Branchflower report, page 8.
- ^ Rood, Justin (2008-10-10). "Troopergate Report: Palin Abused Power: Unanimous but Contentious Vote to Release the Report to the Public". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "State Puts Bounty on Wolves". Anchorage Daily News. March 21, 2007. See also: "Governor Palin Introduces Bill to Streamline Predator Management Laws". Alaska Department of Game and Fish. May 11, 2007.
- ^ DeMarban, Alex. (March 31, 2007). "Judge orders state to stop wolf bounties". Anchorage Daily News.
- ^ a b c "McCain taps Alaska Gov. Palin as vice president pick". CNN. 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- ^ a b c Bumiller, Elisabeth; and Michael Cooper. Conservative Ire Pushed McCain From Lieberman. The New York Times, 2008-08-30.
- ^ Kudlow and Company. CNBC. July 31, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP5mIXrk4qI.
{{cite news}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ Dan Balz and Robert Barnes. Palin Made an Impression From the Start. The Washington Post, 2008-08-31.
- ^ Bauder, David (2008-09-04). "More than 40 million people see Palin speech". Forbes/AP. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ Delbridge, Rena (September 3. 2008). "Alaska delegates see more Republican convention attention". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Wangsness, Lisa (September 5, 2008). "Republicans point fingers at media over Palin coverage". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ "Palin Power: Fresh Face Now More Popular Than Obama, McCain". Rasmussen Reports. September 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
- ^ "Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin". 2008 Republican National Convention. 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ Romano, Andrew (2008-09-08). "The Politics of the 'Bridge to Nowhere'". Stumper. Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Holmes, Elizabeth and Meckler, Laura (September 9, 2008). "Record Contradicts Palin's 'Bridge' Claims". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Davies, Anne (September 16, 2008). "Press picks over litter of lies on the Palin trail". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
Virtually every media group in the country has now concluded that Mrs Palin exaggerated her claim in her acceptance speech that she said, 'Thanks, but no thanks to the Bridge to Nowhere', a notorious federally funded project that involved building a bridge to a remote island in Alaska.
- ^ "An Apostle of Alaska". Newsweek. September 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ Rowland, Kara (2008-09-19). "Hacker wanted to 'derail' Palin". The Washingon Times. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
- ^ Jordan, Lara Jakes (September 22, 2008). "FBI searches apartment in Palin hacking case". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ MANSFIELD, DUNCAN (October 8, 2008). "Son of Tenn. Democrat indicted in Palin hacking". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ Wallsten, Peter; Hook, Janet (September 9, 2009), l "Palin bounce has Democrats off balance", Los Angeles Times
{{citation}}
: Check|url=
value (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Calmes, Jackie (August 31, 2008). "Palin drawing women's attention, maybe not allegiance". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ Agrell, Siri (September 10, 2008). "Did Palin give McCain a boost with women?". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ^ Davis, Susan (September 9, 2008). "WSJ/NBC News Poll: Palin Boosts McCain's Ticket". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ^ Garofoli, Joe (2008). "Palin: McCain campaign's end-run around media". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ Calderone, Michael (2008). "Sarah Palin has yet to meet the press". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ Swaine, Jon (2008). "Sarah Palin interview: pundits give mixed reviews". Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ a b c Nagourney, Adam (2008). "Concerns About Palin's Readiness as Big Test Nears". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ Alberts, Sheldon (2008). "Palin raising fears among Republican conservatives". Canada.com. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ "Some conservatives express Palin doubts". UPI. 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ Carol Costello, Dana Bash and Scott J. Anderson (2008). "Conservatives to McCain camp: Let Palin be Palin". CNN. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ "Palin prepping for debate in seclusion". UPI. 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ Daniel, Douglass (August 2, 2008). "Obama backs away from McCain's debate challenge". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ^ "Debate poll says Biden won, Palin beat expectations". Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ^ Cooper, Michael. Palin, on Offensive, Attacks Obama’s Ties to ’60s Radical. The New York Times. October 4, 2008.
- ^ Obama '08. "The Truth about Barack Obama and William Ayers". Retrieved 2008-10-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Dobbs, Michael (February 19, 2008), "Obama's 'Weatherman' Connection", The Washington Post
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Graham, Caroline (August 31, 2008). "Why John McCain's beauty queen running mate has a grizzly bear on her office wall". Daily Mail. UK. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ "Sarah Palin's Biography". Governor's Office–State of Alaska. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Theimer, Sharon (2008-10-01). "Estimates Show Palin Assets Top $1 Million". ABC. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^ Accurint (Lexis/Nexis) public records search for Track Palin, www.accurint.com
- ^ Quinn, Steve and Calvin Woodward (August 31, 2008). "McCain makes history with choice of running mate". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ Quinn, Steve (September 19, 2007). "Palin's son leaves for Army boot camp". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
- ^ "Palin's son's job to guard his commanders in Iraq". Associated Press. September 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ "John McCain's running mate: Sarah Palin's teenage daughter is pregnant - Telegraph". Telegraph. September 1, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Demer, Lisa (April 21, 2008). "Palin confirms baby has Down syndrome". Anchorage Daily News.
- ^ a b Newton-Small, Jay (August 29, 2008). "Interview with Sarah Palin". Time.
- ^ "About us". Wasilla Assembly of God. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ "Statement Concerning Sarah Palin". Juneau Christian Center. 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
- ^ Miller, Lisa; Coyne, Amanda (September 2, 2008), "A Visit to Palin's Church: Scripture and discretion on the program in Wasilla.", Newsweek.
- ^ Kaye, Randi (2008-09-12). "Pastor: GOP may be downplaying Palin's religious beliefs". CNN. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ Braiker, Brian (2008-08-29). "On the Hunt". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ Palin, Sarah (2006-11-07). "Issues" (quoted in On the Issues). Palin for Governor (inactive web site). Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Kizzia, Tom (2006-10-27). "'Creation science' enters the race". Anchorage Daily News.: "the discussion of alternative views should be allowed to arise in Alaska classrooms: 'I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum. She added that, if elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state's required curriculum."
- ^ a b Hopkins, Kyle (2006-08-06). "Same-sex unions, drugs get little play". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ a b c Suddath, Claire. "Conservative Believer". Time. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Palin won't concede change of heart on bridge". Seattle Times. September 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
- ^ Forgey, Pat. "Abortion draws clear divide in state races". Juneau Empire. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ 2006 Alaska gubernatorial debate at about 11:50.
- ^ Demer, Lisa (September 7, 2008). "Abortion opponents give Palin high marks". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
- ^ Transcript of third Gibson-Palin interview, Sept. 12, 2008
- ^ Sarah Palin dishes on health and science: What does she really think?
- ^ Couric, Katie (September 30, 2008). "CBS News: Palin Speaks About Controversial Issues". CBS Broadcasting Inc. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ Mehta, Seema (2008-09-06). "Palin appears to disagree with McCain on sex education". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Alaska: Suit Filed Over Polar Bears", The New York Times, pp. A19, August 6, 2008
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Bryan Walsh (2008-09-01). "Palin on the Environment: Far Right". Time. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
- ^ "Governor Palin Urges Feds to not list Belugas as Endangered". State of Alaska. 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ^ a b Coppock, Mike (August 29, 2008). "Palin Speaks to Newsmax About McCain, Abortion, Climate Change". Newsmax. Retrieved 2008-08-29. Cite error: The named reference "anthroGW" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Saine, Cindy. "Republican VP Candidate Palin Defends Her Experience". Voice of America. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ^ Rutenberg, Jim (September 12, 2008). "In First Big Interview, Palin Says, 'I'm Ready'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
- ^ Associated Press (September 11, 2008). "Palin leaves open the option of war with Russia". Boston Herald.
External links
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- Official Campaign Website for McCain/Palin 2008
- Alaska Office of Governor Sarah Palin
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Palin 2006 campaign contributions from Follow the Money
- Palin/Parnell 2006 campaign contributions from Follow the Money
- Ongoing news and commentary from The Anchorage Daily News
- Ongoing news and commentary from The New York Times
- Sarah Palin rumor control from Snopes
- Republican Convention Spin and Sliming Palin rumor control from FactCheck.org
- Sarah Palin at Curlie
- NOW: Meet Sarah Palin video from PBS
- Charlie Gibson Interviews Sarah Palin from ABC News, September 2008
- One-On-One with Sarah Palin transcripts and videos from CBS News with Katie Couric, September 2008
- Report on Abuse of Power With Support Documents, October 10,2008
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