The Classic Liberal Blog

As you are all aware, Senator John McCain, "the boring old white dude", announced his running mate today - "The Hottest Governor in America", Sarah Palin. A surprising choice ... not because she isn't widely known, but because it was an aggressive, offensive move.  Barack Obama was a young, unknown just a year ago too, so he made a safe, defensive pick in a running mate, by choosing Senator Joe Biden, a man with a long career in Washington.

John McCain proved to be the candidate who's not afraid of a strong woman. In his own words, "She stands up for what's right and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down. She's fought oil companies and party bosses and do-nothing bureaucrats, and anyone who puts their interests before the people of whom she swore an oath to serve."

So let's take a closer look at Governor Sarah Palin, the "hockey mom from Alaska", and possible Vice President of the United States.

While Barack Obama was editing speeches to "emphasize" a rags-to-riches theme at the Democratic Party convention, Sarah Palin is the real deal!

Sarah Palin is unique in today's political landscape. A lifetime member of the NRA, she likes to hunt and fish, she even worked with her husband Todd as a commercial fisherman. Todd Palin, her high school sweetheart and Native Yup'ik Eskimo, works for BP at an oil field on the North Slope, and is a champion snowmobiler, winning the 2000 mile "Iron Dog" race 4 times.

The Palin's have 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls. Track, her eldest at 18, joined the Army on 9/11/07, and now serves in an infantry brigade set to deploy to Iraq this September. The girls are Bristol 17, Willow 13, and Piper age 7. Sarah gave birth to their fifth child, and second boy in April of this year.

Trig Paxson Van Palin, was born with Down Syndrome. When she was informed of the prenatal genetic test results, she said "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection. Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"

After a brief stint working as a local sports reporter, and working with Todd as a commercial fisherman, Sarah moved on to serve two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska City Council. In 1996 she took on the incumbent mayor, and won. Criticizing wasteful spending and high taxes.

Sarah Palin actually kept her campaign promises, including cutting her own salary and reducing people's property taxes - by 60%. In 1999, she won her second term by wide margin. Then in 2002, Sarah made an unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor, coming in second in a four-way race. Afterwards, then Governor Frank Murkowski appointed her as Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, where she served from 2003-2004.

This is where we find out she really isn't a Washington-insider (aka the Political class). During her tenure as Commissioner, Sarah started uncovering a slew of wrongdoings, and after complaining to the Governor's office and to state Attorney General Gregg Renkes, she resigned in protest. State law barred her from speaking publicly about it (don't you just love the special treatment Politicians get?), but she was soon vindicated when fellow-Republican and state party chairman, Randy Ruedrich agreed to pay a $12,000 fine for breaking state ethics laws.

Sarah continued to take on the establishment, joining Eric Croft (D), in an ethics complaint against Renkes. Governor Frank Murkowski reprimanded Renkes and said the case was closed. It wasn't. Renkes resigned a few weeks later.

In 2006, Sarah Palin ran for Governor, campaigning on a anti-establishment platform of cleaning up government. With virtually no support from the state Republican Party, Sarah upset Murkowski in the Republican primaries, and went on to upset her Democratic opponent, former Governor Tony Knowles, to win the general election. Palin became the first woman Governor in Alaskan history, as well as it's youngest, by standing-up, and taking on the (almost all male) Alaskan power politics establishment.

After taking office, Palin rescinded many appointments by Murkowski, including his former cheif of staff, Jim Clark, who ended up pleading guilty for conspiring with a defunct oil company to channel money into Murkowski's re-election campaign.

In her short time in office, Governor Palin has done more than just clean-up the old "business-as-usual", she passed an ethics bill, and buried pork-barrel projects supported by fellow Republicans. Recently, she vetoed 13% of the state's capital spending budget. Sarah even killed the "Bridge to Nowhere"!

According to Sarah, "Alaska needs to be self-sufficient, instead of relying heavily on 'federal dollars,' as the state does today."

Never afraid to stand-up for what she believes in, Governor Sarah Palin has publicly challenged Senator Ted Stevens (R) to address a probe by the FBI into his financial dealings. She also wants Stevens' son to resign his post as an Alaska representative on the Republican National Committee, since he's also under investigation.

What about other issues?

Sarah Palin a regular churchgoer, and staunchly pro-life, can also be considered the most libertarian Republican to be on a major ticket in a long time. She's a fierce fighter of government waste, an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, and while she's strongly against gay marriage, she used her veto power as Governor to make sure same-sex couples received their full benefits. In my opinion, the most common sense, and least divisive position on the subject.

Regarding the Drug War, Palin doesn't support legalization of marijuana, worrying about sending the wrong message to her kids. But she believes methamphetamines are a greater threat and should be a higher priority. When asked if she had smoked marijuana, Palin answered "I can't claim a Bill Clinton and say that I never inhaled."

Sarah Palin also sued the Federal government over its listing of the polar bear as an endangered species, stating the designation would slow needed economic development, and supports drilling for oil in ANWR.