Sarah Palin

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Template:TOC-right Sarah Louise Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964), the 11th Alaska state governor, is the U.S. Republican Party's presumptive vice presidential nominee for the 2008 United States presidential election. She was chosen by the party's presumptive presidential nominee, John McCain, in August 2008.

Before coming to national attention as McCain's running mate, Palin was elected governor of Alaska in 2006. Her political experience prior to this consisted of two terms as mayor/manager of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. about 9,000), from 1996 to 2002, and two terms as a Wasilla City Council member (1992-1996). She had also been a chair of the Alaska Conservation Commission which regulates oil and gas, and was president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.

Early media coverage of Sarah Palin's appointment to the McCain ticket focused on various controversies, including: an ongoing investigation into allegations that she tried to have her brother-in-law fired during an acrimonous divorce from her sister; the circumstances surrounding the birth of her fifth child; her initial backing for the Alaskan "Bridge to Nowhere" project; and her support for oil drilling in Alaska.

Family background and education

Palin was born in Idaho but the family moved to Alaska when she was still a baby. She was baptized as a Roman Catholic but as a child was brought into the Assembly of God, a Pentacostal church.[1] Palin graduated in 1982 from Wasilla High School and received a bachelors degree from the University of Idaho in communications-journalism in 1987. She has lived in Skagway, Eagle River and Wasilla. She married Todd Palin and together they have five children - Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig. She has been praised by pro-life groups for not terminating her pregnancy after learning that Trig had Down Syndrome (trisomy 21).

On 1 September 2008, in response to an internet rumor that Trig was actually Brisol's son,[2] Palin announced that Bristol was five months pregnant and had decided to keep the baby and marry the father. John McCain had been informed of this matter prior to choosing Palin as his running mate.[3]

Political ideology and positions

Palin is politically conservative, an anti-abortionist, and a long-time member of the National Rifle Association. Although she vetoed a bill to deny benefits to gays, because she felt it was unconstitutional, she believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman, and is in favor of constitutional ammendments to deny gay rights[4][5]. She touts herself as an anti-corruption leader, although she is currently under investigation for allegedly using her office to fire Walter Monegan, the Public Safety Commissioner she appointed, for refusing to fire her former brother-in-law, Michael Wooten, an Alaskan state trooper[6].

Palin is an evanglical Protestant, and supports the teaching of creationism in public schools[7][8], although hasn't pushed this policy during her governorship in Alaska.

The environment

In spire of being an avid hunter and fisherman, Palin opposed the protection of salmon contamination due to mining operations, and as governer she had the State of Alaska file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne's decision to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.[9]. She is business-friendly and encourages the increased development of the timber, mining, drilling, and fishing industries in Alaska, including the opening of ANWR for oil drilling.[10].

Government reform

As governer, she presented a wide-reaching ethics reform bill to the Alaska Legislature on January 24, 2007, that focused on tightening ethics rules for the executive branch. The bills tightens employments restrictions after leaving office, increases disclosure of conflicts of interests, enhanced financial disclosures, bans gifts from lobbyists and improves electronic access.[11] She favors cleaning up the Republican Party. In a July 2008 interview she stated "It seems to me the GOP has just got to cleanse itself of all the pork barrel, corruption, lobbying, cash-for-favors that cost them the Congress back in November 2006[12]. Although initially supporting the now infamous $400 million "Bridge to Nowhere" to the town of Ketchikan, Alaska during annual trips to Washington, D.C., she is now against the bridge and all Congressional earmarks[13].

Taxes

Palin favors reducing or eliminating taxes that hinder business and "nuisance taxes", such as the tire tax. As governer she stated "I will propose reducing or eliminating burdensome taxes on our citizens like business license fees and the tire tax"[14] As mayor she cut property taxes, increased the city sales tax by half a percent and put more money into public safety.

Death penalty

Palin favors the death penalty, declaring:

"If the legislature passed a death penalty law, I would sign it. We have a right to know that someone who rapes and murders a child or kills an innocent person in a drive by shooting will never be able to do that again..[15]

Drugs

Palin admits that she smoked marijuana when it was legal under Alaska law, but not U.S. law, and stated "I can't claim a Bill Clinton and say that I never inhaled".[16] She now favors strict drunk driving laws and opposes the legalization of marijuana and other drugs, and finds particular trouble with methamphetamines.[17]

Business experience

From 1987-1989, Palin worked as a sports reporter. She has owned two business, a commercial fishing coperation from 1988-2007 and a sport vehicle rental business from 1994-1989.

References

http://gov.state.ak.us/bio.html
  1. Los Angeles Times: 'Palin has risen quickly from PTA to VP pick.' August 30 2008.
  2. Daily Kos: 'Sarah Palin is NOT the mother.' August 30 2008.
  3. CNN: 'Teen daughter of GOP VP pick is pregnant.' September 1 2008.
  4. Anchorage Daily News, "Little play," by K. Hopkins Aug 6, 2006
  5. New York Times, pp. A1 & A10, "An Outsider Who Charms" Aug 29, 2008
  6. IckyPeople.com.
  7. Tom Kizzia, "'Creation science' enters the race", Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006.
  8. Wired Science Blog, McCain's VP Wants Creationism Taught in School
  9. Governor's office press release, "Polar Bear" Aug 4, 2008
  10. State of the State Address Jan 17, 2007
  11. Governor's office press release, "100th Day in Office" Mar 13, 2007
  12. CNBC "Kudlow & Company" Interview Jul 31, 2008
  13. New York Times, pp. A1 & A10, "An Outsider Who Charms" Aug 29, 2008
  14. State of the State Address to the 25th Alaska Legislature Jan 15, 2008
  15. Campaign website, "Issues".
  16. Anchorage Daily News, "Little play," by K. Hopkins Aug 6, 2006
  17. Anchorage Daily News, "Little play," by K. Hopkins Aug 6, 2006

See also