Sarah Palin

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Sarah Palin
Governor Sarah Palin
11th Governor of Alaska
Incumbent
Assumed office  December 4, 2006
Lieutenant	Sean Parnell
Preceded by	Frank Murkowski
Born	February 11 1964 ( 1964-02-11) (age 44) Sandpoint, Idaho
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Todd Palin
Alma mater	University of Idaho
Profession	Journalist
Religion	Protestant

Sarah Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964) is the current Governor of Alaska, and a member of the Republican Party.

[edit] Biography

Palin was born as Sarah Louise Heath in Sandpoint, Idaho, U.S.A..

Palin was the point guard for the Wasilla High School Warriors when they won the Alaska small-school basketball championship, in 1982.^[1] In 1984, Palin competed in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant after winning the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year.^[2] In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality.

Details of Palin's personal life have contributed to her political image. She eats moose burgers and rides snowmobiles.^[3] She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, but says that she did not like it.^[4]

Palin holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho. She briefly worked in the media and utility industries.^{[citation needed]}

Palin holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association. Her husband, Todd, works for BP at an oil field on the North Slope^[5] and is a commercial fisherman.^{[citation needed]} On September 11, 2007, the Palins' son Track joined the Army. Age 18 at the time, he is the eldest of her five children.^[6] She also has three daughters, Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7.^[7] On April 18, 2008, Palin gave birth to her second son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome.^[8] The Palin family lives in Wasilla, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Anchorage.^[6]

[edit] Pre-gubernatorial political experience

Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996 and became a two-term mayor and city manager of Wasilla, one of Alaska's fastest-growing communities. She was in office from 1996 to 2002.^[9] Palin was also elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.^[7]

In 2002, Palin made a failed bid for Lieutenant Governor, coming in second to Loren Leman in a four-way race. After Frank Murkowski became governor (resigning his long-held U.S. Senate seat in mid-term), some considered Palin to be his possible successor.^{[citation needed]} However, Murkowski appointed his daughter, then-Alaska State Representative Lisa Murkowski.

Then-Governor Murkowski appointed Palin Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission^[10], where she served from 2003 to 2004 -- until resigning in protest over what she perceived to be the "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders.^{[citation needed]} Her critics included the state Republican party's chairman, Randy Ruedrich, one of her fellow Oil & Gas commissioners (who was accused of doing work for the party on public time, and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail).^[11] Palin filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes (who was eventually acquitted). Palin also served an elected term on the Valley Hospital board.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Governorship

Governor Palin with Alaska's At-large U.S. Representative Don Young

In 2006, Palin executed an upset victory over then-Gov. Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary. She went on to win the general election in November 2006, defeating former Governor Tony Knowles. Palin said in 2006 that education, public safety, and transportation would be three cornerstones of her administration.^[4]

When elected, Palin became the youngest governor in Alaskan history (42 years old upon taking office), and the first woman to be Alaska's governor. Palin was also the first Alaskan governor born after Alaska achieved U.S. statehood. She was also the first Alaskan governor not to be inaugurated in Juneau, instead choosing to hold her inauguration ceremony in Fairbanks. She took office on December 4, 2006. Her Lieutenant Governor was Sean Parnell.

Palin supports holding occasional legislative sessions outside the state capital, and municipal revenue sharing to help local governments.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Energy policies

Shortly after taking office, Palin rescinded the appointment of former chief of staff Jim Clark to the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, reversing an appointment made in the closing days or hours of Frank Murkowski's Administration. ^[12] Clark later pled guilty to conspiring with a defunct oil-field-services company to channel money into Frank Murkowski's re-election campaign. ^[13]

In April 2007, Palin announced plans to create a new sub-cabinet, to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska. ^[14]

In March 2007, Palin presented the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) as the new legal vehicle for building a natural gas pipeline from the state's North Slope.^[15] Only one legislator, Representative Ralph Samuels, voted against the measure,^[16] and in June Palin signed it into law.^[17][18] On January 5, 2008, Palin announced that a Canadian Company, Transcanada Corp, was the sole AGIA-compliant applicant.^[19][20]

In response to high oil and gas prices, and in response to the resulting state government budget surplus, Palin proposed giving Alaskans $100-a-month energy debit cards. She also proposed providing grants to electrical utilities so that they would reduce customers' rates.^[21] She subsequently dropped the debit card proposal, and in its place she proposed to send Alaskans $1,200 directly.^[22]

[edit] Same Sex rights and abortion

Palin is strongly pro-life and belongs to Feminists for Life.^[4] She opposes same-sex marriage; but, she has stated that she has gay friends, and is receptive to gay and lesbian concerns about discrimination.^[4] While the previous administration did not implement same-sex benefits, Palin complied with a state Supreme Court order and signed them into law. ^[23]

She supported a democratic advisory vote from the public on whether there should be a constitutional amendment on the matter.^[24] Alaska was one of the first U.S. states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998, along with Hawaii.^[25]

Palin's first veto was used on legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to gay state employees and their partners. In effect, her veto granted State of Alaska benefits to same-sex couples. The veto occurred after Palin consulted with Alaska's attorney general on the constitutionality of the legislation.^[26]

[edit] Matanuska Maid Dairy Closure

Matanuska Maid Dairy was a state-owned business. When the Alaska Dairy Board recommended closing the unprofitable business, Palin fired the board and appointed long-time Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska associates to replace the ousted boardmembers -- including influential real estate businesswoman Kristan Cole.^[27] The new board quickly approved raising the price of milk offered by the dairy, in an attempt to control fiscal losses, despite the fact that milk from Washington was already offered in Alaskan stores at lower prices.^[28] In the end, the dairy was forced to close, and the state tried to sell the assets to pay off its debts, but no bids were received.^[29][30]

[edit] Budget

In the first days of her administration, Palin followed through on a campaign promise to sell the Westwind II jet purchased (on a state government credit account) by the Murkowski administration. The state placed the jet for sale on eBay three times. In August 2007, the jet was sold for $2.7 million.^[31]

Shortly after becoming governor, Palin canceled an 11 miles (18 km) gravel road outside of Juneau to a mine, reversing a decision made in the closing days or hours of the Murkowski Administration.^[32]

In June 2007, Palin signed into law the largest operating budget in Alaska's history ($6.6 billion).^[33] At the same time, she used her veto power to make the second-largest cuts of the construction budget in state history. The US$237 million in cuts represented over 300 local projects, and reduced the construction budget to nearly US$1.6 billion.^[34]

[edit] Commissioner Dismissal

On July 11, 2008, Palin dismissed Walt Monegan as Commissioner of Public Safety and offered him a position as executive director of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board which he subsequently turned down.^[35] According to Monegan, he was dismissed over his reluctance to fire an Alaska State Trooper involved in a divorce and child custody battle with Palin's sister, Molly McCann.^[36] Palin has asserted that she wants the Department of Public Safety to head in a "new direction" and noted that her ex-brother-in-law is still employed by the state.

[edit] High Approval Ratings

In July 2007, Palin had an approval rating often in the 90s.^[37] A poll the following month had her approval rating at 84 percent, with five percent disapproving.^[38]

A poll published by Hays Research on July 28, 2008 showed Palin's approval rating at 80%. ^[39]

[edit] Vice Presidential Prospects

Main article: Republican Party (United States) vice presidential candidates, 2008

Palin has been rumored as a unique and viable candidate for the Vice-Presidency with Republican presumptive nominee Senator John McCain in the 2008 election.^[40][41]

Due to her female status, youthful image, background in government reform, pro-life, fiscal and social conservative, and an approval commonly ranging in the 80%-90% within her state, Palin could become the ticket to solidify the Conservative base, garner independent support as well as some of the dissenchanted Hillary Clinton female support. Furthermore, Palin has a strong and growing community of online supporters lobbying for her.^{[42][42][43][44][45]}

^[46] Despite these factors, there has been no indication from John McCain's campaign of a Palin pick and major media outlets have rarely mentioned Palin as potential Vice President pick.

[edit] Electoral history

[edit] Election results

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sarah Palin

• Alaska Office of Governor Sarah Palin
• National Governors Association - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin biography
• University of Idaho alumni magazine - Sarah Palin - winter 2008 - p.14
• Follow the Money - Palin 2006 campaign contributions
• Follow the Money - Palin/Parnell 2006 campaign contributions
• On the Issues - Sarah Palin's issue positions and quotes
• Project Vote Smart - Governor Sarah H. Palin profile
• Palin for Governor
• Sarah Smile Anchorage Press, August 2006 cover story
• Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski ousted in a humiliating defeat to Sarah Palin Alaska Report, August 24, 2006
• Official Portrait
• Alaska's 'Frustrated' Governor Palin On Our 'Nonsensical' Energy Policy Interview with Investor's Business Daily

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