Posted on 07/08/2007 11:02:33 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
The Most Popular Governor Alaska's Sarah Palin is the GOP's newest star. by Fred Barnes 07/16/2007, Volume 012, Issue 41
Juneau The wipeout in the 2006 election left Republicans in such a state of dejection that they've overlooked the one shining victory in which a Republican star was born. The triumph came in Alaska where Sarah Palin, a politician of eye-popping integrity, was elected governor. She is now the most popular governor in America, with an approval rating in the 90s, and probably the most popular public official in any state.
Her rise is a great (and rare) story of how adherence to principle--especially to transparency and accountability in government--can produce political success. And by the way, Palin is a conservative who only last month vetoed 13 percent of the state's proposed budget for capital projects. The cuts, the Anchorage Daily News said, "may be the biggest single-year line-item veto total in state history."
As recently as last year, Palin (pronounced pale-in) was a political outcast. She resigned in January 2004 as head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission after complaining to the office of Governor Frank Murkowski and to state Attorney General Gregg Renkes about ethical violations by another commissioner, Randy Ruedrich, who was also Republican state chairman.
State law barred Palin from speaking out publicly about ethical violations and corruption. But she was vindicated later in 2004 when Ruedrich, who'd been reconfirmed as state chairman, agreed to pay a $12,000 fine for breaking state ethics laws. She became a hero in the eyes of the public and the press, and the bane of Republican leaders.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
A great example of an Establishment-busting reformist Conservative leader. And a hottie to boot. ;-D
She sounds good here, and I like the high approval rating. I’m not entirely sure I trust Fred Barnes ‘inside the beltway’ opinion though.
Future woman president???
All of her children's name are a little unusual?
Very sensible indeed!
Two lovely women.
Hard to say.
Alaska is not high on the Electoral College list.
OTOH, she is a telegenic, intelligent and well-spoken woman.
That could play well to a lot of suburban women who count themselves as Independents or leaning Republican.
Damn it.
I liked her, but now Barnes is singing her praises? Oh well, can’t have it all.
This is interesting. A couple weeks ago in a discussion about VP contenders, I metioned Palin if they wanted a woman. Steele for minority, and I couldn’t think of a Mid-west conservative that would be a good choice.
Now suddenly others are jumping on this bandwagon? hmm.
My brother is confused politically but admits that Conservatives have a lock on good looking women.
Alaska's new first family stands together at the inaugural in Fairbanks on December 4th, 2006 (Sarah, Todd, Piper, Bristol and Willow). Their son, Track, was at a hockey tournament in Texas and could not attend.
The names reflect the flying, fishing, sledding activities of Alaskan life.
Willow is a town near Anchorage
More photos at State of Alaska
more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
Hotness.
Notness.
A true Alaskan.
Beautiful family on all counts. Curious if Bristol is possibly adopted? I ask because she bears a resemblance to my son, whom I adopted from Kamchatka, which is just across the Bering Sea
Fred Thompson VP?
Governor Sarah Palin meets with members of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club following a memorial ceremony honoring fallen soldiers at Byers Lake.
Sailors salute Governor Sarah Palin as she arrives onboard the U.S.S. Bunker Hill. The guided missile cruiser was docked in Juneau following Operation Northern Edge.
Governor Palin is greeted by the Vikings and the Valkyries during the 2007 annual Norwegian Festival in Petersburg, Alaska.
Governor Sarah Palin answers questions from students at Hunter Elementary in Fairbanks.
People that refer to politicians as "stars" using celebrity like terms in their descriptions is a little unnerving in my mind.
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