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She’s not exactly wet behind the ears. Governor Sarah has 14 years in public service. Among Palin’s accomplishments:

As mayor of Wasilla, a fast-growing Anchorage suburb, she reduced property tax levels while increasing services and drawing in new industry. She was also elected head of Alaska’s conference of mayors.

As chair of the Alaska Conservation Commission (which regulates oil and gas), complained to “[then-]Governor Frank Murkowski and to state Attorney General Gregg Renkes about ethical violations by another commissioner, Randy Ruedrich, who was also Republican state chairman.” Rebuffed, she resigned — but then deftly proceeded to drive all three of them out of office, finally triumphantly besting incumbent Murkowski in 2006 by capturing 51% of the vote in a three-way GOP primary. Palin then won handily (and against national trends) against popular former governor Tony Knowles in the 2006 general election. (Campaign slogan: “New Energy for Alaska.”) Risked her entire political career to take on her own party’s entrenched, corrupt leadership, and then thoroughly and effectively cleaned house in the largest state in the Union.

As governor, Palin used line-item veto to cut $268 million from state spending bills — in a state where pork projects have been the norm for years. She resisted and made her vetoes stick. That’s the antidote to Bridges to Nowhere! (Which she opposed, by the way; the federal money originally committed to it, she’s now re-directed into more appropriate infrastructure programs.)

As governor, she’s also pushed hard against other entrenched interests, including the energy companies (BP, ConocoPhilips, and ExxonMobil) who hold the lease rights to much of Alaska’s oil and gas wealth. She is a fierce, knowledgeable, and articulate advocate of responsible development of Alaskan resources to benefit not only its own residents — who actually pay among the nation’s highest gasoline prices and have the least access to affordable and clean natural gas — but also the other 49 states, and she recognizes that this is not just a matter of economic necessity, but ultimately of national security.

As governor, Palin has spoken out and brought suit to prevent radical environmentalists from exploiting the ridiculous naming of the polar bear as an endangered species, showing no hesitation to stand up against them or their fellow tracellers in the federal bureaucracy

Gov. Palin’s 2008 budget slows the growth of her state’s government dramatically. In contrast to Alaska’s recent state budgets, which tended to grow by an eye-popping 14% per year, Gov. Palin’s new budget called for only 4% more general fund spending than the previous year and just 1% more spending on agency operations (at a time when the costs to provide services are skyrocketing).

From her 2008 state of the state address:

“Challenges lie ahead, but let’s look back at the last year and at some accomplishments. In Education, we are shaping a three-year funding plan to finally shift the school debate from perpetual “money talk” to accountability and achievement! We are focusing on foundational skills needed in the “real-world” workplace and in college. In Natural Resources, we’ve opened arms to welcome development – but only responsibly, or not at all. Thanks to those abundant resources we will be able to provide for the urgent needs of our citizens. In Revenue, Alaskans ushered in a new era of stability with ACES, our new oil and gas appraisal system. It will provide protection even when oil prices aren’t as high as they are now. Ronald Reagan warned, “Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.” I agree and that’s why we must save our surplus. My administration is proposing $7 billion dollars into the Permanent Fund, Constitutional Budget Reserve, the Education Fund and PERS/TRS debt relief. In Fish and Game, we are managing our fisheries based on science, not special interests. Alaska’s predator control program is showing results with greater wildlife populations so more Alaskans can hunt and feed their families the world’s healthiest, cleanest protein on God’s green earth. In Environmental Conservation, our Climate Change Sub-Cabinet has begun working on ways to adapt to impacts and we’re implementing the voter-mandated Ocean Rangers program. In Administration, we redesigned technology for government efficiency and transparency, including our nearly-complete online checkbook, showing Alaskans where their money is spent. We’ve strengthened APOC and added a new investigator. In Transportation, we added another $100 million for a total of more than $600 million for roads and airports to allow private sector growth and progress. Our “Transportation Endowment” will build a better, safer infrastructure and eliminate the threat of an increased gas tax at the pump.

In Labor, we’ve seen exciting, innovative efforts to grow private sector partnerships in mentoring programs and vocational-technical curriculums, and we’re training more healthcare providers to meet huge workforce demands. In Health and Social Services, we’re changing the Office of Children’s Services – we’ve so much work to do here. We are improving our assessment process and training to better protect Alaska’s vulnerable children. We returned senior benefits to our deserving elders. In Public Safety and Corrections, after years of positions left vacant, we’ve doubled academy recruits. I’d promised to separate wildlife brown shirts from law enforcement blues – so 96 brown shirts are finally getting to that stream near you. We’re building public trust by demanding the highest standards of those in public safety. We’re implementing realistic plans to deal with overcrowded prisons, including rehabilitation and work requirements for the 95 percent of inmates who will re-enter society instead of just “warehousing” them. In Law, we are getting tough on criminals with tougher, defensible sentences. It was a clean sweep for convictions in the Cold Case Unit. Our Civil Division is managing hundreds of legal battles to protect Alaskans’ interests. I commend Law for last year’s needed, comprehensive ethics bill. In Military and Veterans Affairs, we certified hundreds of territorial guardsmen, so those who served finally receive their benefits. We are proudly supporting our brave Alaska Guard as they provide daily search and rescue in our State, and support the War on Terror.

In Commerce, we beefed up consumer protection with changes in banking and securities.

We pushed every agency hard to deliver results. They delivered by slashing the upward trajectory of budget increases from 14 percent down to 4 percent, despite rising healthcare, retirement, and energy costs. Thank you to our Commissioners and staff for their hard work! Our economy is solid. We have a vigorous investment climate with ACES. For 20 consecutive years, the number of jobs in Alaska has grown and we expect 2,000 more new jobs this year.

We’re trickling down state wealth to communities, through a 50 percent increase in municipal revenue sharing. This can provide local property tax relief and local priorities to be met – like filling potholes and police positions.

I will propose reducing or eliminating burdensome taxes on our citizens like business license fees and the tire tax. After our citizens, our state treasure is our commonly-owned natural resources. Fifty years ago, our Constitution’s founders established lofty goals and ironclad promises to be self-sufficient and self-determined wise use of resources.

A perfect example of our self-determination is our natural gas pipeline vehicle: AGIA. AGIA’s competitive process is built on Alaska’s “must-haves.” Finally we will have an “open access” gasline so new explorers can produce new reserves, providing in-state use of our gas and careers for Alaskans. Without AGIA’s requirements, we’d be leveraged by a small group of companies. We can’t surrender revenue, judicial process and our sovereignty. AGIA works! A respected pipeline construction company, TransCanada, submitted a proposal that meets all of Alaska’s requirements. AGIA cleared the path for our gas to feed hungry local markets and to help secure the country with a safe, stable, and domestic supply of clean energy.

An AGIA license gets the ball rolling on our terms – and opens the door to innovative and strategic partnerships. We are reasonable and open to those partnerships that, at the end of the day, will get that long-awaited gas line built.

With this progress, it is with great confidence that I say our future is bright. Industry knows we want responsible development. Anadarko will drill Alaska’s first-ever gas- targeted wells on the North Slope. Chevron, FEX, Renaissance – many others are exploring. That’s ratification of AGIA’s promise to make investments profitable for industrious explorers. There’s more we can do to help leaseholders, to ramp up development. Our new reservoir study can increase development and we will ensure better, publicly supported project coordination. Besides oil, gas, and mining, we’re advancing tourism, to show the world Alaska’s majesty. We’re supporting our tremendous fisheries – for 150 years they have been the economic and social heart of our coastal communities. They define and sustain us, and I will not let politics interfere with management-for-abundance of our largest private sector employer.

To cultivate timber and agriculture, we’re encouraging responsible, economic efforts to revitalize our once-robust industries. We can and must continue to develop our economy, because we cannot and must not rely so heavily on federal government earmarks. Instead, let us power up and produce for Alaska and America. We can do this – we’re 50 years old now, and it’s time!”

This is a smart, capable and common-sense lady. She’s changed Alaska politics and Alaska itself for the better. And she accomplished something no member of our federal congress (numerous attempts, all ending in failure) or her state legislature has been able to before her in pushing the natural gas pipeline through in her state.