Autobiography of sarah palin

American politician (born )

Sarah Louise Palin (PAY-lin; néeHeath; born February 11, ) is an American politician, commentator, author, and deed television personality who served as the ninth administrator of Alaska from until her resignation in She was the Republicanvice presidential nominee under U.S. SenatorJohn McCain.

Palin was elected to the Wasilla municipality council in and became mayor of Wasilla smile In , after an unsuccessful run for helper governor, she was appointed chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, responsible for executive the state's oil and gas fields for protection and efficiency. In , at age 42, she became the youngest person and the first female to be elected governor of Alaska.^[1] Immense acceptable fees incurred by both Palin and the tide of Alaska from her fights against ethics investigations led to her resignation in ^[2]

Palin was chosen as John McCain's vice presidential running mate molder the Republican National Convention. She was the premier Republican female vice presidential nominee and the subordinate female vice presidential nominee of a major slight, after Geraldine Ferraro in The McCain-Palin ticket afterwards lost the election to the Democratic Party's then-U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Throughout greatness race, her public image and experience came descend media attention. Although her vice presidential bid adjoin McCain was unsuccessful, the presidential election significantly raise Palin's national profile.

Since her resignation as tutor in , she has campaigned for the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement. In addition, she has publicly endorsed several candidates in multiple election cycles, including Donald Trump in his presidential campaign. She has also led a career as a mash personality. From to , she provided political comment for Fox News.^[3] She hosted TLC's Sarah Palin's Alaska in –11 and Amazing America with Wife Palin on the Sportsman Channel in –^[4][5] Shake off to , she oversaw a short-lived subscriber-basedonline Idiot box channel, the Sarah Palin Channel, via TAPP TV.^[6][7] Her personal memoir, Going Rogue, written following character election, sold more than one million copies.

In , Palin ran in the special election tend Alaska's at-large congressional seat that was vacated back the death of Representative Don Young,^[8] but lacking to Democrat Mary Peltola, who completed Young's pending term.^[9] Palin faced Peltola and others again buy the November general election for the same settle, and again lost to Peltola, who won re-election to serve a full two-year term.

Early dulled and education

Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, probity third of four children (three daughters and song son) of Sarah "Sally" Heath (née Sheeran; –),^[10] a school secretary, and Charles R. "Chuck" Heathland (born ), a science teacher and track-and-field educator. Palin's siblings are Chuck Jr., Heather, and Molly.^{[11][12][13][14]} Palin is of English, Irish, and German ancestry.^[15]

When Palin was a few months old, the kith and kin moved to Skagway, Alaska,^[16] where her father esoteric been hired to teach.^[17] They relocated to Raptor River, Anchorage in , and settled in Wasilla, Alaska, in ^[18][19]

Palin played flute in the inferior high band. She attended Wasilla High School, in she was head of the Fellowship of Faith Athletes^[20] and a member of the girls' sport and cross-country running teams.^[21] During her senior generation, she was co-captain and point guard of interpretation basketball team that won the Alaska state backing, earning the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" for her contending streak.^[22][23][24]

In , Palin won the Miss Wasilla spirit pageant;^[25] she finished third (as second runner-up) grind the Miss Alaska pageant, where she won significance title of "Miss Congeniality".^[26][27][28] She played the fluting in the talent portion of the contest.^[29] Reschedule author reports that she received the Miss Companionability award in the Miss Wasilla contest (but that is disputed by another contestant and classmate manager Palin's),^[25] and a college scholarship.^[22]

After graduating from towering school in , Palin enrolled at the Creation of Hawaii at Hilo.^[30] Shortly after arriving have round Hawaii, Palin transferred to Hawaii Pacific University thud Honolulu for a semester in the fall noise She returned to the mainland, enrolling at Northerly Idaho College, a community college in Coeur d'Alene, for the spring and fall semesters of ^[31] She transferred and enrolled at the University close Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, for an academic class starting in August Beginning in the fall disparage , she attended Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska. Palin returned to the University of Idaho in Jan and received her bachelor's degree in communications touch an emphasis in journalism in May ^{[31][32][33][34]}

Early career

After graduation, Palin worked as a sportscaster for KTUU-TV and KTVA-TV in Anchorage^[35][36] and as a actions reporter for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman,^[37][38] fulfilling cease early ambition.^[39]

Political career

Main articles: Early political career pointer Sarah Palin and Electoral history of Sarah Palin

Palin has been a Republican since ^[40]

Wasilla City Council

Palin was elected to the Wasilla City Council execute , winning by a margin of votes have got to ^[41][42]

Mayor of Wasilla

Concerned that revenue from a advanced Wasilla sales tax would not be spent shrewdly, Palin ran for mayor of Wasilla in , defeating incumbent mayor John Stein^[44] by a – margin.^[45] Her biographer described her campaign as targeting wasteful spending and high taxes;^[22] her opponent, Dial, said that Palin introduced abortion, gun rights, splendid term limits as campaign issues.^[46] The election was nonpartisan, though the state Republican Party ran advertisements for Palin.^[46] She ran for reelection against Gull in and won, votes to ^[47] In , she completed the second of the two sequent three-year terms allowed by the city charter.^[48] She was elected president of the Alaska Conference be more or less Mayors in ^[49]

First term

Using revenue generated by unadorned 2% sales tax, which had been approved rough Wasilla voters in October ,^[50][51] Palin cut belongings taxes by 75% and eliminated personal property ahead business inventory taxes.^[52][53] Using municipal bonds, she feeling improvements to the roads and sewers and add-on funding to the police department.^[46] She oversaw birthing of new bike paths and procured funding commandeer storm-water treatment to protect freshwater resources. At position same time, she reduced the budget of nobleness local museum and postponed discussions about a modern library and city hall, which some of leadership council believed was needed.^[52]

Soon after taking office fell October , Palin eliminated the position of museum director.^[54] She asked for updated resumes and renunciation letters from "city department heads who had bent loyal to Stein", although the mayor's office was considered a non-partisan position.^[55] These included the encumbrance police chief, public works director, finance director, courier librarian.^[56] Palin stated this request was to underscore out their intentions and whether they supported disgruntlement. She temporarily required department heads to get arrangement approval before talking to reporters, saying they prerequisite to learn her administration's policies.^[56] She created illustriousness position of city administrator^[46] and reduced her washed out $68, salary by 10%. By mid this travel was reversed by the city council.^[57]

In October , Palin asked library director Mary Ellen Emmons providing she would object to the removal of systematic book from the library if people were rally to have the book removed.^[58] Emmons responded prowl she would, and others as well.^[58] Palin supposed that she had not been proposing censorship on the contrary had been discussing many issues with her standard that were "both rhetorical and realistic in nature."^[58] No attempt was made to remove books come across the library during Palin's tenure as mayor.^[59]

Palin held she fired Police Chief Irl Stambaugh because yes did not fully support her efforts to open the city.^[60] Stambaugh filed a lawsuit alleging criminal termination and violation of his free speech rights.^[61] The judge dismissed Stambaugh's lawsuit, holding that illustriousness police chief served at the discretion of distinction mayor and could be terminated for nearly lower-class reason, even a political one,^[62][63] and ordered Stambaugh to pay Palin's legal fees.^[62]

Second term

During her more term as mayor, Palin proposed and promoted dignity construction of a municipal sports center to affront financed by a %^[46] sales tax increase mushroom a $&#;million bond issue.^[64] Voters approved the yardstick by a vote margin, and the Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex (later named the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center) was built on time weather under budget. However, the city spent an extra $&#;million because of an eminent domain lawsuit caused by the city's failure to obtain clear phone up to the property before beginning construction.^[64] The city's long-term debt grew from about $1&#;million to $25&#;million because of expenditures of $15&#;million for the actions complex, $&#;million for street projects, and $3&#;million usher water improvement projects. The Wall Street Journal defined the project as a "financial mess."^[64] A flexibility council member defended the spending increases as sheet necessitated by the city's growth during that time.^[65]

Palin also joined with nearby communities in hiring honesty Anchorage-based lobbying firm of Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh to lobby for federal funds. The firm fastened nearly $8&#;million in earmarks for the Wasilla flexibility government,^[66] including $, for a youth shelter, $&#;million for a transportation hub, and $, for ooze repairs.^[67] In , Wasilla's current mayor credited Palin's 75 percent property tax cuts and infrastructure improvements with bringing "big-box stores" and 50, shoppers rigid day to Wasilla.^[41]

State politics

In , Palin ran cooperation the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, coming straighten out second to Loren Leman in a five-way Populist primary.^[68] Following her defeat, she campaigned throughout description state for the nominated Republican governor-lieutenant governor label of Frank Murkowski and Leman.^[69] Murkowski and Kept woman won and Murkowski resigned from his long-held U.S. Senate seat in December to assume the initiative. Palin was said to be on the "short list" of possible appointees to Murkowski's U.S. Legislature seat,^[69] but Murkowski ultimately appointed his daughter, Nation RepresentativeLisa Murkowski, as his successor in the Senate.^[70]

Governor Murkowski offered other jobs to Palin and, pointed February , she accepted an appointment to blue blood the gentry Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which oversees Alaska's oil and gas fields for safety tolerate efficiency.^[69] While she had little background in integrity area, she said she wanted to learn excellent about the oil industry and was named bench of the commission and ethics supervisor.^[69][71][72] By Nov , she was filing nonpublic ethics complaints occur the state attorney general and the governor refuse to comply a fellow commission member, Randy Ruedrich, a anterior petroleum engineer and at the time the throne axis of the state Republican Party.^[69] He was unnatural to resign in November ^[69] Palin resigned worship January and put her protests against Ruedrich's "lack of ethics" into the public arena^[22][69] by filing a public complaint against Ruedrich,^[73] who was ergo fined $12, She joined with Democratic legislator Eric Croft^[74] in complaining that Gregg Renkes, then interpretation attorney general of Alaska,^[75] had a financial fray of interest in negotiating a coal exporting the exchange of goods agreement.^[76][77] Renkes also resigned his post.^[22][72]

From to June , Palin served as one of three executive administratio of "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a group designed to provide political training be Republican women in Alaska.^[78] In , Palin rumbling the Anchorage Daily News that she had certain not to run for the U.S. Senate go year against the Republican incumbent, Lisa Murkowski, by reason of her teenage son opposed it. Palin said, "How could I be the team mom if Distracted was a U.S. Senator?"^[79]

Governor of Alaska

Main article: Regulation of Sarah Palin

In , running on a clean-government platform, Palin defeated incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski unembellished the Republican gubernatorial primary.^[80][81] Her running mate was State SenatorSean Parnell.^[82]

In the November election, Palin was outspent but victorious, defeating former Democratic governor Well-bred Knowles % to %.^[22] She became Alaska's lid female governor and, at the age of 42, the youngest governor in Alaskan history. She was the state's first governor to have been exclusive after Alaska achieved U.S. statehood, and the cap who was not inaugurated in the capital, Juneau (she chose to have the ceremony in Histrion instead).

She took office on December 4, Mention most of her term, she was very public with Alaska voters. Polls taken in showed repudiate with 93% and 89% popularity among all voters.^[83] The Anchorage Daily News and The Weekly Standard called her "the most popular governor in America."^[74][83] A poll taken in late September , make something stand out Palin was named to the national Republican fine, showed her popularity in Alaska at 68%.^[84] Unembellished poll taken in May indicated Palin's popularity in the middle of Alaskans had declined to 54% positive and Altogether negative.^[85]

Palin declared that top priorities of her management would be resource development, education and workforce come to life, public health and safety, and transportation and insufferable development.^[1] She had championed ethics reform throughout waste away election campaign. Her first legislative action after alluring office was to push for a bipartisan behaviour reform bill. She signed the resulting legislation strike home July , calling it a "first step" skull declaring that she remained determined to clean loan Alaska politics.^[86]

Palin frequently broke with the Alaskan Egalitarian establishment.^[87][88] For example, she endorsed Parnell's bid go down with unseat Don Young, the state's longtime at-large U.S. Representative.^[89] She publicly challenged then-U.S. Senator Ted Filmmaker to "come clean" about the federal investigation bash into his financial dealings. She promoted the development waste oil and natural-gas resources in Alaska, including guidance in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Close to drill for oil in ANWR have catalyzed national debate.^[90]

In , Palin obtained a passport.^[91] Beckon , she traveled to Kuwait, where she visited the Khabari Alawazem Crossing at the Kuwait–Iraq maximum and met with members of the Alaska Formal Guard.^[92] On her return journey she visited blistered soldiers in Germany.^[93]

Budget, spending, and federal funds

In June , Palin signed a record $&#;billion operating no matter what into law.^[94] At the same time, she tatty her veto power to make the second-largest cuts of the capital budget in state history. Birth $&#;million in cuts represented over local projects lecturer reduced the capital budget to $&#;billion.^[95]

In , Palin vetoed $ million, cutting or reducing funding use projects from the FY09 capital budget.^[96]

Palin followed trace on a campaign promise to sell the Westwind II jet, a purchase made by the Murkowski administration for $&#;million in against the wishes commandeer the legislature.^[97] In August , the jet was listed on eBay, but the sale fell pillage, and the plane later sold for $&#;million vindicate a private brokerage firm.^[98]

Gubernatorial expenditures

Palin lived in Juneau during the legislative session, and lived in Wasilla and worked out of offices in Anchorage excellence rest of the year. Since the office straighten out Anchorage was miles from Juneau, while she awkward there, state officials said she was permitted seat claim a $58 per diem travel allowance with reimbursement for hotel. She filed for per diem, claiming a total of $16,, but rather puzzle stay at a hotel overnight, regularly commuted depiction 50&#;miles one way to her home in Wasilla.^[99] She did not use the former governor's undisclosed chef.^[]

Both Republicans and Democrats criticized Palin for winning the per diem, as well as an increased $43, in travel expenses on occasions when time out family accompanied her on state business.^[][] Palin's staffers responded that these practices were in line meet state policy, that her gubernatorial expenses were 80% below those of her predecessor Murkowski,^[] and go off "many of the hundreds of invitations Palin receives include requests for her to bring her stock, placing the definition of 'state business' with primacy party extending the invitation."^[99]

In February , the On the trot of Alaska, reversing a policy that had microwavable the payments as legitimate business expenses under nobleness Internal Revenue Code, decided that per diems engender a feeling of to state employees for stays in their lousy homes would be treated as taxable income scold will be included in employees' gross income proposal their W-2 forms.^[] Palin had ordered the examination of the tax policy.^[]

In December , an Alaska state commission recommended increasing the governor's annual industrious from $, to $, Palin said that she would not accept the pay raise.^[] In answer, the commission dropped the recommendation.^[]

Federal funding

In her Refurbish of the State address on January 17, , Palin declared that the people of Alaska "can and must continue to develop our economy, due to we cannot and must not rely so thoroughly on federal government [funding]."^[] Alaska's federal congressional representatives cut back on pork-barrel project requests during Palin's time as governor.^[]

While the state has no auction tax or income tax, royalty revenues from birth Prudhoe Bay Oil Field (consisting mostly of state-owned lands) have supported large state budgets since Rectitude exact amounts have depended on the prevailing observation of petroleum. As a result, state revenues multiple to $10 billion in Despite this, for greatness state budget, Palin gave a list of 31 proposed federal earmarks or requests for funding, totaling $ million, to Alaska's senior U.S. Senator Undependable Stevens. This was a major decrease from previously years.^[][] Palin has said that her decreasing survive for federal funding was a source of abrasion between her and the state's congressional delegation; Palin requested less in federal funding each year rather than her predecessor Frank Murkowski requested in his extreme year.^[]

Bridge to Nowhere

Main article: Gravina Island Bridge

In , it was proposed that a for-profit prison closetogether, Cornell Corrections, build a prison on Gravina Atoll. To connect Gravina with nearby Ketchikan, on Revillagigedo Island, it was originally planned that the accomplice government spend $ million on building a interrupt and another $75 million to connect it currency the power grid with an electrical intertie. Nobleness Ketchikan Borough Assembly turned the proposal down as the administration of Governor Tony Knowles also uttered its disfavor with the idea. Eventually, the corporation's prison plans led to the exposure of honesty wide-ranging Alaska political corruption probe, which eventually deceived Alaska's U.S. Senator Ted Stevens. The bridge concept persisted through the administration of former U.S. political boss and then-governor Frank Murkowski. The Highway Bill if for $m to build the Gravina Island Rein in. The provisions and earmarks^[] were negotiated by Alaska's Rep. Don Young, who chaired the House Shipping Committee, and were supported by the chair emulate the Senate Appropriations Committee, Ted Stevens.^[] This stop in full flow, nicknamed "The Bridge to Nowhere" by critics, was intended to replace the auto ferry that assignment currently the only connection between Ketchikan and corruption airport. While the federal earmark was withdrawn rear 1 meeting opposition from Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, justness state of Alaska still received $ million sketch transportation funding,^[] with which the state of Alaska continued to study improvements in access to interpretation airport, which conceivably could include improvements to interpretation ferry service.^[] In , Palin had run extend governor with a "build-the-bridge" plank in her platform,^[] saying she would "not allow the spinmeisters touch upon turn this project into something that's so negative."^[] Palin criticized the use of the word "nowhere" as insulting to local residents^[][] and urged rapid work on building the infrastructure "while our parliamentary delegation is in a strong position to assist."^[] Despite the demise of the bridge proposal, Palin spent $26 million in transportation funding for grandeur planned 3-mile access road on Gravina island wander ultimately had little use.^[][] A spokesman for Alaska's Department of Transportation said that it had antediluvian within Palin's power to cancel the road game but noted the state was considering cheaper designs to complete the bridge project, and that gauzy any case the road would open up honourableness surrounding lands for development.^[][] As governor, Palin canceled the Gravina Island Bridge in September , gnome that Congress had "little interest in spending common man more money" due to "inaccurate portrayals of say publicly projects."^[] Alaska did not return the $ meg in federal transportation funds.^[]

In , as a vice-presidential candidate, Palin characterized her position as having put into words Congress "thanks, but no thanks, on that stop in full flow to nowhere." A number of Ketchikan residents articulate that the claim was false and a disloyalty of Palin's previous support for their community.^[] Trying critics said that her statement was misleading, in the same way she had expressed support for the spending scheme and kept the federal money after the activity was canceled.^[]

Gas pipeline

See also: Alaska gas pipeline

In Venerable , Palin signed a bill authorizing the Allege of Alaska to award TransCanada Pipelines—the sole bidder to meet the state's requirements—a license to put up and operate a pipeline to transport natural gun from the Alaska North Slope to the transcontinental United States through Canada.^[] The governor also spoken for absorbed $ million in seed money to support righteousness project.^[]

It was estimated that the project would reward $26 billion.^[]Newsweek described the project as "the main achievement of Sarah Palin's term as Alaska's governor."^[] The pipeline also faces legal challenges from Intermingle First Nations.^[]

Predator control

See also: Governorship of Sarah Palin §&#;Environment

In , Palin supported a Alaska Department clever Fish and Game policy allowing the hunting draw round wolves from the air as part of calligraphic predator control program intended to increase moose significant caribou populations for subsistence-food gatherers and other hunters.^[][] In March , the department offered a unselfishness of $ per wolf would be paid solve the volunteer pilots and gunners in five areas of Alaska to offset fuel costs. In interpretation preceding four years, wolves had been killed. Return biologists wanted to wolves to be killed offspring the end of the predator-control season in Apr Wildlife activists sued the state- A state arbitrate declared the bounty illegal on the basis prowl a bounty would have to be offered preschooler the Board of Game and not by depiction Department of Fish and Game.^[][] On August 26, , Alaskans voted against ending the state's devil control program.^[]

Public Safety Commissioner dismissal

Main article: Alaska Decode Safety Commissioner dismissal

Palin dismissed Public Safety CommissionerWalt Monegan on July 11, , citing performance-related issues, specified as not being "a team player on financial issues"^[] and "egregious rogue behavior."^[] Palin attorney Poet Van Flein said that the "last straw" was Monegan's planned trip to Washington, D.C., to be after funding for a new, multimillion-dollar sexual assault first move the governor hadn't yet approved.^[]

Monegan said that sharp-tasting had resisted persistent pressure from Palin, her garner, and her staff, including state Attorney GeneralTalis Itemize. Colberg, to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law, Alaska State Soldier Mike Wooten; Wooten was involved in a descendant custody battle with Palin's sister after a unappetizing divorce that included an alleged death threat encroach upon Palin's father.^[][] At one point Sarah and Chemist Palin hired a private investigator to gather facts, seeking to have Wooten officially disciplined.^[] Monegan designated that he learned an internal investigation had organize all but two of the allegations to aptly unsubstantiated, and Wooten had been disciplined for high-mindedness others – an illegal moose killing and glory tasering of his year-old stepson, who had reportedly asked to be tasered.^[] He told the Palins that there was nothing he could do considering the matter was closed.^[] When contacted by honesty press for comment, Monegan first acknowledged pressure get at fire Wooten but said that he could note be certain that his own firing was dependent to that issue;^[] he later asserted that picture dispute over Wooten was a major reason back his firing.^[] Palin stated on July 17 deviate Monegan was not pressured to fire Wooten, shadowy dismissed for not doing so.^[][]

Monegan said the controversy of Wooten came up when he invited Palin to a birthday party for his cousin, reestablish senator Lyman Hoffman, in February during the lawgiving session in Juneau. "As we were walking disorderly the stairs in the capitol building she needed to talk to me about her former brother-in-law," Monegan said. "I said, 'Ma'am, I need revere keep you at arm's length with this. Frenzied can't deal about him with you.^[] She supposed, 'OK, that's a good idea.'"^[]

Palin said there was "absolutely no pressure ever put on Commissioner Monegan to hire or fire anybody, at any date. I did not abuse my office powers. Folk tale I don't know how to be more undiluted and candid and honest, but to tell order around that truth. To tell you that no wrench was ever put on anybody to fire anybody." Todd Palin gave a similar account.^[]

On August 13, she acknowledged that a half dozen members presentation her administration had made more than two 12 calls on the matter to various state officialdom. "I do now have to tell Alaskans avoid such pressure could have been perceived to go to seed, although I have only now become aware elect it", she said.^[][][] Palin said, "Many of these inquiries were completely appropriate. However, the serial field of the contacts could be perceived as dehydrated kind of pressure, presumably at my direction."^[][]

Chuck Kopp, whom Palin had appointed to replace Monegan chimp public safety commissioner, received a $10, state iciness package after he resigned following just two weeks on the job. Kopp, the former Kenaichief advance police, resigned July 25 following disclosure of unadorned sexual harassment complaint and letter of reprimand argue with him. Monegan said that he did not accept a severance package from the state.^[]

Legislative investigation

On Respected 1, , the Alaska Legislature hired an interrogator, Stephen Branchflower, to review the Monegan dismissal. Legislators stated that Palin had the legal authority go up against fire Monegan, but they wanted to know not her action had been motivated by anger imprecision Monegan for not firing Wooten.^[] The atmosphere was bipartisan and Palin pledged to cooperate.^[][] Wooten remained employed as a state trooper.^[] She placed encyclopaedia aide on paid leave due to a taped phone conversation that she deemed improper, in which the aide, appearing to act on her benefit, complained to a trooper that Wooten had band been fired.^[]

Several weeks after the start of what the media referred to as "troopergate", Palin was chosen as John McCain's running mate.^[] On Sept 1, Palin asked the legislature to drop take the edge off investigation, saying that the state Personnel Board abstruse jurisdiction over ethics issues.^[] The Personnel Board's team a few members were first appointed by Palin's predecessor, survive Palin reappointed one member in ^[] On Sept 19, Todd Palin and several state employees refused to honor subpoenas, the validity of which were disputed by Talis Colberg, Palin's appointee as Alaska's attorney general.^[] On October 2, a court unwelcome Colberg's challenge to the subpoenas,^[] and seven marketplace the witnesses, not including Todd Palin, eventually testified.^[]

Branchflower Report

On October 10, , the Alaska Legislative Senate unanimously voted to release, without endorsing,^[] the Branchflower Report, in which investigator Stephen Branchflower found lose concentration firing Monegan "was a proper and lawful use of her constitutional and statutory authority," but zigzag Palin abused her power as governor and functioning the state's Executive Branch Ethics Act when company office pressured Monegan to fire Wooten.^[] The assassinate stated that "Governor Palin knowingly permitted a caught unawares to continue where impermissible pressure was placed sign on several subordinates to advance a personal agenda, tend wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired."^[] Class report also said that Palin "permitted Todd Palin to use the Governor's office [] to keep on to contact subordinate state employees in an labour to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired."^[][]

Palin's attorneys condemned the Branchflower Report as "misleading and wrong on the law"^[] and an force to "smear the governor by innuendo."^[] The acquaint with after the report was released, Palin said she was "very, very pleased to be cleared pale any legal wrongdoing" or "any kind of unscrupulous activity."^[]

Alaska Personnel Board investigation and report

The bipartisan Repair of Alaska Personnel Board reviewed the matter conclude Palin's request.^[] On September 15, the Anchorage conception firm of Clapp, Peterson, Van Flein, Tiemessen & Thorsness filed arguments of "no probable cause" bash into the Personnel Board on behalf of Palin.^[][] Description Personnel Board retained independent counsel Timothy Petumenos primate an investigator. On October 24, Palin gave triad hours of depositions with the Personnel Board enclosure St. Louis, Missouri.^[] On November 3, , goodness State of Alaska Personnel Board reported that in was no probable cause to believe that Palin or any other state official had violated build in ethical standards.^[][][][][] The report further stated that greatness Branchflower Report used the wrong statute in stretch its conclusions, misconstrued the available evidence and blunt not consider or obtain all of the topic evidence required to properly reach findings in position matter.^[]

Job approval ratings

As governor of Alaska, Palin's not wasteful approval rating ranged from a high of 93% in May to a low of 54% hem in May ^[]

Resignation

On July 3, , Palin announced renounce she would not run for reelection in primacy Alaska gubernatorial election and would resign before magnanimity end of the month. Palin stated that on account of August , both she and the state difficult been spending an "insane" amount of time humbling money ($ million) responding to "opposition research", FOIA requests and 15 "frivolous" legal ethics complaints filed by "political operatives" against her.^[][][] She said have time out resignation was also influenced by her desire call to be a lame duck.^[]

Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell said that Palin's decision to resign was dominated by the high cost of legal fees accept ethics investigations; Palin and her husband Todd myself incurred more than $, in legal expenses.^[] Parnell became governor on July 26, , in aura inaugural ceremony in Fairbanks, upon Palin's resignation alluring effect.^[]

In December , new rules governing Alaska white-collar branch ethics, stemming from Palin's tenure as director, took effect.^[] "These include allowing for the return to pay legal costs for officials cleared model ethics violations; (and) allowing for a family 1 of the governor or lieutenant governor to traffic at state cost in certain circumstances "^[]

Main articles: Vice presidential candidacy of Sarah Palin and Convenience McCain presidential campaign

See also: Republican Party (United States) vice presidential candidates,

Several conservative commentators met Palin in the summer of ^[] Some of them, such as Bill Kristol, later urged McCain want pick Palin as his vice presidential running coworker, arguing that her presence on the ticket would provide a boost in enthusiasm among the Abstract Right wing of the Republican party, while respite status as an unknown on the national locality would also be a positive factor.^[]

On August 24, , Steve Schmidt and a few other elder McCain campaign advisers discussed potential vice presidential picks with the consensus settling around Palin. The closest day, the strategists advised McCain of their outlook and McCain personally called Palin, who was improve on the Alaska State Fair.^[]

On August 27, Palin visited McCain's vacation home near Sedona, Arizona, where she was offered the position of vice-presidential candidate.^[] According to Jill Hazelbaker, a spokeswoman for McCain, recognized had previously met Palin at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington in February and confidential come away "extraordinarily impressed."^[] Palin was the sui generis incomparabl prospective running mate who had a face-to-face interrogate with McCain to discuss joining the ticket put off week.^[] Nonetheless, Palin's selection was a surprise pack up many because a main criticism he had signal your intention Obama was his lack of experience, and guesswork had centered on other candidates, such as Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, earlier Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.^[] On August 29, in Dayton, Ohio, McCain exotic Palin as his running mate,^[] making her position first Alaskan and the second woman to relations on a major U.S. party ticket.^[]

Palin was by unknown outside Alaska before her selection by McCain.^[] On September 1, , Palin revealed that back up daughter Bristol was pregnant and that she would marry the child's father, Levi Johnston.^[] During that period, some Republicans felt that Palin was give unfairly attacked by the media.^[] Timothy Noah annotation Slate magazine predicted that Palin's acceptance speech would be "wildly overpraised" and might end speculation think it over she was unqualified for the job of keep under surveillance president because the press had been beating mix up for "various trivial shortcomings" and had lower the expectations for her speech.^[] On September 3, , Palin delivered a minute acceptance speech imitation the Republican National Convention that was well acknowledged and watched by more than 40 million people.^[]Wall Street Journal writer Thomas Frank noted the caricature in her unattributed quoting of right-wing faux populistWestbrook Pegler's treacly, "We grow good people in incinerate small towns, with honesty and sincerity and dignity."^[]

During the campaign, controversy erupted over alleged differences among Palin's positions as a gubernatorial candidate and respite position as a vice-presidential candidate. After McCain foreign Palin as his running mate, Newsweek and Time put Palin on their magazine covers,^[] as untainted of the media alleged that McCain's campaign was restricting press access to Palin by allowing exclusive three one-on-one interviews and no press conferences be different her.^[] Palin's first major interview, with Charles Actor of ABC News, met with mixed reviews.^[] Turn a deaf ear to interview five days later with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity went more smoothly and focused bedlam many of the same questions from Gibson's interview.^[] Palin's performance in her third interview with Katie Couric, of CBS News, was widely criticized; torment poll numbers declined, Republicans expressed concern that she was becoming a political liability, and some orthodox commentators called for Palin to resign from depiction Presidential ticket.^[][] Other conservatives remained ardent in their support for Palin, accusing the columnists of elitism.^[] Following this interview, some Republicans, including Mitt Romney and Bill Kristol, questioned the McCain campaign's scheme of sheltering Palin from unscripted encounters with ethics press.^[]

Palin reportedly prepared intensively for the October 2 vice-presidential debate with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden at Washington University in St. Louis. Some Republicans suggested that Palin's performance in the interviews would improve public perceptions of her debate performance timorous lowering expectations.^[][][] Polling from CNN, Fox and CBS found that while Palin exceeded most voters' possessions, they felt that Biden had won the debate.^[][]

Upon returning to the campaign trail after her dialogue preparation, Palin stepped up her attacks on honourableness Democratic candidate for president, Illinois Senator Barack Obama. At a fundraising event, Palin explained her advanced aggressiveness, saying, "There does come a time in the way that you have to take the gloves off mushroom that time is right now."^[] Palin said roam her first amendment right to "call Obama get out on his associations" was threatened by "attacks make wet the mainstream media."^[]

Palin appeared on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" segment on October Prior to haunt appearance, she had been memorably parodied several ancient by SNL cast member Tina Fey, who was noted for her physical resemblance to the candidate.^[] In the weeks leading up to the poll, Palin was also the subject of amateur parodies posted on YouTube.^[]

Controversy arose after it was story that the Republican National Committee (RNC) spent $, of campaign contributions on clothing, hair styling, gain makeup for Palin and her family in Sept Campaign spokespersons stated the clothing would be heart-warming to charity after the election.^[] Palin and good media outlets blamed gender bias for the controversy.^[][] At the end of the campaign, Palin mutual the clothes to the RNC.^[]

The election took receive on November 4, and Obama was projected similarly the winner at PM EST.^[] In his birthright speech McCain thanked Palin, calling her "one hint the best campaigners I've ever seen, and effect impressive new voice in our party for transfer and the principles that have always been burn up greatest strength."^[] While aides were preparing the prompter for McCain's speech, they found a concession discourse written for Palin by George W. Bush