Palin's da gal !
Lawrence Akutagawa
McCain chooses Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P.
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
Friday, August 29, 2008
(08-29) 08:21 PDT DENVER, (AP) --
John McCain tapped little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice
presidential running mate on Friday in a startling selection on the eve of
the Republican National Convention.
Two senior campaign officials disclosed McCain's decision a few hours before
the Republican presidential nominee-to-be and his newly-minted running mate
appeared at a rally in swing-state Ohio.
Palin, like McCain, is a conservative with a maverick streak who has shown a
willingness to clash with others in her own party. A self-styled hockey mom
and political reformer, she has been governor of her state less than two
years.
Palin's selection shocked numerous Republican officials.
At 44, Palin is a generation younger that Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, who
is Barack Obama's running mate on the Democratic ticket.
She is three years Obama's junior, as well — and McCain has made much in
recent weeks of Obama's relative lack of experience in foreign policy and
defense matters.
In making his pick, McCain passed over several more prominent prospects who
had figured in speculation for months — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge among
them.
Palin flew overnight to an airport in Ohio near Dayton, and even as she
awaited her formal introduction, some aides said they had believed she was
at home in Alaska.
She is a former mayor of Wasilla who became governor of her state in
December, 2006 after ousting a governor of her own party in a primary and
then dispatching a former governor in the general election.
More recently, she has come under the scrutiny of an investigation by the
Republican-controlled legislature into the possibility that she ordered the
dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire
her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.
The timing of McCain's selection appeared designed to limit any political
gain Obama yields from his own convention, which ended Thursday night with
his nominating acceptance speech before an estimated 84,000 in Invesco Field
in Colorado.
Public opinion polls show a close race between Obama and McCain, and with
scarcely two months remaining until the election, neither contender can
allow the other to jump out to a big post-convention lead.
McCain has had months to consider his choice, and has made it clear to
reporters that one of his overriding goals was to avoid a situation like the
one in 1988, when Dan Quayle was thrown into a national campaign with little
preparation.
Palin has a long history of run-ins with the Alaska GOP hierarchy, giving
her genuine maverick status and reformer credentials that could complement
McCain's image.
Two years ago, she ousted the state's Republican incumbent governor, Frank
Murkowski in the primary, despite having little money and little
establishment backing.
She has also distanced herself from two senior Republican office-holders,
sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don young. Both men are under federal corruption
investigations.
She had earned stripes — and enmity — after Murkowski made her head of the
Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. From that post, she exposed
ethical violations by the state GOP chairman, also a fellow commissioner.
She and her husband Todd Palin, have five children. The latest, a baby, was
born with Down syndrome.
Lawrence Akutagawa
"Lawrence Akutagawa" <lakuN...@sbcglobal.com> wrote in message
news:OzUtk.20708$89.1...@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com...
> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/08/29/politics/p050941D34.DTL
>
> McCain chooses Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P.
> By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
> Friday, August 29, 2008
>
> (08-29) 08:21 PDT DENVER, (AP) --
>
> John McCain tapped little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice
> presidential running mate on Friday in a startling selection on the eve of
> the Republican National Convention.
>
> Two senior campaign officials disclosed McCain's decision a few hours
> before the Republican presidential nominee-to-be and his newly-minted
> running mate appeared at a rally in swing-state Ohio.
>
> Palin, like McCain, is a conservative with a maverick streak who has shown
> a willingness to clash with others in her own party. A self-styled hockey
> mom and political reformer, she has been governor of her state less than
> two years.
>
> Palin's selection shocked numerous Republican officials.
>
> At 44, Palin is a generation younger that Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware,
> who is Barack Obama's running mate on the Democratic ticket.
>
> She is three years Obama's junior, as well - and McCain has made much in
> recent weeks of Obama's relative lack of experience in foreign policy and
> defense matters.
>
> In making his pick, McCain passed over several more prominent prospects
> who had figured in speculation for months - Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty,
> She had earned stripes - and enmity - after Murkowski made her head of the