Sarah Palin

{{Officeholder |name=Sarah Palin |image=Sarah Palin.jpg |party=[[Republican]] |spouse=[[Todd Palin]] |religion=Christian |offices= {{Officeholder/governor |number=11th |state=Alaska |terms=December 4, 2006 - July 26, 2009 |preceded=[[Frank Murkowski]] |former=y |succeeded=[[Sean Parnell]] }} {{Officeholder/mayor |number= |city=Wasilla, Alaska |terms=1996–2002 |preceded=John Stein |former=y |succeeded=Diane Keller }} }} '''Sarah Louise Heath Palin''' (pronounced pay'-lynn) (born February 11, 1964) is a [[conservative]] [[Republican Party|Republican]] who served as the 11th [[governor]] of [[Alaska]] from 2006 through 2009. She is both the first woman and the youngest person to hold this office in the state's history. On July 3, 2009 Palin announced that she would resign as governor of Alaska.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/03/AR2009070301738.html Sarah Palin to Resign as Alaska Governor, Citing Probes and Family Needs] Rucker, Philip and Eli Saslow, July 4, 2009, washingtonpost.com, retrieved August 20, 2011</ref> Executive power was transferred to [[Lieutenant Governor]] [[Sean Parnell]]. Palin came to the nation's attention as Senator [[John McCain]]'s vice presidential running mate in the [[2008 Presidential Election]].<ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/palins_vp_selection_speech.html Acceptance Speech by Palin] realclearpolitics.com, August 29, 2008</ref> She is the first woman to appear on a Republican presidential ticket. In an appearance on August 30, 2008 in Washington, Pennsylvania, she was greeted by a surprisingly large crowd as she promoted the new McCain-Palin ticket. She brought a [[populism|populist]] image and a record of cutting wasteful spending and reforming government to McCain's ticket. In the summer of 2007, she was the most popular governor in America, having cut 13% of [[Alaska]]'s budget.<ref>[http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/851orcjq.asp The Most Popular Governor] Barnes, Fred, Jul 16, 2007, weeklystandard.com</ref> She is strongly [[pro-life]], and a prominent spokesperson for [[special needs]] children. She favors more competition in health care, and pushed for abolishing the [[certificate of need]] regulations that interfere with opening new medical clinics.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/04/AR2008090403253.html?referrer=emailarticle Palin's Efforts to Reform Health Care Are Complicated] Mosk, Matthew, September 5, 2008, washingtonpost.com</ref> Her memoir ''[[Going Rogue]]'' was published in November 2009, with Palin drawing large crowds to book signings around the country. She comments regularly on public affairs via her [[Facebook]] page, having criticized the "death panels" of the health care reform program, and praised President Obama's pro-war speech upon his receiving the [[Nobel]] Peace prize in December 2009. She appears regularly on [[Fox News Channel]].<ref>[http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/sarah-palin-to-contribute-to-fox-news/?scp=2&sq=Palin&st=cse Sarah Palin to contribute to Fox News] Rutenberg, Jim, January 11, 2011, Media Decoder blog, nytimes.com</ref> Since her rise to prominence in 2008, Palin has been the subject of demonization by the left-wing mainstream media, including insults to her intellect and various sexist comments. ==Personal Background== [[Image:Sarah Palin Todd Trig.jpg|thumb|right|250px|In this April 23, 2008 file photo, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, left, and her husband, Todd Palin, hold their baby boy Trig in Anchorage, Alaska.<br/> ''Photo courtesy of Newsmax.com'']] Palin was born in Sandpoint, [[Idaho]]. Her family moved to Alaska in 1964, when her parents came to teach school in Skagway. Palin attended Wasilla High School where her extracurricular activities included captaining the basketball team which went on to win the state championship.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122108935141721343.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Obama Can't Win Against Palin] Rove, Karl, The ''Wall Street Journal'', September 11, 2008</ref> She has lived in Skagway, Eagle River and Wasilla in Alaska. After graduating in 1982, she went on to college, attending several institutions before earning a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the [[University of Idaho]] in 1987. To earn money for college, Palin entered beauty pageants. She worked in the media and the utility industry before beginning her career in public service in 1992. Sarah married [[Todd Palin]], a part Yupik [[Eskimo]] and lifelong Alaskan, on August 29, 1988. Todd formerly worked at a non-management union job in the oil industry, and also as a commercial salmon fisherman. He is a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, the world's longest snowmobile race. Todd was a member of the United Steelworkers Union, and their eldest son Track served in [[Iraq]] while in the [[United States Army]]. The Palins have five children: Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig. Sarah Palin is a [[Labor union|union]] member, a [[moose]] hunter and holds a [[NRA]] Benefactor Life membership.<ref>[http://www.nrablog.com/post/2009/08/02/Phil-Schreier-reports-from-Alaska.aspx Phil Schreier reports from Alaska] Sturgis, Danielle, August 2, 2009, nrablog.com</ref> She stays active as a marathon runner, sports team mom, hockey manager and school volunteer. Palin enjoys hunting, fishing and Alaskan history. Palin has been widely praised among conservatives for acting on her [[pro-life]] beliefs in the case of her youngest son, Trig, who was diagnosed with [[Down syndrome]] in the fourth month of her pregnancy. After researching the condition, she and her husband agreed to continue to pregnancy. "[My husband Todd said,] we shouldn't be asking 'Why us?' We should be saying 'Well, why not us?' We've both been very vocal about being pro life. We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential. I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection. Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"<ref>[http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2008/05/gov-sarah-palin.html Gov. Sarah Palin discusses son Trig's Down syndrome diagnosis] ''People'' magazine, celebrity baby blog, May 3, 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=29242 Canadian Doctors 'Fear' Sarah Palin's Choice May Start a Trend] Baklinski, Thaddeus M., September 11, 2008, Catholic Online</ref> Trig was born on April 18, 2008, four months before his mother was announced as the vice-presidential candidate. Palin wrote: :"This new person in your life can help everyone put things in perspective and bind us together, and get everyone focused on what really matters ... Those who love him will think less about self and focus less on what the world tells [us] is 'normal' or 'perfect.'"<ref>[http://motherjones.com/files/birth_of_trig.pdf Birth of Trig] original PDF, motherjones.com, retrieved August 20, 2011</ref> :"It's a sign of the times to be able to do this," she said. "I can think of so many male candidates who watched a families grow while they were in office. There is no reason to believe a woman can't do it with a growing family. My baby will not be at all or in any sense neglected."<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-05-10-4082128881_x.htm Alaska governor balances newborn's needs, official duties] Quinn, Steve, May 5, 2008, ''USAToday''</ref> In September of 2008, Palin announced that her daughter Bristol was five months pregnant.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/09/01/us-usa-politics-palin-idUSN2944356420080901 Palin rebuts rumors, says daughter pregnant] Holland, Steve, September 1, 2008, reuters.com, retrieved August 20, 2011</ref> After having been given the choice, Bristol bravely chose to keep the child. Palin stated "We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents."<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-502163_162-4404184-502163.html Palin's Daughter Pregnant] Ververs, Vaughn, September 1, 2008, cbsnews.com</ref> Bristol has since gone on to promote abstinence as a realistic choice for teenagers, stating, "[A]bstinence is the only way you can effectively, 100% foolproof way you can prevent pregnancy."<ref>[http://www.lifenews.com/nat5025.html Sarah Palin’s Husband Todd, Daughter Bristol Promote Abstinence For Teenagers] Ertelt, Steven, May 6, 2009, lifenews.com</ref> ==Early political career== ===City Councilwoman=== Palin served two two-year terms on the Wasilla City Council, being first elected in 1992 when she was 28 years old. ===Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska=== In 1996, Palin ran for mayor of Wasilla against 9-year incumbent John Stien in a non-partisan race. She won the race 58% to 42%.<ref name="mayor">[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008163431_palin070.html Sarah Palin had turbulent first year as mayor of Alaska town] Armstrong, Ken and Hal Bernton, September 7, 2008, The ''Seattle Times'', retrieved on August 20, 2011.</ref> Her first months as mayor were rocky, and there was even talk of a recall, but things eventually smoothed out and she was re-elected in 1999. Palin said later of the experience, "I grew tremendously in my early months as mayor."<ref name="mayor"/> During her time as mayor, Palin hired a Washington lobbying firm to help secure $8 million in congressionally directed spending projects, otherwise known as earmarks.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-31-palin-bridge_N.htm Palin backed 'bridge to nowhere' in 2006] Dilanian, Ken, September 1, 2008, USAToday.com</ref> Ms. Palin's leadership qualities were recognized when she was elected as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. ===Other political experience=== In 2002, she ran for Lieutenant Governor, but came in second in a four-way race. Later that year, when [[Frank Murkowski]] resigned his [[Senate]] seat to become [[governor]], she interviewed for the opening. Instead, Murkowski appointed his daughter [[Lisa Murkowski]] to the seat. In 2003, Governor Mukowski appointed Palin to serve as Panel Ethics Commissioner of Alaska's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates Alaska's non-renewable resources of [[oil]] and [[gasoline|gas]]. She resigned in 2004 as a protest over the "lack of ethics" of fellow panelists who had ignored her complaints of legal violations and conflicts of interest. Palin took a great political risk by revealing that Randy Reudrich, chairman of the state Republican Party, was doing political business on state time, fulfilling a [[conflict of interest]] statement that required her to report such things. This action endeared her to the people of Alaska. To help cultivate influence and political clout in the state, Palin served from 2003 until June 2005 as one of three directors of the Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc., a 527 group that raised funds from corporate donors.<ref>[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html#more Palin Was a Director of Embattled Sen. Ted Stevens's 527 Group] Mosk, Matthew, September 1, 2008, The Trail Blog, washingtonpost.com</ref> The stated purpose of the group is, "To increase the number of Republican women in elected offices and in appointed governmental and political positions, including advisory and regulatory commissions through training and education."<ref>[http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/527/ted_stevens_excellence_in_public_service_inc.asp Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.] CampaignMoney.com</ref> She has also served on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. She was named one of Alaska's "Top 40 Under 40", Alaska's Public Works "Person of the Year", and was inducted into the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society at Alaska Pacific University. Palin has served on numerous boards and commissions throughout the state. ==Governor of Alaska== Palin ran for governor in 2006 on a clean government platform, and accomplished a political rarity in defeating the incumbent Governor [[Frank Murkowski]] in the Republican primary. Palin went on to defeat former Governor [[Tony Knowles]] in the general election. Some of the highlights of her governorship include: cutting expenses of Alaska's government, freezing government hiring, reducing earmarks by 86%, and championing the private sector. ===Energy and Oil=== Palin spoke a great deal about harnessing [[oil]] and natural [[gas]] resources, and in March 2007, presented the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA), a bill promoting the construction of a gas pipeline.<ref>[http://www.petroleumnews.com/pntruncate/0001000.shtml Governor gets AGIA] Nelson, Kristen, week of May 20, 2007, petroleumnews.com, retrieved August 20, 2011</ref> The bill received bipartisan support, and was signed into law by Governor Palin in June. In August of 2008 she signed legislation giving state authority to award TransCanada Corp a license to build and operate a multibillion-dollar pipeline to ship natural gas from the North Slope.<ref>[http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=2e84b1e8-9a4a-4558-ad05-21b517c50fae Alaska governor signs natgas pipeline license bill] Reuters, August 28, 2008, canada.com</ref> Intended to improve Alaska's economy, it instead became a vehicle to pay $37 million to Transcanada, with potential liabilities for the state of up to half a billion dollars.<ref>[http://www.adn.com/2011/01/20/1659129/lawmakers-express-frustration.html Lawmakers express frustration over gas pipeline subsidies] Cockerham, Sam, January 21, 2011, adn.com</ref> The pipeline will not be profitable for 20 years based on natural gas forecasts.<ref>[http://www.adn.com/2010/12/22/1616472/report-leaves-pipeline-out-of.html Gas pipeline to be pushed back, federal agency predicts] Bohner, Becky, December 23rd, 2010, adn.com</ref> As of February 2011, Alaska's lawmakers were looking for exit strategies from the plan.<ref>[http://www.adn.com/2011/02/04/1684449/alaska-lawmakers-propose-ditching.html Alaska lawmakers propose ditching Palin gas line program] Bohner, Becky, February 4, 2011, adn.com</ref> As governor, Palin created a new subcabinet that develops policies to reduce greenhouse gases and help the state adapt to [[climate change]]. She supports oil production in ANWR, connecting it with national security.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GE11URmmnc Youtube.com interview with Palin posted August 28, 2008]</ref> Alaska was not significantly affected by the 2007 [[housing bubble]] crash, however, the dollar did soften, which raised the price of oil in the global market without raising the costs of production. This led to windfall profits for Alaska. Despite oil companies' objections, Palin worked with the [[Democrats]] in the Alaska state legislature to approve a major increase in taxes on the oil industry.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008103325_alaskatax07.html Windfall tax lets Alaska rake in billions from Big Oil] Gonzalez, Angel and Hal Bernton, August 10, 2008, The ''Seattle Times''</ref> This bill, known as "Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share" (ACES), was lampooned by the conservative talk radio media as Alaskans Clearly Entering Socialism.<ref>Rick Rydell Radio Program, 650KENI.com, 2/8/2011, 8:43 AM Alaska Standard Time</ref>.) The state sent Alaskans a $1200 check to help pay for increased gas prices, using the increased revenues from the tax.<ref>[http://hotair.com/archives/2008/08/11/palin-backed-alaskan-windfall-profits-tax/ Palin backed Alaskan windfalls-profit tax]</ref> Palin's successor, Governor Sean Parnell, and Republican Alaska legislatures have criticized ACES, stating the taxes have prevented further oil and gas development in the state.<ref>[http://www.adn.com/2011/06/04/v-printer/1899655/palin-flaunts-alaska-alaskans.html Palin flaunts Alaska; Alaskans unsure about her] Cockerham, Sean, June 4, 2011, adn.com, retrieved August 20, 2011</ref> Palin also announced on May 21, 2008 that the state would challenge a recent listing of [[polar bears]] as a threatened species as she and other Alaska elected officials feared such a listing would cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state's northern and northwestern coasts. Palin's belief is that there is not enough evidence to support a listing, asserting that polar bears are well-managed and their population has dramatically increased over 30 years as a result of conservation. As governor of Alaska in Jan. 2009, Palin announced support for [[Alternative energy]] programs as she proposed a statewide energy plan that called for 50% of Alaska's power to be generated by renewable resources by 2025.<ref> Dan Joling, "Palin unveils state energy goals," [http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/657216.html ''Anchorage Daily News'' Jan. 16, 2009]</ref> Palin has pointed out how environmentalists are responsible for locking up safer drilling areas on dry land, effectively forcing offshore drilling to become the preferred mode of acquiring oil, and inviting crises like the [[Gulf of Mexico oil spill]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nysun.com/editorials/sarah-palins-way-of-thinking/86988/|work=[[The New York Sun]]|format=HTML|title=Sarah Palin’s Way of Thinking|date=June 5th 2010|language=English|quote=Governor Palin’s point will, we predict, become only more logical in the face of the disaster of the Deepwater Horizon. And she will increasingly come to be seen as having a clear way of thinking. She thinks like an economist. She understands that policies have consequences. If one wants, as the environmentalists have been doing for a decade, to restrict onshore drilling, it is going to incent offshore drilling.}}</ref> ===State Economy=== [[Image:Govp_2008stos_large.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Gov. Sarah Palin delivering her 2008 State of the State address]] At first, Palin supported the Gravina Island Bridge Project, otherwise known as the "Bridge to Nowhere". In September 2006, during a stop in [[Ketchikan]] as part of her gubernatorial campaign, Palin stated, "OK, you've got Valley trash standing here in the middle of nowhere," Palin said, according to an account in the Ketchikan Daily News. "I think we're going to make a good team as we progress that bridge project."<ref>[http://www.adn.com/sarahpalin/story/511471.html Palin touts stance on 'Bridge to Nowhere']</ref> The $398 million bridge would have connected Ketchikan, on Revillagigedo Island in southern southeast Alaska, to its airport on nearby Gravina island. The Anchorage Daily News also quoted her in an October, 2006 article as saying yes, she would continue state funding for the bridge because she wanted swift action on infrastructure projects. "The window is now while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist," she said.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080831/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_bridge_to_nowhere;_ylt=Am.NkRx1mLWk9A34FLhn8IADW7oF Critics: Palin used 'Bridge to Nowhere' for gain]</ref> Palin announced her opposition to the project in a 2007 press release. She has stated her opposition arose because of the excessive amount of pork-barrel spending in the project, and that she would not fund the $329 million that was short for the budget.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/22/alaska.bridge.ap/</ref> This reversal cost her the support of prominent Alaskan Republicans like Former state House Speaker Gail Phillips, who said, "You don't tell a group of Alaskans you support something and then go to someplace else and say you oppose it". Palin instead said that the best option would be to upgrade the ferry system. However, the money that was retained from the earmark was not used for the ferry system, but was spent building a road on Gravina Island that links to the site of the canceled bridge.<ref name="bridge">http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3125537020080901 Palin "bridge to nowhere" line angers many Alaskans</ref> Prominent Alaskan politicians criticized Palin for not "giving back" money earmarked for the project. These critics included her Republican campaign coordinator in Ketchikan, who stated that "She said 'thanks but no thanks,' but they kept the money".<ref name="bridge" /> However, state governments do not "give back" money in the manner proposed. Three times during Palin's time as mayor, earmark funding for projects in Wasilla were noted in [[John McCain]]'s list of "objectionable" spending in 2001 and 2002. McCain's list of spending approved without normal budget scrutiny identified a $500,000 earmark for a public transportation project in the city and a $1 million earmark for an emergency communications center while $450,000 was set aside for an agricultural processing facility.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-earmarks3-2008sep03,0,6145252.story McCain had criticized earmarks from Palin]</ref> Palin, of course, as mayor of a small town had no ability to put these items in a Congressional bill, but her town did benefit from earmarked spending given to Alaska. === Foreign Policy === [[Image:Ftwainwright_govp_05s.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Governor Sarah Palin visits Strykers at Fort Wainwright, where she is briefed on how the troops are trained and what the training grounds provide.]] Palin served as Commander in Chief of the Alaska Army [[National Guard]]. In 2007 she visited troops in [[Germany]] and [[Kuwait]]. According to Major General Craig E. Campbell, the adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard who commands the roughly 3,800 state militia members, the Alaskan governor is not in the site's chain of command and has no authority over its operations. He told the Associated Press on August 31st that he and Palin play no role in national defense activities, even when they involve the Alaska National Guard. He went on to state that the entire operation is under federal control.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/31/ap/politics/main4401854.shtml GOP Cites Palin's Skill, But How Relevant Is It?]</ref> During her first major interview, with ABC's [[Charlie Gibson]], Gibson asked Palin if she agreed with the "[[Bush Doctrine]]". Palin responded, "In what respect, Charlie?" Gibson followed, "What do you interpret it to be?" Palin answered with another question, "His world view?" Gibson still refused to answer directly but instead stated it was the doctrine Bush had proposed in September of 2002, before the Iraq war. Palin gave a response concerning Bush's attempt to eradicate Islamic extremism. Gibson then explained that the Bush doctrine refers to the right of anticipatory defense, a right to a [[Preemptive war|preemptive]] strike against any country that we think is going to attack us. What Gibson did not point out is that he himself once gave a definition of the "Bush doctrine" (a concept made up by the press that has no clear definition) that was similar to Palin's answer. Indeed it has been pointed out since that there are actually four different versions of what the Bush doctrine is and the term and meaning changes over time and place.<ref>http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/12/palins-definition-of-bush-doctrine-hits-the-gibson-mark/</ref> ===Legislature Investigation=== On July 11th Palin's chief of Staff fired Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan, she was heavily criticized for the action on the 12th in the state newspapers and on the 14th in the conservative talk radio media <ref>Rick Rydell, Mike Porcaro, and Eddy Burke, as well as Shannyn Moore the liberal</ref>, and on the Blog of prominent Alaskan Republican Andrew Halcro on the 17th, because Walt Monegan was a very popular administrator. The outrage was 1.5 months before she was announced for VP. On the 11th of August of 2008, the [[Alaska]] state legislature began an investigation of Palin and her staff for potential abuse of power in regards to a firing of Monegan, The vote to begin this action was held on July 28th, two weeks and two days after the firing. Legally, Palin could dismiss Monegan at any time as he serves at the pleasure of the governor. Monegan was dismissed from his position in July of 2008, which Palin's political opponents claim was due to Monegan's refusal to fire trooper Mike Wooten, Palin's former brother-in-law who had a history of complaints including tasering his 10 year old stepson.<ref name="pc">http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212168861.shtml</ref> Palin says she released Monegan due to differences on budgeting. In an interview Monegan said that he was never told specifically by Sarah Palin to fire the state trooper Mike Wooten.<ref name="pc" /> Palin has denied the charges and, as is customary, the State of Alaska has hired a lawyer to represent her office in the investigation. August 25th, the Legislative Council voted 12-0 to hire Democratic state senator Hollis French as the investigator.<ref>[http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=59d_1220063478 Investigation into Governor Sarah Palin's abuse of powers] CBS 11, August 30, 2008</ref> The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 3-2 and the House Judiciary Committee voted 7-0. The State's attorney released this statement:<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cvn_palin_troopergate Palin hires attorney for Troopergate investigation]</ref> :The governor of every state gets legal counsel and this attorney is part of a weeks-old effort to provide this governor defense in a series of outlandish politically motivated charges. This legal defense is neither new nor uncommon nor at all political. It is a matter of her job and is not recent and it is not related to her selection on the McCain-Palin ticket. The McCain campaign came out with a picture that includes three lead state Democratic legislators investigating the Branchflower probe, known as ‘Troopergate'. The photo shows the three of them at [[Obama]] headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska in July. The photo did not include any of the Republicans also calling for investigation. The McCain campaign said the whole investigation is politically tainted and compromised. Republican Rep. John Coghill of North Pole called on managing investigator, legislator French to step down from the probe, saying he no longer had confidence in his objectivity. "These statements cause me to think that the report is already written even though the investigation is only just begun and the most important witnesses have not even been interviewed,” Coghill wrote in a letter calling for French’s replacement. “The investigation appears to be lacking in fairness, neutrality and due process.”<ref>[http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2078644/posts McCain Camp has pictures of "troopergate" investigators at Obama Headquarters] FreeRepublic.com, September 9, 2008</ref> Democratic State Senator Kim Elton, head of the legislative council overseeing the investigation, said the decisions made by Sen. Hollis French "have been appropriate, bipartisan ... and unchallenged" and that French has called the comments he made last week "regrettable".<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/08/palin.investigation/ Head of Palin trooper probe will stay, lawmaker says]</ref> Lawyer Thomas Van Flein called the investigation "unlawful and unconstitutional" and said the man hired to run it, former prosecutor Stephen Branchflower, has a conflict of interest because he is a friend of the fired commissioner.<ref>[http://www.adn.com/troopergate/story/522488.html Palin's attorney calls investigator biased] Ap, September 11, 2008</ref> The investigation issued its report for the Alaska State Legislative Council on October 10, 2008, concluding that Monegan's refusal to fire the trooper was not the sole reason he was dismissed, but was likely a contributing factor. The author of the report, Stephen Branchflower, focused on two questions of the inquiry: did Palin fire Walt Monegan improperly, and was the firing solely because of his refusal to fire her ex brother-in-law. "Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired," Branchflower wrote.<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4998X420081011</ref> Based on this, Branchflower claims that "I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act."<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/DOWNLOAD.pdf Page 8</ref> In accordance with the second question the report focused on, Branchflower wrote, "I find that, although Walt Monegan's refusal to fire Trooper Michael Wooten was not the sole reason he was fired by Governor Sarah Palin, it was likely a contributing factor to his termination as Commissioner of Public Safety," Branchflower wrote. The second finding of the report reads: "In spite of that, Governor Palin's firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads." Branchflower also dismissed the Palins' assertions that they were afraid of Wooten because of threats they said he made. "Such claims of fear were not bona fide and were offered to provide cover for the Palins' real motivation: to get Trooper Wooten fired for personal family related reasons," he wrote.<ref>http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10692757?source=most_viewed</ref> A preemptive response to this report was issued by the McCain/Palin campaign on October 9th, in which the campaign's own investigation concluded that Palin "acted within her proper and lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan".<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4998X420081011</ref> In the end the "October Surprise" predicted by the head of the commission came to pass. Although the commission was asked not to release its findings until after the election to avoid political posturing, they refused to do so. Apart from tarring and feathering Palin, the report made no recommendations for any further inquiries or punishment, as it was understood that there was no case to do so. No direct reports of Sarah Palin abusing her power were ever produced or asking for the official to be fired were ever produced, but that didn't stop the report from drawing its conclusions based upon conjecture without evidence. Indeed, after the hoopla over the report subsided, the state personnel board released its finding that exonerated her of any wrongdoing.<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081104/ap_on_el_pr/palin_troopergate</ref> ===Resignation=== In July of 2009, Governor Palin held a national press conference to announce that she would resign her office effective July 26, 2009. She explained: {{Cquote|My choice is to take a stand and effect change – not hit our heads against the wall and watch valuable state time and money, millions of your dollars, go down the drain in this new environment. Rather, we know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time, on another scale, and actually make a difference for our priorities – and so we will, for Alaskans and for Americans.<ref>[http://www.gov.state.ak.us/exec-column.php Executive Column: Palin's resignation announcement]</ref>}} That decision was based on the Democrat strategy of filing frivolous court grievances against the governor, more than 13 since November 2008, costing Alaska taxpayers over $1 million. She would be triumphant in all those legal battles not losing once. The [[liberal]] criticism strategy shifted to call her a quitter over her decision not to complete her term of office and for pursuing media and financial opportunities. ==Vice Presidential Candidate== [[Image:Palin Family..jpg|thumb|right|Palin family members at the announcement of Palin's vice presidential selection, August 29, 2008. From left: Todd, Piper, Willow, Bristol, and Trig.]] On August 29, 2008, Republican John McCain announced the selection of Sarah Palin for his vice presidential running mate.<ref>http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/sarah_palin_vp/2008/08/29/126138.html</ref> The selection was a surprise, as those in the media were expecting [[Minnesota]] Governor [[Tim Pawlenty]] or former [[Massachusetts]]'s Governor [[Mitt Romney]]. Palin added youth and executive experience to the ticket. She is the first female vice presidential candidate on a Republican ticket, and only the second one from a major political party in U.S. history. [[Democrat]] [[Geraldine Ferraro]] was the first, as [[Walter Mondale]]'s running mate in 1984. Palin's speech before the Republican convention on Wednesday, September 3rd was watched by over 40 million people. As many people watched her as watched Obama's acceptance speech on the final day of the Democratic convention. ===Democrat Responses=== In a possible problem for the Democratic ticket, a majority of people believed that the press was trying to hurt Palin<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/story/rasmussen/20080904/pl_rasmussen/palinmedia20080904;_ylt=AqErk__wZIKdoVvqUXdr44Nh24cA</ref> and that type of unwarranted attack could have backfired into more support for the McCain/Palin ticket especially with unaffiliated voters believing the press is purposely attacking Palin by a 49% to 32% margin. Many Democrats had advised the Obama campaign to ignore Palin, fearing that emphasis on her inexperience will backfire against Obama himself.<ref>[http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/capital/2008/09/05/tips-for-obama-ignore-palin-dis-mccain Matt Coopoer, "Tips for Obama: Ignore Palin, Dis McCain," Sept. 5, 2008, ''Conde-Nast Portfoloio.com'']</ref> She participated in a debate with the Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden on October 2, 2008, ending up being declared the winner by most credible news sources that are not influenced by liberal bias. Palin "kept Joe Biden on the defensive" and "ended up dominating [the debate]".<ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14234.html</ref> During a campaign event in [[Virginia]], Barack Obama said of the McCain/Palin ticket's similar policies, "...You can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig."<ref>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94481288</ref> Given the fact that she's stated "The difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull (is) lipstick" and the fact that only a female candidate would wear lipstick, the McCain camp released a web ad implying that the comment was targeting Governor Palin. The ad featured video clips of Gov. Palin convention speech, Obama's remarks at the campaign event, and a clip of Katie Couric commenting on pervasive sexism in the campaign. After extensive discussion in the news media, the ad was removed from McCain's website and other video sites following a copyright claim by CBS news.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/CBS_takes_down_McCain_webad_suggests_its_misleading.html?showall]</ref> In what prosecutors described as an attempt to derail the campaign, Palin's private email account was hacked by a liberal activist and son of a Democratic lawmaker who was charged with four felonies carrying a maximum of 50 years for criminal privacy rights violations.<ref>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/18/palin_email_investigation_continues/</ref> The offender, a self described Obama supporter, was convicted and sentenced to one year. Palin is a lightning rod to the established [[liberal]] women's movement. She, like many high profile conservative females, has taken much abuse from the left. Palin has been forced to set up a legal defense fund to help pay for fees related to an onslaught of ethic complaints, which are always frivolous.<ref>[http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/18738 Palin blasts Obama administration: Government wants to "control the people"] CNN</ref> Because she is retiring from being governor of Alaska, the anti-American liberals pat themselves on the back in glee. Liberals still fail to understand that she is ''the'' typical conservative that the majority of Americans identify with. Her principles and her outlook on Americanism is a model for all future leaders. Palin said of the people who have filed the complaints: {{cquote| '''Those are the folks who want to tell me, they want to tell you, to sit down and shut up. We will not do that. I just can't, because I love my state. I love my country.''' }} ===Impact on Ticket=== In the run-up to the Vice-Presidential debate on October 2, 2008, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center attempted to measure the degree to which Palin impacted the GOP ticket positively or negatively in September.<ref>http://people-press.org/report/456/obama-regains-lead</ref> The survey compared the answers to two identical questions about her qualifications and overall favorable/unfavorable rating between polls taken in early and late September. The results show that public opinion of Palin has fallen significantly since the Republican convention, particularly in the public's opinion of her qualification to be Vice President. Faced with a barrage of negative press attacks after her nomination, some prominent Republicans like [[Mitt Romney]] believe that the isolation of Palin from the media in September was a mistake, and are calling for an increase in unscripted encounters with the press and public to counter that perception. According to Romney, "Holding Sarah Palin to just three interviews and microscopically focusing on each interview I think has been a mistake. I think they’d be a lot wiser to let Sarah Palin be Sarah Palin. Let her talk to the media, let her talk to people."<ref>http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/09/30/doubts-about-palin-grow-even-among-conservatives/</ref> Exit polling from the election itself had the final say on the matter of her impact on the ticket. For those who considered her nomination on the ticket to be unimportant, 57% voted for Obama. For those who considered her nomination to be important, 53% voted for Obama, thereby showing a positive overall impact on the ticket. Considering that exit polling tilts Democratic, the actual impact may have been greater. When asked during an interview with liberal media pundit Katie Couric what newspapers and magazines Palin read (a classic [[Liberal trap]]), Palin fumbled and was unable to name any particular news source because of the side-swipe. This added fuel to charges that she was not qualified to run for Vice President, when in fact she was clearly qualified by her service as governor. Palin charges back at Couric and other liberal media attacks in her book [[Going Rogue]]. ==Palin in 2012== Palin has the support of a large, enthusiastic base on the right that is ready to work for her in Republican primaries. She has been coy about announcing plans for 2012, but she is well positioned for a presidential run. Given her personal charisma, dedication to American values, and Reagan-esque connection with average, conservative Americans, she may be able to pull off a resounding victory.<ref>[http://www.capitalcityweekly.com/stories/120308/new_363163237.shtml Sarah Palin hits Republican talking points while stumping in Georgia]</ref> ===Relaunching of Media Attacks=== Palin's is under global attack from left wing media. In June 2011 Palin expressed a desire to meet with Margaret Thatcher, one of Ronald Reagan's staunchest international allies. There was a false report by the UK Guardian Newspaper that a Thatcher aid had belittled Palin calling her nuts: [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/wintour-and-watt/2011/jun/07/margaretthatcher-sarahpalin]. However this was later proven to be false, as Margaret Thatcher's staff denied that any such words came from her office.<ref>http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100092054/margaret-thatcher-did-not-‘snub’-sarah-palin-the-truth-about-the-iron-lady-and-the-former-governor-of-alaska/</ref> A former Thatcher Aid who checked with her office confirmed '''''"There was never any snub of Sarah Palin by Lady Thatcher’s office. However, there has been a great deal of mischief-making and unpleasantness from sections of the liberal press in a vain and futile attempt to use Margaret Thatcher’s name to smear a major US politician."''''' The Guardian has a dedicated section to Sarah Palin, and participated with staff going to Alaska for the release of her emails and the enlisting of its readership to try and find any dirt. The Guardian starts most articles with simple errors such as "Ex Governor of the state with the smallest population ", a basic check would show that there are a number of states with smaller populations than Alaska including Vermont the source of 2 presidents. This is a small sample of the false information in all Guardian articles on Sarah Palin. ==SarahPAC== On January 27, 2009 Palin formed the political action committee (PAC) SarahPAC. The organization supports "energy independence and reform" and will endorse candidates who "share Governor Palin’s ideas and goals."<ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=azCCxotgdG1E&refer=home</ref> ==Beliefs== [[Image:Palin.JPG|right|150px]] Palin believes in [[Real America]] and has referred to it often in her speeches. Palin filled out a policy questionnaire for the Eagle Forum Alaska during her 2006 gubernatorial race. One question asked, "Will you support funding for abstinence-until-marriage education instead of for explicit sex-education programs, school-based clinics, and the distribution of contraceptives in schools?" Palin responded, "Yes, the explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support." Yet [[public schools]] still resist teaching abstinence and instead promote sexual behavior by teenagers. Another question asked, "Are you offended by the phrase 'Under God' in the [[Pledge of Allegiance]]? Why or why not?" Palin replied, "Not on your life. '''If it was good enough for the Founding Fathers''', it's good enough for me and I'll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance." Many liberals ignorant of the history of "under God" have tried to ridicule Palin's remark, even calling her an "idiot" for it.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2008/sep/01/week</ref><ref>The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892, and George Washington's phrase "under God" was added to it in June 1954.</ref> In fact, the origin of the phrase "under God" is the General Orders of [[George Washington]] on July 2 and 9, 1776: "The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army" (July 2); "the peace and safety of the Country now depends, under God, solely on the success of our arms" (July 9).<ref>http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/264xqezm.asp?pg=2</ref> George Washington was indeed a [[Founding Father]], and the Founding Fathers made no secret of their Christian faith and unfailing belief in God in the [[Declaration of Independence]] and later writings. Palin also believes that students need to learn of the controversy surrounding the [[Theory of evolution|Theory of evolution]], and that discussing Creationism should not be banned from schools. During the 2006 campaign for the Alaskan Governorship, Palin was answering a question from the moderator near the conclusion of Wednesday night's televised debate on KAKM Channel 7 when she said, "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."<ref>http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/story/8347904p-8243554c.html</ref> She later clarified her position by stating "I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum." She added that, if elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state's required curriculum. As of September 2008 she has kept that pledge. In an example of liberal mockery, the [[Huffington Post]] attempted to make light of Sarah Palin's creationist beliefs, highlighting the creationism belief that [[dinosaur|dinosaurs]] and man coexisted.<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/28/palin-claimed-dinosaurs-a_n_130012.html</ref> [[Saturday Night Live]] likewise did a skit in which they had her refer to the Museum of Natural History as "that evolution museum". ==Church Life== Sarah Palin was baptized as a [[Roman Catholic]] and, at age 12, she was rebaptized in the Wasilla Assembly of God church.<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=2008-08-30 |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-mccainveepbio30-2008aug30,0,2159346.story |title=Palin has risen quickly from PTA to VP pick |author=Decker, Cathleen and Michael Finnegan, |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 30, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Gorsk| first = Eric | url = http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g4-w_DCWffagBaQb8Il9a0R2hkPAD92SL7E00 | title = Evangelicals energized by McCain-Palin ticket | publisher =Associated Press | date = 2008-08-30 | accessdate = 2008-08-30}}</ref> Palin attends the Wasilla Bible Church<ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Pepper |title=Regarding Governor Palin: A Letter from Pastor David Pepper |url=http://churchontherockak.org/Regarding-Sarah-Palin.html |publisher=Church on the Rock |accessdate=2008-09-04}}</ref>, an independent congregation,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wasillabible.org/faq.htm |title=Wasilla Bible Church FAQ |accessdate=2008-09-05 |work= |publisher= |date= }}</ref><ref name="miller">Lisa Miller and Amanda Coyne. "[http://www.newsweek.com/id/156679 A Visit to Palin's Church: Scripture and discretion on the program in Wasilla]." ''Newsweek''. Sept. 2, 2008.</ref> when at home and attended the Juneau Christian Center when in Juneau as governor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement Concerning Sarah Palin |url=http://www.jccalaska.com/images/10000/3000/582JU/user/palin.htm |publisher=Juneau Christian Center |date=2008-09-03 |accessdate=2008-09-04}}</ref> In December of 2008, Palin's church was severely damaged by arson. Damage to the Wasilla Bible Church was estimated at $1 million, authorities said. No one was injured in the fire, which was set Friday night while a handful of people, including two children, were inside. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/13/AR2008121302503.html Palin's Church Severely Damaged by Arson, WaPo, December 14, 2008]</ref> It is widely believed that leftist Palin-haters were responsible. ==Popularity== Palin earned the highest TV ratings at the Republican convention when she spoke, even surpassing McCain's acceptance speech, and nearly matched Obama's acceptance speech<ref>http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/palin-triggers-rnc-ratings-spike/</ref>, gaining unprecedented attention. Likewise her Vice Presidential debate with [[Joe Biden]] had more viewers than any of the three debates between McCain and Obama.<ref>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14201.html</ref> Also, her brief appearance on Saturday Night Live in October 2008 gave the show its highest ratings in 14 years, and was actually the third highest ranked show for the week based on the number of people who tuned in originally to watch her, 17 million, even though it ran at midnight in the East Coast Market.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/20/ustelevision-tvratings</ref> '''Sarah Palin's Alaska''' her reality show on The Learning Channel (TLC) drew about 2.5 million viewers on premier Sunday night, dominating its time slot<ref>http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/25/sunday-1219-cable-ratings-sarah-palins-alaska-top-gear-ax-men-leverage-kendra-real-housewives-more/76555</ref> and breaking TLC records with 5 million viewers having tuned in to watch the first episode.<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/15/sarah-palins-alaska-ratings-tlc_n_783740.html</ref> ==Media Disdain== Since day one of her nomination as vice president, the [[mainstream media | liberal media]] has sought to demonize Palin. <ref>[http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/07/23/crucify-her-crucify-her-journalists-targeted-sarah-palin-in-non-official-campaign/ Crucify Her! Crucify Her! Journalists Targeted Sarah Palin in Non-Official campaign, Newsrealblog, July 23, 2010]</ref> Former CBS anchor Katie Couric won a journalism award for her involvement in embarrassing Palin with questions related to sources she reads. This is the same media that passes on Obama's gaffes such as Obama's uncle liberated Auschwitz, a tornado in [[Kansas]] killed 10,000 people, his visit to the 57 states of America. Not much has changed in 3-years since becoming the VP nominee. Palin toured the country by bus and [[liberal]]s became infuriated while trying to cover her every move. They went as far as accusing her of causing a "rolling menace" in traffic. <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2011/06/05/politico-warns-palin-bus-tour-rolling-menace-traffic Politico Warns Palin Bus Tour Is a 'Rolling Menace' in Traffic, Newsbusters.org, June 5, 2011]</ref> Mainstream journalists have been repeating the lie by calling former Alaska governor Sarah Palin an idiot. Ailes marveled at the frenzy surrounding her tour of historic sites: “She’s so smart she’s got the press corps running up the whole East Coast behind her bus.” ==''The Undefeated'' movie== A nearly two-hour long film titled ''The Undefeated'' portrays Palin's time as Alaska's governor was released in July 2011. Conservative filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon created the film. Palin had no editorial role in the film. She reportedly saw a rough cut of the film and was blown away.<ref>[http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-presidential-primary/164781-palin-on-the-big-screen Palin on the big screen, The Hill, June 5, 2011]</ref> ==Publications== [[File:Palin Book2.jpg|right|125px]] * '''''[[Going Rogue: An American Life]]''''', [[Memoir]], published by Harper-Collins:(November 2009) <ref>[http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/2009/10/01/amazing-palin%E2%80%99s-book-number-one-on-both-amazon-and-barnes-unprecedented/ Amazing: Palin’s book number one on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestseller list, Audacity of Hypocrisy, October 1, 2009]</ref><ref>Rush Limbaugh. [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_111709/content/01125120.guest.html Rush Interviews Governor Sarah Palin], ''RushLimbaugh.com'', November 17, 2009.</ref><ref>Robert Shaffer. [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/17/ap-turns-heads-devoting-reporters-palin-book-fact-check/ AP Turns Heads for Devoting 11 Reporters to Palin Book 'Fact Check'], ''FOXNews.com'', November 17, 2009.</ref> was a record-breaking bestseller. It was the #1 bestseller in its first week<ref>http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/going-rogue-goes-to-top-of-book-sales-chart/</ref> and a million copies had sold by the end of the second week.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/01/print/main5851137.shtml</ref> Sales for the year topped two and a half million.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/01/print/main5851137.shtml</ref> Palin pledged to donate royalties from books sold during the day she visited Ft. Hood to families of victims of the Nov. 6, 2009 massacre, estimated to be about $10,000.<ref>http://www.kxxv.com/story/11625002/palins-fort-hood-visit-fun-for-troops?redirected=true</ref> ''"I'm joining the efforts of many others by donating my royalties from the book sales during our stop at Fort Hood to the families of the victims whose lives have been forever changed by the tragic events."''<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390058/posts</ref> * '''''"America by Heart; Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag"''''', Harper-Collins, November 2010. "Palin delivers an intimate and personal look at the woman behind the public servant. In her #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Going Rogue—the bestselling nonfiction book of 2009—Palin gave readers a look at her upbringing, her dynamic career, and her candidacy next to John McCain for the Vice Presidency of the United States. In this inspirational follow-up, her reflections on faith, family, and patriotism will read like a bible of American virtues for anyone hoping to understand the truths that lie at the heart of the nation." <ref>[http://www.harpercollins.com/books/America-Heart-Sarah-Palin/?isbn=9780062010964?AA=index_authorIntro_36341 America by Heart; Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag - Harper Collins Website]</ref> ==References== {{reflist|2}} {{conservatism}} ==External Links== *[http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=27200 Project Vote Smart - Governor Sarah H. Palin] *[http://www.ontheissues.org/Sarah_Palin.htm Sarah Palin On the issues] *[http://parentingfreedom.com/2008/09/03/sarah-palin-mother-and-first-female-vice-president-pictures-children-parenting/ Sarah Palin: Mother and First Female Vice President], ''Parenting Freedom'', September 03, 2008 *[http://churchformen.blogspot.com/2008/09/people-around-world-are-asking-who-is.html Sarah Palin, a friend of mine] *[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDE3MmE5MDVmMGM1YjQ2NmVhMjJkN2I2ZTcxMzhlNjU=&w=MA== I Still Hate You, Sarah Palin] National Review Online *[http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/256099/i-hate-you-bristol-palin-david-kahane?page=1 I Hate You, Bristol Palin] National Review Online *[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/05/28/tantaros-schultz-ingraham-affair-hatred-towards-conservative-women-la Hatred Towards Conservative Women is Last Acceptable Misogyny in U.S.] {{DEFAULTSORT:Palin, Sarah}} [[Category:Alaska]] [[Category:United States Mayors]] [[Category:Alaska Governors]] [[Category:Republican Party]] [[Category:Republican Governors]] [[Category:Women]] [[Category:Tea Party Movement]] [[Category:Featured articles]] [[Category: Conservatives]] [[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]