VP? If She Can Do It, So Can I

GOP candidate aims for more conciliatory role in national politics

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin hopes to become a less divisive figure in national politics, assuming she’s not headed to Washington with John McCain, the vice-presidential nominee said after voting today in Alaska, CNN reports. “If there is a role in national politics, it won’t be so much partisan,” Palin said. “It would certainly be a uniter type of role.” More»

Photo who was deputy to Wasilla mayor delves into album to tap zeitgeist

(NEWSER) - A friend of Sarah Palin’s is cashing in on the mania for the candidate with a calendar, the Los Angeles Times reports. Photographer Judy Patrick, who was also Palin’s deputy mayor in Wasilla, Alaska, snapped Palin playing hockey and holding a shotgun. She gave some photos to the campaign but had enough leftovers for a 13-month calendar. Available soon at Barnes & Noble (really). More»

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin vows to battle political boys' clubs, but her mayoral record shows that girls' clubs can be useful too, the AP reports. While mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin accepted gifts from merchants—even thanking one for an "awesome" facial—and argued for rulings that favored her family. Other examples abound: A waiver eased the sale of her house, and tax breaks helped a snow machine shop she co-owned with her husband. More»

Career reveals history of favoritism, vendettas, secrecy

(NEWSER) - Throughout Sarah Palin’s political career the Republican vice presidential nominee has played favorites, kept secrets and waged personal vendettas, according to the New York Times. A lengthy examination of the Alaska governor’s record reveals that she appointed at least five former schoolmates to state positions, threatened and fired several of her foes, and regularly used her personal email account for official business in a bid to dodge subpoenas. More»

Abortion, guns, religion became small-town issues

(NEWSER) - Running for mayor in Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin brought ideological politics to a small-town race that had been focused on roads and sewers, the New York Times reports. The 32-year-old candidate defeated a three-term incumbent by highlighting her anti-abortion stance, her NRA membership, and her religious work —while the state Republican Party, never before involved in mayoral elections, endorsed her. More»