Palin Hates Earmarks, but Alaska's No. 1

'Newsweek' goes deep with Sarah trivia

(NEWSER) - With Sarah Palin fever at its highest point since the 2008 election, Newsweek dares you to test how much you know about the nation's most polarizing politician:

• What question did Palin and strategists plan for her to ask Joe Biden before the start of their debate?
• Mat, Court, Zamboni, and Colt: Which name wasn't considered as a possibility for Palin's elder son, Track?
• True or false: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin, required alleged rape victims to pay $1,200 for their own rape kits.

After campaign whirlwind, guv left 'feeling beaten up'

(NEWSER) - After the 2008 campaign clock struck midnight, Sarah Palin returned to Alaska with a mixed bag of name recognition and unwanted scrutiny, the Washington Post reports. Supporters and opponents alike parse her every move for signs of a 2012 presidential run, and her role as conservative attack dog is coloring her ability to govern. “The governor has been feeling beaten up,” says a fellow Republican. More»

Governor wishes she'd spoken to reporters more

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin wishes she’d interacted with the media more while campaigning with John McCain, the Alaska governor told Human Events. Palin identified her “biggest mistake” in the ’08 campaign as not taking a more active role in communicating with voters through the media. “I was not allowed to do very many interviews, and the interviews that I did were not necessarily those I would have chosen,” Palin said. More»

Governor's appointees include loyalists with iffy qualifications

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin has touted herself as a reformer, telling voters she "took on the old politics as usual in Juneau." But an LA Times investigation shows the Alaska governor gave more than 100 state jobs to campaign contributors and their relatives, many of whom lacked qualifications for the positions. One controversial appointee received a note from a Palin aide that read, "Well now your foot's back in the door." More»

Two-account system undercuts public transparency, critics charge

(NEWSER) - Candidate Sarah Palin vowed to be an "open and transparent" governor, but as VP candidate she's drawing unwanted scrutiny with her use of private email to conduct state business, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Although the governor has a state email account, which is archived, she appears to use her private Yahoo account, which is not for state business. More»