Originally Posted By: Matter-eater Man
Nice to see McCain shake things up with this pick. Pawlenty wouldn't have hurt him but I don't think he would have helped much either.




Nice article about her up at the Associated Press:

  • With ethics the centerpiece of her campaign, Palin defeated incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski, who served 22 years in the U.S. Senate before winning the governor's seat in 2002.

    Her task didn't seem any easier in the general election, but she handily beat Tony Knowles, a popular Democrat who already served two terms as governor.

    During her first year in office, Palin distanced herself from the powerful old guard of the state Republican Party, even calling on Sen. Ted Stevens to explain to Alaskans why federal authorities were investigating him.

    Palin also asked Alaska's congressional delegation to be more selective in seeking earmarks after what came to be known as the "Bridge to Nowhere" turned into a national embarrassment and a symbol of piggish pork-barrel spending.

    She also successfully took on the oil industry, leading to a tax increase on oil company profits that now has the state's treasury swelling.