Word on the street this morning is that McCain has selected Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate.



If this is accurate, then this is a brilliant pick, and one I am highly enthusiastic about.

More to follow if this plays out to be an accurate tidbit of information.

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EDIT: Okay, I just got out of a meeting, and the buzz I heard at 4am has turned out to be true. I love this pick, and because of it, my lukewarm support for the McCain ticket has heated up. No longer is it an "I can't take nObama," and has become an "I like this ticket!"

Sarah Palin, a fiscal and social conservative, Republican Governor of Alaska, has approval ratings in the high 80s to low 90s. Running on a "clean government" platform in the 1990s, she soundly defeated a corrupt Republican incumbent governor, despite not having the support of party insiders, as well as being significantly outspent by her Democratic opponent. With the win, Palin became the youngest governor in Alaska's history, taking office at age 42, and the first woman to be governor of the State of Alaska. Fred Barnes, Executive Editor of The Weekly Standard, described her as "a politician of eye-popping integrity."

Following her clean government platform, Palin began undoing earmarks and pork-barrel spending, the most notable of which was killing the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" brought to us by the lovely, yet corrupt, Republican Senator Ted Stevens.

She was appointed Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission but resigned the position when legislators ignored her complaints of legal and ethical violations, and conflicts of interest, exposing many such violations following her resignation.

Palin was two-term Wasilla Alaska mayor and a city councilwoman, prior to being elected Governor. As Mayor of Wasilla, she kept her campaign promises to reduce her own salary, and lowered property taxes 60%. Because of her excellence in this position, she was elected President of the Alaska Council of Mayors.

Palin is a "rough and tumble" woman, as a competition snowmobiler, moose hunter, lifetime member of the NRA, ice-fisher, private pilot, has worked in commercial fishing, and yet she maintains her feminine side, being the first runner up to the Miss Alaska pageant in 1984.

Palin is ardently pro-life. She is opposed to same-sex marriage, yet used her first gubernatorial veto to block legislation which would have barred the State of Alaska from granting benefits to gay state employees and their partners.

Palin married (and is still married to) her high school sweetheart, and is now the mother of five (soccer mom). The oldest (18) just enlisted in the military and will be deployed to Iraq next month. The youngest, a son, born in April of this year, has Downs Syndrome. Despite the results of prenatal genetic testing, abortion was never an option, and in Palin's mind, her son is perfect. "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection."

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So far, me likey...

Correction Damon, apparently up in Alaska its called a hockey mom, not a soccer mom.

LOL!! Yeah, I heard her say that on the radio yesterday, and I laughed. Almost spit out my Moose Burger!

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One more quick comment. Having read Ms. Palin's strengths and what she brings to the table take a look over at Hamster Talk and read what John Watt's take is on her selection as the R's V. P. candidate.

Here's the link: http://bellinghamstertalk.blogspot.com/