Anchorage Paper Also Surprised By McCain VP Choice

By: E&P Staff The news this morning that John McCain had selected little-known Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate was such a surprise even in her home state that the newspaper's top story on its Web site, even two hours after the news emerged, mainly quoted The New York Times.

"Palin picked as McCain VP," the headline read. By 1 PM ET it did have its own original piece posted.

Earlier stories noted, among other things, that she was a journalism student in college in Idaho, and occasionally worked as a TV sportscaster. It has also covered the current ethics probe of Palin surrounding the firing of a state trooper, who was her former brother-in-law.

When the paper carried a long profile of Palin back in 2006, when she became governor after serving as mayor of a small suburb of Anchorge, it noted that she had a mixed record with the media over the years, but had won them over often.

But it also reprinted an angry letter she had written to the paper back in 1993, noting that her growing respect for the media "was a sharp contrast to her attitude toward the Daily News expressed in a 1993 letter, in which a seething young Wasilla city councilwoman [Palin] called the paper 'dangerously biased' for its coverage of Sen. George Jacko, a key member of the Republican majority in Juneau. Jacko had been caught trying noisily to get into the room of a female legislative aide and was eventually censured by the Legislature. 'How can you justify your restraint in slamming the Clintons, Kennedys, Marion Barrys and other philandering, chauvinistic left-wingers of the world?' Palin wrote at the time. 'Your yellow, liberal rag is so obvious. I pray we will someday have a choice in newspapers again.'"

The story also observed: "Sarah went on to study journalism and political science in college, graduating from the University of Idaho in 1987. Along the way she competed in the Miss Alaska contest after being chosen Miss Wasilla 1984. In the Wasilla contest, she played the flute and also won the title of Miss Congeniality."

The Anchorage paper's report on the current ethics probe of Palin opened as follows on July 29.
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Alaska legislators on Monday voted to spend up to $100,000 to investigate Gov. Sarah Palin's controversial firing of former state Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

The decision came from the Legislative Council, a bipartisan panel of state senators and representatives.

The committee itself will not conduct the probe. Rather, it will hire an independent investigator to explore whether Palin, her family or members of her administration pressured Monegan to fire an Alaska state trooper involved in a rough divorce from Palin's sister.

Monegan contends he did feel such pressure, and the question for the investigator will be whether Monegan might have lost his job for failing to dismiss trooper Mike Wooten.

Palin has denied applying any pressure or otherwise abusing her power as governor.

Sharon Leighow, the governor's spokeswoman, said Palin "doesn't see a need for a formal investigation," but is willing to answer questions.

"The governor has said all along that she will fully cooperate with an investigation and her staff will cooperate as well," Leighow said.

The governor was not available for comment Monday afternoon, as she was flying from Anchorage to the capital.

Palin abruptly fired Monegan on July 11 and later explained she wanted to take the Department of Public Safety in a different, more energetic direction. She replaced him with Chuck Kopp, the former Kenai police chief. But Kopp resigned Friday over questions about a reprimand he received after a sexual harassment complaint lodged against him in Kenai.

The Legislative Council is a panel of lawmakers who tend to legislative business when lawmakers are not meeting in regular session.

On Monday, the council voted 12-0 to spend up to $100,000 "to investigate the circumstances and events surrounding the termination of former Public Safety Commissioner Monegan, and potential abuses of power and/or improper actions by members of the executive branch."