Sarah Palin
This is from an article written today by, CNS News senior editor, Susan Jones.
Who is She?
Palin was born Feb. 11, 1964, in
The Palins have five children: Track, 19;
In just two years, Palin has moved from suburban hockey mom and small-town mayor to governor and vice presidential contender, the Associated Press reported.
She is the first woman to appear on a Republican presidential ticket. She is
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, the Associated Press reported.
However, the Alaska Legislature last month voted to hire an independent investigator to look into allegations that Palin abused her office by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as an
Palin has said she welcomes the investigation: "Hold me accountable," she said. She denies allegations that she pulled strings in an attempt to get her sister's ex-husband fired.
She also successfully took on the oil industry, leading to a tax increase on oil company profits that have swelled the state's treasury.
Bumper stickers and blogs have proclaimed
She lives in Wasilla, a town of 6,500 about 30 miles north of Anchorage, with her husband, Todd, a North Slope oil worker who competes in the Iron Dog, a 1,900-mile snowmobile race. He is part Yup'ik Eskimo.
Her previous political experience consisted of terms as Wasilla's mayor and councilwoman and a stint as head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
She is solidly pro-life, reports say, and is expected to have strong appeal to social conservatives.