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A Week of Palin:
Republican VP Pick Met With Criticism, Gossip

A Week of Palin:
Republican VP Pick Met With Criticism, Gossip

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In a week that saw an Alaskan governor rise from relative political obscurity to the face most plastered across websites, newspapers, and television sets the world over, the Republican Party has welcomed a new star to the political arena -- and her name is Sarah Palin.

In a week that saw an Alaskan governor rise from relative political obscurity to the face most plastered across websites, newspapers, and television sets the world over, the Republican Party has welcomed a new star to the political arena -- and her name is Sarah Palin.

Palin was such an out-of-left-field choice for the Republican vice presidential slot that when McCain added her to the ticket Friday, news anchors were scrambling to play catch up, some even needing clarification as to how her last name was pronounced.

And as with many a politician before her, a massive media-led investigation into her past followed.

Hot off breaking the John Edwards affair scandal wide open, The National Enquirer immediately hopped on rumors that Palin had cheated on her husband, Todd, among other stories. The tabloid for a time even suggested Palin's 4-month-old baby had actually been born to her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, who herself is now five months' pregnant.

The McCain camp quickly countered the rumors with a cease and desist order of sorts, urging the media to lay off Palin's personal life. Barack Obama issued a statement of his own, suggesting Palin's family should be off limits to the media.

But rumors surrounding the Alaska governor's personal life could just be the tip of the iceberg. Journalists are continuing to follow an ongoing investigation into whether Palin improperly ordered the dismissal of Alaska's top law enforcement officer for refusing to fire a state trooper from his post.

The trooper, Mike Wooten, was married to Palin's sister, but Palin says that when she fired Alaska Public Safety commissioner Walt Monegan on July 11, it was because she wanted to take the commission in a new direction.

Monegan countered her claims, telling an Alaska NBC affiliate he felt he was fired because he resisted pressure from Palin's staff and her husband to fire Wooten, who had been involved in a lengthy custody battle with Palin's sister after their divorce in 2005.

Palin is urging an independent investigation team to "hold me accountable," according to MSNBC.

But the accusations continue to fly, and just this weekend, the Alaska trooper's union filed an ethics suit against Palin.

And despite a reenergized conservative base of support for McCain on the heels of Palin being added to the ticket, the self-described "hockey mom" continues to face her fair share of criticism from across the board -- particularly from women.

Though Palin herself indicated early on she was picking up the race to see a woman in the White House where Hillary Clinton left off, Clinton supporters aren't biting, with many suggesting Palin's beliefs go against everything Clinton has spent her career fighting for.

Noted feminist Gloria Steinem echoed those sentiments in an opinion article for the Los Angeles Times, saying: "Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard [Hillary] Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton."

Even antigay author-radio talk host Dr. Laura Schlessinger joined the fight against Palin, expressing disappointment that Palin would return to work so soon after giving birth to a baby born with Down syndrome. Schlessinger supports traditional families with a stay-at-home mother.

While political pundits all seem to agree Palin has reenergized McCain's campaign just when it needed it most, her addition to the ticket has also resulted in a surge of donations to the Obama campaign. According to the Boston Globe, Obama raised $10 million on the heels of Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night, a one-day record for the campaign. (The Advocate)

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