Who is Sarah Palin?

The following personal assessment of Sarah Palin is from an Alaska bush pilot and hunting guide who knows her well. The person who sent it to me observed that "if McCain-Palin win, perhaps McCain just did one last tremendous thing for his country."

Here is the straight scoop from an in-person observer. What would happen if she got the 3am call that the President was dead? Past experience indicates she'd clean house in Washington. Would that be a bad thing? (well I for one would be rather sad.)

We are having a great week on Silvers here at Wildman [Lodge], You know, I don't often get very political, but recently many of our friends are asking us "Who is Sarah Palin?"

Of course, as Alaskans, Kathy and I are extremely proud of her. We just want to let you know that Sarah "Barracuda" Palin is a straight shooting, hard charging, get it done gal. She knows when to listen, how to analyze the facts and how to make a decision, then implement the plan. She doesn't do a poll before jumping in with both feet like too many of the Washington types.

She has little legislative experience because she has always held the EXECUTIVE position; in private life, as mayor of Anchorage's largest bedroom community or more recently as Governor of our State. She is a smart, attractive home-grown Alaska girl with excellent moral and family values. She can see what needs to be done and does not hesitate to get it done.

One of our State's major problems is that its Capital is in Juneau, 500 miles from the nearest road and 800 air miles from the population bases, which are Anchorage, Wasilla and Fairbanks.

Our legislature and most o fhe State government is in Juneau and they ALL behave like a bunch of freshmen in a college town. It has been this way since Statehood in 1959.

When Sarah moved to Juneau, so did accountability and responsibility.

When the oil revenue started flowing and a barrel of North Slope Crude hit $23.00, these people began spending money like drunken sailors. You can only imagine what was happening when oil hit $100.00 a barrel, about the time Sarah took command.

My wife Kathy has first-hand experience with this fiasco, as her father and also her ex-husband were Alaska Legislators who served in Juneau as Senators, Senate President, or members of the State House for a combined period spanning nearly three decades.

About the time Sarah took the HELM as Governor of Alaska, about half of the State legislature was in the pocket of big oil companies or contractors doing big projects for Native Corporations around Alaska, all funded by State oil revenue.

Alaska government was nothing but a good old boys club riding the perpetual wave of prosperity. This filtered down from the legislature, through the Department of Natural
Resources, Department of Labor and even spilled in to the Public Safety who are supposed to "preserve and protect".

When Sarah walked into the Governor's Mansion, she promptly dismissed the State Trooper detachment assigned to the Governor and had her and her husband's gun case brought in from Wasilla. Then, she got rid of the former Governor's STATE Jet and told legislators that there were no more free rides. They would have to fly Alaska Airlines, just like her and her family. if they wanted to travel.

Next came the nut-cutting (the Barracuda part). The heads that rolled were too numerous to name, but when Sarah finished cleaning house, a number of our legislators ended up in jail on corruption charges, or tendered their resignations along with numerous department heads and those who have been riding the gravy train for way too long.

AND THEN SHE HAD LUNCH. By the end of the day, Sarah Palin had saved the people of Alaska millions and has not yet slowed down.

She has truly brought CHANGE to Juneau . I personally know several persons in the private sector in Alaska that hold her in high esteem. She surrounds herself with smart people, many from my hometown of Anchorage. She listens to them but makes her own decisions. Sarah Palin is a no B.S. politician. It is refreshing that there is such a thing anymore.

You want to talk about CHANGE? You should see a before and after picture of the State government in Alaska. That's CHANGE!

Sarah will bring a number of things to the election. I am sure she will appeal to many voters who otherwise could have gone the other direction on election day. The conservative bloc will not be for Barack. We have their vote.

We need what Sarah will bring, first to the election and second, what she will bring to Washington D.C. McCain has been advised well. Let's just hope the American people can get the straight scoop on her in the weeks ahead.

This is just the view of one Alaska Bush Pilot and Guide, who pays attention to national politics, watches the news and is deathly afraid of the direction our nation is headed. I guarantee that if Sarah gets a chance to dig her spurs into the flanks of the far-left Washington types, they will know that she's in the saddle.

Butch & Kathy King
www.wildmanlodge.com