Alaska Gov

WHAT TO do about the war, what to do about the economy, what to do about those rimless glasses and that saucy updo? Style has never been more important than it is in this election. That's not just because this high-stakes political contest is being watched by a tabloid and celebrity-obsessed culture. It's also because this election now has so many powerful women on the national stage who are putting their message across with vastly different style strategies. For months, we've seen how polarizing style can be, dissecting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's gender-neutral pantsuits, Cindy McCain's $300,000 Oscar de la Renta-and-diamonds convention outfit and Michelle Obama's throwback Jackie O. shift dresses.

Rick Santorum, still enjoying a surge in fundraising and attention after winning three states last week in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, pushed back Sunday against the idea that his socially conservative views could alienate working women. Many pundits have suggested that Santorum's views on gay marriage, abortion, contraception and working women could present formidable obstacles in attracting moderate and independent voters if he were to become the GOP nominee.

Reporting from Honolulu Sarah Palin says she's still "some months" away from a decision about whether to seek the presidency in 2012, and that she won't be deterred by polls showing that she may not be the Republican Party's best candidate to beat President Obama. The former Alaska governor's comments about a White House run were not new, but the forum in which she discussed them was a departure. She spoke with ABC's Robin Roberts for a piece that aired Friday on "Good Morning America.

As Mitt Romney formally announced his presidential bid Thursday, two larger-than-life political personalities crashed into New Hampshire, stealing the nominal frontrunner's thunder and underscoring that the GOP field is far from settled. Continuing her catch-me-if-you-can bus tour of historic sites on the Eastern Seaboard, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hosted a clambake for "tea party" activists on the coast, proclaiming her love for the movement and her goal of highlighting the importance of the American spirit.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's sister-in-law has pleaded not guilty to charges that she twice broke into the same home in the governor's hometown. Diana Palin -- the 35-year-old half sister of the governor's husband, Todd -- is accused of targeting the Wasilla home to steal money. She pleaded not guilty to eight counts including theft, burglary and criminal trespass. Palin was arrested April 2 after she was confronted by the homeowner. Police say tire tracks and shoe prints tied the woman to an earlier break-in.

Seven of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's top aides, including chief of staff Mike Nizich, defied legislators' subpoenas for their testimony on possible abuse of power by the governor. The chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrat Hollis French, waited 30 minutes before reading a statement that the witnesses could be found in contempt when the full Legislature convenes in January and that the investigation will go on "in a simple search for the truth." Alaska Atty. Gen. Talis Colberg filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of the seven, challenging the authority of those conducting the investigation into Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner.

John McCain was a hit on "Saturday Night Live," just not as big a hit as his running mate. The Republican, who poked fun at his presidential campaign's financial shortcomings and his reputation as a political maverick in Saturday's appearance, led the show to its second-best overnight ratings since a December 1997 holiday episode. NBC estimated that when the final national viewer estimate is known later this week, it will be a little less than 12 million people. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's appearance two weeks ago was seen by 15 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Rick Santorum, still enjoying a surge in fundraising and attention after winning three states last week in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, pushed back Sunday against the idea that his socially conservative views could alienate working women. Many pundits have suggested that Santorum's views on gay marriage, abortion, contraception and working women could present formidable obstacles in attracting moderate and independent voters if he were to become the GOP nominee.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will reimburse the state nearly $7,000 for costs associated with nine trips taken by her children, her attorney said. The settlement agreement was filed by a special investigator hired by the Alaska Personnel Board to investigate an ethics complaint filed against Palin. Her attorney, Thomas Van Flein, estimated the amount would be $6,800. There is no state law prohibiting the governor's family from traveling with her, and the personnel board found no wrongdoing by the governor.

Talk show host John Ziegler, who joined the lineup at KGIL-AM (1260) only two weeks ago, already is getting more exposure on the station. His weekday 11 a.m.-1 p.m. show will be rebroadcast again each day from 7 to 9 p.m. starting Monday. Ziegler, a former host at KFI-AM (640), generated national attention during his first week at KGIL with an interview of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin about jokes David Letterman had made on his late-night CBS show. Ziegler previously had produced the documentary "Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted."

Sarah Palin's much-publicized "One Nation" bus tour got off to a chaotic and rumbling start Sunday in Washington, with no bus in sight and the potential presidential candidate only occasionally popping into view. The former Alaska governor, who has indicated she is still contemplating a run for the White House in 2012, showed up at a motorcycle rally for veterans in a Pentagon parking lot, clad in black leather, a black helmet and sunglasses. She arrived with her husband, Todd, and two of their three daughters in tow. "We're here to honor our vets," Palin told NBC News.

On a day when former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin shook up the Republican presidential field with the news that she was launching a national bus tour, potential competitor Michele Bachmann said she was pressing ahead with her own effort and planned an announcement next month in her birthplace of Waterloo, Iowa. Palin’s decision on whether to run, the Minnesota congresswoman said, would not affect her plans. Bachmann was slated to headline a fundraiser for the Polk County GOP in Des Moines on Thursday night, but missed the event to stay in Washington for a vote on the Patriot Act. She appeared in an awkward live video chat at the banquet where her remarks echoed around the room, out of sync from her blurry image on screen.      Bachmann still plans several stops in Iowa on Friday and told reporters she has hired staff in South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa for her presidential effort.

Tim Pawlenty's presidential campaign rests on this question: Will Republican voters itching for confrontation with President Obama deliver their nomination to a man who tends toward soft-spoken and bland? As he formally announced his run here Monday, the former Minnesota governor sought distance from the GOP field by casting himself as an everyman who would speak frankly to Americans about the gravity of the nation's challenges. Charging that Obama has failed to tackle difficult issues like entitlement reform and warning that "the pain of the recent recession will pale in comparison to what's coming," Pawlenty chided the president for backing a "pork-filled stimulus bill" and financial bailouts for well connected businesses, and called his healthcare plan "an unmitigated disaster for our country.

Reporting from Honolulu Sarah Palin says she's still "some months" away from a decision about whether to seek the presidency in 2012, and that she won't be deterred by polls showing that she may not be the Republican Party's best candidate to beat President Obama. The former Alaska governor's comments about a White House run were not new, but the forum in which she discussed them was a departure. She spoke with ABC's Robin Roberts for a piece that aired Friday on "Good Morning America.

Seeking to channel the sign-bearing, flag-waving enthusiasm of the "tea party" movement into ballot-box victories, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told hundreds of supporters Monday they couldn't "party like it's 1773" until Washington was flooded with like-minded conservatives. "I can see November from my house!" said Palin in a self-deprecating call to action that had been reprinted on buttons. Though an exuberant Palin plugged Sharron Angle, the Republican running neck-and-neck with Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, Palin spent much of her 26-minute speech denouncing the policies of Democrats, whose base is dispirited and whose congressional majorities are at stake in November.

A California university violated the state's open records law when it refused to release the contract and other documents related to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's fundraising appearance in June, a judge has ruled. Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Roger M. Beauchesne ordered Cal State Stanislaus officials to release the contract as well as other documents related to the use of university facilities, personnel and services surrounding the June 25 fundraising gala. Cal State Stanislaus and a foundation affiliated with the campus were sued in April after failing to disclose details of Palin's contract, including her speaking fee. Officials argued that the nonprofit foundation that hosted the former Republican vice presidential candidate was not subject to the state's Public Records Act. They also argued that the contract with the Washington Speaker's Bureau, which represents Palin, was confidential.

The Nov. 28 article, "Alaska Starts Aerial Wolf Hunt," left out three crucial points. One, Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski ignored the wishes of 70% of Alaska's voters to protect the wolves from aerial hunts. Two, the hunts are carried out in a cruel way in which the wolves are chased down to the point of exhaustion and collapse, then they are shot at point-blank range. And three, the "effort to boost the moose and caribou population" has nothing to do with protecting these species; it's to ensure a large enough population to appease the hunting lobby, which brings millions of dollars.

Monica Larson is the kind of viewer the cable outlet TLC craves. A loyal fan for years, the mother of five from Westlake Village is now getting her kids hooked on family-oriented reality series like "Cake Boss" and "Say Yes to the Dress." "I love that, overall, their shows are interesting without having to 'push the edge' in terms of language, innuendoes or content," Larson said. Heartland values are indeed what TLC pushes, carving out a profitable niche in a reality TV marketplace otherwise filled with sex-drenched youth soaps (MTV's "Jersey Shore")

Fresh off her speech to the Tea Party Convention, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Sunday left open the possibility that she would run for president in 2012 and asserted that President Obama would lose if the election were held today. Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Palin was asked about a recent poll that showed her topping a field of potential Republican candidates by 5 percentage points. She told interviewer Chris Wallace that she would run for the 2012 GOP nomination "if I believed that that is the right thing to do for our country and for the Palin family."