Anchorage Daily News

ABC News interview plan with Charles Gibson gets blog critique. Talking Points Memo has already decided that Gov. Sarah Palin's interview with Charles Gibson, scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Alaska, will be too controlled to reveal Palin's ability to handle news media questions.

Political interviews are never done like this because it makes the questioning entirely at the discretion of the person being interviewed and her handlers. The interviewer has to be on his best behavior, at least until the last of the "multiple interviews," because otherwise the subsequent sittings just won't happen. For a political journalist to agree to such terms amounts to a form of self-gelding. The only interviews that are done this way are lifestyle and celebrity interviews. And it's pretty clear that that is what this will be.

It will be unwatchable.

Meanwhile, despite discussions that Palin would head home for time to get her house in order and wish her son Track goodbye as he deploys to Iraq, Washington Post Virginia Politics blog reports today say Palin and McCain will be campaigning together in northern Virginia on Wednesday.

McCain and Palin, who is the one who has really been drawing the crowds, will hold a rally at Fairfax High School.

Delegate Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, and former Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore (R), co-chairs of McCain's Virginia presidential campaign, will hold a conference call Monday morning to announce the details of the visit.

Delegate. Jeffrey M. Frederic, R-Prince William, chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, sent an email to GOP activists Sunday night telling them "clear you calendars for Wednesday."

And TPM Election Central has McCain and Palin in Missouri today:

John McCain and Sarah Palin will be appearing today in Lee's Summit, Missouri, a large suburb of Kansas City, and are scheduled to arrive at a rally at 12:30 p.m. ET. Recent polls of Missouri have given McCain the lead in this perennial swing state.

With Biden and Obama in the Upper Midwest:

Barack Obama is campaigning today in the swing state of Michigan, visiting both the blue-collar city of Flint and the more upscale Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills. Joe Biden is also on the campaign trail today, visiting Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Des Moines, Iowa.

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Working women start asking questions about Palin's ability to help them. The Los Angeles Times Sunday carried a story out of Uniontown, Pa., in which reporters talked to working women who are listening closely to Gov. Palin's rhetoric. Under the headline "Sarah Palin's appeal to working-class women may be limited," readers heard from the likes of Trish Heckman, a 49-year-old restaurant cook.

But when it came down to an issue Heckman really cares about -- sending a daughter to college on $10.50 an hour -- her desire to see a woman reach the White House took a back seat to her depleted savings account.

"I wanted Hillary to win so bad, but I saw Sarah, and it just didn't work for me," said Heckman, taking a break in the empty courtyard of J. Paul's restaurant in a downtown struggling to revive. "I have no retirement. Obama understands it's the economy. He knows how we live."

Interviews with some two dozen women here after Palin's convention speech found that these voters were not swayed by the fiery dramatic speeches or compelling personal biographies that marked both the Republican and Democratic conventions. Instead, they were thinking about the price of milk -- nearly $5 a gallon -- or the healthcare coverage that many working families here cannot afford.

Waitress Judy Artice, "Miss Judy," as she is known at Glisan's roadside diner, declared Palin "the perfect candidate" after watching her Wednesday speech. That said, Artice had already decided that her vote would go to the first candidate who mentioned gasoline prices.

"And -- I'll be danged -- it was Obama," Artice, 46, said between servings of liver and onions during the lunch rush.

Baltimore Sun columnist Susan Reimer writes today that it's "Hard to choose sides in the Mommy Wars."

Meanwhile, the working mothers whose maternity leaves might not have lasted as long as a beach vacation -- and who know how crazy Palin's life is because it is the same life they are living -- are wondering why the woman isn't over the edge.

When you have female Republican surrogates out there saying that it is sexist to wonder if Palin can do it all when Barack Obama has never been asked who is minding his kids, you know the world has been turned on its head.

It is clear that we, as a country, still aren't sure how we feel about working mothers.

The New York Times looks at the new way motherhood and political ambitions are fusing, including this moment when the seven-months-pregnant governor finally told her staff that her family was "expanding."

On March 5, as she was leaving her office for a reception, she shared the news with three reporters.

"We're expanding," the governor said brightly, according to the deputy press secretary, Sharon Leighow.

"You're expanding state government?" one of the reporters asked.

"No, my family's expanding," she said. "I'm pregnant."

The trio fell silent, dropping their eyes from the governor's face to her belly.

"You're kidding," one finally mustered.

Newsweek's Katie Paul took a look at Palin's record in Alaska on women's and family issues.

The question is how often has her record backed up her rhetoric on issues of interest to families?

Not much, it turns out. Restrictions on abortion in Alaska have actually been loosened during her tenure. Last November, the Alaska Supreme Court rejected a 1997 law requiring girls younger than 16 to obtain parental consent before getting an abortion. Palin slammed the ruling as "outrageous" and had her attorney general file for a rehearing, but it was promptly denied.

Meanwhile, both this year and last year, she has used her line-item veto to slash state funds for programs providing precisely the kinds of resources Feminists for Life supports for at-risk mothers on the fence about abortion. She cut by 20 percent the funding for Covenant House Alaska, a state-supported program that includes a transitional home where new teenage mothers can spend up to 18 months learning money management and parenting skills. Critics have jumped all over that decision, arguing that the decision looks especially bad in light of the news that Palin's 17-year-old daughter has since become pregnant.

Palin has also voided funds for two other similar programs during her tenure as governor. One, the WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Program, would have provided breast pumps and nutrition support to low-income rural women, for a total cost of $15,480. Another, the Cook Inlet Housing Authority's student housing and day care facility project, would have built a childcare facility and family-style housing units for students pursuing vocational education in Anchorage, most of whom come from rural areas.

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Readers see bias in the US Weekly profile of Palin and her family. The New York Times reports that plenty of readers had a hard time stomaching US Weekly's cover story Friday, while its Web site experienced all-time readership highs.

Other readers questioned why Us was covering politicians in the first place, with comments like "Stick to your mindless gossip and leave real journalism to those that have the know-how."

If the cover drew controversy, it also drew readers. On Thursday, the magazine's Web site brought in more than 11 million page views, making it the third-highest day of traffic that UsMagazine.com has ever had. (An August cover about the actress Jennifer Love Hewitt's diet brought in the previous highs on two consecutive days.) And though many of the message-board readers had threatened to cancel their subscriptions, an Us Weekly representative said that it had received about 1,000 cancellations and 1,000 new subscriptions last week - both figures higher than average, according to the representative, but a draw, in political terms.

"I do worry that the level of discourse, when ultimately what we're focusing on is particularly the family life of the candidates, and I'm talking about both Barack Obama and Sarah Palin; are we missing the fundamental question of whether these people are actually qualified to be president and vice president of the United States," said Jane Kirtley, a professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota.

But Palin made it clear she is savvy about the media in a different piece by The New York Times, "Drawing a bead on the press"

She was a huge hit in the room and beyond. Ms. Palin, a woman who clearly understands the power of words, had a way of pronouncing media - "MEE-de-ah" - that made it sound like something legless and slithering.

"At first appearance, she has a lot of relate-ability," said Bonnie Fuller, the former editor of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Us Weekly and Star magazine. "She looks like your friend just down the street, the woman who is picking up the kids at the bus stop and juggling all that with a job where she has pictures of her kids on the desk. Sarah looks and sounds warm, the kind of woman you could tell your troubles to and she'd give you a hug."

Ms. Fuller questioned whether that appeal will endure once voters become equally familiar with her anti-abortion, pro-creationism politics. But for now, Ms. Fuller said, "she is a celebrity and one that people seem to like a great deal."

***

Alaska legislators say Gov. Sarah Palin's leadership style is above worrying about detail. The Los Angeles Times this morning takes a look at the relationship between Palin and the Alaska Legislature over ethics, big oil and other issues both bodies of government worry about.

And the seeming paradox of the ethics reform fight -- the combination of bold, even courageous readiness to take on a tough issue, coupled with a tendency to drift away from the nitty-gritty follow-through -- appears to be a recurrent theme of her record. Some lawmakers were so perplexed by her absence from a recent debate over sending oil rebate checks to Alaskans, for example, that they sported buttons at the state Capitol reading "Where's Sarah?"

"Her ethics proposal had to be beefed up substantially with very basic additions," said state Rep. Les Gara, an Anchorage Democrat who tried to get the governor's attention on ethics and other issues.

It lacked such long-needed provisions as language making legislators subject to prosecution for bribery if they exchanged votes for campaign contributions. To Gara and others, including Republicans who have often supported the governor, their experience on the ethics bill has proven disconcertingly similar to their experience with Palin on other issues.

"When it comes to the real work of crafting policy, she's often not there," Gara said. He acknowledged her broad accomplishments, but added: "I don't know if she's disinterested in details or not comfortable with them, but the bottom line is: She is not truly a hands-on governor."

In interviews, more than a dozen Alaska politicians described Palin as a master at burnishing her image and building a popular base. She won statewide applause for selling the state jet, rejecting a big security entourage while driving herself, and firing the chef at the executive mansion.

The governor agreed to a legislative inquiry by an independent investigator who was going to probe whether Palin had abused her authority in seeking Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan's precipitous dismissal. The Palins were angry because Monegan failed to fire a state trooper in the midst of a fierce custody battle the trooper was having with the governor's sister. For years, the governor and her family had complained that the trooper was abusive and dangerous.

Since being chosen as John McCain's running mate, however, Palin has started a legal maneuver to prevent that inquiry from going forward.

State Rep. Andrea Doll of Juneau, a Democrat, says she thinks the governor is learning from her mistakes. "One thing she learned is that you are not a lone ranger -- you can't go marching off, ignoring the people at the legislative front lines," she said. "To get something done, you need more than just the public applauding wildly."

The New Yorker got retiring Senate president Lyda Green on what it's like to work with the governor.

She traces the chill in their relationship to her decision not to endorse Palin in her 2006 gubernatorial primary. (She stayed neutral.) As governor, Green says, Palin, unlike her predecessors - Democrats and Republicans - has ignored leaders in the legislature and turned every policy disagreement, whether a dispute over a tax on studded tires or a recent debate on rebate checks, into a personal vendetta."That became her style: in the media implying a negative picture of the Legislature," Green said.

***

Here are quick links to how Alaskans are reacting to Palin's rise on the national scene.

> Analysis: Nation's image of Palin differs from Alaskans' (Juneau Empire)

> Homer divided on Palin, just like the rest of the nation (Homer News)

> Kodiak weighs in on Palin's campaign rhetoric (KMXT)

> Eagle River locals surprised by Palin selection (Alaska Star)

***

How is the election playing on the national and international blog scene? Thanks to Sacred Facts for this tip to a site that compiles blogger comments internationally on the U.S. election:

> Voices without votes. (Global Voices, Reuters)

Voices Without Votes highlights conversations in non-American blogs and citizen media, with emphasis on the regions covered by Global Voices: Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East.

> The Hotline (National Review)

The Blogometer is a daily report from The Hotline taking the temperature of the political blogosphere. The Blogometer appears in The Hotline's subscription-only tip sheet and in this space every weekday at noon.

***

Palin's hair and clothing styles prompt fashion speculation. The Los Angeles Times, claiming it is waiting for more substance to emerge from the McCain-Palin camp, dissects the Alaska governor's personal style as witnessed at the Republican National Convention last week. They are having quite a bit of fun.

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. But in a little more than a week, the Republican vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, 44, has stolen the campaign's style spotlight, causing a run on Kawasaki 704 eyeglass frames and upswept hairstyles.

Barely a blip on the political radar before now, Palin has to go the extra mile to hone her VP style. But far from uglifying herself, she plays up her sexuality. And this early on, Palin is already playing the image game like a pro. When Sen. John McCain accepted the nomination Thursday night, she wore a black satin jacket that dipped just low enough in front so you could see some cleavage. In this political marriage, Palin clearly knows she's the trophy.

Her hair is a study in contrasts, carefree and "done" at the same time. The untidiness of her updo has a can-do spirit that says, "I have more important things to do than worry about my hair, so I just twirled it into this clip so I could get to the real business of governing and shooting caribou and having babies and taking them to hockey practice."

The bouffant in the front, which appears to be teased from underneath, is more traditional, to appeal to the GOP base and those big donors from Houston who've been known to fly with their hairstylists on their private planes. And yet, you get the feeling that at the end of the day, she could shake out that lustrous mane (longer than any other major female U.S. political figure's) and get it on with her man.

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