McCain's best shot, Palin and simple

One of the reasons I started this blog was to recognize the rising stars of the Republican party; the reformers and moderates who energize voters by promoting equality and tolerance while simultaneously fighting for fiscal responsibility. Sarah Palin embodies all of the aforementioned principles. Her leadership has provided Alaska, one of the most corrupt states in the Union, a hope for the future. She has provided this hope not through vague promises of a better future, but through practice.

Among her other achievements, Mrs. Palin pushed a comprehensive ethics bill that tightened loopholes around her fellow state officials. Some of its provisions include:

• Requiring legislators and legislative employees to disclose all boards on which they serve
• Increasing restrictions on employment after leaving service in the executive branch
• Barring political use of state aircraft except when that use is incidental
• Provides for forfeiture of certain pension contributions when an official is convicted of a felony such as bribery in connection with official duties

Take, for instance, Thundervision or the Boeing Tanker deal. In each case, the guilty parties continue to collect full retirement benefits. If Palin had the opportunity to battle corruption in Washington by stripping retirement benefits for crooked federal employees, it could have a dramatic chilling effect on procurement. Imagine Palin's war on corruption as an extension of McCain's crusade against pork barrel spending. It could lead to tangible change on the way our money is spent.

Additionally, Palin brings instant economic and energy credentials to the table. Slashing almost a third of the capital budget in her first year in office while supporting revenue sharing for local governments, Palin embodies a return to small government and restoring local responsibility.

On social issues, Palin satisfies the conservative wing with both her views and credentials on abortion. She knew early in her pregnancy that her son would be born with Down's syndrome, yet she demonstrated her commitment to life and pressed forward. Trig Paxson Palin was born on April 18th, 2008. While opposing gay marriage in her state, she eventually signed benefits for same-sex couples into law in Alaska.

These alone are more executive credentials than the Democratic party managed to submit for the 2008 election cycle. Mrs. Palin; a mother, wife, journalist, hunter, governor, and most importantly an agent of change. Senator McCain has a historic opportunity to have both members of his ticket be reform-minded Republicans in the tradition of Theodore Roosevelt.