Alaska Officials Speak on Palin Leadership

Below is a video from Greta Van Susteren on Fox News on the leadership experience of Sarah Palin.

Greta spoke with several people from Alaska, starting with the current mayor of Wasilla, Dianne Keller. Palin was mayor of Wasilla before she became governor.

Keller said that Palin works well with different factions and interests, and would do well in uniting the people of the United States. She said Palin is driven and will accomplish whatever goals she sets for herself.

Keller said she met Palin when Palin knocked on her door to ask her opinion about some land use issues in the city. She also told the quaint story of how a couple of Wal-Mart associates had asked Plain as mayor to marry them in the store, and Palin did.

Major General Craig Campbell of the Alaska National Guard said Governor Palin goes to deployments and returns, she is closely involved in developing the budget and ensuring Guard needs are met, and that the Guard members and families are taken care of.

General Campbell said the disparaging of Governor Palin's role as Commander in Chief of the Alaska National Guard is diminishing the role and stature of the Guard itself. He said that the Guard is a state military force used by the governor for state needs. He said a C-17 and some helicopters in addition to Alaska National Guard troops deployed last week to Louisiana to help with the hurricane, and it was done between governors without the involvement of the president.

Campbell spoke highly of Palin's visit with the Alaskan troops in Kuwait, that it was one of the first things she wanted to do when she became governor. Campbell said Palin came back from the trip with many ideas to improve operations and conditions for the troops.

Meg Stapleton, Palin's former press secretary, said Governor Palin succeeded where others have failed after three decades of several governors trying to get a natural gas pipeline to the Lower 48. Stapleton commended Palin's executive and management experience, stating Palin succeeded in this endeavour because she let the competitive markets drive things together, did lots of research and used common sense. She said Palin also did it in the open, rather than behind closed doors--and that the closed-door approach is what was contributing to a lot of the corruption Alaska has seen in the past.

Stapleton said Palin is in touch with everyday people because she is one. Stapleton said Palin drives herself to work, pumps her own gas, does her own grocery shopping, and shops at Cosco.