Sarah Palin: Wasilla Celebrity

In another Sarah Palin story, Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer has written "All-things-Palin still reigns in Alaska:"

Reporting from Juneau, Alaska —

Anyone who doubts Sarah Palin's celebrity need only talk to Lyn Carden.

As head of the Chamber of Commerce in Wasilla, Alaska, Carden tends to be the front line for tourists wanting to see Palin, perhaps even grab a cup of coffee at her house. And she has heard it all.

When Palin makes news, or carries a snazzy purse women want to buy, Carden invariably gets a call, or a flurry of calls. Some callers have left credit card information, hoping to get that purse. Others send fan mail or money for Palin's political action committee.

There are those too who just stop in, hoping for directions to her house, which they do not get, or eager to learn as much as they can about Wasilla's most famous resident. Many snap photos of themselves with Palin's cardboard cutout. ...

... She also is among the most well-known but polarizing political figures in America, revered by supporters as a God-fearing Everywoman who fights for what she believes in, and derided by critics as a political lightweight and quitter.

"There's no gray area," Carden said. ...

The story continues with a description of John Coale's trip with Sarah and Todd Palin to a Boston pastry shop. John Coale is Greta Van Susteren's husband.

At the end of the story, we're told, "Associated Press reporter Mark Thiessen contributed to this report from Wasilla, Alaska." This post's photo was found at another version of Bohrer's story.

Bonafide Palin News. Or is it?

Now that Sarah Palin's fallen from the limelight, like everyone else, the Associated Press' Becky Bohrer has to stretch to publish a Palin news story. "Alaska gov restores calm after stormy Palin tenure" begins:

JUNEAU, Alaska -- Perhaps Sean Parnell's greatest accomplishment so far as governor is that he's not Sarah Palin.

In the year since inheriting the job when Palin resigned, Parnell has quietly gone about restoring a sense of calm that many Alaskans craved after the storm-that-was-Sarah. Barring any major missteps, that alone may be enough to help him carry next month's GOP primary and win the office he wasn't expecting [to] hold. ...

But isn't Parnell Palin without lipstick?

... While oil remains king, its revenue largely responsible for funding the state's operation, production is expected to keep declining. There are no firm answers for how best to stem those revenue losses.

One long sought project that could help is a major natural gas pipeline.

[Ralph] Samuels and [Bill] Walker [,both challenging Parnell, this fall, for the governorship,] have aggressively gone after Parnell's approach to building the line.

Parnell remains committed to the process championed by Palin, which she said would spur competition in bringing North Slope gas to market. Two competing projects are currently seeking shipping commitments and gauging interest. Parnell cites this as proof the market will win out.

But Samuels said the state is really no further ahead than it was several years ago in realizing a line.

Walker favors an "all Alaska line" that he says would put put (sic) Alaska, not oil and gas companies, in the driver's seat. He said Parnell has shown no leadership on the gas line. ...

And perhaps most importantly: How many Palin appointees remain in office to do Sarah's bidding?

Let's have a story about how Alaska's state government has changed or remained the same since Sarah Palin quit. Is Sarah Palin still influencing government through the appointments to boards and commissions she made? Those appointees serve at the governor's pleasure. Why hasn't Parnell cleaned house?