The article says that governors are entitled to the travel funds, and tries to paint a picture of non impropriety, but it really goes against the grain of the image she's trying to create to the voters. She says she's against waste, but charging the taxpayers for trips she never made erodes some of her credibility.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080909/ap_on_el_pr/palin_travel_expenses

They guy from Electoral-vote.com says this:

Gov. Sarah Palin billed the state of Alaska for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months as governor according to a story in the Washington Post. This allowance is intended to cover the governor's expenses when she is away from her office on state business. She also billed to take her children on official state trips and her husband also billed when he went along on these trips (presumably from Juneau, the state capital, to Wasilla, where the Palins live). The legality of this billing aside, a candidate who is strongly against government waste may have some explaining to do. If Palin went alone and spent the night in, say, Fairbanks to confer with the mayor, no questions would have been raised, but billing the taxpayers to stay in your own home probably qualifies as waste, even if it is legal (which is far from clear). Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) also spends a lot of time in his Los Angeles home, but he doesn't bill the state for it.

Me: Another "say one thing do another" conservative?

This is the first story to come out that might get some legs.

The problem is the RNC/GOP is making it difficult to access Palin in an attempt to avoid her committing political suicide.

This is going to get interesting.

The dubious part of the story is claiming the funds to compensate the expenses that also included her husband and kids. If she had to make a government business-related trip was it that necessary to include her whole family in the travel?

Sounds like she was making a few bucks by taking advantage of the system a little. The taxpayers of the lower 48 may not look too kindly upon that.

"Palin took her daughter Bristol to New York in October for a conference on women and leadership...the analysis shows. Travel costs included three nights in a hotel room costing more than $700 a night."

Since when does a government pay travel expenses for family members? And what is Alaska's in-state daily per-diem amount?

I know New York is a bit more expensive than Alaska, but $700 hotel rooms for her and her daughter? C'mon! That's WASTE!

Too bad then-pregnant Mama Pitbull didn't use some of that quality alone-time during flights or in their nice plush room to discuss birth control and "leadership" qualities with Bristol.

I'm wonder where he purity ring was?

On her finger, which was wrapped around her "fiance's" wiener.

Or on the nightstand.

Or maybe hanging from the thumbtack holding up her Jamie Lynne Spears poster.

Is there any honor that Palin's daughter/future son in law is getting married soon?