5 Things About The Palins You May Not Know

(CBS)  When Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin burst onto the national political stage in August when John McCain named her as his running mate, close by her side was her husband of 20 years, Todd Palin.

And, despite an intense media spotlight on Alaska's first couple, many things have slipped mostly under the radar, as CBS News correspondent Thalia Assuras pointed out Tuesday:

No. 5: Surely, you've heard that Sarah Palin competed in the Miss Alaska contest in 1984, when she was still single, and her last name was Heath. But did you know -- she played the flute in the talent portion of the competition?

As for Todd, Sarah almost always introduces him at campaign rallies as "My husband, Alaska's first dude, Todd Palin," signaling just how "cool" she thinks her rugged outdoorsman is.

No. 4: Todd Palin really is one tough dude. The country knows by now that he's a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, a grueling, 2000 mile, weeklong snowmobile race. What's not so commonly known is that, earlier this year, Todd Palin raced 400 miles with a broken arm, and that he uses a common household product to avoid frostbite, according to his father-in-law.

"They take duct tape," says Chuck Heath, "and duct tape as much of their face as possible, 'cause they'll be going 100 miles an hour at maybe 40 below."

No. 3: Did you know there's a soft side to that macho dude, that includes household chores and parental duties to the couple's five children while mom is on the road?

"Todd," says Heath, "is uh, Mr. Mom. Todd takes care of those kids so well so many times. I go to their house. Their house is always clean. Todd is just like an old maid there, uh, cleaning up the house and taking care of the kids!"

And taking care of business: It's well-known that Todd Palin works in Alaska's oil fields and is a commercial fisherman. What you might not know is that Sarah Palin has helped pull in the fish, too, once breaking three fingers while working days-on-end, revealing something even her dad finds surprising.

"The thing that I don't understand about Sarah," says Heath, "is her ability to go without sleep. She works 20 hour days many days. She told me once, 'I can sleep when I die.' "

And No. 1: Before comedian Tina Fey ever played Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live," Sarah Palin played Fey -- on Halloween! She dressed as Fey for Halloween, apparently realizing she and Fey were lookalikes!

A bonus item: Todd Palin is a member of the United States Steel Workers Union. But the union is backing Barack Obama for president, and has sent Todd Palin an official letter explaining that he can, if he wants, opt out of having that portion of his dues go to the rival presidential ticket.

[newslink]

Its five things that most of us. Really do not care about. Why so close to Nov. are we still trying to find out. Who is Sara Palin?

[luvienne]

How American is it to try and secede from the good ole USA? Any reporter with some guts willing to do a full story on this please speak up.

[dimhumb]

When you collaborate and associate with a domestic terrorist, you don''''t get to cry foul when people point it out. It is a SERIOUS ISSUE, and a SERIOUS CHARACTER FLAW that doesn''''t belong in our White House. (written of Obama)

Posted by FromTexwLove at 11:11 AM : Oct 21, 2008

FromTexwLove, nature backfires at breaches of conscience and punish slander in time, so be aware.

[harbinger09]

Just keep bashing Sara Palin. That is what both Republicans and Democrats did in Alaska, underestimated her, and now she is the most popular Governor in America (80% approval). You lefties just don''''t get why she is popular with so many Americans. It''''s a Conservative thing.
It wouldn''''t matter who the Republicans put up for office the Democrats are soooooo predictable. They invented character assination. Oh, and before you get too wound up, I am not a Republican, I am a Libertarian, the original right wing wackos.

Posted by jockyshifter at 11:20 AM : Oct 21, 2008


She was at 80% approval in August. She is presently at less than 68% and falling fast. Don''t be a Palin, read the news and try to keep up. LMAO

[harbinger09]

#6 Sarah and Todd lied when they said they built their 500K home with just a little help from their friends. One of the subcontractors is talking. Turns out that one of the companies that won the subcontract for the Wasilla Sports complex, built a lot of the Palin home and provided the materials--for FREE. Move over Ted Stevens--you have nothing on Sarah and Todd

#7 Besides the tanning bed and charging the state for time spent at home (and not reporting the income to the IRS) Palin also fraudulently put in information about trips on her former expense forms after the fact. Way after the fact and Palin seems not to understand that her new, amended copy will not match the one on file or the ones sent to the state and Federal IRS.

#8 Sarah appears to not realize that some trips that she made AK taxpayers pay for her kids, had no official duties that she can pin on the trips--again fraud

#9 Todd Palin was a card carrying member of the AIP until recently, the leader of that group was murdered trying to buy bomb making supplies, Todd is also very active in his wife''s power cache.

#10 Bristol does not look 6 months preggers--where is that baby she is supposed to be carrying?

[jveritas]

What a fluffy little nightcap! Why didn''t you include the 1 real thing that most don''t know about the Palins-- their association with the militant anti-American zealots the AIP? You forgot to mention that this beauty contestant "blessed" the AIP and has taken campaign donations from them, tried to fill her city council seat with one of their leaders and has spent the last several weeks questioning the anti-American sentiments of more than half the country. Have you bothered to look at the beliefs of the founder of this movement, Joe Vogler, or the fact that this group tried to get funding from the Iraqi government? Please let us know the things about this woman and her first dude that are relevant to the direction she would like to lead this country when she "takes charge" of the Congress.

[jveritas]

What a fluffy little nightcap! Why didn''t you include the 1 real thing that most don''t know about the Palins-- their association with the militant anti-American zealots the AIP? You forgot to mention that this beauty contestant "blessed" the AIP and has taken campaign donations from them, tried to fill her city council seat with one of their leaders and has spent the last several weeks questioning the anti-American sentiments of more than half the country. Have you bothered to look at the beliefs of the founder of this movement, Joe Vogler, or the fact that this group tried to get funding from the Iraqi government? Please let us know the things about this woman and her first dude that are relevant to the direction she would like to lead this country when she "takes charge" of the Congress.

[achangenow]

Well said bigcheese1! A great analogy, indeed!!

[seenitallx9]

He looks like the kind of guy that would be afraid of Sarah and say yes dear...yes dear...yes dear. He hid behind the Governor''s office to try to get his ex brother in law fired. Sounds like he needs some lessons on being a man. Running a dog sled is his escape from Caribou barbie.

[sciline]

It''s well-known [by who] that Todd Palin works in Alaska''s oil fields [when?] and is a commercial fisherman [when?].
He''s a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, a grueling, 2000 mile, weeklong snowmobile race [did he got time off from his oil field job and his fishing job to perform these extra chores?].
If Todd Palin works in Alaska''s oil fields and is also a commercial fisherman; and is also is a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, a grueling, 2000 mile, weeklong snowmobile race; and he also accompanies his wife everywhere she goes on her campaign junkets, when the hell does he get to work in Alaska''s oil fields and work as a commercial fisherman.
What kind of *** are you trying to hand us?
Tom Nass
5th Marine Division - WWII