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Sarah Palin's Alaska governor e-mails released Sarah Palin e-mails: First details emerge
(about 3 hours later)
Journalists are poring through 24,000 pages of former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin's e-mails, after they were released by officials in the US state. Details are emerging of Sarah Palin's life as governor of Alaska, following the release of 24,000 pages of her e-mails by officials in US state.
News organisations first requested the move in 2008, when she was chosen from relative obscurity to become the Republican vice-presidential candidate. As well as the mundane matters of political office, the e-mails reveal her frustration over rumours about her family and marriage.
The documents were released on paper. News organisations have begun scrambling to process and scan them. Media organisations applied to see the e-mails in 2008 when she was picked as the Republican running mate.
Mrs Palin may be considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination. Mrs Palin is widely viewed as a potential 2012 presidential candidate.
The state has released 24,199 pages of e-mails from Mrs Palin's first 21 months as governor, but authorities withheld nearly 2,300 pages, citing executive privilege and privacy concerns. Alaska has released 24,199 printed pages of e-mails covering Mrs Palin's first 21 months as governor - from 2006 until she accepted the vice-presidential nomination.
Praise for Obama
Reporters from a number of news organisations descended on the Alaskan capital of Juneau on Friday to sift through the documents, which are only being released in paper form.
Some of the correspondence is written in Mrs Palin's trademark folksy manner. The day after she was plucked from relative obscurity in 2008 for the presidential ticket of Republican nominee John McCain, she wrote to an associate: "Can you flippinbelieveit?!"
The e-mails reveal her irritation at the so-called Troopergate affair, when she was accused of pursuing a vendetta against her sister's ex-husband, an Alaska policeman.
"I do applogize if I sound frustrated w this one. I guess I am. Its killing me to realize how misinformed leggies [legislators], reporter and others are on this issue," she wrote to colleagues.
Tanning bed
The state of Alaska's investigation into Troopergate found that Mrs Palin had abused her power by dismissing an official who had refused to sack her former brother-in-law.
In another e-mail, Mrs Palin praises a speech on energy policy made by then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, asking her aides to write a statement "saying he's right on".
The cache of documents includes examples of some of the hate mail addressed to Mrs Palin.
The e-mails also reveal:
  • A response in 2008 to a blog post alleging she had had an affair: "I feel like I'm at the breaking point with the hurtful gossip… I hate this part of the job and many days I feel like it's not worth it"
  • A demand in January 2008 to know who had leaked an e-mail, telling a colleague: "Hate to see you or anyone else being accused of purposefully setting me up with it being leaked, but that's what I'm hearing"
  • Her attempts in several e-mails to find the identity of someone who alleged that she had not buckled her son, Trig, properly into his car seat
  • Her frustration over state officials' access to a personal computer in her bedroom at the governor's mansion without her notice, in which she writes: "Who, when, etc conducted this search of my bedroom's computer and the other house computer?"
  • A request to aides to set up a meeting with John McCain's team, several months before he chose Mrs Palin as his running mate
  • Her close relationship with her staff, praising them as "awesome and encouraging"
  • Her attempt to install a tanning bed in the governor's mansion in Juneau
The media have been perusing the heavily redacted documents, with several news organisations seeking help from readers.
The Washington Post appealed for "100 organised and diligent readers" to help reporters get through the e-mails, while the New York Times posted the e-mails on its website.
The authorities withheld nearly 2,300 pages, citing executive privilege and privacy concerns.
The treasurer of Mrs Palin's political action committee said on Friday that the e-mails show a "very engaged Governor Sarah Palin being the CEO of her state".The treasurer of Mrs Palin's political action committee said on Friday that the e-mails show a "very engaged Governor Sarah Palin being the CEO of her state".
"The e-mails detail a governor hard at work," he said. "The e-mails detail a governor hard at work," said Tim Crawford.
Reporters from several news organisations arrived in the Alaskan capital of Juneau on Friday in order to sift through the documents, which are only being released in paper form, and disseminate them to the public.
The Washington Post said it was looking for "100 organised and diligent readers" to assist reporters in scanning through the e-mails, while the New York Times was posting the e-mails on its website.
'Out of context''Out of context'
The sheer volume of requests for the documents are said to be the cause for the nearly three-year delay in their release.The sheer volume of requests for the documents are said to be the cause for the nearly three-year delay in their release.
Mrs Palin told Fox News on Sunday that "a lot of those e-mails obviously weren't meant for public consumption", adding that some might take some of the messages "out of context".
Mrs Palin was elected governor of Alaska in 2006. Senator John McCain tapped her to run alongside him as vice-presidential candidate in the 2008 race.
She abruptly resigned as governor in July 2009, embarking on a career as a public political figure that included paid spots on Fox News Channel and a reality television programme about her family life in Alaska.
Requests have also been made to release e-mails chronicling Mrs Palin's final 10 months in office. But officials have not yet begun reviewing those requests.Requests have also been made to release e-mails chronicling Mrs Palin's final 10 months in office. But officials have not yet begun reviewing those requests.
It is unclear what the documents might reveal or how relevant they might be. Mrs Palin told Fox News last Sunday that "a lot of those e-mails obviously weren't meant for public consumption", adding that some might take some of the messages "out of context".
Much of Mrs Palin's background during her term as governor has already been revealed in media investigations and accounts by former staff members. Elected governor of Alaska in 2006, Mrs Palin resigned in July 2009 and embarked on a career as a public political figure.
This has included appearances on the Fox News Channel and a reality television programme about her family life in Alaska.
Mrs Palin has a fiercely loyal base among conservative Republicans, but she is also a divisive figure, provoking disdain from many Democrats and liberals.Mrs Palin has a fiercely loyal base among conservative Republicans, but she is also a divisive figure, provoking disdain from many Democrats and liberals.
She has not declared her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, though the field has begun to take shape. However, she recently embarked on a highly visible tour of national historic sites, news media in tow. She has kept political commentators guessing on whether she will declare her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.
Mrs Palin recently embarked on a tour of national historic sites, with news media in pursuit.