Should travel expenses for Sarah Palin's children be held against her?
The Associated Press thinks so, publishing today a detailed investigation of expenses charged to the state of Alaska for airline and hotel expenses of Palin's daughters.
"Alaska law does not specifically address expenses for a governor's children," the report states, only expenses for "anyone conducting official state business."
Male governors probably fly around the country without their kids; after all, they may have a wife at home to raise young children if there are any.
Sarah Palin has pioneered a new approach to governing: taking her family along to some events.
Should she personally have to cover those expenses? No!
Alaska and any critics should understand that when a governor has young children and needs to travel, his or her kids go along. You want a celibate or elderly governor, fine, but if you elect a parent, that parent has the right to spend time with his/her children while traveling. That's part of the package when the governor travels.
It's the old model that children of politicians must vanish except when needed for a photo shoot.
The report complains that Palin and her daughter Bristol spent four nights in a hotel for a five-hour conference in New York City.
Well, if you flew from Alaska to NYC for a conference, would you spend only one night? They shared a room--is that room going to be any cheaper for just one person? No.
Does anybody honestly think Palin's choices should be flying back after one night--or paying for the extra 2-3 nights herself?
It benefits Alaska for its governor to become familiar with a city as important as New York, to visit Ground Zero, meet with Mayor Bloomberg, etc.
To make complaints about the Palin kids' travel expenses is sexism at its worst.
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