The Washington Post and other mainstream journals continue to dig into Palin's past, and it turns out, things are not necessarily as the McCain campaign has represented them. One telling quote from this piece is that Palin has been "working in the best interests of Alaska, working within the confines of the current system." This is an argument that any politician who brings home the pork can make and hardly justifies the assertion that Palin is a reformer who will change the earmark system and do away with the old boy network. If McCain thought that Palin's designation was a game-changer, he may yet be proven right: she may change the dynamics irreversibly in favor of Obama.

The best aspect of the journalism in this article is that it does not go beyond the data and draw conclusions. It points to the contradictions between what the McCain campaign says and what then Mayor and now Governor Palin do. It does open the door for questions regarding the sincerity of Gov Palin's statements in opposition to earmarks. While it describes some of the investigations under way, it does not draw conclusions regarding the Governor's involvement.