Since selecting Sarah Palin as his presidential running mate, John McCain has tried to sell the notion that the Alaska Governor-cum-political lightweight has an established record as a political reformer. The problem? Even a cursory look into Palin’s brief time in office reveals her fondness for the earmarks and political patronage that are the trademarks of both the Bush Administration and the culture of corruption that has long flourished in Alaskan politics. A new video at Talking Points Memo lays bare the disconnect between the mock-maverick rhetoric on the campaign trail and Palin’s all-too-conventional credentials.

–Will Di Novi

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