Telegraph (UK) picks up the Palin -- Alaskan Independence Party story.

[jefferson_dem]

John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin was in Alaskan independence party
Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, was once a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, its officials have said.

By Jon Swaine
Last Updated: 12:00PM BST 02 Sep 2008

Sarah Palin is a former member of the Alaskan independence party, which lobbies for the right to hold a referendum on whether Alaska should secede from the US Photo: REUTERS
News of Mrs Palin's former membership comes as the latest in a string of potentially embarrassing disclosures about her past.

The party has lobbied since the 1970s for the right to hold a referendum on whether Alaska should secede from the United States. Its motto, "Alaska First", contrasts sharply with the John McCain campaign slogan: "Country First."

It seeks "the complete repatriation of the public lands, held by the federal government, to the state and people of Alaska" and aims to be "self-sufficient" by using profits from Alaskan oil and gas resources. It claims that the vote held in 1958 which led to Alaska becoming the 49th state of the US was corrupt and did not offer a proper choice.

While it is thought that Mrs Palin officially left the party to become a Republican in 1996, she recorded an address for its convention earlier this year in which she said: "I share your party's vision of upholding the constitution of our great state" and told members to "keep up the good work".

Lynette Clark, the chairman of the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP), confirmed to ABC News that Mrs Palin and her husband Todd had both been both members and attended at least one party convention.

"When she joined the party our platform was right under her nose," Mrs Clark said. "I can't understand why in God's name she has aligned herself with a candidate who opposes the development of our republic and Alaska's resource wealth," she added.

In a video recorded at this year's party convention, Dexter Clark, the party's vice chairman, can be seen telling delegates: "The situation is completely out of hand, the decay of the federal government is totally complete."

<SNIP>

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/johnmccain/2667214/John-McCains-running-mate-Sarah-Palin-was-in-Alaskan-independence-party.html

[Unsane]

1. meanwhile abc news is scrubbing mention of it from their site