It’s a special ‘On the Record’ two part series starting Monday, August 16th at 10p/1a ET. Governor Sarah Palin takes Greta Van Susteren through the wilderness of Alaska to investigate the opportunities, and the controversy … of drilling in the region. Could the state hold the key to America’s energy woes? Greta gets answers from the former governor!    Left photo: Van Susteren and Palin prepare to ride snowmachines on Lake Lucille at the Palin's Wasilla home.  Right photo: Palin, in the Anchorage governor's office, shows Van Susteren the lay of the land using an Alaska state map as a visual aid.  Both photos were taken in November 2008. GretaWire reports that viewers will see ANWR, the Arctic Ocean and Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope. Don’t miss this special two part series.  North to Alaska! Visit GretaWire for more details:  http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/where-are-we-going-yes-i-am-excited-to-see-this/ 

A favorite quote among war veterans, "For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know", can never be explained and is only understood by those who have felt it, firsthand. But once that feeling becomes firmly entrenched in your soul, it becomes a flame that can never be extinguished. Joe Miller and I share that flame. Like many Americans, I too was somewhat naive about the slow erosion of our Constitutional freedoms and rights. I knew it was happening, but it was difficult to accept. After twenty years in the United States Army Infantry, of which four of those years were in combat and hot zones, I walked away with the erroneous presumptions that I've earned and safeguarded my rights through the fulfillment of honorable service to my country, and it was time for me to enjoy those rights. But I was smug and wrong. Most of the previous threats were insignificant, compared to what we now face. Again, like many Americans, we've become a sleeping giant who has awoken. The members of this giant are willing to sacrifice everything - absolutely everything, including the ultimate sacrifice - to regain our Constitutional rights, just as our Founding Fathers sacrificed. But how do you overcome privileged royalty in a civilized manner? With a belief and the undying passion behind that belief. Although, most Americans have the belief, they simply can't muster enough passion. Pity. Fortunately, passionate Americans tend to find each other. Joe Miller, who is a fellow war veteran, and I met at a gun show, which is fitting, considering our passion in preserving our Second Amendment right. After shaking the man's hand and looking dead in his eyes, I knew he was an honorable man with the right intentions and respect for our Nation. I drew the exact same conclusion the first time I met Sarah Palin. Handshakes and the window to a person's soul can't be faked. I've also met both Frank and Lisa Murkowski, shook their hands and looked into their eyes. I saw and felt absolutely no honor or respect for God and Country. None whatsoever. Unfortunately, all they could convey was their deep seated convictions of being Alaska's royalty. Flash forward to Joe's declaration of candidacy. I couldn't bear the thought of him going it alone. In short order, I put my own business on the back burner, accepted the negative cash flow as a necessary evil, and went to work as a full-time, unpaid volunteer for the Joe Miller for U.S. Senate Campaign. It was and still is the right thing to do.            Governor Sarah Palin endorsed Joe Miller for U.S. Senate. Few thought we could win a primary with the political experience of a volunteer staff that could be crammed into a thimble. But passion is extremely visible. In four short months, a group of rank amateurs took an unheard of candidate with no money in the war chest, from a 100% spread in the polls to neck 'n neck to a seemingly victor in the primary. We made too many mistakes to count, and were often ridiculed for our bumbling and embarrassing errors, but considering our lack of experience, those mistakes, which were highlighted by our liberal opponent and her leftist media, are shadowed by the huge mistake America is currently enduring. Alaskans and all of America started to pay attention. Think about that for a moment. We're not professional campaigners and we're promoting an unknown candidate who has never held a political office. Common folk can accomplish anything with the right attitude, belief, and passion. Unfortunately, royalty doesn't accept defeat, easily. It's too embarrassing for the privileged class to lose, so the gloves come off at any cost, to include degrading themselves with mud slinging, lawyers who hold a grudge against the common voter, and potential ship jumping. Both candidate and volunteer supporters were not immune to unethical and unfounded attacks. What's worse is that it continues after the polls closed. As the absentee ballots are counted, we have only speculation on the final outcome and a take-home message to go on. America needs to take a hard look at what the Joe Miller for U.S. Senate Campaign accomplished with few resources. It was a truly grassroots campaign that made her citizens sit up and take notice. Win or lose, the momentum needs to continue. Joe and his lovely wife Kathleen Don't give me excuses about how tough it is. If every patriot pushed away from their soaps and sitcoms for just 30 minutes every day and put their passion into an undying obligation for our Constitution and Country, it would become a non-issue in short order. But if we don't, then the next phase could be a horrendous and ugly part of our history of which only a minority would appreciate and respect, after hungering for that taste of freedom. The rest who sat on the sidelines can be summed up in the words of John Stuart Mill: "War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." Every state in the Union needs to find their Joe Millers and stand beside him or her, for however long it takes. Pete AlexionU.S. Army, Retired The People for Palin graciously thanks Pete Alexion for his service to our country and for sharing his uncommon and unconventional wisdom as a volunteer for the Joe Miller for U.S. Senate Campaign.  Your work has not been in vain, Pete.  The flame you, Sarah Palin, Joe Miller, and millions of Americans share will not be extinguished.   Visit www.PeteAlexion.comLearn more about Pete at http://www.linkedin.com/in/petealexionFollow Pete on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PeteAlexion Donate to Joe Miller for U.S. Senate at https://www.completecampaigns.com/public.asp?name=MillerJ&page=1

Known by its Athabascan name “Denali”, meaning “Great One”, majestic Mount McKinley is located in Alaska’s Denali National Park.  With a peak at 20,320 feet high, Denali is the tallest mountain in the United States.  History tells us that the first settlers are believed to be nomadic hunters and fishermen who developed villages and fish camps on the rugged terrain, and by the early 1900s, settlers came to Denali for the prospect of finding gold and striking it rich.  President Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act on July 7, 1958 which made Alaska the 49th state of the United States of America, and Old Glory was proud to boast seven rows of seven stars. Despite the destructive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck south central Alaska on Good Friday in 1964, hard working Americans with pioneering spirits from the Lower 48 continued to pack up their belongings and move north to Alaska in search of adventure and a better life.  Chuck Heath, Sr. and his family from Sandpoint, Idaho were no exception. Can you imagine what the Heath family thought as they soared above the Rocky Mountains and the Yukon in a Grumman Goose marveling at the lofty summits and snowy peaks of the Land of the Midnight Sun?  Never becoming dismayed at the enormity of their challenge or the uncertainty of their future, the young family pressed onward to Skagway via Juneau when others would have turned around and headed back home. Just as the Heath family encountered physical mountains upon their move to Alaska, our nation today is confronted with figurative mountains:  energy dependence, illegal immigration, socialized healthcare, record-high unemployment, disregard for the unborn, the debt crisis, and the war situation.  These troubling issues can seem daunting and permanent.  Never learn to live with a mountain of difficulty.  Instead, like the Heath family, move forward in faith without fear or intimidation.  As Chuck, Sr. moved his family into a small house in the tiny town of Skagway, he had no way of knowing that his infant daughter, Sarah Louise, would grow up to be a city councilwoman, a mayor, a governor, a vice presidential nominee, a best-selling author, and a serious contender for the American Presidency. Fast-forward to Fairbanks on July 26, 2009, as the infant daughter is now Governor Sarah Palin bidding farewell to the Alaska governorship by wholeheartedly thanking its citizens for allowing her to serve and challenging the media to respect freedom of speech and honor the American soldier by, “Quit making things up.”  Governor Palin may have walked off that Fairbanks stage into an unknown political future, but she had mountain-moving faith in that, “The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord.” (Psalm 37:23)  Governor Palin stepped out of one realm and into another as she has effectively endorsed common-sense conservative candidates like Alaska’s Joe Miller, Washington’s Clint Didier, and California’s Carly Fiorina, who are ready to take the U.S. Sentate by storm, and gubernatorial candidates like Iowa’s Terry Branstad, South Carolina’s Nikki Haley, and New Mexico’s Susan Martinez who are principled leaders and know what is right for their state. Encountering mountains--- difficulties, problems, hardships, the unknown – in life is inevitable.  Like the Heath and Palin families, we all come across them.  Some of our “mountains” are big like the Rockies, and some are as intimidating as Denali. The secret to moving mountains is to never become separated from our statement of faith.  We must keep our words connected to our faith as we stand alongside Governor Palin to take our country back in the 2010 mid-term elections.  America’s best days are ahead, and there ain't no mountain high enough that can't be conquerored as we move toward conservative victory in 2010!

  Many news briefs, commentaries, blogs and opinions regarding the release of Governor Sarah Palin’s new book, Going Rogue: An American Life, are swirling across screen, paper and net this week; however, there is one article in particular from Governor Palin’s hometown newspaper that captured my heart.  BY GREG JOHNSON Frontiersman Published on Monday, November 16, 2009 10:03 PM AKST  WASILLA — Piper Palin missed most of her classes last week, but it’s OK. She brought notes. The 8-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin, along with 15-year-old sister Willow, joined the former Alaska governor in taping some interviews leading up to today’s release of Palin’s book, Going Rogue: An American Life. Perhaps the third-grader wanted more pull than just a note from a former governor and vice presidential candidate. So, after sitting in the front row while her mother was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in Chicago on Wednesday, Piper asked the talk show host for a note excusing her from class, said Palin aide Meg Stapleton. She then got another note on Friday from Barbara Walters. “It was fun,” Piper said in a release from Stapleton. “And I like watching them write the homeroom excuse notes for me. ”The girls were back in school on Monday, but enjoyed their time with the famous interviewers, Stapleton said. “Oprah and Barbara Walters were very cool and nice,” Willow said. “I enjoyed meeting them and the chance to see Chicago and New York City this time of year.” First on the itinerary was the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and a Tuesday evening visit to Gino’s East for its world-famous deep-dish pizza. A tradition at the restaurant is for people of note to write their names on the wall, and Piper wrote hers and her mother’s. At the studio, “Oprah had gifts for (the sisters) and they got their hair and make-up done,” Stapleton said. Piper received an American Girl doll and Willow the “Twilight” series of books. “And they were both thrilled and excited to get those, for sure.” The girls sat in the front row while Sarah Palin talked with Oprah, then flew to New York, where they were part of the taping of three segments with Barbara Walters. The Oprah interview was aired on Monday, while the Walters interviews begin airing today on “Good Morning America,” “Nightline” and “20/20.” In New York, Willow and Piper sat on a couch with their mother while Walters asked questions, including what it was like last year on the campaign trail and if the girls really do like eating moose chili. But it was Piper’s request for excuse notes for her teacher that tickled the hosts, Stapleton said. “Oprah was hysterical,” she said. “You could tell she thoroughly enjoyed writing it. She not only reacted well, but it was definitely the backstage scene. She was absorbing and loving every moment of it.” Following are transcripts of the excuse notes Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters wrote to Piper Palin’s third-grade teacher, Ms. McKay: Dear Ms. McKey (sic), Please excuse Piper (my new friend) from homeroom class. I asked that she appear on the Oprah Show. Unfortunately we’re in Chicago. Not Alaska. So she had to miss a “few” days for traveling. All the best, Blessings. Oprah Winfrey Dear Ms. McKay Please allow Piper to be with me for an interview. Thank you. (I hear you are a wonderful teacher.) Barbara Walters What an incredible educational opportunity for Willow and Piper to be a part of their mom’s book tour kick-off and national television interviews with heavy weights (no pun intended) Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters. I am a firm believer in education outside the confines of a classroom to supplement traditional schoolbook learning and was surprised to learn that our ever expanding government agrees with me. “The Government believes that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances”, ...writes the Department for Children, Schools and Families on their Every Child Matters website. Whether it’s taking a field trip to a local science museum, visiting one of America’s many national parks, touring a historic battleground like Gettysburg, or taking part in a broadcast television program witnessing backstage preparations and on-air studio excitement, all contribute greatly to a child’s educational development. The Palin children are smart to seize every opportunity to receive a top-notch education, both inside and outside the classroom.

  Not one to be concerned with political correctness, Governor Sarah Palin (with notes IN and ON hand), talks with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday about tax policy, Afghanistan, protecting the Constitution, "fickle polls", and Obama's lack of "cojones" when it comes to Arizona's immigration law. The Cuda's advice to Joe McGinnis, the so-called investigative reporter that rented the house next door to her Wasilla home? "Get a life."    Click to watch the Video at Fox News Channel. 

  Maybe it was the endorphins pulsating through my body as I sped to nowhere Friday afternoon on a stationary bike in the fitness center, or perhaps it was the forbidden pieces of chocolate I savored earlier in the day. Whatever the culprit, a single photograph featured in the Washingtonian caught my eye as together the periodical and I raced toward the weekend. Follow: American author Mark Twain once said, “Hawaii is the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean”. No one would argue with Twain that the Hawaiian Islands’ tropical weather, low humidity and infrequent severe storms make it a traveler’s dream destination. Hawaii not only boasts of its great beauty but also claims to be the birthplace of Barack Obama.    By contrast, Alaska’s majestic mountain peaks and rugged topography covered with glaciers, countless rivers and lakes, huge tracks of forested land, and over 34,000 miles of tidal shoreline is beauty personified. Alaska is a constant adventure for those that live there, and for those fortunate enough (or smart enough) to travel there, it often proves to be their most exhilarating and worthwhile adventure. The Last Frontier is the beloved home of Sarah Palin, the youngest and the first female governor of that state, and is like no other place on our planet. No doubt these two states are uniquely and breathtakingly beautiful, but under a microscope the resolution of their great beauty becomes a study in contrasts. Their magnification and resolution prove to be an eerily accurate characterization of their most famous residents. Take a look at this photo from National Geographic. Believe it or not, this is the magnification of a dipperful of Hawaiian seawater. Describing the photo, journalist Jennifer S. Holland, writes, “Gelatinous shape-shifters lazily ride the currents (dead fish going with the flow). Familiar [and unfamiliar] forms — wide-eyed fish larvae, baby squid and octopuses—dart liberally (left wing radicals). Their lives are precarious (reckless decisions). Some wear shells (disguises) or exude toxins (media malpractice) against enemies (Main Street America); others are active only after dark (opaque government).” Even the name of the photograph is telling- The Secret Life [of Marine Microfauna].   No two alike? According to Discover, physicist Kenneth Libbrecht says it’s essentially impossible for any two ice crystals to have the exact same molecular structure (unique and one of a kind). He claims that, “Out of all the complex (smart, intelligent, quick study) snow crystals ever made over the history of the planet, it’s unlikely that any two ever looked completely alike (unprecedented). The elaborate branching structure indicates that the crystal was formed under high pressure (hard work, dedication, boldly speaking the truth, fearless), even where molecules encounter more resistance (‘drill, baby, drill’; ‘we eat, therefore we hunt’; ‘quit making things up’). The more easily the clear branches (government transparency) accumulate molecules, the more fabulous the shapes take form”. We the People are like magnifying glasses making it possible for all to see self-serving political agendas purposely hidden to the naked eye. We must magnify our lawmakers’ policies to a point of resolution where lines are not blurred but clearly defined and transparent. Who knew such musings could come from looking at a single photo published by a liberal medium while riding a stationary bike? Maybe next Friday I will join the line dancing class where Britney tunes are blared at a thousand decibels. Who knows I may oops, do it again.