Palin in the doghouse for chasing media spotlight

Sarah Palin came face to face with the man she called a socialist for the first time since the bitterly fought election campaign when she greeted Barack Obama at a Dallas meeting of national governors yesterday. The pair shared a "friendly chat", reports the Dallas Morning News, in which Obama said "nothing further about her claim that proximity to Russia yielded foreign policy insight" and Palin did not "accuse him of using a huge new stimulus plan to 'spread the wealth'."

In fact, Palin had kind words to say about the president-elect following the meeting. She particularly commended Obama for appointing some governors to his cabinet: "On the campaign trail I tried to convince a majority of voters that governors knew best," said Palin. "Obviously, that didn't work."

Back in Alaska, even the Democrats are missing their governor, criticising her for spending only a few days in her home state since her vice-presidential bid failed on November 4. "Alaskans need our Governor here earning her salary and working on key problems facing Alaska families," says Patti Higgins, the chair of the Alaska Democratic Party, who lists some of the northernmost state's manifold problems, including falling oil prices, rising fuel prices, failing public education and urban migration. "Governing is more than creating photo ops," says Higgins. "We'd like a commitment that the Governor is working, not just scheduling media appearances."

FIRST POSTED DECEMBER 3, 2008