Palin's $1250-a-Month Impurity

John McCain's maverick partner, self-proclaimed reformer of politicians' ethics, during her 20 months as governor has accepted gifts valued at $25,367 from industry executives, municipalities and a cultural center whose board includes officials from the largest mining interests in Alaska.

According to the Washington Post, Gov. Sarah Palin got expensive artwork, free travel for a family member, more than $2,500 in personal items from a corporation with pending regulatory and budgetary issues, and a gold-nugget pin valued at $1,200 from the city of Nome, which lobbies the state on budget matters.

On another ethical front, lawmakers investigating Gov. Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner yesterday accused the McCain-Palin campaign of stonewalling the probe by helping witnesses, including her husband, refuse to comply with subpoenas.

But then again, she did (eventually) say thanks but no thanks to the Bridge to Nowhere and try to sell the state airplane (unsuccessfully) on e-Bay.