Two years ago, Alaska's Sarah Palin came out of nowhere to swipe the GOP nomination from Frank Murkowski, the unpopular incumbent Republican governor

National Review, April 7, 2008

Two years ago, Alaska's Sarah Palin came out of nowhere to swipe the GOP nomination from Frank Murkowski, the unpopular incumbent Republican governor. She went on to a general-election victory and is occasionally even discussed, in some circles, as vice-presidential material. Now her 2006 running mate, lieutenant governor Sean Parnell, has announced a primary challenge to Rep.

Don Young, who has held the state's lone House seat for 18 terms. In that time, Young has become one of Washington's premier pork-barrel pols, most notably for his advocacy of the infamous "bridge to nowhere." Despite their self-image as rugged libertarians, Alaskans love federal handouts, and the 74-year-old Young hasn't faced a difficult reelection in some time. Yet he's also under an ethics probe involving earmarks, and has spent around $850,000 on legal bills. Many Republicans worry that if Young is their nominee once again he will lose the seat. Now they have a viable alternative in the August primary. Palin has endorsed Parnell. So should Alaska's conservatives.