Gov. Sarah Palin speaks out.(Interview)(Cover story)

On Dec. 4, 2006, Sarah Palin became the 11th governor of Alaska. We spoke with her shortly after she took office to discuss her new position and the issues facing her administration and the future of the 49th state.

ABM: What led you to Alaska's top office? Were you always interested in politics?

Palin: Even as a little girl, I was very interested in current events, government, and U.S. history. My dad was an elementary school teacher so we talked a lot about current events, which built my interest--not so much in politics--but in what was happening in the world.

ABM: Why did you decide to run for office?

Palin: Alaskans desired a change; you could feel it. The fact that Alaskans were looking for a positive change was evident to members of the public. Observations were being made about ethical lapses in government, and the public's trust being eroded. I had a couple of opportunities to speak out for Alaskans on ethical issues, and thought that I could offer another choice in the governor's race. I've always been committed to trust and transparency in state government, which I believed, and other Alaskans obviously believed, was lacking in the (Murkowski) administration.

ABM: You've only been in office a short time, but already, you've 'undone' a number of actions that former Gov. Murkowski put into place before leaving-for example, the Lynn Canal contract, and 11th-hour appointments to several state boards. Why did you feel that it was important to act on these issues so quickly?

Palin: Governor Murkowski had a 19 percent approval rating in his own party-it's pretty evident that something was wrong. And when something's wrong, it means actions have been taken that ...