Yeah, I also looked up the issue on snopes.com, which usually does a good job of ferreting out hoaxes . . . and it isn't exactly a hoax. While it seems clear that Palin wasn't really the instigator of the policy, it just looks BAD, BAD, BAD that she didn't jump right in work to get it changed. It's flat out embarrassing that a city would even consider that.

It's clearly a black mark on her, in my opinion.

Some of the other criticisms, such as her religious affiliation, carry less weight, I think. From what I've read, she didn't really govern as an overt campaigner for her brand of Chrisitianity. And we start walking a slipperly slope if there is a religious litmus test for public officials. That knife cuts both ways.

The book-banning issue seems to be much ado about nothing as well. Check out Snopes' reporting on that.

So it's a mixed bag, but any concerns are certainly not beyond the pale.