'First Dude' Todd Palin Illustrates Alaska's Blend of Private and Public

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Todd Palin Through the Years

An in-depth look at Todd Palin, husband of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

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Rick Koch, who served as the public works director in Palmer, 10 miles from Wasilla, and coached the Palins' son in hockey, said the Palins' mix of public and personal should be understood in the context of their early years in Wasilla. "When Todd and Sarah were growing up, the area was probably 35 percent of what it is now. A lot of adults that age really do kind of know each other," he said. "Things were really small up there."

Koch, now the city manager of Kenai, said he has on occasion called Todd Palin to set up meetings in Juneau on issues of importance to his town. "I've got his cellphone. It's just easier than trying to chase it down a different way," he said.

Harris, the House speaker, was surprised to learn that Todd Palin was with the governor in her office when she called in key legislators to discuss her state budget vetoes. He believes that at times, the governor and her husband lose sight of boundaries.

"It's an issue that sometimes emotion gets the better of them," he said. "But they're relatively young and have very quickly been put in the public spotlight."

Stapleton said Todd Palin sat in on the veto meeting but was there only to look after the couple's infant son, Trig, who was resting in a bassinet.

The extent of Todd Palin's involvement in issues is partly obscured by the refusal of the governor's office to release documents detailing internal communications with him. In a recent response to a citizen's public records request, the office refused to turn over 1,100 e-mails but released a log showing that 44 of those held back were sent to "T. Palin." The log showed him copied on e-mails regarding, among other issues, the union that represents state troopers and a parental-consent abortion bill.

Todd Palin's communications with Walter Monegan, a former public safety commissioner, have entangled him in a legislative investigation into whether he and his wife, along with several top officials, pressured unsuccessfully for the firing of state trooper Mike Wooten. The first couple had accused Wooten, who was in a child-custody battle with Sarah Palin's sister, of threatening behavior. Monegan did not fire Wooten, and the governor removed Monegan from office in July.

Last week, the McCain campaign said Todd Palin would refuse to comply with a subpoena to testify in the investigation.

He did step in when KTUU-TV, the dominant broadcast station in Alaska, aired a segment describing the many personnel complaints the Palins had brought against Wooten. Todd Palin called to complain. The segment's producer, John Herbst, later resigned after he was reprimanded for failing to treat elected officials with "respect."

Even as Sarah Palin's popularity ratings soar, locals harbor some concerns about the pressures of the couple's lifestyle and Todd Palin's quasi-official status.

Tom Whitstine, a fellow Wasilla conservative, snowmobiler and North Slope oilman, is critical of the Palins. "How he works and his exact position with the administration is pretty gray," he said. "It's not any great secret, but where is the accountability?"

Whitstine also worries about the Palin children. "If Sarah's running the state and Todd's off conducting state business, who's looking after the children?" he said.