“Can anything good come out of Wasilla?” Isn't that part of Seward's Folly? Pundits said it was a waste of money. They couldn't believe it could be of any value to the United States.

Well, they were wrong! Thar's gold in them there hills and there is gold in that there governor. America is going nowhere. She is the bridge to somewhere.

Alaska is more than terrific scenery, majestic mountains, exotic wildlife and frozen tundra. Alaska's assets include gas wells, mineral ores and oil. Its people are a different breed - tough and self-reliant, able to think for themselves while eking out an existence where many of us would refuse to go.

Alaskans have been in the forefront of America's defense. They were there when the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands during WW II. They were there during the Cold War with Russia, and the Distant Early Warning System (DEW) was our northern protection. They were there during that same period when Eskimo scouts from the National Guard rescued the crew of a U.S. Navy Neptune weather plane, shot down in the Bering Sea by Russian Migs.

Now the USA needs a rescuer. She is on the scene, apparently out of nowhere and ready and able to do whatever is necessary. A good balance for McCain and with much more executive experience than Obama, we owe it to ourselves to give this team our support.

Wayne Gaffney

Union Springs