海角大神

If you are trying to sell books or magazines or get clicks for your website, Republican Party star Sarah Palin is the gift that keeps giving.

This week, two new offerings provide glimpses of the former Alaska governor who generally avoids one-on-one interviews with the national political press. has just released a lengthy, critical article from its forthcoming October issue titled, 鈥淪arah Palin the Sound and the Fury."

The exhaustive article appears the same week as Meghan McCain is promoting her new book, 鈥淒irty Sexy Politics.鈥� The first-time author offers an outspoken daughter鈥檚 view of her father鈥檚 unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign.

Of the two documents, Ms. McCain鈥檚 is the kinder to Ms. Palin, who emerged on the national scene after Sen. John McCain named her his vice presidential running mate. Palin is now a high profile commentator for Fox News and makes scores of highly paid speeches nationwide.

Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday鈥檚 鈥�,鈥� Ms. McCain said, "I'm speaking out now because I do have conflicting feelings about her.鈥� Ms. McCain, who blogged and Tweeted during the campaign, told "Good Morning America" that Palin 鈥渂rought so much momentum and enthusiasm to the campaign. You saw the crowds double and you saw a lot more women coming to the rallies."

But as Mr. Stephanpoulos noted, 鈥淵ou also wrote that she brought 'drama, stress, complications, panic, and loads of uncertainty.' 鈥�

The Vanity Fair article by Michael Joseph Gross is largely accusatory in tone and, when printed out, covers 18 double spaced pages.

鈥淓ven as Sarah Palin鈥檚 public voice grows louder, she has become increasingly secretive, walling herself off from old friends and associates, and attempting to enforce silence from those around her,鈥� the article begins. It claims that Palin now inhabits a 鈥渟urreal new world 鈥� a place of fear, anger, and illusion, which has swallowed up the engaging, small-town hockey mom and her family.鈥�

Details range from Palin鈥檚 alleged reliance on 鈥減rayer warriors鈥� to protect her from opponents to the charge she billed the McCain campaign for Spanx girdles.

Douglas McMarlin, a spokesman for SarahPAC, said, 鈥渢he article is a collection of lies cobbled together by an outlet without standards. As the message continues to succeed, the messenger will continue to be attacked by yellow journalists seeking to increase sales."

[Editor's note: Mr. McMarlin's quote was added when he responded to a Monitor request for comment after the story was published.]

Vanity Fair鈥檚 Palin coverage has ranged widely. In August 2009 it ran a perceptive, beautifully written political analysis, 鈥淚t Came from Wasilla鈥� by Todd S. Purdum. The magazine also published 鈥淢e and Mrs. Palin,鈥� the musings of Levi Johnston, who fathered a baby with Bristol Palin, the former governor's teenage daughter.