Sarah Palin on the Issues

It's still unclear whether Sarah Palin will run for president in 2012, but either way her views are very influential in the Republican and Tea Party communities. Here is a rundown of where she stands on the issues:

Abortion
Palin is unabashedly pro-life and would like to see Roe v Wade overturned. However, according to the Web site On The Issues, Palin told Katie Couric in her notorious 2008 interview that the decision should not be made on the federal level:

"I think it should be a states’ issue not a federal government-mandated, mandating yes or no on such an important issue. I’m, in that sense, a federalist, where I believe that states should have more say in the laws of their lands and individual areas. Now, foundationally, it’s no secret that I’m pro-life that I believe in a culture of life is very important for this country. Personally that’s what I would like to see further embraced by America."

Drugs
Palin is against the legalization of marijuana, telling the Anchorage Daily News in 2006 that it would send the wrong message to "her children." She said methamphetamines pose a greater risk than pot and should be the focus of any drug crackdown.

Palin admitted she smoked pot when it was legal in Alaska, but that she didn't like it and doesn't do it anymore. She added, "I can’t claim a Bill Clinton and say that I never inhaled."

Guns
While running for governor of Alaska in 2006, Palin wrote on her Web site:

I am a lifetime member of the NRA, I support our Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska’s youth.

In a news release in 2008, Palin hailed the Supreme Court decision that upheld the right to own guns for self defense:

“This decision is a victory for all Alaskans and individual Americans. The right to own guns and use them responsibly is something I and many other Alaskans cherish. I applaud the Court for standing up for the Constitution and the right of Americans to keep and bear arms."

Immigration
In a 2008 interview with Univision during the presidential campaign, Palin said she is against amnesty for illegal immigrants:

"No... not total amnesty. You know, people have got to follow the rules. We have got to make sure that there is equal opportunity and those who are here legally should be first in line for services being provided and those opportunities that this great country provides."

She did say she supports a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants:

"I do because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here. It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country."

Crime & Punishment
In her gubernatorial questionnaire in 2006, Palin said she is against expanding hate crime laws, "as I believe all heinous crime is based on hate."

She wrote on her campaign Web site that she supports the death penalty:

I support adequate funding for a strong public safety presence in Alaska. Feeling safe in our communities is something we cannot accept any compromise on. This includes policing in all its forms, the court system, prosecutors and corrections. If the legislature passed a death penalty law, I would sign it. We have a right to know that someone who rapes and murders a child or kills an innocent person in a drive by shooting will never be able to do that again.

Oil Drilling
Palin famously said "Drill Baby Drill" when it comes to looking for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). She did not change her views after the Gulf oil spill last year, tweeting:

Extreme Greenies:see now why we push'drill,baby,drill'of known reserves&promising finds in safe onshore places like ANWR? Now do you get it?