I'll be honest with you. I'd been giving consideration to third-party candidates. As a conservative with a renewed pledge to bear the legacy of America's Founders, I wasn't going to simply concede to the McCain ticket unless he made a credible (and what might be viewed as a radical) choice for vice president.

McCain is a good man, solid in character, and fully capable to lead our country into the future. But America also needs a fresh, reputable outsider who isn't afraid to confront Washington corruption, government gridlock or partisan paralysis. When I heard Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was McCain's choice, I knew she was a woman whom Americans could support and trust. Sarah is tough, smart, competent, credible and confident enough to fight those even in her own party. I believe she even will help to keep McCain accountable and in check.

Gov. Palin comes from a small town with small-town values. Sarah was sworn in as Alaska's youngest and first female governor, in 2006. This mother of five was tired of seeing government running amuck and awry and stepped into public service to reform it. And she has a clear and long record of doing just that: bucking the status quo, cutting taxes and government waste, reducing big government, establishing ethics committees, pursuing alternative energy, and being pro-family and pro-life (as witnessed by her choice to cherish her baby with Down syndrome and to support her 17-year-old daughter keeping her baby and marrying the father).

The fact is far-left liberals don't know how to respond to strong, conservative female political leaders. They hail Hillary but try to impale Palin. But Sarah has sparred them many times before and has come out of the ring without a scratch. Sarah is so tough that she inspired a new tongue-in-cheek Web site (www.PalinFacts.com), which parallels the "Chuck Norris Facts" folklore Web site. It gives some mythical, yet complimentary "facts" about Sarah Palin's life, potential, character and career. Here are three of my favorites:

--Sarah Palin once carved a perfect likeness of the Mona Lisa in a block of ice using only her teeth.

--Sarah Palin doesn't need a gun to hunt, because she can throw a bullet through an adult bull elk.

--And my favorite: Sarah Palin is courageous and tough enough to shave Chuck Norris's beard -- and face off against his third fist disguised as a chin.

All joking aside, one real fact about Gov. Palin is that both Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are shaking in their boots over her candidacy and prospective appointment to the vice presidency. Obama talks about change, but McCain further lived out his commitment to reform with his choice of Palin to be his running mate. Obama chose government-as-usual Sen. Biden. McCain chose Washington outsider and corruption confronter Gov. Palin. Continued...