Subpoena ahead for Todd Palin

ANCHORAGE — The abuse-of-power investigation against Sarah Palin, Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate, took a potentially ominous turn for her party Friday when state lawmakers voted to subpoena her husband, Todd.

Republican efforts to delay the investigation until after the Nov. 4 election were thwarted when GOP State Sen. Charlie Huggins, who represents Palin's hometown of Wasilla, sided with Democrats. "Let's just get the facts on the table," said Huggins, who appeared in camouflage pants to vote during a break from moose hunting.

The Senate committee acted at the request of investigator Stephen Branchflower, who is gathering evidence on whether Gov. Palin abused her power by firing Walt Monegan, the state's director of public safety. Critics said she fired Monegan after he refused to dismiss Mike Wooten, a state trooper who had a messy divorce from the governor's sister. Palin said Monegan was let go because of a budget dispute.

Branchflower also said he wants to interview the governor but omitted her from the 13-person list of subpoena targets he presented to lawmakers overseeing his investigation.

Bidens' income ranks low among senators

WASHINGTON — Sen. Joseph Biden and his wife, Jill, earned $319,853 last year, according to tax returns released Friday, making them one of the least-wealthy U.S. Senate families.

Biden made 10 years of documents public. His most recent filing listed his Senate income of $161,708, while Jill Biden earned $66,546 from teaching English at Delaware Technical and Community College.

Biden, a U.S. senator from Delaware since 1973, also earned $71,000 in royalties for his 2007 memoir, "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics," and $20,500 for a law course he teaches at Widener University in Chester, Pa.

The Bidens' income is dwarfed by Barack Obama's. The Illinois senator and his wife, Michelle, reported earning $4.2 million last year, much of it from book sales.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain last year reported earning $405,509. He and his wife, Cindy, file separate returns. Cindy McCain, chairwoman of a beer distributorship, reported an income of about $6 million in 2006. She hasn't released 2007 returns.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, has not released her returns.

Also

Tonight's "Saturday Night Live" season opener will feature a walk-on by presidential hopeful Barack Obama. "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels said he hopes to book the other principal candidates before Election Day.

Seattle Times news services