Palin shares lessons learned from campaign

JUNEAU, Alaska, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she learned to have her own staff and trust her instincts while running on the Republican presidential ticket.

Palin, tapped by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to be his vice presidential candidate, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times she was "used to proving my abilities by calling the shots."

When others made decisions for her during the campaign, if something went wrong "I am the one to live with the fallout from the decisions that were made on my behalf; that is something I am not very comfortable with."

Even so, Palin told the Times her role as the GOP vice presidential nominee was "99.9 percent amazing and invigorating and inspiring."

Palin, who's up for re-election in 2010, has returned her focus to Alaska, having met with Senator-elect Mark Begich, a Democrat, and has noted it would be advantageous to the state to have a senator in the majority party.

She also declined to discuss her future political plans with the Times.