Palin is being peddled as a new kind of Republican — a maverick and a reformer. But she’s just another Rove-era Republican, who got elected by running on the three Gs.

"Sarah comes in with all this ideological stuff, and I was like, ‘Whoa,’ " said Stein, who lost the election. "But that got her elected: abortion, gun rights, term limits and the religious born-again thing. I’m not a churchgoing guy and that was another issue: ‘We will have our first Christian mayor.’ " "I thought, ‘Holy cow, what’s happening here? Does that mean she thinks I’m Jewish or Islamic?’ "

And when Palin came to power, where did she turn her attention? The local library.

Shortly after becoming mayor, former city officials and Wasilla residents said, Palin approached the town librarian about the possibility of banning some books, though she never followed through and it was unclear which books were in question. Ann Kilkenny, a Democrat who said she attended every City Council meeting in Palin’s first year in office, said Palin brought up the idea of banning some books at a council meeting. "They were somehow morally or socially objectionable to her," Kilkenny said. The librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, pledged to "resist all efforts at censorship," Kilkenny said. The mayor fired Emmons shortly after taking office but rescinded the termination after residents made a show of support.

But that’s not all — Palin also whacked city officials who’d been loyal to the incumbant.

Palin asked some of Stein’s backers to resign — something unheard of in Wasilla’s past elections. The public works director, city planner, museum director and others were fired. The police chief, Irl Stambaugh, whose resignation Palin didn’t initially accept, was later fired.

Using religion as a political weapon. Banning books. Firing government employees for perceived disloyalty.

Sarah Palin is right at home in Karl Rove’s GOP.

TIME has more on Palin’s DeLay-style tactics here. And ABC has more on the fired police chief.