text: As much as I hate to defend Sarah Palin, she requested per diem at the STATE rate when she was doing business in South-central and staying at her own home- instead of renting a hotel room or apartment.
  
  This meant that she got $60 per day for meals, not $200-300.  Her defense was she was saving the state money.  The legislators are getting thousand s of dollars in excess of expenses.  She didn't.