Tempe residents wait in 'Alaska temps' to see Palin

TEMPE, Ariz. - Hundreds of Sarah Palin fans flocked to a Costco store in Tempe on Tuesday to meet the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate and to have her sign their copies of "Going Rogue."

Many stayed in line overnight in 45-degree weather wearing thick coats, wool socks, gloves and blankets, and attempted to sleep in camping chairs and against a concrete wall. The first person in line, Drew Sweatte, got there 27 hours early.

"I would have waited a week in Alaska temperatures for this," said Sweatte, 23, of Palm Springs, Calif. "It was everything I hoped it would be and more."

Sweatte said he thanked Palin for being consistent and told her he was praying for her and her family.

Mark Smith, 46, of Mesa, lucked out and caught Palin on the way into the store after she avoided most of the hordes. He shook her hand and told her, "You're even lovelier in person."

"Wow. That pretty much made my week," Smith said. "My knees are shaking."

Palin, who carried her youngest child, Trig, on her hip, shook several people's hands and told them to "keep up the good fight" before going inside to sign books. Her parents also signed some of the books.

HarperCollins spokeswoman Tina Andreadis said Tuesday that just two weeks after publication, Sarah Palin's memoir has sold 1 million copies. The print run for "Going Rogue" has been increased again, to 2.8 million copies. The original printing was 1.5 million, then moved up to 2.5 million.

Palin began her book tour Nov. 19 in Michigan and is scheduled for 15 more signings across the country in the next 10 days.

Those in Tuesday's crowd said Palin should have been allowed more freedom during the campaign.

Robert Mace, who wore a cowboy hat and a T-shirt that read "Stop communism. Impeach Obama," said he thought McCain was too much of an establishment.

"I think that she was throttled during the campaign and not able to speak her peace," said Mace, 70, who lives half the year in Mesa and the other half in Parker, Idaho.

Darlene Dederick, 68, a snowbird from Colorado who lives in Apache Junction during the winter, agreed.

"I felt really bad for her because she was thrown into a situation that she had a lot more talent than they allowed her to expose, and they looked down on her because she came from Alaska and I think that was a big mistake," Dederick said. "Just because you don't come from Harvard or the Northeast doesn't mean you don't have the ability."