'A Hero and a Hottie'

I never thought I'd see the day when a politician was referred to as a hottie, yet that day has arrived, thanks to you know who.

There's a new economic boom in Alaska -- and it has nothing to do with oil.

Call it "Palin-mania."

Companies are cashing in on a new craze sweeping the country sparked by the sudden fame of John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

The new cottage industry involves anything carrying her name.

Palin is, of course, no longer "Sarah Who?" and, a week after her stunning naming to the Republican ticket, Palin items have become hot properties.

From t-shirts to thong underwear, from the flattering to the not-so-flattering, sales of just about everything related to the McCain-Palin ticket have been flying off shelves, at the just-concluded GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn., on the Internet, and other settings, Blackstone says.

In Anchorage, silk screeners are working overtime to meet nationwide demand for Palin t-shirts.

"We're trying to strike while the iron is hot -- be quick," explains John Williams, production manager for Alaska Serigraphics.

It began a week ago, when McCain named her to the ticket. The iron got even hotter when Palin spoke Wednesday night at the convention.

For t-shirt makers, one of her lines was particularly inspiring: "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom? Lipstick."

"Immediately," says Williams, "I'm just like, 'God, I could reach in and kiss her! This is perfect! Everybody's gonna love it.' "

By Thursday morning, an artist was hard at work on the pitbull/lipstick design. The shirts haven't even been printed yet but, says Williams, buyers are already lining up: "They're ordering it sight unseen. They don't care. They just want it."

In one Anchorage shop, Ann Bickford was scooping up Palin t-shirts. How many? "I'm buying so many, I lost count," she laughed.

The shirts Jim Dooley is selling at his Anchorage athletic supply store keep the message simple, saying "McCain/Palin," but that hasn't hurt sales.

"We've had more people in here this last three days than we probably have in three or four months," Dooley told Blackstone.

At the Republican convention, Paul collectibles celebrated more than just her politics. One said, "A hero and a hottie."

If the souvenir sellers there had had their way, Palin might be at the top of the ticket: One item said, "Strong girls vote for Palin/McCain."

Looks like Sarah! has earned herself an exclamation point.

More at Hot Air.