Latest Palin Non-Scandal: She Used Allowable Meal Expenses

You would think these knuckleheads would quit while they're behind. Although I guess there's no statute of limitations on making yourselves look stupid.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

Let's cut to the chase. Nothing was done illegally. They're simply trying to play gotcha here and like everything other nonscandal the past 10 days, it'll blow up in their faces.

"As a matter of protocol, the governor and the first family are expected to attend community events across the state," she said. "It's absolutely reasonable that the first family participates in community events."

The state finance director, Kim Garnero, said Alaska law exempts the governor's office from elaborate travel regulations. Said Leighow: "The governor is entitled to a per diem, and she claims it."

That doesn't stop the Post from excruciatingly detailing seemingly every expense she's ever claimed.

I'm sure they'll be doing an exhaustive accounting of all the per diem expenses of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, right?

Naturally, the frothing left will bite on this. They can't help themselves.

An analysis here.