In response to accusations that in the 1990s Sarah Palin was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party - a third party that seeks a vote on making Alaska a sovereign state - the McCain campaign has provided records showing that Palin has been a registered Republican since 1982.

Jake Tapper has updated his post on Palin and the AIP with this response from the McCain campaign:

[McCain spokesman Brian] Rogers says the McCain campaign provided ABC News with all the voter registration information that exists. Rogers says that Palin didn’t attend the AIP convention in 1994, "but she visited them when they had their convention in Wasilla in 2000 as a courtesy since she was mayor."

He would not comment as to why AIP officials are so convinced Palin was a member of their party. When asked if Palin ever identified herself as a member of the AIP, Rogers said, "No, she's a lifelong Republican."

Given that Pat Buchanan's claim that Palin was a "brigader" for him has been proven false, wouldn't it make sense to be a little skeptical of minor political figures trying to attach themselves to Gov. Palin's rising star?