After months of relative silence about the work she did styling the Palin family before the 2008 election, New York stylist Lisa Kline is finally ready to talk about the fiasco. I’m talking, of course, about the $150,000 wardrobe debacle that The Boston Globe has called “the most damaging piece of information about” Sarah Palin. In Palin’s new book, Going Rogue, Kline, the woman behind the buying, is referred to only as a “New York stylist” Palin says she “didn’t ask for.”

Palin may not have asked for Kline, but she definitely needed her. She was plucked from relative obscurity in Alaska in a largely gimmicky move and immediately became an endless fixture in the press. So maybe $150,000 is quite a lot of money, but Kline’s explanation of how things really went down makes the whole thing seem a bit more reasonable.

Since the release of Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue: An American Life, many folks have been howling about the claims made within its covers. But there is one group that stands to profit from her opus—and it’s not the donkeys or elephants. It’s the wolves. San Francisco bookstore Green Apple Books has decided to “go rogue” and donate 100 percent of the profits from Palin’s book to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance. The AWA seeks to stop the aerial hunting of wolves and other game, which the gun-toting ex-governor supports. Why is hunting wolves a problem? Because they’re a vital part of the healthy Alaskan wilderness and aerial hunting is decimating the population and disturbing the delicate ecosystem. Who’s howling now, Sarah? [Newser]

ZOMG! It’s D-Day! The first sneak peek at Levi Johnston‘s naked pics for Playgirl have hit the interwebs. And, um, yes, this is it. Levi shows off his ... armpit. I wonder what he’s doing in that shower? Bathing, probably.

If you happened by a newsstand this morning, you no doubt saw the new issue of Newsweek featuring Sarah Palin on the cover. In the pic, Sarah stands in a beauty queen pose wearing a red sweatshirt and short shorts, her legs shiny and her hair perfectly coifed. My first thought looking at it was: Could she have really posed for this? I mean, she did don the red sweatshirt on her book cover. But, nope. Mystery solved. The image came from the August issue of Runner’s World magazine, where she posed for several images in jogging gear—some with Trigg, some without—and gave such deep quotes as, “It doesn’t matter your background, your demographics, your race, your political affiliation, [running is] such a uniting, healthy, fun, awesome activity. It cracks me up going to some running event and seeing some dude who campaigned so hard against me, or a lady who’s been blogging some mean comments about me. But we’re all there together.”

Sarah, of course, is thoroughly nonplussed with the cover. It doesn’t help that the cover line reads, “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Sarah Palin? She’s Bad News For The GOP—And For Everybody Else, Too.” Wonder what she would have said about that on “Oprah” yesterday.

Sarah Palin was on “Oprah” today and it was kind of hard to watch without yelling at the television screen. So rather than sound like ranting crazy people, here are the things we really wanted to say to Sarah while we watched her on Big O’s couch.

The “Oprah Winfrey Show” has released a couple of clips from the interview with Sarah Palin, which will air on Monday. In one of the clips, Oprah asks Palin whether Levi Johnston, the father of her grandbaby, is invited to the Palins for Thanksgiving. The former Alaska governor replies:

“It’s lovely to think that he would ever even consider such a thing. Because, he is a part of the family and you want to bring him in the fold and kind of under your wing. And he needs that, too, Oprah. I think he needs to know that he is loved and he has the most beautiful child and this can all work out for good. We don’t have to keep going down this road of controversy and drama all the time. We’re not really into the drama. We don’t really like that. We’re more productive. We have other things to concentrate on.”

Well, so does Levi, Mrs. Palin, or haven’t you heard about his recent Playgirl shoot, hmm? But, really, can you imagine if Levi did join the Palins for Thanksgiving this year? I bet he’d have a hard time telling the difference between his son, Tripp, and Palin’s infant son, Trig. Awkward!

Dear ABC,
Your decision to air Barbara Walters’ five-part interview with Sarah Palin on Nov. 17 is one of the worst decisions in the history of mankind. Seriously, isn’t showing segments of the interview on “Good Morning America,” ” World News with Charles Gibson,” “Nightline” and “20/20” overdoing it just a little? First, you are shamelessly helping Palin promote her book, Going Rogue: An American Life, by airing the interview the same day it hits bookstore shelves. Second, didn’t you get the memo that Oprah is interviewing her on the 16th? And uh, did you not notice that Sarah can barely formulate an articulate sentence—the result of her stretching her limited mental capacity over hours could be completely disastrous. After numerous embarrassing interviews with big shots like Katie Couric and Brain Williams, it’s clear that Palin is a masochist for coming back for more. Plus, she is neither relevant nor interesting—she isn’t even a governor anymore. She is famous for being a joke. So why give her the publicity!? You don’t know? That’s because there’s no reason! We suggest you reconsider. Please.
Sincerely,
Nikki
[EW]

We are a nation obsessed: with Levi Johnston‘s penis, apparently. The Daily Beast digs deep, wondering: “Can Levi Johnston Save Playgirl?” Methinks not. Along with many other magazines, Playgirl all but tanked last year, thanks to plummeting advertising rates, decreased circulation, and the proliferation of online adult content. But the Playgirl brand lingers, and the company plans to reinvent the magazine in the new millennium, courtesy of a series of high-profile spreads. Daniel Nardicio, a consultant brought in to lead the charge, hasn’t previewed what Levi has to offer; although, he adds, “We wouldn’t turn away Levi if he had a small penis.” How generous. Which male celebrities have bared their bods for Playgirl during its illustrious past? Get an eyeful in the slide show. [The Daily Beast]

Oh, no! Frisky favorite Levi Johnston is having some type of penis-related existential crisis prior to his upcoming nudie Playgirl pictorial. The New York Post reports that Levi is worried about the size of his pecker. “We hear that the father of Sarah Palin’s grandson has been telling folks at the magazine he is worried about how his manhood may look during the shoot.” What if he’s a grower, not a shower? What if when he takes it all off, he doesn’t measure up? The purported shoot location is, unsurprisingly, an ice rink (nice, er, puck?), and rumor has it Levi is worried the chill may cause some unflattering shrinkage. Levi’s man-friend Tank says it ain’t so, but perhaps an on-set fluffer would be in order? [New York Post]

“We have purposefully ignored the mean spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family. We, like many, are appalled at the inflammatory statements being made or implied. Trig is our ‘blessed little angel’ who knows it and is lovingly called that every day of his life. [...] Consider the source ... Those who would sell their body for money reflect a desperate need for attention and are likely to say and do anything for even more attention.”

—Sarah Palin responds to comments Levi Johnston made on CBS’s “The Early Show” yesterday that she has referred to her infant son, Trig, who has Down syndrome, as “retarded.” [via People.com]

Attention Levi Johnston: show us your wang in Playgirl or go back to your kid in Wasilla. We’re tired of you complaining publicly about Sarah Palin, especially since you don’t have any new dirt!

• Oprah will finally sit down with Sarah Palin on the Nov. 16 episode of her talk show. [What an awesome birthday present!—Editor] [TrèsSugar]—This is quite possibly the showdown of the century.
• “Real Housewife” Bethenny Frankel, who got engaged recently, admits she’s pregnant after internet rumors started to spread. [NYDailyNews.com]—Lesson learned: no matter what, you can never outrun the internet.
• Beer pong: the swine flu’s latest victim. A New York college has banned the playing of beer pong after several students contracted H1N1 during a weekend of partying. [Lemondrop]

Who needs to be a slutty cop or a trampy pirate for Halloween when you can trick-or-treat as the bane of John McCain’s existence? Hustler magazine is gifting their lucky customers with the scariest fright mask of all: a cardboard face mask of adult film actress Lisa Ann, star of the Sarah Palin porn, “Who’s Nailin’ Paylin?” What you and “Todd” choose to do with the former governor of Alaska‘s likeness in bed is up to you. But we at The Frisky kindly request you behave like a proper young lady and refrain from sullying Mrs. Palin’s good name. [The Sexist]

Are you looking to hire a 40-something woman with managerial experience and a great head of hair for your company? Someone who can wink on command? Well, you are in luck, because Sarah Palin has posted her resume on LinkedIn. On it, she lists her stints as governor of Alaska, vice presidential nominee, and chairperson of the oil and gas conservation commission. Her specialties? “Attacking ‘business as usual,’ Oil Companies, Good Old Boy Networks, Government waste, Earmarks, and Pork Barrels. Strong experience within the Executive Branch of Government.” (She forgot capitalizing Random words! And reading Playgirl!) She’s interested in “job inquiries, business deals, and getting back in touch.” And she’s been recommended by five whole people. How can you not hire her? [CNN]

Well, at least according to this imaginative artistic rendering created by illustrator Drew Friedman. But, really, why not? We here at The Frisky are waiting with bated breath for Sarah Palin‘s grandbaby-daddy Levi Johnston to take it all off for Playgirl. Why wouldn’t his mother-in-law-never-to-be be a little curious about what the young buck looks like in the buff? Of course, who knows how much he’ll actually show in the magazine spread. If he pulls a Burt Reynolds, his package may remain a mystery to us and the vice president who wasn’t. [The Daily What]

I thought Sarah Palin was the nutty one, but Bristol‘s baby daddy, Levi Johnston, is now hawking nuts—yes, nuts—in a groan-inducing sexually provocative commercial for Wonderful Pistachios. Clever, Levi, but I am still holding out for Alaska’s finest to pose for nudie pics!

If you thought Sarah Palin’s moment in the spotlight was over after the election, you were seriously mistaken. The “average hockey mom/governor” won’t give up that fast. Already she has transformed herself from politician to author, completing her memoir and landing on the bestseller list before the chronicle has even been released. But that’s not all. Remember when we predicted that eventually a lipstick would be inspired by and named after her? Sadly prescient.

HarperCollins has released the first image of Sarah Palin’s memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life. [USA Today]

Great news for all you folks who were terrified that you’d have to wait until the spring to read Sarah Palin‘s memoir—HarperCollins has decided to move the release date to November 17. [Happy Birthday, Me!—Editor] That’s right, pitbull hockey moms, only two months and 18 days until you can read it! The book now also has a title, Going Rogue: An American Life, a nod to what a McCain aide said she was doing during last year’s election. Palin collaborated on the book with World editor Lynn Vincent, and reportedly reeled in $7 million smackeroos for her effort. She said she felt it was important to tell her own story since “there have been so many things written and said through mainstream media that have not been accurate.” Though I think it’d be pretty funny if it turned out to be sci-fi/fantasy with her as the star. [Reuters]