Sarah Palin's hockey rink

What exactly did Sarah Palin mean the other night when, in a memorable one-liner offered during her convention speech, she explained to GOP delegates: "You know, they say, the difference between a hockey Mom and a pitbull?... Lipstick!"

Funny comment. And, in a way, cryptic. Was this a throwaway line, offered simply to amuse? Or does it reveal something significant about Gov. Palin's views about and attachments to kids and sports?

Last week, the Wall Street Journal offered some clues. As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, the newspaper reported, Palin pushed hard for a $15 million indoor sports complex, including ice rink and track. The project was expensive and ambitious for a town of fewer than 8,000 citizens. It was also not free of controversy. The town is still fighting off a legal challenge over the land on which it was built. It's also paying off legal bills that, so far, total $1.3 million. This is an interesting read.