Sarah Palin.

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ince she abruptly retired as Alaska's governor in July, 2009, Sarah Palin has earned $12 million from a book deal, speaking engagements, and media contracts, reported ABC News. Reaction was predictably partisan: "Who needs actual responsibility when [Palin] can haul in the dough by tossing red meat to the rubes?" says the Little Green Footballs blog. Other commentators were more supportive: "There is nothing wrong with succeeding," says Ed Morrissey in Hot Air. "The only reaction anyone should have is 'congratulations.'" Here's a glimpse into how Palin's $12 million achievement breaks down — and how it compares to other high-profile politicians' earnings:

9
Number of months since Palin retired

18
Number of months since John McCain named her as his presidential running mate, thrusting her onto the national scene

$125,000
Palin's annual salary as governor of Alaska

$100,000
Average amount Palin earns for speaking at a single event, as arranged by the Washington Speakers Bureau

$200,000
Approximate amount Palin received to speak at a fundraising event for the Juravinski Cancer Center and St. Peter's Hospital, located near Toronto, Canada

2
Number of "bendable straws" that must be waiting on a wooden lectern, along with two "unopened" bottles of water, before Palin speaks

2
Number of first class round-trip tickets Palin requires to travel to a speaking engagement, as per a recent contract 

$250,000
Amount the Discovery Channel will reportedly pay Palin for each episode of her new reality show "Sarah Palin's Alaska," set to air on The Learning Channel

8
Total number of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" episodes scheduled to run

$7 million
Amount Palin reportedly received from HarperCollins to write her autobiography Going Rogue

$40 million
Approximate amount former President Bill Clinton earned in the six years after he left office, according to tax records revealed during Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid

$2 million
Amount a Japanese manufacturing company paid former President Ronald Reagan for two 20-minute speeches

Note: Palin's earnings from her on-air work with Fox News have not been disclosed

Sources: ABC News (2), Hot Air, Huffington Post, Little Green Footballs, Washington Post, Politico