"Is this gal a rotten crook?" asks the acerbic Washington gossip Wonkette of Sarah Palin.
"We don't know... The point: in 25 days, she'll return to governing a state where everyone hates her slimy guts."
Sarah Palin, was found to have abused her powers in pursuit of a personal feud against her former brother-in-law and Alaskan trooper, Mike Wooten.
It found that this dispute was likely to be factor in her decision to sack the head of the state police Walt Monegan, who had complained that pressure had been put on him to fire Wooten.
The New York Times is unsure what will happen next.
"What now lies ahead is not fully known at this point. Ms Palin could be censured by the [Alaskan] Legislature , but that is unlikely," it says.
But it adds: "The accusations undermined the campaign's portrayal of Ms. Palin as a "maverick" and an ethics reformer who has taken on special interests and fought for average residents."
The pro-McCain Wall Street Journal gives prominence to report's conclusion that Palin did not unlawfully sack Monegan, and to claims from the McCain camp that Palin had been vindicated.
Chris Cillizza blogging on the Washington Post points out that both sides in the dispute claimed vindication and victory.
But he adds: "No matter your partisan leanings, it's hard to see this as a good headline for Palin with less than a month to go before the election."
