This blog will recount only facts, no opinions. It will provide links to Sarah Palin's activities on a daily basis, and the news reports on those activities. As the Presidential race heats up, the activies of all Presidential candidates will also be detailed here.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Posted at 10:07 AM ET, 05/31/2011 Sarah Palin laugh line of the week — so far: ‘It’s not about me’

The Washington Post: Post Opinions (Jonathan Capehart): Sarah Palin laugh line of the week — so far: ‘It’s not about me’
Sarah Palin came to Washington, hijacked attention from “Rolling Thunder” and granted an interview to the friendliest Fox News journalist she knows. In this summer of the remake, this latest Palinpalooza has all the feel of National Lampoon’s “Vacation.” But amid the swirl of speculation about her intentions, the 2008 Republican nominee for vice president — thanks, John McCain — said something to Greta Van Susteren that should go in the “Seriously?!” Hall of Fame.

Van Susteren asked her about all the media fuss around her “Please don’t stop looking at me!” tour. The best-selling author and reality television star who wouldn’t be where she is today were it not for a major assist from the mainstream media declared, “I don't think I owe anything to the mainstream media.” She then justified keeping her itinerary secret, saying, “I want them to have to do a little bit of work on a tour like this.” But the best part was when she said, “[I]t’s not about me, it’s not a publicity-seeking tour.. . .”

So, how does she explain this?

[You have to admit he has a point. Clearly this tour is all about her. And clearly Palin wouldn't be where she is today if the media weren't covering her every move - albeit some mocking her.]

Sarah Palin rides again


Sarah Palin joins the 'Rolling Thunder' veterans motorcycle parade in Washington DC, at the start of her national bus tour.

Gurdian.co.uk: Sarah Palin rides again
Sarah Palin is back in the news, with a nationwide bus tour and the planned release of a flattering documentary that reportedly chonicles her career as a feisty and effective "crusader" for the middle class. It's scheduled to be released in media markets in key primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire and Florida, just as her bus rolls by historic landmarks like Lexington and Concord, where Palin will briefly disembark to hold forth on America's past and future "glory".

Naturally, Palin's sudden retreat from the world of reality TV has led to renewed speculation that the former Alaska governor – who recently told Fox Television anchor Greta van Susteren "I have fire in my belly" – is about to jump into the 2012 presidential race. This despite polls consistently showing that she's almost certain to lose to Obama – and badly – should she become the GOP nominee.

In fact, Palin probably has something far more foundational in mind: rebuilding her tarnished "brand" as one of the most admired women in America; and among Republicans, regaining the political standing she lost after last November's midterms, when top party officials accused her of sabotaging the GOP's chances of regaining the Senate, with her ill-advised support for extremist Sharron Angle in Nevada and Christine ("I'm Not a Witch") O'Donnell in Delaware.

By any objective reckoning, Palin didn't actually kill the GOP's chances in the Senate, though her support for the wacky neophyte O'Donnell – when an establishment GOP candidate was a virtual shoo-in to win – was clearly ill-advised. In fact, three quarters of the more than 40 Republican candidates Palin supported through her multimillion-dollar fundraising arm, SarahPAC, triumphed – an extraordinary 75% "win" rate. And many top Republicans, not just Palin, supported Angle, who was well on her way to victory until she committed a series of last-minute gaffes, none of them attributable to Palin.

But for those like Bush presidential mastermind Karl Rove, who's made no secret of his desire to drive Palin out of the 2012 race, in favour of his own preferred candidate, any Palin misstep – including the release of her "blood libel" video defending herself against critics who say her attack ads helped Representative Gabrielle Giffords get shot last spring – can prove costly. Her favourability ratings, already at an all-time low among the general public, have steadily slipped among Republicans since the beginning of this year.

But, for all the current media frenzy, there's little real sign that Palin actually plans a bid for the GOP nomination. So far, she's done none of the prep work typically associated with launching a national campaign, including contacting key donors, enlisting strategic consultants, or hiring polling firms to conduct focus groups and other political research. Even rival candidates, whose own prospects could be altered dramatically by a Palin candidacy, say they doubt that the former Alaska governor intends to run.

But as she demonstrated during last year's midterm races, Palin doesn't need to be a presidential candidate to become a major force to be reckoned with. While her support for Tea Party candidates, especially prominent "Mama Grizzlies" like South Carolina's Nikky Haley and New Mexico's Susan Martinez, is well known, Palin has shown a remarkable ability to pivot and support more establishment heavyweights when it suits her fancy. Despite her public image as a "rogue" conservative, in fact, she's clearly tried to position herself as a party power-broker – someone who can "anoint" individual candidates, build bridges between warring and disaffected party constituencies, and perhaps, should the need arise, help ensure the victory of one presidential candidate over another.

Palin's closest relationship, of course, is still with John McCain, who's been surprisingly protective of her in public, given his apparent distaste – expressed privately, and ostensibly off the record – for the way she conducted herself as his vice-presidential running mate. McCain, though, faced a huge political scare last summer when Tea Party firebrand JD Hayworth challenged him for the GOP nomination, and appeared to be gaining in the polls. That is, until Palin came to the rescue with a series of high-profile visits to Arizona that all but demolished Hayworth's credibility as a viable alternative.

And it's not just McCain who owes her, but Texas Governor Rick Perry, who faced a stiff primary challenge from Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison with support from the Bush family dynasty, until Palin saddled up and joined Perry's posse. Palin drew one of the largest crowds in the state's political history when she and her youngest daughter Piper appeared on a stage with Perry, calling him "my friend", and rebutting Tea Party critics who'd accused Perry of wanting Texas to "secede". "He's succeeding, not seceding," Palin declared, citing his record creating jobs, attacking "big government" and backing anti-abortion legislation as proof that Perry was "true blue".

If there's any doubt that a long list of GOP incumbents owe a debt to Palin and are prepared to support her, consider McCain's recent statement – remarkable on its face – that he thinks Palin could "beat Obama", if she were to run. (Although, like most others, he qualified this by saying that she probably wouldn't join the race.) Expect much the same adulation from Representative Michele Bachmann, who's about to announce her own bid for the presidency. Though some are suggesting that the two may become bitter rivals, it's far more likely that Palin is preparing to position herself between Bachmann and other prospective GOP candidates, including Jon Huntsman, who is McCain's chosen political heir, or even Perry, who some see as a second GOP "dark horse" should Huntsman fail to gain traction.

Bachmnan, at 57, is a decade older than Palin, and most people agree she's far more grounded in policy, nimbler on her feet, and on balance, a more consistently, compelling speaker. Palin could easily bide her time and – with all the political "chits" she's earned, and will continue to accumulate, for supporting winning GOP candidates – could well end up with a top post in any new GOP administration. "President Palin" may be unthinkable, at least in 2012, but "Secretary of Energy Palin"? For a party badly in need of attractive Tea Party-friendly politicians who can be promoted to top positions, a plum cabinet appointment could be just what she needs to gain the credibility needed to launch a more serious presidential bid down the road – that is, if she doesn't decide to run in 2016, assuming Obama will have been re-elected in 2012.

Palin says she hopes her bus tour will give the country a powerful history lesson. But with her resurgence, and Madonna-like ability to reinvent herself, she just may give us a history lesson we least expect.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/complete 11:00 am The President receives the Presidentia

The Christian Science Monitor: Sarah Palin bus tour: What's the point?
Sarah Palin has been spotted: She and her “One Nation” bus tour stopped at the site of the Civil War’s pivotal Battle of Gettysburg on Tuesday morning. We know this because her Sarah PAC website now has a nice photo of her gazing over Gettysburg’s historic Pennsylvania meadows. It must have been early in the morning, because she doesn’t look hot. As Ms. Palin discovered yesterday at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, temperatures in the mid-Atlantic have been hitting 95 degrees by midafternoon.

Where’s she going next? We’re not really sure. She’s not releasing a schedule or telling the "lamestream" press much of anything. But Philadelphia is a likely stop, to see the Liberty Bell and perhaps Independence Hall.

If Palin is not courting press coverage, and doesn’t even say where she’s bound, what’s the point of this bus tour, anyway? It’s a slightly odd way to kick off a presidential campaign, if that is what she’s doing. But Palin, for all her “Going Rogue” image, has some pretty blue-chip advisers, so we’re betting some thought has gone into the bus-tour concept.

How well do you know Sarah Palin? A quiz.

Here are some reasons it’s a type of almost-campaigning that could play to her advantage.

She controls the message. If there were reporters at every stop, they would ask questions – and file stories based on answers. This coverage might or might not focus on what Palin wants to convey. But by showing up at historic sites just like any other visitor, Palin controls the imagery of the day. Look at the Sarah PAC bus tour page – it’s nothing but Palin and symbols of US greatness, pictured side by side: Palin signing Mount Vernon’s guestbook. Palin reading the Constitution. And so on. Those images are perhaps Palin’s message – she ’s the maybe-candidate most conversant with the nation’s heritage.

The stops appeal to her voters. You’ll notice that Palin isn’t stopping at factories to promote the strength of the American economy. Her bus is pulling up to national parks and other places connected with the US past. Perhaps that is because history reminds us of the moral choices made at times of struggle by those who shaped our nation. That’s the sort of thing that her core voters are interested in.

According to a new Gallup poll, Sarah Palin is the first choice for president among Republican voters who say the most important issues facing the nation are social issues and moral values. She wins a plurality of 23 percent among such voters; Mitt Romney is second, at 18 percent.

Mr. Romney, on the other hand, leads among voters who have economic concerns. (That’s why he spends a lot of time campaigning in factories.) He’s the first pick of GOP adherents who say government spending is the nation’s biggest problem, and of those who say the overall economy should be the top US priority. Palin lags behind among these voters.

So by examining the crack in the Liberty Bell Palin may be engaging in a basic rule of politics: First, solidify your standing among your base, then expand.

Bus touring might soften her image. Palin is a polarizing political figure, with adherents who love her and critics who love to dislike her. This is true to a certain extent even among GOP voters. Her unfavorable rating among Republicans is about 30 percent, noted New York Times polling expert Nate Silver earlier this spring. That’s a pretty high figure for a politician’s own party.

If she runs for president, she will have to do something to win over some people who now are set against her. Her bus tour, seen in that context, is noncontroversial campaigning. She’s not making inflammatory remarks. It’s just Palin and her family, on the road together in a giant RV, going where the road takes them.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Forget Sarah Palin: Michele Bachmann getting ready to run

SFGate, Politics Blog,Joe Garofoli: Forget Sarah Palin: Michele Bachmann getting ready to run

While political geeks are a-Twitter about Sarah Palin possibly jumping into the GOP primary, the only other female Republican prez candidate is getting ready to actually do the actual grunt work of campaigning. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann will launch her presidential campaign in her home state of Iowa next month.

Whooooooooosh! That's the sound of another piece of convention wisdom getting flushed. The one that goes like this: If Palin jumps in, Bachmann doesn't.

Bachmann told a group of Iowans Thursday night that she was going to make the announcement in her Iowa hometown of Waterloo. Ouch. Starting a campaign in Waterloo?....somewhere Napoleon is shaking his head saying "C'est un BAD IDEA."

On Thursday, Bachmann told Iowa's Polk County GOP's annual Robb Kelley Dinner -- via speakerphone because she was in DC to vote to extend the Patriot Act -- that she was in it to win it. (OK, maybe not that strong. Sorry, still got "American Idol" on the brain.)

"When we make that all-important announcement --- which will happen in the month of June --- that announcement. I am pleased to tell you tonight, will be made in Iowa," Bachmann said over speakerphone. "And I will also tell you that announcement will be made in the city where I was born, in Waterloo."

Bachmann says she has already hired staff in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, saying "We have every aspect that we need in this effort."

Remembering that Bachmann once said that the Founding Fathers --- several of whom owned slaves -- worked tirelessly to end slavery, we have no word on whether Bachmann's first staff hires include a history tutor.
WELL, "WORKING TIRELESSLY" MIGHT HAVE PUT IT TOO STRONGLY, BUT QUITE A FEW OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS DID INTEND TO RELEASE THEIR SLAVES, ALBEIT AFTER THEIR DEATHS...

AND OF COURSE ANY HISTORY TUTOR BETTER MAKE IT CLEAR TO BACHMAN - AND EVERYONE ELSE - THAT SLAVERY EXISTED FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME - IT'S EVEN PRAISED IN THE BIBLE, AND THAT THERE IS STILL BLACK ON BLACK SLAVERY GOING ON IN AFRICA....

AND MORE TO THE POINT, DOES BACHMAN KNOW THE US HAS ONLY 50 STATES, AND THAT IT'S 2011? I THINK SO!

Sarah Palin Movie Caption Reportedly Reads 'From Here, I Can See November'

HuffPostPolitics: Sarah Palin Movie Caption Reportedly Reads 'From Here, I Can See November'
News of a new documentary looking at the rise of Sarah Palin and her tenure as Alaska governor came as one of several signs this week that the big name Republican may be preparing to launch a presidential campaign.

The film, which is scheduled to premiere next month in Iowa, has generated significant buzz about Palin's plans for 2012.

The Daily Beast's Shushannah Walshe reports that the final segment of the documentary begins with a caption that reads, "From here, I can see November."

Real Clear Politics relays background on the film:
Although Palin is not interviewed directly, the film features on-camera interviews and commentaries from 10 Alaskans who played different roles in her political rise, as well as six Lower 48 denizens who defend her in more visceral terms, including prominent conservative firebrands Mark Levin, Andrew Breitbart and Tammy Bruce.
Fox News aired an exclusive preview of the documentary on "Hannity" earlier this week

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Reported Arizona home purchase fuels more Sarah Palin presidential speculation

Los Angeles Times: Reported Arizona home purchase fuels more Sarah Palin presidential speculation

If Sarah Palin is indeed planning to run for president, she received some heartening news Thursday.

A new Gallup poll indicates that she is competitive with the early Republican front-runner, Mitt Romney, and ahead of the scrum of other candidates that currently make up the GOP presidential field.

According to a survey of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, Romney (17%) and Palin (15%) outpace the rest of the competition. The poll is one of the first since Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and real estate magnate and reality-TV star Donald Trump all declared they would not pursue the GOP nomination.

Libertarian Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich trailed at 10% and 9%, respectively. And what has to be jarring to Tim Pawlenty-watchers, ex-pizza executive Herman Cain came ahead of the former Minnesota governor by a 2-point margin, 8 % to 6 %. Cain has become popular with "tea party" conservatives.

Among other contenders were Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota (5%) and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (2%).

But the most notable number in the poll may be this one: 22% of those surveyed said they did not yet have a preference.

If Palin were not to run, Romney’s support jumps to 19%, Gallup said.

Palin’s plans have become the subject of recent and furious speculation following reports that she and husband Todd have purchased an 8,000-square-foot house in Scottsdale, Ariz., for about $1.7 million -- a place that could be used as a national campaign base. (Good thing TLC's “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” was canceled, or that could be awkward.)

The purchase comes at the same time as news of a film documenting Palin’s political rise, which is scheduled to be premiered in Iowa next month, followed by a national release and showings in other early primary states -- an indication, perhaps, that the former Alaska governor is hoping to “reintroduce” herself to the American electorate with a new focus on her political successes.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Mama Grizzly strikes again: Sarah Palin 'furious' at Bristol's new Disney Show star boyfriend

DailyMailOnline: Mama Grizzly strikes again: Sarah Palin 'furious' at Bristol's new Disney Show star boyfriend
Mounting evidence that Sarah Palin may have bought a $1.7million home in Arizona has sparked speculation she will run for president next year.

But it seems the real reason for the move could be more personal - to keep tabs on her daughter, Bristol.

The Tea Party politician is reportedly furious at the 20-year-old's new relationship with Disney's Kyle Massey, who she met on Dancing with the Stars last year. [You can tell this is from a British paper - they show photos of Massey, who is African American, but don't mention it in the text...don't try to imply that she's upset because she's racist, as just because her daughter is a) capitalizing on her fame and b) seems to go from boyfried to boyfriend with ease.]

Bristol and Kyle are soon to appear in a new reality show for the BIO Channel, which will follow them as they set up a charity alongside Kyle's elder brother, Chris.
According to the National Enquirer, the couple's growing relationship sparked the idea for the show - and Mrs Palin isn't happy about it.

She is apparently convinced it will affect her family's reputation, as Bristol is on the rebound from her ex-boyfriend, Alaskan pipeline worker Gino Paoletti.

Before that, she had volatile relationship with her ex-fiancé Levi Johnston, with whom she has a two-year-old son, Tripp.

A source told the magazine: 'Sarah is furious at Bristol for going so quickly from man to man.

'She is doing her best to prevent Bristol's new relationship from being featured in the reality show.'

Kyle, 19, told a reporter he only keeps in touch with Bristol 'every now and then' as the couple are trying to keep their burgeoning romance a secret.

Mrs Palin's attempts to meddle are said to have infuriated her daughter. The insider said: 'Bristol told Sarah: "Back off and let me lead my own life!" She doesn't agree with her mom's politics or her controlling ways.'

It's the pair's second falling out in little over a month, coming just weeks after Bristol reportedly banned her mother from her new home in Arizona after they had a huge row over gay marriage.

Bristol has become increasingly liberal since she moved to Los Angeles to appear on Dancing with the Stars last year.
At the time an insider told the Enquirier: 'Bristol is completely rebelling against her mother - now that she's experiencing life outside of Alaska and away from Sara.

'She has opened her eyes and realised how sheltered and programmed she was.'
But Bristol's attempts to keep her mother out of her life seem to have failed, as speculation mounts Mrs Palin has purchased a $1.7million property in Scottsdale, Arizona, less than an hour's drive from her daughter's home.
She has not yet confirmed whether she is the mystery buyer, whose name is hidden in the terms of the deal closed by Safari Investments LLC.

According to the Arizona Republic, rumours have been circulating in the state's political circles for months that Mrs Palin may be set to run her 2012 campaign from there.

And real estate agent Jeff Sibbach of John Hill & Associates said he and a local television crew were told to leave the area surrounding the property on Sunday by a man driving a van with Alaska licence plates.

But Bristol may not be in the same state as her mother for long - when filming begins on her new reality show, she will move in with Kyle and his brother Chris in Los Angeles.

A few weeks ago Kyle, who starred on Disney Channel sitcom That's So Raven, told an Enquirer reporter: 'We're gonna show her the ropes for sure. We'll take good care of her.'

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Sarah Palin Slams Obama For Disregarding Israel's Security And Not Knowing Basic Geography

Business Insider: Sarah Palin Slams Obama For Disregarding Israel's Security And Not Knowing Basic Geography
Still-potential-presidential-candidate Sarah Palin posted a firey response on Facebook to Barack Obama's controversial Israell declaration.

Zingers include: "Should Prime Minister Netanyahu suggest we return to our 1845 borders before the annexation of the southwest of the United States during the Mexican-American War?"

And a geography lesson: "In the State Department speech, President Obama said... that he wants a Palestine that is a 'sovereign and contiguous state' (emphasis added). The Merriam–Webster dictionary defines 'contiguous' as 'being in actual contact: touching along a boundary or at a point; of angles, adjacent; next or near in time or sequence; touching or connected throughout in an unbroken sequence,' like the 'contiguous United States' which obviously excludes Alaska and Hawaii. But the 1967 lines do not include a 'contiguous' Palestine. So what does he mean?"

As I noted on Judge Jeanine Pirro’s show this weekend, I reject President Obama’s idea that Israel must cede back its territories to the 1967 line. Will we now be in the habit of telling our allies what their borders should be? Should Prime Minister Netanyahu suggest we return to our 1845 borders before the annexation of the southwest of the United States during the Mexican-American War? Should we give back parts of Texas, New Mexico, and California?

But the problem is even deeper. In both his State Department speech and his speech yesterday at AIPAC, President Obama made some seemingly specific comments about the Palestinian state that he wants to see created. He either misspoke or he has even more dangerous plans for our friends in Israel than he is publicly admitting.

In the State Department speech, President Obama said that he wants the borders of Palestine and Israel to “be based on the 1967 lines” (in other words, with both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as part of the new Palestinian state) and that he wants a Palestine that is a “sovereign and contiguous state” (emphasis added). The Merriam–Webster dictionary defines “contiguous” as “being in actual contact: touching along a boundary or at a point; of angles, adjacent; next or near in time or sequence; touching or connected throughout in an unbroken sequence,” like the “contiguous United States” which obviously excludes Alaska and Hawaii.

But the 1967 lines do not include a “contiguous” Palestine. (See the map here.) So what does he mean? The President proposes “mutually agreed [land] swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.” Is linking Gaza and the West Bank with a road the “secured border” he has in mind? Or is he suggesting something more? Is it not possible he’s suggesting that the only way you can create a “contiguous” Palestinian state with “secured” borders is by carving Israel in half? Clarification on this point is of paramount importance, Mr. President.

In fact, that leads me to another even bigger geographic problem with the President’s remarks. As the British newspaper The Independent points out, there is further confusion because President Obama said, “The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine.” As The Independent asks: “How does that square with the pre-1967 borders? Was the President implying that the new improved Israel will border neither Jordan nor Egypt, as it does now? Would Palestine’s contiguous territory come at the expense of Israel’s? Would Israel get the Gaza Strip and the Mediterranean and Palestine get the Negev and a Red Sea port?”

Is that what you have in mind, Mr. President? Do you not want an Israeli border with Egypt? You need to clarify what you mean. Diplomacy requires precision and you are causing enormous anxiety for some and making commitments to others that you might not be able to keep.

It has long been the dream of radicals like Noam Chomsky to create a “contiguous Palestine.” True, President George W. Bush spoke ambiguously of a “contiguous” Palestinian state, but he never defined it geographically with borders the way President Obama has, and he had the security of our ally Israel in mind more than our current President. President Obama has in essence boxed Israel in without regard for the facts on the ground and without appreciating the fact that Israel looks across the negotiating table and sees the terrorist organization Hamas in alliance with Fatah. Israel has demonstrated in the past that it is willing to negotiate fairly with a genuine partner in peace. Just look at the treaty it maintains to this day with Egypt. All of this should have been considered and the President’s words should have been carefully measured so as to help and not hinder the peace process. Unfortunately, his words have caused confusion and distressed our ally.

- Sarah Palin

Republicans turn to new hope after Fox chief Roger Ailes' 'attack' on Sarah Palin

The Independent (UK): Republicans turn to new hope after Fox chief Roger Ailes' 'attack' on Sarah Palin
Tim Pawlenty yesterday officially hit the campaign trail for the first time in the contest for the 2012 Republican nomination – a race in which the little-known former governor of Minnesotahas suddenly emerged, almost by default, as one of the leading contenders.


Formally announcing his candidacy yesterday, Mr Pawlenty acknowledged his underdog status. His campaign would be "a good solid Buick" compared with the Mercedes model of his rival Mitt Romney, the frontrunner at this early stage of the contest.

But he proclaimed himself "a serious person with serious solutions" for the country's problems. "I'm going to take a different approach, I'm going to tell you the truth," he told a rally on the steps of the Iowa legislature in Des Moines, the state capital.

Mr Pawlenty's debut in Iowa, whose caucuses next February kick off the primary season, came as the long fluid Republican field started to become clearer. On Sunday, Indiana's Governor Mitch Daniels ended months of uncertainty by declaring that he would not run, just days after a similar decision from Mike Huckabee. They had been under pressure from the party establishment to challenge Barack Obama, but both cited opposition from their families as the reason for staying out of the race.

This leaves the focus on a trio of former governors: Mr Pawlenty, Mr Romney (who led Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007) and Jon Huntsman of Utah, who was Mr Obama's ambassador in China before resigning last month to explore a presidential run.

Mr Huntsman has spent the last five days in New Hampshire, whose key primary is scheduled for the week after the Iowa caucuses. He promises a final decision in the next few weeks but is expected to run.

The other prominent, declared candidate at this stage is Newt Gingrich. But the thrice-married former House Speaker, hyperbolic and intemperate as ever – already in trouble over gaffes and questions about his private life – is given little chance of winning the nomination.

But new candidates may emerge, above all to fill the void left by Mr Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister and champion of social conservatives, who had been a frontrunner in early polls.

His withdrawal makes it more likely that Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, who was born in Iowa and leads the Tea Party faction on Capitol Hill, will join the race. She has also said she will take a decision in weeks and has been spending much time in Iowa and New Hampshire.

The biggest question mark surrounds Sarah Palin. She last week declared on Fox News, where she is a regular commentator and contributor, that she had the "fire in the belly" needed to embark on the marathon ordeal of a presidential bid. Typically, she is embroiled in new controversy – this time involving none other than Roger Ailes, the president of Fox News.

In a long article in the latest issue of New York magazine, devoted to the channel and its king-making role in Republican politics, Mr Ailes is said to believe that "Palin is an idiot". According to a Republican friend of Mr Ailes, "he thinks she's stupid. He helped boost her up. People like Sarah Palin haven't elevated the conservative movement".

Nor are the tensions new. Mr Ailes was reportedly furious that Ms Palin did not heed his advice to keep quiet in the wake of the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in January. Instead, the former Alaska governor accused critics of "blood libel".

Tell-All Book on Sarah Palin Casts Doubt on Former Aide's Christian Values

The Christian Post: Tell-All Book on Sarah Palin Casts Doubt on Former Aide's Christian Values

A former aide to Sarah Palin says his tell-all book is the story of his spiritual journey as a backslidden Christian and family man. But the book seems to carry a judgmental tone towards the former Alaskan governor whom he says needs to "own" her indiscretions.

Frank Bailey, once a part of Palin's staff, said releasing his tell-all book, Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin, Tuesday is a healing experience.

Once publicly embroiled in a scandal over the firing of Palin's ex-brother-in-law, Bailey said he made a lot of mistakes as an aide and did things he is not proud of. He details those misdeeds in the book as a precautionary tale of sorts.

In the book, Bailey writes that he let his aspirations for Palin as a reformer against a corrupt political landscape get the best of him. Looking back on it, Bailey said he strayed away from his Christian faith while working with Palin. The book, he noted, is a warning to others.

"There are a lot of things that I'm not proud of that I talked about ... about myself," he told The Christian Post of his experience. "There were things that I later came to believe that I should not have been a part of, things that I took way too far, hurtful things to other people."

The author told CP that he "take[s] full responsibility" for his actions. However, his book also chastises Palin whom he says changed after receiving media attention into a politician who cut corners to get ahead and told supporters one thing and did another thing.

When Bailey met Palin in 2005-2006, she was a "fresh-faced" candidate who was not afraid to roll up her sleeves alongside common folks and to speak with them plainly and honestly. In the beginning, he said he had high hopes in Palin as a gubernatorial candidate. That hope led Bailey to leave his life as a stay-at-home dad and become a volunteer in her campaign. He said they had very little money to work with, but they successfully won the primary and later the general election.

However, as Palin began to garner media attention, he began neglecting his wife and children to devote himself to her political career.

"I shed all of my family commitment and everything to basically put to this one person I basically put on a pedestal," he said.

He turned his career with Palin into an idol and began to do things such as bashing candidates with made-up blog names and manipulating online polls in Palin's favor.

According to Bailey, Palin was aware of what he was doing and even sent him the polls so that he could rig them. Palin also did things that were illegal and dishonest, he claimed.

During the investigation of Palin's alleged firing of a police commissioner because he wouldn't fire the trooper who had bitterly divorced her sister, Bailey said, "I sat in her office [with] other cabinet members and told her flat out I have being talking to the department of public safety about your brother-in-law," he said.

He said Palin then released a press release the next day saying that she had no knowledge of Bailey's involvement in the firing.

"That was flat out dishonest and put me in an awkward spot," Bailey said of Palin's actions.

His message for Palin in his book is: "As I am doing daily, [she should] own it and to take a look in the mirror and try to find that person from 2005.”

“I believed she strayed far from who she was in 2005."

Bailey's political career ended in 2009 when Palin left office as governor.

He said he and his family were rescued by the church. He is now a small business owner with a few Alaska coffee shops. He is also a praise and worship leader in the non-denominational Rabbit Creek Community Church in Anchorage.

Some conservatives have already begun to question Bailey's Christian character because of the nature of his tell-memoir.

Gregory Gorski, a commenter on Sarah Palin’s Facebook fan page, wrote, "This Baily [sic] guy must have some personal issues to deal with. How do you 'shed your family' to work on a political campaign for a family oriented candidate? I guess the [money] was the driving force with this 'tell all' book."

Becky Dean Boyer wrote, "What a fine Christian example he's setting, using the framework of faith and the church to hurt a sister in Christ ... if he is indeed 'in Christ.'”

Responding to the comments, Bailey remarked, "People who say this is a disgruntled, sour grapes person. I would point them right to the book. Decide for yourself."

Monday, May 23, 2011

Ex-Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, In Iran, Says Sarah Palin Helped ‘Hijack’ The Tea Party


Mediaite: Ex-Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, In Iran, Says Sarah Palin Helped ‘Hijack’ The Tea Party
In an interview with PressTV of Iran, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney said the Tea Party movement “was definitely hijacked.” McKinney, making her first visit to Iran to attend an anti-terrorism seminar, told her interviewer that there was “tremendous pressure inside the political process to make sure that the voters stay aligned inside either the Democratic or the Republican parties, because both of those parties have been captured by special interests.”

McKinney suggested the Tea Party was an example of a grassroots movement “hijacked” and then “corralled back into the Republican Party fold so that these could then stay where the powers that be would like them to be.” McKinney said Sarah Palin was a key part of that effort:

The people of the Tea Party were originally angry about the direction of their country. And who would not be angry at the direction that the United States has taken now? They initially said that they would vote neither Democrat nor Republican; that they were independent voters. And then what happened? The powers that be sent Sarah Palin in, and corralled this group of independent voters, and captured them again for the Republican party.

McKinney also told PressTV that as a member of Congress from Georgia, the most powerful special interest she faced was the “pro Israel lobby.” McKinney said her support of Palestine has left her “with a target on my forehead and that then means that every means that is available to the pro Israeli lobby would be utilized to make sure that I do not ever occupy a position of authority.”

Please save us, Sarah Palin!

BostonHerald.com: Please save us, Sarah Palin!

In 1988, Democrats got stuck with Gary Hart and the Seven Dwarfs. Now, Republicans have Mitt and the Lipitor Six.

You know the GOP presidential pack is bad when they look like extras from a cholesterol drug ad. The most exciting personality is Herman Cain, whose major qualification is running a company that makes bad pizza.

There is only one person who can prevent the 2012 race from becoming a dreary snooze-fest, and I think you know who I mean.

Save us, Sarah.

We haven’t heard too much from the former Alaska governor/reality show host since her daughter got booted from “Dancing with the Stars,” and most political observers doubt she will end up running. Her poll ratings are down and she’s about to get slammed by a couple of tell-all books.

But so what? Palin must be looking at this bland Republican field and thinking, “I can take these guys.”

There’s former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who clearly has the best chance of beating President Obama, and has already raised tons of money. But all the money in the world won’t make conservatives forgive him for Romneycare.

Then there’s ’90s relic Newt Gingrich. One Iowa voter recently told him: “Why don’t you get out before you make a bigger fool of yourself?” Unfortunately, it’s already too late.

Tim Pawlenty? Ron Paul? Rick Santorum? Yikes. And don’t forget former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who’s being billed as “the new Ron Paul.” That’s the same Ron Paul who got 8 percent of the vote in New Hampshire last time.

A lot of Republicans were pinning their hopes on Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, but now he’s out. Daniels is a smart, respected and diminutive governor of a small state. He sounds a lot like Michael Dukakis, if Dukakis had married his wife twice.

Another potential challenger is former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, sort of a younger but grayer version of Romney. He has one small problem — he used to work for the Obama administration.

Let’s face it, national Republicans right now have the same problem as Massachusetts Democrats trying to oust GOP Sen. Scott Brown; they’re facing a beatable incumbent with a bunch of challengers who can’t beat anyone. It’s starting to look like the 1988 Democratic pack, which was so weak that Dukakis won the nomination.

Palin may never win the White House, but she would give the other candidates a much-needed kick in their pleated pants. And give voters a reason to watch.

Tell-all book by ex-Palin aide out on Tuesday

USAToday, On Politics: Tell-all book by ex-Palin aide out on Tuesday
A former aide to Sarah Palin has written a tell-all book that says the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee was ready to quit as Alaska governor months before her actual resignation and eager to move to more lucrative opportunities.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Frank Bailey talked about his book, Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years, in advance of its release on Tuesday.

Palin, who recently said she has "fire in my belly" to run for president in 2012, has not commented about the book. Pam Pryor, a spokeswoman for Palin's political action committee, Sarah PAC, said in February when the book's manuscript was leaked that Palin would not respond to "untruth."

Bailey gives a scathing portrait of Palin as someone who is calculating and self-serving, and not interested in carrying out her duties as governor of Alaska when she returned from being John McCain's running mate in 2008. He said it was so hard for her staff to get her to go to events and meetings that it was "like nailing Jell-O to a tree," Bailey told the AP.

Why did he write the book? "In 2009, I had the sense if she made it to the White House and I had stayed silent, I could never forgive myself," Bailey told the AP.

A tell-all book by a former aide to Sarah Palin comes out on Tuesday.
CAPTIONBy Craig Ruttle, APBailey said Palin told him as early as February 2009 that she would "quit tomorrow" as Alaska governor if she could explain it adequately to Alaska residents. She resigned in July 2009, saying she didn't want to be the same kind of "lame duck" governor who announces she's not seeking re-election, only to travel the state or the world riding out their term.

Bailey's book is based on thousands of e-mails he kept from the time he worked for Palin in her 2006 gubernatorial campaign through her stint as governor. State ethics laws bar former executive officials from using information they obtained on the job for personal gain if the information has not been publicly disseminated.

The Alaska attorney general's office is investigating Bailey's use of the e-mails. The state has not yet released e-mails from Palin sent and received while she was governor. Bailey has said he has complied with the law.

There are other books critical of Palin in the works. Levi Johnston, the father of Palin's grandson Tripp, is writing a book expected out later this year. Author Joe McGinnis, who temporarily moved next door to the Palin family in Alaska, has written The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin, out on Sept. 20.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Sarah Palin defends Newt Gingirch

The State Column: Sarah Palin defends Newt Gingirch
Former Alaska governor defended Newt Gingrich Wednesday, saying the former House speaker was the victim of the “lamestream media.”

“We should ignore the lamestream, leftist media’s criticism of what it is that we say in an interview if we believe what it is that we say. Don’t let them, in a 24-hour news cycle, make us change our positions,” Ms. Palin said during an appearance on Fox News.

Ms. Palin’s defense of Mr. Gingrich comes as the former House speaker faced serious criticism from both Democrats and Republicans throughout the week after he offered his opinion on Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan. Mr. Gingrich, in an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, said the Wisconsin Republican’s controversial plan was “right-wing social engineering.”

The comment set off a storm of criticism from Republicans, sending the Gingrich campaign into damage control.

“It was not a reference to Paul Ryan. There was no reference to Paul Ryan in that answer,” Mr. Gingrich told Rush Limbaugh. “It was interpreted in a way which was causing trouble which he doesn’t need or deserve,” Mr. Gingrich added. “My answer wasn’t about the budget, and I promptly went back to say publicly that I would have voted for the Ryan budget.”

The Georgia Republican also apologized to Mr. Ryan in a personal phone call.

Ms. Palin’s defense of the Republican presidential candidate comes as she continues to consider her own presidential campaign. Speaking on Fox News Wednesday, Ms. Palin said she is still considering entering the race even as the field quickly takes shape.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Palin: Schwarzenegger's Conduct 'Disgusting, Embarrassing'

Personally I think the conduct of the media over this is disgusting and embarrasing. The 10 year old son will probably never get over this, if these vultures track him down.

Newsmax.com: Palin: Schwarzenegger's Conduct 'Disgusting, Embarrassing'
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin expressed disgust with fellow former Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for secretly carrying on an affair and fathering a son with a housekeeper. Schwarzenegger showed “bad character,” Palin said on the Fox Business Network.

“It is irresponsible and pretty disgusting things that he did to deny that he had a child for 10 years,” Palin said. “I feel so bad for his children. It must be quite embarrassing for them.”

Schwarzenegger’s revelation about the affair and acknowledgement that it produced a child prompted wife Maria Shriver to leave the couple's home before they announced their separation last week. Schwarzenegger and Shriver jointly announced May 9 that they were splitting up after 25 years of marriage.

The affair, including the fact that the housekeeper was pregnant at the same time Shriver was, has prompted a media frenzy, including a flash mob of sorts when scores of reporters and photographers swarmed a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in the middle of California farm country amid unconfirmed reports it was the home of the love child’s mother.

Sarah Palin 'Still Seriously Considering' Presidential Run | Hannity

FoxNews: Hannity: Sarah Palin 'Still Seriously Considering' Presidential Run | Hannity
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," May 18, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: A lot of attention is being paid to some Republicans who have yet to throw their hat into the race. It is believed that Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels are just weeks if not days away from revealing their intentions for 2012.

And as they weigh the possibility of a run for the White House, there's word that Texas Governor Rick Perry, well, he is also testing the waters.

Now this news comes after both Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee announced that they will not challenge President Obama next year. But one name that is still very much on the radar when it comes to 2012, is that on my next guest. She is former Alaska Governor, FoxNews contributor Sarah Palin.

Governor, welcome back to the program. Thanks for being with us.

SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Thank you Sean, it is my pleasure.

HANNITY: You know, as I was watching the speaker on "Meet the Press" this weekend, former Speaker Gingrich. My thoughts went to you. Because it was a lot of gotcha. And a lot of these things, "In 1993 you said this, today you said -- the other day you said this." I don't know if you had a chance to see the whole interview. But I was just comparing that to 2008. Is there going to be a different standard?

PALIN: There's got to be the preparation on all the candidates' parts for those gotchas. That's what the lamestream media's known for now a days, it's the gotcha trip up questions and you just have to be prepared for it and overcome it.

HANNITY: What did you think about the term right-wing social engineering and then his apology to Paul Ryan, does that put that to rest in your mind?

PALIN: I don't know why politicians feel that they have to apologize for something that they've said just because they've gone through a 24 hour cycle of the lamestream media given them a hard time for something that they said. A politician either believes in what they just said in an interview or they don't believe in what they just said. And if Newt Gingrich believes that it is right-wing social engineering to undo Obamacare and reform Medicare to make sure that we provide a safety net for our seniors who are going to need health care coverage, then, say so. But don't apologize later just because the media has dinged you on what it is that you said.

I do believe that Newt Gingrich is terribly wrong on his assessment of Representative Ryan's plan. It is good fiscally sound and courageous plan. And it's not all just about Medicare, we have to make sure that we are understanding that Ryan's budget is a big difference as opposed to the Obama budget, which of course have has us on the road to bankruptcy. Paul Ryan's plan saved us $1.2 billion every single day over a decade, as compared to Obama's big spending government overreach more indebtedness plan that he's got us on.

HANNITY: I'm not sure if he was apologizing because the media was attacking him as much as he said, because I did interview him Monday, and I talk to him about it. And he said, well, what I'm saying is we need to take that plan and we've got to make sure the American people are onboard, maybe find ways to improve it. But he definitely sees the need and has called for the need to reform Medicare. I mean, that's something that he said for a number of years. And I'm not putting up a defense for him. But if he apologizes because he didn't articulate it the way he wanted to and people are offended by it, is an apology appropriate at that point?

PALIN: No, I'm saying that we should ignore the lamestream leftist media's criticism of what it is that we say in an interview if we believe what it is that we say. Don't let them in a 24 hour news cycle make us change our positions, and it sounded pretty clear to me that Newt Gingrich's position, because he articulated this, was that Paul Ryan's plan would be social engineering, and he didn't like it.

So, I believe that he made the apology because the media dinged him on it. Would he have made the apology otherwise? I don't know. I'm just saying, come on fiscal conservatives, let's stay strong, and principled and not disappoint the electorate so that they have a true choice coming into this election, who would it that they're going to choose to allow to surface to lead this great nation. Don't let the mainstream media dictate what the debate is going to be about.

HANNITY: All right. This is a great thing. I think people apologize for too often. I'm going to agree with you. And I think they're pressured to do it. And I think they do it for expediency. I'm not sure what happened in this case. My take is, is that Paul Ryan is a friend to his, he misspoke, he wanted to explain it. You know, it's like in the Congress, they have the ability to revise and extend their remarks. In the media, you don't have that ability.

But let me give you one example of what I think is gotcha. And where the media I think really, they never ask tough questions I think in 2008 against Barack Obama. And I think these are the types of questions that Republican candidates will face and you if you get in this race.

Here is David Gregory with Newt Gingrich.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "MEET THE PRESS"/NBC MAY 15)

DAVID GREGORY: You gave a speech in Georgia with language a lot of people think could be coded racially-tinged language calling the president, first black president a food stamp president.

NEWT GINGRICH, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh, come on, David.

GREGORY: What did you mean and what was the point?

GINGRICH: That's bizarre, this kind of automatic reference to racism. This is the president of the United States, president of the United States has to be held accountable. Now, the idea that, and what I said is factually true. Forty seven million Americans are on food stamps. One out of every six Americans is on food stamps. And to hide behind the charge of racism, I have never said anything about President Obama which is racist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And that number is up by millions. How do you respond to that? What advice would you give candidates?

PALIN: Well, talk about racism, that was a racist tinged question from David Gregory. He made it sound like if you're black, you are on food stamps and the president is referring to you as being on food stamps. I think that's racist.

And, you know, enough is enough of this calling out, this racism, this false charges. Obviously, it is done just to end the conversation. Just to distract, divert attention from what the real substance is, and stop the conversation. Here again, enough is enough. Why do we let the press, the media personalities get away with such? Let's call them out on them and let's start concentrating on what the real issue is. The real issue is, we have 40 some million Americans on food stamps, you know, why? Because we don't have a robust economy, allowing the private sector to grow and thrive, and have jobs provided via the private sector because government has overreached, overtaxed and over spent and got us in debt. And there is isn't enough private sector money out there creating jobs.

That needs to be the focus. Not allowing David Gregory to falsely charge Newt Gingrich as being a racist because he's making a statement, a fact about how many people are on food stamps.

HANNITY: You know, it's interesting you say that. Because there was an NBC host that said something to the effect, and I'm paraphrasing that, oh we know that you are not talking about white people when you are referring to food stamps. We know that you are talking about black people, that this is a code. I agree with you. The premise, that's their assumption, that's their bigotry and that's their bias and prejudice.

And interestingly, you know, it seems to me that the media that ignored a guy, part of a group that bombed the Pentagon, the capital, New York City Police headquarters -- one question about Bill Ayers, and he got away with "just a guy in the neighborhood," sat on boards with, give speeches with.

This is a big issue here about how the Republicans will be treated versus how President Obama was in 2008. And I think it is much harder for the Republicans.

So, is there something that they should do when they find themselves in that moment?

PALIN: Well, I think to start with, we ignore some of these reporters and their requests for us to comment and be interviewed. We know going into what they are going to do to us, to a conservative. So, why participate in their game?

Instead, candidates need to get their message out via the news social media, be a fair and balanced reporters who will just allow the facts to get out there. Don't even participate in that goofy game that has been played now for too many years with the leftist lamestream media trying to twist the candidates' words and intent and content of their statements.

HANNITY: All right. Governor, stay right there. We're going to have more with Governor Palin, is she thinking about to run for the presidency?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity." Continuing to join us tonight, former Alaska Governor, Fox News contributor Sarah Palin.

Governor, a lot of people, last time I spoke to you, I was asking, you know, where are you in this process of making your decision? And you said you wanted to assess the field. The field change quite a bit. Where are you today?

PALIN: Still assessing the field because I know it is still going to change, the line-up. People are going to come and go before that legal deadline is imposed on us to have to make the decision. So, I'm still not ready to make an announcement.

HANNITY: Yes. Where are you in your thought process if you could bring us inside a little bit? I'm not looking to reveal anything, but where are you in your thought process?

PALIN: Still seriously considering it, and praying about it. And talking about it with family. Because of course it is a monumental leap for a family to put themselves out there again in the limelight and be ready for the scrutiny that ensues in a campaign. So, still talking about it, and assessing, yes, the field, looking for others who are ready to go rogue and fight against the machine on both sides of the aisle in order to get the economy back on the right track and do the things that the private sector needs done to implement some solutions to all the problems that America is facing right now. I want to make sure that we have a candidate out there with Tea Party principles, understanding that we are taxed enough already. Our job creators cannot afford to be taxed anymore. And we'll do the right things that so many Tea Party patriots have already been articulating and cheering on and looking for candidates to embrace.

HANNITY: All right. You know the candidates, if we added, Mitch Daniels, Jon Huntsman, Michele Bachmann, whose names are -- maybe Rick Perry. You know all of these candidates, you know, all of these politicians pretty well. Do you see one, two or three that, you know, you like and that you would really want to hear more from and that you could support?

PALIN: I want to hear more from all of them, Sean. And every one of us not just potential candidates, everyone of us as human beings, we bring strengths and weaknesses to the table. So, you don't want to assess all of that.

But, you know, I think one of my problems in this whole process is, I don't live for that game of the punditcy, of the opining and speculating on who is doing what, and I don't live for that. What I live for is fighting for family and faith and freedom in this country. And I get kind of frustrated watching the political process because I'm not a real fan of politicians.

So, I get kind of frustrated watching the political process as people, you know, line up and already -- and so early on, you know, year in a half time away still, so early on, trying to position themselves when there is still a lot of work to be done on each one of our parts to finally see that line-up solidified.

HANNITY: You know, I feel the same way as you with this caveat. And governor, it's that, I think that this is a turning point in American history. I think the economy is that bad. There is no metric, there's no index, there is no indicators that tells me the economy is going to get better. I believe these policies are failing. I think the country can do a lot better. And so, I want the person who believes in limited government, greater freedom, lower taxes, less regulation, strong national defense. And I want an opportunity to access them, I want to see them respond under fire. So, I think the process ultimately will make whoever the eventual candidate is, that much stronger. So, in that sense, I think it is healthy.

PALIN: Yes, that and in this process of assessing, once the lineup is set and the debates begin. In the meantime Sean, we need to look at every one of this potential candidates and declared candidates records. See if they've had opportunity to veto overspending in their city or their state and some governing body. See if they've seized the opportunity to save other people's money and not squander it. See if they've had opportunity to go to the mat in protecting second amendment rights and every constitutional rights. See if they have in their own personal lives lived a physically and socially conservative life and really walked the walk not just talk the talk, if that is really important to you as the one doing the assessing of these candidates. We have to do our homework. Don't let the media define who these candidates are. Let us, as constituents, as voters, as potential candidates, we need to do our homework.

HANNITY: I think you've very well said. And one of the things I want to do in this program is, give these candidates a forum where they can answer, they can explain their record, we can examine it. And also, not really play gotcha, because although, you know, but ask the tough questions as well when necessary.

Let me ask you this question. You were very critical of Nancy Pelosi's district and the speaker. Here she wants this big Obamacare bill. She gets the bill. Twenty percent of the waivers in April come from her district. Harry Reid, a lot of waivers in Nevada. And I'm thinking, wait a minute, if it is so bad and your constituents want out, why am I stuck in, you know, being beholding to this bill and everybody else? Your reaction.

PALIN: Yes. This is a bit of that crony corporatism, maybe on a smaller scale than what some of us are concerned about with the bigger picture in America, but this is an example of that. It is a corrupt system, this whole Obamacare fiasco that we are seeing with the waivers coming down. And our bureaucrats and our politicians in D.C. can't even give us consistent explanation as to why some companies are given waivers and some are not. And in the words of Dennis Miller today who said on Fox, in reference to something that Nancy Pelosi said, what she is saying is a tight-faced lie. We cannot believe what it is that she tells us now in terms of explaining why these waivers were given in her district. I think it is favoritism, I think it is unfair and I think the little guy ultimately gets hurt with a system like this and the waivers of Obamacare. You will hear Michele Malkin give some awesome explanation as to what it is coming down the pike with Obamacare waivers.

HANNITY: You just gave us a great promo for later in the program. Governor, you are a pro, and I appreciate the plug.

Governor, it's always good to see you. And we're going to continue to monitor your process and we do appreciate your insight, as always, thanks for being with us.

PALIN: Thank you as always.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Sarah Palin fundraising letter revives 2012 speculation

Politico: Sarah Palin fundraising letter revives 2012 speculation

Stoking more speculation about whether she intends to run for the White House, Sarah Palin is sending out 400,000 direct mail fundraising solicitations for 2012, including to voters in earlier primary states.

Continue Reading

First reported by The Washington Post, the solicitations are titled "2012 Can't Come Fast Enough," but make no specific mention of her plans.

“Taking back control of the House last year was only the first step,” Palin says in the mailer from SarahPac, sent out nationwide. “Now you and I must fix our eyes on 2012. Our goal is to take back the White House and the Senate.”

Palin headed into 2011 with more than $1.3 million in her political action committee.

Last month, she further sparked White House buzz when she rolled out a new website for her PAC that included significantly more content and features, as well as a method for Palin to gather email addresses and information from her supporters.

John McCain and Sarah Palin together again as you've never seen them before

The whole country was paying attention three years ago during the Presidential elections that saw Barack Obama reach the Presidency. Do we really need a TV movie about it?

The producers either want to give a boost to Palin...or sabotage her own possible campaign...

Los Angeles Times, Top of the Ticket: John McCain and Sarah Palin together again as you've never seen them before
They're baaaack.

And just in time for the 2012 political season.

HBO is currently filming its adaptation of "Game Change."

That's Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's bestselling chronicle of the 2008 John McCain-Sarah Palin presidential campaign that didn't sell so well.

Their Arizona-Alaska effort to keep the White House in Republican control, coming after eight years of you-know-who and his sidekick, you-know-him-too, who led the country into two wars and left the country in the hands of an ex-state you-know-what who's upped the ante in one war and started another against Libya.
Other than that and the spending beyond belief and the $3 trillion-plus of new national debt and no end in sight to the harsh political tone of Washington and the healthcare bill that seems to have more large companies exempted from its rules than are covered, other than those little things, everything turned out for the better.

Anyway, for those folks who want to reminisce about that endless campaign as we head into another that'll cost even more, this movie should be right up their alley.

Here's a newly released photo of McCain, who will play himself. No, not really. This is Ed Harris pretending to be John McCain.

Julianne Moore has been chosen to play the role of the Tina Fey lookalike from Alaska.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Friday, May 13, 2011

Why Sarah Palin scares them

The Daily Caller: Why Sarah Palin scares them
Some media commentary on Sarah Palin continues to amuse me quite a bit.

There are those who love to talk about how irrelevant she is — usually in the midst of a lengthy blog post or column that obsesses about something Palin recently said or tweeted.

There are those who continue to distort her record, despite the surplus her policies afforded Alaska and a list of accomplishments that includes substantial spending reductions, incentivizing and expanding drilling for oil and natural gas, investing in state savings, and a commitment to transparency, ethics reform, and tackling corruption.

And there are an array of “tell-all” books soon to come out that will attempt to discredit both her character and her record. They will try their hardest to reinforce pre-existing media-fed hype about who Palin is, what kind of a leader she was as governor, and what kind of a leader she could be for America. Some of the authors are ideologically driven. Others are driven by the hope that having the words “Sarah Palin” in their books’ titles will put money in their pockets.

Palin’s plans with respect to a 2012 presidential run remain to be seen, but rest assured that plenty of haters are already working overtime to distort and deceive. Their hope is to tarnish the attributes Palin appears to possess that have resonated with so many Americans — a down-to-earth authenticity, an expertise with respect to energy issues, an unshakeable faith in God and an equally strong commitment to her family, as well as a genuine concern for the struggles of regular, hard-working Americans, to name just a few.

Some Palin-haters will twist and turn the truth in an effort to promote and solidify the caricature of Palin that so many on the left, in the GOP establishment, and in the media elite have worked so hard to perfect. Others will continue to ignore her written and spoken commentary on matters of supreme national and international importance, opting instead to cling to any word or phrase she utters that can somehow be generated into a traffic-grabbing — and image-busting — headline.

And as many of us have come to learn, there’s a separate set of rules for Sarah Palin. If she ignores deceptive attacks against her, her family, or her record, some will say she’s weak or guilty as charged. If she responds to the attacks, they will insist she’s thin-skinned or playing the victim. You know the drill.

But the passion on the part of some to try to tear her down is like nothing I’ve seen in my lifetime. I don’t always catch a glimpse of the woman who scares the daylights out of them. But every now and then I do.

I caught it during my telephone interview with her in November. She was bold, but approachable, completely unapologetic about her principles, and spontaneous in her responses. Despite her success with respect to 2010 candidate endorsements and otherwise, she was decidedly humble and unwilling to take credit for so many of the victories she played an enormous part in. That humility, coupled with a refusal to spew preset talking points, must be awfully unnerving to those who are pre-programmed to say this or that and/or are driven by a “me, myself, and I” mindset.

also saw a glimpse of the woman who terrifies some when I met her in person at the Long Island Association’s February 2011 Annual Meeting and Luncheon. There’s absolutely nothing about her — from the way she greets you to the tone of her exchanges — that fits into the mold of “conventional politician.” I suppose that must be terribly frustrating to those who struggle so hard to stand out, but don’t … because when it comes down to it, they’re not all that different from the rest.

And, perhaps most significantly, I saw a glimpse of the woman so many fear when I recently revisited her 2007 State of the State Address. If you haven’t watched it, you should. There’s a passion she possesses to cut through the garbage and get things done, as well as an ability to connect with people without even trying. She’s not telling you what she thinks you want to hear. She’s simply telling you what she thinks.

A liberal Manhattan acquaintance of mine recently hit the nail on the head: “The thing about Palin that’s so scary is that she actually means what she says. She actually believes it. And she’ll do it. She’ll make it happen.”

To borrow the words of the first female governor of Alaska, “Game on.”

Jedediah Bila is a conservative columnist, television commentator and author of the new book Outnumbered: Chronicles of a Manhattan Conservative. For more information on Jedediah, please visit jedediahbila.com.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Atlantic asks: Where did Sarah Palin go wrong?

Anchorage Daily News: The Alantic asks: Where did Sarah Palin go wrong?


Most observers have come to believe that Sarah Palin won't run for the GOP presidential nomination, and her sagging poll numbers don't give her admirers much to defend her with. Is it too early for a post-mortem on Palin's national ambitions? The Atlantic's Joshua Green is getting started on his: He takes a look at her record as governor of Alaska for the June edition and finds much to admire. Then he asks: What went wrong?

Palin demonstrated many of the qualities we expect in our best leaders. She set aside private concerns for the greater good, forgoing a focus on social issues to confront the great problem plaguing Alaska, its corrupt oil-and-gas politics. She did this in a way that seems wildly out of character today-by cooperating with Democrats and moderate Republicans to raise taxes on Big Business. And she succeeded to a remarkable extent in settling, at least for a time, what had seemed insoluble problems, in the process putting Alaska on a trajectory to financial well-being.

After a lengthy cruise through Palin's Alaska political history, especially focusing on her ACES oil industry tax plan, Green poses the big question: What if she had campaigned on her record as governor instead of succumbing to an innate vindictiveness, turning sharply to the right and becoming a culture warrior bent on needling President Obama at every opportunity? ...

A big part of the answer is that the qualities that brought her original successes -- the relentlessness, the impulse to settle scores -- weren't nearly so admirable when deployed against less worthy foes than Murkowski and the oil companies. In Alaska, she applied those qualities to fulfilling the promises that got her elected, and in her first year was the most popular governor in the country. "It was very, very powerful stuff," Anita Dunn, a Democratic strategist for Knowles, and later for Barack Obama, told me. "She was this dowdy, but very attractive, person who drew a lot of support from progressive women. She was serious business." ...

But McCain and Palin didn’t run as mavericks. Instead, they turned hard right. Palin’s old colleagues were stunned. “The speech at the Republican convention that made her a star, that was just shocking,” [state Sen. Hollis] French told me. “She could have said, ‘I’ll do for the nation what I did for Alaska: I’ll work with both sides and won’t care where the ideas come from.’ Her background supported that. Instead, they handed her a red-meat script she’s been reading from ever since.”

Sarah Palin and Common have at least two things in common

Los Angeles Times: Nation: Political commentary from Andrew Malcolm: Sarah Palin and Common have at least two things in common
Sarah Palin expressed displeasure at the White House for inviting hip-hop star and actor Common to participate in a poetry reading hosted by the first lady.

"Oh lovely, White House..," the former Alaska governor tweeted Monday while providing a link to a story on the conservative blog The Daily Caller.

The blog post describes the well-dressed Chicago native, who was born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., as "controversial" while printing out the lyrics to one of his songs, "A Letter to the Law," which protested the war in Iraq.

At issue, it appears, are the lines: "Burn a Bush cos’ for peace he no push no button/ Killing over oil and grease/ no weapons of destruction".

To some it could be construed that Common, a former Gap model, would literally want to set the former president on fire. That, of course, would be a silly assumption because the narrator of the tune, as is common in rap and other forms of public speaking, is far more interested in expressing the joys of gun ownership than pyromania.

"I hold up a peace sign, but I carry a gun," the song concludes.

If the love of sidearms isn't enough to bond Common with the hockey mom, the pair also share this similarity: They both express displeasure toward what Palin calls "the lamestream media".

Common is a churchgoing Chicagoan who just happened to attend, along with the Obamas, the Trinity United Church of Christ in 2008, which was then led by the now-famous Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
When in the spring of 2008 the spotlight focused on some of Wright's sermons as Obama ran for president, Common lashed out at the press for being biased, something the former governor also trumpets.

“Obviously, the media has an agenda,” Common told Entertainment Weekly in April 2008 when asked about his pastor. “I don’t follow what the media says. I’m a thinker for myself. And I just encourage people to be objective: When you’re watching, use your inner eye and really try to watch the person and see what you think about them. Because you can never really capture a person in the media blitz.”

Friday, May 6, 2011

Gallup: Sarah Palin is the GOP's preferred foreign policy candidate

Daily Kos (Blog, Opinion piece): Gallup: Sarah Palin is the GOP's preferred foreign policy candidate

There's been a very understandable and belated shift toward the economy and jobs as the biggest issue for Americans. When looking at Republicans and Republican leaners, as Gallup does today, we can see that in their "most important issue" choices:

Given a choice, 36% of Republicans say business and the economy are the most important political issues to them, up from 32% in March, and now on par with the percentage who say the same about government spending and power. Fewer Republicans choose either social issues and moral values or national security and foreign policy as their top political priorities.

The GOP respondents in the Gallup poll say that if their issue is business and the economy their man is Romney. Okay, understandable, given his background (though I guess that means they're going with someone who fires people to make a buck for himslef.)

And if it's moral values, their man is Huckabee. I get that. He's a preacher, and sometimes there's a connection there (alas, sometimes not.)

And if it's foreign policy, their chosen expert candidate is.... Jon Huntsman, Ambassador to China and someone with actual foreign policy experience? Nah, he gets 1%. Newt Gingrich, experienced DC pol? He gets 10%.

The choice is Sarah Palin, because she can see Russia from her house.

You can't make this stuff up.

The poll results "among Republicans and Republican leaners":

Government spending and power. MIke Huckabee 19%, Romney 17%, Paalin 9%

BUsiness and the economy. Huckabee 15%, Romney 18%, Palin 14%

Social issues and moral values: Huckabee 26%, Romney 8%, Palin 18%

National security and foreign policty: Huckabee 18%, Romney 16%, Palin, 19%

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Palin cuts ties to Soros-linked aides

Salon War Room blog: Palin cuts ties to Soros-linked aides
The big Sarah Palin news today is that she has lost her longtime foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann.

Scheunemann is a well-known neoconservative who worked for Jesse Helms and was intimately involved in the push for the Iraq war. He later became an aide to John McCain on the 2008 presidential campaign, where he met and linked up with Palin. He's been associated with her ever since.

The question is: Why did they Scheunemann, who runs the lobbying firm Orion Strategies, leave Palin now?

Ben Smith reports:


They parted, both sides said on good terms.

"Randy flat out said, 'We can't give you the time,'" [Palin spokesman Tim] Crawford said.

"I very much enjoyed my time working with Governor Palin and wish her and her family all the best," Scheunemann said in an email. "If she decides to run for any office again, she will be a formidable candidate."


Regular readers will remember that Scheunemann, while working for Palin, also lobbied for one of George Soros' groups, the Open Society Policy Center. After I reported that connection, Palin took a bit of flack on the right for her (admittedly tenuous) link to the liberal billionaire.

But is it accurate that Scheunemann simply doesn't have the time to work for Palin?

It's impossible to know his schedule, of course (I have asked Orion's Michael Goldfarb and I will update this post if I hear back). Orion Strategies does appear to have recently picked up a new client -- meaning it is now registered to lobby for a total of three entities. One is Soros' group. Another is the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the gun industry.

The new client is an entity called the Corbiere Trust Company Limited. It is based on the English Channel island of Guernsey, which is a British crown dependency and tax haven.

Corbiere is associated with the ex-oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is currently in prison after being convicted of fraud in a controversial (and allegedly politically motivated) case in Russia last year. Orion lobbies on "rule of law and human rights in Russia" for Corbiere, according to disclosure forms. Corbiere's own activities are described in the disclosure as "asset management including Khodorkovsky's legal defense."

The trust appears to have paid Orion $15,000 in the first quarter of 2011, but another document suggests the overall expenditure may be $180,000. (Corbiere has spent over $1 million on lobbying on Russian issues in recent years.)

So, if the official version of the Orion-Palin split is true, this appears to be what Scheunemann is spending his time on instead of Palin. It's also possible that Orion is doing other work (like consulting) that would not require lobbying disclosures.

Scheunemann's replacement, by the way, is Peter Schweizer, a fellow at the Hudson Institute and the editor-in-chief of Andrew Breitbart's Big Peace website.

Sarah Palin changes advisers, and her worldview.

Washington Post: Right Turn: Sarah Palin changes advisers, and her worldview.
By Jennifer Rubin
Whatever else you think of Sarah Palin, she has, since the 2008 presidential campaign, been a clear voice in favor of a robust American presence in the world, a defender of the Afghanistan war, a friend of Israel and a counterweight to neo-isolationist elements on the right.

But careful observers of Palin noticed that recently she was sounding more like Obama’s liberal critics than the VP candidate who echoed Sen. John McCain’s forward-leaning foreign policy. She put out a statement on Facebook last week on Libya that can only be described as incoherent. It was hard to tell if she wanted more or less American firepower in Libya. (“At this point, to avoid further mission creep and involvement in a third war — one we certainly can’t afford — you need to step up and justify our Libyan involvement, or Americans are going to demand you pull out. Simply put, what are we doing there?”) Was she for or against a war to remove the Libyan dictator?

Then she gave a speech on Monday that sounded like she swallowed the Ron Paul briefing book. Politico reported:

First, Palin said, “we should only commit our forces when clear and vital American interests are at stake. Period.” That point led to her second, dismissing nation-building as a “nice idea in theory,” but not the “main purpose” guiding American foreign policy.

Palin continued down that track by insisting that a president must be able to articulate “clearly defined objectives” before engaging in foreign interventions — a standard she has recently said Obama failed to live up to in Libya. As her fourth point, Palin declared that “American soldiers must never be put under foreign command. . . . We can’t fight every war, we can’t undo every justice in the world.” Sunday’s attack on bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan was “an effective use of force,” Palin said, unlike the “ill-defined” mission in Libya.


Ben Smith reported what many suspected, namely that Palin and her experienced neo-conservative foreign policy advisers Randy Scheunemann and Michael Goldfarb had a parting of the ways. Frankly, since her ill-chosen reference to a “blood libel” in the aftermath of the Arizona shooting incident, it was fairly evident she wasn’t taking counsel from those with a sophisticated foreign policy bent and sharp political radar.

Her about-face in foreign policy tells us a couple of things. First, her views then and perhaps now don’t spring from a well-grounded understanding of foreign policy but from briefing cards. Change the cards, and presto, a new foreign policy! To the dismay of many who saw great potential in her, she chose not to immerse herself in issues and put meat on the bones of her intuitive policy positions. Second, as Bill Kristol ruefully remarked (in response to the suggestion his diminished enthusiasm was responsible for her about face): “The surge in Iraq works. The surge in Afghanistan works. There’s an Arab Spring. The world obviously needs American strength and leadership more than ever. And now everyone (even Palin, to some degree) decides, hey, time to back off? It’s foolish substantively and politically. Do Republicans really want to run as Obama-lite in foreign policy?”

Well, it is far from clear that Palin is running for president. But if she keeps up the neo-isolationist drumbeat she’ll soon find herself as isolated in the Republican Party on foreign policy as Ron and Rand Paul.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Palin (Sort of) Praises Obama on Bin Laden

ABC News, The Note Blog: Palin (Sort of) Praises Obama on Bin Laden
ABC News' Clayton Sandell reports from Lakewood, Colo.:

Sarah Palin gave passing praise to President Obama's "decisive leadership" in the operation to kill Osama bin Laden, though in a speech here Monday night the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate did not once use Obama's name.

"We want to thank our president," Palin said, but then she quickly shifted focus to the previous administration for having laid the groundwork.

"We thank President Bush for having made the right calls to set up this victory," Palin told a cheering crowd.

Later, Palin seemed to give President Obama credit for what she called a "tactical victory."

"The decision to insert American units in areas to hunt down and to kill bin Laden is an example of the needed decisive leadership that our troops deserve," Palin said, calling it a "proper use of force to protect America."

Palin's words were a departure from last year, when she called President Obama's approach to terrorism "fatally flawed" after the arrest of a Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas day 2009.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is accused of trying to ignite explosives in his underwear on a plane with 290 people aboard.

After Abdulmutallab's arrest, Palin criticized Obama for charging him as a criminal defendant rather than treating him as an enemy combatant.

Palin wrote on her Facebook page that Obama needed to "recognize that the real nature of the terrorist threat requires a commander-in-chief, not a constitutional law professor."

In her speech Palin also questioned whether Pakistani leaders were helping to hide bin Laden.

"How was the most wanted man in the world able to avoid detection, living in comfort, in a mysterious super compound in plain sight?" Palin asked.

"We must demand that anyone who cooperated in hiding bin Laden be brought to justice," she said.

While not addressing Palin specifically, Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari dismisses such claims in a Washington Post Op Ed article.

"Such baseless speculation may make exciting cable news, but it doesn’t reflect fact. Pakistan had as much reason to despise al-Qaeda as any nation," Zardari said.

Palin spoke tonight to an overflow crowd of about 1,300 people gathered inside and outside a gymnasium on the campus of Colorado Christian University in Lakewood. The event was a fundraiser for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, an organization that offers support to military families.

During her speech Palin praised members of the Navy SEAL teams that carried out the mission against bin Laden.

"Their courage and determination brought us justice, especially justice for the victims of 9-11," Palin said.

Palin shared the stage with retired Lt. Gen. William Boykin, known for making controversial remarks about Islam and casting the War on Terror as a religious fight. He later apologized and retired in 2007. As recently as 2009 Boykin reportedly said that there is "no greater threat to America than Islam."

Palin was not available to answer questions from reporters and did not address whether she might run for president during her speech

Palin asks whether Pakistan helped bin Laden

Sioux City Journal: Palin asks whether Pakistan helped bin Laden
Sarah Palin is questioning whether Pakistan helped harbor Osama bin Laden.

Palin says bin Laden was living in "relative luxury" when he was killed Sunday.

She is asking how the most wanted man in the world was able to live openly in relative comfort.

Palin is speculating that perhaps some of the Pakistani leaders were helping him.

Palin thanked President Barack Obama for the news of bin Laden's killing. She also thanked former President George W. Bush.

Palin was speaking at a fundraiser Monday in the Denver suburb of Lakewood. About 1,000 people attended to raise money for a charity for families of fallen service members, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, known as TAPS