Los Angeles Times: Michele Bachmann revolts against Boehner debt plan
The GOP presidential candidate says she can't abide any rise in the federal debt limit. Sarah Palin also issues a warning to House members elected with 'tea party' backing
Reporting from Washington— As House Speaker John A. Boehner battled to quell unrest among conservatives before a major vote, one of his most prominent members, presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, openly revolted.
Bachmann, a Minnesota Republican running for president with "tea party" support, bucked her party leader in a speech at the National Press Club, only miles from Capitol Hill.
"I refuse to be a party to deceiving the American people yet again," she declared, promising to oppose Boehner's plan to raise the nation's $14.3-trillion debt ceiling despite the threat of a federal default next week.
Bachmann said the debt-saddled country could no longer afford to authorize more borrowing. She dismissed predictions of financial calamity from the Treasury Department, economists and President Obama as hyperbole. "Scare tactics," she said.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee and, like Bachmann, a tea party favorite, waded into the debt fight as well. In a Facebook post, Palin reprinted a letter she sent to newly elected Republicans last fall emphasizing the need to "rein in out-of-control government spending" and "check the growth of spending on our entitlement programs." She asked House Republicans to reread it and remember the "little people" who believed in them.
In an ominous postscript, she warned: "Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries."
By early evening, Boehner canceled a scheduled floor vote, an acknowledgment that he did not have sufficient support within the GOP ranks.
"As we debate the debt ceiling, the players seem to have lost all sense of proportion," Bachmann said.
That seemed to be a subtle swipe at Boehner, whose plan she brushed aside even as she offered muted praise of his "faithful effort" in talks with Obama. Asked whether Boehner should be ousted if the debt ceiling were raised, she sidestepped.
"I am running for president of the United States," she said, after a pause. "I am not running for speaker of the House."
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Palin: Talk of Default 'Obama Drama'
Newsmax.com: Palin: Talk of Default 'Obama Drama'
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says President Barack Obama’s threat to veto House Speaker John Boehner’s debt-ceiling plan and the president’s talk of default is “Obama drama.” Palin also told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren Tuesday that America will not default on its debts.
“Well, I think this is more Obama drama that’s being created,” Palin said. “First this August 2nd deadline that he’s insisting that America must act on, incurring more debt, raising that debt ceiling, otherwise, we will default — well, we will not default.
“And this August 2nd deadline is looming, but it’s not Armageddon — it’s not life or death. So Boehner and the Republicans have got to make sure that they have a good plan in front of those who will be voting on this plan,” she said. “Otherwise, more of this Obama drama is going to continue and we’re going to be continuing down this path of bankruptcy. And the American public — we’re sick and tired of it — we’re tired of the games. We’re tired of the deals that are made in Washington, when all we want is a solution.”
Van Susteren asked Palin with talk that Social Security checks won’t be mailed how do you not scare older Americans and convince them it’s not “life or death.”
“Well, scaring the American people is exactly what President Obama is doing. And that bizarre speech that he gave last night — it reminded me of when he insisted that TARP had to be passed, that you know, it was life or death at that time also,” Palin said. “We had to increase spending in the federal government or people would be starving on the streets. And I mean, then look at what TARP resulted in.
“The president’s getting pretty good at this fear-mongering and trying to cram down the public’s throat this idea of bigger government, more spending — not necessarily having a plan on what the spending will be on or how we will be able to live within our means with the growing spending that he wants to see,” she said.
“But he’s getting pretty good at this fear-mongering, and that’s why the American public and our congressmen and women have got to take a step back and be reasonable and be rational,” Palin said. “And we need to insist that our president present to us — the leader of the free world, the leader of our nation — present to us a plan in how he is going to address the looming problem of bankruptcy, which is down the line if we don’t get a handle on our overspend.”
Van Susteren asked with Obama’s veto threat of Boehner’s plan — and the Congressional Budget Office saying Tuesday the numbers don’t add up — what is Boehner’s next step.
“Well, he’s got a problem internally because he didn’t have to go try to reinvent any wheel here. And I do respect Speaker Boehner's efforts in trying to negotiate with Jell-O — as he characterizes trying to negotiate with President Obama,” Palin said. “But the internal problem that he has is reinventing the wheel here in the 11th hour when we already had Cut, Cap, and Balance that passed the House.
“And we don’t need to retreat now and wave a white flag and say, ‘Oh, because the Senate is saying that they won't allow a vote on Cut, Cap, and Balance, well, now we have to go out there and think up another plan.’ No, we didn’t have to do that,” Palin said. “The Cut, Cap, and Balance plan is the right plan because, evidently, there are enough members of Congress who are insisting that the debt ceiling will be raised — I don’t want to see it raised, but they're saying it will be raised. So if it's going to be raised, we better get something out of it.”
Palin said what conservatives want in return for raising the debt ceiling — also central to the Cut, Cap, and Balance legislation — is serious spending cuts and reducing big government’s “overreach,” something Obama doesn’t understand.
“He doesn’t understand that we have a spending problem in this country — and you know, back in the day, we used to hear that, ‘Hey, it’s the economy stupid.’ Well, now, simply put — it’s the spending, stupid,” she said. “What’s going on now with our bloated, overreaching, fat, nauseating spending from [the] federal government, taking more state and individual control from Americans and trying to do it all on a federal level, which is creating this bankrupt situation that we're facing now.
“It’s immoral. It’s unethical. It doesn’t make any sense economically — or as I say, morally — because we’re handing these bills to our children and our grandchildren.”
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says President Barack Obama’s threat to veto House Speaker John Boehner’s debt-ceiling plan and the president’s talk of default is “Obama drama.” Palin also told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren Tuesday that America will not default on its debts.
“Well, I think this is more Obama drama that’s being created,” Palin said. “First this August 2nd deadline that he’s insisting that America must act on, incurring more debt, raising that debt ceiling, otherwise, we will default — well, we will not default.
“And this August 2nd deadline is looming, but it’s not Armageddon — it’s not life or death. So Boehner and the Republicans have got to make sure that they have a good plan in front of those who will be voting on this plan,” she said. “Otherwise, more of this Obama drama is going to continue and we’re going to be continuing down this path of bankruptcy. And the American public — we’re sick and tired of it — we’re tired of the games. We’re tired of the deals that are made in Washington, when all we want is a solution.”
Van Susteren asked Palin with talk that Social Security checks won’t be mailed how do you not scare older Americans and convince them it’s not “life or death.”
“Well, scaring the American people is exactly what President Obama is doing. And that bizarre speech that he gave last night — it reminded me of when he insisted that TARP had to be passed, that you know, it was life or death at that time also,” Palin said. “We had to increase spending in the federal government or people would be starving on the streets. And I mean, then look at what TARP resulted in.
“The president’s getting pretty good at this fear-mongering and trying to cram down the public’s throat this idea of bigger government, more spending — not necessarily having a plan on what the spending will be on or how we will be able to live within our means with the growing spending that he wants to see,” she said.
“But he’s getting pretty good at this fear-mongering, and that’s why the American public and our congressmen and women have got to take a step back and be reasonable and be rational,” Palin said. “And we need to insist that our president present to us — the leader of the free world, the leader of our nation — present to us a plan in how he is going to address the looming problem of bankruptcy, which is down the line if we don’t get a handle on our overspend.”
Van Susteren asked with Obama’s veto threat of Boehner’s plan — and the Congressional Budget Office saying Tuesday the numbers don’t add up — what is Boehner’s next step.
“Well, he’s got a problem internally because he didn’t have to go try to reinvent any wheel here. And I do respect Speaker Boehner's efforts in trying to negotiate with Jell-O — as he characterizes trying to negotiate with President Obama,” Palin said. “But the internal problem that he has is reinventing the wheel here in the 11th hour when we already had Cut, Cap, and Balance that passed the House.
“And we don’t need to retreat now and wave a white flag and say, ‘Oh, because the Senate is saying that they won't allow a vote on Cut, Cap, and Balance, well, now we have to go out there and think up another plan.’ No, we didn’t have to do that,” Palin said. “The Cut, Cap, and Balance plan is the right plan because, evidently, there are enough members of Congress who are insisting that the debt ceiling will be raised — I don’t want to see it raised, but they're saying it will be raised. So if it's going to be raised, we better get something out of it.”
Palin said what conservatives want in return for raising the debt ceiling — also central to the Cut, Cap, and Balance legislation — is serious spending cuts and reducing big government’s “overreach,” something Obama doesn’t understand.
“He doesn’t understand that we have a spending problem in this country — and you know, back in the day, we used to hear that, ‘Hey, it’s the economy stupid.’ Well, now, simply put — it’s the spending, stupid,” she said. “What’s going on now with our bloated, overreaching, fat, nauseating spending from [the] federal government, taking more state and individual control from Americans and trying to do it all on a federal level, which is creating this bankrupt situation that we're facing now.
“It’s immoral. It’s unethical. It doesn’t make any sense economically — or as I say, morally — because we’re handing these bills to our children and our grandchildren.”
Palin to speak at event in Waukee Sept. 3
Des Moines Register: Palin to speak at event in Waukee Sept. 3
Sarah Palin will return to Iowa on Sept. 3, fueling speculation that she'll choose the setting to announce whether she is running for president.
Political strategists from both parties agree the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate risks falling flat in organizing a presidential campaign in Iowa if she plays the waiting game beyond her next visit.
"It's approaching too late for anybody, including Sarah Palin, even though she has a big emotional foothold in the base of the party," said Ed Rogers, a former White House assistant who was the senior deputy to George H.W. Bush campaign manager Lee Atwater in 1987 and 1988. "People are making their commitments. They are choosing teams."
Palin will be the keynote speaker at the Tea Party of America's "Restoring America" event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 3 in Waukee. The event is free to the public.
Palin has not said whether she will use the event to announce her 2012 presidential intentions. She has previously said August or September would most likely be the time frame.
"Governor Palin embodies the spirit of public service that our founders believed was essential to the survival of our liberties and our republic itself," Charlie Gruschow, co-founder of Tea Party of America, said in a statement announcing Palin's visit.
Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist who has previously worked on the presidential campaigns of Howard Dean and John Edwards, believes it's not too late for Palin, but agreed with Rogers that time is precious.
"September is either open the floodgates or close the door," Trippi said.
Even though the Iowa caucuses are still more than six months away, a tremendous amount of time and effort is needed to organize in each of Iowa's 99 counties. Even well-known candidates like Palin can stumble if their organization is not solidly in place, Rogers and Trippi agreed.
"Having a good organization is just as important as having a strong message," Trippi said.
When Palin is included as an option in polls on the presidential field, she often receives more support than many of the announced candidates.
She continues to polarize potential voters nationally and in Iowa, but remains popular with many Iowa Republican activists.
A June Des Moines Register Iowa Poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers asked respondents whether they had a favorable or unfavorable impression of several prominent Republicans in addition to those now in the running for president. Among 18 Republicans listed, she tied for second with former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty in highest percentage with a favorable opinion.
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann came in first with 65 percent favorable, and Palin and Pawlenty were at 58 percent.
More than a third of likely Republican caucusgoers viewed her unfavorably, however.
Rep. Glen Massie, R-Des Moines, a supporter of Texas Rep. Ron Paul's presidential campaign, said Palin's announcement would be rather late since many supporters are already backing a candidate.
"She'll make a big splash, but I think most people have already committed loyalty to the person that they like," Massie said.
Richard Rogers of West Des Moines is a co-chairman of a district of the group "Organized 4 Palin," which is helping to set up a grass-roots network across the state in hopes that it might be helpful if Palin does step into the race.
"Reading the tea leaves like everybody else, I think the decision has been made, and she's going to do it," Rogers said. "Now whether she will announce Sept. 3, I don't know."
Sarah Palin will return to Iowa on Sept. 3, fueling speculation that she'll choose the setting to announce whether she is running for president.
Political strategists from both parties agree the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate risks falling flat in organizing a presidential campaign in Iowa if she plays the waiting game beyond her next visit.
"It's approaching too late for anybody, including Sarah Palin, even though she has a big emotional foothold in the base of the party," said Ed Rogers, a former White House assistant who was the senior deputy to George H.W. Bush campaign manager Lee Atwater in 1987 and 1988. "People are making their commitments. They are choosing teams."
Palin will be the keynote speaker at the Tea Party of America's "Restoring America" event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 3 in Waukee. The event is free to the public.
Palin has not said whether she will use the event to announce her 2012 presidential intentions. She has previously said August or September would most likely be the time frame.
"Governor Palin embodies the spirit of public service that our founders believed was essential to the survival of our liberties and our republic itself," Charlie Gruschow, co-founder of Tea Party of America, said in a statement announcing Palin's visit.
Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist who has previously worked on the presidential campaigns of Howard Dean and John Edwards, believes it's not too late for Palin, but agreed with Rogers that time is precious.
"September is either open the floodgates or close the door," Trippi said.
Even though the Iowa caucuses are still more than six months away, a tremendous amount of time and effort is needed to organize in each of Iowa's 99 counties. Even well-known candidates like Palin can stumble if their organization is not solidly in place, Rogers and Trippi agreed.
"Having a good organization is just as important as having a strong message," Trippi said.
When Palin is included as an option in polls on the presidential field, she often receives more support than many of the announced candidates.
She continues to polarize potential voters nationally and in Iowa, but remains popular with many Iowa Republican activists.
A June Des Moines Register Iowa Poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers asked respondents whether they had a favorable or unfavorable impression of several prominent Republicans in addition to those now in the running for president. Among 18 Republicans listed, she tied for second with former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty in highest percentage with a favorable opinion.
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann came in first with 65 percent favorable, and Palin and Pawlenty were at 58 percent.
More than a third of likely Republican caucusgoers viewed her unfavorably, however.
Rep. Glen Massie, R-Des Moines, a supporter of Texas Rep. Ron Paul's presidential campaign, said Palin's announcement would be rather late since many supporters are already backing a candidate.
"She'll make a big splash, but I think most people have already committed loyalty to the person that they like," Massie said.
Richard Rogers of West Des Moines is a co-chairman of a district of the group "Organized 4 Palin," which is helping to set up a grass-roots network across the state in hopes that it might be helpful if Palin does step into the race.
"Reading the tea leaves like everybody else, I think the decision has been made, and she's going to do it," Rogers said. "Now whether she will announce Sept. 3, I don't know."
Monday, July 25, 2011
In Iowa, can Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann cruise on celebrity?
From The Los Angeles Times: In Iowa, can Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann cruise on celebrity?
Does the kind of town-to-town, door-to-door politicking that makes states such as Iowa and New Hampshire the center of the political universe for months every presidential cycle still matter?
Sarah Palin may be ready to test that.
So says former George W. Bush strategist Karl Rove. Palin herself has said that if she does run for the Republican presidential nomination, she’ll do so in her own, unconventional way.
Palin’s advisors, Rove said Thursday evening on Fox News Channel, “have been very explicit about it -- that she doesn't need to go to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, press the flesh and go to all these local events in order to cultivate the local leadership. She can talk to people over that. She doesn't need to cultivate the fundraisers and the bundlers, because her mere presence in the race will generate the cash needed for the campaign."
The thought goes like this: Palin is an accomplished user of social media networks. She can pop onto Fox News, which pays her as a consultant, anytime she wishes (at least until she declares). A movie about her political rise is in theaters across the country. Her summer bus tour up the East Coast proved (again) that the media will trail her wherever she’ll go. In a sense, she has become her own news outlet.
So why bother to shake a bunch of hands, take voter questions at town halls, and hit the rubber-chicken circuit?
The question takes on more meaning in a state like Iowa, which feels right now like a state where voters are still looking for some kind of alternative—and it may explain why Palin and Texas Gov. Rick Perry seem to be holding their own there among the field even though they aren’t declared candidates.
Look at Tim Pawlenty. By many accounts, the former Minnesota governor is running the kind of campaign one does to win the Iowa caucuses. He’s built an infrastructure. He’s reached out to local politicos. He’s traveled extensively through the state. He even hired the daughter of the man who won Iowa in 2008, Mike Huckabee, as a campaign strategist.
But polls show Pawlenty still struggling to break out of single digits in the state.
Another Republican whose celebrity exceeds their organizational might, Michele Bachmann, may be putting part of the Palin plan into effect. Earlier this week, an Iowa GOP strategist, Craig Robinson, blasted Bachmann on his website, the Iowa Republican, saying she wasn’t making the kind of commitment to the state that she needs to in order to win next February’s caucuses.
Robinson, the former state party political director, said Bachmann has been flying in an out of the state on weekends and staying in the center of the state, seemingly more interested in drawing cameras than meeting voters.
“They do these events. They show up, get the media attention. She’s giving very short speeches that don’t include a whole lot of content,” said Robinson in an interview. “You can’t just campaign on the weekends. How else are you going to meet as many people as you need to?”
Bachmann, of course, has a day job as a member of the House of Representatives. This week, in fact, after campaigning in Iowa last weekend and casting a vote in the House on Tuesday, she returned to the state Wednesday and held a backyard, get-to-know-ya event in Norwalk, perhaps a sign that her campaign is beginning to shift into a more intense mode in the state.
Robinson called the difference between Bachmann and Pawlenty’s operations in the state “night and day.”
“Pawlenty has an apparatus. He has an organization,” he said. “Bachmann is just kind of showing up.” Doing well at next month’s straw poll in Ames, he said, demands personal outreach to voters in order to convince them to make the trip to vote in the summer heat.
Still, it’s the telegenic, media-centric Bachmann who is edging Pawlenty in polls. Doug Gross, a lawyer and long-time Republican activist in the state, said Bachmann cannot expect to ride her current surge of support to victory in the state without upgrading her organization—something he sees signs of taking place.
“Waves alone won’t work. They provide energy, but not direction,” Gross said. “You need an organization to do the latter and it appears they are attempting to accomplish that.”
Of course, Palin’s candlepower burns at an even higher intensity than Bachmann’s. But Rove, in the Fox News interview, said even the former Alaska governor likely won’t be able to escape the kind of on-the-ground, retail politicking that voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina expect.
Those kind of small touches, he said, “you ignore at your own peril. These people take it in these early states very seriously. And they expect to see you, they expect to hear you up close, to be able ask you questions, to be able to see you multiple times before they make a commitment.”
2012 Presidential Run: Tough Way Waiting for Sarah Palin
From International Business Times: 2012 Presidential Run: Tough Way Waiting for Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin is in a trendy way, whether it is glamor, charm or anything that gains grounds in today's world. It does not undermine her candidacy for a presidential run in the United States as long as her attitude and intent to work in the best interests of the people are kept intact.
The 46-year-old ex-Governor of Alaska has the distinction of winning the Miss Wasilla pageant and finishing third in the Miss Alaska pageant in her halcyon days. Sarah Palin of 'today' possesses the power of attracting average Americans, who foster faith in her charm and qualities. But her oration will not queer the pitches of President Barack Obama, who championed the ways of addressing issues such as unemployment, health care, and the economic downturn haunting the nation. Sarah Palin is only a cog in the machine, in the case of foreign policies and other setbacks in the US mind.
Get More IBTimes
Must Read
Will Blonde-Haired, Blue-Eyed White Men Now Be Racially Profiled?
Netflix Earnings: What the Shorts Have Been Waiting For?
Sponsorship Link
Her inadequate ways of handling media interviews made conservatives and scholarly minds wary of her candidacy. It doesn't mean that her journey to the presidential chair is not going to be sealed. However, at the same time, the equation for the alluring queen to get on top is seems to be a herculean tasks from that of other candidates whose visibility is increasing day by day among American voters.
An interesting analogy from the life of the former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, helps to place Sarah Palin in the political graph. Ronald Reagan did not become a hero overnight. He had a long and rugged political career running for several years, before he became the President of the United States at the age of 69.
In fact, Reagan was the oldest President, ever, in the office. In the early steps of his political career, he was considered to be divisive, which is similar to the assessment made today about Sarah Palin. Reagan entered into politics after 16 years of Hollywood triumph. During his political career; he made hundreds of speeches in support of the Republican presidential candidates Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater. This helped him becoming the Governor of California in 1966 and again, in the subsequent term.
He lost to Ford in his first presidential election but the second time, around in 1980, people elected him with an overwhelming majority. The people of America had not voted Ronald Reagan as President simply for his affected charms, blended with his Hollywood background. He is remembered for strengthening America's economy and for blowing the final whistle to the Cold War.
Considering the facts and the expectations of the voters, it is too early to compare Ronald Reagan with Sarah Palin.
Former President Ronald Reagan's son, Ronald Jr., disagrees with any sort of comparison between his father and Sarah Palin saying she is basically a melodramatic with intentions of earning money. Besides making a serious study to know how much of truth is involved in what is being said, Sarah Palin needs to work out a plan that really makes her rich and experienced in the political arena.
The number of political scientists who think Sara Palin is 'nine days wonder' dramatically increases day by day. With her bounteous positives and limited shortfalls as a politician, it is not clear if Sarah Palin will be the right icon for the presidential candidature in 2012. The answer for a formidable outcome in Sarah Palin's political career lies in seasoning her political course of action and her endurance to wait for the right moment to break in. Certainly, Sarah Palin will have her heydays, if she has a strong enough craving to become the President of the United States of America. But reckoning her date of success lies in how soon she is going to evolve differently.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin greets supporters as she arrives for the premiere of a documentary about her entitled "The Undefeated" in Pella, Iowa June 28, 2011. The documentary traces Palin's rise from mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, to state governor and her rise as the Republican vice presidential nominee and John McCain's running mate in 2008.
Friday, July 22, 2011
New Book Portrays a Paranoid Palin
The American Spectator: New Book Portrays a Paranoid Palin
By David N. Bass on 7.15.11 @ 6:08AM
Frank Bailey, Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years: Howard Books, 2011, 383 pages, $26.
Winston Churchill once observed, "In war, you can only be killed once, but in politics, many times." By that reckoning, Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin is a bloodbath.
A self-described "Fox News conservative" and evangelical Christian, author Frank Bailey was a staffer for Sarah Palin during her bid for the Alaska governorship in 2006. Later, he worked in her administration. By his telling, Bailey quickly became disillusioned with the Republican rock star's conduct but stuck by her side until 2009.
Pulling from a hefty store chest of email correspondence, Bailey paints a morally harrowing picture of the chief Mama Grizzly's stint in Alaskan politics: poll fixing, "planting" letters to the editor, and paying newspapers to publish editorials; illegally coordinating with the Republican Governors Association on a campaign ad; pulling strings to get her ex-brother-in-law, state trooper Mike Wooten, fired; and resigning as Alaska's governor because she "hated the damn job."
The overall picture: a paranoid, emotionally volatile psycho chick obsessed with money. "Punishing enemies and wealth accumulation became a full-time job," Bailey writes. "Jabez," a biblical character blessed by God with riches, became a frequent password Palin used for her electronic accounts.
Bailey also contends that "Sarahcuda" cared little for her family. “I recall one day when Bristol [Palin] phoned from school crying while Sara sat in my office," Bailey writes. "Sarah rolled her eyes and held the phone out, as if to say, 'You wanna listen to this?'"
Turning to the 2008 presidential election and Palin's stint as John McCain's running mate, Bailey portrays a disjointed process. He says that McCain staffers didn't vet Sarah until days after she was selected as the vice presidential candidate. "In simple terms, the woman who nearly became the second-most-powerful person in our country was chosen on a whim," he writes.
The lion's share of the book focuses on the much-discussed Troopergate scandal, in which the Palins allegedly targeted Wooten for termination following threats against their family. When public safety commissioner Walt Monegan did not bow to her wishes, Palin fired him. Such were the charges from political opponents, at least.
"First Dude" Todd Palin was more preoccupied ("obsessed," Bailey says) with Wooten than anyone else near the governor. "His hope became that if we hurled enough accusation spaghetti against the wall, no matter how frivolous, something might stick," Bailey writes.
Bailey was the lynchpin on Team Palin. He took scorching heat during the investigation after a taped phone conversation became public in which he asked a public safety department staffer why Wooten was still on the government payroll. Contrary to the official report, Bailey writes in his memoir that Todd and Sarah were intimately involved in applying pressure to oust Wooten.
A special investigation in October 2008 found that Palin had abused her power, but it did not recommend a criminal investigation or sanctions. Later findings from the State Personnel Board cleared her of ethical wrongdoing.
If for no other reason, Blind Allegiance is a worthwhile read for its first-hand account of the scandal. Whether the re-telling is accurate is another question.
Consider the source. Bailey devotes page after page to sanctimoniously smearing Palin's reputation, yet he claims the book is a way to confess his own sins and clear his own conscience. That declaration would be more veritable were he not cashing in by trashing his former boss. Bailey has an ax to grind, and he grinds it with glee.
Adding to the doubt, Bailey's co-authors -- Ken Morris and Jeanne Devon -- are anything but paragons of journalistic virtue. Devon, a regular blogger on the left-wing Huffington Post, has carved her niche as a professional Palin hater. Lefty economist Morris, meanwhile, publicly offered $100,000 to Palin's favorite charity if she agreed to have dinner with him and four other "progressives" and allow them to ask any question they wished.
Worse, Bailey's tell-all might be illegal. The Alaska attorney general's office has opened an investigation into whether the former Palin staffer illegally used government emails that hadn't yet been disseminated to the public for personal monetary gain -- a violation of state law
Although much of the email correspondence quoted by Bailey is embarrassing, Palin's reputation on that front was bolstered by the release in June of 24,000 pages of emails from her administration. The document dump, in response to public records requests filed in 2008, provided no smoking gun for salivating journalists expecting to find a hotbed of scandal and political corruption.
Given those caveats, some of the evidence presented in Blind Allegiance is compelling, and conservatives ignore it at their own peril. It casts further doubt on whether Palin has the poise and personality to be a prime-time presidential candidate. Her near obsession with answering critics, clearly documented by Bailey throughout the book, is one example. Protecting a political reputation is good; reckless preoccupation with every negative word penned by a pundit is not.
Devoted Palin fans will no doubt find Blind Allegiance yet another entry in the growing genre of Palin-phobia. But it's far more than that. It's another piece of baggage that Palin must carry with her. Whether deserved or not, her image outside a loyal cohort of conservatives is tarnished [which is of course what the author of the book wanted to do].
By David N. Bass on 7.15.11 @ 6:08AM
Frank Bailey, Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years: Howard Books, 2011, 383 pages, $26.
Winston Churchill once observed, "In war, you can only be killed once, but in politics, many times." By that reckoning, Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin is a bloodbath.
A self-described "Fox News conservative" and evangelical Christian, author Frank Bailey was a staffer for Sarah Palin during her bid for the Alaska governorship in 2006. Later, he worked in her administration. By his telling, Bailey quickly became disillusioned with the Republican rock star's conduct but stuck by her side until 2009.
Pulling from a hefty store chest of email correspondence, Bailey paints a morally harrowing picture of the chief Mama Grizzly's stint in Alaskan politics: poll fixing, "planting" letters to the editor, and paying newspapers to publish editorials; illegally coordinating with the Republican Governors Association on a campaign ad; pulling strings to get her ex-brother-in-law, state trooper Mike Wooten, fired; and resigning as Alaska's governor because she "hated the damn job."
The overall picture: a paranoid, emotionally volatile psycho chick obsessed with money. "Punishing enemies and wealth accumulation became a full-time job," Bailey writes. "Jabez," a biblical character blessed by God with riches, became a frequent password Palin used for her electronic accounts.
Bailey also contends that "Sarahcuda" cared little for her family. “I recall one day when Bristol [Palin] phoned from school crying while Sara sat in my office," Bailey writes. "Sarah rolled her eyes and held the phone out, as if to say, 'You wanna listen to this?'"
Turning to the 2008 presidential election and Palin's stint as John McCain's running mate, Bailey portrays a disjointed process. He says that McCain staffers didn't vet Sarah until days after she was selected as the vice presidential candidate. "In simple terms, the woman who nearly became the second-most-powerful person in our country was chosen on a whim," he writes.
The lion's share of the book focuses on the much-discussed Troopergate scandal, in which the Palins allegedly targeted Wooten for termination following threats against their family. When public safety commissioner Walt Monegan did not bow to her wishes, Palin fired him. Such were the charges from political opponents, at least.
"First Dude" Todd Palin was more preoccupied ("obsessed," Bailey says) with Wooten than anyone else near the governor. "His hope became that if we hurled enough accusation spaghetti against the wall, no matter how frivolous, something might stick," Bailey writes.
Bailey was the lynchpin on Team Palin. He took scorching heat during the investigation after a taped phone conversation became public in which he asked a public safety department staffer why Wooten was still on the government payroll. Contrary to the official report, Bailey writes in his memoir that Todd and Sarah were intimately involved in applying pressure to oust Wooten.
A special investigation in October 2008 found that Palin had abused her power, but it did not recommend a criminal investigation or sanctions. Later findings from the State Personnel Board cleared her of ethical wrongdoing.
If for no other reason, Blind Allegiance is a worthwhile read for its first-hand account of the scandal. Whether the re-telling is accurate is another question.
Consider the source. Bailey devotes page after page to sanctimoniously smearing Palin's reputation, yet he claims the book is a way to confess his own sins and clear his own conscience. That declaration would be more veritable were he not cashing in by trashing his former boss. Bailey has an ax to grind, and he grinds it with glee.
Adding to the doubt, Bailey's co-authors -- Ken Morris and Jeanne Devon -- are anything but paragons of journalistic virtue. Devon, a regular blogger on the left-wing Huffington Post, has carved her niche as a professional Palin hater. Lefty economist Morris, meanwhile, publicly offered $100,000 to Palin's favorite charity if she agreed to have dinner with him and four other "progressives" and allow them to ask any question they wished.
Worse, Bailey's tell-all might be illegal. The Alaska attorney general's office has opened an investigation into whether the former Palin staffer illegally used government emails that hadn't yet been disseminated to the public for personal monetary gain -- a violation of state law
Although much of the email correspondence quoted by Bailey is embarrassing, Palin's reputation on that front was bolstered by the release in June of 24,000 pages of emails from her administration. The document dump, in response to public records requests filed in 2008, provided no smoking gun for salivating journalists expecting to find a hotbed of scandal and political corruption.
Given those caveats, some of the evidence presented in Blind Allegiance is compelling, and conservatives ignore it at their own peril. It casts further doubt on whether Palin has the poise and personality to be a prime-time presidential candidate. Her near obsession with answering critics, clearly documented by Bailey throughout the book, is one example. Protecting a political reputation is good; reckless preoccupation with every negative word penned by a pundit is not.
Devoted Palin fans will no doubt find Blind Allegiance yet another entry in the growing genre of Palin-phobia. But it's far more than that. It's another piece of baggage that Palin must carry with her. Whether deserved or not, her image outside a loyal cohort of conservatives is tarnished [which is of course what the author of the book wanted to do].
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Politico reporter who covered Palin quits for Democratic Party job
From The Daily Caller: Politico reporter who covered Palin quits for Democratic Party job
A Politico reporter who often penned stories about Sarah Palin and other Republicans has quit journalism to work with the Democratic Party in Arizona, sources tell The Daily Caller.
That reporter, Andy Barr, has covered national politics for the publication since 2008. Barr leaving to help elect Democrats will likely fan the flames of critics who say Politico has a liberal bias.
It’s not exactly clear what his new job duties are. Barr wouldn’t say, but told FishbowlDC, which first reported that Barr was leaving, that he left Politico on “very good terms.” That report said Barr, who is from Phoenix, is taking a “political job,” but didn’t say where he is going.
Barr is not the first Politico reporter to leave for a Democratic gig. Congressional reporter Jonathan Allen left Politico in 2009 to work as an aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, a Florida Democrat, but he returned to Politico in 2010.
Politico’s editor-in-chief, John Harris, responded to questions about Barr’s departure, writing in an email that the website’s management does not “worry about someone’s personal ideology so long as it is understood that their responsibilities at POLITICO mean leaving personal views at the door.”
“Andy did that, and had a very good reputation for professionalism with colleagues, sources, and readers,” he told TheDC.
“One of our first and most successful hires is someone who in a previous phase of his career worked as an aide for Republicans,” he said, “and we do have some folks who have written for more ideological platforms on right and left.”
But have any left Politico to work for a Republican? “I don’t know of any, but haven’t made any effort to keep track of where folks land,” Harris said.
While at Politico, Barr was a prolific writer of stories about Palin, including more recent ones titled: “Sarah Palin’s political mystery tour,” “So unfav: Palin’s poll plunge” and “Sarah Palin on Barack Obama speech: ‘WTF’.”
A staffer at the Arizona Democratic Party said the state party’s executive director, Luis Heredia, is out of town and unavailable to comment.
New Poll Shows Palin Remains a Factor in GOP Race
From The Slatest: New Poll Shows Palin Remains a Factor in GOP Race
Mitt Romney leads the current GOP presidential field comfortably at the moment, nearly doubling the support of his closest challenger, Michele Bachmann, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
But Romney’s standing, as well as the rest of the field, could easily change with the entry of – you guessed it – Sarah Palin.
Without Palin, Romney polls at 30 percent to Bachmann’s 16. But should Palin jump into the race, she would garner 18 percent of the vote, bringing Romney down to 26 percent and Bachmann down to 12 percent.
The Alaska Republican also scores higher than all of her potential GOP rivals on the question of who best represents the core values of conservatives, and she leads the pack among voters without college degrees.
The new poll underlines Palin's continued viability as a possible presidential candidate despite her efforts to keep everyone guessing about whether or not she is actually going to enter the race. The poll, conducted this past weekend, also comes at a time when the Palin media blitz has relatively waned.
The survey, however, also highlights the vulnerabilities of Romney. In particular, the Republican front-runner continues to struggle for support among the energized members of the Tea Party.
Moreover, Romney could face trouble In Iowa, which holds the crucial first caucuses of the primary season. In a RealClearPolitics composite of the latest Iowa polls, Bachmann leads the field with 27 percent support, with Romney roughly 5 points back.
Mitt Romney leads the current GOP presidential field comfortably at the moment, nearly doubling the support of his closest challenger, Michele Bachmann, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
But Romney’s standing, as well as the rest of the field, could easily change with the entry of – you guessed it – Sarah Palin.
Without Palin, Romney polls at 30 percent to Bachmann’s 16. But should Palin jump into the race, she would garner 18 percent of the vote, bringing Romney down to 26 percent and Bachmann down to 12 percent.
The Alaska Republican also scores higher than all of her potential GOP rivals on the question of who best represents the core values of conservatives, and she leads the pack among voters without college degrees.
The new poll underlines Palin's continued viability as a possible presidential candidate despite her efforts to keep everyone guessing about whether or not she is actually going to enter the race. The poll, conducted this past weekend, also comes at a time when the Palin media blitz has relatively waned.
The survey, however, also highlights the vulnerabilities of Romney. In particular, the Republican front-runner continues to struggle for support among the energized members of the Tea Party.
Moreover, Romney could face trouble In Iowa, which holds the crucial first caucuses of the primary season. In a RealClearPolitics composite of the latest Iowa polls, Bachmann leads the field with 27 percent support, with Romney roughly 5 points back.
Sarah Palin On Mainstream Media: 'I Want To Help Them'
From HuffPost Politics: Sarah Palin On Mainstream Media: 'I Want To Help Them'
Sarah Palin says she could teach members of the mainstream media a thing or two when it comes to producing quality reporting and news coverage.
The former Alaska governor explains "I want to help them" in video of an interview she conducted with the Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody published online on Wednesday.
"I have a journalism degree," she says. "That is what I studied. I understand that this cornerstone of our democracy is a free press is sound journalism. I want to help them build back their reputation and allow Americans to be able to trust what it is that they're reporting."
Palin made similar remarks in November of last year during an interview that appeared on Fox News.
"I want to help clean up the state that is so sorry today of journalism," she told network host Sean Hannity at the time. "I studied journalism -- who, what, where, when, and why -- of reporting. I will speak to reporters who still understand that cornerstone of our democracy, that expectation that the public has for truth to be reported. And then we get to decide our own opinion based on the facts reported to us."
[Go to the link listed above, via computer, to view the video.]
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
From Clinton to Palin to Bachmann: Why some Dems now support GOP women
CNN Politics: From Clinton to Palin to Bachmann: Why some Dems now support GOP women
New York (CNN) -- When Republican presidential candidate and tea party favorite Michele Bachmann was recently asked by Fox News' Chris Wallace if she was "a flake," the moment seemed like déjà vu all over again for some women active in politics.
Bachmann's response -- she was "insulted" -- was stern, but it pointed to a larger bias many women perceive in presidential politics.
"Nobody in the GOP establishment is going to hand anything to Bachmann or (Sarah) Palin -- just like (Democrats) did not for Hillary (Clinton)," said Amy Siskind, who supported Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid. "And it takes a certain type of leader to go out there and have the courage and the guts to say 'I'm running (for president)' and I admire Bachmann for that."
After Clinton's failed Oval Office bid, Siskind and a small group of women who had supported Clinton decided the best way to break the glass ceiling in presidential politics was to put ideology and partisanship aside and support any woman seeking a top political office -- including Bachmann and Palin, two darlings of the tea party movement known for their conservative views on economic and social issues.
But some Democratic leaders dismissed the idea, arguing the electorate is more sophisticated.
"Women don't support women candidates simply because of their status as women, simply because of their gender," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, head of the Democratic National Committee.
Siskind, who has voted Democrat in the past, helped found The New Agenda, a nonpartisan women's advocacy group that united many women who were disappointed after Clinton's defeat.
"We decided that in order to take women forward," said Siskind, "we would have to be a voice for all women -- so put political party and the issue of abortion aside because those were the two issues that were dividing women in half."
"So, for us it was a business model: How can you have a women's movement that excludes half the women?" added Siskind.
In the 2008 general election, women voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Barack Obama for president, picking him 56% to 43% over Republican John McCain, according to CNN exit polls.
Going hard after Democrats
Before the new group even got formally off the ground in mid-2008, its nucleus of Hillary Clinton supporters was courted by John McCain's campaign, according to Siskind.
"McCain sent (former California Republican senatorial candidate) Carly Fiorina to my home," said Siskind, who used to trade distressed debt on Wall Street, "to meet with a lot of the women that then became The New Agenda to say: What would you want to get McCain's support?"
"One of the things we asked for was to have a woman on the ticket," said Siskind, "and Sarah Palin actually was on our short list (of six women). We did research and learned about her."
When then-Alaska Gov. Palin burst onto the national political stage soon after Clinton formally ended her presidential aspirations, Siskind and Lara Brown, another 2008 Clinton supporter, saw how Palin was falling victim to sexist treatment just as Clinton had.
Brown is an assistant professor of political science at Villanova University whose research has focused on candidates for the presidency. She described Palin in 2008 as "a completely different candidate (from Clinton)" who got "a completely different sexist barrage of commentary."
What was behind the treatment of both Clinton and Palin that at least some political observers viewed as sexist or misogynistic?
"The system that's the problem here, the system that's the barrier is, broadly, patriarchy," said Caroline Heldman, an associate professor at Occidental College. "But, more specifically, when women run for public office, the press is more likely to talk about their dress and appearance, more likely to challenge their competency, more likely to talk about them in kind of 'first woman' terms or like they're oddities or benchwarmers instead of actual candidates."
Heldman noticed that both Clinton and Palin tried to project a public image during the 2008 race that was simultaneously masculine enough to justify being selected as the next president or vice president and feminine enough to satisfy traditional gender roles.
"(Clinton) wore pants suits with pearls. ... She was properly masculine and properly feminine," said Heldman. "(Clinton) did this performance and it didn't quite work. And then Palin is doing this performance where she is taking the line between masculine and feminine and she takes a wide stance. She's hyper-masculine . . . and then she's also hyper-feminine. ... She was still beaten up. (Palin) provided kind of a different brand or approach than Hillary Clinton and it didn't matter."
Bachmann facing same stigma?
Years after Clinton and Palin sought the White House, Bachmann is already starting to encounter some of the same challenges as a female candidate.
"It's already started with Bachmann," Heldman said, referencing treatment by the media that she considers sexist.
"The Chris Wallace question was insulting," said Bachmann campaign spokeswoman Alice Stewart. "Congresswoman Bachmann is a serious candidate. She's an extremely intelligent person. She's successful in her personal life. ... Professionally, she has been a successful tax attorney, been a successful member in state politics, and a successful member of Congress. She's a serious, very credible candidate for the president of the United States. (Wallace) apologized, she accepted the apology and we've put that behind us."
But Amy Kremer, chairman of the Tea Party Express, was less diplomatic. "I certainly couldn't have seen Chris Wallace asking Mitt Romney or Rick Perry or Tim Pawlenty or one of them, 'Are you a flake?' " said Kremer.
After a breakout performance at the recent CNN Republican debate in New Hampshire, Bachmann has been steadily rising in the polls, particularly with conservative likely GOP caucusgoers in all-important Iowa.
The woman who had been brushed aside for a leadership role in the House Republican Caucus after the 2010 midterms now leads in three recent polls, ahead of all the men and in particular, Mitt Romney, who has been called the front-runner by many.
Making too much of nothing
Have the candidacies of Clinton, Palin and now Bachmann ignited a spark among women across the political spectrum that national Democrats and the Obama re-election campaign should be worried about?
No, said the Democratic National Committee.
"There was a lot made of Sarah Palin being chosen by John McCain and of there being a woman on (the Republican) ticket for the first time in the last election and how attractive that might be especially to Hillary Clinton supporters after the primary ended," said DNC chair Wasserman-Schultz. "I thought that was not credible at the time and said so and it turned out not to be credible."
Wasserman-Schultz said women vote on the issues that matter to them and select the candidate who champions those issues. She pointed out that President Obama has signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, fought for passage of health care legislation that benefits women, has a number of women in his administration and has appointed two women to the U.S. Supreme Court.
By contrast, the DNC head said that none of the contenders in the current GOP presidential field has Obama's track record when it comes to supporting women and working families and championing equal rights for women, both reproductive rights and rights in the workplace.
Should Palin choose to run for president in this cycle, Wasserman-Schultz predicted that female voters will reject Palin just as they did in 2008. That same fate, she added, will befall Bachmann should she win the GOP nomination.
No matter how Bachmann ultimately fares, her candidacy -- like Palin's before her -- seems to be energizing conservative women in particular. Teri Christoph is a co-founder of Smart Girl Politics Action, a group dedicated to getting more conservative women involved in politics and running for office. Christoph said the rise of conservative women on the national political scene in the past few years "was just the beginning."
"I think we'll learn a lot (by) having Michele Bachmann run (for president) about what kind of things conservative women need to be prepared for if they're going to enter the national spotlight," said Christoph
New York (CNN) -- When Republican presidential candidate and tea party favorite Michele Bachmann was recently asked by Fox News' Chris Wallace if she was "a flake," the moment seemed like déjà vu all over again for some women active in politics.
Bachmann's response -- she was "insulted" -- was stern, but it pointed to a larger bias many women perceive in presidential politics.
"Nobody in the GOP establishment is going to hand anything to Bachmann or (Sarah) Palin -- just like (Democrats) did not for Hillary (Clinton)," said Amy Siskind, who supported Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid. "And it takes a certain type of leader to go out there and have the courage and the guts to say 'I'm running (for president)' and I admire Bachmann for that."
After Clinton's failed Oval Office bid, Siskind and a small group of women who had supported Clinton decided the best way to break the glass ceiling in presidential politics was to put ideology and partisanship aside and support any woman seeking a top political office -- including Bachmann and Palin, two darlings of the tea party movement known for their conservative views on economic and social issues.
But some Democratic leaders dismissed the idea, arguing the electorate is more sophisticated.
"Women don't support women candidates simply because of their status as women, simply because of their gender," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, head of the Democratic National Committee.
Siskind, who has voted Democrat in the past, helped found The New Agenda, a nonpartisan women's advocacy group that united many women who were disappointed after Clinton's defeat.
"We decided that in order to take women forward," said Siskind, "we would have to be a voice for all women -- so put political party and the issue of abortion aside because those were the two issues that were dividing women in half."
"So, for us it was a business model: How can you have a women's movement that excludes half the women?" added Siskind.
In the 2008 general election, women voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Barack Obama for president, picking him 56% to 43% over Republican John McCain, according to CNN exit polls.
Going hard after Democrats
Before the new group even got formally off the ground in mid-2008, its nucleus of Hillary Clinton supporters was courted by John McCain's campaign, according to Siskind.
"McCain sent (former California Republican senatorial candidate) Carly Fiorina to my home," said Siskind, who used to trade distressed debt on Wall Street, "to meet with a lot of the women that then became The New Agenda to say: What would you want to get McCain's support?"
"One of the things we asked for was to have a woman on the ticket," said Siskind, "and Sarah Palin actually was on our short list (of six women). We did research and learned about her."
When then-Alaska Gov. Palin burst onto the national political stage soon after Clinton formally ended her presidential aspirations, Siskind and Lara Brown, another 2008 Clinton supporter, saw how Palin was falling victim to sexist treatment just as Clinton had.
Brown is an assistant professor of political science at Villanova University whose research has focused on candidates for the presidency. She described Palin in 2008 as "a completely different candidate (from Clinton)" who got "a completely different sexist barrage of commentary."
What was behind the treatment of both Clinton and Palin that at least some political observers viewed as sexist or misogynistic?
"The system that's the problem here, the system that's the barrier is, broadly, patriarchy," said Caroline Heldman, an associate professor at Occidental College. "But, more specifically, when women run for public office, the press is more likely to talk about their dress and appearance, more likely to challenge their competency, more likely to talk about them in kind of 'first woman' terms or like they're oddities or benchwarmers instead of actual candidates."
Heldman noticed that both Clinton and Palin tried to project a public image during the 2008 race that was simultaneously masculine enough to justify being selected as the next president or vice president and feminine enough to satisfy traditional gender roles.
"(Clinton) wore pants suits with pearls. ... She was properly masculine and properly feminine," said Heldman. "(Clinton) did this performance and it didn't quite work. And then Palin is doing this performance where she is taking the line between masculine and feminine and she takes a wide stance. She's hyper-masculine . . . and then she's also hyper-feminine. ... She was still beaten up. (Palin) provided kind of a different brand or approach than Hillary Clinton and it didn't matter."
Bachmann facing same stigma?
Years after Clinton and Palin sought the White House, Bachmann is already starting to encounter some of the same challenges as a female candidate.
"It's already started with Bachmann," Heldman said, referencing treatment by the media that she considers sexist.
"The Chris Wallace question was insulting," said Bachmann campaign spokeswoman Alice Stewart. "Congresswoman Bachmann is a serious candidate. She's an extremely intelligent person. She's successful in her personal life. ... Professionally, she has been a successful tax attorney, been a successful member in state politics, and a successful member of Congress. She's a serious, very credible candidate for the president of the United States. (Wallace) apologized, she accepted the apology and we've put that behind us."
But Amy Kremer, chairman of the Tea Party Express, was less diplomatic. "I certainly couldn't have seen Chris Wallace asking Mitt Romney or Rick Perry or Tim Pawlenty or one of them, 'Are you a flake?' " said Kremer.
After a breakout performance at the recent CNN Republican debate in New Hampshire, Bachmann has been steadily rising in the polls, particularly with conservative likely GOP caucusgoers in all-important Iowa.
The woman who had been brushed aside for a leadership role in the House Republican Caucus after the 2010 midterms now leads in three recent polls, ahead of all the men and in particular, Mitt Romney, who has been called the front-runner by many.
Making too much of nothing
Have the candidacies of Clinton, Palin and now Bachmann ignited a spark among women across the political spectrum that national Democrats and the Obama re-election campaign should be worried about?
No, said the Democratic National Committee.
"There was a lot made of Sarah Palin being chosen by John McCain and of there being a woman on (the Republican) ticket for the first time in the last election and how attractive that might be especially to Hillary Clinton supporters after the primary ended," said DNC chair Wasserman-Schultz. "I thought that was not credible at the time and said so and it turned out not to be credible."
Wasserman-Schultz said women vote on the issues that matter to them and select the candidate who champions those issues. She pointed out that President Obama has signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, fought for passage of health care legislation that benefits women, has a number of women in his administration and has appointed two women to the U.S. Supreme Court.
By contrast, the DNC head said that none of the contenders in the current GOP presidential field has Obama's track record when it comes to supporting women and working families and championing equal rights for women, both reproductive rights and rights in the workplace.
Should Palin choose to run for president in this cycle, Wasserman-Schultz predicted that female voters will reject Palin just as they did in 2008. That same fate, she added, will befall Bachmann should she win the GOP nomination.
No matter how Bachmann ultimately fares, her candidacy -- like Palin's before her -- seems to be energizing conservative women in particular. Teri Christoph is a co-founder of Smart Girl Politics Action, a group dedicated to getting more conservative women involved in politics and running for office. Christoph said the rise of conservative women on the national political scene in the past few years "was just the beginning."
"I think we'll learn a lot (by) having Michele Bachmann run (for president) about what kind of things conservative women need to be prepared for if they're going to enter the national spotlight," said Christoph
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sarah Palin's Mystery Research Shop Cashes In
From Mother Jones: Sarah Palin's Mystery Research Shop Cashes In
Is Sarah Palin still boning up on the European debt crisis? The latest federal filings for her political action committee, Sarah PAC, show that an incendiary, right-wing Dutch journalist who was giving her pointers on the matter is still on the payroll.
In the first half of 2011, Sarah PAC paid $24,000 to Paideia Research LLC, a consulting outfit run by Joshua Livestro. Once a frequent contributor to Conservatives4Palin, a website co-founded by Palin aide Rebecca Mansour, Livestro was originally hired by Palin's team to brief Palin on Europe's financial crisis.
Of course, Livestro's name isn't anywhere to be found in Sarah PAC's filings. Last year, it took quite a bit of digging by Daniel Schulman and myself to connect Livestro to Paideia:
Two recent federal filings for SarahPAC list a Sheridan, Wyoming, address for Paideia Research. When one local blogger visited the address, he found a low-slung, non-descript building that's home to Sheridan Answering and Secretarial Services, a company that handles phone calls and mail for customers. (Other bloggers soon started asking questions about Palin's mystery research firm.) When asked by Mother Jones about Paideia, Sheridan Answering's owner, Ginger Horton, replied, "I have no idea who they are."
Wyoming business records show that Paideia was incorporated in July. In addition to the local Wyoming address, these records list another in southern California. That address, in turn, traces to another mail forwarding service. Paideia's corporate filings also indicate that it is managed by Pyramid Management LLC, which belongs to a California-based ex-lawyer and realtor, David DeLoach, who specializes in setting up untraceable LLCs and pre-fab shell companies in Wyoming and Nevada—states that don't tax corporate income and have exceedingly lax disclosure rules.
In a brief phone interview, DeLoach said he vaguely remembered setting up Paideia. But as his website promises, the entire process was confidential. He said he himself didn't know who was behind Paideia or why it was created.
So it appears the owner of Paideia truly wanted to keep its origins secret. And he might have succeeded, had Karen Wheeler, the Wyoming Secretary of State's business compliance director, not told Mother Jones that she had recently spoken to Paideia's owner by phone. She didn't get his name, but said he "had quite the English accent" and told her he was based in England.
That England-based mystery man turned out to be Livestro, who cut his teeth in Dutch politics and founded the Edmund Burke Foundation, a think tank devoted to countering Dutch progressive politics. He also had a knack for sparking controversy: In a Dutch magazine, Livestro once dismissed the abuses at Abu Ghraib as no worse than those that might occur within a fraternity, and he called critics of that prison "cry-babies." Oh, and he's also a climate change denier.
Even before Sarah PAC hired him, Livestro was an avid fan of the former Alaska governor. He defended her against criticisms from around the blogosphere on the site Conservatives4Palin, a hub of pro-Palin commentary. And then there's the bio on Livestro's website, which reads: "His greatest wish is to work for the 2012 Sarah Palin presidential campaign
Is Sarah Palin still boning up on the European debt crisis? The latest federal filings for her political action committee, Sarah PAC, show that an incendiary, right-wing Dutch journalist who was giving her pointers on the matter is still on the payroll.
In the first half of 2011, Sarah PAC paid $24,000 to Paideia Research LLC, a consulting outfit run by Joshua Livestro. Once a frequent contributor to Conservatives4Palin, a website co-founded by Palin aide Rebecca Mansour, Livestro was originally hired by Palin's team to brief Palin on Europe's financial crisis.
Of course, Livestro's name isn't anywhere to be found in Sarah PAC's filings. Last year, it took quite a bit of digging by Daniel Schulman and myself to connect Livestro to Paideia:
Two recent federal filings for SarahPAC list a Sheridan, Wyoming, address for Paideia Research. When one local blogger visited the address, he found a low-slung, non-descript building that's home to Sheridan Answering and Secretarial Services, a company that handles phone calls and mail for customers. (Other bloggers soon started asking questions about Palin's mystery research firm.) When asked by Mother Jones about Paideia, Sheridan Answering's owner, Ginger Horton, replied, "I have no idea who they are."
Wyoming business records show that Paideia was incorporated in July. In addition to the local Wyoming address, these records list another in southern California. That address, in turn, traces to another mail forwarding service. Paideia's corporate filings also indicate that it is managed by Pyramid Management LLC, which belongs to a California-based ex-lawyer and realtor, David DeLoach, who specializes in setting up untraceable LLCs and pre-fab shell companies in Wyoming and Nevada—states that don't tax corporate income and have exceedingly lax disclosure rules.
In a brief phone interview, DeLoach said he vaguely remembered setting up Paideia. But as his website promises, the entire process was confidential. He said he himself didn't know who was behind Paideia or why it was created.
So it appears the owner of Paideia truly wanted to keep its origins secret. And he might have succeeded, had Karen Wheeler, the Wyoming Secretary of State's business compliance director, not told Mother Jones that she had recently spoken to Paideia's owner by phone. She didn't get his name, but said he "had quite the English accent" and told her he was based in England.
That England-based mystery man turned out to be Livestro, who cut his teeth in Dutch politics and founded the Edmund Burke Foundation, a think tank devoted to countering Dutch progressive politics. He also had a knack for sparking controversy: In a Dutch magazine, Livestro once dismissed the abuses at Abu Ghraib as no worse than those that might occur within a fraternity, and he called critics of that prison "cry-babies." Oh, and he's also a climate change denier.
Even before Sarah PAC hired him, Livestro was an avid fan of the former Alaska governor. He defended her against criticisms from around the blogosphere on the site Conservatives4Palin, a hub of pro-Palin commentary. And then there's the bio on Livestro's website, which reads: "His greatest wish is to work for the 2012 Sarah Palin presidential campaign
Sarah Palin 'The Undefeated' Documentary: What Critics Say
Being from California, of course the reporters are hating on it.
From The Hollywood Reporter: Sarah Palin 'The Undefeated' Documentary: What Critics Say
The film grossed between $60,000 to $75,000 after opening in 10 theaters this weekend, leading its backers to call it a success.
The Sarah Palin documentary Undefeated opened in 10 theaters this weekend and earned about $60,000 to $75,000 -- leading its backers to tell The Hollywood Reporter it was a success.
"We didn't put a nickel of P&A into this and the distributor had the movie for only three weeks. To describe this as anything but a hit is inaccurate,” director-writer Stephen Bannon said on Sunday. "This is a documentary opening against Harry Potter on the toughest weekend of the year. We had small numbers but only in small theaters. In bigger markets, like Orange County, we'll do $12,000 per screen."
So what are the critics saying about the movie?
"A partisan piece stitched together using positive sound bites about Sarah Palin that will get media attention simply for its subject, though it isn't a must-see film by any means," writes The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy in his review.
"Puzzlingly titled The Undefeated in that its heroine lost the last election in which she ran and subsequently stepped down from her job as governor of Alaska before her term was up, this narrowly conceived valentine calls upon a vast chorus of coworkers, friends and admirers to numbingly defend everything she's ever said or done and to champion her as a maverick politician with a real connection to the people. Set to begin theatrical runs next week in select houses nationwide, this will attract media attention in the way that anything to do with Palin invariably does (all the more so because it's favorable), but nothing about the film earmarks it as a must-see anywhere other than in the living rooms of die-hard loyalists,"he adds.
Time magazine's Richard Corliss writes, "The movie may tempt even the most ardent conservatives to emulate their idol's tenure as governor and walk out halfway through."
He adds that the film, which opened over the weekend in Atlanta; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City; Orange County, California; Orlando and Phoenix is like a "two-hour devotional view of the closest thing national politics has to a movie star, in a picture that plays like a No. 1 fan's purest, longest love letter."
Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Robert Abele calls the film "Essentially a Sarah Palin infomercial masquerading as a documentary, the film wavers between depicting her as a victim in need of backup and a strong leader worthy of devotion."
"The section of the film with the most potential to interest those least familiar with Palin's achievements before her unsuccessful vice presidential bid is the intensive rundown of her Alaska tenure. But while it boldly positions Palin as a political outsider strong enough to take on establishment thought in both parties — and big oil when it came to the state's energy (and cash) needs — the movie defensively frames her as a victim in need of saving from hateful comedians/pundits," he adds.
"By the time The Undefeated hits its final rallying-cry note, hinting with a hammer swing at the imagined glory of a 2012 presidential run, the patience of even die-hards might be tested by Bannon's ain't-she-perfect fervor. All Palin has to do is make those fans happy and run. But then she'd really have to live up to that title," writes Abele.
From The Hollywood Reporter: Sarah Palin 'The Undefeated' Documentary: What Critics Say
The film grossed between $60,000 to $75,000 after opening in 10 theaters this weekend, leading its backers to call it a success.
The Sarah Palin documentary Undefeated opened in 10 theaters this weekend and earned about $60,000 to $75,000 -- leading its backers to tell The Hollywood Reporter it was a success.
"We didn't put a nickel of P&A into this and the distributor had the movie for only three weeks. To describe this as anything but a hit is inaccurate,” director-writer Stephen Bannon said on Sunday. "This is a documentary opening against Harry Potter on the toughest weekend of the year. We had small numbers but only in small theaters. In bigger markets, like Orange County, we'll do $12,000 per screen."
So what are the critics saying about the movie?
"A partisan piece stitched together using positive sound bites about Sarah Palin that will get media attention simply for its subject, though it isn't a must-see film by any means," writes The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy in his review.
"Puzzlingly titled The Undefeated in that its heroine lost the last election in which she ran and subsequently stepped down from her job as governor of Alaska before her term was up, this narrowly conceived valentine calls upon a vast chorus of coworkers, friends and admirers to numbingly defend everything she's ever said or done and to champion her as a maverick politician with a real connection to the people. Set to begin theatrical runs next week in select houses nationwide, this will attract media attention in the way that anything to do with Palin invariably does (all the more so because it's favorable), but nothing about the film earmarks it as a must-see anywhere other than in the living rooms of die-hard loyalists,"he adds.
Time magazine's Richard Corliss writes, "The movie may tempt even the most ardent conservatives to emulate their idol's tenure as governor and walk out halfway through."
He adds that the film, which opened over the weekend in Atlanta; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City; Orange County, California; Orlando and Phoenix is like a "two-hour devotional view of the closest thing national politics has to a movie star, in a picture that plays like a No. 1 fan's purest, longest love letter."
Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Robert Abele calls the film "Essentially a Sarah Palin infomercial masquerading as a documentary, the film wavers between depicting her as a victim in need of backup and a strong leader worthy of devotion."
"The section of the film with the most potential to interest those least familiar with Palin's achievements before her unsuccessful vice presidential bid is the intensive rundown of her Alaska tenure. But while it boldly positions Palin as a political outsider strong enough to take on establishment thought in both parties — and big oil when it came to the state's energy (and cash) needs — the movie defensively frames her as a victim in need of saving from hateful comedians/pundits," he adds.
"By the time The Undefeated hits its final rallying-cry note, hinting with a hammer swing at the imagined glory of a 2012 presidential run, the patience of even die-hards might be tested by Bannon's ain't-she-perfect fervor. All Palin has to do is make those fans happy and run. But then she'd really have to live up to that title," writes Abele.
Friday, July 15, 2011
News: Sarah Palin's PAC still not staffed up
Politico: Sarah Palin's PAC still not staffed up
The expressed purpose of so-called leadership PACs like Sarah PAC is to support likeminded candidates through direct contributions (Palin’s PAC contributed $65,000 to candidates and $18,700 the Young America’s Foundation in the first half of the year) and travels to campaign events. But they’re also commonly used by presidential hopefuls to build the nucleus of a campaign infrastructure before officially entering the race, in part by assembling staffs and building donor lists.
In the first half of the year, Sarah PAC spent heavily on such prospecting, paying $311,000 to its primary direct mail vendor HSP Direct of Herndon, Va.—most likely to rent lists and put together mailings. Another $146,000 went to a second mail firm, RMS Direct of Frederick, Md., for associated costs, while $6,000 went to Formost Graphic Company of Rockville, Md., for thank you letters and postage.
"Sarah PAC did a great deal of prospecting, and in those expenditures, there is a lot of it that went for lists,” explained Crawford. “And as a result, our contributor base continues to grow at a very fast pace.”
Overall, the PAC raised $1.7 million, which Crawford said came from more than 24,000 contributors.
Sarah PAC also paid $94,000 to online fundraising vendors Upstream Communications and Campaign Solutions for costs associated with Internet fundraising.
Other notable payments include at least $19,000 in costs related to Palin’s heavily scrutinized bus tour this summer, including:
$13,700 to Fast Signs of Antioch, Tenn., to wrap the bus with a patriotic-themed cover featuring the Declaration of Independence and a huge picture of her face.
$14,600 to Passcode Creative of Franklin, Tenn., which produced the promotional video touting the bus tour.
$3,600 to Jonathan Frierson of Cincinnati, who drove the bus
$2,500 to the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn, Va., where she and her family stayed before embarking on the tour.
$1,900 to the Residence Inn in Portsmouth, N.H., where her entourage stayed during a swing through the nation’s first-primary state
Palin’s March trip to Israel is also reflected on the report, which shows the following payments:
$5,800 to a company called Sar-El Tours and Travel for a “tour of holy land”
$5,000 to Top Secure Ltd. for security and transportation while the Palin’s were in Israel
$650 to an Israeli photographer
$550 to Michelle Tisha for advance in Israel
The expressed purpose of so-called leadership PACs like Sarah PAC is to support likeminded candidates through direct contributions (Palin’s PAC contributed $65,000 to candidates and $18,700 the Young America’s Foundation in the first half of the year) and travels to campaign events. But they’re also commonly used by presidential hopefuls to build the nucleus of a campaign infrastructure before officially entering the race, in part by assembling staffs and building donor lists.
In the first half of the year, Sarah PAC spent heavily on such prospecting, paying $311,000 to its primary direct mail vendor HSP Direct of Herndon, Va.—most likely to rent lists and put together mailings. Another $146,000 went to a second mail firm, RMS Direct of Frederick, Md., for associated costs, while $6,000 went to Formost Graphic Company of Rockville, Md., for thank you letters and postage.
"Sarah PAC did a great deal of prospecting, and in those expenditures, there is a lot of it that went for lists,” explained Crawford. “And as a result, our contributor base continues to grow at a very fast pace.”
Overall, the PAC raised $1.7 million, which Crawford said came from more than 24,000 contributors.
Sarah PAC also paid $94,000 to online fundraising vendors Upstream Communications and Campaign Solutions for costs associated with Internet fundraising.
Other notable payments include at least $19,000 in costs related to Palin’s heavily scrutinized bus tour this summer, including:
$13,700 to Fast Signs of Antioch, Tenn., to wrap the bus with a patriotic-themed cover featuring the Declaration of Independence and a huge picture of her face.
$14,600 to Passcode Creative of Franklin, Tenn., which produced the promotional video touting the bus tour.
$3,600 to Jonathan Frierson of Cincinnati, who drove the bus
$2,500 to the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn, Va., where she and her family stayed before embarking on the tour.
$1,900 to the Residence Inn in Portsmouth, N.H., where her entourage stayed during a swing through the nation’s first-primary state
Palin’s March trip to Israel is also reflected on the report, which shows the following payments:
$5,800 to a company called Sar-El Tours and Travel for a “tour of holy land”
$5,000 to Top Secure Ltd. for security and transportation while the Palin’s were in Israel
$650 to an Israeli photographer
$550 to Michelle Tisha for advance in Israel
News: Empty Theaters, 0% Positive Reviews Greet Sarah Palin Documentary
Let's not forget Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opened the same day - how can any doc compete with that for viewers?
From MovieLine: Empty Theaters, 0% Positive Reviews Greet Sarah Palin Documentary
From MovieLine: Empty Theaters, 0% Positive Reviews Greet Sarah Palin Documentary
Customarily on Fridays, when a new movie reaches theaters over the howling, nose-pinching, and often very funny protests of the critical establishment, the saltiest of those responses are gathered here for your browsing pleasure. That’s given that there is enough of a sample, or that the stinker in question is intended for a broad enough audience for us to advise viewers of the open manhole in their path. And then… there’s the Sarah Palin documentary.
Since director Stephen K. Bannon’s The Undefeated was announced in May, nobody really expected the Palin-authorized effort to stretch much beyond hagiography. Which is fine: Love her or hate her, there’s no denying that Palin is a valuable brand who transcends politics, and the cultural galvanizing that The Undefeated might conduct in Palin’s name could have significant influence if done right — if, say, Bannon eschewed all the reactive fervor of Palin’s peers and defenders and instead went on the offensive about leadership and ideology. After all, a beatifying, glorified slideshow like An Inconvenient Truth worked not because right-wing bogeyman Al Gore had legions of fans to make it an Oscar-winning hit (he couldn’t even carry his home state, Tennessee, in the 2000 presidential election) or because it really burrowed under the skin of the former senator and vice president. It was because Gore maxed out his post-political goodwill for a specific cause that, again, like it or not, transcended politics.
Believe it or not, that’s the Sarah Palin movie that critics and pundits alike sought from The Undefeated. “Plainly, whatever her own blunders as she stumbled onto the national stage, the political portrait of her that emerged was too narrow,” wrote Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel in what nevertheless turned out to be a frustrated pan. “I swear I gave The Undefeated a chance, because who wants to writhe in agony for two hours?” wrote confirmed liberal David Edelstein in his own review at Vulture. “I hoped that director Stephen K. Bannon would show a side of Sarah Palin I’d never seen — I thought it would be so cool if I could give the movie a rave.” And that even followed right-leaning Kyle Smith’s brutal dismissal of the film last month in the NY Post as “so outlandishly partisan that it makes Richard Nixon look like Abraham Lincoln.” (Smith was later disinvited from seeing the reportedly re-edited version of the film opening today; representatives for the film cite not his review, but having allegedly broke a review embargo.)
So is it fair to expect or anticipate something so specific from Bannon and The Undefeated? Maybe, maybe not. Nevertheless, this week’s grave reactions to the film suggest not bias, but rather the consequences of Bannon and Co. not even trying.
The film currently boasts a 0 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, a sample presently comprising eight reviews in total and speckled with such varying concentrations of bile as:
· “Bannon depicts Palin’s opponents as comic-book villains […] all united by their “hateful obsession” with Tearing Sarah Down. This cartoonish version of real life is paired with a just-as-caricatured view of Palin, who in this retelling is entirely without blemish, physical or political, and incapable of missteps. (Even the film’s title is a whitewashing—she was, in fact, The Defeated as John McCain’s running mate.)” — Anna Merlan, Village Voice
· “Once you realize the film is just going to be a string of encomiums against a backdrop of frantically edited archival material in which few shots are allowed to stay onscreen longer than three seconds, it’s clear that no meaningful analysis of the woman’s career or political agenda will be forthcoming.” — Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
· “The first hour of The Undefeated, scrupulously attentive to Palin’s rise through state politics, is pretty rough going, a turgid primer in Alaska’s pipeline management and oil, gas and, yes, milk subsidies. The movie may tempt even the most ardent conservatives to emulate their idol’s tenure as Governor and walk out halfway through.” — Richard Corliss, Time
· “The film sticks to her political career, presumably with the thought that it will reinforce her accomplishments in the arena, but in the process, it perversely provides a reminder of that career’s limited scope. By the end of The Undefeated, Palin actually seems a more remote figure than at its start, a blank space onto which the film’s gallery of supporters are content to project their wishes.” — Alison Willmore, AV Club
Speaking of supporters, check out the curious rave currently atop conservative entertainment site Big Hollywood, where The Undefeated utterly invalidated author Ben Howe’s second-guessing about Palin — with one notable disclosure: “I consider the director of The Undefeated, Stephen Bannon, to be a friend of mine. He’s advised me in my own fledgling productions. I’ve interviewed him a handful of times on my podcast and we always talk for over an hour effortlessly.” Ah ha.
Meanwhile, not long after a distributor’s report that The Undefeated was packing them in at the AMC 10 in Grapevine, Texas, along came word that the GOP stronghold of Orange County was not proving quite as redoubtable ‘round midnight:
I sat there alone for 20 minutes, at which point an usher stuck his head in the door, gave me a quizzical smile, and said, “How come you’re not watching Harry Potter?” Then he left me by myself again, and without any good answer.
It isn’t strictly accurate to say that I sat through the whole movie alone. Just as the previews started, two young women walked in giggling together and took seats three rows behind me. Afraid that they’d ruined the only story I had at that point — What If Sarah Palin Starred in a Movie and No One Showed Up? — I hoped they’d at least oblige me with an interview, and so they did. […] “We looked online for the latest movie playing,” Jessie added. “But all the Harry Potters were sold out, and then we saw The Undeafeated. We don’t even actually know what we’re seeing.” […] I thought maybe I’d talk to them after the movie, and get the perspective of two people who went in with no expectations. But they only lasted 20 minutes before walking out.
And so the culture war continues — prophets, acolytes, haters, and ironists, converging from the fringes and mainstream underbrush for some stake in the Palin myth and maybe a few bucks if or when the public’s eyeballs stop rolling and actually focus in earnest. But I don’t know. It really was a lot more fun when all of this vexation simply meant having a go at talking animals. Presidential prospects, though? Not so much.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Sarah Palin Talks Tough on Debt Ceiling, Reveals Timeframe for 2012 Decision
FoxNews: Sarah Palin Talks Tough on Debt Ceiling, Reveals Timeframe for 2012 Decision
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," July 13, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The great debt debate rages on tonight on Washington, D.C. as congressional leaders and President Barack Obama have once again failed to reach a deal on how to remedy America's fiscal crisis.
Now, that means, we are one day closer to the August 2nd deadline when it is believed that the U.S. will hit its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.
And today, Moody's announced that it is placing American's AAA bond rating on review for a potential downgrade due to our risk of default.
At a wildly controversial attempt to avoid this, the Republican leader in the United States Senate yesterday offered up what he called a last choice option to the White House. Now in his plan, which has outraged conservatives, Senator Mitch McConnell would handover to President Obama the authority to repeatedly and unilaterally raise America's borrowing limit unless two-thirds of Congress votes again the hikes.
Now, in my opinion, he's essentially asking Republicans to surrender the very power that brought us to this crisis in the first place yo a man who knows no limits on spending your hard earned money.
And joining me from Alaska with her take on all of this, Fox News contributor, former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin.
Now, first of all, Governor, just standing back from all of this, did you ever imagine in America, $14.3 trillion and we have to raise more money because they can't live within their means?
It's pretty daunting to me.
SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: It's absolutely nonsensical, the lack of planning that our leaders are exercising and showing their constituents coming out of D.C. right now, and the lack of understanding that too many have there in D.C., not understanding that Obama's big government, job-killing policies really are the antithesis of what our country needs to get back on the right track to allow us to be exceptional again.
Remember, our country was built on a strong foundation of reward for work ethic and development of our natural resources. And here we've gone in the complete opposite direction under Obama with both those cornerstones. And we are where we are now with, as you mentioned in your intro, Moody's telling us that our AAA rating is under review now because we don't have a plan to get us back on that solid footing.
HANNITY: All right, here's -- we've got to look at political reality and -- and we've got to look at reality in terms of what we can get done now with where we are. The Republicans only have one -- one piece of Congress. They have the House. We have the United States Senate, Harry Reid runs that. The president runs the White House.
What would be acceptable -- because you're a conservative, you're well known in the Tea Party, you're a Tea Party leader. I'm a conservative, a registered conservative. I would prefer cut, cap and balance. But I mean cut now, not later, not 12 years down the road.
If you can't get that through, the country can't default. I think that's a reality you agree with, is that correct?
PALIN: Sure. We cannot default, but we have to -- we cannot afford to retreat right now, either. Now is not the time to retreat.
HANNITY: Right.
PALIN: This is the time to reload. And we reload with reality by giving facts and numbers to the American public so that those of us across the U.S. can start chiming in and letting our representatives know that we will not capitulate, we will not hand over more power, which I believe is unconstitutional, to President Obama to further manipulate our economy.
You know, Article 1, Section 8 of our Constitution spells out that Congress has the power of the purse strings. So this plan of -- of McConnell's I think makes no sense, because it does cede power to our president and takes away that authority that is inherent in Congress to control the economic decisions that have to be made when it comes to debt.
HANNITY: Yes. I don't want them passing the buck and handing the keys over to Barack Obama. All right, maybe he has to make dollar for dollar cuts, but he's going to use phony accounting methods. He's going to gut our Defense Department. And I wouldn't cede that responsibility to him. It's like handing the -- the keys to the car to a teenager who doesn't have his learning permit.
PALIN: Yes, absolutely. And -- and, again, as I pointed out, the numbers speak for themselves. When you look at our economic woes and things that have gotten so much worse under President Obama, we -- we cannot trust him to further manipulate our economy, to further manipulate our U.S. energy supply and the value of our currency via his support of the Fed's monetizing our debt and QE2 and now talk of QE3 and perhaps QE4, just printing more money out of thin air to service our debt.
But the plans under Obama are making absolutely no sense. And that is why McConnell and Boehner, our leaders in Congress and in the Senate, have to be stronger than ever -- no retreat, no capitulation -- but allowing President Obama to understand some free-market, time-tested principles that work for a pro-private sector agenda that we need to get the economy back on the right track.
HANNITY: Right.
PALIN: We cannot afford to back off and just hand him, with the white flags waving in front of him, a white flag saying, here, Mr. President, we trust you, you take over --
HANNITY: Yes, I agree with you.
PALIN: -- you do it. Because our president has failed in that arena.
HANNITY: I -- all right. Now, as it --- as it relates to what you said, retreat, capitulation, here's what the president's strategy has been -- class warfare, even -- even if he raised taxes on people with private jets, it's $300 million. It's nothing. Scare the elderly. Scare veterans. Scare the disabled.
It seems to me that there's a way to put the shoe on the other foot here. And I think what Congress -- I have a plan and an idea where Congress would go ahead and they would protect Social Security, raise the debt ceiling, put the cuts in place, at least dollar for dollar, make sure that they are immediate, and then hand it off to the Senate and the president. And then, if they failed to pass it and sign it, then it's on their shoulders.
Does that seem like a good short-term plan until the election?
PALIN: Well, you know, I'm still not one to buy into this notion that we must incur more debt, we must increase the debt ceiling by August 2nd, otherwise, you know, there will be catastrophe. I -- I still don't believe that that's necessarily the case. And we --
HANNITY: I agree with you.
PALIN: -- we have the $200 billion coming into the federal government every month. It takes $35 billion --- I'm sorry, billion dollars -- we have $35 billion that we must use to service the debt, $50 billion that we must use to write those Social Security checks, $2.9 billion to pay for our military personnel, and then other essentials.
You prioritize. Our president essentially suggested the other day that he's not able to prioritize. As the chief executive of our nation, he cannot prioritize, and that's why he suggested that Social Security checks may not be written come August 2nd if that debt ceiling isn't increased.
No. You pay for the essentials first and then the non-essentials have to get cut. They have to wait. That -- that's --
HANNITY: So you would --
PALIN: -- just reality.
HANNITY: -- so, Governor, you wouldn't raise the debt ceiling at all?
You'd -- like I have the numbers in front of me. For example, we take in $200 billion every month. We have $29 billion in interest on the debt, $49 billion for Social Security, $50 billion Medicare/Medicaid, $2.9 billion, as you pointed out, for the active military, Veterans Affairs, $2.9 billion. So there's only $39 billion left.
So basically, you know, the FBI, the CIA, all these agencies then, would -- would risk shutting down. Now, I wouldn't mind the EPA, perhaps.
But there is a risk there at that point politically, is there not?
PALIN: But see, Sean, there are departments that can be revamped and -- and some bills that can wait. And, again, it's our president's job, as the leader of the executive branch, to prioritize and administer those dollars that Congress has allocated. And our president obviously isn't capable of doing that, because he has no plan that he can even put forward to say here are my priorities.
Instead, he -- as he did some months ago when he said that government would shut down if X, Y and Z weren't accomplished, the military wouldn't get paid, they'd be thrown under the bus. And then he says the other day, oh, this next go around, it's going to be our seniors who get thrown under the bus.
HANNITY: Yes, it -- it's a --
PALIN: He said Social Security checks --
HANNITY: This is all a lie.
PALIN: -- may not go out.
HANNITY: I agree. And that lie needs to be highlighted, as we point -- as I just pointed out and you've been pointing out, we're not going to go bankrupt. We're going to pay our debts. The senior citizens are going to get their Social Security no matter what. And I think it's, you know, so indefensible, what he's doing by trying to use seniors as a pawn in this debate.
Do you agree with that? Do you think what he's done is calculated?
PALIN: I believe that it's absolutely shameful that he is trying to scare our esteemed seniors, who built this country and have contributed and invested in this country over all these years, that he would threaten to throw them under the bus and not write them their Social Security checks. That fear-mongering, we just can't buy into that.
HANNITY: Yes.
PALIN: And, again, it -- it leads me to remind you and remind viewers that we can't just wave a white flag and surrender and say, oh, heaven forbid that those threats that our president is throwing out there --
HANNITY: Right.
PALIN: -- against our seniors --
HANNITY: Hang on, Governor --
PALIN: -- or our military or those disabled who need a safety net, that they're not going to be taken care of by their fellow citizens --
HANNITY: All right --
PALIN: -- all because --
HANNITY: We --
PALIN: -- our president has no plan to deal with an economy that is going bankrupt.
HANNITY: All right, Governor, I still have a question or two on this.
And, by the way, I was shocked the governor actually had a favorable piece in the -- what she calls lamestream media.
We're going to have much more with Governor Palin coming up right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: And welcome back to "Hannity."And continuing to join me tonight is Fox News contributor and former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin.
All right, one last question on this, because this is really important. You're right, the president is purposefully being dishonest with the American people over the numbers. We take in $200 billion. We can pay for Social Security, pay down the debt, pay for these services that we just listed in the last segment.
The question is, what would be acceptable if, from your perspective, I know you want to fight this and not -- are you saying that you will -- you want the Republican Congress to say not a penny in raising the debt ceiling, period, end of sentence?
Is that -- am I hearing you correctly?
PALIN: It's -- if I were in Congress, I would not vote to incur more debt, not under this president. I -- I do not trust him.
However, as I've gone on record saying previously, I believe that it will be increased, because too many in Congress believe that the -- the president must have that allowance of increasing the debt.
So, having said that, what I would accept, knowing that it's going to be increased anyway, is DeMint's plan to cut the cap and to balance our budget. We do that in our state governments. We do that in our city governments. It's time that the feds do that, too.
HANNITY: Yes, that's my plan, as well.
Would you support, dollar for dollar, debt increase with spending cuts, real cuts, immediate, not down the road, and a separate bill on balancing the budget?
PALIN: You know, Sean --
HANNITY: That balanced budget amendment?
PALIN: -- we're not -- that's not a realistic proposal that you're laying out there on the table, because what Obama seems to be willing to accept is perhaps talking about cuts someday down the road.
Yes, if there were a way to guarantee that he would have to, as the executive, make cuts in his departments all throughout the federal government now, immediately, then, yes, we could talk reasonably about a plan like that.
But again, as I say, I don't trust this president to not only not -- he doesn't know how to make those cuts, he's never had to do this before. He's always been one to just spend other people's money, even if that money is just borrowed money or printed out of thin air. He's never had to exercise real executive authority like that.
HANNITY: It's -- it is amazing. And I've got to tell you, if he blames George Bush one more time, my head is going to explode. I've never seen such a crybaby executive in my life, that just -- he can't take it. He's been president nearly three years and he still can't take responsibility.
Let me ask you this, you said to Newsweek, now, were you happy with the Newsweek piece? Because I've read a lot of pieces about you and I thought of all the pieces, this was actually somewhat favorable. What did you think?
PALIN: You know, the reporter --
HANNITY: Or fair -- fair --
PALIN: -- Peter Boyer --
HANNITY: -- OK, not favorable, fair.
PALIN: Well, the reporter, Peter Boyer, no doubt, he is facing the wrath of --
HANNITY: Yes.
PALIN: -- some of his colleagues and the liberals in the mainstream media, because he did attempt a fair piece there. And I appreciate it.
He wanted to talk about a successful executive's record, my team here in Alaska, and what it is that we could produce with reining in the growth of government and allowing a pro-private sector, pro-job creation agenda. And he focused on that. And it was refreshing to not have a hit piece written.
HANNITY: Yes. Well, you did say in this piece -- and there's the title, "I Think I Can Win." And I know it's the million-dollar question. It's the source of great speculation about what your plans are. Now, I did have the pleasure of -- of meeting your daughter, Bristol. And she said you had already decided.
PALIN: You know, I did say in that article that I believed that I could win, and then I went on to say but it doesn't have to be me. I'm not so egotistical as to believe that it can only be me to turn this country around. You know, if there are those who are out there willing to serve, with good executive experience, who have that servant's heart and -- and know not to be so excessively partisan that they can't just do what's right for the people who have elected them, then I would certainly find that person and support them and do all that I could to make sure that they defeat Barack Obama in 2012.
HANNITY: Do you --
PALIN: Now, I'm not wholly confident that we have that field set yet, that that one individual is in the field. So I'm still thinking about being one who would offer myself up in the name of service, knowing confidently that I have those common-sense, fiscally conservative, pro- private sector policy experience and ideas that can be put to good work for this country.
HANNITY: Is there any timeframe, Governor, that -- in which you're thinking about maybe making a final decision?
PALIN: Well, legally, of course, there are timeframes. And that -- that time is -- is -- it's coming rapidly in front of all of us. You know, August and September, you do have to start laying out a plan if you are to be one to throw your hat in the ring. So that -- that's basically the timeframe.
HANNITY: All right, Governor. We always appreciate your time. Thank you for being with us. We look forward to that decision, by the way.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Sarah Palin Evokes Strong Emotions Among Republicans
Huffpost Politics: Sarah Palin Evokes Strong Emotions Among Republicans
Gallup:
Sarah Palin -- who has not yet announced whether she will run for president -- remains a formidable presence among Republicans nationwide. She is almost universally recognized, and her current Positive Intensity Score ties her with Mitt Romney, trailing only Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann.
A Newsweek cover story on the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate quoted Palin as saying, "I believe that I can win a national election," and that she is still thinking about running.
Palin's high 95% name recognition -- the highest of any candidate or potential candidate Gallup is tracking -- is one of her major political attributes. Her Positive Intensity Score, currently 15, has been in the 13 to 19 range throughout the year so far. This puts her behind Cain and Bachmann, but in roughly the same range as Romney. At the same time, Palin generates stronger emotions -- both positive and negative -- than Romney does. His Positive Intensity Score is based on the difference between the 18% of those who recognize him who have a strongly favorable opinion and the 3% who have a strongly unfavorable opinion. A significantly higher 25% of Republicans who recognize Palin have a strongly favorable opinion of her and a higher 9% have a strongly unfavorable opinion (Palin's net Positive Intensity Score is 15 because of rounding when precise numbers are calculated).
Palin's 25% strongly favorable rating is the highest of any candidate tested in the latest two-week average, from June 27-July 10, one percentage point ahead of Cain's 24% and five points ahead of Bachmann's 20%.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich matches Palin, with 9% expressing strongly unfavorable opinions, but, by contrast, strongly favorable opinions of him are only 11%, giving him a net Positive Intensity Score of 2 -- among the lowest of any candidate tracked. No other candidates have more than 3% expressing strongly unfavorable views of them.
Bottom Line
The GOP field to some degree is in a holding pattern, with candidates such as Palin, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani sitting on the sidelines while pondering their decisions on whether to officially get into the race. If any or all of these politicians do decide to run, the nature of Republicans' sentiments about the candidates and whom they favor for their party's nomination may change. At the moment, Cain and Bachmann generate the highest levels of enthusiasm among rank-and-file Republicans who recognize them, with Palin and Romney trailing them. Of the remaining announced candidates, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul do best, while Jon Huntsman, Gingrich, and Gary Johnson are lagging behind in terms of Positive Intensity
Gallup:
Sarah Palin -- who has not yet announced whether she will run for president -- remains a formidable presence among Republicans nationwide. She is almost universally recognized, and her current Positive Intensity Score ties her with Mitt Romney, trailing only Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann.
A Newsweek cover story on the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate quoted Palin as saying, "I believe that I can win a national election," and that she is still thinking about running.
Palin's high 95% name recognition -- the highest of any candidate or potential candidate Gallup is tracking -- is one of her major political attributes. Her Positive Intensity Score, currently 15, has been in the 13 to 19 range throughout the year so far. This puts her behind Cain and Bachmann, but in roughly the same range as Romney. At the same time, Palin generates stronger emotions -- both positive and negative -- than Romney does. His Positive Intensity Score is based on the difference between the 18% of those who recognize him who have a strongly favorable opinion and the 3% who have a strongly unfavorable opinion. A significantly higher 25% of Republicans who recognize Palin have a strongly favorable opinion of her and a higher 9% have a strongly unfavorable opinion (Palin's net Positive Intensity Score is 15 because of rounding when precise numbers are calculated).
Palin's 25% strongly favorable rating is the highest of any candidate tested in the latest two-week average, from June 27-July 10, one percentage point ahead of Cain's 24% and five points ahead of Bachmann's 20%.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich matches Palin, with 9% expressing strongly unfavorable opinions, but, by contrast, strongly favorable opinions of him are only 11%, giving him a net Positive Intensity Score of 2 -- among the lowest of any candidate tracked. No other candidates have more than 3% expressing strongly unfavorable views of them.
Bottom Line
The GOP field to some degree is in a holding pattern, with candidates such as Palin, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani sitting on the sidelines while pondering their decisions on whether to officially get into the race. If any or all of these politicians do decide to run, the nature of Republicans' sentiments about the candidates and whom they favor for their party's nomination may change. At the moment, Cain and Bachmann generate the highest levels of enthusiasm among rank-and-file Republicans who recognize them, with Palin and Romney trailing them. Of the remaining announced candidates, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul do best, while Jon Huntsman, Gingrich, and Gary Johnson are lagging behind in terms of Positive Intensity
Sarah Palin’s N.H. posse rallies
Boston Herald.com: Sarah Palin’s N.H. posse rallies
Some rock-solid Granite State voters for Sarah Palin are carrying a torch for the former Alaskan governor as presidential material — despite the straight-talking reality star’s plummeting popularity in New Hampshire and uncertainty over whether she’ll run — their hopes renewed last weekend as Palin vowed, “I can win a national election.”
Warren Rasmussen, who chairs the New Hampshire chapter of Organizers 4 Palin, said the Newsweek interview confirmed what he’s long believed.
“We have a crew of volunteers, and we’re anxiously awaiting her announcement,” Rasmussen said. “Everything that she’s doing right now leads me to believe she’s in.”
Palin caused a sensation when she stopped in Seabrook, N.H., last month during a media-swamped bus tour — grabbing headlines the same day former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney officially announced his presidential candidacy. She’s said she is seriously considering running for president but has offered no timeline as to when she’d make a final decision.
She told Newsweek in an article published last weekend, “I do believe I can win.”
Sam Cataldo, a Republican state representative from Farmington, said Palin’s got an electric touch that none of the declared Republican candidates can match.
“She’s a mom, she’s a wife, and she’s a fighter,” said Cataldo, 74. “We need somebody who can bring people back together again, and she can do it.”
A recent poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire’s Survey Center of 773 likely Republican voters gave Palin only 3 percent of the vote. The poll, conducted between June 21 and July 1 with a 3.5 percent margin of error, also found 23 percent of Republican voters wouldn’t vote for Palin under any circumstances.
“The only one with worse favorability ratings was (former U.S. House Speaker) Newt Gingrich,” said Andrew Smith, director of the Survey Center, who also noted that Palin’s New Hampshire organization is nonexistent.
But die-hard supporters such as Derek Kittredge of Rochester dismissed the polls as meaningless this early in the primary season.
“I don’t think you can take the polls very seriously at this point. Until she announces, it doesn’t mean anything. There are very strong advocates, and they will get out of their chairs if asked and work for her,” Kittredge said. “She’s doing everything she needs to do to be the most serious candidate out there.”
Nashua resident Sandra Ziehm added, “I’ve been told she can’t take New Hampshire, but I think that’s cockamamie. I think she has the fight and she can do it.”
A Palin spokesman didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Rasmussen, who’s never met or spoken with Palin, said he’s got roughly 100 people committed to volunteering for her, and he’s ready to roll out a phone-bank fund-raiser in the near future. He expects her upcoming SarahPAC fund-raising report will reflect her political clout.
Steve Duprey, a national Republican Committee man for New Hampshire, said Palin has no official team in the Granite State and hasn’t been actively canvassing.
"She is not following the script, but then again Gov. Palin has found her own unique way of gaining supporters,” Duprey said. “If any candidate can run for president and do it without pre-planning, she’s probably it.”
Monday, July 11, 2011
News: Sarah Palin warns John Boehner over raising debt ceiling
The State Column: Sarah Palin warns John Boehner over raising debt ceiling
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin issued a warning to House Speaker John Boehner over the weekend, demanding Republicans continue to oppose a debt deal aimed at raising revenues in addition to spending cuts.
Ms. Palin, in an interview set to appear in Newsweek, “made it clear that she’s against any deal that raises the debt ceiling and would hold House Speaker John Boehner’s feet to the fire if he agreed to one.”
“No, we have to cut spending. It is imperative, and I will be very, very disappointed if Boehner and the leaders of the Republican Party cave on any kind of debt deal in the next couple of months,” Ms. Palin said.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin issued a warning to House Speaker John Boehner over the weekend, demanding Republicans continue to oppose a debt deal aimed at raising revenues in addition to spending cuts.
Ms. Palin, in an interview set to appear in Newsweek, “made it clear that she’s against any deal that raises the debt ceiling and would hold House Speaker John Boehner’s feet to the fire if he agreed to one.”
“No, we have to cut spending. It is imperative, and I will be very, very disappointed if Boehner and the leaders of the Republican Party cave on any kind of debt deal in the next couple of months,” Ms. Palin said.
Blog: Sarah Palin as Newsweek cover girl — again
Latest Newsweek cover
Hands on hips, shouldesr tilted slightly to give the breasts a bit of a fillup may not be Presidential (men typically stand straight up, whether or not their hands are on their hips or not, because they're not trying to show off breasts and lean waist, whereas women are trained to do that) but at least she isn't bowing to anyone.
WashingtonPost.com, Post Partisan: Sarah Palin as Newsweek cover girl — again
As celebrity glamour shots go, Sarah Palin’s cover photo on this week’s Newsweek is danged good! The best-selling author and reality-TV star looks young and vibrant. Her devil-may-care countenance aided and abetted by the wind conspicuously blowing hair back. And while her outfit might be laid back, there’s no doubt she’s in total control. But when Palin’s cover shot is viewed through the prism of presidential politics, it’s a dud.
Folks want to be able to envision someone sitting in the Oval Office.
They don’t necessarily want to envision them in the pages of Esquire magazine’s “Sexiest Woman Alive 2011” or Maxim. She can’t possibly be taken seriously as a presidential contender dressed like that, especially since this is the second time she has graced Newsweek in a less-than-presidential pose. But let me move away from the superficial to the substance of what the half-term governor has to say in the Newsweek interview. I’m particularly incensed by the lunacy of her comments on the impending default of the United States.
“It is not the apocalypse,” she said, and questioned the need for the urgent negotiating sessions Republicans and Democrats were conducting in search of a debt-limit agreement (ongoing at press time). “The fact is that we have $2.6 trillion in revenue coming in, and if we just use some common sense there — take that revenue, service the debt first, take care of national priorities — we don’t have to increase debt.”
See my previous post on Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s appearance on yesterday’s “Meet the Press” to see why I described the above as lunacy. It’s not the first time Palin sputtered nonsense on this issue. And don’t get me started on “The Sugar Daddy Has Run Out of Sugar; Now We Need New Leaders,” Palin’s latest snark-filled musing on her Facebook page.
... the office of the presidency is too important for on-the-job training. It requires a strong chief executive who has been entrusted with real authority in the past and has achieved a proven track record of positive measurable accomplishments.
Rather than remain “a strong chief executive” toiling in Juneau after
her failed 2008 bid as the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, Palin quit halfway through her first term as governor of Alaska to cash in on her newfound celebrity. Why anyone would take her comments on leadership seriously is beyond me. Palin’s declaration “I can win!” is laughable on its face when you know that her “unfavorable” rating rests at an unelectable 57.9 percent. Why anyone still thinks all this — the movie, the short-lived bus tour, now this Newsweek nuttiness — is a precursor to a presidential run is mystifying.
Sarah Palin is not running for president. She is a star. And she is doing what stars do best when they feel the spotlight is drifting away from them. She’s trying to snatch it back by any means necessary.
Newsweek 2009
Friday, July 8, 2011
Blog: Sarah Palin documentary ‘The Undefeated’ trailer released: Watch now
The Washington Post National: Sarah Palin documentary ‘The Undefeated’
The moment after John McCain announced his running candidate for the 2008 presidential elections, an Alaskan friend turned to me and said, “This is going to be very interesting.”
Sarah Palin may not have had much name recognition in the lower 48 states at the time, but my friend was right: things got very interesting once she started — and has not stopped — making her name known.
In the three years since, Palin has become ubiquitous in the news, with television shows, bus tours and autobiographies. Even so, conservative filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon thought her story was “actually largely untold,” the movie’s Web site says. So, he’s taken on the task of telling his version of her life in the new documentary “The Undefeated.”
The Post’s Amy Gardner and Philip Rucker wrote:
The film adopts one of Palin’s favorite points of view: that throughout her political career she has been the victim of vicious attacks from political enemies and the media. Among other melodramatic imagery, the movie shows frothing attack dogs and a lion killing a beautiful zebra to symbolize the way Palin has been treated at the hands of the press. (Such scenes, and another showing a T-shirt that uses an obscenity to describe the former governor, are among the reasons “The Undefeated” is unrated.)
The movie premiered in Iowa last week and will be screened in theaters around the country on July 15 in Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Atlanta, Orange County, Phoenix, Indianapolis and Kansas City.
The moment after John McCain announced his running candidate for the 2008 presidential elections, an Alaskan friend turned to me and said, “This is going to be very interesting.”
Sarah Palin may not have had much name recognition in the lower 48 states at the time, but my friend was right: things got very interesting once she started — and has not stopped — making her name known.
In the three years since, Palin has become ubiquitous in the news, with television shows, bus tours and autobiographies. Even so, conservative filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon thought her story was “actually largely untold,” the movie’s Web site says. So, he’s taken on the task of telling his version of her life in the new documentary “The Undefeated.”
The Post’s Amy Gardner and Philip Rucker wrote:
The film adopts one of Palin’s favorite points of view: that throughout her political career she has been the victim of vicious attacks from political enemies and the media. Among other melodramatic imagery, the movie shows frothing attack dogs and a lion killing a beautiful zebra to symbolize the way Palin has been treated at the hands of the press. (Such scenes, and another showing a T-shirt that uses an obscenity to describe the former governor, are among the reasons “The Undefeated” is unrated.)
The movie premiered in Iowa last week and will be screened in theaters around the country on July 15 in Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Atlanta, Orange County, Phoenix, Indianapolis and Kansas City.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Singleton on Palin: She can beat Obama
The Iowa Independent: Singleton on Palin: She can beat Obama
Peter Singleton doesn’t consider himself former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin‘s “ground man” in Iowa.
The California resident, who “spends a lot of time in Iowa,” just considers himself “your average private citizen and grassroots activist who wants to have his voice heard. To say I’m the ‘man on the ground’ isn’t accurate, but I’m not offended.”
Yet, Singleton, an attorney, and his political opinion of Palin have circulated blogs and news articles ranging from the Wall Street Journal, to the Los Angeles Times, to The Atlantic, to even the U.K. Telegraph in Europe — some of which have dubbed him one of Palin’s top political operatives.
“I’ve never met Gov. Palin,” Singleton told The Iowa Independent, with a chuckle.
Yet Singleton has volunteered and organized grassroots organizations for Palin tirelessly, including recruiting supporters and volunteers for Organize 4 Palin during the former Governor’s recent trip to Pella for the premiere of the documentary “The Undefeated.” He visits the Hawkeye State repeatedly to continue garnering support for the woman he believes can defeat President Barack Obama in 2012.
“I believe she will run, in fact, it is a certainty she will,” Singleton told the Iowa Independent Wednesday, an idea he bases on his own opinion and analysis of her political movements so far compared to high profile Republicans who have declared candidacy. “Now, this is my opinion, so is there a chance I could be wrong? Well, sure. But based on what I have seen publicly, I just find it inconceivable she would sit 2012 out.”
Recently, former WHO Radio talk show host Steve Deace, commented on his website he had met with Singleton, and the pair started talking about the 2012 election, which is comprised of a host of GOP candidates yet to catch fire with Republicans and social or religious Conservative.
“I asked him point blank if he thought Palin was going to declare her candidacy, and his answer was ’100 percent,’” Deace wrote.
Strong words for a presidential prospect who has not formed a presidential exploratory committee, made copious appearances in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire, or has dropped indications that an impending announcement is on the proverbial horizon.
But, Singleton, who confirmed the meeting with Deace, said sometimes going against the grain is just as effective in an election cycle, rather than following the leader.
“Look, Gov. Palin is unique and has her own rules. She can’t do what other (candidates) do and just play it loose,” Singleton said. “While others are out just running for president, she’s actually demonstrating leadership. She actively opposed Obamacare, she opposed cap and trade. There is match between her track record of leadership and the needs of this country.”
And Palin, who has visited Iowa once since candidates have started their formal announcements for the White House, also has name recognition to carry a potential campaign.
“Just because she is making movements like the other candidates does not mean she’s not running,” Singleton speculated.
When asked if Palin — often scrutinized by media reports as being inexperienced in the political arena, and teased in parodies during her 2008 vice-presidential bid — could actually beat Obama if nominated, Singleton was upbeat.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Absolutely she can.”
Peter Singleton doesn’t consider himself former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin‘s “ground man” in Iowa.
The California resident, who “spends a lot of time in Iowa,” just considers himself “your average private citizen and grassroots activist who wants to have his voice heard. To say I’m the ‘man on the ground’ isn’t accurate, but I’m not offended.”
Yet, Singleton, an attorney, and his political opinion of Palin have circulated blogs and news articles ranging from the Wall Street Journal, to the Los Angeles Times, to The Atlantic, to even the U.K. Telegraph in Europe — some of which have dubbed him one of Palin’s top political operatives.
“I’ve never met Gov. Palin,” Singleton told The Iowa Independent, with a chuckle.
Yet Singleton has volunteered and organized grassroots organizations for Palin tirelessly, including recruiting supporters and volunteers for Organize 4 Palin during the former Governor’s recent trip to Pella for the premiere of the documentary “The Undefeated.” He visits the Hawkeye State repeatedly to continue garnering support for the woman he believes can defeat President Barack Obama in 2012.
“I believe she will run, in fact, it is a certainty she will,” Singleton told the Iowa Independent Wednesday, an idea he bases on his own opinion and analysis of her political movements so far compared to high profile Republicans who have declared candidacy. “Now, this is my opinion, so is there a chance I could be wrong? Well, sure. But based on what I have seen publicly, I just find it inconceivable she would sit 2012 out.”
Recently, former WHO Radio talk show host Steve Deace, commented on his website he had met with Singleton, and the pair started talking about the 2012 election, which is comprised of a host of GOP candidates yet to catch fire with Republicans and social or religious Conservative.
“I asked him point blank if he thought Palin was going to declare her candidacy, and his answer was ’100 percent,’” Deace wrote.
Strong words for a presidential prospect who has not formed a presidential exploratory committee, made copious appearances in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire, or has dropped indications that an impending announcement is on the proverbial horizon.
But, Singleton, who confirmed the meeting with Deace, said sometimes going against the grain is just as effective in an election cycle, rather than following the leader.
“Look, Gov. Palin is unique and has her own rules. She can’t do what other (candidates) do and just play it loose,” Singleton said. “While others are out just running for president, she’s actually demonstrating leadership. She actively opposed Obamacare, she opposed cap and trade. There is match between her track record of leadership and the needs of this country.”
And Palin, who has visited Iowa once since candidates have started their formal announcements for the White House, also has name recognition to carry a potential campaign.
“Just because she is making movements like the other candidates does not mean she’s not running,” Singleton speculated.
When asked if Palin — often scrutinized by media reports as being inexperienced in the political arena, and teased in parodies during her 2008 vice-presidential bid — could actually beat Obama if nominated, Singleton was upbeat.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Absolutely she can.”
Palin on Palin: When a Politician Trademarks Your Name
Time US: Palin on Palin: When a Politician Trademarks Your Name
Sarah Palin has trademarked her name. The former Alaskan governor turned Fox News commentator, Going Rogue author, TLC reality star and SarahPAC founder — wait, do I really have to tell you who Sarah Palin is? — submitted an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that is due to be approved within the next few weeks. When it is, Palin's name will be trademarked for "educational and entertainment services" as well as "motivational speaking services in the field of politics, culture, business and values," according to her patent applications. Her daughter Bristol, 20, has also trademarked her name for motivational speaking, but in the field of "life choices."
"Essentially what they are doing is trying to commercialize themselves," says Neil Friedman, a New York trademark attorney. It's rare for politicians to trademark their names, but Palin left office in 2009 and has since become a successful media and entertainment figure. She has trademarked her name the way someone like Calvin Klein might trademark his.
(See photos from Sarah Palin's "One Nation" road trip.)
But what happens when your name is also Sarah Palin? As it turns out, there's a 20-year-old University of Texas at Austin junior with that very problem. For the past three years, the nutrition major from Heath, Texas, has been inundated with jokes, insults and emails intended for her more famous namesake. TIME talked to the young Sarah Palin about what it's like to have the same name as a celebrity and whether she's concerned that her name has been trademarked.
When did you first learn about the famous Sarah Palin?
One day in 2006 I decided to Google my name and see what showed up. I found out that someone named Sarah Palin was governor of Alaska. For my 16th birthday one of my friends bought me a Sarah Palin bumper sticker. I have it on my refrigerator.
What was it like during the 2008 election?
I was in high school the day she was named John McCain's running mate. I was sitting in class and suddenly I was bombarded with all these texts messages from my friends and family, congratulating me and saying I was going to be the next vice president. I was like, "What's going on?" After that, the Sarah Palin jokes never let up. I knew that my life would never be the same.
(See photos of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.)
How often do people mention Sarah Palin to you?
Ever since 2008, all of my friends have called me by my full name, Sarah Palin. I rarely get called just "Sarah." Every time she opens her mouth I get attention. And now everyone's making the same joke — asking me if I'm going to run in 2012. I'm like, "Wow, that's really original. I definitely haven't heard that one before."
Do people ever write to you thinking that you're her?
I still use my real name on my Facebook account. During the election I'd get hundreds of messages and friend requests every day from people who thought I was her. I still get them occasionally — maybe five or six a day — but it's not that bad.
This past semester at school, I got a call from someone running in the student-council elections. They asked me to make a video endorsement for their campaign. You know, like "I'm Sarah Palin and I approve this message." I was too busy at the time so I couldn't do it.
(See photos from Sarah Palin's reality TV show.)
Sarah Palin is a pretty controversial figure. People either love her or hate her.
Yeah, some of the messages I get are really rude. My dad is her biggest fan in the world; he introduces himself as "Sarah Palin's father." My mom doesn't like her at all, so whenever Sarah Palin says something that gets her in the news, they'll argue about it.
How do you feel about her?
She seems like a good and decent person and she's enthusiastic about what she does. But she doesn't always sound very smart. Some of the things she says are hysterical. I don't hate her and I don't love her. I just share the same name with her.
Is your name ever a problem for you?
Whenever I fill out a form for the first time, the store clerk or receptionist or whoever will look at me like I'm being a jerk.
Have you ever thought about whether your name will cause problems for you when you're older? For example, if you want to run for office or go into business or something?
I have thought about it, actually. I'm not a super political person and I don't know exactly what I'm going to do with my life, so I probably won't be in the same sort of profession as her. If I ever open up a business I guess I could use my middle name. Sarah Beth Palin isn't trademarked.
Sarah Palin has trademarked her name. The former Alaskan governor turned Fox News commentator, Going Rogue author, TLC reality star and SarahPAC founder — wait, do I really have to tell you who Sarah Palin is? — submitted an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that is due to be approved within the next few weeks. When it is, Palin's name will be trademarked for "educational and entertainment services" as well as "motivational speaking services in the field of politics, culture, business and values," according to her patent applications. Her daughter Bristol, 20, has also trademarked her name for motivational speaking, but in the field of "life choices."
"Essentially what they are doing is trying to commercialize themselves," says Neil Friedman, a New York trademark attorney. It's rare for politicians to trademark their names, but Palin left office in 2009 and has since become a successful media and entertainment figure. She has trademarked her name the way someone like Calvin Klein might trademark his.
(See photos from Sarah Palin's "One Nation" road trip.)
But what happens when your name is also Sarah Palin? As it turns out, there's a 20-year-old University of Texas at Austin junior with that very problem. For the past three years, the nutrition major from Heath, Texas, has been inundated with jokes, insults and emails intended for her more famous namesake. TIME talked to the young Sarah Palin about what it's like to have the same name as a celebrity and whether she's concerned that her name has been trademarked.
When did you first learn about the famous Sarah Palin?
One day in 2006 I decided to Google my name and see what showed up. I found out that someone named Sarah Palin was governor of Alaska. For my 16th birthday one of my friends bought me a Sarah Palin bumper sticker. I have it on my refrigerator.
What was it like during the 2008 election?
I was in high school the day she was named John McCain's running mate. I was sitting in class and suddenly I was bombarded with all these texts messages from my friends and family, congratulating me and saying I was going to be the next vice president. I was like, "What's going on?" After that, the Sarah Palin jokes never let up. I knew that my life would never be the same.
(See photos of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.)
How often do people mention Sarah Palin to you?
Ever since 2008, all of my friends have called me by my full name, Sarah Palin. I rarely get called just "Sarah." Every time she opens her mouth I get attention. And now everyone's making the same joke — asking me if I'm going to run in 2012. I'm like, "Wow, that's really original. I definitely haven't heard that one before."
Do people ever write to you thinking that you're her?
I still use my real name on my Facebook account. During the election I'd get hundreds of messages and friend requests every day from people who thought I was her. I still get them occasionally — maybe five or six a day — but it's not that bad.
This past semester at school, I got a call from someone running in the student-council elections. They asked me to make a video endorsement for their campaign. You know, like "I'm Sarah Palin and I approve this message." I was too busy at the time so I couldn't do it.
(See photos from Sarah Palin's reality TV show.)
Sarah Palin is a pretty controversial figure. People either love her or hate her.
Yeah, some of the messages I get are really rude. My dad is her biggest fan in the world; he introduces himself as "Sarah Palin's father." My mom doesn't like her at all, so whenever Sarah Palin says something that gets her in the news, they'll argue about it.
How do you feel about her?
She seems like a good and decent person and she's enthusiastic about what she does. But she doesn't always sound very smart. Some of the things she says are hysterical. I don't hate her and I don't love her. I just share the same name with her.
Is your name ever a problem for you?
Whenever I fill out a form for the first time, the store clerk or receptionist or whoever will look at me like I'm being a jerk.
Have you ever thought about whether your name will cause problems for you when you're older? For example, if you want to run for office or go into business or something?
I have thought about it, actually. I'm not a super political person and I don't know exactly what I'm going to do with my life, so I probably won't be in the same sort of profession as her. If I ever open up a business I guess I could use my middle name. Sarah Beth Palin isn't trademarked.
Bristol Palin Stays Tight-Lipped About Sarah Palin on ‘The View’
ABC News: Bristol Palin Stays Tight-Lipped About Sarah Palin on ‘The View’
ABC News’ Sheila Marikar (@SheilaYM) reports:
Bristol Palin seems to have heard her mother’s orders loud and clear.
On ABC’s “The View” today, after Barbara Walters asked her point-blank when Sarah Palin is going to announce her intentions for the 2012 race, Bristol stayed tight-lipped.
“That’s up to her when she’s going to announce,” she said.
Last week, at the Pella, Iowa premiere of “The Undefeated,” Palin jokingly scolded her eldest daughter for saying on “Fox & Friends” that the former Alaska governor “definitely” knows if she’ll seek a presidential bid.
"I texted Bristol, I said 'What did you say this morning, honey?,’” she said. "What I told Bristol, too, I said, 'What is talked about on the fishing boat stays on the fishing boat.’”
Bristol has been making the rounds promoting her memoir, “Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far.” On “The View,” she also revealed that she has no intention of following her mother’s path into politics.
“No I don’t,” she said when asked if she as any political aspirations. “I have tons and tons of interests and I’m only 20, I don’t know what God has in store for me yet.”
ABC News’ Sheila Marikar (@SheilaYM) reports:
Bristol Palin seems to have heard her mother’s orders loud and clear.
On ABC’s “The View” today, after Barbara Walters asked her point-blank when Sarah Palin is going to announce her intentions for the 2012 race, Bristol stayed tight-lipped.
“That’s up to her when she’s going to announce,” she said.
Last week, at the Pella, Iowa premiere of “The Undefeated,” Palin jokingly scolded her eldest daughter for saying on “Fox & Friends” that the former Alaska governor “definitely” knows if she’ll seek a presidential bid.
"I texted Bristol, I said 'What did you say this morning, honey?,’” she said. "What I told Bristol, too, I said, 'What is talked about on the fishing boat stays on the fishing boat.’”
Bristol has been making the rounds promoting her memoir, “Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far.” On “The View,” she also revealed that she has no intention of following her mother’s path into politics.
“No I don’t,” she said when asked if she as any political aspirations. “I have tons and tons of interests and I’m only 20, I don’t know what God has in store for me yet.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)