Governor Palin 4 President

Far from her home state and the controversy she left behind, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin traveled to Indiana on Thursday and reminded Republicans why she remains a party heavyweight and a top prospective presidential candidate in 2012.
Palin drew approximately 3,000 people to the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner in Evansville, an annual banquet that typically attracts some of the GOP’s top national talent. Her sold-out appearance in a local exhibition hall prompted organizers to set up a paid closed-circuit broadcast at a nearby auditorium for a large spillover crowd and led local authorities to close down nearby streets.
“This is always a large event,” said David O’Steen, executive director of National Right to Life. “There was a lot of excitement about this among pro-life people. She is very well-known and respected in the pro-life movement.”
Palin was mobbed by autograph seekers and picture takers as she tried to get into the fundraiser.
Jane Abraham, the general chairwoman of the Susan B. Anthony List, a group that supports female politicians who oppose abortion rights, called the dinner a “very high-profile event” for opponents of abortion rights.

Since the conclusion of the presidential election, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has largely avoided the political fundraising circuit. Nevertheless, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee has emerged as an almost unparalleled fundraising force, with both foes and fans minting money off the mere mention of her name.
The candidates and causes that have climbed aboard the Palin gravy train include, but aren’t limited to, abortion rights foes and supporters, environmental groups and political committees supporting both Republican and Democratic candidates. It’s a testament not only to her star power but also to the strong feelings she generates among partisans.
In some instants, Palin herself is an unwitting participant in the burgeoning business.
“The only authorized thing out there at this point is SarahPAC. And the rest are just using her name and brand to draw attention and roll in the dollars,” said Meg Stapleton, a spokeswoman for SarahPAC, the committee Palin set up in January to raise money for her political staff, travels and contributions to like-minded candidates. SarahPAC has also proven to be the largest political fundraising entity in the country.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21307_Page2.html

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Republican National Chairman Michael Steele said Thursday that Sarah Palin is among a crowd of GOP standard bearers that includes fellow governors Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Mark Sanford of South Carolina.
The Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate hasn't ruled out a presidential run, and Steele said it was too early to gauge Palin's standing in 2012.
She and Steele were in Evansville to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner Thursday night. Organizers said the dinner drew 3,000 people.
During a news conference before the dinner, Steele cited Palin among other prominent party figures, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and two congressmen, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence.
Palin was cheered wildly as she entered the banquet hall with her husband, Todd. She stopped to sign autographs before taking her seat.
Palin, her husband and youngest son also were to attend a breakfast Friday morning with S.M.I.L.E., a nonprofit support organization for people with family members who have Down syndrome. Trig, who turns 1 on Saturday, was born with the condition.

http://newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/16/gop-chairman-calls-palin-one-partys-leaders/

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin doesn't get out much. Out of Alaska that is. Thursday, on her second trip outside the state this year, Palin reflected a bit on the experience of last year's campaign, repeated her call for energy independence and called on states to reject federal stimulus money. But it was her emotional and personal talk about the birth of her son Trig that was most revealing.
In front of an audience of nearly 3,000 anti-abortion rights advocates in Evansville, Ind., Governor Palin described in detail how she struggled with her fifth pregnancy last year and choked up when she spoke about Trig's birth.
"It was a time when I had to ask myself was I gonna walk the walk or I was gonna talk the talk," Governor Palin said. She said she learned she was pregnant with Trig while she was out of the state at an oil and gas conference.
"There, just for a fleeting moment, I thought, I knew, nobody knows me here. Nobody would ever know. I thought, wow, it is easy. It could be easy to think maybe of trying to change the circumstances. No one would know. No one would ever know." Ultimately, Governor Palin said she realized she had to stay true to what she'd been saying for years -- that "life is valuable because it is ordained." "I had just enough faith to know that trying to change the circumstances wasn't any answer," Governor Palin said. But the governor said the experience gave her an appreciation for what women and girls facing unwanted pregnancies go through. "I do understand what these women, what these girls go through in that thought process."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7356306&page=1

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is taking President Barack Obama to task for his support of abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research.
Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, criticized Obama's positions during a speech at the Vanderburgh County Right to Life's annual dinner Thursday night in Evansville, Ind.
She says deciding when babies get human rights isn't above her pay grade — a reference to Obama's response to a question from the Rev. Rick Warren last year. Obama said such questions were above his pay grade.
Thursday's appearance was Palin's first out-of-state trip on a partisan agenda since the presidential campaign ended. Some Alaska lawmakers have criticized her decision to make the trip as the state Legislature approaches its Sunday deadline.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090417/ap_on_re_us/palin_11