On the night of the midterm elections earlier this month, Sarah Palin stayed up until 3 in the morning. From her hotel bedroom in Manhattan, she and her husband, Todd, followed the returns while she wrote e-mails on her iPad — congratulating winners, consoling losers — while reading others from people who wanted her to know that they had cast their vote for her daughter Bristol on “Dancing With the Stars” the evening before. Like much of her recent life, Palin’s day had been replete with reminders of the clout she had rapidly acquired. She had spent most of her time ensconced at the Fox television studios, though she managed to squeeze in a jog in Central Park — which she promptly chronicled on Twitter: “Beautiful!” Also at the studios was her fellow Fox News contributor Karl Rove, who had recently questioned in a British newspaper whether Palin’s new reality TV series, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” made her appear Oval Office-worthy. The building was abuzz over what would ensue when the two would inevitably bump into each other. The moment came after Palin finished a segment with the anchor Bret Baier and saw Rove lingering stageside with Brit Hume, a Fox colleague, holding a well-marked copy of “Alaska for Dummies” — a prop clearly intended to mollify Palin. She laughed, used her phone’s camera to take a picture of Rove with the book, traded brief hellos and then left the studio without mentioning Rove’s earlier comment. […]
I explained to Palin that in my view, at least, this line of inquiry wasn’t gratuitous — that questions did in fact linger about her “gravitas gap.” Didn’t she think, for example, that the Republican kingmakers who were now supposedly scheming to kneecap her were mainly just concerned about how voters viewed her? “If that were the case, then they need to be courageous enough to put their names behind their criticisms,” she said, referring to anonymous quotations attacking her. “As I replied to Politico, these fellows want to be trusted to tend to our nation’s economic woes? They want to be trusted to take on the likes of Ahmadinejad, but they won’t take on a hockey mom from Wasilla? Until they do that, I dismiss them.”
But, I reiterated, didn’t she believe that the Republican establishment’s predominant worry was that she would lose to Obama? “Then perhaps they should vent some of their paranoia toward all of the potential G.O.P. candidates,” she said. “Because obviously there’s no guarantee that any one of us would win. But I do believe that much of this is a threat to their hierarchy, because I’ve never shied away from a battle and because I’ll put principle before politics.”
In a sense, Palin views Beltway Republicans as she does the Obama administration: aloof, self-interested and vulnerable to the populist power that she believes she wields. “They’re in an isolated bubble — Barack Obama mentioned that in his press conference, and I agree with him, he is isolated from what average Americans are talking about,” she said, referring to the president’s words after the midterm elections. “But what he was meaning, of course, was that he’s not in touch with average Americans. I am — because that’s who I am. That’s who surrounds me, common-sense Americans who just want government on their side, not riding their backs. And I tweet to reach out to them.”
At the end of our talk, she made note of my Southern accent and urged me, “Don’t lose that.” Then she went back to her world, somewhere in Alaska, where she was winding down the filming of her TV show — where apparently Internet reception was sufficient for her to send out three more Twitter posts that afternoon, joining herself to the rest of America and then leaving it at that, for the moment.
I’m looking forward to hitting the road again for the release of my new book “America By Heart.” The book is a collection of essays and reflections about our exceptional country. It discusses the ideals we must pass on to the next generation to ensure that we remain, in the words of Reagan, “the shining city on a hill,” and in the words of Lincoln, “the last best hope of earth.”
Below are dates, times, and locations for the tour. Please feel free to contact each venue for more information. My family will be joining me along the way, and they look forward to meeting you as much as I do. We’ll try to add some more stops if time allows. And, of course, we'll wrap up the whole tour in Alaska just as we did last time.
We can’t wait to see you soon!
- Sarah Palin
P.S. Included below is a flyer for the tour. Feel free to pass it around!
Alaska is so full of potential for great private sector jobs and responsible resource development for the future of the Last Frontier – if only the federal government would stop its overreach and let Alaska thrive. We need a Senator who understands this and promises to stand up for Alaska and fight Washington’s liberal agenda. We’ll get that in Joe Miller!
We’re pleased to learn that recent poll results show the Alaska senate race between Joe Miller, a decorated Desert Storm war veteran, former judge, and proven Commonsense Conservative, and incumbent Lisa Murkowski is getting very close. Joe Miller has surged in the polls and is gaining strong momentum, while Lisa Murkowski has taken a big downward loss.
Constitutional Conservatives and Independent voters in Alaska have discovered what the far-left Huffington Post concluded and boasted – that Lisa Murkowski is a ”center-right Democrat.” Our country does not need another Democrat in the Senate voting for the Obama agenda which is bankrupting us. Alaska deserves a senator who will not talk one way in the Last Frontier and then vote the opposite way in the Beltway. It’s time for Alaskans who are concerned about endless bailouts, ever increasing debt and deficits, and the government take-over of health care (all planks Lisa Murkowski has walked) to get behind Joe Miller.
Alaskans are learning more about Joe. Here’s what we know: We know that Joe will not vote for amnesty for those who break our laws, but we know Lisa has already voted for amnesty – on May 25, 2006 on S. 2611, and voted against funding for the border fence. As Joe says: “It is a simple question. Are we a nation of laws? I believe we are. Therefore, the President must enforce our immigration laws as written and secure our borders, not sue the state of Arizona for acting where the federal government has failed to do so.”
We know Joe won’t support more bailouts, but we know Lisa already has. We know that Joe won’t vote for job-killing cap-and-tax legislation, but we know Lisa will because she co-sponsored a cap-and-trade bill and boasted of her commitment to “the issue of climate change” and carbon taxes.
We know Joe will vote to repeal Obamacare, but we know Lisa won’t because she said that repealing this government control of health care “is not the answer.”
And this is very important: we know that Joe can be counted on to vote with Commonsense Conservatives in the Senate, but we can’t count on Lisa because she has voted with Democrats over 300 times and Human Events rated her one of the top five “Senate RINOs.”
Joe may be the underdog in this fight (because by using the power of a politician’s incumbency after being given her Senate seat by her father, Lisa Murkowski has outspent Joe six to one), but Alaskans see through this and are recognizing Joe’s ability to be a real leader. Lisa Murkowski is endorsed by special interests and unions. Joe Miller is a man of the people, endorsed by the people. But as Alaska comes into its own, it’s important to remember that this election is not just about Alaska; it’s about our whole country. Remember, when it comes to the Senate, Alaska is just as important as California or New York. One vote is one vote. Our Alaska election affects the entire nation. That’s why good conservative leaders and organizations from around the country are looking at this race and have stepped up to endorse Joe – including Governor Mike Huckabee, Mark Levin, Lars Larson, Laura Ingraham, Red State, and the Tea Party Express.
Joe’s campaign needs to raise about $30,000 for a crucial final media buy. We can do it if we all pull together. Please go to Joe’s website at http://joemiller.us/ and donate to his campaign. Let’s raise $1,000 for each of the 30 years this senate seat has been locked in by the Murkowski family. The only way for our state to reach its potential, and to save our country, is to elect reformers who will fight for Alaska and all America and will stand up against the liberal Washington agenda.
Washongton, DC - Sarah Palin on Sunday painted President Barack Obama's administration as a cowering giant intent on surrendering the nation's mantle as a superpower and willing to sell out its allies.
The former John McCain running mate addressed a paying audience of several hundred people in Norfolk, Virginia and accused Obama of selling out ally Israel in over its naval blockade of Gaza and treating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shabbily. […]
She also said Obama lacked the resolve to stand up to Russia and China.
"Do they think, really, that we're getting anything in return for all this bowing and kowtowing and apologizing? No, we don't get anything positive in return for this," Palin said at the event spearheaded by a Norfolk talk radio station.
"So while President Obama is getting pushed around by the likes of Russia and China, our allies are left to wonder about the value of an alliance with our country any more. They're asking what is it worth," she said. […]
"The whole operation was designed to provoke Israel, not to provide supplies to Palestinians held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Anyone who sees the video of Israeli commandos being attacked as they land on that ship knows the people aboard were vicious thugs, not 'peace activists.' The media insults our intelligence with their outright mischaracterization of who these enemies are," said Palin.
"We can only hope the Obama Administration does not join the anti-Israel chorus in the aftermath of this staged confrontation. Please, Mr. President, we need to let Israelis know we stand with them in their fight against terrorists and those who arm and support them. America and her ally, Israel, stand by waiting for your response."
'Sanctimonious, pompous social engineers'
Palin, former Virginia Sen. George Allen and Iran-Contra figure Oliver North, who ran for a Virginia Senate seat and lost, each took turns decrying what they said was the deterioration of US military might and will under Obama's watch.
Palin said that Obama and an allied Democratic Congress had cut military spending while showing no such restraint on other expenditures, running up trillions in new deficits.
NORFOLK — Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin hinted at presidential aspirations Sunday night in Norfolk, telling thousands of conservative voters that needs a new and different president.
"We're probably better off simply changing administrations," Palin told a half filled Ted Constant Convocation Center. "So folks let's start the task in November and what we start in November 2010 let's finish it off in November 2012."
Palin came to southeastern Virginia — a military Mecca filled with conservatives — for Freedom Fest, a concert and rally to support the troops, police and firefighters. Palin was the marquis guest speaking after former Virginia governor George Allen a few hours after crooner Lee Greenwood sung "God Bless the U.S.A."
Palin's speech was her first in Hampton Roads since the 2008, when she rallied thousands in Virginia Beach. After the loss, Palin resigned as governor and skyrocketed into the conservative stratosphere, moving her downhome populism to the internet.
The local visit is part of Palin's weeklong swing through the south, with events in Atlanta and Texas. Palin is reportedly mulling a run for president in 2012, and many evangelical voters are wooing her slapping Palin 2012 bumper stickers on their cars and building websites backing her.
Palin said spending cuts are vital in Washington, but she told the veteran-laden crowd that cuts should never touch defense.
"There are no shortcuts on national security," she said. […]
Navy vet Arnold Argandona drove in from North Carolina for the rally, and the Republican Party official said he hopes that Palin helps congressional hopefuls take back power from Democrats.
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