"Once, CNN was number one in cable news, the groundbreaker, the standard by which everyone else was judged. But that was before Fox News' rise to glory - and numbers that eventually pummeled CNN... If Sarah Palin can sell a TV show as well as she sells books, CNN may want to assume the fetal position."- JP
Stall, Baby, Stall- JP
Many Americans fear that President Obama’s new energy proposal is once again “all talk and no real action,” this time in an effort to shore up fading support for the Democrats’ job-killing cap-and-trade (a.k.a. cap-and-tax) proposals. Behind the rhetoric lie new drilling bans and leasing delays; soon to follow are burdensome new environmental regulations. Instead of “drill, baby, drill,” the more you look into this the more you realize it’s “stall, baby, stall.”
Today the president said he’ll “consider potential areas for development in the mid and south Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, while studying and protecting sensitive areas in the Arctic.” As the former governor of one of America’s largest energy-producing states, a state oil and gas commissioner, and chair of the nation’s Interstate Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, I’ve seen plenty of such studies. What we need is action — action that results in the job growth and revenue that a robust drilling policy could provide. And let’s not forget that while Interior Department bureaucrats continue to hold up actual offshore drilling from taking place, Russia is moving full steam ahead on Arctic drilling, and China, Russia, and Venezuela are buying leases off the coast of Cuba.
As an Alaskan, I’m especially disheartened by the new ban on drilling in parts of the 49th state and the cancellation of lease sales in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. These areas contain rich oil and gas reserves whose development is key to our country’s energy security. As I told Secretary Salazar last April, “Arctic exploration and development is a slow, demanding process. Delays or major restrictions in accessing these resources for environmentally responsible development are not in the national interest or the interests of the State of Alaska.”
I’ve got to call it like I see it: The administration’s sudden interest in offshore drilling is little more than political posturing designed to gain support for job-killing energy legislation soon to come down the pike. I’m confident that GOP senators will not take the bait.
Next week I’m headed to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, where I look forward to discussing what “Drill, baby, drill” really means.
— Governor Sarah Palin is a former Republican vice-presidential nominee and author of the bestselling Going Rogue.
The buck stops with him. He wasn't aware? Well, he should have been. The staffer involved has been fired and the money will be returned. But for Steele to allow this is inexcusable. The other expenses are troubling as well. People in Washington seem to think that they are entitled to live large on other people's money. God, we are all just sick of it.While we were early supporters of Chairman Steele, we're frankly tired of making excuses for him. The RNC needs a chairman who only only makes news when bringing in gobs of donor money, helping deserving candidates get elected and taking the battle to the Democrats. Actually, we're more troubled by his high-roller expense account than we are over the stupid nightclub thing, embarrassing as it may be.
[...]
I've been a supporter of Steele from the beginning. He's had some problems and many have wanted him to step down for a while. I disagreed. But now, I think I may have been wrong about that. It's time for him to go.
Who should replace him? Sarah Palin.
- JPWASHINGTON — The Obama administration is proposing to open vast expanses of water along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling, much of it for the first time, officials said Tuesday.This will never happen. The permitting will take 8 years. Obama is just trying to provide cover to Democratic senators who vote for taxing the air that we breathe.
Still, it is an admission by Obama that Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right, Sarah Palin was right…
"All of this goes far beyond politics as usual…you’ll search in vain for anything comparably menacing, anything that even hinted at an appeal to violence, from members of Congress, let alone senior party officials….to find anything like what we’re seeing now you have to go back to the last time a Democrat was president."Well, well, well... Look what John found ...at the DNC:
"I really think that that is crossing a line…In this particular environment I think it’s really dangerous to try and make your point in that particular way because there are people who are taking that kind of thing seriously."Soooo... surveyor symbols -- such as those used on the Palin map -- threaten violence, but target symbols -- such as those on the Democrats' maps -- do not, because everyone knows that surveyors kill more people with their transits than all of the firearms and archers' arrows combined, right?
Rep.Boehner spot-on Obama goal=cram thru job-killing, energy-depleting, burdensome Cap & Tax scheme on heels of Obama's new"pro-drilling"msgHer twitter message referred to House GOP Leader John Boehner's statement released today which was highly critical of the Obama Administration:
“The Obama Administration continues to defy the will of the American people who strongly supported the bipartisan decision of Congress in 2008 to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling not just off the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, but off the Pacific Coast and Alaskan shores as well. Opening up areas off the Virginia coast to offshore production is a positive step, but keeping the Pacific Coast and Alaska, as well as the most promising resources off the Gulf of Mexico, under lock and key makes no sense at a time when gasoline prices are rising and Americans are asking ‘Where are the jobs?’- JP
“It’s long past time for this Administration to stop delaying American energy production off all our shores and start listening to the American people who want an “all of the above” strategy to produce more American energy and create more jobs. Republicans are listening to the American people and have proposed a better solution – the American Energy Act – which will lower gas prices, increase American energy production, promote new clean and renewable sources of energy, and encourage greater efficiency and conservation.
“At the same time the White House makes today’s announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is plotting a new massive job-killer that the American people can’t afford: a cascade of new EPA regulations that will punish every American who dares to flip on a light switch, drive a car, or buy an American product. Americans simply don’t want this backdoor national energy tax that will drive up energy and manufacturing costs and destroy jobs in our states and local communities.”
• “Fox lifted an old interview” – Yes, it appears they did. The LL (and Jack Welch) segments were never billed as actual Palin interviews, just that they were to be featured in the show. It sounds like Palin will just be fronting these pieces, as opposed to the Toby Keith interview, which sounds more like a sit-down.Fox News, which apparently had enough unused material in the can to fill LLCJ's spot, decided the special will do just fine without the whiner and issued this statement:
• “…I gave in 2008 to someone else” – No, it looks like he did indeed give the interview to Fox News. Or, at the very least, to a Fox News-run website.
• “…& are misrepresenting to the public” – It has been a little unclear through the promo what exactly Palin’s role will be. It sounds like it won’t be a pure interview show, although the Los Angeles Times reports she “interviewed people in studio for some of the segments.” Clearly, though, not LL.
• “…in order to promote Sarah Palins Show” – Honestly, I can’t imagine how many FNC viewers come over because LL Cool J will be featured. Toby Keith, sure, but LL? If you were planning on watching the special before, you likely still would have if LL Cool J wasn’t involved. No offense, LL.
• “…WOW.” – Yeah, wow is right. This special will likely garner huge ratings, and this extra publicity isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it does make it a little surreal.
Real American Stories features uplifting tales about overcoming adversity and we believe Mr. Smith’s interview fit that criteria. However, as it appears that Mr. Smith does not want to be associated with a program that could serve as an inspiration to others, we are cutting his interview from the special and wish him the best with his fledgling acting career.Translation: "We don't need you, chump. We've got Sarah. So if you don't want to be associated with a positive and uplifting program which would have shown you in a good light, then go ahead and show the world your backside instead. We'll be more than than happy to give someone else the air time."
"Many who oppose Palin’s visit want to know how much she will be paid (in recent speeches she has earned up to $100,000), but the foundation is prohibited from releasing that information per her contract. What those who care about the university should be asking is 'How much will we raise for the students.'"Mattos figures Gov. Palin's appearance could bring in $200,000 or more to the CSU Stanislaus Scholarship Fund.
This isn't to say the Palin isn't planning a run -- or even, in an unconventional way, positioning herself for one, potentially on the backs of the Tea Party protesters who have been the most energized segment of the American electorate for the past year.We know that Gov. Palin is quietly meeting with local political heavyweights as she makes appearances across the country, as she recently did in Tennessee. As we noted at the time, however, these sort of meetings are the earliest stages of organization-building. And very few of her appearances have been in the key early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina. She seems to be taking the long view, and whether that means a White House run as early as 2012 or that her presidential plans were drawn up with 2016 or 2020 in mind, only she can say, and The Arctic Fox is keeping her cards very close to her vest.
But at this point she has very little institutional support among Republicans, and that may not bode well for a run at the White House. In 2000, John McCain ran for the White House as a GOP outsider and was ultimately defeated by the establishment candidate, George W. Bush. When he decided to run in 2008, McCain determined that he could not win without winning over the establishment -- and he promptly set out to do so.
As the race for the Republican 2012 presidential nomination heats up, keep an eye on Palin to see whether she makes the same calculation.
Peace Not Possible if Iran Escapes Real Sanctions- JP
This is a meaningful week for so many of us. As millions of Christians and Jews celebrate this Holy Week, it’s appropriate to reflect on developments in the Holy Land. Israel faces a nuclear threat from Iran that grows every day. Today we learned that the CIA has concluded that Iran already has the capability and the know-how to build nuclear weapons. While President Obama once said a nuclear-armed Iran would be “unacceptable,” after more than a year in office it’s sobering to have to acknowledge that his administration has made no progress in implementing “crippling” sanctions on Iran, let alone halting Iran’s nuclear program. Even the rhetoric moved in the wrong direction – recently the administration downgraded their call for “crippling” sanctions to sanctions that “bite.” Shockingly, as we learned last week, these “biting” sanctions will no longer include actions that could actually change Iran’s behavior, including limiting Iran’s access to international capital markets and banking services or closing air space and waters to Iran’s national air and shipping lines. So the issue is not when the so-called sanctions will come (President Obama promised them in “weeks” today) but whether they will even “nibble.” And while the Obama administration was more than willing to use every parliamentary trick in the book to ram its government health care takeover through Congress, conversely, it has worked hard to stall bipartisan efforts to pass the Iran Sanctions Act.
Many, many Americans and our allies know that if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, the consequences will be catastrophic for our interests in the Middle East, and we want our government to do everything in its power to prevent Iran from acquiring nukes. We foresee a regional nuclear arms race beginning as other countries seek their own nuclear weapons to protect themselves from Iran. Nuclear non-proliferation efforts would be over. The U.S. and our allies in the international community would be shown to be impotent – after long claiming that Iranian nuclear weapons could not and would not be tolerated. And Israel would face the gravest threat since its creation. Iran’s leaders have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and with nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, the mullahs would be in a position to launch a Second Holocaust.
Iran continues to develop long range missiles. Its missiles can reach Israel and Europe right now and in time they will be able to reach US territory.
This issue is the most serious security challenge facing the U.S. in the region. Yet just as the Obama administration inexplicably gives up on imposing crippling sanctions on Iran, it’s taken an uncompromising hard line against one country in the Middle East: Israel. On his recent visit to Washington, the Israeli Prime Minister was treated like an unwelcome guest, as shown by White House actions such as refusing to be photographed with Israel’s Prime Minister.
Public demands for concessions have been made of the Israelis while the Palestinians add ever more conditions to their participation in peace talks, and those in the administration that dare to argue for looking at these policies through the lens of Israel’s security needs are subject to slanderous attacks from “senior administration officials.” The Obama administration has their priorities exactly backwards; we should be working with our friend and democratic ally to stop Iran’s nuclear program, not throwing in the towel on sanctions while treating Israel like an enemy.
In a week when events in the Holy Land thousands of years ago are on the minds of millions, we would all do well to include Israel’s security in our prayers as we encourage our government to do all it can to ensure there is never a nuclear Iran able to threaten our interests or our allies.
- Sarah Palin
"You’re doing something wrong when Joy Behar wants to high-five you… For her to say [that Sarah Palin committed] an ‘abuse of the second amendment’ makes me even wonder whether [Elisabeth Hasselbeck] even knows what the second amendment is about."- JP
Just as her mastery of the stage is getting stronger, her command of the media is growing. Not too long ago, she had been tossed into the remainder bin of politics.Heh. Sarah Palin plays these leftists like Krystian Zimerman plays the piano in a performance of the Grieg A minor Piano Concerto.
[...]
High-powered journalists in the broadcast, cable, online and print media followed in her wake in Tucson, Phoenix and Starlight.
[...[
Are they sensing the rise of the inevitable 2012 Republican presidential candidate?
Are we seeing a shift in Palin herself? Is she beginning to move toward the conservative mainstream? Or are we simply getting used to her brand of politicking? She seems almost moderate when compared to hotheads on her far right, like J.D. Hayworth, the Tea Party activist who is running against McCain, or the blathering right-wing gurus like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. At times she seems downright sensible (within the conservative construct), which is what she seemed in going to McCain's rescue and avoiding far-out right-wing know-nothings like the woman who ran as a third candidate in the Texas GOP primary against Gov. Rick Perry (Perry won, with Palin's showy support).
How many others, like McCain, will come calling on her? Palin has released her list of 20 Democratic seats that are top targets for her grassroots followers to defeat. But who has heard of Mitt Romney's list, or Tim Pawlenty's, or who else is there in the GOP weeds? Do they have any lists? Do they have what it takes to stop her? She's got everyone's eyes on her and no one is really paying much mind to those other guys. You can be sure that none of that glam attention she gets is lost on the GOP establishment, which seems to fear her more than the Democrats do.
"I have a great deal of respect for Sarah Palin,'' McDonnell said. "I thought she added a great deal of energy to the Republican ticket with John McCain. She's a principled conservative. She's not afraid to say some tough things."McDonnell also defended RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who is in hot water again, this time for allegedly spending tens of thousands of donor dollars for luxury hotels, private jets and other expenditures.
McDonnell again denied that he did not want the former vice presidential candidate to come to Virginia to campaign on his behalf last year. "I think you've got that wrong,'' he said. "We could not get her here because she was in such demand."
Last year, Palin's spokeswoman told us that McDonnell repeatedly and personally asked her for help but then changed his mind. Palin, the spokeswoman said, still offered to come all the way up until Election Day.
"I think he's a good leader. People always like to focus on the controversy and not on the good news,'' McDonnell said. "Listen, he helped to win the governors races in Virginia and in New Jersey, helped to win the Senate race up in Massachusetts. That's a pretty good track record. I think ultimately you're judged by your results."Steele helped funnel a record $8 million to the campaigns of Republicans in Virginia last year.
The debut episode will include guests ranging from country singer Toby Keith, to rapper and actor LL Cool J, and former GE Chairman and CEO Jack Welch. The debut episode will also feature a Marine Medal of Honor recipient who gave his live to save his comrades and a profile of a wealthy stock broker who donated much of his fortune to underprivileged students so they can attend college.The program will preempt Greta Van Susteren's "On the Record" Thursday night. Fox News will replay it again Sunday, at 8:00 p.m. CDST.
For many of Palin’s critics, at the heart of the “Palin as celebrity” meme is the Left’s doctrinaire belief in profit as something low and degraded, something to be distributed by government rather than earned through free competition.Read Freiburger's full scathing commentary here.
[...]
Of course, in Brown’s case it might simply be good old-fashioned Palin Derangement Syndrome.
[...]
Indeed, her rhetoric about “dominatrix jackets” and “violent populism” is so angry and divorced from reality as to leave little doubt as to the real motivation: Sarah Palin’s feisty conservatism is simply not supposed to resonate with the American people, and it’s certainly not supposed to come from women who manage to balance career and family. That potent combination is guaranteed to bring out the worst in the Left every single time.
"I was interested to learn from [an Associated Press] report that Sarah Palin’s husband, Todd, is not a Republican, but registers as an independent. Doesn’t the Left say we’re all blind GOP-ers? "- JP
Best Wishes for a Blessed Passover- JP
Tonight Jewish families all over the world will gather to celebrate Passover, the story of Exodus and the freedom of the Jewish people from bondage. This holiday reminds us of the sacrifices that are still being made for freedom – the U.S. troops who are away from their families so that we can be with ours, and the Israeli people, who struggle for peace with their neighbors even as they face the threat of war.
“Next year in Jerusalem” will be the refrain echoed by Jewish families as they finish their Seders tonight. It is a stark reminder that whatever the threats the Jewish people have faced, whatever the struggles, their connection to Jerusalem is ancient and unshakable. On this Passover holiday, our family sends our best wishes to all who are celebrating. Chag kasher V'Sameach. Happy Passover. And next year in Jerusalem.
- Sarah Palin
American Heroes Ready and Willing to Serve in Congress- JP
America, if you love your freedom, thank a vet! And if you’re looking for leaders who believe in integrity, service, and country first, look to our veterans.
Last week I campaigned for a true American hero, John McCain, and this week I’d ask you to join me in supporting a new generation of heroes who are heeding their country’s call for leadership in Washington.
There are a number of great veteran candidates running for office this year, and there are some excellent organizations dedicated to helping them, including: Iraq Vets for Congress and Combat Veterans for Congress (please click on the links to visit their websites).
There are three veterans in particular I’ll be supporting this week.
The first is Major Vaughn Ward, a fourth-generation Idaho native who grew up on his family’s farm in Shoshone and is running in Idaho’s 1st Congressional District. Coming from a family with a proud military tradition, Vaughn enlisted in the Marine Corps after college and was finishing up his service when the September 11th attacks occurred. He put his life on hold and heeded his country’s call – serving first as a CIA Operations Officer and later volunteering with the Marine Corps for a combat tour in Iraq, during which he was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V. After returning from Iraq, Vaughn went to work for the McCain/Palin campaign. I was grateful for his support then, and I’m happy to support him now because I know that he believes in the same commonsense conservative ideals that we cherish. Vaughn knows that real job growth comes from the private sector, not government. He believes in free market reforms, tax relief for families and small businesses, and a return to a constitutionally limited government that lives within its means. He’ll carry the conservative banner to Washington and will rein in the reckless growth of government to get it back on our side. And remember, a vote for Vaughn is a vote to remove the gavel from Nancy Pelosi’s grip. Please visit Vaughn’s website here to make a donation to his campaign, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
The second veteran is Captain Adam Kinzinger, a decorated special-operations pilot who flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Adam is running for Illinois’ 11th Congressional District against a freshman incumbent congresswoman who seemed to pull a bait and switch on voters to get elected. She sounded like a blue dog on the campaign trail, but didn’t vote like one in Washington. Instead, she voted in lockstep with the Pelosi agenda – on Obamacare, the stimulus, cap-and-tax – and the list goes on. She’s part of the reason for Congress’ 11% approval rating. Adam is a strong fiscal conservative with a proven track record as a reformer from his years serving on his local county board. Adam started out in local office, and, like many of us, believes in making government more accountable to the people. When you serve in local office, your constituents truly are your neighbors. Adam understands this, and I know that he will listen to his constituents and work for us, not against us, in Washington. Please visit Adam’s website here to make a donation to his campaign, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
The third veteran is Lieutenant Colonel Allen West, a decorated war hero who’s served with distinction in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of you may have heard of Allen from a speech he gave last year that became a viral video on YouTube with over 2 million viewers. Allen’s personal story is a testament to the commonsense conservative belief that our nation’s greatness is rooted in freedom, because with freedom comes equal opportunity, and that, coupled with hard work, leads to success. Allen is a small government fiscal conservative running against a leftwing ideologue who’s marched to the beat of Nancy Pelosi on every issue from cap-and-tax to the stimulus, TARP, and, of course, Obamacare. It’s time to send Allen to Washington in his place. Please visit Allen’s website here to donate to his campaign, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
I believe that these great veterans will fight for us in D.C. to uphold and defend our constitution as courageously in the halls of Congress as they did on the field of battle. I’m so honored to offer my support to these American heroes, and I hope you’ll join me in helping them so that they can serve us all in Washington.
- Sarah Palin
As her father said, 'Sarah’s not retreating. She’s reloading.' Praise the Lord. And pass the ammunition. 'Reloading' would have been a good title for the book too. Sarah Palin is still young, still blessed with the gifts of determination and resolve and true American grit. She has time to reload. And her best days, like ours, may be yet to come."Yael T. Abouhalkah:
"Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine on Wednesday criticized Palin and others of inciting dangerous behavior... Big deal or not? I'd go with 'not.' As McCain pointed out Thursday, language using the word 'targeted' is often used by politicians when they want to win or take back seats. I'd liken it to the sportscasters who talk about the 'war' of football or basketball games, when they are nothing like a real war."Jeff Hedgpeth:
"It is amazing that even when the far-Left wins it still wets itself in fear over imagined threats. Mr. [Lawrence] O’Donnell, beyond recommending decaf, I would suggest you make an occasional visit to the real world where people use analogies and don’t mean them literally. And Lawrence, I know guns scare beltway Liberals but the rest of us know how to use them and aren’t scared by them. By the way, if someone shoots a response to you, you don’t need to duck – or wet the bed."Adrienne Ross:
"The real desire of the Left wing media: they just want to shut conservatives up, and who is the most powerful, most respected conservative today? Governor Palin. So she must be silenced--and they will stop at nothing to do it."The Postliberal:
"But, you know, Sarah Palin could find subtler ways to get her point across. Maybe even kill (oops!) two birds with one stone. Instead of urging voters to 'target' Democrats, why not urge voters to kiss the Democrats goodbye? Put a little lipstick kiss on each Democratic district on the map. A kiss from Sarah Palin is a lot better than what those mis-representatives will get from their constituents this November."Sky_Pilot:
"The media and the dems are currently shrieking like a woman who just saw a mouse over Sarah Palin... 'targeting' dems up for election in 2010... Where was the media outrage when Sarah Palin's church was torched by arsonists, endangering the women and children inside?"Jim Hoft:
"Sarah Palin lashed out at the 'bunk' being promoted by the 'lamestream media' during her speech in torchlight... The real violence was right down the road from Searchlight… Harry Reid Supporters attacked the Tea Party Express bus and Andrew Breitbart."Rachelle Friberg:
"Whatever the media report, know this: There were no acts of violence [on the Tea Party grounds Saturday]; there were no threats, only promises. We CAN guarantee that come this November, the democrats WILL be shaking in their boots. The democrats WILL lose seats, and the democrats WILL finally realize they were downright WRONG when they called the tea party movement a fringe group that will have no effect on upcoming elections. I'm predicting right now that if the Republicans continue to listen to the American people and chart a course back down the path of Ronald Reagan, we WILL win. In the end, Sarah Palin is right: 'No matter how tough it gets, never retreat, instead RELOAD!'"Gary P. Jackson:
"Reloading is a fairly benign and generic term. In fact, Hollywood uses it, or variations of it all of the time. I went over to the Internet Movie Database, the absolute authority on all things movie and television. I plugged "reloaded" into the search and found some interesting titles including 'The Matrix Reloaded', 'The Osbournes Reloaded', 'MTV Reloaded', 'Dominatrix Reloaded', and my favorite, 'Barney Cam II: Barney Reloaded'. This is one scary dog!"Reaganite Republican:
"Of course, the Left is getting more radical, threatening, and unpredictable by the day... while they project these traits upon the Right for propaganda purposes."Stacy Drake:
"Watching the media and certain lawmakers twist Governor Palin’s message would be comical if it didn’t so clearly display the troubling relationship between the media and the current government. A relationship that needs to be called out for what it is and watched closely. It’s very troubling considering the media was repeating the ridiculous notion that Governor Palin had incited something (nothing documented) and that it was actually the media who were inciting their own left-wing base! Reported only in the right-of-center blogoshpere were REAL death threats against Governor Palin and her family posted on Twitter by some lefty maniac. CNN’s silence on these threats was expected considering their new role of being watchdogs OF the citizenry FOR the government."Glenn Reynolds:
"Harry Reid’s gun-imagery takes aim at political targets. When will Democrats stop inciting political violence with their hateful rhetoric? ... Then there’s talk like this: Obama: ‘If They Bring a Knife to the Fight, We Bring a Gun’. This sort of violent gun-related eliminationist rhetoric is likely to produce further unrest. For shame!"Mark Finkelstein:
"Harry Reid chose the day Sarah Palin was in town to stage a photo-op of himself going shooting. But [ABC's 'Good Morning America'] called Reid the man 'in the crosshairs' and as 'doing his best not to seem threatened.' Imagine if the tables were turned and on a day Reid visited Wasilla, Palin had publicly chosen to go shooting. Oh, the MSM wailing and gnashing of teeth about the implied threat!"Doug Giles:
"It’s weird that [Ann] Curry and her scrub bull buddies on the Left would make such a fuss over Palin’s clear and common use of a war term to rally the troops... You’d think that Ann’s angst over Palin’s military analogy would cause her to get really pissy over Reverend Wright, Bill Ayers, Louis Farrakhan, and the Assassinate Bush rabble’s literal, outlandish and ofttimes violent anti-American diatribes, but for some reason their rank rhetoric doesn’t ruffle the Left’s feathers. Heck, you’d also think that given their intolerance for Sarah’s imagery they would even condemn Obama, who told his zombies to 'sharpen their elbows and get in people’s faces,' which his main backers SEIU did by calling a black conservative a [n-word] and then commencing to beat him up (which, by the way, we have on film), but alas, there was nary a word."Mark Noonan:
"Point blank: if she decides to run in 2012, she’s going to run rings around the left. She’s simply smarter than them – wiser, and more centered as a person. Unlike the average liberal – who is always looking over his should to be sure he’s not offending against the latest intellectual fashions – Sarah Palin knows that as long as she’s conscious of God and has the good report of her family, nothing else matters. It gives her a strength liberals both won’t understand, and won’t be able to contend with."- JP
Palin did not disappoint either fans or detractors at Searchlight, using her speech to assail the media for promoting Democratic claims that the movement is… well, a dangerous collection of hate-filled, misinformed lunatics.Read the "Political Hay" commentary unabridged here.
"We're not inciting violence," Palin proclaimed from the windswept stage that organizers had erected on the back of a flatbed truck. "Don't get sucked into the lame-stream media lies."
Palin's denial of the accusation, wrapped in an anti-media message, drew cheers from the enthusiastic crowd and was quickly headlined by the same "lame-stream" reporters whom she targeted. The national press corps seems to be pursuing the idea that Palin can be used to discredit the Tea Party movement and vice-versa, as part of a mutually-reinforcing negative propaganda campaign intended to convince America that the only people who oppose the Democratic Party and its policy agenda are (you guessed it) a dangerous collection of hate-filled, misinformed lunatics. So any event that connected Palin to the Tea Party was sure to draw a swarm of reporters, only too happy to depict both the crowd and the featured speaker as irresponsible dingbats.
The same polls that show Americans' continuing to reject the health-care plan that Nancy Pelosi rammed through Congress also show that the Tea Party movement has higher favorability ratings than either major political party.
Whatever those polls say about Palin, she is drastically more popular than Pelosi. At least the Democratic Speaker of the House has the consolation that she'll probably get re-elected by her California constituents in November, whereas Harry Reid now appears utterly doomed to defeat. Polls show that, if the election were held tomorrow, Reid would lose to any likely challenger among the dozen or so Republican Senate candidates who are contending in the June primary -- all of whom were making the rounds shaking hands at Saturday's rally.
But how do we explain the hostility to Mrs. Palin felt by so many conservative intellectuals? It cannot be differences over policy. For as has been pointed out by Bill Kristol—one of the few conservative intellectuals who has been willing to say a good word about Mrs. Palin—her views are much closer to those of her conservative opponents than they are to the isolationists and protectionists on the "paleoconservative" right or to the unrealistic "realism" of the "moderate" Republicans who inhabit the establishment center.Our only quibble with the author would be his assumption that Barack Obama's IQ is higher than that of Sarah Palin. The president has said too many things which call his intelligence quotient into doubt, including his recent claim that employer health premiums will drop up to 3,000 percent under ObamaCare. Obama's continued refusal to allow the release of his college records leave us convinced that he has some potentially embarrassing things to hide.
Much as I would like to believe that the answer lies in some elevated consideration, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the same species of class bias that Mrs. Palin provokes in her enemies and her admirers is at work among the conservative intellectuals who are so embarrassed by her. When William F. Buckley Jr., then the editor of National Review, famously quipped that he would rather be ruled by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the combined faculties of Harvard and MIT, most conservative intellectuals responded with a gleeful amen. But put to the test by the advent of Sarah Palin, along with the populist upsurge represented by the Tea Party movement, they have demonstrated that they never really meant it.
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I remain more convinced than ever of the soundness of Buckley's quip, in the spirit of which I hereby declare that I would rather be ruled by the Tea Party than by the Democratic Party, and I would rather have Sarah Palin sitting in the Oval Office than Barack Obama.
Among Reagan's great strengths was his determination to speak the truth by, for example, calling the Soviets the "Evil Empire," and reminding us that "if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?"- JP
Palin has a similar capacity for speaking hard truths directly and without equivocation. True, she lacks the tempering and experience that Reagan received in two major presidential campaigns, as governor of California for eight years and in his time with GE on the rubber chicken circuit.
But tempering and practical wisdom come from a variety of paths in life and Palin's has certainly not been one of privilege or ease. She is closer to the plain-spoken Truman than to the eloquent FDR who inspired the younger Reagan. Her wisdom, such as it is, may not be profound but it clearly has been hard-earned. That may be exactly what is needed in a troubled nation headed toward that rendezvous with destiny of which Reagan spoke so often.
"Sarah Palin had a triumphant double-header this weekend. Unable to acknowledge outright that Sarah Palin is popular and influential, [CNN's] Candy Crowley on her Sunday show characterized Palin’s activities as 'busy' and 'lucrative'... And what is Al Gore’s net worth I wonder."- JP
Searchlight Shines Light on Wayward Washington- JP
Thank you, Tea Party Americans! A big thumbs up to the attendees, organizers and volunteers at yesterday’s inspiring Tea Party Express rally in Searchlight, Nevada. Take a look at these aerial photos from yesterday. What an amazing sight to see thousands and thousands of Americans show up in the middle of the desert to freely assemble and have their voices heard. In Harry Reid’s hometown (while he may have been doing a victory lap over the passage of Obamacare), more than 10,000 concerned citizens rallied to tell him and Speaker Pelosi that we’re ready for November.
We’re ready for a fundamental transformation of Washington – no need for their desired “fundamental transformation of America.”
The Tea Party Express rolls on... can’t wait to see you all in Boston on April 14th!
- Sarah Palin
Warning: Subject to New Politically Correct Language Police Censorship"We can't spare this woman. She fights!"
March Madness battles rage! My family and I join millions of Americans enjoying college basketball’s finest through March Madness. Underdogs always get my vote as we watch intense competition bring out the best in these accomplished teams.
The Final Four is an intense, contested series (kind of like a heated, competitive primary election), so best of luck to all teams, and watch for this principle lived out: the team that wins is the team that wants it more.
To the teams that desire making it this far next year: Gear up! In the battle, set your sights on next season’s targets! From the shot across the bow – the first second’s tip-off – your leaders will be in the enemy’s crosshairs, so you must execute strong defensive tactics. You won’t win only playing defense, so get on offense! The crossfire is intense, so penetrate through enemy territory by bombing through the press, and use your strong weapons – your Big Guns – to drive to the hole. Shoot with accuracy; aim high and remember it takes blood, sweat and tears to win.
Focus on the goal and fight for it. If the gate is closed, go over the fence. If the fence is too high, pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, parachute in. If the other side tries to push back, your attitude should be “go for it.” Get in their faces and argue with them. (Sound familiar?!) Every possession is a battle; you’ll only win the war if you’ve picked your battles wisely. No matter how tough it gets, never retreat, instead RELOAD!
- Sarah Palin
This is a surveyor's symbol
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This is a cross-hair
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And this is a "weiner"
"...places Internet, television and billboard advertisements to reach out to women with unplanned pregnancies and connect them with pregnancy resource centers (with hopes that they will not seek abortions)."The event will be held at the Austin Convention Center, and General Admission tickets start at $50, while seats in the Reserved Section are priced at $100 each. You can purchase tickets online here.
Thanks Searchlight! You're shining the spotlight on the wayward ways of Washington. Keep up the good work, the Tea Party Express rolls on...The TPX email also has some aerial photos of the rally which tend to support the larger crowd estimates. You can view them here.
"Patterico documents approximately 20 death threats against Sarah Palin and her family that have been made on Twitter by a liberal who expresses admiration for Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow... You probably won't hear about this anywhere else, but if a Glenn Beck fan threatened to murder Nancy Pelosi, it would be news."Another Black Conservative:
"While the left calls for Republicans to condemn violent acts and threats against Democrats, the left seems to be the ones making very real death threats... This leftwing nutjob is a fan of both Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. I know watching MSNBC rots your brain, but this guy is beyond the pale... When it comes to Sarah Palin, the left have a very unreal and unexplainable hatred for the woman. They way they carry on you would swear she ate all their children or something. How much do you want to bet, the media completely ignores this story?"Jim Hoft:
"At least one unhinged leftist is posting death threats to Sarah Palin and her family. Of course, the media is silent."Fire Andrea Mitchell:
"And naturally at the time of this posting, twitter has done nothing about this crazy left wing extremist’s account. What a shock... I’ll place a bet that not one of the lame stream media outlets mentions this."Right Pundits:
"Another Twitter user... has advocated shooting tea party activists. In particular he is advocating the assassination of former governor Sarah Palin and the murder of 'radical TP members.' To our knowledge these outrageous statement have received no media coverage and are not being investigated properly by the FBI."Left Coast Rebel:
"The violent Sarah Palin hater on Twitter... [is] a big fan of MSNBC. And he would like to see Sarah Palin dead along with her family... He wants Tea Party members dead too. Why isn't the FBI on this guy's ass?"Weasel Zippers:
"Liberal, violent and illiterate...he's a triple threat!... 100-1 odds this guy lives in his parent's basement... 10,000-1 He voted for Barack Obama."The Lonely Conservative:
"The dude’s obsessed with Palin and filled with hate for Republicans and conservatives. I follow over one thousand conservatives on twitter and never once have I seen a death threat. But you see this sort of thing from the left all the time."Steve Sibson:
"The same media so excited to rush to protect the 'defenseless' Congressmen barely mentioned that someone set Sarah Palin’s church on fire or that private citizens in California were personally harassed and targeted for simply suggesting that there should be a ballot initiative on marriage."Right Coast Girl:
"Here's more from the compassionate tolerant left today. These people are amazing. While the left strives to demonizing everyday Americans I find the most hateful rhetoric coming from these same people."- JP
"Sarah Palin is campaigning for John McCain because she values personal loyalty over political expediency. Sure, that’s a potential political weakness, but it’s also a sign of integrity... Choosing to support John McCain in the face of significant conservative opposition might not win Sarah Palin accolades for Beltway political savvy, but it says quite a bit about her character."- JP
As early as 6 .a.m., three hours before the duo was to take the stage, there were about 60 people standing in line outside the gymnasium.- JP
Alison Davis, 20, of Mesa... made no bones about it. She was there to see Sarah Palin. While she hasn’t made up her mind between McCain and Hayworth, she excitedly pointed out what she calls Palin’s common sense conservatism.
“I think she’s a great role model for young women,” said Davis, who is a freshman at Everest College in Mesa majoring in criminal investigations.
“I like her positions on abortion and health care and how she wants to make health care a free market. I like how she believes in bigger state government and smaller federal control.”
[...]
Mark Backman, 19, a senior at Dobson, also was standing close to the front of the line. He donned a T-shirt that read “America is ready for another revolution” and a red button that said “Palin Power”
Backman, who had been at the school since 3 a.m., said he plans to be an attorney and run for the U.S. Senate someday.
“I’m a big fan of Sarah Palin. I like her stance on the issues,” Backman said. “I think she’s a good person who has common sense values on the issues.”
By 7 a.m., the line had grown to roughly 500 people and snaked through the parking lot and onto the sidewalk. The crowd was peaceful and mostly celebratory. Volunteers and about a dozen police officers patrolled the grounds.
[...]
By 7:30 a.m. the line shuffled in and the gym was at its 2,000 capacity. The crowd began doing the wave.
With hundreds of RV’s and cars already arriving, organizers at the Tea Party Express are revising the projected crowd size for the rally higher - and expect more than 10,000 supporters to attend this historic event.The event will likely draw widespread coverage fromthe media, as the large contingent of reporters and camera crews that have been in Arizona to report on Gov. Palin campaigning for John McCain will follow her to Nevada. Registered viewers can watch on PJTV. Fox News is also streaming it here.
Supporters are coming in from every county in Nevada and every state in the nation.
“This event is exceeding even our own expectations. We’ve said it time-and-again, this has become a ‘Conservative Woodstock’ and tonight, this piece of land in the middle of the Nevada desert has a temporary population that has already surpassed that of the entire town of Searchlight, NV” said Joe Wierzbicki, Coordinator for the Tea Party Express.
"When Josh Marshall says ['We all see this'] what he means is that his sympathetic allies in the media will spend more time covering scurrilous accusations about violence on Democrats than they’ve ever devoted to people burning down Sarah Palin’s church or the Texas Governor’s Mansion or the violence inflicted by leftists during free trade meetings, or the death threats against Republicans during the Bush years, etc."- JP
Focusing on Washington themes rather than his competitor, former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth, Palin exhorted the crowd to "send the maverick back to the U.S. Senate" to fight the newly enacted health-care legislation and keep America safe.The full Arizona Republic story is here. The Arizona Star's coverage is here.
As she has seen in Alaska, she said, "only dead fish go with the flow," which she said McCain would not do.
"I was pretty excited when John McCain asked me to join him on the campaign trail this go-around here in Arizona," she added. "I couldn't wait to get some of the McCain-Palin team back together again … I think this go-around, when all of the votes are tallied, I think he's going to win this one."
For his part, McCain condemned the health-care legislation passed with support of Obama and Democrats in Congress. He called its passage "sleazy Chicago-style sausage-making."
"It's going to be repealed and replaced, and it's going to be done soon," he added.
The appearance was a national political curiosity and a likely boost to McCain's primary prospects.
Many who are ambivalent about McCain's conservative credentials said they came just to see the former Alaska governor, who has remained a luminary in Republican circles.
"I am thrilled that Governor Pawlenty is joining us for our April 7th rally with former Governor Sarah Palin and Representative Michele Bachmann. Governor Pawlenty is a great leader for our state who is sure to energize our wonderful grassroots activists. With over 7,000 tickets already given away to this one of a kind event, it’s clear Minnesotans are fired up and ready to go for November."Fox News host and radio talker Sean Hannity will also be there.
Catch Governor Sarah Palin's address at the Tea Party Express III mega rally in Searchlight, NV, the hometown of Majority Leader Harry Reid. Go to PJTV to watch Governor Palin's remarks on Saturday, March 27.To watch PJTV's live stream, you have to register. If you haven't already registered, click on "Register" in the upper right-hand portion of the screen.
Continuing coverage of the Tea Party Express III Tour will follow as it makes its way across the country, from Searchlight, NV, to Washington,DC, in time for a Tax Day rally.
There is justifiably some concern relating to the Tea Party, Sarah Palin, and violent threats. It’s just not quite what you’ve been hearing in Big Media.This dangerous radical leftist -- a fan of Olbermann and Madow, remember -- has been calling for the assassination of Gov. Palin and the murder of her family! Here are just a few of the messages he Tweeted:
On Twitter, a fellow calling himself Jason Brown... is threatening to kill Sarah Palin and her family.
Alert FReepers have archived all of the screenshots, as reported here, and they have forwarded them to the authorities.@sEaTtLe_MeTrO Death 2 Palin family them retarded hillbillies take teabaggers w/ you hateful bitchand this:We cant expect gov to intervene we must shoot Gen. Palin on site be 4 her troops strike again!and this:@interactionswst one word racism choose sides plain and simply that bitch Palin launch an attack, she need 2 b shot on site!and this:@Palin360 you need 2 b assassinated soon we ll settle 4 one of the family if not u!and this:maybe it takes a murder or 2 2 get the point across take aim at radical TP membersand this:@BRIANGLAD Palin will b met with gunfire her or her family[...]
and this:I cant wait till someone serious hurt that bitch Palin or one of her children soon she out of control![...]
and this:#hcr proof that Palin targeted Va. rep. w/ her map and someone followed up we have 2 stop this terrorist name Sarah someone please kill her!Damn violent teabaggers!
For some reason this one seems particularly ominous:Does anyone have that alaskan address 4 the Palins?
During the health care town hall meetings, it was SEIU thugs and Obama’s people who committed acts of violence. During the McCain-Palin 2008 campaign, Joanne – a friend I campaigned with – was routinely called a four-letter word that roughly rhymes with “country” and was twice nearly physically attacked for her support of Gov. Palin. The perpetrators of these acts? Obama supporters. Joanne also bore witness to an Obama supporter attacking someone campaigning for the McCain-Palin side.Take action! E-mail Patterico's post to every local and national media outlet and ask them to prove that their coverage is balanced by reporting these threats on Gov. Palin and her family. If you're a person of faith, pray that God protect Sarah Palin and her family to keep them safe from any harm and evil. And this time, we have no qualms about asking Gov. Palin and her team for one small favor -- please beef up your security detail. Finally, we call upon MSNBC to restrain the likes of Ed Schultz, Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. They have incited too many unhinged leftists toward violence already. It's well past time for them to back away from their dangerous narrative of hate.
Leftists talk trash about the TEA Party and 912 movements. “They’re fomenting violence,” leftists scream. Number of violent acts committed by TEA Party and 912 members? None. Number of politicians shot at by members of the TEA Party movement? None. Number of death threats made by TEA Partiers? None. The other leftist canard regarding the TEA Party movement is “racism.” Leftists proclaim loudly, “they hate Obama, because he’s black.” I have news for you: our issues with Obama have absolutely nothing to do with race or color. We find his policies repugnant, worthless, disgraceful, and contemptible, just like Jimmy Carter’s. Unlike the leftists; however, we are addressing our issues via legal means and doing it the American way. It’s leftists who acting out of blind hatred wanted President Bush assassinated. Now they’re after the entire Palin family.
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