AJC: Sarah Palin returns to Gwinnett June 29

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Former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin will return to Georgia June 29 for a speaking engagement at the P.U.R.E. Ministry Project, which provides assistance in ministering to people with disabilities. The event will be held at the Gwinnett Arena and gets underway at 7 PM local time.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Aaron Gould Sheinin wonders if the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate will bring with her an endorsement for candidates in any of Georgia’s upcoming Republican primaries:

Palin, the former governor of Alaska who rocketed to national fame as John McCain’s running mate in 2008, has traveled the country bestowing her mark of approval on a select group of Republican candidates.

Her endorsement has brought mixed results, with some wins and some losses. But two of her more recent high-profile endorsements had major impact: Carly Fiorina, the new Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in California, and Nikki Haley, the front-runner to win a Republican run-off for governor in South Carolina on Tuesday.

Gov. Palin recently told WSB radio in an interview that she will be speaking about special-needs children at the upcoming P.U.R.E. fundraiser:

“My heart is in this cause, making our country and hopefully ultimately our world a more welcoming place for those with special needs,” she told WSB Radio. “What we’re learning, certainly with our son, is that they teach us more than what we’ll ever be able to teach them in these wonderful lessons. It’s a blessed position that we’re in.”

Palin shared concerns about health reform legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama. Palin said she thinks the plan, dubbed ObamaCare by critics, hurts special-needs families because of a change in one of the tax provisions.

“I can be candid about this discussion about ObamaCare and some of the decisions being made in Washington, D.C. that I think disrespect life,” she said.

The governor said that she and her family have been traveling across the country to meet with Republican candidates for office and is supporting ones that “I believe respect the (U.S.) Constitution, respect life and equality and free enterprise.”

She has been critical of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, unhappy with their votes for measures which increase the national debt. The former governor and oil and gas commissioner is urging GOP candidates to return to the platform of the Republican party and to look to leaders in the private sector for solutions to the country's economic problems:

“(They) know best how to produce and contribute and grow and thrive and prioritize their income and what it is they produce,” she said. “Those things that are part of the Republican party plank and platform, that’s what Republicans need to get back to and not disappoint the electorate this go around.”

Gov. Palin last appeared in Gwinnett County in December 2008 to campaign for Saxby Chambliss, helping the Republican Senator win a run-off election. She and husband Todd first visited Georgia to watch their son, Track, graduate from basic training at Fort Benning.

- JP