SMH: Palin broadens horizons in troubled Haiti

"I do urge Americans not to forget Haiti"
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Samaritan's Purse Video

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Sarah Palin toured Haiti Sunday amid post-election unrest, comforting quake and cholera victims and gaining humanitarian kudos as she geared up for a possible White House bid in 2012.

The 46-year-old former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate was accompanied on the weekend trip by her husband Todd and 20-year-old daughter Bristol.

On the 11-month anniversary of January's devastating earthquake, there is deep political uncertainty in violence-plagued Haiti, where rioting after disputed elections killed five people this week.

During their tour, the Palins distributed Christmas shoe-box gifts to children, held the feet of baby cholera victims and offered solace to homeless quake survivors.

The cholera epidemic has claimed 2,200 lives since it erupted mid-October and concern is growing about its possible spread in the neighboring Dominican Republic where more than 20 people have been infected.

In a tightly-managed press opportunity on Sunday, Palin, the media superstar of American conservatism, spoke only briefly to reporters and refused to take questions.

"The reason why I won't be answering questions is because we don't need to be getting political here today, okay folks," Palin said.

"If some of these politicians would come here again, not to get political, but if some of the politicians would come here and see the conditions, perhaps they would see a need for say, military airlifts," she later added.

[...]

Before leaving the press conference on Sunday and surveying the destruction for herself with a helicopter tour of the ruined capital, Palin urged the world not to forget Haiti's plight.

"Young people, perhaps through Bristol's eyes, will be able to see that what really matters in life is not the material comforts that we seem to crave and strive for in the US," she said.

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Additional coverage: Reuters story here, video here. Katrina Trinko mentions it at NRO's The Corner here. Examiner Devonia Smith has an op-ed here and a photo gallery here. Greta Van Susteren posted a short video here. Greta will report on the Haiti trip in Monday's "On The Record" at 9PM Central on Fox News.

- JP