The Bee: Sarah Palin speaks at Lemoore campus (Updated)

"There's no reason to destroy people's lives for bait."
*
According to the Fresno Bee, Gov. Palin started speaking at West Hills Community College in Lemoore at 5PM Pacific Time, and the crowd in the new Golden Eagle Arena gave her several standing ovations:

With a large United States flag as a backdrop, Palin talked for approximately 35 minutes, touching on subjects ranging from the growing national debt to water problems facing San Joaquin Valley farmers.

"We are printing up and buying our own notes at an unprecedented rate ... adding to our $14 trillion debt," she said.

She said Valley farmers are facing a government-imposed drought because the government is protecting a 3-inch fish. Protections for the delta smelt have cut off water that otherwise would be used for crops -- affecting farmland, farmers and workers, she said.

"Where I come from, a 3-inch fish,.. we call that bait. There's no reason to destroy people's lives for bait," Palin said.

As of Saturday, organizers had sold $180,000 to $185,000 in tickets. All the profits from the event will go to support scholarships, programs and facilities at WHCL.

Update: More coverage here, here and here.

- JP