Gov. Palin & family at the National Archives (Updated)

"As she maintains her place atop the Republican field of potential candidates"
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Fox News reports that Sarah Palin's "One Nation" tour bus made a stop early Monday morning at the U.S. National Archives in Washington, D.C., as her tour continues to fuel speculation that about whether she will try to challenge President Obama in 2012:

"This isn't a campaign bus, this is a bus to be able to express to America how much we appreciate our foundation," Palin said after heading toward the bus carrying her family to famous historical sites on their summer vacation.


Palin said she doesn't doubt that a Republican could defeat Obama in 2012.

"Any Republican candidate is very, very electable," she said. "I think Americans are ready for true change."

But as for her own plans, "We're still kind of contemplating that," Palin said.

Palin said she launched the bus tour -- with family in tow, including two children who've never been to Washington, D.C. -- to bring attention "to our charters of liberty."

"The mission that we are on is to highlight America's foundation, and that's a nice thing that we're getting to do," she said.

She said she is interested in restoring a sense of American exceptionalism by highlighting the historic sites. She reportedly was scheduled to be in Philadelphia later Monday to visit the Liberty Bell.

[More]

Another stop on the tour will be at Mount Vernon, a somewhat frustrated CNN producer Peter Hamby revealed via Twitter:

Palin advance dudes roll into special entrance at Mt Vernon. Palin will do a mansion tour. Press will be "allowed" to take pictures.

Mount Vernon was, of course, the home of the hero of our nation's revolution and its first president, whom Gov. Palin was ridiculed for saying was her favorite of all the founders. Of course, the left would have mocked her no matter which of the founders had named. They were all just a bunch of rich white guys who didn't pay enough taxes and owned slaves, in the eyes of "progressives." Never mind that some of them were not wealthy and in fact lost all their material possessions for becoming revolutionaries. Never mind, either, that many -- John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, and Benjamin Rush among them -- were opposed to slavery, and some of those who did own slaves as subjects of the British crown -- George Washington, John Dickinson, Caesar Rodney, William Livingston, and John Randolph of Roanoke are but a few examples -- released their slaves in the years following America’s separation from Great Britain.

Update: SarahPAC has posted photos of Sarah and family's visit to the National Archives.

- JP