Quote of the Day (June 30, 2011)

Sarah Palin Addresses Crowd After “The Undeated” Debut
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Randy E Dye, at Randy’s Right:

“Sarah Palin gave an impromptu speech after the premiere of the new movie ‘The Undefeated’ in Pella, Iowa Tuesday evening. If you notice, unlike certain politicians, including some potential GOP nominees, Sarah never uses ‘I’ when talking about the accomplishments she achieved. She says ‘we’ and emphasizes it was a team effort. Sarah even goes so far as to say the movie itself isn’t about her, but about the American spirit. After listening to both Obama and a certain Congressperson use ‘I’ and ‘me’ ad nauseum when they speak, this is quite refreshing.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 323

“The Chase” Edition
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Mark Whittington, at Associated Content:

“The merry chase that Palin has been leading much of the American people, especially the media, on reminds one of the old fashioned description of courtship, ‘A man chases a woman until she catches him.’ Indeed, Palin has been behaving like the very proper lady she is when it comes to political wooing, not saying yes or no, not showing too much leg (to use a metaphor), and giving just enough encouragement to keep everyone interested. In the not too distant future, when the excitement has been stoked up to a fever pitch, there will come the big announcement, which will likely be in a venue and manner that will be unique and creative. Then the hopeful volunteers who have been organizing in various parts of the country will get to work and the campaign will begin in earnest. At least that is the scenario, which bespeaks of a plan hatched by someone with the guile of Sun Tzu.”

Bristol Palin, to Jerry Penacoli:

“What's talked about at our dinner table is going to stay there.”

Allahpundit, at Hot Air:

“Sure sounds like there has been a decision, that Bristol’s heard it from mom herself, and that the family’s agreed to stay mum until the right moment. And since it’s hard to believe that BP would say she’s ‘absolutely’ in favor of mom running if she knew for a fact that her decision was not to run, I think we can guess what Sarah’s decision must be.”

Stacy McCain, at The Other McCain:

“I’m feeling pretty doggone Undefeated, you might say”

Jelayne Sessler, at Defending Sarah Palin:

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and declare that the ‘Lamestream Media’ is out of ammo. To their own demise they have managed to keep Sarah Palin in the public eye, turn the stomachs of many of their devout listeners and most outstandingly; they’ve managed to make Sarah Palin stronger than ever before. Right after we welcome President Palin to the White House on Vindication Day, I mean, Inauguration day 2013, I say we throw a freedom party and invite Rock N' Roll artist, Pat Benatar to sing... Hit Me With Your Best Shot!”

Nico Hines, via Twitter:

“Team Palin held discussions tonight with the Iowa Tea Party over organising a united bus tour #she'llbeback”

Editorial, in the Creston News Advertiser:

“Palin was signing buttons, books and other memorabilia left and right, at which point I was able to hand her my column that I had written about her. Confused, she looked up for an explanation, a request I was more than happy to oblige. I introduced myself and shook her hand, explaining that I wrote the opinion column for the Creston News Advertiser where I worked at as a staff reporter. ‘I wrote about your resume and your accomplishments,’ I said. ‘I tried to set the truth straight, just like your video.’ She looked me in the eyes and thanked me. Palin signed her autograph and wrote ‘keep the faith’ and ‘thank you’ beneath it.”

Merv, at PrairiePundit:

“She may still jump in the race and many think she has a shot if she does.”

Dr. Bob Leonard, at KNIA/KRLS:

“Former Republican Vice Presidential candidate, and possible future presidential candidate Sarah Palin was in Pella Tuesday. Accompanying her was an elite team of bodyguards. Who are they? What do they do? How do they do it, and what do they watch for in the crowd? Dr. Bob Leonard speaks with Mark Spicer and Chris Kyle with Craft International...”

Mr.L's Tavern:

“Why Sarah Palin & conservatives are Undefeated. The Undefeated could've been called The Underestimated.”

Steve Markowitz, at EnduringSense:

“On June 10 we posted an article titled ‘Palin Derangement Syndrome.’ That day the state of Alaska released over 24,000 pages of Palin email messages from between December 2006 and September 2008. The news media has since been scavenging through them attempting to dig up dirt on Palin. Guess what? There isn’t any dirt. According to Louise Radnofsky of the Wall Street Journal, the ‘emails to and from Sarah Palin have so far produced no major revelations about her tenure as Alaska governor. But they’ve painted a behind-the-scenes portrait of her as focused on her state, with few close ties to the national Republican Party or its key issues.’ The only surprise for the Left from the Palin emails is that she is what she presents. We have heard but a whimper from the Leftist press on this reality. The Plain email affair raises an interesting question: Does anyone believe Barack Obama’s past could stand up to such scrutiny?”

Austin Bureau, of the Dallas Morning News:

“Such is Sarah Palin’s star power that a jubilant crowd and an army of paparazzi lined the street for a noncampaign event by a noncandidate attending a non-Hollywood movie premiere.”

Fire Andrea Mitchell:

“Sarah Palin is the idiot, Michele Bachmann is a moron, but Obama is brilliant. So brilliant in fact he doesn’t even know what year it is, how many states there are in America, or even if he awarded a Medal of Honor to someone who died five years ago. Obama is so brilliant in fact that he doesn’t even know the age of his oldest daughter Malia Obama.”

Brad Jackson, at The New Ledger:

“On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Matt Lewis from the Daily Caller to discuss his new book, The Quotable Rogue about Sarah Palin...”

Bernie Quigley, at The Hill's Pundits Blog:

“AFP reports that Iran secretly tested ‘nuclear-capable missiles’: ‘Iran has carried out secret tests of ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload in breach of U.N. resolutions, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Wednesday ... Hague's comments came a day after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said they had fired 14 missiles in an exercise, one of them a medium-range weapon capable of striking Israel or U.S. targets in the Gulf.’ But will Obama, in Sarah Palin’s phrase, ‘toughen up’? It is the right thing to do but of course it would be murderously immoral to do so now for apparent political reasons. But then that has not stopped them before (‘Arab Spring,’ Libya?). Nevertheless, it is work that needs to be done and if Obama doesn’t do it President Sarah Palin will. Her political intelligence and instincts are the best. She speaks clearly on this issue and did so when all others were silent.”

Exit Quote: Sun Tzu, from The Art of War:

“One who sets the entire army in motion to chase an advantage will not attain it.”

- JP

Special 'leaders' screenings of 'The Undefeated' tonight

Tonight's screenings are for LEADERS of organizations only.
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There will be special screenings of "The Undefeated," the landmark documentary about Gov. Palin, ahead of its official July 15 release date tonight in ten cities. Tonight's screenings are for LEADERS of organizations only.

Two of the locations for tonight's showing are in Texas. One will be at the Gulf Pointe 30 in Houston (RSVP here), and the other in the DFW suburb of Grapevine (get on the waiting list here).

For the times and locations of the screenings in other cities, check here.

h/t: Mary Benton & Kathleen Thompson

- JP

ICYMI: SarahPAC offers early release DVD of 'The Undefeated'

"Now you and I must fix our eyes on 2012."
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In case you missed it (ICYMI), SarahPAC has extended an offer, made earlier to prior donors, to also include first-time contributors of $100 or more, to receive an early release copy of 'The Undefeated" on DVD:

Taking back control of the House last year was only the first step. Now you and I must fix our eyes on 2012. Our goal is to take back the White House and the Senate. We must take back control of Congress and the White House in order to undo the damage done by the disastrous Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda.

I’ll be supporting commonsense conservative candidates in crucial off-year elections and doing all that I can to ramp up our preparations for 2012. And I promise to join you in holding new members of Congress accountable to ensure that they live up to their campaign promises to rein in out-of-control government spending and to repeal and replace the massive, burdensome, and unwanted Obamacare bill.

Can I count on your support as we look ahead to 2012?

If we remember correctly, today is the last day of the FEC's six-month filing period, so if you donate today, your contribution will be included in the total amount reported by SarahPAC on its next filing statement, which should be out in a few days.

h/t: Jim Geraghty

- JP

Stephen Bannon to release an uncut version of 'The Undefeated'

On Hollywood's hatred for Gov. Palin: "It's hypocrisy. Let's call it what it is."
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Stephen Bannon, director of "The Undefeated," plan to release an uncut version of his film about the emergence of Sarah Palin on the national political scene. That version of the documentary will present an uncensored look at what the filmmaker calls a "pop-culture beat-down" of the former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate:

Although the film has been tagged with only a PG-13 rating for "brief strong language" by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, Bannon said he has created an explicit cut of the film that demonstrates that beat-down in more graphic terms. "I took out all sorts of violence and masked the vulgarity for the theatrical release because I wanted families to be able to see the film," Bannon told 24 Frames on Wednesday.

In the cut that will be shown in AMC movie theaters beginning July 15, Madonna, Louis C.K. and Pamela Anderson are among those shown in public appearances to be using epithets about the former vice presidential candidate.

Bannon said the new cut would feature things like "crucifixions, lynching and suicides," but declined to say who was behind these comments or where they appeared, saying only vaguely that they came from "Facebook and Twitter."

"People think Tina Fey is the worst of what's out there, and they have no idea," he said, referring to the actress' impersonations of Palin on "Saturday Night Live."

[...]

The filmmaker said his alternative version would be released to television via on-demand platforms and a deal with DirecTV. A spokesman for the satellite operator did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment.

[More]

Although many political figures have been attacked with hateful language and even threats on their lives, Bannon said he believes Palin has been a singular target of hatemongers.

- JP

Gov. Palin: 'It's not about me...'

"It's about America's values."
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Sarah Palin's impromtu remarks at the conclusion of the Pella screening of "The Undefeated":


h/t: Iowans 4 Palin

- JP

David Brody: Palin Attends Film Premiere, But Will She Run?

The crowd in Pella supported Sarah, no matter what the media has to say about her.
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CBN News Chief Political Correspondent David Brody filed this report from Pella, IA:


- JP

Craig Robinson: Sarah Palin Is Still the GOP’s Biggest Star

The people just flocked to her in Pella, and she handled it all with grace.
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At The Iowa Republican, Craig Robinson reflects on the city of Pella, "The Undefeated," and Sarah Palin:

Pella was the perfect setting to unveil the new Palin documentary, The Undefeated, because, in many ways, it could be said that the community of Pella is undefeated. While many parts of the state are dealing with high unemployment, Marion County, which includes Pella, has seen its unemployment rate dropped from 7.3 percent in January to 5.7 percent in May, which is below the state average.

The community, which has 2400 more registered Republicans than Democrats, embraced the movie premier and Palin visit. The day before her visit, the movie producer and other advance staff could be heard laughing throughout the downtown with public safety officials. As always, the community of Pella put its best foot forward as the spotlight shined upon its picturesque city.

[...]

Palin was amazing in Pella [Tuesday]. As she and Todd made their way though various shops in the downtown area, onlookers would stop to say hello, ask to take a photo, or get an autograph. Palin took it all in stride. Even though she is a huge media sensation, she is somehow able to remain grounded. Nothing illustrated that more than the bug splattered Chevy Malibu that they drove to Pella.

The media couldn’t help but try and compare Palin to Michele Bachmann, who officially launched her presidential campaign on Monday. They both connect to people, and both have star power, but having seem them both in Iowa in the span of 24 hours, it’s clear that Palin will always be the original female GOP star. That’s not an insult toward Bachmann, but Palin’s star shines brighter.

I thought it was pretty remarkable that Palin, who is a national political phenomenon, came to this small Iowa town, strolled through the town square, watched a two-hour movie with 300 plus locals, and then spent several hours meeting people and shaking hands at the cook out that followed the movie premier. The people just flocked to her in Pella last night, and she handled it all with grace.

By Robinson's reckoning, Gov. Palin must have posed for a thousand photos and signed hundreds of autographs Tuesday night. He found it remarkable that she she could have left at any time, but instead "patiently worked through the crowd until she hit the door of her car." Palin supporters have become accustomed to witnessing Gov. Palin's generosity with her time. When she's not on a tight schedule, she always seems to devote much of her time to everyday Americans. It's just one of the reasons why crowds, including the one in Pella Tuesday, loves her. She's one of us.

- JP

Day By Day (June 30, 2011)

Neanderthals
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Good morning! It's a wonderful life if we just take it Day By Day:


Please support Chris Muir's pro-Palin Day By Day.

- JP

Quote of the Day (June 29, 2011)

Sarah Palin Says Her Celebrity Critics Are “Full of Hate”…
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ZIP, at Weasel Zippers:

“Understatement of the year.”

- JP

Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin Sign Books at MOA

Mother & daughter draw crowd of 1500
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Sarah Palin joined her daughter Bristol Wednesday for a book signing in the Twin cities area of Minnesota:

People lined up throughout the day at the Mall of America in Bloomington as Bristol Palin made an appearance for her new memoir, titled Not Afraid of My Life. My Journey So Far. Fans needed to purchase the book to get it signed.

To get Sarah Palin’s autograph, fans had to buy either America By Heart or Going Rogue.

According to the Associated Press, MOA estimated that about 1500 people turned out for the event. Photos here.

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 322

“Is it real, or is it Meme-O-Left?” Edition
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AWR Hawkins, at Big Hollywood:

“Sarah Palin is a thorn in the flesh of leftists. Although they hurl their best invectives at her, and go through her emails, and make fun of her son Trig, and mock the fact that she went to college in flyover country, she still emerges as ‘The Undefeated’ and they come out looking (and sounding) like a group of embittered sorority girls. That’s why every failed attack on her is simply followed by another more direct and more ruthless one, all of which are aimed at accomplishing what none has yet been able to accomplish: eliminating Palin as a viable political force. The latest attack is an anti-Palin propaganda film by British filmmaker Nick Broomfield... What’s strange about all this is that Palin had an 88% approval rating from the people of Alaska during the very time Bitney and Green claim she was aloof and not listening... Therefore, concerning the Broomfield propaganda film, I guess we’re left with the choice of either believing a left-leaning filmmaker who’s out to ‘deliver the goods’ on Palin or the people of Alaska, who gave her a thumbs-up on job performance at ratio of almost 9 to 1. For me, that’s not a hard choice at all.”

AWR Hawkins, at Big Government:

“Last night in Pella, Iowa... ‘The Undefeated’ was finally premiered... For those who are paying attention, the setting for the premiere as well as the guest list both serve as a microcosm of what President Palin’s White House will look like.”

Joshua Green, at left-leaning The Atlantic:

“The event had the air of a revival; supporters had come from as far away as Dallas and were rapturous at the sight of their shepherd... Palin appears to have come to Pella primarily to support Bannon's film and cheer on her supporters. She didn't drop any overt hints about the presidency that I picked up on, besides pledging to devote ‘110 percent’ to Iowa if she did run. Even so, crowd members kept approaching her and urging her to run, and after seeing the film, those feelings seemed only to intensify. There can be little doubt that if she does decide to run, Palin won't lack for committed Iowans. Several that I spoke to were skipping the barbecue to attend Tea Party caucus training sessions.”

JoshuaGreen, via Twitter:

“Palin crowd is probably 1000, I'd guess: http://yfrog.com/kimmrisj”

Kathie Obradovich, at the Des Moines Register:

“I joined the horde to walk a half-block from the Pella Opera House, where Sarah Palin attended a screening of a documentary about her, ‘The Undefeated.’ ... Palin assured some others along the way that if she runs for president, she would run in Iowa... Craig Bergman, who has been traveling with the Iowa Tea Party bus tour, said he’s sure she’s going to run. Before seeing the movie, he said, Palin was his No. 2 choice after Ron Paul. After the movie, he said, ‘She’s my No. 1.’ Bergman said he was speaking for himself, not the tea party.”

Patrick S. Adams, at Patrick's World USA:

“Sarah Palin came to Pella, IA yesterday and the love affair was mutual.”

Kevin Scholla, at Palin Twibe:

“We still don't know whether Sarah Palin will run for president in 2012, but if she does, ‘The Undefeated’ may just be her secret weapon... The most incredible testimony into the character of Sarah Palin is her stunning decision to give up a six figure position because she felt that would be the best move for the state. Sarah and her husband Todd were not wealthy people. Still, she did what was right instead of what was easy. Bannon showcases numerous examples of stories like this that were rarely reported on when Palin was running for Veep. Instead the media focused on her clothes, her accent, and really anything else they could use as a tool to break the Barracuda. Three years later, it is clear they failed.”

Steve Holland, of Reuters:

“Palin has carefully left the door open to a campaign. Her appearance in Iowa was likely to encourage those who think the former Alaska governor still might jump into a wide-open race.”

Tony Lee, at Human Events:

“Barack Obama vs. Sarah Palin. It is a title fight many want to see in 2012... At Alcoa Davenport Works Factory in Bettendorf, Iowa, Obama discussed manufacturing’s role in an economy he is steering toward bankruptcy and insolvency. The buzz, though, was a little to the west in Pella, where Palin attended the premiere of The Undefeated, a documentary directed and produced, independently of Palin, by Stephen K. Bannon, who said he made the film because he saw it as an opportunity to turn a profit, as a capitalist venture... The screening of the movie was sold out, as was the barbecue held after the screening, where, according to various estimates, more than a thousand people showed up.”

Scott Conroy, via Twitter:

“I gave Palin chance to tell the organize4palin folks to stop & go home, instead she encouraged them. Would be odd if shes decided not to run”

Bonney Kapp, of See-BS News:

“Conservative muckraker Andrew Breitbart said he believes former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will throw her hat in the ring for the Republican nomination for president. ‘My guess is yes,’ Breitbart said when asked by CBS News Tuesday if he thought Palin would run... ‘She represents something defiant and fearless and righteous and decent,’ he explained, and said the two hour pro-Palin movie ‘represents vindication’ from her detractors. But it's not just vindication from the so-called mainstream media. Breitbart called out ‘establishment Republicans,’ accusing them of sitting on the sidelines, ‘watching [Palin] be devoured because they don't want to see her succeed.’”

Andrew Breitbart, via Twitter:

“1st time I spent time w Palins last night. Divide between real @SarahPalinUSA & media's distorted persona is more grotesque than I thought.”

Matt Lewis, at The Daily Caller:

“I think one has to understand the spirit of Alaska to understand Palin. It is a vast and untamed land, and this serves to foster a culture of rugged individualism that is at odds with the politically-correct values that permeate places like Washington, D.C. and New York City. This cultural disconnect has much to do with why Palin is viewed as a common-sense breath of fresh air by some Americans — and as an evil bumpkin by others. I also think gender also has something to do with the level of hatred. Clearly, the left viewed Palin as an existential threat, and pulled out all the stops to try to stop her from smashing that glass ceiling. They accused her of wanting to ban books, they hacked her personal emails and posted them on the internet, they said Trig wasn’t her son…This is pretty low and despicable stuff.”

Matt Lewis, via Politico:

“Regardless of who said it, or who people think said it, at some point, truth takes a back seat to hearsay, especially when it comes to quoting (and misquoting) the words of politicians... Fortunately for Palin, her real words are finally getting a second act.”

The Radio Patriot:

“There is evil around us. Dark, raging, fang-baring evil. The kind of malevolent foulness that gives off its own stench, nightmares and spine shivers. It walks (prowls) among us, taking many shapes. It reveals itself in those possessed of a hatred for all that is beautiful, wholesome and good. It is satanic. And it is real… Witness this (from The Blaze): When Sarah Palin showed up in Pella, IA to attend a screening of her own documentary, ‘The Undefeated,’ she hadn’t seen all the footage beforehand. So when the film opened with people calling her ‘slutty,’ ‘scary,’ and a ‘bit**,’ she was a little taken aback. ‘This is the first that I’ve seen much of that. It kind of takes you back,’ she told The Hollywood Reporter (THR). ‘It makes you want to reach out to some of these folks and say, What’s your problem? And what was the problem? And what is the problem?’... Glenn Beck this morning on his radio program repeated Thomas Jefferson’s words: ‘I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.’ Indeed.”

Exit Quote: Proverbs 11:3, in The New American Bible:

“The honesty of the upright guides them; the faithless are ruined by their duplicity.”

- JP

Shushannah Walshe: Sarah Palin the Undefeated

“I’ve got a mission. I want to see us elect the right leader.”
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In her Wednesday Daily Beast column, Shushannah Walshe notes that although Sarah Palin doesn't seem to be in any hurry to announce her decision about running in 2012, that's not stopping her devoted and determined supporters in Iowa from working the state for her, even if it means packing up and moving there:

Insiders continue to stress that a decision probably will not be announced before fall, but even they concede they may find out right before the rest of the world.

Palin has no paid staff on the ground in the crucial state, but that does not mean she doesn’t have people working on her behalf—quite the contrary. She has an army of volunteers, led by an attorney from California who has completely relocated to Iowa to organize for Palin.

Peter Singleton has fully committed himself to the task, even though he says he has never met Palin. Surprisingly, he didn’t even take the opportunity to meet her at the screening, although he helped the team of conservative filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon—who put up $1 million of his own money to make the film—organize invites for the post-screening barbecue. “She doesn’t need to talk to me to have my support,” he explained.

Singleton spends his days and nights going to county GOP meetings across the state and urging caucus-goers to support Palin…all before she has made up her mind, at least according to the former governor.

“I’ve got a mission. I want to see us elect the right leader. The stakes are incredibly high and I think she is our best candidate,” Singleton told The Daily Beast.

[More]

Peter Singleton and his Iowa chapter of O4P are indeed on a mission. Their groundbreaking ground pounding in Iowa should serve as an inspiration to grassroots Palin supporters across the nation. Game on!

- JP

Toby Harnden: Sarah Palin's man in Iowa says she will run in 2012

“I can’t see her sitting this one out. The stakes are too high.”
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The Telegraph's Toby Harnden has written an in depth profile piece on O4P's main man on the ground in Iowa, who says Gov. Palin will make a grassroots campaign for president in 2012:

Speaking to me after the premiere of the film “The Undefeated” in Pella, Iowa, Peter Singleton, a California lawyer who has been assiduously courting Republicans across the state where the first contest of the 2012 election will be heard, said it was “unthinkable” she would remain on the sidelines.

“She’s the right person at this time,” he said. “If you look back at Churchill’s time, in 1938 Churchill was unelectable, in 1940 he was indispensable.

“I can’t see her sitting this one out,” he said. “The stakes are too high. It goes back to 1940. Can you see Churchill sitting it out? It’s unthinkable. Can you see George Washington in 1776 sitting it out? Unthinkable. He wanted to be back on his farm but they said we need you to be president of the republic.”

[...]

It was Mr Singleton who telephoned Beth Hill, director of the Pella Opera House, last Thursday to ask her whether “The Undefeated”, a full-throated defence of Mrs Palin and her career, could be shown there. He then visited to look at the auditorium and put Stephen Bannon, the film’s director on the phone to speak to her.

“Peter came here and he found our town reflected Sarah Palin’s small town, conservative values,” she said. Mr Singleton was also instrumental in distributing the 332 tickets for the film as well as inviting 1,000 Iowans, including many key Republican leaders in the state, for a barbecue afterwards.

When I asked about his involvement, Mr Singleton said that he was an old friend of Mr Bannon and he had been just one of ” a bunch of people” who had helped set up the screening.

[More]

Too bad we can't clone Peter Singleton, but O4P can do the next best thing by sending as many of its key people to spend some time on the ground with him. If the other 49 state can be organized for Gov. Palin as well as Peter has accomplished in Iowa, she could indeed mount a 2012 grassroots campaign for the presidency “the likes of which you’ve never seen.”

- JP

Gov. Palin: 'What would make someone be so full of hate?'

"By their fruits ye shall know them."
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Sarah Palin was not spared the "Three Minute Hate" sequence as she sat in the fifth row of the Pella Opera House Tuesday night watching the world premiere of the film which documents the good, the bad and the ugly about her political career. If the good is represented by her accomplishments as a mayor and a governor, and the bad by the way the media misrepresented her and ignored her accomplishments, the ugly would have to be the opening montage in which such Hollywood celebrities as Matt Damon, David Letterman, Bill Maher and others angrily attack her using language so vulgar it would make a pirate blush. The Hollywood Reporter's Paul Bond interviewed Gov. Palin about the Hollywood hate sequence:

After the movie, as throngs of supporters and reporters clamored for attention, THR asked her: "In the first 10 minutes where all the celebrities are trashing you, how do you respond to something like that?"

Palin said she hadn't seen or heard much of the TV and radio footage before seeing it in the movie, which bleeped some of the dirtier language, though it was easy to determine what the entertainers were saying, including lots of profane references to the female anatomy.

"This is the first that I've seen much of that. It kind of takes you back," she told THR. "It makes you want to reach out to some of these folks and say, What's your problem? And what was the problem? And what is the problem?

"What would make a celebrity, like you saw on screen, so hate someone that they'd seek their destruction, their death, the death of their children? What would make someone be so full of hate and, I guess, a sense of being threatened that they would want to see that person destroyed?"

[More]

In a perfect world, her Hollywood attackers would have to confront Sarah Palin with their vile hatred in person, rather from the relative safety of their nightclub acts and television shows. Then Sarah could wash their mouths out with lye soap while Todd teaches their partners in degeneracy the manners their parents obviously failed to impart.

- JP

Video: Palin Pella Premiere

She says she is planning on coming back to Iowa
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Video courtesy of WHO-TV

- JP

Caffeinated Thoughts: Palin Documentary Sets the Record Straight

"It was well done, and worth the watch."
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Our friend in Iowa Shane Vander Hart was one of the 300 who filled the Pella Opera House for the world premiere of "The Undefeated" while some 700 more people outside made their way to the Molengracht for the post-screening BBQ dinner so well organized by Organize 4 Palin. Here's an excerpt from his review:

I was struck by my emotional reaction to the opening scene. I was angry. I was angry at how Governor Palin and her family was treated. I was angry about how many in the Republican establishment remained silent while she was savaged. I’m not talking about pointing out policy differences or criticizing her record, but rather the personal attacks that she experienced day in and day out after she picked as Senator John McCain’s running mate.

It drove a narrative which in turn distorted her record. That is what this movie is trying to correct. Most of the movie is about her time as Mayor of Wasilla, how she helped to bolster the infrastructure and in doing so, helped to create an environment where small businesses could develop jobs. She did this while cutting taxes.

It showed her as a reformer, unafraid of standing up to Big Oil, and corruption within her own party. She resigned as a oil and gas commissioner out of principle in order to stand up to ethics violations which then Governor Frank Murkowski turned a blind eye to. When she ran for Governor, she not only beat an incumbent Governor in the primary, she then went on to beat former Alaska Governor Tony Knowles.

The movie did a great job pointing out her legislative accomplishments...

[More]

Shane also had the presence of mind to capture most of Gov. Palin's impromptu remarks inside the Opera House as the closing credits rolled by on the screen. You can view that video and read his full review at Caffeinated Thoughts.

- JP

Day By Day (June 29, 2011)

Trials
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Good morning! It's a wonderful life if we just take it Day By Day:


Please support Chris Muir's pro-Palin Day By Day.

- JP

Quote of the Day (June 28, 2011)

‘Run Sarah, Run!’
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John Nolte, at Big Hollywood:

“There’s a lot of good people already running for the GOP nomination, most especially Herman Cain and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, but I would love to see Governor Palin throw her hat in the ring. No one better understands that the MSM is the real opponent in 2012 and no one is better prepared — through her own experience and social media savvy — to defeat them. She was also one helluva chief executive of Alaska and happens to be right on almost every issue. Can I get a … Run Sarah, run!”

- JP

Fox News Video: Palin Undecided and 'Undefeated'

"This film transcends politics..."
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Here's the Fox News package that aired on Greta Van Susteren's "On the Record" Tuesday night:


- JP

Journal-Express: Rave reviews for 'The Undefeated' in Pella

"I think it's something the average American needs to see."
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Steve Woodhouse of Knoxville, Iowa's Journal-Express reports that many of those who viewed the world premiere showing of "The Undefeated" emerged from the Pella Opera House with rave reviews of the documentary:

"The Undefeated," a documentary chronicling the political career of former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin recently finished its premiere at the Pella Opera House. Those in attendance, most of whom are Republican supporters, enjoyed the film.

"I thought it was just great," Mike Olson of Pella said. He called Palin courageous and worthy of a second look for a potential presidential run by Republicans and the country.

"I thought it was a great infomercial," says Pella resident Barb Kniff. She said the film lets the audience know who Palin is. Kniff views Palin as someone who is for the people, someone who puts God first. All of the hype surrounding Palin, is warranted, she added.

Kniff reports that Palin spoke to the crowd. During that speech, one in which he audience had hoped would include a candidacy declaration, Palin appeared to be a Ronald Reagan Republican who wants America to return to its founding principles.

As for the film itself, non-Pella residents made the trip to see it. They, too, had positive things to say.

[More]

In my review of "The Undefeated," I concluded that the film has the potential to change a lot of minds and thus change the game. Game On! Changes ahead...

- JP

Gov. Palin at the BarBQ in Pella

A good listener can go a long way in politics...
*

Many more Pella photos at Politicons

- JP

Scott Conroy: Palin Vows '110 Percent' Commitment To Iowa

"What is talked about on the fishing boat stays on the fishing boat."
*
Reporter Scott Conroy is in Pella, Iowa, where he caught up with Sarah Palin and asked her if she would fully commit to traditional retail politicking in the key early primary state should she get into the 2012 presidential contest:

"110 percent," Palin told RealClearPolitics before entering the premiere of a documentary that extols her accomplishments in office. "Doing as much as I can to garner that support. It's necessary."

Dressed down in blue jeans, Palin strolled through the center of this picturesque town with her husband Todd and greeted supporters who gathered to cheer her on outside the screening of filmmaker Steven K. Bannon's "The Undefeated" at the 110-year-old Pella Opera House.

Asked about her daughter Bristol's pronouncement during an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday morning that her mother "definitely knows" whether she intends to launch a White House bid, Palin said that she texted Bristol after hearing about the remark.

"I said, ‘What did you say this morning, honey?'" Palin said with a smile. "I told Bristol, too, what is talked about on the fishing boat stays on the fishing boat."

[...]

As Palin finally made her way to the entrance of the opera house, she greeted Bannon with a hug.

"I'm very grateful that someone would bother to go to these efforts to make a documentary about the record of my team in Alaska that worked so hard for energy security and ethics reform and privatizing businesses that should never be in government's hands," Palin said. "This film really is a great illustration of what it is that you can accomplish as a team, a bipartisan approach, just commonsense solutions to some tough issues. We tackled it, we succeeded, and someone went to the trouble of documenting what it was that we accomplished. I appreciate that, so that brings me to Iowa."

[More]

If Bristol is correct that her mother has made a decision, Gov. Palin is clearly not yet ready to announce it.

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 321

“Take a Stand” Edition
*

Stephen Bannon, in The Arena via CNN:

“One of the central theses of ‘The Undefeated’ is that Governor Palin is an existential threat to the existing political establishment as she proved to be a threat to the Republican establishment in Alaska. At the same time, Governor Palin has succeeded in capturing the American political imagination because her story is a true American success story of someone who, out of her desire to make a difference and her commitment to her values, took a stand and got involved, and was unwavering against any headwinds that she faced in making great change in Alaska and through her involvement with the Tea Party movement.”

Craig Robinson, at The Iowa Republican:

“Todd and Sarah Palin have made their way to Iowa. They were spotted by a loyal TIR reader moments ago at the Panera Bread Store on 86th Street in Urbandale. The Palins were swarmed by lunch patrons.”

Craig Robinson, to The Daily Beast's Shushannah Walshe:

“Is [Palin] going to sit down and meet with the people you would go through if you were going to launch a presidential campaign? No, but I think she will interact with very conservative people, very active Republicans. She will be mingling with caucus-goers... In Iowa, in a caucus state, big-name operatives and consultants are overrated. You need your county GOP chair and people willing to make phone calls and organize your neighbors. That’s what caucuses are about. Those are the most important people she can meet, the people that are really Sarah Palin fans, not a potential campaign manager or potential caucus director. The people she will be mingling with are quite important.”

Jim Hoft, at Gateway Pundit:

“There will be a full house tonight at the premiere of the Sarah Palin movie ‘The Undefeated’ tonight in Pella, Iowa. Sadly, there weren’t enough tickets for all of the media cranks that wanted to attend the premiere.”

Paul Bond, at The Hollywood Reporter:

“Reporters from around the country that have descended upon tiny Pella, Iowa for the premiere of the Sarah Palin documentary ‘The Undefeated’ on Tuesday night are in for a rude awakening: So scarce are the tickets that there’s no room in the theater for journalists... Most of the 340 tickets went to Iowans and some of the commentators featured in the film, like Tammy Bruce and Sonnie Johnson. The most controversial cast member – not including Palin herself – is Andrew Breitbart, who is expected to be a last-minute arrival on Tuesday. ‘I didn’t invite all my right-wing Hollywood friends,’ Bannon said. ‘Jon Voight, Dennis Miller, I’ll have a screening for those guys later. I’d actually like them to buy a ticket, but they’re so tight… And you can quote me on that,’ he joked.”

Sheila Marikar, of ABC News:

“The new documentary about Sarah Palin has yet to debut, and already, it's caused more of a stir than most Hollywood summer blockbusters. ”

Shane Vander Hart, at Caffeinated Thoughts:

“There is rarely an event I go to where Peter Singleton and Organize 4 Palin is not. I can’t say the same about the other campaigns. So if she gets in she’ll be able to hit the ground running. I’m looking forward to seeing her politic at the cook off that will be held after the movie premiere at the Pella Opera House tonight, she will definitely be in her element there. She has the ability more than any other candidate, I believe, to enter this race late and still be competitive in Iowa.”

This Just In Blog, at CNN:

“Tuesday's live video events... 8:30 pm ET - Sarah Palin in Iowa - Following the premiere of a movie about her political career, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will address supporters and reporters in Pella, Iowa.”

Patrick S. Adams, at Patrick's World USA:

“They had her dead when they were filing frivolous ethics complaints. They had her dead when she resigned as governor. They had her dead when the tabloids (and by tabloids, I mean the LA Times, the Washington Post and Politico) were passing around rumors about divorce, Trig's birth, mental instability and hair loss. They had her dead when they accused her of pulling the trigger in the Arizona murders. Joe McGinness moved next door and wrote a hit book that failed. Frank Bailey's book failed. Those books were supposed to be the final acts of a well orchestrated three year smear campaign. Then came ‘The Undefeated.’ The smear campaign was a vicious air and ground assault on Palin. The daily shelling of vitriol and hit pieces was relentless. It was the Left's Vietnam. They napalmed Governor Palin incessantly. They leveled villages of conservative thought. They sent ground troops of writers like Andrew Sullivan and Jeanne Devon. They bombed from the air with the likes of Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Joe Scarborough. All it took to defeat these smear merchants was one nuclear weapon: ‘The Undefeated.’ ... At any time, Sarah Palin could announce her candidacy for the presidency and step right into the top tier of candidates in as competitive a position as they are. That's not bad for someone who should have been politically dead after the beatings she has taken from the media and the establishment.”

Bill, at BBCW:

“Sarah Palin in Iowa: Ready to Show Bachmann What a Real Conservative Looks Like...”

Pat Caddell,former Democrat pollster, to Neil Cavuto:

“They like to make her out to be an idiot, and she’s not. She’s a very smart woman... If you’re her, or Sarah Palin, or someone [the media] doesn’t like, any mistake you make is blown up.... People better start pushing back, and Chris Christie (R-NJ) proves that when you do, the people love it.”

Michele Bachmann, (R-MN), to David Brody:

“I like her a lot. We’re friends. I have great admiration for her, great respect for her, and we’ve never had a cross word between us.”

Donna Brazile, Democrat operative, via John Scotus at The Tree of Mamre:

“Palin is the candidate with the most crossover appeal between groups. She can talk to the tea partiers, the radicals — even the nearly extinct moderates. When scripted, she can be rather convincing, especially compared to other candidates. The others are too drab — in policy, in convictions, in media smarts. They just can’t compete with her star power. From here, 2012 looks like a slam-dunk for Sarah Palin.”

Lars Larson, at Oregon Catalyst:

“President Obama’s famous ‘Yes, we can’ victory speech... came in with a writing level of 7.4. Sarah Palin’s emails come in at 8.5, when you grade them according to the rules of the English language. Take that left-wing media.”

Noel Sheppard, at NewsBusters:

“It seems no matter what Sarah Palin does or doesn't do, she's going to be lambasted by America's press - even the supposedly ‘conservative’ ones. On Tuesday's ‘Morning Joe,’ co-host Joe Scarborough used Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann's successful campaign launch as a means of bashing the former Alaska governor... People all throughout the liberal press were blaming the former vice presidential candidate for Giffords' shooting. Should she really have stayed quiet and not defended herself? The idea that Palin's response to that incident hurt her is largely in the minds of her detractors who will attack her no matter what she says or does. At this point in time, is there really anything this woman could do that would get the approval of folks like Scarborough and his colleagues?”

Exit Quote: Peter Marshall, Presbyterian pastor and US Senate Chaplain (1947):

“Give us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for - because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.”

- JP

Gov. Palin is in Iowa and on her way to Pella

Sounds like she and Todd are taking the bus
*
Just tweeted by @SarahPalinUSA:

Beautiful drive from MN yesterday, breathtaking scenic run along Des Moines Rvr, coffee w/great Iowans, head to Pella for "The Undefeated"!

Game on!

- JP

Craig Robinson: More Than A Movie Debut?

"I think it’s time to take her seriously."
*
The Iowa Republican's Craig Robinson has said that he would take Sarah Palin seriously as a presidential candidate when she took Iowa seriously. Today, when Gov. Palin arrives in the key early primary state for the premiere of a major documentary film about her, she will not only set foot on Iowa ground, but also "place her toes directly into Iowa’s presidential waters." As the world watches her at the Pella Opera House, searching for any sign that she may enter the 2012 Republican presidential race, Robinson now believes it's time to take Governor Palin seriously:

To many, Palin’s visit to Pella seems too late to signal that she may enter the presidential race. Even though Palin hasn’t been to Iowa since last November, she’s had an unofficial presence in the state for months now. Led by Peter Singleton, a California native, a group of Palin supporters have traveled all across the state meeting with county Republican officials and other GOP activists.

Singleton insists that he has no connection to Palin, but one cannot overlook what he and the others who are touting Palin across the state have done for her in Iowa. Singleton has crisscrossed the state meeting with activists and operatives alike. I chatted with him months ago and came away impressed. His understanding of Iowa and the caucus process here is impressive for an outsider.

Singleton and his team of Palin organizers have personally met with most of the county GOP chairs across the state. That is something that none of the current presidential campaigns can say that they have done. Instead of selling Iowa activists on Palin, they instead make sure that people understand that there is a possibility that Palin will run.

[...]

Even though Sarah Palin doesn’t play by the same rules that seem to govern the rest of the field of Republican candidates, she has developed an extensive ground game in Iowa, even if it’s not being officially coordinated by her or her advisors. In many ways, I think that Palin is probably more organized in Iowa in terms of grassroots communication than most of the current field.

[More]

While no one outside of Gov. Palin’s inner circle is certain that her Iowa visit today is the prelude to a presidential campaign, Robinson says he would not be surprised if that is what it turns out to be. He says one thing he's learned in a political career which includes over eight years of fundraising experience and a year as political director of the Republican Party of Iowa, is that there are no coincidences in politics. After summing it all up, including the grassroots organizers, the movie premiere, and Sarah Palin's first visit to his state in seven months, Robinson gets the feeling that today is more like the start of presidential campaign than just a random visit.

- JP

Bristol says her mom has decided about a 2012 run (Updated)

"She definitely knows."
*
According to her daughter Bristol, Sarah Palin has reached a decision about whether to seek the presidency in 2012, writes Michael O'Brien at The Hill's Blog Briefing Room:

Bristol Palin, the eldest daughter of the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, said that she would like to see her mother run for president.

As to whether Sarah Palin had already made up her mind? "She definitely knows," Bristol Palin said during an appearance on Fox News.

That's a provocative answer, especially as Sarah Palin heads on Tuesday to Iowa, the key 2012 stomping grounds for Republican candidates, for a screening of a biopic about her, "The Undefeated."

[More]

After tonight's activities in Pella, Iowa, Gov. Palin's next stop is the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, where she will join her daughter at a book signing for Bristol's new book Not Afraid of Life. After that, jury duty calls, so it's back to Alaska.

Update: From Byron York, via Twitter:

Bristol Palin on @IngrahamAngle: 'I think that we all have an idea of what she wants to do, but still there's been no final call on that.'

- JP

Pella Prepares for a Palinfest

“It will be unlike anything Pella, the area of Pella, has ever experienced.”
*
Sarah Palin returns to Iowa for the first time in seven months today as she and husband Todd will be at the Pella Opera House for the world premiere of the documentary film “The Undefeated”. KCCI-TV's Emily Price reports:

Management at the Pella Opera House found out just four days ago that they were chosen as the venue to host the premiere. The theater only seats 324 people, but it's about to have millions of eyes watching.

“It will be unlike anything Pella, the area of Pella, has ever experienced,” said Pella Opera House board president Larry Peterson.

[...]

“I think it's gotten a lot of attention. Not just national media will be here but a lot of international media as well,” said filmmaker Steve Bannon.

Bannon told News Channel 8 that before the sun comes up on Tuesday the major network morning news shows will be in front of the Opera House doing live reports. By sundown, he said, more than 50 media outlets will have written, broadcast or posted online about what happened in Pella.

“Well, we're very proud to show it off,” said Pella Opera House Interim Director Beth Hill.

After the movie premiere, 1,000 people will attend a barbecue with Palin. Filmmakers said it's exactly what Palin wanted.

“I told the team I think that it was in Pella and at the Pella Opera House that really, I think, grabbed her imagination,” Bannon said.

The former candidate for vice president will sit several rows back with her husband, Todd.

There are, of course, no tickets available for the movie or for the barbecue. Bannon and his team selected the historic Pella Opera House over some 200 other venues across the state to be the site of the world premiere of their film. Opera House management didn't even know that their theater was being considered for such an event because the filmmakers kept it a secret.

h/t: M. Joseph Sheppard

- JP

Day By Day (June 28, 2011)

Order Up
*
Good morning! It's a wonderful life if we just take it Day By Day:


Please support Chris Muir's pro-Palin Day By Day.

- JP

Quote of the Day (June 27, 2011)

Michele Bachmann is being used as a pawn
*
Bill, at NJ for Palin:

“This week the false mainstream media narrative was how much [Bachmann] was ‘surging’ in the polling after her debate performance in New Hampshire and how she's usurped Palin's place in the race. To create this narrative prominent pollsters from Dick Morris to Scott Rasmussen have decided to exclude Governor Palin from polling entirely... So they remove Palin completely, and then they feign surprise when, lo and behold, the polling shows Bachmann surging into a statistical tie with Mitt Romney... So desperate are the media folks to deny Palin a shot at the presidency that they will stop at nothing to undermine her.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 320

“Experience” Edition
*

James Tuggle, at The Constitution Club:

“It still amazes me how the media beat up on Sarah Palin for her lack of experience back in 2008, when in reality, she had more experience at running a government, making budgets and other administrative experience than Obama did. She had as much experience as Bill Clinton, I mean, my gosh, he was Arkansas’ governor. Sarah had as much experience as Jimmy Carter governor of a progressive southern state. G. W. Bush, at least he had some experience in professional baseball other than being governor of Texas. She had as much experience as FDR and Ronald Reagan though Reagan ran the Actors Guild for years. Their basic experience was being governors of a state. Sarah was a governor of a state but she had absolutely no experience at running a government according to the liberal media. Barack H. Obama had no experience at running any type of government. His experience was being a state [Senator] and a freshman [U.S.] Senator with his father‘s dreams. That is not much experience... Man, all his experience that Sarah Palin didn’t have has really paid off for America.”

Don Surber, at the Charleston Daily Mail:

“Sarah Palin’s favorability among Republicans is higher than Mitt Romney’s or Michele Bachmann’s. Of course, you have to read the 20th paragraph of the Associated Press story on its own poll to find that out.”

Stephen K. Bannon, Director of “The Undefeated,” to Shane Vander Hart:

“When you come away from this film you come away and say, you may not agree with her politics. You may not like her personally, but you can not, I think, come away from this film and not think that she is... sitting at the same table talking about leadership as with gentlemen like Governor Pawlenty and Governor Romney. In fact, I think there is a very powerful case made that if you take the last three Presidents of the United States -- President Clinton in Arkansas, Governor Bush in Texas, and President Obama when he was a state senator in Illinois, and a Senator in Washington, a U.S. Senator -- that her record of accomplishments and achievements as an executive certainly compares very favorably, I think, certainly even better than those three gentlemen at the time they ran for the presidency.”

Andrew Malcolm, at Top of the Ticket:

“Sarah Palin in Iowa for premiere of ‘The Undefeated,’ a new chapter in the politics of documentaries...”

America's Second Revolution:

“I saw the preview of the documentary, ‘The Undefeated,’ and walked away with the strong feeling that this documentary, while being about Sarah Palin, is really a story about us. It’s about what has happened to many of us who have stood for freedom. You get viciously attacked. And if you’re tough enough and smart enough you can use it to advance your cause... ‘The Undefeated’ shows us how Sarah Palin did it. Kudos to Stephen Bannon.”

Allahpundit, at Hot Air:

“If she’d refused, I would have taken it as the most compelling sign yet that she’s not running. It’s simply too golden an opportunity to make a splash in a key primary state to pass up. *Splash*”

TWB, at The POH Diaries:

“I’ve talked about the timing of a Palin run before, and while it would be fatal for most candidates to wait until the fall to announce, Palin isn’t like most candidates. If Rick Perry is going to run, he has to announce soon. If Palin is going to run, she almost certainly could afford to wait longer than most. Not taking anything away from Michele Bachmann, but you see the immediate surge she got from merely confirming that she was getting in. Palin’s bounce, whenever she jumped in, would be astronomical.”

Susan Duclos, at Wake up America:

“Novel idea to the media, confirm, verify THEN write up the story.”

Kunta Evans, at Random Alien Musings:

“Exposure is tricky and big media wields it like a weapon. But unwittingly, they have participated in their own undoing, especially in the last few years coinciding with the rise of a relative unknown from a little town in Alaska... What an interesting piece of irony that the increased exposure of Sarah Palin during the last few months is creating momentum for her that defies the concerted smear campaign waged by the MSM, the very same MSM who's being exposed for forsaking, among other things, fundamental American decency.”

Ron Ross:

“In the end the Palin e-mails revealed her to be a competent and levelheaded governor, while the way the BM covered the story revealed its bias once again.”

Donald R. McClarey, at The American Catholic:

“Gary McCarthy is a newcomer to Chicago, but he already has the Chicago political game down pat. Appeal to racial paranoia? Check. Toss in some irrelevant political red meat? Check, by his summoning up of Palin Derangement Syndrome. His laughable attempt to chalk up concern for Second Amendment rights to racism was truly perverse. Under slavery most slave states forbade slaves or freed blacks from possessing firearms, and, after the Civil War, prime goals of the white ‘Redeemer Governments’ after Reconstruction were to impose bans on blacks, many of whom had fought in the Union army and knew how to use firearms, from possessing firearms by the use of Black Codes that effectively rendered black populations defenseless from armed violence. You know, I do wonder what the reaction would have been if Gary McCarthy had decided to talk about the real causes of crime in inner city Chicago?”

The Editors, of Investor's Business Daily:

“Top Chicago Cop Targets Palin... Sarah Palin was not at that crime scene because she had nothing to do with the crime.”

Sheya, at the Daily Caller:

“What I have learned in the past week is that Ziegler is obsessed with attention. My dealings with him have shown to me why Governor Palin had little patience for this loser. Ziegler had no problem publishing private emails and conversations, as was evidenced by his reporting of a private conversation he had with Rebecca Mansour (something he probably took out of context or made up completely) and where he claimed that Todd Palin offered him a job on a campaign. I don’t know whether that is true, but one thing I’m quite confident of is that Todd Palin did not authorize him to go public with that information.”

John Sexton, at Verum Serum:

“Bristol was not at all critical of her mother and supports her candidacy...”

David Limbaugh:

“Bachmann and Palin are panned as inexperienced and lacking gravitas despite their records and accomplishments, and Obama is treated as a heavyweight despite his miserable record and voluminous verbal blunders. But much bigger factors driving the media narrative against Palin and Bachmann than their female attractiveness are their common personal and ideological characteristics. They are both fearless, combative, energizing and unqualified conservatives. Don't get me wrong; they are two very different people, but these shared qualities make them especially contemptible to the left and to certain elitists on the right. Bachmann and Palin happen to be among the most conservative of the GOP field, and leftists and elitists routinely cast conservatives as a dozen fries short of a Happy Meal. They consider Reagan conservatives -- just as they regarded Reagan in his day -- dangerous extremists and insufficiently nuanced for prime time. Those who pull no punches in challenging the Beltway dogma that got us into this calamity are quickly shunted aside by the elites. But they are adored by mainstream Americans, who are unencumbered by the numbing realities of Washington that prevent far too many career politicians from taking immediate action to reverse our nationally suicidal course.”

Exit Quote: Aldous Huxley:

“Experience teaches only the teachable.”

- JP

SarahPAC - Setting the Record Straight: Here We Go Again

"Basic fact-checking is your friend, media. Try it some time."
*
SarahPAC sets the record straight one more time:

Wouldn’t it be nice if Beltway gossip magazines did some rudimentary fact-checking before they ran with stories? That is, of course, assuming that they’re not just making stories up out of thin air.

Take, for example, a Politico story out today alleging that Governor Palin’s “Team” is contacting a “list” of Iowa politicos for meetings. The story even quotes one such person who is purported to be on that list for a meeting. Only one problem: it’s not true. Real Clear Politics debunked Politico’s trumped up story:

Politico reported on Monday that Palin aides were reaching out to Iowa operatives and activists to set up meetings during her visit, citing Chuck Laudner, a former Iowa GOP executive director. But Laudner told RCP that he did not have a private meeting scheduled with Palin and that no one who works for the former governor had made contact with him.

Laudner said that he received an invitation to attend the festivities surrounding the movie premiere from Peter Singleton, a California native who moved to Iowa several months ago to help organize in the state in advance of a possible Palin presidential run. Singleton is acting on his own and is not a Palin aide but has often been confused for one as he has made his presence known across the state.

So basically we have a story that is completely bogus. Basic fact-checking is your friend, media. Try it some time.

In the meantime, Governor Palin looks forward to spending time tomorrow with the people of Pella, Iowa, and enjoying the premiere of Stephen K. Bannon’s new film, “The Undefeated.” After that, she heads to Minnesota to join her daughter Bristol at a book signing for Bristol's new book "Not Afraid of Life" at the Mall of America. Then back to Alaska for jury duty.

- JP

Conroy: Palin Not Reaching Out to Key Iowans Ahead of Visit

Keeping it "as low key as possible"
*
Contradicting an earlier Politico report that Team Palin was setting up meeting with Iowa activists, Scott Conroy says at RealClearPolitics that Gov. Palin is instead taking a low-key approach with her Tuesday visit to the first-in-the-nation primary state:

The former Alaska governor is slated to arrive in the small Iowa town of Pella on Tuesday to attend the premiere of "The Undefeated" -- a flattering documentary that highlights her accomplishments in office and bangs the drum for a potential insurgent campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Though she is never lacking for attention, Palin's trip figures to be scrutinized especially closely, since it will mark her first appearance this year in the nation's first voting state.

Politico reported on Monday that Palin aides were reaching out to Iowa operatives and activists to set up meetings during her visit, citing Chuck Laudner, a former Iowa GOP executive director. But Laudner told RCP that he did not have a private meeting scheduled with Palin and that no one who works for the former governor had made contact with him.

Laudner said that he received an invitation to attend the festivities surrounding the movie premiere from Peter Singleton, a California native who moved to Iowa several months ago to help organize in the state in advance of a possible Palin presidential run. Singleton is acting on his own and is not a Palin aide but has often been confused for one as he has made his presence known across the state.

"Putting me on this list doesn't really mean much to me," Laudner told RCP. "I'm on a list to go to this event, but I didn't expect there was going to be high drama... He just said be there, and I said OK."

For his part, Singleton confirmed to RCP that he has not been working with the Palin camp.

"If Governor Palin was setting up meetings, she wouldn't set them up with me," Singleton said. "Not a single activist I've talked with has said anything about that. . . . I'm not affiliated with the Palin organization. I invited Chuck because he's a really great friend and a really nice guy."

[More]

After Politico's erroneous story, Sarah Palin tweeted:

*sigh* media making things up again MT @POLITICO2012: Sarah Palin reaching out to IOWA operatives http://politi.co/j9kQko by@maghabepolitico

Several other key GOP operatives in Iowa -- including state GOP Chairman Matt Strawn, Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition President Steve Scheffler and aides to Gov. Terry Branstad -- informed RCP that they had not been contacted by Gov. Palin's team in advance of Tuesday's visit.

- JP

Politico: Team Palin reaching out to Iowa activists... or not (Updated)

"They said I was on the list."
*
Politico's Maggie Haberman reported that the Palin camp is reaching out to political activists in Iowa with offers of meetings while she's in the early primary state Tuesday for the premiere of "The Undefeated" documentary. One of those activists is former state GOP executive director Chuck Laudner, a prominent Iowa conservative:

Laudner confirmed to POLITICO he'd gotten a call from Palin's advisers either Friday or over the weekend asking about meeting with him while she's in Pella for the screening of "The Undefeated."

"They said I was on the list" for people she wanted to get together with, said Laudner, who has ties to staunch conservative Rep. Steve King - who, in congress, has formed an alliance with Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Laudner sounded a skeptical note about whether Palin is truly serious, or, as he said, "dancing around."

"I'd be interested to see if she's serious about a run," he said. "That'd be (question) A, and B, would it be too late. That's what it feels like, anyway. It's not too late now, (but if you) dance around until fall" it will be.

Nonetheless, he said, many conservatives are waiting to see what happens with Palin and Rick Perry, he said - discounting Tim Pawlenty as a "dead stick" and Herman Cain and Rick Santorum as "cruising along." He did not mention Newt Gingrich.

The meetings are the first sign of what Haberman calls "actual political activity" by Gov. Palin in Iowa. Haberman discounts the One Nation tour as "opaque in purpose," but the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate did break the ice with a select group of mostly conservative New Hampshire Republicans at a seaside clambake at the end of the first leg of her bus tour early this month.

Although Laudner said Bachmann's campaign kickoff was well-timed, now expectations have been raised for the congresswoman, "and you almost have to be perfect from here to the straw poll."

h/t: Henry D'Andrea

Updates...

According to a tweet from RealClearPolitics' Scott Conroy, Chuck Laudner told Scott that Palin aides did NOT reach out to him about getting together in Iowa. Scott says it was Peter Singleton, who's not a Palin aide, who contacted Laudner. It would not be the first time the media has mistaken Singleton, an O4P volunteer, for a member of the official Palin team. It also would not be the first time that Politico completely made up what it presented as a direct quote, either.

Politico now has now added a "clarification" to its post:

An earlier version of this post, based on an interview with Laudner, described "meetings" with Palin, which he later emailed to say was a post-film meet-and-greet with her, put together by an Iowa-based backer of the former Alaska governor.

- JP

John Andrews: A Lioness in the White House?

"Lady Liberty could do a lot worse than Bachmann or Palin."
*
John Andrews, director of Colorado Christian University's Centennial Institute, suggests that Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann are present day conservative lionesses, who are on parallel paths which could lead them "in a decade" to stature comparable to that of Margaret and Golda Meir:

“The best man in the cabinet.” That’s how Golda Meir was described by her colleague, David Ben-Gurion. She went on to lead Israel to victory in one of its darkest hours, the Yom Kippur War of 1973. People in Denver, my hometown, are proud that Meir went to a local high school; her girlhood home is now a museum here.

The little grandmother was revered as “the Iron Lady,” before Britons conferred the title on Margaret Thatcher. The grocer’s daughter was not one to shrink from the sound of the guns either. She vanquished Argentina in the Falklands and helped stiffen George H. W. Bush’s spine (when they were together in Aspen, as it happened) after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

[...]

Palin was... impressive as she used a speech at CCU on May 2, the day after our forces killed Bin Laden, to spell out a statesmanlike doctrine for the use of U.S. military power.

After some banter about basketball and bear hunting, the alleged airhead from Wasilla (perpetually underestimated, like a certain B-movie actor who won 49 states and took down the USSR) deftly zinged Pakistan’s double-dealing and Obama’s “ill-defined” Libyan folly. Then with Reaganesque toughness she set forth five principles for the American way of war:

(1) “Commit our forces only when clear and vital American interests are at stake.”

(2) “If we have to fight, fight to win. Use overwhelming force. Defeat the enemy as quickly as possible. Nation-building is not the main purpose of our armed forces.”

(3) “Have clearly defined goals and objectives before sending in troops. If you can’t explain the mission to the American people clearly and concisely,” stay out.

(4) “American soldiers must never be put under foreign command.”

(5) “Sending our armed forces should be the last resort. We don’t go looking for dragons to slay.”

Neither of the Bushes, nor Clinton, nor Obama, ever put it so well.

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Both Great Britain and Israel have been ably led by lionesses in times which challenged the great ladies at the helm of those two nations. Andrews predicts that America’s day will come when a lioness will guide and protect the pride. Gov. Palin and Rep. Bachmann, two alpha females, are likely contenders for 2012.

- JP