Quote of the Day (August 31, 2011)

Iowa Rally Organizer Trashes Palin to NBC News?
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Stacy McCain, at The Other McCain:

“I’m beginning to believe one friend’s conspiracy theory that this is all being orchestrated by Rick Perry’s campaign.”

- JP

AFP: Gov. Palin to visit South Korea

Will meet with South Korean presidential candidates and major politicians
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If an AFP report is correct, Sarah Palin will visit South Korea for the first time to speak at a Seoul forum in October, the organizers said Thursday:

Maeil Business Newspaper said the former vice presidential candidate would make a keynote opening speech at the forum organized by the paper from October 11 to 13.

Palin will speak about the US economic crisis, policies to tackle fiscal woes and her country's role in the world at a time when its superpower status is diminishing, the paper said in a news report.

"She also plans to meet with South Korea's next presidential contenders and major politicians during the forum," it said without elaborating

Also speaking at the forum will be Former British prime minister Gordon Brown and Larry Summers, ex-director of US President Barack Obama's National Economic Council, the paper said.

- JP

Scott Conroy: Palin Will Attend Iowa Rally After O'Donnell Is Disinvited (Again)

“The primary concern of the governor is the people that are coming to this event.”
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After a day that saw numerous anonymous sources, all claiming to be "close" to the Palin camp, and all quoted by reporters for several news outlets, now Scott Conroy of RealClearPolitics says one of those sources has confirmed that Sarah Palin will indeed attend the Tea Party of America event in Indianola, Iowa as scheduled this Saturday:

"We had some long discussions with the organizers; we talked about our concerns and worked them out, and they stepped up their game today," the Palin source said.

Two sources close to the former vice presidential candidate had told RCP earlier Wednesday that Palin’s involvement in the rally was “on hold,” due to concerns over how the hosts were handling what has been billed as a major event.

“The primary concern of the governor is the people that are coming to this event,” one source had said. “The planners are an issue that’s gotten in the way.”

The organizers caused a stir over the last couple of days when they first announced that former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell had accepted their invitation to speak at the event before Palin. They then disinvited O’Donnell before re-inviting her to do so.

After Palin’s associates made it known that Palin was reconsidering her participation, the organizers once again disinvited O’Donnell.

An O’Donnell aide told RCP that the former GOP candidate for senator in Delaware had texted Palin to ask about the rapidly developing situation but had not received a response.

While it is clear that O’Donnell’s proposed speaking slot was not acceptable to Palin’s camp, the Palin aide denied that anyone on the Palin team had explicitly demanded that O’Donnell be removed from the speaker’s list.

Palin’s concern arose, the aide said, when an O’Donnell aide suggested to event organizers that Palin wanted the Delawarean to share the stage with her.

“They haven’t spoken in over a year,” the aide said of the two women.

[More]

- JP

Des Moines Register: TPoA makes changes at Palin’s staff’s request

“We’re all friends and she’s not coming,” he said, referring to O’Donnell.
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Des Moines Register chief political writer Jennifer Jacobs reports that Christine O'Donnell, who was invited, uninvited, and the re-invited to the September 3 event in Indianola, IA, has been uninvited again, and Sarah Palin is a “maybe”:

In the latest episode in the drama over the speaking lineup for Saturday’s Tea Party of America rally in Iowa, organizer Ken Crow said Palin’s staff called this morning to say Palin’s appearance at the rally was “on hold” until three changes were made.

“They said, ‘Ken, can you take care of bing, bing, bing’ and I said, ‘Yessir, I will’ and I did,” Crow, an Indianola Republican told The Des Moines Register.

“Now I’m waiting to [hear] back.”

Crow said two of the requests were logistical details: Email a copy of the program today, and address concerns about back-stage security and who will be allowed in that area.

Asked about the third request, Crow said: “Can I let that remain private for now?”

Meanwhile, Crow telephoned staff for O’Donnell, a Delaware Republican who ran for the U.S. Senate, to say she can’t speak at Saturday’s event.

[More]

- JP

ABC News: Palin’s Saturday Speech Still On, Tea Party Founder Says

TPoA's Crowe: “We made mistakes and now we are fixing them. It’s all good.”
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Sheila Marikar and Shushannah Walshe report that Tea Party of America founder Ken Crow told ABC News this morning that he had talked with Gov. Palin's people via telephone this morning and “she’ll be here on Saturday”:

“Gov. Palin is a lady of her word and impeccably honest,” he added. He admitted that the organization’s encountered “a couple of errors” in planning the Sept. 3 rally.

“I’m naive when it comes to politics and what you are supposed to say to and not say and my crew and I are rookies at this sort of thing,” he said. “We made mistakes and now we are fixing them. It’s all good.”

Multiple media outlets reported this morning that Palin had backed out of the “Restoring America” event, but still planned to be in Iowa on Saturday. The rally’s undergone a lot of upheaval this week: Failed Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell was invited to speak before Palin, then had the invitation rescinded, and on Tuesday night, “humbly re-accepted the re-invitation” to speak, according to her Twitter account.

Crow called the handling of O’Donnell a “mistake.”

Now there's the understatement of the month.

- JP

RCP: Palin's Participation in Iowa Rally 'On Hold'

Final decision expected later Wednesday
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Scott Conroy reports at RealClear Politics that Sarah Palin has not cancelled (as a Wall Street Journal story claims), but is "rethinking" her commitment to participate in Saturday’s Tea Party of America rally in Indianola, Iowa. Conroy cites "two sources close to the former Alaska governor." One thing which seems clear is that the Palin team is having "going disputes" with event organizers:

"It's on hold," one of the sources said of Palin's participation. "There are some planning issues regarding the hosts and some concern that the invitation that was proffered is not the event that is now being put together."

The Tea Party rally is expected to draw thousands of Palin supporters -- many of them from out-of-state -- and a potential cancellation from Palin just three days before the event could throw a significant wrench into her efforts to pave the way for a potential presidential run. Palin has indicated that she would make her final decision on whether to launch a White House bid by the end of September.

Sources close to Palin said that the former vice presidential candidate will likely be in the Indianola area on Saturday, whether or not she attends the Tea Party of America rally.

“The primary concern of the governor is the people that are coming to this event,” a source close to Palin said. “The planners are an issue that’s gotten in the way.”

The rally’s organizers have caused a stir over the last couple of days by first announcing that former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell had accepted an invitation to speak at the event before Palin. Organizers then disinvited O’Donnell before re-inviting her to speak once again.

Previously, the organizers had publicly suggested that Palin might use the rally to launch a White House run -- a prospect that sources close to Palin have sought to dial down.

[More]

Conroy says a final decision on whether Gov. Palin will participate in the Indianola rally or instead appear at a separate event of her own will likely be made later today.

- JP

WSJ: Palin Appearance at Iowa TPoA Rally ‘No Longer Confirmed’

Update: WSJ has corrected its story
*
The Wall Street Journal, which earlier cited "a person close the former Alaska governor," reported that Sarah Palin has canceled her September 3 appearance at a tea party rally in Indianola, Iowa:

The person cited “continual lying” from event organizers at Tea Party of America, including a recent mixup over whether former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell of Delaware would also speak.

Ms. Palin is known for last-minute schedule changes that whipsaw supporters and media across the country. But the latest decision is puzzling. Ms. Palin’s speech at the rally was viewed as her most high-profile appearance of the summer, fueling speculation she was indeed plotting to run for the Republican presidential nomination.

Attendees were reportedly traveling from across the U.S. to attend the rally in Iowa, which holds the nation’s first nominating contest next year.

The former governor will now appear at a Friday event in Des Moines sponsored by the group Conservatives4Palin. It is currently scheduled for 8 p.m. at The Machine Shed Restaurant, though the location will probably have to be changed, the person close to Ms. Palin said. Ms. Palin is still scheduled to appear at a Tea Party Express tour stop Monday in New Hampshire.

Ms. Palin may still hold an event Saturday, the person said, though she has no firm plans. It’s also possible she could still attend the Indianola tea party rally, the person said.

[More]

The Palin team made the decision to to back out Tuesday night after event organizers re-invited O’Donnell to speak, according to the Journal's first report. Now WSJ has revised the first two paragraphs of its original story to read:

Sarah Palin’s Saturday appearance at a tea party rally in Indianola, Iowa, is on hold, a person close the former Alaska governor told The Wall Street Journal.

The person said Ms. Palin’s appearance was “no longer confirmed” and cited “continual lying” from event organizers at Tea Party of America, including a recent mixup over whether former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell of Delaware would also speak.

The organizers had booked O’Donnell, but had withdrawn the invitation to try to avoid controversy. Then they re-booked O’Donnell and claimed they did so on the word of Gov. Palin, but the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate's aides say that is not true. WSJ's source also claims that the Palin camp had further issues with event organizers, including fund-raising and logistical changes that were made without the governor's approval.

Scott Conroy, via Twitter, was the first to report that the original WSJ story was "inaccurate" and that Gov. Palin has not cancelled, but rather her appearance at the event is "on hold."

- JP

Day By Day (August 31, 2011)

Core Voters
*
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 (August 30, 2011)

Palin headed to NH after tea-party speech in Iowa this weekend
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Allahpundit, at Hot Air:

“Note that the very last event on the TPE tour is the debate they’re co-sponsoring with CNN in Jacksonville on the 12th. She could announce that morning and then make her debut as a candidate that night. CNN will surely accommodate her by adding her at the last second. It’d be a ratings blow-out.”

- JP

Reports: Gov. Palin to Manchester, NH after her Sept. 3 speech (Updated)

More speculation that she's about to jump into the presidential race
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Citing "high-level Republican" sources, Craig Robinson, Editor in chief of The Iowa Republican, is reporting that Sarah Palin will fly to New Hampshire following her September 3rd keynote address to aTEA Party event in Indianola, Iowa:

Speculation has been swirling about whether or not Palin will use her Iowa appearance in Iowa over Labor Day weekend to join the field of Republican candidates. The news that Palin is New Hampshire bound after her Iowa speech will only add to the speculation that she may be entering the Republican presidential field.

Tea Party Express has three tour events planned in the Granite State in the two days following the Tea Party of America event in Iowa. They are scheduled for Sept. 4 in Concord, and Sept. 5 in Manchester and Nashua. According to CNN's Political Ticker, Gov. Palin will be at the Manchester rally:

The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee will attend a Tea Party Express rally in Manchester on Monday, the same day former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was due to attend the event.

Romney cancelled his scheduled appearance Tuesday, opting instead to join the Tea Party Express national tour Sunday evening before Labor Day. The move made room in his schedule to attend a forum in South Carolina Monday at the invitation of Sen. Jim DeMint – -an invitation he initially declined.

But the tea party group isn’t losing sleep over his schedule shuffle.

“We are always thrilled to have Sarah Palin join one of our rallies,” Tea Party Express chairman Amy Kremer said in a statement released late Tuesday.

h/t: Andrew Malcolm

Update: Robinson adds that he has confirmation:

"SarahPAC is now confirming that Palin will speak at the Tea Party Express event in NH on Labor Day."

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 364

“Werewolves of Washington” Edition
*


Smitty, at The Other McCain:

“The interesting question raised by the Politico article is whether the Boomers are sufficiently enslaved by entitlements. Are they indoctrinated into beliefs about ‘rights’ to Social Security and Medicare that have become velvet handcuffs over time, so that the Boomers can be manipulated into turning against a candidate like a Perry, or a Cain, or a Santorum, who has the courage to speak the truth? I wish that ideas of liberty and American Exceptionalism were sufficiently strong to make that a silly question, but they are not. O’Rourke famously noted that 2010 was not an election; it was a restraining order. 2012, therefore, will be liberty on trial, prosecuted by a Progressive werewolf in bespoke and Gucchis. Will conservatives rally around a McCotter, or even Palin? Or will they be deceived and support Romney, whose hair is perfect?”

myiq2xu, at The Crawdad Hole:

“How terrified of Sarah is Obamanation? Have you ever seen a losing VP candidate continue to be the target of relentless attacks after the election is over?”

Chris Barron & Grover Norquist, via Red Barron:

“Palin has earned the right to run if she chooses. Despite the left’s caricature of her, Palin’s résumé more than qualifies her as a top-tier candidate. She brings almost 20 years of public service experience to the table. She has served as city council member, mayor, chairwoman of Alaska’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, governor and GOP vice presidential nominee. Men with no elective experience have sought the GOP nomination. In the 2012 cycle, we might see a former mayor, a former ambassador, a senator defeated by almost 20 points in his reelection bid, a sitting governor and a former one-term governor all seek the Republican nomination. Rightly, none of these men has been urged not to run — and neither should Palin. At the end of the day, we place our faith in GOP primary voters. We should trust voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — not the pundits or professional politicos — to begin the process of thinning the presidential timber. We don’t pretend to know what Palin will do — and can’t tell her what’s in the best interest of her and her family. We can, however, say with confidence that if she wants to run, she should. She has earned that right. A Palin candidacy would be good for the process, good for our party and good for our country.”

Charles C. Johnson, at Big Government:

“Obama reiterated that... anyone that attacked a candidate’s family would be fired. But a mere three days later, Howard W. Gutman, one of his finance committee members, attacked Sarah Palin’s parenting skills on the Laura Ingraham show... Gutman, far from fired, was appointed an inauguration trustee and was later appointed ambassador to Belgium.”

Stacy Drake, at Conservatives 4 Palin:

“Governor Palin was and is a fiscal conservative. She went to great lengths to get Alaska’s financial house in order, while Perry used a national handouts and gimmicks to balance his state’s budget. By doing these things, Perry didn’t solve any problems, or address why his state has budgetary shortfalls in the first place. He simply kicked the can down the road, leaving these issues for others to contend with at a later date... Perry talks a good game about fiscal responsibility, but when you sit down and read through his actual record, it doesn’t exactly match his rhetoric. If Rick Perry says one thing and does another on state level, what makes us think he wouldn’t do it nationally?”

Scott Conroy, via Twitter:

“Charlie Gruschow (Tea Party of America co-founder) confirms Christine O'Donnell will not speak at Palin rally on Sat.”

Michael Shear, at the NYT's The Caucus:

“September could be the month that the former Alaska governor finally lets the rest of us in on her secret... The guessing continues on Sept. 3, when Ms. Palin is scheduled to headline a Tea Party rally in — where else? — Des Moines. The event was originally scheduled to be at a smaller venue, but was moved last week to accommodate a bigger crowd. That prompted some speculation that she might use the event to announce her plans. But those who spend all their time speculating about her intentions think that Ms. Palin probably will wait until later in September, in part to avoid the pressure to take part in the debates next month. If Ms. Palin announces after the third debate on Sept. 22, she might upstage the rest of the field...”

Josh Greenberger, at Associated Content:

“Top Ten Signs You're as Intelligent as David Letterman... #4. You hate Sarah Palin because she's proven herself to be a smart women who can be governor of a state and write books. You, on the other hand, have proven that with nothing else but dumb luck, any monkey on a rock can run a dog and pony show.”

Peregrine, at Pesky Emotional Republican:

“I am feeling more and more that the one who could do the most for our country at this crucial time is Sarah Palin and find it sad that so many people believe either that she cannot be nominated, or that if nominated, she cannot win. Maybe because she’s a woman or maybe because she sounds too much like a housewife in Middle America, whatever the reason, many Republicans are wary of her. I think that if nominated, she could beat Obama... California lost out on an excellent possible governor when we decided not to vote for Tom McClintock whom we thought could never win…. and we all went for Arnold the Movie Star Schwarzenegger, who, as you may know, has done zip for California. McClintock would have been a driving force out of our sorry overextended mess that the Democrats put us in. Having said that, I know and understand the need for some level of charisma, which Schwarzenegger has and McClintock lacks. But Palin... has charisma plenty enough. Just sayin’……”

David Vance, at A Tangled Web:

“So, Perry streaks ahead of Romney. Good news, I think. It’s also fascinating to see Palin only 4 points behind Romney, and she is not even in the contest, yet. Furthermore, she is ahead of Bachmann.”

Emily Ekins & Joshua Swain, at Reason's Hit & Run Blog:

“Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holds a 20 percent to 18 percent edge over Texas Gov. Rick Perry among Republicans and Republican-leaning voters in the latest Reason-Rupe Public Opinion Survey. Two potential candidates not currently in the race, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (12%) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (8%), placed third and fourth among Republicans asked to name whom they would favor if the GOP primary were held today. They were followed by Rep. Michele Bachmann (8%), Rep. Ron Paul (7%), Herman Cain (4%), Newt Gingrich (3%), former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (2%, but no longer in the race), former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (1%), former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (<1%), and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (<1%). Approximately 16% of Republican voters are undecided.”

Rob Port, at Say Anything Blog:

“Granted, we’re still a long way out in the nomination process, but at this point it’s looking like the only things that could disrupt Perry’s mo is a) some unforeseen revelation about his background, b) some massive campaign gaffe, or c) Sarah Palin getting in the race.”

M. Joseph Sheppard, at A Point Of View:

“Former presidential candidate and multi-millionaire publisher Steve Forbes stated that ‘Palin will run’ in a wide ranging, challenging interview on the BBC's ‘Hardtalk’. The host, Stephen Sackur... asked him pointedly if he thought that further contenders might include Sarah Palin ‘whom you have made supportive comments about in the past’... Forbes said that he thought she would enter the race, and he would make his mind up shortly as to whom he would support.”

Jeffrey Lord, at The American Spectator:

“Sarah Palin is here to stay, whether she is the next Republican president or a Cabinet officer or Senator or simply a larger than life GOP mainstay.”

F. William Houraney:

“This lady Sarah Palin is just about the best speaker that I have ever heard run for President. No teleprompters and almost no hesitation when she answers questions. Watch her next time you get a chance and notice how her delivery is direct and is always about America and not about herself. How easy it is when you are being honest and speaking from the heart, not the legal and political filter that is embedded in the American political/lawyer class of candidates. Common sense, emotion, grasp of the bottom line, spirit, and the obvious love and respect she has for America, it's history and achievements and the American people. How refreshing.”

Exit Quote - Will Kemp, Velkan in "Van Helsing":

“I think we all have to fight the werewolf within us somehow.”

- JP

Scott Conroy: Palin Backers Use Film to Spread Message Ahead of Iowa Speech

"The central issue now is crony capitalism..."
*
O4P volunteers are Sarah Palin's most powerful asset in Iowa, and the documentary "The Undefeated" may be their most effective organizing tool asset as they prepare for her Saturday speech in Indianola. RealClearPolitics' Scott Conroy reports that the group has been screening the film for small audiences in churches, libraries and private homes across Iowa all summer long:

Ladd Ventling, who serves as a county coordinator for the Iowa branch of Organize4Palin, told RCP that he spoke privately with Todd Palin for over 20 minutes about the volunteer group’s efforts during the visit by Alaska’s former First Couple to the Iowa State Fair earlier this month.

Ventling said that while Todd Palin did not say his wife planned to announce her candidacy, the Webster City, Iowa, native came away from the conversation convinced that she does indeed intend to get in.

“If they weren’t going to run, he would’ve said, ‘Thank you very much for what you’re doing, but you don’t have to do that,’ ” Ventling told RCP.

Polly Doolittle, also of Webster City, is another Organize4Palin volunteer who is working in conjunction with Tea Party of America in advance of Saturday’s rally in Indianola.

[...]

“We did a bigger showing in Emmetsburg last Saturday in a theater there,” Ventling said. “Everyone applauded when it was over. And people always want to stay around and chat and give us their opinion about what the movie did for them.”

Steven K. Bannon, the filmmaker behind “The Undefeated,” agreed with several of Palin’s Iowa volunteers who suggested that her successful 2006 gubernatorial run against incumbent Frank Murkowski, which the film recounts in detail, might serve as a prototype for a 2012 presidential bid.

“Alaska in mid-decade was like America today,” Bannon said. “You had a corrupt political class in cahoots with big oil. The central issue now is crony capitalism with this collusion of big business, big government, and big finance taking care of themselves to the detriment of the middle class.”

That last statement should serve as food for thought to those who have fancied that Gov. Palin would endorse Texas Governor Rick Perry rather than jump into the presidential race herself. Crony capitalism is one of the major issues TEA Party conservatives have with Gov. Perry. In sharp contrast, Sarah Palin's record is that of a reformer who fought such corruption both as an oil & gas commissioner and a governor.

Peter Singleton, O4P's Iowa state coordinator, says the organization has “done dozens and dozens of screenings,” and plans to do many more, mostly to small audiences of 6 to 20 people. the group's plan to increase the frequency of the showings in the first-in-the nation caucus state Iowa during the weeks after Gov. Palin’s keynote address Saturday.

- JP

Day By Day (August 30, 2011)

Walk the Walk
*
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 (August 29, 2011)

In times of trouble…
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Roderic Deane:

“Sarah Palin embodies all that we can believe in. Her record in Alaska is one of a true reformer that is willing to take on the establishment in defense of our liberties. She does not carry the odor of one who supports crony-capitalism but instead provide a breath of fresh air that can galvanize the voters’ resolve.”

- JP

'The Undefeated' Screening Tuesday Night in Northern Colorado

From the Longmont Republican Women website:
*

One night only in Boulder County!

THE UNDEFEATED

A new feature film about Sarah Palin
and all who are rebuilding the nation through conservative ideals…

WHEN: Tuesday, August 30th, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Bertolin Barn
11965 Wasatch Road
Longmont, CO 80504
WHY: To see what a difference
one person (you!) can make!

Sponsored by the Longmont Republican Women (LRW) and the Boulder County Republicans (BCR) ------ Cost: $5
There will be concessions available.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW:
Only 150 seats available!
Bring your friends!

CHECK IN OPENS AT 7:00 P.M. FOR RESERVED SEATS,
7:20 FOR UNCLAIMED SEATS
ONLY 150 SEATS AVAILABLE!
Program starts at 7:30
with a message from LRW President, Peg Cage and BCR Chairman, Joel Champion

- JP

Jeanette Pryor: The Palin Pantry Principle

Sarah’s record shows she never deviated from this Pantry Principle while in office.
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Lipstick 2012 blogger Jeanette Pryor makes the observation that if the likely GOP presidential field is reduced to those who have been governors and made executive decisions, Mitt Romney’s statist approach to healthcare reform in Massachusetts and Rick Perry’s undermining of the nation's immigration Laws by subsidizing in-state tuition for illegal aliens are poor examples of the kind of leadership everydays Americans are crying out for.

Sarah Palin's record as governor of Alaska, argues Pryor, contains no blemishes which are equal to those of Perry and Romney. She is "indisputably the single most-vetted political figure in recent history." As recent scrutiny of thousands of her emails as governor demonstrates, there are no major discrepancies between the Reagan conservative principles she advocated and her executive actions:

Palin consistently acted according to those principles, and not only when balancing her state’s budget, or restructuring the tax code, both highly publicized decisions, but also in personal, hidden choices that seemed economically insignificant.

One incident that occurred during Sarah’s early days as Governor should be sufficient to elect her President. In an exchange of emails with the director of the Governor’s Mansion of Alaska that took place when Sarah and her family first moved in, we read the director’s offer to stock the home with any groceries the Governor Palin wanted.

Sarah answered:

“We’re still trying to use up the ingredients we find downstairs.”

It is impossible to over-state the significance of this statement. As a middle-class mom of five who struggles everyday with menu and budget, I will admit that it is hard to imagine the euphoria I would experience, were I elected governor of a state, to have someone offer to buy whatever I wanted from the grocery store starting on day one.

That Sarah Palin cooked what the tax-payers had already paid for in the Murkowski pantry is the act of a principled leader. This simple decision reveals Sarah’s whole approach to “spending other people’s money.” Isn’t the abuse of “other people’s money” the heart, soul, bones, and marrow of the economic [catechism]?

[More]

- JP

KETK: 'The Undefeated' draws a crowd in Tyler

Film's run in Tyler continues Monday & Tuesday
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Stephen Bannon's documentary "The Undefeated" came to East Sunday, where Times Square Cinema in Tyler sold every available ticket and them some:

Times Square decided to add an additional theater to accommodate the crowd, and that one almost filled up too.

The film has been shown in 14 cities across the country so far.

Tyler is the third Texas town to show the film, including Grapevine and Houston.

Palin hasn't announced she's running for the presidency just yet, but has plenty of east Texans backing her already.

They'll be two more showings of the movie -- Monday at 7 p.m. --- and Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

"The Undefeated" will also be available on pay per view September 1 and on DVD October 4. KETK's story and video package is here.

h/t: Dan

- JP

Day By Day (August 29, 2011)

Carry on
*
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 (August 28, 2011)

Michelle Obama Spends $375,000 Of Other People’s Money On Ice Cream...
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Sheya:

“How long before the media blames Palin?”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 363

“Changing Minds” Edition
*


Ed Ross, at EWRoss.com:

“How many times have you heard someone say, ‘I like Sarah Palin, but I could never vote for her for president?’ If Gov. Palin jumps into the presidential race next month as most now expect, how can she change the minds of enough people who think this way to win the Republican Party’s nomination and, if so, the general election? ... While it’s clear that many minds can be changed, whether they will or not depends how Palin and her campaign go about it. Many factors will determine the outcome of a Palin presidential campaign. Nevertheless, I believe there are enough people out there whose minds are swayable about Palin for her to win the nomination and the general election; but there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for doing that. Like all presidential campaigns, Palin will have to navigate the electorate skillfully. The sooner she sets about doing that the more successful she is likely to be.”

Mark America:

“I think it’s fair to say with all the media hammering home the idea that Palin can’t win, or worse, dropping the hint that she’ll endorse some other candidate, it’s fairly obvious what their intention must be: They want to deter her from a presidential candidacy, and the only possible reason is because they fear she can win it.”

Mark America:

“If we admit that there is a path for Palin to the nomination, then the question of her electability suddenly loses its punch. This is because the electorate will find itself faced with the probability of a continuing stagnation or decline, and the prospect of choosing between a Sarah Palin presidency and that of another four years of what has been a largely failed presidency. Under continued or increasing economic duress, you might well expect the former Alaska governor to begin knocking down questions of her suitability for office, and general election voters, considering their available alternatives to begin to agree. More, Palin has matured as a national figure, and has made herself much more familiar with the intricacies of issues of national import on a level of detail many candidates simply don’t possess. In all probability, it would ride in large measure on her performance in Presidential debates late in 2012. If she substantially holds her own, or is viewed even marginally as the victor, it’s very likely that she would find herself victorious in November.”

Anthony James, at Tea Party Tribune:

“Governor Palin’s path to the helm of America’s political ship of state is littered with the metaphorical carcasses of those who badly misjudged or underestimated her. That Frank Luntz has decided to prostrate himself amongst those fallen is truly unfortunate. In one ill-conceived screed, he has gone from ‘Frank Luntz’ to ‘less-than-frank dunce.’”

Jim Funkhouser, at Tea Party Tribune:

“In the past the Republican option has been that we will grow government a little slower, while the Democrat option has been that we accelerate until the passengers become frightened. We never reverse, and that is why we now stand at the brink of disaster. Will it be different this time? I’m hopeful, but it will require us to do something that most people are loathe to do; it will require us to put the country ahead of personal interest... Give the Constitution another try. It’s the least we can do for the children, born and yet to be born, who are going to pay for the extra-legal federal ponzi scheme. So now we have a Tea Party, and maybe with that a glimmer of hope. It will require courage when they call us racists, and it will require resolve when they ridicule our leaders. And if you thought you were actually going to get through an article of mine without a Sarah P. mention you were wrong. There’s a reason why she draws most of the establishment flak, she’s directly over the target, and she’s the only real choice that I can see.”

Robert Wiles, at US for Palin:

“We conservative/Republicans have been attacked relentlessly... Sarah Palin comes along and takes all the heat for us, takes all the scorn for us and yet many of us can’t even trust her or have faith in her to watch and see what she will do.”

Jennifer Jacobs, at the Des Moines Register:

“If Palin is now holding back to see whether the buzz over Texas’ Rick Perry and Minnesota’s Michele Bachmann peters out before judging whether there’s an opening for her, it’s a smart move, several Iowans said. ‘I think it was probably a good strategy to wait,’ said Susan Geddes, 48, a former Tim Pawlenty backer who is helping organize the tea party rally. ‘I think she could be viable.’ Strategists here said she’s an attractive candidate for many reasons: big name, big charisma, big self-confidence, instant media access, loyal base, socially conservative, tea party sympathizer — and she strikes fear in the hearts of other Republicans, who don’t want to be attacked by her. ‘She is a folk hero,” said longtime Iowa GOP operative Doug Gross. ‘People are intensely interested in her. She gives voice to a part of the party that feels voiceless — the economically stressed and culturally out of place.’”

Jennifer Jacobs, at the Des Moines Register:

“Eight reasons why Palin should run. Eight reasons why she shouldn’t...”

Mel Maguire, at Gay Conservative:

“When Sarah Palin made mention of partying ‘like it’s 1773,’ it was as if liberals had ESP. I heard their screeching before I ever saw footage of her comment. When some educated soul pointed out that the original tea party protest took place on December 16, 1773 (the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation), liberals still refused to let it go. I STILL hear liberals bitching about that comment, and it’s almost heart-warming to see the dejection on their faces when I point out what happened in 1773.”

John Hitchcock, at Truth Before Dishonor:

“I suggest Sarah Palin and Rick Perry are both better qualified to create an atmosphere where jobs can be created than either George W Bush or Barack Obama...”

William Browning, Obama/McCaskill supporter, at Associated Content:

“Palin will deliver a huge speech in a week. It’s a weekend normally seen as the last festive time at the end of the summer as many Americans celebrate having Monday off of work. Four days after Palin’s speech, a key presidential debate will happen in conjunction with the Reagan Centennial in California. Palin gave the keynote address as part of the Young America’s Foundation event in early February at the Reagan Ranch. This time, a debate will be held at the Reagan Presidential Library. If Palin wants to make a huge entrance into the presidential debate, now would be the time. Palin would definitely have enough clout to make it into the forum Sept. 7 with her popularity in several polls over the past year.”

Art, at Lord, what fools these mortals be:

“Sarah Palin's bus tour across America was the most successful to date and had the media foaming at the mouth. Isn't it nice that Obama can take success tips from Palin and got himself a bus so he can begin campaigning, um, ‘listening’ to his ‘subjects’?”

Richard Albert, Boston College law professor, at Politico's The Arena:

“Sarah Palin is a rarity in American politics: a superstar candidate who could win a primary election with only minimal campaign staff to support her candidacy. Current polls do not reflect the breadth and intensity of her support among voters because her support remains dormant while she ponders a run. But were she to jump into the GOP presidential race, she would immediately become the favorite to win in Iowa and South Carolina, two of the three early voting states.”

John Steigerwald, at Just Watch The Game:

“[Those] who like to make fun of her and call her stupid couldn’t dream of accomplishing what she accomplished. On her own. Not because of who she married or who her father was.”

Kevin DuJan, at Hillbuzz:

“What do trolls say when attacking Governor Palin while simultaneously pushing Mittens “Mood Ring” Romney? ... As the election heats up, the Left is going to completely lose its mind when it realizes how big of a loss Democrats will suffer in 2012. Expect to see the race card flung around early and often, with copious pushing of Mittens “Mood Ring” Romney to be the Republican nominee. Conservatives: wake up. Stop letting the media, the Left, trolls, and the Cocktail Party GOP establishment choose your nominee for you!”

Exit Quote - Romans 12:2, in the NIV Bible:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

- JP

Day By Day (August 28, 2011)

Cat Chow
*
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 (August 27, 2011)

Why They Hate Us
*
Mark America:

“There’s really no way to get control of this train and bring it to a stop in time to repair the bridge if we don’t substantially curtail big government. Those who stubbornly refuse to see what they know must be ahead are guilty of the sin of self-fraud. Those leading them are guilty of a monstrous lie. Not only do they continue to hand out the blinders, but also to scapegoat others for the impending consequences. This is the purpose of calling Tea Party members ‘terrorists’ and Sarah Palin ‘stupid.’ The hatred attending those pronouncements isn’t really aimed at the people involved, but instead at the truth they’re dispensing to the unwilling segment of their audience.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 362

“Miracle” Edition
*


Michael Moriarty, at Big Hollywood:

“She is making The New World Order Establishment profoundly nervous. Hysterical actually. The ‘Whole Ballgame’, as The Progressives fear, would change with a President Sarah Palin! They all know it’s ‘all-or-nothing’ now! If a President Palin picks up where Ronald Reagan left off and resurrects a two-term, traditionally American policy to be followed by eight more years under, say, President Allen West, the ‘New World Order Ballgame’, as they say, would be over. Kaput! Gone! Never to re-infect America again... Obama will need 18 holes-in-one to defeat our inheritor of Winston’s Churchill’s and Ronald Reagan’s crown. To defeat Sarah Palin would require a miracle and God’s not handing them out to Marxists. Marxists say God doesn’t exist. We’ll see about that.”

VoterMom, at The Crawdad Hole:

“For someone who ‘isn’t running’, ‘isn’t serious’, and ‘can’t win’, Sarah Palin sounds remarkably statesman-like today.”

Peter Singleton, via Steve Deace:

“Those of us in the Palin grassroots base who are actively organizing on the ground do not expect Gov. Palin to announce her presidential run on the 3rd in Indianola. We are also not concerned about when and how she will announce her run. Why? We disagree with the premise, offered by pundits and activists repeatedly for many months, that the window is closing for Gov. Palin to get into the race. Perhaps in a normal cycle, with a traditional establishment candidate, this would be correct. But this is not a normal cycle. And Gov. Palin, should she run, will not run as an establishment candidate. All of the other candidates in the race, their rhetoric aside (and except for Ron Paul) are establishment candidates. Gov. Palin is not.”

Jedediah Bila, at The Daily Caller:

“Whether you’re supporting her for president or not, Sarah Palin is a woman who has been consistent, tough and principled.”

Dan Riehl, at Riehl World View:

“At some point Perry is going to have to start adding more substance to his image, or he's going to end up looking like all hat and no cattle in that regard... Unfortunately, he's also met with some resistance from different forces within the movement. Michelle Malkin represents one form of it, Goldberg another, and the Palin faithful are still holding out, while it looks ever more likely they will get their wish. Perry's base seems to be the South and perhaps Evangelicals, which is terrific, but significant portions of the establishment can't stand him and there's more anti-Perry oppo floating around in back channels than for any other candidate, with rumblings of more to come. His initial bounce may start to fade just as more attacks and possibly Palin head his way.”

Kevin Scholla, at SarahNet:

“Unlike Perry, Palin has a consistent, conservative record... Palin would excite the same Tea Party base that Bachmann is benefiting from, plus she'd attract other voters too because she has a record of running a state to stand on.”

Peter Ingemi, at Datechguy's Blog:

“To a culture that decided to use everything from drugs, to politics to the earth itself to fill the empty space that religion once held the achievement of those who came before towers over them. I suspect they dub their grandparents the ‘Greatest Generation’ because it excuses them from even attempting to achieve what their Grandparents & Great Grandparents did in much harder times. It’s why a person like Sarah Palin disgusts them so. She and people like her are a constant reminder of what they could have been but rejected.”

Dana Loesch, via Twitter:

“Why is it, @ESPN, that you censure Azinger for his remark on Obama's golf games but silent when Mayne wanted to hit car with Palin sticker?”

M. Catharine Evans, at American Thinker Blog:

“GOP pollster Frank Luntz might want to do something better with his time than shill for the Republican establishment. It's not very sane of Frank to cry there's no room at the table for Palin and in the same breath tell ABC's Jake Tapper there's a place for other candidates... In the meantime, regular Americans are watching this administration systematically decimate the economy, our liberties and the rule of law. Middle America may not know Palin's future plans, but after 3 years they trust she is on the people's team-where all faithful servants of ‘we the people’ should be. As usual the beltway elites miss the point.”

Mark America:

“Mrs. Palin embraces a reasonable foreign policy that neither rushes to war, nor shrinks from it when no other rational alternative remains when the US comes under direct threat.”

Mark America:

“Over the remainder of the period between now and the legal cut-off to entry in some states, around the middle of October, there will be endless attempts to try to goad Governor Palin into rash actions in support of the theme Rove first advanced... I even heard Mark Davis continue that theme, using the ‘thin-skinned’ smear while sitting in for Rush Limbaugh on Thursday. That isn’t accidental. Look for more of the same... Beware of some of those you had once thought to be friends. They will come out of the woodwork now, trying to join in the theme, on television, radio, and in blogs... It’s simple for us: We need only to oppose lies by revealing the truth. If Governor Palin intends to run, it’s clear that she’s said we’d know probably by the end of September. That’s good enough for me, and probably for you too, and nothing is served by further engaging these leeches directly. Like Sarah Palin has done, we need only to maintain discipline. So long as we do that, Rove and his cronies will fail.”

Jo, at Jo's Cafe:

“Yes, it was a hit piece and the ‘baby Palin’ remark was meant to harm, but in reality, if someone told me I was a lot like Sarah Palin in my beliefs, I’d thank them.”

Don Smith, at Parcbench:

“The story behind Sarah Palin Out of Nowhere is a classic tale of a man reacting to the world around him. It was a dark day when Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot, allegedly by Jared Loughner on Jan. 8, 2011. Immediately, the media and public officials blamed both the Tea Party Movement and Gov. Sarah Palin for Loughner’s alleged acts of lunacy. It was until a deeper dig of Loughner’s past turned up he had been indoctrinated by a world of socialism and anger. However, the finger pointing by the media at Palin could not be undone. But writer Frank Aquila was not about to let this go unchallenged. After a conversation with a friend, he sat down and wrote Sarah Palin Out of Nowhere... an amazing read.”

Renee Israel, at Gambling Kingz:

“Sarah Palin has not officially entered the race yet, but there is strong speculation that she will, leading to a flurry of bets.”

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

“You didn't see Democrats hawking their candidates' flaws, did you? They stuck together. And because they stick together, they're capable of nominating and electing some of the most ridiculous candidates we've ever seen in American political history. So, Sarah Palin is unelectable? Are you friggin kidding me? I'm tired of being on a team of wimps, wussies and trembling tigers. Watching Karl Rove, Dick Morris and Erick Erickson do everything they can to drag down Sarah Palin's chances in the minds of feeble-minded readers and weak-kneed viewers tells me all I need to know about the conservative movement and the Republican Party... Back your candidate if it's not Sarah Palin. Vote your conscience. But don't be as intellectually dishonest as Democrats are and deny the reality of Sarah Palin's record, her viability, her work ethic and the historical parallels to how people in our movement were doing the same thing to Ronald Reagan in 1979.”

Exit Quote - Albert Einstein:

“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.”

- JP

Day By Day (August 27, 2011)

Cookin' with Grease
*
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 (August 26, 2011)

Disney's Double Standards
*
Andrew Malcolm, at Top of the Ticket:

“Dana astutely wonders aloud what kind of warning verbal outlaw Kenny Mayne got for his twittered desire in June to wreak mechanical mayhem on a passing car, ramming it simply because it carried a Sarah Palin sticker.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 361

“Secrets” Edition
*


James Poulos, at The Daily Caller:

“Sarah Palin is here for good... It’s pity enough that so few commentators understand how real-life social conditions are responsible for Palin’s ascension to the hyperborean layer of popular consciousness. (You know who you are.) What’s worse is that so many of them read the Palin phenomenon as a vaudevillian attempt to wring a few extra moments out of Warhol’s famous fifteen. Though Palin delights in intensifying the confusion of the intensely confused... the truth is simple enough... Palin has cultivated, nourished and capitalized on our secret wellspring of civic participation. The conventional wisdom on Palin is distorted into ridiculousness by its own inability to comprehend this secret — and the real power and purpose of American politics it reveals. In a democratic age, the primary threat to liberty comes from within. Despite persistent disparities of wealth and talent, the notion that we’re all really the same... tend[s] to make all political problems into big ones that only Washington can cope with — but never solve... When, at her best, Palin rambles around the country (don’t call it community organizing), she doesn’t draw an audience so much as a crowd — big groups of people pulled together to reckon with one another, not just ogle a star. This is how irresistible political forces are created in America.”

Timothy Donovan, at The Right Side Of Kennebunk!:

“Pray Sarah Palin Will Be President In 2012”

Jeff Carter, at Points and Figures:

“The good news about Palin is all the bad stuff is already out there. The media can’t smear her any worse than they have already done. Through fiction, and aggressive techniques they have muckraked all they could. Yet, she is still there in the forefront of the public consciousness... Palin is used to being on the outside and underestimated. She positioned herself in Alaska as the outsider that would reform government, and she did. How does that record not correllate with the view of the American public today? Palin will not run in a third party. Even with social media, it’s just too darn expensive. The Tea Party right now is ensconced in a battle for the soul of the Republican Party. They lose that battle, and a third party will emerge.”

Craig Robinson, at The Iowa Republican:

“If Sarah Palin, or any other candidate for that matter, wants to step up and offer their services to the country, now is the time.”

Peter Singleton, via Politico:

“I’ve been in Iowa on the ground since late November. People told me back then it was already too late. They told me it was too late in December, January and February. … Once I got out of the echo chamber of political operatives, I realized that the race is wide open and Gov. Palin has a lot of latent support to build on. It’s not too late now, and I don’t think it’s too late between now and late September. There are filing deadlines around the country for primaries, and I assume Gov. Palin is fully aware of those. There’s a point at which they come and go. Those haven’t been a concern of mine. I’m sure she’s aware of them and factoring them into her decision-making process.”

Adrienne Ross , at MotivationTruth:

“I anxiously look at the calendar, knowing the time when Governor Palin will -- prayerfully -- offer herself up in the name of service draws near.”

Jerry Bloom, at Liberty Log:

“Personally I believe... by a 60-40 chance that Palin will enter the presidential race... I believe she will carry her own in debates, and what’s refreshing about Sarah is that you won’t have to scratch your head to see where she stands. She will look you in the eye, and tell you exactly. In 1980 another incompetent boob such as Sarah Palin was running for president. His name was Ronald Reagan. He was running against Jimmy Carter... Reagan won the election in 1980 losing five states. Yes, that’s right, five states. Not too shabby from being down by 25 percent. The reason? When people voted, they knew what they had to do to save their country. We are here again, folks, and this time more profound than ever... Obama is beatable, very very beatable, so don’t let these polls detract from your mission to get him out of office.”

Christian Heinze, at The Hill's GOP 12:

“Palin impresses... Already, she's absorbed Bachmann's mini-surge and is still sitting up there without much effort...”

Greta Van Susteren, at GretaWire:

“I was surprised at all the recent articles about Karl Rove and Governor Palin. Apparently the other day he made a statement about whether she would be running or not — or whether he thought she would run or something like that — and the media went wild. He doesn’t know if she is running – only she does... The media is 100 per cent consumed with Governor Sarah Palin’s plans. Is she running or not? She sure doesn’t have to tell anyone but everyone sure wants to know…and some people are guessing like crazy... I assume if she decides to run, she will let us all know and it will be, like with every candidate, on her terms. And if she runs, and if you think there is a media frenzy now, buckle up!”

Abby Schachter, at the New York Post:

“If Sarah Palin were Vice President of the United States does anyone think she would have ever said anything even remotely deferrential about China's one-child policy?”

Whitney Pitcher, at Little Blog on the Prairie:

“Her statement [Thursday] was a weaving of multiple points of her military doctrine into a clear vision of what America’s role should be in Libya following the defeat of Gaddafi. This once again allows Governor Palin to create a contrast between herself and the declared presidential candidates... This post allowed for further expansion of Governor Palin’s Jacksonian approach to foreign policy. Too often, pundits create a false dichotomy between neoconservatism and isolationism, but Governor Palin espouses neither. Her foreign policy vision is along the lines of Presidents Jackson and Reagan...”

Andrew Malcolm, at the LA Times' Top of the Ticket:

“President Obama may still be dining with the elite at fancy island restaurants on Martha's Vineyard, but Sarah Palin is pondering the future of Libya and wisely pushing to wind down American involvement in that latest military entanglement.”

Brandon Hartness, at Carolina Review:

“Sarah Palin has been one of the targets most abused by the progressive hate machine. HBO’s liberal late-night talk show host Bill Maher said he would do whatever it takes not to see this ‘snarling bitch’ in the White House. Newsweek reporters have even pushed to have questions asked concerning whether Palin having (at the time) a pregnant teenage daughter and a child with Down Ssyndrome were obstacles in her way of being a successful leader. One could only imagine what would happen if this type of questioning were targeted at women such as Hillary Clin­ton or Nancy Pelosi.”

Ian Lazaran, at Conservatives 4 Palin:

“Here is how you can get from Chicago to Indianola, Iowa for the Governor’s September 3rd speech...”

Dan Riehl, at Riehl World View:

“I'm getting a sense that, within the conservative movement, Perry may come to more represent the old line conservative movement, much of which is seriously compromised as a result of having been established in Washington for so long. At the same time, I'm getting a sense that if the movement is to truly be re-energized and move forward from something it's been for decades - something already bound up in Washington - it may take a Sarah Palin to move forward along that path. If that does become the case, the two paths do lead to a different place. Ultimately, I believe the older line path - Perry, ultimately may only lead to more of the same - a lot of good talk, but not a lot of change. It may take Sarah Palin, or a Sarah Palin, or some number of them over time to truly re-vitalize the conservative movement in America.”

Exit Quote - Winston Churchill:

“Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.”

- JP

Jedediah Bila: What pundits should be talking about when it comes to Palin

"Sarah Palin is a woman who has been consistent, tough and principled."
*
In a Friday opinion piece for The Daily Caller, Jedediah Bila takes the media to task for its endless, inconsequential speculation about Sarah Palin, while ignoring that which is substantial about the first woman and youngest person to serve as Alaska's governor:

Whether she makes a run for the presidency or not — and I personally believe that she will — let’s take a look at some things the media and the D.C./Manhattan elite haven’t quite gotten around to mentioning.

1. As governor in 2007, Palin was responsible for the largest veto totals in state history, while investing $1 billion in forward-funding education and fulfilling public safety and infrastructure necessities.

2. Palin invested $5 billion in state savings during a time of economic surplus.

3. Palin reduced spending by 9.5% from 2007 to 2010 and slashed earmark requests by over 80% during her time as governor.

4. Under Palin, Alaska’s total liabilities were reduced by 34.6% overall.

[...]

7. Palin tossed out the corruption-ridden, structurally-flawed Petroleum Profits Tax of the Murkowski administration and put forth ACES (Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share), which incentivized development while seeing to it that Alaskans — resource owners as per the Alaska Constitution — would receive “A CLEAR and EQUITABLE SHARE (ACES) of the value of their commonly-owned oil and gas.” The result? Alaska was left with a $12 billion surplus. Also, as reported at Big Government, “The number of oil companies filing with the Alaska Department of Revenue has doubled, indicating that competition has indeed increased. Alaska has the second most business friendly tax set-up — up two spots since the passage of ACES. Additionally, a report from Governor Parnell’s Department of Revenue indicated that 2009 yielded a record high in oil jobs.”

[More]

h/t: US for Palin

- JP

Day By Day (August 26, 2011)

Kulture King
*
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 (August 25, 2011)

Let’s Think About This
*
Mark America:

“Over the remainder of the period between now and the legal cut-off to entry in some states, around the middle of October, there will be endless attempts to try to goad Governor Palin into rash actions in support of the theme Rove first advanced last night. I even heard Mark Davis continue that theme, using the ‘thin-skinned’ smear while sitting in for Rush Limbaugh on Thursday. That isn’t accidental. Look for more of the same as he sits in for Open Line Friday. Beware of some of those you had once thought to be friends. They will come out of the woodwork now, trying to join in the theme, on television, radio, and in blogs.”

- JP

Gov. Palin reveals a big clue about her Sept. 3 speech

A tantalizing Thursday tweet from Sarah Palin:
*

I'll be talking about this and more on September 3rd. http://fb.me/129u9eYLN

Which followed this tweet:

America is waiting for the President to make good on this promise. http://fb.me/uSeI9Fkh

Expect that TEA Party speech of Gov. Palin's to be quite the barn burner.

- JP

Scott Conroy: Why Palin might not be inclined to endorse Perry

"Palin and Perry come from entirely different worlds politically."
*
In an op-ed about the Radtke-RedState conflict, RealClearPolitics' Scott Conroy makes a pretty good case why those who claim that Sarah Palin will endorse Rick Perry in the GOP presidential primary race have likely misinterpreted the tea leaves:

Conventional wisdom has held that Palin and Perry occupy a similar niche within the Tea Party movement and that the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee might stay out of the race and instead endorse the three-term governor. But there are several indications that Palin is disinclined to get behind Perry at this stage in the game.

In a Facebook post last month, Palin wrote that the office of the presidency “requires a strong chief executive who has been entrusted with real authority in the past.” Her use of the adjective “strong” was interpreted by many of her supporters to be a subtle reference to the relatively weak power of the office of governor in Texas -- compared to Alaska’s, which is one of the most constitutionally robust in the nation.

When RCP asked Palin during her recent visit to the Iowa State Fair about how her record would stand up against Perry’s, she praised Perry before more explicitly contrasting the power of Alaska’s governorship with that of Texas.

“I’m glad he’s entering the race, even though he said he wouldn’t,” she added.

[...]

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Perry has taken full advantage of lax campaign finance laws to disperse “grants, tax breaks, contracts and appointments to hundreds of his most generous supporters and their businesses.”

Palin, on the other hand, saw her political rise in Alaska fueled in large part by her instinctive antipathy toward the influence of money in politics, which fit perfectly the mood among voters in the 49th state in the wake of a high-profile corruption scandal that swept through the halls of power in Juneau during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

During her 2008 vice-presidential run, Palin consistently pushed back at the fundraiser-intensive schedule that the McCain campaign had set up for her and was always far more comfortable on the rope line than she was on the rubber chicken circuit, according to former aides.

[More]

Conroy concludes that though one of the two may endorse the other well down the campaign road, he sees the battle lines being drawn in the conservative blogosphere as a sign that "the the apparent surrogates for the two prospective rivals are hunkering down in their trenches." Conroy also quotes Dan Riehl, who decribes the Palin constituency as "more independent, slightly more free-thinking" than that of Perry.

- JP

Sarah Palin: On the Future of Libya

As posted on Facebook and SarahPAC:
*

On the Future of Libya

We join the Libyan people in gratefulness as we hear of Col. Gaddafi’s defeat. The fall of a tyrant and sponsor of terrorism is a great day for freedom-loving people around the world. But the path to democracy in Libya is not complete, and we must make wise choices to ensure that our national interests are protected.

First, the White House needs to avoid triumphalism. Gaddafi may be gone, but the fighting may not be complete. As we’ve seen in Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, we must not celebrate too quickly. There are now mounting concerns that we will see tribal and sectarian fighting in Libya like we saw in Iraq. Let’s hope that is not the case, but it must be prepared for.

Second, we must be very concerned about the future government that will emerge to take Gaddafi’s place. History teaches that those with the guns usually prevail when a coalition overthrows a tyrant. We must remember that military power ultimately resides with the rebel commanders. This should be a source of some concern. The armed opposition to Gaddafi is an outgrowth of a group called Islamic Libya Fighting Group, and some rebel commanders admit that they have Al Qaeda links. The rebel fighters are from different tribes, and they have a variety of political views. Some are Islamists, some appear to favor some sort of western democracy. We should work through diplomatic means to help those who want democracy to come out on top.

That said, we should not commit U.S. troops or military assets to serve as peacekeepers or perform humanitarian missions or nation-building in Libya. Our military is already over-committed and strained, and a vaguely designed mission can be the first step toward a quagmire. The internal situation does not seem stable enough for U.S. forces to operate in a purely humanitarian manner without the possibility of coming under attack. Troop deployment to Libya would mean placing America’s finest in a potentially hostile zone that is not in our vital national security interest.

Finally, we must make sure that terrorist groups don’t try to co-opt the revolution, as Al Qaeda is trying to do in Syria. We should continue to use our intelligence assets to monitor the situation in Libya to ensure that potentially dangerous weapons are secured, and that terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda don’t gain a foothold in Libya.

People of Libya, be vigilant. May this opportunity be used to build a free and peaceful country.

- Sarah Palin

- JP

On the RedState kerfuffle

Two wrongs still don't make a right.
*
For those who have not followed the RedState fiasco, Stacy McCain has the Cliff notes version here.

The most troubling aspect of the kerfuffle is not that Erick Erickson did not want to go against his employers. Some say that undermines his credibility, but we don't buy into that. And though the flavor-of-the-month mentality regarding political candidates at RedState can be frustrating to Palin supporters, that's the way it's always been there, and it's not the worst part of this mess.

The real problem for us is the low-down personal attack Erick made against Jamie Radtke. Her campaign manager was wrong to give Politico a copy of a private email Erick sent to Radtke trying to explain why his support for her candidacy had gone soft. But that is nevertheless no excuse for implying that she was "drunk" when she delivered her introductory remarks for Stephen Bannon at the RS event. If Radtke knowingly allowed her campaign manager to divulge the email or put him up to it, then she deserves to be criticized for it. Attempting to paint her an an alcoholic doesn't fall under this category of criticism. Demonizing a conservative candidate you may disagree with or feel may have wronged you is all too Alinsky.

All of this springs from the primary race in Virginia between Radtke and George Allen -- an important contest, to be sure. But is it really worth the damage Erick and RedState are doing to themselves? Many Palin supporters are backing Radtke in part because she has been very pro-Sarah, but Allen has also made some very supportive remarks about Gov. Palin in the past. You editor was supporting Allen for the GOP presidential nomination in 2007 before his campaign crumbled because of one ill-advised comment he made. When a Democrat operative has a video camera pointed in your direction, it's smart not to say anything that can be used to destroy you. We've also seen tweets and e-mails used to take people down, and blog posts are no different. This is a lesson someone as smart as we know Erick Erickson to be should have learned.

What undermines Erick's credibility is not his citation in the email of his bosses' political preferences. That could have been just a BS excuse meant to try to placate Radtke. It's the attack on Radtke's character that undermines Erick's reputation and that of RedState by extension. If handing an email over to a website which loves to diss conservatives is a Radtke character flaw, then that should have been the focus of Erick's response, not the gratuitous attacks he threw against her. Even "drunks" can figure that much out.

- JP

Day By Day (August 25, 2011)

Prince
*
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 (August 24, 2011)

Lesson from the Iowa State Fair - Mainstream Media Still Fears Sarah Palin
*
AWR Hawkins, at Red County:

“People love Palin the way they loved Ronald Reagan, and that just scares the pants off the MSM.”

- JP

More Quote of the Day Honorable Mention Part 360

“Carry On” Edition
*


Donna Garner, at Voices Empower:

“I highly respect the announced candidates — Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and Rick Santorum; but I believe the best candidate has not announced YET. However, she may be about to launch — Sarah Palin... Why did Sarah quit as the Governor of Alaska? In a page right out of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, the politics of personal destruction commenced big-time under the influence of Rahm Emanuel. Rabble-rousing leftist journalists, socialists, and just plain embittered people came out of the woodwork to file litigation against Sarah. At one time she and her husband had more than $500,000 in attorneys’ bills — much more than her total salary for all the time she was Governor of Alaska. However, the even bigger problem was that Sarah and her staff were having to spend all their time providing documentation and answering open records requests to settle ethics complaints which kept them from being able to carry on the business of running Alaska well.”

Ed Morrissey, at Hot Air:

“Help me out here … how exactly is Palin’s resignation even germane to the debate over Obama’s vacation?”

Anthony James, at Tea Party Tribune:

“Those who promised to ‘fundamentally transform’ America in the last presidential election came so close to fulfilling their promise in the most utterly despicable manner possible that we should all fall on our knees and thank God that we were awakened in time to hold back that vile tide. This socialist disease that eats away at our republic from within must be torn out by the roots in its entirety and completely destroyed. It will take nothing less than a tide of our own; a tide of new age Minutemen ready and willing to beat back the barbarians within our gates. Such a transcendent movement requires an equally transcendent leader, someone utterly different from and even opposed to the usual cogs in the Beltway machine. Sarah Palin is that someone, capable of laying out what it is that needs to be done, and then bringing together the disparate factions required to see it accomplished. She is the only potential candidate for 2012 who has a record of doing exactly that.”

John Scotus, at The Tree of Mamre:

“Unfortunately, I do not see the other candidates – including Perry – really bringing forth the message of restoring America as Palin has done.”

Mark America:

“Today, I will send another contribution to SarahPac. I have decided to do all I can for one last chance to save this country. Yesterday, I talked to some fine folks who look at our future prospects as things are and tremble at what it will mean. We can’t permit it. We mustn’t, and so I ask you to find all that is good in yourselves, all within you that still wants to fight for the future, and prepare. On the day that Sarah Palin announces, whatever the date, I will find some way to be there. It’s easy to make excuses and to claim a thing too hard. Leave the excuses to Obama. Leave them to the rest of the GOP field. We won’t need them.”

Mark America:

“When Governor Palin wants to announce, she’ll let us know.”

Kingsjester:

“Y’know, judging from the traffic that any Sarah Palin Thread generates at conservative websites, for somebody whom the ‘pundits’ (professional and amateur) keep insisting is not running or doesn’t stand a chance, she sure is generating a ton of national interest. Or course, what do I know? I voted for a guy who used to star in movies with a chimp.”

Todd Dorman, at The Cedar Rapids Gazette:

“But the Iowa video... she released last week is hard to explain away. It has a very campaigny feel, from rolling bus to roaring bear.”

Shushannah Walshe, at ABC News' The Note:

“With Sarah Palin’s next Iowa visit mere days away, the will-she-or-won’t-she frenzy is at an all time high... It’s important to note that no matter what, Palin plays by her own rules... Palin knows that a surprise announcement in front of her most passionate supporters would solidify her as the candidate that can always suck the oxygen out of the room. In a cycle with so many announcements before the announcement, she would be able to trump all the beltway pundits who have signaled her demise since 2008.”

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

“I'll put our Tea Party warriors up against the Left's thugs any day. Game on. Mr. Ziegler, that's why Palin can win.”

Rob Cunningham, at US for Palin:

“On Saturday, September 3rd, in Indianola, Iowa, I believe that a significant and historically fateful event will occur in this small town near Des Moines. Governor Sarah Palin will likely deliver a speech in which the 2012 election battle lines will be clearly drawn for every friend and foe to hear. No other presidential candidate has offered, or is likely to offer, such clear, specific, and bold measures to the American people as I expect Sarah Palin will offer on this day. Her speech will likely prove to be refreshing, inspiring, invigorating and so historic in nature, it may be impossible to calculate its significance until many years have passed.
 The epic struggle for America’s very survival will be engaged on this day, and our world will never be the same. With every ounce of passion and personal conviction in my soul, I implore each and every person that feels called to volunteer in defense of our beloved nation, to make your reservations for Indianola, Iowa, today.”

Frank Luntz, via Sheya:

“Should she announce, she’ll have an instantaneous grassroots national operation in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina... She’s a breath of fresh air, and she doesn’t have to do it the way other candidates do it.”

Michael Moriarty, at Big Hollywood:

“I remember foolishly assuming that I was the child my parents wanted. It was somehow fed me that even two children, my sister and I, were considered one too many and one of us was the object of a failed abortion attempt... Trig survived because of his parents! No two people on earth are more heroic for me than Mr. and Mrs. Palin. Add on to that the disparaging, elitist attitudes Sarah Palin has endured as a Vice-Presidential Candidate and still deals with subsequently and with divine grace? Mrs. Palin is Saint Sarah for me. The same diabolical calls for abortion that ensued upon Trig’s conception were echoed in the perversely feminist labels the progressives plastered on Sarah Palin for being the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate. The thicker the flying mud aimed at Sarah Palin, the nobler, stronger and more beautiful she becomes in my eyes. If the rest of America knew what I know about being the survivor of abortion, they’d feel about Sarah Palin as I do.”

Daria DiGiovanni, at The Conservative Diva:

“I cannot recommend Sarah Palin Out Of Nowhere highly enough and encourage all Palin supporters to purchase it — not just for themselves but for the Palin skeptics in their lives and anyone who is seeking to make a positive contribution to the effort of returning the United States of America to greatness.”

Charisse Van Horn, at Examiner.com:

“On August 18, 2011, former vice president candidate and Alaskan governor confirmed she will speak at the upcoming Extraordinary Women Conference... Palin continues to draw clouds of speculation as she hasn’t answered whether or not she plans to jump into the 2012 elections. With the confirmation of Sarah Palin’s attendance, tickets sold out quickly; however, there is some overflow seating available... Sarah Palin is expected to share her personal faith in Jesus Christ in the event titled ‘Everlasting Hope.’ The weekend event takes place from October 7-8, 2011.”

Exit Quote - Winston Churchill:

“Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most times he will pick himself up and carry on.”

- JP