Sarah Palin, Party Peacemaker? (Updated)

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Tom Forbes at NW Digest has the Rumor of the Day:

"Highly placed sources have informed me that efforts are underway to have Sarah Palin intervene in the current squabble between former Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier and Republican Senate nominee Dino Rossi."

[...]

"Didier has declined to endorse Rossi in the Senate race until Rossi agrees to meet three specific demands. Rossi has refused."

Forbes says that the Washington State GOP is working to try to heal the breach between Rossi and the Palin-endorsed Didier. They know that Rossi will need to have Didier's supporters on board to have any chance of defeating incumbent Sen. Patty Murray, a liberal Democrat, in the fall.

Update: U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a friend of Gov. Palin, may be the one selected by the Washington State GOP to ask Sarah Palin to help mend the rift between Rossi and Didier. Both McMorris Rodgers and Didier were endorsed by the governor. This from Seattle website publicola:

Morning Fizz hears that McMorris Rodgers may call Palin and ask her to talk to Didier about endorsing Rossi. Didier, a Tea Party candidate, won about 13 percent of the Primary vote while Rossi got 33.

- JP

Quote of the Day (August 18, 2010)

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Clint Didier:

"Let me tell you what, don’t you take anything away from Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin is working her tail off for this country. She’s been all over this country to different states. She’s going where she thinks she can do the most good, I just thank her for her efforts."

- JP

It's primary day in Washington State and Wyoming

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Voters are going to the polls today in Washington and Wyoming.

In the Cowboy State, a Casper Star-Tribune survey conducted three weeks ago showed Rita Meyer, who has been endorsed by Sarah Palin, with a narrow lead over her nearest challenger in the crowded GOP gubernatorial primary:

Meyer, the current state auditor, and Mead, a former U.S. attorney, polled 27 percent and 24 percent, respectively, among likely Republican voters. Meyer also led all seven Republican candidates in name recognition (91 percent) and favorability rating (50 percent).

In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Washington State, the conventional wisdom says Dino Rossi will survive to challenge Sen. Patty Murray in November. But 2010 is anything but a conventional election year:

Assuming they do both advance, polls seem to show them as very close among likely voter preference. While the likeliest scenario is that the two most recognizable names in the race do advance, in this Tea Party year, anything is possible on the Republican side. While it is easy to discount Paul Akers and Clint Didier, the strong anti-incumbent, and anti-establishment passion among conservative voters could really hurt Rossi. Dino Rossi, among the Republicans, is the establishment figure, despite never having won a state-wide race (or at least making his one win stick…). Add to that the fact that Rossi is an economic conservative, with a more liberal take on the abortion issue, and Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Clint Didier, and we have an interesting mixture that could bite Rossi.

- JP

A half-million WA State voters will get calls from Gov. Palin for Clint Didier

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Sarah Palin has lent her voice to Clint Didier in Washington State in the last four days of the GOP primary for U.S. Senate:

The Didier campaign says it's hitting about 500,000 voters across the state with a recorded telephone message from Palin, the former Alaska governor and vice-presidential nominee.

In the message, Palin calls Didier a "new kind of Republican" and "a true conservative dedicated to our nation's bedrock pinciples of limited government."

She adds: "Unlike establishment candidates who just talk about lower taxes, Clint has signed a pledge to do so."

From the Didier campaign website:

Palin’s May 21 endorsement of Didier was one of her earliest endorsements this campaign season, calling him a “selfless, inspiring commonsense constitutional conservative who will help put our country on the right track."

[...]

Palin also launched a “moneyblast” in July to help raise funds for Didier.

Enthusiastic Didier supporters have also organized a ‘virtual’ phone bank across the state, calling voters with their personal ‘get out and vote for Clint’ messages. “This thing is going viral,” said volunteer Sam Wilson of Snohomish County. “We call them to ask for their vote, and they volunteer to help make the calls!”

“I am so honored that Sarah Palin as well as so many grassroots supporters and volunteers are pulling out all of the stops to bring home this win for the State of Washington,” said Didier.

Voters will go to the polls in the Washington State primary this Tuesday, August 17.

- JP

Sarah Palin to Didier campaign: I'm all in

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Politico quotes Washington Senate candidate Clint Didier as saying that Sarah Palin will return to Washington State to raise money and campaign for him before the GOP Aug. 17 primary:

Didier, who won Palin’s endorsement a week before GOP opponent Dino Rossi announced his candidacy in May, met with the former vice-presidential nominee in Washington state last week and said their teams were working out potential dates for an event.

“She just told me she just loved the campaign: Game Plan for Washington,” Didier told POLITICO Thursday.

“Her exact words were, ‘She’s all in,’” interjected Didier adviser Kathryn Serkes, during a half-hour interview with the GOP candidate and his two top aides.

“They know the urgency. We told them when the primary was, that every one of our counties is an absentee ballot except for one, so the urgency is there,” Didier continued.

Campaign consultant Doug Simpson said the goal is to schedule two events with Palin, one on the populous western side of the state and another in eastern Washington, which is more rural and Republican-oriented.

“She has offered to do it, it’s just a question of dates,” said Serkes.

More at Politico.com.

- JP

Sarahcuda Bites for Sunday, June 13, 2010

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Road Trip: A Sunday morning tweet from Gov. Palin:

"Driving beautiful states, feeling America's heart meeting folks along the way;hit Canada yest 4 drive home! Reading Mark Steyn's article now"

Aunt Katie's Back Yard: Nice photo gallery with 54 shots of Sarah Palin, family and Clint Didier, courtesy of Jim Forbes here.

Thoughts and Prayers: The governor reached out via Twitter Saturday to those in Arkansas hit by flash flooding which killed at least 18 with up to two dozen missing.

More on Mama Grizzlies: Articles by Susan Milligan in The Boston Globe, Ramesh Ponnuru in the The New York Times and Marjorie Dannenfelser at AOL's Politics Daily.

Silly Liberal Trix: Another Palin tweet:

"BarbBoxer sez'greatest security threat'is WEATHER.Not nukes,or unsustainable debt leading 2 insolvency?Silly Senator,glad theres competition"

Remembering Reagan: And via Facebook:

"Twenty-three years ago today, Ronald Reagan delivered this famous address at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. Two years later, the Wall he insisted be torn down, came down."

(Links added)

- JP

Clint Didier: 'We couldn't ask for better support' from Sarah Palin (Updated)

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Sarah Palin and Clint Didier, the candidate she endorsed for U.S. Senate from Wasington State met today in the Tri-Cities area:

"On the way over I wanted to make sure that I had the opportunity to say hello to Clint and tell him how much he's supported," said Sarah Palin, former Vice President candidate.

"We were in Vancouver at the convention and we got the call in the morning that Sarah was going to be here. We've been looking forward for this chance to get together with Sarah, talk about these fundraisers we have coming up and sort of coordinated a little bit. When we got the call in, we were on a plane heading here," said Clint Didier, U.S. Senate candidate.

Palin says she has been following Didier all the way back to his Super Bowl victories. She says there's no doubt in her mind that he's the right choice for Washington, DC.

"Went to his website, read his game plan for America and said bingo, this is what we need and got a hold of him and was honored to get to meet him," said Palin.

Didier says the push from Palin has really helped his campaign.

"Lets just say, the first 24 hours we had 106,000 hits on our website. That's how big it is. It's monumental, its huge we couldn't ask for better support," said Didier.

But the entry of Dino Rossi into the race only days after Gov. Palin's endorsement of Didier has made the Mesa farmer the underdog in the GOP primary race. It's a good thing the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate roots for the underdog:

"Kind of a tough haul in front of him in these coming days because he's up against the political machine, even with the Republican Party we have that machine," said Palin.

The political machine she's referring to is Dino Rossi. But Didier says he not worried.

"I'm truly the grass roots, the campaign for liberty, the Tea Party people and everyone trying to figure out where this movement is coming from. Well the movement is coming from 'we the people'," said Didier.

After their meeting, Didier flew back to Vancouver to speak at the state Republican Convention, while Gov. Palin said she will be heading home to Alaska.



Update: From the Tri-City Herald:

Asked why she chose to support Didier rather than two-time Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi, Palin cited Didier's of gamesmanship as a driving factor.

“He knew he had something to offer this great state and our country. He didn’t wait to see what the line-up would look like,” she said.

“He didn’t play the political games that so many others do.”

Palin said she was impressed that Didier wasn’t seeking glory or a spotlight by running — he’s already had that through his football career, which included playing on the winning team in two Super Bowls.

She also believes Didier has the business acumen to make sound financial decisions for the nation.

“He knows it’s a solemn trust to spend other people’s money,” she said. “Clint understands this debt our nation has incurred — is incurring every day — is immoral and is putting our country on a path to insolvency. He knows we’ve got to stop that and put our economy on the track to reverse these trends.

- JP

Gov. Palin is in the Tri-Cities area meeting with Clint Didier

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The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that Sarah Palin is in the Tri-Cities area of Washington state meeting with Clint Didier, one of the candidates she has endorsed. Didier 's tweet about the meetup apparently alerted the local media.

A hand-lettered sign in Didier's booth at the Republican convention in Vancouver explained his brief absence:

11:00 AM Friday 6-11

Sarah Palin made an impromptu stop in the Tri-cities and Clint is flying down to talk to her about fundraising. Clint says "I'll be right back."

Scheduled to return at 3:30

Tri-Cities television station KNDU promises to have an interview with Gov. Palin and Didier on its 5PM and 6PM (Pacific Time) local newscasts.

The governor has family living in Washington State. She endorsed Didier before Dino Rossi, who has run for governor of Washington twice and lost both times, entered the race. He has since emerged as incumbent Senator Patty Murray's main competition.

- JP

Sarah Palin endorses Tea Party candidate Clint Didier (Updated)

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In a new post on her Facebook Notes page Thursday, Sarah Palin endorsed former NFL player Clint Didier, who won two Super Bowl rings as a member of the Washington Redskins:

The Right Game Plan for Victory in America with #86

I’m proud to support Clint Didier as he willingly puts it all on the line to serve Washington state in the U.S. Senate for all the right reasons! This selfless, inspiring commonsense constitutional conservative will help put our country on the right track.

Please visit Clint’s website here, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Let’s get behind #86!

- Sarah Palin

Didier's pro football career spanned much of the decade of the 1980s. He was a tight end for the Skins for six seasons, and also played one season with the Green Bay Packers. He now shares head coaching duties with Wayne Riner at Connell High School in Connell, Washington, where the two led the Eagles to the finals four times, winning the state championship in 2002 and 2009, and taking runners-up honors in 2006 and 2007.

Didier, a Tea Party candidate and libertarian Republican, seeks to dethrone incumbent Democrat Patty Murray from the U.S. Senate. When he's not coaching football and campaigning for the U.S. Senate, Didier runs the family farm he came home to work after the end of his NFL career.

Updates: David Weigel has more on this race, and C4P has a good Didier video up.

- JP