News-Press: Sarah Palin energizes crowd in SW Florida

“The president's budget was a political document”
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Just back from visiting India and Israel, Sarah Palin brought her conservative message to a crowd of about 1,000 in Southwest Florida at the Naples Ritz-Carlton. The Fort Myers based News Press reports that her address "sounded a whole lot like a campaign speech for the 2012 presidential race":

“Tonight,” she said before delivering her speech at the Naples Distinguished Speakers Series Town Hall event, “I will call it like I see it. I will be blunt and candid.”

She didn't disappoint.

“The occupants of the White House do not have the concerns of Israel in their best interest,” Palin said 48 hours after having dinner with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister.

And then she got rolling around the globe ... Iran, Libya, Brazil, China.

Obama's recent trip to South America had her riled up over America's current energy policy.

“We have tens of billions of barrels of oil warehoused underground in Alaska,” Palin said. “But the president goes to Brazil. It's gone from ‘Drill, Baby, Drill' to ‘Drill, Brazil, Drill.’”

Regarding Iran, she said the White House had a chance to make an impact there earlier this year during a student uprising, but passed.

She said the United States’ policy on Libya is inconsistent, and that she's concerned that China is building a vast arsenal of sophisticated submarines and aircraft.

Palin said the right foreign policy ought to be, “If you're in it, win it. If there's doubt, get out.”

Palin said the nation's debt of more than a trillion dollars is the country's biggest threat.

“The president's budget was a political document,” she said.

About a Democratic political slogan “Winning The Future,” Palin energized the crowd.

“That is too easy ... the acronym WTF,” she said, and the audience loved it.

[More]

The News-Press said that her audience Wednesday night was made to order for Gov. Palin, as Collier County is one of the most conservative areas in Florida. Her appearance was also covered by the Naples News here.

- JP

AP says Sarah Palin to travel to Asia next month

The Associated Press is reporting that former governor Sarah Palin will journey to Asia in September:

The former Alaska governor will visit Hong Kong to address the CLSA Investors Forum, a well-known annual conference of global investment managers, the host announced Monday.

Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Alan Greenspan have spoken at the event, hosted by brokerage and investment group CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets.

A statement from CLSA spokeswoman Simone Wheeler read, in part:

"We just felt it would be a fabulous opportunity for CLSA clients to hear from Mrs. Palin," Wheeler said, adding that CLSA approached Palin with the offer.

She said the conference aimed to present investors "a diversity of views that potentially influence decision-makers who help shape the markets."

The Sept. 23 address will mark Palin's first commercial speaking engagement, according to CLSA. Her speaking fees were not disclosed.

It will be closed to the media, and the topic has not yet been confirmed.

Excuse us, AP, but we will have to wait for confirmation from Gov. Palin or someone authorized to speak for her before we take this one to the bank. You know how optimistic some event organizers can be.

Businessweek quotes another CLSA spokeswoman, however, who gave assurances:

"It’s confirmed. She will be a speaker at our forum."

Still, we will have to wait for Sarah's people to confirm or deny, which they tend to do only when contacted and asked directly about a specific event. "Getting out front" on a story doesn't appear to be a high priority for the Palin organization. As they say, watch this space...

Meanwhile, the CLSA corporate website is here.

Related: Posting on Marc Ambinder's Atlantic blog, Chris Good wonders what she will say.

- JP