Gov. Palin, Ted Nugent to campaign for Raese in WV Saturday

*
Now we know why Sarah Palin will not put in an appearance at the Tea Party Express bus tour rally in Columbus, Ohio after all. It seems her help is needed elsewhere. WOWK-TV is reporting that Gov. Palin and Ted Nugent will be taking the stage at a Saturday rally in Charleston, West Virginia to campaign for John Raese:

Two big names are joining together Saturday to campaign for U.S. Senate candidate John Raese.

Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor, will join Ted Nugent, rock legend, at the capital city Saturday to rally for Raese.

Kevin McLaughlin, spokesperson for Raese, and Mike Steward, W.Va. Republican Party chairman, have confirmed that Palin will be joining Nugent at Saturday's rally. Todd Palin will also be in attendance.

The site of the rally will be the Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston. The Raese Campaign says the rally will start at noon with a band. (We wonder if Ted will sit in on guitar...) The speeches should begin around 1 to 1:30 PM local time.

- JP

Ted Nugent: A salute to Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, et al.

*
In a Washington Times opinion piece, Ted Nugent salutes Gov. Palin, Glenn Beck and all those who are standing up and speaking truth to corrupt power -- the radical leftists who are temporarily in charge of our government. Here's an excerpt:

The undying appreciation Americans have for Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin speaks volumes about the self-evident truth and logic that remains common and sensible across this great land.

On behalf of so many families with whom I am humbled to share a deep connection, I wish to thank and salute both Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin for speaking for us and representing the pragmatism that drives our quality of life.

Of course, I cannot fail also to salute and thank sincerely... so many other conservative, sensible, courageous and reasonable voices all across this country.

The line drawn in the sand is far too obvious in these times, and when these conservative pundits speak out, they literally speak for the majority of Americans, or clearly at least the most productive, kindhearted Americans who have not lost contact with our heritage, our Founding Fathers, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule and the American Way.

It is overtly obvious that conservatives want an accountable, limited government to secure our borders, win the war against terror, have a victory strategy instead of an exit strategy, and take care of our heroes of the U.S. military. We conservatives still ask not what our country can do for us, but how we can do our absolute best for our country.

Meanwhile, the backward, so-called "progressives," embarrassed to label themselves liberals anymore, raise a cacophony on how they aren't willing to do jack squat for their country that they are ashamed of, but squawk an insane list of demands their government must do for them.

Read the Nuge's full op-ed here.

h/t: roy y

- JP

Gov. Palin is in the top 10 of TIME's Top 100 for 2010

*
Sarah Palin is number nine on The 2010 TIME 100. The next highest-ranking Republican on TIME's list of "the people who most affect our world" is Sen. Jon Kyl at number eleven. Ted Nugent wrote the testimonial about Gov. Palin:

"If Sarah Palin played a loud, grinding instrument, she would be in my band. The independent patriotic spirit, attitude and soul of our forefathers are alive and well in Sarah. In the way she lives, what she says and how she dedicates herself to make America better in these interesting times, she represents the good, while exposing the bad and ugly. She embraces the critical duty of we the people by participating in this glorious experiment in self-government. The tsunami of support proves that Sarah, 46, represents what many Americans know to be common and sensible. Her rugged individualism, self-reliance and a herculean work ethic resonate now more than ever in a country spinning away from these basics that made the U.S.A. the last best place. We who are driven to be assets to our families, communities and our beloved country connect with the principles that Sarah Palin embodies. We know that bureaucrats and, even more, Fedzilla, are not the solution; they are the problem. I'd be proud to share a moose-barbecue campfire with the Palin family anytime, so long as I can shoot the moose."

Glenn Beck is number twelve on the list, and Gov. Palin wrote his testimonial:

"Who'd have thought a history buff with a quirky sense of humor and a chalkboard could make for such riveting television? Glenn's like the high school government teacher so many wish they'd had, charting and connecting ideas with chalk-dusted fingers — kicking it old school — instead of becoming just another talking-heads show host. Self-taught, he's become America's professor of common sense, sharing earnestly sought knowledge with an audience hungry for truth. Glenn, 46, tackles topics other news shows would regard as arcane. Consider his desire to teach Americans about the history of the progressive movement: he's doing to progressive what Ronald Reagan did to liberal — explaining that it's a damaged brand."

"His love of the Founding Fathers inspires others to learn and respect our nation's history. Best of all, Glenn delights in driving the self-proclaimed powers-that-be crazy. (The whole country awaits the red phone ringing!) Even his critics (whom he annihilates in ratings) have to admire his amazing ability to galvanize everyday Americans to better themselves and peacefully engage their government. Though he sometimes dismisses himself as an aw-shucks guy or just a "rodeo clown," he's really an inspiring patriot who was once at the bottom but now makes a much needed difference from the very, very top."

- JP

The Nuge Will Join Rick and Sarah on Super Sunday

*
Here's the press release from the Perry campaign:

Ted Nugent will perform the national anthem at the Super Sunday with Sarah Rally with Gov. Rick Perry and Gov. Sarah Palin.

“Not only is Ted one of our nation’s greatest performers, but his dedication to upholding our nation’s Second Amendment rights has been crucial to maintaining the freedom we are able to enjoy as Americans every day,” said Gov. Perry. “I look forward to Ted’s performance, and to the opportunity to join both him and Sarah Palin in sharing the success story Texas has achieved through our state’s unwavering commitment to conservative values based on the belief in limited government and individual freedom.”

Nugent is an internationally-recognized musician and one of the strongest advocates of preserving our nation’s Second Amendment rights. He has served as a National Rifle Association board member since 1995, as a national spokesman for D.A.R.E and as ambassador for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Pass It On Outdoor Mentors Program. He is also an award-winning writer for more than 40 publications, and author of the New York Times best-sellers Ted White & Blue: The Nugent Manifesto and God, Guns and Rock 'n' Roll.

Tickets for the event are still available and may be reserved by registering at http://www.RickPerry.org/Sarah.

- JP

It might be worth joining the GOP just to be a Ted Nugent Republican

The Value Voters Summit is underway in Washington this weekend, and many political animals are looking forward to the straw poll which will be taken Saturday at the conference. While it's just a straw poll, and the 2012 presidential race is still pretty far down the campaign trail, some pundits think they will be able to read something significant in the tea leaves. One of those is Bernie Quigley of The Hill's Pundits Blog:

It should be useful in cutting through the ambiguity and denial about the various grassroots movements around the country. In a poll six months ago, Palin and Paul came in tied for second, behind Mitt Romney. Romney will come back as we get closer to 2012, but he should sink some this weekend because of his association with healthcare insurance as governor of Massachusetts.

The brooding ambiguity in the heartland has both Jeffersonian aspects (Ron Paul) and Jacksonian aspects (Sarah Palin). Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry registers in on both of these. All three might be categorized as Ted Nugent Republicans to varying degree and manifestation.

The straw poll at the Value Voters conference should give some indication about the Nuge Factor that is rattling some traditional Republicans. Nugent was the star of the show in some of the Texas "tea party" rallies on April 15.

"Ted Nugent Republican"... Hey, we like that. We like the sound of it so much that we're considering a change in our voter registration from independent to GOP just so we can call ourselves "Ted Nugent Republicans." The "Kill It and Grill It" rocker is one of Sarah's staunchest advocates.

Quigley continues:

Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, was sent almost to seizures when a purely conservative crowd started chanting "Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul..." to the tune of "USA, USA, USA..." during one of his speeches. Paul is not a Republican, Graham shouted back at the group.

We never thought we would find ourselves in the position of defending Ron Paul, considering the unkind and incorrect things he has said about Palin supporters, but he's a heck of a lot more of a Republican than Lindsey the Liberal claims to be. 

Quigley suggests that Mitt Romney might just be the leader who can pull the various factions of the GOP together, and he cites Mitt's success in turning around the 2002 Winter Olympics as evidence. We're not seeing it. The failure of RomneyCare in Massachusetts doesn't bode well for him, and there are a significant number of conservatives in the GOP base who consider Romney too much of a changeling on the issues to trust him. And we don't see the Olympics as having much in common with a political party, either.

- JP

Gov. Palin will sign gun rights legislation today

 Gov. Sarah Palin will sign several pieces of Second Amendment-related legislation in Fairbanks. She will also be a guest on Michael Dukes' talk show on Fairbanks radio station KFAR, where gun rights and second amendment issues are a regular Friday topic of discussion. the segment is scheduled for 4:00 PM Alaska time, and the governor's office says that gun rights advocate and avid hunter Ted Nugent is expected to call in to join the discussion.

Audio from the the program will be streamed here and here. According to the Fairbanks News-Miner:

"She’s had a standing invitation to my show," Dukes said when asked if Palin responded to a request by him. "It’s always good to talk to Sarah."

She first appeared on the show in 2002 while campaigning for the Republican nomination as lieutenant governor and has returned several times. Dukes said callers light up all lines when Palin is a guest.

State Rep. John Coghill said that gun rights are taken very seriously in the Interior:

"It’s an issue you have to be continually alert to. I’m glad [Palin] has taken it as an issue. It’s a national issue, and certainly in the Interior of Alaska, it is near and dear to us."

The North Pole legislator said he suspects that callers will want to discuss more than only firearms issues with the governor:

"The big news of the week is her leaving office," he said. "It will be interesting for her to have a dialogue with some of the people in Fairbanks."

A listing of the bills Gov. Palin is expected to sign is here.

- JP