Arkansans Brave Hours of Cold Weather for Sarah Palin Book Signing

Chilly temperatures and long line couldn't keep these Arkansans from Sarah Palin
*
KARK-TV reports from Little Rock that hundreds of Arkansans waited hours in what felt like below-freezing temperatures for a chance to have Gov. Palin sign copies of her second book, America by Heart:

With her new book out and her new reality show on television, many wonder if this will lead up to another run for the White House.

[...]

The book cover for "America by Heart" says it's about Sarah Palin's take on what it's like to be an American. Today's long line was full of people who came out because they say they identify with Palin and her emphasis on faith and family.

The chilly temperatures and long line couldn't keep these Arkansans from Sarah Palin. They came bundled up, and started lining up before the sun came up.

Palin fan Richard Caster said, "Got here at 5 am, left the house in Mountain Home at 2 am."

Caster drove nearly three hours from Baxter County and was the first person in line at Sam's Club. But the line was filled with people equally as anxious to shake Palin's hand and get her John Handcock on her latest book.

Palin supporter Ben Jiles said, "I came down here to see Sarah Palin cause to me, she is a true American. She's connected with so many people not through everyday politics, but through the ideals we all live by."

[More]

Although only 500 people had the coveted wristbands which guaranteed their books would be signed, the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate signed a few dozen more than that, and the event wrapped up around 8 o'clock.

Max Brantley of the liberal Arkansas Times posted two videos of interviews with fans waiting in line here.

- JP

Sarah Palin: 'America By Heart' Book Tour and Reviews

*
Posted early Tuesday morning by Gov. Palin on Facebook:

“America By Heart” Book Tour and Reviews

The “America By Heart” book tour continues today in Baton Rouge, LA and Little Rock, AR. Click here for details.

I got a chance to speak with Jedediah Bila from Human Events last week. You can check out her great column about it here.

Last May I had the honor of meeting radio show host Hugh Hewitt at an event we both spoke at in Denver. He’s a great patriot, and I’m humbled by his kind words about “America By Heart.” You can read his review here.

I mention in “America By Heart” that National Review is one of my favorite magazines, and I used excerpts of articles by a number of NR writers. Among them is Kathryn Jean Lopez, who always has such wonderful insight into cultural issues, particularly in regard to building a culture of life. I’m honored by her thoughtful review of “America By Heart” and especially by her including it in the same review with Pope Benedict’s new book. You can read her article here.

Fox & Friends interviewed Luigi Zingales, the University of Chicago economist whose work I mentioned in “America By Heart.” You can see the interview here.

I look forward to seeing you in Baton Rouge and Little Rock today and signing your books!

- Sarah Palin

- JP

Cecile Bledsoe Loses Close GOP Runoff Election in Arkansas

*
State Senator Cecile Bledsoe has narrowly lost her runoff bid for the GOP nomination for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to Rogers mayor Steve Womack in Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District. Here's John McCormack's post at The Weekly Standard blog:

In what was otherwise a great night for candidates backed by Sarah Palin (Nikki Haley in South Carolina and Carly Fiorina in California) and other Republican women (Meg Whitman in California, Sharron Angle in Nevada, and Kristi Noem in South Dakota), outsider Cecile Bledsoe has lost to Steve Womack in the Arkansas Third District GOP primary, 52% to 48% with almost all precincts reporting. The Cook Political Report's David Wasserman tells me that the only outstanding precincts lean Womack.

- JP

Gov. Palin endorses Cecile Bledsoe in Arkansas Congressional race

*
On Facebook Thursday, Sarah Palin endorsed Cecile Bledsoe in the Arkansas Republican primary for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives:

On the List of “Mama Grizzlies”: Cecile Bledsoe for Arkansas

Just had a great talk with Cecile Bledsoe (and talk about “boots on the ground” in her grassroots campaign, she answered her own campaign phone when I called). She’s an inspiring individual whom I’m happy to support.

Cecile is another Commonsense Conservative “mama grizzly” running for Congress this year. Her mission to protect our great country’s freedom is so commendable. Cecile is a pro-family, pro-2nd Amendment, fiscal conservative who will work hard for the people in Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District.

Please join me in supporting another member of the “pink elephant stampede” of Commonsense Constitutional Conservative women who will take this country back to our roots of limited government and fiscal responsibility. Please vote for Cecile on Tuesday, June 8th.

You can visit Cecile’s website, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

- Sarah Palin

Cecile Bledsoe serves in the Arkansas Senate, where she has represented the 8th district since 2008. She also served in the Arkansas State House of Representatives from 1999 to 2004. When not in Little Rock during legislative sessions, Bledsoe's regular job is Vice President of a Surgical Clinic. In her GOP primary race for the 3rd District, which includes most of Northwest Arkansas, her opponent is Steve Womack, who has been the mayor of the city of Rogers since 1998. Sen. Bledsoe, also from Rogers, finished second to Womack in the May 18 primary. The winner of their June 8 run-off will face Democrat David Whitaker in November.

- JP

Quote of the Day (February 23, 2010)

*
Patrick S. Adams:

"The sing-song, happy go lucky girl who believed she could fly regardless of what the people thought has evolved into a polished woman who commands hundreds of thousands of dollars a speech, has written a best selling book and has access now through her position at Fox News to a media that once tried to destroy her. If I was a liberal, that would scare the crap out of me... Word is she also brought the house down at her speech in Arkansas."

- JP

Paul Greenberg: Sarah Palin dares to say what so many are feeling

*
Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Greenberg, editorial page editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, was at the Sarah Palin fundraiser for the Arkansas Republican Party last week, and he shared some of his thoughts about the event in his Townhall.com column:

Oh, yes, Sarah Palin also spoke. After she'd been presented with a souvenir of Arkansas -- a .44 magnum. Welcome, Miss Sarah, to another part of the country where folks hold on to their religion and their guns. The former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, should have been right at home, and certainly acted like it.

The lady not only knew where she was but, more important, like Rose in the movie "Moonstruck," knows who she is. And makes no apologies for it. That's something else her oh-so-superior critics can't stand. Other politicians are so sophisticated, flexible, plastic, nuanced ... that they seem to have no backbone at all. Sarah Palin is always Sarah Palin.

If she weren't an Alaskan, she'd make a heckuvan Arkansan.

Greenberg describes Gov. Palin as "a combination of Aimee Semple McPherson and Ronald Reagan." McPherson, who was known as Sister Aimee, was an evangelist in the 1920s and 1930s. She has been credited as a pioneer in the use of modern (for her times) media, especially radio. Greenberg also refers to Sarah Palin as "the Molly Pitcher of our time."

- JP

Sarah Palin speaks to crowd of 5,000 in N. Little Rock

*
Sarah Palin, in a speech before a crowd of about 5,000 at the Verizon Center in North Little Rock tonight, said that the GOP should warmly welcome independent voters and said she believes that Tea Party activists would be more likely to back the Republican Party than the Democrats.

Gov. Palin criticized the Obama administration throughout her 45 minute speech and accused lawmakers in Washington of breaking faith with the voters. The first woman to be the vice presidential candidate of the Republican Party said she believes the country 'is ready for another revolution" when voters go to the polls for the fall midterm elections.

Arkansas GOP chairman Doyle Webb says he expects the event should raise about $400,000 thanks to Sarah Palin's participation.

Here's a report that aired on the Little Rock Fox affiliate before the fundraiser earlier today:



The local Fox story is here. Some tweets of lines from her address are here. Many more tweets via Palin Twibe here.

Update: Late takes from The Tolbert Report, John Lyon of the Arkansas News Bureau and the Pine Bluff Commercial's Andrew DeMillo.

- JP

Reminder: Sarah Palin speaks in Arkansas tonight

*
Sarah Palin will be in North Little Rock tonight speaking at an event for the Republican Party of Arkansas. Local station KTHV reports there there are still some seats available in the 18,000 seat Verizon Center for her appearance there:



Gov. Palin will also appear tonight on "The O'Reilly Factor" in her role as a Fox News contributor to discuss how the U.S. should deal with Iran.

- JP

Finalized: Sarah Palin's February appearance in Central Arkansas

*
Sarah Palin's appearance at a fundraiser for the Arkansas GOP, first reported by The Tolbert Report, but then described as "cancelled" in a Facebook message by Tolbert's source, appears to be going on as scheduled:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be the keynote speaker for a Republican Party of Arkansas event Feb. 16, state GOP leaders announced Monday.

The event, "Arkansas Welcomes Sarah Palin," will be held at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. Details of the time of the event have not yet been finalized.

The party will sell dinner and reception tickets. Dinner tickets are $175 each, and reception tickets are $500 per person or per couple and include a photo with Palin, the state GOP said.

Credit card holders can purchase their tickers via phone with a call to the Republican Party of Arkansas at (501) 372-7301. Those who want to pay by check or cash will have to visit the Winthrop Rockefeller Republican Center at 1201 West Sixth Street in Little Rock between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays.

General admission tickets are priced at $35 and $65, and they are available through Ticketmaster beginning at 10 a.m. Friday or from the Verizon Arena box office in Little Rock from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Republican Party of Arkansas Chairman Doyle Webb told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that Gov. Palin's appearance at in the heart of Clinton and Huckabee country will be a boon for the state GOP:

"We see it as a great fundraising and spirit-raising opportunity," he said. "We think she will motivate conservatives all over the state."

The party has already been inundated with people interested in attending, Webb said.

"Our phones have been ringing off the wall," he said.

As Jason Tolbert maintained all along, this event was never actually cancelled, as Alaska's anti-Palin hate-bloggers claimed, nor was it even postponed. An "excited insider" merely rushed to Facebook to post details of the fundraiser prior to finalization. But clutching at any straw they could find to use as an imagined sword against Sarah Palin, the blogging midnight moonbats tried to use the confusion to reinforce the "quitter" talking points they had been given by the other radical leftists who run the DNC and the White House. Once again, their hysteria betrays them as a pack of lying idiotarians.

- JP

Palin Fundraiser In Clinton Country Cancelled?

*
Shortly after Jason Tolbert's blog reported that Sarah Palin would be in Central Arkansas for a February 16 GOP fundraiser, the source he cited threw up a message that the event had been cancelled. It apparently was to have been a $175 a plate affair at North Little Rock's Verizon Arena.

No word yet on whether the event, which Tolbert said would have raised money for the Republican Party of Arkansas, will be rescheduled.

Update: Tolbert's sources now say that the event is still "in the works, just not finalized."

- JP

Sarah Palin Tour Stops In Fayetteville, AR (Updated)

*
Television station KFSM has a report from today's book signing event in the northwest Arkansas city of Fayetteville. Click here, then click on "Sarah Palin Tour Stops In Fayetteville" in the "Video" section.

An iReport from CNN showing some dedicated (and hardy) Palin fans braving the cold northwest Arkansas weather while waiting for Sarah is here.

We'll have updates and reports from tonight's event in Norman, Oklahoma later (after church -- RCIA class is tonight).

Updates: iReport from CNN of Sarah Palin's arrival at the Fayetteville Sam's Club and some of the book signing here.

KNWA report here.

- JP

Be afraid, Sen. Lincoln. Sarah Palin is reloading.

From K-Lo via NRO:

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has this out now:

“Blanche Lincoln’s vote tonight is unequivocally a vote in favor of President Obama’s $2.5 trillion government-run health care plan.

“Obviously the pressure from the left wing of her party finally got to Blanche Lincoln. She not only reversed her previous statements that a government-run plan was too costly, but she completely ignored the increasing unemployment rate in her state and the growing national deficit when she announced that she will cast the 60th vote in favor of President Obama’s costly health care plan tonight.

“There’s no doubt that this vote will be a critical issue for Senator Lincoln as she embarks on her uphill re-election bid, and the people of Arkansas will have an opportunity to hold her accountable when they cast their ballots next November.”

From Sarah Palin via Twitter:

"Not sure I can convince Sen. Lincoln to vote no - but will do everything in my pwr to convince my friends in Arkansas to vote against her."

And though it's Mike Hckabee's home state, Sarah has a lot of friends in Arkansas. Be afraid, Sen. Lincoln. Be very afraid.