Arkansans Brave Hours of Cold Weather for Sarah Palin Book Signing

Chilly temperatures and long line couldn't keep these Arkansans from Sarah Palin
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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

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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

Reminder: Sarah Palin speaks in Arkansas tonight

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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

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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

Gov. Palin releases statement on William Long

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin released the following statement trough SarahPAC and on Facebook today:

"The stories of two very different lives with similar fates crossed through the media's hands yesterday - both equally important but one lacked the proper attention. The death of 67-year old George Tiller was unacceptable, but equally disgusting was another death that police believe was politically and religiously motivated as well.

William Long died yesterday. The 23-year old Army Recruiter was gunned down by a fanatic; another fellow soldier was wounded in the ambush. The soldiers had just completed their basic training and were talking to potential recruits, just as my son, Track, once did.

Whatever titles we give these murderers, both deserve our attention. Violence like that is no way to solve a political dispute nor a religious one. And the fanatics on all sides do great disservice when they confuse dissention with rage and death."

Governor Sarah Palin

Update: The Telegraph's U.S. editor Tony Hamsden referred to Gov. Palin's statement as "politically astute and fair-minded."

- JP