Dr. Laura: Media trying to 'evicerate' her 'soul sister' Sarah

"Every day she survives the shark attack”
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In an interview with Newsmax TV, the satellite radio talk show host defended Sarah Palin, whom she referred to as "a soul sister":

The media continue to assault Sarah Palin and other social conservatives in the wake of the Tucson, Ariz., shootings because they are intent on silencing voices that disagree with theirs, Dr. Laura Schlessinger says. Her comments highlight a situation where the left can attack Republicans for harsh political rhetoric while at the same time Democrats compare GOP tactics on healthcare repeal to those used by the Nazis.

“(The media goes after Palin) for the same reason they go after all social conservatives, they’re trying to silences voices that disagree with theirs,” Schlessinger said in an exclusive Newsmax.TV interview. “There’s a horrible trend in censorship going on in this country. Newsmax is a safe place to be, Sirius XM, where I am now on radio, is a safe place to be. But I really find a soul sister in Sarah Palin because every day they try to eviscerate her and every day she survives the shark attack.”

[...]

Schlessinger said that the focus on Palin and other conservatives following the Tucson shooting that killed six and wounded 13, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was a means of attaining power.

“What happened, the tragedy that happened in Tucson, had nothing to do with politics but everything to do with paranoid schizophrenia,” she said referring to the mental state of accused gunman Jared Loughner. “We have to have a means by which society can contain somebody who is mentally ill and dangerous.”

Dr. Laura was one of Sarah Palin's critics when the first woman to become Alaska's governor became the first woman to be the vice presidential candidate of the Republican Party. But two years later when Schlessinger herself came under attack, Sarah Palin was one of the few who defended her, inspiring Dr. Laura to post on her blog:

On Wednesday, in her Tweet and Facebook, Sarah Palin made strong statements in my support. You may remember that, two years ago, I was less than enthusiastic when she was selected by John McCain to be his running mate, as my concerns were that having responsibilities for small children should preclude such a decision.

In spite of my criticism of that time, Sarah Palin came out in support of my decision...

[...]

I spoke with her yesterday and told her how impressed I was with her character. You don’t see such character much these days. I believe most folks would have had a more negative approach considering I had not been supportive at that time. But, nope, not Sarah. She is gracious and a woman of principles – no petty reaction.

Gov. Palin's graciousness and strength of character made Schlessinger realize that the two "have a lot in common." Both women, Dr. Laua said, have been the targets of "vitriolic partisan attacks," and both "made huge changes in our lives to be able to protect the people we love and have a freer context in which to try to help America’s families."

Sarah Palin demonstrates through her actions that she can change hearts and minds in a very personal way. If she can have that same sort of impact in the public sphere, the presidency will be hers.

- JP

Another Sarah Palin Accomplishment

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Newsmax notes that Gov. Palin soon will have another accomplishment to check off her list:

• Co-captain and point guard of Wasilla High School’s state champion basketball team, on which she earned the nickname “Sarah Barracuda” for her competitive tenacity: Check.
• Head of her high school’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes: Check.
• Miss Wasilla: Check.
  
• Miss Congeniality in Miss Alaska competition: Check.
• Wife: Check.
• Mom of five: Check.
• Hockey mom: Check.
• Top Mama of Mama Grizzlies: Check.
• Wasilla City Council member: Check.
• Mayor of Wasilla: Check.
• Chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: Check.
• Governor of Alaska (and the 49th state’s first female gov at that): Check.
• GOP vice-presidential candidate: Check.
• Best-selling author: Check.
  
• Tea party fave: Check.
  
• Political endorser with clout: Check.
• Fox News commentator: Check.
  
• Dubbed the “most formidable force in the Republican Party, by none other than the press secretary of President Barack Obama's Democratic White House: Check.
  
• Mother of Bristol, who has survived several cuts in ABC-TV’s “Dancing with the Stars”: Check.
  
• Potential presidential candidate in 2012 election: TBA.
• TV star in “Sarah Palin’s Alaska”: You BETCHA, coming soon to your living room, in a new TLC reality series.

- JP

Newsmax teases with preview of Tuesday Sarah Palin Webcast

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The Webcast of an exclusive Newsmax interview with Gov. Palin starts at 12 Noon Central Time Tuesday, when the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate...

...discusses her staunch opposition to President Obama's healthcare plans and socialistic policies, and reveals new details about a possible presidential run in 2012. She also warns that allowing Iran to acquire nuclear weapons could "lead to Armageddon" that could lead to the deaths of millions in a third world war.

Palin's comments came as Newsmax launched a special series of online webcasts entitled "Make America Great Again" — a title taken from Ronald Reagan’s campaign slogan when he was elected president in 1980.

Hosting the Newsmax series, which will continue to Election Day, is Newsmax contributor Michael Reagan, the eldest son of the late president. The kick-off event for the series is Reagan's half-hour, sit-down interview with Gov. Palin.

(More)

One of the highlights of the extended Reagan-Palin interview being aired Tuesday, says Newsmax, is that Gov. Palin, in greater detail than ever before, talks about what factors might persuade her to run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, and even describes what a Palin presidency might look like.

You must register to view the webcast of Gov. Palin in its entirety.

- JP

Jonathan Martin: Sarah Palin speaks to electability issue

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Politico's Jonathan Martin was able to get some of the conservative heavy hitters who attended Newsmax's private dinner with Sarah Palin in Palm Beach Wednesday to share a few details about the event.

Martin was told by three of the attendees that Gov. Palin "implicitly addressed" the issue of her electability by reminding the dinner guests that Ronald Reagan's critics said couldn’t win in 1980. She reportedly told the gathering that those who don’t have conservative convictions will always say a true conservative can’t win.

Pointing out that the knock on Reagan was that he was also too far to the right, the former Alaska governor repeatedly invoked the 40th president and conservative icon, at one point citing the quotation he was most fond of: that America is a “shining city on a hill.”

One attendee told Martin, “I think she sees herself as heir to Reagan.” The pundit says that by invoking the Gipper at an event such as this, the 2008 vice presidential candidate is showing that she is, "at the very least, thinking through how she’d make her case if she pursued the presidency."

Martin takes recent comments and actions by the governor and those closest to her as strong signs that she wants to be taken seriously as a potential White House contender. He argues that just meeting with the GOP donors, strategists and activists who were among the dinner guests speaks to her presidential intentions.

Martin's sources say Gov. Palin did not directly address a White House bid at the event:

Rather she used her remarks and a question-and-answer period with about 50 conservative insiders to discuss topics such as health care, the midterm elections and the state of the GOP.

Palin discussed the importance of keeping the tea party movement in the GOP but criticized establishment Republicans who she said weren’t listening to the party’s grass roots by supporting moderate candidates over conservatives. If the party recaptures Congress, she said, Republicans must govern differently than in the Bush years and show more fidelity to small-government principles on spending.

Each of the attendees who spoke with POLITICO said they were impressed by her performance, particularly when she took questions and spoke off the cuff.

“Palin was engaging, charming, and well-informed on the issues and the campaigns going on around the country,” said Ralph Reed, a longtime GOP strategist who is now running a social conservative group called the Faith & Freedom Coalition. “While circumspect about her future plans, she was clear she wants to see the party and the country go in a more conservative direction.”

Though Sarah Palin herself refrained from openly discussing any plans she may or may not have to run, that did not prevent "many in the room" from discussing just that:

“I was surprised about how many people in room said ‘yes’ when I asked if they could see themselves supporting her,” said one attendee. “I was expecting to hear what you mostly hear — ‘I hope she doesn’t do it’ or, ‘She’s more effective doing what she’s doing.’”

Some of the guests identified by Martin were Reed, Michael Reagan, Grover Norquist, Dick Morris, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and key Republican donors such as former GOPAC Chair Gay Gaines, businessman Lee Hanley and former Reagan Ambassador to Switzerland Faith Whittlesey.

Some others named by the Palm Beach Post's Jose Lambiet were Miami builder Stanley Tate, Jonathan Sandys (a grandson of Winston Churchill), West Virginia's John Raese (the surprisingly strong candidate for the U.S. Senate) and Florida State Rep. Adam Hasner.

- JP

Sarah Palin greeted by Michael Reagan in Palm Beach

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The Crowley Political Report describes Gov. Palin's visit to the Palm Beach area Wednesday:

Her first stop was at the West Palm Beach headquarters of NewsMax where she stepped from a black SUV and was greeted outside by radio talk show host Michael Reagan, son of the late President Ronald Reagan and Christopher Ruddy, founder of NewsMax.

"Hi guys. How are you? Hi." Palin said as she waved to onlookers while Palm Beach photographer Lucien Capeheart was snapping away.

After her visit to NewsMax, Palin headed to Palm Beach where she attended an exclusive dinner at The Breakers with a group of conservative heavy hitters.

The governor also answered a few questions from the local press outside of the NewsMax offices:


h/t for the video: TheRightScoop

- JP

Newsmax kicks off webcast series with Sarah Palin interview

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In an email from editor Christopher Ruddy, Newsmax announced that on October 12 it will begin a special pre-election online webcast series which will continue through the day of the midterm elections on November 2.

The premiere webcast event for the webcast series, “Make America Great Again,” will feature an exclusive interview with Gov. Sarah Palin. Ruddy reminds his email recipients that “Make America Great” was the slogan fore Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign. It should be no coincidence, then, that President Reagan’s son Michael will be the series' host. Ruddy promises that in addition to Gov. Palin, other opinion leaders, including Dick Morris, will be featured.

The registration page for the webcast is here.

- JP

Newsmax Interview: S.E. Cupp

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Interviewed by Newsmax, author and commentator S.E. Cupp says that media are constantly attacking on Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann because today's Fourth Estate is not able to deal with “pretty, conservative women” who stand for traditional values:

"Cupp was asked why former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been such a lightning rod for the liberal media.

“I think for many reasons,” she says. “One, the liberal media always have a difficult time dealing with pretty, conservative women. They just don’t know what to make of it. She can’t be that smart because she’s too pretty. She can’t be galvanizing because she’s too dumb.

“Two, they’re frustrated by the fact that this is a self-made woman. They spent eight years telling us that George W. Bush was this nepotism experiment gone wrong. Well, here’s a woman who came from nothing, who worked her way up to become a successful wife and mother, had an amazing political career — the first female governor of Alaska and the youngest.

“This is unequivocally an accomplished woman, and the right kind of accomplished woman if you ask the liberal media — the kind that did it on her own. That bothers them because they really dislike her policies.”

Commenting on why conservative women like Palin and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann draw such vicious comments from the left, Cupp remarks: “I think it takes a lot of courage in today’s day and age to stand up as Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin have and say look, I believe there’s a traditional role for the family. I believe in traditional values. I’m a proud Christian.

“That is an act of courage today, sadly. And I think the liberal media wants to position a Bachmann or a Palin as somehow backwards or lost in time, unsophisticated, a relic.

“Conservatism rightly resists the changing tide, the changing social mores. The whole idea of conservatism is to preserve what we think is good. So these flag bearers like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, women no less, I think are really throwing mud in the eye of the liberals who would rather see them locked up in some museum.”

S.E. Cupp's new book is Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media's Attack on Christianity.

- JP