Thomas Van Flein: Why Sarah Palin Resigned As Governor Of Alaska

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Sarah Palin's personal attorney Thomas Van Flein, in a posting on the governor's Facebook Notes page, announces the dismissal of yet another bogus "ethics" complaint against her. Mr VanFlein also explains how the dismissal of all 26 of these baseless complaints no longer pending demonstrate that she did not leave office to amass a personal fortune, which is the latest made-up media meme about Gov. Palin :

Swing and a miss

Yesterday we learned that another “ethics” complaint that was filed against Governor Palin was dismissed as baseless. (If you are counting, the Governor is 26-0-1 regarding such complaints or suits, with one still pending). Only this complaint was actually filed after she left office, and alleged that the mere existence of the Alaska Fund Trust (the legal defense fund set up for her to help defray the costs incurred during the Troopergate fiasco and related machinations that followed in its wake) was violative of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act as well as its solicitation or receipt of contributions. The raison d’être of the legal defense fund was inexorably linked to Governor Palin’s nomination as the Republican candidate for Vice President and the post-nomination political tactics arising therefrom; thus making the nomination sine quo non for the fund. In a detailed opinion, the complaint was dismissed as lacking a factual or legal basis. Last June, upon learning that a complaint against the Governor’s Anchorage Office Director was dismissed as baseless, Governor Palin’s then Chief of Staff Mike Nizich said, “This is not about holding the governor or state employees accountable. This is pure harassment.” That still rings true today.

When I discussed this with Governor Palin, she had an interesting take: “My reaction upon reading the opinion in this matter was not what I expected. Though I’m always pleased with the results of these investigations that prove the false allegations wrong, and I appreciate the detailed reasoning set forth in this recent opinion, I was primarily disappointed that the State of Alaska, the Attorney General’s office, and others, still have to spend time and resources addressing the abusive onslaught of frivolous complaints directed against me—even after I left office.”

At times (indeed, as recently as Sunday in a magazine cover story) people allege that the “real” reason Governor Palin stepped down was to “make money” (citing primarily her best selling book). As this most current complaint again emphasizes, Governor Palin stepped down for the right reasons—she did not want to see her state government continue to get bogged down with inane “ethics” complaints that were transparently political, plainly partisan, and diverting state resources. The voluntary relinquishment of power for the greater good is normally praised as an example of true leadership—just review any biography of George Washington—and it should be in this case as well. But for those who seek power for the sake of power, a selfless act is confusing, so a new narrative is created, such as the “profit” motive now being asserted with renewed vigor. Rest assured Sarah Palin had obtained approval to write her memoir while still in office without running into any conflict with the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Her financial future from her best selling book, though unknown then, would not have altered much whether she stayed in office or resigned, except the number of “ethics” complaints did dramatically decrease, so any legal fees associated with such complaints decreased concomitantly.

Let this latest dismissed complaint serve as a reminder for one of the real—and stated—reasons for her voluntary relinquishment of office, an office she campaigned for diligently, tirelessly and effectively. It stands as a marker that occasionally, every so often, there are public servants who can recognize the difference between self-interest and public interest. Sarah Palin is one such public servant.

- Thomas Van Flein, personal attorney for Sarah Palin

- JP

Politico: Meghan Stapleton has resigned

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POLITICO reports that Meghan Stapleton, senior adviser, spokeswoman and confidante to Sarah Palin has resigned:

Stapleton has been a Palin confidant since December 2006 and one of the governor’s most trusted aides since she was vaulted onto the national political scene by being picked as GOP presidential nominee John McCain’s running mate.

Stapleton said she resigned to spend more time with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, Isabella.

“While it has been an honor to help Governor Palin and her family over the last few years, I am also honored to have this incredible opportunity to stay home with my precious miracle, Isabella,” Stapleton told POLITICO. “At two years old, I have missed significant moments in her life but I look forward with great happiness to celebrating milestones as well as mundane moments with her as I refocus my priorities. I also look forward to seeing my saint-of-a-husband again, too!”

Since the end of the presidential campaign, Stapleton has been one of only a handful of aides and trusted contacts maintained by Palin through her transition from governor, to national political figure, to author, to Fox News contributor and one of the unofficial leaders of the tea party movement.

Read the full scoop by POLITICO's Andy Barr here.

Updates:

Meg - "I'm going to go play more now." 

The Fix  -  A look at the Palin inner circle.

- JP

Quote of the Day (December 31, 2009)

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Mike McCarville:

"Some folks (Democrats and Republicans) view Sarah Palin as a dummy...lightweight...not too bright. Let's make sure I understand this: She vacated a $125,000 per year job as Alaska governor to work a $5 million book contract. Wish I could be that dumb."

- JP

Quote of the Day (December 28, 2009)

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Colony 14:

"Although some criticized her for it, Palin’s resignation was in fact a brilliant move. Any attacks on her now will be instantly identifiable as what they are—personal attacks. If the liberals spend the next three years attacking her personally, Palin will come out the winner. She will receive support for being attacked relentlessly for no apparent reason. But Palin is certainly not defenseless. Those circling around her should know that when you continually jab and pester a barracuda, at some point… without warning… it will spin around and tear your face off."

- JP

You do the math...

We have already written about this here, but Patrick S. Adams has posted such a clear, common sense explanation of why Sarah Palin resigned when she did, that we decided to revisit the topic, with Patrick's help. This excerpt is from his blog Liberty's Lamp:

It seems the less intellectually curious among us have taken Sarah Palin's resignation as governor of Alaska at face value. They think she quit. But when you dig a little deeper, it becomes more and more apparent that her resignation was probably the most crucial career saving decision of her life. This blogger has now come to accept that Sarah Palin's resignation was a brilliant and fantastic move.

Had Palin stayed on as governor, she would have just spiraled deeper and deeper into debt as the concerted smear campaign against her continued to pile on frivolous ethics complaint after frivolous ethics complaint. She did the math and realized that if she was ever going to be able to participate in leading a nation back to its greatness, she would not be able to do it from the poor house.

Palin could have served two terms as Alaska governor and ended up broke, disillusioned and politically devastated. Any attempts at reaching a national audience would have been viewed with contempt by local detractors and would have resulted in more ethics complaints. Without the ability to speak to the masses of those who yearn for her to take the reigns of the disaster we now call "the federal government," Palin was a lame duck governor in terms of national politics the minute she returned to Anchorage after the 2008 presidential campaign.

And on top of that, she was going broke.

When Sarah Palin sat down and figured out the finances, she realized that $125,000 a year minus $600,000 plus whatever other ethics violations were in the works means that she will end up with a net loss of at least $475,000. That's some fine reward for a great governor isn't it? And that's low balling it.

Since her resignation, here is the cocktail napkin explanation I've been giving to everyone who argues with me or simply asks me about her resignation:

Pro rate it like this:
4 years as Governor $500,000
Current ethics costs -$600,000
Projected new ethics costs -$400,000

Profit/Loss -$500,000

Then take into consideration the hits on her children.
Palin's choice: be Governor of Alaska and run up over $1 million in legal fees while having her children abused ruthlessly in the press or resign and make more than enough money on a book to pay back her debt and embark on a career as a private citizen political activist that would allow her to never quit on the real thing she's after: seeing our country return to greatness again.

You do the math. If you were her, wouldn't you quit, too?

Bravo Zulu, Patrick.

- JP

Now Dems are backpedaling on Sarah's resignation

Just 90 days ago, Democrats were unanimous in their criticism of Sarah Palin's resignation as Alaska's governor. Even though Barack Obama gave up a Senate seat he had rarely occupied, they branded her a "quitter" and said her decision was "stupid."

Now, as Democrats often have to do, they are changing their tune somewhat. From U.S. News' Kenneth T. Walsh:

Even Democratic strategists seem to agree that Sarah Palin has written a blockbuster of a book that will soar to the top of the bestseller lists when it comes out next month.

[...]

"You can sell a lot books to the right," says a prominent Democratic strategist, "and you can get a lot of lectures."

[...]

Some Democrats are revising their thinking about Palin's decision to resign from the Alaska governorship to pursue her private interests earlier this year amid nearly constant criticism of her policies and the personal problems in her family. "It was probably pretty smart to leave all that trouble behind," says a Democratic insider. "Now she can move beyond all that and support her family in a way she never could before."

So what once was "stupid" is now "probably pretty smart." That's Democrats for ya...

- JP

Is Obama's Communist 'Green Czar' A Quitter… Just Like Palin?

-By Warner Todd Huston

Obama made a huge mistake thinking that everyone in America hates their own country just like Reverend Wright, the killer Ayers, and now green czar Van Jones.

But Obama was wrong. Some Americans still actually love their country.

So, now that Van Jones' apostasies have been revealed and he's quit his president appointed position, I have a few questions:

What was it that the left castigated Governor Palin for? Wasn't it that she was a "quitter"? Didn't they chortle and guffaw that Palin quit her position as governor? Wasn't it the worst thing they ever heard of at the time?

We all know that the left was all frothed up over Palin's resignation, of course.

So, I am sure that now the entire left will rise up in unison to attack Van Jones for being a quitter… right?

After all, the left is full of integrity, right?

Right?

- WTH

Ditto: The Cassandra Effect:

"Will the Main Stream Media attack [Van Jones] for being a quitter like they did to Sarah Palin? Somehow I doubt it. He will be presented as a victim of those mean nasty conservatives. Take it to the bank."

- JP

Glenn Beck SCORES, with an assist from Sarah Palin

At least one outlet in the statist media wall is giving Sarah Palin some of the credit for the resignation of America-hating communist Van Jones, President Obama's so called "green czar." The Chicago Tribune's political blog The Swamp correctly gives Glenn Beck the lion's share of the credit for outing Jones and other Marxists in Obama's administration, but it also gives the former Alaska governor the nod for helping to significantly boost the numbers of Beck's viewing audience:

"Score one for Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, other Republicans targeting WH aide"

[...]

"FOX's Beck zeroed in on Jones after a group that Jones had co-founded, ColorofChange, started an advertising boycott against Beck's TV program after Beck stated on another FOX show that Obama is 'a racist.'"

"Republican Sarah Palin has been encouraging followers on her Facebook page to watch Beck's program."

Some nutroots bloggers, of course, are also giving Beck and Palin credit for Jones' departure, but only in the most disdainful manner. They are outraged that Americans are not going to let the Obamunists turn this Republic into a Chavez-style Marxist dictatorship without a fight.

h/t: Libertarian Republican

Related: Professor William Jacobson delivers a free lecture to the Left on learning the wrong lesson from their FAILED boycott of Beck's FNC program:

"The failure to get your message out is not the problem. The problem is your message."

Jacobson challenges leftists to start another boycott if they choose not to believe that the progressive agenda is an unpopular one:

"Because the Glenn Beck boycott worked so well."

- JP

This is the first day of the rest of Sarah Palin's life

Mike Volpe, posting at The Provacateur Saturday, looked forward to this day, saying that from here on out, it's going to be very good to be Sarah Palin:

As for Palin's future, she has the opportunity to do just about anything that she wants to do. It's possible she'll retire quietly to Wasilla and simply spend time with her family. It's also possible that one day she'll run for President. Liberals will mock this idea, but Sarah Palin has defied odds most of her life. She won a state championship on a bad ankle. She became a major almost by accident. She was forced into blowing the whistle on corruption within her own party and then she beat a long term incumbent to become Governor of Alaska.

The idea that she can't be president is held only by those that fail to recognize all that she has already accomplished.

While there are indeed many benefits that Gov. Palin will enjoy through the act of unchaining herself from the Alaska's governor's office, we believe that it's going to be anything but a cake walk for her. She will continue to be savagely attacked by the Left, the media and the Vichy Republican elites. The major difference is that she is now finally free to fight back unemcumbered. The Democrat Party operatives and "Republican" sore loser who filed their baseless "ethics" complaints against her will still be gunning for Sarah palin. They will simply change their strategy to Plan B.

Still, Gov. Palin can now have some fun:

With Palin now out of the Governor’s office she has regained her rights to speak to all Americans yearning to be free from the yoke of extortionate taxation and ridiculously over-bloated government.

Palin can now concentrate on exposing the false promises of the Obama communists of a free ride on the backs of the so-called rich and working class taxpayers.

Sarah Palin understands what made America great and seems unyielding in her zeal and energy to secure this nation from our enemies without and within America. Palin can bring out the voters who sat out the last election.

Sarah Palin is a fighter. Long live the fighters!

- JP

Obama/Democrats' connection to Anti-Palin bloggers exposed

Exposed "Ethicsgate" Obama and the democrats' multiple direct links to the political effort to destroy Sarah Palin.

Must-see video here, if you haven't seen it yet. This is the video the anti-Palin bloggers got scrubbed from YouTube. They don't want the public to learn of their connections to the Obama Administration and the Democrat Party.

These bloggers aren't pesky "anklebiters." They are Democrat Party operatives.

Freeper thread here.

These are the same anti-Palin bloggers who are responsible for many of the bogus "ethics" complaints that were filed against Sarah Palin. Most of the complaints have been dismissed, of course. But they did their intended dirty work for Obama and the corrupt Democrat Party.

Spread the word.

Related: See here, here, here and here at A Time for Choosing.

- JP

Brand management experts see opportunity for Palin

A number of personal brand management experts see opportunity for Sarah Palin in her step down from the Alaska governor's office:

"She's fascinating. She's a celebrity in a party that has very few celebrities," said Jenn Stark, who runs Know Your Brand in Cincinnati, Ohio. "So if she plays her cards right, it could really, really work out well for her."

The problem for the former Republican vice presidential nominee is that she's so famous, virtually everyone has already formed strong opinions about her. So far, her brand has been defined by others -- first, by the John McCain campaign and then by the media.

"I think that was one of the reasons there was this abrupt resignation," said Rex Whisman, founder of BrandED Consultants Group in Denver. "Now is the time to develop an appropriate brand platform and have Gov. Palin define and help guide what her brand is."

Because, as Stark put it, "she has already set a brand perception within the minds of many Americans," Palin can't make radical changes.

"Her brand will continue to be one that is strongly conservative, strongly for the American individual, and I think that will continue to play well in the heartland," said Stark.

The rest of the article is here.

- JP

KTUU.com to stream Palin's farewell address

KTUU will provide a live stream of the ceremony Sunday when Gov. Sarah Palin passes the governor's job to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell in Fairbanks starting at 2:45 p.m. Alaska time.

We're not yet sure if C-SPAN also intends to stream the event, but the public affairs cable channel, along with CNN and PBS, has contracted with KTUU to air the satellite feed provided by the Anchorage station..

- JP

Palin's governorship will end in Fairbanks where it began

As we reported a week ago, the annual governor’s picnic in Fairbanks has taken on a special significance thanks to Sarah Palin's announcement that she will hand over the governorship of Alaska to Sean Parnell at the July 26th event. The Sunday occasion will follow picnics in the Mat-Su Valley Friday evening and in Anchorage Saturday afternoon, with Gov. Palin expected to attend all three.

In addition to the crowd of 5,000 expected to turn our for the picnic, the media will be there in force. C-SPAN will be joined by a host of media outlets. According to Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow, CNN, C-SPAN and PBS will air the satellite feed of the Pioneer Park event from Anchorage television station KTUU. FOX News, ABC, Politico and others, will send national reporters to Alaska to provide coverage.

It's significant the the governor chose Fairbanks as the site to hand over the reigns of power to her lieutenant governor. She broke with tradition to choose Alaska's second largest city for her inaugural also.

- JP 

Quote of the Day (July 22, 2009)

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From Team Sarah:

"What better way to say 'We love you and support you' then to send bouquets of roses; what better way to show the world that support for Sarah Palin has never been stronger!"

- JP

Beliefnet Editor: Palin has 'Christian protective armor'

Steven Waldman, Beliefnet's editor in chief, says he's "bullish on Sarah Palin's prospects" and cites her popularity with religious conservatives. Waldman believes that demographic will be "as important if not more so in the 2012 Republican primaries" than it was in 2008:

"She's beloved largely because of who she is and what she's accomplished as a person, not what she's accomplished as a Governor. The most important fact for the religious conservatives who love her remains that she gave birth to a baby with downs syndrome rather than opting for an abortion. Everything else pales in comparison. She's viewed as a pro-life politicians who practices what she preaches. Each conservative politician who ends up caught in the men's room with a male prostitute or in Argentina with a soul mate, only makes Palin's authenticity more powerful."

The Beliefnet editor says that the attacks on Palin and her family only serve to make her supporters admire her even more:

"She wears Christian protective armor. She uses every attack on her as proof that someone is out to get her and in fact many Christians believe that anti-Palin bias is anti-Christian bias. Like some superhero with special powers, the more she's attacked the stronger she becomes."

After Sarah Palin is free from the virtual prison of the Alaska governor's office, she will be able to travel without being slammed for it in her home state. Campaigning and raising money for conservative candidates will earn her political IOUs, which Waldman thinks will increase her popularity:

"Within two years, she'll go from a popular outsider, to a woman with a lot of friends."

Though she still has work to do to win over a substantial majority of independents to help her win a general election, Waldman sees Sarah Palin taking care of first things first -- by focusing on the GOP nomination. And toward that end, he believes that by resigning as governor of the remote state of Alaska, Sarah Palin has done herself no harm.

- JP

Quote of the Day (July 20, 2009)

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Leftist and media (but I repeat myself) criticism of the speech in which Gov. Palin announced herintention to resign has ranged from "rambling" to "incoherent". Strange, most of us here in flyover country had no problem understanding the governor. On among us is George Copeland:

"As I listen to it again, I note the following distinct themes, in this order:

• Brief introductory remarks
  
• Development of the idea that she is a visionary
  
• A recounting of her achievements as governor, point by point
  
• A detailed explanation of the obstacles she has encountered since her VP nomination
  
• Her future intentions, resignation, and rationale for resigning
  
• A devastating attack on her political opponents (bloodsport!)
  
• A quick and inspiring summary

Palin proceeded from topic to topic logically, without digression...

So whence the characterization of her speech as 'rambling'"?

Copeland will have to ask a liberal. Their brains must be "wired" differently for everyday Americans. All those head explosions must blow out a lot of synapses.

- JP

Greta discusses Sarah Palin with Byron York

The Washington Examiner's chief political correspondent Byron York was Greta van Susteren's guest on Thursday night's edition of "On The Record." Here are some quotes:

"Palin's 72 percent favorable rating is very good, and you have to remember this poll was taken about a week after she announced her resignation. So it kind of indicates, at least among Republican and those right-leaning independents, that didn't do her any damage."

"I was in South Carolina last week, talked with the former head of the state party down there, and he said they've been trying very hard in May to get her to their big fund-raising dinner, thought they had an agreement, but it just couldn't -- didn't go through because she was too tied down in Alaska. But he said, you know, That would have been huge for us. It would have been huge. And there are a lot of other state party chairmen who would love to have her come to local fund- raising dinners."

"...there were social conservatives, especially in Iowa, who thought of Romney as a late convert. Some thought of him as a phony who had changed his position on especially the issue of life. And for those people, Palin is a hugely attractive candidate."

- JP

Quote of the Day (July 17, 2009)

Gary Bauer and Daniel Allott, in a Politico op-ed:

"Trig is a reminder of our fierce ambivalence over disability. Every mention of his name is a pinprick to our conscience. Every photo of mother and son is a reminder of concepts — vulnerability, dependency and suffering — our culture no longer tolerates, as well as virtues, such as humility, dignity and self-sacrifice, it no longer extols."

- JP

Beltway suddenly becomes more Palin-friendly

Since the 2008 election, the liberal media has been painting the picture of a Washington, DC with little respect and some downright hostility for Sarah Palin. But since she announced her intention to resign the governorship of Alaska and the disclosure by SarahPAC that it had raised $733,000 in five months with hardly any effort, we are beginning to hear a different narrative out of the nation's capitol.

Item: A July 8 article by Politico's Manu Raju was an early sign that a change was in the wind. The article was headlined "GOP insiders see value in Palin's move":

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of McCain’s and an astute political strategist for the party, said Palin could either have finished her term and created a stronger résumé of legislative accomplishments or she could support 2010 candidates and build new allegiances and alliances that could help her in the future.

“She has to prove in the next 18 months — I think — that she has the ability to help the party on a national scale, which quite frankly I think she does,” Graham said. “The more involved she is in helping candidates and the party, the more viable she’ll be.” Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said it was “too early to tell” what impact the resignation would have on Palin’s political future. But he said that Palin “still could be very helpful in terms of showing up at rallies and fundraisers and things like that.” And the second in command at the NRSC, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, said Palin is the “No. 1 most popular Republican” and it would be “wonderful” to have her help raise funds for 2010 candidates.

Even Palin’s Alaska colleague, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, agreed — and Murkowski initially said she was “stunned” by Palin’s decision.

On Tuesday, Murkowski said Palin “absolutely” could be a viable 2012 candidate, could effectively stump for 2010 GOP candidates and has an “incredible ability to galvanize people, to motivate people, to inspire people.” Murkowski said an “awful lot of people” think Palin could do more to raise her national profile by leaving Alaska — and Murkowski said her initial sour reaction was based on how Palin’s resignation could affect the state and on the fact that she was speaking from a satellite phone and could not go into detail.

House Republicans also seem enthusiastic about the idea of Palin as a national GOP barnstormer. “There’s no question Sarah Palin inspires millions of Americans. I’m sure she would be a very positive force in the debate as we go towards the ’10 elections,” said Virginia Republican Rep. Eric Cantor, the House minority whip.

Item: Hotline's On Call blog, though still pushing the SNC's "polarizing" meme, headlined a piece published today with "GOP Insiders: Palin A Campaign Asset In '10":

The GOP responses were probably the most intriguing because they reflect two ongoing debates with in the party. One, of course, is over Palin herself and her future in the party; many Republicans see her as a force, others almost hold her in contempt. The other argument focuses on whether Republicans are more likely to win elections by turning out the base or attracting independents and even a few disgruntled Democrats. Palin, who is practically a rock star to the party base but remains a polarizing figure for many non-Republicans, seems to embody that discussion. Still, she remains one of the most intriguing politicians of the day.

As one GOP insider put it: "Just like the movie with Cameron Diaz, there's just something about Sarah. Don't ask me to explain it, though."

This is a markedly different take from all the reports from GOP figures immediately after Gov. Palin's announcement opining that she was making a "terrible mistake" and had "ended her political career."

Talk about hope and change! Republicans hoping for Sarah Palin to raise some cash and campaign for them have changed their tune. Those that were previously silent or even negative are now sounding positive.

Item: Today's Washington Post edition of Chris Cillizza's The Friday Line, Sarah Palin is ranked number two among all Republican leaders, up from number nine last time:

We decided to put Palin so high on the Line for one reason: is there any other Republican you can think of who, if she runs for president, will be a favorite in two -- Iowa and South Carolina -- of the first four states to vote for president in the primaries?

We find it interesting that Cillizza complains about:

"the Fix's difficulty in wrapping our arms around what Palin means in the party, what she plans to do with her political future and how seriously she needs to be taken."

It's not Sarah Palin's fault that Cillizza and other pundits have failed to get it, as far as Sarah Palin is concerned. Yet he seems to be blaming her for his ranking of her jumping all over the place. She's still the same conservative she has always been. She still stands up for the same issues she has always stood for. She's been speaking out on energy security, national security, the federal government's intrusion into state affairs and the private sector for months. Sarah Palin is not like the kind of politician that Cillizza is used to. She relates to us because she is one of us. And the elites don't get that and never will.

Still, who said things couldn't change rather quickly inside the Beltway? Sarahcuda will have these political animals eating out of her hand before she's through with them.

- JP

Kristol: Palin is in touch with middle-class America

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Bill Kristol was interviewed by Australian Television Thursday. Here are some quotes:

"You know, a lot of people are counting Sarah Palin out. I don't. She's awfully popular and attractive. She has challenges and she'll have to rise to the occasion."

"She was being harassed by these endless ethics complaints which were taking up her time, her staff's time, putting her in debt, actually. She had accomplished most of what she was going to accomplish in her two-and-a-half years as Governor. And I think she is interested in running for national office, and Alaska's a long way away, and she wants to travel the country, campaign for Republicans. I think she wants to study up more on national and international issues. It's a little hard to do when you're full-time Governor of Alaska."

"You know, a lot of... pundits don't like her and they sit here in Washington and write her out.... I think that's silly. She has a lot of support. In the polls right now, she's a co-frontrunner with two or three other people for the Republican Presidential nomination. You wouldn't bet on her, necessarily, but I wouldn't bet against her. She's got a real natural political talent."

"The liberal media here are so hostile to Governor Palin, that... she speaks her mind and it's described as rambling. I think most people who saw it thought it was a perfectly reasonable statement."

"I think she's intelligent. I agree with her on most issues. I think she would be strong, pretty populist conservative leader. And one problem the Republican Party has had is that it's considered the party of big business, of Wall Street - not in touch with middle-class America. And she is in touch with middle-class America. She's worked with Democrats in the last because she's taken on the big oil companies. She's a little more of a populist, I think, in a responsible way."

"As a person, I don't know her that well, but I like her and respect what she's accomplished, obviously. She's very young and she's had a pretty meteoric rise, and she's made it herself..."

"People didn't think Ronald Reagan was up to it, when he was a former actor and a right winger and then he lost his presidential bid in 1976 and everyone said, 'He's finished.' So you don't know. I'm not touting her - I'm not saying everyone should get behind her. I'm saying give her a chance."

"I think her instincts are good, her judgment on issues is good. She had a very intelligent op-ed in The Washington Post just the other day on President Obama's energy Bill. So... she's a strong internationalist in foreign policy, a free trader, believes in a strong American will in the world. Yeah, I'd be comfortable with her [as president]."

- JP