Sarah Palin speech electrifies Kansas crowd

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Barbara Hollingsworth, who provided a running account of Gov. Palin's speech via Twitter in real time, wrote it up for the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Here's a portion of her report:

Even Palin couldn't ignore the excitement her appearance generated. Back stage, she said, a chamber member told her, " 'Man, this is like a Van Halen concert.' I said, 'Man, I wish.' "

In her speech, Palin sounded off on national security, government bailouts and limited government ideals. And she offered lots of praise for the hometown crowd.

"In a time when folks so fear that much is going wrong, your town is an example of how to get it right and how to soar," said Palin, who was joined in Salina by her daughter, Piper. "Shoot, your state's motto even has it right: to the stars through difficulties."

[...]

Telling the crowd she was going to "call is like I see it," she said Washington, D.C., politicians need to "back off." While Americans have lost jobs and learned to live with less, she charged that government has become more bloated.

"Over the past year, Washington has replaced private irresponsibility with public irresponsibility," she said.

The country, she said, needs health reform "not backroom deals." She suggested measures like allowing insurance purchases across state lines and tort reform.

Also, she said the country needs to pursue "all of the above approach to energy." She said increased drilling for oil must be pursued.

"Drill here and drill now and tap our own plentiful energy supplies," she said.

The Obama administration, she said, has lost its way on foreign policy. She said people wonder if the United States is still a "beacon of hope" for freedom.

"We need a foreign policy that distinguishes America's friends from her enemies and recognizes the true nature of these threats that we are facing," Palin said.

In the end, her speech brought the crowd to its feet.

Read the full C-J story here.

Here are some excerpts from Brent Wistrom's account of Gov. Palin's address for the Wichita Eagle published on Kansas.com:

The former governor of Alaska drew some of the loudest applause at the Bicentennial Center when she criticized law enforcement officials for questioning a suspected Christmas Day airplane bomber for only 50 minutes before reading him Miranda rights.

"We need a commander in chief, not a professor of constitutional law," she said as her words drowned in applause. About 6,000 people filled the arena.

Palin said that investigators should have asked more questions of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab before granting him Miranda rights, a right to remain silent and contact a lawyer.

"Treating this threat as a mere law enforcement matter places our country at a grave risk," she said.

That resonated with several people after the nearly 40-minute speech ended.

"I think my new motto is 'America is ailin', we need Palin,' " said Wayne Burke, a minister from Arkansas City.

As he left, he said: "It fired me up."

Salina.com also posted a brief preview here of Michael Strand's story for the Saturday edition of the Salina Journal.

- JP

All Atwitter in Kansas: Covering Gov. Palin's Speech

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Barbara Hollingsworth, who covers the Legislature and other political matters for The Topeka Capital-Journal, is in Salina covering Gov. Palin's speech for her paper. She reports that Sen. Sam Brownback is there because he says he wanted to be there and hear what she had to say. U.S. Congressman Todd Tiahrt is there, as is state ag secretary Josh Svaty. Follow Hollingsworth's tweets here.

Tommy Report at C4P reports that alwaysfiredup is also tweeting updates here, and Kansas First District Congressman and U.S. Senate Candidate Jerry Moran tweeted here that he is introducing Gov. Palin -- "a fellow conservative with the same principles and values" -- tonight. 

- JP

Sarah Palin Is in Salina for Chamber Speech

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According to Salina Journal reporter Tim Unruh, Sarah Palin arrived in Salina, Kansas Thursday night at 8 P.M. The former Alaska governor is scheduled to speak tonight to the annual meeting and dinner of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce:

Palin will speak to a packed house at the chamber event at the Salina Bicentennial Center. She is the first in a long line of well-known chamber speakers to sell out the Bicentennial Center. More than 6,000 tickets were sold for the event.

Chamber President Dennis Lauver says he and other chamber of commerce members met the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate at the airport. Gov. Palin and one of her daughters then checked in to a local hotel, Lauver said.

- JP

Salina prepares for an evening with Sarah Palin

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Salina Area Chamber of Commerce staff and local police agencies are preparing for the chamber's annual dinner Friday, where Sarah Palin will be the keynote speaker:

More than 5,000 tickets have been sold for the event at the Bicentennial Center featuring the former Alaska governor and 2008 running mate of Republican John McCain. Palin is the first in a long line of impressive Salina chamber speakers to sell out the Bicentennial Center. In fact, organizers recently reconfigured the seating to make another 600 seats available.

Palin's appearance means more officers will be deployed that night to monitor security and help patrons as they enter and leave the event. Police spokesmen are being tight-lipped about how many extra officers will be on duty, as well as how much the extra security is estimated to cost, save to say that the chamber is picking up the tab.

No opportunities for the general public to get autographs, photographs, give gifts to or greet Gov. Palin in person have been scheduled.

Although the media are being allowed to attend the event, they are barred from recording her speech, and will be restricted to a section inside the arena cordoned off to accommodate reporters and photographers. Media passes will be required for legitimate member of the press to enter the arena. Television affiliates from Wichita, Manhattan, Topeka and Kansas City have all made arrangements to cover Palin's Salina appearance.

Gov. Palin will meet personally with about 400 people in "meet and greet" receptions which will be held for the sponsors of the dinner both before and after the event.

Meanwhile in Florida, another chamber of commerce is also preparing for a visit by the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate:

In Daytona Beach, Fla., where Palin is booked to speak at the annual Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce dinner on Feb. 15, ticket sales have been "very robust" despite prices of $100 for chamber members and $150 for nonmembers, said Jim Cameron, a lobbyist and spokesman for the group.

There are 1,400 seats available for Palin's appearance, and "we're approaching that number pretty quick," Cameron said.

Gov. Palin plans to arrive in Daytona a day early to attend NASCAR's Daytona 500 stock-car race at Daytona International Speedway.

- JP