ESPN Outside the Lines: Wasilla Warrior Sarah Palin

This is a neat video from 2008, when Sarah Palin was running for Vice President. It describes how she led her basketball team, the Wasilla Warriors to the 1982 state championship, broken ankle, and all. Sarah talks about this being one of the defining moments in her life. It's an early example of a tenacious woman who never gives up, never backs down.

Flashback Sarah Palin, Sportscaster

This is a neat little video our friends over at iOwnTheWorld.com unearthed for All Palin February. It's shows a young Sarah Heath talking sports. I'm not sure of her exact age here, but she has to be in her early 20s. She does quite well for someone so young.

In her book, Going Rogue, Sarah wrote that her dream back then was to go to work for ESPN. It looks like she would have been good at it too. Thankfully, she decided to take a different path. ESPN's loss is our gain.

Interesting to note, one of Ronald Reagan's first jobs was working as a radio sportscaster.

The video was put together by the loons at the now defunct Air America, which is why you see the "boom goes the dynamite" guy inserted over and over. Not sure how the liberal mind works, but I guess those pitiful creatures thought this video was some kind of "gotcha" or something. If anything, this serves as a reminder why Air America went belly up.

Enjoy.

Obama's Union Bosses

A short, effective ad from the RNC

WTF? Obama Tells Businesses Not To Worry About Inflation!

Win The Future?

Our genius President tells businesses not to worry about inflation, or the situation in Libya.

From Robert Schroeder at Market Watch:

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. companies shouldn't worry about inflation if they're planning on expanding their business, President Barack Obama said Thursday. "We're not seeing a broad-based inflation trend," Obama said at the first meeting of his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. At the same meeting, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said substantial world oil reserves should help with any disruptions to oil supplies, amid worry over turmoil in oil-exporter Libya. Obama said he thinks "we'll be able to ride out the Libya situation" and that it will stabilize.

Libya is bad, and oil is prices are about to go through the roof, but thanks to Obama's overall policies, food prices are rising incredibly high as well. It's a one-two punch that will only cripple the American economy more. Instead of leading, we have Obama doing his best Alfred E. Newman "what, me worry?" impression.

I bet Jimmy Carter wakes up every day and thanks God for Barack Obama! Thanks to Barry, Jimmy C is no longer our worst President in history.

A spokesman for the Obama regime reacts to the upcoming disaster:

Jedediah Bila Talks Energy Independence

Drill baby, drill! Jedediah Bila is spot on in this Fox and Friends interview.

Mitt Romney Didn’t Create Jobs As A Businessman, He Destroyed Them

One of the greatest myths floating around these days is the one claiming Mitt Romney would be a "great president" because of his business experience and ability to create good jobs.

First off, it's been proven time and time again that "business experience," even at the executive level, doesn't always translate into the ability to successfully govern. Mitt Romney just happens to be Exhibit A!

We reported earlier that Mitt Romney, who ran for Governor on his ability to create jobs, was totally unable to fulfill that promise, and his state was ranked 50 out of 50 at job creation after a full year of his "expertise."

But still you say: "He was a successful businessman." Well, as Josh Kosman at the New York Post points out, Romney's "success" came on the back of the employees of businesses his company, Bain Capitol, destroyed. What this shows is, rather than creating successful businesses, Romney and company engaged in the "turn and burn" quick buck artisty many corporate raiders are known for. This is a devastaing read:

Romney's private equity firm, Bain Capital, bought companies and often increased short-term earnings so those businesses could then borrow enormous amounts of money. That borrowed money was used to pay Bain dividends. Then those businesses needed to maintain that high level of earnings to pay their debts.

Romney in 2007 told the New York Times he had nothing to do with taking dividends from two companies that later went bankrupt, and that one should not take a distribution from a business that put the company at risk.

Yet Geoffrey Rehnert, who helped start Bain Capital and is now co-CEO of the private equity firm The Audax Group, told me for my Penguin book, "The Buyout of America: How Private Equity Is Destroying Jobs and Killing the American Economy," that Romney owned a controlling stake in Bain Capital between approximately 1992 and 2001. The firm under his watch took such risks, time and time again.

Bain and Goldman Sachs, for example, put $85 million down in a $415 million 1994 leveraged buyout of Baxter International's medical testing division (renamed Dade Behring), which sold machines and reagents to labs.

Former Dade CEO Scott Garrett, who managed the business for the first few years after the takeover, said Romney "was far more in tune with what was going on throughout his firm, and even the portfolio companies, than you might expect."

Bain reduced Dade's research and development spending to 6 to 7 percent of sales, while its peers allocated between 10 and 15 percent. Dade in June 1999 used the savings as part of the basis to borrow $421 million. Dade then turned around and used $365 million from the loan to buy shares from its owners, giving them a 4.3 times return on their investment.

A Dade executive, who requested anonymity, said he confronted new CEO Steven Barnes after a boardroom meeting within a week of the distribution.

"You really think it's a good idea to borrow, you know, one times sales?" he asked.

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah. You know, that's fine," Barnes responded. "You know companies do that all the time."

The executive then told Barnes, "Well, that'd be like me going out and borrowing the amount of money I make in a year and then trying to pay it off and pay for my house and feed myself and everything else. That doesn't make sense." The executive said he let it drop after that.

In August 2002, Dade filed for bankruptcy.

No one is against making lots of money, but this is not the way to do it and also create jobs, or even preserve them.

Read more here.

Caveat emptor.

Sarah Palin Rumor Of The Day

Ok, this is more like the rumor of a couple of days ago, but it's interesting enough to talk about.

From Hollywood Life:

Sarah has said all along she’s going to launch her prez pursuit on her favorite Anchorage radio show, Bob & Mark. Guess when she’s on the show next?

Believe it or not, it’s already high time for presidential hopefuls to kick off their campaigns even though the election isn’t until November 2012 — and we’ve connected some dots that strongly suggest where and when Sarah Palin will be announcing.

HollywoodLife.com has learned that Palin has booked an appearance in April on The Bob and Mark Show on 106.5 KWHL-FM in Anchorage. Sarah has said all along — including on the final episode of her TLC show Sarah Palin’s Alaska — that she would announce her candidacy on the radio via Bob and Mark.

While the exact date hasn’t been confirmed, we’re told that with Sarah’s schedule, her appearance on the show — especially booked so far in advance — can mean only one thing: That she’ll be kicking off her campaign on the radio.

And with Sarah hiring a chief of staff, Michael Glassner, and the impending entrance of potential competitors Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota, and Mitt Romney, ex-gov of Massachusetts, the time is certainly ripe.

Calls to Palin’s lawyer weren’t returned.

If you think it’s awfully early for the candidates to get started, remember that Barack Obama announced his candidacy in February 2007. At the time, it was a surprisingly early announcement almost 20 months in advance of the 2008 election.

But, then again, look where Obama lives now.

We've got some inquiries out trying to confirm Sarah has "booked" time with Bob and Mark. So far, can't confirm anything.

It's still fun to speculate on this, especially since Sarah has indeed promised to announce her candidacy on the show. Most of us heard this when she said it, and since Sarah was an executive producer of her TLC travel/adventure series, and had editorial control of the content, one can make of it what one will, that Sarah included her radio interview in the final show of the series, which was leading up to "what's next."

For those that may not be familiar, Sarah is a frequent call in guest on the Bob and Mark show, as are her daughters Piper and Bristol. Again, we don't even know if this rumor is true, but if it is, the very fact a date was actually booked, certainly makes one think something is up.

Sarah will be in India in March speaking at an important international policy conference. Could be she'll just want to talk about that. None the less, it's fun to contemplate what this advance booking may be all about!

John Drew: Meeting Young Barack Obama, Marxist Revolutionary

My first meeting with young Barack Obama raised strong feelings and left me with a positive first impression. At the time, I felt I'd persuaded a young man anticipating a Marxist-Leninist revolution to appreciate the more practical alternative of conventional politics as a channel for his socialist views.

~ John Drew

This is a fascinating read from John Drew:

I met Obama in December of 1980, a couple of days after Christmas, in Portola Valley -- a small town near Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. I was a 23 year old second-year graduate student in Cornell's Government Department, and had flown to California to visit a 21 year old girlfriend, Caroline Boss. Boss was a senior at Occidental College, where she had taken a class in the fall of 1980 with political theorist Roger Boesche. She met and befriended Obama in that class.

I had been an angry Marxist revolutionary during my undergraduate career at Occidental College. During my hyperactive sophomore year, in the fall of 1976, I founded the Marxist-Socialist group on campus and named it the Political Awareness Fellowship. As I recall, I developed this innocuous sounding name because there were so few students on campus as radical as I, and I was fearful of turning off moderate students who might be willing to learn more about Marxist theory.

[ .... ]

Whatever impact our encounter might have had on him, I know something about what Barack Obama believed in 1980. At that time, the future president was a doctrinaire Marxist revolutionary, although perhaps -- for the first time -- considering conventional politics as a more practical road to socialism. Knowing this, I think I have a responsibility to place on the public record my account of this incident from our president's past.

It's a rather long accounting of Drew's interaction with young Obama, the Marxist revolutionary, but a must read none the less. Check out the rest here.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist and a blogger at David Horowitz's NewsReal Blog . Dr. Drew earned his Ph.D. from Cornell and has taught political science and economics at Williams College.

If you want an example of how Obama and others have used their radical Marxism, once in power, look here.

Mike Gallagher's Full Throated Endorsement Of Sarah Palin For President

Talk show host Mike Gallagher is all in with Sarah Palin as our next President. It's a tad long, but worth the listen. As Mike points out, Sarah is the only true Conservative who can win the White House. The only one who can beat Barack Obama. We, of course, agree.

One thing Mike misses though, as does one of his callers, is her ability to campaign. Anyone who has closely followed Sarah Palin's career knows she is one of the best, if not the best, retail politicians in the country. She actually enjoys getting out among the people. She's an incredibly competitive person. She will work hard to win every vote in the country.

She won't just work on winning votes in the red states, she will going into deep blue states and work hard as well. Witness her recent trip to Long Island. People are still talking about that.

It's going to be fun watching her become our next President.

Hat Tip: Laura

Rush On Media Bias: Imagine President Palin Doing This!

Rush is in rare form here as he goes after Obama, Holder, and the media.

As you know, President Obama, along with his stooge ...er... Attorney General, Eric Holder, have decided, own their own, that the Defense of Marriage Act, legislation legally passed by Congress, and signed into law by Bill Clinton, is now somehow "unconstitutional" and they will no longer enforce it.

DOMA, for those that don't know, allows states that do not allow gay marriage to decide whether or not they want to recognize such relationships within their own state's border. This doesn't say a state can't choose to allow gay marriage, it simply says other state's can choose not to recognize them. That is consistent with federalism, and the Constitution, as each state is sovereign, and has it's rights protected by the 10th Amendment.

Now as we all know, the President, nor the Attorney General have the legal authority to declare something "unconstitutional." Nor do they have the authority to pick and choose which laws they will enforce. As Attorney General, Erick Holder is the nation's top law enforcement officer, and duty bound to enforce ALL of the laws. Of course, in reality we already know he refuses to enforce civil rights and voters' rights laws, so this is strike three, for those keeping score.

Only the Judicial branch of government can legally declare a law unconstitutional. The Executive or Legislative branch cannot. The President can't pick and choose, and just ignore laws he doesn't like. This is the sort of thing a corrupt dictator in a banana republic would come up with.

In the video Rush points out that the media has been silent on this extra-constitutional power grab by Obama, something that borders on an impeachable offense. If you do a little searching, you'll find stories from the "mainstream" media actually PRAISING this move by Obama.

So here we are. If this is the new standard, what will the media, and the democrats say when President Palin decides abortion is unconstitutional? Will they praise her for her "innovative" handling of the situation? Some how I doubt it. What if [God forbid] ObamaCare still exists when she takes office? OK, that's a bad example because a judge already HAS declared ObamaCare unconstitutional!


Come to think of it, since the Obama regime is still pressing ahead on ObamaCare, he's actually in contempt of court! That's nothing new either, as his offshore ban on oil exploration has also been overturned, numerous times, and he is defying that as well.

You get the idea. There are any number of laws that make little sense that President Palin could declare "unconstitutional." Now I could live in a country smart enough to elect President Palin, but I couldn't live in a country dumb enough to allow ANY president, even President Palin, that sort of power.
At this point, one could reasonably conclude Barack Obama doesn't actually care about anything as silly as the Rule of Law.

Hat Tip: Bardsmith

Sarah Palin: Girly men don't ride the Iron Dog!

Photo:Sarah Palin shot some video with her cell phone of husband Todd Palin's sled repair efforts at the 2011 Iron Dog. (Tim Akimoff - KTUU / February 23, 2011)

As you know, the 2011 Iron Dog is underway. KTUU spoke with Sarah Palin about the Iron Dog, and Todd's attemptb to win his 5th championship.

NOME, Alaska —

Iron Dog racers spend countless hours preparing for and riding in the 2,000-mile snowmachine race -- the world's longest. It's also hard on their wives, but for former Alaska Gov. and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin it's part of the routine.

"It's stay out of the way," Palin said as her husband Todd Palin and his Iron Dog teammate, Eric Quam, worked on their sleds on a blustery Wednesday night in Nome. "Those who are closest to these guys know what they need to do."

Spousal support at the Iron Dog is more than just a happy wife cheering her husband on from the sidelines. At the Iron Dog, a race from Anchorage to Fairbanks with a stop in Nome, where average speeds can approach 80 mph on ice-covered rivers in Alaska's remote Interior, spousal support means trekking to Nome for the halfway festivities -- sometimes with snowmachine parts in hand.

A half-dozen race wives were on hand when racer Marc McKenna, half of the first two-person team to make it to Nome -- earning $10,000 in gold -- told reporters to give him a minute so he could give his daughter a kiss and hug as he got off his sled.

"It's a big family tradition," Palin said, holding her cell phone to shoot some video of her husband working on Quam's sled. "The whole family will road-trip up to Fairbanks for the finish."

The realities of the race are year-round, according to Palin, who says Todd spends thousands of hours on mechanical preparations in the spring and summer, and thousands more getting his body used to the rigors of riding in preparation for the race that he started competing in 18 years ago.

"It's their thing," Palin said. "They're in their element out there."

Their element is often brutally cold, and dependent on whatever Mother Nature's whim happens to be year to year. Last year she was frugal with the snow, and there were long sections of muddy trail to navigate. This year there's more than enough snow, and riders are plowing through with no real certainty of where the trail is.

"It's takes a different breed of cat to be out there in this," Palin said.

Whatever it takes, the Iron Dog certainly attracts people with a penchant for overcoming tough situations.

"They're out there and it's 70 below sometimes, pitch black and they're on a frozen river fixing a sled," Palin said. "But these guys can do that."

Todd Palin and Quam, currently in third place, finished their sled repairs and moved on to help Todd's former race partner Scott Davis, who is riding with his son Cory Davis this year.

"I look at the life lessons in this race," Sarah Palin said. "They will do anything to help each other out, but they have an extremely healthy competition with each other."

The city shop in Nome, with dozens of snowmachines parked inside, seemed to amplify her words as race competitors handed each other wrenches and made repair suggestions.

"When they finish the race, it takes only a week before they're on the phone to each other talking about next year's race." Palin said.

The men of the 2011 Iron Dog wore the dust and grease of the Nome city shop on their shirts and had bloody knuckles to show from all the wrenching going on Wednesday night, and yet this part is easy in comparison with the rest of the race.

"I think these guys are the toughest men on the planet," Palin said. "Girly men don't ride the Iron Dog."

Sarah Palin To Give Keynote Speech In India On March 19

Sarah Palin is headed to India next month to deliver a speech at a high-profile policy conference. She will speak on March 19 at the India Today Conclave in the capital city of New Delhi. The title of her speech is "My Vision of America."

India is one of the world's fastest growing economies, and a major ally of the United States.

Other speakers at the India Today Conclave including Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei.

You can learn more about the conference here.

This will be Sarah's first overseas trip since September of 2009, when she headlined the CSLA Investors Summit in Hong Kong, where she was well received.

How Ronald Reagan Handled Libya

Ronald Reagan addressed the nation from the Oval Office April 14, 1986 and announced the results of an air strike on Libya, after the bombing of a Berlin discotheque that was a favorite of American service men.

Reagan didn't fool around with Gadaffi. He acted swiftly to send a message.

Here's the time line of the events and how Reagan reacted:

Operation El Dorado Canyon

******************************

On April 5, 1986, a bomb exploded in a discotheque in Berlin frequented by United States service personnel. Of the 200 injured, 63 were American soldiers; one soldier and one civilian were killed.

————————–

On the late evening of 15 April and early morning of 16 April 1986, under the code name El Dorado Canyon, the United States launched a series of military air strikes against ground targets inside Libya.

It is the purpose behind the mission…a mission fully consistent with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter

————————————————-

Gadaffi ordering an attack on Americans "to cause maximum and indiscriminate casualties." Another communications source, an intercepted Libyan message outlined the attack being planned in West Berlin

—————————–

All except one of these targets were chosen because of their direct connection to terrorist activity. The single exception was the Benina military airfield which based Libyan fighter aircraft. This target was hit to preempt Libyan interceptors from taking off and attacking the incoming US bombers. It should also be noted that the French Embassy in Tripoli and several of the neighboring residential buildings also were bombed inadvertently during the raid; they were not targeted.

———————————-

Mission planners decided, as part of the effort to attain tactical surprise, to hit all five targets simultaneously. This decision had crucial impact on nearly every aspect of the operation since it meant that the available US Navy resources could not perform the mission unilaterally. The only two types of aircraft in the US inventory capable of conducting a precision night attack were the Navy’s A-6s and the Air Force’s F-111s.

The Navy had two aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean at the time planning for the raid: The America and The Coral Sea. Each had ten A-6 aircraft, but these were not the total of 32 aircraft estimated as required to successfully hit all five targets with one raid. The closest F-111s were based in the United Kingdom (UK); and use of these UK based aircraft dramatically affected the scope and complexity of the operation.

Planning was even further compounded when the French refused to grant authority to overfly France. This refusal increased the distance of the flight route from Great Britain to Tripoli by about 1300 nautical miles each way, added 6-7 hours of flight time for the pilots and crews, and forced a tremendous amount of additional refueling support from tanker aircraft.

—————————————

The size of the strike force’s final configuration was immense and complex. Approximately 100 aircraft were launched in direct support of the raid:

========================================

Air Force

28 KC-10 and KC-135 tankers

5 EF-111 Raven ECM (Electronic Countermeasure) aircraft

————–

Navy

14 A-6E strike aircraft

12 A-7E and F/A-18 Electronic warfare and jamming aircraft which undertook air defense suppression for the mission

Several F-14 Tomcats which took up the long range Combat Air Patrol (CAP) responsibilities

4 E-2C Hawkeye airborne command and control and warning aircraft

==========

The actual combat commenced at 0200 (local Libyan time), lasted less than 12 minutes, and dropped 60 tons of munitions. Resistance outside the immediate area of attack was nonexistent, and Libyan air defense aircraft never launched. One FB-111 strike aircraft was lost during the strike. The entire armada remained in the vicinity for over an hour trying to account for all aircraft.

As stated above, the French refused to allow the United States access to their airspace, which resulted in an additional 2300 miles of travel to and from the targets, caused extra in-flight refuelings, and the loss of one strike fighter and her crew. No doubt due to fatigue, our boys accidentally dropped a bomb on the French embassy in Tripoli. Oops.

The Advent of Sarah Palin: Noisy Panic Grips the Elites

.... at a youthful 47, Sarah Palin will cast a long shadow over the next three or four decades of national and GOP politics, making the kind of elitist recrudescence which occurred after Reagan well nigh impossible.

Brices Crossroads at Free Republic has a wonderful essay comparing Sarah Palin to President Calvin Coolidge, as it relates to the Republican elites vs the actual base of the party, and the American people.

The Republican Party, at least since the administration of William McKinley, has been perceived as the party of privilege...the party of the elites. While not always fair, the GOP Establishment seems to have an almost endemic hostility to the kind of grassroots, populist movements typified by the TEA Party and Sarah Palin. The GOP Establishment has sought, with almost complete success, to quash such movements over the past century. A small government populist conservative has only crept into the GOP hierarchy twice in the last century, both times in completely unanticipated fashion and both times beyond the control of the elites to stop. It is about to happen again.

The first time was in 1923 when a little known former governor of Massachusetts, who had been a surprise selection as Vice President in 1920, Calvin Coolidge, succeeded the corrupt Warren G. Harding. Elected governor in 1918, Coolidge had been known mainly as a friend to World War I veterans (giving the Massachusetts veterans a $100 bonus), a budget hawk who used his veto pen to slash 4 million dollars from state budget, enabling the state to retire some of its debt, and a staunch opponent of tax hikes.

He vetoed a bill that would have raised legislators' pay by 50%. Coolidge accomplished quite a lot in the two years (or half term) he spent as Governor. Of course, he had been a member of the City Council and mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts (population: 5,000)for most of the ten years preceding his (half) term as Governor. If that sounds familiar, it should. His resume bears an uncanny similarity to that of the current GOP frontrunner deemed unqualified by the elites, former Governor, Mayor and City Council member Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Succeeding the corrupt, Establishmentarian Warren Harding, Coolidge proved to be a splendid President. He cut the top marginal tax rate from 73% to 25%, spurring unparalleled growth and prosperity that continued until 1929-30. His Establishment successor, Herbert Hoover, in response to a financial crisis on Wall Street and an economic downturn, reacted by raising taxes sharply from 25% to 63%, hiking corporate taxes by 15% and strangling international commerce with the Smoot Hawley tariff. It was not Roosevelt, but the Establishment Republican Hoover who increased taxes most sharply and precipitated the worst and longest economic catastrophe in American history.

It is little wonder that Coolidge had been "cool" to Hoover, his Commerce Secretary, once remarking that "for six years that man has given me unsolicited advice—all of it bad." Not until the next populist conservative insurgency, fifty years later, would tax rates fall as sharply as the Establishment GOP had hiked them in 1931. And, not coincidentally, it would also take fifty years for the peacetime economy to soar to the heights it had reached throughout the 1920s.

While the Coolidge insurgency had occurred quietly through Presidential succession, the Reagan ascendancy occurred through national upheaval of Watergate, stagflation, unemployment and American malaise at home and abroad. It was an "in your face" insurgency that challenged two sitting Presidents, one Republican and one Democrat. In 1974, with Nixon's Presidency teetering, the Establishment had succeeded in denying Reagan the Vice Presidency when Spiro Agnew had resigned, opting instead for the bland Establishment foot soldier, Gerald Ford.

In so doing, it showed that its "next in line" method of choosing nominees did not apply to populist conservatives, since Reagan--as the runnerup to Nixon in Miami Beach in 1968 and the leader of the Conservative movement--would have been, by anyone's calculation, next in line for the Presidency. When Reagan observed Ford's big government policies and appeasement of the Soviet Union, he decided not to take no for an answer and challenged Ford for the GOP nomination in 1976. In so doing, he brought down upon his head a withering fire from the Establishment that persisted until election in 1980, even occasioning a walkout of the 1980 convention by the Party Vice Chair Mary Dent Crisp and a third party challenge from one of his GOP competitors, John Anderson.

As soon as Reagan was nominated, the Establishment counterinsurgency began in earnest. First, the nomination of his Establishment challenger, George H.W. Bush, as Vice President all but assured that the Reagan era would be a brief eight year interregnum from Establishment hegemony over the GOP. The entree of key Establishment aids such as James Baker as White House Chief of Staff, only served to solidify this shadow government in waiting, which emerged in 1988 to purge the Reaganites and reclaim the party.

The Establishment elites in 1980 realized that they could not prevent Reagan from pursuing policies which they found anathema--deep tax cuts and a RE-MORALIZATION (in contrast to the demoralization of the Nixon-Ford-Cater years) both of domestic and foreign policy. Domestically, Reagan's re-moralization involved the unapologetic defense of the Judeo-Christian tradition of America (including the right to life), welcoming evangelicals and conservative Catholics into the GOP tent.

Internationally, Reagan rejected the moral equivalence represented by detente, bluntly calling the Soviet Union "the focus of evil in the modern world" and initiating a military buildup that planted Soviet Russia firmly on the ash-heap of history, liberating perhaps half a billion people from its oppressive yoke. The elites despised both moves but bided their time until their restoration represented by George H.W. Bush. Like his historical antecedent, Herbert Hoover, in responding to an economic downturn, Bush raised taxes and was promptly shown the door in 1992, fracturing the great Reagan coalition for a generation. This mattered little to the elites within the GOP, who had regained their prize--firm control of the party--and an even firmer resolve not to relinquish it.

From 1988 until the present, the GOP has five times nominated candidates who are elitists by birth, the four Bush nominations and that of John McCain (the son and grandson of four star Admirals). Only in the case of the ancient Bob Dole, an Establishment lap dog of long standing who earned his chops defending Richard Nixon and then Gerald Ford, did the Establishment have recourse to a non-hereditary prince and then only in 1996, a year in which the GOP Establishment was perfectly comfortable with a loss that would set the table for a Bush restoration in 2000. So great was the grass roots revulsion against Dole that Pat Buchanan, a weak candidate with many flaws, managed to win Louisiana, Alaska, place second (to Dole) in Iowa and to win New Hampshire before the GOP Establishment, in utter panic, closed ranks around Dole to defeat him in Arizona.

In 2012, the Establishment faces the gravest threat to its grip on power since at least 1980 and perhaps ever. Like 1996, it has no one of any stature or charisma to trot out as its champion. The firmament is buckling with TEA party intensity in a way that far surpasses both 1994 and 1980. And the incumbent Democrat President, to whom the GOP Establishment would normally cede a second term in order to regroup, is mortally wounded among white voters who inhabit, in disproportionate numbers, the battleground states of the Midwest where the next election will be decided.

But perhaps most important of all, the Establishment has lost control of the nomination process for the first time since 1980. This time, it faces--not the acerbic and off putting Buchanan--but a candidate of unparalleled skill and charisma that it has been unable--in spite of continuous assaults for nearly three years--to destroy.

The elites have tried alternately to flatter her, to savage her, and to threaten her, anything to deter her from running, all without success. In so doing, the Establishment (Democrat and GOP) has spent the heavy "artillery" that it would normally save for the general election and it now lies defenseless in her path, biting its tail and frothing at the mouth, but utterly impotent to stop her from assuming control of the Party and the Presidency.

Worse yet, at a youthful 47, Sarah Palin will cast a long shadow over the next three or four decades of national and GOP politics, making the kind of elitist recrudescence which occurred after Reagan well nigh impossible. It is a perfect storm, a confluence of circumstances that will not just sweep the elite Establishment from power but promises to hold it at bay for a generation. The election of 2012 will be noisy and full of kerfuffle as the GOP Establishment's death rattle reaches its crescendo. Not to worry. It will fall silent on November 6, 2012. R.I.P.

We tend to agree with summation, though we think Brices is a tad unfair to WWII hero Bob Dole, a very good man, even though he is an establishment guy.

Sarah Palin will indeed be an influence on politics for decades to come. More importantly, as President she will brink back Common Sense Conservatism, along with the experience and ability to get things done. To right the wrongs.

Just as they did against Reagan, the Ruling Class, in both parties, but most especially those in the Republican Party, are pulling out all stops in an attempt to keep the Republican nomination out of Sarah Palin's hands. They know her record, what she can do, and how she will mess up their little playhouse in D.C. As it is often said, Sarah Palin is a force of nature, and she will use that force to take on the entrenched elites who have helped destroy our nation.

Calvin Coolidge, BTW, was one of Ronald Reagan's favorite presidents, and for good reason. Sarah Palin writes extensively about Silent Cal, in her latest book, America By Heart.

Sarah Palin: Iron Dogs Roarin'!

As you know, the Iron Dog snow machine race is underway. This is a grueling race over tough terrain in sub-zero weather. The course is nearly 2000 miles long, and incredibly challenging. It's the longest, toughest race of it's kind. Todd is a four time Iron Dog champion, and has been called one of the sport's savviest drivers.

Sarah Palin posted a short note on Facebook, as well as the photos shown.

It’s no secret I’m cheering for Team #11 in this year’s Iron Dog race! Todd and his racing partner Eric Quam are doing very well and helping lead the pack as they'll soon be near the 1000-mile half-way point in Nome. They’ve been breaking trail through three feet of new snow! All these athletes are rugged and tough. Please keep all the racers in your prayers.

On a side note, there’s always buzz about fake Sarah Palin Facebook and Twitter accounts. Please know that this is my only authentic Facebook account and SarahPalinUSA is my only authentic Twitter account. Pay no attention to the fake accounts and their fake messages.
~ Sarah Palin

Being a former racer myself, I can really appreciate the hard work and skill it takes to race this event. Not only physical toughness, but mental toughness as well. It takes a special athlete to win one of these events. To win four is incredible. Here's hoping Todd and Eric make it number five!

You can follow the Iron Dog through their official account at Twitter here.

Sarah Palin: Here's To Libya's Freedom

History moves toward freedom because the desire for freedom is written in every human heart.

~ President George W. Bush

Sarah Palin speaks out on the Libyan turmoil.

It’s a little perplexing looking at the White House today. There was a statement on the horrible earthquake in New Zealand, and certainly our hearts go out to all those affected by this horrible natural disaster. But nothing on the slaughter in Libya? The protests in many places in the Middle East affect regimes that have cooperated with the U.S. on issues from peace with Israel, fighting al Qaeda, hosting our military forces, or cooperating against Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Gaddafi’s Libya is different. For four decades, this tyrant has held power. Gaddafi was Osama before Osama hit the scene.

He ordered the bombing of a disco in Germany to kill Americans. When he paid the price for that – after President Reagan rightly ordered retaliation – he directed his agents to blow up Pan Am Flight 103. They did, and more than 250 innocent people died. Gaddafi tried to come in from the cold in 2003 – scared by the demonstration effect of Iraq. But we should have no illusions. Gaddafi is a brutal killer and Libya – not to mention the world – would be better off if he were out of power. Now is the time to speak out. Speak out for the long-suffering Libyan people.

Speak out for the victims of Gaddafi’s terror. NATO and our allies should look at establishing a no-fly zone so Libyan air forces cannot continue slaughtering the Libyan people. We should not be afraid of freedom, especially when it comes to people suffering under a brutal enemy of America. Here’s to freedom from Gaddafi for the people of Libya.

- Sarah Palin

This is what leadership looks like.

Is Mitch Daniel's "Fiscal Acumen" All Just Smoke And Mirrors?

It's no secret that Mitch Daniels is rapidly becoming the GOP establishment's new show pony, now that Mitt Romney's chances for 2012 seem to be going up in flames. Daniels is wrong on most issues, but the one's singing his praises continually point out that he's some kind of "financial genius, " and therefore, our only possible hope.

Of course, they said the same thing of Romney, until people learned better.

Stacy Drake wrote an excellent piece reminding us he was President Bush's budget guy [something his supporters would rather you forget] and was a massive failure.

One of our readers, keatssycamore, offered up even more devastating evidence that Mitch Daniels is not for real:

So Mitch Daniels has been Indiana’s governor since the beginning ’06 and is positioning himself as the fiscally conservative republican of citizens’ dreams. Yet halfway through his second term, I find that the following information about Indiana’s fiscal house:

"The state faces a $1 billion gap between the state’s revenue and expenses in the state’s next budget, which includes the need to build up reserves by $500 million.[6]


The Indiana State Budget Committee held hearings in November and December 2010.[7] Committee Chair State Sen. Luke Kenley estimated that lawmakers will need to reduce current spending approximately $1 billion to avoid a tax increase.[7]"

And I find that the Mitch Daniels’ plan to close part of that BILLION dollar gap in Indiana revenue and expenses is the following:

"Governor Daniels’ budget to the State Budget Committee on Jan. 13, 2011. The budget proposal calls for spending $13.76 billion in FY2012, and about $13.98 billion in FY2013. At the end of the biennium, the state will have a surplus of about $725 million, bolstered in part by shifting $200 million in unused accrued interest from the state’s Public Deposit Insurance Fund that has languished since the 1930s.[11]

So basically Mitch went to Washington in the early 2000s and learned how to steal money from a government program (Social Security trust fund raids under Bush become Public Deposit Insurance Fund raids in Daniels’ Indiana) that was designed and agreed to and passed into law and practice for one particular reason and, because the program was/is successfully running a surplus, Daniels simply takes that money and spends it on a bunch of other general fund stuff it was never intended to fund when legally created. All while claiming the budget deficits aren’t as "big" or "real" as we all know they would be if not for all the robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Indiana state budget – Sunshine Review

These facts are sadly emblematic of the honesty-level present when listening to today’s crop of Democrat and Republican "fiscal hawks". Where’s H Ross with some charts when you need him?

Look, I'm not an unbiased writer. I do have a dog in this fight. But I am becoming increasingly troubled by voters who are finding themselves infatuated with Mitch Daniels, or any politician who gives a good speech or talks a good line.

It worries me deeply that people aren't doing the least bit of research into these "flavor of the week" candidates before touting them as the second coming. There are some deeply flawed candidates being thrown out there. Folks without the most basic understanding of the condition we are in, as a nation, or the ability to do something about it.

It doesn't matter who you think may be "the one," you must take a hard look at their career, their record, and who they associate with. If not, we are going to be in big trouble. As stated, I have a horse in this race, but I only came to choose her as the one to support after studying her career for years, and watching her walk the walk, and not just talk the talk.

As a voter, it's your duty to research these potential candidates and their records. This next election is too important to get fooled again.

There's a lot more to come on Mitch Daniels, and let's suffice it to say, none of it's encouraging.

Thanks to keatssycamore for the additional information.

Jedediah Bila: Sarah Palin Makes a Splash on Long Island

Jedediah Bila was at the Long Island, NY event last Thursday, and gives us a first hand report:

She was relaxed, but spunky. She was real. She was armed with stats. She was unapologetic about her convictions. She was tough on President Obama’s agenda. She was fed up with the status quo. She was "sick and tired of the games that are being played in Washington, D.C., because we’re talking about our money, we’re talking about our kids’ future, we’re talking about our republic and the solvency of our republic." She was willing to laugh at herself. She was confident about her experience.

And yes—she was wearing leopard heels.

The woman? Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. The event? The Long Island Association’s 2011 Annual Meeting and Luncheon, during which Palin replied extemporaneously to a series of questions from LIA CEO and President, Kevin S. Law. Topics included gun control, energy independence, health care, entitlements, Obama’s budget, the debt ceiling, the Tea Party, protests in Egypt, the 2012 presidential election, and more.

[ .... ]

Palin’s trademark sense of humor was woven throughout her commentary, including when she said, "Last night, I’m in my hotel room, and I’ve got my entourage with me—that would be Bristol" and her sentiments on who she envisions at the top of the 2012 GOP ticket: "Nobody is more qualified really in multitasking and doing all the things that you need to do as President than a woman, than a mom. … Adding that all up, what I would look for was somebody who, okay, would start off as being you know, a woman, a mom, somebody who’s administered locally, state, interstate with energy issues, so maybe a mayor, a governor, an oil commissioner, maybe somebody who’s already run for something, vice pr— … I don’t know, I don’t know, we’ll see."

Read her entire Human Events column here.

Ronald Reagan-Remarks on the Air Traffic Controllers Strike (August 3, 1981)

How Ronald Reagan handled the strike by air traffic control workers in 1981. This is a powerful speech, and as history showed, Reagan made good on his promise to fire anyone who didn't return to work.

F.D.R. Warned: Allowing Public Sector Unions Collective Bargaining Rights "Unthinkable and Intolerable."

James Sherk, writing in the New York Times, speaks to the well known dangers of allowing public sector unions the "right" of collective bargaining. Of course, anyone who lives in a state overrun by unions [public and private] knows full well the dangers of this.It's interesting to note that not only FDR, but union leaders themselves, once recognized allowing public sector unions collective bargaining rights was madness.

"It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government."

That wasn’t Newt Gingrich, or Ron Paul, or Ronald Reagan talking. That was George Meany -- the former president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O -- in 1955. Government unions are unremarkable today, but the labor movement once thought the idea absurd.

Public sector unions insist on laws that serve their interests -- at the expense of the common good.

The founders of the labor movement viewed unions as a vehicle to get workers more of the profits they help create. Government workers, however, don’t generate profits. They merely negotiate for more tax money. When government unions strike, they strike against taxpayers. F.D.R. considered this "unthinkable and intolerable."

Government collective bargaining means voters do not have the final say on public policy. Instead their elected representatives must negotiate spending and policy decisions with unions. That is not exactly democratic – a fact that unions once recognized.

George Meany was not alone. Up through the 1950s, unions widely agreed that collective bargaining had no place in government. But starting with Wisconsin in 1959, states began to allow collective bargaining in government. The influx of dues and members quickly changed the union movement’s tune, and collective bargaining in government is now widespread. As a result unions can now insist on laws that serve their interests – at the expense of the common good.

Union contracts make it next to impossible to reward excellent teachers or fire failing ones. Union contracts give government employees gold-plated benefits – at the cost of higher taxes and less spending on other priorities. The alternative to Walker's budget was kicking 200,000 children off Medicaid.

Governor Walker’s plan reasserts voter control over government policy. Voters’ elected representatives should decide how the government spends their taxes. More states should heed the A.F.L.-C.I.O. Executive Council’s 1959 advice: "In terms of accepted collective bargaining procedures, government workers have no right beyond the authority to petition Congress — a right available to every citizen."

James Sherk is the Bradley fellow in labor policy at the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation

Check out photos from the Wisconsin union protests courtesy of Michelle Malkin here. [Language warning]

Video: Sarah Palin's Full Remarks At Q&A In Long Island, NY

This is the full question and answer session Sarah Palin participated in last Thursday in Long Island, NY. This was a no holds barred, anything goes, interview. No pre-screened questions, nothing off limits.

Video courtesy of our friends at PalinTV.

Chicago Communists Join Wisconsin Protest, Call For Revolution

The protests in Madison, Wis, which originally began in opposition to a budget repair bill being debated in the legislature, are now drawing individuals and organizations from beyond the state.

This morning MacIver News Service's Bill Osmuski caught up with some Communist organizers from Chicago

Hat tip: Ray

Dave Westlake Reads Sarah Palin's Letter To Union Workers In Madison, Wisconsin

Dave Westlake reads Sarah Palin's powerful letter to union members at the Tea Party counter rally in Madison, Wisconsin. The mere mention of her name has the crowd cheering loudly, as they do again and again as Westlake reads from the letter.

We must all stand with Wisconsin's Common Sense Conservative Governor and legislature, who are trying to get a grip on out of control government. These out of control unions must be stopped or the nation will fall.

Hat tip: Karen Allen @Organize4Palin

Sarah Palin: Union Brothers and Sisters: Seize Opportunity to Show True Solidarity

From Sarah Palin:

Union Brothers and Sisters: Seize Opportunity to Show True Solidarity

The union-led school closures and demonstrations in Madison have left most ordinary Americans shaking their heads in disbelief. Months ago, I penned a message to my fellow union brothers and sisters when I found myself on the receiving end of union boss Richard Trumka’s wrath. Yesterday’s demonstrations reminded me of the full-page ads taken out against me when I put my foot down in dealing with union demands while I served as governor.

My message then and now to good union brothers and sisters is that you have another option. You don’t have to kowtow to the union bosses who are not looking out for you, but instead are using you. You can join millions of other union members in a commonsense movement to help fight for the right causes in our great country – for budgets that share the burden in a truly fair way and for commonsense reforms that take power away from vested interests like union bosses and big business lobby groups, and put it back where it belongs – with "We the People."

Here we are still struggling to get out of a deep recession and coping with high unemployment, record deficits, rapidly rising food prices, and a host of other economic problems; and Wisconsin union bosses want union members out in the streets demanding that taxpayers foot the bill for unsustainable benefits packages. 

I am a friend to hard working union members and to teachers. I come from a family of teachers; my grandparents, parents, brother, sister, aunt, and other relatives worked, or still work, in education. My own children attend public schools. I greatly admire good teachers and will always speak up in defense of the teaching profession. But Wisconsin teacher unions do themselves no favor by closing down classrooms and abandoning children’s needs in protest against the sort of belt-tightening that people everywhere are going through. 

Union brothers and sisters: this is the wrong fight at the wrong time. Solidarity doesn’t mean making Wisconsin taxpayers pay for benefits that are not sustainable and affordable at a time when many of these taxpayers struggle to hold on to their own jobs and homes. Real solidarity means everyone being willing to sacrifice and carry our share of the burden. It does no one any favors to dismiss the sacrifices others have already had to make—in wage cuts, unpaid vacations, and even job losses—to weather our economic storm.

Hard working, patriotic, and selfless union brothers and sisters: please don’t be taken in by the union bosses. At the end of the day, they’re not fighting for your pension or health care plan or even for the sustainability of Wisconsin’s education budget. They’re fighting to protect their own powerful privileges and their own political clout. The agenda for too many union bosses is a big government agenda that only serves the union bosses themselves – not union members, not union families, and certainly not the larger community. Everybody else is just there to foot the bill; and if that bill eventually takes the form of thousands of teachers and other public sector workers losing their jobs because the state of Wisconsin can no longer afford to keep them on the payroll, that’s a risk the union bosses are willing to take as long as their positions are secure. Union brothers and sisters: you are better than this and you deserve better. Don’t be led astray.

One final word of warning to my fellow Americans: back in 2009, I warned about what would happen if states accepted short-term unsustainable debt-ridden "Stimulus Package" funds. Accepting those funds allowed states to grow government, increase already unsustainable levels of spending, kick the can down the road on reforming entitlements, and create public expectations that they would continue financing these new mandates once the federal funds ran out. States were not in a position to grow government and take on new financial commitments then, and now the chickens have come home to roost. As goes Wisconsin today, so goes the country tomorrow.

~ Sarah Palin

Gallup: Americans Say Ronald Reagan Is the Greatest U.S. President

Confirming what we have always known, the latest Gallup polling says Americans feel that Ronald Reagan was our nation's greatest President.

PRINCETON, NJ -- Ahead of Presidents Day 2011, Americans are most likely to say Ronald Reagan was the nation's greatest president -- slightly ahead of Abraham Lincoln and Bill Clinton. Reagan, Lincoln, or John F. Kennedy has been at the top of this "greatest president" list each time this question has been asked in eight surveys over the last 12 years.

Presidents Day, celebrated on the third Monday of February each year, officially commemorates the Feb. 22 birthday of George Washington. The country's first president is not regarded by Americans as the nation's greatest president, however. Gallup's Feb. 2-5 update shows that Washington comes in fifth on the list, behind Reagan, Lincoln, Clinton, and Kennedy.

In the eight times Gallup has asked this same "greatest president" question over the last 12 years, one of three presidents -- Lincoln, Reagan, and Kennedy -- has topped the list each time. Reagan was the top vote getter in 2001, 2005, and now 2011. Lincoln won in 1999, in two 2003 surveys, and in 2007. Kennedy was on top in 2000, and tied with Lincoln in November 2003.

You can read the complete poll results here.

Meet Sarah Palin's Chief of Staff, Michael Glassner

Speculation of a 2012 presidential run by Sarah Palin went into overdrive last week when it was announced she hired longtime political strategist Michael Glassner as her Chief of Staff, a position that had not existed within Team Palin.

We researched his resume and found him to be a serious logistics guy and a problem solver. The perfect man to have on one's team.

ABC News has a more in-depth look at the man and his abilities:

The veteran Republican operative who could help guide Sarah Palin into the 2012 presidential race has a close friendship with Todd Palin to thank for his new role. He is now at the top of the former Alaska governor's political hierarchy.

Friends and associates of Michael Glassner, whom Palin recently hired to be her chief of staff, say it was Todd who reached out to him in recent weeks and urged him to come aboard. His task: to bring some order to Palin's far-flung and highly-insular circle of advisers.

At a speaking appearance in Long Island, New York on Thursday Palin said she "hired a chief of staff because, to tell you the truth, Todd's getting kind of tired of doing it all for me." And her comment likely rings true for just about anyone who has seen the ad hoc nature of her political operation.

It now falls on the shoulders of Glassner, a veteran of Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and a long-time aide to former Sen. Bob Dole, to professionalize Team Palin.

"Governor Palin's done incredibly well flying by the seat of her pants," said Glassner's friend Scott Reed, a former presidential campaign manager for Sen. Bob Dole. "But Michael will be trying to get a semblance of a structure in place so they can operate better and service her better."

At least initially, sources close to Glassner expect him to do the job from New Jersey where he lives with his wife and two young daughters. Former colleagues describe him as a detail-oriented, fiercely loyal person who "takes great pride in flying under the radar." They also say he is a "fitness nut" and, along with his wife, a dedicated vegetarian. (It's unclear how that might clash with Palin's love of hunting big game animals and her ability to field dress a moose.)

Palin's handful of aides seemed to welcome his arrival. With individuals working for her in California, Texas and Washington, coordination has been difficult.

During the 2010 election cycle Glassner was a supporter of Alaska's GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, whom Palin endorsed. Campaign aides said he offered advice and helped make important contacts throughout the campaign in an unpaid role.

Glassner first met the Palins when he joined the McCain campaign as the director of vice presidential operations in 2008. He was responsible for scheduling and logistics, and perhaps most importantly, keeping Sarah and Todd Palin happy.

[ .... ]

A quiet efficiency appears to be the trademark of his own management style, but at least one former colleague said Glassner can be tough.

"He has a very soft approach on the front end," said Meg Collin, who worked with Glassner during his seven-year stint at the IDT Corporation, a global telecommunications firm. "Michael's the kind of guy who'll ask you nicely and dangle a carrot, but if you don't do what he needs to have done, he can be quite forceful."

At IDT, Glassner was chief of staff to the company's CEO, handling external communications as well as government and investor relations. He left the job in 2008 to join the McCain-Palin team, and after the campaign, started his own strategic marketing and public affairs firm, C&M Transcontinental.

"I got the sense that he kind of missed that," Collin said. "There was always a certain sparkle in his eyes when he talked about politics."

At least a few of Glassner's confidantes acknowledged they were surprised by his decision to sign on with Palin, but predicated he would be an effective chief of staff in her often unpredictable world. Palin said on Thursday that she is "still thinking about" running for president, but that she has yet to make up her mind.

"Mike understands finance, understands compliance, understands scheduling and advance," said Burke, Dole's former top aide, "All the nuts and bolts of an infrastructure -- that is where his skills are so strong. He's the guy that's always three steps ahead."

This is a very lengthy article, so check it all out here.

We like the fact that Glassner shares some of qualities and activities the Palins  treasure. The love of the outdoors, and being a "fitness nut" and so on. He and his family will fit in quite well.

We've heard some grumbling from some of our fellow Conservatives because Glassner worked with both Bob Dole and John McCain's presidential campaign.

Let me caution, that just because someone worked within an unsuccessful campaign, doesn't mean they are somehow incompetent. As you'll read, Glassner, first "worked" for Senator Dole at the tender age of 11, as he handed out bumper stickers and such. That of course led to him working for Dole long before a presidential run, and he didn't run Dole's campaign. He is fiercely loyal, so it makes sense he would be loyal to Senator Dole as an adult.

Glassner's job in 2008 revolved around Sarah and Todd. Keeping them on schedule and ready to roll.

Having read his resume, and now this more in-depth look, I don't think Sarah, or Todd, couldn't have picked a better man. This is the guy you hire to make sure the trains run on time. The one who gets things done, and done well.

Once the 2012 campaign starts, Glassner's expertise will be essential. Sarah Palin is one of the very best retail politicians in the country. She loves getting out among the people. She will travel extensively and take her message to as many places as humanly possible. Glassner will be the one charged with making it all happen.

Sarah Palin Brings Common Sense Conservatism To Long Island, NY

What I would look for [in 2012] is . . . somebody who’s administered locally, state, interstate with energy issues, so maybe a mayor, a governor, an oil commissioner, maybe somebody who’s already run for something, vice president . . .

~ Sarah Palin on the 2012 presidential contest

Sarah Palin was in New York on Thursday talking with the Long Island Association. Sarah speaks on a number of topics, from the economy, to Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood. She also continues to tease a presidential run.

Katrina Trinko offers this:

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin isn’t ready to commit to a presidential run, but she indicated that she might decide soon, citing the need to connect with individual voters.

"Nothing is more effective than being actually there with the people in the diner, shaking hands," Palin said during an interview today conducted by Long Island Association president Kevin Law at a luncheon sponsored by the group.

"I’d be the first to not necessarily recommend a short amount of time," she remarked, citing the four days she had to prepare for the national scene as the vice presidential candidate. "Four days isn’t a whole lot of time to be prepared. It’s not even time enough to pack a bag. That’s why sometimes you have to borrow a wardrobe, and then you get crucified for borrowing a wardrobe for six weeks on the trail," she wryly remarked, alluding to the uproar when it was discovered that clothes for Palin and her family during the campaign had cost $150,000.

But Palin cautioned that her recent decisions to appoint political strategist Michael Glassner as her PAC’s chief of staff shouldn’t be seen as a sign of presidential ambitions.

"I am still thinking about it [a presidential run], certainly haven’t made up my mind. Hired a chief of staff because, to tell you the truth, Todd’s getting kind of tired of doing it all for me," Palin answered. "Just in the past couple of weeks we’ve been so doggone busy, that Todd has finally said look, I do have a few things I need to do . . . so we hired a chief of staff for practical, logistical reasons."

Asked about poll numbers:

"I look at those poll numbers and I say well, if I’m going to do this, then obviously I got to get out there and let people know who I am, what I stand for, and what my record is. I can’t rely on a liberal-leaning press," she said.

"And I think what’s going to be really important if I were to do that is to have more interaction with people like you who have no kid gloves on and you would actually ask why are your poll numbers are so poor," Palin added. "That kind of stuff is healthy to get to discuss."

Wearing a black jacket and skirt, a prominent flag bracelet, and leopard-print heels, Palin initially appeared stressed, delivering rapid-fire answers crammed with statistics. But as the interview continued, she visibly relaxed and even occasionally bantered with Law.

"‘Your poll numbers really stink. What’s your reaction to that?’" she playfully said, mockingly rephrasing his initial question to her.

Talking about the increasing prices of various commodities over the past two years, Palin took one jab at Michelle Obama. "It’s no wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody you better breastfeed your babies . . . yeah, you better, because the price of milk is so high right now."

"And may that not be the takeaway [of the interview], please," she hastily added.

Palin also indicated that a government shutdown, a possibility if a compromise cannot be reached on spending when the Continuing Resolution expires March 4, should not be seen as the nuclear option.

"I am so thankful for these strong congressmen and women who are saying no, we are not going to vote for the debt ceiling to be raised. To me, all that’s going to do is create this allowance for more big spenders," she said.

[ .... ]

Palin rejects the idea that any government shutdown would have the same impact as it did in 1995. "There were mistakes made back then, even in technique," she remarked.

Talking about Egypt, Palin said the U.S.’s priority should be ensuring that the Muslim Brotherhood did not gain political control of the country — and stressed that the U.S. should ensure that Israel wasn’t threatened.

Whether Palin opts to run or not, she thinks she has the qualifications to become president — and believes 2012 will be fascinating.

"What I would look for [in 2012] is . . . somebody who’s administered locally, state, interstate with energy issues, so maybe a mayor, a governor, an oil commissioner, maybe somebody who’s already run for something, vice president . . . " she joked.

"It’s going to be a blast though," Palin added, "to see who does offer themselves up in the name of service, and see what their ideas are, hear their ideas, solutions that they want to see in this country."

If she does run, look for Palin to enjoy the campaign.

"Competition is so good, man," she said. "I love sports. I love competition."

Read the entire report here.

Other comments heard at the event, via CNN:

On her 2012 ambitions:

When asked who else she might envision at the top of the GOP ticket Palin responded, "No one is more qualified to multi-tasking and doing all the things you need to do as a President than a woman."

"What I would look for in terms of character is someone who's been on the front lines, who understands how to administer, how to lead a team, how to run a business."

On the threat from the Muslim Brotherhood:

"We have to be sure a group like the Muslim Brotherhood isn't invited in to take over,"

"The Muslim Brotherhood believes in sharia law."

"If they're radical enough to have already spoken against liberties and freedom is this good for Egypt and their freedoms?"

Palin also criticized the Obama Administration for appearing to flip-flop on Egypt.

"There was so much confusion about where our administration was," Palin said. "I won't condemn them for adding to the confusion, but the American public does deserve to know whose side we're on."

On the president's budget proposal:

President Obama's budget plan will take the country "on the road to ruin," .

"What the people of America are saying is, 'enough is enough no more status quo we don't want to continue deficit spending.'"

"Tone deaf politicians they're going to be fired and they're going to be replaced in the next election cycle if they don't pay attention"

Sarah Palin National Review Online Poll: Rich Lowry Hardest Hit

Well ... what do we have here?

Besides the obvious, Sarah Palin has won yet another poll, there's a bigger story to be told.

Recently we've reported:

Sarah Palin Wins January Townhall.com Straw Poll Decisively

Post CPAC Straw Poll: Sarah Palin And Allen West Are "Winning The Future" … Big Time!

And,

Sarah Palin Crushes All Comers In American Spectator Straw Poll

While not scientific, by any stretch of the imagination, they were legit polls with layers of security to keep anyone from spamming the polls. [why is why Ron Paul didn't win] They are also significant because tens of thousands voted in both the Townhall and the American Spectator polls. Significantly more votes than were cast at the recent CPAC event. Just a taste over 3000 of the nearly 11,000 who attended bothered to vote in the CPAC straw poll. The post CPAC straw poll Hot Air conducted had about the same participation.

In addition to these three polls, both Ace of Spades HQ and the Right Scoop ran polls as well. Sarah won those handily too.

This brings us to the newest, which comes to us via National Review Online. There's a bit of drama involved, but first the results:

FINAL RESULTS:

Sarah Palin ............24 %

Mitch Daniels ..........19 %

Chris Christie .........17 %

Ron Paul ................9 %

Mitt Romney .............7 %

Herman Cain .............4 %

Newt Gingrich ...........4 %

Tim Pawlenty ............4 %

Michele Bachmann ....... 3 %

Haley Barbour ...........3 %

Mike Huckabee ...........2 %

Rick Santorum ...........2 %

John Thune ..............2 %

Jon Huntsman ............1 %

Gary Johnson ............1 %

23,160 votes were cast.

Anyone who reads NRO knows it's become the "paper of record" for the GOP establishment. Not only do a bunch of squishes write for National Review, they also push squishy candidates over principled Conservatives. As candidates like Mitt Romney continue to be shunned by the Republican base, the Republican elites are scrambling to find their perfect "anyone but Palin" candidate. This reminds us of 1980, when the country clubbers were going nuts trying to find their "anyone but Reagan" candidate.

Since all of the Ruling Class' favorite "Republicans" are just a disaster waiting to happen, their media buddies in D.C. are pushing what amounts to a "flavor of the week" candidate, hoping one will stick.

NRO's editor, Rich Lowry threw this poll up, after having much of his staff write fawning, even glowing, stories about Indiana's Governor Mitch Daniels. Lowry was pushing this poll hard too. A funny thing happened on the Forum though. It seems that even readers of the National RINO weren't having it! Even though Lowry was shilling for Daniels, and talking up his lead in the poll, Sarah Palin was coming on strong.

Then Rich did something that destroyed his credibility. As Tammy Bruce tweeted:

Girl Wins, Panic Ensues MT @neilflagg Yesterday Lowry was pimping NR poll; 2day he shut it down, no mention of results http://bit.ly/gmOhW5

That's right, with no fanfare, or mention of the results, Rich just quietly shut his poll down, without announcing the results to his readership. Of course, his readers aren't stupid, and he was called out, as you will see in the link above.

This is the real story here, not the fact Sarah Palin has won yet another major straw poll. Frankly, Lowry's poll doesn't have the integrity built in as does the Townhall, Hot Air, and American Spectator polls. While those polls had layers of security, Rich's poll had none. So take the results as you will.

The fact the Republican establishment is trying so hard to create a narrative that Sarah Palin is somehow not the legitimate favorite among the party base, even if it means destroying their own credibility, is the story. We've seen some chicanery like this in other polls as well.

As we noted in our report on the American Spectator poll, most of these sites are either openly hostile to Palin, or go out of their way to post negative stories, ignoring many of the positive ones. And their readership blasts them for it too!

It says something that despite an editorial decision to push an establishment candidate, over an actual Conservative, at so many of these top so-called "conservative" websites, the readers are able to cut through the BS and see the truth.

This is encouraging. It proves Conservatives can think for themselves, and won't allow little elites in Washington, or New York City, choose their candidate for them, as has happened in the past.

Not this time.

Too much is at stake.

Shame on Rich Lowry for pulling a stunt like this. 

Sarah Palin Crushes All Comers In American Spectator Straw Poll

More straw polling is coming out this morning, and once again, Sarah Palin just crushes all comers. As we reported earlier, she was the overwhelming favorite of Hot Air readers, in a poll that asked some interesting questions, yielding some quite revealing answers.

Now comes the results from the straw poll conducted by American Spectator Magazine.

While online polls don't usually excite us one way or the other, the American Spectator poll, just like the Hot Air poll, is noteworthy because the website went above and beyond to insure there was only one vote per customer. This poll required both a valid e-mail account and manually entering a coded text for the vote to count.

We're not all that surprised by the huge margin of victory by Sarah. She usually tops these polls. What is surprising is the fact all of the perceived "front runners", Romney, Huckabee, Gingrich, et al, couldn't even beat "other" in this poll. Sarah got 45.85 percent of the vote, and the number two vote getter, Herman Cain, couldn't break ten percent. He ended up with 7.13 percent of the vote.

One thing to remember, these are not scientific polls by any stretch of the imagination. However, they do gauge enthusiasm among the core group who will decide who the 2012 Republican nominee will be. It should also be noted that editorially, Hot Air and American Spectator are not "fans" of Sarah Palin, and most of the content about her takes on a negative feel. [even when it's positive news] Of course, readers of both websites know the authors get pounded pretty hard in their comments sections because of it.

That's kind of the point of the whole thing. Enthusiasm for Sarah Palin to be our next President is sky high among the base of the party. Enthusiasm is what win elections.

If we have one real sticking point in these polls, it would be the number of candidates. I know there are a ton of names out there being tossed about, but many have said "no" to a run, or are fringe candiates who have no shot at all. I'd like to see some major straw polling that just included those who are highly likely to run, and have a legitimate shot. A "top 10" if you will. It would be interesting to see how that would shake out.

With that said, here are the results:

Sarah Palin        45.85%
Herman Cain       7.13%
Mitch Daniels       6.00%
Ron Paul              5.89%
Chris Christie        5.77%
Other                    4.87%
Jim DeMint           3.55%
Mike Huckabee    3.12%
Mitt Romney         2.85%
Newt Gingrich       2.38%
Paul Ryan              2.14%
Tim Pawlenty         1.72%
Michele Bachmann 1.60%
Mike Pence            1.44%
Haley Barbour        1.17%
Rick Santorum        0.97%
Rand Paul               0.94%
Marco Rubio          0.74%
Rick Perry              0.74%
John Thune             0.66%
Gary Johnson          0.47

Post CPAC Straw Poll: Sarah Palin And Allen West Are "Winning The Future" ... Big Time!

After the circus at CPAC, including the embarrassment of Ron Paul winning yet another straw poll, a reality check is sorely needed.

As usual, Ron Paul's political action committee purchased large blocks of tickets to CPAC, reselling them at a serious loss, so his rowdy bunch could get to DC and vote for him. This is standard operating procedure for the good doctor. Mitt Romney, who finished second, has been known to buy a straw poll or two himself.

With that in mind, Patrick Ishmael over at Hot Air put together a straw poll of his own. We don't normally report on online polls, but Patrick took extra care to make sure there was only one vote per customer. While not a scientific poll, it does a great amount of enthusiasm for Sarah Palin, among readers of one of the top center-right websites.

Sarah garnered 37 percent of the votes, with the closest competitor, Chris Christie, coming in a very distant second at 11%.

Maintaining her position from our last poll in December, Sarah Palin again stomps the Hot Air Presidential field by a wide and comfortable margin.

[ .... ]

Since this latest poll was initially faced with a fair amount of ACORN-style fake-votery, let me say up front that Palin’s numbers are absolutely legitimate: her block of voters is one of the most active on the web, and they turned out in force for this survey.

In second place is Chris Christie, who also fell in behind Palin in December. Third place is, surprisingly, Mitch Daniels, doubling his percentage take from 5% of the vote last time to 10% this time. A surprising fourth place also goes to Herman Cain, the only candidate really in the race right now, at 8%. I think there’s little doubt that Daniels and Cain benefited from a sort of CPAC-bounce; Christie, still a GOP rock star, may have been hurt by being out of the limelight in the last couple of months. Mitt Romney comes in at fifth, slightly strengthening over his last showing, from 5% to 6%.

Besides the obvious "who do you want to be President?" question, Patrick crafted some interesting side questions as well. One of those asked: "How committed are you to your candidate?":

Online zeal does not necessarily make for eventual Presidents, but it may say something about commitment and a little about the size of the movement. (But not always.) Sarah Palin’s numbers bear out both of these points, notably the former one; while 54% of the average candidate’s supporters consider themselves "very committed" backers, 82% of Sarah Palin voters consider themselves "very committed."

This is an interesting metric. It confirms what most Palin supporters already knew. Once you join the team, you are not likely to look at other options. Sarah Palin's long record of success, and compelling history, translates into strong support. The kind that will work hard in 2012 to make things happen.

Something else. Since the other candidate's strongest supporters barely break the 50% mark, the chances for Sarah Palin to pick up even more support, once she starts actually campaigning is very good. Better than the rest, for certain.

The poll also asks who should be Vice President. This wasn't close either, nor surprising. Allen West is the overwhelmingly choice for her Vice President!.

That would make for quite the formidable ticket.

Check out all of the results from the poll here.