Man Up, Joe Scarborough: A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

It seems as if the sharks over at MSNBC have finally managed to sink their liberal teeth into Joe Scarborough. In an opinion piece for Politico, Scarborough takes on Sarah Palin and calls for the GOP establishment to publicly confront the former Alaskan governor. Throughout the entire piece, it is hard to decipher if Scarborough is an establishment, RINO Republican or a liberal hack. Scarborough goes to great lengths in an attempt to discredit Palin, calling her a reality star and questioning how she has time to study up on policy when she has her show, book tour and family to raise. I, for one, find Scarborough's arguments not only demeaning, but sexist as well. Would Scarborough make the same accusations about a man? After all, our very own president was viewed as a rock star during the presidential campaign; furthermore, he spent more time campaigning for president than he did actually playing senator. Would it be fair to ask how he managed to spend time with his family and raise his daughters during this time period? While this is a minute segment of his opinion piece, it sheds light on just how how of touch the Washington establishment types are with modern-day Americans like you and me. Scarborough also touches on so-called sources that he has supposedly talked to about Palin's lack of experience and goes on to write:

What man or mouse with a fully functioning human brain and a résumé as thin as Palin’s would flirt with a presidential run? It makes the political biography of Barack Obama look more like Winston Churchill’s, despite the fact that the 44th president breezed into the Oval Office as little more than a glorified state senator.

Oh really Joe...hmmm. Oh how quickly people forget. Remember the whole 2008 presidential campaign? Remember that Sarah Palin was the only candidate in the running that had executive experience? Not only did she have executive experience, but she was the most popular governor in the country who, when tapped for VP, had an approval rating in the 80 percentile. As the governor of the largest state, she tackled the corruption in Alaska head on and helped to put her state on the map. Unlike many of Mr. Scarborough's establishment friends, whose parents left them large trust funds, Sarah started from the ground up, serving in the PTA, on the city council and as a mayor before becoming governor. Click here to read all of Governor Palin's accomplishments. Word to the wise, Mr. Scarborough: Perhaps it would help if you actually do a little research before throwing insults around, acting like you know it all when you clearly do not. There is such a thing as the internet and fact checking. Did they not teach you that over at MSNBC? Well, seeing that you do work for such a highly regarded network (not), this may very well be the case. Although Mr. Scarborough works for MSNBC, he was a member of the House not too many years back. Did you know that he resigned because he wanted to spend more time with his family? Funny how he is able to criticize someone for resigning when he did the very same thing. It sounds a lot like the pot calling the kettle black if you ask me.

(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice and become a follower. Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

America By Heart Officially #2 on New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Best Sellers List

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Yesterday I reported that America By Heart, Governor Palin's recently-released book, was already a bestseller. I then received emails from some people--a.k.a. haters--who were truly disturbed by the news of more Palin success. They barely managed to recover from the incredible success of Going Rogue, so this continued fortune has them all wee-wee'd up.

Nonetheless, it's official. America By Heart debuted at #2 on The New York Times hardcover nonfiction Best Sellers list, behind President Bush's Decision Points. And while PDS sufferers tell themselves--so they can sleep at night--that bulk orders are responsible for this feat, not so. Ian Lazaran points out:

As you can see from the rankings, the NY Times did not place a dagger next to the book. What that means is that bookstores did not report receiving bulk orders. The Democrat Party is too stupid to recognize that the books that the Governor purchased for her PAC do not count in the overall sales for the purposes of the NY Times book rankings. Even liberal Taegan Goddard conceded this point. In other words, a politician can buy one million copies of his or her book for his or her PAC and it won't count towards his or her book sales.

That concession Lazaran refers to, made earlier this year, states the following:

Mitt Romney's No Apology tops the New York Times bestseller list this week. However, a "dagger" symbol next to the book signifies that "some bookstores report receiving bulk orders." Romney's book actually has two daggers.

In contrast, Sarah Palin's Going Rogue never received a dagger next to its listing while a top the bestseller list in week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5 or week 6.

Such is the case with the new book also. So another conspiracy theory bites the dust.

While those who oppose Governor Palin at every turn try to find some shady reasons for her success, I can save them some time. People are actually buying the book because they want to hear from her, because they recognize she has worthwhile experiences to share with this nation, and because, let's just face it, she's a great American.

You can order Governor Palin's book here.

(h/t Ian Lazaran)

AWR Hawkins: Governor Palin is "Already Running for President"

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

The first time I heard discussion about a Palin 2012 run for the presidency was November 5, 2008, the day after Barack Obama was elected to be the next President of the United States. The conversation has not since shifted. It has only intensified, it seems, with each passing day.

Like so many Americans, I immediately grabbed onto the idea of President Palin. I became involved in the 2012 Draft Sarah Committee, which is the only draft committee registered with the Federal Elections Commission. Some people gravitated to the Committee, while concerns were raised by others, the most repeated of which were "Do we really know if she wants to run?" and "It's too early to think about 2012."

It's amazing how quickly time flies, though, isn't it? The 2012 race is soon to get underway, and we realize that it wasn't really that far off after all. As for whether Governor Palin wants to run, well, that's been debated every single day since she returned to Alaska to resume her duties as governor and John McCain to Washington to pick up where he left off in the Senate. The subject is not about to change, either.

The conversation has gone back and forth with crazed rapidity. When the Governor resigned from office in July of 2009, some speculated she was going to run, and she was freeing herself up for that run. Others argued that after that controversial decision she couldn't possibly plan to run. Upon releasing Going Rogue, pundits just knew she was taking the opportunity to set her record straight so the road would be clear for a run for the highest office in the land. Other pundits said she wrote the book mainly with the hopes of exposing McCain staffers and media members who had done her wrong.

When she began to travel the nation giving policy speeches and meeting more Americans, some were convinced she was planning to run, that she was voicing a common sense message to which so many can relate and counting on that message to carry her forward. There were those, however, who said, no, she's having too much fun being a voice crying in the wilderness, so why would she put herself through the rigors of another merciless campaign?

She's definitely running, some said, when her PAC began releasing Mama Grizzly and Tea Party videos full of the faces and the fervor of a nation desperately desiring true change. Nonetheless, others maintained she was simply setting up public servants to take leadership roles as her PAC raised record money so conservatives could take back Washington. And with the emergence of "Sarah Palin's Alaska," observers have declared that the Governor is doing more than than just sharing her family and her state with America; she's showing us who she is, the upbringing she's had, and the state resources she is so ready to introduce to the nation at large--as President of this nation. Doubters, like Karl Rove, however, see the "reality show" as evidence that she could not possibly be seriously contemplating a run.

Obviously, the will she or won't she? question has been beaten to death as badly as Governor Palin beat that halibut in the second episode of "Sarah Palin's Alaska," and I'm not sure anyone truly knows the answer, except, as her friends and family in her home state say, "God and Todd." Today, however, AWR Hawkins, writing for Pajamas Media, gives a different take on it. He neither subscribes to the notion that she will run nor the notion that she won't run. His angle is this: she's already running.

Hawkins writes:

Questions about Sarah Palin’s future political plans are ubiquitous. From the left and the right, political pundits wonder aloud if she’s really thinking about running for the office of president in 2012. And depending on the pundit, the questions over whether she will run are usually tied to reasons why she should or shouldn’t.

But missing in all this guesswork over Palin’s intentions and the weighing of the pluses and minuses of her possible candidacy is the simple fact that she’s already running for president, and so far, she’s beating Obama and the mainstream media at every turn.

[...]

Counting her time on the national stage as a vice presidential candidate with John McCain, America has had over two years to watch Palin speak from the heart, while listening to Obama speak from a teleprompter. They’ve heard her relentless calls for a strong military, while watching Obama try to appease (instead of destroy) terrorists the world over. They’ve heard her defend the free market, while living with the ramifications of Obama’s stimulus package, nationalization of industry, and takeover of health care.

The American people have even seen a microcosm of a Palin-versus-Obama matchup via the 2010 midterm elections in which 30 of 43 of the House candidates she endorsed won, as did 7 of the 12 Senate candidates she supported. Moreover, those elections proved that while rank-and-file citizens largely support Palin’s worldview, they are rejecting Obama’s.

No wonder CBS News’ Nicolle Wallace said of Palin: “She is one of the shrewdest political figures in our country at this moment. She’s also one of the most electric.”

So while the pundits guess, stabbing blindly into the air in an attempt to come up with proof of whether Palin will or won’t run, the rest of us should just sit back and watch her go, because she’s running for the White House right now.

And if I had to place a bet on who wins in 2012, my money would be on Palin.

Read the full article here.

If AWR Hawkins is right, then as the nation habitually discusses what Governor Palin might do in 2012, she's marveling at the fact that we haven't yet noticed she's already doing it.

That's just one person's perspective, but it's an interesting one, is it not?

Governor Palin Leads 2012 GOP Primary Poll

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

C4P's Ian Lazaran reports the following poll that shows Governor Palin leading the 2012 GOP Primary:

The Daily Kos pollster finds her in the lead:

Palin 21%
Gingrich 19%
Romney 18%
Huckabee 16%
Paul 5%
Pawlenty 5%
Thune 3%
Daniels 2%

Read more good news from Ian here.

SarahPAC Raises Almost $500,000 in a Month, Over 3 Million This Year

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

SarahPAC, Governor Palin's political action committee, continues to raise an impressive amount of money as she does the necessary work of supporting conservatives around the nation.

After conversing with Tim Crawford, SarahPAC's treasurer, TIME reports:

Sarah Palin raised $469,000 between Oct. 13 and Nov. 22 bringing her total for the year to over $3 million, Tim Crawford, SarahPAC's treasurer, told TIME exclusively. Crawford attributed the surge of funds to energy surrounding the midterm elections, Palin's endorsements and her TLC reality show “Sarah Palin's Alaska.” Her second book, America By Heart, came out Nov. 23.

The PAC spent $64,000 buying advance copies of her books, “just as we did last year” with her first book, Going Rogue, Crawford said. “They're a great fundraising tool for us.” Palin is in the midst of a two-week cross-country book tour.

Overall the PAC spent $581,000 between Oct. 13 and Nov. 22. A larger percentage than normal was spent on contributions to political candidates, $244,000, as Palin tried to help her 81-endosed candidates over the Nov. 2 finish line. Fifty-five of them won.

All of the $469,000 was raised online or through direct mail. The former Alaska governor has had only two fundraisers for her PAC this year – the last one this past summer -- compared to Mitt Romney's nine. Crawford expects to file his report to the Federal Election Commission this afternoon.

Ian Lazaren reminds us:

These numbers are in addition to the $300,000 that she raised in the first half of October. It's great that she's on pace to match her numbers from last quarter during a time that is typically a dead period for PAC fundraising. Her numbers are even more impressive considering that she has pretty much done no fundraising.

You can donate to her PAC here.

Disingenuous Palin-Haters Insult American People

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

An article in the ADN today has this sentence beneath it: "Paul Jenkins is editor of the Anchorage Daily Planet." I suggest replacing that with this: "Paul Jenkins is a delusional Palin-hater." Despite his weak argument to the contrary, that's exactly what he is. And though we're most grateful for his definition of the term "hater," I really don't think any of us is in need of his help. We know one when we see one--and he fits the description.

In his article, designed to attack Bristol Palin for speaking out against people who have come against Governor Palin and herself, Jenkins expects the reader to believe that the obvious intense hatred for the Palin family is not hatred at all but healthy disagreement. The problem with that is none of us has just emerged from under a rock, totally oblivious to the irrational insane anti-Palin party that has been going on non-stop for two years.

Jenkins writes:

Bristol stumbled into the finals dead last.

"There's lots of haters out there that are waiting for me to fail," she said.

At the wrenching end of the weeks-long contest that captured America's imagination, she did fail. Bristol Palin finished a miserable third behind real talent on a TV show too many of us watched on the off chance her paranoid, delusional, wack-job mom would be, well, a paranoid, delusional wack-job.

[..]

It seems to me that "hater," used by the lovely Sarah P. as a blunt instrument on people she has issues with, is an ugly word. In fact, in the "Somalian-to-Norwegian Dictionary and Cooking Guide," a hater is defined as somebody who disagrees or questions Sarah Palin about virtually anything -- or who does not like lutefisk. There is even a picture of her and a pot of fish. I'm not kidding.

To the Palins, using the term immunizes them from criticism. You disagree, you're a hater; your opinion, your point of view, means nothing. That's too bad. Hiding behind "hater" is a childish, transparent and fearful self-defense gambit that signals intellectual weakness and a lack of backbone; an inability to defend an idea or principle. It insulates its user to end discourse. It forecloses on compromise, and labeling someone a "hater" is the first step in dismissing and, eventually, dehumanizing them. It's not me; it's you.

First things first. It is you, Paul.

Second, if Jenkins expects us to concede that "dead last" in a "DWTS" three-placement Finals is synonymous with failure, he's out of his mind and probably has never seriously competed for anything in his life. Enough said on that.

Now, Jenkins seeks to prove that there really aren't Palin-haters out there--just respectful, healthy people who express disagreement with the Palins. One need not look any further, however, than his own words to prove him wrong, as if there was any doubt. Referring to Governor Palin as a "paranoid, delusional, wack-job" won't get him very far in supporting his claims. He attributes the term "childish" to them while simultaneously choosing to write an article attacking a 20 year old mom who wanted nothing other than to dance. He accuses her mother of possessing "a lack of backbone," she who daily is insulted, harassed, and threatened by--dare I say?--haters like this character.

Stating that Governor Palin, her daughter, or their supporters, for that matter, throw the hater term out there all willy-nilly to innocent, well-meaning, honorable people who simply don't agree with them is disingenuous at best. No, it's a flat-out lie and an insult to everyone's intelligence. As a child, the elders in my life always said, "No one likes a liar." I have grown up to despise lies almost more than anything. I'd have more respect for this guy if he simply came right out and identified himself as a hater and was proud of it, rather than trying to convince the public that the Palins are imagining the onslaught of shameless filth they deal with on a regular basis.

Twisted people twist reality to suit their own agendas. Paul Jenkins asserts that the Palin family is imagining hate where none exists. Right. So we're all stupid, I guess. Has he never seen this depiction of the Governor as Hitler:



Or heard about death wishes from politicians after Ted Stevens died in a plane crash.

Or read about death threats against her.

Or been informed about the allegations of racism.

Or been briefed on the numerous attacks against her son, Trig, found on blogs to which I will not link.

The list really is endless, and surely Paul Jenkins knows it. His article is a seriously weak attempt to convince readers that what they know to be true isn't true at all. That's a key characteristic of a hater. They work overtime to make other people think they're crazy, when in fact they're the ones suffering derangement--in this case Palin Derangement Syndrome.

Another example of such was debunked by Andrew Breitbart today. Recently Governor Palin cooked the media's goose for blowing up a simple North/South Korea slip of the tongue. On Facebook she demonstrated that Barack Obama has made a plethora of gaffes, yet reporters never find it necessary to make a media frenzy out of it. Media Matters reported that the Governor was making a big deal out of nothing, that the media largely ignored this. However, count on Breitbart to break down the real deal:

Democratic Party front group Media Matters for America has published yet another attack on Republican Sarah Palin. This one a dishonest portrayal of media coverage of her recent slip of the tongue regarding the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

[...]

In a Thanksgiving Day message posted Nov. 25th on her Facebook page, Palin opened her post with a tongue in cheek send-up of President Barack Obama in which no fewer than ten of his verbal gaffes and misstatements were included and sourced.

[...]

Boehlert smears Palin, describing her as being nuts in some manner or form, “self-obsessed” and imagining things.

“Fox News’ Sarah Palin is now so consumed with every real or imagined media wrong against her that she’s to the point where she’s attacking the press for stuff they don’t even do.”

Even though Palin’s slip was reported in headlined stories by American and international wire services, as well as major news sites across America and around the globe, Boehlert claims “major American newspaper(s) did not turn the Palin/North Korea gaffe into a “major political headline,” did not treat it as news, and did not even mention it as news when it occurred.” Boehlert changes Palin’s assertion of major political headlines to major newspaper headlines, a sleight of hand that allows Boehlert to use Nexis to list major American news outlets that supposedly did not report on Palin’s slip:

“New York Times; Wall Street Journal; Los Angeles Times; Washington Post; New York Post; Houston Chronicle; Philadelphia Inquirer; Newsday; Denver Post; Arizona Republic; Minneapolis Star Tribune; Dallas Morning News; Cleveland Plain Dealer; Seattle Times; Chicago Sun-Times”

Boehlert also claims broadcast media did not cover Palin’s slip:

“What other news outlets ignored Palin’s verbal gaffe when it occurred? All three major networks–ABC, CBS, and NBC–as well as CNN, Fox News, PBS and NPR.”

However, Boehlert fails to note the story exploded on major news sites on the Web within hours of Palin’s slip.

Boehlert also conveniently fails to note that the faux scandal was initiated by his fellow Media Matters writer Oliver Willis.

The piece goes on to name the numerous media outlets that reported on the slip of the tongue--and not just in America either. It was reported in China, Korea, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, and Australia. Read Andrew Breitbart's full piece on this here.

Media Matters and Paul Jenkins could learn a thing or two about the American people. We are not sheep led by people so consumed with their anti-Palin agenda that we'll believe everything they tell us. We're not that crazy. Instead, we're smart enough to trust what we see with our own eyes and what we hear with our own ears. And what we've been seeing and hearing are dishonest, disingenuous, and disgusting displays of Palin-hatred. No amount of twisting the facts will work to dull us to what is evident to all clear-headed people. We know better, for the truth is so obvious. Pointing fingers at the Palins is only an attempt to divert our attention from the truth. In fact, it actually shows these haters to be the childish, intellectually weak souls Jenkins tries to make the Palins out to be.

(h/t Fay)

Latest ADN PDS Rant an Epic Fail!!! A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

The PDS, liberal infested Anchorage Daily News is at it again. While trashing Sarah Palin is a regular occurrence over at this liberal news rag, they have set their sick, twisted sights on attacking her 20-year-old daughter, Bristol. The ADN has published a piece by Paul Jenkins, editor of the Anchorage Daily Planet. Jenkins has written a hate-filled piece criticizing Bristol for having the nerve to defend her mother and herself against the "haters" during her time as a contestant on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Get this: It seems as if Jenkins' main beef with Bristol stems from the fact that Bristol called out those who have attacked her and her mom. Oh, how scandalous:

In the Palins' strange world, haters lurk always just in the shadows, enemies of all that is decent. They are out to sink Bristol's boat, to make her mother's struggling television show even more boring than it is -- the high point so far was Bristol's aggravated battery on a halibut -- and to sideline mom's political aspirations, and not necessarily in that order. (As a matter of full disclosure, I have a "Haters" T-shirt and am wearing it as I write this, but I know haters, and I'm no hater. It takes too much energy. I'm more of a cranky disliker.)

It is clear that the only delusional person here is the author of this ridiculous piece. Last I checked, DWTS had its highest ratings ever AND Sarah Palin's Alaska was the most-watched series premiere in TLC's history.
I guess Jenkins thinks outdoor lovers like the Palins are just a boring bunch of losers. I'd hate to think how he would describe himself. After all, what kind of a person would admit to wearing a "Haters" t-shirt? That's almost as bad as someone waking around with the word "loser" on his forehead, but I am not putting it past someone of Jenkins' caliber to do something like that either.

It is apparent that Jenkins needs to get a life. Did it ever occur to him that the Palin family are loved and adored by many? I find it ironic that as the mainstream, lamestream media find their readership numbers on the verge of nonexistent, the more the Palin family is finding continued success. This illustrates just how powerful this family is. It is apparent that Jenkins is jealous as is the case with so many Palin-family haters. Instead of writing about something newsworthy, Jenkins wasted perfectly good newspaper space to attack a young woman who never so much as looked in his direction. Yet, this how the typical PDS -infected folks seem to lead their lives now-a-days. Jenkins continues his rant:


Palin's persistent use of the term now has been embraced by her daughter. For Bristol, one can only hope such insanity will pass; that she will see her life should be more than hating haters; that sometimes our worst enemies can be our best friends; that not all critics deserve "a big middle finger." But for the lovely Sarah P., a woman toying with the notion of being president of the United States, it may be too late.

Her world is very black and very white. I just hate that.

If Mr. Jenkins had any class whatsoever, he would have realized a long time ago that the Palins don't give a darn about the media and what they think. Bristol Palin is a strong, fierce, determined young woman who will do great things during her lifetime- no doubt about it. I think it is time for Mr. Jenkins and his PDS-deranged friends to find a better way to spend their time. After all, last time I checked, it is Christmastime, a time for giving. I suggest Mr. Jenkins repay the crappy ADN for publishing his piece by going out there and getting them a few more readers. Good luck finding those readers. Note to the ADN subscriber department: I have a feeling people will be too busy watching Sarah Palin's Alaska to answer the door or pick up the phone.

(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice and become a follower. Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

Governor Palin Cooks the Media's Goose for Thanksgiving

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

I'm glad Governor Palin addressed this issue. I just think it's a pity she had to. This is where Palin Derangement Syndrome has taken us. A slip of the tongue becomes big-time news when the slip was made by someone named Palin. The salivating, rabid reprobates (i.e., the media) cannot even be internally honest enough to admit even to themselves that the Governor simply misspoke, as we all do from time to time. Instead, they pretend that she doesn't know the difference between North and South Korea. No matter that her previous conversations show that she, of course, not only knows the difference, but is well aware of the issues at play. All truth is sold out for a cheap gotcha moment. Meanwhile, President Obama or then-candidate Obama can make gaffe after gaffe without hardly a word from the lamestream media. Such hypocrisy. This is precisely why people are fed up with politics--from both sides of the aisle.

Governor Palin puts this issue in its proper perspective in her Facebook note, "A Thanksgiving Message to All 57 States":

My fellow Americans in all 57 states, the time has changed for come. With our country founded more than 20 centuries ago, we have much to celebrate – from the FBI’s 100 days to the reforms that bring greater inefficiencies to our health care system. We know that countries like Europe are willing to stand with us in our fight to halt the rise of privacy, and Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s. And let’s face it, everybody knows that it makes no sense that you send a kid to the emergency room for a treatable illness like asthma and they end up taking up a hospital bed. It costs, when, if you, they just gave, you gave them treatment early, and they got some treatment, and ah, a breathalyzer, or an inhalator. I mean, not a breathalyzer, ah, I don’t know what the term is in Austrian for that…

Of course, the paragraph above is based on a series of misstatements and verbal gaffes made by Barack Obama (I didn’t have enough time to do one for Joe Biden). YouTube links are provided just in case you doubt the accuracy of these all too human slips-of-the-tongue. If you can’t remember hearing about them, that’s because for the most part the media didn’t consider them newsworthy. I have no complaint about that. Everybody makes the occasional verbal gaffe – even news anchors.

Obviously, I would have been even more impressed if the media showed some consistency on this issue. Unfortunately, it seems they couldn’t resist the temptation to turn a simple one word slip-of-the-tongue of mine into a major political headline. The one word slip occurred yesterday during one of my seven back-to-back interviews wherein I was privileged to speak to the American public about the important, world-changing issues before us.

If the media had bothered to actually listen to all of my remarks on Glenn Beck’s radio show, they would have noticed that I refer to South Korea as our ally throughout, that I corrected myself seconds after my slip-of-the-tongue, and that I made it abundantly clear that pressure should be put on China to restrict energy exports to the North Korean regime. The media could even have done due diligence and checked my previous statements on the subject, which have always been consistent, and in fact even ahead of the curve. But why let the facts get in the way of a good story? (And for that matter, why not just make up stories out of thin air – like the totally false hard news story which has run for three days now reporting that I lobbied the producers of “Dancing with the Stars” to cast a former Senate candidate on their show. That lie is further clear proof that the media completely makes things up without doing even rudimentary fact-checking.)

“Hope springs eternal” as the poet says. Let’s hope that perhaps, just maybe, they might get it right next time. When we the people are effective in holding America’s free press accountable for responsible and truthful reporting, then we shall all have even more to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

- Sarah Palin

Richard Cohen's Race Baiting Attack on Governor Palin; UPDATED

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Governor Palin's new book, America By Heart, hit bookstores yesterday, and already the far-Left crap has hit the fan. Richard Cohen of the The Washington Post, who himself has been accused of inappropriate, anti-semitic, and sexist behavior, has chosen to point his finger at Governor Palin in what surely appears to be an accusation of racism. He who shows little regard for the United States Constitution seems to lack a basic understanding of the country he calls home as he seeks to attack her because she would dare criticize Michelle Obama for saying, during the 2008 campaign, that for the first time in her adult life she was proud of her country. Somehow that criticism makes her a racist in the eyes of race baiters like Cohen. In his article, "Palin needs a history lesson," he writes:

Sarah Palin teases that she might run for president. But she is unqualified - not just in the (let me count the) usual ways, but because she does not know the country. She could not be the president of black America nor of Hispanic America. She knows more about grizzlies than she does about African Americans - and she clearly has more interest in the former than the latter.

His ridiculously asinine and ill-informed assessment of Governor Palin's qualifications aside, Mr. Cohen's failure to understand America is both embarrassing and insulting. Granted, I'm no history expert, but the last time I checked there wasn't one America for Blacks, one for Hispanics, one for Whites, and so on. There is, however, the United States of America, a place that is the envy of the world, where those who are blessed to live here have the opportunity to work, prosper, and thrive. That's the America I see and the America Governor Palin sees. Clearly, it is not the America Richard Cohen sees. From his perspective, America is divided into sections of people based on race, and because he sees the world in this way, he expects others, namely Governor Palin, to see it as such and to walk around with a negative view of this country. Not going to happen.

Noel Sheppard of NewsBusters backs me up in this. He offers the following:

And therein really lies the problem in the liberal media. Folks like Cohen and his ilk still see many Americas all divided by race and ethnicity.

This divide will only disappear when the Cohens of this world see America as one and stop using race as a political tool.

Sadly, I don't expect that will happen in my lifetime. How about you?

No, I don't expect such a change in my lifetime, either. Too much is at stake--for the Left, that is. If they actually stop race baiting and working the victimhood approach, they might actually have to deal with the issues and face the facts. That would totally isolate them from the vast majority of Americans who love their country and are tired of hearing people apologize for it.

As America By Heart just came out yesterday, I am not yet able to speak on the entire book; however, my understanding is that Governor Palin does discuss the Founders, slavery, and racism. Also, Jedediah Bila's review states that Governor Palin includes inspirational words from such people as Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King. Nonetheless, she gets criticized for using so-called racially charged language because, as we saw during the campaign, questioning the Obamas' association with Reverend Wright or Mrs. Obama's suspect comments about America are off-limits. The lyrics, "Can't Touch This" come to mind.

I'll be the first to state that America is not perfect. We have made huge mistakes in the past; my ancestors could attest to that truth. However, who can deny that America has indeed been a shining city on a hill, a land of opportunity, and a force for good in this world? Just two years ago America voted for the first half-Black president, this in spite of his gross lack of experience, radical associations, and relative anonymity. I'd like to ask Cohen which America he believes voted for Obama. Was it Black America? Was it Hispanic America? Could it have been White America? Which America is President Obama presiding over? Since he imagines more than one, I reckon he has answers to such questions.

See, people like Cohen habitually zero in on race and the mistakes of the past and exploit them. He enjoys and cultivates the culture of victimhood that is the brand of the Left. Anyone who deviates from that mindset, who dares to believe the best in America, who dares to even live in the present where race is concerned, is somehow racist, unaware, or both.

While Michelle Obama's words should be mind-boggling to anyone who lives in this country or has benefitted from the benevolence of this country, they surely have no place coming from someone who is a part of a campaign to lead this country. Nonetheless, he chooses to defend her because--imagine this--she is the descendant of slaves. Huh?

He writes:

It's appalling that Palin and too many others fail to understand that fact - indeed so many facts of American history. They don't offer the slightest hint that they can appreciate the history of the Obama family and that in Michelle's case, her ancestors were slaves - Jim Robinson of South Carolina, her paternal great-great grandfather, being one. Even after they were freed they were consigned to peonage, second-class citizens, forbidden to vote in much of the South, dissuaded from doing so in some of the North, relegated to separate schools, restaurants, churches, hotels, waiting rooms of train stations, the back of the bus, the other side of the tracks, the mortuary, the cemetery and, if whites could manage it, heaven itself.

It was the government that oppressed blacks, enforcing the laws that imprisoned them and hanged them for crimes grave and trivial, whipped them if they bolted for freedom and, in the Civil War, massacred them if they were captured fighting for the North. And yet if African Americans hesitate in embracing the mythical wonderfulness of America, they are accused of racism - of having the gall to know more about their own experience and history than Palin and others think they should.

I could honestly puke at what Cohen attempts to do here. My ancestors also were slaves. I descend from the family of Harriet (Ross) Tubman, a fact that I hold in high regard. Believe me, I am not one to forget where we came from, but the awareness that I carry involves as much a pride of how far we've come as it does where we've been. Michelle Obama received Princeton and Harvard educations and was living the good life, even before her husband was nominated to run for the presidency. Would Cohen have us believe that America was not good to her?

Cohen's comments truly speak to where he stands in his view of this country. He mentions the "mythical wonderfulness of America." Mythical, really? He makes the accusation that Blacks are deemed racist if they don't subscribe to that mythicism. Interesting, because I don't hear that. I didn't hear Governor Palin call Michelle Obama a racist at all. Actually, what I hear is Cohen calling someone racist for refusing to deny the wonderfulness of America. So Governor Palin is supposed to apologize for being proud of her country? In Cohen's warped mind, such patriotic pride disqualifies her for the presidency.

Even more interesting, he comes to Michelle Obama's defense at the start of his article by stating she wasn't really saying what Governor Palin criticized her for saying, but then he goes on to agree with what most of us heard her say--that America has not been a very good place. If Mrs. Obama didn't mean to say that, why then does Cohen defend that position?

Richard Cohen ends his article this way:

Did she [Governor Palin] ask about her [Michelle Obama] background? What it was like at Princeton? What it was like for her parents or her grandparents? I can offer a hint. If they were driving to Washington, they slowed down and stopped where the sign said "colored" - and the irritated Palins of the time angrily hit the horn and went on their way.

I read this to say: the nerve of Governor Palin not checking up on poor Michelle Obama to ask how bad things were at her Ivy League institution in this horrible country. And the nerve of her not asking about her ancestors. Even more, the nerve of Governor Palin not being born "colored." How dare she be born White. Apology required, lady, or no presidency for you, at least no presidency of Black or Hispanic America. Now, where those two places are located, I don't know, but apparently Richard Cohen does.

Here's the end of the matter: Governor Palin is an American and proud of it. She does not believe in apologizing to our enemies or to ourselves. She believes in American exceptionalism and that here, in the greatest country on the face of the Earth, the same principles and policies benefit all Americans regardless of race or gender. She does not embrace different sets of beliefs for different sections and categories of Americans. Whereas the Left always sees things in terms of black and white, Governor Palin truly doesn't. They deem this a problem because they want the division, they rely on it, and they promote it.

On the contrary, the Governor believes that we can progress as we elect leaders who are committed to moving America forward by embracing common sense conservative policies that benefit all. And those who put themselves in position to represent this country ought to unapologetically believe the same. If they appear not to, they risk getting called out, and they should be. Governor Palin is not afraid to do just that. This ought to go without saying, but I'll say it once again anyway: this fearlessness doesn't make Governor Palin a racist. It makes her an American, and a proud one at that.

(Thanks to numerous C4P editors and contributors for assistance)

Update by Doug: Lori Ziganto further "refudiates" Cohen's nonsense here.

Governor Palin's Letter to WSJ: 'Refudiation' of $600 Billion Printed Out of Thin Air

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Governor Palin penned the following letter to The Wall Street Journal editor:

While on a United Airlines flight from New York City to Los Angeles this week, a fellow passenger handed me a copy of the The Wall Street Journal Nov. 15 op-ed by Alan Blinder—"In Defense of Ben Bernanke"—and suggested that I write a letter to the editor if I disagreed with the Princeton University professor's claims. Having read the piece, I told the passenger over my shoulder, "You bet I will."

Prof. Blinder seems blind to the clear and present dangers of QE2. Instead of seriously discussing these dangers, he takes us on an excursion to a Keynesian utopia, a mythical land in which endless government spending is an amazingly effective job creator and investors' confidence in U.S. Treasury bonds somehow increases as we sink ever deeper into debt while the Fed has its printing presses working overtime.

Here are some cold, hard facts from the real world: The first is the 8.7% 2012 unemployment rate predicted by the Survey of Professional Forecasters of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. It seems the Obama administration's record spending binge won't result in job creation, but in unacceptably high long-term unemployment. The second fact is that long-term interest rates have actually gone up following the Fed's recent QE2 announcement. The markets took one look at the Fed's pump-priming plans and decided they had to increase interest rates—probably in order to compensate for the expected rise in inflation.

None of this should come as a surprise. Blinders off, common sense engaged, it's time for us to "refudiate" the notion that this dangerous experiment in printing $600 billion out of thin air, with nothing to back it up, will magically fix economic problems that were caused in large part by the government's interfering with our free market system in the first place, and then made worse by the government's reckless spending experiments with our children's fiscal future. Instead of the tired, old Keynesian ideas behind Obamanomics, we need to turn to time-tested practices that are pro-free market rather than pro-big government. Some call this "free-market populism." It's based on the realization that the best way to get the economy moving again is to get government out of the way, let the free market dictate winners and losers, and allow the private sector to grow our economy one job, one paycheck and one American dream at a time. It's the only way we can restore much needed confidence and certainty in our economy. This is the only way we will all be able to soar from New York to Los Angeles and throughout the heartland.

Sarah Palin

Wasilla, Alaska

Governor Palin Believes She Can Beat President Obama

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

In a Barbara Walters special, "Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People," set to air on December 9th at 10 p.m., Governor Palin discusses considering a run for the presidency. When asked if she felt she could defeat President Obama, the Governor didn't hesitate. Mary Bruce reports:

Sarah Palin says she is seriously considering a run for the White House, and she believes she could beat President Obama in 2012, the former Alaska governor told ABC News' Barbara Walters.

"I'm looking at the lay of the land now, and ... trying to figure that out, if it's a good thing for the country, for the discourse, for my family, if it's a good thing," Palin said in an interview scheduled to air in full Dec. 9 on ABC as part of Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People" of 2010.

Asked Walters: "If you ran for president, could you beat Barack Obama?"

"I believe so," Palin said.

I believe so, too.

Sarah Palin: “America By Heart” Book Tour Details & Flyer

I’m looking forward to hitting the road again for the release of my new book “America By Heart.” The book is a collection of essays and reflections about our exceptional country. It discusses the ideals we must pass on to the next generation to ensure that we remain, in the words of Reagan, “the shining city on a hill,” and in the words of Lincoln, “the last best hope of earth.”

Below are dates, times, and locations for the tour. Please feel free to contact each venue for more information. My family will be joining me along the way, and they look forward to meeting you as much as I do. We’ll try to add some more stops if time allows. And, of course, we'll wrap up the whole tour in Alaska just as we did last time. 

We can’t wait to see you soon!

- Sarah Palin

P.S. Included below is a flyer for the tour. Feel free to pass it around!

November 23rd

PHOENIX, AZ 

Barnes & Noble

Desert Ridge Marketplace

21001 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 42

Phoenix, AZ 85050

6:00 – 9:00 PM

November 26th

TULSA, OK 

Mardel

9725 East 71st Street

Tulsa, OK 74133

6:00 – 9:00 PM

November 27th

NORFOLK, NE  

Hastings Entertainment 

919 South 20th Street

Norfolk, NE 68701

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

DES MOINES, IA 

Borders

4100 University Ave, Ste 115

West Des Moines, IA  50265

6:00 – 9:00 PM

November 28th 

ANDOVER, KS    

Dillons Marketplace 

225 East Cloud

Andover, KS 67002

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

DALLAS, TX 

Barnes & Noble

Lincoln Park

7700 West Northwest Highway

Dallas, TX  75225

6:00 – 9:00 PM

November 29th 

HOUSTON, TX 

Borders

3025 Kirby

Houston, TX 77098

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

NEW ORLEANS, LA 

Barnes & Noble

3721 Veterans Boulevard 

Metairie, LA 70002

6:00 – 9:00 PM 

November 30th

BATON ROUGE, LA

Books-A-Million

2380 Towne Center Boulevard

Baton Rouge, LA 70806

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 

LITTLE ROCK, AR

Sam’s Club 

900 S. Bowman Rd.  

Little Rock, AR 72211

5:30 – 8:30 PM  

December 1st

BRENTWOOD, TN   

Costco

98 Seaboard Lane

Brentwood, TN 37027

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 

LEXINGTON, KY 

Joseph-Beth Booksellers

161 Lexington Green Circle

Lexington, KY 40503

6:00 – 9:00 PM 

December 2nd

SPIRIT LAKE, IA 

Walmart Supercenter Store                    

2200 17th Street

Spirit Lake, IA 51360

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 

CARMEL, IN

Meijer

1424 W. Carmel Drive

Carmel, IN 46032

6:00 – 9:00 PM 

December 3rd 

CINCINNATI, OH 

Kroger Marketplace 

11390 Montgomery Road

Cincinnati, OH 45249

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 

COLUMBIA, SC 

Books-A-Million

Village at Sandhill

164 Forum Drive

Columbia, SC 29229

6:00 – 9:00 PM 

Governor Palin's Book Tour Schedule

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

The book tour schedule for Governor Palin's new book, America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag is now available to the public. Mike Allen reports:

Palin’s strategic schedule includes a stop in Tulsa, Okla., on “Black Friday” — the day after Thanksgiving — and then four more stops during that big shopping weekend.

The tour has more of a heartland concentration than the 35-city tour for her memoir “Going Rogue” (the best-selling nonfiction book of 2009) and adds such markets as Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The venues include the giant book chains — Borders, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. But the former Alaska governor will also sign books at all-American locations like Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco and Kroger.

Her publisher, HarperCollins, released this description of “America by Heart”: “Framed by her strong belief in the importance of family, faith and patriotism, the book ranges widely over American history, culture and current affairs … America By Heart will include selections from classic and contemporary readings that have moved her — from the nation’s founding documents to great speeches, sermons, letters, literature and poetry, biography and even some of her favorite songs and movies.”

Here’s the list of stops:

Nov. 23: Phoenix
Nov. 26: Tulsa, Okla.
Nov. 27: Norfolk, Neb.
Nov. 27: Des Moines
Nov. 28: Andover, Kan.
Nov. 28: Dallas
Nov. 29: Houston
Nov. 29: New Orleans
Nov. 30: Baton Rouge, La.
Nov. 30: Little Rock, Ark.
Dec. 1: Brentwood, Tenn.
Dec. 1: Lexington, Ky.
Dec. 2: Spirit Lake, Iowa
Dec. 2. Carmel, Ind.
Dec. 3: Cincinnati
Dec. 3: Columbia, S.C.

Make plans now to attend one of these stops on the tour. I must admit I wish she were returning to New York, but those who get to attend the tour in any of these locations are sure to be glad they did.

Anonymous GOP Sources: 'Stop Sarah Palin'

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Politico put out a Palin piece highlighting more...you guessed it...anonymous sources speaking negatively about Governor Palin. This time the comments are attributed to the establishment Republicans and 2012 hopefuls who supposedly are committed to one cause: "Stop Sarah Palin."

Politico reports (emphasis added):

Top Republicans in Washington and in the national GOP establishment say the 2010 campaign highlighted an urgent task that they will begin in earnest as soon as the elections are over: Stop Sarah Palin.

Interviews with advisers to the main 2012 presidential contenders and with other veteran Republican operatives make clear they see themselves on a common, if uncoordinated, mission of halting the momentum and credibility Palin gained with conservative activists by plunging so aggressively into this year’s midterm campaigns.

[...]

"There is a determined, focused establishment effort … to find a candidate we can coalesce around who can beat Sarah Palin," said one prominent and longtime Washington Republican. "We believe she could get the nomination, but Barack Obama would crush her."

This sentiment was a nearly constant refrain in POLITICO interviews with top advisers to the candidates most frequently mentioned as running in 2012 and a diverse assortment of other top GOP officials.

[...]

Top Republicans, from presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty to highly influential advisers such as Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, are said to be concerned she will run, and could win, according to the officials.

A Palin adviser declined to comment.

Shortly after the article was posted, Palin went on Fox News, where she is a paid commentator, to criticize POLITICO and any unnamed critics.

"[T]hese are the brave people who want to lead the nation and run the world. But they're not brave enough to put their name in an article," she told Greta Van Susteren. "I learned back in the day that who, what, when, where, why of journalism. You report that facts; you let other people decide what their opinion is going to be. So having unnamed sources in an article like this is very, very, disappointing, you know. And it doesn't do anybody any good. It doesn't educate anybody. … I'm getting used to it though."

Read the full article here.

I agree with the Governor. These are the same people who want to run the country and tackle national security, yet they hide their identities out of fear. Pitiful!

Nearly all of these interviewees insisted on keeping their views on background, fearing the wrath of conservative grass-roots activists who are enthralled with the former Alaska governor and who have made plain that the establishment’s disdain for Palin and her devotees is mutually reciprocated.

The truth is they're scared to death that Governor Palin will do what she did in Alaska throughout her political career: destroy the good old boys network, expose their corruption, and whip their tails in elections. This all just goes to show that the "anonymous sources" who think they, not she, are ready to lead the nation, clearly are not. As common sense people have been saying since November of 2008: "Run, Sarah, Run."

(Video courtesy of PalinTV)

CBS Affiliate Busted on Voicemail Conspiring Against Senate Candidate Joe Miller

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

The media has been busted conspiring once again. This time the target is Alaska's Joe Miller who is running for Senate. Not too many knew who Miller was before he received the support of Governor Palin, and the lamestream media--along with other PDS sufferers--see a loss for him as a win against the Governor. So once again, the media stops at nothing to promote their agenda. This one is particularly troubling, and heads should roll. Nonetheless, we see an example of this truth: "what's done in the dark will come to the light."

Big Government reports:

The following voice mail message was inadvertently left on the cell phone of Joe Miller campaign spokesperson Randy DeSoto.

The voices are believed to be those of the news director for CBS Anchorage affiliate KTVA, along with assignment editor Nick McDermott, and other reporters, openly discussing creating, if not fabricating, two stories about Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Joe Miller.

The following is a transcript of a call recorded after CBS Alaska affiliate KTVA called Joe Miller’s Senate campaign spokesperson. The call failed to disconnect properly. It was later authenticated by McDermott, who sent a text to Randy DeSoto stating, “Damn iPhone… I left you a long message. I thought I hung up. Sorry.”

Audio KTVA -

Clearly the reporters were conspiring to set up some type of smear of Joe Miller. With glee, they even cite a recent controversy over an incident involving the Rand Paul campaign, while discussing how they would spread the story via social media after whatever incident they had in mind came off. It also brings to mind another recent episode that ended with Jerry Brown’s California gubernatorial campaign being caught up in controversy when someone from Brown’s camp called Brown’s opponent, Republican Meg Whitman, a “whore.”

This calls into serious question what type of campaign coverage CBS’ KTVA has been providing Alaskans all along, given their reporters’ willingness to conspire against Miller.

This totally makes me sick to my stomach. Can the public no longer count on the media to fairly report the news? That is the media's job, is it not? We saw this type of nonsense here and here when, during the 2008 campaign, "Journolisters" went after Governor Palin after Senator McCain tapped her to be his running mate and she was deemed a threat to their victory plans. We saw it in the media's decision to protect then-candidate Obama from serious scrutiny and downplay his radical associations. We saw it with the conspiracy to depict all Republicans as racists. We see it still--everyday--because the lamestream media has decided that their job is to be the deciding factor in who the public respects and elects. Joe Miller is just their newest target.

May this truth exposed send Alaskans to the polls with a determination to vote for the real Joe Miller, rejecting the Left's sick agenda--so sick they joke and laugh about child molesters. Their behavior is disgusting, and certainly not befitting those who should be honored to represent our First Amendment rights. The term "sick puppies" comes to mind.

(h/t C4P)

Karl Rove Hypocritically Criticizes Governor Palin

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time on Karl Rove because he's so yesterday, it's ridiculous. He's had his underwear in a wad since his establishment Republicans have gotten the boot from people like Christine O'Donnell in Delaware, endorsed by Governor Palin. He's been pouting, whining, and complaining since she shocked the country with her Primary win. Now he's trashing Governor Palin.

London's Telegraph reports:

Karl Rove, the former senior adviser to George W Bush, has cast doubt on Sarah Palin’s viability as a White House candidate, questioning if the American people thought she had the “gravitas” for the “most demanding job in the world”.

“With all due candour, appearing on your own reality show on the Discovery Channel, I am not certain how that fits in the American calculus of 'that helps me see you in the Oval Office’,” Mr Rove told The Daily Telegraph in an interview.

Rove is a hypocrite, as Josh Painter points out, for after criticizing Governor Palin's series, he applauds President Obama's appearance on the Comedy Channel:

Karl Rove applauded Jon Stewart for his interview of President Barack Obama on The Daily Show, saying that “Stewart was questioning from the left,” but that “it was a serious attempt. I mean, it was actually a pretty good interview.”

Again, Karl Rove is a hypocrite whose real problem is jealousy that Governor Palin's influence has pushed people like him and his establishment buddies to the back burner.

Sheya, writing for C4P, states:

I’m just curious, what does a candidate have to do to "help" Rove see that he or she "fits in the American calculus" of being President? Having multiple states that you call home...does that do it?

Hey, here’s an idea. After Sarah Palin’s Alaska succeeds in showing the American people who Governor Palin really is, contrary to what you and the media have been trying to manipulate them into believing, and her numbers begin climbing upwards, Mitt Romney can do his own series. He can pick one of the following as a title: “Mitt’s Massachusetts,” “Mitt’s Michigan,” "Mitt’s Utah," or "Mitt’s California." Or you know maybe it’ll be easier to keep it simple, as a friend suggested, maybe he just calls it "Mitt Romney's Estates".

With all due respect to Mr. Rove, I think he’s way past his buy-sell date. It’s no longer 2000. Much has happened since the architect couldn’t get his candidate to win the popular vote even when the climate was all in his favor.

Read more of Sheya's post here.

Governor Palin Tells Entertainment Tonight She'll Run for President If...

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Governor Palin was recently interviewed by Mary Hart of Entertainment Tonight. That interview will air tonight on CBS at 7:30 PM Eastern. However, you can get a preview now by watching the clip below, in which the Governor discusses whether she'll run for president in 2012.



(Video courtesy of Sheya)

Read more about the interview here.

Carl Paladino is Looking for a 'Real Leader'

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Carl Paladino, New York gubernatorial candidate, who somehow acquired the "Tea Party Favorite" title, has shown himself once again to be a jerk at best and a complete nutcase at worst. His "angry boy" persona has not served him well up till now, and it's not getting any more promising.

His own self-defeating antics are responsible for the butt whoopin' the numbers show him receiving from Andrew Cuomo. And while I am all for a no-nonsense kind of leader, especially in my state of New York, I would like one that can combine no-nonsense with common sense--at least a hint of it. Not so with Paladino.

Knowing Americans are fed up with the damage political correctness has done, Paladino has tried to sell himself as the antithesis of such, assuming by so doing he is endearing himself to fed up New Yorkers. While refusing to wear the fear the Left tries to impose upon people is admirable, the wannabe governor's words and actions are not quite so admirable. His behavior has been disgraceful at a time when New York could really use a level-headed--albeit strong--public servant. Paladino, however, has too often shot himself in the foot. And again, he has taken a cheap shot at Governor Palin. With Election Day fast approaching, I ordinarily wouldn't ride the Republican candidate's tail too hard, but since he continues to wag it, since he's totally killed his own chances, and especially since he's used his platform to try to take down Governor Palin, he's got this coming.

The Huffington Post reports:

New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino took aim at the prospect of Sarah Palin pursuing a presidential run in 2012 in an interview with the New York Times published on Monday night.

In voicing his opinion on the matter, the Tea Party-backed hopeful reportedly criticized Palin as a "TV personality" in the making who isn't ready to serve the country in the White House.

It's not the first time that Paladino has stated the view in the wake of whispers about plans in the works for Palin to mount a presidential campaign in 2012.

"We need a real leader," explained the Republican candidate to New York-based station WNYC last month. "Not someone who just wants to go and throw a bunch of words around and proverbs and -- I want somebody that is going to be totally responsible. Someone that is a student of that government."

First of all, the media's obsession with asking politicians about Governor Palin and a 2012 run for the presidency is really telling. They have allowed her to rule and reign in their minds, and they are more concerned about what her next step may be than they are with the issues the candidates have espoused. Even though she has set her attention on 2010, they have visions of 2012 dancing in their heads. One must wonder, with all the hoopla surrounding this topic already, what in the world can we expect should she actually decide that she is running in 2012?

Second, with the mess New York state is in, one would think there is a plethora of more pressing issues to discuss with this man who claims to have the goods to move the Empire State forward. Yet somehow his opinion of Governor Palin as a contender for the presidency manages to find its way into the conversation. He should have his hands full. Where does he find the time?

Furthermore, Paladino's decision to take the low road and demean Governor Palin speaks more about his leadership--or lack thereof--than hers. His words concerning her demonstrate a gross lack of insight and awareness of the issues. He presents himself as a maverick who has come to turn things around, one who can buck the establishment and make a difference in New York. But what he illustrates is he's been missing in action or not paying attention. If he were more aware, he would recognize that Governor Palin has both accomplished more and laid more on the line for the sake of tea party conservative principles than anyone else to date. She has given herself completely to these mid-terms elections--making endorsements, donating funds, traveling the nation at an incredibly busy pace, her life even threatened in the process. She has done nothing less than put her efforts, her name, and her reputation on the line so that she can help restore sanity to Washington. All this while some others have taken the safer route--some too cowardly to make the long-shot endorsements, others making endorsements after Governor Palin's candidates have gained ground (but enough about Mitt).

The Governor is responsible for drawing attention to the danger of Obamacare, demanding we "repeal and replace," calling out cap-and-tax, and heralding fiscal responsibility. She has supported our military, taken a stand for common decency at Ground Zero, and stood on the side of border states determined to keep themselves safe despite the federal government's negligence. The work she has done toward energy independence will outlive each of us. She has promoted a culture of life and respect for those with special needs. Governor Palin has almost singlehandedly brought the revival we now see in this country, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Paladino states that Governor Palin merely throws a bunch of words around. Really? Well, with just one word spoken or written, the Governor has repeatedly raised thousands of dollars to help elect yet another common sense conservative who will serve for the right reasons. And we're supposed to take this guy's opinion of her seriously?

Carl Paladino says he wants someone responsible for president, and apparently Governor Palin doesn't fit the bill in his mind. Is he offering himself up as an exemplar of responsibility? Should she be taking notes from him? Well, let's take a look at his version of responsibility in both word and deed. Then you decide who has more credibility--and sensibility.

Douglas Feiden of the New York Daily News provides some background information on Paladino:

Framing everything in take-no-prisoners terms, Paladino weeks ago predicted his primary win and promised the same against Andrew Cuomo, the odds-on front-runner in the race for the governor's mansion.

"I promise you, I will take down Little Ricky [Rick Lazio], and after that, I will take out Prince Andrew," he said.

Paladino, 63, offered up a healthy dose of threats and invective while dining at Sinatra's, his favorite Italian eatery in his hometown of Buffalo.

"There will be blood on the floor," he said, washing down pork braciola with red wine.

"It won't be pretty, it won't be clean, but I will take them down."

Subtle as a pit bull, but with a fast smile and a mischievous glint in his eye, Paladino will vilify any foe and blurt out anything that comes to mind.

He told building contractors in Ronkonkoma that Gov. Paterson was "a wimp . . . really, he's pathetic." Former Gov. George Pataki? He's a "degenerate idiot."

Tough campaigning is a part of running for office, but Paladino's words work to show him as a loose cannon more prone to insults, profanity, and threats than anything else--and it's simply not working for him. In fact, it's worked against him and killed his chances. Paladino's track record shows his brand of responsibility to involve having no language filter, making serious personal allegations without sufficient evidence, and being commitment challenged.

In addition, he almost ruined his Primary chances when disgustingly racist, sexist, and pornographic emails he forwarded were leaked. His defense? He simply stated that he's not politically correct, that the emails were "just humor." The problem is New York state--and the state New York is in--are no laughing matters, and he has hurt the efforts to turn things around.

If Carl Paladino holds himself up as the example of a "real leader," if he is the standard by which leadership is measured, thank God Governor Palin doesn't fit his mold. Why in the world would anyone ask him to validate someone else's leadership credentials, especially someone with the success Governor Palin has enjoyed? It just shows, again, the state of the lamestream media.

Carl Paladino, who fancies himself a no-nonsense voice, needs to add some common sense to his resume'. Until then, he might just want to say nothing at all. Besides, instead of assessing Governor Palin's ability to handle the presidency in 2012, shouldn't he be spending all his energy between now and next Tuesday finding a way out of the hole he's dug for himself in New York?

(h/t Ron Devito, Stacy Drake)