Big Fat Story
With former aides trading barbs with Palin over how she was treated during the presidential campaign, John McCain has remained quiet. At a Friday press conference in Arizona, McCain told reporters that he’d been given a copy of Going Rogue but hadn’t read it yet. This week, McCain was out front on the news that President Obama wanted to try Sept. 11 hijackers in New York City. McCain said the move, “sends a mixed message about America’s resolve in the fight against terrorism.” For the most part, however, McCain has been less of a presence on Capitol Hill since losing the election, and when he’s had the chance to criticize his former opponent, he’s usually taken the high road, as when he praised the Nobel committee for recognizing Obama.
Photo: Susan Walsh / AP Photo
While Palin’s memoir reportedly lacks any attack on her former almost-son-in-law Levi Johnston, her daughter’s ex-flame continues to take shots at Palin. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, which will air Monday, Palin said she would invite Johnston over for Thanksgiving dinner. Johnston said Palin was “full of it” and didn’t mean the offer. The hits just keep coming from the former high-school hockey star. This summer he penned a piece on growing up around Palin for Vanity Fair. Just last week he posed naked for a Playgirl photo shoot and made a star turn at Gawker’s Fleshbot award ceremony.
Photo: Amy Sussman / Getty Images
Sarah Palin got Robert Barnett, one of Washington’s biggest lawyers, to shop her book, but her big connection to D.C. is John Coale, the husband of television host Greta Van Susteren who guided the creation of a political action committee for Palin and is always at the ready for a quote to defend his friend’s latest speech or decision. This March, The Washington Post broke the news of the Coale-Palin relationship, which has caused a public-relations headache for Van Susteren, a very public booster of the former Alaska governor. On Saturday, Coale spoke to The Wall Street Journal about the early success of Palin’s memoir. "She resigned as governor, still has all this power... and her book before it's even published is a bestseller," Coale said.
Photo: Brendan Hoffman /Getty Images
Inside Team Palin
Sarah from Alaska takes center stage Tuesday with the release of her memoir. The Daily Beast catches up with the family, friends, and steadfast supporters who have been pivotal to her rise.
When Sarah Palin is not turning to her Facebook page to release a statement, the job belongs to Meg Stapleton, who was the spokeswoman for Palin when she was governor of Alaska. Stapleton has stayed with the ex-governor, serving as the Alaska spokeswoman of Palin’s political action committee, SarahPAC. Whether its putting down Palin endorsement rumors or talking about Palin’s campaign activities, Stapleton is on the frontlines. Stapleton’s Alaska odyssey began when she moved to Anchorage to work as a local television-station correspondent. She’s a graduate of Georgetown and once worked for the Republican National Committee.
Photo: Al Grillo / AP Photo
Husband Todd, also known as the "first dude," was key to the Palin appeal; he was the hard-working oil man who spent cold winters on the North Slope. When he wanted to blow off some steam, he’d head out to the garage, as Todd Purdum reported this summer, or grab the snowmobile for some racing. This fall, following his wife’s lead, Todd quit his job working for oil giant BP. That decision was an about-face from what he told reporters in July. "I'll always be a fisherman, I'll probably always be out working on the Slope," he said.
Photo: Kyle Ericson / AP Photo
Perhaps no pundit worked harder on Sarah Palin’s behalf than Bill Kristol, the founder of The Weekly Stanrdard. A June 2007 Weekly Standard cruise, which landed in Juneau and introduced the editor to the governor, has been reported as a key starting point for Palin’s national ambitions. Kristol called Palin’s decision to resign as governor of Alaska a “shrewd gamble.” Standard editor Matthew Continetti has become the chief chronicler of what he calls the “persecution of Sarah Palin." Shortly after the inauguration, Kristol lost (his spot on The New York Times op-ed page. He’s since started writing for The Washington Post, but the move was generally seen as a rebuke of the quality of his columns, throughout which he made the case for Sarah Palin to America.
Photo: Alex Wong, Newsmakers / Getty Images
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I have a question. Why is Levi described as former son in law, he never married Bristol, he is the former fiance.
Former almost son in law is good :).
Todd--No Longer First Dude--new title Babysitter in Chief!
So where are the critiques of Palin?
Sarah Palin is not qualified;She needs to give the proceeds
from her book to the USA Treasure Department.Politicians
should never be allowed to enrich themselves because their
political status.It is not ethical.
Some body needs to teach Sarah Palin how to use condoms;
women should not be having babies after their peak reproductive years.Otherwise they end up with a down syndrome infant,wich costs the tax payers a great deal of money.
Sarah Palin is not qualified,she has a very bad judgement,
she is a loser.She is not even capable of performing
John McCain's errands.
Never vote republican again.It is a waste of time and money.
I'm glad you ( and your ilk) are not in charge of anything except your own little fantasy world.
The truth hurts, franjen? I'm glad you ( and your ilk) are not in charge of our government anymore. Elections have consequences, you know...
But do feel free to run Palin in 2012, as this would ensure Obama's reelection.
I'm no Palin fan but lets try to be fair if we can. If she can't profit from her status, then Al Gore, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter should give up their profits as well. Being unethical doesn't fly, non hold any office so it's ok for them to profit.
C'mon, listen at what you're saying, "women should not be having babies after their peak reproductive years...,costs the tax payers a great deal of money". With that logic, where's the outraged for all the women in poverty having multiple babies which cost tax payers a great deal more, it's more of those babies than Downs Syndrome ones.
You should go back to school, or go to school in the first place. American's like you are exactly the problem and what is selling us out to the world. Somebody needs to teach you how to either shut up or say something worth reading.
I am currently reading David Plouffe's The Audacity to Win, a riveting account of Obama's campaign. I can't help comparing the two books (or what is transpiring of Palin's book) and the two campaigns. The respect between Plouffe, Axelrod, and Obama (and later on, Biden) is evident throughout the book and is in sharp contrast with the stench emanating from McCain's campaign. I think in the long run the hoopla surrending Palin is reflecting poorly (once more) on McCain. No wonder he is keeping silent.
I hope all you lefties keep thinking all those negative things about her, it looks like its working out great for her, so keep up the good work, as you make her a Multi Millionaire..
Oh, please, spare us your stupid fantasies of Palin granduer.
If I'm walking down the street and I smell dog poop, it doesn't mean I like it just because I notice the stench; it just means someone else left a mess without considering others - and isn't that what Righties love to do - make a stinky mess, leave it, and then blame someone else for noticing it?
I might even look at the dog poop as I walk by it - again, doesn't mean I like it, I just don't want any of it on me.
Personally, I wish Republicans wouldn't leave their stinky messes all over the place and then blame us when we notice the smell.
Sarah will get rich, all right, but not because of liberals - we aren't the ones fantasizing about her.
It's you dog poop lovers who can't seem to get enough - "Ooooo", you all say, "What a lovely aroma that dog poop has. Look how it glistens in the sunlight. Yummy!"
Dog poop with lipstick - something only a Rightie could love..
roooth:
Sarah's new weatlh will come from her appearances on Oprah ( leftie, last time I checked) Barbara Walters (certainly not a Republican) and other MSM programs that seek to exploit her current fame for ratings and the almighty dollar. Your fascination with doggie droppings should not be just limited to people you dislike. There's plenty of crap to go around.
Negative things, diamondgirl?
I'm positive she's going to win the Republican nomination in 2012.
Giving Obama the gift of a second term.
Yeah, and Octomom is still getting a lot of attention and maybe a new show, so that must mean that America loves her and her values and will run out to vote her in as a leader.
Yeah, that is just about the average American mentality these days. Freaks for presidents... sounds about right, at least currently.
Awesome free market force at work:
"Going Rogue: An American Life" going from $28.99 to $9.00
To $4.97
http://bit.ly/QzMWt
But there's More! Much more...
Why does the looney left like to think it stands up for women, and trashes every conservative woman who has "the audacity" to enter the public arena? Think about it, those of you still capable fo thought.
What I find amazing is how uncritical most of TDB's writers seem to be of Palin. This board is getting kind of like The New York Post.
Thank you.
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