Former 2012 Presidential Candidate Jon Huntsman has announced that he will not be going to the GOP National Convention in August. The Former Utah Governor has attended every GOP Convention since 1984 when he was a delegate for Ronald Reagan. At the last Convention Huntsman announced the Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin.

Obama’s former ambassador to China told the Salt Lake Tribune: “I will not be attending this year’s convention, nor any Republican convention in the future, until the party focuses on a bigger, bolder, more confident future for the United States – a future based on problem solving, inclusiveness, and a willingness to address the trust deficit, which is every bit as corrosive as our fiscal and economic deficits.”

Huntsman left the presidential race in January of this year and endorsed Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate. Huntsman won three delegates during the race, two when he took third place in the New Hampshire primary and one from Texas. These three delegates would have guaranteed Huntsman a speaking part at the Convention.

Former New Hampshire GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen claims that Huntsman’s comments represent the independent nature of the former candidate.

This is not the first time Huntsman has butted heads with Republicans this year. In March of this year Huntsman was dropped from a Republican National Committee event that was being held in Palm Beach after comments he made about having a third party in America.

Huntsman stated, “I think we’re going to have problems politically until we get some sort of third party movement or some voice out there that can put forth new ideas. We might not win, but we can certainly influence the debate.” Huntsman was lined up to speak at the “Regents” event but was informed personally by the RNC Chairman Reince Preibus that he would not be allowed to attend.

Huntsman is not the only Republican who was invited and is not going to the Convention. Virginia Senate Candidate George Allen is also planning to not attend, but not for ideological reasons. Instead, the candidate claims that he wants to stay in state to talk to constituents and continue to campaign.

Similarly, many Democrats are skipping the Democratic Convention in September 2012 to try to garner more votes. Representative Steve Israel, the head of the House Campaign side of the Democratic Party, encouraged those who are running for election in 2012 to stay home because “if they want to win an election, they need to be in their district” he added “I don’t care if the president was at 122% favorability right now. I think [candidates] should be in their district.”

Missourian Senator Claire McCaskill agrees with Israel and was originally criticized for not going. McCaskill stated, “I’ve got a really hard election. If you had a really hard election and it was after Labor Day, would you go to North Carolina to a bunch of parties and glad-handing or would you stay home and work as hard as you know how to convince Missourians they should rehire you?” She also claims that she is not trying to distance herself from Obama.

Huntsman’s decision to stay home from the GOP Convention is unique in its ideological origins. Huntsman claims that the Republican party must “put our country before politics.” He also stated, “I encourage a return to the party we have been in the past from Lincoln right on through to Reagan, that was always willing to put our country before politics.”

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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The big Republican names were all at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., last week: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Sarah Palin. The three-day conference, known as CPAC and hosted by the American Conservative Union, drew about 11,000 participants and 1,300 journalists, who crammed into the Marriott’s ballroom for the big speeches.

While most attention focused on Republican presidential hopefuls and other party luminaries, we opted to take a spin around panels and events devoted to fundraising. They were a window into how money might be raised this election cycle, through new-fangled super PACs and their even more opaque nonprofit sidekicks, as well as through more old-fashioned tactics.

One conference panel — “What’s Up With Campaign Finance?” — featured some of the lawyers who helped win the recent court decisions, such as Citizens United, that cleared the way for the new, more free-wheeling campaign-finance landscape.

At one point, moderator and lawyer Dan Backer predicted the eventual overhaul of the Federal Election Campaign Act of the 1970s, which he crowed “has been brutalized and made Swiss cheese by the courts, thanks to the folks on this panel.”

At another point, panelist Benjamin Barr, a constitutional lawyer, joked about the hoopla over Citizens United and the worry that it would lead to a campaign-finance “apocalypse.” ”If there’s an apocalypse upon us, I suppose we have the four horsemen of the apocalypse right here,” he said, as a few audience members laughed.

Election lawyer Stephen Hoersting, vice-president and co-founder of the nonprofit Center for Competitive Politics, who has recently joined Backer’s firm, told the audience about the various ways for grassroots groups to be involved in the upcoming election. If they want to be directly involved in a campaign, they can start a traditional political action committee, which puts strict limits on how much they can raise or donate.

If activists want to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, they can form a super PAC, as long as they don’t technically coordinate with a candidate — and as long as their donors are willing to be disclosed.

But to have both unlimited and undisclosed donations, Hoersting noted, activists can form a so-called 501(c)4, named for the section of the Internal Revenue Service code on social-welfare nonprofits. They must convince the IRS that their organization’s primary purpose is social welfare, not politics. And they also must not run afoul of the perpetually paralyzed FEC.

“If you absolutely cannot have any of your donors disclosed, there’s still a way to get an organization up off the ground, by say, April, to get money into it and to run ads that will influence…the election, but isn’t technically something that the FEC gets its hooks into,” Hoersting told the audience of about 75 people. “New organizations that don’t want to disclose, there is a way—but you have to run your ads in a certain way.”

Also at the panel, Bradley Smith, a former FEC commissioner and the co-founder and chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics, which advocates eliminating campaign-finance restrictions, told the room that he wasn’t particularly worried about foreign money coming into U.S. campaigns. Foreign contributions are illegal in the U.S.

“If the Colombian Chamber of Commerce wants to spend a little bit of money to run some ads saying, ‘Vote for this guy because he supports the Colombian-American free-trade pact,’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, that sounds good to me,’” Smith said. “I’m just not frightened that some English citizens are going to run some ads in the country, and I’m not really terribly concerned that the Syrians run their ads saying, ‘We need stronger terrorist organizations,’ and that that’s going to be just a real winner for anybody. It doesn’t worry me.”

Hoersting tripped up the audience by playing a kind of super PAC quiz game. In doing so, he was highlighting how similar all the groups sounded. He said he wanted a group—and a name—that actually stood for ideological values.

“Right now we have Winning Our Future,” Hoersting reminded the crowd, some of whom were so devoted to the conservative conference, they traveled from across the country. “Whose PAC is Winning Our Future?”

“Mitt Romney,” a few suggested. “Gingrich,” said others.

“Gingrich, OK,” Hoersting confirmed. “Who’s Restore Our Future?”

“Romney,” a few said, correctly. “Ron Paul,” one man announced, wrongly.

“OK,” Hoersting said, without naming the winner. (To see which candidate the super PAC supports, just look at the photos on their front page.)

One super PAC was unveiled at the conference, Hispanicvote.com. About 40 people crammed into a side room for the kick-off party, which featured a tower of cupcakes and a cash bar that may have been a fundraising tactic. A can of soda ran $5.

American Crossroads, a super PAC that has been referred to as the “shadow” Republican National Committee and hopes to raise $300 million with its nonprofit partner this election cycle, threw a cocktail party for bloggers, where president Steven Law made a joke about the group being a “little super PAC.” Here, the bar was open.

The conference, which meandered through the sprawling lobbies and meeting rooms of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, was no place for so-called RINOs, or Republicans In Name Only. It was a place where Reagan was invoked like a verb, where there was a party called “Reaganpalooza;” where booths sold pink tank tops with the black outline of a pistol and the phrase “I Don’t Dial 911;” where The Great American Tea Party board game asked the question: “Who Says Politics Can’t Be Fun?”

Supporters of Gingrich, Romney and Santorum vied for space, along with a man dressed up in a fat suit and a green T-shirt proclaiming, “Big Govt Gary.” Instead of the Sierra Club, there was the Safari Club, which advocated for accommodating laws for hunters. There was also the Resourceful Earth, which promises to fight “for the right to develop the natural resources that create jobs and prosperity in America.”

Bruce Eberle, wearing a Ronald Reagan lapel button for his panel, “Fundraising Secrets from the Billion $ Man,” said many aspects of persuading donors to give big hadn’t changed post-Citizen United. Fundraisers still have to summon up the nerve to ask for a bit more than is comfortable.

“Donors actually like to be challenged,” he said. “Make them stretch a little bit.”

Eberle has raised money for everyone from Reagan to recent Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain. He described how he might ask a prospective contributor for a big check.

“I would like to ask you, ‘Would you make a gift of $250,000?” Eberle said to his imaginary donor. “And then, this is one of the very hardest things…You make the ask, and then you shut up.”

 by Kim Barker, ProPublica, Feb. 13, 2012, 5:34 p.m.

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The Occupy Wall Street movement tapped into anger about bank bailouts, crony capitalism and corporate welfare, but it turns out that most Americans are mad at the federal government and not their banks. A new Reason-Rupe Poll finds 76 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of their banks and just 15 percent view them unfavorably.

In contrast, only 32 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the federal government. Sixty-two percent of voters rate the federal government unfavorably.

Forty-nine percent of Americans approve of the job President Obama is doing, with 47 percent disapproving. Only 13 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, 80 percent disapprove.

Fifty-four percent of Americans also say they are more worried that the federal government will do something to make the economy worse, while 40 percent are more worried that the government will fail to take action on the economy.

State governments are more popular than the feds, but only half of all Americans view them positively. As you get closer to home, 58 percent of Americans have positive views of their local governments, and the same number look upon their local school districts favorably.

The survey finds people feel a lot better about private businesses. For example, 88 percent of Americans have a positive view of their grocery stores; 73 percent look favorably upon their cell phone makers; and 69 percent say they view their Internet service providers favorably.

If Ron Paul does not win the Republican presidential nomination, he is the best positioned candidate to make a third-party or independent run, according to the Reason-Rupe poll. Thirty-four percent of Americans say they would consider voting for Paul if he ran as an independent or third-party presidential candidate.

A similar number, 31 percent, say they would consider voting for New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, if he made an independent run for the White House in 2012.

Sarah Palin said it is “not too late for folks to jump in” to the presidential race. If Palin left the Republican Party and ran as an independent, 27 percent of voters say they might vote for her. The problem for Palin: 67 percent of Americans would not consider voting for her in that scenario.

It has been reported that former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is considering running as the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate. Twenty-one percent of voters say they’d consider voting for Johnson, while 29 percent say they do not know enough about him yet.

In terms of the 2012 presidential election, 29 percent of Americans say they will definitely vote for President Obama next November and 44 percent say they will not vote for him.

In a memorable Republican presidential debate moment last month, Texas Governor Rick Perry could not remember the third government agency he would eliminate if elected president.  And another GOP candidate, Ron Paul, says if he is elected he will get rid of five federal agencies: Commerce, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Interior.

So which federal agencies are the American people most willing to eliminate or consolidate? Forty-five percent of Americans are ready to eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development and 41 percent would eliminate the Department of Energy.

The Department of Education was on both Paul’s and Perry’s lists to cut, but 61 percent of Americans want to keep the Department of Education and just 34 percent say eliminate it.

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The ten worst media disasters of 2011 include a politician who lost his place, a country singer who lost his job, and a celebrity who lost his show. The list was published December 14 on the Mr. Media Training Blog, the world’s most visited media training website.

The media spokespersons were selected based on the impact of their gaffes. All ten people reinforced an existing narrative about their lack of preparedness for office, their lack of discipline, or their lack of compassion. Videos of all ten media disasters are available at http://www.mrmediatraining.com/index.php/2011/12/14/the-ten-worst-media-disasters-of-2011/.

10. Hank Williams, Jr. Compares President Obama to Adolf Hitler

In October, country singer Hank Williams, Jr. was fired up during an appearance on Fox and Friends. While reflecting on a golf match between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, Mr. Williams quipped, “It would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu.” ESPN promptly dropped his theme song as its Monday Night Football opener.

9. Sarah Palin’s “Blood Libel”

Months before Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot in Tucson, Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) released a “crosshairs map,” which placed a target over Ms. Giffords’ congressional district. In the days after the shooting, Ms. Palin was blamed by some journalists for the shooting.

Palin was upset by media stories connecting her to the crime; she was right that no evidence linked the shooter to her map. But she over-reacted, gracelessly blaming the media for committing “blood libel.” That term is most commonly used as an anti-Semitic slur referring to Jews murdering Christians. Her poll numbers immediately plummeted among Independents and Republicans.

8. NPR Fundraiser Ron Schiller Blasts The Tea Party

National Public Radio’s chief fundraiser, Ron Schiller, went to lunch with a couple of men claiming to be Muslim donors in March. It turned out they were Republican activists with a hidden camera. During the meal, Schiller called members of the Tea Party, “seriously racist, racist people.”

That he made those comments was bad enough; that he made them while NPR was already in the midst of a heated debate about its public funding was flabbergasting. His comments led to his immediate resignation and the resignation of NPR’s CEO. The House of Representatives voted to strip NPR of its federal funding; the Senate prevented that from happening – for now.

7. Rupert Murdoch Channels Tony Hayward

While testifying before the British Parliament in July, News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch was asked whether he accepted the ultimate responsibility for his company’s phone hacking scandal. Not only did he say “no,” but he delivered his answer without even a hint of humility. By delivering such an indifferent answer, he gave former BP Executive Tony “I’d like my life back” Hayward competition as the world’s most clueless corporate executive.

6. Rick Perry’s “Oops” Moment

During a Republican presidential debate in November, Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) confidently declared he would eliminate three government agencies – and promptly forgot what they were. For 47 painful seconds, Mr. Perry tried to recall the third agency he would eliminate. He finally gave up, shrugged his shoulders, and lamely said, “Oops.” That one moment likely sank any remaining chances Mr. Perry had of winning the nomination.

5. President Obama Jokes About Joblessness

With the nation’s unemployment rate above nine percent and millions of Americans desperate to find work, President Obama cracked a joke in June that few people found funny. When a questioner asked a serious question about the nation’s inefficient permitting process, Mr. Obama cracked wise about his two-year-old pledge to create shovel-ready jobs, joking, “Shovel-ready was not as shovel-ready as we expected.” Many people blasted the President for displaying an insensitive political tin ear.

4. Charlie Sheen’s Downward Spiral

There’s little funny about addiction, and Charlie Sheen’s dangerous spiral was sad to watch. Sheen stayed in the news for months, but it was his out-of-touch interview with sycophantic radio host Alex Jones in February that led to his dismissal from his top-rated sitcom, Two and a Half Men.

In that interview, Sheen made vaguely anti-Semitic comments about “Men” creator Chuck Lorre, called Alcoholics Anonymous a “bootleg cult,” and labeled Thomas Jefferson a “pussy.”

3. The Herman Cain Affair

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain was caught flat-footed in October when numerous women accused him of sexual harassment (another woman later asserted she had had a long-term affair with him).

Mr. Cain changed his story on an almost-hourly basis, even arguing that a “settlement” meant something different than an “agreement.” Mr. Cain dropped out of the race in December, maintaining his innocence to a public that no longer believed him.

2. (Alleged) Penn State Child Rapist Jerry Sandusky Speaks

When former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky spoke to NBC’s Bob Costas in November about horrific allegations that he raped numerous boys, no one was prepared for his jaw-dropping answer to this direct question: “Are you sexually attracted to young boys?” It took Sandusky 16 seconds to say “no.”

Instead, he began by saying how much he “enjoyed” young people and loves to be around them. Sandusky’s alleged actions, combined with Penn State’s ineffectual response, led to the firings of the University president and legendary football coach Joe Paterno.

1. Anthony Weiner’s Twitter Scandal

Self-immolations rarely come in more spectacular fashion than when Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) was caught tweeting naughty photos to strangers in June.

His approach to crisis management was to deny the charges and claim his Twitter account had been hacked; call a reporter a “jackass;” say that although he hadn’t sent the photos, he couldn’t rule out “with certitude” that the erect undies shot was of him; hold a tearful press conference to admit he had actually tweeted the photos himself; watch helplessly as a nude photo of his penis was released; and resign in shame.

After Mr. Weiner resigned, a Republican won his seat, costing Democrats a critical seat in the House of Representatives.

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With the 2012 election already off to a competitive start, many presidential candidates will continue to battle for the lead in the upcoming months in several scheduled debates. Many events come next for the leading GOP Presidential candidates, and job creation will be a fundamental topic surrounding each debate.

A forum, which was funded by Senator Jim DeMint, of South Carolina on Labor Day, allowed candidates the opportunity to discuss their prime issues as well as make an appearance and get some camera time.  Within the next six weeks, a total of five debates will also take place.

The upcoming debates include a CNN/Tea Party Express GOP presidential debate in Tampa on September 12^th, and in Florida on the 22nd. Following in October will be one in New Hampshire and Las Vegas. After a lifeless August, in which there was no improvement of unemployment at all, job creation is being made an even more crucial issue for not only the president but for all of the GOP Presidential candidates running in the 2012 election.

Job Creation is Obama’s most challenging problem and topic that could either get him reelected or could destroy his chances. He has put a super committee in place to reduce 1.5$ trillion in deficit spending. President Obama also made a speech on Thursday night to a joint session in Congress about his American Jobs Act, which also makes for a topic in upcoming debates.

The debates will inevitably question the president’s plans, and offer a prime occasion for each candidate to propose their own job creation plans and how to rebuild the economy. Many have already proclaimed their plans for job creation, such as Mitt Romney on Tuesday, two days before the president even announced his American Jobs Act.

These debates are critical for each candidate’s survival and support, and will be an opportunity to challenge each other’s stances. This was seen in last week’s debate when Perry and Romney challenged each other’s record on job creation. These debates are also events that can make or break candidates. Perry the front-runner will have to watch his every move to make sure he stays in the lead.

Perry’s communication director Ray Sullivan even said, “It’s not his preferred venue.” He continued on to say, “But we respect the process and intend to participate and are confident that he will have a solid performance.” Being that there are five different debates spread out enables candidate’s time to make up for weak debates, but also facilitates them to flip-flop on issues.

The debates could very well be the best way for voters to see who has the most solid answers to many of the burning issues, job creation in particular. These debates will also give the public the ability to see which candidates will stay true to their message and which ones may change throughout their campaign.

To throw yet another curve ball into things, Palin could even enter the race in late fall, which would be interesting to see how this affects campaigning for all candidates. What comes next for the already intense 2012 election? Only time will tell.

Frontpage / Shutterstock.com

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Labor Day was predicted by many as the day Sarah Palin would announce if she would run for president in 2012, but it seems as if Palin is holding back until the right moment, if there is a moment at all.

Sarah Palin, the former Governor of Alaska who also ran for Vice President in the 2008 election, has had a busy few months, that of someone looking to run for election in 2012. But on the other hand, who wouldn’t want to make tons of money from speeches, book signings, and appearances along the political trail.

Jim DeMint, Senator of South Carolina, believes that Palin is simply trying to stay involved in American politics and state her opinions without actually immersing herself completely in the race.

Senator DeMint hosted a political forum on Labor Day, where the leading GOP Presidential candidates all made appearances. DeMint told CBS, “It doesn’t appear that she [Palin] is going to run. She’s done a lot, I think, to engage the American people and stir things up, which we really needed to do, to get American citizens more involved in the process. It made a big difference in the last election. My hope is it’ll make an even bigger difference in the next election, as people take back their government.” Others suppose that Palin’s recent actions are actually preparation for her to enter the race. Karl Rove said,” a scheduled next week that looks like that of a candidate, not a celebrity,” in regards to her tours and speeches she will be making in the next several months.

Palin herself is still unsure about her status in the race but insinuated she may join the race by fall when she made a speech in Iowa this past week, where she stated her five step plan for job creation. But whether Palin is running of not, there have been predictions if she even has any chance of winning the election.

Among her supporters is the Tea Party, which would be happy to see her run, as well as the 600 people who showed up to support her on Labor Day in Concord, New Hampshire. This was twice as many that showed up for Romney, which illustrates that Palin may have a chance against some of the other contenders.

Although Palin is not officially a candidate yet, she is showing to have enough support to place her in third place behind Rick Perry and Romney in a CNN/Opinion Poll taken this week. But according to many polls that are examining a hypothetical race between President Obama vs. Palin, she does not look as if she has a chance to beat the President in a one on one race.

According to a CNN Opinion Research poll, 55% of registered voters would vote for President Obama in 2012, and only 41% for Palin, with 4% undecided. A CNN Opinion Research poll also showed that only 7% of people think Palin could win against the President. President Obama released the American Jobs Act this week, which could change the face of the whole election.

If all things go as promised within the year, the president could look at another reelection. On the other hand if things don’t go as planned, Palin could have an easier time gaining support if she does decide to enter the race and her five-step plan is attractive to voters.

Whether Palin will run or not will most likely surface within the upcoming weeks. Until then, the crowd will remain anxiously waiting.

Jeffery Stone/ Shutterstock.com

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Although it is already September and the presidential election is just 14 months away, Sarah Palin has still not announced if she intends to join the Republican field of candidates. The former governor of Alaska and reality TV star spoke to tea party activists on Saturday in Iowa. She did not make any major announcements but did appear to lay some groundwork for a potential campaign bid.

“This is why we must remember the challenge is not simply to replace Obama in 2012. The real change is who and what we will replace him with,” Palin said in a rural area south of Des Moines. “Folks, you know it’s not enough to change the uniform.”

The audience of about 2,000 supporters from all over the country erupted into chants of “Run, Sarah, Run!” Palin gave no response to the chant and did not mention the candidacy in her 40 minute speech.

Palin talked about her experience as the governor of Alaska and stated she confronted powerful corporations, instead of coddling to them like the current administration. Although she did not specifically name any from the GOP field, she did say that Republicans are also to blame for repaying campaign donations with perks. Similar to what Texas Governor Rick Perry has been accused of in recent weeks.

“There is a name for this. It’s corporate, crony capitalism,” she said. Asked later if she was referring to Perry, she said it was to all GOP candidates. “I want all of our GOP candidates to take the opportunity to kill corporate capitalism that is leading to this cronyism that’s destroying our economy,” Palin said, while in a crush of hundreds of supporters asking for autographs and posing for pictures.

Palin also said her remarks should not be construed as a campaign address, telling reporters: “It was a thank-you-tea-party-Americans speech.” Palin reported she would announce any potential political plans late in September. However, her speech in Iowa and another speech in New Hampshire have fueled speculation.

Her speech on Saturday was also different because of instead of criticizing only; Palin actually offered a plan on how she would boost the economy. She proposed expanding oil drilling and loosening regulations on it. She called for pared down business regulations. And she suggested eliminating the corporate income tax.

“It’s not just fear of a double-dip recession, and it’s not the shame of a credit downgrade,” she said. “This is a systemic crisis due to failed policies and incompetent leadership.”

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The war of words continues between Sarah Palin and Karl Rove, leaving the rest of the Republican field gleefully happy. The latest battle between Mama Grizzly and Big Head began last weekend.

Rove mentioned on Fox News that he believed Palin would enter the Republican race for the presidential nomination. After that speculation by Rove, Palin’s camp took offense.

“Three years ago DC pundits predicted with glee the demise of Sarah Palin’s political career,” read a note posted on the SarahPAC website earlier this week. “This past weekend their tune changed, citing false information that she has made a decision and set a date regarding a future campaign.

Any professional pundit claiming to have ‘inside information’ regarding Governor Palin’s personal decision is not only wrong but their comments are specifically intended to mislead the American public.”

On Wednesday night, Rove used Fox News as his platform again to respond to the statement on Palin’s website. “I’m mystified. Look, she is all upset about this, saying I’m somehow trying to sabotage her — sabotage her in some way and that how dare I speculate on her future.

Look, if she doesn’t want to be speculated about as a potential presidential candidate, there’s an easy way to end the speculation. Simply say, ‘I’m not running.’”

Rove went on to say, “I’m just speculating that the kind of schedule she’s keeping leads me to believe that it’s more likely than not that she’s going to be a candidate.” He added, “And I suspect if we didn’t speculate about her, she’d be upset and try and find a way to get us to speculate about her.”

Wow. For once in his life, Rove actually makes sense on something. Palin’s extreme reaction is not only over the top, it makes no sense. She has purposely not made her decision public about a run for the White House for months. She claims she has not made up her mind yet, but most of us know that is not correct.

The entire country, or at least all of those in the media, has speculated on Palin’s political future so why is she super upset at Rove? Did he actually have some sort of inside information?

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As if there is not already too many Republicans cooks in the kitchen, former New York governor George Pataki may be considering entering the fray. Although earlier in the year, Pataki dismissed the idea that he would run for the White House, the Republican just can’t seem to help himself when looking at the crazy field out there.

The New York Daily News reports that close advisors to the former governor expect him to make his announcement but no date has been set. Despite his earlier denial, Pataki has been hinting of a possible run.

In June, Pataki told reporters that he would jump in if no one else with a credible chance of winning comes along. Clearly, televangelist Rick Perry, hypnotic Michele Bachmann and the man with a health care problem Mitt Romney are not credible chances. Pataki has relatively liberal social views which make his chance of winning his party’s nomination a degree above nil.

Meanwhile, Republicans voters are still begging for another candidate to enter the race. However, the name Pataki has never been mentioned. Despite Rep. Paul Ryan’s repeat announcement that he will not run for president, it seems his fan base is still encouraging him. Pressure is also mounting on New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Sarah Palin allegedly has not made up her mind yet.

“Do I think the field is complete yet? I would have thought so, but I’ve got to be honest. I think there could be a few more surprises,” said New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Jack Kimball. According to the Wall Street Journal, former Reagan administration official William Bennett has urged Rep. Ryan to consider a presidential bid.

Christie has stated he has no plans to enter the presidential race either. “The intensity of the recruitment efforts has certainly increased to a new level, but nothing has changed in terms of the governor’s plans,” said Christie adviser Mike Du Haime.

Although many thought Perry would be the lifesaver of the party, it only took days for many party insiders to realize that Perry is not going to beat Obama in the general election.

Many big dollar donors are waiting on the sidelines before backing a candidate. Even with the potential of Sarah Palin jumping in and the former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani considering a run, time is running out.

“To develop a national campaign, you have to have been in a serious planning mode for months by now,” said Phil Musser, a Pawlenty adviser.

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While Sarah Palin is leaving us all guessing about her political future, Texas Governor Rick Perry may be cemented his. After his evolution comments last week, among other controversial remarks, the GOP presidential candidate is not backing down.

Although it often seems that Sarah Palin has no plan to enter the GOP presidential field, Karl Rove believes she will. The former governor of Alaska claims she has not decided whether she is going to run or not and promises to make a decision in September.

Former George W. Bush advisor Karl Rove spoke on Fox News on Saturday morning. He believes that Palin will enter the race, citing her schedule as the reason for his belief. Rove stated her upcoming schedule looks more like that of a ‘candidate’ than a ‘celebrity’.

“This is her last chance,” Rove said on the broadcast. “She either gets in or gets out after this visit next week. I think she gets in.”

Palin released a new video highlighting her Iowa travels just last week. Entitled “Iowa Passion,” the ex-Vice Presidential candidate profiles Iowans who explain why she is “a normal person just like every one of us.”Palin is set to appear in Iowa on September 3, serving as the keynote speaker at the Tea Party of America’s “Restoring America” event.

Meanwhile, Rick Perry is busy campaigning on his anti-evolution stance. Last week, during a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Perry told a woman and her son that he regarded evolution as “a theory that’s out there” and one that’s “got some gaps in it.”

In South Carolina on Friday, Perry continued to express doubt on the theory of evolution. When a woman in South Carolina congratulated him for his remarks, Perry replied “Well, God is how we got here. God may have done it in the blink of the eye or he may have done it over this long period of time, I don’t know. But I know how it got started.”

Alan Freed / Shutterstock.com

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Tina Fey gave birth to her second child on August 10.She named her daughter Penelope Athena Richmond.

The “30 Rock” star has a five year old daughter named Alice, and is married to composer Jeffery Richmond. The couple chose to wait until the baby arrived to find out if they were having a boy or a girl.

Fey, 41, made the announcement about her pregnancy while promoting her book “Bossypants” on the Oprah Winfrey show in April. She said “My husband and I really decided that we felt rather than risk having ’30 Rock’ end in several years and feeling like part of our family is missing that we were going to prioritize our family.”

Fey is no secret to a busy lifestyle, especially with the help of her husband who, according to her, was “really good about helping out.” They married in 2001.

She described her second pregnancy on the Ellen DeGeneres show as being “easy” despite her “advanced maternal age.” She joked that the doctors “looked at her like she was just going to explode.”

Fey is an actress, comedian, writer, and producer whose successes include being the first female head writer as well as a comedian on Saturday Night Live. She adapted the screenplay and acted in Mean Girls (2004). The film was based off the book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman.

More recently, Fey created the series “30 Rock” which is based off her experience at Saturday Night Live.

As a hard worker, Fey was an honor student through high school, and knew she was interested in comedy by middle school. She also anonymously wrote her high school’s satirical column, The Acorn. She then went on to study playwriting and acting at the University of Virginia.

After graduation, Fey moved to Chicago and began working for the improv comedy group, The Second City, where she took classes at night. During the day she worked at the YMCA in Evanston. She joined the Second City cast in 1994, while also submitting scripts to Saturday Night Live. Adam McKay, who was the head writer, had also performed at Second City.

Fey moved to New York when she was hired as a writer, and after losing thirty pounds she began to act as well. Fey says that the weight loss and desire to be on television are unrelated. Most famously, she hosted Weekend Update, a comical news segment. She eventually got McKay’s job as head writer. She left SNL in 2006 to develop 30 Rock.

30 Rock was, and still is, a hit TV series that has earned Fey and the show Emmy Nominations. In 2008, she won a Golden Globe. In 2008 the Associated Press named her the Entertainer of the Year, as well as one of Barbara Walter’s Most Fascinating People of 2008.

Fey shortly returned to SNL during the Presidential election to portray Sarah Palin. The episode had 5.7 million views online and created even more buzz about Fey.

Fey’s most recent work aside from “30 Rock,” is a film titled “Mommy and Me” alongside Meryl Streep who plays her mother. Stanley Tucci directs the comedy. For now, Fey will be with her family during this joyous occasion.

Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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Former governor Sarah Palin continues to stoke the fires of speculation on her possible presidential bid. She reported that she will attend the Iowa State Fair this week, fueling the ‘will Palin run?’ ongoing debate.

Palin is believed to attend the fair on Friday, though a specific date has not been set. She is bringing her “One Nation” bus tour to Iowa, although she is not scheduled to speak at the fair. All the other Republican presidential candidates will debate on Thursday night in Iowa and then participate in the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday. Many are scheduled speakers at the state fair, including likely front runner Mitt Romney.

“We are very happy to jump back on the bus for another leg of our ‘One Nation Tour’! We accept with gratefulness an invitation to meet folks at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines this week. The heartland is perfect territory for more of the One Nation Tour as we put forth efforts to revitalize the fundamental restoration of America by highlighting our nation’s heart, history, and founding principles,” Palin wrote in an email to supporters.

In her e-mail, Palin said “prudent Americans” live within their means, including “seeking affordable participation in more community events, local patriotic parades, and traditional all-American venues like state fairs.” She went to say she was “excited to try some of that famous fried butter-on-a-stick, fried cheesecake-on-a-stick, fried twinkies, etc.”

“I’ll enjoy them in honor of those who’d rather make us just ‘eat our peas’!” she said, in a dig at President Obama.

By attending the event, Palin is conveniently ensuring that her name will be in the news this weekend. Texas governor Rick Perry is also closer to announcing his decision. Although he will not be attending the debate, he will be in Iowa on Sunday after trips to New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Palin, who stated she still has not made a decision regarding her political future, is scheduled to return to Iowa over Labor Day weekend. She has indicated she would make a decision by September.

Palin also released a new video on her political action committee’s web site on Wednesday. Palin narrates the 55-second film, titled “Always Proud,” which features footage of corn fields and the Iowa State Fair set to an inspirational soundtrack.  “A writer observed, we grow good people in our small towns with honesty and sincerity and dignity,” Palin says in the video.

“And I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind. I grew up with those people. They’re the ones who do some of the hardest work in America, who grow our food and run our factories and fight our wars. They love our country in good times and bad — and they’re always proud of America.”

Steve Broer / Shutterstock.com

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Sarah Palin and GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann are outraged over a comment that vice president Joe Biden made during the excruciating long and dragged out debt ceiling negotiations.  According to Polico, Biden suggested that Tea Party-backed lawmakers “acted like terrorists” during the debate over the debt ceiling. This comment caused Bachmann and Palin to begin huffing and puffing.

Of course, you should note the context of the comment. Of course, Palin and Bachmann should too. Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, who apparently asserted that “[w]e have negotiated with terrorists” during a closed-door meeting with House Democrats about the deal to raise the debt limit. Biden’s response; “They have acted like terrorists.”

Palin appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Tuesday night to showcase the mock outrage. “If we were real domestic terrorists,” Palin explained to host Sean Hannity, “President Obama would be wanting to pal around with us, wouldn’t he? He didn’t have a problem palling around with Bill Ayers back in the day when he kicked off his political career.”

Although Palin has tried to connect Obama to Bill Ayers, a 1960s Weather Underground member, no serious connection exists. Obama did not “pal” around with Ayers, according to the Associated Press.  They worked on community boards and Ayers hosted a political event at the beginning of Obama’s career .

Palin went on to defend the tea party. “I’m not just going to roll over with a sticker plastered on my forehead that says, hit me baby one more time, call me a terrorist again, call me a racist. Those things that Tea Party patriots have been being called over these months. It is unfair, it’s hypocritical of the other side doing that. And enough is enough. And I’m going stand up for those fiscally conservative patriotic independent Americans who wants the best for this country.”

Really, Palin? Being called something is unfair? And while you are complaining about being called something, you are implying that Obama is friends with a terrorist. I am not sure you understand the definition of hypocritical, but look in the mirror and you will get it. Your party brought up the whole calling the other side terrorists. If you want to criticize someone, start with Rep. Doyle.

Bachmann responded to the comments in an e-mail on Monday night, “Only in the bizarro world of Washington is fiscal responsibility sometimes defined as terrorism.” And only in bizarro world is fiscal responsibility linked to a refusal to increase revenue.

Jeffery Stone / Shutterstock.com

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The Daily Show host Jon Stewart appeared on Fox News Sunday to talk about media bias with host Chris Wallace. The Comedy Central man held his own during the interview boldly calling out Fox News for their constant stream of misinformation.

Early in the interview, Wallace flashed a previous quote of Stewart’s calling Fox News a “relentless agenda-driven 24 hour news opinion propaganda delivery system,” and asked Stewart, “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

Stewart responded, “Uh, it’s actually quite easy.”

Later, when Wallace argued that a clip about Sarah Palin from the Daily Show was political commentary, Stewart told Wallace, “You’re insane… Here’s the difference between you and I. I’m a comedian first. My comedy is informed by an ideological background, there’s no question about that. But the thing that you will never understand…is that Hollywood, yeah, they’re liberal, but that’s not their primary motivating force. I’m not an activist. I am a comedian.”

“Do I want my voice heard?” Stewart continued later. “Absolutely, that’s why I got into comedy. Am I an activist, in your mind? A partisan ideological activist?” Wallace responded, “Yeah.” “Okay, then I disagree with you,” Stewart said. “You can’t understand, because of the world that you live in, that there is not a designed ideological agenda on my part to affect partisan change because that’s the soup you swim in. And I appreciate that, I understand it. It reminds me of in ideological regimes, they can’t understand that there is free media other places because they receive marching orders.”

Later in the exchange, Stewart clearly got riled up and angry at Wallace about the misinformation that Fox News feeds its viewers.  “The embarrassment is that I’m given credibility in this world because of the disappointment that the public has in what the news media does,” he said.

“I don’t think our viewers are the least bit disappointed with us,” Wallace said. “I think our viewers think, finally, they’re getting somebody who tells the other side of the story.”

“Who are the most consistently misinformed media viewers?” Stewart shot back, his voice rising. “The most consistently misinformed? Fox, Fox viewers, consistently, every poll.”

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Sarah Palin has apologized to Mitt Romney for stealing his thunder, sort of.  Palin showed up in New Hampshire on her bus tour the same day that Romney was in the state declaring his candidacy for the 2012 election.

“I apologize if I stepped on any of that PR that Mitt Romney needed or wanted that day,” Palin, a paid commentator for Fox, told “Fox News Sunday.” Despite speculation to the contrary, Romney has insisted that Palin’s unplanned appearance did not bother him.  Romney praised the “energy and passion” that Palin adds to the Republican campaign last week.

On Sunday, Palin said her highly publicized “One Nation” bus tour had not moved her closer to a 2012 run. She is “still right there in the middle,” she told host Chris Wallace, “still trying to figure out what the lay of the land will be as these weeks and months go by.”

Palin rejected Wallace’s suggestion that she “messed up” a historical reference during a stop on her bus tour, when she described Paul Revere’s midnight ride as a warning to “the British that they weren’t going to be taking away our arms, by ringing those bells and by making sure that as he’s riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be secure and we were going to be free … and we were going to be armed.”

Revere’s 1775 ride, on the eve of the Revolutionary War, was designed to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were coming to arrest them. Along the way, Revere also alerted residents that the British were on the march.  “You know what, I didn’t mess up about Paul Revere,” Palin insisted. “I know my American history.”

Palin maintained that “part of his ride was to warn the British, that were already there, that, ‘Hey, you’re not going to succeed. You’re not going to take American arms. You are not going to beat our own well-armed persons, individual private militia that we have.’ He did warn the British.”

This isn’t what really happened, but whatever helps Sarah sleep better at night.

Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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Although not even running against each yet and certainly past high school, Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are apparently feuding. Let the cat fighting sexist comments commence. The battle began when Bachmann’s campaign grabbed Ed Rollins to be manager of her increasingly likely presidential campaign.

Last Tuesday, Rollins disparaged Palin in a radio interview. “Sarah has not been serious over the last couple of years,” Rollins said. “She got the vice presidential thing handed to her. She didn’t go to work in the sense of trying to gain more substance. She gave up her governorship.” In an interview with Politico, Rollins made the point again. Bachmann will “be so much more substantive. People are going to say, ‘I gotta make a choice and go with the intelligent woman who’s every bit as attractive.’ ”

Not to be outdone, Michael Glassner, Palin’s chief of staff, responded on Wednesday with a statement of his own: “Beltway political strategist Ed Rollins has a long, long track record of taking high profile jobs and promptly sticking his foot in his mouth.”

Rollins admitted that he talks before he thinks sometimes. He told CNN on Wednesday that he needs to adjust from “being a political analyst back to being a strategist.”

“I don’t think Palin runs, and if she does, we will deal with it. There obviously is a trend in the media to link them,” he added. “In the long run we want Palin and her people as our allies.”

Of course, let’s get some things straight. When the fight started, neither of these potential Republican candidates have admitted that they are running for the presidential nomination. Rep. Bachmann, from Minnesota, may be closer than Palin and insiders suggest that she will formally announce her campaign in Iowa, where she spent some time as a child, later this month or sooner as it turned out.  Palin is still leaving everyone guessing, taking a secret bus tour of the United States to visit historical spots but continuing her position as a paid commentator on Fox News.  So, maybe that is why Rollins believes she hasn’t been serious.  She hasn’t even seriously declared her candidacy.  But, either way, the little fighting is fun to watch. It will be an entertaining election season if nothing else.

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Sarah Palin can never be wrong.  After she made a mistake and stated that Paul Revere was actually warning the British and not warning Americans about the British, her supporters have helped to rewrite history to make her account correct.  Meanwhile, Palin is not backing down and insists that Revere was warning the British that the colonists would not back down.

The Paul Revere Wikipedia page has become a focal point in the Palin story and has seen a large increase in traffic.  Where it used to have 2,000 or so page views a day, nearly 54,000 people viewed the page just on Saturday.  An edit war has also transpired on the page after Palin’s supporters attempted to change the historical account. Over the weekend, Wikipedia users added sentences to the Revere article that repeated Ms. Palin’s claims. One editor, Tomwsulcer, added the following sentence:  “Accounts differ regarding the method of alerting the colonists; the generally accepted position is that the warnings were verbal in nature, although one disputed account suggested that Revere rang bells during his ride.”

When the discussion board for the Revere article was ringing with complaints that this was a lie, Tomwsulcer replied that it should be included as a theory because a prominent American politician, that is, Sarah Palin, had said it. “If you follow Wikipedia’s rules,” he wrote, “we must maintain a neutral position, representing the mainstream position as well as disputed versions.”  He lost the argument, but others have been searching history books to find evidence to support Palin’s claims.

One Wikipedia editor included the fact that the colonists on the eve of revolution were themselves British trying to justify that Paul Revere did warn the British. That argument was included at the end of a passage stating that “Revere did not shout the phrase later attributed to him (‘The British are coming!’), largely because the mission depended on secrecy and the countryside was filled with British army patrols.”

Palin’s supporters have also edited a Paul Revere article found on Conservapedia, a right-leaning version of Wikipedia.  The piece has been edited to read as follows: “He is famous for riding from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts with William Dawes on the night of April 18, 1775 ringing bells to warn the British that colonists would exercise their natural rights to both bear arms and use them in an effort secede from the United Kingdom in response to Big Government bullying and interfering with Colony’s Rights.”

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Sarah Palin just cannot give the media any indication of what the future holds for the former Alaska governor.  Just when it seemed she was not going to run for president, she embarks on a strange journey across the country in what some may seem is a presidential tour.  Her “One Nation” bus tour is leading her through historical sites in the United States.

During this strange tour, Palin appeared at the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally on last week in a chaotic event that generated little press.  Even odder is Palin’s sudden interest in the “lamestream” media where she has been, gasp, friendly to other news outlet.  No itinerary of her tour was provided to the media, but convenient “leaks” have reached the media in time for Palin to be bombarded at most stops.  Is an announcement imminent?  She has taken questions from the media 17 different times over the course of four days. While Romney was announcing his candidacy in New Hampshire, Palin also stopped off in the state.  She attended a clambake along the coast in Seabrook and chatted with reporters from outlets such as CNN, NBC, CBS, Time, and Bloomberg.

Palin’s tour began last Sunday in Washington D.C., making stops at various locations including Philadelphia and New York City. The tour has been marked by speculation that she is contemplating a presidential run but she has said that her decision on whether or not to run is “still weeks away.”

She feels she can influence the race whether she runs or not though.”I know that you can make a difference as an individual. I think I’ve proven that and I hope I can inspire others to know you don’t need a title, you don’t need to be in office to affect positive change,” Palin said on Fox News, where she remains a paid contributor.  “So whether I’m a candidate at some point or just a supporter of the right candidate, I look forward to seeing what these coming days, weeks, months bring.”

Asked about the reason for launching the tour, Palin said it was to celebrate American history.”The whole purpose of this tour is to showcase America’s foundation, to talk about our constitution, to hand-out copies of our constitution, as we go along looking at the historical sites on this East coast, it is so beautiful so rich in history,” she said.  “It’s so important that we be in touch with our nation’s history, with our past so that we can learn from it and so that we can move forward in these very heavy days in front of us successfully. We can only do that by learning more about our past.”

But, history is not Palin’s strong suit.  One of the stops on the “One Nation” tour was at the house of Paul Revere.  Revere is most famous for his late night and dawn ride on horseback, the “Midnight Run of Paul Revere,” in which he famously warned people in towns north of Boston of advancing British troops. Palin tried to pay tribute to the hero but she got her American history a little wrong. Describing Paul Revere’s midnight ride, she said:

“He who warned the British that they weren’t gonna be taking away our arms by ringing those bells and making sure as he’s riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells.”

Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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Oh Sarah Palin.  I have been out of the loop enough to miss her and her crazy “I am a victim, the media is horrible” rants.  Yes, it has been that long.  Her latest crazy rant was about David Gregory, the mundane and most uncontroversial host of NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of “Hannity”, on Fox News (where else?), Palin said that Gregory asked a “racist-tinged question” when speaking with GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

Last week, Newt suggested that the presidential election in 2012 may be the most important election since the before the civil war.  Speaking to the Georgia Republican Party’s convention, Gingrich said the nation is at a crossroads and that the re-election of Democratic President Barack Obama would lead to four more years of “radical left-wing values” that would drive the nation to ruin.  Gingrich also criticized Obama as “the most successful food stamp president in modern American history.”

During “Meet the Press,” Gregory pressed Gingrich on his remarks.  “First of all, you gave a speech in Georgia with language a lot of people think could be coded racially-tinged language, calling the president, the first black president, a food stamp president,” Gregory said to Gingrich during the show.  Gingrich tried to deflect the question but Gregory kept pushing.  Gingrich then became defensive.

“That’s, that’s bizarre. That — this kind of automatic reference to racism, this is the president of the United States. The president of the United States has to be held accountable. Now, the idea that — and what I said is factually true. Forty-seven million Americans are on food stamps. One out of every six Americans is on food stamps. And to hide behind the charge of racism? I have — I have never said anything about President Obama which is racist,” Gingrich told Gregory.  Except for the whole Kenyan anti-colonial nonsense, right?

And then the victim weighs in with her two cents.  “Well, talk about racism, that was a racist-tinged question from David Gregory,” said Palin of the exchange. “He made it sound like if you’re black you’re on food stamps and the president is referring to you as being on food stamps. I think that’s racist. And, you know, enough is enough of this calling out, this racism, these false charges.”  Enough is enough Palin.  Take your own advice and quit calling out your own false charges of sexism and problems with the “lamestream media.”

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Although no major candidate has declared their intention to run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, there are plenty of possible contenders to speculate over.  Numerous Republican heavy hitters and outsiders have expressed some interest in possibility challenging Barack Obama in 2012.  Here are some of the potential candidates.

First, we have Sarah Palin.  She is the leader of the pack because other likely candidates appear to be waiting to see if she will throw her hat in the ring or not.  The former Alaska Governor seems to know that others are waiting and she enjoys it.  Palin has huge star power, a strong fan base, and an ability to fundraise like no other.  But, she hasn’t spent much time courting the all-important Iowa vote, her likability rating in polls have been tanking, and she makes boatloads of money which she would have to give up if she were to be president.  She also scheduled a speaking engagement on the day of the first scheduled primary debate.  I am convinced that she may never officially announce one way or another leaving the Republican Party in complete confusion and chaos right up to the Republican convention.

Next up is Newt Gingrich.  The former Speaker of the House announced last month that he will begin raising money to test whether he should try to run for the GOP presidential nomination.  He also set up a website for the potential run.   Gingrich was suspended from his gig at Fox News because they clearly expect him to run.  Gingrich, who continues to be indecisive about entering the presidential race, is giving signs that he is serious this time.  Talking about his past affairs and disconnecting himself from various side projects in order to be compliant with campaign law suggest he really might do it.

Rep. Michele Bachmann may be the most surprising “maybe candidate”.  But, she is increasingly giving signs that she is considering a run.  The Tea Party darling has made recent trips to early primary states and has more travels scheduled.  Sources close to the Minnesota Congresswoman also suggest that she is feeling pretty confident after visiting the states and talking to potential voters.  Bachmann said she would make her decision in spring or early summer and that she would use prayer to help guide her in the decision.  She also has huge fundraising abilities and if Palin didn’t enter, Bachmann could garner would-be Palin voters because they have similar styles.

Mike Huckabee is also a name mentioned as a likely candidate.  Recently, Huckabee has been everywhere to promote his book.  Whether his press run also means he will attempt a presidential bid is not clear.  He has said it is “stupid” to enter the race too early.  The former Arkansas governor has suggested that he will run, but more speculation points to a non-existent campaign.  Huckabee is still insisting that people take the campaign very seriously, and is bragging about being an early season front-runner. “Virtually every poll in America has me leading,” Huckabee claims.

There are more possible candidates.  Check out our other parts to this growing series.

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Sarah Palin and Donald Trump are starting to share more similarities than differences.  They are both reality show stars, for one.  But, now they are both mounting ‘pretend’ presidential campaigns, even though, in all likelihood, neither of them will actually run.

The former Alaska governor told Fox News last week she is “still thinking about” running for president in 2012, and she feels “tempted” to do so because she questions the other potential Republican candidates’ motives.  “I’m still wondering who the heck is going to be out there with a servant’s heart willing to serve the American people for the right reason, not for ego, not for special interests, not with obsessive partisanship,” Palin, a paid Fox contributor, told the network’s Greta Van Susteren in a lengthy interview.

However, evidence is mounting that Palin will not enter the fray in the next election.  She has not begun to build any campaign organization or visit the crucial early primary states.  Palin has not hired additional staff; instead her staff is shrinking.  She recently parted ways with two of her most experienced political operatives, Jason Recher and Doug McMarlin, both veterans of the Bush administration.  Sources suggest that the parting was not sudden and that Palin is simply downsizing.

The polls also indicate that Palin should not mount any political bid.  Her popularity has been decreasing in the past few months.  Even pundits on the conservative end of the spectrum have begun to criticize Palin.  Her reality television series and her daughter’s stint on Dancing with the Stars have made it difficult for some to take her seriously.

Palin, who often complains about the ‘lamestream media,’ told Van Susteren that she didn’t care about the media any longer.  “I’m through whining about a liberal press that holds particularly conservative women to a different standard, because it doesn’t do any good to whine about it,” she said. “Nobody ever promised life was going to be fair. And politics really isn’t fair, the scrutiny, the double standards, and all that.”

In all likelihood, Palin will continue to dangle the “will I or won’t I run” carrot for a little longer.  She seems to really like being in the media spotlight but I think her mind has been made up for a while.

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Sarah Palin is back on the attack against her nemesis, the “lamestream media.”  Only a day after she announced that she was done complaining about the unfair media, she talked about the media again.  And this time she used her slogan that got her into so much trouble following the Tucson shooting-she said she was ready to “reload.”  In a Facebook post entitled, “Lamestream Media:  Reload or White Flag?” Palin, or really her aide that writes her Facebook notes for her, begins the war with the media again.

“Friends, too often conservatives or Republicans in general come across as having the fighting instinct of sheep. I don’t,” Palin wrote last Thursday. “I was raised to believe that you don’t retreat when you’re on solid ground; so even though it often seems like I’m armed with just a few stones and a sling against a media giant, I’ll use those small resources to do what I can to set the record straight. The truth is always worth fighting for. Doing so isn’t whining or ‘playing the victim card’; it’s defending the truth in fairness to those who seek accurate information. I’ll keep attempting to correct misinformation and falsehoods about myself and my record, and I will certainly never shy from defending others who are unfairly attacked. This is in the name of justice.”

She went on to try to clarify her position and reframe her battle with the “liberal’ media.

“We must always remember the big picture. The media has always been biased. Conservatives – and especially conservative women – have always been held to a different standard and attacked,” Palin said. “Let’s just acknowledge that commonsense conservatives must be stronger and work that much harder because of the obvious bias. And let’s be encouraged with a sense of poetic justice by knowing that the ‘mainstream’ media isn’t mainstream anymore. That’s why I call it ‘lamestream,’ and the LSM is becoming quite irrelevant, as it is no longer the sole gatekeeper of information.”

Palin also addressed, somewhat indirectly, an insult directed at her by Bill Maher over the weekend, in which the comedian called her a “dumb twat.”  When asked on Fox News about the incident, Palin declined to comment and instead said she was done whining about the media.  However, on her Facebook page, she could not resist.  “I won’t bother responding to it though, because it was made by he who reminds me of an annoying little mosquito found zipped up in your tent; he can’t do any harm, but buzzes around annoyingly until it’s time to give him the proverbial slap.”

Again, I ask—does Palin realize she is employed by the media??

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Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin may not be running for president after all.  Palin has refused to give any hints about her intentions in 2012 and this had led to the media, Republicans, and pretty much all of America, speculating about what each of her moves might mean.

According to The Hill, Palin will deliver a May 2 keynote address during a “Tribute to the Troops with Sarah Palin” at Colorado Christian University. The fundraiser is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Mountain time.  The significance of this engagement is that May 2 is also the date of the first GOP presidential primary debate in California.

John Andrews, a coordinator for the event, said he was aware of the conflicting debate taking place in California on the same day, and suggested that the former governor would be skipping it.  “Presumably, this means she will be doing [the fundraiser] instead of any other engagement on the second,” Andrews told the Denver Post.

Palin continues to state she has not decided if she will run for president.  “You enter a race to win the race, so there are still a lot of considerations that have to be made,” she told the BBC in an interview that aired Monday. “We haven’t made up our mind or desire to make an announcement yet as to what it is we will be doing.”  The former vice presidential candidate said the considerations include her ability to match President Obama’s fundraising prowess and whether the country would be ready for an “unconventional” candidate like her.

Melissa Giller, a spokeswoman for the Reagan Presidential Library Foundation, stated that no likely Republican candidates have committed to attend the debate, which will be moderated by NBC “Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams and Politico editor John Harris.

Palin has recently been troubled by poor polling numbers, including troubling results in the key state of Iowa.

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