I COME not to bury Sarah Palin, but to praise her.Of course, after that somewhat rambling resignation speech last Friday where she talked about migrating fish and point guards in virtually the same breath, the praise part becomes trickier.
Sarah P has never made it easy for those of us who admire her, who see through the idiotic stereotype of the bumbling rube created by a puzzled and threatened liberal intelligentsia.
Then, just when we think she's nailed it, as with her clever and righteous manipulation of the Letterman bumble (boy did it feel good to see him sweat), she sends us scrambling to defend her latest unorthodox move.
But for all that, Palin deserves the thanks - and respect - of her loyal supporters, even those of us who sometimes wince at her missteps. Because, despite what the sneering, supercilious and oh-so-sophisticated Palinphobes think, Sarah P is no joke. And those who treat her like she is are in for a very rude awakening.
I DON'T AGREE with everything she's done since she burst on the scene last August.
And I admit to being thrown for a loop when she announced her resignation from the governorship, effective almost immediately. It seemed to be a foolish, almost petulant and certainly amateurish move.
Most of the commentators, including some conservatives like Charles Krauthammer and George Will, saw it that way.
Palin supporters at the National Review and other right-leaning publications seemed to scratch their heads about the wisdom of abandoning elected office with the job little over half done.
And, sure, it does seem a little odd to just walk away from the single most important accomplishment on your resume. (If you don't count making Katie "I'm such a cutie" Couric look competent.)
But there may be a method to this perceived madness.
First, Palin has been crippled by a series of ethics complaints filed against her, many of which appear to be opportunistic attempts to kick a moose when you think she's down. So far, she seems to have been cleared on every count. (And as far as we're aware, she doesn't have any Appalachian hiking trips planned for the near future.)
But even unsubstantiated claims take their toll, keeping her constantly on the defensive instead of tending to business.
That might be one of the reasons Sarahcuda sightings have been few in the lower 48, much to the dismay of the same conservative commentators who've jumped on the "Hit the Road, Sarah" bandwagon.
She just can't win.
When she stays in Juneau, they complain she's undermining her national profile. But make a trip south, like when she gave a rousing speech at a pro-life conference in Indiana a few months ago, and they say she's ignoring her duties at home.
And that's just the conservatives. Liberals have been vicious, especially the women.
When Maureen Dowd starts typing these days (her own thoughts, we hope), you can almost hear the creaking of her arthritic joints. This chick is so jealous of Palin's youth and star power that her columns - once enjoyable in a a poisonous sort of way - have become tiresome, the journalistic equivalent of Tina Fey's one-note shtick.
MoDo and sister-in-arms Gail Collins are like ink-stained Miss Havishams, waiting for someone to call and tell them they're still relevant.
The men aren't much better.
Todd Purdum's hit job in Vanity Fair made much of the anonymous (and guaranteed to be male) McCain staffers who blamed Palin for everything from sinking the campaign to suffering from post-partum depression. (Imagine if someone had said Hillary's tears on the campaign trail were the result of a Boniva overdose.)
Still, I think Sarah might end up having the last laugh.
Of course, it's quite possible that leaving the scene this way will turn out to be political suicide. If it does, she has only herself to blame.
But who's to say that this woman, who's risen from several funeral pyres already, doesn't know what she's doing? After all, a few years ago, she was just a lipstick-wearing pit bull.
So I think this political funeral may be just a bit premature.
Published Friday, July 10, 2009
Philadelphia Daily News
Letters To The Editor:
Palin served Alaska well
In your flippant mention of Sarah Palin's resume ("The pit bull limps away"), you forgot to say that she brought down the crooked chairman of the Alaska Republican Party, and the corrupt governor. She oversaw the completion of the Alaskan natural-gas pipeline, which had languished for years. She brokered a great deal from the energy companies for her constituents, who don't receive a tax bill every year, but instead receive a check from the state!
Whatever Palin decides to do with her life, she has served Alaska well. If she leaves public life, who could blame her, outside of the yapping political elites?
Fran Steffler
Philadelphia
Paper is unfair to Palin
I can't believe the hit job you conducted on Sarah Palin. The coordinated and unnecessary besmirching demonstrates that she is still an existential threat to your political orientation.
I am willing to give this accomplished woman, mother, politician, and wife the benefit of the doubt. By your antics, you have turned The Inquirer into a tabloid.
Frances Lempa
Philadelphia
Both letters published in the Philadelphia Inquirer
Politics Continued:
Disgraced State Senator Victor Fumo, convicted on 137 counts of fraud, stealing millions in taxpayers' money for his own personal gain, and obstructing a federal investigation is sentenced to 55 months in prison.
local coverage:
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Daily News
Metro Philadelphia
The Clog - City Paper's Staff Blog
More:
Letter To The Editor:
Jail for Fumo is a real injustice
THE WHOLE idea of Vincent Fumo going to jail is ridiculous. He's a great man who's done many good things for this state, and he made a mistake.
There's a reason no one noticed the money he took - all the other good things he was doing in the Senate. If anyone thinks Fumo is an example of corrupt politics, they need to look into a lot of politicians in Philadelphia.
Nick DiDonato, Philadelphia
published Wed, Jul. 15, 2009
The Daily News
click here for letters sent to the presiding Judge in praise of Disgraced Senator Fumo
Bonus Round via Fitted Sweats:
The Great American Bubble Machine
From tech stocks to high gas prices, Goldman Sachs has engineered every major market manipulation since the Great Depression - and they're about to do it again
Click here for article