Sarah Palin's star dims in Georgia: Networks barely cover speech

[Belinda]

Nearly a month after she and John McCain were soundly defeated in the presidential election, Gov. Sarah Palin took to the campaign trail, this time to help Republicans hold on to a potentially significant Senate seat.

The appearance by the Alaska Governor at a rally for Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss Monday was a highly anticipated affair -- not least because the Senate race could provide Democrats with a filibuster-proof majority in that legislative body.

But Palin's role as campaign closer said as much about her political fortunes as it did the national party. Still a veritable star in the GOP ranks, her draw seemed somewhat limited on the stump. While MSNBC carried the roughly 15-minute speech in full, CNN cut out only a few minutes in and FOX News didn't even go to the affair.

At the same time, Palin was actually tasked with speaking after Chambliss (usually the candidate himself gets the last word), and she did her best to rev up the crowd with a laundry list of red meat items: national security, pro-life measures, taxes, and spending. At one point she decried negative campaigning -- a tactic that led her to become the wildly divisive figure she is today.

"Republicans may be the opposition party today, but that doesn't mean we have to be the negative party," said the governor. "We have our path to follow. We have our own ideals to serve and we should always look for ways to work cooperatively with the majority party to serve the common good. America deserves no less than our greatest efforts today."
In between she offered praise for McCain, whose allies, according to campaign post-mortems, viewed Palin as a liability, diva and rogue political agent.

"It was just like Sen. McCain to put defeat behind him and see what more he could do for the U.S. Senate and see what more he could do to progress this nation," Palin said of McCain's own campaigning on behalf of Chambliss.
The Georgia runoff election will occur on Tuesday, after neither Chambliss or Democratic challenger Jim Martin were able to secure more than 50 percent of the vote on November 4. Public opinion polls show the race being similarly close the second time around, but Chambliss seems positioned to win reelection.

With Democrats currently holding 58 seats in the Senate, and with the Minnesota race in a recount, the contest in Georgia could give Democrats a filibuster-proof majority for Democrats. And, in the end, the idea of Chambliss serving as a buffer against one-party dominance was Palin's main pitch. On several occasions, the Alaska Gov. spoke of the need for political balance in Washington. Saying the Georgia was "on her mind," she concluded that the campaign between Martin and Chambliss had, nevertheless, drawn the eyes of the world.

"I'm kind of selfishly looking at this," Palin told the crowd. "This is not just for Georgia, this is for folks in Alaska, Hawaii and Maine... and in Washington D.C. This is for my kids and their future. We need Saxby because we need checks and balances in Washington. And we will not have that if Saxby is not reelected, Georgia."

Palin's Star Dims In Georgia: Networks Barely Cover Speech

[greysfang]

So her 15 minutes are up, eh? I guess we'll hear a blurb or two when Bristol's baby is born and that should be about it for her.

[maribou]

Fox not cutting to her speaks volumes.

[Grimmlok]

Good. Fuck off into obscurity you lying slag.

[Rica]

does she still think she can run again at the next election?

[travelbug]

Good. Fuck off into obscurity you lying slag.

Your mouth to God's ears, I hope.

[maribou]

There's no telling. She'll have to have a brain implant first.

[NicoleWasHere]

FOX News didn't even go to the affair.

Oh snap!

[kingcap72]

Poor Governor Mooseballs. Nobody likes her anymore.

[visitor42]

"I'm kind of selfishly looking at this," Palin told the crowd. "This is not just for Georgia, this is for folks in Alaska, Hawaii and Maine... and in Washington D.C. This is for my kids and their future. We need Saxby because we need checks and balances in Washington. And we will not have that if Saxby is not reelected, Georgia."

It's for you, Sarah. It's always about you.

[buttmunch]

I wonder if Saxby tried to feel up one of her daughters.

[cheetopia]

does she still think she can run again at the next election?

She's already selling t-shirts and bumper stickers and sending out fundraising literature begging for donations for a 2012 presidential run. As much as we all want her to just fade away I'm afraid it's not going to happen as easily as that. Sarah will have to be hauled kicking and screaming into that dark night off the national stage.

[WesCAdle]

If she's pageant walking all over the other 49 states, just WHO is running Alaska or is it self sufficient??? I'd be starting an impeachment process to dump her ass. Maybe I should consider stomping up there and overthrow her regime while she's away, . Anyone here need a good paying job, no experience or education necessary according to what I've seen of her appointments - must love moose, polar bears, trees, and wolves to be considered?

[panda]

That reminds me I have to get out and vote for Jim Martin today!

[Belinda]

You bring up a good point Wes. She's quite the attention whore.


Governor Palin Neglects Alaska Duties for Partisan Stumping on Campaign Trail in Georgia

Alaska faces challenges that need attention now.


Anchorage - While Gov. Sarah Palin is out of state again, this time in Georgia campaigning for incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss on the eve of the runoff election, Alaska faces challenges including a lack of leadership from the Governor.


Palin will stump for Chambliss, the draft-evading incumbent Republican who waged a notoriously misleading campaign against a decorated war hero, at rallies Monday in Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah and Perry, Georgia. Palin has been back in Alaska at work for only a few days since running for vice president.

"Alaskans need our Governor here earning her salary and working on key problems facing Alaska families," said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Patti Higgins.
Alaska is facing significant challenges, Higgins said, including:
* Oil prices have dropped dramatically to about $45/bbl from the peak of $144/bbl in July, which threatens the state budget.
* Alaskans are paying some of the highest prices for gas in the nation, averaging $2.87 per gallon, while the national average is $1.91.
* The state's oil production continues to decline, due to falling prices and mature fields.
* The global credit crunch and falling natural gas prices threaten the Alaska gas line.
* The State is failing to meet its constitutional obligation to take care of public education as shown by the high drop out rates and the low graduation rates.
* Many Medicare patients cannot find doctors.
* There is continued flight from rural villages.
* Alaska faces the prospect of reduced federal dollars from Washington, D.C.

"Alaska's challenges are significant, and there is much that needs to be done right now. Our Governor should remember that her primary job is to work on behalf of the citizens of Alaska, not engage in partisan politics in other states," Higgins said. "Governing is more than creating photo ops. We'd like a commitment that the Governor is working, not just scheduling media appearances."


Enough is Enough! Someone needs to tell Sarah that SHE DIDN'T WIN. She has been paid for her governor job for months during a campaign. Show up or shut up.

Shannyn Moore: The Alaskans Are Getting Restless....