Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

Goodness, cleaning up the sloppiness of reporters could be a full time job. In response to The Daily Caller's online inquiry, I gave them a statement that the writer buried on his story’s second page (which most people won’t even notice – I didn’t even notice it) after he spent the first page completely spinning a situation to give the impression that Alaska’s film production tax credit legislation was somehow solely my idea hatched up to benefit the Palins years before I was ever involved in a documentary series on TLC/Discovery Channel. Here’s setting the record straight: As Governor, I signed into law a popular bipartisan bill that was crafted and passed by others and has resulted in numerous Alaska-based productions that are airing today. The only alternative to signing the legislature’s work product would have been for me to veto their legislation, which would have been useless. Besides all that, their legislation worked.

This bill was not some secret big government agenda. These Alaskan legislators just wanted Alaska to be able to compete with the many other states that offer similar incentives. As I noted in my statement (which was curiously buried by The Daily Caller – whose editor-in-chief was recently called on the carpet for publicly using a degrading term to describe women), I can’t speak for the film tax credit programs in other states, but the program in Alaska has been effective. The bipartisan legislation I signed into law in 2008 was borne out of elected lawmakers’ frustration with the fact that shows and films about Alaska were mostly filmed elsewhere. They wanted to incentivize production companies to film in Alaska instead of Canada, Washington state, or Maine. Their bill worked, and as the legislation’s supporters will testify, the state’s economy enjoys the benefits of having this production money circulating right here at home. It was so successful that state lawmakers now want to renew the film production tax credits for another ten years. Keep in mind that we don’t have a state income tax, state sales tax, or state property tax in Alaska. Our state government is predominately funded by oil and gas revenue. Essentially we are using revenue generated from the development of Alaska’s natural resources in order to diversify our economy and create jobs beyond just resource development. Not only does this help promote a new film industry in Alaska, it obviously also has the added benefit of encouraging our tourism industry. These shows and films about Alaska act as perfect tourist advertisements for our state.  People come here to experience what they see on the shows filmed here. The dramatic increase in Alaska-based television shows and films are testament to the fact that this legislation worked, and it’s exciting to see our state showcased and appreciated. There has been more film productions here than ever before, and the economic benefit of filming here exceeds the tax credit.

And another point missed by this reporter: apparently The Daily Caller’s conspiracy theory must be that I did all of this not even to benefit myself but Mark Burnett Productions. As I tried to explain to the writer at The Daily Caller, if you believe in this bizarre scenario then why not ask the sponsors, drafters, and supporters of this legislation that would boost job creation if they crafted this bill years ago in order to benefit Sarah Palin. Any suggestion that I somehow did something wrong by signing this legislation is ridiculous. The accusation hinges on the notion that I signed the legislation into law knowing that it would personally benefit me. That’s totally absurd. It wasn’t even my bill, and obviously I had no intention of benefiting from it when I signed it into law in 2008 because I had no idea I would be involved in a documentary series years later. If you’re going to accuse me of benefiting from legislation I signed into law, why stop there? Go ahead and accuse me of “benefiting” from the legislation my administration actually did craft – like for example, our oil and gas evaluation legislation (ACES). You could say I “benefited” from it in the sense that due to ACES the state where I live (Alaska) now enjoys a $12 billion surplus. In fact, you could say that as an Alaskan, I benefited from all of the legislation I championed or signed as governor – just as every Alaskan benefited.

As I also tried to tell the reporter, it’s also a false accusation to suggest that signing this bipartisan bill somehow goes against my position on the proper role of government. I’ve said many times that government can play an appropriate role in incentivizing business, creating infrastructure, and leveling the playing field to foster competition so the market picks winners and losers, instead of bureaucrats burdening businesses and picking winners and losers. Again, I can’t speak for what other states do, but Alaska’s film production tax credit program was an effective way to incentivize a new industry that would diversify our economy. It worked. The lawmakers’ successful legislation fit Alaska’s economy, as our economy is quite unique from other states’ due to our oil and gas revenue. Perhaps it would behoove people to learn much more about the 49th state’s young economy before making broad accusations about the efficacy of business programs. People who live in ivory towers don’t understand the real world where governors and lawmakers actually have to fight to attract business and jobs to their states.

One final thought: having to set the record straight on my Facebook page yet again is further proof that the media can’t be trusted even to print a statement in a manner that people can read.

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150142191023435.

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

It’s unbelievable (literally) the rhetoric coming from President Obama today. This is coming from he who is manipulating the U.S. energy supply. President Obama is once again giving lip service to a “new energy proposal”; but let’s remember the last time he trotted out a “new energy proposal” – nearly a year ago to the day. The main difference is today we have $4 a gallon gas in some places in the country. This is no accident. This administration is not a passive observer to the trends that have inflated oil prices to dangerous levels. His war on domestic oil and gas exploration and production has caused us pain at the pump, endangered our already sluggish economic recovery, and threatened our national security. Through a process of what candidate Obama once called “gradual adjustment,” American consumers have seen prices at the pump rise 67 percent since he took office. Meanwhile, the vast undeveloped reserves that could help to keep prices at the pump affordable remain locked up because of President Obama’s deliberate unwillingness to drill here and drill now. We’re subsidizing offshore drilling in Brazil and purchasing energy from them, instead of drilling ourselves and keeping those dollars circulating in our own economy to generate jobs here. The President said today, “There are no quick fixes.” He’s been in office for nearly three years now, and he’s about to launch his $1 billion re-election campaign. When can we expect any “fixes” from him? How high does the price of energy have to go?

So, here’s a little flashback to what I wrote on March 31, 2010, at National Review Online’s The Corner:

Many Americans fear that President Obama’s new energy proposal is once again “all talk and no real action,” this time in an effort to shore up fading support for the Democrats’ job-killing cap-and-trade (a.k.a. cap-and-tax) proposals. Behind the rhetoric lie new drilling bans and leasing delays; soon to follow are burdensome new environmental regulations. Instead of “drill, baby, drill,” the more you look into this the more you realize it’s “stall, baby, stall.”

Today the president said he’ll “consider potential areas for development in the mid and south Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, while studying and protecting sensitive areas in the Arctic.” As the former governor of one of America’s largest energy-producing states, a state oil and gas commissioner, and chair of the nation’s Interstate Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, I’ve seen plenty of such studies. What we need is action — action that results in the job growth and revenue that a robust drilling policy could provide. And let’s not forget that while Interior Department bureaucrats continue to hold up actual offshore drilling from taking place, Russia is moving full steam ahead on Arctic drilling, and China, Russia, and Venezuela are buying leases off the coast of Cuba.

As an Alaskan, I’m especially disheartened by the new ban on drilling in parts of the 49th state and the cancellation of lease sales in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. These areas contain rich oil and gas reserves whose development is key to our country’s energy security. As I told Secretary Salazar last April, “Arctic exploration and development is a slow, demanding process. Delays or major restrictions in accessing these resources for environmentally responsible development are not in the national interest or the interests of the State of Alaska.”

Since I wrote the above, we have even more evidence of the President’s anti-drilling agenda. We have the moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico as well as the de-facto moratorium in the Arctic. We have his 2012 budget that proposes to eliminate several vital oil and natural gas production tax incentives. We have his anti-drilling regulatory policies that have stymied responsible development. And the list goes on. The President says that we can’t “drill” our way out of the problem. But we can’t drive our cars on solar shingles either. We have to live in the real world where we must continue to develop the conventional resources that we actually use right now to fuel our economy as we continue to look for a renewable source of energy. If we are looking for an affordable, environmentally friendly, and abundant domestic source of energy, why not turn to our own domestic supply of natural gas? Whether we use it to power natural-gas cars or to run natural-gas power plants that charge electric cars, natural gas is an ideal “bridge fuel” to a future when more renewable sources are available, affordable, and economically viable on their own. It’s a lot more viable than subsidizing boondoggles like these inefficient electric cars that no one wants. I’m all for electric cars if you can develop one I can actually use in Alaska, where you can drive hundreds of miles without seeing many people, let alone many electrical sockets. But these electric and hybrid cars are not a quick fix because we still need an energy source to power them. That’s why I like natural gas, but we still have to drill for natural gas, and this administration doesn’t like drilling or apparently the jobs that come with responsible oil and natural gas development. They don't have a coherent energy policy. They have piecemeal ideas for subsidizing impractical pet “green” projects.

I have always been in favor of an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy independence, but "all-of-the-above" means conventional resource development too. It means a coherent, practical, and forward-looking energy policy. I wish the President would understand this. The good news is there is nothing wrong with America’s energy policy that another good old-fashion election can’t solve. 2012 is just around the corner.

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150142243663435.

"Sarah Palin did a fine job bolstering her foreign-policy credentials in a speech in New Delhi this month," Wall Street Journal Political Diary column Abheek Bhattacharya wrote in today's article headlined "Sarah Stateswoman," as he synopsized her speech and question answer session delivered at the India Today 2011 Conclave, March 19.

In his synopsis, Bhattacharya touched upon Gov. Palin's positions on domestic energy development and free markets, and how India faces similar problems to the United States in developing its energy sources.

"The past 20 years may have seen some of the country's entrepreneurial energies getting tapped, but a web of regulations keeps its natural resources untapped. Besides hindering expansion in a number of infrastructure sectors, these regulations -- many in the name of environmentalism -- enable cronyism, as rent-seeking bureaucrats skew the playing field to favor a few businesses. They also leave India at the mercy of foreign energy sources."

H/T Josh Painter, Texas 4 Sarah Palin

Complete Prior Coverage:

India Today Releases Text of Palin’s “My Vision of America”

Gov. Palin: “My Vision of America” Sights and Sounds

Gov. Palin Carries Reagan’s Torch to India

"The Obama Doctrine is full of chaos and questions. It's dodgy, and dubious," Governor Palin said about Obama's speech on Libya in an interview with Greta Van Susteren tonight. Gov. Palin said Obama's address was "profoundly disappointing."

"If we do not capture or kill Gaddafi, there is no acceptable endgame."

Gov. Palin questioned why we would use our military under UN, NATO or Arab League leadership. "[Obama] did not articulate what our purpose was except some inconsistent humanitarian effort...why not Darfur? Why not North Korea?...He did not make the case for this intervention. U.S. interests have got to be met if were are going to intervene," Gov. Palin said. "U.S. interests cannot mean validating some post-American theory of intervention wherein we wait for the United Nations or the Arab League to tell us 'thumbs up! You can act now' and then we get in the back of the bus and we wait for NATO. We wait for the French to lead us. That's not inspirational," Gov. Palin said.

Enforcing the no-fly zone in Libya costs $600 million per day, again begging the question of why this humanitarian issue is a priority over skirmishes where more lives are being lost.

"Disappointing speech, because we did not get the answers. We want to know what is the end-game," Gov. Palin said. She reiterated her point that "Gaddafi has to go." He must be killed or captured, else he will take revenge on the U.S. and her interests, and sponsor terrorism, Gov. Palin said. If we're going to protect civilians, "getting rid of the bad guy" is necessary to that end. "In these 42 years, there's been atrocities conducted by Gaddafi," Gov. Palin said.

She quoted a senior national security adviser who stated that "we don't make decisions on intervention based on consistency or precedent," meaning that our policy is ad-hoc, a situation Gov. Palin said was appalling. She said his speech which left open the question of how we will proceed with a long string of unstable nations only made the situation worse.

Elected officials from both parties questioned all the aspects of our involvement in Libya. Gov. Palin asked, "Are we at war?" Is this a skirmish, an intervention? She repeated her point that our national interests are not being served by taking a backseat to the UN, NATO and the Arab League, "while we put our finger up in the air and decide what the political winds are around the world, not necessarily knowing and believing that the U.S.' interests must come first in this."

Gov. Palin found Obama's reference to the North Star in his speech to be dubious at best.

Palin on Obama's 'War' retrieved from Fox News

Governor Palin last night paid tribute to Geraldine Ferraro paving the way for women during an interview with Greta Van Susteren.

Gov. Palin's Tribute to a True Trailblazer retrieved from Fox News.

On September 4, 2009 - a year and a day after Gov. Palin gave her Vice Presidential Acceptance Speech - I wrote Providential: Dr. Seuss Predicts Gov. Palin's Career?. I wrote that in Oh, The Places You'll Go, Theodor Seuss Giesel - Dr. Seuss - appears to have predicted Gov. Palin's life with 100% accuracy. I noted then that Dr. Seuss did not know Gov. Palin and wrote Places for all of humanity.

Since Gov. Palin just concluded a whirlwind tour that took her to India, Israel, and Naples, Florida last week, now is a good time to take a little stock of where Gov. Palin was versus where she is now, and where she is heading. Perhaps, everyone whose lives Gov. Palin touched might also do well to take some introspective on the changes in our own lives brought about by the changes in her own.

Oh, the Places Gov. Palin Went!

When Providential: Dr. Seuss Predicts Gov. Palin's Career? was written, Gov. Palin had resigned from office only 35 days prior. She had just crossed the Rubicon. She made a leap of faith into a brave new world. She asked us - her supporters to trust in her, and assured us it would all be good. She had not even delivered her first speech for the Washington Speakers Bureau. So much has changed since that September day over 18 months ago. Oh, the Places Gov. Palin Went!

Seeing Great Sights, Soaring to High Heights

Since the time I wrote about Dr. Suess predicting Gov. Palin's career, she went on to author two best-sellers accompanied by major book tours. She is a Fox News Contributor. She produced an eight-part documentary series for the Learning Channel - Sarah Palin's Alaska. She has spoken to audiences all over the United States and in Hong Kong, Canada, and India. She was one of few private citizens anywhere in the world to meet with a country's prime minister to discuss foreign affairs. She held this meeting during the Jewish holiday of Purim, which celebrates Esther, a figure in the Old Testament, Gov. Palin most closely resembles. She endorsed candidates with an overall success rate of over 67% and a success rate of 90% for a sub-group in 20 targeted districts. She conducted interviews not just in the comfort zone of Fox colleagues, but with enemy hosts.

“You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights” (Giesel, 1990, p. 12). Dr. Seuss continued, “You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest” (Giesel, 1990, p. 14).

The Lurch and the Slump

Gov. Palin's life during this time was not all supersonic flights and broken glass ceilings left in her wake. She has been savaged in the media. Death threats to Gov. Palin and her family are routine. She's the butt of sexist and misogynist comments from both the left and the establishment right. She was blood-libeled. A stalker moved next door to her and spent last summer penning a hit book on her. Though he's gone, another more dangerous stalker is the subject of a restraining order. She was knifed in the back by supposedly loyal supporters over endorsements they did not agree with, interviews with talk show hosts that did not meet with their approval or jobs they felt were due them as a reward for their prior work. Several times daily, we're treated to Alinsky-esque "reports" on slipping poll numbers, or how "the GOP will use Gov. Palin then discard her with the trash as they nominate some dark horse candidate."

"I'm sorry to say so but sadly it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You'll be left in a Lurch. You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. and the chance are, then that you'll be in a Slump. And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done" (Giesel, 1990, pp. 16-18)

The Waiting Place and Moving Mountains

In a certain sense, even as she flies high, Gov. Palin is now in the Waiting Place - that hybrid of purgatory and limbo - as she considers answering her summons to Revive, Renew, and Restore Reagan Conservatism by running for President in 2012. But, I believe her time in the Waiting Place ultimately will lead to Dr. Suess's final prediction, and his final words in the book that was his final gift to humanity:

Kid, You'll Move Mountains!

In many Gov. Palin already has moved mountains in her lifetime of accomplishments, and yes this prediction has been fulfilled in terms of those. But, her biggest mountains yet await. There are more mountains for Gov. Palin to move, that will make her prior ones seem like mere foothills - these new mountains are why she is now in the Waiting Place.

When she moves her next mountain, Gov. Palin will also build a new one. What used to be a glass ceiling will be a mountain of broken glass when the biggest sonic boom and roar ever heard causes the world to shake and tremble as she flies high overhead and shows the world what a woman can do.

Supersonic Sarah: The Last Glass Ceiling

Giesel, S. T. and Giesel, A. S. (1990). Oh, the Places You'll Go! (New York: Random House).

"The open doors [Geraldine Ferraro] has provided all women [is] pretty profound and outstanding. [I am] so proud to have known her," Governor Palin said in a telephone interview with Fox News today following the death of Geraldine Ferraro to blood cancer. Gov. Palin and Ferraro were together on Election night discussing the direction the country should go in. Though they disagreed on politics, they "agreed on the rights that women have and that everyone here is to be treated equally, and you progress and accomplish based on your own merits," Gov. Palin said. Geraldine Ferraro was a pioneer, accepting the Democratic Vice Presidential nomination in 1984. "I can't say enough good things about what it is she accomplished." Ferraro had class, wisdom, and grace, Gov. Palin said.

Despite having cancer, Ferraro continued her work opening doors of opportunity for women. She refused to be a victim. And she advocated for cancer victims. "She wasn't self-focused. She was always trying to help others and trying to make the world a better place," Gov. Palin said.

"Across the political spectrum, all of us have the utmost respect for Geraldine Ferraro. She understood what she had to bust through to get to where she was....she was under great scrutiny...and was attacked as she rose. She handled it all with grace and dignity," Gov. Palin said.

When asked if Gov. Palin considered Ferraro a role model for young women to follow, she said, "absolutely." Gov. Palin had called her daughter Bristol to discuss Ferraro. Ferraro believed in work ethic and Gov. Palin noted that Ferraro was Providentially born on Women's Equality Day.

"Does it make you even more committed in your desire personally to serve the public good when you look at her life on a day like today that is sad, at the same time you say inspiring," the Fox News reporter asked Gov. Palin. "It does, because it is inspiring and it all about the pioneering spirit that built America - taking bold steps to accomplish great things despite the hardships that you know you're going to be anticipating - they're out there....every step of Geraldine's life she faced hardship, yet she plowed through and she was able to pave a way for others. She went before. She prepared the way," Gov. Palin said.

Sarah Palin Talks About Geraldine Ferraro retrieved from Fox News

H/T Whitney Pitcher, Conservatives4Palin for story lead

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

My family and I would like to express our sincere condolences to the family of Geraldine Ferraro. When I had the honor of working alongside Geraldine on election night last year, we both discussed the role of women in politics and our excited expectation that someday that final glass ceiling would be shattered by the election of a woman president. She was an amazing woman who dedicated her life to public service as a teacher, prosecutor, Congresswoman, and Vice Presidential candidate. She broke one huge barrier and then went on to break many more. The world will miss her. May she rest in peace and may her example of hard work and dedication to America continue to inspire all women.

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150120959438435.

Governor Palin last week gave a wide-ranging interview to Koël Purie Rinchet following her speech at the India Today Conclave 2011. Rinchet, the host of On the Couch with Koël began the interview by stating that Gov. Palin could become the most powerful person in the world in 2012.

India's Fascinating Diversity

Gov. Palin said she found India's geographic, religious and cultural diversity fascinating, and praised India for "leading by example...in terms of tolerance and embracing that diversity."

Gov. Palin lauded India's decisions pertaining to individual liberties, free markets, and small government.

She described her trip to the hotel from the airport as an "adrenaline rush," as she took in the New Delhi scenery. Gov. Palin said she wanted to see more of India, specifically the mountains and the Taj Mahal, sentiments she also expressed in her speech that day.

On Time Management

When asked how she manages a family of five children, a grandchild and her political life, Gov. Palin said her husband Todd is a great partner and helpmate. Both Sarah and Todd Palin have large families spanning five generations, and "all pitch in and help, making the logistics work," Gov. Palin said. When asked if something had to be sacrificed, Gov. Palin responded that she "does not spend a lot of time lazing around," and is usually multi-tasking. Downtime would be sacrificed. Gov. Palin said that both Todd and herself are wired to "go, go, go!"

Sarah and Todd Palin: Life Partners and a Team

Rinchet observed that Todd is a "such a caring man, checking your face before you went on." She noted that India tends to be a more macho culture and asked Gov. Palin if Todd ever felt like he was the lesser partner. Gov. Palin said no, adding that Todd is a successful businessman, four-time Iron Dog champion, and athlete. She said that they were very lucky to have met at an early age and though each does their own thing, they work as a team and as partners.

Rinchet asked Gov. Palin how she advised her daughter Bristol regarding her pregnancy with Tripp. Gov. Palin said at first it looked like an insurmountable challenge for Bristol, but she came to see what a joy and blessing Tripp was.

Recreation and Ordinary Tasks

When asked what she does for recreation, Gov. Palin said she goes running, snow-machining, and "anything else in the great outdoors."

Rinchet asked Gov. Palin what was the last ordinary thing she did. Gov. Palin had done many loads of laundry prior to her 19-hour flight to India. Gov. Palin and her family do a lot of life's ordinary tasks themselves. "It keeps me grounded," she said.

Did Pakistan's Prime Minister Flirt?

In 2008, Pakistan's Prime Minister Zardari asked Gov. Palin for permission to hug her. Rinchet asked Gov. Palin if she felt the Prime Minister was flirting. She said she did not know but wanted the meeting to get to politics and policy, which it did in short order.

People from India Gov. Palin has Met

Rinchet asked Gov. Palin who she would like to meet in India. Gov. Palin had already met Mother Theresa's biographer, and India's Prime Minister. She said there are so many dynamic, interesting people in India and "I'd like to meet more of you."

Frustration vs. Anger

Rinchet said that Gov. Palin was reputed to "have a temper" and asked her what things made her angry. Gov. Palin said reports of her "having a temper" were "ginned up" and "made up." She added that as a mom, she has to stay calm, cool, and collected in front of her children. Gov. Palin said she does not get angry, but sometimes gets frustrated at media lies about her record, accomplishments, and family.

Family, Todd, and God

"What is the most satisfying thing about being Sarah Palin," Rinchet asked. Gov. Palin said family, her relationship with Todd and her relationship with God were the most important things in her life, superseding all else.

2012

Rinchet's final question was, "What do you make of President Obama?" Gov. Palin said, that she would not criticize him on foreign soil, that he is still our president, "but I look forward to 2012. I think we're going to see a change, and I think it's going to be a change for the better."

Gov. Palin On the Couch with Koel Purie Rinchet, Part I retrieved from: Headlines Today

Gov. Palin On the Couch with Koel Purie Rinchet, Part II retrieved from: Headlines Today

H/T Ian Lazaran, Conservatives4Palin for video source lead.

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

“Let’s keep pivoting around media bias, and not get distracted with the vulgar personal shots. Call out lies and set the record straight, but always keep the ball moving. No one ever won a game only playing defense.”

Upon my return from an outstanding and productive trip to India and Israel, I’ve been inundated with requests to respond to petty comments made in the media the past few days, including one little fella’s comment which decent people would find degrading. (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.)

I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I’d like to share my thoughts on the never-ending issue of media bias.

When it comes to responding to the media, the standard warning is: Don’t pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel because calling out the media and holding them accountable is a risky endeavor. Too often the first instinct is to ignore blatant media bias, crudeness, and outright lies, and just hope the media instigator will grow up and provide fairer coverage if you bite your tongue and not challenge the false reporting of an openly hostile press. But I’ve never bought into that. That’s waving the white flag. I just can’t do it because I have too much respect for the importance of a free press as a cornerstone of our democracy, and I have great respect for the men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much to defend that First Amendment right. Media, with freedom comes responsibility.

Friends, too often conservatives or Republicans in general come across as having the fighting instinct of sheep. I don’t. 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.

But two decades in politics have taught me that when it comes to picking battles, often it’s best to ignore the truly petty, ugly personal media shots because engaging in a counter argument with disreputable, intolerant people doesn’t vindicate me; it merely gives those people the attention they seek. It wastes my time and it distracts from what we should focus on.

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. This is nothing new. Lincoln was mocked and ridiculed. Reagan was called an amiable dunce, a dangerous warmonger, a rightwing fanatic, and the insult list goes on and on. (But somehow Reagan still managed to win two major electoral landslides, and this was in the days before the internet and talk radio when all he had were three biased network news channels spinning reports on him. If he could do so much with so little and still be such an optimistic and positive leader, then surely we can succeed with the new media tools at our disposal.)

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.

Let’s keep pivoting around media bias, and not get distracted with the vulgar personal shots. Even with limited time we can try to call out lies and set the record straight, but always keep the ball moving. No one ever won a game only playing defense.

I’ll keep correcting false reporting, and I’ll defend others to the hilt; but I won’t spend any more precious, limited time responding to personal, vulgar, sexist venom spewed my way.

Today, our country is faced with seemingly overwhelming challenges. We have an unsustainable and immoral $14 trillion debt problem which, combined with a self-inflicted energy crisis, could bring America to her knees. The President of the United States is manipulating an energy supply by refusing to develop our U.S. energy resources. Shouldn’t that be the media’s focus today? Wouldn’t you like more information on the deficit that for last month alone was the highest in our history at $223 billion? That single month’s deficit was more than the entire deficit for the year 2007! We still have a 16% real unemployment rate. We had 2.9 million home foreclosures last year alone, with this year predicted to be even worse. Americans who are struggling to make ends meet are now hit by rising food and energy prices – exacerbated by the Fed’s decision to drop that $600 billion money bomb known as QE2 on us. Gas has already hit $4 per gallon in some areas. And let’s not forget that our men and women in uniform are deployed far from home today. From Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, to who-knows-where tomorrow under a clouded, confused Obama Doctrine, our armed forces are in harm’s way, defending our interests and protecting our freedoms.

Now these are the real concerns to Americans. These are times when real leadership is needed. We must never be distracted from these real concerns.

Petty comments from the small-minded are used to distract. Stay focused, America. Don’t wave any white flag. Simply put, let’s spend our precious time on causes that are worthy.

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150119801048435.

Gov. Palin tonight said in a three-segment interview with Greta Van Susteren that the Obama administration needs to clarify its goals in Libya; ObamaCare should be repealed; Israel needs to know they can count on us; and "I need NOW's defense like a fish needs a bicycle."

Libya

"We are not leading. This is turning into much more than a no-fly-zone," Gov. Palin said, adding that the Obama administration's approach to Libya is very confusing and filled with mixed messages. She expressed concern that command and control over our troops would be turned over to a foreign power with no defined point as to when it would be turned back.

"We should be in it to win it!" Gov. Palin said. "That means Gaddafi goes."

"Gaddafi has the blood of innocent Americans on his hands and this is the opportunity to hold him accountable," Gov. Palin said twice during the interview. She predicted that he would end up dead either at the hands of the rebel fighters or America and her allies in enforcing the no-fly-zone. Gov. Palin said that if we turn over command and control and Gaddafi stays in power, we will have failed. We have the manpower and technology to win she added.

"We should not turn over command and control to a steering committee....the military's role is to get in, strike hard [get rid of him], and get out," Gov. Palin said. "Our goal should not be nation-building."

The Cost of War

Gov. Palin said that funding a war and these mission is a consideration, when we are $14 trillion in debt. "We have to choose our wars wisely. It is not our role to be nation-building. We need to know before we send troops into harm's way that we are in it to win it."

"A month ago, the mission was to get Gaddafi out of power. A real leader seeks to be informed and inform us. We need cohesive, coordinated, and consistent policy," Gov. Palin said.

Greta noted that the left is angry with Obama for taking the military action, and the right is angry for him taking the action and not informing us.

Israel - a Trip of a Lifetime

"I got to hear first-hand [from Prime Minister Netanyahu] what his concerns are and what the threats are. He wants to know that as our most valuable ally, Israel can count on us," Gov. Palin said. "Obama was inappropriate to interfere in Israel's zoning issue [regarding settlements last year]," she added.

"Israel has made concession after concession and dealt with threat after threat," Gov. Palin said. As President, Gov. Palin would ensure that "Israel knows they can count on us to secure peace and we would stay out of their skirmishes. Israel has threats all around....why aren't we telling the Palestinians to quit bombing, and [shelling]. Why should the Jews be the ones to always be backing down? We need to take a harder line [on the Palestinians]" Gov. Palin said.

She noted that the some of the problems in Israel go back 4,000 years and emphasized that we need to get our own house in order.

ObamaCare

Gov. Palin said that ObamaCare is less popular now than it was a year ago today when it was signed into law. "People who ran in the mid-terms campaigned on repealing ObamaCare," Gov. Palin said. "...and in 2012, people will get elected on repeal." She said ObamaCare is job-killing, over-reaching, and unconstitutional. "It's unfair. We have 1,000 waivers...how about a waiver for the whole country? Repeal it."

Gov. Palin said ObamaCare violates the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution. "The federal government cannot force citizens to buy anything," she said.

Double-Standards for Conservative Women

"Women are held to a different standard. So what? Work harder, do better, get over it!" Gov. Palin said. But, Greta said the double-standard is degrading to women. Gov. Palin responded, "life is not fair. Deal with it. I need NOW's defense like fish need a bicycle. When it's directed at me, it rolls off like water off a duck's back," Gov. Palin said. But, if it's directed at her family or other women, Gov. Palin said she would "reload" and rise to their defense.

Greta said that she has seen first-hand horrific comments directed at Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. But, Gov. Palin said that kind of commentary is not said on Fox, but it is routine on HBO, MSNBC, and other left-leaning networks.

Gov. Palin concluded the question by saying, "we need to concentrate on what really matters in the world."

2012

Gov. Palin is still considering and wants to see if someone is willing to serve for the right reasons with a servant's heart. She said you don't need a title to make a difference.

Governor Palin “On The Record” With Greta Van Susteren – March 23 2011 retrieved from PalinTV.

Palin Reflects on Libya, Trip to Israel retrieved from Fox News.

Palin and the Vicious Double Standard retrieved from Fox News.

"Sarah Palin visited Naples Wednesday, bringing her conservative message to a gathering of about 1,000 at the Ritz-Carlton as part of the Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series. / Special to news-press.com"

Governor Palin tonight electrified the crowd of over 1,000 at the Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series with her speech on foreign policy and energy independence, Bob Rathberger, News-Press reported.

On Israel, Gov. Palin said, “The occupants of the White House do not have the concerns of Israel in their best interest." On Iran, she said, “We have tens of billions of barrels of oil warehoused underground in Alaska...But the president goes to Brazil. It's gone from ‘Drill, Baby, Drill' to ‘Drill, Brazil, Drill.’”

Gov. Palin said that the Obama administration squandered its opportunity to act on Iran. She said our policy on Libya is inconsistent and reiterated her concern expressed in India about China's military build-up which is offensive, not defensive in posture.

Gov. Palin described her foreign policy doctrine as: “If you're in it, win it. If there's doubt, get out.”

Gov. Palin also reiterated her concern about our skyrocketing national debt that she has expressed in many speeches and interviews. Gov. Palin said that the Democratic Party slogan of "Winning the Future" is more accurately described as "WTF."

Gov. Palin is still prayerfully considering whether she will run for President in 2012. She is scheduled to be on Greta Van Susteren's show at 2200 (10 PM) EDT tonight.

Benyamin Korn, publisher Jews for Sarah yesterday wrote in "A Foreign Policy Doctrine Echoing Reagan’s" that "allies should be supported, dictators reviled, terrorists hunted down and enemies defeated...we call it the Palin Doctrine." Korn recalled how Gov. Palin was the first to call for a no-fly zone over Libya nearly a month ago. While she was speaking in India, Gov. Palin's idea was finally adopted. In contrast to the Obama administration which considers the Muslim Brotherhood a secular organization, Korn wrote that Gov. Palin accurately and forthrightly said exactly what the Muslim Brotherhood is - a terrorist organization.

While Gov. Palin visited Israel at a critical moment - and as a private citizen met with that country's Prime Minister - Obama has yet to visit Israel after serving more than half his term in office.

Korn delineated how history is repeating itself. The relationship of Gov. Palin to Obama is like President Reagan to Carter.

H/T Doug Brady, Conservatives4Palin for story lead.

Anyone who has read George Orwell's Animal Farm knows this headline is a parody on a core theme of the book, which was written to describe the functioning of a communist totalitarian state. Several days ago, Bill Maher used a vulgar term referencing a part of the female anatomy to insult Gov. Palin. NOW stood silent, till yesterday when Lisa Bennett, the organization's media director responded, according to Fox News:

“Listen, supposedly progressive men (ok, and women, too): Cut the crap! Stop degrading women with whom you disagree and/or don’t like by using female body terms or other gender-associated slurs." “You’re trying to take up our time getting us to defend your friend, Sarah Palin. If you keep us busy defending her, we have less time to defend women’s bodies from the onslaught of reproductive rights attacks and other threats to our freedom, safety, livelihood, etc,” wrote Bennett. “Sorry, but we can’t defend Palin or even Hillary Clinton from every sexist insult hurled at them in the media. That task would be impossible, and it would consume us. You know this would not be a productive way to fight for women’s equal rights, which is why you want us stuck in this morass.”

 

By using "even" in naming one of two women NOW apparently has no time to defend, they imply that Gov. Palin is somehow lesser than Hillary Clinton - a lesser woman, a lesser person. Translation: "Palin? Pfft! We don't have time to defend that. We don't have time to defend Hillary Clinton either and we think so much more highly of her as a woman."

How else can the National Organization for Women's (NOW) half-hearted defense of Gov. Palin be characterized than a case of all women being equal, but some women are more equal than others?

Video compilation of Gov. Palin visiting the Western Wall and Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyau.

Governor Sarah Palin In Israel - March 19-21 2011 retrieved from Alicia Fix Luke, Barracuda Brigade 2012