Read it here.Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Pain is turning down an invitation to speak at one high-profile conservative gathering while accepting another.
Palin is declining an invitation to address the Conservative Political Action Conference next month because, a source said, she does not want to be affiliated with the longtime organizer of the traditional movement confab.
At issue is the role of David Keene, head of the American Conservative Union which organizes CPAC. In September, POLITICO reported that Keene asked FedEx for between $2 million and $3 million to get the group's support in a bitter legislative battle with rival UPS.
A source close to the Palin camp says that request led to a decision to stay away from the upcoming CPAC conference, calling it a forum that will place "special interests over core beliefs" and "pocketbook over policy."
Some call this sort of thing "crony capitalism", but it's just plain corruption, and Sarah, to her credit, is having nothing to do with it. Politico notes that this is going to cost her some support among establishment conservatives, and that's fine with her. In coming elections the establishments, both Republican and "conservative", are going to be targets of populist wrath and Sarah figures to be leading the charge. That is how things worked out in Alaska. Will it work in national politics? Let us devoutly hope so.
Related: Red State reports that a poll of Washington insiders shows that establishment Republicans really, really don't like Sarah [here] and maybe "that's just how she wants it".
Exactly!!!
