by Rebecca Cole
The blogosphere is abuzz with stories about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's recent missteps in her efforts to maintain momentum for a presumed 2012 presidential bid.
At the center of the kerfuffle is an unlikely Washington, D.C., power couple: Fox News host Greta Van Susteren and her husband John Coale, a longtime Beltway insider and trial lawyer.
Now the mainstream media appears to be catching on, with Politico reporting: "Staff infection: Allies rip Palin team" on Sunday, and yesterday's piece in the Washington Post's "The Fix" entitled "Palin's Political Problems Persist."
From Politico:
"Interviews with Alaska and Washington-based GOP political professionals who are familiar with the Palin operation describe the governor's team as a gang that couldn't shoot straight, a staff whose failure to execute basic political maneuvers too often entangles the governor in awkward and embarrassing situations that could have easily been avoided."
The article continued:
"Another former Palin ally still in touch with the governor was blunt when asked to explain Plain's missteps since the election: "Taking advice from Greta and her husband," said this source."
In her GretaWire blog yesterday, Van Susteren acknowledged Coale met Palin during the course of one of her many interviews with the governor -- in the past five months, Van Susteren scored two coups in landing the first interview with Palin after her failed vice presidential bid ended in November and snagging an interview with 18-year-old Bristol Palin after the birth of her son Tripp in December.
But the "On the Record" host hotly disputed the claim that she is providing advice to Palin, and called Politico on the carpet for its "hit and run:"
"I am flattered someone would think people take advice from me but this is fanciful. Note that it is from a "source" -- is that code for phoney? In this instance yes. This is why I hate "sources" and where journalism can be grossly unfair -- in the law you have to step up on the witness stand and identify yourself and take an oath to tell the truth. You can't do a 'hit and run!'"
(File photo of Gov. Sarah Palin above by Al Grillo / AP)
Palin's last-minute no-show at February's Conservative Political Action Conference -- a slot taken instead by radio's Rush Limbaugh -- is cited as evidence that her Alaskan handlers are getting their signals crossed with her D.C.-based political action committee, SarahPAC -- an entity that Coale is rumored to have helped form and fund.
Also cited is the face that Palin's team didn't know she had apparently committed to headline a fundraising dinner this June. When the Anchorage Daily News contacted Palin spokesman Bill McAllister for comment, McAllister said the governor was unaware of the event. Unfortunately, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee had already blasted it out to the airwaves and a dust-up ensued.
Some bloggers like Geoffrey Dunn of the Huffington Post are also making hay about Van Susteren's and Coale's adherence to the Church of Scientology, questioning their motives in reaching out to Palin. But there is scant evidence - so far - that their Scientologist truck is resonating with the conservative Palin.
The bigger question is why, with everything to lose and much to gain from being the best-known and best-loved face of the GOP, would Palin put her fate in the hands of amateurs rather than a savvy team of cutthroat strategists?
Or is it, now that she's on her own, Palin is just lost in the woods?
Comments
"Interviews with Alaska and Washington-based GOP political professionals who are familiar with the Palin operation describe the governor's team as a gang that couldn't shoot straight"
But, but, but...they did hold hands and pray with her. Wasn't that why she said she lost as VP?
Posted by: bill r. | March 31, 2009 3:05 PM
Palin will never hold public office outside of the state of Alaska. End of story.
Posted by: Doug R. | March 31, 2009 3:42 PM
Greta's requesting Sarah to wear a thong does not constitute political advice. Obviously Greta is embarrassed somewhat by this girl crush she has. We should just let them have their slumber parties unencumbered.
Remember, just like girls developing faster than boys at an earlier age, Republicans take a little longer to evolve than the rest of society. These fine middle-aged Republicans deserve a little repect for their privacy as the enter the equivalent of the far out swinging sixties.
John and Greta and Todd and Sarah the movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_&_Carol_&_Ted_&_Alice
Posted by: Inconvenient Facts | March 31, 2009 3:50 PM
Sarah Palin is great for American politics... Well, if you are a Democrat she is great, if you are a Republican she is a tad embarassing...
Posted by: nisl | March 31, 2009 3:53 PM
Has anyone ever noticed that nothing is ever Palin's fault? It's either the McCain campaign (Free Sarah!), the RNC (the clothing debacle), the media (gotcha questions), or now her staff issues. She's not responsible for her family problems, either. Sure, some kids mess up no matter what parents do, but Palin has a habit of not taking responsibility for her own problems. She's also not responsible for any of these ethics allegations, either. (It's so much easier to just do what you want, and blame liberals for frivolous charges.) I'm not saying all the charges are legit, but some of them are.
In Alaska, the gas line is on the rocks - her signature goal. She also failed to send her 2 most important pieces of legislation to the legislature in time for them to consider them in detail and vote. But, when they fail, I'm sure she'll just blame the legislators. Why did she wait until the last 6 weeks to submit her proposals?
It's time for Palin to take responsibility for her own actions, her own deficiencies, and start showing us she is worthy to be a 2012 candidate. She's supposed to be this great governor, but the facts don't necessarily mesh with that meme. If she can't handle the responsibilities she now has, what makes anyone believe she can be POTUS? Especially after the Obama administration has taken a wrecking crew to wealth, free markets, foreign policy, etc. We're going to need a seriously prepared candidate.
Republicans/conservatives need to seriously re-think Sarah before she is catapulted to the nomination. We need someone with brains, knowledge, and a record of competence. Unfortunately, the rhetoric surrounding Palin does not match reality. She's all hat and no cattle.
Posted by: Periwinkle | March 31, 2009 4:20 PM
Perhaps they are confused!....this sounds more like President Obama's transition team. "Dah...Dah...Dah....that's all folks" (press sec. Gibbs) There is only one difference between Palin and Obama...the press supports Obama!
Posted by: Joe | March 31, 2009 4:40 PM
Sarah will make a great President after four years of Obama's Dictatorship.
Posted by: Inky | March 31, 2009 4:43 PM
Please nominate Palin in 2012. Please. Please. Please.
Also, of course Greta hates "sources". She just assumes that all sources are phony b/c she works for Fox, the ani-news channel, where phony, outlandish gibberish passes for journalism.
Posted by: Batski | March 31, 2009 5:01 PM
Who cares anyway??Palin will never get elected to anything ouside of Alaska.Not even by the Republicans. She is an embarrassment.....
Posted by: kaye c. | March 31, 2009 5:30 PM
This article has NO credibility right here: Palin's spot at CPAC was taken by Rush Limbaugh.
FALSE!
Did you do any journalistic research or just cut and paste other people's work?
She was only ever tentatively scheduled for the 4:30 Thursday speaking slot.
Rush was ALWAYS going to be the Saturday headliner.
Big factual error, so I find the rest of the article questionable as well ...
Posted by: hrh40 | March 31, 2009 5:52 PM
More synthetic "scandal" from the MSM, >yawn<
There is of course a strategy of pre-emption afoot, with the MSM and online media going after Palin in a substained effort, as mysterious "leaks" from nobody/false rumors, persist. If Sarah Palin is so silly and irrelevant, why the obsession?
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Clearly the Left noted her appeal, and are out to eliminate the threat- like the dubious poll by Bill Clinton's pollster and Carville's ally showing that Obama would beat Palin by 20 points, which was then splashed all over the headlines.... typical of how the DNC and MSM worked hand in hand to elect Obama and attack any perceived threats. It's not like it's not obvious-
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And the Democrats' double-standard sexism is appalling; she's "dumb" because she's a happy and attractive Christian, who enjoys being a mother? Real feminists need to be angry, wear combat boots, no make-up, short hair, and live alone in a studio apartment in the East Village? She's not the right kind of example because she doesn't support affirmative action... but instead went out there and just kicked butt?
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She has been highly successful in life while ignoring the left-wing feminist model... this helps to explain the extra dose of venom in the attacks.
Democrats are plenty afraid of Palin coming-back at them in 2012 with a dynamic and complementary VP like Bobby Jindal... or visa versa. And they have plenty of reason to fear her.
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Palin is the most popular governor in the country... are all those people idiots? Alaska was a pretty corrupt system until she stepped in. Her reforms took on entrenched politicians (inc. Republicans), a mafioso-style union boss, and Big Oil.
Wouldn't it have been nice if Obama had been principled and brave enough to confront the corrupt Chicago Democratic Machine? Or shady political operators like Tony Rezko? Racist preachers? Instead of doing business with every last one of them?
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Go get em, Sarah- and don't mind the press, nobody will be listening to them anymore after the pending Obamamania implosion.
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http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Reaganite Republican | March 31, 2009 5:54 PM
Heh.
The description of her team sounds JUST LIKE the Obama administration.
Amazing.
Posted by: UnfrozenCavegirlBlogger | March 31, 2009 6:17 PM
Reaganite -
Palin is a popular gov because she's not Murkowski, and because she taxes big oil and doles out the cash. Without the high oil prices of last year, Palin would not enjoy those high approval ratings.
Her anti-corruption record is slim - she ratted out a fellow commissioner for using his office for political activities (Palin does the same thing) and then she resigned. I think what she did was commendable, but not remarkable.
Entrenched Murkowski? Ha, he was a very unpopular governor under a cloud of suspicion. Almost anyone would have beaten him.
Palin is more myth than reality.
Posted by: Periwinkle | March 31, 2009 8:53 PM
Although I'm shocked that this picture of Sarah Palin shows no animals being slaughtered in the background, I must beg to ask one question: Can't we allow the wingnut from Wasilla to fade simply away? Please!
Posted by: Carol A. | March 31, 2009 9:55 PM
Lets see what the governor will do with the oil price down and the budget in a short fall. I think we will see how tough she is. She is sticking her neck out on several initiatives. She is courageous. Lets see if her instincts are good.
Posted by: Katherine Ewing | March 31, 2009 10:34 PM
Remember the last favorable article about Gov. Palin in "Swamp?" Neither do I. Because there's never been one. The Democrats' (aka Swamp) obsession with trashing Sarah Palin is
so revealing. And people wonder why this "news" paper is going bankrupt.
Posted by: Carleeta | April 1, 2009 10:19 AM
Not just he Swamp but ALL who attack Gov. Palin, especially with these jacked up lawsuits is helping her.
She will create a fund like Pres. Clinton did to pay for her Lawyers fee's and she will get a lot of money in a very short time.
So the best the haters can hope for is that no-one gives any money. I don't think so. Your actually your helping her.
That's the way I see it.
Posted by: PG | April 1, 2009 12:25 PM