by Mark Silva
It's a rite of passage for politicians in Washington:
Making fun of oneself.
And sometimes politicians do it on purpose - particularly when it's a matter of performing for the Gridiron Club.
That's what Sarah Palin, the Republican author of Going Rogue, 2008 GOP nominee for vice president, former governor of Alaska and mayor of Wasilla touted by some as party material for 2012, was doing in Washington last night - interrupting her three-week book-signing tour for a stint at the winter dinner of the once-secretive, still-exclusive club that sponsors the annual spring evening of political satire.
Palin told her hosts last night that she "came down from my hotel room, and I could see the Russian Embassy.''
She also suggested that she had considered an alternative title for her memoir: "How To Look Like a Million Bucks For Only $150,000.''
(That was an allusion to the campaign wardrobe hastily assembled for Sen. John McCain's running mate - but there will be no more footnotes for the jokes - get 'em or forget 'em.)
Had the election turned out differently, Palin told her hosts, "I could be the one overseeing the signing of bailout checks and Vice President Biden could be on the road selling his book, 'Going Rogaine.'"
Palin, who has sometimes accused the media of "making things up,'' said she was glad to appear before such an elite audience of leading intellectuals - "or as I like to call it, a death panel."
She spoke fondly of the presidential campaign past, the one in which McCain's own people had complained that she was the one going rogue: "The view is so much better from inside the bus than under it.''
Next time, she said, with an allusion to the particularly critical McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt, "If I need a bald campaign manager I guess I'm left with James Carville.''
Which left room for another politician at the table, the Democratic guest at the dinner: Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, who had some fun at the expense of a fellow senator from Missouri, Claire McCaskill, who loves to tweet on Twitter.
The new social-networking media is great, Frank said, but he's rooting for the economic recovery of real newspapers:
"Maybe I lack intellectual curiosity, but I'm not that interested in what Claire McCaskill has for lunch.''
(Sarah Palin is pictured above signing copies of "Going Rogue: An American Life", sitting in front of a Christmas Tree at BJ's discount warehouse in Fairfax, Va., where more than 1,000 people waited in the snow for signatures. Photo by Paul J. Richards / AFP / Getty Images)
Comments
Did Lynn Vincent write Mrs. Palin's jokes as well as her book?
And why wouldn't Mrs. Palin be comfortable among reporters? She has a degree in journalism. Of course, she had to go to five of America's finest backwater colleges to get it. She also worked as a newspaper and video sports reporter.
But seriously, folks, Sarah Palin's bus tour is really taking off.
See:
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/palin-just-plane-folks/
Posted by: Mike Licht | December 6, 2009 11:22 AM
Run, Sarah, Run and don't quit this time.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | December 6, 2009 12:58 PM
At least, she's got a sense of humor.
Posted by: hmm | December 6, 2009 2:11 PM
I think Fabio wrote Mrs. Palin's jokes.....
Posted by: DEO | December 6, 2009 2:12 PM
Ahhh, Marky keeps writing that Palin once said the media "makes things up."
Mark, here is a quiz for you. True or False will do.
1. The NY Times' Jayson Blair made things up?
2. Mike Barnical made things up?
3. The Washington Post was going to sell time with Post reporters and editors as well as other Wshington bigwigs?
4. NBC News strapped explosive devices to GM trucks ultimately resulting in Michael Gartner, then NBC News president, resigning?
I know, Mark doesn't think the media ever makes things up. And even the truths, I'm sure he will ignore. Just like evidence that shows there is no man-made global warming.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | December 6, 2009 2:26 PM
Paraphrasing Jay Leno from earlier this week:
Let's see, we have an ex-governor who takes a plane to the stops of her bus tour, to promote a book she didn't write, and her big complaint is politicians who aren't real.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | December 6, 2009 2:59 PM
Isn't that a cute little hat she has on? Seems no one is looking at that... but quite a few at whatever our First Lady puts on.
Posted by: irene | December 6, 2009 6:38 PM
You go ahead and tell Marky what is what, Johnny. I know that you know that I know that you know we can practically mind read through Marky bringin' "making stuff up" up on us unsuspecting readers. For the last time, Marky, Palin does not make things up. The Caribou population is on the rise, world wide the caribou population has not dramatically decreased nor have their bambions gotten smaller, because in Anchorage Alaska the population has been rightfully restored to the generous 35,000 units necessary to keep us red blooded gun totting death panel Vikings from shooting ourselves. Palin is the reason I get up in the morning, and throw the newspaper on my doorstep at the milk boy saying, "If you need more than 140 characters to prove global warming, quite making stuff up."
Posted by: Chip | December 6, 2009 7:26 PM
"Anchorage Alaska the population has been rightfully restored to the generous 35,000 units necessary to keep us red blooded gun totting death panel Vikings from shooting ourselves."
Chip, you seem confused. Do you know anything? Do you know where you are? Are you in Alaska and what are you doing paling around with Vikings? Aren't they in Minnesota? You can't be 700 years old. Well, Alzheimer's would explain alot.
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | December 6, 2009 9:57 PM
I hope she runs in 2012, as she will torpedo the legitmacy of the republican party as only she can. Run Sarah run, and help Obama win a second term.
Posted by: Pete | December 7, 2009 10:55 AM
John, still crackpot as usual posts his usual dribble about the earth is flat; that's there's no global warming caused by people and machines and that the media is biased. Let's see, it's perfectly logical that a loser like him and other sheep fully support the dumb-as-a-rock Palin. You know, the one who had to have people write things for her--books, speeches, sound bites. On her own, she would stammer, and quit. Oh wait. She already did that.Never mind...
Posted by: gibster | December 7, 2009 11:56 AM
There you go you nose-in-the-air intelligentsia lawyer types waving your expensive feather dusters from the 11th-century-too-good-for-a-ball-point-pen. Dang, you caught me with me elephant gun up. You've got the eye of a worm. Alzheimer's, is that like a fizzling soda pop? Can't be too sure with you elitists running around springing up them gotcha questions un us regular folk. In your infinite need to showcase your wisdom, you forgot to correlate the probability between Vikings and guns. Also. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennvaca/2810625110/ I'm the one with squirrel on my head. Go Vikings!
Posted by: Chip | December 7, 2009 9:08 PM
Why is anyone paying attention to her? She is a failed governer after two years who quit before she was removed from office. The Republicans were hoping that women would vote for any women, even if she is the antithisis of everything the women's movement stands for. Stop awknoledging her please, and lets hope she can fade away into a Trivial Pursuit question.
Posted by: Schock | December 8, 2009 9:17 AM