Friday, September 25, 2009

$63,500 is chump change. But $200,000 is some serious money. Will Palin accept?

Here is a the offer from former Wall Street Executive Ken Morris to Ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

What the flippin' flapjacks is going on here? The pounding in my head is like a bongo on steroids and unless I gain some understanding of what looks like an ocean of crazy stew, I'm liable to take up residence in a rubber room.

Here's what's got my head Linda Blairing: Sarah Palin--who must've said our President was "pallin' around with terrorists" a thousand times--gave a speech in a communist nation known for human rights abuses, forced late term abortions, child sweatshops (thereby making products so cheaply that U.S. manufacturing cannot compete), and poisoned dog food. She then criticized the president in this foreign land for implementing trade restrictions.
Does anyone remember the Dixie Chicks?

Days ago, when I lost out on the eBay auction to have dinner with Ms. Palin, I rationalized that with the restrictions, I'd not have been approved anyway. So, as I wrote shortly thereafter, "In the great American tradition of never say die," I proposed a more substantial offer for an on the record discussion.

I will donate $100,000 to veterans' charities for a second dinner with Sarah Palin and four guests, this one on-the-record and taped so as to minimize misrepresentations. In the name of fair play, my list of invitees will include a subset of Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Thom Hartmann, Oprah Winfrey, James Carville, Randi Rhodes, Arianna Huffington, Frank Rich, Mudflats' Jeanne Devon, Jane Hamsher and Shannyn Moore. On her side, Sarah Palin may invite guests as well (how about Bill Kristol and Glenn Beck?). The only additional conditions are that the dinner/event last the entire four hours and questions asked are answered and discussed civilly. No filibustering, no third party prompts, just face-to-face honesty. Hostility by any invitee will be cause for removal. No discussion of children, Vogue, Katie Couric, The Enquirer, or Levi Johnston permitted (Well there goes MY invitation). My reasons for such an offer are honorable and important. With the Supreme Court positioned to overturn campaign finance laws in the Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission case now before it, corporate contributions to federal elections will be unfettered. In other words, Sarah Palin with the help of an unlimited dose of corporate funds might one day be president. Already she has what appears to be a heady stable of influential supporters: Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, Bill Kristol, Lawrence Kudlow, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. In other words, I take her prospects seriously. And, as she has chosen to be a spokesperson for, as she says, " American Main Street ," it is vital that she come out from behind her handlers and speak on the record in unscripted fashion. We deserve to be enlightened by honest insights not merely prepared comments and pre-screened questions.

Many readers didn't expect Ms. Palin to accept my offer and, so far, I've not heard a peep from her handlers (though I did get a few candid comments from some of her supporters and to them, yes, I do know who my parents are. Thanks for asking).

How to generate interest from Camp Palin? To that end, if it's a question of numbers, I'm prepared to up the ante. I originally wanted to post a challenge to the hundreds of readers who have expressed a willingness to contribute to veteran charities if this meeting of the minds came about. My thought was to match public contributions up to an additional $100,000. However, there are many logistical problems beyond my ability to address, so I'll simply double the offer to $200,000 and suggest to Ms. Palin that there are many people who will add to the total. The $200,000 minimum might well be something substantially larger.

The only change I'd like to make in the original proposal is to add one additional name to the list of potential attendees. As Ms. Palin claimed in her speech that de-regulation and lower taxes would end the financial crisis, it would be useful to invite Paul Krugman. From a recent interview with Rachel Maddow, I gather he isn't in full support of that economic analysis.

While I've not quite matched the reported $300,000 China fee, with public help we might yet reach that level and Ms. Palin won't have to travel across the world to attend. Best of all for her, the visibility and good will should be priceless. As I said before a win-win and tres cool.

Well if "citizen of Main Street" Sarah Palin really cares about charities it would seem this is too good of an opportunity to pass up. Just think how many veterans $200,000 plus dollars could help? That is a substantial amount of money.

Anybody think she has the guts to accept?

(Please click the title to read all of AKMuckrakers wonderful Huffington Post article.)

18 comments:

  1. How can she accept? She has no real thoughts or opinions of her own, can only babble the lines she has been given by her handlers. To talk with an outsider would expose the real Sarah. An empty head!

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  2. Anonymous3:45 PM

    Cost vs. Benefit for Sarah Palin. Gee, that is the question, isn't it?

    Cost 1: turning down this offer. She could be cast as not really caring about veterans. She talks the talk, but does she walk the walk when it really matters. She might care about veterans, but not, I think, to expose her rather formidable limitations.

    Cost 2: being exposed as the vapid little weasel-brain she is when confronted by high-level interviewers whose brains really work. My money is on this as the deciding factor. No handler or adviser worth his or her money or reputation would allow her to go unscripted into the lion's den of smart, experienced professional journalists, economists - well, heck, of anyone with an IQ over 100.

    Benefit 1: By accepting without conditions, she could show true grit, real courage and a true commitment to helping others. She might even win over some vets or their families if enough money is raised. Even is she fumbles, she might get away with some aura of "gee, folks, at least she cares and she was trying" BS. The sympathy factor could take the edge off for people who vote based upon a candidate's "just folks" persona or based upon sympathetic emotion, i.e., "there but for the grace of God/gods/goddess go I." I mean, some folks will just accept a defense of "I was intimidated or flustered." They might see the qualified folks as Meanies going after Poor Sarah aka the the Blech Factor.

    Benefit 2: heck, there is no benefit to allowing hard-ball journalists access to her with questions that haven't been pre-approved. She can't handle that. If she could have, she would have already. I mean, she is in her forties, right? She doesn't have time enough to get the tutoring she would need to appear adequate.

    I don't think she will ever accept something like this without her infamous lists of conditions. She doesn't have the guts or the ability to carry it off.

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  3. Anonymous3:55 PM

    Caribou Barbie doesn't have the guts. "Lightweight" doesn't even begin to describe her lack of intelligence and substance. She's a total joke.

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  4. Anonymous4:50 PM

    She will NEVER do this. Even though the offer is merely an invitation for a fair and reasoned conversation with intelligent people who happen to have opposing points of view--Sarah and her team can balk and call it a trap of "gotcha journalists."

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  5. Anonymous4:58 PM

    I say let's up the bid to $300,000. and counting. All that Mr.Morris has to do is put up the Pay Pal Button, and in return for our contributions, we will all be guests at the table thanks to a live feed. Sarah won't just be talking to a couple of people around a dinner table; we could all be there via computer video tele-conferencing.

    And, to sweeten the pot, if someone donates a certain amount of money (oh, let's just say $100. or more) they can email one of their questions to a dinner guest, who will relay it to Sarah.

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  6. phoebes-in-santa fe5:29 PM

    Maybe if all the money was going to her favorite charity - herself - she'd accept, but not otherwise. That girl does nothing without monetary gain.

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  7. Anonymous5:55 PM

    Will Palin accept? Only if she can wear a radio device in her Bumpit.

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  8. She won't do it. She will not mingle with people who do not worship her. Her Ebay Dinner was fixed, proving that she is a fraud.
    There are only 2 things that Sarah cares about: Herself and Money. Her children are a distant third, and who knows how far down the totem pole pussy whipped Todd is.

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  9. I'll contribute. Great idea.

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  10. Anonymous7:13 PM

    The author forgot the poisoned baby formula... and I'd make a hefty contribution if former Gov. Palin took him up on his offer.

    I doubt she would accept though.

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  11. She won't accept, unless the only subject allowed is the overflowing bucket of natural resources, her God dumped over Alaska.

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  12. She'll only accept if she gets the money...Did you read the article in The Independent about her speech in Hong Kong? Scathing, here's the url:
    http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-mangling-everything-in-its-path-typhoon-sarah-blows-in-to-asia-1792305.html

    You'll enjoy it!

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  13. Palin = Coward

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  14. Gray Jay1:42 AM

    She won't accept; *she* won't be receiving any money.

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  15. Driftglass.blogspot.com
    Has the best picture of Palin and her criticism of Pres. Obama.
    Priceless!!!!!

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  16. Palin would never let herself be subjected to answer any kind of real questions that were not pre approved by herself.
    She doesn't give a rats ass about anybody than herself. Not even her own children.
    Palin is always talking about the troops. If she really meant what she says about them sh wouldn't hesitate to take up the $200,000. offer. Her own son is in Iraq for Christ sake!
    This is just more proof of what a freakin phony she is and always will be.
    Now, if she could pocket the 200,000, she might jut do it. But she would demand it be just Mr. Morris and herself and Todd (to protect her poor feelings)

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  17. Anonymous11:52 AM

    It is difficult to imagine how a middle-aged, rather stupid big fraidy cat with a strange grasp of the English language, has become some kind of Howard Hughes freak show and "Icon". It is astonishing that she is allowed to replace meaningful, insightful and well thought out “conversations” with drivel that is awkward, non-edifying, mavericky, non-relevant and boring, boring, boring nothing speech. WTF is that all about? She’s a freaking loser!

    Why is she being accommodated? For what earthly purpose does the world need to hear her “opinion” on anything? And why are people willing to pay for nothing? She profits, goes back into hiding behind the writers of her Facebook and takes credit for their work. Hello? Have we all fallen into the rabbit hole? Is the moon really made of cheese? If you click your heels three times, will you be in Kansas? It feels like a really bad LSD trip. Maybe when I come back, “she who will not be named” will be gone. That would be a good trip.

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  18. Palin is a coward5:49 PM

    She would not do it if the money went to her and Todd would not get any of it. McCain is going with Romney and he's too chicken to fess up.

    Palin = Coward

    That is about all one can say about her now.

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