Are the Teabaggers really paying Sarah Palin $100,000 to mumble incoherently to them?

This morning, I asked whether Sarah Palin’s decision to speak at the Tea Party National Convention (Remember them for the last post?) — while (so far) eschewing the much higher-profile Conservative Political Action Conference — had anything to with money. [UPDATE: Palin skipped CPAC in 2009 and has not said yes or no to the conference this year. It's held two weeks after the Tea Party event.] (The Teabaggers are meeting on February 4 through the 6.)

Conservative blogger Dan Riehl is reporting, based on “forwarded communications,” that Palin is making at least $75,000 and at most $100,000 for her speech. Tickets for the speech alone are going for $349 — tickets for the whole convention are $549. (If this is the only source that Palin is making $100,000 then I would take it with a HUGE grain of salt. Not exactly famous for doing his homework.)

“I’d speculate that Palin’s making at least $35,000 or $50,000, with $50,000 being more likely” said Eric Odom, executive director of the American Liberty Alliance, which is doing a promotional exchange for the convention. “I mean, Glenn Beck charges $60,000, $70,000 and a private jet.” He wasn’t planning this part of the convention, but he supported the Palin booking and argued that the convention was “as grassroots as it gets.”

Still, no one disputes that Palin is getting a healthy fee for appearing at the conference — and that’s a big difference between this and CPAC.

“We don’t pay honorarium, travel or hotel expenses for any speakers, past or future,” said Lisa de Pasquale, the director of CPAC. (To read the rest of this article just click the title.)

Unbelievable. Have these people NEVER heard Palin speak? All it should take is a few minutes of listening to her spew empty headed talking points and easily refuted lies to realize that they would get more bang for their buck by inviting Mariah Carey and providing an open bar. (Okay I know that was mean, but you have to admit it WAS a lot more entertaining than listening to Caribou Barbie.)

You know as somebody who has heard way more Palin speeches than can be considered healthy, I have to say that if I had it I would gladly pay her $100,000 just to shut her up. Of course she would also have to promise to stay shut up for an extended period of time. Oh and she would also have to promise to sit down. Yep both "shut up" AND "sit down", I bet I could find plenty of people willing to pool their money toward that end!