Miss Sarah's Latest Grand Hu$tle.

Not that you noticed (I sure hope you had better things to do with your time), but Sarah Palin spoke to a gathering of Tea Partiers[1] in Ca$hville, Ten-A-Key this past weekend. The topic was nothing but pointless talking points, and I'm sure nothing of substance was uttered, because this woman is completely devoid of anything remotely resembling an original idea.



It doesn't matter. For Tea Partiers, this was the equivalent of the historic March On Washington, culminating in the historic-er "I Have A Dream" speech. In fact on CNN, Palin' hour of power followed a documentary on the words and writings of Dr. Kaing himself. The contrast couldn't have been more startling.

That sound you just heard was MLK rolling in his grave.

What's especially cool is how this woman, who clearly has no intentions of doing anything but padding her pockets (Sarah's wrists stay froze up!), is so shrewdly pimpin' her followers. Anyone who thinks she's dumb clearly doesn't recognize game, and lemme tell ya'll, Miss Sarah is a playa.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin defended her involvement in the first-ever Tea Party Convention, saying in a column that she will not "benefit financially" from the $100,000 fee she's earning as the keynote speaker.

Two other scheduled speakers, Reps. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., have dropped out after a House ethics committee review urged them to do so, citing questions over how proceeds would be used. The event organizer is a for-profit company.

But Palin defended the Nashville event in a USA Today column which was posted to her Facebook page.

"I thought long and hard about my participation in this weekend's event," she wrote. "At the end of the day, my decision came down to this: It's important to keep faith with people who put a little bit of their faith in you. Everyone attending this event is a soldier in the cause."

She indicated she would donate her speaking fee toward other candidates and causes.

"I will not benefit financially from speaking at this event. My only goal is to support the grassroots activists who are fighting for responsible, limited government -- and our Constitution," she wrote."In that spirit, any compensation for my appearance will go right back to the cause."

Palin also wrote that she will head to Searchlight, Nev., in March for the kickoff rally of the third Tea Party Express tour -- an organized cross-country trip of tea party supporters.

As noted, Palin's already got similar gigs lined up in Massachusetts and Nevada this Spring. At $100,000 a pop, even I'd speak to an assembly of misinformed do-do's too. Even recent news that Palin has one of Al Gore's ex-weedcarriers ghostwriting her speeches isn't enough to ruin her trailer park street cred with Tea Party Nation. It's just amazing.

Of course, Palin says the money she receives as an honorarium is going toward "other candidates and causes". And by "causes" she means "The Todd & Sarah Palin Naughty Monkey Shoes And Snowmobile Fund". The Palin household deep freezer been had Moose Burgers! Call me vapid, but I'd swear the easiest way to benefit these "candidates and causes" would be to have the money directly deposited to their coffers, not landing in your First Bank Of Wasilla checking account along the way. But hey, that's just me.

Even Chris Wallace, a guy who shares a payroll with Palin, and isn't exactly known as a tough interviewer, couldn't resist the temptation of pointing out this bullsh*t. Listen around the 1:40 mark, as she gives her shoddy justification for quitting her job early. And the 4:30 mark when she tries to explain hundreds of emails that "The First Dude" sent on her behalf while she was Governor. Or at the 7:00 mark when she's confronted about her hypocrisy re: use of "The R-Word".



I would love watching opponents like Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee absolutely skewer this woman come the 2012 GOP debates. Obama would never have to lift a finger. Of course, this won't happen, because, despite what she might say to the contrary to toss red meat to her sheeple, she is not running. Period.

Sooner or later, Tea Party Nation will wipe the cold from their eyes and realize that a woman who quits a gubb'ment job midway through her term so she can cash in her fleeting fame and become a millionaire is hardly "just like one of us", and actually has a lot more in common with our Nazi Kenyan dictator than the typical Lee Greenwood fan.

And then, Miss Sarah will be on to the next one, probably with her own jewelry show on QVC, cause that's what hustlers do.

They hustle.

Question: Is it terribly obvious that Palin's only plan is to get paid, or is that just me being cynical as usual? How can she justify accepting these exorbitant speaking fees and keep her street cred with the Tea Partiers?

Palin Defends Tea Party Convention, Says Speaking Fee Will Go to the 'Cause' [FoxNews]

[1] I'm respectfully trying not to use "that other term", although it's so much easier to type.