President Obama's Immigration Speech Cost Taxpayers $527 per Word

Yesterday, a study from the publicly funded University of Minnesota was released noting that Governor Sarah Palin was paid $15.85 per word during her time as a FoxNews contributor. Despite all of Governor Palin's purported irrelevancy, this study generated stories at USA Today, the Washington Post, The New York Times, Yahoo! News, and Politico, among numerous other outlets.

Meanwhile, just today, President Obama flew from Washington D.C. to Las Vegas to give a speech on immigration reform. Per the Weekly Standard, his trip cost taxpayers a $1.6 million or $182,000 per hour of flight on Air Force One. According to the transcript at the Chicago Sun Times, President Obama's immigration speech was 3,079 words and applause instances, meaning that President Obama's speech cost the taxpayers just under $520 per word and applause. Including the instances of applause is being generous to the President, as if those weren't included, his speech would have cost taxpayers $527 per word. The transcript also notes that President Obama's speech lasted 25 minutes. Using 2012 spending levels as a reference, the federal government spent $170 million during the President's speech, at a rate of roughly $6.8 million per minute.

Those numbers won't be found outside of the conservative blogosphere, however. The legacy media are more concerned with how much money a woman, who currently does hold publicly office, made for appearing a privately owned television station than they are with how much money the President's junkets and astronomical spending are costing the taxpayers.

Crossposted here and here.

A Eureka Moment for Governor Palin

Governor Palin spoke at an event on Saturday at a California university where she took some time to thank some of the fallen soldiers who were among the attendees. Some of these individuals were Corps men. During her speech, she also referenced a tornado in Kansas that killed thousands of people, or in actuality, a few people.

Oh, wait, what's that? If I click on the links, those gaffes aren't from Governor Palin! They're from the teleprompter reader-in-chief President Obama!?

What Governor Palin actually said was that President Reagan's alma mater was in California, not Illinois. Was this incorrect? Yes. However, it was simply Governor Palin speaking extemporaneously. She was referring to Reagan, as she often does. She happened to be speaking in California, where Reagan spent a significant portion of his life, at a university. The result? A slip of the tongue, not a legitimate lack of knowledge or display of ignorance. Governor Palin clearly knows that Eureka College is in Illinois. I had the privilege of hearing Governor Palin speak in Washington, Illinois, just a short drive from Eureka College, in April. She referenced Eureka College and its proximity to where she was speaking during her amazing speech, at one point saying that a Eureka educated man played better in Peoria ( a short distance from both Washington and Eureka, Illinois) than a Harvard educated man. She obviously knows where Eureka College is!

You have to wonder why the media chooses to make this issue a focus. It's not like we don't have a recession, massive oil spill, SCOTUS confirmation hearing, finance reform bill deliberation, or anything like that going on right now!

Cross posted here and here.

Media Access to Governor Palin's Speech Backfires

A lot of hubbub has surrounded Governor Palin's speech at a fundraiser for California State University-Stanilaus on Friday night. From dumpster diving college students looking for Governor Palin's contract to Governor Palin's "diva-like demands" for bendy straws (oh the horrors) to partisan calls for investigations into the speech by gubernatorial candidates, even before Governor Palin spoke, her appearance caused a great deal of nontroversy, including a request that media have access to the speech. This request was granted, and likely the media was looking for some soundbite or event to make the Governor look bad or unintelligent. The speech was covered by Fox40 out of Sacremento, California. The video and audio from this station was not high quality, but it is available nonetheless. Governor Palin highlighted moral relativism and the importance of the Founders while also drawing out ideas from Reagan, Kennedy, de Tocqueville and others:




Courtesy of the Right Scoop

However, the story that came of this event came not from Governor Palin's speech, but from the ineptness and lack of professionalism of some "journalists" who apparently didn't know or care that they were miked ( you may need to turn up your volume):



Courtesy the Right Scoop

The media opinions, whether or not they belong to the Fox40 people (Fox40 is claiming that the voice heard doesn't belong to their photographer, but doesn't categorically deny that one of their employees is heard) should not have been heard at all. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of a public figure, but to voice your opinion ( i.e. comparing one's speech to a roller coaster or criticizing the number of quotes) while one is at work is unprofessional and is a sad, but truthful commentary on the media today. They are not about objective truth and reporting, but about subjective truth and biased reporting, whether or not it is blatant and well though out, or if it's off-the-cuff. And people wonder why Governor Palin refers to them as the "lamestream media"?! While the media waited with bated breath, longing to hear a dumb statement escape Governor Palin's lips, what we find instead is that the media again reveals its bias. But, hey, if the media in California doesn't like Governor Palin's speech, I think that spells success!

Cross posted here and here.

More Pictures from Sarah in Washington

Here are some Palin pictures from her speech on Saturday, April 17th from my C4P friend, Ellen:

Mrs. Palin Goes to Washington....Illinois

It's not everyday that you have opportunity to go with your personal heroine to hear your political heroine speak, but Saturday, April 17th was such an opportunity for me, as my mom and I attended Governor Palin's speech in Washington, IL. If I were to say one thing, I would say it was definitely a barn burner of a speech, and in central Illinois, there are a heck of a lot of barns to burn!

To give context to the speech, it took place in Washington, Illinois, a small town of about 13,000 people in central Illinois just outside of Peoria. The town of Eureka, home of Reagan's alma mater, Eureka College, is just a short 10-15 minutes from Washington. The event was a fundraiser for Five Points Washington, the town's community center. Some of the funds raised were also to be used for a scholarship program as well. During the question and answer session following the speech, the Governor mentioned that she chose to speak at this event because she knows what a blessing such community centers bring to a town, referencing the sports complex built in Wasilla when she was mayor.

The topic of the speech was " You Don't Need a Title to Make a Difference" and was the inaugural speech in a series on Lessons from Leaders. In her own signature style, the Governor effectively wove this topic into the speech also highlighting her political platform, record, and worldview, all while truly making the speech applicable and personal to central Illinoisans. She brought up at least three examples of people who made and are making a difference without a title. She began her speech speaking of Trig, who is turning 2 years old today. She spoke of how he may never hold a title, but he wakes up everyday in applause, bringing perspective and joy to those around him. She also spoke of how Reagan saved 77 lives when he worked as a lifeguard on the Rock River in Illinois when he was young, before he had a "title". She had the words "Lifeguards Needed" written on her palm. She also spoke of how we, as Americans, can make a difference without a title through our voice, our vote, and our freedom.

Regarding leadership, she spoke specifically of three former Presidents: Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan. She spoke about Washington's leadership--how true leaders respect the will and wisdom of the people and often were reluctant leaders who did not seek office, but the office sought them. She spoke of Lincoln's use of his stovepipe hat as a "traveling office" and how if it was good enough for Lincoln to store his notes in his hat, it was good enough for her to use her palm for her notes. She spoke quite a bit about Reagan, calling him a "son of Illinois". She spoke of his politics of both personality and conviction when it came to foreign policy, saying also that America needs his "Midwestern common sense" and "relentless optimism". Governor Palin, in a jab at President Obama, spoke of how a Eureka educated politician plays better in Peoria than a Harvard educated politician. At one point during the speech she stated that the next Lincoln or Reagan may be sitting in the audience. In my head, I thought, "the next Reagan is standing behind the podium!"

On a local level, Governor Palin praised central Illinois for being people who "cling to guns and religion" and who understand what she meant when she says, "don't retreat, reload". Politically, she spoke of how Obama's policies are affecting the region. The construction machine company, Caterpillar, is based out of nearby Peoria and employs quite a few people in the area. Governor Palin spoke of how President Obama came to Peoria last year claiming that the stimulus package would prevent Caterpillar workers from being laid off, which was not the case. She spoke of how the "economically illiterate" health care bill will cost the company $100 million in the first year alone.

More broadly, she spoke of the problems of a quadrupled national deficit, a $3.8 trillion budget, and the "mother of all unfunded mandates": the health care reform bill. Governor Palin criticized the President for bowing to world leaders and alienating allies like Israel.During the question and answer session, she mentioned that the President's comments about America being a military superpower, whether we like it or not was the statement that had taken her most aback of anything during President Obama's administration. However, her political rhetoric was not limited to criticisms, but included a great deal of what she called "time tested" solutions. She spoke of how prosperity cannot be legislated from Washington D.C., but must be earned through hard work ethic and by government getting out of the way. Additionally, she mentioned that more every day people, not politicians, are needed in government.

In sharing such solutions, she was very effective in tying in her record as governor and mayor , highlighting several of the examples that she mentioned in Going Rogue. Specifically, she mentioned how she lowered taxes and improved infrastructure as mayor as part of a pro-business, pro-economic growth strategy. She mentioned the main principles by which she governed Alaska. Government must live within its means. Resource development must be expanded. Money must be saved for the future, and earmarks must be slashed. During the question and answer session, Governor Palin spoke of how important it is that politicians realize that they are spending OPM (other people's money), and she highlighted that she fired of the personal chef and the sold of the jet.

The Governor has an amazing way of connecting with the people with whom she is speaking. After the speech, my mom said, "it was like you were listening to your best friend. She talks to you, not at you." I concur with this statement whole heartedly. Governor Palin spoke with such conviction, sincerity and optimism. I was also struck by how often she used the word "blessed". She seems to see every opportunity and experience as a blessing. I was amazed how focused and personal she made it for the audience she was speaking to by pulling in Reagan's ties to the area and the effects of the Obama administration on a large local employer. It truly was a blessing beyond words to hear America's point guard speak with such optimism and conviction.

So, this begs the age old question. Does Governor Palin play in Peoria? You betcha!

To see more pictures, albeit not high quality, see here.

Cross posted here , here , and here.