Sarah Palin at Glenn Beck Rally: "We Must Restore America!"

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: In The News ,; Tea Party

Sarah Palin speaks at Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally in Washington, August 28, 2010.

(Credit: CBS)

Sarah Palin told an enthusiastic crowd at Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally in Washington Saturday, "We stand today at the symbolic crossroads of our nation's history."

"May this day be the change point," she said. "Look around you. You're not alone. You are Americans!"

"You have the same steel spine and the moral courage of Washington and Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr.," Palin added.

She said it was "humbling" to be with the "patriots" who had gathered for the rally, people who understand "to never retreat."

"We must restore America and restore her honor!" she said.

Palin's speech did not explicitly get into partisan politics, in fitting with Beck's claim that the event was apolitical. She focused in large part on hailing the military as a "force for good," and said soldiers have maintained American honor.

"If you look for the virtues that have sustained our country, you will find them in those who wear the uniform," she said, admiringly introducing three military veterans.

She told the audience she was speaking not as a politician but as mother of a soldier. "Say what you want to say about me, but I raised a combat vet, and you can't take that away from me," Palin said.

Palin said Americans will always be successful because they are guided by grace.

"We will always come through, we will never give up and we shall endure," the former Alaska governor said as a "U-S-A" chant broke out.

She added: "Let's stand together, let's stand with honor, let's restore America!"

More Coverage of "Restoring Honor" Rally:

Glenn Beck: "Something Beyond Imagination is Happening"
Glenn Beck's Power to be Tested at D.C. Rally
Tea Party Blogger Accused of Racism in Beck Post
Sharpton: Beck Trying to Hijack Civil Rights Push
Dick Armey: Glenn Beck Is Spreading MLK's Message
Democrat: Glenn Beck Rally "Blatantly Political"
Glenn Beck Rally Will Test Tea Party Strength
Glenn Beck Rally on MLK "Dream" Date Draws Fire
Glenn Beck Rally Continues to Spur Controversy

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by mediabias-hmm August 30, 2010 3:30 PM EDT: Judging from this plethora of respectful and decent responses, are we seriously supposed to believe that CBS caters to a broad spectrum of people with varying political views and is not just a mouthpiece for the Democratic party? Just checking on the coverage by various news agencies...no surprises found so far...; Reply to this comment


by gig76 August 30, 2010 3:20 PM EDT: Palin and Beck's code word for restore is "white person" in White House. That's their restore America. They are extremely racists, bigots, hypocritical, deceptive, liars, and distort the truth by misrepresentation. Just say NO to Palin.Beck and all Republicans. Vote Democrats 2010, 2012, and beyond.; Reply to this comment

by roth5101 August 30, 2010 3:12 PM EDT

Sorry Sarah, your speech was no better than Glen's.
You never did tell us how to restore America and what that's all about. Another waste of TV time.

Vi R

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by JV1970 August 31, 2010 11:51 PM EDT: We Christians don't need to be told how! We know how! By our votes! By electing Christian conservative politicians!

by newsbarn August 30, 2010 2:43 PM EDT

Palin said "Say what you want to say about me, but I raised a combat vet, and you can't take that away from me,"

hahaha---well that doesnt take much...get pregnant, and then your son enlists....boy thats some real talent.....yuk yuk

Reply to this comment


by JV1970 September 10, 2010 11:46 AM EDT: There's a little more to it than that! First there are about eighteen years of feeding, clothing, and nurturing the vet. That includes, for the first couple of years, fixing bottles and changing diapers. It also includes taking care of them and taking them to the doctor when they are sick and holding their head when they vomit and then cleaning up the mess! Then there's at least twelve years of their schooling that parents must pay for! There is some expense for this even when the child attend public school. If their school requires the children to wear uniforms the parents pay for them. They also pay for their school supplies. There are many, many things that come between the pregnancy and when the child enlists! You are just brushing off those eighteen years of raising a child as though they are nothing! I'm also going to say that Sarah has every right to be proud of her son! It doesn't matter how he came to be in the Army or the circumstances surrounding his enlistment! The fact is he is serving proudly and he putting his life on the line for his country. He deserves to be honored just like all of our other vets! He also deserves his mother's pride and love!


by esmith499 August 30, 2010 2:29 PM EDT: "When Fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross" -- Sinclair Lewis - 1935; Reply to this comment

by wyo-kid August 30, 2010 2:12 PM EDT

Restore America? Does that mean another unnecessary war, or more huge tax cuts for businesses and the super rich so they can build more modern factories overseas.

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by daffy64 August 30, 2010 2:25 PM EDT: All of the above. GO BILLIONAIRES!!! STICK IT TO US SUCKERS!!


by dinkydog1 August 30, 2010 2:00 PM EDT: Lighten up folks, just think of it as Saturday morning cartoons live. No one takes these two dopes seriously.; Reply to this comment

by DidHeSayThat August 30, 2010 1:46 PM EDT

Here is what 'restore America' means to me...

Let the People Wipe Themselves!

Crude, but true and thoughtful. This nation is on its back looking for someone else to feed it, cloth it, house it, burp it and change its diapers.

DO IT YOURSELF!

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by slappy-jones August 30, 2010 1:54 PM EDT: I'm not on the left, but I'm not part of the Religious Right.

You all are closer to making the US into a theocracy than the muslims you're so skeeeered of.


by dinkydog1 August 30, 2010 1:58 PM EDT: Your so right, don't you just despise those lazy rich folks.

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by jimbom121 August 30, 2010 1:22 PM EDT

Restore America to what?

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by DidHeSayThat August 30, 2010 1:44 PM EDT: ah... go back to sucking your entitlement bottle. Wait for someone to wipe you. And go back to your Jerry Springer show. It awaits you.

by Dave_P6 August 30, 2010 10:56 AM EDT

We must restore America to the days when it was run by fiscally irresponsible conservative war-mongering boobs!

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by JV1970 September 7, 2010 1:15 PM EDT: No, we must restore America to a time when it had morals and when you could trust that the tv programing was safe for children to watch without adult supervision. A time when a child could turn on the tv and not hear someone using foul language or talking about his ***** or see a couple having sex! That's what they mean by restoring America!