Palin Uses Cookies to Mock "Nanny State" Rules

AP Photo/Brandi Simons

Sarah Palin served up a treat for a group of private school students in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, in an attempt to teach them the virtues of limited government.

During a paid speech at a fundraiser for Plumstead Christian School in Plumstead Township, Pennsylvania, the former Alaska governor announced she brought cookies with her, local station WPVI-TV reports.

"I brought dozens and dozens of cookies," she said. "I had to shake it up for you guys, especially the press okay."

As she Tweeted earlier in the day, Palin wanted to "intro kids 2 beauty of laissez-faire via serving them cookies amidst school cookie ban debate." She called it "Nanny state run amok!"

She was referring to a future vote the Pennsylvania Board of Education will take on new guidelines to limit the number of sweets allowed in classrooms.

"I look at Pennsylvania and I think of sweets - I think of Hershey. Then I think, how dare they ban sweets from school here?" Palin said. "Who should be making the decisions what you eat, school choice and everything else? Should it be government or should it be the parents? It should be the parents."

Palin also teased her audience about her potential future presidential bid, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. After a school alumnus sang "God Bless America," Palin asked, "Would you like to sing that at an inauguration?"

When the school's chancellor asked if she would consider running for president, Palin said, "Goodness gracious. I'm speechless." If she were to run, Palin said, "I would be in it to win it. I wouldn't do it just to shake things up."

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Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[jennirobbins]

Palin tried to play it slick this time by visiting a private school for this most recent escapade. I heard at some point she also took a dig at the first lady for encouraging children to get fit and improve what they eat. Is Palin so out of it that she doesn't even realize the federal government subsidizes school lunch programs, and yes, many private schools receive public funds. Ever hear of the FEDERAL school voucher system which allows parents to send their kids to better private schools? Palin is so quick to criticize government spending for Medicaid/Medicare/SSDI, but did she ever stop to think that if we started to cut the bad choices from the GOVERNMENT SUBSUDIZED food programs first, we may not see such obese young adults on state/federal assistance with diabetes, heart disease, and kidney problems later. We are now seeing teenagers with type two diabetes, a disease which is commonly known as adult onset diabetes...but now due to poor diet and inactivity, it's popping up in teens. I agree parents for the most part are the key to this escaping epidemic of obesity among kids, but quite often with the current economic situation, the school meals may be the ONLY meals some kids may have. Is it too much to ask that the meals at least be healthy?

[tommyhn]

Sarah Palin has missed the mark 100%. The Pennsylvania proposition isn't about what parents feed your children. This is about what other parents (and adults) feed your children when they are at school. I personally do not want other people feeding my kids sweets that I do not approve.

[tommyhn]

Somebody needs to slap Sarah Palin in the face. She is truly hatred and divisiveness throughout the entire U.S.

[MurdochSucks]

Is there no end to this woman's sensationalism? Grand-standing to indoctrinate a bunch of kids, whose parent's probably didn't even know she was going to "perform" for them; what was this school thinking? Yea, what a terrible thing to worry about what costs more on our medical system than anything else. She touts fiscal responsibility and free-market mentality. Having kids eat a bunch of crap and having them overweight is not a healthy way to run a school. Again, if Americans had better diets, they would live longer, healthier, happier lives. They wouldn't cost the medical system so much with diabetes and heart disease, the number one cause of death. This windbag has no end to kitschy slogans, propaganda, and rhetorical grandstanding... a real Prima Donna.

[mehti61]

why didnt sarah bring guns & cigarettes to that christian school? they could've illustrated her point of "freedom" by eating cookies, shooting, and smoking - all at the same time - whoever wanted to! no one is trying to ban sweets completely. but at 66% overweight/obesity rate, no one can deny (except possibly Sarah) that we have a BIG problem called OBESITY EPIDEMIC WHICH KILLS. A) SOMETHIN IS IN THE FOOD - LIKE POISON AND/OR B) WE ARE EATING WRONG FOODS C) BOTH A & B. public schools' are responsible for promoting a good education, including health education. so how can they implement such values, while some children are snacking on chips and cookies and serve as a bad example to others? here in nj, public schools ask that parents do not send in cookies and chips to school. period. u can do whatever you want to in your home - have t hat freedom - or if you are in a private school - act according to their rules. but public schools want to instill a good behavior - esp. when doing otherwise it is so costly to THE ENTIRE SOCIETY. perhaps Sarah can also become a spokesperson for cigarettes too - she can promote freedom there as well.

[JV1970]

You liberals make comments like this and then you have the gall to call us conservatives stupid!

[Michmawa]

Laissez-faire is beautiful: children should decide what they eat, where they go, what classes to take, if any, what they smoke and with whom they have sex, she said in her sing-songy, nasal, histrionic way.

[JV1970]

I'm all for taking the vending machines out of our schools and serving healthier meals in the cafeterias but on special occasions I see no harm in giving a child one cookie! They shouldn't have them everyday or whenever they want one but once in a while on a special occasion I see no harm in it! On those occasions when cookies or sweets are served, sugar free cookies should be provided for the children who are on sugar restricted diets.

[maxcoffee-2009]

It was reported that it is not an all out ban on sweets in school. The school board has said that it is trying to come up with ways to promote a healthier options to sugary snacks. Not a total ban like Mrs. Palin is saying.

[tommyhn]

Sarah Palin always seems to get her facts wrong and than she runs with it confusing people along the way. she is so very good at deceiving and dividing.

[JV1970]

Did all of you who are jumping on Palin ever stop to think that at least some of those cookies might have been sugar free? CBS has a habit of not reporting all of the facts of their stories on Palin. That little tidbit may have been deliberately left out!

[maxcoffee-2009]

How is it possible to make sugar free sugar cookies?

[JV1970]

maxcoffee-2009 It's very easy! You just use a sugar substitute like Equal! There are many, many recipes for sugar free cookies and they are great! Sugar free cookies are also available in most grocery stores. WalMart makes some great ones in their bakery!

[meshine]

Why is this Alaskan dummy meddling in the affairs of other States. It is the duty of local school boards with input from parents groups to establish good nutritious meals for our kids. Why would anyone listen to her about anything having to do with raising kids?

[pilznar]

"meddling in the affairs of other states" Really? Isn't it our right as Americans to meddle? Her ONLY point at the forum was to say exactly what you are saying: WITH INPUT FROM PARENTS. Her question: Who should be deciding what you eat? The government or your parents? If you answer "the government" I feel sorry for you!

[tommyhn]

The problem with her meddling is the fact that she isn't even a citizen of that state. Also she is promoting the republican party and the tea party so in effect she is the government intruding on a state's government of which she has no business butting into.

[documemts]

See, if she didn't do this she wouldn't have anything to yak about. It's a self-promoted "news bite" from the momma grizzle. All her cubs just got their Caribou Barbie moment for today.

[JV1970]

You forget she has three "cubs" herself living at home! Two of them are still children!

[maxcoffee-2009]

Alaska is possibly the biggest "nanny" state in our country... with it's 1,200 dollar plus pay outs to it citizens each year from the permanent fund. If Mrs. Palin really wanted to shake up a nanny state why not kill the permanent fund... then suggest that the population have a bake sale to try and make up the loses.

[tommyhn]

This is so true. Alaska's permanent fund is creating a dependency on government. Talk about big government and to think Sarah Palin created this big government in Alaska. I say get rid of her.