Tea Party Activists Await Palin's Words

(AP)  These are Sarah Palin's people. Just ask them.

At the mere mention of her name, "tea party" activists light up and whip out "Saracudda" buttons - a play off her "Sara Barracuda" nickname from her high school basketball team in Alaska.

(Watch Sarah Palin deliver the Tea Party Convention's keynote address Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET at CBSNews.com)

With a dash of familiarity, many say they didn't vote for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in 2008 - they voted for "Sarah." Quite a few see her as the right person to carry their limited-government, low-tax, freedom-fighting mantle - if only she wanted it.

"She is the one," says Loren Nelson of Seattle. "And she's gonna do it."

Maybe.

The isn't saying whether she'll run for president in 2012.

In fact, Republican observers say she's seemingly done more lately to establish herself as a political celebrity focused on publicity rather than a political candidate focused on policy.

If she does launch a White House bid, she has a natural constituency with this anti-establishment grass-roots network that's , budget-busting spending and President Obama's policies.

In her latest media blitz since her "Going Rogue" book release last fall and the publicity tour that went with it, Palin was booked to give to give the keynote address Saturday night for the inaugural national "tea party" convention - a gathering of 600 activists from across the country.

More Tea Party coverage from CBSNews.com

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Her fee is $100,000 for the appearance at the for-profit event. That sum has led to criticism from even some activists that it runs counter to the coalition's image and could preclude people from attending.

Palin struck back at critics in a column in USA Today, saying she weighed whether to participate.

"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 wrote. "I made a commitment to them to be there, and I am going to honor it."

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Without elaborating, she says she won't benefit financially from speaking at the convention and any compensation from the appearance "will go right back to the cause."

"The soul of the Tea Party is the people who belong to it," Palin says. "They have the courage to stand up and speak out ... They believe in the same principles that guided my work in public service."

She called the "tea party" mentality an organic effort, a ground-up call to action. Because of that, she said, "the process may not always be pretty or perfect, but the message is loud and clear: We want a government worthy of the fine Americans that it serves."

The former Alaska governor also planned to tape an interview Saturday to air on "Fox News Sunday," the network where she's been employed as a contributing analyst since January. Then it was off to Texas on Sunday to campaign for GOP Gov. Rick Perry, who is facing a bitter primary challenge from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Next month, she will speak at a rally in Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's hometown of Searchlight, Nev., to kick off the Tea Party Express III tour. In April, she heads to Boston for "tea party" gathering there around the one-year anniversary of the coalition that began last spring.

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On the Web

National Tea Party Convention: http://www.nationalteapartyconvention.com

[jsilver2th]

I think it's just wonderful that she learn some words-- big improvement- you betcha!

[sonyasilvia07]

You can get full medical coverage at the lowest price from http://******/atGzeD

[sarrab-2009]

HEY ALL YOU LEFT GOOFBALLS AMERICANS ARE FOR ONE PARTY--ANYONE FOR TEA

[sarrab-2009]

hey all you left goofballs, AMERICANS are for the only party----

ANYONE FOR TEA?

[wjksea]

by ToolMangler1 February 6, 2010 7:17 PM EST
I understand the 'Tea Party' to be composed like this old fable.
They are a huge body without a brain. Emotion is the only thing fueling this surge.

Uh, not quite, there are the hidden corporate special interests which are maintaining the private health insurance cartel by funding the propagandist overhead required to rile up the non-thinkers.

Corporations are like individuals with cluster B traits. These non-democratic para governments create intrigue and divide society in a pathological way of getting met the corporate bottom line,

[wjksea]

For all the smoke the plutocrats spew and the games that are played, they benefit from a system they don't want to pay for. There ain't no free lunch they say, but so far, these folks don't proportionately pay the taxes and they don't sacrifice their children to wars they benefit most from.

The reality is no matter what the ideology of the day or era is, there is no absolute guarantee of well being and security. It is the ability of a society or an individual to insure their own ongoing well being and security. Severe imbalance in the midst of social contracts is identified by the majority who are sacrificing the quality of their lives to enrich and defend the excess and extravagance of a shrinking minority. Such imbalance sparks social unrest and revolution. In the end, it all comes tumbling down. Dysfunctional socioeconomic ponzi schemes never last.

[wjksea]

Social Security and medicare recipients who think young peoples insurance premiums should be wasted on the private health insurance cartel.

[voxpopulus]

"The Democratic party no longer represents the disadvantaged. The prove is in the comments you read hear." A "fan" admitting Palin is "disadvantaged". "Challenged" might be a better word, but mentally "disadvantaged" is true too.

[voxpopulus]

If Sarah Palin is your flag bearer you already cannot be considered a serious force.

[fedup12]

Arent tea partiers against the Republican party too?

Just wondering..... Because the recons like to spend just as much money as democrats just on different things.

Like instead of welfare for americans they give welfare to israel.

Instead of healthcare that money is spent on bombs bullets and bs wars.

Its just give and take depending upon the party..

The only thing that will fix it would be a balanced budget amendment to the constitution.