Palin Storms Into Rolling Thunder
When SarahPAC treasurer Tim Crawford emailed Politico to tell them that updates for Sarah Palin’s weekend itinerary “will be posted on the website” it was perhaps the most comprehensive response given to media requests for any information about Palin’s new plans. As of this blog post, the SarahPAC website for the tour is devoid of any logistical information and says that there have been “No Recent Stops.”
It’s also unclear if the “One Nation” bus which is prominent in the advertising of her bus tour will even be in DC today. FrumForum got no response from Sarah PAC when asking about the bus. According to spokeswoman Nancy Regg of Rolling Thunder: "No, her bus will not be at the demonstration today.” Adding that she’s “just riding today.” Of course, given Palin’s unpredictability and lack of media transparency, it’s possible that even Rolling Thunder is unaware of Palin’s plans.
Politico reports that Palin is expected to simply ride along with her husband in the rally and her name is not on any official scheduling for the event. It remains to be seen if Palin’s future appearances will have a more fully articulated itinerary.
Update: Fox News is reporting that Palin is at the rall, but there is still no sign of the bus.
Posted at 11:56am
Update: Washington Post’s Rachel Weiner reports that Palin was joined by her husband Todd and that Bristol and Piper were there are well:
Palin, along with husband Todd and daughters Bristol and Piper, joined the hundreds of thousands of riders who gather in D.C. every year to raise awareness for prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.
Palin’s arrival at the event around 11:30 a.m. caused a huge commotion that event organizers struggled to contain. Photographers swarmed her; young men in suits hung around the press pack asking Palin to sign copies of her books. Rolling Thunder security yelled at press and fans not to touch the expensive bikes.
“I’m very not appreciative of the way she came in here,” Ted Shpak, Rolling Thunder’s national legislative director, said of Palin’s arrival. The former governor came in the front of the Pentagon’s north parking lot, where event staff and press were assembled. “If she wanted to come on the ride, she should have come in the back.”
The New York Times provides a similar report of her arrival as well as a photo of Palin riding on the back of one of the motorcycles.
There are no plans for Palin to speak at the event being held at the Korean War Memorial later today. While her bus tour ostensibly started today, there is currently no sign that her bus is even in D.C. It's likely that the real "One Nation" tour will start once she rolls into New Hampshire.
Posted at 1:06pm
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