Today, Palin canceled the rest of her “vacation”/”education” bus tour to the primary states and now, she’s canceling her Franklin Graham trip to war torn Sudan, which is experiencing a horrific ongoing humanitarian crisis. Omar al-Bashir, the leader of Sudan’s military government, was charged and indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes related to the Darfur region of western Sudan. He was later also charged for orchestrating genocide in 2010 by Hague.
That’s trip number two Sarah Palin has quit today, if you’re keeping score.
The Washington Post reports:
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has canceled a planned trip next month to war-ravaged Sudan, one of the most unstable nations in the world and the focus of passionate advocacy within the U.S. evangelical community.
Palin scrapped her plans to visit the North African country for scheduling reasons, several sources close to Palin said. She was planning to travel with Franklin Graham, the son of evangelical leader Billy Graham, as well as Fox News personality Greta Van Susteren to the July 9 independence ceremony of South Sudan, the sources said.
A Palin spokesman, Tim Crawford, declined to comment on any of it.
Palin first told a London newspaper of the Sudan trip early this month. Graham, who heads the international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, said he first spoke to Palin about traveling with her to Sudan several years ago, while she was still governor. The trip didn’t work out because of a special legislative session that kept Palin in Juneau, he said.
The more recent plan was to attend the July 9 independence ceremony for the world’s newest nation, South Sudan.
Palin sources say she canceled due to scheduling issues. Or it could be that security concerns are hindering Palin’s plans to visit Sudan, following an accord by north and south Sudan to demilitarize the Abyei region. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was also tentatively scheduled to attend the independence ceremony, called the agreement an important first step but noted that the real test would be how well both sides implemented the agreement in the following days.
No matter what the reason for Palin’s change in plans, this is evidence of a messaging fail by Palin’s PR folks. Her people should have orchestrated the announcement that her bus tour would not be proceeding on schedule so as not to fall on the same day as her trip to Sudan was canceled. The Palinistas are nervous enough about her not running, this is going to send them over the moon.
If Sarah Palin really has plans to run for President, she needs all of the foreign photo ops and Christian conservative cred she can muster. If she really cares about the incomprehensible suffering in Darfur, and wasn’t just using this trip as a photo-op, she could easily use her fame to raise awareness of the crisis and fundraise for the people even if she can’t make the trip.
George Clooney and other Hollywood “elites” have used their fame to draw much needed attention to the humanitarian crisis, and I will be behind Palin one-hundred percent if she manages to draw some much needed attention to the suffering in Sudan, even if I do cringe at it coming with Franklin Graham evangelical strings in an area that hardly needs any further religious interference. Any help is good help at this point for a nation that been in crisis for too long, even if the help is only a byproduct of vainglorious fame seeking.
As for Sarah Palin’s bus, it looks like she’s in one of her down periods, careening out of control and pulling the rug out from a few more supporters as is her wont. Before we get our hopes up, we should remember that like the perfect horror villain, she always comes back.
However, Palin’s shelf life as a political brand is nearing its end if she doesn’t announce soon.
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MsJoanne
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 8:24 pm
Palin is not going to run for Pres. Lawrence O’D nails it everytime he speaks of the Grifta from Wasilla.
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KarenJ
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 8:39 pm
According to Sarah Palin herself, her “scheduling issue” is….wait for it…JURY DUTY.
Yeah, sure, that’s like Lady Gaga reporting to the courthouse jury pool room for jury duty. No lawyer in his right mind would choose her, and either side would be justified in asking for a change in venue, just so that she wouldn’t be on THEIR jury. Or if they were overruled, asking for a mistrial.
Besides, why would she serve on a jury for a case that doesn’t allow cameras focussed on the jury in the courtroom?
From Palin’s Facebook page: (courtesy of The Immoral Minority Blog):
“Imagine our surprise when reading media reports today that the “One Nation Tour” has been cancelled. Why didn’t anyone tell me? Oh, wait, that’s because it hasn’t been cancelled. (Good ol’ media… you never cease to amaze!)
As I said myself at the end of the east coast leg of the tour, the summer is long, and I’m looking forward to hitting the open road again. The coming weeks are tight because civic duty calls (like most everyone else, even former governors get called up for jury duty) and I look forward to doing my part just like every other Alaskan.
I wouldn’t think it to be such a slow news day that, what with numerous wars and serious economic woes concerning Americans, a bus is driving news stories today. The next leg of the tour continues when the time comes. In the meantime, no one should jump to conclusions – certainly not the media with their long track record of getting things wrong or just making things up.
- Sarah Palin”
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Shiva (Moderator)
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 9:07 pm
I am at this moment looking for a lottery for whether she is chosen, snubbed or turns out to be the guilty party
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Sharon
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 8:46 pm
what a dumbass, attention seeking media whore. She gets worse every freaking day and now her slut daughter is in on the bookgrift. Now the little wench is accusing her baby daddy of date rape and she hates Meghan McCain and her mother. Ouch – how’s that feel John? A little to close for comfort? You created this piece of trash – get used to being under the bus with your pretty wife and daughter. So, do you get it yet McCain?
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Billy
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 8:49 pm
“Palin: A dying brand since 2008″
Its True. Sarah brand has been dying ever since her VP run.
Her political career is over…. announcing she is running would probably be the final nail in the coffin….. ir would dhow people that Palin has lost all touch with reality.
The good news is either way we don’t have to worry about this wackjob one way or another
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Reynardine
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 8:58 pm
Was she planning on studying the Sudanese policy of infibulating little girls so that, by inflicting it on other Americans’ daughters when she took over, she could prevent them from doing what hers did? You never know what screws are coming loose in Shitler’s head. But I never thought she’d actually have the guts to go to Sudan… and even she can’t stay in a manic upswing all the time.
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Marie
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 9:04 pm
If she is on jury duty, it looks like she set everyone up for this one. She doesn’t allow her “team” to give the scheduling reasons, so she can have another opportunity to carve up the media.
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Ingarose
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 9:08 pm
This woman, Sarah Palin, is really impossible.
Once again she tries to blame it on the media (like they know something I don’t). If it is advantageous for her to continue her bus tour, she will. O’Donnel said that she even dissed Fox News. There is nothing new here, she throws everyone under the bus when they no longer bow to her majesty.
One thing she and her daughter know very well is to tantalize the people, collect money and don’t give a ‘sh.t’ about everyone else. And yet, the media is fascinated by them.
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MsJoanne
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Because the media only cares about distraction. Nothing more.
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EmmaLib
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 9:19 pm
I wonder which daughter she is about to give birth to ‘HER’ sixth child for….. that’s some mama grizzly. Sorry, the grifter was not making enough from her three ring circus tour!
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Shiva (Moderator)
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 9:59 pm
My sources tell me that white grifter Franklin would not share the amount of grift that white grifter Palin wanted. All or nothing Franklin. I cant squeeze much more out a conservatives for palin cause they all unemployed
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rm
Jun. 22nd, 2011 at 10:20 pm
“Graham said he spoke with Palin last week, when she told him that other obligations prevented her from making the trip. She told him that her commitment to visiting Sudan another time is as strong as ever, but that the timing for this trip simply didn’t work.”
“other obligations prevented her from making the trip”
other obligation/events that will be PAYING her, whereas to Sudan she will not be making a penny!
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majii
Jun. 23rd, 2011 at 12:07 am
I wonder if the change in her plan to visit Sudan is due to some Alaska bloggers’ revisiting the disagreement between Palin, Les Gara, and the divestment of Alaska’s assets in Sudan when she was governor? Something smells mighty fishy. I know Phil Munger at Progressive Alaska and Jeanne Devon at Mudflats had posts up last week about the divestment debacle.
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Sharon1943
Jun. 23rd, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Thank you for mentioning the divestment debacle. Graham may have not wanted the negative publicity that was sure to come had he taken Palin to Sudan. Looks like might be getting tougher and tougher for Sarah to deny her past actions.
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chocco
Jun. 23rd, 2011 at 12:48 am
Sarah is going home to take care of her “special needs” son or grandson. Sarah Palin is a media contrivance. It is time for Sarah to stop the charade she’s been on and go home to take care of her little boy who cleary needs his mother. Sarah, stop the act. You know you’re not running for President!!
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Brian Daniels
Jun. 24th, 2011 at 2:59 am
The last thing the kid needs is for this monstrosity to come home. Better to be raised by nannies. Or wolves.
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newmeximan
Jun. 23rd, 2011 at 12:51 am
The “Lemonade Stand” trial has been moved to federal court. Perhaps “jury duty” is her cover for having to attend her own trial, since she would have to explain why she keeps returning to the federal courthouse for several days.
If I lived in Alaska, I would be keeping an eye on the federal court calenders for Shitler’s trial. And I would clear my calender to make sure I was there for every day of the trial.
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diz
Jun. 23rd, 2011 at 5:18 am
She had to do a bit of editing on the bus, so it’s in the shop. She’s trying to figure out how to $arahatize the spelling of ‘One Nation’ to avoid the trademark police. We’ll just have to wait and see how the trademarked Quittaqueen respects the trademarks of others. Mr Eustis may be in for a bigger fight than he imagined based on her ability to play fair or well with others.
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Freeman Presson
Jun. 23rd, 2011 at 5:46 am
“… the media with their long track record of getting things wrong or just making things up.”
I believe this, because this is one thing upon which Sarah Palin can be considered an expert.
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m
Jun. 23rd, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Last night: Countdown with Keith …: Worst Persons: Gingrich & Palin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wJCXdivyh8
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