The Clare Booth Luce Institute is conferring its Woman of the Year Award upon former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin because she chose to put her family ahead of running for the Presidency, Michelle Easton, President of the Institute said during an interview with Stephen K. Bannon on his February 5, Victory Sessions Show.

Easton said,

The Clare Booth Luce Institute exists to prepare and promote women conservative leaders, and each year, we honor one extraordinary woman who like our organization’s namesake Clare Booth Luce shows leadership, and grace, and dedication to advancing conservative principles. And this year, we are giving our Woman of the Year Award to Governor Sarah Palin. And it’s not just because of what she’s done and she’s done a tremendous amount – an inspiration to so many. It’s also because of what she didn’t do. Now doesn’t that sound odd, an award for what she didn’t do. Now, let me explain: she wanted to run very badly against President Obama’s failed leadership – it was so apparent. She really wanted to, but in the end she didn’t. She didn’t, because she put her special little baby, her children, and her husband first in her life. And this is such a rare, kind of a very visible example of somebody putting their family first in their lives and courageously speaking out about it. And that’s why she’s the Woman of the Year. Because, she didn’t run this year and she wanted to put her little baby, her children and the First Dude first in her life for this time period.

…

Hundreds of young female undergraduate students will be present for the award ceremony. Many of these women got involved in the … debates when she was nominated for Vice President. They were so inspired by her. And the truth is that in most of the universities in popular culture and on the left, conservative women are marginalized and sometimes savaged.

About Gov. Palin’s essay on special needs children which ran in the Daily Beast, Easton said, “It’s a beautiful essay about how every parent, moms and dad struggle with commitments about our children, families and work and how sometimes when making decisions about our careers, you have to put the family first. And she’s said she’s never regretted it.”

Easton described the life of Clare Booth Luce and how she became the Institute’s namesake, saying,

Well, she was quite a remarkable woman, very much ahead of her time. She died in 1987. She had a brilliant professional career. She had a very strong family life, good marriage, and she had very deep faith, so when I formed this institute 19 years ago, well ‘who to name it after?’ You know after close study, there was absolutely no contest. There was nobody who done all that she had done. In fact, one of the pictures is my favorite one. It’s the 1944 Republican National Convention. 1944. Clare Booth Luce is giving the keynote speech and it was at a time when – let’s face it when the women were not at the podium – and she laid into Roosevelt – he lied us into war….but she was conservative. She was anti-Communist, she was free-market-oriented, she was traditional values, she was very religious. She has never taught in women’s studies or in women’s history.

Easton also detailed Clare Booth Luce’s connection to President Reagan.

President Reagan was a strong admirer of Luce. He had given her the highest civilian honor, and he had her as part of his administration in an advisory capacity. “She is someone who young women can look to for inspiration,” Easton said noting that the institute works primarily with young women in college. “She did an awful lot and as Gov. Palin says, ‘you can do it all, you just can’t do it all at once.’ ”

“Clare Booth Luce’s life is an example of somebody who did so many different things at different times in her life, but she was a conservative, a traditionalist, somebody of great faith.”

Complete Audio Transcript: Stephen K. Bannon Interviews Michelle Easton about Palin Award

H/T John_Frank, Conservatives4Palin commenter for story lead.

The GOP candidates must focus on defeating Obama, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin tonight said during a TV interview with Greta Van Susteren from her home in Wasilla, Alaska in response to a question on why Obama is rising in the polls. Van Susteren had questioned Gov. Palin about flat and declining voter turnouts thus far in the primaries. Gov. Palin said voter enthusiasm is not there yet partly because some believe “it is a foregone conclusion that Romney will be the nominee,” and partly because of “collateral damage from the nominating process as the candidates beat each other up.”

Gov. Palin said that Obama would love to debate Romney and fears Gingrich, because “he is the toughest debater.” She said Gingrich “offers solutions, ideas,” and has a past record of successes. She said Romney’s air of inevitability arises from the $40 million he has spent thus far on attack ads. By contrast, Santorum has raised only $2.8 million. But, “Santorum is rising in the polls and is next to face attacks,” she said.

Van Susteren asked Gov. Palin who she thought was the truest conservative of the four candidates. She praised Ron Paul for his fiscal austerity measures; Gingrich for balancing budgets, cutting taxes and shrinking the federal government; Santorum for his consistency in views and his social conservatism rooted in a return to Judeo-Christian values. About Romney, Gov. Palin said, he has raised taxes and flip-flopped on several social conservative issues, though he is now expressing the conservative view on them.

Gov. Palin warned that the attacks on Santorum would come within days and they will be centered around his backing of earmarks. She warned that Santorum will be portrayed as a big spending liberal.

Gov. Palin said all the candidates are far more attuned to the Constitution and the values America holds dear than Obama is.

When Van Susteren asked Gov. Palin what was holding Ron Paul back in the polls, she said his foreign policy positions were the culprit, emphasizing that “we must stand by our ally, Israel” and “Israel is surrounded by enemies.”

Gov. Palin said we cannot afford another four years of Obama and he has only increased debts and deficits contravening his own campaign promises.

Video retrieved from SarahNET

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

America remembers our beloved 40th president today! In honor of President Reagan’s 101st birthday, American’s For Prosperity put together this great video reminding us of the time-tested truths Reagan stood for.

at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, CA

Last year at this time, I had the honor of speaking at the Young America’s Foundation’s Reagan Centennial dinner at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara. You can watch or read the speech here; it was an homage to Reagan’s famous “Time for Choosing” and a discussion of the state of our nation today.

During the Illinois leg of the One Nation Tour, we got to visit Reagan’s hometown of Dixon, as well as his alma mater, Eureka College.  It was a very moving experience, which I wrote about here, here and here.

As I wrote in an op-ed last year on Reagan’s centennial:

I had the privilege of coming of age during the era of Ronald Reagan. I like to think of him as America’s lifeguard. As a teenager, Ronald Reagan saved 77 lives as a lifeguard on the Rock River, which ran through his hometown of Dixon, Ill. The day he was inaugurated in 1981, a local radio announcer famously declared, “The Rock River flows for you tonight, Mr. President.” 

The image of the lifeguard seems to represent what Reagan was to America and to the freedom-loving people of the world. He lifted our country up at a time when we were in the depths of economic, cultural and spiritual malaise. We were told that we must accept that the era of American greatness was over; but with his optimism and common sense, President Reagan held up a mirror to the American soul to remind us of our exceptionalism.

at the Rock River in Dixon, IL

We are all so grateful for his courage and leadership; and like President Reagan, we believe that our best days are yet to come because “there will always be a bright dawn ahead” for America.

- Sarah Palin

 

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150540360408435.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will receive the Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute 2012 Woman of the Year Award at a luncheon being held during CPAC where she is to deliver the closing keynote address mere hours later. The luncheon is only open to female undergraduate students and registrations are only be accepted for a waiting list. The Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute is dedicated to “preparing and promoting conservative women leaders.”

To register for the waiting list, visit the event site.

To register for the waiting list, visit the event site.

H/T Ian Lazaran, Conservatives4Palin for story lead.

Reprinted in its entirety from the Daily Beast

by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Last week, Rick Santorumand his family offered us a reminder of what really matters. When his 3-year-old daughter, Bella, born with Trisomy 18, was hospitalized with pneumonia, Rick left the campaign trail to be by her bedside. In the middle of this very heated campaign season, many of us prayed through tears for Bella’s health and added prayers of thankfulness for a public example of someone’s sacrifice made with the right priorities.

It’s a sacrifice every parent and caregiver of a child with special needs sympathizes with. Families of children with special needs are bonded by a shared experience of the joys, challenges, fears, and blessings of raising these beautiful children whom we see as perfect in this imperfect world.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, on rope lines at rallies across the country, my husband, Todd, and I met so many of these families and caretakers, and I’ll never forget them. There was an instant connection—a kind of mutual acknowledgment that said, “Yes, these children are precious and loved. Yes, we face extra fears and challenges, but our children are a blessing, and the rest of the world is missing out in not knowing this.”

Every parent struggles with juggling the commitments of work and family. Women, especially, know this well. Over the years, I’ve learned that women can “have it all,” just not all at once. For me, it was a lesson learned through the school of hard knocks, but it was one my own mother made me aware of when she calmly told me that as a working mom in the rough-and-tumble political arena, I would have to make tough choices. We all do. In making decisions about my career, I’ve put my family first, and I’ve never regretted it, although it has meant periodically putting particular pursuits on the back burner.

When I discovered early in my pregnancy that my baby would be born with an extra chromosome, the diagnosis of Down syndrome frightened me so much that I dared not discuss my pregnancy for many months. All I could seem to muster was a calling out to God to prepare my heart for what was ahead. My prayers were answered beyond my shallow understanding of what true joy could be. Yes, raising a child with special needs is a unique challenge, and there’s still fear about my son Trig’s future because of health and social challenges; and certainly some days are much more difficult than if I had a “normal” child.

Sarah Palin with her son, Trig., Jack Kurtz / ZUMA-Corbis

Many everyday activities like doctor’s appointments and social gatherings and travel accommodations and even mealtimes and a solid night of sleep are that much more difficult, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t trade the relative difficulties for any convenience or absence of fear. God knew what he was doing when he blessed us with Trig. We went from fear of the unknown to proudly displaying a bumper sticker sent to us that reads: “My kid has more chromosomes than your kid!” He may not be the next Wayne Gretzky, but our hearts are filled with so much pride watching Trig giggle with his sisters’ puppies, or sway to the rhythm of his Little Angels DVDs, it’s as if he were hoisting the Stanley Cup.Granted, I know I may be more fortunate than others to have loving friends and a big, supportive family I call on to help, including a husband who spends many sleepless nights with this restless little one. (And Todd actually makes Trig’s puréed baby food!) Others aren’t so fortunate, and in our thankfulness I am made more compassionate toward others who have less.I often think now, what would we do without Trig? He’s our “everything that really matters.”Trig is almost 4 years old now, and every morning when he wakes up, he pulls himself up, rubs the sleep out of his eyes, looks around, and then starts applauding! He welcomes each day with thunderous applause and laughter. He looks around at creation and claps as if to say, “OK, world, what do you have for me today?”

My family knows that Trig will face struggles that few of us will ever have to endure, including people who can be so cruel to those not deemed “perfect” by society. The cruelty is more than made up for, though, when someone simply smiles at our son. Nothing makes me prouder. As I explained in a Thanksgiving article, I notice it happens often in airports. Travelers passing by will do a double-take when they see him, perhaps curious about the curious look on his face; or perhaps my son momentarily exercises an uncontrollable motion that takes the passerby by surprise. Perhaps, as an innocent and candid child announced when she first met Trig, they think, “He’s awkward.” But when that traveler pauses to look again and smiles, and maybe tells me what a handsome boy I have, I swell with pride. I am so thankful for their good hearts. They represent the best in our country, and their kindness shows the real hope we need today.

My family understands that up ahead, some days will be better than others. We will adapt and juggle things and work through it. But Trig applauds the day. And that’s what he teaches us. That’s our priority, and we’re blessed by it.

H/T, Stacy Drake, Conservatives4Palin for story lead.

Governor Palin today posted on Facebook:

The conflict between Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and Planned Parenthood once again raises the issue of Planned Parenthood’s funding. As has been pointed out many times, Planned Parenthood doesn’t provide mammograms. So, why should a breast cancer charity feel enormous pressure to donate to an abortion provider? It’s frustrating to see Komen feel it had to reverse its decision based on political pressure. Here’s an interesting and very good take away from all of this:

As controversial as this entire situation has become, there is definitely a lesson to be learned here, and I want to highlight it. Planned Parenthood reportedly was the recipient of an outpouring of public support after Susan G. Komen for the Cure first announced its decision not to fund it. It didn’t take long at all for Planned Parenthood supporters to respond, as they made the decision to give from their own personal finances. This is precisely how these things ought to work. Private charities and willing individuals have every right to give to organizations such as Planned Parenthood. The allocation of federal funds, however, is a different matter entirely. 

For years, many Americans have voiced disapproval of their dollars going to Planned Parenthood via the federal government. This is particularly a bone of contention now when America is broke and needs to rein in spending. Every federal dollar counts, and Planned Parenthood has just shown us that it has the means to raise its own money from individuals who choose to give to them, rather than receiving most of its multimillion dollar funding from the U.S. government. Even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gotten involved in the situation, pledging to donate and accusing Komen of basing the decision—the decision of how to spend its money—on politics. This is further evidence that there’s no lack of willing financial support. So then why should those whose consciences rail against giving to an organization dogged with too many questions—and too many abortions—be forced to give to Planned Parenthood through their tax dollars?

Please click here to read the rest.

- Sarah Palin

 

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150536427753435.

Appearing Wednesday night on Fox Business’ “Power and Money” with host David Asman, Gov. Palin said Mitt Romney’s win was the result of “seventeen million dollars in negative ads and a sixty-five to one negative ad radio” against second-place finisher Newt Gingrich. She characterized Super PACs as “brutal” and said that she wanted to “even the playing field” because candidates “hide behind” those PACs. The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee reiterated that she wants to keep the primary process going to further vet the candidates. As she has recently said about the primaries in South Carolina and Florida, Gov. Palin recommended that GOP voters in Nevada “Vote for Newt; keep this thing going,” because it is imperative that the process eventually produce “the most equipped fighter” to face Barack Obama in the general election.

Asman pointed out that Obama will have a huge war chest behind his reelection campaign, and Gov. Palin countered by reminding him that Romney has Wall Street behind his campaign as well. She stressed the importance of the need for GOP primary voters to do their own research on the candidates to make informed choices. Pressed by Asman, who argued that he didn’t see the public going against the money and media to get behind Gingrich in a major way, the former Alaska governor countered by stating the fact that the public hasn’t gotten behind any of the four GOP candidates by significantly large margins.

The Fox Business host asked his guest when she would fully endorse a specific candidate, to which she replied, “When I am most passionate and convinced that we have found the right person who can be contrasted against Obama and what he stands for.” She then expressed her doubts about Romney, explaining that the former Massachusetts governor has described himself as a “progressive” and stated moderate views in past interviews, and that worries her. Because Obama is a also progressive, she said she didn’t think Romney offered sufficient contrast with the incumbent president, and his political philosophy should be more thoroughly revealed through additional vetting. The party’s base of mostly grassroots conservatives and TEA Party Americans needs to be excited by a candidate, she explained.

Asked by Asman if she will endorse the eventual GOP nominee, Palin left no doubt – “I will, and I will put my heart and soul into doing whatever I can to help get them elected,” she replied. She stressed her point that the 2012 presidential election will be “life and death for our country” and also pointed out the importance of the down-ticket races. Gov. Palin reiterated, when asked, her often-stated view that a third party candidate entering the race would ensure the reelection of President Obama, “and that would be tragic” for our country. In the event of a brokered convention, she said Mitch Daniels or any other late entry would “get clobbered by the machine” and the money behind it.

The governor agreed with Asman that Gingrich was the “toughest fighter” of the four GOP presidential hopefuls, having “learned through that school of hard knocks” where character is shaped and rebuilt. She said that the former Speaker “learned and has been sharpened and strengthened”by the many battles he fought in Congress and in his activism after leaving the U.S. House. She reminded Asman that “forty-six states have yet to chime in” and repeated that “Newt is a fighter.”

Knowing Sarah Palin as we do, it takes a fighter to recognize a fighter.

Video retrieved from SarahNET.

- JP

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin tonight called upon the GOP declared candidates to focus their energy on “who is is best equipped to take on Obama and his failed policies” in a single-segment TV interview with Bill O’Reilly from her home studio in Wasilla, Alaska.

Gov. Palin also urged voters to not listen to the negative ads put out by the super-PACS and the candidates and instead do their own homework, and do their own vetting. “It is imperative that voters do not become lazy,” she said. O’Reilly said that while may viewers of his and other Fox shows would do it, he considered most voters to be ill-informed.

Gov. Palin said the candidates need to focus on how best to mount a campaign against Obama. She also said “it is not negative campaigning to call out records, past associations, and what another candidate has said and done in the past.” She acknowledged O’Reilly’s thesis that negative campaign ads ultimately become free ads for the Democrats to use against us.

“I hope that [the candidates] keep their priorities straight,” Gov. Palin said adding that for her faith, family and freedom come first. Gov. Palin said she has a thick skin but is “sympathetic when she sees others going through what I have.”

Video retrieved from SarahNET.

Yes, it’s all about Palin (even though the book was about Urkel) and yes, as expected it’s awful. Boy, the machines were obviously terrified of her, and for good reason. It’s a shame how things turned out, and now only we can change this situation both politically and culturally. It’s a big job, but Americans [...]

As published at: TammyBruce.com: HBO’s “Game Change” Trailer

Brent Budowsky has some pretty appropriate words for the “Country-club GOP establishment” today, over at The Hill:

At some country-club golf course recently, Speaker Boehner, Haley Barbour and the Bain Capital and banking wings of the GOP probably devised the plan that is now under way: Ron Paul, get on the program behind Mitt and stop talking down wars. Sarah Palin, stop referring to the GOP establishment as Stalinesque. Tea Party members: shut up and get behind the former liberal governor of Massachusetts. Conservative movement, cool it. So what if our nominee was the godfather of ObamaCare?

The French say, apres moi, le deluge. The white-shoe, country-club, establishment Republican leaders will be pressuring in unison after Florida, saying to the right, the Tea Party, Ron Paul and Sarah Palin: be good little boys and girls because we own this party, not you. The post-Florida deluge of pressure is coming, with the appropriate suspects in the media class chanting with the GOP establishment, for about the third time in this campaign: it is over, children, the Romney takeover of the conservative conscience and the Republican Party is done.

Mission accomplished.

Don’t believe it.

To the Ron Paul people: they don’t get you, because you actually believe in something.

To the Tea Party people: they just humor you, but regard you as nothing more than peasant soldiers for the big money in their house of lords. When they tell you they hate Obama as much as you do, they think they can fool you, condescend to you and ultimately pressure and force you to submit to the Romney takeover. Though Romney, in truth, is the antithesis of everything you believe the GOP should stand for.

To the conservative movement: they get you, in fact. They know you hunger for power, and you will accept actions from Republicans you would loathe and despise and even hate from liberal Democrats because in the end, you want your seat at the table of power…

Ron Paul, Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, the conservative movement: you are no more to the white-shoe, country-club, insider GOP establishment than Mitt Romney’s dog. You can ride on the top of Mitt’s car, or on the back of Mitt’s bus, but the GOP belongs to him, and people like him, and not you, or people like you. Always has. Always will.

After Florida some will say it is over, but it will not be over. Very few delegates will have been selected. A majority of national Republican voters does not play golf in the country club of the white-shoe Republican establishment that will soon be telling the majority of Republicans to shut up and be good little boys and girls.

JFK often said: if you have a man’s job, find a woman.

Why do I suspect we may soon be hearing the distant drum of a very smart lady who knows exactly what is happening, who can do the math that I suggest here, who may soon emerge with fists flying from a town called Wasilla?

You can read the whole article here.