Sarah Palin: What she said at Gridiron dinner
Sarah Palin served up 11-1/2 minutes of gentle gibes aimed at Democrats, the media, the McCain campaign, and herself during an appearance at Saturday evening鈥檚 Gridiron12 dinner in Washington.
Ms. Palin鈥檚 powerful impact as a cultural figure and potential future presidential candidate was much in evidence at the black tie event. The club鈥檚 winter dinner is usually a low key, off-the-record affair. This year鈥檚 dinner, featuring Palin and liberal Rep. Barney Frank (D) of Massachusetts as speakers, drew 190 journalists and spouses, an increase of 17.3 percent from the number who attended last year. The Gridiron Club鈥檚 members are veteran reporters and bureau chiefs.
Twitter and otter skin
In a nod to the intense media interest in Palin, the Gridiron Club鈥檚 board dropped a 100 year old rule 鈥� often violated 鈥� that comments made at the dinner were off the record and could not be reported. Instead, twittering was allowed, although not during speeches or songs. Palin tweets herself and noted in her dinner remarks that she had 鈥渢he Twitter thing going.鈥�
Palin was surrounded by reporters at the pre-dinner reception held on an evening when Washington was in the midst of an early snow storm. The former Alaska governor was dressed in a stylish black dress and carried what she told Chicago Sun Times correspondent Lynn Sweet was a purse made from an otter.
The appearance was a family affair. Todd Palin sat at the head table, and during her talk Palin called out to her parents who stood at the back of the ballroom at the Renaissance Hotel and waved to the crowd. Palin quipped that her mom and dad 鈥渃rashed the party.鈥�
On the political front, Palin said that 鈥渋f the election had turned out differently, I could be the one overseeing the signing of bailout checks and Vice President Biden could be on the road selling his book 鈥淕oing Rogaine.鈥� Biden is known for many things but not a full head of hair.
While Palin was not specific about her political plans, she noted that on Sunday she would be at a book store in Iowa, which is an influential proving ground for presidential candidates. "Come early, long lines are expected," she said.
Tweaking the media
Much of Palin鈥檚 gentle political humor was aimed at the media.
鈥淪ometimes you鈥檝e got to trust your instincts, and when you don鈥檛 you end up in a place like this," she said. Palin also tweaked journalists for buying books and turning immediately to the index to see if they are mentioned. Her book does not have an index but she made up index entries during her speech including: 鈥淎. Alaska, media not understanding it, page 1 to 432.鈥�
One other comment about the media: 鈥淚t is good to be here though, really, in front of this audience of leading journalists and intellectuals or, as I like to call it, a death panel,鈥� she said.
Palin鈥檚 book notes the sometimes troubled relationship she had with McCain campaign staffers. Talking about her bus tour for her book, 鈥淕oing Rogue,鈥� she said, 鈥渢he view is so much better inside the bus than under the bus.鈥�
In a reference to the rocky relations she had with Steve Schmidt, McCain鈥檚 bald campaign manager, Palin said that if she needed a bald campaign manager, 鈥渁ll that I am left with is James Carville.鈥� Carville is a Democratic strategist.
Poking fun at herself
The ritual at these dinners calls for self-deprecatory humor and Palin obliged. Being at the dinner meant 鈥渁t least now I can put a face to the newspapers I do read,鈥� she said, referencing her lack of response to Katie Couric's question about what newspapers or magazines she liked to read. Palin also noted that she was 鈥渇eeling right at home鈥� since she could come down from her room and 鈥渃ould see the Russian embassy鈥� 鈥� poking fun at her "you can actually see Russia" from Alaska campaign comment.
And the former Alaska Governor recounted being on a flight and reading a magazine with President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the cover. Another passenger said 鈥淗u鈥檚 the Communist.鈥� Palin said, 鈥淚 thought he was asking a question."
The evening ended with what members sarcastically refer to as 鈥渢he mighty Gridiron chorus鈥� singing a humorous rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas. There, standing with the journalists and vocalists from the United States Marine Band, was a smiling Sarah Palin. The song recounted gifts given by Rush Limbaugh.
鈥淥n the twelfth day of Christmas, Rush Limbaugh gave to me: 12 flaming liberals, hunted down in the wild and field dressed, medium well-done, seared on the fatty edges.鈥� At which point Palin chimed in, 鈥渞ight next to the mashed potatoes.鈥�
Correction: An earlier version of this blog entry contained an incorrect attendance figure for the Gridiron dinner and overstated the percentage by which attendance increased.
See also:
The 鈥楪oing Rogue鈥� code: text reveals logic of Sarah Palin鈥檚 tour
Sarah Palin on Oprah Winfrey Show: Five best outtakes
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