Inside the Beltway

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When her critics grow shrill and unfriendly journalists circle with whetted appetites, Sarah Palin has the same reaction. She smiles. It is larger than life, universal, genuine, canny, sparkling - and it drives them all crazy. How can you defeat a woman who is fearless enough to smile in the face of the oncoming media train?

And smile she does.

Perhaps Newsweek is audacious enough to feature Mrs. Palin on its cover in running shorts, emblazoned with the headline, “She’s bad news for the GOP - and for everyone else, too.”

Yeah well. The newsstand is not always an unfriendly place for the former Alaska governor, however. Don’t overlook a new independent publication from IMG, a marketing group, and Imagine That Publishing titled, “Sarah Palin: The untold story in her own words,” now competing for space with all the weekly newsmagazines bent on a little Palin bashing. Yes, Mrs. Palin’s smiling.

And this time the headline reads: “Faith, family, freedom: Can she save America?”

“I think the headline speaks to the Palin audience, and their hopes and aspirations for a woman who has very adeptly caught the nation’s attention,” publisher and editor Steve LeGrice tells Inside the Beltway.

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One more notion about the Palin method of political currency.

There are some lawmakers who have recently distanced themselves from the “tea party” movement for one reason or another; whether they privately regret their decisions is not known. Sarah Palin - in smiling and fearless mode - has forged strategic alliances with several of the tea party tribes.

She is the keynote speaker at the National Tea Party Convention, which opens Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. C-SPAN, Fox News and MSNBC plan to carry her address live Saturday night.

In March, Mrs. Palin will help launch the Tea Party Express III - a cavalcade of exuberant tea partiers who will transverse the nation in buses, departing with much ado from Searchlight, Nev. - hometown of House Majority Leader Harry Reid.

“We are thrilled. Governor Palin has been a conservative advocate and champion of the people for many years. Her ongoing support of these tea parties shows the remarkable connection with everyday Americans that has made her a rock star among the grass roots,” organizer Levi Russell tells Inside the Beltway.

“Despite harsh criticism from the left and even some on the right, Gov. Palin remains a resolute advocate for the people, which is why she will get a very warm welcome from tea partiers at our rallies,” he adds.

EDGING FORWARD

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