Jim Minnery's Faux Outrage

Governor Palin gets thousands of event invitations. She turns most of them down, but, because they have often ginned up interest in their event by advertising the governor's attendance, the organizers fail to advertise the fact that she has turned them down.

The latest brouhaha involves Governor Palin and the Alaska Family Council and their president Jim Minnery:

Alaska Family Council President Jim Minnery said it was news to him when a reporter told him that Stapleton was saying Palin had no knowledge of the speech, which his group has been promoting. He said organizers have been talking to Palin "contacts" for weeks about it.

"All we can do is take people at their word that we've worked with in the past," Minnery said. "We've been working for several weeks on the event, promoting it very heavily. It would be a grave disappointment if she doesn't show up but the show will still go on."

He declined to say who the organizers had been speaking to. "I'd just prefer to keep it kind of anonymous right now, especially since you're hearing something that's opposite of what we've been hearing."

[...]

Palin spokeswoman Stapleton said Palin was indeed invited to the fundraiser.

"She had hoped to be able to attend but cannot return (to Alaska) in time for that private fundraiser," Stapleton said.

She said Palin notified the group that she would be out of town; Minnery said he didn't know anything about Palin saying she wouldn't be in Anchorage.

As of Wednesday evening, Palin's picture was still featured prominently on the Family Council's Web site promoting the public event, with a headline "Former Gov. Palin & Star Parker to Kick Off Campaign." The group's e-mail newsletter last week said that "following her speech on the importance of parental involvement in abortion decisions," Palin would sign the petition. The Family Council describes itself on its Web site as a "non-profit Christian public policy organization dedicated to protecting and strengthening the family."

Stapleton said Palin had previously agreed to be the first signer of the petition for the ballot measure pushed by the family council. But, "obviously since the signature-gathering process started a couple of weeks ago there was less pressure to get home to be the first to sign," she said Wednesday.

Minnery said organizers had already started collecting signatures but still planned for Palin's signature to appear as the first "official" one on the first petition packet. That packet was set aside with space for her to sign at tonight's event

The invitation, as described by the Family Council, for the governor to be the first "official" signature on the petition, somehow became a public speech in the ADN's article:

Organizers of an Anchorage event that has been billing Sarah Palin for weeks as a star speaker were left scrambling Wednesday after learning that the former governor won't be there for tonight's event and claims to have never been asked.

Alaska Family Council President Jim Minnery said it was news to him when a reporter told him that Stapleton was saying Palin had no knowledge of the speech, which his group has been promoting.

Many of our readers know that C4P's policy is not to post on events such as this until they are confirmed by the governor's spokesperson, Meghan Stapleton. As we've said before: Until Stapleton says it's happening, it's not happening. When Meghan Stapleton comes out and says that Palin will be at an event -- that is when we post on that event.

Here is just one example of how these types of things can occur: The Southern Republican Leadership Conference has invited Governor Palin to attend their event in April of 2010. Read their advertisement on Palin here. Okay, so she is invited. She is invited just like the other speakers on the "invited list," which include: Rick Perry, Tim Pawlenty, Haley Barbour and others. That's fine. Now, this is where problems can arise:



That is a screen shot of the Republican Leaderships Conference's front page. This page has not changed in weeks. Governor Palin is always the "featured" invited guest. There is no "rotation" of invited guests for front page treatment. Problems arise because people who have checked their site for the last few weeks will only see Palin. Well, that means only one thing: Palin will be at the event! Where do I get my ticket? However, Governor Palin is only "invited" and has not confirmed her attendance for this event, or any other event, to my knowledge.

Now, back to Jim Minnery. I find his "outrage" to be sorely misplaced. You may remember that Jim Minnery has slammed the governor in the past. In at least two instances he has criticized Governor Palin for things that were beyond her control. Once on her first veto as governor, and another on her selection of Morgan Christian as Alaska Supreme Court Justice. In both events, Governor Palin simply followed the Constitution that she swore an oath to uphold.

It is clear that the facts are on Governor Palin's side:

1. Governor Palin was invited to kick off the event by attending a private fundraiser.
2. There was never a mention in the invitation the Council sent out that Governor Palin would be speaking at a public event.
3. Governor Palin notified the private fundraiser that she would be out of town on that date, but has offered to make a donation.
4. The signing of the petition in question has already been started. Therefore, Governor Palin will simply sign the petition when she returns home.

I am sure that Governor Palin would love to attend most of the events to which she is invited. However, it is just not possible to attend every event. There is one simple rule to follow regarding this subject: Wait until an event is confirmed by Meghan Stapleton or the governor herself.