Their Jealousy Will Get Her Everywhere

During the Republican Governors Association convention today, Palin said this:

"We're hearing now more talk of additional taxpayer bailouts ... for companies, for corporations, perhaps even states now who may be standing in line with their hands out despite, perhaps, some poor management decisions on their part that helped tank our economy," she said.

Palin stressed the need for what she called greater economic "accountability and personal responsibility" while urging "conservative solutions to these economic challenges."

Good move. She knows she has to make hay out of the spotlight she's received over the past two months and not let herself be forgotten up in Alaska. She must strike while the iron is hot and become a force without McCain.

As for the other governors at the convention, it was a case of holding the lady's hat and crying about it. Anonymously.

CNN:

Some Republican governors told CNN they were not particularly happy with the way the RGA press conference was executed Thursday, saying they agreed to go as a show of GOP governors' unity, but they ended up feeling like silent Palin supporters, because it was clearly a press conference called for her.

The GOP governors spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity.

One called it awkward: "I'm sure you could see it on some of our faces."

One anonymous governor called the conference "weird," and lamented that it made Palin look like the de facto leader of the Republican party.

News for you, dude: when a lady says "the past is the past," starts talking about a party message regarding the bailout, and draws a press scrum to hear her every word, she is the leader of the party. Not de facto, but in fact. Besides, how can one of these no-name guys be a leader when they're afraid to even say things on the record? An anonymous governor is a meaningless person. Meaningless people aren't leaders.

These governors are fools not to see Palin as a key ingredient in rebuilding their party. The woman received over 50 million votes as a vice-presidential candidate. That is something the party can build on, provided they aren't so blinded by jealousy that they try to muzzle her.

This is old turf for Palin. She became governor by running against a Republican. She isn't afraid to duke it out with people in her own party. The jealousy can only serve to elevate her by giving her underdog status, with a dash of sexism thrown in. It will keep her name in the papers and her face on TV. If the other governors in her party don't see that their jealousy and anonymous tips will backfire, then they are delusional.

Governor of Texas Rick Perry tried to muzzle Palin today by cutting her news conference short. She was supposed to field questions for 20 minutes, but only took 4 questions by the time Perry ended it. According to CNN he said, "We were running behind schedule."

Yeah. Sure, Rick. And if you were taking questions as the de facto leader of the party?

Men.

(Photo: AP)