McCain says he's not offended his former running mate blacked out his name for her visor.

(CNN) - Arizona Sen. John McCain said the recent flap over Sarah Palin's decision to black out his name from a campaign visor while she was vacationing in Hawaii is much ado about nothing.

"Oh, it's fine. Sarah said she wanted to be a little bit incognito," McCain said when asked about the incident on "Fox News Sunday. "I don't blame her. I understand that."

The controversy arose after photos of a vacationing Palin showed the former Republican vice presidential candidate relaxing on a Hawaii beach wearing a McCain campaign visor on which she had clearly blacked out the Arizona senator's name with a marker.

The Web site TMZ declared the blacked-out visor amounted to a "frontal attack on Sen. John McCain," but Palin later said she was merely trying to "be incognito" in an effort to get a little rest and relaxation after her nearly month-long book tour.

"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection," Palin told the Web site Politico when questioned about the hat. "As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him."

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," McCain said he is taking Palin at her word.

Can't you take her at her word? It's - Sarah and I and Todd, Cindy - we have a wonderful relationship. We're dear friends," he said. "She is a - going to be a force in the Republican Party for a longtime. And the hysterical attacks on her from the left continue to validate that. "

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin continued to blast believers in climate change Friday.

(CNN)– In a late night posting on her Twitter feed, Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin continued to blast climate change believers Friday, calling the talks in Copenhagen, Denmark a representation of man's "arrogance," for believing people have an impact on nature.

"Arrogant&Naive2say man overpwers nature," Palin tweeted.

"Earth saw clmate chnge4 ions;will cont 2 c chnges.R duty2responsbly devlop resorces4humankind/not pollute&destroy;but cant alter naturl chng," the former Republican vice presidential nominee wrote.

Palin's latest comments come after weeks of tangling over climate change with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former vice president Al Gore, and President Obama.

In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Palin urged the president to boycott the climate talks, calling his presence at the conference a "political move."

"The last thing America needs is misguided legislation that will raise taxes and cost jobs – particularly when the push for such legislation rests on agenda-driven science," Palin wrote. "Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference. The president should boycott Copenhagen."

When Schwarzenegger questioned Palin's stance on climate change, Palin quickly hit back saying the actor-turned-governor was acting "greener than thou."

And when former vice president Al Gore dubbed her a climate change "denier," Palin hit back at him too, accusing him of promoting "doomsday scenarios."

"Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it," Palin wrote on her Facebook page.

During the vice presidential debate last year, Palin said she was for capping carbon emissions but did not elaborate on how she would do that.

Palin said she supports McCain '100 percent.'

(CNN) - Sarah Palin said she meant no disrespect to the man that elevated her to the national scene after she was photographed wearing a visor on which Sen. John McCain's name had been blacked out.

The gossip Web site TMZ ran photos of the former Alaska governor vacationing in Hawaii earlier this week in which Palin is shown with a McCain campaign visor with black marker covering the ex-presidential candidate's name.

The Web site declared the hat a "frontal attack on Sen. John McCain," but Palin told Politico she was merely trying to "be incognito" while vacationing in Hawaii.

"I am so sorry if people took this silly incident the wrong way," Palin said in a statement to the Web site. "I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago. So much for trying to be incognito."

A Palin source confirmed the accuracy of the former vice presidential candidate's comments.

The four term Senator McCain is up for re-election next year.

The vacation comes a month after Palin's memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life," hit book stores. Palin launched an around-the-country book tour soon after and has since visited more than 30 cities.

Palin said she supports McCain '100 percent.'

(CNN) - Sarah Palin said she meant no disrespect to the man that elevated her to the national scene after she was photographed wearing a visor on which Sen. John McCain's name had been blacked out.

The gossip Web site TMZ ran photos of the former Alaska governor vacationing in Hawaii earlier this week in which Palin is shown with a McCain campaign visor with black marker covering the ex-presidential candidate's name.

The Web site declared the hat a "frontal attack on Sen. John McCain," but Palin told Politico she was merely trying to "be incognito" while vacationing in Hawaii.

"I am so sorry if people took this silly incident the wrong way," Palin said in a statement to the Web site. "I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago. So much for trying to be incognito."

A Palin source confirmed the accuracy of the former vice presidential candidate's comments.

The four term Senator McCain is up for re-election next year.

The vacation comes a month after Palin's memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life," hit book stores. Palin launched an around-the-country book tour soon after and has since visited more than 30 cities.

Sarah Palin is hitting back at California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's dig at the former Alaska governor over the issue of climate change.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin is hitting back at California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's dig at the former Alaska governor over the issue of climate change.

"Why is Governor Schwarzenegger pushing for the same sorts of policies in Copenhagen that have helped drive his state into record deficits and unemployment?" Palin wrote on her Facebook page Tuesday night. "Perhaps he will recall that I live in our nation's only Arctic state and that I was among the first governors to create a sub-cabinet to deal specifically with climate change."

Palin's comments came hours after the California Republican questioned Palin's stance on climate change in an interview with the Financial Times at the Copenhagen climate change summit
"You have to ask: what was she trying to accomplish?" said Schwarzenegger, who has backed strict new emissions controls to combat climate change. "Is she really interested in this subject or is she interested in her career and in winning the (Republican presidential) nomination? You have to take all these things with a grain of salt."

The former Republican vice presidential nominee has questioned whether human activity contributes to climate change, and wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post last week blasting the cap and trade policy promoted by the Obama administration to limit emissions. She has also called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen conference.

On her Facebook page Tuesday night, Palin said Schwarzenegger was acting "greener than thou."

"While I and all Alaskans witness the impacts of changes in weather patterns firsthand, I have repeatedly said that we can't primarily blame man's activities for those changes," she wrote. "And while I did look for practical responses to those changes, what I didn't do was hamstring Alaska's job creators with burdensome regulations so that I could act 'greener than thou' when talking to reporters."

Palin also mixed it up last week with former vice President Al Gore, who dubbed her a climate change "denier."

Also on her Facebook page, Palin criticized the former vice president for promoting "doomsday scenarios": "Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it."

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is questioning the motives of a felllow Republican, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

(CNN) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – who has backed strict new emissions controls to combat climate change – made a comment Tuesday that's sure to raise some heat, especially in GOP circles.

The Republican governor of California is questioning the motives of a high-profile opponent of the idea: Sarah Palin.

The former Republican vice presidential nominee and former Alaska governor has questioned whether human activity contributes to climate change, and written op-eds blasting the cap and trade policy promoted by the Obama administration to limit emissions. Last week, she called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen conference.

"You have to ask: what was she trying to accomplish?" Schwarzenegger, in Copenhagen for the international climate change summit, told the Financial Times. "Is she really interested in this subject or is she interested in her career and in winning the (Republican presidential) nomination? You have to take all these things with a grain of salt."

Palin, dubbed a climate change "denier" by Al Gore, slammed the former vice president for promoting "doomsday scenarios": "Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it," she wrote in a Facebook post last week.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is questioning the motives of a felllow Republican, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

(CNN) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – who has backed strict new emissions controls to combat climate change – made a comment Tuesday that's sure to raise some heat, especially in GOP circles.

The Republican governor of California is questioning the motives of a high-profile opponent of the idea: Sarah Palin.

The former Republican vice presidential nominee and former Alaska governor has questioned whether human activity contributes to climate change, and written op-eds blasting the cap and trade policy promoted by the Obama administration to limit emissions. Last week, she called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen conference.

"You have to ask: what was she trying to accomplish?" Schwarzenegger, in Copenhagen for the international climate change summit, told the Financial Times. "Is she really interested in this subject or is she interested in her career and in winning the (Republican presidential) nomination? You have to take all these things with a grain of salt."

Palin, dubbed a climate change "denier" by Al Gore, slammed the former vice president for promoting "doomsday scenarios": "Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it," she wrote in a Facebook post last week.

Palin made a surprise appearance on The Tonight Show Friday.

(CNN)– Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made an appearance Friday night on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, where she poked some fun at William Shatner.

Earlier this year, the actor made fun of Palin by reading some of her tweets during an appearance on The Tonight Show. Friday, Shatner continued by reading excerpts from her book "Going Rogue."

"I always remind people from outside of our state right that there is plenty of room for Alaska's animals. Right next to the mashed potatoes," Shatner read.

Then, Palin surprised the audience with her appearance and decided it was time for some payback.

"I think it's appropriate that I read a few choice excerpts from Mr. Shatner's autobiography," Palin declared. "I attended my first Star Trek convention in November 1975. The money they offered me to attend this convention was… do I dare? Yes, I do. Out of this world."

According to an aide traveling with Palin, she mingled with other guests including Tony Bennett and Zack Braff after her appearance, and wore the red jacket from her book cover for the last time.

'I liked what he said,' former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said of the president's Nobel acceptance speech.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin had some rare praise Thursday for President Obama after the president delivered his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo. But the former Republican vice presidential nominee added that she would like to see the president act more like his predecessor, George W. Bush.

"I liked what he said," Palin told USAToday in an interview after the speech.

Palin said the president's remarks had a familiar ring. "I thumbed through my book quickly this morning to say 'Wow! That really sounded familiar.' because I talked in book too about the fallen nature of man and why war is necessary at times."

Related: War sometimes justified, Obama says

But Palin suggested Obama could learn a few things from former President Bush.

"We have to stop those terrorists over there," she told the paper. "We've learned our lesson from 9/11. George Bush did a great job of reminding Americans every single day that he was in office what that lesson is. And, by the way, I'd like to see President Obama follow more closely in the footsteps of George Bush and [Bush's] passion keeping the homeland safe, his passion for respecting – honoring our troops."

Palin is the second prominent Republican to praise Obama's speech accepting the Nobel Prize, after former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called it "very good."

Polls indicate that most Americans believe the award was given to the president prematurely. In his remarks, Obama acknowledged the controversy as he accepted the esteemed international prize after less than a year in the White House.

"I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility," Obama said in the speech. "Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize ... my accomplishments are slight."

Read: Obama's Nobel acceptance speech

'I liked what he said,' former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said of the president's Nobel acceptance speech.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin had some rare praise Thursday for President Obama after the president delivered his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo. But the former Republican vice presidential nominee added that she would like to see the president act more like his predecessor, George W. Bush.

"I liked what he said," Palin told USAToday in an interview after the speech.

Palin said the president's remarks had a familiar ring. "I thumbed through my book quickly this morning to say 'Wow! That really sounded familiar.' because I talked in book too about the fallen nature of man and why war is necessary at times."

Related: War sometimes justified, Obama says

But Palin suggested Obama could learn a few things from former President Bush.

"We have to stop those terrorists over there," she told the paper. "We've learned our lesson from 9/11. George Bush did a great job of reminding Americans every single day that he was in office what that lesson is. And, by the way, I'd like to see President Obama follow more closely in the footsteps of George Bush and [Bush's] passion keeping the homeland safe, his passion for respecting – honoring our troops."

Palin is the second prominent Republican to praise Obama's speech accepting the Nobel Prize, after former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called it "very good."

Polls indicate that most Americans believe the award was given to the president prematurely. In his remarks, Obama acknowledged the controversy as he accepted the esteemed international prize after less than a year in the White House.

"I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility," Obama said in the speech. "Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize ... my accomplishments are slight."

Read: Obama's Nobel acceptance speech

Palin is calling on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen climate change conference next week.

(CNN) –Sarah Palin has taken to the Washington Post op-ed page to urge President Barack Obama to cancel his scheduled appearance at the Copenhagen climate change conference next week.

Referencing private e-mails from climate change scientists at a research facility in Britain that were hacked and published on the Internet late last month, Palin said now is not the time for the President to show his support for the "radical environmental movement."

"Instead of staying home from Copenhagen and sending a message that the United States will not be a party to fraudulent scientific practices, the president has upped the ante, Palin writes. "He plans to fly in at the climax of the conference in hopes of sealing a 'deal.' Whatever deal he gets, it will be no deal for the American people."

Palin added Obama's underlying political objective is to increase pressure on Congress to pass the Democrats "cap and trade" energy proposal that is expected to be debated early next year.

"This is a political move. The last thing America needs is misguided legislation that will raise taxes and cost jobs - particularly when the push for such legislation rests on agenda-driven science," writes Palin. "Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference. The president should boycott Copenhagen."

At the vice presidential debate last year, Palin said she was for capping carbon emissions but did not elaborate on how she would do that.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin spoke about Mike Huckabee's clemency decision and a potential third party run in 2012.

Washington (CNN) – Sarah Palin said in a recent radio appearance that Mike Huckabee made a "horrible decision" nine years ago to commute the prison sentence of the man suspected of killing four police officers in Washington, but she added that her "heart goes out" to the former Arkansas governor.

In an interview last week with conservative radio host Lars Larson, Palin called the murders "tragic" and "unfathomable."

"It was a bad decision obviously, but my heart goes out to Huckabee," the former Alaska governor said. "I love him, and I feel bad for him to be in this position. But I feel even worse for the victim's families in this situation. I do feel bad for Huckabee, but it was a horrible decision he made."

Huckabee has said he regrets the decision to commute the sentence of the suspected shooter, Maurice Clemmons, but said he thinks he made the right assessment at the time. Palin said she had never pardoned or granted clemency to prisoners when she served in Juneau.

"I don't have a whole lot of mercy for the bad guys," she said. "I'm on the good guys' side."

Pressed on her political ambitions, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee would not rule out a third party run at the White House in 2012.

"That depends on how things go in the next couple of years," she said. "It really does depend. There are enough Republicans who are realizing, 'Oh whoops, some of us liberal republicans have screwed up.' And I'm not including myself in that group, but some liberal Republicans have screwed up."

Palin said her decision rests on whether or not the GOP does a better job of appealing to its conservative base.

"If the Republican Party gets back to that base, I think our party is going to be stronger and there's not going to be a need for a third party, but I'll play that by ear in these coming months, coming years," she said.

Sarah Palin has erased her drop in the polls that followed her resignation as Alaska governor, according to to new CNN poll out Monday.

Washington (CNN) - Sarah Palin has erased her drop in the polls that followed her resignation as Alaska governor, according to new national survey.

But when it comes to opinions of Palin, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday suggests a partisan divide and a gender gap.

The survey indicates that Americans are split on Palin, with 46 percent saying they have a favorable opinion of her and an equal amount saying they have an unfavorable view of last year's Republican vice presidential nominee.

Full results (pdf)

Palin resigned as Alaska governor in July, with a year and a half left in her first term. She attributed the decision to tremendous pressure, time and the financial burden of a litany of ethics complaints in the past several months, complaints Palin said were without merit and took away from the job she wanted to do for Alaskans.

Related video: Public split on Palin

Following her resignation, Palin's favorable rating dropped to 39 percent in CNN polling, but her popularity is now back to the same level it was before she stepped down. The former governor is in the middle of a national tour for her best selling book, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

Eight out of ten Republicans questioned the survey have a favorable opinion of Palin, with more than seven in ten Democrats view her unfavorably. Independents are evenly divided on Palin. According to the poll, 51 percent of men see her in a positive light, with an nearly equal amount of women view Palin in a negative way.

"The gender gap on Palin is not simply a function of the fact that women tend to identify with the Democratic party more than men do," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Even within GOP circles, Republican men like Palin more than Republican women do. John McCain put Palin on his ticket in 2008 to appeal to female voters, but it looks like men are a natural constituency for her."

How does the first female vice-presidential major party candidate in more than two decades compare to recent vice presidents?

"Palin is still not as popular Al Gore and remains more unpopular than Joe Biden, but her favorable rating is much higher than Dick Cheney's," adds Holland.

Palin's book tour brought her to Iowa on Sunday. With the former Alaska governor considered a possible contender for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, attention has been sparked by her visit to Iowa, site of the first event on the presidential calendar. Long lines of people have waited hours to see Palin during many stops of her nearly month long book tour.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted December 2-3, with 1,041 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

TOPICS: Sarah Palin, Al Gore, Joe Biden, Dick Cheney, Joe Lieberman, John Edwards

Full results (pdf)

Fairfax, Virginia (CNN)– "It feels like home!" That's what Sarah Palin remarked about the snow falling in Fairfax, Virginia - the latest stop on her book signing tour. Several hundred people waited patiently in line Saturday for a chance to meet the former Republican vice presidential candidate.

"It was absolutely worth it," said Billie Jo Melting of Hampton Roads, Virginia. "With Sarah Palin, it's all about family. She talks to the normal person," she said.

Palin's book "Going Rogue" is a best seller and supporters of the former Alaska governor said they did not want to miss the chance to meet her. "She's like Reagan in heels." That's how Chris Bradford of Manassas, Virginia views Palin. "We need somebody like her to get conservatism going again," he said.

Palin was accompanied by her husband Todd and her infant son Trig as she walked into BJ's Wholesale Club in Fairfax. Once inside, Palin signed copies of her book and posed for pictures with fans.

"She's got everything, said Ron Wolfe of Sterling, Virginia."She's just fantastic."

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will speak at the Gridiron dinner Saturday.

Washington (CNN)– For the first time in its 124-year history, the Gridiron Club is, on a trial basis, partially lifting its "off the record" rule for its annual dinners.

"Ladies are always present; reporters are never present," has been a club motto since the beginning – and its spring and winter dinners billed as an "off the record" night of humorous speeches and musical skits, most of them good naturedly lampooning politicians and the reporters who cover them.

But club leaders announced the experiment Saturday morning, describing it as a bow to the reality of the "Twitter" age.

It is a one-time trial for the winter dinner, which this year features Sarah Palin and Barney Frank as the Republican and Democratic speakers, respectively.

The winter dinner is a smaller affair than the spring event, which normally draws the president and a "who's who" of Washington.

At the winter event, attendance is limited to members and their spouses or one guest.

Club leaders said the policy will be re evaluated after this weekend's dinner.

The event remains closed to media coverage - meaning reporters who are not members or invited guests cannot attend to cover the proceedings - and no photographs are allowed.

At a morning Gridiron meeting, club leaders stressed they hoped reporting of the event would be minimal and urged members not to type notes or "tweet" during the speeches.

But they said it has become common practice for accounts of the dinners to appear in media accounts, and so they had reluctantly decided to experiment with a new policy.

Sarah Palin says 'members of the electorate still want answers' about President Obama's citizenship.

Washington (CNN) – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin defended the public's right to question the legitimacy of President Obama's birth certificate, but noted that she is not demanding for it to be released.

Appearing on conservative radio host Rusty Humphries program, Palin said that she supports people inquiring about it.

"I think the public rightfully is still making it an issue," Palin said in the interview with Humphries. "I don't have a problem with that. I don't know if I would have to bother to make it an issue, because I think that members of the electorate still want answers."

Humphries, whose radio show airs on about 300 stations across the country, went on to press Palin about whether it is "fair" game to ask such questions.

"I think it's a fair question, just like I think past association and past voting records - all of that is fair game," Palin responded.

She also criticized her own presidential campaign for not asking enough questions about Obama.

"The McCain-Palin campaign didn't do a good enough job in that area," the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate said. "We didn't call out Obama and some of his associates on their records and what their beliefs were and perhaps what some of their future plans were and I don't think that was fair to voters to not have done our job as candidates.

The interview aired at 10:30 p.m. ET, and just a few hours later Palin made it clear in a posting on her Facebook page that she, personally, is not asking to see it.

"Voters have every right to ask candidates for information if they so choose," Palin said. "I've pointed out that it was seemingly fair game during the 2008 election for many on the left to badger my doctor and lawyer for proof that Trig is in fact my child. Conspiracy-minded reporters and voters had a right to ask... which they have repeatedly. But at no point – not during the campaign, and not during recent interviews – have I asked the president to produce his birth certificate or suggested that he was not born in the United States."

Sarah Palin says 'members of the electorate still want answers' about President Obama's citizenship.

Washington (CNN) – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin defended the public's right to question the legitimacy of President Obama's birth certificate, but noted that she is not demanding for it to be released.

Appearing on conservative radio host Rusty Humphries program, Palin said that she supports people inquiring about it.

"I think the public rightfully is still making it an issue," Palin said in the interview with Humphries. "I don't have a problem with that. I don't know if I would have to bother to make it an issue, because I think that members of the electorate still want answers."

Humphries, whose radio show airs on about 300 stations across the country, went on to press Palin about whether it is "fair" game to ask such questions.

"I think it's a fair question, just like I think past association and past voting records - all of that is fair game," Palin responded.

She also criticized her own presidential campaign for not asking enough questions about Obama.

"The McCain-Palin campaign didn't do a good enough job in that area," the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate said. "We didn't call out Obama and some of his associates on their records and what their beliefs were and perhaps what some of their future plans were and I don't think that was fair to voters to not have done our job as candidates.

The interview aired at 10:30 p.m. ET, and just a few hours later Palin made it clear in a posting on her Facebook page that she, personally, is not asking to see it.

"Voters have every right to ask candidates for information if they so choose," Palin said. "I've pointed out that it was seemingly fair game during the 2008 election for many on the left to badger my doctor and lawyer for proof that Trig is in fact my child. Conspiracy-minded reporters and voters had a right to ask... which they have repeatedly. But at no point – not during the campaign, and not during recent interviews – have I asked the president to produce his birth certificate or suggested that he was not born in the United States."

Palin is beginning the second part of a nationwide book tour.

(CNN) – An aide to Sarah Palin downplayed reports Tuesday about the former Alaska governor's use of a private jet during certain legs of a national bus tour to promote her memoir, "Going Rogue."

While it's not unusual for political figures to fly from state to state before hopping on a bus to head to events, Palin is taking heat for using a private jet for some of her travels, with one report claiming that the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee flew in style while leaving her staff behind to ride the bus during long journeys.

But Jason Recher, who is traveling with Palin and coordinating logistics for the tour, said that's not true.

Palin was joined by her family and a handful of staffers on each flight leg, said Recher, who noted that the jet was paid for by Palin's publisher, Harper Collins. He said the publisher originally wanted all of the book tour travel to be by plane, but Palin lobbied for a bus tour.

The private jet transported the Palin entourage for several legs of the tour, including from New York City to Grand Rapids, Michigan for the beginning of the tour last month. The bus then took them to book signings in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania before the group boarded the plane to Rochester, New York. The private plane was also used for flights from Rochester to Roanoke, Virginia; from Fayetteville, North Carolina to Birmingham, Alabama; and from Birmingham to Jacksonville, Florida.

Palin also took to the skies to visit with Billy and Franklin Graham in Montreat, North Carolina on November 22, but not on Harper Collins' dime. Instead, she was picked up in Roanoke on Franklin Graham's provate plane and flown to Billy Graham's mountaintop home. That plane took Palin on to Fayetteville after the private visit.

Recher calculated that Palin and the people traveling with her spent about 24 hours total on board the "Going Rogue" bus during the first seven days of the book tour.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's memoir 'Going Rogue' has sold more than one million copies after debuting only two weeks ago, her publisher Harper Collins tells CNN.

(CNN) – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's memoir "Going Rogue" has sold more than one million copies after debuting only two weeks ago, her publisher Harper Collins tells CNN.

In light of the book's overwhelming sales, a Harper Collins spokesperson said they have decided to increase its printing to 2.8 million copies, more than a million more than the initial order.

Palin's book sold more than 700,000 copies in the first week alone, 100,000 more than Hillary Clinton's 2003 memoir "Living History" sold in the same timeframe. "Going Rogue" also well outpaces President Barack Obama's 2006 book "Audacity of Hope," which sold less than 100,000 in its first week.

But Palin falls short of former President Bill Clinton, whose 2004 memoir "My Life" sold 900,000 copies in week one.

'Going Rogue' has landed on the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

(CNN) - In the wake of a high-profile two week publicity tour, Sarah Palin's memoir "Going Rogue: An American Life" has landed at the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

The former Alaska governor's book takes over the top spot previously held by tennis legend Andre Agassi's tell-all, "Open."

Another potential 2012 contender is also making a strong showing on this week's list:  Mike Huckabee's "A simple Christmas" is at No. 5.

The Associated Press reported last week Palin sold 700,000 copies of her memoir in its first week, a number that far surpasses most political books.  But it falls short of the more than 900,000 copies sold of Bill Clinton's 2004 memoir "My Life" during its debut week.

Poll: Palin best reflects GOP core values.

Washington (CNN) - Republican voters are split on whether their party's leadership is taking the GOP in the right direction, according to a new national poll. The Washington Post survey released Monday also indicates that Republicans say that Sarah Palin, more than any other leader, best reflects the core values of the party.

According to the poll, 18 percent of Republicans and independents who lean towards the GOP say the former Alaska governor best reflects core GOP values. In second place, 5 points back, is Sen. John McCain of Arizona, last year's Republican presidential nominee, followed by former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee at 7 percent, former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney at 6 percent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 4 percent and conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh at 2 percent. Other current Republican leaders were picked by 1 percent or less of those questioned in the poll.

Palin also tops the list of potential 2012 Republican presidential hopefuls. According to the poll, 17 percent of Republican voters say they'd back last year's GOP vice presidential nominee if their state's caucus or primary were being held today, with Huckabee at 10 percent, Romney at 9 percent and McCain with 2 percent support. Huckabee, Palin and Romney have topped most national surveys of the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

The survey indicates that nearly half the Republicans questioned think Palin's had a good effect on the party, with 1 in 5 saying she's had a bad effect and just over 3 in 10 saying she hasn't made a difference either way. One view those questioned overwhelmingly shared was their opinion of the news media's treatment of Palin: Nearly 9 in 10 respondents said reporter have treated her unfairly.

According to the poll, 49 percent of Republican voters think their party's leadership is taking the GOP in the right direction. That's down from 76 percent in 2005, early in President George W. Bush's second term. The survey indicates that 56 percent of Republicans think it's a good idea for their party to try and work with the Democrats who control Congress and the White House to try and get some GOP ideas into legislation. But far fewer want to see cooperation on health care reform: Just 23 percent say it's a good idea to work with President Barack Obama and the Democrats. More than three out of four say it's best to try and short-circuit Democratic plans entirely.

The survey also indicates that nearly 3 out of 4 Republicans think Obama does not stand for traditional American values.

According to the poll, 27 percent of respondents say Republican candidates for public office should take only conservative positions on issues - but nearly 7 in 10 feel it's ok for GOP candidates to take a moderate position on some issues. The poll's release comes as the Republican National Committee considers a draft resolution sponsored by Indiana RNC member Jim Bopp Jr. that proposes a ten-point ideological platform, and would require GOP candidates to adhere to at least seven of those points in order to qualify for financial assistance from the RNC.

The Washington Post telephone poll of 804 Republicans and GOP-leaning independents was conducted November 19-23. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Palin's book tour continues after the holiday.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin is taking a break from her marathon book tour to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family in Richland, Washington, her spokeswoman confirmed to CNN Wednesday.

Palin's parents are originally from the area, and an aunt of the former vice presidential candidate currently lives there.

But Palin won't be off the book trail for long: She's slated to sign books at a Hastings bookstore in Richland Sunday.

The menu at "Aunt Katie's house" isn't public, says Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton, "but there's no doubt there will be meat - right next to the mashed potatoes."

Palin, Bachmann to headline Tea Party convention.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin will be the main attraction at what's being billed as the "First National Tea Party Convention."

Tea Party Nation announced Wednesday that last year's Republican vice presidential candidate will serve as keynote speaker for the conference, scheduled to take place in Nashville, Tennessee February 4-6. A representative for Palin has confirmed the former Alaska governor's speaking role at the gathering.

The group also announced that Rep. Michele Bachmann will be speaking at the gathering as well. The Minnesota Republican has become a hero among many in the conservative movement. A representative for Bachmann confirms her speaking role.

The event could focus the political spotlight on both women. Bachmann has become a rising star, her ascent fueled in part by major support from Tea Party activists. For Palin - currently taking a brief Thanksgiving break from a national tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life" - serving as headliner at a tea party convention could increase speculation that she is weighing a run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Judson Phillips, a spokesman for Tea Party Nation, says the group is talking with other high-profile political leaders about possible convention roles, though he wouldn't name any names.

"(T)he convention is aimed at bringing the Tea Party Movement together from around the nation for the purpose of networking and supporting the movements' multiple organizations (sic) principle goals," according to a statement from the group.

Phillips says the conference will feature workshops, seminars, information centers, and organizational tools for leaders to take back to their respective local tea party organizations. He adds that the Republican Party is not coordinating or organizing with Tea Party Nation in any way.

Phillips says Tea Party Nation was launched in April, just before the first tea parties were held across the country on tax deadline day, and that the group held rallies in Nashville and in other parts of Tennessee on April 15. He added that Tea Party Nation also organized a smaller tea party event in early July, when a second round of events were held around the nation, but did not take part in the two cross-country tea party caravans held the past few months.

A spokesman for the Tea Party Express, which organized those two cross country tea party caravans, says they are not currently involved in the organization of the convention, but that they are supportive of the gathering's goals.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Updated 7:30 p.m. with confirmation from Palin's representative

Palin, Bachmann to headline Tea Party convention.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin will be the main attraction at what's being billed as the "First National Tea Party Convention."

Tea Party Nation announced Wednesday that last year's Republican vice presidential candidate will serve as keynote speaker for the conference, scheduled to take place in Nashville, Tennessee February 4-6. A representative for Palin has confirmed the former Alaska governor's speaking role at the gathering.

The group also announced that Rep. Michele Bachmann will be speaking at the gathering as well. The Minnesota Republican has become a hero among many in the conservative movement. A representative for Bachmann confirms her speaking role.

The event could focus the political spotlight on both women. Bachmann has become a rising star, her ascent fueled in part by major support from Tea Party activists. For Palin - currently taking a brief Thanksgiving break from a national tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life" - serving as headliner at a tea party convention could increase speculation that she is weighing a run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Judson Phillips, a spokesman for Tea Party Nation, says the group is talking with other high-profile political leaders about possible convention roles, though he wouldn't name any names.

"(T)he convention is aimed at bringing the Tea Party Movement together from around the nation for the purpose of networking and supporting the movements' multiple organizations (sic) principle goals," according to a statement from the group.

Phillips says the conference will feature workshops, seminars, information centers, and organizational tools for leaders to take back to their respective local tea party organizations. He adds that the Republican Party is not coordinating or organizing with Tea Party Nation in any way.

Phillips says Tea Party Nation was launched in April, just before the first tea parties were held across the country on tax deadline day, and that the group held rallies in Nashville and in other parts of Tennessee on April 15. He added that Tea Party Nation also organized a smaller tea party event in early July, when a second round of events were held around the nation, but did not take part in the two cross-country tea party caravans held the past few months.

A spokesman for the Tea Party Express, which organized those two cross country tea party caravans, says they are not currently involved in the organization of the convention, but that they are supportive of the gathering's goals.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Updated 7:30 p.m. with confirmation from Palin's representative

Palin has signed 20,000 books, aide estimates.

Washington (CNN) – Sarah Palin has signed 20,000 copies of "Going Rogue" during her nationwide book tour, a staffer traveling with the former Alaska governor estimates.

Palin will have visited 13 cities and traveled 4,000 miles by the end of Tuesday, with 80 percent of that travel done aboard the "Going Rogue" bus, according to Jason Recher, an adviser to Palin during her vice presidential bid now assisting with book tour logistics. Recher ticked through the statistics while riding the bus to Palin's stop at The Villages retirement community in central Florida.

He said Palin has sold 700,000 copies of her memoir so far.

"She is truly enjoying it," Recher told CNN. "I think she'd rather spend her time talking to folks like this rather than going to to fundraisers or talking to donors. She'd rather be signing books and meeting people than being a politician."

Recher said Palin is paying attention to some of the media coverage about her tour, but added: "We don't have time to sit around listening to people in Washington and New York."

Palin chatted with Sen. John McCain by phone last Friday while traveling through Ohio, Recher said, the first time the two have spoken since the book hit stores.

"He told her he really liked the book," Recher said, noting that Palin sent the McCains five copies of the book. He said McCain and Palin agreed that the back-and-forth sniping between former McCain and Palin advisers over the last several weeks "is not relevant to everyday people's lives."

After three Florida stops Tuesday, Palin will travel to Richland, Washington to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family before resuming the tour.

Palin back at crucial campaign stop.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin may not be running for office, but she's heading back to a former campaign stop: On Tuesday, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee's book tour brings her back to the Villages, a large adult retirement community in central Florida that was the site of her first campaign appearance in the state last year.

On September 21, 2008, John McCain's running mate addressed a massive crowd as she visited the must-stop location for any candidate campaigning in the key battleground state.

The former Alaska governor and potential 2012 candidate will also visit Jacksonville and Orlando Tuesday as she promotes her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life.".

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Palin's favorable numbers among Iowa Republicans are strong, says a new poll - though one in four members of her party there have doubts.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin's book tour brings her to Iowa in two weeks. If the former Alaska governor and last year's GOP vice presidential nominee decides to return to Iowa down to road to explore a race for the White House, a new survey suggests that Republicans in the state like her - but have some doubts.

According to a Des Moines Register Iowa poll, 68 percent of Hawkeye Republicans view Palin favorably. That's a statistically insignificant 2 points behind those who have a positive view of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, which traditionally kick off the presidential primary season.

Among other potential 2012 candidates: The survey indicates that two out of three view former House Speaker Newt Gingrich favorably and 58 percent have a positive view of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"With those kinds of numbers, if she were to become a candidate, while it's not a sure thing, she would be starting out in a very good position," veteran Iowa GOP strategist David Roederer told the Des Moines Register. Roederer ran McCain's 2008 Iowa campaign.

But according to the poll, nearly one in four Iowa Republicans view Palin unfavorably. That's double the 12 percent who view Huckabee in an unfavorable way.

Among all Iowans, the survey indicates that 55 percent hold an unfavorable opinion, with 37 percent seeing her in a positive light.

Palin's tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life," brings her to Iowa on December 6. Palin's scheduled to sign copies of her book at a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Des Moines Register Iowa poll was conducted November 8-11, with 800 registered voters in Iowa questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for the overall sample.

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

The two were discussing the recent controversial cover of Newsweek magazine, in which Palin is shown in running shorts. Carville said Palin should not complain about the use of a photo which was not a candid shot but one she had originally posed for, even if it were for a publication other than Newsweek. Echoing recent comments by Palin, Matalin disagreed and said she thought the Newsweek cover was sexist.

“You can agree on this,” Matalin asked her husband, “she looked good in it, right?”

“She does,” Carville said without hesitation, “Ain’t no doubt about that. You and her are the two best-looking women in the Republican Party,” the Democrat told his wife.

Related: Carville, Matalin share rare tender moment

But Carville did not have much more positive to say about Palin.

While the Democratic strategist said Palin is “compelling” and connects with her supporters “in an unbelievable way,” Carville also said the former Alaska governor, believed by some political observers to be laying the groundwork for a 2012 White House bid, is not fit to be the nation’s chief executive.

“What I said about Sarah Palin on the day she was nominated [for the number two spot on the Republican presidential ticket last year], is still true. She’s uniquely and supremely unqualified to be president of the United States. But she’s got real presence about her. I find myself wanting to watch her more than I do most other politicians,” Carville told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King as Matalin looked on.

Matalin said Palin was good for the Republican Party as it begins to position itself for the 2010 midterms and the 2012 White House race.

“We’re ascendant in 2010,” Matalin said Sunday, “but we need people who can communicate the framework, the philosophy into which policy prescriptions can be put and [Palin] does that better than almost anybody.”

The two were discussing the recent controversial cover of Newsweek magazine, in which Palin is shown in running shorts. Carville said Palin should not complain about the use of a photo which was not a candid shot but one she had originally posed for, even if it were for a publication other than Newsweek. Echoing recent comments by Palin, Matalin disagreed and said she thought the Newsweek cover was sexist.

“You can agree on this,” Matalin asked her husband, “she looked good in it, right?”

“She does,” Carville said without hesitation, “Ain’t no doubt about that. You and her are the two best-looking women in the Republican Party,” the Democrat told his wife.

Related: Carville, Matalin share rare tender moment

But Carville did not have much more positive to say about Palin.

While the Democratic strategist said Palin is “compelling” and connects with her supporters “in an unbelievable way,” Carville also said the former Alaska governor, believed by some political observers to be laying the groundwork for a 2012 White House bid, is not fit to be the nation’s chief executive.

“What I said about Sarah Palin on the day she was nominated [for the number two spot on the Republican presidential ticket last year], is still true. She’s uniquely and supremely unqualified to be president of the United States. But she’s got real presence about her. I find myself wanting to watch her more than I do most other politicians,” Carville told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King as Matalin looked on.

Matalin said Palin was good for the Republican Party as it begins to position itself for the 2010 midterms and the 2012 White House race.

“We’re ascendant in 2010,” Matalin said Sunday, “but we need people who can communicate the framework, the philosophy into which policy prescriptions can be put and [Palin] does that better than almost anybody.”

Sarah Palin weighed in on the health care debate Friday night.

WASHINGTON (CNN)– Revisiting some of her campaign trail talking points, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin weighed in on the Senate health care vote, criticizing the Democrats and Majority Leader Harry Reid for a lack of transparency.

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is pushing for yet another weekend vote (commonplace now for the party of "transparency") because he knows that the American people will be none too happy about the Democrats' proposal the longer they have to look it over," Palin wrote late Friday night in a posting on her Facebook page.

Republicans, who have expressed opposition to the Democrats' bill from the beginning, have threatened to read the full 2,074 page bill during Senate debate, claiming the more Americans hear about what is in the bill, the less they will like it.

Palin went on to talk about features in the bill: government spending, abortion, and help for special needs children.

"While this Saturday night vote might seem like a procedural matter, at the end of the day a vote against Senator Reid's motion is a vote against massive new government spending and a take-over of 1/6th of the U.S. economy; it's a vote against billions in tax increases and penalties; it's a vote against federal funding of abortion; and it's a vote against ignoring responsible tort reform," Palin wrote. "Among the provisions in this bill will be a $2,500 cap on Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). The IRS allows families with special needs children to use FSAs to cover educational expenses. This new $2,500 cap will hit these families especially hard and cost them hundreds of dollars in new taxes every year."

Palin concluded by encouraging Americans to voice their opposition to their senators before the vote.
"The American people don't support this – we support the commonsense solutions that have been proposed, but totally ignored by (at this point) some out-of-control Washington politicians. Let's put a stop to Obamacare before it goes any further," she wrote.

OFA fundraising off Palin book tour.

Washington (CNN) - The Democratic Party's fundraising off of Sarah Palin's "dangerous" book tour.

"Right now, Sarah Palin is on a highly publicized, nationwide book tour, attacking President Obama and his plan for health reform at every turn," wrote Organizing for America director Mitch Stewart in a message sent to supporters Friday.

"It's dangerous. Remember, this is the person who coined the term 'Death Panels' - and opened the flood gates for months of false attacks by special interests and partisan extremists. Whatever lie comes next will be widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform.

The group, the president's political arm at the Democratic National Committee, set a goal of raising $500,000 over the next week "to help push back against Sarah Palin and her allies." OFA said the contributions will be used to respond to those attacks via ads, events, and phone banking congressional offices.

Palin wasn't exactly a welcome presence in Virginia and New Jersey during both governor's races.

CEDAR CREEK, Texas (CNN) – Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell, the soon-to-be-governors of New Jersey and Virginia, both deflected questions Wednesday about why Sarah Palin did not appear with the two Republicans during their respective campaigns.

Christie said he only had three GOP heavyweights visit New Jersey during his campaign - Rudy Giuliani, Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney - and each came for a specific reason.

“I had a long standing relationship with Mayor Giuliani,” Christie explained. “Gov. Pawlenty and Gov. Romney both faced the same type of crises financially in their state when they took over that we did.”

McDonnell said his campaign had reached out to Palin nearly a year ago to campaign in Virginia, but said she was overwhelmed with requests at the time. When she stepped down as governor of Alaska in July, McDonnell said, their visitor lineup had already been set - a full four months before election day in Virginia.

“We thought she was a good leader for the party as the governor of Alaska and had some good reforms in the state, but she was in such incredible demand frankly for the longest time we were not able to work out anything for her to come in,” he said. “And then after she decided to leave office we had pretty much already arranged all of the folks that we had for the home stretch for fundraisers, including several current and former governors, and so we pretty much had our strategy set at that point.”

Christie and McDonnell made the comments at a news conference held during the Republican Governors Association's annual meeting near Austin.

Parnell on Palin book: 'I have enjoyed it'

Cedar Creek, Texas (CNN) – Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell said Thursday he has read "significant portions" of Sarah Palin's new memoir and called it "a great re-telling of her story thus far."

Parnell, who succeeded Palin in Juneau when she resigned her office in July, said he read parts of the book during his flight from Alaska to Texas, where he is attending the Republican Governors Association's annual conference. Palin did not send him a copy of the book, he said.

"It's such a conversational tone, and there is so much in there that I have lived with her, except for the presidential campaign," Parnell told CNN. "I have enjoyed it."

But Parnell said Alaskans have moved on from the drama of the 2008 campaign and are now primarily concerned with local economic issues.

"Most of our focus has returned to our state issues, the gas line, resource development," he said. "People are just concerned about their jobs, just like here. People are focused on the economy.

Sarah Palin on Wednesday sent out her first tweet in nearly four months on a new Twitter account associated with her book tour.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sarah Palin on Wednesday sent out her first tweet in nearly four months on a new Twitter account associated with her book tour.

She tweeted from a BlackBerry at 11:04 p.m. ET: "Michigan-thx 4 Going Rogue! Perfect tour kickoff w/Kid Rock tune praising Northern MI humming in backgrnd @ Barnes/Noble. Above expectations."

The former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate launched a bus tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life," which is already a bestseller. The tour started Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Palin's last tweet occurred from an account associated with Alaska's governorship. When she resigned in late July, the @AKGovSarahPalin went dormant and Palin switched to sending out frequent Facebook messages.

This week, her old Twitter account sent a message, saying @AKGovSarahPalin would be removed and Palin would begin tweeting from a new account: @SarahPalinUSA.

Palin has more than 22,000 people following her new account. More than 153,000 people followed her original account.

Obama said he probably won't ready Palin's new book.

(CNN) – Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to buy Sarah Palin's just-released memoir, but don't count President Obama among them.

In an interview with CNN's Ed Henry in China, the president acknowledged Wednesday he would not be reading the highly-anticipated memoir by his potential 2012 opponent.

"I probably won't, but I don't get a chance to read things other than briefing books very often these days anyway," he said.

Obama also suggested he views the former Alaska governor as a credible candidate should she decide to seek the presidency in a couple of years.

"You know, she obviously has a big constituency in the Republican Party," he said. "You know, there a lot of people who are excited by her."

But when it comes to the 2012 race, Obama didn't discount the possibility he may sit out on a reelection bid.

"You know, if - if I feel like I've made the very best decisions for the American people and three years from now I look at it and, you know, my poll numbers are in the tank and because we've gone through these wrenching changes, you know, politically, I'm in a tough spot, I'll - I'll feel all right about myself," Obama told CNN's Ed Henry during an interview in China.

Related: North Korea, trade on agenda as Obama visits South Korea

"I said to myself very early on, even when I started running for office, I don't want to be making decisions based on getting reelected, because I think the challenges that America faces right now are so significant," the president also said. "Obviously, if I make those decisions and I think that I'm moving the country on the right direction economically, in terms of our security interests, our foreign policy, I'd like to think that those policies are continued because they're not going to bear fruit just in four years."

But in the next breath the president quickly sounded like someone who would relish taking his case to the American people in 2012, saying he's tackling big issues like health care and Iran that he's confident will bear fruit in the future.

The last president not to seek reelection was Lyndon Johnson in 1968.

Obama said he probably won't ready Palin's new book.

(CNN) – Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to buy Sarah Palin's just-released memoir, but don't count President Obama among them.

In an interview with CNN's Ed Henry in China, the president acknowledged Wednesday he would not be reading the highly-anticipated memoir by his potential 2012 opponent.

"I probably won't, but I don't get a chance to read things other than briefing books very often these days anyway," he said.

Obama also suggested he views the former Alaska governor as a credible candidate should she decide to seek the presidency in a couple of years.

"You know, she obviously has a big constituency in the Republican Party," he said. "You know, there a lot of people who are excited by her."

But when it comes to the 2012 race, Obama didn't discount the possibility he may sit out on a reelection bid.

"You know, if - if I feel like I've made the very best decisions for the American people and three years from now I look at it and, you know, my poll numbers are in the tank and because we've gone through these wrenching changes, you know, politically, I'm in a tough spot, I'll - I'll feel all right about myself," Obama told CNN's Ed Henry during an interview in China.

Related: North Korea, trade on agenda as Obama visits South Korea

"I said to myself very early on, even when I started running for office, I don't want to be making decisions based on getting reelected, because I think the challenges that America faces right now are so significant," the president also said. "Obviously, if I make those decisions and I think that I'm moving the country on the right direction economically, in terms of our security interests, our foreign policy, I'd like to think that those policies are continued because they're not going to bear fruit just in four years."

But in the next breath the president quickly sounded like someone who would relish taking his case to the American people in 2012, saying he's tackling big issues like health care and Iran that he's confident will bear fruit in the future.

The last president not to seek reelection was Lyndon Johnson in 1968.

Obama said he probably won't ready Palin's new book.

(CNN) – Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to buy Sarah Palin's just-released memoir, but don't count President Obama among them.

In an interview with CNN's Ed Henry in China, the president acknowledged Wednesday he would not be reading the highly-anticipated memoir by his potential 2012 opponent.

"I probably won't, but I don't get a chance to read things other than briefing books very often these days anyway," he said.

Obama also suggested he views the former Alaska governor as a credible candidate should she decide to seek the presidency in a couple of years.

"You know, she obviously has a big constituency in the Republican Party," he said. "You know, there a lot of people who are excited by her."

But when it comes to the 2012 race, Obama didn't discount the possibility he may sit out on a reelection bid.

"You know, if - if I feel like I've made the very best decisions for the American people and three years from now I look at it and, you know, my poll numbers are in the tank and because we've gone through these wrenching changes, you know, politically, I'm in a tough spot, I'll - I'll feel all right about myself," Obama told CNN's Ed Henry during an interview in China.

Related: North Korea, trade on agenda as Obama visits South Korea

"I said to myself very early on, even when I started running for office, I don't want to be making decisions based on getting reelected, because I think the challenges that America faces right now are so significant," the president also said. "Obviously, if I make those decisions and I think that I'm moving the country on the right direction economically, in terms of our security interests, our foreign policy, I'd like to think that those policies are continued because they're not going to bear fruit just in four years."

But in the next breath the president quickly sounded like someone who would relish taking his case to the American people in 2012, saying he's tackling big issues like health care and Iran that he's confident will bear fruit in the future.

The last president not to seek reelection was Lyndon Johnson in 1968.

Palin wasn't exactly a welcome presence in Virginia and New Jersey during both governor's races.

CEDAR CREEK, Texas (CNN) – Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell, the soon-to-be-governors of New Jersey and Virginia, both deflected questions Wednesday about why Sarah Palin did not appear with the two Republicans during their respective campaigns.

Christie said he only had three GOP heavyweights visit New Jersey during his campaign - Rudy Giuliani, Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney - and each came for a specific reason.

“I had a long standing relationship with Mayor Giuliani,” Christie explained. “Gov. Pawlenty and Gov. Romney both faced the same type of crises financially in their state when they took over that we did.”

McDonnell said his campaign had reached out to Palin nearly a year ago to campaign in Virginia, but said she was overwhelmed with requests at the time. When she stepped down as governor of Alaska in July, McDonnell said, their visitor lineup had already been set - a full four months before election day in Virginia.

“We thought she was a good leader for the party as the governor of Alaska and had some good reforms in the state, but she was in such incredible demand frankly for the longest time we were not able to work out anything for her to come in,” he said. “And then after she decided to leave office we had pretty much already arranged all of the folks that we had for the home stretch for fundraisers, including several current and former governors, and so we pretty much had our strategy set at that point.”

Christie and McDonnell made the comments at a news conference held during the Republican Governors Association's annual meeting near Austin.

Palin book tour kickoff takes her back to Michigan.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin has finally returned to Michigan.

"I just can't tell you how good it is to be back in Michigan," Palin told a large crowd outside a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Grand Rapids Wednesday, the first stop in the former Alaska governor's bus tour for her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

The former Republican vice presidential nominee wore a red and black jacket and black shirt and carried her son Trig as she emerged from the bus, which was emblazoned with the book's cover.

John McCain's running mate took issue last year with his campaign's decision to pull out of Michigan and move resources to other states. In her book, Palin says her opposition to the decision to abandon Michigan is when she first went rogue. At the end of the book, on page 403, Palin says that Michigan can't be forgotten.

McCain ended up losing the state to Barack Obama by 16 points in last year's presidential election.

"Alaska and Michigan have so much in common with the huntin' and the fishin' and the hockey moms," said Palin Wednesday, adding that Michigan is "the heart of industry in America."

Before entering the store to sign books, Palin thanked the large crowd for "showing up for the book, so that you can read my words unfiltered."

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Palin's daughter Piper, pictured above to Palin's right, traveled with the former Alaska governor throughout the 2008 campaign.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – In her new memoir, "Going Rogue," Palin accuses two national reporters of trying to corner her young daughter Piper on the street in Juneau for an interview several months after the presidential campaign ended - a charge both the journalists and a former Palin campaign aide reject.

Palin writes in her book that after the race ended, "members of the national press continued to hang out in Alaska sniffing for tabloid stuff."

"In one early press conference we noticed that our local reporters were flanked by a couple of reporters from the Lower 48 who'd been hanging out around Juneau in search of material for their own Sarah Palin book," Palin writes. "We never shut our doors to anyone, so people of all kinds attended these press availabilities. But glancing along the side wall, I recognized these particular folks as the same ones who had cornered Piper on her walk home from Harborview Elementary School and talked to her for who knows how long about who knows what."

According to Palin, Piper returned home and told her mother: "Mom, remember those reporters who came on the campaign plane with us? You know, the ones Nicolle [Wallace] said didn't like us very much? They just interviewed me on the sidewalk." Palin adds after the incident, Piper was no longer allowed to walk to or from school by herself.

The journalists in question - Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe, authors of the newly-published book "Sarah from Alaska" - deny Palin's characterization. Both traveled with Palin on her campaign plane throughout her 2008 vice presidential bid, and the precocious Palin daughter frequently visited with the press corps and became friendly with them, a fact Palin boasts about in her memoir.

Conroy and Walshe said in a statement Tuesday that in the course of reporting for their book, they conducted 190 interviews, including sit-downs with Palin's parents and her husband Todd.

"We did not, however, interview Piper Palin, nor did we corner her on her way home from school," Conroy and Walshe told CNN in a statement. "Contrary to Governor Palin's recollection of having seen us both at a press conference, Scott has never attended a press conference in Alaska."

Wallace, who advised Palin on media strategy during the campaign but fell out favor with the candidate, also rejected Palin's version of the story. She said it would have been impossible for Piper to have used her by name in a discussion about the campaign reporters in question, because Wallace never spoke to Piper about them.

"I have never met Shushannah and Scott and had never seen Shushannah until I saw her on TV yesterday," Wallace said in an e-mail to CNN. "Couldn't have picked either of them out of a line up and never heard their names or had any idea who they were until after the campaign ended."

Conroy and Walshe tell their version of the story in their book, which was released earlier this month. On happening to bump into the reporters in Juneau, they write, Piper "seemed excited to chat briefly with us about her return to Alaska." An hour later, they received an angry phone call from Palin's deputy press secretary, Sharon Leighow, accusing them of "cornering Piper at her bus stop for comment."

"We don't appreciate you being here, and we don't appreciate you stalking the governor as you have been," Leighow said, according to the authors.

Palin's daughter Piper, pictured above to Palin's right, traveled with the former Alaska governor throughout the 2008 campaign.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – In her new memoir, "Going Rogue," Palin accuses two national reporters of trying to corner her young daughter Piper on the street in Juneau for an interview several months after the presidential campaign ended - a charge both the journalists and a former Palin campaign aide reject.

Palin writes in her book that after the race ended, "members of the national press continued to hang out in Alaska sniffing for tabloid stuff."

"In one early press conference we noticed that our local reporters were flanked by a couple of reporters from the Lower 48 who'd been hanging out around Juneau in search of material for their own Sarah Palin book," Palin writes. "We never shut our doors to anyone, so people of all kinds attended these press availabilities. But glancing along the side wall, I recognized these particular folks as the same ones who had cornered Piper on her walk home from Harborview Elementary School and talked to her for who knows how long about who knows what."

According to Palin, Piper returned home and told her mother: "Mom, remember those reporters who came on the campaign plane with us? You know, the ones Nicolle [Wallace] said didn't like us very much? They just interviewed me on the sidewalk." Palin adds after the incident, Piper was no longer allowed to walk to or from school by herself.

The journalists in question - Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe, authors of the newly-published book "Sarah from Alaska" - deny Palin's characterization. Both traveled with Palin on her campaign plane throughout her 2008 vice presidential bid, and the precocious Palin daughter frequently visited with the press corps and became friendly with them, a fact Palin boasts about in her memoir.

Conroy and Walshe said in a statement Tuesday that in the course of reporting for their book, they conducted 190 interviews, including sit-downs with Palin's parents and her husband Todd.

"We did not, however, interview Piper Palin, nor did we corner her on her way home from school," Conroy and Walshe told CNN in a statement. "Contrary to Governor Palin's recollection of having seen us both at a press conference, Scott has never attended a press conference in Alaska."

Wallace, who advised Palin on media strategy during the campaign but fell out favor with the candidate, also rejected Palin's version of the story. She said it would have been impossible for Piper to have used her by name in a discussion about the campaign reporters in question, because Wallace never spoke to Piper about them.

"I have never met Shushannah and Scott and had never seen Shushannah until I saw her on TV yesterday," Wallace said in an e-mail to CNN. "Couldn't have picked either of them out of a line up and never heard their names or had any idea who they were until after the campaign ended."

Conroy and Walshe tell their version of the story in their book, which was released earlier this month. On happening to bump into the reporters in Juneau, they write, Piper "seemed excited to chat briefly with us about her return to Alaska." An hour later, they received an angry phone call from Palin's deputy press secretary, Sharon Leighow, accusing them of "cornering Piper at her bus stop for comment."

"We don't appreciate you being here, and we don't appreciate you stalking the governor as you have been," Leighow said, according to the authors.

Palin is not happy with the latest Newsweek cover.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin's image is everywhere as she launches a highly-anticipated book tour this week, but the former Alaska governor is unhappy with at least one media organization's depiction of her.

Palin took aim at Newsweek's eye-catching cover this week that shows the former vice presidential candidate in her running outfit - an image that was apparently lifted from a Runner's World photo shoot months ago. Writing on her Facebook page Monday night, Palin said the depiction is flat out "sexist, and oh-so-expected."

"The choice of photo for the cover of this week's Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this 'news' magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant," Palin wrote. "The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist, and oh-so-expected by now."

"If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention – even if out of context," Palin also said.

The photo is accompanied by text that states "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Sarah? She's bad news for the GOP - and for everybody else too."

Palin has held back few punches at the media in the initial stages of her publicity tour. The former governor slammed the Associated Press for its recent fact check that took issue with several of the memoir's contentions and, in her Oprah appearance that aired Monday, Palin slammed the way the media treated her family during the campaign.

The Alaska Republican also doesn't hold back in her book, writing at one point, "I had been out of journalism for a long time, and it was pretty obvious the rules had changed. I felt sick about the depths to which some in the press had apparently sunk, not because it was unfair to me and John, but because it was unfair to the American electorate."

UPDATE: Newsweek editor Jon Meacham is defending the image the magazine chose for its cover.

"We chose the most interesting image available to us to illustrate the theme of the cover, which is what we always try to do," he told CNN Tuesday. "We apply the same test to photographs of any public figure, male or female: does the image convey what we are saying? That is a gender-neutral standard."

Follow Alex Mooney on Twitter: @awmooneycnn

Palin helps RGA get discount on 'Going Rogue'.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin helped the Republican Governors Association get a discount on "several thousand" copies of her new book so the group can use them as a fundraising tool, RGA chairman Haley Barbour said Tuesday.

Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, said Palin has been "very gracious as a former governor" and helped the group negotiate a bulk purchase price.

"We purchased them at a great discount, at the publisher's price, God bless her," Barbour said during a conference call with reporters ahead of the RGA's annual conference in Austin, Texas.

"I suspect we are going to raise a whole lot of money with this," Barbour predicted. "Hopefully we'll have to re-order."

Palin is speaking in Missouri in December.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Reporters won't be allowed to cover Sarah Palin's convocation speech at the College of the Ozarks in Missouri on December 2, according to the school.

Elizabeth Andrews, the college's communications director, called the decision "mutual."

"This was per the agreement that the College of the Ozarks had when had when we booked governor Palin for the convocation," she told CNN. "This didn't come from our end or theirs. It was a mutual consent kind of thing."

Andrews said the agreement is not unusual for the school, a Christian college in southern Missouri. She said past events with prominent speakers have also been closed to the press.

"This isn't the first time this has happened," she explained.

Free tickets were distributed when the appearance was first announced in November, but were quickly snatched up. Before the speech, Palin will be signing copies of "Going Rogue" in Springfield, Missouri, about an hour away from the college.

McCain said Palin's legal bills were for 'troopergate.'

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Days after telling his former staffers to avoid responding to charges in Sarah Palin's new book, Sen. John McCain has spoken up to deny that his campaign made her pay for her own vice presidential vetting.

The former Republican presidential candidate told The Hill on Monday night that Palin did receive a legal bill - but it was to deal with allegations that she abused her power as governor to try to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from his job as a state trooper in Alaska.

"That was over the troopergate," McCain told The Hill.

In her book "Going Rogue: An American Life," Palin said that the McCain campaign stuck her with a bill for $50,000 to cover the costs of her own vetting. McCain's aides have denied this charge, and others made in the book, but the Arizona senator has largely remained silent. On Friday, he asked his former aides to avoid television appearances and refrain from engaging in a back-and-forth with Palin over the claims.

Palin has given him a signed copy of the book. McCain told the Hill that he enjoyed reading it.

"I hope she sells lots of them," he said.