Palin bus tour to roll into Iowa
(CNN) - After a more than two-month hiatus, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is planning to crash the presidential party once again with a heartland-themed re-launch of her "One Nation" bus tour this week in Iowa, according to a Palin fundraising email obtained by CNN.
Palin is bringing her Constitution-draped bus to the Iowa State Fair, just 30 miles south of where the Republican presidential field will take the stage on Thursday for a presidential debate in Ames.
It's not yet clear which day the tour begins, but her surprise arrival in Iowa will happen before the closely watched Ames straw poll. Palin is not on the straw poll ballot.
According to a video link included the fundraising solicitation for Palin's political action committee, Sarah PAC, it appears the bus will also take Palin to Missouri and Illinois to visit the respective hometowns of former presidents Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan.
"The heartland is perfect territory for more of the One Nation Tour as we put forth efforts to revitalize the fundamental restoration of America by highlighting our nation's heart, history, and founding principles," Palin wrote in the email.
Sarah PAC Treasurer Tim Crawford would not provide more the details about the tour.
During the opening act of her bus tour in May, Palin toured historical sites along the East Coast, grabbing countless headlines along the way and stealing a share of the political spotlight from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who announced his presidential bid in New Hampshire at the same time her bus was driving into the state.
Federal paperwork reveals that her political action committee shelled out nearly $20,000 on the tour this spring.
The bus tour sequel adds even more drama to a blockbuster political week in Iowa, which holds the first contest in the presidential nomination fight.
Along with the debate and the make-or-break straw poll, most of the Republican candidates are slated to deliver stump speeches this week at the Iowa State Fair on the Des Moines Register-sponsored political soapbox.
And on Sunday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Palin ally who is on the verge of joining the 2012 race, will make his Iowa debut at a Republican fundraising dinner in Waterloo.
Palin's re-emergence in Iowa just hours before the debate is a reminder that the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee intends to remain part of the presidential discussion as long as possible, despite being largely dismissed by party insiders.
While polls show that Republicans harbor doubts about whether she should run for president, Palin would undoubtedly be a factor in the GOP primary thanks to her popularity among conservative activists and a knack for attracting media attention.
A Gallup survey out Tuesday showed that Palin generates more enthusiasm among GOP voters than most of the candidates already in the race. And as Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour recently put it, "she could raise enough money to burn a wet mule."
Her advisers have long emphasized that such star power gives her the ability to delay a decision about joining the race until after Labor Day.
Palin has pointed to September as a loose deadline for making a decision about whether she will seek the GOP presidential nomination.
There is also anecdotal evidence that Palin has the potential to shake up the Republican race in Iowa.
Despite having no formal campaign infrastructure in the state, hundreds of supporters turned out in June to catch a glimpse of Palin when a sympathetic film about her rise to power debuted in Pella.
She has plans to return to the state over Labor Day weekend for a Tea Party rally in the Des Moines area.
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I support Sarah Palin to run for dog catcher. I think she is very well qualified for the job. And with the extra leisure time this job would allow her, she can sit in her Alaskan rocking chair and wave at Russia.
WTG, Sarah!!! I'm getting used to all the less than idiocy intelligence of the posters who hate you. It shows they are truly afraid of you and what you could accomplish with the right mix in the house and senate! Maybe then we could get something done and reformed. The radical left leading us over the cliff like a London bus on fire has got to go. America, the great will survive the Obama years. The end is in sight. Obama has no record to run on and even DEMS are noticing.
Well, is she or isn't she going to run for the nomination. I hope she runs and splits the tea crapper vote between her, Bachmann, Paul and Perry. It would be so nice to see the mud fling all over.
Did she ride in on her white horse? That's right she will do that in September to save the day. Such a drama queen, not a leader.
I have a better chance of winning then Palin, She is totally clueless, quit her job as Governor when she only had 18 months to go.We don't need any more Republicans, they have caused enough grief to us. If you want a real smart person to run,on the Democratic side as an alternative to President Obama, let's get a petition going to draft HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012!! This lady won't let the Republicans push her around & she will put them right in their place where they belong. She has the brains to get America moving forward again, things were awesome when She & Bill were in The White House!!! Remember 3% unemployment, employers had tons of jobs but there was a labor shortage, because President Clinton did such an outstanding job as President!! RUN HILLARY RUN IN 2012, you will win the way the economy is and you will clean it all up and will STOP THOSE COSTLY WARS!!!
Is Palin a member of ALEC?
If not then she doesn't stand a snowball's chance in Hades.
And she is lol all the way to the bank.
Shorter Palin: "ME! ME! Everybody look at ME!"
The only "surprise announcement" this twit could make is that she is going back to Alaska and shutting her mouth.
This idiot is a disaster! How can anyone with half a brain believe the garbage that spews out of her uneducated mouth!?? Is she the BEST the Repugs can do?? OMG!! She needs to go home and salvage her family!! Family values?? Where ARE hers?? In her bank account!? Please make her go away~!! Falin' Palin!! What a nightmare!! God help us!
Her and the tea party are a bunch of crazy right wing nut jobs that beat on the poor and working class yet love the super rich. And they call them selves christians. Lol Jesus was for wealth redistribution. Dare I say it. (Socialism) lol
She should just make up her mind already if she is running or support a candidate that is.
And so the "I Haven't Begun To Run And So You Can't Say I've Quit Again" Tour rises from the dead and staggers off to terrify the living.
So typical... It's all about little Sarah. Go ahead and run. Obama will mop the floor with you and the humor will be priceless.
She is a job creator who gets tax breaks because of her immense wealth.
Palin is a mosquito. A paid off annoyance used to swarm around & rile up the idi0t voter bloc. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if Palin, Bachman, Pawlenty, Newt, Santorum, & Cain aren't just the 'crazy plants' attempting to make Romney look sane...it's all relative, now isn't it? Too bad even THAT isn't doing the job in making Romney look like a good choice. GOP – you suk.
Maybe a sink hole will open up infront of the bus and swallow it to the depths of the earth!!!!.......I thought the surprise announcement was going to be she was going to finally shut her big pie hole face up.
Looks like sarah needs to top off the ole bank account. American republicans have become the biggest jokes on the planet.
i like sarah palin , she is a very attractive woman .but her political views are to one-sided for me to vote for her . if she does run for president it will be interesting . with the way things are going in washington now , she might me the best candidate to vote for next year .
All I have ever heard this woman say was mean hateful things about everyone. She is negative and not very nice to boot.
Her circle is closing in. The only thing this woman wants to do is mess everyone else. That is what she is good at.
Stay home, if you will quit the governors job why wouln't you quit the president's job?
Like a PoopStain she is always there.
Mighty Mouth to save the day
She keeps making money off all the suckers.