The report begins: "Sarah Palin insisted Sunday that history was on her side when she claimed that Paul Revere's famous ride was intended to warn both British soldiers and his fellow colonists."
Sarah Palin leaves Fox News Headquarters in New York, 06/01/11. (photo: Reuters)
Sarah Palin: 'I Didn't Mess Up About Paul Revere'
05 June 11
arah Palin insisted Sunday that history was on her side when she claimed that Paul Revere's famous ride was intended to warn both British soldiers and his fellow colonists.
"You realize that you messed up about Paul Revere, don't you?" "Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace asked the potential 2012 presidential candidate.
"I didn't mess up about Paul Revere," replied Palin, a paid contributor to the network.
"Part of his ride was to warn the British that were already there. That, hey, you're not going to succeed. You're not going to take American arms. You are not going to beat our own well-armed persons, individual, private militia that we have," she added. "He did warn the British."
Palin, who again said she has not decided whether to run for president, was asked about the Revolutionary War hero during a stop Thursday in Boston on her East Coast bus tour.
"He who warned the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms by ringing those bells, and makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed."
Palin's brush with the nation's history came toward the end of her "One Nation" bus tour that generated intense interest as she traveled from Washington to New England. Along the way, she steadfastly refused "a million times" to say whether she was running for president.
"I'm publicizing Americana and our foundation and how important it is that we learn about our past and our challenges and victories throughout American history, so that we can successfully proceed forward," Palin said in the broadcast interview. "It's not a campaign tour."
And was she leaning toward or against running, Palin was asked?
"Still right there in the middle," she said.
There's no ambiguity about the interest Palin generates, a point that doesn't sit comfortably in some quarters of a party without a clear front-runner to face President Barack Obama next year.
Palin's closely watched bus trip is a key example. Its camera-ready events competed for coverage in the same week and region as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's formal entry into the race. His candidacy is perhaps the most formidable of the emerging field.
Asked Sunday whether he could envision supporting Palin for president, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former hopeful, told "Face the Nation" on CBS: "If Barack Obama was the head of the other ticket, I could."
For her part, Palin was contrite.
"I apologize if I stepped on any, any of that PR that Mitt Romney needed or wanted that day," Palin said. "I do sincerely apologize. I didn't mean to step on anybody's toes."
While she continued to insist that she wasn't competing for anything in particular, Palin said she would welcome Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, another Republican with tea party appeal, to the race.
"More competition, the better," Palin said.
For now, Palin is clearly grappling with the downside of celebrity.
Even her otherwise successful media events can leave lingering questions about Palin's grasp of - and interest in - history, public policy and other subjects of substance.
On Sunday, Palin insisted she was right about the purpose of Revere's famous "midnight ride."
"I know my American history," she told Wallace.
The colonists at the time of Revere's ride were British subjects, with American independence still in the future. But Revere's own writing and other historical accounts leave little doubt that secrecy was vital to his mission.
The Paul Revere House's website says that on April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren, a patriot leader in the Boston area, instructed Revere to ride to Lexington, Mass., to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them.
In an undated letter posted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, Revere later wrote of the need to keep his activities secret and his suspicion that a member of his tight circle of planners had become a British informant. According to the letter, believed to have been written around 1798, Revere did provide some details of the plan to the soldiers that night, but after he had notified other colonists and under questioning by the Redcoats.
Intercepted and surrounded by British soldiers on his way from Lexington to Concord, Revere revealed "there would be five hundred Americans there in a short time, for I had alarmed the country all the way up," he wrote.
Revere was probably bluffing the soldiers, according to Joel J. Miller, author of "The Revolutionary Paul Revere." And while he made bells, Revere would never have rung any on that famous night because the Redcoats were under orders to round up people just like him.
"He was riding off as quickly and as quietly as possible," Miller said. "Paul Revere did not want the Redcoats to know of his mission at all."
More downside for Palin: Nothing is private.
Looming in the week ahead is Alaska's release of 24,000 pages of emails sent and received by Palin during her time as governor. They will provide an inside look into her rise from obscurity to a spot on the national stage.
The emails cover a majority of her short term as governor and could provide the most insight into how she governed the nation's largest state. Her only other elected office was as a two-term mayor of her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, which has a population of about 7,000.
The emails cover the first 21 months of Palin's tenure, ending in September 2008, after GOP presidential nominee John McCain selected her to be his running mate.
Palin resigned partway through her term, in July 2009.
"Every rock in the Palin household that could ever be kicked over and uncovered anything, it's already been kicked over," Palin said, noting that a lot of the emails are between staff and family members and were not meant for public consumption. The letters, she said, "won't distract me."
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Comments
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I'm so angry about our government I can't even begin to talk about Palin for she represents the the whole of government.
We are run by the lobbyists who work for big corporations that now can buy our government.
Here's a job creator: We're the only non-third world nation that doesn't have significant PUBLIC transportation. It's past addiction-- it's allthis talk about "stupid"
VOTE 2012 (take granny and old man down street with you) - better: request a mail-in ballot but register NOW (Post office) -- and look who is funding your candidate. I say vote D: The GOP / TP is bought (& stupid) And that is my opinion
Yes. Roger Ailes. For paying her to do this, thinking she will help forward his warped, conservative agenda. He doesn't get the fact that, outside of his 30% of die hard dummy followers, there's people that will never vote for someone this ignorant. She's bringing down the Republican Party and he's a key contributor to their demise.
I think that clown believes McCain was the reason they lost. Well, it WAS McCain, but it was his choice of Palin that drove the last nail in his coffin.
Hopefully the independent voters that helped elect one dummy, now understand how important it is to keep that from happening again.
"And why ye call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
-- Jesus, Luke 6:46, KJV.
"And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it."
-- Jesus, Matthew 7:26;27, KJV.
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
-- Timothy 6:10, KJV
"Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil."
-- Plato
Submit Palin's absurd nonsense to a little logic: 1.) The British Army did not have to be warned that the colonial militia had arms -- they already knew it. As far back as the French and Indian War of 1754-1763, the colonial militia had fought side-by-side with the British Army; George Washington himself was a militia commander under British Maj. Gen. Edward Braddock. The assertion that the British had to be 'warned' the colonials had arms is ludicrous.
2.) Paul Revere had to warn the militia of the British advance so that they could be prepared, and he certainly didn't want the British to know the colonials were ready for them. The various lamps and church bell signals were not intended for British consumption.
As Keith Olbermann might say, the woman's an idiot -- and she proves it over and over again.
She plays her little game of I am just like you to these people and they eat it up .
Anyone with half a brain can figure out this woman loves the lime light and the money she has made from her stupid one liners .
With her poll numbers dwindling and a book coming out she made this tour in the hopes of selling more books and making more money from public speaking tours. If you can call them speaking tours .
She is all about making lots of money nothing more and nothing less !
I love your use of the description: She is a walking, talking Alimentary Terminus with NO observing Ego! Uh, one thought... Palin is one giant
narcissistic EGO, in addition to what you said!!!
She mis-spoke; and got the name wrong.
She in fact was talking about that great
American patriot, Benedict Arnold.
So, cut her some slack, OK?
States of America scares the hell out of me.... I doubt if she can read My Pet Goat without stumbling and mispronouncing 1/2 of it, as GWB
could barely manage himself!!!!!
Lady Gaga is in the same profession as clowns and opera singers. They are entertainers. A comedian can be outrageous like Sam Kinison, or more laid back like Bill Cosby. Same for any performer.
The age of television brought on the blending of politics and performers. Over the years the performer has become more important than the knowledgeable politician.
Who can argue that part of Obama's appeal was his performance on the campaign trail. Palin is Sam Kinison to Obama's Cosby.
Kinison was hilarious, but did not and would never have the social impact of Cosby.
Lady Gaga understands her role, and even occasionally uses that for social good. Sarah Palin is just a clown, entertaining, but in the end just cute one-liners with virtually no meaning outside her performance.
Unfortunately, performers are pregffered in today's TV driven news.
You owe the real performers an apology :-)
Such arrogance!! This woman has gonads of steel!! And every time the media showcases her she gets more confident. It is delusional behavior, that the American people are perpetuating. We should be insulted that she honestly believes that the stupidity she spumes out of her mouth is viable and gives her any creditability to be president of the United States!! We should be insulted! "W" was the same way, saying stupid crap and then instead of admitting his blunders would embrace them and try to justify!! In my profession that is considered Psychopathology ... .
Except they lack Napoleon's brilliance and knowledge, despot though he was. Napoleon never would have said anything as appallingly stupid as Palin.
How frightening to consider such a person in the most powerful role in the world. "no apologies from me Buster, I said what I said & will go to bloody war to prove my point." A compulsive fabricator of truth has no business running the dog-catching agency never mind the presidency.
The US of A recently did have this personality type at its' helm. His name? George W. Bush.
I doubt that heaven could even help us if yet another finagles their way into power. What's truly frightening is that at least half of those Republicans who've either announced, or appear to be on the verge of announcing, their intentions on running for POTUS in 2012 do demonstrably have a 'that's-my-story-and-I'm-sticking-to-it' personality trait.
moby doug!!!!!!!!! Well said!!!
She is a shill for Fox News. Most Republicans are getting tired of her by now. She is an embarrassment to them.
Reminds me of an episode when an dramatist criticized an actor in his play who defended himself: "I know my lines", the author replied "I am sure you do, I would appreciate it if you would learn mine."
Too many of these type of Republicans are just like blind Samson in the Bible.
In his rage he brought about the destruction of everything and everyone.
They would rather have an ignorant person running and ruining our country than an intelligent, thoughtful Democrat who happens to be of African-descent.
They will bring about the destruction of the United States of America.
They tried 150 years ago (they called themselves Democrats then)and in their blind ignorance they are now trying again.
Her history of the Paul Revere ride was totally inside out, but that was not the point. No suprise, for most the history is based mostly on a poem. No different than the historical liberties taken in today's docu-dramas.
Sarah Palin was mainly interested in telling America that the American Revolution was about the colonists 2nd amendment rights. That was her point and nobody that I have heard has called her out on that.
This was true in Ireland and other British owned. Part of the servitude was to hunt, produce for them. If they were a business they had to pay them. Not really so different today esp after the Battle for Taxation without Representation. We still pay the wages, feed, clothe, and pay healthcare.
Believe that Battle was stalemate. Indians were the ones destroyed on their own land....I mean Heathens
They would rather see the nation destroyed than to give one for inch to a black president who outsmart them all and who is instrumental in exposing them for what they are, greedy, bigots, hypocrites, circus barkers, anti-poor, anti-working men and women, and to keep the world in flames and in hatred.
This is what America has become. Sarah Palin and that stupid cow, Michelle Bachmann, and the rest of the running GOP idiots are banking on the American public remaining stupid.
The USA political arena has become a circus for the newsmedia. The more amusing and stupid, the better for the US Newsmedia.
After all, that is where is money is.
This and similarly over-hyped socio-political soap-operas, illustrate again that -and I'll keep sayin' it-. That the F.S. ("Fragmented States") election cycle, like the basketball season, is far too long and convoluted for any but the wealthiest conglomerates to sustain it.
All this nonsense seeks only to cloud any recognizable issues, make a few individuals who are horny for fame and recognition AT ANY COST rich, and give them some ill-begat fame, including the brutalization of whatever incidental and divers facts happen to be lying in their paths.
The training ground of THEIR public is not skilled and fact-based debate, encouraged by a democratically structured public education curriculum, but on TV soap-operas, game shows, vapid sitcoms, "reality" fantasy, cop-worship-violence-filled, fear-mongering slabs of air time and sound-byte, fact-lite non-news, all with increasingly lengthy commercial "messages" (who now have their own followings and fans) to further break up anything of substance which might leak though the censor's heavily-financed fingers.
And these are "YOUR" air-waves folks!
I'd feel some hope if you could limit the election cycle to beginning (say) the summer before the event, instead of the day after inauguration: it might give the elected reps time and means to do their jobs.
And ban lobbyists, FOR EVER!
She has not knowledge of Government as she did not stay long enough. By the looks of it homeschooling obviously doesnot always work. Out west that story may have washed since they seem to be like her. But to go into New England and tell us Northerners our History, wrongly, that is not a good way to start a relationship. Good Night Sarah go be a Mother and wife if you can handle it
Sexism and misogyny by any other name stinks equally.
If she can muster enough honesty, she could easily get a job in Nevada as a prostitute.
Wock-a-bye baby on the tweetop
when the wind blows the cwadle will wock
when the bough breaks the cwadle will fall
and down will come baby, cwadle and all
Sleep tight america.
You absolutely right about that...still, it is SO much fun to comment on that which is not worth a comment - especially in this case!!
...sitting back in my easy chair with my movie butter popcorn and watching Sarah Palin systematically destroy any shred of credibility she might have once possessed is my favorite spectator sport these days...
Even Obama would laugh his way to his second term! And I would get a much needed year+ of sidesplitting guffaws while the GOP as we have come to know it-disassembles from their own theocratic embarassment.
This nation needs realize these religious and political hustlers are like termites living inside walls gnawing away at the foundations of this nation.
As to Palin, I've never seen her with a shovel, so I'm not sure she knows how to use one but, even if she does, the important thing is what she's shoveling. Perhaps you missed it, but that's what we're talking about on this thread.
Now I'll go get another cup of plain, black coffee that I don't have to stir. Joe, you go staple some more teabags to your hat and dream of the good old days under Bush the Younger -- or do you prefer Dick Nixon?
Back to the Democratic Party for a moment. From the 60's on the party began to change from a concern for individuals to a concern for the community forgetting that a community is composed of individuals.
One last thing, the wide end of the shovel is the business end.
The Dems are split between the DLC Dems and the progressive Dems these days -- as a Democrat of 5 decades you should know that.
Of course, the fact that you rooted for Dems in '68 is nothing -- Andrew Breitbart used to be a liberal Dem and David Horowitz was once an ardent Marxist.
And then there's your screen name, 'Joeconserve' -- did you think that would give people the idea that you were a compassionate Dem?
You may indeed be a Dem -- perhaps of the Blue Dog variety.
Anyone who votes for this Palin BIMBO deserves for her to move in with them! And after about one week of her madness, they will surely call the local nut house and have her hauled off in a straight jacket!
I'm joining the "Loyal Order of Caribou", and we will gore this bimbo where it hurts the most, in her butt! If we gore her in her head, it won't hurt her, since she has no brains!
What a jerk!
Let us all apologize to the memory of the patriot, Paul Revere! Sorry Paul, but we are dealing with a knothead here who knows nothing of American history! You did well to warn the AMERICANS!
Anyone who votes for this Palin BIMBO deserves for her to move in with them! And after about one week of her madness, they will surely call the local nut house and have her hauled off in a straight jacket!
I'm joining the "Loyal Order of Caribou", and we will gore this bimbo where it hurts the most, in her butt! If we gore her in her head, it won't hurt her, since she has no brains!
Bimbo? Another useless sexist remark ... can't you come up with anything substantial instead of indulging yourself in this misogynist rhetoric. If not, you are no better than the rightwing radical clowns that support her.
We should take Sarah's guns away, before she shoots the Muppets!
Are all Republicans brain-dead now? Dumbya Bush surely was, since our real "leadership" (I use this word loosely) during the Dumbya administration was President Cheney and Vice President Halliburton Corporation!
Has the Republican Party sunk so low as to actually consider someone like Sarah Palin for the highest office in the land? My god, if she actually was our president, she would start World War Three on a whim!
And she would have American history revised to suit her brain-dead view of history. That is, assuming that we still have an "America" left two days after she moves into the Oval Office!
She may feel a need to nuke the Bahamas or some other "threatening" place! After all, according to Sarah, wasn't it the Bahamas who attacked Pearl Harbor in December of 1941?
And we would have to keep a "President Sarah" away from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., lest she shoot all of the poor animals there! After all, she has Second Amendment Rights to move her cache of firearms into the White House with her, and shoot any squirrels or other animals near the White House, who threaten our national security!
God help us all!
And yes, you guessed it, she even "gunned-down" Rudolph, as well! So even if Santa manages to get some replacement reindeer, he won't be able to get another reindeer with a red blinking nose to guide him through bad overcast weather! So Santa has announced that he won't be coming down chimneys this Christmas! He has retired on Social Security and Medicare, and he hopes that the Republicans don't cut his benefits!
The elves are planning funeral arrangements for the reindeer who were so viciously "gunned-down" by Sarah!
Santa and Mrs. Claus are too distraught to attend the burials of the reindeer.
In lieu of flowers, monetary donations can be sent to the Democratic Party Campaign Committee, to keep Sarah Palin from gaining any political office, anywhere!
We have friends in Norway I will notify to get the reindeer ready and we have some here that must be prepared.
she just wasnot satisfied killing every species on West Coast with NRA and Wildlife Services now our reindeer.
Hope the Elves stay and do not decide to revolt...they get the Dwarfs and trolls together..Look out Republican Party
-Who warned the sailors and airmen of the Imperial Japanese Navy that there would be an attack on the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941?
-Who warned the soldiers of the German Wehrmacht that they would be attacking their erstwhile ally, the Soviet Union, in Operation Barbarossa on June 22, 1941?
-Did Franklin Roosevelt know about the Pearl Harbor attack in advance, but did nothing to stop it, or did he plan it, or did he have a special Japanese torpedo bomber fitted with hands-only controls so he could actively participate in the attack?
Sarah Palin "knows her American history". We'd all be grateful to be enlightened by her insight.
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