The logical follow-up to this morning’s media gawking over her earnings last year. Anything about her that appears to contradict her “one of us” blue-collar authenticity will be catnip to the press as supposed evidence of the worst crime imaginable. Worse than murder, worse even than plagiarism: Hypocrisy.
Six pages of the contract Palin’s handlers sent to Cal State Stanislaus were unearthed in a dumpster by students there this week, and one of the many requirements that must be met for the former vice presidential hopeful: two unopened bottles of still water and “bendable straws” must be waiting on a wooden lectern.
That was just one item among the pages of elaborate demands that must be met to land a contract for Palin to come speak at an event. More costly were the requirement for her travel – the venue must supply her with business or first class commercial airfare, or with a private plane. And not just any jet will do.
“The private aircraft MUST BE a Lear 60 or larger (as defined by interior cabin space) for West Coast Events; or, a Hawker 800 or Larger (as defined by interior cabin space for) East Coast Events, and both are subject to the Speaker’s approval. The Speaker Reserves the right to change the flight plans at any time,” the contract states.
So she’ll fly commercial unless you want to hook her up with a particular private jet. In fact, she’ll actually fly coach, which ABC doesn’t tell you, under certain circumstances: Read the rider and you’ll see that it’s only for flights to or from Anchorage that first-class is mandatory. If she’s traveling within the lower 48, riding in the back with the hoi polloi is fine. (For international flights to the lower 48, she asks for business class.) Actually, there’s no ironclad proof that the contract is even hers: Her name is never mentioned, but given where it was found, the fact that it comes from her speaker bureau, and the fact that it refers to travel from Alaska, the inference is made. Frankly, I’m amazed that she’s willing to fly commercial at all. Considering the intense loathing she inspires in some quarters, I assumed she’d long since passed the point of needing a security detail when she’s out in public. Is it really just her and Todd (or an assistant) crammed back there in coach among lefties who feel queasy at the thought of her? Good lord.
Oh, something else: Hotline claims that the rider demands that all questions, whether from the audience or from the moderator, be pre-screened, but I can’t find that passage. I see that there’s a pre-screen provision in the section on “Satellite Events,” but there’s nothing about it in “Audience Q&A.” I probably just missed it in my haste of skimming the document. Let me know and I’ll update the post.
