Fans of conservative darling Sarah Palin have urged the former Alaska governor to jump into the race for the White House, running a television ad on a local station in Iowa. The ad, broadcast on Wednesday, comes as the Republican field remains unsettled just over a month before the Iowa caucuses, the first nominating event to pick a candidate to challenge Democrat President Barack Obama in the November 2012 elections. Palin rocketed onto the national stage after being tapped as Republican presidential hopeful John McCain's running mate in 2008. She has long flirted with a potential White House bid but has missed the filing date to get onto the ballot in several early nominating states. Supporters at Conservatives 4 Palin are hoping that won't stop her from tossing her hat into the ring, despite her October 5 announcement that she will be 'more effective' on the sidelines. The ad, dubbed The Challenge, ends with a crowd chanting 'Run Sarah Run' after Palin speaks

CHICAGO (AFP) - Fans of conservative darling Sarah Palin urged the former Alaska governor to jump into the race for the White House on Wednesday, running a small ad on a local station in the key electoral state of Iowa. The ad comes as the Republican field remains unsettled just over a month before the Iowa caucuses, the first nominating event to pick a candidate to challenge Democrat President Barack Obama in the November 2012 elections. Mrs Palin rocketed onto the national stage after being tapped as Republican presidential hopeful John McCain's running mate in 2008. She has long flirted with a potential White House bid, but has missed the filing date to get onto the ballot in several early-nominating states. Supporters at Conservatives 4 Palin are hoping that won't stop her from tossing her hat into the ring, despite her Oct 5 announcement that she will be 'more effective' on the sidelines.

Sarah Palin is still making headlines, nearly two months after ABC News reported she would not run for president. The group known as Conservatives4Palin.com bought an ad in Iowa valued at $6,500 urging her to reconsider her decision. The move comes a month away from the Iowa caucuses of Jan. 3. Here is what has been happening in the Palin family over the past week. Stalking Case Politico reported Nov. 25 that Craig Christy , 48, and his son Shawn Christy , 20, were changing their pleas from not guilty to guilty in a deal made with prosecutors over a harassment case. The men are from Pennsylvania and are attempting to avoid jail time and a hefty $250,000 fine. They are accused of making threatening phone calls to members of Palin's family and to her lawyers. Instead of agreeing to the plea deal, the Associated Press reported Monday that U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess in Anchorage, Alaska , delayed acting on the agreement. The next hearing for the case is scheduled for D

LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SARAH PALIN! LIVE FROM NEW YORK, ITS SARAH PALIN! By: SAMANTHA SPRAGUE (GAINESVILLE, Ga) All major news programs have been covering the upcoming presidential election nonstop, and Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" is no exception. Saturday Night Live is infamous for their satirical coverage of elections, and cast members are praised for their hilarious dead on impersonations of the hopeful candidates. Tothedelight of many, former cast member Tina Fey returned to SNL to impersonate vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, receivingraves for her uncanny portrayal. Some critics have even gone so far as to claim Feys impersonation is better than the actual candidate. So as not to be outdone by her counterpart, Sarah Palin paid a visit to Saturday Night Live last weekend. Palin proved to be a good sport watching Feys parody of her from backstage. She was also a good sport when Alec Baldwin mistook her for Fey. Baldwin believed Fey was at his sid

A new political ad is urging former part-time Alaska governor Sarah Palin to reconsider her decision not to run in the 2012 election. The ad from the group Conservatives4Palin pleads with Palin to "Run Sarah Run!" Called "The Challenge," the ad features Palin's famous remarks against "crony capitalism" and images of tea party protesters mashed up with faded footage of Barack Obama. According to Mediaite, the ad will begin airing in Iowa tomorrow, roughly five weeks ahead of the Iowa caucuses. "If this ad is able to build some momentum for the Governor, the best way to keep that momentum going may be to commission a national GOP primary poll that includes the Governor as one of the options," the group said in an announcement, according to The Hill. "We'll see if it's possible given our resources." If Palin would decide to launch a presidential campaign, she would only ha

The first votes have not yet been cast in the Republican primaries, and we're already beginning to hear talk of independent runs for the presidency. In part, that springs from a sense of dissatisfaction or at least surprise with the way the primary field has performed this year, and with the candidates who appear to have risen to the top. Few would have guessed that after the surprising Tea Party triumph in the 2010 midterms, the top two contenders for the GOP nomination would be the man who implemented a precursor of ObamaCare and a longtime Beltway insider whose personal baggage had long kept him from serious consideration. Barring a surprise in the next five or six weeks, there won't be a candidate to quickly unite the conservative base, the moderates, and the independents. If the primary competition lasts deep into March and April, it will pit these elements of the Republican umbrella against each other. In that kind of environment, it's possible that a schism could

Palin in Florida earlier this month (Roberto Gonzales/Getty Images) It's been nearly two months since Sarah Palin officially ruled out a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, but with the 2012 race in flux, some of her die-hard supporters are still hoping she might reconsider. Conservatives 4 Palin, a group that has long pushed the former Alaska governor to run for president, announced in a blog post it has raised enough cash to run a TV ad in Iowa asking Palin to rethink her 2012 decision. The group hasn't disclosed exactly what the ad will say, but it has purchased airtime on a television station in Sioux City, a northwestern Iowa city that is one of the most Republican areas of the state. "What we do next after the television ad goes up is a more ! difficul t question. If this ad is able to build some momentum for the governor, the best way to keep that momentum going may be to commission a national GOP primary poll that includes the governor as one of the

COMMENTARY | When former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin declined to run for president in this election cycle , the disappointment among her supporters was palatable. Undaunted, some Palinistas have put together an ad to run in Iowa. The title of the ad says it all. "Sarah, Reconsider." On the one hand, the fact the ad will be running at all shows the depth of feeling Palin's supporters have for her and the possibility that she could become president. One does not see similar efforts attempting to get Mitch Daniels , Tim Pawlenty , or Chris Christie to reconsider their decisions not to run. Palin would bring undoubted strength to any effort to win the presidency. She has executive experience that most of the other candidates lack. She has run in a national, general election campaign already, as John McCain's running mate. She has demonstrated considerable political strength as a private person, influencing the outcome of the 2010 election. She has two ready-made issues in

Some fans of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin havent given up yet on the prospect of her jumping in the race for the White House in 2012 and say they plan to run television ads in Iowa begging her to reconsider her decision. Your contributions have made it possible for us to run the Palin reconsider television ad next week in the Sioux City, Iowa market, Ian Lazaran of Conservates4Palin.com wrote in a post online Friday . Thanks to everyone who chipped in to make it possible. Lazaran wrote that the target date for ad going up on television in the Hawkeye State is Nov. 29. What we do next after the television ad goes up is a more difficult question, he explained. Lazaran said if this ad is able to build some momentum for Palin, the best way to keep that momentum going may be to commission a national GOP primary poll that includes the Governor as one of the options. Well see if its possible given our resources. Were open to other ideas but the greatest challenge may be that time is r

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The government paid nearly $2,500 for Sarah Palin's husband to come to the trial of a Tennessee college student who hacked into her email even though Todd Palin never testified, court records show. In all, the government paid more than $29,000 to fly members of the Palin family and other witnesses to Knoxville, send a prosecutor to Alaska for research and pay other travel expenses, according to the Department of Justice records obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request. Air travel totaled about $18,600, and hotel bills amounted to nearly $3,300. The thousands of dollars spent by prosecutors helped them win a conviction on one felony and one misdemeanor charge against David Kernell, who finishes his 10-month sentence on Wednesday. Prosecutors have said that Kernell's punishment for the hacking during Palin's failed 2008 vice presidential bid should deter any hackers who considered targeting candidates in next fall's

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) The father of a Pennsylvania man who has already acknowledged making harassing phone calls to Sarah Palin 's lawyers said in a plea agreement that he made similar calls, court documents state. Craig Christy , 48, and his son, Shawn Christy , 20, are expected to appear in federal court in Anchorage on Monday to change their pleas from not guilty, prosecutor Retta-Rae Randall said Friday. Sentencing has not been set. By signing the plea agreement, Craig Christy, of McAdoo, Penn., avoided what could have been a two-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. The documents state that he agreed to be placed on five years of probation and have no contact with certain people whose names were not disclosed. The Christys were arrested in August. Prosecutors say they were upset about restraining orders issued by an Alaska magistrate on behalf of Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, along with her family and friends. A restraining

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The government paid nearly $2,500 for Sarah Palin's husband to come to the trial of a Tennessee college student who hacked into her email even though Todd Palin never testified, court records show. In all, the government paid more than $29,000 to fly members of the Palin family and other witnesses to Knoxville, send a prosecutor to Alaska for research and pay other travel expenses, according to the Department of Justice records obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request. Air travel totaled about $18,600, and hotel bills amounted to nearly $3,300. The thousands of dollars spent by prosecutors helped them win a conviction on one felony and one misdemeanor charge against David Kernell, who finishes his 10-month sentence on Wednesday. Prosecutors have said that Kernell's punishment for the hacking during Palin's failed 2008 vice presidential bid should deter any hackers who considered targeting candidates in next fall's

(FOX19) - This Thanksgiving, the family of Congressman Gabrielle Giffords is no doubt especially thankful for the recovery she has been making. Rep. Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman in Arizona early this year. While, the facts have revealed much about the gunman Jared Loughner, CNN's Piers Morgan must not feel very compelled by those facts. I take a look in tonight's Reality Check Copyright 2011 FOX19. All Rights Reserved.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The government paid nearly $2,500 for Sarah Palin's husband to come to the trial of a Tennessee college student who hacked into her email even though Todd Palin never testified, court records show. In all, the government paid more than $29,000 to fly members of the Palin family and other witnesses to Knoxville, send a prosecutor to Alaska for research and pay other travel expenses, according to the Department of Justice records obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request. Air travel totaled about $18,600, and hotel bills amounted to nearly $3,300. The thousands of dollars spent by prosecutors helped them win a conviction on one felony and one misdemeanor charge against David Kernell, who finishes his 10-month sentence on Wednesday. Prosecutors have said that Kernell's punishment for the hacking during Palin's failed 2008 vice presidential bid should deter any hackers who considered targeting candidates in next fall's

Eric Cantor leads the way in the next big thing in fundraising... FEC's busy day... Sarah Palin's donors not giving to other candidates... Even more absurdity from Huntsman's super PAC... And ads from the DNC, Ted Cruz, Sierra Club, and Scott Walker. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! SUPER LEADERSHIP PACS -- Eric Cantor has a super PAC. Technically, he can't raise unlimited funds for it, but he's using the super PAC to expand his influence and fundraising base in Congress. Politico's Amanda Palmer and Robin Bravender write, "The star fundraiser is throwing his weight behind a powerful new GOP super PAC backed by Speaker John Boehner, the Congressional Leadership Fund, and a second one, the YG Action Fund, launched by former Cantor deputy chief of staff John Murray. Both groups support the goal of bolstering the Republican House majority, but the group founded by Cantor's aide also plans to focus on the Young

WASHINGTON -- "It's not about me, it's about all of us who are trying to wake up America," said former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in an Oct. 5 announcement that she would not seek the nomination for president in 2012. Palin's supporters met her decision with a mix of resignation and, in some cases, outrage. At the same time, the already announced Republican presidential candidates hastened to praise Palin, a conservative icon with a grassroots base that includes many small donors. That praise came as very few of her hardcore supporters had lined up behind other candidates. A review of campaign finance records by The Huffington Post shows that, as of Sept. 30, only 337 individuals of the more than 3,500 who had donated more than $250 to Palin's political action committee, Sarah PAC, had also given to another Republican candidate prior to Palin's announcement. "[T]he support beh

KNOXVILLE The government paid nearly $2,500 for Sarah Palins husband to come to the trial of a Tennessee college student who hacked into her email even though Todd Palin never testified, court records show. In all, the government paid more than $29,000 to fly members of the Palin family and other witnesses to Knoxville, send a prosecutor to Alaska for research and pay other travel expenses, according to the Department of Justice records obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request. Air travel totaled about $18,600, and hotel bills amounted to nearly $3,300. The thousands of dollars spent by prosecutors helped them win a conviction on one felony and one misdemeanor charge against David Kernell, who finishes his 10-month sentence today. Prosecutors have said that Kernells punishment for the hacking during Palins failed 2008 vice presidential bid should deter any hackers who considered targeting candidates in next falls presidential election. Paid for e

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The government paid nearly $2,500 for Sarah Palin's husband to come to the trial of a Tennessee college student who hacked into her email even though Todd Palin never testified, court records show. In all, the government paid more than $29,000 to fly members of the Palin family and other witnesses to Knoxville, send a prosecutor to Alaska for research and pay other travel expenses, according to the Department of Justice records obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request. Air travel totaled about $18,600, and hotel bills amounted to nearly $3,300. The thousands of dollars spent by prosecutors helped them win a conviction on one felony and one misdemeanor charge against David Kernell, who finishes his 10-month sentence on Wednesday. Prosecutors have said that Kernell's punishment for the hacking during Palin's failed 2008 vice presidential bid should deter any hackers who considered targeting candidates in next fall's

(Credit: Getty Images) Sarah Palin's decision to announce that she would not seek the presidency on a talk radio program - as opposed to Fox News - "infuriated" Fox chief Roger Ailes and prompted Ailes to consider pulling Palin from the network, according to New York Magazine . After flirting with a run for much of 2011, Palin went on conservative radio host Mark Levin's show in October to say she would not seek the Republican presidential nomination . The former Alaska governor's choice of venue was striking in light of the fact that Palin earns $1 million per year as a contributor to Fox News. A Palin adviser told New York that Palin decided to make the announcement on Levin's show because she was upset Fox News was regularly showcasing former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove. In October 2010, Rove questioned whether Palin has the "gravitas" to be president, and the two have long had a rocky relationship, with Palin dismissing Rove as a "prof

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of making harassing phone calls in a case involving Sarah Palin 's lawyers. Shawn Christy filed notice Monday in U.S. District Court in Anchorage that he intends to plead guilty in a plea agreement with federal prosecutors . The document filed by assistant federal defender Mary Geddes says Christy expects to plead guilty and be sentenced Dec. 1. Federal prosecutors were not immediately reachable by phone late Monday. Christy and his father, both of McAdoo, Pa., face accusations of placing harassing interstate phone calls to the former Alaska governor's lawyers in early August. Palin has been granted state restraining orders against them. Both men pleaded not guilty in the case in September.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania man has agreed to plead guilty to a charge that he harassed an attorney for former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin , actions that authorities said followed his similar goading of Palin herself, according to court documents filed on Monday. Shawn Christy, 20, is charged with a single federal count of making harassing interstate phone calls, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He and his father, Craig, are accused of making hundreds of hostile telephone calls to Fairbanks, Alaska , attorney John Tiemessen, who represents the Palin family, and his colleagues. Attorneys for Shawn Christy , who is in jail in Anchorage on the charge, submitted a change-of-plea motion in U.S. District Court on Monday. "Defendant, Shawn Richard Christy , by and through counsel ... notifies this court that he intends to plead guilty," the filing stated. Representatives from the U.S. Attorney's Office and Sha

Sarah Palin's announcementthat she wouldn't run for president disappointed her legions of admirers but it infuriated Roger Ailes. The Fox News chief wasn't angry about the decision itself. Rather,he was livid that Palin made the October 5 announcement on Mark Levin's conservative talk-radio program, robbing Fox News of an exclusive and a possible ratings bonanza.Fox was relegated to getting a follow-up interview with Palin on Greta Van Susteren's 10 p.m. show, after the news of Palin's decision had been drowned out by Steve Jobs's death.Ailes was so mad, he considered pulling her off the air entirely until her $1 million annual contract expires in 2013. After the announcement,he called Fox's executive vice-president Bill Shine into a meeting. Shine is the network's principal point of contact with Palin. Ailes told him she had made a big mistake. "I paid her for two years to make this announcement on my network," Ailes pointedly told Shine.

Who would dream that in this year of rising discontent against Wall Street and big government, it would take Sarah Palin to fix the blame where it truly should land. In an essay published under her name last week, Palin said protesters are missing their mark. Instead of big banks and big government, Palin took aim at Congress, including both Republicans and Democrats. "The corruption isn't confined to one political party or just a few bad apples. It's an endemic problem encompassing leadership on both sides of the aisle. It's an entire system of public servants feathering their own nests," she wrote in the essay published Friday in the usually conservative opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal. Palin didn't come up with her arguments entirely by herself, noting that she has found answers to questions many are asking in "Throw Them Out," a book by one of her foreign-policy advisers, Peter Schweitzer, which she writes reveals the "permanent pol

By PETER MURPHY, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer Published Sunday, November 20, 2011, 8:56 AM Updated Sunday, November 20, 2011, 8:56 AM Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords Sarah Palin's disturbing decision to place crosshairs on a map of Gabrielle Giffords congressional district was the decision that fatally undermined Palin's chances of ever becoming a presidential candidate. After the shooting, as Giffords new book (co-authored with her husband Mark Kelly) recounts, Palin taped a stung retort calling suggestions she had been rash a "blood libel." Palin refused to hear any criticism of her decision to target the Arizona congresswoman's district with a crosshairs symbol on her website. In their new book, quoted on Politico this week, both Giffords and Mark Kelly write that they objected to Palin's imagery, discussing it before the shooting: "Gabrielle was troubled that her district was one of twenty targeted on Sarah Palin's Facebook page and website,&q