Remember when Sarah Palin quit her job as governor, and some people said she was doing it for the money? Guess what? Palin has raked in more than $12 million from book and TV deals and speaking engagements since she quit public office last July. That’s a conservative estimate, but is still nearly 10 times the $125,000 she made as governor.
ABC News dug into Palin’s finances (as well as they could, considering the ex-guv’s penchant for “confidentiality” and document-shredding), and found a veritable hustling machine at work. Palin made between $5 and $7 million from her memoir, and will make at least $250,000 per episode of her reality show about Alaska. Figures for her second book contract, and her FoxNews deal are still under wraps and aren’t included in the $12 million figure. Palin has also been giving speeches at a whirlwind pace, for the astonishing fee of $100,000 per speech. Her fee ticked off lots of fellow Republicans in Iowa when she spoke at an event held by the Iowa Family Public Policy Center; and raised eyebrows when the Tea Party convention in Nashville charged $349 to attend her speech there.
Other former office holders have made lots of money from speaking engagements, notably Bill Clinton and George Bush Sr., but it is very unusual for someone who is considered a possible future presidential candidate to exploit his/her position the way Palin has. But then, Palin has always shown a fondness for self-promotional hustling, starting with her post-high school beauty queen era, on to her TV news personality stint, all the way to being the big-spending mayor of Wasilla, and then climbing over former allies to campaign for governor. That job turned out to be too hard, so she cozied up to far-right GOP power brokers, who talked John McCain into picking her as his VP. She loved the limelight and, rather than deal with the job she was elected to do (which would have included fighting off various scandals), she chucked the position and went for the bucks that come with inhabiting the national stage.
News of Palin’s new wealth have coincided with revelations of the demands she includes in her speaking contract: first-class travel or private plane, pre-screened questions, black SUV’s, bendable straws, and more. Read about that here.
This article appears in Apr 13-19, 2010.
Puhleez old man; mosey over in your fluffy scuffs and check out Gore’s cool $100 million he scammed from his warming rant.
Whether you agree with Gore or not, you certainly didn’t see him quitting his job, one that the people voted for him to get and counted on him to do, to go and get that payday. Palin got a taste of fame during the election and decided that she could suddenly give a crap about her commitment to her state, electing to go off instead and hypocritically become a part of the media that she criticized and make a quick buck.
I always thought she reminded me of a female and more clueless Rush Limbaugh however, so her new role at Faux News makes total sense. Now she can do what she has dreamed about since her first brush with fame, make even more outlandish and incorrect statements with an entire audience of poor ignorant bastards to listen to her every word. She’s always complaining about how unfair and wrong the “media” is, so I’m glad she’s found a home where those annoying “media” things like accountability and not being able to flat out lie to serve your own agenda won’t be a problem for her.
Oh – it doesn’t matter who does it, bringing up simple, non-excessive mistakes like spelling errors and missing a “0” here and there = fail. Grow up and don’t play the “he hit me first card” if you want to argue with the big boys. Of course, it’s hard not to fall back on that when your argument is so frakkin weak. Maybe if you were a bit more selective in your criticism and didn’t feel the need to disagree with everything this dude posts just for the sake of disagreeing with him on everything, people might actually pay attention to you. I mean geez, just ask the guy out already!
To me, Palin is like Oprah.
Oprah is in the free market. Most of the time she is spouting nonsense but that’s what the people want to hear. She’s a billionaire because of it. There are no set-asides or subsidies paying for Oprah.
Palin is also spouting nonsense, but she’s in the free market and is giving people what they want, hence the profits. She’s not a product of subsidies and corporate welfare. Same with Al Gore and Obama.
Look at Rush Limbaugh. Most of his stuff is easily refuted and he spews hatred daily. However, there is a huge market for it and he gets paid handsomely.
Meanwhile people who preach personal responsibility, truth in all circumstances, restricted free markets and property rights are still struggling.
I meant “UN-restricted” free markets, lol.
Love her, hate her, or tolerate her – as an American, she is entitled to making money through free enterprise – just as the rest of us are. She happens to be very good at it – for which she is smeared and attacked mercilessly.
It sounds like to me the hypocritical author of this piece is a bit jealous of her. Plenty of politicians, both Dem and Repub have made lots and lots of money through speaking engagements – why should Palin be any different?
Just because you don’t like her?
Frank G. states it would be good for Palin to work for CNN or NBC in order to get a little truth on those stations!??! Frank, what are you smoking? Truth and Sarah Palin? She won LIE OF THE YEAR 2009. Truth on those stations as opposed to all the TRUTH that comes from her employer, Fox? Frank, you are mentally ill.
Oh, that’s just how Frank Griffin is…….mentally ill. Not much different than Sara Palin. My friend Vilma Leake was right about Palin, a vile and disgusting excuse for a human being.
Vilma is a cheat if I remember correctly. Where does she live this time without living there? I think Vilma may have been telling you about herself Rosa.
…….and if she was within reach of you, she would probably slap your damned face. She has never cheated and has lived many different places. I see the Klan witch hunt that you soccer mom racists are on is in full teabagger force. You are all alike.
You must not know Vilma then because she is a cheat. I doubt she would slap me because she would probably agree with me and would not want to be arrested and taken to jail. Hey that could be the next place she lives right?
What an ingorant bastard. Vilma is not a cheat and all you white racists hate her because of that. She definitely would slap you if you insulted her like that to her face. She is welcome to live anywhere she wants. Who are you to say where she has or hasn’t lived. I know people who take up a residential address just by sleeping on someone’s couch you fool. No one cares.
You slobbering bitter pieces of trash have to try and find something don’t you, even if you just make it up?! Hell, that’s one thing I’m sure Fox News has taught you all to do very well.
Vilma admitted to being a cheat so I do not see how she could be upset at hearing the truth.
LIAR