On Sean Hannity's radio show, Sarah Palin disputes the Des Moines Register's report that she played hard-to-get with the Iowa state GOP for over a year; then recently reached out to ask if the speaking gig at the annual Reagan Day Dinner was still available.
The whole exchange is interesting -- she first denies having seen that big Drudge banner*, "Look Who's Going to Iowa!", which showed the former gov waving to the crowd (audio of exchange is over at the Right Scoop).
HANNITY: I don't know if you've been reading the front-page of the Drudge Report most of the day today, but the headline is a picture of you, 'Look Who's Going to Iowa'.
Did you see it?
PALIN: No, I didn't see it, no.
HANNITY: Oh, it's a nice picture, but I mean, the basic report is your scheduled political trip to Iowa this month, and the way it is reported is [that] it marks a shift from "near silence in the lead-off Presidential nominating state to the outreach common among White House prospects."
And you're gonna be speaking at their annual fall fundraiser on September 17.
PALIN: I am, and I was invited to, and I've been invited to for awhile -- to get to Iowa for different events, and I haven't been able to. I did see the headline on CQ Politics, and they're way whacked, saying that I asked for an opportunity to speak in Iowa.
And to me, a headline like that and a story that went on 'Sarah Palin pursued a speaking opportunity in Iowa to make a point' -- You idiot reporter. Why can't you follow up with a fact like asking "Really, who did she ask?, who did she pursue"?
We've got so many emails from people in Iowa, asking us to get there, so it's kind of an aside, but certainly evidence of how whacked reporters are today."
Here's the salient portion from the Des Moines Register's report:
But after playing hard to get for the past year, Palin approached Iowa Republicans recently, party officials said.
.... Palin began taking a more active approach toward Iowa in late July, when her political action committee told Iowa Republican Party staff that Palin’s people were planning a more aggressive fall campaign schedule and had asked whether the Reagan invitation was still open.
*(the link's been taken off Drudge, but you can check it out in his archives).
