Kathleen Parker said it plain and simple…can we stop all the hoopla now?

When you’re up to your waders in barracuda, blame the media.

And quit your job.

And say you did it for the people.

And hire an agent.

And try to keep a straight face.

On your way to the bank.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public, H.L. Mencken once said. Terribly elitist fellow, that Mencken. If only he were alive to witness the phenomenon of Sarah Palin, whose biography validates every cynical thought that ever found expression in his prolific prose.

Let’s just say, Palin is in no danger of going broke. From her book contract alone, she never has to worry about money again, according to one close insider.

She may be politically dead — “If I die, I die. So be it,” as Palin recently put it — but that depends on how one defines politics. In fact, adding mystery to confoundedness, Palin has enough supporters and fundraising potential to put a ground game in play in a matter of seconds. Just to toss in a sports metaphor, if I may.

Meanwhile, getting real, can we stop pretending that Palin is interested in anything other than her own ambition?

It’s all about the Benjamins. Palin could not give a rat’s petard about public service.  Did people forget how excited she was to be on Saturday Night Live?  When Palin was asked this week whether she regretted accepting John McCain’s offer to become his running mate, Palin gleefully replied “not in the……absolutely not.”  Of course not.  One would think that because her acceptance of the veep offer caused her not only to “have to” quit the public service job that she “loves” but also caused such “undue stress” to her family that Palin might be having some second thoughts about her decision.  Not so much.  As a matter of fact, Palin seemed happier and more excited than ever and even expressed as much during the interviews.  Why you ask?   Well…John McCain elevated Palin to a level and made her the lucrative commodity that she only dreamed of becoming while living in Alaska prior to being named his running mate.  With such newly acquired notoriety, the soon-to-be former governor has an opportunity to shine in the lower 48 and reap salmon boats full of money in the process.   Besides, what would be the point of finishing out her first and only term as governor?   Such strings were simply holding her back from reaching her true potential?  She has to strike while the iron is hot and there is no time like the present.  If her prior actions are anything to go by Palin’s thought process was…..Alaska smaska, I’m about to get paid.  Ambition is great and we are not faulting her for it but call it what it is.  Claiming to quit in the name of selflessness and saving  Alaskan resources by taking one for the team is insulting to Alaskans.

Governor Palin has been traversing the various media outlets expressing her “outrage” that David Letterman made an objectionable joke about her 14-year-old daughter.  Letterman has defended the joke by saying that he was referring to Palin’s 19-year-old daughter who recently gave birth.  We certainly don’t condone Letterman’s comments and believe that they were quite offensive regardless of which daughter the late night comedian was referring to including the joke referring to Gov. Palin “slutty flight attendant” make-up.  Sorry, not my type of humor.  However, it was apparent from the context of the joke that Letterman was referring to Palin’s older daughter.  The older daughter that has put herself out there as a public spokesperson for abstinence.  When you step into the spotlight you must be prepared for public comment on your persona regardless of the form such comment takes.  This rule applies to all public figures.  So because Palin’s older daughter chose to inject herself into the media limelight regardless of the perceived worthiness or unworthiness of her cause she must accept the negatives that come along with it.  As for Gov. Palin’s distorted interpretation of the joke, the Alaskan governor used Letterman’s comments as a way to put herself back on the political radar.  Palin took the comedian’s comments and ratcheted them up to unrecognizable status by accusing Letterman of making the comments about her 14-year-old daughter as well as insinuating that 65-year-old Letterman could not be trusted with the teenager.

For the record, below are similar and far worst  jokes made by Jay Leno, Conan Obrien, and Saturday Night Live.

Gov. Palin announced over the weekend that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. And you thought John Edwards was in trouble before! Now he has really done it. — “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” 9/2/08

“Saturday night, Sarah Palin is going to drop the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers’ hockey game. Then Palin will spend the rest of the game trying to keep the hockey players out of her daughter’s penalty box.” –Conan O’Brien [Palin appeared at the Philadelphia Flyers game with 13-year-old and 6-year-old daughters]

“It’s true, John McCain’s running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, has revealed that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. Palin said, ‘We should never have introduced her to John Edwards.’” –Conan O’Brien

“What about the husband?” asked a mock Times reporter. “You know he’s doing those daughters. I mean, come on. It’s Alaska!” —Saturday Night Live skitin September 08.  Palin appeared on the show one month later in October 2008.  SEE TRANSCRIPT HERE.

I guess it was not politically expedient or convenient for Palin to be offended by Obrien’s, Leno’s or the Saturday Night Live jokes.  After all she had an opportunity to appear on LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT’s SATURDAY NIGHT for goodness sake.