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Palin motives questioned with formation of PAC

by Jill Burke
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A new political action committee launched Tuesday in support of Gov. Sarah Palin, and with her blessing.

It's called SarahPAC, and it's registered with the Federal Election Commission.

The group hopes to use Palin's national appeal to pull in cash and use the money raised in support of local and national candidates that share Palin's vision and views.

The Web page for the new PAC launched Tuesday and nearly a half-million people found out about it through a Sarah Palin Facebook page, which was set up by the McCain campaign sometime last year.

The site says the committee "... believes the Republican Party is at the threshold of an historic renaissance that will build a better future for all."

One political analyst says that with the governor's State of the State speech just delivered and a legislative session underway, the PAC makes sense as a way for Palin to organize the rest of her political universe.

"This is the second piece of the puzzle -- the second piece, so to speak, of the political life of Sarah Palin," Jennifer Duffy said. "And you know most aspirants to the White House actually have such PACs, so it is not a big surprise she's done this."

Pam Pryor, a spokesperson for SarahPAC, said this is not necessarily a step toward a run at higher office for Palin.

"These political action committees are not exploratory committees for other kinds of offices," Pam Pryor said. "They really are used to help other candidates. I think that kind of discussion is way premature and right now."

Pryor says Palin has received numerous requests from Republicans across the country seeking her support.

"And whether it was (Georgia Sen. Saxby) Chambliss in December, whatever, there are just a lot of requests coming in and this will kind of harness that energy," Pryor said. "This is not about a future run for her."

But the move hints that Palin is interested in running on the national level, Duffy said.

"Usually if you are a governor and you hold a statewide office or you form a federal PAC there is some federal ambition there, because there are certainly other ways to accomplish some of these goals without doing this," Duffy said.

A Palin spokesperson told Channel 2 News that SarahPAC is operating with the governor's blessing, but notes Palin is not running it, although she is the group's honorary chair.

Palin's people are working now to gain control over the Facebook page, and it sounds as though they hope to see SarahPAC help direct it.

Contact Jill Burke at jburke@ktuu.com