Money For Nothing

It seems that conservatives in Iowa have just learned what the real cost of loving Sarah Palin is.

$100,000

A conservative Iowa group’s effort to lure Sarah Palin to its banquet next month has had an unintended effect: Rather than exciting conservatives about the prospect of a visit from the former Alaska governor, the group’s plan to raise a six-figure sum to bring her to the state has GOP activists recoiling at the thought of paying to land a politician's speaking appearance.

The Iowa Family Policy Center’s effort to cobble together $100,000 for Palin would represent a striking departure from customary practice in the first-in-the-nation state, these Republicans say, noting that a generation of White House hopefuls has paid their own way to boost their party and presidential ambitions.

I suppose it's her "mavericky" side coming out, or perhaps her bizarre sense of entitlement that makes her ask for such a massive wad of cash.

But what are these conservatives really expecting to get for their money?

- 4 mentions of "you betcha"
- 2 "pallin arounds"
- no less than 7 mentions of "reform"
- a healthy sprinkling of fear
- 3 moments of "mother of special needs child"
- 1 dig at David Letterman
- 27 instances of the following words: "terror", "radical", and "far-left"
- 3 "death panels"
- and at least 2 winks

Iowa, I just saved you money and time.