Quick, grab your pitchforks and broomsticks – the witch hunt is back in full swing. Sarah Palin’s widely-publicized new book, “Going Rogue,” was just released this week and will be #1 on the New York Times best-seller list when it’s next published. In the meantime, though, her critics are back at it, attacking anything and anyone they view as a threat to the “Washington Way.” Tragically, the attacks on Sarah Palin from both the left and right reinforce the idea that America still has a problem with xenophobia. That’s a tough pill to swallow considering how long we’ve been fighting and dying for equality. Americans should be ashamed by the treatment Ms. Palin has received.

The former Alaska governor never ran a malicious campaign, remarkably remaining above the fray despite the unending avalanche of mudslinging aimed in her direction. And outside of the over-edited, over-analyzed interviews with Katie Couric and Charles Gibson, she’s shown that she’s a moderately intelligent person with more guts and gusto than most politicians could ever hope to squander. But because she holds fast to beliefs which don’t align with those of the pundits, including at times even Republicans, she’s somehow portrayed as stupid and unfit to lead. The proof is in the pudding – the Associated Press dedicated 11 people to fact-checking Palin’s book but didn’t bother to check any facts in recent books by Vice President Biden, President Obama, or Bill or Hillary Clinton [1].

Even more despicable, though, are those who wish to repeatedly attack her character out of a seeming lack of decency or absence of facts with which to develop a substantive argument. We should know by now that the character of a person doesn’t make his or her opinion or actions any more or less relevant. Former President Carter may be a terrorist and a Marxist but that doesn’t keep me from being active with Habitat for Humanity. Even more fundamentally, someone who has so graciously dealt with an overly-aggressive media, the birth and care of a special needs child, and other over-publicized family issues should be the last person to have his or her character questioned.

Unfortunately for the politicians and pundits and fortunately for Sarah Palin, her opponent’s plan has backfired. The more baseless attacks are thrown at her, the more upset and polarized her supporters and sympathizers become. One could apply the analogy that the hotter the fire, the more refined the product. Ms. Palin has remained in the limelight in great part due to continued criticism from the media.

In all honestly, I don’t love Sarah Palin, but I do respect her attitude and opinions. What I do love is that the attempts of her critics to demean her and take her out of the spotlight have failed. I suggest that they take the hint and focus on the issues – lobbing baseless, off-topic attacks at people is immature and have been proven ineffective.

Today’s call to action: Let’s make it really simple today – don’t let someone else tell you what opinion to have. Watch an interview or two in which Sarah Palin has participated over the last two weeks and judge for yourself.

1. “AP Turns Heads for Devoting 11 Reporters to Palin Book ‘Fact Check’,” foxnews.com, November 18, 2009. DGCYPUH4YTC5

Well, if you needed any further proof that the GOP certainly isn’t conservative, you got it yesterday. Bill Owens’ victory over Doug Hoffman in yesterday’s election for the U.S. House Seat in New York’s 23rd district is a shining example.

Let’s run down the story: the candidates were Democrat Bill Owens, GOP-endorsed Republican Dede Scozzafava, and conservative Independent Doug Hoffman. Things got tricky when conservatives, in part riding the recent Tea Party movement, began supporting Doug Hoffman. Scozzafava, calling herself a Republican, supported President Obama’s stimulus plan, opposed many tax cuts, and actions to save Social Security[1].

When Scozzafava realized she was being squeezed out, she wisely dropped out of the race. But then she did the unthinkable – she endorsed Democrat Bill Owens. In effect, the GOP endorsed and wasted valuable campaign dollars on a candidate who values keeping returned TARP money for government use rather than returning it to the people [2] and massive redistributive subsidies [3] over a successful business owner and fiscal conservative [4].

Additionally frustrating was Newt Gingrich’s deferment to the Republican leadership. When asked at a book signing why he supported the GOP endorsee, he said, “my bias is to be for the nominee of the local party, and I don’t second guess the local party” [5], but later eventually changed his endorsement to Hoffman [6]. Admittedly, Gingrich pointed out issues on which Scozzafava was conservative. But considering that Gingrich is a strong choice for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, this is very concerning. Why can’ Republicans pick the truly conservative candidate the first time?

Interestingly enough, Gingrich also said at the book signing that “it is a mistake for the conservative movement to think splitting in the special election is a smart idea. If we give that seat to the Democrats, shame on us” [7]. We say – shame on the GOP. We may disagree about whether conservatism or liberalism is better for the nation, but the real problem is the integrity we give up when we play politics.

Today’s call to action: Recommend this website to two friends.

1. “Republican Scozzafava Drops Out of New York Congressional Race,” foxnews.com, October 31, 2009.
2. “Bill Owens on Health Care Reform,” billowensforcongress.com, November 3, 2009.
3. “Bill Owens on Jobs,” billowensforcongress.com, November 3, 2009.
4. “About Doug Hoffman,” doughoffmanforcongress.com, November 3, 2009.
5. “Video: Tea Party-er Confronts Newt Gingrich at Book Signing on Scozzafava Endorsement,” mofopolitics.com, October 27, 2009.
6. “Question Marks for GOP in New York District and Beyond,” cnn.com, November 3, 2009.
7. “Newt on Scozzafava,” dailymail.com, October 26, 2009.