Sarah Palin to Participate in DC Rolling Thunder Rally…
Very cool.
(ABC News) - For the riders of Rolling Thunder, the news that Sarah Palin will participate in their national rally on Sunday came as a surprise. A welcome surprise.
“I think that’s wonderful,” said Gerri Tramel, president of one of Rolling Thunder’s Tennessee chapters. “Anybody that’s involved — Republican, Democrat, independent, whatever — if you’re involved with our veterans, I think that’s wonderful. Not just Sarah Palin — anyone that’s a politician.”
For more than 20 years, as many as half a million motorcycle riders from across the country have descended on Washington, D.C., during Memorial Day weekend to raise awareness about prisoners of war and those missing in action. Rolling Thunder announced Thursday that Palin accepted an invitation to participate in its May 29 rally. She’ll kick off her One Nation Tour the same day, a bus trip along the northeast coast that aims “to educate and energize Americans about our nation’s founding principles.”
Asked how Palin came to be involved with the rally, Rolling Thunder spokeswoman Nancy Regg said, “I honestly don’t know.”
“I’m not the person that invited her,” she said. “We send letters to people all the time and invite them. We invited her to ride, she has accepted and she and her husband have both agreed to ride for us.”
Regardless of Palin’s political agenda — the “Will she or won’t she?” fervor over her potential presidential run reached new heights this week — the members of Rolling Thunder agreed her participation is a boon.
“If she wants to support the troops, we’re all for it,” said Greg Benson, president of Rhode Island’s Rolling Thunder chapter.
“I certainly welcome any positive publicity surrounding our cause, anything to bring attention to POWs and MIAs,” said Jeffrey Stewart, who leads a Rolling Thunder chapter in New Hampshire, a state that will be crucial to Palin if she runs in 2012. “Whether it’s a celebrity or a politician-celebrity — I’m not exactly sure what she is right now — having Sarah Palin there means more people will be paying attention to our cause.”
Posted by ZIP on Friday, May 27, 2011, at 3:21 pm | 
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God Bless Rolling Thunder…I watch every single year on C-SPAN live..God Bless our Troops past and present…our gratitude is forever.
Way to go, Miss Sarah!! This girl totally gets it.
Prez shitstain can’t show up. They don’t make a hog with training wheels! You rock Ms. Palin. Don’t forget a prayer for the troops past and present on this holiday weekend.
I hope she wears chaps….just sayin’.
I get all teary eyed and choked up every time I think of her being President. She is amazing!!
OK Zip, you must get ready for the upcoming comparison shot.
Obama in his mom jeans on his bicycle vs. Palin (probably wearing leather) on one of those bad-ass machines.
Sarah turned me on to the pistol grip shotgun on her television show. Now she’s going to have me riding a Harley!
What the lefties don’t understand is that Sarah is an outstanding role model for women in this country.
Man I love the sound of ‘President Palin’ more every day.
We have been in DC several times during the Rolling Thunder weekend. What a great event. Awesome for Sarah to participate. Sorry I will miss it!
A few years ago my son-in-law’s lifelong friend was killed in Iraq (Army Ranger). The Rolling Thunder came to his funeral in droves holding endless Flags and dressed in their blue jeans and leather biker garb sporting military patches. They stood between the funeral attendees and family and the WBC protesters that showed up (so much so you couldn’t even see the dumb-asses with their signs), and led and followed the funeral procession on their bikes. These people are owed a lot of gratitude for doing this at just about every funeral for our military across the country, most times showing up out of nowhere. God bless them.
BTW, imagine the photo of a Palin riding beside an Allen West???
I’m just sayin’ …
I’d give anything to see Allen West and Palin ride into DC side by side and announce the West/Palin 2012 ticket…..
jinx
@Bwb -
I’ll buy ya a Coke.
Everyday I cheer when I read what and how she is doing things.
I like her. If the media hates her then I know what they are saying is a lie.
If they believed that stuff she would be long forgotten and they would have moved on. Hats off the Rolling Thunder for keeping our veterans, mia, etc in front for the country to remember and work to help.
It’s a bad day to be a Palin hater/doubter. (every day is)
http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=76285
Not a Harley, but not a girl bike either.
If she’d wear *assless chaps*, tall boots and a leather halter…
Just sayin’…
I imagine Sarah and Todd are humbled to be invited to participate in the Rolling Thunder Memorial Day ride; what an experience to be among so many who dedicate their lives to America’s POWs and MIAs. God Bless them always.
TexasFred: you obviously have been watching too many of the same movies I have.
Sarah half-a-governor an outstanding role model for woman?After brow beating
America with the abstinence nonsense her daughter gets knocked up and isn’t even with the baby’s father this stinks of failure,What kind of value system do you people have? This woman has no decency at all.She wasn’t invited to Rolling Thunder they didn’t endorse her but like the parasite she is she wants to use them for her own publicity.Have some respect for our veterans! Some people support our veterans,some are low enough to use them for their own purposes where do you stand?But like many of the people here I want her to win the Republican nomination for president,Ple-e-ase Sarah run for president!
Bwb and Maggie…I will buy both of you cokes. It would be OFF THE HOOK to see them on motorcycles together. Palin/West…perfect together.
North Star/Bronze Star.
Ted Shpak, a director for Rolling Thunder, suggested otherwise: “She wasn’t invited,” he told MSNBC on Friday. “We heard yesterday that she came out with a press release saying she was coming to Rolling Thunder.”
Shpak verbalized what Regg declined to, calling Palin’s involvement “a big distraction, because my phone has been ringing off the hook ever since she announced that.
“This is not a political event,” he continued. “Maybe she’s coming because she knows we have half a million people in town, and she’s thinking she can start her [campaign] … but we’re not endorsing anybody. She’s not speaking on our stage during our program. We’re taking care of our issues and that’s why we’re here.”
@j.noonan – let’s put this into context you can comprehend. You seem of the type to be familiar with Critical Mass. As you may know, anyone can show up and participate. There is no sign up, just show up and support the cause. Same with Rolling Thunder. Show up and ride to support the troops. God bless America!
J.noonan says:
Go get your extra thick kneepads and get to work on your vapid, commie master – or is he on the golf course again? No way would he have anything to do with America’s finest. He solely associates with the dregs of the earth.
It was Palin’s addition to the GOP ticket that energized conservative voters and pulled McCain as far as he got. Presidunce Toonces knows it, Ferret Face Jarrett knows it, and Team Obama knows it.
Bring it. As Sarah says, “2012 Can’t Come Fast Enough.”
I don’t think West is a fan of Palin
see video:
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2011/04/congressman_allen_west_in_the_1.html
and look she wasn’t even invited they dont want her and all her distractions there
go back to alaska nanook
I see the Palin deniers are coming out from under their rocks. Good. Living afraid of a “snowbilly” must make your pitifull little lives really miserable and lonely. Dumbass liberals telegraphing all their moves. You know your doomed, your socialist movement is doomed and your Chicago Messiah is doomed. Say hello to the dustbin of History when you get there. Buh-Bye!
I agree w/some of J. Noonan. Sarah is a military mom, it’s a public event and all the rest. I am just glad to read that a few other people are thinking like I am. Somehow I don’t think it’s great she is showing up at Rolling Thunder, to steal the thunder. Allen West is going, he is a Veteran and a rider, somehow it works for him to go, Sarah not so much. And yes, no doubt she will have on some well thought out clothes so she can be cool.
I don’t dislike the woman, and would vote for her if she wins the primary, Rolling Thunder is personal for me, just wish she would crash some other event to start her tour.
MerriMac….loved the video!
bitterclinger,
Did you make up that kneepad stuff all by yourself or you just can’t read?As far as being associated with America’s finest did you hear about Obama working with the Navy Seals to kill Bin Laden as a big supporter of our military I consider the Navy Seals to be America’s finest maybe you don’t?Even Palin and Dick Cheney gave Obama props on that one.”It was Palin’s addition to the GOP ticket that energized conservative voters and pulled McCain as far as he got” WHICH WAS NOWHERE!Were you here for that election? If you were then you know Obama kicked both their asses from one end of the country to the other.Ted Shpak, the director for Rolling Thunder,(he should know)said Palin was distracting from the message they were trying to convey.Obviously you care more about Sarah Palin they you do about the people who gave their lives for America.Afraid of a “snowbilly”?(how cute but you’re insulting the hillbillies)We want Palin to run,when she get her ass kicked again maybe then(I’m not getting my hopes up) you’ll realize what a loser she is.One last question (I’d love an answer) how fucked up and stupid does a person have to be for you people to reject them?
Little irritated by some of the “she doesn’t belong there” comments.
The Palins are military parents. What’s the problem with them participating in Rolling Thunder?
Is there some sort of checklist of qualifications in order to be there? Like, “you can’t be Sarah Palin”?
One of these days (sigh!) I’m gonna be a small part of Rolling Thunder for their spring rally in DC, ridin’ my big ol’ 2003 Indian Chief.
Hopefully, Palin will be in attendance for the next 9 years.
Does everyone hear the fear in J.noonan? I can visualize a wet spot where they are wetting their pants. It is going to be a riot to see the liberals all wetting their pants. Those self-hating liberals have to turn their hate for themselves onto somethoing good and real and truthful. So sad.
She wasn’t invited-that is RUDE and selfish!
case closed
ty glad you liked the video axl
I love the smell of libturd fear in the morning. Smells like……victory!!
@MerriMac–
Reread the article. It says she was invited.
” We invited her to ride, she has accepted and she and her husband have both agreed to ride for us.” [a quote from Nancy Regg, Rolling Thunder spokeswoman--4th and 5th paragraphs down.]
Accepting an invitation is neither rude nor selfish. I’d suggest a visit to your optometrist.
@J.noonan
I see the leberal wheels are turning. Who invited you to Weazil Zippers? Oh, that’s right, it IS still a free country in spite of people like you.
The only damned things you are good at is hatred and stupidity.
In 531 more days little Barry O’Bama and his no-class double-standard porch monkey of a wife will watch their dreams of world domination crumble at the ballot boxes. Then all you self-serving little socialists can crawl back under your rock.
Thanks be that Track came home safely from his tour in Iraq. Al military parents accept that coming home alive is a great gift.
They all empathize with the parents of those who did not .
Therefore Mr Noonan Axal & co – The only people who would deny the Palins their right to attend & show their support are i????
BTW there are Democrat vets & parents. I don’t even think you are Dems -just hate machines.
I’m sorry I was taught better,my mom said it’s mean to argue with simple minded people!What is it about what Ted Shpak,NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR of Rolling Thunder, told “Andrea Mitchell,that you have trouble understanding? IT”S IN ENGLISH “SHE WASN”T INVITED! We heard yesterday she came out with a press release she was coming to Rolling Thunder,” Ted Shpak, national legislative director of Rolling Thunder, told “Andrea Mitchell Reports.” SHPAK of Rolling Thunder’s current leadership who says he had no idea Palin was coming until it was posted on her website.When asked if Palin’s bus will be participating in the event, Shpak of Rolling Thunder Inc. responded, “ABSOLUTELY NOT.”"We’re not political. This is not a political event … Maybe she’s coming because she knows we have a half a million people in town and thinking she can start her [campaign]?” stated Shpak.Asked how Palin came to be involved with the rally, Rolling Thunder spokeswoman Nancy Regg said, “I HONESTLY don’t know.”Rolling Thunder’s current leadership say they had no idea Palin was coming until it was posted on her website.MaryfromMarin I did read the article.I suggest you go back to school.By the way what magazines do you read or is that a trick question?I’m certainly not a hater I wrote this post out of respect for Rolling Thunder and the work they do.They try so hard to get their message across and to see some one try to use it for their own publicity is despicable. If I’m a hater then Ted Shpak is a hater too! He was the one who expressed concerns about what Palin is trying to do..”"We’re not political. This is not a political event.I would feel the same way if Obama tried to use this as publicity but he has a lot more class than Palin.I don’t hate you people in fact you fascinate me.How can anyone who’s achieved the level of intelligence to be able to dress yourself in the morning and tie your own shoes be fooled by Sarah Palin. I’m going out on a limb here but I’d bet you let Donald Trump jerk your chain too!
Love and kisses
The point you’re all missing is that it’s not Palin per se that’s the problem it would be anyone who detracts from Rolling Thunders message It could be Obama,it could be Donald Trump it could be Lady Ga Ga anyone who dilutes their message is the problem This is for and about the veterans only no one else. Show some respect!
*assless chaps* Boy there’s somebody with class
@J.noonan–
Congratulations–I haven’t read a rant like that in ages.
I quoted what Nancy Regg said in the article, that Sarah Palin was invited. If you don’t like what Nancy said, go argue with her.
BTW, Track Palin enlisted in September 0f 2007, and has been in the U.S. Army for over three and a half years now. He has served at least one tour of duty in Afghanistan. His time served and his participation in active duty qualifies him to be considered a veteran, according to the Veterans Administration and the U.S. Army.
So tell me, J.noonan: why should the parents of any veteran be excluded from Rolling Thunder? Or is it just the parents of THIS particular veteran that you want to exclude?
Damnit, I can’t go this year.
J Noonan and MerriMac both make the mistake of listening to anything that Andrea Mitchell and MSNBC says…
Of course she was invited and as the parents of a combat vet they are both welcome.
Yes, Palin was invited to Rolling Thunder
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/05/28/yes-palin-was-invited-to-rolling-thunder/
“Last night, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell and Lauren Stephenson reported that the veterans group Rolling Thunder had not invited Sarah Palin to their annual ride taking place this weekend and were dumbfounded when Palin announced her participation as the start of her bus tour. Under the headline “Stealing Their Thunder,” Mitchell suggested that Palin was hijacking their “very serious purpose” with her participation. The piece hinges on an interview with Rolling Thunder’s Ted Shpak, who called Palin’s announcement “a big distraction”
There’s a problem with this story, but to be fair to everyone, it seems to be an honest case of an internal miscommunication at Rolling Thunder. After I read this story last night, I got in contact with Christine Colborne, who handles the media for Rolling Thunder. She explained that Shpak didn’t know that Palin had been indeed invited to ride at the event. The invitation came from a retired board member, Michael DiPaolo, who had connections in Alaska and got Palin to agree to attend.
Requests for high-profile personalities to attend the event are not new. Colborne mentioned that actor Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) attended at least one of the Rolling Thunder events, as have other celebrities, usually just to ride with a lower profile. Most times, though, those requests don’t even get responses, let alone acceptances. That’s a shame, because the Rolling Thunder event highlights the issues surrounding American POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam War and later conflicts, as well as providing support to their families, who really need the emotional support they get from this group of volunteer veterans.
Colborne spoke with me on the phone in the middle of an all-night car ride to Washington DC, and explained that the last-minute RSVP didn’t get communicated through the echelons of Rolling Thunder. Everyone is either in transit or already in DC, and internal communication broke down as often happens before a major event. Shpak (and Colborne) were taken by surprise by Palin’s announcement. Shpak does have the authority to speak for the organization, Colborne says, but he had no idea that Palin was invited by DiPaolo, and Shpak worried that Palin’s arrival might be a “big distraction” from the issues on which Rolling Thunder wants people to focus. Obviously, Shpak — a Vietnam veteran himself — feels passionate about defending the organization, but went on NBC with faulty information. Shpak, Colborne, and almost everyone else at Rolling Thunder are volunteers, just ordinary people doing extraordinary work, and that means they get the occasional hiccup.
Palin will indeed be welcomed to the Rolling Thunder event. It’s a good organization with a worthy mission, so don’t let a miscommunication distract people from its purpose, either. Be sure to check out the web site, the merchandise that helps support the group, and other ways in which we can all assist them in that mission.”
See what happens when you actually do the research? It isn’t like Andrea Mitchell couldn’t have simply asked Palin who invited her…
wardogs
“This is for and about the veterans only no one else. Show some respect!”
What poppycock. Everyone is invited, and the usual suspects who show up are patriotic Americans who are grateful to our military’s sacrifice and who value the freedoms they have provided us. It doesn’t matter whether Sarah Palin or Ben Franklin or Elmer Fudd shows up, as long as they value and support our troops. Having been to Rolling Thunder several times I can assure you the emphasis is on the veterans, all day, in stereo, and nothing else. When Nancy Sinatra sang at R.T. a couple of years ago she focused on the troops, the Viet Nam vets and all the other servicemen who have sacrificed. It wasn’t about Nancy. But the vets sure appreciated her support for them, then as now. Her appearance made the event richer, if the applause and love coming from the audience are any indication.
I was going downtown tomorrow to see the vets. I’m doubly excited that Miss Sarah and her hubby will be there too and that will just make that special day all the more special. People like J. Noonan will just have to deal with it.
MaryfromMarin says:
“Congratulations–I haven’t read a rant like that in ages”.Thank you Mary I had a lot of fun doing it! Was it good for you?I’m not trying to change your minds if you’re not smart enough to know when someone like Palin or Trump is manipulating you,nothing I say is gonna help that problem.The rest of America gets it! There’s reason why most of America rejects these people!
There’s a reason why their approval rating is so low or maybe you don’t believe in polls you know “liberal propaganda”.
I was wondering was Sarah Palin at last years Rolling Thunder or maybe the year before, it’s probably just me but it just seems like a coincidence that after she hinted about running for president all of a sudden she cares about Rolling Thunder.While there may have been miscommunication about her invitation ,one person says one thing another one says something else,that still doesn’t address Mr,Shpak
s concerns. “We’re not political. This is not a political event … Maybe she’s coming because she knows we have a half a million people in town and thinking she can start her campaign” It’s hard to misunderstand what he’s saying.I didn’t just pull this stuff out of the air if I had read that Palin had been invited and everyone was happy about it I would have nothing to say.
Just in case you get side tracked watching Sarah Palin ride her rented hog(she’s the real deal)
The major function of Rolling Thunder is to publicize POW-MIA issues:(not Sarah Palin) To educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war-missing in action.
We are also committed to helping American veterans from all wars.
I’m a big supporter of our military and as a musician have played in many parades supporting our local Vietnam Vets chapter.
Thank you for your posts, wardogs and Isabella. I hope J. noonan read them.
A wonderful day before memorial day to you all.Just having some fun here.I saw the blog and bet my friend if I wrote anything critical of Sarah Palin no matter how valid all the right-wing haters and loony tunes would come out of the wood work. Stuff like President shit stain,Go get your extra thick kneepads and get to work on your vapid, commie master – or is he on the golf course again?,afraid of a “snowbilly” Dumbass liberals telegraphing all their moves. You know your doomed, your socialist movement is doomed and your Chicago Messiah is doomed. Does everyone hear the fear in J.noonan? I can visualize a wet spot where they are wetting their pants.Those self-hating liberal and my favorite;
“In 531 more days little Barry O’Bama and his no-class double-standard PORCH MONKEY of a wife will watch their dreams of world domination crumble at the ballot boxes. Then all you self-serving little socialists can crawl back under your rock”.It’s like talking to 13 yr olds! I do have respect for MaryfromMarin, wardogs and Isabella and know they are sincere though we disagree on Sarah Palin what’s more important is that we must support our military men and woman.I feel we need to put pressure on the government not to try and balance the budget by denying these people the things they deserve.
Track Palin is not a combat veteran. He was never in combat. Yes, he is a veteran.
The motorcycle riders who protect the family at military funerals is call the Patriot Guard.
make that: “The motorcycle riders who protect families at military funerals are called the Patriot Guard.”