Breaking: Palin to Tame “Papa Grizzly” Didier?

Highly placed sources have informed me that efforts are underway to have Sarah Palin intervene in the current squabble between former Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier and Republican Senate nominee Dino Rossi.

Palin, if you recall, endorsed Didier just prior to Rossi’s entry into the race in May.  SarahPAC gave Didier $5000 and Palin recorded a robo-call for Didier, but she did not campaign in the state for him.

Didier has declined to endorse Rossi in the Senate race until Rossi agrees to meet three specific demands.  Rossi has refused.

Republican state party officials and electeds are busy behind the scenes trying to repair the rift.  A close election between Rossi and Democratic incumbent Patty Murray is expected, and Didier’s 12 percent primary vote might be crucial.

More details as they become available.

Palin Throws Didier Under The Bus

So Clint Didier’s much-touted endorsement from Sarah Palin in the Washington U.S. Senate race is proving to be worthless (okay, SarahPAC did give Didier’s campaign $5000.)  From the Seattle Times:

Republican Clint Didier has been trying to get former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to headline political rallies or fund-raising events for him since she endorsed the former NFL player’s U.S. Senate candidacy in May.

In June, Didier campaign advisers told POLITICO that Palin described herself as “all in” for Didier. They hoped to schedule two Palin events, one in Eastern Washington and one on the west side.

Last month, when I visited Didier on his farm near Pasco, he said he still expected Palin would do an event for him before the primary. That could have given his underdog campaign a needed boost to get past GOP establishment favorite Dino Rossi and take on Sen. Patty Murray in November.

But with just a few days before primary ballots are counted Aug. 17, a Palin visit isn’t looking likely.

Didier had been trying to get Palin to commit to an event Saturday.

But Didier campaign consultant Kathryn Serkes told me via e-mail today that event “looks like a no… we can’t wait any longer to plan, so will plan without her.”

In an interview Wednesday, Serkes attributed the difficulty to Palin’s hectic schedule. “She gave her word and she’s doing the best she can. We know that,” Serkes said.

Serkes said Palin did agree to record a personal message that Didier can use in statewide robo-calls to voters.

But as of Thursday afternoon, that hadn’t happened yet.

And that should be no surprise.  Sarah Palin’s belief in a strong national defense stands in strong contrast to Ron Paul’s isolationism.  Admittedly, Palin has endorsed Paul’s son in the Kentucky Senate race. But Rand Paul has “gone clean for Gene” and backed away from his father’s more controversial foreign policy viewpoints.  Didier, on the other hand, has drank deeply from the Paul Kool-Aid, even calling the war in Afghanistan illegal.

Where Does Didier Stand on Defense?

Nothing better illustrates the paradoxical dilemma of Washington Republican U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier than Sarah Palin’s speech at last Sunday’s Freedom Fest in Norfolk, VA:

Something has to be done urgently to stop the out of control Obama-Reid-Pelosi spending machine, and no government agency should be immune from budget scrutiny,” she said. “We must make sure, however, that we do nothing to undermine the effectiveness of our military. If we lose wars, if we lose the ability to deter adversaries, if we lose the ability to provide security for ourselves and for our allies, we risk losing all that makes America great! That is a price we cannot afford to pay.”

Palin has endorsed Dider, calling him a ”patriot.”  However, Didier also enjoys wide support from members of Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty (which cannot officially endorse any candidate.)  Didier even urges visitors to his campaign website to sign a declaration of support for the Campaign for Liberty.

The Campaign for Liberty states:

With our Founding Fathers, we also believe in a noninterventionist foreign policy. Inspired by the old Robert Taft wing of the Republican Party, we are convinced that the American people cannot remain free and prosperous with 700 military bases around the world, troops in 130 countries, and a steady diet of war propaganda. Our military overstretch is undermining our national defense and bankrupting our country.

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Rossi Announcement Could Come Next Week

According to a report by Jim Camden in the Spokesman Review, Dino Rossi (R) is inching closer to announcing his candidacy against the state’s senior U.S. Senator Patty Murray.

In addition to making sure his family is solidly behind him, speaking at a gathering of Republicans Friday night, Rossi also reportedly said he has to put together a strong campaign team.

“All the pieces have to fall into place,” [Rossi] said. “I’m certainly looking at it. You’re not in it until you raise your hand and say you are.”

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Palin-Mania Hits Richland, Washington

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin spent Thanksgiving with family in Washington State this year.  Today, she signed books at a Richland, Washington bookstore.  Among those waiting in line was potential U.S. Senate candidate, Clint Didier.  We’ve written about Didier here and here.

A line apparently began forming at 10:00AM on Saturday. Didier is a former NFL two-time Super Bowl champ.  Palin did a brief stint in sportscasting early in her career.

Here are some news links about Palin’s Washington State visit:

Eastern Washington Fans Line Up Early for Sarah Palin – Seattle Times

PALIN: Fans Camping out for Sunday book signing in Richland – Tri-City Herald

Palin spends Thanksgiving with family in Richland – Seattle Times