Photograph by Chris Miller/AP Photo

Alaska Republican Governor, Sarah Palin, center, greets 7-month old Nora Frame and her mother Ruth, right, of Pelican, Alaska, during the inaugural annual Christmas open house at the Governor’s Mansion, in Juneau, Alaska, in this 2007 file photo.

The Fourth of July may still be a couple of weeks away, but apparently it’s never too early to focus on Christmas — or, at the least, plumb it for political points.

Sarah Palin, kicking off Act Two of her Fox News career, touted for viewers yesterday her latest literary offering.

“Writing a book — a book about Christmas and pushing back on the politically correct who would like to take ‘Christ’ out of Christmas,” she said on “Fox & Friends” in giving an update on what she’s been up to since she vanished from the network’s airwaves in January.

In her inimitable (unless you’re Tina Fey) rhetorical style, she described her effort as “a kind of a legalese how to push back and protect the heart of Christmas.” She quickly made clear, though, that she’s not penning a tome: “At the same time, a very festive and happy and jolly book about tradition and recipes and fun things about Christmas.”

In terms of setting holiday policy, though, we can’t help but think that Palin has been one-upped by Rick Perry.

Like Palin — John McCain’s surprise running mate in the Arizona senator’s failed 2008 presidential bid — Perry’s national aspirations ended up for naught when his bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nod spectacularly flamed out (what were those 3 Cabinet departments he was going to eliminate?).

But unlike Palin, who after returning to Alaska decided to resign as governor well before her four-year term was ending, Perry kept his day job — the Texas governorship he’s now held since December 2000. And in that post, at a ceremony last week that included a gaggle of Santa Claus impersonators, he signed into law legislation dubbed the “Merry Christmas” bill.

As reported by the Associated Press, the measure “removes legal risks of saying `Merry Christmas’ in schools while also protecting traditional holiday symbols, such as a menorah or nativity scene, as long as more than one religion and a secular symbol are also reflected.”

Perry took note of the seasonal disconnect, saying, “I realize it’s only June. But it’s a good June and the holidays are coming early this year.”

He added: “It’s a shame that a bill like this one I’m signing today is even required, but I’m glad that we’re standing up for religious freedom in this state. Religious freedom does not mean freedom from religion.”

Can an interview with Palin on the ever-lurking Scrooge threat be far behind?

Original post is Palin, Perry Stand Firm Behind Christmas by Political Capital.

Photograph by Darren Hauck/Getty Images

Sen. John McCain and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin attend a campaign rally at Pima County Fairgrounds for his reelection on March 26, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona.

John McCain and Sarah Palin are operating on different pages these days.

Recent tweets from McCain:

.@SenJohnMcCain: We can’t just do nothing anymore http://t.co/WbB1pLiaZe #Syria

— The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) June 13, 2013

Our failure to act is unconscionable: “Syrian Forces Seen Stepping Up Air Attacks on Rebels” http://t.co/6tUKcNadBb

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) June 13, 2013

Good piece from @LibertyU‘s @JohnnieM: “#Syria is our problem” http://t.co/CrKriuHD9Q

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) June 17, 2013

Sarah Palin held forth on the issue Saturday in Washington at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference:

“We’re talking now more new interventions. I say, until we know what we’re doing, until we have a commander in chief who knows what he’s doing, well, chief, in these radical Islamic countries who aren’t even respecting basic human rights, where both sides are slaughtering each other as they scream over an arbitrary red line, ‘Allah Akbar,’ I say until we have someone who knows what they’re doing, I say, let Allah sort it out.”

And we could have sworn these two once offered themselves as a cohesive team ready to occupy the White House.

Original post is McCain vs. Palin on Syria: U.S. vs. Allah by Political Capital.

Photograph by Pete Marovich/Getty Images

Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska, waves at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) March 16, 2013 in National Harbor, Maryland.

As others already have noted about Sarah Palin’s departure from Fox News, the network said at the time: “We have thoroughly enjoyed our association with Governor Palin. We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

The future is here.

At Fox, which says: “Palin will appear on FOX News Channel’s (FNC) daytime and primetime programming, starting with FOX & Friends on Monday, June 17^th. She will also contribute to FOX Business Network (FBN).”

Chairman Roger Ailes explains: “I have great confidence in her and am pleased that she will once again add her commentary to our programming. I hope she continues to speak her mind.”

In tune with Rand Paul on the NSA spying, she is:

Clapper lied. Government spied. gu.com/p/3ggm5/tw

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) June 13, 2013

Palin already has served longer as a Fox News contributor than she did as governor of Alaska.

“From January 2010 to January 2013, she served as a contributor for FNC,” the network statement notes. “In 2010, Palin was named to Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list.”

She also ran for vice president. That’s down the resume.

Original post is Sarah Palin: Back to the Future by Political Capital.

Photograph by Stacy Bengs/AP Photo

Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann in Blaine, Minn.

Michele Bachmann says she is imposing term limits on herself.

“Eight is enough,” the saying of congressional term-limit proponents goes. And if it’s good enough for the president, the Minnesota Republican says in her campaign website video today announcing her retirement, it’s good enough for her.

“In my opinion, well, eight years is also long enough for an individual to serve as a representative for a specific congressional district,” Bachmann says in that eight-minute video.

This is the same Bachmann who already had raised $678,666 for her 2014 reelection during the first quarter of this year. Her campaign had $1.9 million in the bank as of March 31. She had started running a campaign TV ad in Minnesota’s Twin Cities with an $85,000 buy, touting her work against the president’s “Obamacare.”

The telegenic Republican who finished sixth in her party’s Iowa Republican Party presidential caucuses last year is among the House’s most prolific fundraisers. She also is politically endangered, winning reelection in November with just over 1,000 votes in a district that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney carried by 15 percentage points.

The key words here are: Endangered and telegenic.

Fox News needs a new Sarah Palin. And the former tax lawyer from Minnesota who co-founded the Tea Party Caucus in the House is the perfect replacement for the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee whose three-year contract with Fox was not renewed at the end of 2012. Bachmann is smarter, more articulate — and probably still has some political prospects left in her. Bowing out is better than losing.

This is the Republican whom Democrats love to hate — a factor that Bachmann profited from in her own campaign fundraising.  “Michele Bachmann’s Tea Party brand of extremism and obstruction have infected the entire Republican Congress, and her influence shows no signs of waning,” Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says of Bachmann’s retirement today. “This Republican Congress will continue to turn off Americans of all political stripes because they’re using the Bachmann playbook: put politics before solutions.”

It’s big money, that post-political television business.

Ask Palin. Ask Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who won in that Iowa party presidential caucus arena where Bachmann failed. Ask David Axelrod, the political strategist for President Barack Obama who parlayed the president’s second term into not only a political institute of his own in Chicago, but also a seat on MSNBC, the anti-Fox.

They may not get paid by the word, yet Palin cost Fox News Channel nearly $16 per word over the course of her three-year contract, the University of Minnesota has found. The self-style hockey mom uttered 189,221 words during 140 appearances under a contract that ended in January. That averages to $15.85 per word, according to the report from the university’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. That’s $3 million.

Palin’s star rose and fell at Fox. The No. 1-rated cable news channel built a studio in her home. Her contract had started in January 2010, when she was considered a potential 2012 presidential candidate. Yet Palin had not appeared on Fox News since mid-December. During the Republican National Convention, she wrote on her Facebook page that Fox had “cancelled all my scheduled interviews tonight.”

Bill Shine, executive Vice President at FOX, issued a statement saying: “We have thoroughly enjoyed our association with Governor Palin. We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

Failure in politics bears all kinds of fruit.

Actress Julianne Moore won the Screen Actors Guild award for her portrayal of Palin in the HBO film “Game Change” based on a book about the 2008 presidential campaign in which Republican John McCain ran with Palin.

Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist and musician, now hosts the Saturday evening show “Huckabee” on FOX News Channel.

He makes a reported $500,000 a year.

He toyed with running for president again last year, though in a November 2009 interview Huckabee said that if he ever decided against running for president, there was a big reason:

Fox News.

“The reason I wouldn’t is because this Fox gig I’ve got right now, Chris, is really, really wonderful,” Huckabee told Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace.

NBC News’s hiring of Axelrod, chief political strategist for both of Obama’s presidential elections, as a full-time political analyst for the news organization also is in keeping with a long tradition.

Fox hired Karl Rove, the architect of President George W. Bush’s two election campaigns. George Stephanopoulos, who advised President Bill Clinton , joined ABC News as a journalist and went on to host “Good Morning, America.”

If Minnesota’s loss is Fox’s gain, Bachmann could be back in the limelight, stronger than ever.

Original post is Bachmann Out-Foxing Democrats by Political Capital.

Photograph by Pete Marovich/Getty Images

Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska, holds up a large soda as she speaks about New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed large soda ban, at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) March 16, 2013 in National Harbor, Maryland.

Slurping from a Big Gulp and talking about her “rack,” Sarah Palin stormed onto the CPAC stage this afternoon amid roaring cheers that showed she remains hugely popular with the Republican base.

The former Alaska governor went after those trying to toughen gun regulations first, saying the White House is working to “take away the good guys’ freedom.”

On proposals for more background checks, she hinted at questions about Obama’s birthplace that some Republicans still harbor, despite the release of his Hawaiian birth certificate.

“Dandy idea, Mr. President — should’ve started with yours,” she said.

The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee said Obama has brought stress to Washington and the nation.

“Remember No Drama Obama? If only. Now it’s All Drama Obama,” she said. “We don’t have leadership coming out of Washington. We have reality television.”

Palin dismissed suggestions that her party needs to rebrand after 2012 election losses, although she did acknowledge that it’s no fun to finish second.

“Second position on the dogsled team is where the view never changes, and the view ain’t pretty,” she said. “We’re not here to rebrand a party. We’re here to rebuild a country.”

Palin charged that Obama has failed to offer the most transparent administration in history, saying: “Barack Obama, you lie.”

With Washington in gridlock, Palin said, “Never before have our challenges been so big and our leaders so small.”

A year ago at this gathering, Palin said the wish among conservatives was for “Barack to pack her up, bubble-wrap the Nobel, and the clubs, and the hi-tops, and head on back to Chicago.”

“The election came and went, but the campaign never stopped,” she said. “Mr. President, we admit it, you won. Accept it. Now, step away from teleprompter and do your job.” Palin was reading from a teleprompter herself.

Talking about Christmas gifts she had exchanged in December with her husband, Todd, she explained that he had gotten for a gun rack.

“He’s got the rifle,” she said. “I’ve got the rack.”

About then, she reached under the podium and took a long sip from a Big Gulp, mocking New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s efforts to regulate sugary beverages over 16 ounces as an effort to boost wellness. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent of Bloomberg News.

Palin also took a shot at Republican strategist Karl Rove, who has formed a political super committee with the goal of helping select Republican candidates who stand a better chance of winning general elections, a move that has angered elements of the Republican grassroots. She didn’t mention him by name, although did refer to the “architect,” a nickname President George W. Bush had for his strategist.

“If these expects keep losing elections, and keep getting rehired, raking in millions, if they feel that strongly about who gets to run in this party, then they should buck up, or stay in the truck,” she said.

Original post is Palin’s Big Gulp and ‘Rack’ Cheered by Political Capital.

Photograph by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Mitt Romney speaks next wit his sons during the regional Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on October 4, 2012 in Denver, Colorado.

Mitt Romney is finally ready to speak again — in public.

The American Conservative Union announced today that the 2012 Republican presidential nominee will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference in mid-March outside Washington, D.C.

“The thousands gathered at CPAC this year are eager to hear from the 2012 GOP presidential candidate at his first public appearance since the elections,” ACU Chairman Al Cardenas said in a statement. “We look forward to hearing Governor Romney’s comments on the current state of affairs in America and the world, and his perspective on the future of the conservative movement.”

In a statement from Romney provided by the group, the former Massachusetts governor said he was looking forward to “saying thank you to the many friends and supporters who were instrumental in helping my campaign.”

The conference will be an early stage test for potential 2016 presidential candidates and others looking to solidify their place among conservatives. Among the others scheduled to address the three-day gathering: Alaska’s Sarah Palin, Florida’s former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, Kentucky’s Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Paul Ryan, Romney’s running mate and chairman of the House Budget Committee.

Original post is Romney’s Return (To a Public Stage) by Political Capital.

Photograph by Peter Foley/Bloomberg

Former President Bill Clinton, right, introduces his wife Hillary Clinton, at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York.

As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton made $186,000 a year.

As a former secretary of state, senator from New York, first lady and generally a “Friend of Bill” involved in her husband’s foundation work, she will make more than $200,000 for a single speaking engagement.

So reports Rosie Gray, of Buzzfeed, citing a person familiar.

This places Clinton in the stratosphere of the speaking circuit, along with others who make more than $200,000 for a talk, including her husband, the former president of the United States, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California, action film star and champion body-builder.

Politico’s Playbook this week first reported Clinton’s admission to the club, noting that she also will “likely do some speeches for no fee for causes she champions, and expects to occasionally donate her fees for charitable purposes.”

By Buzzfeed’s count, that paid speaking circuit is worth $200,000 to $250,000 a pop for Schwarzenegger, $150,000 a talk for former President George W. Bush and $100,000 a year for his vice president, Dick Cheney. Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and Republican candidate for vice president in 2008, draws $75,000 to $100,000. Joe Scarborough, the MSNBC talk show host and former Republican congressman from Florida, pulls in $45,000.

Original post is Hillary Clinton’s $200,000-Plus Talking Points: Major League Speaker by Political Capital.

One question former Sen. Chuck Hagel hasn’t been asked during his confirmation hearings for defense secretary: Does he like chocolate?

Chris Edwards would like to know. His family’s Edward Marc Chocolatier shop in the Pentagon is the Department of Defense’s unofficial purveyor of sweets, and is filled by soldiers and military officials during lunch hour. This week, the most popular item at the Pentagon store is a heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

Politicos are natural chocoholics, he says.

“It’s all about the euphoria,” said Edwards, who joined the business after working in government. “Chocolate enhances chemicals in the brain.”

The former special assistant to President George W. Bush and deputy chief of staff to Sarah Palin during her 2008 campaign has clients on both sides of the aisle.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi gave out Edward Marc chocolate medallions at the Inaugural Luncheon last month. Under former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, chocolates imprinted with her signature and the department seal were a favor at official dinners.

Palin’s affection for the peanut butter meltaway is memorialized in her book “Going Rogue.” Republican strategist Karl Rove says the salted caramels are his favorite. They retail for $12 for a box of eight.

The company is based in Pittsburgh, where Edwards’s great-grandparents opened a soda fountain in 1914. Today it is known as the Milk Shake Factory. Edwards plans to open one in the nation’s capital next year.

Stephanie Green (@stephlgreen) writes for Bloomberg Muse (@BloombergMuse), the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News.

Original post is Political Chocoholics Visit Pentagon Shop for Valentine’s Day by Political Capital.

Photograph by Chris Keane/Bloomberg

Michelle Patry, left, and Bobbie Fallahee pose for photos in front former Alaska governor Sara Palin’s bus during a signing for Palin’s book “Going Rogue: An American Life,” in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Sarah Palin may be off Fox News, but she has a million bucks in the bank.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s political action committee finished 2012 with $1.2 million in the bank, newly released Federal Election Commission reports show.

Palin’s Sarah PAC raised $2.6 million last year and contributed $236,000 million to candidates.

Her endorsement of Sen. Deb Fischer helped her score an upset victory in the Nebraska Republican primary for U.S. Senate. Fischer was elected in November.

Palin was the 2008 Republican nominee for vice president, the first woman to run on a national Republican ticket. Fox News announced last week that she would no longer be a contributor to its cable channel.

Original post is Sarah Palin: Looking Like $1.2 Million by Political Capital.

Photograph by Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Representative Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat from Ohio, greets delegates at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 4, 2012.

To the losers go the TV deals:

This just in from The Plain Dealer and wires: Cleveland’s own Dennis Kucinich, the retired congressman and liberal firebrand, has a new assignment.

FOX News contributor.

Kucinich, 66, a former Cleveland mayor as well as congressman, will debut in his new role on ““The O’Reilly Factor” at 8 p.m. He’ll soon appear on a variety of other Fox programs as well, the Plain Dealer reports, sometimes once a week, sometimes more often.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Kucinich told his hometown paper in a telephone interview. “I’ve had a good relationship with Fox over the years. They’ve always been open to letting me express my point of view.”

He has signed a multi-year contract, but would not discuss the terms. As for the possibility of getting rich off TV, he said, “I never look at the world in those terms.”

The deal came together quickly, he says after Fox invited him to New York. “This was not negotiated by an agent.”

Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes says he’s always been impressed with Kucinich’s fearlessness and thoughtfulness on the issues, according to the Associated Press, which was first with the story. “His willingness to take a stand from his point of view makes him a valuable voice in our country’s debate,” Ailes said in a statement emailed to The Plain Dealer.

Kucinich’s erstwhile desire to impeach former Vice President Dick Cheney didn’t stand in the way of his TV career.

Redistricting stood in the way of his congressional future, however — he lost his Democratic primary to another member last year after the two were drawn into the same Cleveland-area boundaries. Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Toledo took over.

Then again, losing has never stood in the way of Fox contributors: Sarah Palin ran for vice president and lost. Mike Huckabee ran for president and lost.

Pat Buchanan reigned for a time on CNN and MSNBC after losing a couple of presidential campaigns — the butterfly ballot-vote in Palm Beach was not enough to carry him over the line.

And just as MSNBC needed some right-leaners, even FOX needs a House liberal.

And FOX, too, did sign Karl Rove up today for “four more years.”

(He was a winner in 2000 and 2004, though a loser in ’12.)

Original post is Kucinich to Fox: ‘Open’ to His Views by Political Capital.