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July 8, 2009
The politics of self destruction
Posted: 12:31 PM ET
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Paul Begala says Gov. Sarah Palin was an impediment to the hard work Republicans need to do to rebuild the party.
Paul Begala says Gov. Sarah Palin was an impediment to the hard work Republicans need to do to rebuild the party.

Paul Begala
CNN Contributor

Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN political contributor, was a political consultant for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992 and was counselor to Clinton in the White House. He is an affiliated professor at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute.

I'm sure Republican strategists look at their bench and think of what Casey Stengel said of the 1962 Mets: "Can't anybody here play this game?"

David Vitter is on the D.C. Madam's call list. John Ensign confesses to an affair with a staffer. Mark Sanford cries for his soul mate in Argentina. And now Sarah Palin calls it quits.

The Republican Party was once a solid, serious, stable group of people. It was the party of Eisenhower, of Ford - and not too long ago, the party of Colin Powell. Now it's got more flakes than Post Toasties.

For all her whining about the ethics complaints brought against her, Sarah Palin is not the victim of the politics of personal destruction. She's the victim of the politics of self destruction.

Keep reading...

3 Comments
More about: 360° Radar •  Democrats •  Raw Politics •  Republicans •  Sarah Palin
3 Comments
Beverly   July 8th, 2009 1:29 pm ET

Totally agree with you – good article. I am sure Palin is probably a nice enough lady – but to put so much stock into her when you can't understand her when she tries to put more than two sentences together...it looks like the Repubicans will grasp at any straw to take back the WH. Haven't they done enough damage the past 8 years?? The country is still trying to clean up their mess.....

Annie Kate   July 8th, 2009 4:43 pm ET

Palin shows yet again that the only one she is out for is herself. Guess she wasn't getting enough press coverage lately and needed some so she quits her job – that ought to get her attention for a while. It also leaves her free to do speaking engagements around the country, a book tour once she finishes a book, and tries to position herself for a Presidential run. She ought to save her time, energy, and money. Her communication skills are so abysmal that you can't tell what she is saying, if anything. She needs to stay home in Alaska and wave at the Russians she can see from her back door.

Art   July 8th, 2009 4:50 pm ET

" It's got more flakes than post toasties". I like that!

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