"Take the money and DON'T run."

I just wonder how all the people who have contributed to Sarah Palin's political action committee feel now that they've been left at the altar.

She's no innocent in this. It's been obvious for months that she was not a viable candidate, despite her coy flirtations with the voters and the media. OK, as Jon Stewart points out, that could be just narcissism, wanting to be wanted and adored, competitive in grabbing the spotlight from others.

I would say, "Yes, that too." But it's basically about greed. Consider those who actually donated money to her campaign efforts. How do they feel about buying the ring and then being left at the altar?

Stewart exposes her: only two weeks ago she sent out a letter requesting contributions to her PAC. To quote from the letter:

"As you know, Governor Palin is on the verge of making her decision whether or not to run for office. Someone must save our nation from European socialism. Do you think it should be Governor Palin? If so, can you send your best one-time gift to SARAHPAC . . . and show her that we support her if she decides to run?"

Realize that this PAC is completely controlled by Sarah Palin. However, she has to file a report of how the money is spent. Granted that she made some contributions from the PAC to other candidates in local races. But she has also claimed such expenses as $25,000 for that bus trip that was widely proclaimed as just "a family vacation," touring America's historic spots -- all of which happened to be in the political hotspots of the moment. Some other payments charged to the PAC went to her parents ($3200) for "correspondence management and card mailing."

But Stewart says that's the rule for PACs, and:

"The only thing that would have been dishonorable or shady is if Palin had known all along what her decision was, yet continued to dangle indecision to her unsuspecting donors."

And then -- he delivers the coup de grace: a video clip from last June 28th of Bristol Palin spilling the beans on FoxNews when asked if she thought her mother had made a decision about running:

"You know, she definitely knows. We've talked about it before. But some things just need to stay in the family."

That was on June 28, 2011. The letter to donors went out in late September.

There you have it. Sarah Palin at her most devious and deceitful.

Take the money, and don't run.

Bah, humbug. Now we know what the Palin family value really is:

Greed.

Ralph