TALKING POINTS MEMO, June 3, 2011--In what is somehow “not a publicity seeking tour,” Tea Party maven Sarah Palin is traipsing around the nation’s historic landmarks in her “One Nation” bus to “take Americans back to their roots.”
Yesterday, Palin’s federally assisted vacation-mobile ran over Mitt Romney’s presidential announcement and stopped in Boston, MA where she toured the sites along Freedom Trail. Seemingly moved by the historic importance of Boston, Palin decided to recognize the city’s own Paul Revere and his famous “Midnight Ride” in which he hung two lanterns and rode to Lexington to warn Patriot leaders that the British army was arriving “by sea.”
Palin, however, offered her own take on the revolutionary tale:
PALIN: He who warned, uh, the British that they weren’t going to be taking away our arms uh by ringing those bells and making sure as he’s riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be secure and we were going to be free and we were going to be armed.
As Mediaite’s Frances Martel notes, Palin’s version “wasn’t exactly the official History Channel rendition.” It’s hard to imagine why Revere would warn the British of anything, or why he’d do it with bells and gun shots.
Of course, a quick survey of those toying with the GOP presidential field reveals that basic American history is not their strong suit. Tim Pawlenty confused the Iraq war with an Iran war, Hermain Cain confused the Constitution with the Declaration of Independence, and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) confused Massachusetts with New Hampshire. Bachmann’s particular struggles even earned her a debate invitation with a 10th grader.
But all these candidates would pale in comparison to this figurehead of flubs if Palin pulls the trigger on a presidential run.
Posted By: Richard Kigel
Sunday, June 5th 2011 at 7:49PM
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