Palin Ebay Auction – The Plot Thickens… (Updated)
Every morning when I sit down before the glowing screen with my mug of high-octane liquid sunshine, I wonder what will be revealed. There’s never a dull day, really, and more often than not there’s at least one thing that really surprises me.
This morning it was an email from one of the bidders on the Sarah Palin dinner on Ebay! As you know, I’ve been following the bidding on this auction with a certain fascination. I just can’t stop watching. The identities of the bidders are cryptic disguised aliases containing multiple asterisks. Now we know who one of them is.
Ken Morris is a former Wall Street Executive turned novelist. (financial thrillers Man in the Middle and The Deadly Trade). His third novel, Evil Shall Break, is currently being shopped to New York publishers. He’s given me permission to reprint his post in full. Thanks, Mr. Morris. Good luck. We’ll be watching.
And sadly, Mudflatters, I did not make the “short list” of dinner guests Mr. Morris is contemplating bringing to the dinner, but I have offered to act as an alternate should any of the other four be unavailable that evening.
I’m trying to buy Sarah Palin. Actually, I’m trying to rent lovely Sarah and husband Todd for a few hours.
And, believe it or not, there’s nothing nefarious about this: I’m not a lobbyist for health care or big tobacco or any of a hundred other special interests that fill political coffers, expecting a political payback. No, this is 100% legit. The ex-governor of Alaska has put herself up for auction on Ebay with proceeds to benefit Ride 2 Recovery (an organization dedicated to the health and wellness of wounded soldiers). I’m bidding to purchase a “DINNER FOR FIVE WITH SARAH PALIN”. As the Ebay auction site says, “This is the chance of a lifetime…” The event is to be four hours maximum, I’ll provide my own transportation, and I’ll pay for dinner. Hey, I’m fine with that. I’ll even throw in a couple bottles of champagne. If Sarah or Todd like thrillers, I’ll give ‘em free copies of my first two. Signed. You betcha.
My bid was submitted Tuesday night. Within five minutes, I received a call from a super nice man representing Ride 2 Recovery asking if I was “for real”. I guess since the minimum bid is $25,000, there are, as he indicated, “…a lot of nuts out there.” While I’m sometimes kooky, I’m no nut. My bid is uber-sincere. Excuse me if I seem a little star-struck, but I find this tres cool (this is, after all, Sarah Palin, political super star, ergo I’m permitted to be struck, okay?).
At first, I was nervous about a required background check. Here’s where I thought it’d get a little interesting. Reason? For starters I voted for and contributed money to President Obama. However, that shouldn’t eliminate me as being unsuitable “based on her (Sarah’s) subjective standards of suitability, professionalism, background, and other factors.” If nothing else, however, I am 100% positive ex-Governor Palin would agree that political differences, especially as she has a son serving honorably in the service, shouldn’t be placed in the way of raising money for veterans.
In that spirit, I pledge that when we meet, I’ll be polite, respectful, professional, and as charming as an ordinary guy meeting an icon can be. If we get this done and Ms. Palin approves of my donation, I pledge here and now not to talk about her kids, Levi Johnson, Vanity Fair, The National Enquirer, or Katie Couric.
And, after all, when Governor Palin ran for national office, she was in line to become not just the Vice President of Republicans. She’d have been my Veep as well.
As it turns out, for whatever reasons, I was approved. My money’s up there on Ebay, competing away with four others for the Palin dining rights. Go figure.
The twenty-five thousand dollar question now becomes: why would I want to have dinner with Ms. Palin? For starters, this country needs sit-downs and face-to-faces with people straddling different fences.
More to the point, though, there are important issues I’d like to discuss with Ms. Palin, issues that trouble me deeply. She has, I suspect, insights into these matters that are worth plumbing and worth paying for (please all, let’s give her the benefit of the doubt); and though it may sound hyperbolic, my peace of mind is at stake.
There exists an emotional divide in this country that I’ve not experienced since I attended the University of California near the end of the Vietnam War. As a protester who took to the streets post the bombings of Cambodia and being tear-gassed on three occasions and nearly arrested twice, I was part of the schism that ripped apart our generation. While leaving scars that thickened the hearts of many from that era, the ending of the war allowed for a healing to begin. Painful, but now mostly a distant memory.
Today’s rancor, however, troubles me more profoundly. Why? Maybe it’s because I don’t see a catalyst—like the end to a tragic war—that will magically lead us to end this political divide. Politically biased “news” channels, over-heated rhetoric by bloggers, and (in my view at least) the demise of investigative mainstream journalism and the role of Watergate-like Fourth Estate, are here to stay. This period has more the odor of the Civil Rights debate that ripped apart the South during the administrations of President Kennedy and Johnson. A rift that has never been bridged.
How, I’ll ask Ms. Palin, can we work together (“we” meaning not just her and me, but all people on both sides of the political fence) to begin to fix this? I’ll ask her a few questions that might seem harsh, but aren’t intended to offend—after all, we must be honest, no? Do your regret saying several hundred times that our president “…palled around with terrorists…”? Do you really believe that providing health insurance to all Americans is socialism or fascism or Nazism or that there are truly ‘death squads’ in these proposals? I’ll likely feel compelled to suggest that she doesn’t, in her heart of hearts, actually believe any of these things (if she does, then this will give her a chance to educate and win me over). In any event, doesn’t she think we should all tone down the rhetoric? Angry mobs and gun-toting advocates can’t be in anyone’s best interests.
I’d also suggest that she ix-nay the Glenn Beck recommendations: after all, the man called our president a “racist”. Surely that’s not a healing kind of thing to say; not to mention that for a half-white man raised by a white mother and grandmother, being labeled racist sounds on face absurd.
As Ms. Palin is a born-again Christian, maybe we’d begin dinner by reading Colossians 3:13:
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Amen to that.
Now, all I have to do is figure out who to invite (the short list: Olbermann, Maddow, Shannyn Moore, and, of course, Bree Palin). Oh, and I wonder if the Palins like Mexican. Solving the political divide over nachos?
As it says on the auction page: Value: Priceless.
www.financialthrillers.com
Author: Man in the Middle (Best Mystery of 2003)
Author: The Deadly Trade (“Too good to miss!” Minneapolis Star Tribune)
“Nobody ever put down a Ken Morris Thriller” Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money.
UPDATE! – We’ve got a new bidder in the mix, folks! Meet “t***w” who has knocked f***l out of the number one spot with a bid of $42,800! Three rapid-fire bids within an hour and a half…
UPDATE 2 – Wow. We’ve got a bidding war, folks! A brand new Ebayer with a zero rating popped in out of nowhere, but was quickly outbid. And our friend e***r of the un-round numbers is back with a bid of $52,006.66. Hmmm.
But it looks like the real drama is between c***i and f***l. It’s a battle to the death with a pricetag of over $50,000! That’s some spendy Taco Bell, my friends. f***l has been in this from the beginning. Many tried to knock him off the high bid, and failed, but now it’s finally been done. c***i is King of the Ebay Hill with a bid of $53,500. Yowza.
That’s great! I hope he wins.
I love this guy!!! I have to go to Amazon and look for his books.
But–I think he may well have just ruined his chances in the auction.I would expect him to be shown the door after this email!!
I hope not,I would look forward to his retelling of the dinner!
mommom
Cute
But will she show?????? He is an intelligent human… she will be lost at the prayer!!!!
Good luck bidding. I sure hope his guests gets to go
That way, if Palin doesn’t show up, you’ll still have great conversation. Can you just imagine SP sitting down with KO, RM, our Alaska friend and Bree???
Priceless. Yes, for sure.
Wow.
He’ll never pass Palin’s muster now!
LOL akafishergirl! Totally lost. She’ll wear her wink out!
Can’t this guy find better things to do with his money?
Wasn’t he already approved? It would be fun to see them try to un-approve him and hear the reasons why. They really shouldn’t be angering people who actually can write…
Mexican will work if it is Crunch Wrap Supreme.
I fear he is overly optimistic where conversation with Sarah Palin is concerned.
Even though there are 25 bids right now, there are only 6 bidders.
WOW How cool is this guy..Me thinks he’s tooo smart for $carah..
She might actually have to make some sense…
Yep..definitely have to agree he blew his chance with that email.
Pvazwindy…the money is going to a good cause, not in Palin’s pocket.
Pretty darn cool! I don’t think his guest list will be approved if he wins though. Wasn’t approval of the guests another one of the rules? And no refund if she bails also too….?
i’d like a seat at the next table wearing one of those sound boosting thingies in my ear or i’d like to be the klutz bearing the soup tureen. heehee..bubs
This is great. I am surprised that he was approved, but isn’t there something in that fine print that Sarah can disapprove anyone for whatever reason, even if they are in the bidding and win?
I love his guest list. Except I would hope that he’d take you, AKM, instead of Bree Palin (is that Bristol?).
I think, though, that by revealing himself, he has now knocked himself out of the auction. I don’t think Sarah wants to even think about answering any of those questions. It probably gives her heartburn just to think about it.
Sounds to me like she’s fishin’ for another sugar daddy. This guy won’t cut it because he actually thinks. She needs a rich idiot with more money than brains, that will worship all the nonsense she can spew
So he reads Bree Palin? What a hoot. Yeah, gotta go look for his books…
No possibility he will win this dinner now. He should have picked less controversial dinner partners…Rev. Hagee, Rev. Muthee, John Ziegler, and then maybe sneak Geoffrey Dunn in under an assumed name…
Now THAT would be a priceless meal!
Hmmm. Maybe should have waited to post this AFTER the fact.
I am sure she has someone out there reading all these TERRIBLE blogs and now knows she will reject this guy because he ‘pals’ around with bloggers.
Not to mention his possible guest list.
No way do I see this guy actually getting to have a conversation with her. First time he asked a question she would be up and out the door. Those darn ‘gotcha’ questions will do it every time.
But nice to know who and why
I have never heard of this author before , but I am now intrigued to find out a little more about him.
“This morning it was an email from one of the bidders on the Sarah Palin dinner on Ebay!”
Congrats to YOU…. AKM !! How did he get to know you…. and the fact that you were following the story..? Big hand clap! { AKM has ‘ sources ‘ }
Is this sort of a bloggers coup that you got the story…? He obviously trusts You. That says a lot as well.
I am really ‘ curious ‘ now. Who ‘ else ‘ is on your email list…?
*******
Maybe you could ask Ken Morris ( if he is willing ) to write something for your blog as a ‘ guest post ‘ in the future…? You said you would be doing more of that. Could be interesting.
Something about His experiences on Wall Street…. maybe?
“The wheels are in motion,” as they said on that episode of Seinfeld.
AKM
What a hoot you are Ken Morris. Sadly, now that you’ve visited the flats I would be surprised if you will be the “chosen one”. “No cheese burger for you” as John Belushi would say.
bubbles, you are a baaad girl…:)
Anyone with his attitude is definitely worth investigating as an author. “Investigating” as in his books have got to be good.
Who is Bree Palin?
15 swe123 Says:
September 17th, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Yep..definitely have to agree he blew his chance with that email.
Pvazwindy…the money is going to a good cause, not in Palin’s pocket.
********************************************************************************
I know it’s for a good cause. Why not donate directly, to “Ride To Recovery.” Why let her drive the discussion. Has anyone told her that there’s another meaning to “Red State.” And here she thought she was going to Nebraska.
Bree Palin is another blogger. Sarah would not like her!
what is ‘high-octane liquid sunshine’??
[if you care to tell...]
I agree with pvazwindy, donate directly. I don’t mean to be snarky , but with all the talk about straddling “fences” why would he think he could have a meaningful discussion with a fence post? There are certainly many more well informed, intelligent people on the other side of the fence to have that discussion with and it would certainly not cost $40,000. Donate the $40 grand + transportation to the charity of your choice would be my suggestion. But to each his own.
He may have been approved as a bidder, but if he wins, she will un-approve him.
and what is in Alabama?
I bet there is no restaurant with even one Michelin star.
I am somewhat perplexed by Palin’s insecure need for total subjective veto power over any bidder. (I guess I’m not surprised, however.)
Why should she care if a winning bidder is a screaming liberal if the objective is to raise money for injured veterans? I would think that she should be delighted to be able to fleece a rich liberal if the cause is a good one. If Olbermann was willing to chip in $500,000 for the cause, is she really so petty that she would deny our wounded service men and women the most money she could possibly raise?
I know, it’s a silly question with an obvious answer: of course she is that petty.
How did he place his bid and then get a phone call and then an approval? Didn’t we watch KO try to bid and found out there was a pre-approval process?
Well written, though, and an amusing concept.
Lilybart, there are Taco Bells everywhere aren’t there? lol
Lilybart,
“I bet there is no restaurant with even one Michelin star.”
But I’ll bet there is more than one restaurant in Alambama with multiple Michelin tires scattered about.
Yeehaw!
Oops! My m’s ran away from me.
Oh I hope he wins! But I too believe he may have jeopardized his ‘suitability’ by posting here.
But his email to you is ‘priceless’. I think we would all like to ask Ms. Palin those questions.
Please, do explain Ms. Palin how misrepresenting issues or allowing hate to fester helps anyone or brings us together as a country to solve problems?
I very much like Ken Morris and I thank him for sharing the letter. I applaud his “let’s build bridges TO somewhere” outlook. This is has been something I’ve been consumed with lately. How do we get past the madness.
However, when it comes to Palin, I’m afraid there is not hope for good discourse. You can easily see by watching the campaign videos that she truly believes that Obama is some sort of evil and she is quite willing to whip the throngs into death chants.
That said, I hope Ken Norris really does get this dinner because it would be absolutely fascinating. Unfortunately , I think that tricky little clause says something about not being able to divulge any info about the dinner, after the fact. Can’t recall exactly but there’s something to that effect.
We hope you’ll come by the Mudflats community in the future Ken Norris! Good Luck with the auction !!!
And if she really wanted to raise money she would have let KO -maybe even Bill Maher, bid. But she’s never about anyone other than herself.
Anyone have a link to the Bree Palin blog?
mommom @2 – I was just about to post the same thing as you – once she gets wind of where the conversation was to go, she’ll eliminate him asap.
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she has someone handy for outbidding anyone she doesn’t want. It happens frequently for little items on e-bay, I can’t believe she wouldn’t have some sort of *insurance*.
( why did I just refer to Ken Norris by both first AND last name three times in one post? And why did I just do it again?!?!?)
What if that’s like saying “Beetle Juice” ? Will I suddenly have Ken Norris in my living room ?
(that might be rather pleasant, actually. )
31 Lilybart Says:
September 17th, 2009 at 11:20 AM
He may have been approved as a bidder, but if he wins, she will un-approve him.
and what is in Alabama?
I bet there is no restaurant with even one Michelin star.
*******
I think $arah thought Al was the abbreviation for Alaska when she was writin’ up the itinerary for this fiasco. She’s probably googling Alabama as we speak so she can figure out where it is
jc in co @30 – He’s an author and they are always looking for good material. Right now, Palin SELLS, so if he was the lucky one to have dinner with her, he’d find a legal one around all her provisos and write a book. He’d have to term it as fiction and change the names, but with all of the publicity he’d garner from the dinner, the book would be widely anticipated.
39 Paula Says:
September 17th, 2009 at 11:32 AM
And if she really wanted to raise money she would have let KO -maybe even Bill Maher, bid. But she’s never about anyone other than herself.
Anyone have a link to the Bree Palin blog?
********
Bree Palin
http://tinyurl.com/nohhjb
I’ll bet Rupert is controlling the bids & in the final minutes a nonthreatening wingnut will be the proud winner of a dinner with Quitty.
{{{{boodog}}}} yep. i am pretty baaad sometimes…bubs
Perhaps SP will become a character in his next book.
Amen to Ken Norris. I was at the University of Kansas during the Vietnam War: the arson burning of the Union, curfew, tanks patrolling Jayhawk Blvd, spring finals canceled to get everyone home and cool the emotions. This may be worse, as there is no single defining cause: fear of change, fear of minorities, scapegoating, power grabs– the dregs of humanity.
If he wins the dinner, I hope someone who can translate word salad into plain English is a dinner guest.
And here I thought the only reason anyone would want to have dinner with Palin was to flash her, or poison her, or what ever else weird minds can come up with, hence all the scrutiny.
Even some crackpots have money.
In the end, Rupert will make sure that Michelle Bachmann receives the winning bid. What a photo/press op THAT would be.
They could cancel dinner for their fasting, then “slit their wrists” and become blood sisters. After trying to out pray each other of course.
Maybe a wealthy soul with a sense of humor will win and bring Levi and Dr. Phil along…………
phoebe #45, I think you are right.
If Mr. Morris wins, he should ask the old ex-governor how she could put food on her table or crank up the heat knowing folks in the rural communities were having problems feeding and providing for their families. Why did it take so long for her to acknowledge their needs?
Didn’t she fail to sign something that hurt Alaskan veterans regarding their benefits, or something like that?
If he wins the dinner, I hope someone who can translate word salad into plain English is a dinner guest.
******
Isn’t Todd supposed to be there? He’s much more succinct with her fabrications. He managed to turn the wild ride into simply “can’t have a fish picker born in Texas”
I think what he’s doing great and I certainly hope he succeeds, but I have to agree with the other posters that he just blew his chances by revealing his intentions and potential guest list. This auction is to make $P look good, to show that she’s in demand and still viable, there’s no way she’ll sit down with anyone who isn’t an ardent supporter.
Whoever Palin is listening to, they clearly don’t think she can get back out there yet without blowing it. They’re trying to create an illusion of credibility, without ever showing the media or the rest of us how she actually performs at these functions. The also seem to think that no one notices that she’s being sheltered from criticism. Which makes me think that whoever is behind her is just trying to keep people interested in her long enough to sell her book and keep her profitable. I don’t know how anyone can believe that giving speeches blocked to the media is any way to pad one’s political resume’.
Hey, maybe Ken Morris could ghost write Quitty’s book. He seems to have a good command of the English language….unlike some people we know.
Did Mr. Morris use the word “plumbing”??
Why, yes he did… which leads to this question: will one his invited guests be Joe the unplumber?
Jim Cramer… now there’s someone Mr. Morris ought to include in his dinner entourage.
I applaud his intentions but…… does he seriously think he can change Palin’s mind or even get through to her little brain?
I can just hear her droning on and on, word salad with dinner and desert.
hawk@ 50, You are so correct. A man of few words, but those few are colourful.
Good luck to our author friend. You’ll have to come up with some new questions, of course, as there will be talking points prepared for those you have now shared here.
#51 MI Annie
Isn’t that what the McCain people tried to do after she was “tapped” for VP. Beware if this is the plan, she gets a little squirrely after being held in captivity for too long.
Sounds like a big scam to me,She can back out at any time for any reason and there are no refunds.Want to bet no dinner at all hence the no leaks about the dinner.
hawk- thanks for the link.
LOL No show quittypants won’t even attend. Poor bidders. The whole thing is probably just a PR scam anyway. That sounds much more like Palin thatn following through for the benefit of anyone.
Oh man…
Hey, what ever ittakes for more $$$$ into the cause…
However, I’m putting my money into rural Alaska causes.
I find it interesting that there are so few bidders considering the LOUD and VACUOUS foaming at the mouth blind followers that profess to adore her!
You would think the list of bidders would be at least in the hundreds…you know, also too….
Kudos to Mr. Morris. He is spot on. I only wish more Americans were like him, willing to sit down and TALK to and LISTEN to other Americans he disagrees with, searching for common ground.
What good is freedom if we do not do this? I share his despair at how divided this country has become. The internet is a wonderful thing and no one should be muzzled, but it hardly holds a candle to the commonality we all share in this country, which is rapidly being depleted by humans more interesting in expressing hate than information or opinions (sorry, both sides roundly guilty, here).
Blessed Be The Ties That Bind, Mr. Morris. Good luck on your bidding. It’s a good cause, come what may.
Wait until the auction is over to bemoan so few bidders. There will probably be a number of snipers who are not going to bid until the last few seconds.
Palin would never go through with it. During the campaign, she wouldn’t even stand on stage with Republicans who had different beliefs than her own.
She is a narrow-minded ignoramus who actually thinks she is qualified to be in the White House. Palin would never open her little pea brain to the possibility that there are other viewpoints in the world.
Well, she believes her views are from God, everyone else’s views are from Satan.
Here is the thing. The winner will have to sign a confidentiality clause, so Palin could be late, not show, ignore the winner, be a jerk…..whatever…and they wouldn’t be able to talk about it.
What if somebody paid 40K to win the dinner, and Palin left after a few minutes or arrived late or was a total B****. Does the winner have any guarantees in this deal, or only Palin? Can you imagine paying all that money and not being able to dish about her (potential) bad behavior?
Latest bid
t***t( 0 ) New eBay Member (less than 30 days) US $45,800.00
Sep-17-09 14:43:15 PDT
I’m hoping it is not our good friend , Ken Morris. The initials seem to point to a *tweet.*
Misfit and Gasman, thanks for the laughs!
This author seems to be hawking his new book (and himself as a writer in general) by jumping on this publicity stunt.
The charity will no doubt be happy with the money and the exposure but it’s cynical business when the goals of this auction are so overshadowed by the goals of the donors (bidders.)
#14, the guy went to Cal, where people are pretty smart.
#48, if you get your wish, my wish is that they slit their wrists lenghthwise.
BTW – Thank you Mr. Morris for giving AKM permission to post this. I read the item description etc. and I do fear you have already blown your chances. Alas, I do not think Ms. Palin will find your motive to be pure and besides you aren’t allowed to even use her name without her written permission.
From my interpretation Palin would be able to leave within minutes without violating her end of the deal and the winner wouldn’t be able to write (or speak!) about it without getting sued!
Irishgirl–eBay automatically assigns anonymous IDs to bidders under the new system that bear no resemblance to a bidder’s username. So, there’s no way to tell who the person is.
I don’t want to be a party-p**per (I’m afraid of the Moderation People), but isn’t it Sarah who gets to bring the three additional guests? Early comments bet that she would need a spokesperson, a lawyer, and the third was the wild card.
Also, I am betting that the calls are going out to Rupert’s good friends to up the bidding so Sarah isn’t stuck with a liberal writer. Please, oh please, some old guy who drools, wears a tie with elephants and a flag pin, someone from a really red state, oh please.
#67 Lee 323, my thoughts exactly. Something doesn’t feel right about this guy…
mae – if you click the update ‘new bidder’ link in AKM’s post it will take you to the current bidding. To the right of that click on ‘see item description’ and you can read all the details. I believe Palin can bring 3 guests along with Todd and the winner can bring 4 of their own guests (o:
lee323****uh huh, uh huh. the whole thing smells bad. palin+dinner+charity=nada
Why did I keep on getting a vision of the winning bidder(s) as a group of “true believers” who just want to bask in the mere presence of Palin, whilst wearing their handmade “God Loves Sarah Palin ….. and So Do I!” tee-shirts (complete with the big-eyed kittens and crosses sewn onto the front). They will come to the dinner bearing gifts of hand-knit comforters (for the Palin babies) and then perhaps break into tears at the very idea that they are sitting in the presence of Greatness. AARRGGGHH …
I notice there’s no guarantee on the auction site that she will even SHOW UP. Suppose she accidentally forgets about it, or has to stay home to babysit her two grandsons?
Besides, anyone bidding on this and hoping to have any kind of a conversation more than an inch deep with this woman (about anything of consequence) is deluding themselves. Just ask Katie Couric!
This whole dinner thing has me puzzled. If quitty wanted to make money for a good cause, why wouldn’t she just put up a “donate button” on one of her fan sites or contribute from her PAC fund or Fund Trust? (Not sure if it would be legal from the PAC or Fund Trust, but certainly she could have done this in a more sincere and giving way). Why try to sell herself? I really don’t get it.
I can’t imagine sharing a meal with the likes of her.
akm — avocado and a mouse? sounds like smear tactics to me.
@ Pheobe 57, I posted in the open thread that I had read that she will not be attending the Values Voters, most wannabe conservative presidential noms have to go to get the christian rights backing, ie Dobson, FOTF, and others, which makes me wonder if it’s 2016 we need to be worried about not 2012.
She’ll get squirrely in hiding alright, I’m also willing to bet she’ll “go rogue” again if her “hard work” doesn’t pay off and gain her popularity with the mainstream.
f***l is back – over 50,000 now.
Thanks, Michigander. So it’s going to be Sarah, Todd, the lawyer, the spokesperson, our bidder and four more. The poor bidder has to pay to travel to Alabama and dinner for nine! What a great idea! (Emily Post wouldn’t approve of an odd number at the table; I think that she liked it to be even).
I decided to Google “Best Alabama Restaurants” and I have already made my choice. It’s the Blue Monkey Lounge in Birmingham for 2 reasons. One review said, “If you want to be a poser, this is the place for you.” And, Sarah can wear her Naughty Monkey shoes to dinner. Do you think Naughty Monkey makes Blue Shoes, Blue Suede Shoes???
Alabama? Hmmm. Wonder if someone made that all too common mistake of typing in AL thinking they’d get Alaska. I can’t see her traveling to Alabama for dinner… AKM
Apologies to Emily Post, I did a recount. Sarah, Todd + 3 of Sarah’s friends, bidder & 4 of his/her friends = 10. It’s OK. But, Sarah has to bring 3 friends to the table, any more or less are going to upset the delicate balance. So, the poor bidder has to pay for dinner for 10 people! And I bet that the Palins order the expensive Champagne, too.
There once was hoped-to-be winner
Who bid high on Palin’s donated dinner;
He made plans to go,
But SP’s a no-show;
Now his wallet’s the one who is thinner.
Doesn’t she get to approve the guests too?
I have a feeling she’ll never let Olberman, Maddow or Moore near her. Not even for dinner.
I’m also pretty sure she’ll never show up.
Great ditty, CO!
#35-36 Gasman: Typing is irrelevant when you have a true vision.
But don’t you think Goodyear is more likely?
I hope those bidders aren’t expecting much. I had dinner with Sarah Palin… she’s boring. Course, this was before the VP escapade.
What I dont get is why they keep bidding now? Anyway who has done much buying on Ebay knows to wait until the last minute to get the best deal,there is zero advantage to being the high bidder until the last second,it just drives up the price.
Call me clueless, but I don’t get it.
Min starting bid $25,000, now the bidding is only up to $50,000. So, after starting at $25,000 big ones, bidders can now bid piddly amounts, say like $5.00?
One other thing, what is this group Palin is supposedly rasing money for? Never heard of it. I donate to many groups supporting both active duty and retired veterans and never heard of these people.
Rachel Maddow just mentioned the 2009 Value Voters Summit in DC this weekend. Interestingly, when I went to the website and clicked on the details of the sessions, I found that Sarah Palin’s name with a little “*” after it was listed as one of the afternoon speakers on Friday Sept.18. Has anyone heard of her attending this summit? Her buddy Rick Perry will be there and also Michelle Bachman and Carrie Prejean.
I am wondering if the asterick simply means that she reserves the right to not show up.
I beg forgiveness if my comment is posted in the wrong topic.
Any clue why Alabama has been chosen as the location for the dinner? That just seems too weird to me……..
You can blame me, BooBooBear, for passing on an unsubstantiated rumor. Early on when people were discussing this dinner somewhere in the vast internet, they reported that the dinner had moved to Alabama. I agree with AKM (see note following entry #83), easy to get AK and AL mixed up. Or else, Sarah knows a great place in Alabama, and she’s been looking for a good excuse to go there.
Who does get to pick the dinner location, bidder or Sarah? Can’t you imagine the look on the winner’s face when Sarah rejects the restaurant saying, “Sorry, that food is too spicy for me.”
stragelet @ 88,
The Michelin tires are in only the finest of Alabama restaurants. Only the ones that marinate and grill their ‘possum.
OK, this is night to apologize. The dinner really is in Alabama! I went back to the Ebay listing and clicked on the magic word “revised.” Yup, that’s where they are moving it, Alabama.
There is this other little problem with the Ebay listing, Dinner for Five with Sarah Palin. Now, if I start doing the math, they still say that Todd is coming although we have heard rumors to the effect that he may not. Sarah and Todd are 2. Bidder is allowed 4 guests=5. That adds up to 7, not 5. Then, we were also giving the information that Sarah could bring several guests of her own, and we all weighed in guessing lawyer, spokesman, and who else? Anyone spending that much money ought to know what they are really in for- are they paying for dinner for 5? What if Sarah brings the whole family? Well, if they can bid $53,000. they can afford to pay for everyone’s dinner, even at the Blue Monkey Lounge.
Do they have to pay if she doesn´t turn up? I´d only pay 50% and the rest on delivery.
And Alabama? Well, maybe they know who is going to win the bid and that person is in Alabama? Wild guess, but the wildest things seem to be happening…..
there seems to be a bit of confusing regarding the ebay auction and the revisions, the dinner is not in alabama. The auction was created on the 8th and the description had alabama in it for some reason (?) but was then subsequently removed by the next day.
The location of the dinner will have to be agreed upon by both parties but most likely will take place alaska, btw a note was posted on sarah palin’s facebook about it the dinner (just a reminder).
hope this clears up the confusion.
sarah palin will also not be attending the voters values summit, washington times has quoted her spokesperson saying that the palins will be welcoming their son Track home from Iraq this weekend.
I just went to the Value Voters page, as someone on this post had mentioned it. What I found in their subjects for the event was really, really, scary – especally the one about the President’s science advisor supporting abortions to support the planet and global warming being an unbiblical view of God!!! Example below: What utter balderdash.
GLOBAL WARMING HYSTERIA: THE NEW FACE OF THE “PRO-DEATH” AGENDA – CABINET ROOM
Dr. Calvin Beisner, National Spokesman, Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation
•Why did the President’s science advisor support coerced abortions to protect the planet?
•Why are top abortion funders underwriting efforts to co-opt evangelicals on global warming?
•If “people are the problem,” what’s the final solution?
Cap and trade is about more than saving the planet. It’s the biggest tax hike in American history. It threatens to concentrate massive amounts of power into the hands of central government and international bureaucrats. And its ascendancy marks the rise of a new, more subtle challenge to the culture of life.
Ultimately, climate change hysteria rests on an unbiblical view of God, mankind, and the environment. Come and hear how the Cornwall Alliance is pushing back–producing ground-breaking studies on Biblical environmentalism, educating pastors and churches across the country, and activating thousands of Christians to rally against the hype through the WeGetIt.org Campaign. Learn why policies to fight alleged man-made global warming will instead cause hundreds of millions of premature deaths throughout this century, and how human liberty, responsibility, and flourishing are the key to a healthier environment.
The bidding is up to $53.706.66 as of 7AM EST but if you read carefully you will find that the dinner bill is paid for by the SELLER. That means our author friend or who ever wins will not have to pay for all the Taco Bell.
c***i is high bidder at $54,407 last I checked, t***t was in in there too. My past experiance with ebay has been the numbers will skyrocket toward the end. And of course there are always the snipers. I’m guessing that it’s preplanned for Palin’s (Murdoch’s?) choice to snipe at the last minute. I had sniping down to a science back in the day (o:
Oh, I stand corrected. The proceeds are going towards veterans. Sorry! I just figured this was another fundraising thing for SarahPAC =D
Good luck Ken Morris! Oh to be a fly at dinner with Sarah, Todd, Ken Morris and Rachel Maddow!
In a perfect world, some movie studio would covertly bid and hire somebody to pose as a bidder for the background check, win the auction, plant bugs, cameras and other equipment used at the CIA and have a relaxed, off the cuff, wonderful evening with Sarah. Fuel her ego, agree with her, tell her she was AMAZING during the campaign, right on with that terrorist pal stuff, deserved to be at the top of the ticket, smart about being a good basketball player and passing the ball (must research that nut bag line again, so you could quote it correctly)….get her all cringe worthy confident, smug enough to start poking her tongue on the side of her cheek as she does so well and then just as the meal is over, lower the boom, “Sarah, tonight’s dessert is Humble Pie. Your security dudes are outside the door getting drunk on tequila shots that I happily provided and now it’s just us. You, me, Turd, er, Todd….and we need to talk.”
Tell her she’s now a real movie star. In her OWN words.
Edit the movie, give it an appropriate title…
Indigestion: Dinner With A Dingbat
And once again, let her own words take that dipstick down.
I can’t stand that woman.
Obamanos!
Obamanos, I like the way you think!
It’s at $60,000 now. Nice idea Obamanos but if you read the description, contract etc. – it ain’t gonna happen )o:
The description of her “appeal” on the ebay listing is a little thin. It says briefly that Barbara Walters annointed her “one of the most fascinating people of 2008″ — and then, oddly, a whole paragraph about Track:
“Her oldest son Track enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 11, 2007, and was subsequently assigned to an infantry brigade. He and his unit deployed to Iraq in September 2008 for 12 months.” Wha???
Then the covenants and restrictions bit… So, $60,000 so far for a has-been celebrity (who, guess what, is not the only Army mom in the US!) — whose son is probably home now and would like to come to dinner too…
“Wanna see my tats?”
Well it looks like Mr. Morris knocked himself right out of the bidding. After Palin reads this blog post, and we all know she will, she’ll interpret his curiosity and openness as a threat to her. She can’t take any kind of constructive criticism and that’s the way she’ll understand it.
Too bad. He sounds like an open minded, thoughtful guy. He also sounds like he’d be fun to have dinner with.
But he voted for “the enemy”.
And that’s all she wrote, folks!
Doesn’t Scarah have a disclaimer that she can cancel at the last minute for no reason at all?
I would also like to bid on a dinner with Mr. Morris! He should sign himself up for a similar auction (whether or not he wins, but especially if he wins). He could find a similar charity benefiting Vets. . .perhaps one that is literary/books based. I’d sure bid on it!
We have a great volunteer project in my state that contributes to the media and library resources of the local veteran’s hospital. Something like that.
I suspect there are many more Americans similar to Morris, who care enough about our country to listen to and talk with those we disagree with. Who exercise our freedom in the way it was intended. We just need to make the effort to make our voices heard.
It doesn’t mean that those inhabiting the nether regions of political discourse should change their stance one whit. Just that it is time for more moderate Americans, from the Left and the Right, to speak up, ADD their voices and contribute to the ‘grey area’ — embrace the contradictions and the facts that cannot be entirely pigeonholed — in a thoughtful manner. So many seem to prefer the safety and simplicity of the partisan stance. . .but there is so much more to American life than simple partisanship can ever provide us.
Well, f***l won $63,500….now we can sit around and speculate who’s the f***l (o:
Does F***l stand for foool??
f***l = the “winner” is Cathy Maples of Huntsville, Ala., who said: “I’m a big advocate for Sarah Palin. I think she has a lot of morals, and I would love to see her as president of our country.”
A real “winner.”
http://www.adn.com/palin/story/940362.html?commentSort=RecommendationsDescending&pageNum=1#Comments_Container
Ok – does anyone find it weird that this Cathy Maples that won the dinner LIVES in Alabama??? And is a defense contractor ??????
DIdn’t the dinner location get changed a few days ago from Alaska to Alabama?? And is it at all odd that this woman also met Palin twice recently ??
Something is smelling slayed salmon fishy. ( not that we didn’t expect that it was going to be rigged but c’mon – cover it better wouldya? She just HAPPENS to live in Alabama??)
( Do I have the AL thing correct? I almost hope I’m wrong!)
I agree, buffgal! Something just doesn’t sit right on this.
I also too would have thought it would be some kind of “famous” person winning… for a “regular” person to throw that kind of cash around for a less than four hour meal with SP just seems odd.
“Famous” folks wouldn’t consider it more than mere petty cash. A “Regular Working Stiff” would have to re-mortgage the house.
Is this tax deductible since the Road 2 Recovery folks are involved?
Samper – I thought I saw something about tax deductions on one of the threads but it’s all a blur now.
I had a feeling that a regular ol’ American would win but thought perhaps the money would be paid by deep pocket handlers. But c’mon – they expect us to believe this one ??? Someone messed up by changing the location from AK to AL. There is no way that’s a coincidence.
And a defense contractor, of all things! Total setup.
Someone should complain to eBay! Other people were bidding in good faith and this is rigged. Changing the location to Alabama right before it started? Give me a break. It’s a fraud!
BGal and others – If you click on ‘revisions’ after going to the description it says “state/province changed from __ to Alabama” Sept. 8 /Sept 9 so it was revised quite a while back.
BGal you are not crazy – originally it said “AL” in the description and there was confusion (and laughter) that they meant “AK”. What I find odd is now I can’t find Alabama in the description but oh well!
Hubby’s theory is that Track is gonna be sent to Ft. Rucker (sp.?) Alabama before returning home so dinner will be w/him too. Happy, happy joy, joy for the fawning winner and oh so appropriate for the cause o:
Michigander – I like hubby’s theory. It’ll be fun to see if that plays out.
I was going to contact Ebay to ask what that revision meant (does it still say AL or has it been changed again?) I did see that it was changed early on and that it coincided pretty closely with Maples beginning bid. ( i think i read that correctly)
But! I’ve decided to not care. If it was fixed, so be it. Everything she does is fixed so why not a charity auction ? I hope the soup’s cold, the bread’s stale and that a server with swine flu (sorry AKM) coughs onto the overcooked pasta. argh.