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Palin Takes Spotlight Among GOP Governors

the Associated Press

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin waits to speak during a news conference at the Republican Governors Association Annual Conference in Miami on Thursday.

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By WILLIAM MARCH

wmarch@tampatrib.com

Published: November 14, 2008

MIAMI - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin played down thoughts of a 2012 presidential run Thursday, but still told a gathering of Republican governors that she and the other GOP state leaders must show the nation and the Obama administration the way on issues.

"I, like all our governors, focus on the future, and the future for us is not that 2012 presidential race," she said. "We're focused on providing good service to the people whom we are serving in our states."

Before she spoke, there had been hints of resentment at the annual Republican Governors Association meeting in Miami about Palin's string of interviews and comments in which she left the door open for a presidential run in 2012.

Thursday was to be a showcase for the two highest-profile attendees, Palin and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, both of whom are vying for the attention of a national audience. But a couple of last-minute scheduling changes seemed designed to take the focus off them.

At a morning news conference that had been announced as a 20-minute event for Palin, she ended up onstage with a dozen other governors, made brief comments about, "what we can do as a team of Republican governors together," then took only four questions.

Conspicuously missing was Crist, who later said he was working on a speech.

Possibly in reaction to media speculation about Crist and Palin and their presidential prospects, Republicans here have been saying it's not the time for loyal party members to talk about that subject - instead, they should rebuild the party.

"Anybody here tonight who's talking about 2012 needs to get their eye on the ball," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said at a reception Wednesday night.

Nonetheless, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, introducing Palin at the news conference, said, "I can assure you she's just getting started."

Palin never held a news conference during her campaign. Since Election Day, however, she's done a series of national television interviews.

Asked why the change, and whether she has lost her aversion to speaking through what she once called the filter of the mainstream media, Palin replied, "The campaign is over," and that when governors speak to their constituents, "We have to do that through the media."

But she emphasized that, "We're gonna focus here on what we can do as a team of Republican governors together."

In a speech moments later before a crowd that that included 17 of the nation's 22 GOP governors and their supporters, Palin had kind words for Barack Obama - but still said it would be up to Republican governors to keep the nation on track.

"If he governs with the skill and the grace and the greatness of which he is capable, we're going to be just fine," she said. "This is a shining moment in American history."

On health care, she said, "While Congress, led by Pelosi and Reid and some of the other Democrat leaders, Barney Frank etc., and the new president, while they all debate it, we in the states can still advance our reforms."

And on energy, she said that during the campaign, "I didn't hear a lot from them about actual production of energy supplies ... maybe have the fact of having final responsibility for energy policy will change their outlook."

"Now it is time for us to go our own way ... confident in the knowledge that there will be another day," she said. "We'll rise to fight again. The nation needs us."

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com.

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