United States News
See other United States News Articles
Title: MSNBC: Sarah Palin not invited to Rolling Thunder (editors note Rolling thunder website says differently)
Source:
firstread.msnbc.msn.com
URL Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_new ... hunder-sarah-palin-not-invited
Published: May 28, 2011
Author: Andrea Mitchell and Lauren Stephenson
Post Date: 2011-05-28 10:21:50 by Ferret Mike
Keywords: None
Views: 3363
Comments: 18
WASHINGTON — One day after Sarah Palin announced her bus tour, a group sponsoring a Memorial Day weekend event she plans to attend said they never invited her.
"She wasn't invited. We heard yesterday she came out with a press release she was coming to Rolling Thunder," Ted Shpak, national legislative director of Rolling Thunder, told "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Shpak is one of three members of Rolling Thunder's current leadership who says he had no idea Palin was coming until it was posted on her website.
On Thursday, the former governor of Alaska and potential GOP presidential candidate announced her bus tour on her political action committee's website, Sarahpac.com. The tour is to begin in Washington, D.C., where Palin plans to participate in the Sunday motorcycle rally sponsored by Rolling Thunder Inc., a group that raises awareness of prisoners of war and those missing in action.
"She's not invited to speak. We're not endorsing her ... (but) we can't stop her from coming to ride, if she wants to ride," Shpak continued.
Organizers of Rolling Thunder say their guest speakers are Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Palin's representatives say they were invited to Rolling Thunder - by a former board member who is emceeing the event.
Mike DePaulo tells NBC News he had a standing offer for her to ride with them from the Pentagon across the bridge to D.C. - and that he got a call from what he called "the Palin campaign" on Wednesday to see if they could take him up on it. He coordinated it with a friend of his, Joe Fields, of the Alaska Veterans' Advisory Council, who had worked with Palin when she was governor.
A spokeswoman for Rolling Thunder says they frequently invite celebrity guests to ride with them.
DePaulo says he has a permit for the Palin bus to be parked on Henry Bacon Drive near the Lincoln Memorial. He acknowledges he didnt tell current leaders of the organization that she was coming, since they were already on the road.
When asked if Palin's bus will be participating in the event, Shpak of Rolling Thunder Inc. responded, "Absolutely not."
Shpak says Palin's attendance "is a big distraction" and that his "phone has been ringing off the hook" ever since she announced her intention to attend the event.
"We're not political. This is not a political event ... Maybe she's coming because she knows we have a half a million people in town and thinking she can start her [campaign]?" stated Shpak.
"We're taking care of our issues and that's why we're here."
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
Then we have this from rolling thunders website. Yes, Palin was invited to Rolling Thunder http://www.rollingthundermotorcyclerally.com/index.php?view=newsfeed&catid=6%3Arelated-stories&id=14-rolling-thunder-in-the-news&option=com_newsfeeds&Itemid=165
Last night, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell and Lauren Stephenson reported that the veterans group Rolling Thunder had not invited Sarah Palin to their annual ride taking place this weekend and were dumbfounded when Palin announced her participation as the start of her bus tour. Under the headline “Stealing Their Thunder,” Mitchell suggested that Palin was hijacking their “very serious purpose” with her participation. The piece hinges on an interview with Rolling Thunder’s Ted Shpak, who called Palin’s announcement “a big distraction”: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy One day after Sarah Palin announced her bus tour, a group sponsoring a Memorial Day weekend event she plans to attend said they never invited her. “She wasn’t invited. We heard yesterday she came out with a press release she was coming to Rolling Thunder,” Ted Shpak, national legislative director of Rolling Thunder, told “Andrea Mitchell Reports.” Shpak is one of three members of Rolling Thunder’s current leadership who says he had no idea Palin was coming until it was posted on her website. On Thursday, the former governor of Alaska and potential GOP presidential candidate announced her bus tour on her political action committee’s website, Sarahpac.com. The tour is to begin in Washington, D.C., where Palin plans to participate in the Sunday motorcycle rally sponsored by Rolling Thunder Inc., a group that raises awareness of prisoners of war and those missing in action. “She’s not invited to speak. We’re not endorsing her … (but) we can’t stop her from coming to ride, if she wants to ride,” Shpak continued. There’s a problem with this story, but to be fair to everyone, it seems to be an honest case of an internal miscommunication at Rolling Thunder. After I read this story last night, I got in contact with Christine Colborne, who handles the media for Rolling Thunder. She explained that Shpak didn’t know that Palin had been indeed invited to ride at the event. The invitation came from a retired board member, Michael DiPaolo, who had connections in Alaska and got Palin to agree to attend. Requests for high-profile personalities to attend the event are not new. Colborne mentioned that actor Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) attended at least one of the Rolling Thunder events, as have other celebrities, usually just to ride with a lower profile. Most times, though, those requests don’t even get responses, let alone acceptances. That’s a shame, because the Rolling Thunder event highlights the issues surrounding American POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam War and later conflicts, as well as providing support to their families, who really need the emotional support they get from this group of volunteer veterans. Colborne spoke with me on the phone in the middle of an all-night car ride to Washington DC, and explained that the last-minute RSVP didn’t get communicated through the echelons of Rolling Thunder. Everyone is either in transit or already in DC, and internal communication broke down as often happens before a major event. Shpak (and Colborne) were taken by surprise by Palin’s announcement. Shpak does have the authority to speak for the organization, Colborne says, but he had no idea that Palin was invited by DiPaolo, and Shpak worried that Palin’s arrival might be a “big distraction” from the issues on which Rolling Thunder wants people to focus. Obviously, Shpak — a Vietnam veteran himself — feels passionate about defending the organization, but went on NBC with faulty information. Shpak, Colborne, and almost everyone else at Rolling Thunder are volunteers, just ordinary people doing extraordinary work, and that means they get the occasional hiccup. Palin will indeed be welcomed to the Rolling Thunder event. It’s a good organization with a worthy mission, so don’t let a miscommunication distract people from its purpose, either. Be sure to check out the web site, the merchandise that helps support the group, and other ways in which we can all assist them in that mission.
No, they were told they were welcome to ride motorcycles under the banner of the cause to promote awareness for the issue of MIAs and POWs. They will not be on the platform giving speeches or being introduced. In fact, the organizers are annoyed at the way she has cow birded in on the event. Launching her publicity drive on the backs of a veteran related event.
-- Rolling Thunder spokesman: Sarah Palin was "not invited," her bus tour a "big distraction"
You're behind the curve. Read post 2.
Fat boy doesn't know what he is talking about. Christine Colborne, who handles the media for Rolling Thunder. She explained that Shpak didn’t know that Palin had been indeed invited to ride at the event.
"Thats because your basically and idiot." I found it funny they were worried that she'd want to speak. Not a chance of that unless they cough up the required $100,000, plus bendable straws.
I find it revealing the DNC wasted a half dozen talking points trying to misrepresent this, and lie about her being invited along with thosands of others.
Proxy IP's are amusing.....lmao
Bullshit, they MAILED an invite to her specifically, Mikey.
Proxy IP's are amusing.....lmao
Argue with the organizers saying differently in the video. There was an invite to ride motorcycles in conjunction with the cause of remembering and honoring POWs and MIAs. But the bus trip and the cow birding into this event with the bus trip was not known about until organizers became swamped with calls on it and her event started disrupting their event.
To ride at the event in support of honoring and remembering MIAs and POWs. She was not invited to speak or cow bird the start of her publicity gambit there to capitalize on the crowd there for another issue. She rather annoyed organizers with that aspect of her coming. Watch the video I posted and see what they said.
So far she's no where to be seen. Nothing on her website about stops or appearances. Perhaps she's already quit, as is her habit.
I'm sure they are in damage control mode after the reaction of the Rolling Thunder organizers to her entourage settling down on their parade trying to make it their own. If she is very smart, she will keep a low profile until the planned events of Rolling Thunder are done and stick to being a rider in the rally as was the only thing she was welcomed there to do if she wanted to come. I'm sure she or people in her organization were doubt enough to think she could ooze right into the show. I'm sure it irritates her that didn't work.
That is a link to various headlines. It says nothing about her being invited.
America...My Kind Of Place... "I truly am not that concerned about [bin Laden]..." No need to, they linked the fact that she was invited on THEIR WEBSITE. Sheesh.
Proxy IP's are amusing.....lmao
By Andrea Mitchell and Lauren Stephenson, NBC News WASHINGTON — One day after Sarah Palin announced her bus tour, a group sponsoring a Memorial Day weekend event she plans to attend said they never invited her. "She wasn't invited. We heard yesterday she came out with a press release she was coming to Rolling Thunder," Ted Shpak, national legislative director of Rolling Thunder, told "Andrea Mitchell Reports." Shpak is one of three members of Rolling Thunder's current leadership who says he had no idea Palin was coming until it was posted on her website. On Thursday, the former governor of Alaska and potential GOP presidential candidate announced her bus tour on her political action committee's website, Sarahpac.com. The tour is to begin in Washington, D.C., where Palin plans to participate in the Sunday motorcycle rally sponsored by Rolling Thunder Inc., a group that raises awareness of prisoners of war and those missing in action. "She's not invited to speak. We're not endorsing her ... (but) we can't stop her from coming to ride, if she wants to ride," Shpak continued. Organizers of Rolling Thunder say their guest speakers are Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Palin's representatives say they were invited to Rolling Thunder - by a former board member who is emceeing the event. Mike DePaulo tells NBC News he had a standing offer for her to ride with them from the Pentagon across the bridge to D.C. - and that he got a call from what he called "the Palin campaign" on Wednesday to see if they could take him up on it. He coordinated it with a friend of his, Joe Fields, of the Alaska Veterans' Advisory Council, who had worked with Palin when she was governor. A spokeswoman for Rolling Thunder says they frequently invite celebrity guests to ride with them. DePaulo says he has a permit for the Palin bus to be parked on Henry Bacon Drive near the Lincoln Memorial. He acknowledges he didnt tell current leaders of the organization that she was coming, since they were already on the road. When asked if Palin's bus will be participating in the event, Shpak of Rolling Thunder Inc. responded, "Absolutely not." Shpak says Palin's attendance "is a big distraction" and that his "phone has been ringing off the hook" ever since she announced her intention to attend the event. "We're not political. This is not a political event ... Maybe she's coming because she knows we have a half a million people in town and thinking she can start her [campaign]?" stated Shpak. "We're taking care of our issues and that's why we're here." No one is ever turned away to ride, and that was never a question. But she was not invited as someone to speak or take part in the event as a major participant. Argue with the media with stories saying she was not invited, not me. I don't care. The bimbo wouldn't win if she ran anyway.
No need to read beyond this line, mikey.
Proxy IP's are amusing.....lmao
#2. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
#3. To: A K A Stone (#1)
#4. To: A K A Stone (#2)
#5. To: Ferret Mike (#3)
#6. To: Ferret Mike (#4)
#7. To: A K A Stone (#1)
Shpak says Palin's attendance "is a big distraction" and that his "phone has been ringing off the hook" ever since she announced her intention to attend the event.
Badeye posted on 2011-04-29 10:30:22 ET
#8. To: go65 (#7)
#9. To: Skip Intro (#8)
I found it funny they were worried that she'd want to speak.
#10. To: Ferret Mike (#3)
#11. To: Badeye (#10)
#12. To: A K A Stone (#6)
"Christine Colborne, who handles the media for Rolling Thunder. She explained that Shpak didn’t know that Palin had been indeed invited to ride at the event."
#13. To: Ferret Mike (#12)
#14. To: Skip Intro (#13)
#15. To: A K A Stone (#1)
--GW Bush
#16. To: Ferret Mike (#11)
Argue with the organizers saying differently in the video
#17. To: A K A Stone, badeye (#5)
Rolling Thunder: Sarah Palin not invited
#18. To: Ferret Mike (#17)
By Andrea Mitchell and Lauren Stephenson, NBC News
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]