We have long memories, Sarah Palin (UPDATED)

The Associated Press reported on Sarah Palin's Hong Kong speech:

Palin started off her speech — which was closed to reporters — with a light talk about the links between her state and the southern Chinese territory, then touched later on economic issues.

One attendee said she criticized the U.S. Federal Reserve's massive intervention in the economy over the last year, arguing its actions only exacerbated the crisis. She also praised the conservative economic policies of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Earlier, she talked of Alaska's salmon exports and complimented Hong Kong as a "beautiful city," according to a second attendee. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity.

I found this passage a bit puzzling:

CLSA requested Palin's speech be closed to reporters so she could make an "unfettered" presentation to investors, according to spokeswoman Wheeler. And Palin, whose supporters have long accused the media of bias and harsh treatment, agreed. Since resigning, Palin has ducked mainstream news outlets and communicated with supporters largely via her popular Facebook page.

Fred Malek (the dog killer) also chipped in about Sarah Palin's trip:

While she's thought to be considering a bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, her Hong Kong trip bore no political overtones, said Fred Malek, a friend and Palin adviser.

"You can read a lot of things into it, 'Is she trying to burnish her foreign policy credentials?' and the like. But really, it's a trip that will be beneficial to her knowledge base and will defray some legal and other bills that she has," Malek said.

Bloomberg also reported on the speech:

Former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke to fund managers in Hong Kong today about issues ranging from Alaska’s fishing industry to U.S.-Sino ties, according to people who attended the closed session.

Palin, 45, spoke about 80 minutes to a full house in the main ballroom of Hong Kong’s Grand Hyatt hotel shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time. Reporters were kept out by tight security at the investor forum organized by CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets.

People who attended Palin’s speech said she took only pre- approved questions. She also discussed the U.S. health care reform debate, the U.S. deficit and energy conservation, they said.

Ben Smith of Politico named the speech ghoswriters:

John McCain's campaign foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann, has emerged as an advisor to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as she attempts to build a serious public profile and begins to build a network of aides and advisors typical of a national politician.

Scheunemann confirmed this evening that he's with Palin in Hong Kong, where she is delivering a paid speech at a conference hosted by the brokerage house CLSA,

Scheunemann, an early supporter of the Iraq war, is prominent in the hawkish, internationalist, neo-conservative wing of the party's foreign policy thought, and his place beside Palin also offers a bit of a clue as to the direction in which her vaguely-defined foreign policy views are likely to develop. Two other Republican policy hands worked on the speech as well, I'm told: AEI China expert Dan Blumenthal and D.C. lawyer Kim Daniels.

Bree Palin has more information on the speechwriters.

There aren't any surprises regarding the speech or the identity of her advisors. It was the usual anti-Obama stuff, written by neo-cons...

The puppetmasters are attempting to create an aura of secrecy around the pitbull. They are trying to boost her credentials as an expert on many things, with prepared Facebook notes, op-eds and a carefully crafted speech delivered behind closed doors. She's not seen in public and doesn't speak to the press. The first and last time Sarah Palin gave a national press conference was on November 13, 2008 and that didn't last very long:

In Miami at the Republican Governor's Association, Sarah Palin held her first national press conference. About 100 reporters gathered. The bank of TV camera were two-deep on the risers. And -- drumroll please -- it lasted three questions and about seven and a half minutes.



Will Sarah Palin ever be able to speak to the press? Or do they plan to keep her under wraps forever? Are they waiting for people to forget her word salad, her idiotic answers to Charlie Gibson and Kate Couric, her inappropriate dress sense on many occasions?

Good luck, puppetmasters. We remember all that and more: the giggles on the Bob and Mark show, her talk to Sarkozy, her pearls of wisdom on Twitter, the ridiculous collection of photos on Runners World, all her tabloid rants. We remember a lot of stuff... from Wasilla mayor to unemployed quitter governor, we remember it all.




UPDATE

A first hand account of her speech by Cameron Sinclair
Bree Palin has more nuggets from the speech
(H/T to EyeOnYou for Hong Kong photos and link to HuffPo)
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