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Sarah Palin brought 200 cookies to a Pennsylvania Christian school Tuesday, a hostess gift that would not be notable if Palin had not declared the move a stunt to mock anti-childhood obesity campaigns in public schools.

Fresh on the heels of Rush Limbaugh's pro-Twinkie tirade against Michelle Obama's health initiative, Palin explained to the audience, "I wanted these kids to bring home the idea to their parents for discussion. Who should be deciding what I eat? Should it be government or should it be parents? It should be the parents." The crowd roared. Palin was reacting to an incorrect report that Pennsylvania was considering banning sweet treats at school parties. She followed up with this tweet: "2 PA school speech; I'll intro kids 2 beauty of laissez-faire via serving them cookies amidst school cookie ban debate;Nanny state run amok!" (Is it odd to decry the "Nanny State" to the very people who actually have nannies?)

Naturally, "she teased the audience by hinting at her possible presidential run," Mediaite's Ray Rahman reports. Palin praised the singing of one student, then asked him if he'd consider performing at an inauguration. "Not necessarily mine!" Palin clarified.





It's Not Parents vs. Government, The Lunch Tray's Bettina Elias Siegel insists. "Of course, it’s the framing of that last question which is so specious, in that it seemingly pits governmental intrusion against personal freedom. But that’s not what’s going on here. I personally have no interest in regulating what foods a parent can or cannot bring for his/her child’s own consumption at school. That would, in my opinion, be a true example of a Nanny State. What I do object to, however, is the lack of oversight regarding what foods other parents can bring for my child’s consumption. ... when a child is at school, he or she is as captive to what goes on there as a person in an elevator is captive to second-hand smoke. We don’t allow smoking in elevators, and we shouldn’t allow the serving of food to school children to which a parent might object on a variety of grounds — nutritional, religious, a concern about allergens, or for any other reason."

She's Tried This Trick Before! The Mudflats writes. "It’s February of 2009, and Sarah Palin wings her way to the remote village of Russian Mission to address the problems of the food/fuel crisis that was causing rural residents to have to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families. Palin’s solution? No, not a state of emergency, silly. That would be a government public sector-type solution. The private sector provided her with evangelical preacher Franklin Graham, a cushy private jet, some boxes of food with a sprinkling of religious literature, and a plate of Sarah’s homemade cookies. Really. She brought cookies. Cookies that she baked herself. Perhaps she was going for the personal touch. Perhaps she was trying to solve the problems of the world with some home baked goodness. Perhaps it was a Marie Antoinette 'Let them eat cake' moment."

Clearly Palin's No Cookie Monster Herself, The Improper's Samantha Chang writes, noting that Palin is "a fitness fanatic who runs 5-10 miles daily and follows a low-fat diet to stay thin. ... Experts say obesity is now a full-fledged public health crisis. If the rate of obesity and overweight continues at this pace, 75% of US adults and 24% of children and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2015, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Chew on that, Sarah."

Let's Target P.E. Too, Eileen at In the Pink says. "Oh in your FACE, Pennsylvania! Next time she’s pulling out the big guns—double fudge brownies. ... If parents want to jack their kids up on sugar, there’s plenty of Adderall to go around. Is it really so bad for schools to try to teach kids healthy habits? Isn’t that what they’re already doing in P.E.? Or is P.E. just used to humiliate freakishly small children who are trying their hardest to keep up with their fully developed classmates? I grew up on sweets and it didn’t hurt me in the slightest, aside from cavities in all of my molars and heavy withdrawal symptoms (sweating, the shakes, facial tics) when I go without."

Correction, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review offers. "A story on page B1 of Monday's Tribune-Review incorrectly portrayed the Pennsylvania State Board of Education's proposed nutrition guidelines for school parties. The board is examining regulations to encourage schools to serve more nutritious foods. There are no mandates to do so."

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