As an oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico grows larger by the hour, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin continues to stick to “drill, baby, drill.”

In a 30-minute speech to a Republican crowd in Kansas City Saturday, the onetime Republican vice presidential nominee dubbed the gulf spill “very tragic” but added: Ã¢â‚¬Å“I want our country to be able to trust the oil industry.Ã¢â‚¬Â

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Writing in the Kansas City Star, reporter Steve Kraske summed up her remarks as, “She said the U.S. must wean itself from foreign oil in order to be truly free.”

Ã¢â‚¬Å“WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve got to tap domestically because energy security will be the key to our prosperity,Ã¢â‚¬Â Palin remarked.

Palin spoke as BP and military officials sought to get a handle on a leaking oil rig site in the Gulf of Mexico, which is purportedly leaking as many as 5,000 barrels of oil a day. The leak began after an explosion on an offshore rig sent the rig to the bottom of the sea and unsheathed a tube that was supposed to be carrying oil to the surface.

Kraske noted that Palin’s speech was also rich with God and “gottas.”

There were lots of Ã¢â‚¬Å“we gottas,Ã¢â‚¬Â religious references, praise for the troops and even a trademark Palin growl or two as she outlined a conservative vision for the country that adheres, in her view, far more closely to the Constitution. Ã¢â‚¬Å“We believe that God shed his grace on thee,Ã¢â‚¬Â she said. Ã¢â‚¬Å“We still believe that America is exceptional.Ã¢â‚¬Â In response to a question from local radio talk show host Chris Stigall about her political plans, Palin punted. Although she has hinted in recent months that she is considering a 2012 run for the White House, Palin on Saturday joked that she might run next for a PTA position when her son, Trig, starts school.

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Palin spoke to a group called “Preserving American Liberty.” She wouldn’t disclose how much — or if — she was paid for her speech. The former governor has been earning as much as $100,000 for each appearance.