(h/t Heather)

FSM bless Sarah Palin; she is the gift that keeps on giving to progressive America. Now that she is no longer kept sequestered by the McCain campaign, she bursting out into the media, showing us exactly the results of 25 years of conservative rule. All I can say, is that I think the McCain campaign was smart to keep her away from the cameras as much as they did.

Wolf Blitzer asks Palin to comment on the historic occasion of our first African American presidency (why? Does Palin have some special insight into the African American experience? Hell, I'm pretty sure that she's only vaguely aware of history) and Palin trots out the rote talking points that she's looking forward to working with him, especially on energy independence (she keeps using that phrase, but I'm not sure she knows what it means. Energy independence doesn't mean more checks for Alaskans solely, does it?). But Blitzer points out that Palin's campaign rhetoric (oh Wolf, let's not play the blame game) and Palin unapologetically reiterates the Ayers smear.

PALIN: It would be my honor to assist and support our new president and the new administration, yes. And I speak for other Republicans, other Republican governors also. They being willing, also, to, again, seize this opportunity that we have to progress this nation together, a united front. BLITZER: Because, you know, during a campaign, every presidential campaign, things are said that's tough. As you well know, it gets sometimes pretty fierce out there. And during the campaign, you said this. You said, This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America. And then you went on to say, Someone who sees America, it seems as being so imperfect that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country. PALIN: Well, I still am concerned about that association with Bill Ayers. And if anybody still wants to talk about it, I will, because this is an unrepentant domestic terrorist who had campaigned to blow up, to destroy our Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol. That's an association that still bothers me, and I think it's still fair to talk about it.

Yup, there's your united Republican front all right.

Transcripts below the fold

BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about what's going on in our country right now. It's a pretty historic moment, when you think about it, the first African-American president, President-elect Barack Obama. This is historic. What does it mean to you?

PALIN: It's historic, and I think this time is full of optimism. And it's an opportunity for everybody to get it together and start working together. For us, as Republicans, to reach out to Barack Obama and the new administration that will be ushered in, and offer the solutions that we see for meeting some of America's great challenges right now.

This is an opportunity to all be working together. And of course President-elect Obama had promised also bipartisan efforts to meet the challenges. So let's seize this opportunity. Let's take him up on that offer. And let's all start working together.

BLITZER: Are you ready to help him?

PALIN: Absolutely, especially on energy independence, energy security that we need for this nation. Being the governor of an energy-producing state, knowing that we have the domestic solutions there in our state and in other energy-producing states, I'm more than willing and able to help President-elect Obama to start tapping into the domestic solutions that we have now so we can quit being so reliant on foreign sources of energy.

BLITZER: So if he reaches out to you and says, Governor Palin, I need your help on energy, or some other issues, kids with special needs, for example, and says, I want you to be part of a commission, you would be more than happy to say, Yes, Mr. President?

PALIN: It would be my honor to assist and support our new president and the new administration, yes. And I speak for other Republicans, other Republican governors also. They being willing, also, to, again, seize this opportunity that we have to progress this nation together, a united front.

BLITZER: Because, you know, during a campaign, every presidential campaign, things are said that's tough. As you well know, it gets sometimes pretty fierce out there.

And during the campaign, you said this. You said, This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America. And then you went on to say, Someone who sees America, it seems as being so imperfect that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.

PALIN: Well, I still am concerned about that association with Bill Ayers. And if anybody still wants to talk about it, I will, because this is an unrepentant domestic terrorist who had campaigned to blow up, to destroy our Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol. That's an association that still bothers me, and I think it's still fair to talk about it.

However, the campaign is over, that chapter is closed. Now is the time to move on and to, again, make sure that all of us are doing all we can to progress this nation. Keep us secure, get the economy back on the right track. And many of us do have some ideas on how to do that, and hopefully we'll be able to put all that wisdom and experience to good use together.

BLITZER: So, looking back, you don't regret that tough language during the campaign?

PALIN: No, and I do not think that it is off base, nor mean- spirited, nor negative campaigning to call someone out on their associations and on their record. And that's why I did it.

BLITZER: And just one historic footnote. Was that your idea or did somebody write those lines for you?

PALIN: Oh, it was a collaborative effort there in deciding, how do we start bringing up some of the associations that perhaps would be impacting on an administration, on the future of America? But again though, Wolf, knowing that it really at this point, I don't want to point fingers backwards and play the blame game, certainly on anything that took place in terms of strategy or messaging in the campaign. Now is the time to move forward together, start progressing America.