Posted by
Allen Caeden on Thursday, July 09, 2009 9:38:54 PM
This article by Thomas Beaumont in the Des Moines Register can be found at:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090709/NEWS09/907090361/1056
Iowa Republican Party officials Wednesday said they are aggressively courting Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to headline the state GOP's premier annual fundraising event.
And they have put a well-connected Des Moines woman in charge of trying to land the 2008 vice presidential nominee and popular party figure in the leadoff caucus state.
Aides to Palin did not immediately respond to Des Moines Register inquiries about whether the outgoing governor would consider the invitation to appear at the Ronald Reagan Dinner. The event has become a popular and high-profile stop for would-be presidential candidates.
But Becky Beach, a Des Moines woman with long personal ties to the Bush family and presidential campaigns, said she hopes her connections can improve the chances with the in-demand, outgoing governor. "Absolutely, I'm trying to get her here," Beach said. "It would be a huge event."
Beach, who is helping the state party with fundraising and event planning, had begun trying to reach Palin's team before the announcement last week that Palin plans to step down as governor on July 26. Beach said she hopes to have another conversation as early as next week.
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley plugged the idea of inviting Palin to help raise money. He recalled Palin's reception in Iowa during the presidential campaign.
Palin was greeted by a big, enthusiastic crowd during her first trip to Iowa with Republican presidential nominee John McCain in September. She drew even larger crowds for solo stops in Sioux City, Des Moines and Dubuque.
"I think she has quite a following in Iowa, and maybe I'm impressed because, at the three events I spent with her in Iowa during the last campaign, she had bigger turnouts than McCain had," Grassley told reporters.
But it was far from certain whether Palin would be in Iowa anytime soon.
First, she is the most-sought-after personality in the Republican Party, longtime Iowa Republican campaign adviser Dave Roederer said.
The cell phone voice mail for Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton on Wednesday was full and not accepting new messages.
Also, it was not clear whether Palin was stepping down to lay the groundwork for a 2012 presidential campaign or for other reasons.
Meanwhile, Palin remains very new to the national political scene and has few Iowa contacts, Roederer said.
"I think it's fair to say there's really no direct connections with Palin's office and anyone in the state," he said.
But the Reagan dinner, which doesn't have a date set yet for this year, has regularly drawn would-be presidential candidates hoping to make an impression on potential caucusgoers.
Jeff Boeyink, executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa, said the demand for Palin suggests her appearance in Iowa would make for a blockbuster event.
"We would need a very large venue to make it happen," he said.