Pity poor Sarah Palin. She was a beauty queen, a successful politician, a TV star and a six-figure speaker on the lecture circuit. But she couldn’t get a date in Chicago.
When Palin announced she was coming to the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont for a $500-a-plate Republican fundraiser on Wednesday, all the top GOP politicians realized that darn it, they couldn’t make it that night.
Mark Kirk said he was going to be in Washington for some important votes. Even state senators like Dan Duffy and obscure congressional candidates like Bob Dold didn’t want to go out with Palin.
But Bill Brady is proving that chivalry is not dead in Illinois. Although Brady originally turned down a date with Palin, for unexplained reasons -- you know, “something suddenly came up” -- he has now agreed to attend.
“We weren’t sure he could make it at that time,” Brady spokeswomen Jamie Elich explained, in a non-explanation. “Now, we are.”
Mark Kirk sought Sarah Palin’s endorsement last November, when she came to Chicago to flog her book on Oprah. He didn’t get it. So why should he attend her fundraiser? Also, Kirk has never pretended to be a right-winger.
Politics
Brady, on the other hand, will look like an ingrate if he doesn’t show up on Wednesday. As the only Downstate candidate, he won the primary with the support of rural voters. Palin’s base is his base. And, he has openly allied with the Tea Party movement, attending a Tax Day Tea Party in Will County.
At a press conference last month, Brady praised Palin for creating the political energy that swept him to his party’s nomination.
“I think she’s done a great job of making people understand their importance in government,” he said.
Lately, the right wing of the Republican Party has been demonstrating how it treats apostates. On Saturday, Utah Sen. Robert S. Bennett -- a conservative senator in a conservative state -- was dumped at the party’s nominating convention for not being conservative enough. Brady doesn’t want to end up on the wrong side of those people.
Sarah Palin brung Bill Brady to this party, so he’s going to dance with her on Wednesday. That’s a gentleman -- and a smart politician, too.
