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Palin urges Ohio crowd to act on abortion issues

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By Laura A. Bischoff, Columbus Bureau Updated 1:04 AM Saturday, March 6, 2010

COLUMBUS — Officially, the Ohio Right to Life rally on Friday, March 5, was billed as a nonpartisan event, but that didn’t stop many of Sarah Palin’s 4,000 fans in attendance from wearing Palin 2012 buttons and McCain-Palin T-shirts.

Kimberly Mohr Christman, sporting a Palin 2012 button and a personally designed Palin T-shirt, called the former Alaska governor an inspirational leader for women.

“If Sarah Palin comes to Perry County, I’ll be right there to help her,” Mohr Christman said.

Palin couldn’t have found a more welcoming crowd.

“I used to not want a woman president but since Sarah came along, I do. Because of her moral convictions,” said Elizabeth Branson of Grove City.

Just before the rally, Palin attended a private $1,000 per ticket reception with donors, including Republicans such as Ohio GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine, state Sen. Jon Husted and former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine.

Ohio Right to Life declined to disclose Palin’s speaking fee — reported to be in the neighborhood of $100,000 — but at the end of her 45-minute speech Palin promised to donate it back to the nonprofit.

Palin urged the crowd to action on abortion issues in Congress and the Statehouse, and trashed the media for criticizing her for putting notes on her hands.

The mother of five recalled how at 43 she found herself pregnant with a child with Down syndrome and then a short while later learned her teenage daughter was pregnant. Palin said those two experiences gave her more empathy for women with unplanned pregnancies who face difficult decisions. But she added, “There is no accident. Every child has purpose.”

The former Alaska governor was introduced to the world at Wright State University 18 months ago when Republican presidential candidate John McCain named her his running mate.

Since then Palin became a grandmother, quit the governor’s job, fought off ethics complaints, published her memoir, struck a deal for a second book, landed work as a Fox News commentator and positioned herself for a possible presidential run in 2012.

At least one person there said she wants Palin gain more political and foreign policy experience before going to the White House.

“I want to see her progress. I want to watch her grow up,” said Linda Hollopeter of Pickerington.

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ed hardy
10:38 PM, 7/25/2010

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How does this woman give a voice to the working class? You realize that she represents the same policies of Bush, lower taxes for the wealthy and less regulation for Wall Street. These are not working class ideals. She is wealthy ex-governor, not a soccer mom. I like how she comes to Ohio and ignites people on a polarizing issue and provides absolutely no solution to the problem, no middle ground, and avoids explaining how the teaparty is going to balance the budget by cutting taxes.

J
10:05 PM, 3/12/2010

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Seems like lots of posters here simply enjoy playing around with Obama's name...however your comments are loaded and say more about your own character than that of our President.

Eussi
11:11 PM, 3/9/2010

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Everyone has strengths and areas yet to be developed. Stop bashing people with cognitive impairments. The most successful people are not necessarily the ones with the highest IQ's but the people putting forth the most substantial and sustained effort.

Eussi
11:06 PM, 3/9/2010

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Sarah Palin is the former Governor of Alaska, not Alabama. Please check facts and geography.

The older a woman is, the higher her chances of giving birth to a child with Down Syndrome.

Since it takes TWO people to create a child, the father must also take responsibility for the act as well.

Parenting can be a terrifically difficult job for life, so Palin gets credit for being a working woman helping support her five children and grandchild.

Eussi
11:00 PM, 3/9/2010

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