Sarah Palin and John McCain: Together Again

John McCain again reached out to Sarah Palin to join his team, but this time she took her good old time before saying yes.

After two weeks of inner circle debating, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin has decided to join John McCain and other national leaders to help reshape the Republican Party. The announcement was made by Republican Congressional Whip Eric Cantor:

I am pleased to announce that Governor Palin has joined the National Council for a New America's panel of experts. When NCNA was announced last week, we spoke about a dynamic organization that worked to constantly bring in new people and innovative ideas. The launch of the National Council was just the first step in a growing effort to engage the American people in a candid discussion as we work to overcome our shared challenges with common-sense ideas, building a stronger nation along the way.

I look forward to welcoming additional local and national leaders to the National Council in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Sarah Palin "looks forward to doing all she can to bring about positive change many desire and deserve, across Alaska and our great nation, through this National Council for a New America and others," Meghan Stapleton, a spokeswoman for SarahPAC, said in an e-mail.

Stapleton said Palin plans to be involved with the group "as long as everyone knows that Alaska always comes first."

Here is a video put out by the National Council:



And you can find out specifics about the council by clicking here.

The Council will conduct a series of town hall meetings across America to get ideas about reshaping the party. Then you can expect some kind of new "Contract with America," a declaration of the ideals of the new party.

It is interesting that Republican Chairman Michael Steel was not invited to be part of the council, a real slap in the face and a sign that many in the party question his leadership.

The delay in Sarah Palin joining te group shows a real problem with communication between Washington and Alaska, something that has tripped up the Palin team in the past. It also shows the difficult balancing act that the Governor has in being a player for the 2012 Republican Nomination and running a state. Because of its location, Alaska presents unique problems for a politician who also plays on the national stage.

You can bet that was the cause for the delay between the time John McCain made the request to Palin to join the Council and today's announcement.