The Today show aired another part of Matt Lauer's interview with Alaska Governor and Sarah Palin. This one includes Lauer asking about Palin's infamous interview with Katie Couric and whether she think President-elect Obama can handle the crisis in Iraq. Yesterday's interview (video after the jump) had Palin discussing the rumors about the $150,000 wardrobe and why the McCain-Palin ticket lost, "I think the economic collapse had a heckuva lot more to do with......

Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin didn't rule out running in 2012 when asked about her future in politics earlier today. She said, "2012 sounds like years away. 2012 ... what will we be doing there, guys. Enrolling Trig in kindergarten and watching Willow get ready to go off to college. There are a lot of good things that will happen in 2012." And she told the town of Wasilla after her concession,......

With their hold over the state house in jeopardy for one of the first times in the last seventy years, senate Republicans are pulling out all the stops to hold onto their narrow majority this election. Only a single seat separates Republicans and Democrats in the senate and there are more close races this election than in years past. GOPers are banding together and having those in safer races pouring their resources into candidates more......

Last night on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart and guest, essayist Sarah Vowell, wondered about the GOP's relationship with NYC. (Jezebel calls it's a frenemy relationship), since the Big Apple is both the center of the East Coast liberal elite/media elite/elitist media and where 2,751 people died on September 11, 2001. Around 5 minutes 10 seconds, Stewart and Vowell start talking about Sarah Palin's visit to New York City, specifically going to Ground Zero (she......

The NY Times has a feature on billionaire Robert Wood Johnson IV's loyalty to the Republican party and his willingness to fork over millions. In fact, a hospitality suite at the RNC was named after him ("Woody Johnson Minneapolis-St. Paul 2008 Host Committee Private Lounge"). Apparently Johnson has a "willingness to engage in the hard slog of making hundreds of calls" to ask people like billionaire David Koch and Donald Trump, "to persuade [them] raise......

Republican presidential John McCain surprised most everyone by selecting Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his running mate. He said to the 44-year-old mother of five who joined him at an event in Dayton, Ohio, "I’m very happy today to spend my birthday with you, and to make a historic announcement in Dayton.” Palin is the first female vice presidential candidate in the Republican party. ...

After some lobbyists told the Post and Daily News that State Senator Malcolm Smith, the Democratic minority leader, seemed to imply they should pay up now to gain Democrats' help (before the Dems win control of the State Senate this fall), Smith now says he was joking. Smith told the Daily News since the event for lobbyists was rained out, "like any good host" he thought it was "important to entertain all guests...That is simply......

While Mayor Bloomberg has denied any interest in running for Governor, the Post finds his desire to steer the NY State GOP...suggestive. Apparently Bloomberg's political adviser Kevin Sheekey, who hinted about the mayor's presidential aspirations, met with a former State Senator, Ray Meier, abou taking over the state GOP. Of course, there may be some other jockeying over power of the state GOP--coming from former mayor Rudy Giuliani who might want to get back into......

A lively, discontented rabble marched through the East Village Friday night, protesting what they see as the neighborhood’s ongoing desiccation, caused by “real estate developers, landlords, yuppie wine bars and Republicans.” Organized by longtime gadfly John Penley, the group swelled to approximately 100 protesters, who jeered, sang, read poetry and generally condemned others for enjoying fine wine and luxury apartments. Vanishing New York has a thorough account of the proceedings, which started outside the newish......

When it comes to turbo-gentrification, longtime East Village activist John Penley has drawn a line in the sand at the Bowery Wine Co.; the newish wine bar co-owned by actor Bruce Willis. Penley, who joined Jerry "the Peddler" Wade in pushing the Parks Department to permit this August’s concert commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Tompkins Square Park riots, not only objects to the “yuppie” wine bar’s sterile aesthetics but also Willis’s GOP support. A......

Sunset photo courtesy mrgeneko. Manhattanhenge, the visually stunning phenomenon that occurs twice a year when the sun sets in perfect alignment with Manhattan’s street grid, is happening tonight. It’s just too bad that Vice President Dick Cheney has arranged to be in town at the exact moment of the sunset, to speak at the New York Republican State Committee Dinner and simultaneously smother the golden light under his all-encompassing shroud of darkness. Of course......

Earlier this week, the Post reported that "high-profile" Bronx Republican Fred Brown, who is a GOP district leader in the Bronx and votes there, actually lives in Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. Which means he's been voting in the Bronx illegally. Now, the Bronx's DA's office is investigating the matter. Brown, who is also chairman of the National Black Republican Council and would have been a delegate for Rudy Giuliani if had stayed in......

Mayor Michael Bloomberg hasn't totally eschewed the Republican party. According to the NY Sun, the Democrat-turned- Republican-turned- independent will be "entertaining" Nancy Reagan "as well as hosting a fund-raiser for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library." Like the former First Lady, Bloomberg has progressive views on health and science issues (like stem cells). And Bloomberg has been known to host many fund-raisers for various people and causes. But some suspect that Bloomberg might be looking for......