Sarah Palin
Gossip

Okay, maybe our headline above is a little harsh.

Maybe when Sarah Palin confused Iraq with Iran in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity this week, it was just a slip of the tongue and we should back off.

Yet when you're talking about a woman who noted Alaska's close proximity to Russia to bolster her foreign policy credentials, benefit of the doubt is lacking.

Check out her geographical blunder below and see what you think. Maybe she's a visionary and we should crack down on Iraq to prevent a nu-cue-lar Iran.

Whether she's the future of politics or just another random d-lister trying to bolster her own celebrity, Sarah is the gossip world's gift that keeps on givin' ...

Sarah Palin entered the national political spotlight in August 2008 when she became Sen. John McCain's V.P. choice. They lost. Less than a year later, she resigned as the Governor of Alaska and became ... a D-list celebrity?

She has no job and no declared goals, but she sure keeps people interested, shilling for her memoir and firing off bizarre statements on just about everything.

Naturally, this rubs a lot of people the wrong way.

Earlier today, E! Online called her "an ordinary D-lister with a huge mouth, one that knows how to make people look, and keep looking, regardless of substance."

That's pretty harsh. You don't have to like Sarah Palin (and there are plenty of reasons not to), but think about it. Why wouldn't she stay in the public eye?

She's wildly popular among a segment of the population, is trying to make money in book sales (no harm in that), and, oh, might run for President in 2012.

That doesn't make her correct when she calls the current Newsweek cover sexist, but you can't blame her for being ambitious ... whather her ambitions are.

Palin is trying to expand her reach, because many people relate to what is seen as a raw deal Palin received from the McCain team during the 2008 election.

If nothing else, her book tour lets her spin last year's campaign in a better light. And let's face it, lots of people think she'd be a great, honest, folksy leader.

Some think she's obsessed with fame, but it goes both ways. People are obsessed with her. She gets so much press, you'd think she were dating Jon Gosselin.

We can't believe we're saying it, but leave Sarah Palin alone!

Well, you can make fun of her for trading barbs with Levi Johnston, stretching facts in her book, or making verbal gaffes. But don't vilify her for the mere act of trying to broaden her appeal to America and further her career.

Heck, that's what politics are all about!

Do you like Sarah Palin?

For the second time since Sarah Palin stepped into the national political spotlight, a photo of her on the cover of Newsweek is sparking controversy.

Palin herself blasted the "out-of-context" cover as "sexist" on Facebook.

Originally published in the August 2009 issue of Runners World, the photo of Palin features the former Alaska governor in short runner's shorts.

Palin took issue with Newsweek using a photo from an article about fitness to promote an analysis piece contemplating her relevance in politics.

"The cover photo choice for this week's issue of Newsweek is unfortunate. With Sarah Palin, this 'news' magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant," the Going Rogue author's spokeswoman wrote.

"The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention."

Newsweek editor Jon Meacham said the photo choice was simply the "most interesting image available" to "illustrate the theme of the cover."

The cover flap isn't the first for Newsweek and Sarah Palin pictures.

The October 13, 2008, issue featured an extreme close-up of her that she said was totally re-touching free and designed to highlight her flaws.

What do you think? Is Newsweek trying to sabotage her as a dope just because she's a conservative? Or is the cover a shrewd and accurate portrayal of just how far this particular politician is willing to travel on the road of self promotion?

Vote below: The Sarah Palin Newsweek cover is ...

Sarah Palin's biggest fear upon learning she would become John McCain's V.P. running mate last year was that people would learn about the D she once got.

That third-grade reading class was brutal!

Jokes aside, she told Oprah Winfrey in her much-anticipated interview how she thought the grade "would be the extent of the controversy" surrounding her.

But, as the former Alaska governor details in her autobiography, Going Rogue, the pregnancy of her teenage daughter, Bristol Palin, would soon hit the fan.

Bristol was "devastated" the world knew Levi Johnston got her pregnant, and Sarah Palin told Winfrey she was "naive" to think the media would leave her alone.

The father of Bristol's baby, who's set to pose nude in Playgirl, has caused Sarah much duress: "It's heartbreaking to see the road he is on now," she says.

Bristol Palin, she said, is doing "an amazing job," as a mom, living at home while going to college and working, and is trying to set an example to her sisters and other young women that "there are consequences to unprotected sex."

Those being babies, and absentee dads who pose nude in Playgirl while trashing your mom to any media outlet that will listen. Keep the legs closed, girls!

On her own pregnancy with Trig, who Levi says she mocked for his Down Syndrome, Palin said she gained understanding of women contemplating abortion.

"It was easy to understand why a woman would feel it's easier to just do away with a less than ideal circumstance, to do away with the problem," she said.

She said she knew for three weeks about the pregnancy before telling husband Todd. "He had probably a better reaction," she said. "I was more frightened."

Palin told Winfrey that after the 2008 loss, she called it quits as Alaska Governor because she knew she wasn't going to run again, and couldn't do her job.

"Alaska was being hampered by my presence there," she said. "I wasn't able to talk about issues that were important or an ethics violation would be filed."

She was cagey when asked if she planned a presidential run in 2012, as many have speculated, saying, "I don't know what I'm going to be doing then."

She also didn't answer when asked if she planned to host a talk show. "Oprah, you are the queen of talk shows," Palin said. "There's nothing to worry about."

Do you like Sarah Palin?

Don't expect Levi Johnston and Sarah Palin to settle their differences over turkey dinner this month. In fact, she'd probably rather give him this treatment.

The Playgirl model (day two of his nude photo shoot took place Friday) spoke about Sarah Palin's recent Thanksgiving invitation to Playgirl's editor-in-chief.

"He said 'you could tell by her laugh she was full of it,'" Playgirl Director of Marketing Daniel Nardicio said, calling it "a nice gesture but she didn't mean it."

Johnston said it would be beyond "awkward" should he actually show up.

Palin, the grandmother of Johnston's son Tripp, says on the pretaped November 16 Oprah Winfrey Show that her daughter's ex is still "part of the family."

She suggested he join her family for the traditional November family holiday. Levi Johnston's response? Now exactly holding his breath for a real invite.

Meanwhile, Thursday's Playgirl shoot "was fantastic," Johnston's manager Tank Jones said "People are going to see more of Levi than they thought."

"There was a hockey stick involved."

Now that we'll hold our breath for.

Oprah Winfrey has former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in the hot seat on Monday, and those hoping for a repeat of Carrie Prejean on Larry King will be disappointed. 

She's still talking about her teenage nemesis, her grandson's father, Levi Johnston, but unlike other recent interviews, Palin refused to get combative this time.

According to excerpts released today, Palin is asked if Johnston will be invited to their Thanksgiving dinner. "You know, that's a great question," Palin replies.

"It's lovely to think that he would ever even consider such a thing. Because, of course, you want - he is a part of the family and you want to bring him back into the fold and kind of under your wing. And he needs that, too, Oprah."

"I think [Levi Johnston] needs to know that he is always loved and that he has the most beautiful child and this can all work out for the best. It really can."

Sarah Palin ran for V.P. in 2008, but entertained even more in 2009.

Of Johnston's claims that she called her own baby retarded, Palin wisely says: "We don't have to keep going down this road of controversy all the time. We're not really into the drama. We have more important things to concentrate on."

Palin also did not seem enthusiastic about rehashing her notoriously awkward interview with Katie Couric during her bid for the Vice Presidency last fall.

She tells Winfrey she didn't think the sit-down wasn't a seminal, defining moment for her. "And neither did the campaign," she added. "The campaign said, 'This is what America needs to see and it was a good interview.'"

"And, of course, I'm thinking, 'If you thought that was a good interview, I don't know what a bad interview is,' because I knew it was a bad interview."

Fortunately, Oprah didn't ask about Levi's upcoming nude Playgirl spread. Now that would have really been a bad interview ... albeit entertaining.

Do you like Sarah Palin?

Looks like Levi Johnston wasn't kidding when he said on The Early Show yesterday that he had no intention of backing off in his crusade against Sarah Palin.

As we've talked about previously, the father of the former Alaska Governor's grandson is gonna pose for Playgirl. The only question was how nude he'd get.

Well, it's now confirmed we're getting the full Levi Johnston. Or something. We mean full, frontal nudity. Need us to draw you a picture? We really hope not.

Levi's manager, Tank Jones, already said he was 90 percent sure the baby daddy of Bristol Palin would take it all off, but he's now confirmed that final 10.

In the best press release ever, Jones simply wrote the following:

"Everything's gonna hang out. We're talking full Johnson."

Levi Johnston is taking the gloves - and everything else - off. Sarah Palin ain't seen nothin' yet! This guy has no shame and nothing to lose. A dangerous combo.

He left out a letter there, but no complaints. Oh, and it gets better yet. Jones says Levi Johnston is gunning to shoot the Playgirl pictures on November 16.

That's the very same day Sarah Palin makes her much-touted, book-shilling appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She'll definitely love that. Point, Levi!

Yesterday, Johnston caused quite a stir when he accused Palin of calling her son Trig retarded. Trig, 1, has Down Syndrome. Palin was far from pleased.

The ex-governor angrily fired back in a statement, but Levi was completely unfazed, ominously saying that he could say far worse things than that. Man.

As for the naked pics themselves, a Playgirl rep says of the shoot: "We're working on some athletic scene stuff for Levi: gyms, rinks - that sort of thing."

Hopefully he boxes with a Sarah Palin blow-up doll. That'd be all-time.

Whose side are you on?

Levi Johnston is about to get totally undressed for a nude spread in Playgirl. Now he's also getting dressed down by his baby mama's mama Sarah Palin.

Yup, their ongoing war of words has been kicked up a notch ... or 10.

On CBS' Early Show today, Levi continued his Palin-bashing PR tour by saying she referred to her infant son Trig, who has Down syndrome, as "retarded."

Moreover, he says she used the term repeatedly, and during the 2008 campaign, used the baby as a prop while in reality Bristol Palin primarily cared for it.

Without providing details, Johnston also ominously suggested that Palin, last year's Republican V.P. nominee, has done a whole lot worse than that, as well.

Cryptically but knowingly, he says he knows things that could "get her in trouble and could hurt her." You really couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.

"I'm not gonna go that far," Levi Johnston said. "You know, I mean, if I really wanted to hurt her, I could easily. But there's ... I'm just not gonna do it."

Suffice it to say, Levi's comments didn't sit well with Sarah.

In a bitter reply, the mother of five said in a statement that: "We have purposefully ignored the mean spirited, malicious, untrue attacks on our family."

Only she hasn't. Just saying.

"We, like many, are appalled at the inflammatory statements being made or implied," Palin's statement continued. "Trig is our 'blessed little angel' who knows it and is lovingly called that every single day of his life."

Palin said "CBS should be ashamed for continually providing a forum to propagate lies" and was indignant at the insinuation of using such a term.

Taking both Levi Johnston and CBS to task, Palin questioned the credibility of somebody about to get naked for a magazine, specifically Playgirl.

"Consider the source of the most recent attention-getting lies," she says.

"Those who would sell their body for money reflect a desperate need for attention and are likely to say and do anything for even more attention."

In response, Levi says his recent interview with Vanity Fair was just the beginning, and while he's sure Sarah Palin "has something comin' for me," he is unabashed about his counterattacks as long as the Palins cut him out of his child's life.

Your move, Levi. Your. Move.

In this difficult economic climate, you gotta pull out all the stops. Just ask former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who's networking to job hunt like so many others.

Palin has placed her resume on LinkedIn, picking out a misnomer username of governorpalin, despite resigning her post over the summer out of boredom.

Maybe crazyexguv was taken.

Known as the “Facebook for professionals,” LinkedIn is a social media site that displays more than 50 million resumes and allows for virtual networking.

LinkedIn lists years of employment as well; her profile says Palin was the governor of the State of Alaska for just two years, seven months. What a quitter!!

Sarah Palin kissed her career goodbye ... but at least she's back on the job hunt.

Sarah Palin's profile also notes that she's interested in “job inquiries, expertise requests, business deals, reference requests, and getting back in touch.”

Among her special accomplishments and skills she could add:

• Being able to see Russia from her house.
• Employing the worst publicist in PR history.
• Picking out some of the most ridiculous children's names of all time.
• Looking like Tina Fey, and being almost as funny (albeit unintentionally)
• Staging her teenage daughter's engagement to Levi Johnston so her getting knocked up wouldn't sabotage her Vice Presidential bid.

Without a doubt, Levi Johnston nude photos are in bad taste.

Similarly, spending pages and pages of one's autobiography bashing the heck out of your grandson's father could also been seen as morally questionable.

But that's exactly what sources say Sarah Palin has done in her upcoming memoir Going Rogue: An American Life. According to the National Enquirer, the book is a "self-serving press release" with one goal: destroying the credibility Bristol's ex-fiance.

Because this is exactly what a possible Presidential candidate should be focusing on: an 18-year old desperate for money and attention.

Said a publishing source, with knowledge of the book:

"Sarah got a ton of dough from her advance, but the book appears to be nothing more than a self-serving press release touting what she calls her 'happy marriage.' It's also a renewed attack on Levi Johnston, calling him 'a liar' once again for all the claims he's made against her after breaking up with Bristol and for saying he's going to battle for custody of baby Tripp."

Palin also shoots down rumors that she and Todd Palin are nearing a divorce, while calling Levi a "bald-faced liar."

Simply put, the insider added: "Sarah unleashes a blistering attack on Levi."

We can just imagine her 2012 Presidential campaign motto now: Levi Sucks. Democrats Swallow!