Sarah Palin clearly isn't afraid to ruffle feathers at the top of the Republican Party, said Allahpundit in Hot Air. The former GOP vice presidential candidate is endorsing stalwart conservative Doug Hoffman over the moderate GOP candidate, Dede Scozzafava, in an upstate New York congressional race. "More interesting than the endorsement, though, is her derisive reference to 'political machines'" -- take that, party leaders.
This is just the latest proof, said Chris Cillizza in The Washington Post, "that the former Alaska governor's allegiance is to her conservative principles rather than the edicts" of the Republican Party. Powerful Republicans are choosing sides in a race that is turning into a fight "control of the direction of the national party." And that debate may continue into the 2012 presidential primary if Sarah Palin runs against establishment Republicans, such as Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
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