Ashley Judd vs. Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin knows how to fight back, said Jimmy Orr in The Christian Science Monitor. Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund released an online video this week featuring actress Ashley Judd (click here for the video via YouTube) slamming Alaska Gov. Palin for supporting aerial wolf hunting. Palin responded by accusing the group of twisting the truth about the predator-control program to squeeze donations from "hard-pressed Americans."

The video certainly succeeded in generating some attention, said Caroline Preston in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. And buzz is a necessary ingredient for fund-raising efforts, so in that sense Defenders of Wildlife's Eye on Palin campaign is already a success. But it's also getting Palin back in the public eye, so it isn't doing her any harm, either.

There's one thing the ad won't do, said Krestia DeGeorge in the Anchorage Press. It won't stop aerial wolf hunting—but if that were really the goal, Defenders of Wildlife would have devoted its attention to the Alaska State Board of Game. It looks like Judd and her friends were just looking for "the most convenient issue" for a political attack on Palin.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up