Sarah Palin Drops LL Cool J

An upcoming Fox News Channel special hosted by Sarah Palin is titled “Real American Stories.”  But rapper-actor LL Cool J says his participation in the show was bogus. In response, the network has snipped him from the program.

In a Twitter posting, the entertainer wrote that Fox “lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palins Show. WOW.”

Country singer Toby Keith was similarly caught by surprise, his publicist said.

Elaine Schock said a radio reporter contacted her seeking details about Keith’s announced appearance on Palin’s Fox News program.

“I said, ‘You’re wrong. There is no Sarah Palin special with Toby Keith on it on Fox,’” Schock said.

She said the reporter then e-mailed her the press release issued by Fox News, which said Keith would “explain the inspiration behind his song ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.’”

Discovery Snatches Sarah Palin

Several Hollywood trade publications report that Discovery will pay more than $1 million per episode for the reality show “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.” It may be her Alaska, but no word yet on whose reality it is.

Producers began pitching the series earlier this month, billing it as a show about Alaska seen through Palin’s eyes and shot in the style of Discovery’s “Planet Earth,” feasting on the state’s natural beauty.

The Discovery Channel’s latest nature project, “Life,” debuted Sunday with the network’s best ratings for a new series in a decade. The series, four years in the making, shows animal footage in eye-catching high definition. It had 11.8 million viewers for its first episode.

Alaska is already the setting for one of cable TV’s most popular series, “Deadliest Catch.” The Discovery Channel series follows fishermen trying to make their living in the forbidding waters off Alaska.

Palin has been busy on TV in recent months, having signed on as an analyst for the Fox News Channel. She also appeared on “The Tonight Show,” where she performed a stand-up routine.

Without Groundhogs Alaska Celebrates Marmot Day

Alaska now has its own version of Groundhog Day.

Then-Gov. Sarah Palin signed a bill last year to make every Feb. 2 Marmot Day in Alaska.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Linda Menard, a Wasilla Republican.

Because groundhogs are not common in Alaska, Menard says it made sense for the marmot to become Alaska’s version of Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog famed for his winter weather forecasts.

Menard’s bill didn’t give marmots any weather forecasting duties, but she hopes the state will create educational activities around the animal.

Palin And Fox: Perfect Together

Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, will return to her broadcast roots and take her conservative message to Fox News as a regular commentator, the cable channel announced.

“I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox News,” Palin said in a statement posted on the network’s Web site. “It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news.”

Fox said that according to the multiyear deal, Palin will offer political commentary and analysis on the cable channel, as well as Fox’s Web site, radio network and business cable channel.

She also will host occasional episodes of Fox News’ “Real American Stories,” a series debuting this year that the network said will feature true inspirational stories about Americans who have overcome adversity.

“Governor Palin has captivated everyone on both sides of the political spectrum and we are excited to add her dynamic voice to the FOX News lineup,” Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming, said in a statement.

Palin, 45, is hugely popular with conservatives and has more than 1.1 million Facebook followers.

Schmidt: Palin Believed Candidacy Was ‘God’s Plan’

Sarah Palin believed that Sen. John McCain chose her to be his running mate in 2008 because of “God’s plan,” according to a top political strategist in the Arizona Republican’s campaign.

In an interview with the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes,” Steve Schmidt described Palin as “very calm — nonplussed” after McCain met with her at his Arizona ranch just before putting her on the Republican ticket. McCain had planned to name Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., as his vice presidential choice until word leaked, sparking what Schmidt called political blowback over picking the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Schmidt said he asked Palin about her serenity in the face of becoming “one of the most famous people in the world.” He quoted her as saying, “It’s God’s plan.”

Sarah Palin ‘Brims’ With McCain Pride

Sarah Palin announced Thursday night that she ended a Hawaii vacation early because of the ruckus raised after she blacked out “McCain” on her sun visor in an effort to elude paparazzi.

After the former Alaska governor was photographed on the beach earlier this week, TMZ.com portrayed the visor marking as a slight of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), her running mate last year.

Palin, in the midst of a book tour for her million-selling “Going Rogue,” released this statement:

“In an attempt to ‘go incognito,’ I Sharpied the logo out on my sun visor so photographers would be less likely to recognize me and bother my kids or other vacationers.

“I am so sorry if people took this silly incident the wrong way. I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago.

“Todd and I have since cut our vacation short because the incognito attempts didn’t work and fellow vacationers were bothered for the two days we spent in the sun. So much for trying to go incognito.”

Sarah Palin and William Shatner Face Off

Sarah Palin made a surprise appearance on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” on Friday — and turned the tables on actor William Shatner.

In recent appearances on the late-night television show, Shatner has adopted a serious pose and recited some of Palin’s less serious observations.

He was brought out again to read passages from Palin’s blockbuster “Going Rogue.” The carefully selected passages included ones about rapper Kid Rock and stalking sheep.

Afterward, it was Palin’s turn to read from Shatner’s autobiography, “Up Till Now.” The former Alaska governor’s selections included one in which Shatner talks about visiting an African elephant “in my underwear.”

After the readings, there appeared to be no hard feelings. The two left the stage arm-in-arm.

Now What? Tiger Woods In Playgirl

Playgirl magazine said it has been offered what are purported to be naked photographs of Tiger Woods.

The adult online magazine said it would consider publishing the images if it can verify they are genuine.

A Playgirl magazine spokesman said: “We were approached by a third party who wanted to know our interest level. Our lawyers are currently going over them, the source, the entire package.”

The magazine recently published naked pictures of Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin’s grandchild. Mr Johnston posed for the magazine.

It would be the latest embarrassment to Woods, the world’s embattled number one golfer, who has now been linked to at least 10 women.

One of those, Holly Sampson, 36, actually boated about sleeping with the golfer in an internet broadcast in May but no-one believed her.

Woods has faced a barrage of bad publicity since a mysterious car crash outside his home in Orlando. Florida late last month.

The women linked to him include two porn stars, several waitresses, night club managers and a reality television star.

Woods’s wife is said to be devastated but plans to stay married for the sake of their daughter Sam, two, and son Charlie, ten months.

A friend told People magzine: “She is a child of divorce and that’s not something she’s likely going to want to do to Sam and Charlie. She really believes in the importance of parents staying together.”

Levi Johnson To Pose For Playgirl

Levi Johnson, the baby daddy of Sarah Palin’s grandson, is looking forward to his photo spread in “Playgirl,” but he promises to “keep it classy.”

In an interview with Star magazine hitting stands nationally Friday, Johnston said he hasn’t yet decided whether he will pose fully, frontally nude in the upcoming photo shoot.

“I don’t know. I’m going to decide that on the fly. I want to keep it classy. I don’t want to do something I’ll regret,” the hockey hunk said.

Johnston fathered Tripp with Bristol Palin, daughter of the ex-Alaska governor, but their engagement ended in rancor.

Since then, Johnston has capitalized on the notoriety by exposing what he claims is Palin family dirty laundry.

And now, he is taking exposure to another level. Levi said he’s exercising in preparation for the photo shoot, specifically his back side.

But he said he isn’t nervous about posing naked. “What’s to be nervous about? I guess some people would be nervous to pose nude, but I’m not,” he said.

“I’m ready to do it. I’m feeling confident. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Johnston, who isn’t dating anyone, said he doesn’t know what his former fiancee thinks of his Playgirl photo shoot. “I haven’t talked with her about any of that stuff,” he said. “We don’t really talk anymore,” he said, “except about the baby, my son. That’s about it.”

Sarah Palin’s ‘Going Rogue’ Is Already A Best Seller

Move over, Dan Brown. Sarah Palin is on top of the charts.

Just two days after HarperCollins announced that Palin’s “Going Rogue” had been moved up from the spring to Nov. 17, preorders for the former Alaska governor’s memoir made it No. 1 on both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

Among the books “Going Rogue” is outselling: Sen. Ted Kennedy‘s “True Compass,” Mitch Albom‘s “Have a Little Faith” and Brown’s “The Lost Symbol,” his first novel since “The Da Vinci Code” and, perhaps until now, the year’s most anticipated release.

Palin, in collaboration with author Lynn Vincent, completed her 400-page book just four months after agreeing to terms with HarperCollins, which plans a first printing of 1.5 million copies. It’s the first book by Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor until suddenly resigning last summer.

She is regarded as a possible 2012 contender for the presidency. Past candidates, notably Barack Obama, have been helped by writing best-selling books, invaluable platforms for politicians to tell their story.