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.

Sarah Palin Drops A Bombshell

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she is resigning from office at the end of July, raising speculation that she would focus on a run for the White House in the 2012 race.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate made the surprise announcement from her home in suburban Wasilla. She said she would step down July 26 but didn’t announce her plans.

Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the governor’s picnic in Fairbanks at the end of the month, Palin spokesman Dave Murrow said.

Palin was first elected in 2006 on a populist platform. But her popularity has waned as she waged in partisan politics following her return from the presidential campaign. Her term would have ended in 2010.

Sarah Palin Signs Book Deal With Rupert Murdoch’s HarperCollins

Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor pulled from the U.S. political periphery onto the 2008 Republican presidential ticket, has signed a deal to write her memoirs with HarperCollins.

Palin, who was Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential pick, did not disclose how much she would be paid by the publisher, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

“This is an incredible opportunity and I am excited to work with HarperCollins to tell my story and Alaska’s story,” Palin said in a statement.

“There have been so many things written and said through mainstream media that have not been accurate, and it will be nice through an unfiltered forum to get to speak truthfully about who we are and what we stand for and what Alaska is all about,” Palin said in an interview published on the Anchorage Daily News Web site.

Palin complained during last year’s unsuccessful campaign about having her comments “filtered” by the mainstream media.

Sarah Palin Backs Miss California Carrie Prejean

Sarah Palin has released a statement defending Miss California against “the liberal onslaught of malicious attacks.”

Carrie Prejean finished second in the Miss USA contest after voicing her opposition to gay marriage in response to a question by pageant judge and openly gay blogger Perez Hilton. Prejean was attacked by some on the left for her answer, but emerged as a star among social conservatives following the contest.

Palin said she spoke to Prejean soon after the contest and “can relate as a liberal target myself.”

“What I find so remarkable is that these politically-motivated attacks fail to show that what Carrie and I believe is also what President Obama and Secretary Clinton believe — marriage is between a man and a woman,” Palin said.

The Alaska governor went on “applaud” Donald Trump for not stripping Prejean of her Miss California crown after risque photos of her emerged following her answer in the pageant.

“I respect Carrie for standing strong and staying true to herself, and for not letting those who disagree with her deny her protection under the nation’s First Amendment Rights,” Palin said.

“Our Constitution protects us all – not just those who agree with the far left.”

Meet The World’s Most Beautiful Politicians

Four Israeli politicians placed among the 54 most beautiful women in public office in the world in an online reader poll taken by Spanish newspaper, 20 Minutos. Newly elected Member of Knesset Orli Levy was ranked in 14th place. Five slots after her comes former Knesset member and business woman Pnina Rosenblum (below) in 19th place.

In 23rd place is Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham Balila, and 31st place is MK Anastassia Michaeli (below).

The list, voted on by tens of thousands of online readers, was topped by 30-year-old Peruvian Member of Parliament Luciana Leon (below).

Immediately following in second place is Mercedes Araoz, also from Peru. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko (below) received 8th place in the poll.

In 24th place, one slot after MK Ruhama Avraham, is Alaskan governor and former Republican vice president candidate Sarah Palin (below).

Also representing the United States, Hillary Clinton (below) was ranked in 34th place. At 61, she is the oldest woman on the list.

Just two slots after Clinton is Segolene Royal (below), who ran less than two years ago against Nicolas Sarkozy for the French presidency.

The youngest woman on the list is Julia Bonk (below), 23, who was elected to Saxony’s state parliament in east Germany for the first time at the age of 18. She is ranked in 22nd place in the poll.

From Africa, Angolan Isabel dos Santos (below) ranks 47th on the list.

Sealing off the list in 54th place is Afghani Malalai Joya (below), 30.

Here’s the complete list:

1 – Luciana Leon, 30, Peru
2 – Mercedes Aráoz 47, Peru
3 – Sara Latife Ruiz Chavez, 32, Mexico
4 – Mara Carfagna, 32, Italy
5 – Yuri Fujikawa, 27, Japan
6 – Anna-Maria Galojan, 26, Estonia
7 – Toireasa Ferris, 29, Ireland
8 – Yuliya Tymoshenko, 48, Ukraine
9 – Eunice Olsen, 31, Singapore
10 – Cayetana Álvarez, 34, Spain
11 – Vera Lischka, 31, Austria
12 – Alina Kabaev, 26, Russia
13 – Gabriela Cueva, 29, Mexico
14 – Orly Levy, 35, Israel
15 – Cristina Dia, 50, Mexico
16 – Tsepeli Nikolet, 28, Greece
17 – Marianne Thiem, 36, The Netherlands
18 – Carme Chacó, 37, Spain
19 – Pnina Rosenblum, 53, Israel
20 – Bibiana Aíd, 31, Spain
21 – Tanja Karpel, 38, Finland
22 – Julia Anastasia Bonk, 23, Germany
23 – Ruhama Avraham, 44, Israel
24 – Sarah Palin, 44, United States
25 – Stefania Prestigiacom, 43, Italy
26 – Sofia Larse, 36, Sweden
27 – Angelina Sondak, 32, Indonesia
28 – Cristina Fernández de Kirchne, 56, Argentina
29 – Katrín Gunnarsdótti, 43, Iceland
30 – Soraya Sáen, 37, Spain
31 – Anastasia Michael, 33, Israel
32 – Stephanie Herseth, 38, United States
33 – Mónica Lorente Ramó, 38, Spain
34 – Hillary Clinton, 61, United States
35 – Melissa Park, 42, Australia
36 – Ségolène Roya, 55, France
37 – Jiang Y, 44, China
38 – Freya Van den Bossch, 34, Belgium
39 – Nebahat Albayra, 40, The Netherlands
40 – Kirsten Gillibrand, 43, United States
41 – Eva Glawischni, 39, Austria
42 – Sabine Herol, 27, France
43 – Hillevi Larsso, 34, Sweden
44 – Hillevi Larsso, 46, Iceland
45 – Piia-Noora Kaupp, 33, Finland
46 – Sabine Bätzin, 34, German
47 – Isabel dos Santo, Angola
48 – Penny Won, 40, Australia
49 – Kate Elli, 32, Australia
50 - Melissa Lee, New Zealand
51 – Marcela Guerra Castill, Mexico
52 – Delsa Solórzano, Venezuela
53 – Natalie Rickl, 33, Sweden
54 – Malalai Joy, 31, Afghanistan

John McCain Disses Sarah Palin – Big Time!

It was one thing for John McCain to ignore Sarah Palin when he rattled off a list of Republican rising stars — “governors who are young and dynamic” — on the Tonight Show.

That snub, alone, was widely noted, at especially on Twitter, where McCain is very proud to be in the “top twits” list.

But if you listened right, it was easy to hear the former Republican presidential candidate compounding the insult when he added, “I’ve left out somebody’s name and I’m going to hear about it.”

You can read that at least two ways, perhaps by design: “I’ve left out someone in particular’s name, on purpose” or “I’ve inevitably on accident left out someone’s name, lord knows who, probably someone in a desolate flyover state, but please don’t make a joke about my age and fading memory capacity, thanks.”

Assuming that McCain hates his former running mate is actually the charitable answer that gives him the benefit of the doubt. That alternative is that he’s already forgotten about the woman who ran at the bottom of his ticket like six months ago, poised to someday inherit the presidency.

Ya, he hates her.

Sarah Palin Blasts Levi Johnston Over Comments

Levi Johnston is in big trouble at the Sarah Palin household.

After talking about sex on “The Tyra Banks Show,” Johnston – the 18-year-old father of Bristol Palin’s baby – was hit with a blistering response from Bristol’s mother, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

“Bristol did not even know Levi was going on the show. We’re disappointed that Levi and his family, in a quest for fame, attention, and fortune, are engaging in flat-out lies, gross exaggeration, and even distortion of their relationship,” says the statement from the Palin family rep.

“Bristol’s focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing her education, and advocating abstinence,” the statement continues. “It is unfortunate that Levi finds it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to contribute to the well being of the child.”

The statement ends, saying, “Bristol realizes now that she made a mistake in her relationship and is the one taking responsibility for their actions.”

In the show airing April 6, Johnston tells Tyra Banks that he believes Sarah Palin knew he and Bristol, 18, were having sex when they lived under her roof. “I’m pretty sure she probably knew. Moms are pretty smart,” Johnston says.

The couple, who were high school sweethearts, planned to wed after graduating – but ended up splitting earlier this year. At the time, Johnston told “Good Morning America” that he needed to mature before getting married.

Bristol And Levi Call It Quits

Bristol Palin, the 18-year-old daughter of Alaska’s governor and last year’s Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, has split from her fiance Levi Johnston, celebrity magazine People has reported.

The break-up happened “a few weeks ago,” People reported, citing an unnamed source it said was close to the couple.

Bristol, whose pregnancy briefly occupied the headlines during her mother’s vice presidential campaign last year, gave birth to a son named Tripp in December, fathered by Johnston.

The teenage pregnancy was an awkward moment for the vice presidential candidate, whose campaign supported sex education in public schools that encourages abstinence.

A representative from the Alaska governor’s office declined comment on the matter.

Sarah Palin Fights Back – Attacks Media In New Documentary

Sarah Palin believes that the media deliberately tried to bring her down during her vice presidential run.

As part of an interview with conservative filmmaker John Ziegler for his new film, Media Malpractice, out this week, Palin said she believes the media made a decision that “we’re going to seek and we’re going to destroy this candidacy of Sarah Palin’s because of what it is that she represents.”

“Obviously something big took place in the media,” she added. It is “very frightening, I think, what the media was able to get away with, this go around.”

Palin suggested that unbalanced media coverage posed a threat to democracy.

“This is for the sake of our democracy that there is fairness in this other branch of government, if you will, called the media,” she said. “It is foreign to me the way some in the mainstream media are thinking.”

“There have been lies told, there have been reputations trashed, there have been children that have been harmed,” she continued.

Looking back on her interview with ABC News’ Charles Gibson, in which Palin seemed unsure of how to define the Bush doctrine, the Alaska governor said she was disrespected in a way that another candidate would not have been.

“I’d have to say there would be much more respect shown to the subject, yes,” she said.

Fashion Model Orly Levy Makes It To The Knesset

They’ll soon be a new face in the Knesset.  Orly Levy, a model, TV hostess and a daughter of former Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy won a seat on Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party line.

Local wags have made quick work of her thin résumé, with many calling her the “Palin of Israel.”  Even the 35-year-old Levy herself admits, “I have no political experience at all.”

Some Israelis are amused. “This would be like Paris Hilton going to the Senate,” says filmmaker Etgar Keret. “You could make a reality show about this.”