Sarah Palin's palm cheat-sheet steals her show

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin addresses attendees at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville on Feb. 6, 2010. (Ed Reinke/Associated Press)

Garance Franke-Ruta
WashPost
Updated 2:37 p.m.

Has there been a more talked about stolen glance since George H.W. Bush looked at his wristwatch during a 1992 debate with Bill Clinton?

On Saturday, former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin glanced at her left palm during a question and answer session at the first National Tea Party Conference in Nashville. The topic: her thoughts on what the top three priorities for the GOP ought to be should the party regain control of Congress.

It quickly became apparent that Palin had been glancing at notes written on her palm. The Huffington Post produced a photographic close-up, which showed her hand contained the words "Energy", "Tax" and "Lift American Spirits." The phrase "Budget cuts" was also there, though the word "Budget" had been crossed out.

Much mockery has ensued -- from members of the press and liberal critics of Palin alike. Andrea Mitchell on Monday tweaked Palin's "cheat sheets" on MSNBC's Daily Rundown, saying she'd written notes on her own hand "just in case I didn't remember" the script.

The glance can be seen at 46 seconds into this video, produced and distributed by a liberal Washington advocacy group:



(Original here.)