PALIN'S CHECKERS SPEECH

Sarah Palin gave a version of Richard Nixon's Checkers speech yesterday.

Nixon -- the much-maligned young running mate of a gray-eminence war hero in 1952 -- was responding to allegations that he'd profited personally from a secret, albeit legal, slush fund set up by donors. Palin yesterday was responding to several days' worth of stories about lavish spending on her clothes. In each case, the ambitious running mate denied personal gain and played both the military card and (especially) the poverty card.

Nixon, September 23, 1952:

...I say that it was morally wrong if any of that $18,000 went to Senator Nixon for my personal use.

... I'd like to read to you the opinion that was prepared by Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher and based on all the pertinent laws and statutes, together with the audit report prepared by the certified public accountants.

It is our conclusion that Senator Nixon did not obtain any financial gain from the collection and disbursement of the fund by Dana Smith... Signed Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher by Alma H. Conway....

I worked my way through college and to a great extent through law school.

And then, in 1940, probably the best thing that ever happened to me happened, I married Pat -- sitting over here.

We had a rather difficult time after we were married, like so many of the young couples who may be listening to us. I practised law; she continued to teach school.

Then, in 1942, I went into the service....

I went to the South Pacific. I guess I'm entitled to a couple of battle stars. I got a couple of letters of commendation but I was just there when the bombs were falling and then I returned.

...I own a 1950 Oldmobile car. We have out furniture. We have no stocks and bonds of any type. We have no interest of any kind, direct or indirect, in any business....

I should say this -- that Pat doesn't have a mink coat. But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat, and I always tell her that she'd look good in anything....

Palin yesterday:

... in Tampa, Palin happily broached the clothing issue after being introduced by "The View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck....

"This whole thing with the wardrobe, you know I have tried to just ignore it because it is so ridiculous, but I am glad now that Elisabeth brought it up, cause it gives me an opportunity without the filter of the media to get to tell you the whole clothes thing," she said.

"Those clothes, they are not my property. Just like the lighting and the staging and everything else that the RNC purchased, I'm not taking them with me. I am back to wearing my own clothes from my favorite consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska....

"And my wedding ring, it's in Todd's pocket, 'cause it hurts sometimes when I shake hands and it gets squished," she continued. "A $35 wedding ring from Hawaii that I bought myself and 'cause I always thought with my ring it's not what it's made of, it's what it represents, and 20 years later, happy to wear it. And then finally the other accessory, you bet I'm a gold -- I'm a blue star mom. I'm wearing this in honor of my son who is fighting over in Iraq right now defending all of you." ...

Despite the friction between the two, Eisenhower and Nixon went on to win two elections, and Nixon went on to win two more.

Let's hope the parallels end there.