A MILLION HARDCOVERS SOLD, BUT SHE CAN ONLY AFFORD ONE HAT

Yeah, times are tough and we're all scrimping on pennies -- that must be the explanation for this:

Declaring that she "was honored and proud to run with him," former Alaska governor Sarah Palin pushed back hard Wednesday against a report that she had disrespected Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by blacking out his name on a sun visor she wore on vacation.

The website TMZ accused Palin of "a frontal attack on Sen. John McCain" during a Hawaii vacation this week: "Sarah chose to wear a visor from her campaign -- a visor that was emblazoned with the former presidential candidate's name ... that is, until Palin redacted McCain's name with a black marker."

But Palin said in a statement to POLITICO that she was just trying to "be incognito" -- to go unrecognized and shield her children and husband, Todd, from paparazzi....



Oh, sure, every hotel gift shop in Hawaii will sell you a nondescript visor, but, what with this darn recession and all, you've got to use it up, wear it out, and make it do, right? Especially since Palin et famille are going to have to get by this year on book royalties that are only going to be in the high seven or low eight figures. And, of course, a McCain visor would automatically make everyone think she was part of the campaign, right? Hey, you know how it is -- doesn't everyone with an Obama/Biden bumper sticker get mistaken for the president?

The Note notes the wingnut fad for McCain/Palin bumper stickers with the "McCain" torn off, and says that Doug Hoffman's campaign car in NY-23 this fall bore just such a sticker. So now we know two things: Palin's addiction to attention is leading her to reach desperately for a fix every few days (last week it was the TV appearance with Shatner, next week it'll be God knows), and Palin is going to be tapping teabaggism for material. I'm surprised she wasn't wearing a "blood of tyrants" T-shirt -- y'know, in an incognito fashion.