Even as she was helping ruin John McCain's presidential hopes forever, Sarah Palin was learning an important lesson from Barack Obama: Strike while your fame is still hot.

So, barely one week after Obama's historic inauguration, the Alaska governor will brave Russian surface-to-air missiles or whatever to fly to DC and speak at a terrible club started in honor of the birthday of Robert E. Lee, the man who personally led the defense of slavery, with guns. Cindy Adams, who once dated Lee, says Obama will definitely be there. OK, why not.

Adams also says various other horrifying things, which might possibly be true because, hey, she called the McCain running mate's SNL cameo:

  • Palin is starting her own political action committee called "Sarahpac.com," modeled on Hillary Clinton's HillPac (read: Hillary personally did the HTML and will email the PUMAs for Palin).
  • "Next month she addresses a Washington gathering of prominent conservatives."
  • "She's going ahead with a book."
  • "She's planning to be president."

Like Obama, Palin gave a speech at her party's convention that was very well received by the "base." Unlike Obama, she then proceeded to look like an illiterate amateur on the national stage, and also a disloyal and selfish running mate who in the final analysis probably blew the election as badly as, say, Steve Schmidt. But apparently she's not going to let that stop her.

Republicans are confused and in disarray and just desperate enough to possibly embrace Palin. She'd be popular among social conservatives, obviously, which means she'd probably doom the party to another decade of culture wars. But even if they eventually pass on Palin, it makes sense for Republicans to trot Palin out now and try and steal some of the attention Obama's been getting.

Side note: It's adorable that Palin chose Cindy Adams as her go-to gal for leaks. And it will be hilarious when she someday accused Adams of crafty journalistic manipulations.