This morning I learned that Gov. Palin is no longer listed on the CPAC agenda. I just spoke with the folks at CPAC, and they confirmed that Gov. Palin will not be attending. They are currently working on getting a taped message from the governor to play at the convention.

This is disappointing, but not unexpected. We have reported on the problems the Guv would face in coming to CPAC here and here.

She promised Alaskans that she would be fully engaged during the current 90 day legislative session, and I believe she intends to fulfill that promise completely. She has already taken a lot of flak for going to the Alfalfa dinner.

About two weeks ago, Palin was asked:

How are you juggling (national expectations with being governor)?

“It’s not a tough thing to juggle when I know and am grounded in the fact that I’m Alaska’s governor, that is first and foremost…I do receive, our office receives, hundreds if not thousands of requests to either speak or participate in something. We turn them down for the most part we say no, I’m not going to leave Alaska or I’ll rarely travel outside of Alaska.

“Now a lot of people outside of Alaska don’t really understand the way that we operate up here. I’m reminded quite often and my administration is reminded often, well, every other governor travels around the nation. Look at what Arnold Schwarzenegger, for instance, is doing right now, he and Rendell and others who are traveling around the nation as proponents of their infrastructure package.

“And I say that, well, Alaska is a little bit different. We’re and I say this with all due respect, we’re a little bit more parochial here, which is good, it keeps you grounded. We want to make sure that our Alaska officials are serving the people who literally have elected them.”

Gov. Palin campaigned in 2006 on the promise that she would always “put Alaskans first.” Kaylene Johnson noted in her biography of Gov. Palin: “On the campaign trail, Sarah didn’t make promises she couldn’t keep.”

She always fulfills her promises. That’s something Alaskans like about her. We like that too.

Exit thought: As a Californian, I would be happy to loan my governor to the folks of Alaska for a week (or even a year) so that Gov. Palin can attend CPAC. But I don’t think the Guv would go for that.