Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be part of the National Council for a New America, an attempt by leaders in Congress and potential 2012 presidential candidates to rebrand the struggling party."I am pleased to announce that Governor Palin has joined the National Council for a New America's panel of experts," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) today. "When NCNA was announced last week, we spoke about a dynamic organization that worked to constantly bring in new people and innovative ideas."
Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), who shared the national ticket with Palin, had hinted at Palin's involvement during a conference call last Thursday announcing the National Council's formation. But, her office had been largely silent in the intervening days and Cantor's office made clear only that she had been invited to join not that she had accepted.
Palin's involvement in the group will help rebut the idea that the National Council is an organ of the establishment wing of the party set up to keep the Palins and Gov. Mark Sanford's (S.C.) -- both of whom are more hardline conservatives -- from taking over control of the party.
How much or how little she does for the organization will be telling. In recent weeks Palin has cut many of her ties to Washington (or had them cut for her) and insisted that she is focused on Alaska.