Making New Friends

(Getty Images via CNN)

Delicious gossip about Sarah stinking up the place at the governors' thingy:

MIAMI (CNN) — Some Republican governors tell CNN they were not particularly happy with the way the Republican Governors Association press conference was executed Thursday, saying that they agreed to go as a show of GOP governors’ unity — but they ended up feeling like silent Palin supporters, since it was clearly a press conference called for her.

The GOP governors spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity.

One called it awkward: “I’m sure you could see it on some of our faces.”

Another Republican governor eyeing a presidential run in 2012** told CNN the event was “odd” and “weird,” and said it “unfortunately sent a message that she was the de facto leader of the party."

There has been palpable tension among some GOP governors gathered in Miami that Palin has been sucking up all the media oxygen.

In an interview with CNN, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour shrugged off that suggestion.

"That's just somebody running down a rabbit trail. There's plenty of oxygen here,” he said.

And, indeed, she just totally hijacked the press conference, the entire event, really, and the other people do look totally, totally pissed! Sarah! This is not the way to make friends! But honestly, how dare they! They should have had their own dumb press conference. But the hilarious truth is that if they had, all the questions would have totally been, all, "Where's Sarah? What do you think of Sarah?" Haw, they are SO stuck with her now. Hey, Republicans, Sarah Palin ate your party! And you simply must read J-Mart's amusing write-up of the event at Politico, where Palin's rivals are barely, barely able to conceal their hatred:

Meeting with reporters later that day, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, and Meg Whitman and Rob Portman, who, respectively, are eyeing 2010 gubernatorial runs in California and Ohio, went from speaking passionately and authoritatively about the GOP’s challenges to an awkward near-silence, turning to each other and initially saying nothing when the dreaded Palin questions came about.

After the others had grudgingly taken a turn, Pawlenty, a finalist on McCain’s veep list, spoke up.

“You wanted me to respond?” he said with minimal enthusiasm. “Look at the time,” he joked before saying the requisite nice things.

...

While the governors were publicly polite, their aides, advisers and other Republicans here at this tropical networking and strategy session looked on at the Palin spectacle with a mix of bemusement, curiosity and annoyance.

“She’s our Britney Spears,” one veteran Republican, who is close to a prospective future presidential rival of Palin, observed after hearing her speak. “It’s just this cult of personality.”

She's their Britney Spears! Is that, perhaps, a clever allusion to McCain/Palin's noteworthy "Obama celebrity" ad? Brilliant!

God, how much better is this going to get?

**That's got to be either Pawlenty or Jindal! Take your pick!