Palin apparently needs crib notes for how to avoid hypocrisy

During an interview that aired on Fox News Sunday today, former vice presidential candidate-turned-Fox News contributor Sarah Palin took another swipe at President Obama for using a teleprompter to make speeches. She told host Chris Wallace that she doesn't want to be the de-facto leader of the Tea Party because, "It's much bigger than any charismatic guy with a teleprompter. It is the people's movement. It's about the people and I'm proud to be a part of this."

Perhaps the Tea Party movement isn't bigger than a charismatic woman who has crib notes apparently scribbled on her hand when she is giving speeches.

A Huffington Post blogger seems to have caught Palin with the words "energy," "tax cuts," and "lift American spirits" written on her hand during her keynote speech yesterday at the Tea Party Convention. (Oliver Willis -- who works for Media Matters -- and Think Progress also caught Palin apparently reading off her hand during a later Q & A.) Palin also said during the speech -- without a hint of irony -- that the Tea Party movement is "a lot bigger than any charismatic guy with a teleprompter." Palin appeared to be reading her speech from an apparently far-more-appropriate paper copy.

Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that there are numerous photos of Palin using teleprompters to give speeches while on the campaign trail. For example, here's a photo posted last year by Florida TV station CFNews 13 of a November 1, 2008, Palin rally in Ocala, Florida:

And here's another of Palin in Missouri a few days later, courtesy CNN:

And a third of her in Ohio the same day, posted by The Plain Dealer:

Time to retire this talking point?