Chris Cillizza has a bit about Sarah Palin’s decision to attend the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, but not CPAC 2010, at The Fix:

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s decision to attend — and speak at — the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans in April transforms that event into the first legitimate cattle-call of the 2012 Republican presidential sweepstakes. Palin announced late Thursday that she would attend SRLC, joining Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as announced speakers. Interestingly, Palin also announced on Thursday that she would not be speaking at CPAC, a gathering of conservatives in Washington in mid February — a decision, according to those familiar with her thinking, due at least in part to the fact that the John Birch Society is one of the sponsors. The decision to attend SRLC but not CPAC — love those acronyms! — seems to be a rare instance of Palin refusing to play to type, bucking the grassroots for a more establishment-oriented event.

I should note that this statement is from “those familiar with her thinking,” and not a quote from Palin herself. Also interesting: the use of “grassroots” to describe a conference that accepts the John Birch Society as a cosponsor.

Sarah Palin, of course, had a previous public relations brush with the JBS.

And I can’t help being dismayed that all four of the GOP politicians mentioned in Cillizza’s post are creationists: Jindal, Huckabee, Pawlenty, and Palin.

The Republican Leadership.