Democrat suggests Sarah Palin exploited Park Service

Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon sent a letter to the National Park Service Tuesday to express "serious concerns about the use of federal resources in conjunction with the 'One Nation' partisan political tour conducted by former Gov. Sarah Palin through SarahPAC."

Blumenauer said press accounts of the tour "suggest that National Park Service resources were made available to an extent beyond that which an average American family would receive."

He pointed to a June 1 Washington Post story reporting that the tour has "required some planning and preparation by the historic sites that received her." The story said Palin was given a "private guided tour" of Mount Vernon and other sites as well as early admission to the National Archives. Palin was also reportedly given a ten-person escort made up of park rangers and police escorts on a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Blumenauer asked for a written explanation of Park Service policies on using "taxpayer-funded resources for publicity events," and an accounting of what resources were used to handle Palin's bus tour. He also asked if manpower was diverted from other activities to accommodate the Palin family and asked if that is "a routine practice for visiting celebrities."

Derek Schlickeisen, Blumenauer's press secretary, said Palin should reimburse the Park Service for the resources she required.

"What exactly was this bus tour supposed to be?" he asked. "If it was a political campaign event, then it is inappropriate for any federal resources to be used. If it was just a family vacation, then she shouldn't be entitled to any special treatment beyond what the average American family would receive."

In an apparent shot to the uproar over Palin's comments on Paul Revere, he added: "And for all the public resources that were used for her private tours of historical sites, it's clear she didn't learn much about history either."