Despite her complete misunderstanding of the First Amendment, you almost have to admire the mavericicity of Sarah Palin‘s Dr. Laura Schlessinger defense, especially in light of the fact that Schlessinger trashed Palin on her blog during the 2008 campaign. That’s some remarkable consistency, isn’t it?

Fox News’ weekend Wall Street Journal partner program, the Journal Editorial Report, ran a segment Saturday analyzing Sarah Palin‘s chances at a successful presidential run in 2012 in light of a recent poll finding that 71% of Americans think she is not qualified for the job. Stuart Varney, in for Paul Gigot, lead the round table in a discussion on Palin’s chances in 2012. The commentators turned on Palin, with the ones trying to find the sunny side of the former Alaska governor slamming her even harder than her detractors.

Saturday Night Live‘s Andy Samberg took a profanity-filled turn as White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel in a segment referred to as “An Even Tempered Apology.” It was, predictably, anything but, as Samberg’s Emanuel unleashed on a tirade of f-bombs and insults. He hit the progressive Democrats (“f*cking turncoats”) over “Retardgate,” but then set his sights on Sarah Palin, who called for his resignation on Facebook. The nicest thing he calls her is a “gimmick.”

There’s a neat symmetry to the fact that, the day after Keith Olbermann responded to gleeful rumors of his own demise, he posits the end of the line for Sarah Palin. Emboldened by the release of thousands of Palin emails, the inauspiciously racist kickoff to the Palin-headlined “Tea Party Convention,” and Palin’s truckling response to Rush Limbaugh’s cowardly “retard” litany, Keith asks if the countdown is on to the end of Palin’s political career.

As reported earlier today, Sarah Palin is using her Facebook page to denounce Rahm Emanuel‘s casual and pejorative use of “retarded” on the president’s detractors. Yesterday Rush Limbaugh got in the act, flaunting the “political correct” movement by repeatedly using the more offensive term “retard.” This was reported last night by Keith Olbermann, who asked why Palin hasn’t yet come down on Limbaugh? Let’s hope that this story is only getting started because it could be really fun. Update – Palin’s camp responds.

It’s official, Sarah Palin has managed to start another media fire storm with her Facebook page posting on the matter (death panels, the politically correct version?) and it doesn’t look like it’s going to simmer down soon. If every public figure who uses the term is to be fired, Palin may have a long list on her hands. Also, she may want us to turn in France.