Chicago’s Admiral Theatre has announced plans to hold a Sarah Palin “Look A Like Contest and Tea Party Benefit” on May 12, the same day the GOP’s last superstar is scheduled to appear at an Illinois Republican fundraiser. While this is clearly part of a series of pop-cultural attempts to sexually humiliate Palin, you have to also wonder who is the audience for this kind of thing.

Wow Sarah Palin on Sean Hannity tonight has already been bunches of fun. When the Fox anchor asked her if she thought the Tea Party movement (which she is a part of, because she believes in Freedom) should start having people run for office on an Independent ticket, she surprised us with her answer.

In case you’re wondering how the Sarah Palin “Telepalmter” story is going to play out this week, look no further than this morning’s Morning Joe. NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell satirized the former governor (and future candidate for President?) by writing her colleagues’ names on her hand, and Joe Scarborough pushed back with the omnipresent conservative TOTUS meme, which states that every politician except President Obama is allowed to use a teleprompter.

It seems that during her keynote speech at last night’s Tea Party Convention, Sarah Palin used the inside of her hand to scribble notes reminding her of topics including “energy,” “budget cut,” “tax,” and “lift American spirits.” During the Q&A after her speech, you can see Palin glancing down to reference her list after attacking President Obama for using a teleprompter. Pics and video inside!

The Tea Party movement got a lot of play on last night’s On The Record with Greta Van Susteren. Mike Huckabee voiced his support for the group in populist tones, while Sarah Palin, spoke of her ties to the Party as well. “Oh, you betcha I’m going to be there,” Palin said of the national convention where she will be paid $150,000 to speak. But trouble has been brewing.

Frank Rich, in today’s New York Times op-ed “The Great Tea Party Rip-Off,” argues that a grassroots movement is being exploited, not only by politicians seeking election, but by companies, marketers and lobbyists. “Both Steele and Palin claim to be devotees of the tea party movement,” Rich writes skeptically, wondering if the group is “being co-opted by hucksters.”