Palin Bus Tour Hits the Brakes

Sarah Palin has abruptly cut short her bus tour and gone home to Alaska before hitting such planned destinations as Iowa and South Carolina. Though the trip had no formally announced schedule, Real Clear Politics reports that top aides had drafted an itinerary that would have seen her tour the Southeast and Midwest this month.

That means Palin won’t be meeting with such key figures as Nikki Haley or Terry Branstad, or visiting their early primary states, and will raise speculation that the ex-governor doesn’t intend to run for president after all. SarahPAC’s website hasn’t been updated since May, and many supporters are “impatient and confused” about her strategy, according to RCP. There have been rumors that she’s offered Rick Perry her support, though Perry’s aides say they know of no such arrangement. (More Sarah Palin bus tour stories.)