Sarah Palin Surprises Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally

On Sunday, May 29th, not only did 250,000 motorcycle enthusiasts show up at the annual Rolling Thunder event in Washington D.C. gathering, former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, showed up apparently without official invitation as part of her recent east coast bus tour.  Riding near the front of the pack, of over 100,000 riders, Palin waved and greeted parade goers from the back of a new Harley.  Followed by husband Todd with daughter Piper and Bristol on yet another machine, the Palins made quite a stir according to officials.

Rolling Thunder originally started in 1987 when Corporal Ray Morgan USMC gathered riders together as a way to show support for POW / MIA soldiers from Vietnam and let friends and family know, that they had not been forgotten.  Over the years the event has grown to one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the nation.  Washington has embraced the program and over 500,000 typically visit Washington on Memorial Day weekend in support of the bikers.

According to Ted Shpak, current spokesman and board member for Rolling Thunder, Palin was not invited, and was not on the program or scheduled to speak for this years event.  According to Shpak, the Rolling Thunder folks learned of the visit from Palin when her staff released a statement on Friday.

Another former board member for Rolling Thunder Mike DePaulo confirmed that Palin had a standing offer to ride with Rolling Thunder and apparently on Wed.  Palin's staff members called to see if the offer, still stands.  DePaulo confirmed the invite, but also said that current board members were not contacted because they had already left for the event

Palin's current tour is visiting historic east coast landmarks this week is not officially a campaign tour, but billed by Palin as a "celebration of historic sites, patriotic events and diverse cultures".

Insiders speculate that this is a test run to see if the Palin family can take on the rigors of months in a bus campaigning for the presidency.

Motorcycle Monster founder Dan Derringer said, " Palin's star power is impressive as she tests the waters for a presidential run.  It is  obvious that Palin is formidable and when she shows up for any event, she gets a large part of the media attention". Derringer continues, "She is one of the 'major power players' in this early campaign and a short ride with a few thousand bikers can't hurt her chances for obtaining high political office."