Cherilyn Eagar denies claiming Palin tie

U.S. Senate candidate Cherilyn Eagar says she did not imply that she is being endorsed by former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin by issuing a news release Tuesday headlined, "Eagar to attend Sarah Palin book signing."

Eagar, who is one of one of many challengers to Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, acknowledges she has received no endorsement from Palin. In fact, Eagar does not even have an appointment to meet with Palin and simply will be standing in line with others hoping to get a signed copy of Palin's book when Palin visits a Costco in Salt Lake City on Dec. 9 to sign books from noon to 3 p.m.

But Eagar's news release said, "Cherilyn Eagar, dubbed 'Utah's Sarah Palin' by local media, will be there to support Palin's book tour and looks forward to meeting the former Alaska chief executive."

The release also announced that, "The 'Eagar to Support Sarah Palin' group will meet in the parking lot of Costco's 1800 S. 300 West location next Wednesday at 11 a.m." The news release also talked at length about the need for more conservative women in politics.

Was that intended to imply an endorsement for Eagar from Palin? "There is no implication there whatsoever," Eagar told the Deseret News. "We are just going to be there to show support from Utahns who like her style of leadership and her conservative values."

he Deseret News also asked Eagar about the claim in her news release that local media have dubbed her Utah's Sarah Palin and asked where such claims have been made.

She pointed to two online blogs. One was a tongue-in-cheek posting by Salt Lake Tribune blogger Glen Warchol, who also wrote that as a candidate, Eagar "will at least be fun — in a scary way." The other was a post by Provo Daily Herald blogger Joe Pyrah, saying that her supporters view her as "a little bit Jason Chaffetz, a little bit Sarah Palin."

(Of note, Chaffetz earlier this year backed out of receiving an award when Eagar advertised it would be handed out at one of her events, and Chaffetz worried it implied that he was endorsing her, which he said he is not).

Does Eagar like to be compared to Palin? "Absolutely. I certainly am flattered by the comparison," she said. She added that she has used such comparisons in campaign literature, and some supporters like it and others do not. But she sees herself as a conservative woman with much in common with Palin, so she uses such comparisons.

E-mail: lee@desnews.com