Palin to Keynote Ronald Reagan 100th Birthday Celebration

Sarah Palin was 16 when Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president of the United States in 1981. On Feb. 4, the former governor of Alaska will give the keynote address at the opening of two days of festivities marking the late president's 100th birthday.

Her speech at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Calif., "will draw parallels to today, while calling on young people to continue the Reagan revolution into the future," according to Young America's Foundation, the sponsor of the event.

Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, says she is considering a bid for the presidency in 2012. Like most of her potential rivals for the GOP nomination, she considers herself a "Reagan conservative."

Former Vice President Dick Cheney will close out the festivities with a speech on Feb. 5. Cheney served in Congress, representing Wyoming, during the Reagan presidency.

In between the two speeches, event planners have scheduled a series of panels with Reagan authors (including Politics Daily contributor Lou Cannon), former Reagan administration officials and young conservative leaders. Young America's Foundation was founded at Vanderbilt University in 1969 with the aim of bringing more conservative speakers to college campuses.

"These special events kick off an entire year-long celebration of President Reagan's life, ideas and his relevance for today's times," the foundation said.

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