According to several sources today, on Friday evening, Sarah Palin is going to speak at a fundraiser in her native Idaho for Republican U.S. House hopeful, Vaughn Ward. Ward, John McCain's Nevada state campaign director in 2008, is hoping to secure the Republican nomination over state Rep. Raul Labrador. Idaho Conservative Blogger says that given recent negative Idaho press about Ward, Palin's endorsement may not be enough to save the Ward campaign from itself. The Idaho Reporter reports on an anti-Palin protest that is being planned to greet the former Alaska governor when she arrives in Boise to headline the fundraiser. A conservative tea party Idaho Senate candidate who supports Labrador told the Reporter he thinks Palin should butt out and pay back political favors somewhere else. We're pretty used to seeing Palin endorsements raise tea party hackles, but it gets weirder. According to The Washington Post, the Tea Party Express has (without sarcasm) called the incumbent, a Democrat who was formerly a Republican, U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick, a "hero." What's more, in the past, Ward has done work for the Democratic party, and in a recent debate with Labrador said he doesn't think "a country" like Puerto Rico should be granted statehood.