Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will not speak at the U.S. Republican nominating convention in Tampa later this month, she said in statement on Sunday.
"This year is a good opportunity for other voices to speak at the convention and I'm excited to hear them," Palin, who was Senator John McCain's running mate in the 2008 election, said in a statement on Gretawire, the blog of Fox News's Greta Van Susteren.
"Everything I said at the 2008 convention about then-candidate [Barack] Obama still stands today, and in fact the predictions made about the very unqualified and inexperienced community organizer's plans to 'fundamentally transform' our country are unfortunately coming true," Palin said.
She said she supports Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan, and intends to focus on grassroots efforts to rally independents and the Republican base to elect Senate and House members "so a wise Congress is ready to work with our new president to get our country back on the right path."
On Aug. 30 at the convention, Romney will formally accept the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in the Nov. 6 election. Among others, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, McCain and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will address the convention.
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