NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sarah Palin is predicting a good year for conservative candidates for public office, saying the policies of President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress will be short-lived. The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee told the national "tea party" convention in Saturday that a string of recent Republican victories at the polls, including Scott Brown's longshot win in last month's special Senate election in Massachusetts, bodes well for conservative candidates this year. .. if there's hope for the tea party movement in Massachusetts, there's hope everywhere.