(CNN) – When Rand Paul took to the Senate floor to filibuster President Barack Obama's choice for CIA director, a conservative ally in Alaska took notice – and headed to the post office.
"I sent him some caribou jerky from Alaska to help keep up his strength on the Senate floor," Sarah Palin writes in this week's "Time 100" issue. "There's more where that came from for this bold Senator with 20/20 vision willing to take a stand for liberty."
The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee's glowing blurb on the Kentucky senator is one of several political write-ups penned by fellow leaders in the annual list of influencers published by Time.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, honoring Obama, recalls his trip last year to Burma, the first for an American president.
"This was American leadership at its best," wrote Clinton, who was Obama's rival in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, but who repaired ties during her tenure as the nation's top diplomat.
"President Obama is working to create broader prosperity at home and become more competitive abroad by investing in our people, modernizing our infrastructure, building a new energy future and managing our long-term fiscal challenges," Clinton writes in Time. "That's the course for a better future."
Obama also got a byline in the magazine, praising Sen. Tom Coburn, the conservative Republican from Oklahoma.
"Tom Coburn and I don't always agree on the issues. In fact, on the surface, we seem pretty different," the president writes, adding his friendship with Coburn originated when their wives met during a Senate orientation.
"The people of Oklahoma are lucky to have someone like Tom representing them in Washington – someone who speaks his mind, sticks to his principles and is committed to the people he was elected to serve," Obama continues, noting: "Each of us still hopes the other will see the light. But in the meantime, we'll settle for being friends."
Flipping the equation, Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor profiles Vice President Joe Biden, calling the second-in-command "a friend."
"His list of accomplishments is impressive, but most impressive to me is his ability to build bridges, bring people together and get things done," Cantor writes. "Even though we disagree on many issues, he creates opportunities for future collaboration. He does that by treating people with kindness and respect and by speaking with honesty and candor."
