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AKMuckraker: What Is Sarah Palin Thinking? One Alaskan's Perspective

2009-07-04T06:10:20Z

On the morning of August 29, 2008, minutes after the stunning news of the Vice Presidential nomination, I wrote a post entitled "What Is McCain Thinking? One Alaskan's Perspective," and my humble little blog was never the same. And now, less than a year later, the strange saga of Sarah Palin, the "hottest governor in the coldest state" is coming to an end.

When the cryptic press release came from the governor's office this morning, heads were scratched. Why on the Friday of a long weekend was she having a press conference at her home in Wasilla, with less than two hours notice? In three days she'd own the news cycle, and wouldn't have messed up everyone's plans to knock off early for the 4th of July weekend. Instead, she chose to release the information at a time when people generally release the news they want to die.

The Anchorage media grumbled and hopped in their vans for the 45 minute drive north to Wasilla. She had a statement. She wouldn't be taking questions. That's all we knew, until reports started trickling in that there were commissioners there, and Lt. Governor Sean Parnell. This was going to be big.

Sure enough, we learned that not only would Palin not be seeking a second term, but that she would not even be finishing her first one. As of July 25, the state would be in the hands of Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, and Palin would resign. Palin who preferred to run the state from her Blackberry during her VP campaign, while simultaneously cramming for debates, looking after her kids, and calling the president a terrorist paller-arounder, rather than turn the state over to Parnell, suddenly hand a change of heart. Why?

Parnell, himself had an unsuccessful bid for Alaska's lone congressional house seat. He ran against the embattled 19-term Republican Don Young in the past election cycle. Young has racked up more than a million dollars in legal fees, and is widely rumored to be facing indictment. He seemed like easy pickens for a Democratic challenger, but Parnell was unable to unseat him in the primary, with a tally so close, a recount was mandated - a recount overseen by the person in the office of Lt. Governor; none other than Parnell himself.

The third in line for the governor, and the man expected to step into Parnell's shoes is Commissioner of Corrections, Joe Schmidt. He was appointed, accompanied by a few raised eyebrows, to the #3 spot in February of this year. His other claim to fame? He dated the governor when they both went to Wasilla High. He replaced embattled Attorney General Talis Colberg, who stepped down under allegations of mishandling the Troopergate investigation and telling state employees that they didn't need to comply with legislative subpoenas.

Palin's long, rambling, fretful speech had all the visible tension and clenched jaw muscles of her appearance when she returned back home to little old Alaska after her failed VP bid. She was interviewed by the press in her Anchorage office and said how glad she was to be back, and how much fun it was to run the state of Alaska. Nobody believed her. It's become more and more apparent that what she likes is the crowds, the attention, and the advocacy for her beliefs. But the day to day running of the state doesn't seem to have much appeal anymore. A common complaint among legislators and top state officials since Palin's return from the campaign trail is that nobody ever sees her. Getting face time with the governor is not an easy thing. Palin has discovered, through her travels, that you don't have to be a politician to get attention.

Today she stood by the shores of Lake Lucille and told us how she was leaving her position for our own good. It's for the best interest of the state, she said. There are too many distractions, too much being picked on, too little time to focus on the maters of state, too many jokes about her kids, and too much money fighting those ethics complaints against her. Strangely, she quoted again the sum of money that ethics complaints against her had cost the state. Millions, she said. Two million. Yesterday's headline in the Anchorage Daily News tallied up the cost at $296,000, with the bulk of that stemming from the Troopergate investigation of last summer.

She's estimated her own personal legal fees at a whopping $600,000, and has actively solicited money for her legal defense fund, hubristically named "The Alaska Fund Trust." She declines to state what the money will be paying for. Presumably much of these costs result from the Troopergate investigation. The Attorney General of the State of Alaska at the behest of the governor, had done a little pre-emptive sleuting, asking questions of witnesses before they were officially deposed. Allegations by state legislators of witness tampering have so far come to nothing. Normally the AG would have been providing legal counsel for the governor, but Palin chose to hire an attorney of her own. Correspondence between Palin and the Attorney General is subject to public disclosure. Correspondence between Palin and her private attorney is not.

Speculation is rampant about a soon to be declared run for the presidency in 2012. If Palin listens to her core group of supporters, she has reason to believe this run at the White House would land her in the Oval Office. Her resignation speech was full of imagery about Alaska's resources helping the country, about how much we owe our military, about the economy; a wistful retrospective of all her administration had accomplished. She repeated her claim that she wanted to reject the stimulus money to keep government spending low, despite the fact that returned stimulus money would not go back to DC coffers, but into the waiting hands of other governors, looking to boost their own economies. And while the rhetoric sounded national, the mood of the event was anything but celebratory. And Palin continues to stick with the talking points that those who are paying attention have debunked.

The time in front of the cameras was also used, many felt, to "play the victim card." Palin spent a considerable amount of time castigating the very media that was there covering the event, for being too critical. But the principle objects of Palin's venom were private citizens who had filed ethics complaints against her. She also referenced a photoshopped image on a local blog that showed her snuggling a baby with the head of a local radio shock jock that Palin and her lawyer favor with appearances. Palin said the photo was making fun of her son Trig. She seems unable, even when delivering a speech that is destined for national coverage, to rise above the fray, and refrain from sounding petty.

It is said that it's not the mountain ahead that wears you down, it's the grain of sand in your shoe. Was it one too many grains of sand that wore her down? And if so, how would she be able to handle the job as President of the United States? Most of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. But, Alaska has no Ethics Board. Ethics complaints are handled by a three-member governor appointed Personnel Board, whose jobs depend on the sitting governor who can fire them at will. Was the deck stacked? Many say yes. But despite the dismissal of the majority of complaints, there were ethics complaints that resulted in a finding by the Legislature that she had abused her power and violated the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act in the Troopergate fiasco, a directive for a high level staffer to undergo ethics training due to a string of "troubling emails" and a recent payment from Palin to the state for almost $10,000 to reimburse for her charging the state for her children's travel expenses. So, were all the ethics complaints "frivolous?" Even if we take the results of the Personnel Board at face value, the answer is no. But all this may not matter much soon. The rule of law still applies to private citizens, but there is no "Private Citizens' Ethics Act."

Then there is the other matter. In Alaska it's become known as "the iceberg." The iceburg is rumored to be a piece of news that's so damaging, and so big, it will sink the S.S. Palin. The rumors also exist that it's coming soon. Speculation about IRS problems, issues with other three-letter organizations, more ethics complaints, and embezzlement abound. Questions have been raised about the construction of Palin's house by a bunch of Todd's buddies, at the same time that a giant sports complex was being built in Wasilla, and right after building codes had been abolished by the then mayor of Wasilla, one Sarah Palin. Do we know anything for sure? No. But the recent claim that the breaking of this scandal is imminent seems coincidental to say the least. Alaskans hesitate to get too excited about rumored indictments, though. Despite the indictment and conviction of several state legislators, and the indictment-conviction and now un-conviction of former Senator Ted Stevens, the slow process has taught us patience. We still await rumored indictments of Congressman Don Young, and former State Senate President Ben Stevens (son of Ted Stevens.) Did I say, you can't make this stuff up?

Other breaking items in the news recently, include an unflattering 5000-word article in Vanity Fair, and a CBS News release of an email exchange between Palin and McCain strategist Steve Smith which gave a glimpse at "the real Sarah Palin," and how she thinks. The exchage involved Palin asking the McCain campaign to make a statement that her husband Todd had only accidentally been a member of a secessionist political party, because he checked the wrong box. And didn't notice it for seven years. Schmidt cut her request off by stating that the McCain campaign had no intention of making it more of an issue than the media was, a habit that Palin has had for a long time.

The final piece to this intriguing puzzle is the book deal. Palin has recently signed with Harper-Collins to write her memoir. Inside sources say the deal is in the $2 million range, with much more if the book sells well. She chose her ghost writer, but vowed that she'd be doing most of the work herself. What about being governor? No worried, she told us. She'd only be authoring the memoir when she was off the clock. There's no doubt that she'll have more time to get the book done, and go on the requisite book tour now that she's quit her day job. Going on a book tour while you're holding down a governor's job could have posed problems.

So, what's her next move? Her script says "national office." Her body language says "uh-oh." Reports are coming in that she's told those close to her she's finished with politics. Some think she has no choice. If there's one thing we've all learned about Sarah Palin, it's that it can be difficult to predict what she's going to do.

But one thing is certain. Alaska will have a new governor. Many will mourn. Many will openly celebrate. Her once 90% approval rating has plummeted as we have gotten to know her. Her approval now is in the low 50s, and the bar graph is polarized. You love her, or you hate her. And if she does fade away, becoming a blip on the radar of pop culture, and a footnote in political history, it won't be for the lack of her trying to remain in the spotlight. Of that we can be certain.

I drove through Wasilla today, about a half hour after she told us she'd be stepping down. It felt strange passing Lake Lucille. I wondered about the Parnell administration, and about what may follow in 2010. What lies ahead for Alaska? After July 25, the attention of the nation will fade. I don't think we'll go back to living in obscurity any more; not in this generation anyway. But when the governor looked at the camera and said that her resignation would be good for the state of Alaska, it's the first time in a long time I've agreed with her.

Geoffrey Dunn: The Real Story Behind Palin's Bombshell

2009-07-04T03:49:12Z

Anyone who is in any way surprised by Sarah Palin's announcement today that she will not be seeking re-election, and, even more significantly, is stepping down as Governor of Alaska, has not been paying close attention. The signs have been everywhere.

Palin has absolutely zero interest in running the State of Alaska. She steadfastly refused to live in Juneau after her first year there, had the gall to charge the state for residing at her home in Wasilla 600 miles away, and she basically mailed in her performance as the state's top administrator during Alaska's most recent legislative session. She has alienated virtually all the key legislators in her own party--that's right, Republicans--and had failed to move any key legislation forward since her return to Alaska from the national campaign trail last November.

In fact, her bizarre appointment for Attorney General, Wayne Anthony Ross, was rejected nearly unanimously by the state legislature--a first in Alaskan history. Even in respect to energy policy, her supposed bailiwick, she has been categorically ineffective. When I asked those in-the-know what role Palin had played in putting together the recent pipeline deal between TransCanada and Exxon, their response was simple: "None."

None. That about sums up Palin's accomplishments as Governor of the Last Frontier.

The evangelical right can wallow in denial all they want about Palin being victimized by liberals or Democrats or even George Soros (some illiterate wingnut recently tried to link me to him), but the fact is that most of the people with really bad things to say about Palin--from John McCain's staff to conservatives in Alaska--come from the Republican Party. The charges of a left-wing conspiracy are so ridiculous as to be absolutely absurd.

But then what coming from the Palin camp isn't?

Moreover, Palin was facing what would have been a hugely embarrassing veto override by the Alaska legislature at the beginning of the next session in January over her politically postured refusal to accept Federal stimulus funds. If this past legislative session was a setback for Palin, the upcoming session would have been an absolute public relations disaster--hardly the proper entree for her presidential campaign.

My sources in Wasilla tell me that Palin's father, Chuck Heath, has spoken repeatedly about the "liberal press" and dreaded "bloggers" taking their toll on his daughter. I recently discovered an early, telling email by Palin complaining to her pal Meg Stapleton about something a blogger had written in the Anchorage Daily News and how significantly it bothered her--"kind of makes my stomach turn over," she wrote. Palin can dish, but she can't take it. She's got a terribly thin skin. When I reported here less than a month ago that Palin had clearly lifted passages from an article by Newt Gingrich and Craig Shirley (whose name she didn't even bother to mention) she and her entourage went apoplectic. What she had done was blatantly obvious and she would have been tossed from any reputable college or university for such slipshod citation. Palin, and the sycophants with whom she surrounds herself, simply have no moral compass.

Some pundits have said that Palin's resignation is out of character. Hardly. Don't forget that she resigned from her last statewide office--that as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Sarah Palin is a quitter. She fancies herself something else. But, in the end, she quit her position at AOGCC and she has now quit her governorship. That's two-for-two at the statewide level. In Wasilla, there was nearly a recall launched against her as mayor. Trouble and turbulence have followed her everywhere.

More importantly, there are rumors in Alaska that more Ethics Act charges are in the works and that there is also a more serious Federal investigation focusing on Palin during her tenure as mayor in Wasilla and the building of her home and a sports complex in Wasilla, long speculated to have been linked. It's the one very touchy subject whenever you bring it up in the MatSu Valley. As someone who is writing a book on Palin, I can attest to the fact that there are always rumors flying about her, not all of them true, but this seems like a real possibility, especially given the timing of her announcement today.

Palin also has a multi-million dollar book project for Rupert Murdoch that she needs to complete in time for a spring release. That's some serious cabbage, and there were grumblings in Alaska about the book deal as well. There will be other lucrative, high-visibility media options for her shortly down the road. Don't be surprised to hear of one of those popping up soon. This frees her up to reach for the gold ring without her minions being able to register any complaints. In that respect, it's a logical move.

A longtime Republican in Alaska who has known Palin since she ran for lieutenant governor in 2002 told me that Palin "enthusiastically embraced" her trip to Georgia last year in which she campaigned for Senator Saxby Chambliss. She sees herself doing that around the country in 2010, raising money for conservative Republicans and, by so doing, building support for a presidential candidacy in 2012. "She was absolutely adored in Georgia," said the GOP operative, "and she loved her role there--preaching her particular brand of conservatism to the already converted." And make no mistake about it: Sarah Palin is by far the biggest ticket item that GOP has in its dwindling catalog of candidates.

All of the recent public donnybrooks have taken their toll: First the article by Mark Purdum in Vanity Fair and then the even nastier revelations of emails leaked by the McCain campaign which showed her to be an utter liar regarding her husband Todd's membership in the Alaska Independent Party. Even the seemingly innocuous interview in Runner's World, with its bizarre, braggadocio boast of her having more endurance than Obama, revealed her penchant for duplicity at every turn: the assertion that an injury she had sustained while jogging in Arizona had been kept top-secret, a contention thoroughly disputed by the inimitable Mudflats.

One of my favorite lies spewed by Palin today in yet another poorly scripted speech was that she campaigned for governor "four years ago...," when she, in fact, ran for governor three years ago and held her position for little more than two-and-half years. It's the little lies she always tells, the twists of truth, the distortions. Four years sounds like nearly a full term; three feels incomplete. So why not just call it four?

For all her projected toughness, Palin loves to play the victim. "Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt," she whined, implying that her problems are from out-of-state (yet another big lie). "Over the past nine months I've been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations..." It wasn't quite Richard Nixon's "Checker's Speech," but it was close. In her own awkward vernacular, the Governor was essentially saying to Alaska, "You won't have Sarah Palin to kick around any more."

Here's a little bit of Alaska inside talk for you. Those close to the governor have consistently indicated to me that they privately blame Mitt Romney & Co. as the source of a lot of the media hits on Palin. It may even be true. But with today's announcement, Palin will soon be on equal footing with Romney--no longer saddled by statewide office and free to travel and maneuver however and wherever she damn well pleases. Today's statement was a great equalizer for 2012.

By being a lame duck, Palin would have exposed herself to more negative coverage, more public failure. By stepping down she allows herself to regroup, get out from under the microscope and re-emerge as a national figure without the constant strain of serving as governor.

Some news sources are claiming that Palin is stepping away from politics permanently; perhaps. But I didn't hear that today. What I heard were typical Palin code words that she has her ambitions set for higher office, for a national stage. Her shots at Obama's stimulus package were just one of many signals aimed directly at Washington.

So do not think for a moment that this is the last we will be hearing from Sarah Palin. The Federal Election Commission will soon be reporting how much money Palin's SarahPAC has raised over the past four months. You can bet that Palin has a lot of gas left in her tank. She is the gift that John McCain gave us that will not go away.

Award-winning investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn is at work on a book about Sarah Palin and her role in American politics, to be published by Macmillan/St. Martin's in 2010.

Rob Richie: Sarah Palin's resignation to reduce women governors to six

2009-07-04T03:46:38Z

Sarah Palin's surprise announcement today that she will step down this month as Alaska's governor has stirred a firestorm of conjecture about her motives and political prospects.

There is one particularly concrete consequence, however: she will be the third woman governor to leave office since the November elections in the wake of President Obama tapping two women governors for his cabinet (Kansas' Kathleen Sebelius and Arizona's Janet Napolitano). Women make up a majority of today's electorate, but come August, there will be 44 male governors and only six female governors, two of whom (Hawaii's Linda Lingle and Michigan's Jennifer Granholm) are barred from running for third terms next year. According to the invaluable Center for American Women in Politics, a majority of states have never had a woman governor in their history.

As highlighted in my commentary in Roll Call this week with Cindy Terrell, representation of women in elected office remains very low. We need to talk about it more, and urge more women to run, urge more partisans to promote women for office and consider changes to our electoral laws to create more incentives for women to run viable campaigns.

Paul Begala: Sarah Palin Turns Pro

2009-07-04T03:35:07Z

I wish Hunter S. Thompson had lived to see this.

As Hunter said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Sarah Palin makes Mark Foley, the congressman who sent filthy emails to pages look almost normal. She makes David Vitter, the senator who was hanging out with hookers, look almost boring. She makes Larry Craig, caught hitting on a cop in a men's room, look almost stable. She makes John Ensign, the senator who was having an affair with a staffer, look almost humdrum (and compared to the rest of the GOP whack-jobs, he is). And she makes Mark Sanford, the governor with the Latin lover, look positively predictable.

It was an almost impossible mission, but in resigning from office with 17 months to go in her first term, Sarah Palin has made herself the bull goose loony of the GOP.

Let's stipulate that if there is some heretofore unknown personal, medical or family crisis, this was the right move. But Gov. Palin didn't say anything like that. Her statement was incoherent, bizarre and juvenile. The text, as posted on Gov. Palin's official website (here), uses 2,549 words and 18 exclamation points. Lincoln freed the slaves with 719 words and nary an exclamation; Mr. Jefferson declared our independence in 1,322 words and, again, no exclamation points. Nixon resigned the presidency in 1,796 words -- still no exclamation points. Gov. Palin capitalized words at random - whole words, like "TO," "HELP," and "AND," and the first letter of "Troops."

Gov. Palin's official announcement that she is resigning as chief executive of the great state of Alaska had all the depth and gravitas of a 13-year-old's review of the Jonas Brothers' album on Facebook. She even quoted her parents' refrigerator magnet. (Note to self: if one of my kids becomes governor, throw away the refrigerator magnet that says: "Murray's Oyster Bar: We Shuck Em, You Suck Em!") She put her son's name in quotations marks. Why? Who knows. She writes, "I promised efficiencies and effectiveness!?" Was she exclaiming or questioning? I get it: both! And I don't even know what to make of a sentence that reads:

*((Gotta put First Things First))*

Ponder the fact that Rupert Murdoch's Harper Collins publishing house is paying this, umm, writer $11 million for a book. Ponder that and say a prayer for Ms. Palin's editor.

I'm no latter-day Strunk & White, just a guy who was struck by Palin's spectacularly rambling and infantile prose. It bespeaks a rambling and infantile mind. But perhaps not. Perhaps this is all a ruse. Perhaps Gov. Palin wants us to believe she's an intellectual featherweight who is slightly shallower than an actor on High School Musical. Maybe she's trying to throw us off the trail.

Naah. A lot of people thought that about George W. Bush. He couldn't be so block-headed, they said. He couldn't be as childish and churlish as he came off. Oh yes he could. And so, too, might Ms. Palin be as vapid and puerile as her inane statement suggests.

We will know. In the fullness of time (and I predict, not much time) we will know. Again and again in her statement, Gov. Palin returned to the nettlesome ethics inquiries that have been visited upon her since she signed on to be John McCain's running mate. No doubt they are annoying. But does anyone believe that's why she's resigning? No, there's more to this story. And Ms. Palin's resignation only increases the chances that we will all know the rest of the story soon. Or, as she might put it:

We will all KNOW the "rest of the Story" *((SOON!))*

Paul Rieckhoff: Coming Home from War is No 4th of July Picnic

2009-07-04T03:13:40Z

I'll never forget my Independence Day at war. On July 4, 2003, I was in Baghdad, preparing to return home with my infantry platoon after six months fighting Saddam's Army and an insurgency that was just beginning to exact its toll on coalition forces. On that day, however, my expectations were thwarted, as my men and I were notified that our combat tour would be extended indefinitely. So instead of enjoying fireworks stateside, my unit watched AK tracer trails zip across the sky, walked patrols instead of parades, and ate MREs instead of hot dogs.

Many Americans will never see the inside of a Humvee on the Fourth of July. Instead, they will enjoy three-day weekends capped by barbecues, block parties, and roman candles. I'm extremely proud to be an American, but real patriotism is more than just picnics. And anyone who has served in any war will tell you that.

Ironically, for veterans, the Fourth of July can be a difficult holiday to celebrate. With every uniform that marches by in parades, we remember our friends that did not make it home. The sounds of fireworks remind us of incoming mortar rounds. And as large crowds gather to celebrate America's birthday, we sometimes find ourselves scanning the masses for potential danger.

But the impact of war isn't limited to July 4th.

In case you haven't been tracking the figures, our military is in crisis-mode, trying to fend off a silent killer among its ranks. Almost 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are suffering from mental health injuries like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and less than half are receiving the help they need. Left untreated, the ramifications are clear: divorce, substance abuse, unemployment, and suicide.

Already, we've lost as many soldiers to suicide this year as to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. This frightening trend has triggered military stand-downs, and finally gotten the attention of the media. The alarm has been sounded. But our troops are still waiting on real action from Washington. And families of servicemembers like Specialist Joshua Omvig from Gillette, Wyoming--who suffered in silence until combat stress led him to take his own life--are left wondering what could have been.

The military must take immediate steps to reduce unnecessary stress on the force, and our nation's lawmakers must also take an active role. For months, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been petitioning lawmakers on Capitol Hill to include a provision in the Pentagon's annual defense bill that would provide mandatory mental health screenings by licensed mental health professionals to all servicemembers. These screenings would go a long way towards reducing the stigma associated with mental health injuries, and identifying those that need care the most.

In just a few weeks, Congress will recess for the summer, and before they do, they must have ensured that every returning veteran gets the care they deserve.

Six years ago today, my men and I held the hand of a fledgling democracy as it struggled for its own independence. This week, I watched as U.S. troops pulled back from towns and cities in Iraq as Iraqis celebrated their own "National Sovereignty Day." For Americans, this means that more troops will be coming home, and for that, we should be thankful. But we must be ready to welcome them. Parades and applause are nice, but real support comes in the form of robust mental health care for our returning troops.

As we celebrate the birth of our great nation, it's time to appropriately honor those who have stood on the front lines of freedom and sacrificed in the name of liberty. Every second Congress wastes, more lives are on the line.

Crossposted at IAVA.org.

Evan Handler: Palin Resigns to Accept Post as Lunatic Laureate

2009-07-04T02:24:12Z

I'll try to be brief. People should do whatever they choose. Get married, get divorced. Run for office, resign from office. Volunteer to clean up a highway, run screaming naked down the street. Have your fun, baby, and don't let no one keep you from it.

What people should not do is have their fun, all the while insisting they're doing it for someone else's benefit.

Deep within her rambling and disjointed "announcement" this morning, Sarah Palin stated that she's not going to seek reelection as Governor of Alaska. Then, she went on to say she'll be leaving office before her term is up because serving out the term she was elected to serve wouldn't be best for the people who voted her in. In other words, I'm leaving you - but only because it's the best thing I can do for you.

It's easy to criticize, I know. But today I feel qualified. Because this is the identical excuse I gave to every girlfriend I broke up with in my twenties and thirties. I don't think many of them fell for it back then. I know they've all wised up since.

The question on my mind today is, how many of Sarah's millions of admirers will feel flattered by her most recent selfless and beneficent decision?

You can fool all of the people some of the time.

And you can fool some of the people all of the time.

And you can fool some of the people all of the time...

EvanHandler.com

Sarah Palin "Out Of Politics, Period" (VIDEO)

2009-07-04T01:35:43Z

Reporters are beginning to piece together an explanation for Sarah Palin's abrupt resignation announcement that stands in stark contrast to the reasoning Palin offered in her speech.

Speaking on MSNBC, Andrea Mitchell reported that, according to "people very close to Sarah Palin," she has "told her supporters that she is out of politics, period. She is fed up with politics. She doesn't like her life. She feels that she needs to raise her family. She's sick of the commute from Wasilla to the capital. And she really does not want to run for higher office, that this is not a case where she is stepping down in order to clear the way for a presidential run. In fact, she has told some of her biggest backers in the national Republican Party that they are free to choose other candidates for 2012, which of course opens new avenues for Mitt Romney, for Tim Pawlenty, for other potential candidates who are definitely in the running."

Here's video:

Meanwhile, Alaska-based reporter-blogger Shannyn Moore is hearing potentially more damaging revelations are to come. "For weeks the rumors of a criminal investigation against the governor have been brewing," she writes. She spoke of the rumors with MSNBC's David Shuster, saying the talk of a criminal probe into Palin has been circulating for six to eight weeks, and that today's press conference seemed to be Palin's effort at "damage control for news to come out later."

Moore also noted that it made little sense for Palin to resign now to prepare for a presidential run, especially considering she continued on as governor during the 2008 presidential campaign unlike Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who both turned over power to their Lieutenant Governors when they were running for national office.

Writing for the Daily Beast, Max Blumenthal pinpointed a burgeoning story that may be the source of the rumblings in Alaska:

Many political observers in Alaska are fixated on rumors that federal investigators have been seizing paperwork from SBS in recent months, searching for evidence that Palin and her husband Todd steered lucrative contracts to the well-connected company in exchange for gifts like the construction of their home on pristine Lake Lucille in 2002. The home was built just two months before Palin began campaigning for governor, a job which would have provided her enhanced power to grant building contracts in the wide open state.

Filed by Nico Pitney

Chris Weigant: Friday Talking Points [84] -- The Rockets' Red Glare, The Bombs Bursting In Air

2009-07-04T01:14:21Z

What separates humans from animals can be summed up as one simple thing -- the mastery of fire. Even "using tools" doesn't cut it anymore, as apes have been shown to use their own tools to achieve their own modest goals. When you get right down to it, the sole dividing line between us and the other creatures which crawl this planet can be drawn at the mastery of fire. Animals are still scared of fire. Humans, now, are not.

This may sound like a strange beginning to my annual Independence Day column, but I write today in praise of recreational explosions. In a word, fireworks. Fireworks and the Fourth Of July are inextricably linked in American history, beginning with the first time the holiday was celebrated, in 1777, one year after the Declaration of Independence. Celebrating the Fourth with fireworks is not some modern invention, but actually started at the creation of the holiday's celebration.

Now, Francis Scott Key wasn't watching an Independence Day celebration when he wrote our national anthem, he was prisoner on a British warship as they shelled Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, in September of 1814. He was watching non-recreational explosions. Explosions with a purpose, you might say. He watched all night -- by "the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air" -- and saw the next morning (by the dawn's early light) that our flag was, indeed, still there. He was so pleased that he dashed off a poem about the experience on a scrap of paper. If you go to a public event tomorrow, you will no doubt sing the first verse of this poem.

But, although fireworks is a big part of Americans celebrating their own history, the public's love and fascination with them is much older than that. The concept of fireworks predates the discovery of gunpowder. This seems like a contradictory statement, but it's true. The Chinese, everyone knows, invented gunpowder long before the Western world became aware of it. But hundreds of years before gunpowder's discovery, the Chinese were using "firecrackers" already, to scare away evil spirits, and (later) at most celebrations (such as weddings). Nobody knows exactly when, but somewhere in the range of 2,000 years ago people discovered that if you threw green (undried) bamboo onto a fire, the air and sap trapped in the sealed chambers (which bamboo naturally makes as it grows) would heat up -- and then burst out of the bamboo with a loud noise. Bang!

Later, some bright spark (that was entirely intentional) decided that the newfangled substance, gunpowder, would make an even more impressive bang when packed into bamboo... and the true firecracker was born.

But we've got to go even further back into the mists of time to understand why we all go "ooh!" and "aah!" during fireworks displays. Because even cruder "fireworks" than exploding bamboo were likely the first form of what we now call "entertainment," if not the beginnings of religion as well.

Thousands and thousands of years ago, the caveman "Ug" figured out how to tame fire (note: the names in this story are fictional and are totally a product of my fevered imagination -- I don't want the guys from the insurance commercials suing me or anything...). This was the crowning achievement of the human race at the time, and a good argument can be made that it was the crowning achievement of humanity -- indeed the defining achievement of humanity -- of all time.

Fire meant heat, light, cooked food, and defense against the animals who were still scared of it. All of which meant the shaggy Ug and his band of fellow cave-dwellers had made the jump from being no more than animals themselves, to being what we refer to today as "human." The taming of fire still inspires wonderment, even to us modern humans today. Anyone who has ever stared into a campfire knows this, and anyone who hasn't is the poorer -- for not having experienced this primeval connection to Ug's first campfire.

Because the fire at the mouth of Ug's cave was not only extremely useful, it was also entertaining. It was something to look at. Something magical. The flames leap around, solid matter is transformed into gas and energy, and the process itself is mesmerizing. But even this experience -- the only such entertainment Ug and his friends had ever seen -- eventually must have palled. So Ug decided to take things a step further. Picking up a branch with an end still smoldering and waving it around produced a thrill of another type. Sparks! Flames! Controlled by human hands!

As I said, this may have also been the dawn of religion, giving the most mystical of Ug's group respect among his or her fellows by being the most creative master of fire. It also probably led to the invention of the torch, but this was a mere utilitarian byproduct. Later, fires would be introduced into ceremonies to mark different ideas (such as the attainment of adulthood, or victory over an enemy) by braving the fire in some way (leaping through a bonfire, or firewalking, for instance).

Imagine yourself as a wandering caveman reporter back in Ug's day. You have heard stories which seem entirely unbelievable to your jaded journalistic mind, so you travel to check out what is really going on, for your readers in the UgTown Daily Post (Note to cynics: Yes, journalism predates fire, and has been conclusively linked to our lizard brain, meaning the dinosaurs were the first consumers of Fox News and its ilk. Ahem. Who's telling this story? Stop interrupting! Hrrmph.) When you get to Ug's cave, you are absolutely blown away. Not only has Ug tamed fire and invented the first fireplace, but he has also progressed to the point of having andirons and fireplace tools, and is working on inventing marshmallows to roast.

Well, no, I made that part up, I have to admit. But, seriously, if your only experience of fire previously had been as a result of a lightning strike, or fleeing in terror from a wildfire, it would be brain-numbing indeed to see the fearful phenomenon tamed and being made useful. And, after it got dark, watching Ug's firewizards actually "play" with fire would have been the news of the millennium.

Watching Ug (The name Ug, it should be noted, translates today as "Prometheus") pick up a firebrand and wave it around or knock it against a tree to cause a shower of sparks to fly upwards would have caused you to utter a new word or two in the human language: "Ooo!" or, perhaps: "Ahhh!"

So as you celebrate the Fourth tomorrow, don't mock Dad for getting in touch with his primal self by actually taming fire and using it to cook the burgers and hotdogs. Because the pride and power he feels in cooking raw meat for his fellow men and women is what separates us from the animals sizzling on the grill. And, later on, when you ooo and aah at the fireworks (unless your local town has cut them due to budget problems), you will be experiencing not only pride of country and a history of fireworks on the Fourth that started on the very first celebration in 1777, but humanity's first step on its ascent towards mastering our domain instead of being mastered by it.

So go out and enjoy some rockets, no matter what their color. Go out and get an adrenaline rush from a few bombs bursting, whether on the ground or in the air. Enjoy your independence, enjoy your pride of nation, and -- in a very fundamental way -- enjoy your humanity. Because the fireworks you view are not only just a thrill, they are also the bedrock of what it truly means to be human.

Sometimes the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award is given out for impressive achievement or deed. Sometimes it is given out for sheer impressiveness itself. But this week, the MIDOTW award is given for impressive patience, persistence, and grace under pressure.

Because the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week this week was Senator-Elect Al Franken. For calmly fighting his way all the way up to Minnesota's Supreme Court against disgruntled incumbent Norm Coleman, Franken wins this week's award hands down.

The length of time between the election last November and being sworn in (next Tuesday, reportedly) means that Franken will enter the Senate as its most junior member -- more junior than every other new senator who won election last year. This lack of seniority means Franken will be the last in line for choice spots on key committees, but even with this handicap I expect him to do well in the Senate for the great state of Minnesota.

I also expect virtually everyone to be massively disappointed in Al, because I predict he will not be the "go-to" guy for humorous quotes on current events. The media will try their mightiest to get Al to tell us what he really thinks, in the funniest way possible -- but Franken has already shown he is smarter than that. He has said his model for what he intends to do in the Senate is another person who entered with her fame preceding her. Or "infamy," according to some. And Hillary Clinton impressed a lot of people by putting her shoulder to the wheel and her nose to the grindstone in an effort to be the best senator for her state she knew how, without inserting herself into the limelight in the process. Watch for Franken to very quietly learn his new job and learn to be as productive and effective as possible.

All of which means he may be keeping his head so far down in the coming months that he may not qualify for a MIDOTW award for quite a while. But, the future aside, Al Franken has more than earned his Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award for sheer stick-to-it-ness. We all look forward to next week, when we can finally start calling him an unmodified "Senator Franken."

Well done, Al.

[Senator-Elect Al Franken does not have an official Senate webpage... yet. But you can congratulate him in a few days by checking back to the official Senate page for the Minnesota delegation to watch for when his page does go live.]

You know what? It's almost our nation's birthday. I simply can't get into the spirit of chastising wayward Democrats this week, so I have unilaterally decided not to hand out a Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week award this week. If you don't agree with this decision, and feel that there were egregiously disappointing Democrats who really deserved this week's MDDOTW award, let me know in the comments.

Volume 84 (7/3/09)

In a similarly American tradition of slacking off instead of doing actual work the Friday before a holiday weekend, I am not providing talking points to Democrats today. Instead I present the full lyrics of our national anthem. If you've never read past the first verse, check it out. And if you get the chance, go visit Fort McHenry in Baltimore, or the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., to see the original star-spangled banner of which Key wrote. It's worth the trip.

And have a glorious Fourth Of July tomorrow, of course!

The Star-Spangled Banner

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Chris Weigant blogs at: ChrisWeigant.com

Full archives of FTP columns: FridayTalkingPoints.com

Cross-posted at: Democratic Underground

David Wallechinsky: Sarah Palin: Next Stop Fox?

2009-07-03T23:56:49Z

Speculation about the reason behind Sarah Palin's surprise resignation as governor of Alaska has centered on her national political ambitions, possible unrevealed legal problems and maybe yet another pregnancy. More likely, Fox News or another TV network has made her an offer she can't refuse.

Why settle for being the governor of a state with a population the size of Columbus, Ohio, when you can have triple the audience with your own show on Fox News? And why settle for the paltry salary of a state executive when you can make millions on television? When you're a politician and you want to spend $150,000 on clothes, you get in trouble, but spend the same amount on clothes as a talk show host and it's a legitimate tax write-off.

Let's face it, being a government official is a hassle. Say something stupid and half the country makes fun of you. Say something stupid on television and your ratings go up. Punish your personal enemies and you're accused of ethical violations. Do you same in the world of TV and you fit right in.

Good luck, Sarah. We'll see you in prime time.

AllGov.com

John R. Bohrer: Palin's Lamest Excuse

2009-07-03T23:44:21Z

After getting over the initial shock of hearing that Sarah Palin is going to resign, it kind of makes sense when you stop to think about it. Running for reelection in 2010 would mean having to spend a lot more time (and contributors' money) in Alaska, and then being a lame duck would bring a steady stream of embarrassments.... So, fish or cut bait.

It would have made perfect sense for her to say something as simple as that. Or to take the classic political out and say she wants to, uh, spend more time with the family.... And Palin did say those things, in her own way.

But then she just had to go and be a martyr.

Some Alaskans don't mind wasting public dollars and state time [with ethics complaints and inquiries]. I do. I cannot stand here as your Governor and allow millions upon millions of our dollars go to waste just so I can hold the title of Governor.

This politicking was a step too far. Governors don't resign to save taxpayers' money. They are freakin' governors, one of the few people who can really affect fiscal policy in the states. They sign budgets, for crying out loud!

Now, are ethics complaints sometimes used for political gain? You betcha. But that's the price of open government. And Palin's mention of wanting to stop the ethics complaints makes it seem like she's got something to hide.

This wasn't your average resignation speech, and whoever wrote it was going after all the GOP soft spots. Perhaps the emphasis on ethics complaints was their only good way of getting the principle of "limited spending" in there? But if Palin is running for the White House, "RESIGNED TO FLEE ETHICS COMPLAINTS" is sure to make an appearance in attack ads.

Wow. It seems Palin couldn't even resign without making a gaffe.

GOP Official Who Emailed With Palin Moments Before Decision, Explains Her Move

2009-07-03T23:38:54Z

The head of the Republican Governor's Association said on Friday that in emails sent to him moments before she announced her resignation as governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin discussed expanding the role she played in the Republican Party.

"Part of her decision is she wants to spend more time campaigning for candidates," Nick Ayers, the executive director of the RGA, told Fox News.

"She felt like she needed to make her colleagues around the country aware, so she had given us a brief heads up," Ayers said of getting the emails. "We have known for a couple of days she was considering not running for re-election but it was news today that she had gone ahead and made the decision to fully step down and resign."

In relaying his conversation with Palin, Ayers provided one of the most direct, on the record explanations for what exactly drove the Alaska Governor's decision to step aside. Palin's announcement seemed to come as a complete surprise to officials in the state as well as those close to her. Her brother said he had no clue what she was planning prior to the mid-day press conference. The Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol, one of Palin's strongest backers, said he initially felt shock and bewilderment at the Governor's decision to step down from her post at the end of July. Moments later, however, he was playing up the move as, perhaps, the opening move in the 2012 Republican primary - and a sage one at that.

"Haven't conservatives been lamenting the lack of a national leader?" he asked, in a post on the Standard's site. "Well, now she'll try to be that."

While Ayers may have had a direct heads up as to Palin's intentions, he wasn't entirely on cue with the Governor's talking points. Asked why Palin was stepping down as opposed to finishing her term (which ends in 2010), the RGA header cited pesky bloggers and activists as the reason. Palin had insisted she didn't want to put Alaskans through two years of a lame-duck governorship.

"I don't think this is buckling to pressure," said Ayers. "I think this is her coming to the realization that the legislature in Alaska and that some bloggers and activists in Alaska are going to do everything they can to stymie her progress. This is a governor who didn't run for the office because she wanted a title. She wanted to make significant change in the state. She realized that that was no longer going to be able to happen, because things had become so partisan there."

Palin Resigning Could Be 'Shrewd Gamble': Bill Kristol

2009-07-03T23:22:53Z

The shocking news that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will resign the governorship on July 26th has fueled speculation that she is preparing to run for president in 2012. Conventional wisdom has it that abandoning your state before your first (and only) term is up would not be the smartest strategy, but not everyone agrees with that assessment.

Bill Kristol thinks this could be a 'shrewd gamble':

After all, she's freeing herself from the duties of the governorship. Now she can do her book, give speeches, travel the country and the world, campaign for others, meet people, get more educated on the issues - and without being criticized for neglecting her duties in Alaska. I suppose she'll take a hit for leaving the governorship early - but how much of one? She's probably accomplished most of what she was going to get done as governor, and is leaving a sympatico lieutenant governor in charge.

It's an interesting take, but one should be cautious in trusting in Kristol's predictions. His crystal ball has a tendency to fog up.

John Ridley: This Fourth: Freedom, Crispus and Gay Linguists (Remixed)

2009-07-03T23:22:00Z

The following was originally posted on Huffington Post for the 4th of July in 2007. With the recent discharge of West Point graduate and Arabic linguist First Lt. Dan Choi from the New York National Guard for the high crime of wanting to serve his country openly, the piece seemed due for a remix and a repost. A hope, also, that this will be the last July 4th that passes in which such a post will be relevant:

Crispus Attucks was born a slave in the colony of Massachusetts.

Maybe he was born in Mass.

He might've been born around 1723. Perhaps he was born a couple of years prior. Or could it have been a couple of years after? Hard to be exactly sure. Crispus was born a slave. In the early 1700s nobody was much keeping stats on slaves beyond the quality of their teeth, the thickness of their hide and whether or not they had the audacity to make a run to freedom.

Crispus ran. Was never caught. Fell off the 18th Century version of the grid for twenty years.

The next significant event in Crispus's life was his last. March 5th, 1770. A fight broke out in Dock Square between a few good, upstanding Colonists and some nasty Brit soldiers. Crispus took up a stick, rallied a crowd and rolled out to back up the Colonists against the King's lackeys.

It was true then as it is now: don't bring a stick to a shooting match. The soldiers opened fired. Hit Crispus twice. Killed him, killed four others and wounded six.

Though the event was five years prior to the open rebellion, the Boston Massacre was one of the bloody precursors to the American Revolution. It was citizens rising up to physicalize their displeasure with the Crown. In giving his life, Crispus is considered to be the first patriot of the Colonial revolt. Born a slave, he died fighting for ideals society itself didn't extend to him. But, you know, sometimes those without freedom are precisely the ones who cherish it most.

It's a lesson that's been re-taught to the populace by the Tuskegee Red Tails and the Fightin' 442nd: that the desire to secure liberty, a sense of honor and duty are not the sole domain of any race, or gender, or faith.

Nor are they limited by sexual orientation.

And yet . . .

Since 1998 the US military has discharged 58 Arabic and Farsi translators because -- wait for it -- they were gay.

A REMIX NOTE: according to an article in the LA TImes: "Since "don't ask, don't tell" was enacted in 1993, about 13,000 military personnel have been discharged because of their sexual orientation." In his book Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, historian Nathaniel Frank breaks down the numbers as follows: "11,000 capable service members under the policy, including over 300 linguists, 49 nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare specialists, 90 nuclear power engineers, 52 missile guidance and control operators, 150 rocket, missile and other artillery specialists, and 340 infantrymen."

Fired.

Sent packing despite the shortage of individuals skilled in speaking middle-eastern tongues. Here we are in the hard heart of the war on terrorism. We are told again and again that this will be a decades-long struggle to secure Western civilization which will require shared sacrifice from all.

So, isn't it ironic that securing freedom for all is not open to all?

Why is "Don't ask..." still our policy when it is the enemies of liberty who don't check a list and mark the particulars of their victimss? There was no type of individual that was not laid low by the attacks of September 11th or the bombings in Bali and Madrid and London. Why, then, would we place restrictions on those willing to stand against our attackers? Because of their sexual preference? Tell that to the dead left in the wake of the next successful Al Qaeda attack; actionable intel could not be verified because we could not abide the private lives of those who offered to help.

Fifty-eight willing to fight despite the bigotry some in the country level against them.

Fifty-eight willing patriots kicked to the curb among 11,000 uniformed men and women similarly set-aside since the early nineties. That's nearly a surge in itself.

This Fourth of July, consider the true cost of freedom. Beyond spilled blood and loss of life, it is tolerating those not like us, who wish to defend us.

Palin Resigns: Stepping Down As Governor, Move Shocks Political Analysts

2009-07-03T23:12:54Z

WASILLA, Alaska — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly announced Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, a shocking move that rattled the Republican party but left open the possibility she would seek a run for the White House in 2012.

Palin, 45, and her staff kept her future plans shrouded in mystery, and it was unclear if the controversial hockey mom would quietly return to private life or begin laying the foundation for a presidential bid.

Palin's spokesman, David Murrow, said the governor didn't say anything to him about this being her "political finale." He said he interpreted Palin's comment about working outside government as reflecting her current job only.

"She's looking forward to serving the public outside the governor's chair," he said.

And Pam Pryor, a spokeswoman for Palin's political action committee SarahPAC, said the group continues to accept donations on its Web site, with an uptick in funds after Palin's announcement.

The announcement caught even current and former Palin advisers by surprise. Former members of the John McCain campaign team, now dispersed across the country, traded perplexed e-mails and phone calls.

But personal pressures have been mounting _ scrutiny on her family, legal bills, ethics investigations and a running, public fued with McCain's camp that has flared up again.

In a hastily arranged news conference at her home in suburban Wasilla, Palin said she will formally step down July 26, and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the governor's picnic in Fairbanks. She said she had decided against running for re-election as Alaska's governor, and believed it was best to leave office even though she had two years left to her term.

"Many just accept that lame duck status, and they hit that road. They draw a paycheck. They kind of milk it. And I'm not going to put Alaskans through that," she said.

The 2008 vice presidential nominee was seen as a likely presidential contender in 2012 and had proved formidable among the party's base. But the last week brought a highly critical piece in Vanity Fair magazine, with unnamed campaign aides questioning if Palin was ever really prepared for the presidency. The backbiting continued with follow-up articles recounting the nasty infighting that plagued her failed bid. Her advisers sniped with other Republicans, underscoring the deeply divided GOP looking for its next standard bearer.

Meghan Stapleton, Palin's personal spokeswoman, shot down speculation that ranged wildly from Palin dropping out of politics altogether to eyeing runs against fellow Alaska Republicans U.S. Rep. Don Young and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Palin's comment about serving outside government refers to the present, she said.

Stapleton, however, said it's too early to say whether Palin would seek the presidency. In the meantime, the governor will continue to work "toward affecting positive change as a citizen without a title right now," she said.

"Her vision is what's best for Alaska, which translates into what's best for America," Stapleton said.

Palin's resignation, timed on the eve of the July 4 holiday when many Americans had already begun a three-day weekend, seemed designed to avoid publicity. She alluded to how she could help change the country and help military members _ code that she didn't think her time on the national stage was over.

One senior Palin adviser, who spoke to the family in recent days, described the governor and her husband as tired of the constant media scrutiny. Nevertheless, the adviser was shocked to hear Palin's announcement Friday.

A longtime confidant who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, the adviser counseled the Palins that leaving government was politically unwise, but the governor was resolute.

Though the announcement touched off a flurry of speculation among Democrats and Alaska political bloggers that Palin had been drawn into one of the many criminal investigations that have upended Alaska politics in recent years, the adviser reported seeing no evidence of such an investigation and said if one is under way, then Palin has kept it to herself and it would be yet another surprise to supporters.

Jerry McBeath, a veteran political science professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, called the pending resignation a "smart move," both for Palin and the state.

But political analyst Larry Sabato, in Charlottesville, Va., said Palin's announcement left many confused. "I think it eliminates her from serious consideration for the presidency in 2012."

Palin said her family weighed heavily in her decision.

"I polled the most important people in my life, my kids, where the count was unanimous," she said. "Well, in response to asking, 'Hey, you want me to make a positive difference and fight for all our children's future from outside the governor's office?' It was four yeses and one 'Hell, yeah!" And the 'Hell, yeah' sealed it."

Palin's decision not to seek re-election was a familiar one for a potential presidential candidate. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney chose not to seek another term as he geared up for an unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has announced he won't seek another term, giving him plenty of free time ahead of a potential 2012 bid.

Palin emerged from relative obscurity nearly a year ago when she was tapped as then Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate.

She was a controversial figure from the start, with comedian Tina Fey famously imitating her elaborate updo and folksy "You betcha!" on "Saturday Night Live."

In the presidential race, Palin became the butt of talk-show jokes and Democratic criticism after news broke that the Republican Party had spent $150,000 or more on a designer wardrobe, accessories and hair and makeup services for her. The high-end spending spree contrasted with the down-to-earth image she sought to craft for herself and became an unwelcome issue for the McCain campaign.

She didn't leave the limelight once McCain lost the presidency. She recently led a public spat with "Late Show" host David Letterman over a joke he made about one of her daughters being "knocked up" by New York Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez during the governor's recent visit to New York. Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, is an unwed, teenage mother. Letterman later apologized for the joke.

Palin also complained that her 14-month-old son, Trig, who was diagnosed with Down's syndrome, had been "mocked and ridiculed by some mean-spirited adults recently." She didn't elaborate.

Fred Malek, a Republican strategist who has advised Palin over the past year, said Palin was "really unhappy with the way her life was going."

"She felt that the pressures of the job combined with her family obligations and the demands and desires to help other Republican candidates led her to decide not to run again. Once that decision was made, she realized, why not do it now and let the lieutenant governor take over and get a head start on his election," Malek said.

Palin's move also prompted speculation among bloggers and critics that the governor was facing a looming political crisis or embarrassment.

"There's got to be something below the surface that's about ready to come to the surface that quite potentially she just didn't want to deal with as governor," said Andrew Halcro, a Palin critic who lost the 2006 gubernatorial race to her.

There is, for example, a pending public records request from Linda Kellen Biegel, an Anchorage blogger who is seeking e-mails showing an effort by the Palin administration to smear her critics including those filing ethics complaints against the governor. Biegel, whose own ethics complaint was dismissed, also is seeking an investigation into the financial profits to the Palin family from racing sponsors of Palin's husband, Todd, in the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race.

"There may be embarrassing things in there. I don't know," Biegel said. "I'm just as baffled as a lot of people."

Stapleton, Palin's spokeswoman, dismissed the rumors of damaging news on the horizon.

"No truth whatsoever. Period," she wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Just more nonsense from the same people who choose to waste state resources."

Palin was first elected in 2006 on a populist platform. But her popularity has waned as she became embroiled in partisan politics following her return from the presidential campaign. Her term would have ended in 2010.

Palin expressed frustration with her current role as governor.

"I cannot stand here as your governor and allow the millions of dollars and all that time go to waste just so I can hold the title of governor," Palin said, referring to the alleged impact of multiple ethics complaints against her, most of which have been dismissed.

Palin remaining as governor is not good for Alaska, given the "political bloodsport" by her critics, Stapleton said. Stepping down is a "fighter's move," Stapleton said, essentially Palin stepping around political barriers in her way and pursuing her vision.

Palin's announcement comes after several recent blows to the Republican party. Ensign, a member of the Christian ministry Promise Keepers, stepped down from the Senate Republican leadership last month after admitting he had an affair for much of last year with a woman on his campaign staff who was married to one of his Senate aides. Ensign later disclosed he had helped the woman's husband get two jobs during the affair.

A government watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, wants the Senate ethics committee and the Federal Election Commission to investigate.

Just days after news of Ensign's affair broke, Sanford admitted an affair with a woman in Argentina. Some lawmakers are now calling for his resignation. Before the admission, Sanford had been missing from the state for five days visiting his lover. He had slipped his security detail, lied to his staff about where he was and failed to transfer power to the lieutenant governor in case of a state emergency.

The party's troubles seem to have left two prominent 2012 prospects, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and 2008 presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, unscathed, however.

Palin has the potential to make far more money in the private sector than the $125,000 or so she has been making as governor.

Palin already had a deal with publisher HarperCollins to produce her memoirs, with publication planned for next spring. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Six-figure book deals are common for high-profile political figures.

___

Associated Press writers Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Beth Fouhy in New York and Sandy Kozel, Matt Apuzzo and Sharon Theimer in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

Palin Resigns: Meghan Stapleton, Palin Spokeswoman, Insists Palin's Not Buckling Under The Pressure (VIDEO)

2009-07-03T22:49:49Z

Meghan Stapleton, Governor Sarah Palin's spokeswoman, called into Fox News to defend her stunning decision to resign the Alaska governorship on July 26th. Stapleton insisted that Palin felt she could do more for the country by stepping down and strongly denied any claims that she's 'buckling under the pressure.'

Watch the interview below.

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