The same week she is blasted by staffers of her former running mate, John McCain, Sarah Palin has resigned:
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) stunned political observers Friday by announcing she will resign the governorship after just two and a half years in office.
The first-term governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee made the announcement at her home in Wasilla. Some political observers had expected Palin to forgo an opportunity to seek re-election, but few expected Palin to resign office. Her reason for stepping down was not immediately clear.
Alaska’s NBC affiliate, KTUU, was the first station to report that Palin would leave office. Her departure paves the way for Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell to be sworn in; KTUU said he would take office at the end of the month.
The move, coming nearly a year before she would be forced to reveal her plans by filing deadlines, is sure to lead to widespread speculation that Palin will devote herself full-time to a presidential bid in 2012.
Analogizing herself to a crafty "point guard", Palin said in her announcement (transcribed from MSNBC) that she was resigning:
…So that Alaska may progress, I will not seek reelection as governor. And so, as I thought about this announcement that I wouldn’t run for reelection, and what that means for Alaska, I thought well about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks – travel around their state, maybe travel to other states, maybe take their overseas international diplomatic trade missions, so many politicians do that. Then I thought that’s what’s wrong – many just expect that lame duck status, they draw a pay check and milk it and I’m not going to put Alaskans through that.
I promised efficiencies and effectiveness, that’s just not how I am wired. I promised that four years ago, and I meant it. That is not what is best for Alaska at this time.
…
I am determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is unconventional and not so comfortable
…
My choice is to take a stand and effect change and not just hit our head against the wall and watch valuable state time and money – millions of your dollars – go down the drain in this new political environment.We know we can effect positive political change from outside government at this moment in time and actually make a difference for our priorities, and so we will.
Okay, that is just a partial and hastily done transcript of Palin’s speech.
So, what is up here? Todd have his balls in a vise? Another daughter is preggers? Some other family scandal? More Alaskan corruption about to break? Is delicate Sarah just tuckered out? She needs the time to figure out where Putin’s head is?
This is bizarre. Listen, the baloney on MSNBC about her doing it to "free herself up to run for national office in 2012" is pure unadulterated horsepucky. Her term was up in 2010; plenty of time to honor her duties and still run for national office in 2012. Nor is the excuse now heard on teevee that she "needed a break". She is walking away from her job and duties, how is that going to read on her resume for national office? This lady doesn’t care about her constituents, her job, or anything else but herself. A narcissist to the core. If she is not done as a GOP political candidate, they are dummer than even I gave them credit for.