PALIN RESIGNS
3 07 2009Yes, it’s true. Governor Sarah Palin, at a hastily called press conference this morning, has announced that she will be stepping down from office on July 25, and turning the reins over to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell “for the good of Alaska.” She’s turning the state over to the guy she didn’t even trust to run things during her failed VP campaign. She chose to govern by Blackberry, while simultaneously speed reading “Politics for Dummies,” making rhetoric-filled speeches to hopped up conservatives, and being a full-time mom on the campaign trail. And still she didn’t leave the state to Sean Parnell. But now, apparently, something is different.
The media is all in a tizzy trying to figure out what’s going on.
Eddie Burke is busy talking to Sean Hannity telling him that Palin’s resignation is a brilliant tactical move cleverly hatched to thwart her enemies. Clearly this demonstrates her political smarts. “Now what will they do?” he wonders. “They won’t have anything to complain about!” Yes, brilliant. She’s really thwarted them now. Why didn’t George Bush use that strategy, we wonder?
Of course, those who have been follwing the Alaska blogosphere closely are aware of the rumors bubbling up that there’s something big…something really big that’s headed her way; the iceberg that’s headed for the S.S. Palin. We’ll see.
Meanwhile what we do know is that Palin has littered her bizarre resignation speech with references to ethics complaints, Photoshopping bloggers, the military, Alaska history, a recap of the administration and a hodge podge of other topics. She delivered the speech with the same adrenaline-filled jaw clenching intensity that she had when she returned from the campaign trail and settled back in to the governor’s office.
And we know that she delivered this speech from her own home, a few hours before the start of a holiday weekend. Not the time to announce something you want the media to focus on.
The news will be breaking for a while, and she will by no means fade out of the media spotlight. And as for Eddie Burke’s concern that those who oppose Palin will have nothing to do? I’m about to go enjoy a barbeque!
Leave comments here, and I’ll check back in as more news becomes available.
Apologies for server issues. The Mudflats was swamped!
>Clink< (that was my glass)
Idependence Day came a day early.
For a transcript of the speech, click HERE
*******************************UPDATES
Okay, I’ve now been able to get independent information from multiple sources that all of this precedes what are said to be possible federal indictments against Palin, concerning an embezzlement scandal related to the building of Palin’s house and the Wasilla Sports Complex built during her tenure. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products.” Federal investigators have been looking into this for some time, and indictments could be imminent, according to the Alaska sources. From Brad Blog
“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.” From HuffPo
Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse issued a statement characterizing Palin’s resignation as “bizarre behavior”:
Either Sarah Palin is leaving the people of Alaska high and dry to pursue her long shot national political ambitions or she simply can’t handle the job now that her popularity has dimmed and oil revenues are down. Either way, her decision to abandon her post and the people of Alaska who elected her continues a pattern of bizarre behavior that more than anything else may explain the decision she made today. From The Daily Beast
Watching the family scene at her house on the raw video running on CNN right now, it is obvious that little knowledge about this was shared ahead of time, no matter what Palin said in the conference itself.
What we are seeing here is either a preface to some indictment, or the final chapter in the career of what has been the biggest political joke of the 21st century. She is so obviously a combination of extreme narcissism and even more extremely bad advice by really, really pathetically bad advisors.
Andrea Mitchell is now being reported as claiming Palin has told some close to her that she is through with politics. From Firedoglake
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:20 PM
I think we have to thank Dr. Chill and CD also, I think that put her over the edge and she is still going to fall!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Birday=Birthday
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Why were there two surrogate teenagers there representing Bristol & Willow? Didn’t look like either one of them off to SP’s right. Yup, Todd, & Piper doing a fey little humming-in-my-head dance. On the CNN raw feed afterwards, a sparse group there at the Lake Lu-seal (as SP pronounces it) Sports Complex Annex: Chuck and a few other adults, quite a few random kids, Parnell in a daze, MS. Receiving line hugs as she tottered on the red shoes (heels on grass??!) from one relative to the next after the speech – a little odd that she didn’t stand still and have them come to her for the hugs….but the whole thing is just so odd it seems like a smart choice on Bristol Willow and Trig’s part to be elsewhere.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Buffalogal: me too! I had just settled into my office to take a “workshop” on coding and billing that I bought the audio CD’s for instead of attending. I was going to be dedicated to it for the rest of the day. I had kind of checked in on the blogs this morning, then told myself, that’s it for the rest of the day. Work to be done. Five minutes later, my son called. “I can’t believe I am doing this,” he says (he is disparaging of my obsession with Palin news; he refuses to discuss any of it with me) but “Mom, have you heard the news? And, oh, by the way, Mudflats is crashed! Too many people,” he reports. I tried anyway. I blogged on as many of the other sites as I could. I left the office, bought wine, ribs, bread. Then I returned and read some more. (BTW: I did finally listen and make notes on the first CD’s information.) Going home now – wow! Happy Independence Day Alaskan friends and all others too. I want to know what the real reason(s) is/are. We deserve to know.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Ms. Palin’s false facade is starting to crack.
More ethics revelations, more “leaks” from the fall campaign, combined with burgeoning state problems that she’s incapable of handling, are what prompted this resignation.
Great day for Alaska and the rest of the country.
Thanks, but no thanks, Sen. McCain!!! We won’t forget your part in this debacle
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 PM
At first I thought she might have wanted to just hike the Appalachian Trail, but
here are my other three thoughts:
1) Politics ain’t for sissies or the thin skinned.
and
2) She can check out but she cannot leave (hat tip to the Eagles)
and
3) Waiting for the other shoe to drop
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Can you believe this? I am feeling so relaxed right now. It’s nice.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 PM
i honestly believe that blogs like this one and palin’s deceptions and the soon to be defunct cuz he got a great paying gig, cajun boy…were all closer to the truth about the palins than was let on.
and maybe letterman’s joke about arod wasnt too far from the truth
and who made a joke about trig?
i know i have one posted on youtube….but thats been up for months
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 PM
The MSM is having serious trouble straight-facing it. Even Anderson Cooper was having trouble. He wins for my favorite snarky quote:
“This was a strange announcement, not just grammatically, but also politically.”
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Isabella, yes, Shannyn was… I just heard the last minute of her commentary to David Shuster, but she did mention that (paraphrased) there probably are things to be revealed yet, the VF article isn’t the end of it.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Trisha, not only do I still want the emails, I want any other investigations going on to still continue. And I need to go get my heavy duty floor jack, so that I can jack up the bus and start pulling her victims out from underneath it.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 PM
I dont live in Alaska, wish I did but I am clinking my glass with you and everyone else …Oh happy day what a great start to the weekend!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Whoo hoo… and she thinks this will make us go away…
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Now that she has resigned, I want to see if some people come out of the woodwork to give the “real” story of working under Palin or Palin on the campaign trail.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Maybe our bard Lynnrockets can use this as inspiration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZwuTo7zKM8
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Don’t get too comfortable, kids.
The timing. Hmmm. She says this was planned and discussed.
Todd flew back from Bristol Bay fishing LAST NIGHT. The peak of the season is July 4, with the volume of the run of salmon for the entire season, the first week of July. It’s over by July 15.
So he flew back last night, during a fishing period, an extension today and probably more fishing time expected tomorrow. Numbers show a push of fish, clearly fish are moving.
Westside Salmon Announcement 25
This is Westside salmon announcement number 25 issued Thursday, July 2 at 12:00 p.m.
Commercial fishing with set gillnets in the Nushagak and Igushik Sections is extended 25 hours until 10:00 p.m. July 3.
Commercial fishing with drift gillnets in the Nushagak and Igushik Sections of the Nushagak District will be allowed for 8 hours from 1:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. July 3, and again in the Nushagak and Igushik Sections of the Nushagak District for 8 hours, from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. July 3.
The escapement in the Wood River yesterday was 43,000 and 45,000 this morning, for a cumulative of 548,000. The Nushagak sockeye escapement was 33,000 yesterday, for a cumulative of 272,000, and the Nushagak king escapement was 2,100, for a cumulative of 64,300. The unapportioned counts at 6:00 a.m. are 8,600. The Igushik River escapement yesterday was 14,800 sockeye and 6,600 so far this morning, for a total of 57,700.
Oop, there is is:
This is Westside salmon announcement number 27 issued Friday, July 3 at 3:00 p.m. Commercial fishing with set gillnets in the Nushagak and Igushik Sections is extended until further notice.
Naw. Couldn’t have been planned for Todd to blow off fishing July 2nd.
I missed my grandmother’s funeral because we were out fishing. My dad missed my brother’s birth.
It just doesn’t work that way, it’s a one-shot deal. You’re either there or no season. You can’t make it up some other time. Why would he have bothered to gear-up for fishing, make the investment in being there and preparing for fishing, if he wasn’t going to be there for these few decisive peak days?
He flew home for some kind of a really big huge deal. She says she consulted her kids who unanimously voted in favor of whatever the next adventure is, and she said she’ll discuss the details of this at another time. Hmmm.
Something incompatible with being the governor:
a. A sweet gig in the entertainment biz
b. Campaigning for president (A real campaign, not just 60 days at the end of someone else’s.)
c. A run for senator
She’s not a quitter and public opinion is unimportant to her. She never does anything that there isn’t something in it for HER. Someone has offered her a really cool awesome opportunity. She isn’t going to blink – she’s taking it!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Having just watched Her Sarahness’ grand “Royal Resignation Ramble” for the 3rd time (OK, so I’m masochistic, that way) I’m re-posting what I posted over in the “Hmmmmm” thread (#353); something is just not ‘right’ about what she IS telling us… something, I’m convinced, has her really scared chitless. So much so, that she didn’t even have her perennial prop, Trigg, on display with the other children as she babbled on. Very odd.
““““
[Here's what I posted in the other thread]
Someone, somewhere, was getting WAY too close to uncovering/exposing something…
Sarah is MUCH too savvy to just up and quit. She knows leaving a position -let alone the position of Gov- won’t look good on her resume.
And money? Money, schmoney – this whole thing smells too much for it to be a mere case of her wanting to cash in NOW on her ‘magnetism and charm’ – there’s something else, something really big, a-brewin’.
Someone, somewhere, has the goods on her and is fixin’ to spill the beans. I betcha. Too, also.
That said, I’m sitting on the edge of my chair waiting to find out WHAT it is that has Her Sarahness running so scared that she’s unable (and/or unwilling) to complete her term.
Keep up the fantastic digging and fact-checking, AK blogsters – you’re doing us all proud. I’ll get the next batch of popcorn…
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 PM
So who is the one who captured the Leprechaun and was granted their wish?
As happy as I am, I am a bit worried. They always say “Becareful of what you wish for!” Should we be worried about the new Lt. Governor? Could he possibly be more for us to concerned about?
I will try not to let my apprehensions get in the way of celebrating this glorious news! Happy fourth everyone!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Happy Independence Day Alaska!
I have never heard such word salad.
Waiting for the iceberg….
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:25 PM
That was one strange speech. Forgive me, I do not wish to cast a shadow on Mrs. Palin’s fine character, but I have a brother who was a meth addict for 10 years. She was wired on something, and if it isn’t meth, it’s something very close. She was grinding, and bad. I bet she wore off about 1/6″ of enamal on the occlusive surfaces of her teeth during that speech.
Y’all have some really good questions here, and previously. I’m particular interested in the obvious nature of last week being completely Palin-Normal (you know, constantly trying to get the media to pay attention) and now suddenly she resigns.
So History Goddess’ question was like a lightbulb that went off: “If this was in the works for awhile, why did she waste the money going to Kosovo?”
INDEED.
Going to Kosovo was a big set-up for her “foreign-policy” chops. No one would waste that kind of expense and set-up to prove foreign-polic experience unless there was a good reason…and I don’t think resigning as governor quite fits the bill for that reason.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Iceberg? Or just bored? Running a state takes work, and if you don’t got the talent for it, you don’t got it.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:26 PM
OK, I just listened to her speech. Weird, that one. She kept talking about we and our but it sounded like she was referring to herself. I thought only the queen of England used the plural. Well, we all know that SP things she IS the queen. . .
And she kept bouncing up and down. Reminded me of Rush in that clip that Olberman always uses. Bet he picks up on that – or I hope he does.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if she had just said – “This job was much more than I thought it would be, and I’ve realized that I am not able to continue. I have my children to think of and have decided that, in THEIR best interest, I’m resigning.”
She would’ve scored a lot more points with everyone if she had just said that and left out the snippy comments blaming her demise on everyone picking on her. She really doesn’t get it.
So with the time she spent on the VP campaign trail and the time she wasn’t in the governor’s office, has anyone figured out just how many days she actually served of this shortened term in office? Did Alaska actually get at least one year’s worth of time from her?
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:27 PM
If anyone else is in need of a real-time “huzzah” and has AIM, I’m on “southtownsnews”. ( i was going to use my personal acct but it’s my actual name and I had this odd paranoia moment. how’s the sea dealing with things??)
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Holey Moley!! Who would have thunk it?!?!??
I suppose it is ALL (mostly???) your fault AKM.. and for that, let me hit the paypal button.. as a toked of my esteem…
I really DO wonder what bombshell is out there.. I do not for a second believe she would leave but for something monumental… unless it was to go on the speech circuit and to rake in the bucks, while the raking is good…
Shocked? You betcha. Pleased- even more so!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 PM
I am tossing in another donations toward AKM’s YOU ROCK HAVE A STEAK DINNER and a WONDERFUL GLASS OF WINE thank you for all you have done. I wish I knew months ago the Progress This Blog clickable up on the right.
There is absolutely no doubt AKM has been significantly responsible with her writings, decency, common sense and extraordinary humorous writings a force Palin has had to reckon with.
Reading here and there the past couple weeks I was getting concerned about some of the other blogs prancing to Palin’s errors by rushing posts on their sites which in their hurried state were without fact and a couple entries pretty snarky. Another reason I LOVE MUDFLATS is the degree of dignity and professionalism AKM holds herself & forum to.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:29 PM
bucfan Says:
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Trisha, not only do I still want the emails, I want any other investigations going on to still continue. And I need to go get my heavy duty floor jack, so that I can jack up the bus and start pulling her victims out from underneath it.
_____________________________________________________________________
I am with you 100%. I have always felt that the only thing that would stop Palin would be for her to be exposed. She has an extreme sense of self to think she could be President, so I believe she will try unless the truth comes out about this woman.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:29 PM
ha ha photonflower i just posted that on my fb page – the movie was on earlier today so i reckon that’s why it popped into my head so easily:)
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:29 PM
NoCalGal “I suppose it is ALL (mostly???) your fault AKM.. and for that, let me hit the paypal button.. as a toked of my esteem…”
You and I are thinking the same my friend…a toast to AKM and a tip for all efforts of Mudflats!!!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Dearest fellow Republican Gov Mark,
I think of your tan lines, also too. Today I did what had to be done to show you how much our rapturous times together have meant to me…Michael Jackson couldn’t do it by himself, but I can. By my noble act of renouncing my crown, strike that, my position, I will take every ounce of media attention off you for the next week so you can have some peace and quiet from the gotcha media we both hate so, also. I believe though our love is impossible now, we will meet someday in a place where there are no bloggers.
With ungovernable passion,
S
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:32 PM
I am a resident of the great state of Illinois. Thank you Govforafewweeks for taking the heat off our idiotic resigned doofus.
Keep an eye out as we are down here in our state. The best of luck. Thank you for your remarkable blogging.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:32 PM
@CG, if criminal indictments are coming for Ex-Governor FlakyToes, no one will want her on the radio or TV until it’s cleared or she’s served time (like Liddy).
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:32 PM
The clip that I saw on TV did have Trig there for a few minutes. As usual, it was Piper who was holding him. She was also doing her famous hair number, slicking down his hair. Todd was standing next to them.
The camera person was given a poke, and quickly switched to a closeup shot of Sarah’s face. In addition to the duck and geese noise in the background, Trig babbled a little. The next time that I looked up (I can only take so much) Trig was out of the picture, and Piper and Todd stood on one side of Sarah. Piper was pretty restless and uncomfortable. It was also strange that following the speech, Sarah went around and hugged everyone, including some of the other children (who were they?) . It wasn’t a very big crowd; MSNBC put the crowd at something between 12-15 people.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:32 PM
I’ve watched the speech twice and really listened to the voice and the facial expressions, to me, she’s on the edge of a total meltdown. There is something coming at her and she knows it. Her usual disjointed speech was more fractured than usual. And the expression on Pipers face! She’s been eavesdropping and knows there’s trouble ahead.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Got an e-mail from my 89 year old mother asking what is going on with my governor? I told her that we haven’t been able to figure that one out for two and a half years. So nothing she does should surprise us, but this definately did.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:33 PM
@ Uncle Joe McCarthy: The ‘joke’ about Trig that Sarah mentioned in her resignation speech wasn’t a joke exactly. Sarah complained about a photoshopped picture of herself carrying Trig (someone replaced Trig’s face with Eddie Burke the Alaskan radio guy).
Some folks figured they’d needle her about it by making a zillion different photoshopped pics from the same photo. It was hilarious fun actually not making fun of Trig, but making fun of Sarah, but you know she has no sense of humor. It’s all here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3160064&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=3
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:34 PM
When I first heard the news I thought one of two things: she’s running for president and needed the prep time. Or, someone has some seriously bad-assed information that’s about to come out.
I had seen clips of the announcement during the day but finally saw the whole thing. The only conclusion you can draw is that a world of hurt is about to come crashing down around her.
No one does this on Friday afternoon before the 4th of July. You can bury a story on Friday but not this story. And not the way she did it. Shoes, boots, waders, body casts are about to drop.
Can’t wait for the details.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:34 PM
Also, CG, I think Palin is a big quitter. She quit a lot of colleges, for one. She quit her AK Oil and Gas Commission post. She is flaky about her speaking engagements. And now she’s quit being a Governor–for no good reason.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:34 PM
“Clink”!!
That represents a toast to you, AKM, and your fellow Alaska bloggers, wishing you a happy Independence Day from Illinois, the state that leads the nation in convicted governors. After this federal (hint) holiday, “clink” may have a distinctly less celebratory association for some up there.
This made my day!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Here’s a million dollars worth of motivation – now she gets to keep all the donated money from last year and a half. Checks in unopened mail ( just 4 of ‘em listed in her disclosure was $5,500), the Fund Trust (20% of their goal is still a chunk of change, $100,000+), SarahPac. And now she can openly and proudly own the clothes, yea!
And she gets to avoid any loss of income from Arctic Cat, Spenard Builders Supply, Fairbanks Gold Company, etc.
Plus, now she won’t have to pay any fines for ethics violations.
My belief (with nothing to back it up) is that the legal debt was actually covered by the outside organization that was advising her in the first place, and sent attorneys up here to “defend” the case, the Liberty Institute and Family Foundation. I think she personally owes very little, if anything.
Millions. I think I’d take the money and run, too. Also.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:36 PM
There was considerable nervousness apparent to me. Not the Sarah we have come to love for her entertainment value. You betcha.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Regarding the kids off to the side of Palin….are they not Parnells kids? They looked liked the kids I saw in a video of Palins inaugeration ball. His kids were there and those children looked like them. I dont think Bristol and Willow were present for this news conference
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Replying to CG’s great post, part of which is quoted here:
“Something incompatible with being the governor:
a. A sweet gig in the entertainment biz
b. Campaigning for president (A real campaign, not just 60 days at the end of someone else’s.)
c. A run for senator”
The only thing that makes some big GOOD thing happening is that, if she was going to run for something, or if she had signed a deal with Fox to be –whatever–she would have made that part of the announcement of her leaving office as governor.
Pain may be many things, but “coy” isn’t one of them. She’s beyond obnoxious in her name-dropping and bragging. If she was resigning to go to a better position (like working for Fox, where no one would give a rat’s patoot if she read a newspaper, and would care even less if she just pulled stuff out of her kiester and presented it as “fact”–in fact, that’s The Fox Way), she would have crowed about it. If she was going to run for office, she would have announced that, too.
Also, CG gave great insight to realities in Alaska that this Californian is clueless about, particularly fishing. Why, indeed, did Todd fly home and miss the season? Why couldn’t Sarah have waited until he was done, home, rested, and through filleting and freezing?
This sounds like an urgent, nearly “emergency” resignation, and I don’t think it’s for something good.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:36 PM
http://run4chocolate.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/sarah-palin-and-the-irs/
6 months ago… just sayin’
perhaps the patience paid off?
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:37 PM
CG “She’s not a quitter and public opinion is unimportant to her. She never does anything that there isn’t something in it for HER. Someone has offered her a really cool awesome opportunity. She isn’t going to blink – she’s taking it!”
Palin tried way to hard to make that insider basketball analogy work for her. Bringing up Trigg, the photo shop, the breaking down at the end…this is a forced situation. The speech SUCKED she did not have help from big time PACS or wealthy backers. Palin is out there on her own…someone or thing spooked her to get out of Dodge.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Happy, happy 4th of July! I don’t think I can stomach the resignation speech, so I will trust all of you to tell me how truly awful her acting was. It’s a beautiful day here in Southeast Alaska. Literally.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:39 PM
yanno, ya alls… got a serious question here… with Palin outta da house, what the heck are we alls gonna be doing now??? Man… spent so many hours reading comments on so many of the Alaska blogs. Might even spend some vacation time up there now that Palin is no longer the guv… plus, what else am I gonna do now????
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:40 PM
I agree that someone or something has put the screws to her….and she’s been forced to resign.
Her demeanor during the speech was not that of a conquering hero who’s going onto more ripe battlefields or even a self-satisfied megalomaniac….She was exceedingly nervous and just able to keep herself together.
BTW….How dare she talk of being victimized by politics when she fired Walt Monegan and screwed-over who knows how many other “little” people while she had the power!
The “bloodsport” of politics has now become her own karma….well deserved.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:40 PM
KaJo..THANK YOU!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:40 PM
Wait… did someone really say that Palin isn’t a quitter?? Hot dang… remind me again… what was that news conference about??
Right.
SHE QUIT!!! MIDSTREAM!! Sore loser and a benchwarming quitter, she is. Hope she gets a splinter in her arse while she’s warming the bench.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 PM
austintx
I was all but praying for those ducks in the background to start making ducklings. She could’ve outdone the turkey vid!!