Looks like Gov. Palin is resigning... speculate below

[BryanP]

Oh, I thought he had been referring to the 17 y/o who was pregnant, not the 14 y/o. Bad either way, but one is definitely worse.

He most likely thought he was talking about Bristol.  Then it turned out the 14 year old was there and the 17 year old was not.  Whoops.

[seeker_two]

Don't know what her plans are....but I'd sure be happy if she decided to run for governor of Texas....she'd be a lot better than the losers campaigning now... 

Palin/Nugent 2012?

That is instant WIN!      

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Sarah Palin not under FBI investigation, agency spokesman says
The former GOP vice presidential candidate's surprise resignation as Alaska governor had set off speculation, including rumors of a pending federal corruption probe or charges.
By Josh Meyer
July 5, 2009
Reporting from Washington -- A day after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin resigned, a federal official in her home state dismissed one potential explanation for her sudden and unexpected resignation: a rumored FBI investigation into the former Wasilla mayor on public corruption charges.

Despite rumors of a looming controversy after the Republican governor's surprise announcement Friday that she would leave office this month, some of them published in the blogosphere, the FBI's Alaska spokesman said the bureau had no investigation into Palin for her activities as governor, as mayor or in any other capacity.

 

    * Sarah Palin is resigning as governor
      Video: Sarah Palin is resigning...

"There is absolutely no truth to those rumors that we're investigating her or getting ready to indict her," Special Agent Eric Gonzalez said in a phone interview Saturday. "It's just not true." He added that there was "no wiggle room" in his comments for any kind of inquiry.

The FBI has been active in mounting corruption investigations in Alaska, some to see whether local, state and federal lawmakers illegally received favors, money or free construction work from businesses or people seeking favors.

The most high-profile case was against former Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, whose conviction last year on charges of lying on Senate ethics forms stemmed from charges that a politically connected developer had done work on his house illegally.

The Obama administration Justice Department threw out the charges in April, saying prosecutors had failed to turn over potentially helpful information to Stevens' defense team. Some bloggers have speculated that such an FBI investigation was underway on Palin, who still had 18 months left in her term.

Also Saturday, the former GOP vice presidential nominee posted a statement on her Facebook page, not offering specifics but indicating that she had broad goals after she leaves the governor's office.

She did not say whether she planned to run for president in 2012, but criticized media coverage of her announcement:

"How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country. And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make."

josh.meyer@latimes.com

[Monkeyleg]

"To the extent several websites, most notably liberal Alaska blogger Shannyn Moore, are now claiming as 'fact' that Governor Palin resigned because she is 'under federal investigation' for embezzlement or other criminal wrongdoing, we will be exploring legal options this week to address such defamation," Van Flein said in a statement. "This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and The Washington Post, that the Palins will not allow them to propagate defamatory material without answering to this in a court of law."

My first reaction was that this was a bad policy, but the more I think about it, the better I like it. If the press fudges the truth about her, there's not much that can be done, but at least outright lies can be stopped. It's about time.

[longeyes]

Palin understands that reclaiming this nation will not happen under the banner of either D or R because D & R, as constituted, got us here.  The McCain people did us a great favor by discovering her, even if they didn't understand or appreciate her.   I suspect she also got fed up with the currents of the culture that produces the likes of David Letterman and Levi Johnson.  The next political movement will be about much more than party politics and policies, it will also be about the core of the culture and what it means to be an American.

[agricola]

My first reaction was that this was a bad policy, but the more I think about it, the better I like it. If the press fudges the truth about her, there's not much that can be done, but at least outright lies can be stopped. It's about time.

Well yes - unless that LA Times story is completely wrong (given how definitive its answer is), its fairly clear that none of the outlets mentioned could have actually spoken to the FBI regarding the story - which is absolutely unforgiveable given that the FBI indictment is the story. 

She absolutely should sue them, if for no other reason than having a demonstrable, checkable, quoteable, unarguable example of the MSM blatantly lying would be beneficial further on down the road.

[longeyes]

John Ziegler's video, Media Malpractice, amply documents how Palin was torpedoed, deliberately, by the MSM.

[Waitone]

Michael Savage blazed a new trail when he decided to take the fight right to his enemies' kitchen.  Problem is Savage is independently wealthy while Palin ain't.  I hope she continues with her threats of legal action in cases of demonstrable falsehoods. 

Palin has probably figured out she has to separate herself from the republican establishment if she is to have any future in the republican party.  A third party bid is a non-starter due to all the games played with local eligibility rules for election. I think she can build a base inside the party but it will have to be done over the opposition of the northeastern republican elites.

[tyme]

I can't sympathize with her.

If there is a grand jury investigating Palin, the FBI wouldn't be legally able to confirm that, would they?  If there is an internal FBI investigation that hasn't progressed to the courts, the FBI would be under no obligation to confirm that either, would they?

I'm also wondering if she has histrionic personality disorder.

If she wanted to avoid wild speculation, maybe she shouldn't have decided to quit as Governor for no apparent reason.

[Perd Hapley]

Bristol... Palin's... past misdeeds?

Sometimes I have trouble understanding if you're serious or joking. 

Right back at ya', kid.  Yeah, sexin' when you're single and not even growed up yet is a misdeed.  Hence the embarrassment to her mother's political ambitions. 

The woman displayed very little substance during the campaign. The winking during the debate did it for me.

How many points do we award for Most Unintentionally Ironic Post? 

[taurusowner]

I can't sympathize with her.

If there is a grand jury investigating Palin, the FBI wouldn't be legally able to confirm that, would they?  If there is an internal FBI investigation that hasn't progressed to the courts, the FBI would be under no obligation to confirm that either, would they?

I'm also wondering if she has histrionic personality disorder.

If she wanted to avoid wild speculation, maybe she shouldn't have decided to quit as Governor for no apparent reason.

You're forgetting the short attention span of the American public.  This will probably be her last big media event for a while.  If she remained in office, everything she did would be under the spotlight, even stuff with her family.  This, while a big event, will give way to whatever happens next week, and they will have their peace.  Perhaps she is angling to become another big name in conservative politics, but outside the GOP.  But she may also be simply trying to shield her family.  I don't see why this is so hard to fathom.  She has very young children.  I can't think of a better reason to get out of politics than to prevent one's family from being a target for the Libs every day and every night.  She may be going out with a bag, but the key is she may be going out period.  And if it's for her family, I can't fault her.  Let's see how big of a deal this is in two weeks.  Let's see what big story is in the news in two weeks, and if it has anything to fo with Palin. 

[RocketMan]

Despite what the FBI has said, I just can't shake a nagging feeling that the other shoe is about to drop.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

possible  but she was under the microscope pretty thoroughly

[Perd Hapley]

I'm still going with the cocaine/prostitution/aliens/Zionists theory.

[RocketMan]

I'm still going with the cocaine/prostitution/aliens/Zionists theory.

What about the zombies?  Wasn't she involved with zombies somehow?

[tyme]

Perhaps she is angling to become another big name in conservative politics, but outside the GOP.  But she may also be simply trying to shield her family.  I don't see why this is so hard to fathom.  She has very young children.

This shows catastrophically poor judgment on her part.  Politicians are supposed to weigh family vs politics before they run, not after.  First she wants to be VP, then she decides she can't handle 18 more months of being Alaska's governor, for no other reason than she wants to spend time with her family?  Quitting her job in this abrupt and bizarre way won't get the media to back off; it'll make them even more determined to find a story.

What the bloody hell would she have done if McCain had won the election?

It's nearly unheard of for someone to quit as governor in the middle of a term just because the spotlight is too bright.

Something is just not right with her.  I'm betting on a personality disorder or a criminal investigation.

[seeker_two]

What about the zombies?  Wasn't she involved with zombies somehow?

Nazi zombies, no less.....

 

[MicroBalrog]

This shows catastrophically poor judgment on her part.  Politicians are supposed to weigh family vs politics before they run, not after.  First she wants to be VP, then she decides she can't handle 18 more months of being Alaska's governor, for no other reason than she wants to spend time with her family?  Quitting her job in this abrupt and bizarre way won't get the media to back off; it'll make them even more determined to find a story.

Ah. A reasonable response.

I would add that a person who enters politics has certain obligations - in terms of honor and decency if nothing else - to people who invest themselves in supporting him, emotionally or in terms of money and volunteering. People in the political arena have certain duties to their country, their state, and the people who supported them. They have voluntarily accepted these duties.

[agricola]

I can't sympathize with her.

If there is a grand jury investigating Palin, the FBI wouldn't be legally able to confirm that, would they?  If there is an internal FBI investigation that hasn't progressed to the courts, the FBI would be under no obligation to confirm that either, would they?

I'm also wondering if she has histrionic personality disorder.

If she wanted to avoid wild speculation, maybe she shouldn't have decided to quit as Governor for no apparent reason.

No, but the FBI would be unlikely to absolutely deny its existence as they did.  

As for her reasons, personally (and admittedly when viewing from a distance across the pond) I think she has more than a few good ones to walk away, not the least of which is the almost unprecedented abuse aimed at her and her family from large sections of the press and the more idiotic elements of society which has not stopped since the election.  

Yes, she should have realised that there is a balance between family and politics but I cant think of an occasion when it appeared to be fair game for the media to go  - at various times - after her, her husband, her parents, her sister, two of her three daughters and her youngest son.  One imagines they only left the eldest lad alone because they realised he was about to become heavily armed.  Even with your media one would think that they would show some bloody restraint, but there was no sign of that - and indeed there has been no sign of them stopping doing it either.  

[longeyes]

Analyzing Palin and her critics in terms of previous media feeding frenzies is destined to be fruitless.

This is something new.  What's new about it is the polarization of the people and the media and the extreme partisanship of a large and influential chunk of the opinion-forging stratum.  Extreme partisanship is a nice way of saying that a lot of people in the MSM are exuberantly irrational on a wide array of topics.  Palin is hated because she's a) a Christian b) a mother c) conservative and patriotic d) a gun-owner and e) anti-abortion.  She is a living rebuke of everything that the Left has consacrated its lives to.  Ergo Palin delenda est.

My belief is that the attacks on Palin will backfire, and to say that will be an understatement.

[RocketMan]

My belief is that the attacks on Palin will backfire, and to say that will be an understatement.

One would hope.  If this does come to pass, it will certainly be entertaining.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

This shows catastrophically poor judgment on her part.  Politicians are supposed to weigh family vs politics before they run, not after.  First she wants to be VP, then she decides she can't handle 18 more months of being Alaska's governor, for no other reason than she wants to spend time with her family?  Quitting her job in this abrupt and bizarre way won't get the media to back off; it'll make them even more determined to find a story.

What the bloody hell would she have done if McCain had won the election?

It's nearly unheard of for someone to quit as governor in the middle of a term just because the spotlight is too bright.

Something is just not right with her.  I'm betting on a personality disorder or a criminal investigation.

The amount of vitriol against her and even her family is unprecedented.  I imagine Palin and her family were prepared for the usual bit of personal attacks and prying, but not for the extra heavy dose of it that they actually received.

[Standing Wolf]

The next political movement will be about much more than party politics and policies, it will also be about the core of the culture and what it means to be an American.

I'm afraid you're right; I'm also afraid it's underway, and we're on the receiving rather than giving end of it.

[Perd Hapley]

tyme,

Did she say she was resigning because of the media attention?  I thought her stated reason was her interest in national politics.  But maybe I missed something.

Also, the media feeding frenzy came after she accepted the VP slot, not before.  I don't know where you get the idea that she was supposed to know what that kind of attention would be like before she, um, knew what that kind of attention was going to be like.  Or how was she supposed to predict that she would become the new Dick Cheney-style media punching bag? 

That said, I would agree that her resignation does not bode well, if she's planning to run for high office. 

[Iain]

Can't remember where but saw a report that the now estranged baby daddy was touting a book. Apparently there are things to be told.

Underneath there was a poll asking what we thought the revelation was going to be. I voted 'It was all a lie, you can't see Russia from her house'.