Alaska's senior U.S. senator, Lisa Murkowski, was one of the people unhappy with Palin's decision. "I am deeply disappointed that the governor has decided to abandon the state and her constituents before her term has concluded," the Republican said via satellite phone from interior Alaska.
On the other hand, Lieutenant Governor. Sean Parnell, who will succeed Gov. Sarah Palin after she leaves office this month, called Palin Alaska's greatest gift to the United States on Saturday. 
"I was very surprised at first," he said of Palin's decision to resign, which he said she told him Wednesday. "But then as she began to explain why she was doing it, I began to see it was Sarah Palin, once again, moving to put Alaska's interest first," Parnell told CNN.
Well, those are very different responses to the same event. We can assume that political rivalry between Murkowski and Palin plays a role there. With Parnell, the source of his joy is obvious. He gets to step into the Governor's House for free, which gives him a leg up on the competition come election day. Even so, his comment about Palin putting "Alaska's interest first" comes out sounding odd. That's the same thing that you are supposed to say when a Governor resigns after a sex scandal, a corruption probe, or obvious incompetence. Just sayin'.
In the bigger sceme of things, if you are a liberal you take this resignation as proof that palin is nuts, but since you knew that all along it changes nothing. If you are a religious social conservative, you think it is great stuff and you just put the stamp on the envelope for the check that you are sending to her PAC. If you are a moderate, you are watching in bemusement saying to yourself what the heck. But you are thinking at the same time, if I vote for her in 2012, is she going to quit in 2014 because she wants to run for King of the World?
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Comments: 23
If he knows "why" I wonder when she plans to share that with the rest of the class.
Do Stevens and Palin share homebuilding kickbacks? Oct 27, 2008
http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-10-08/news/the-book-of-sarah/5
yes Elizabeth, I wish Parnell would explain it to me in words that I could understand.
You said it well. If she thinks this is setting her up for a subsequent office, she's wrong.
Does anyone want to bet me that Palin is not running for president? She needs the extra time to build an organization and obtain backing.
I doubt this was a way to prepare for running for president, or at least it be a strange way to. I think there's definately something else behind it, that hasn't come to light yet.
Alaska is just too far away from the press centers of New York and Washington and there is no reason to put her face on TV if she stays in Alaska. Watch for her to take up something that will keep her in the public eye.
Can you say "radio talk show host"?
oooh yeah, WM. If Rush can make 300 million, just think what palin could make!
I guess the libs win on this one. They were able to attack her family to the point where being governor wasn't worth the burden to her family -- something most liberals would never understand.
Come on, Dan. This is about our sick interest in Palin, not about liberals. I can remember Republican smear campaigns against the families of Democrats. It isn't pretty but it is politics. If you can't take the heat...
Nobody won on this one. It's a mess from start to finish. Palin's family should have never been an issue and should never have been mentioned by the media.
Yes Dan, attacks on Family members are very low, especially when it's against minor children of politicians.
"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."
Good points, Larry and Richard. As I said, the libs one this time. It doesn't make it any better whether the attacks come from the left or the right. They're low blows, they victimize innocent people and they convince what could be very capable leaders to stay out of politics.
The Palin family should not have been brought in. And it was not needful, as Sarah has given us sufficient reason to doubt her as presidential timber.
Letterman's bit was discordantly offensive. I don't stay up that late, and now I have another good reason not too.
I hope that she stays home and takes care of her children. One especially needs her. Motherhood is a noble role. I'll never forget little Trip bundled around in public at the convention, a despicable trick for votes.
But I believe that a scandal will come to fore.
Track is the oldest, Trig is the youngest. No Trip.
"Motherhood is a noble role." I have heard this line put forth solely by men who refuse to change a diaper. It's their way of saying (in a pseudo-politically correct mannger) "not my job." Motherhood is not noble, it is bloody hard, exhausting work for which we get little or no thanks or respect.
As to possible scandal coming forth--yes, we are in complete agreement there. Her timing of the press conference was hasty, a complete surprise to her husband, who had to hurriedly leave his fishing trip an hour away to return for it, and the notice for the press conference was only issued an hour prior to its being held, at her home, which severely limited the number of reporters able to attend. Plus her speech sounds like Piper wrote it. I smell something rotten in the state of...oh wait. Not the place she can see from her house....
Oh, PLEASE let Palin be the 2012 Republican candidate for President... please, Please, PLEASE, PLEASE!
Chris, sir >
You say you are looking for a sampling of reactions? I'll love to see Bootsy run as a Republican in 2012, like Chuck (above). But how's THIS for a creative response to Friday's 'burbling' * resignation speech ...
* Credit: M. Dowd (NYT)
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► LMAO - Hitler Finds Out Sarah Palin Resigns ◄
Destined to be the Independence Day 2009 Classic!
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:-)
ouch kenneth, that video is really harsh. must admit not without humor though...
// must admit not without humor //
Adolf ~ 'This is whack.'
LAUGHED MY ASS OFF!
I neither love it or hate it. I was surprised like everyone else. I think she is either planning on running for Pres in 2012 or there is a breaking scandal. I dont think she has a shot at the Rep nomination.
But most of all I wish she would just stop giving press conferences the sound of her voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard.
Well, exactly. Resigning like this doesn't exactly build the kind of confidence in voters that would be required for a presidency, does it? I suspect it's the "breaking scandal" version.
(Admittedly, I'm in the "knew she was nuts all along" category.)
That speech of hers sounded as if she'd been into the in-laws' supply of meth. It almost made that idiotic rambling discourse of Mark Sanford sound sensible, and considering how much I loathe and despise him, that's saying something.
I'm not sure if she's nuts. I'm sure she's a complete idiot, though.