ANCHORAGE, Alaska, July 3, 2009
Sarah Palin To Resign As Alaska Governor
At Hastily Convened Press Conference Says She Will Not Run for 2nd Term, Mum On Future Plans
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Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announcing her intention to resign office at the end of this month, in Wasilla, Ak., July 3, 2009. (CBS)
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Play CBS Video Video Sarah Palin To Resign As Gov. In Full: With family, friends and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell of Alaska present, Sarah Palin issues a statement with her intention to resign office at the end of July to take her fight "in a new direction."
Saying she is taking her fight "in a new direction," Sarah Palin announced today that she will resign as governor of Alaska and will not seek a second term.
At a press conference outside her home in Wasilla, Palin said she will leave office at the end of this month. And while she did not discuss specific future plans, she said that she was "determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is unconventional and it is not so comfortable."
Palin, who was elected to the Governor's office in 2006, and who shot to national recognition upon landing on the Republican ticket as John McCain's running mate last year, said that it was possible to be more effective outside of governance.
"My choice is to take a stand and affect change, 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. Rather, we know we can affect positive change outside government at this moment in time on another scale and actually make a difference for our priorities - so we will, for Alaskans and for Americans."
In a rambling speech that relied heavily upon criticisms of the time and money being expended in state government, Palin said she had given her reasons "very candidly, truthfully," though actually she gave little in the way of concrete reasons for her departure, and did not take any questions.
"I really don't want to disappoint anyone with this announcement, not with the decision that I have made," she said. "All I can ask is that you trust me with this decision and know that it is no more politics-as-usual, and some Alaskans it seems maybe they don't mind wasting public dollars and state time, but I do. 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. I don't know if my children are going to allow it anyway."
"The timing and astonishing nature of Palin's announcement will naturally lead people to assume that there is more to the governor's decision to resign than she has let on, and there might well be," said CBSNews.com producer Scott Conroy, who covered Palin's vice presidential campaign last year.
"But in the months since the Republican defeat in November, the Alaska governor has shown time and again a high level of frustration with the baggage that has come with becoming such a high-profile governor and national celebrity," Conroy said. "Many of Palin's former political allies in Alaska have turned on her, and the near-constant barrage of criticism has clearly weighed on the former vice presidential candidate, as her demeanor during the emotional press conference at her lakefront home in Wasilla attests."
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.
More coverage of Gov. Sarah Palin:
Sarah Palin Resigns
Analysis: Palin Was Fed Up
Is Palin Eyeing a 2012 Presidential Run?
She said that the decision has "been in the works for a while," and comes after much consideration and prayer.
"Finally, I polled the most important people in my life - my kids - where the count was unanimous.
"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.' That sealed it."
Palin said that she would discuss the details behind her decision "someday," though she did disclose that "much of it had to do with recently seeing the baby brother Trig mocked and ridiculed by some pretty mean-spirited adults recently.
"I sure wish folks could ever understand that we can learn, all of us, from someone like Trig," she added. "The world needs more Trigs, not fewer."
"We just got to put first things first. First things first, as governor, I love my job. I love Alaska. It hurts to make this choice but I am doing what's best for Alaska and I have explained why. So I think of the saying on my parent's refrigerator, a little magnet: 'Don't explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.'
She was joined at the announcement by her parents, family and state commissioners.
Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell will be sworn in at the Governor’s picnic in Fairbanks on July 26; Lieutenant General Craig Campbell will assume his role as Lieutenant Governor.
Apart from her family, there were few reasons given for her announcement, or its timing, albeit for a veiled reference to national politics and the media, which she referred to as a "superficial, wasteful, political blood sport." [Political chatter about Palin's clout within the Republican Party has been heavy in recent weeks, such as when she was by turns invited to and dis-invited from a recent GOP fundraising dinner.]
To that end she fell back upon a sports analogy, likening her leaving office to basketball.
"You are naive if you don't see a full court press from the national level picking away right now a good point guard," she said.
She further described her role as a GOP point guard: "She drives through a full-court press protecting it all, keeping her head up, because she needs to keep her eye on the basket. She knows exactly when to pass the ball so that the [team] can win. That is what I'm doing. Keeping our eye on the ball that represents sound priorities, energy independence and smaller government and national security and freedom. I know when it is time to pass the ball for victory."
CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports that the former high school basketball start has also been on the defense in Alaska, where the Anchorage Daily News reported this week that the state has spent $300,000 investigating 15 ethics complaints against the governor, most notably state-paid family trips and Troopergate.
She also paid tribute to American armed forces, and talked of a recent visit to wounded troops in Kosovo: "We can all learn from our selfless, selfless troops. They are bold and they don't give up and they take a stand and they know that life is short so they choose not to waste time. They choose to be productive and to serve something greater than self and to build up their families and their states and our great country."
"Her stepping down at the end of the month allows her to focus on her future political plans: a run for the 2012 presidency," said CBS News political director Steve Chaggaris. "She won't be restricted by the trappings of a faraway governor's office and the continuing firing squad from her opponents in Alaska, and won't have to worry about a potentially tough gubernatorial re-election bid in 2010."
"It will clear the deck for Palin to focus on raising money and speaking to Republicans around the country as she gears up for 2012," Chaggaris added.
"Going back to Alaska wasn't a safe haven. She sees people like Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, who aren't tethered to a political office, getting a head-start. Now she doesn't have to worry about answering to people in Alaska, and be in a more convenient situation to focus on national campaigning and establishing a base, rather being stuck in Wasilla, Juneau or Fairbanks."
Conroy points out that "she still has an enormous base of support among grassroots conservatives, who will continue to come out in droves as she seeks warmer pastures across the Lower 48.
"Though she has a big hill to climb to regain credibility in many circles, those who write off Sarah Palin's political future do so at their own peril," Conroy adds.
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 425 CommentsThe Alaska Fund Trust
July 22, 2009
Thank you for being here today. My name is Kristan Cole, Trustee to the Alaska Fund Trust. And this is the Trust's attorney in Alaska, Jon Givens.
I am here to address the unusual letter that was leaked yesterday, the contents of which are unprecedented in the history of our country, suggesting that a legal defense fund could somehow be unethical. This is particularly notable, and concerning, in light of the fact that the Trust, on my instructions, has not paid even one penny to Gov. Palin or her lawyers. I issued that instruction because I was aware the Board was reviewing this matter.
This Trust was created by a team of expert lawyers from around the country. It was thoroughly vetted for compliance with federal and state law and trust law. So far Mr. Daniel is the only lawyer in the country who has questioned a legal defense fund despite the fact that his firm has set up legal defense funds for other office holders. Because his initial review was unprecedented and contained factual errors it was my understanding that Gov. Palin's legal team, including Mr. Van Flein, were in on-going discussions with Mr. Daniel. The matter was not final.
I want to be clear on a point that has been misrepresented: The Governor is not and was not involved with the Trust. The Governor has never worked on or with the Trust. The Governor has not even accepted or requested one penny from the Trust or quite frankly anything of me. And I have never expected anything from her. Really it?s quite the contrary; as I, and many other caring folks across the country have only sought to help with this legal burden.
The first and only time I have spoken with the Governor about the Trust was yesterday to alert her that I was responding to this violation of the law and leak of preliminary and confidential materials from the complainant.
There is a loophole in Alaska law. Alaskans can file frivolous complaints against the Governor - violate the law and alert the media they are doing so, all the complaints can be dismissed and yet the Governor has to personally pay for representation. Legislators covered themselves with a law that warrants automatic dismissal of a complaint if it is leaked to the public.
It has been quite obvious to me, and to other every day citizens like me, that over the last several months that something needed to be done to help the Palins with the overwhelming crush of frivolous ethics complaints.
In their own humble way, the Palins never asked for help. The Governor never even asked anyone to contribute to this legal expense fund. This trust, and the thousands and thousands of dollars raised, were the results of hard working Americans and their outpouring of support. It is disgraceful that anyone would assume that the thousands of people who sent in $5, $10 or $50 intended to "influence" the governor's official actions in Alaska! And this in a state where a half dozen legislators have been convicted of corruption as well as the previous governor's chief of staff. Not one ethics complaint was filed against these individuals who were convicted, but this governor is harassed for having her picture taken with a fish, wearing a jacket, answering press questions and giving a speech.
A few select people have abused our ethics act. The public release of a preliminary document in violation of state law follows that pattern. The people of this state are losing hope that the ethics act has any real purpose anymore and that?s incredibly sad as ethics are so important. Mr. Daniel's preliminary assessment, unprecedented in history and harshly criticized by legal scholars, does nothing to restore credibility to this process.
Numerous individuals thought to help the Palins - not just me. But when I was asked, I was doing research of my own and determined that I would put my name on a Trust already going through an intense legal process throughout the country to ensure that this one was airtight and complied with every possible law under the sun. And this one does. It is one of the most restrictive and transparent trusts of its kind. The validity of the Trust is strong. It is unprecedented in every way imaginable... all donations must be under $150, no donations from lobbyists, and nothing accepted from foreign nationals to name a few. No trust has ever been found to be a violation of ethical standards for any governor, former president, senator, or house member, or former member of Congress. But this Trust which has more severe donation and donor limits than any trust in the history of legal defense trusts might violate ethical rules?
And religion NEEDS to stay out of our Government. Christian or otherwise.
No, religion, especially Christianity and the Holy Bible, should be right in the middle of our government! In fact everything that our government does, every bill or law that they pass, should be based on the Holy Scriptures!
Sara Palin has risen to a new high in most of our opinion, because she has said she isn't going to put with the old way (which accomplishes nothing) and she will be positive going forward.
Sara Palin has risen to a new high in most of our opinion, because she has said she isn't going to put with the old way (which accomplishes nothing) and she will be positive going forward.
I think one reason there is so much antagonism towards Palin is that a LOT of people felt downright INSULTED with her selection by the GOP. It was such a coldly political ploy to select a moderately attractive unknown woman to try and sway some of the disaffected HRC supporters into voting Republican. (The problem was, she was also largely unknown to the people who selected her - whoever vetted her should have been fired double-quick). There was absolutely no other reason for her selection, and anyone with a brain saw that. It kinda worked for a couple of weeks back in September, until her handlers let her do some interviews. Then it was all downhill from there, because she was exposed as the shallow, uninformed, ultra-right-wing religious fundamentalist that she is. Since then, we learned that she is also ethically-challenged and a hypocrite, and will do and say pretty much anything in her pursuit of power and fame. If the GOP pins its 2012 presidential hopes on Palin, they will lose in a landslide. Ask any Independent, Democrat, or moderate Republican out there. No question about it.....
Posted by:
SearamblerOne 8:36
1) join Fox News; or
2) start her own syndicated radio program; or
3) become the head of the North American Secessionist party.
And religion NEEDS to stay out of our Government. Christian or otherwise
I hope I never see the day when religion is out of our government! I hope our government is always kept "Under God" and "In God We Trust" is always our motto!
A "FOUR ROUNDER" TRYING TO FIGHT A MAIN EVENT!!!
JOHN MCCAIN, BY NAMING HER, PUT THIS COUNTRY IN INCREDABLE DANGER HAD HE BEEN ELECTED.
YOU MAY NOT CARE FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA, BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN FEEL SECURE IN THAT HE HAS A SOLID GUY FOR VP--NOT SOME DANGEROUS FEATHERWEIGHT!!!
BUH BYE caribou barbie!!!
The new direction you can go is DOWN below, or maybe you can become a church DEACON or something exciting like that!
When she made the dead fish comment I thought to myself - what the HECK is she thinking! Does she think NORMAL people talk like that or is she TRYING to come off as an ignorant hick?
You obviously don't live where I live! Normal people do indeed talk that way! You would know that if you'd get out of the city and get out into the heartland of America, into the small towns and get your nose out of the air and stop acting so arrogant and come down to earth with us normal people and get out among us!
Why do you care baggy? You're not a US citizen. Tend your monkeys in Sao Paolo.
I am just as much of a citizen as you are! I was born in the United States and my family has lived here since the late 1600's and I have no monkeys and I've never been to San Paolo in my life! I am a proud red blooded all American!
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