Palin: I'm Not a Quitter

Alaska Governor Says She's a Fighter in Broadcast Interviews, but Adds That "Politically Speaking, if I Die, I Die"

(AP)  Updated 10 a.m. ET

Sarah Palin says she's not a quitter, she's a fighter, but adds that, politically speaking, "if I die, I die. So be it."

The Alaska governor spoke in taped interviews on ABC, NBC and CNN broadcast Tuesday morning.

She told CNN that "all options are on the table" for her future.

But told ABC's "Good Morning America" that she recognizes she might not have political staying power after her surprise resignation Friday, which came just as she had been expected to elevate her national profile ahead of a possible 2012 GOP presidential run.

"I said before ... 'You know, politically speaking, if I die, I die. So be it,"' she said.

Speaking in fishing waders from the town of Dillingham, Palin said her administration has been paralyzed by fending off frivolous lawsuits.

"I'm not going to take the comfortable path. I'm going to take the right path for the state," she said of her resignation, which she characterized as a matter of progressing in an unconventional way.

"That caught people off guard. ... It's out of the box and unconventional. That's what we are as Alaskans and certainly how I am as a public servant."

Palin said she doesn't think she needs a title to affect "positive change," but added that she can't see herself being totally out of public service.

The outgoing Alaska governor told the Anchorage Daily News she stepped down because ethics complaints against her and her squabble with lawmakers would have paralyzed the 18 months she had left in office.

"Especially when all these lawmakers are lining up for office," she said. "Their desire would be to clobber the administration left and right so that they can position themselves for office. I'm not going to put Alaskans through that."

She told the paper she believes her replacement, Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who will take office on July 26, will diffuse the controversy that surrounds her.

"With Sean in the governor's seat, it won't be the politics of personal destruction, I don't believe," Palin said.

She added she wasn't sure what her next step would be.

"I can't predict the next fish run much less what's going to happen in a few years," she told the Daily News. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going to keep working hard for Alaska."

Palin has spent the past four days with her family, but she returned to work as Alaska governor Tuesday in a remote fishing village 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Palin was scheduled to appear in Kotzebue to sign a bill designed to bring public safety officers to small towns. Kotzebue, a town of about 3,000 people, is 550 miles northwest of Anchorage and lies on a spit of sand at the end of a peninsula.

There has been speculation that she has some legal issue that is not yet known to the public. But her lawyer told The Associated Press on Monday that she has no legal problems whatsoever, and simply is tired of the hostile political climate, legal bills and other distractions.

"She is leaving now because I think she believes that she has become the issue, rightly or wrongly, with all these ethics complaints and with the issues involving the Legislature, the combativeness they've been demonstrating toward her since she returned from the campaign," Thomas Van Flein said.

"I think she believes it's in the best interest of the state to progress forward, for her to move on to other issues."

Palin has become a lightning rod for partisan politics in Alaska since her return from the 2008 presidential campaign after John McCain selected her as his running mate for the GOP ticket. She has racked up an estimated $500,000 in legal bills defending the flurry of ethics complaints, including one filed Monday that alleges she is violating ethics law by taking per diem payments when she stays in her Wasilla home instead of the governor's mansion in Juneau.

In addition, her relationship with Democrats in the state Senate

once among her staunchest allies - deteriorated in the last session.

At the state Capitol in Juneau, the "Time to Make a Difference" clock that counted the time left in Palin's term was taken down from the wall outside her office. And people from around the country called up her office to inquire about the situation, as did a few cruise ship tourists who made the trek to the Capitol.

The young woman at the desk outside Palin's office was busy answering phones.

"Yes, she is getting swamped with e-mails," the woman tells one caller. "Yes, they do get forwarded to the appropriate person."

"Unfortunately, we are having a back load of e-mails so it will take some to get a response," she tells another.

Where is she? Why is she stepping down? When is her last day? Why so soon?

The tour guide tried to politely answer the questions for the tourists when she could, but for the most part had no answers.

Some of the visitors left Palin messages in a guest log.

"Sarah - Please Stay!" one person wrote.

Kathy Waldo-Gilbert, a registered Democrat from Iowa who was on her honeymoon in Alaska, said she was especially disappointed because she believes that Palin's early departure from the governor's job will make it harder for other women who want to be taken seriously in high-profile positions. Waldo-Gilbert voted Republican for the first time in last year's presidential election.

"When things get hard, you stick around," she said.

Erika Fagerstrom, executive residential manager at the governor's mansion, said Palin and her family will be missed. Even though Palin lived most of the time at her home in Wasilla, she spent "quite a bit" of time at the stately columned mansion near the capitol building, she said.

"We are sad to see her go. They are a great family," she said.

Palin will be succeeded by Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who has announced he will seek to retain the office in the 2010 election.

State Rep. John Harris, a former House speaker and Republican from Valdez, announced Monday that he's preparing to file paperwork with state election officials in a bid for governor.

[sneaky8969]

from sneaky8969--All I will say is that Palin will no longer be in Alaska--she going for the lower 48 for the money and the STAR. Don't be surprised to her show up on FOX News with her on show

[hamiltongrad]

FAT HEAD DAVID LETTERMAN IS AT IT AGAIN...CAN'T STOP HIMSELF.



David Letterman, again last night made a damm fool of himself. He can't let go , cant stop his stupid hateful jokes. HE IS pathetic. The more he talks, about S.Palin, the more he looks like a mean, old , TIRED elitist JERK.

[smoknmirrors]

I am not a quitter.
I am not a Crook.
I did not have Sex with that Woman.
What's the difference between a rogue and an imbecile?
The rogue occasionally takes a rest. Will she never stop?

[gravyboat4000]

"I'm takin my toys and I'm goin home"

Sarah Palin.

[hungry1968-16]

by akwriter July 7, 2009 10:25 AM PDT
I am so tired of ultra-conservatives blaming the "liberal" media or those darn progressives for all their problems. Face it Sarah...you are a quitter. You may have other political aspirations, but you will always and forever be a QUITTER.






It's what Fox News does in a pathetic attempt to give itself credibility.

They decry the ACTUAL news organizations as being "liberal" and "biased", and keep telling their brainwashed listeners that they are "fair and balanced".

If they had ANY honesty in their journalism, they would report that 95% of their "news" comes from RNC headquarters, in the form of "talking points".


And the republican politicians just jumped right on that band wagon: ANY time they get caught doing something wrong, it's the "liberal media's fault". Just like Palin's ultra-stupid resignation. No mention of ALL of the conservatives that have been tearing her up for it, just the "liberal media".

[akwriter]

I am so tired of ultra-conservatives blaming the "liberal" media or those darn progressives for all their problems. Face it Sarah...you are a quitter. You may have other political aspirations, but you will always and forever be a QUITTER.

[skyk-2009]

ANYONE who actually thinks our future and the future of our kids lies in THIS Woman and the Present day Republican Party is really kidding themselves. We have TRIED it Her way! We have TRIED it THEIR way... for OVER THREE DECADES we TRIED it their way and LOOK at what we have to show for it. GET in your CARS people and DRIVE. LOOK at AMERICA and what we have allowed these "Trickle Down" Politician's to do to our Country. We have a nation falling appart, the WORST Health Care System in the WORLD, a Social Security System that if flat broke, an Education System that doesn't work and we are at the mercy of the Middle East for our Energy!! Now IF you look back to the PROBLEMS in 1980, you have them right now PLUS two War's AND NOW all our jobs are in some THIRD WORLD COUNTRY! You'd have to be a complete IDIOT to vote to continue THAT!!

[cockroachcrusher]

Quitter, quitter, quitter!!!

[walt1944]

Caribeau Barbie has announced that she is not a quitter!!!

It's just that after a few years in office, she gets BORED!!!!

Besides, she is a firm believer in the old saying about the "grass being greener on the other side of the hill!"!

Truth is, these days, there is a LOT OF DESERT on the other side of that hill!!!!

And we all have the former Great Emperor George W. Bush, his neocon Fascist Nazi Republican party, and GREEDDY Corporate America to thank for all that!!!!!

HAIL OBAMA?????????

[johndevinejr]

Whatever else happens, I hope that republicans continue to speak and act in their traditional way.
Follow their leaders, think what they are told to think, say what they are told to say.
Continue mouthing comments that are stunningly dishonest and breathtakingly stupid.

Continue the self righteous, religious arrogance, family values nonsense they pretend to live by.
Because these are the things that got your party where it is today.

[johndevinejr]

by afloatinasea July 7, 2009 7:40 AM PDT
My, My. One has to wonder about people who are stating that when you quit, it means exactly that. If I remember correctly most of you also stated that President Clinton was correct in describing oral sex as not having sex. Sorry,I forgot, he is a Democrat so what "is" is.


afloatinasea

I see are intent on astro turfing the site with the same message. By whatever definition you use. Sarah Palin QUIT. By whatever definition you use Sarah Palin is a QUITTER



To a republican, starting a war based on lies is OK. Condoning torture, OK. Trashing the constitution OK. Outing a covert CIA operative OK

Getting a hummer: AH!!!!! Call the National Guard! Start an Impeachment!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!

[nanc12]

So, I see someone filed an ethics complaint against her yesterday for claiming travel expenses to drive from Wasilla to the governor's office, even though she chose to live there and not in the governor's mansion provided, and Wasilla is not 50 miles from Anchorage as the rule for reimbursement stipulates.
Hopefully, someone will file a complaint about her helping the first dude do his fishing job, while still getting paid for not doing her job!

[johndevinejr]

by ReallyMeanIt July 7, 2009 8:42 AM PDT
LOL, you must have barracks hypocritical syndrome.
barrack quit on the people of Illinois, tell us to tighen our belt while vacationing all over the world.
Quitter = barrack hussein obama = hypocrite

Sarah Palin is the embodiment of republicanism and conservativism. She should be the republican nominee for President.
Come on Sarah, you can do it.
The media has been so unfair to you. Asking you those trick questions like "What publications do you read?"

[johndevinejr]

by afloatinasea July 7, 2009 7:47 AM PDT
My, My. One has to wonder about people who are stating that when you quit, it means exactly that. If I remember correctly most of you also stated that President Clinton was correct in describing oral sex as not having sex. Sorry,I forgot, he is a Democrat so what "is" is.

The rule of thumb for republicans is: When one of your republican leaders is doing something stupid, change the subject.

Personally I think Sarah Palin is the perfect representative of the republican party and conservatism.
She should be the next republican nominee for President of the United States.
Come on Sarah, don't let the liberal media get you down by their liberal trickery of asking you questions. Stand up for the Real Americans. Don't be quitter

[actornaught]

Goodbye,

Sarah, meet me on this side of Bizarro World, so i won't see you ever again.

Hello.

[johndevinejr]

by John_Merritt July 7, 2009 7:17 AM PDT
Republicans may quit because that is the right thing to do, however, Democrats continue to draw a paycheck and DO NOTHING! Now that is a travesty!


republicans quit because they are weak and cowardly.


and because they are cry babies!


HA HA HA

[actornaught]

"I'm not really bad, I'm just drawn that way."

Sarah in waders? How about Nancy Pelosi in sheepskin cowboy chaps?

Head 'em up!

[steeepe]

Palin is as inarticulate as Bush and about as dumb. My favorite quotes from her speech:

"my staff and I spend most of our day dealing with THIS instead of progressing our state now." "Progressing" the state?

"We took government out of the dairy business and put it back into private-sector hands - where it should be." Exactly what Republicans believe: get government out of government and give it all to the private sector, who will look out for your best interests, no doubt.

"it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: "Sit down and shut up", but that's the worthless, easy path; that's a quitter's way out." And then she quits!!!

[ubrew12]

This is what is wrong with America. Our politicians actually expect us to believe what is coming out of their mouths OVER their actions. The woman quits her job, yet HALF the country believes her when she says 'I am not a quitter'.

Wall Street: Give me one trillion dollars or I'll stop lending. Oh, also, 'I am not a bank robber!'

[craftycandi]

Sarah Palin says she's not a quitter, she's a fighter, but adds that, politically speaking, "if I die, I die. So be it."

From your lips to God's ears, Sarah.