Palin Leaves Voters, GOP Allies Perplexed
CBS News Correspondent Terry McCarthy reports that Sarah Palin's game of hide and seek with the media is frustrating some voters -- and even perplexing her allies in the Republican party.
"I don't think it's right for her to just disappear on us like that," said Iesha Beverly-Weasel, an Anchorage resident.
Today on CBS' "The Early Show", former aide to George W. Bush Dan Bartlett said, "She's left both supporters and detractors scratching their heads."
George W. Bush's former chief political aide Karl Rove said on "Fox News Sunday" that Palin's decision was personal, but it's a risky strategy.
"She marches to the beat of her own drummer, and its going to be very interesting how she pulls this off," he said.
Even the normally effusive Rush Limbaugh didn't know what to make of her.
"I'm not going to sit here and tell you I know for sure what this means because I don't," he said, "'cause I haven't heard her say - I haven't heard anybody in her camp say - what this is all about and why she's doing it."
In fact, the only definitive statement we have today about Sarah Palin is from the FBI - which says she is not the target of a criminal investigation, dismissing one theory of her sudden resignation.
Palin has been targeted with numerous ethics complaints which friends say have worn her down - and cost the state some $2 million to defend.
"It's pretty insane," Palin said in a press conference. "My staff and I spend most of our day dealing with this."
In Palin's hometown of Wasila, one-time supporter Lyda Green, says Palin likes to shoot from the hip.
"I have never seen her take advice from others, and she seems very satisfied with her own judgement," said Green, the former Republican State Senate President.
Since Friday, Palin has communicated with brief messages by Twitter. On Sunday morning she attacked her critics for "spinning" and "feeding false information" - and then several hours later tweeted that she was going fishing in western Alaska.
This is a pretty big state - with plenty of places to hide. When CBS asked Palin's press secretary today when the governor was returning, he said "I wish I knew."