Palin’s Announcement: The Annotated Version

Palin’s complete remarks on her resignation are quite rambling, odd and vague.

Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt. The ethics law I championed became their weapon of choice. Over the past nine months I’ve been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations – such as holding a fish in a photograph, wearing a jacket with a logo on it, and answering reporters’ questions.

How about the part where an ethics report declared you wrongfully fired the state safety commissioner because of a family grudge?

…all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We’ve won!

See above, which references a bipartisan report detailing abuse of power.

It’s pretty insane – my staff and I spend most of our day dealing with THIS instead of progressing our state now.

Didn’t you just say you were cleared of everything?

I choose NOT to tear down and waste precious time; but to build UP this state and our country, and her industrious, generous, patriotic, free people!

By quitting the job of serving them?

…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 your way out is to, er—quit.

It would be apathetic to just hunker down and “go with the flow”.

So, if you were to keep your commitment to serve the people of your state, that would be apathetic?

I WILL support others who seek to serve, in or out of office, for the RIGHT reasons, and I don’t care what party they’re in or no party at all. Inside Alaska – or Outside Alaska.

How about those in the Alaska Independence Party, dedicated to seceding from the United States?

I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks… travel around the state, to the Lower 48 (maybe), overseas on international trade – as so many politicians do. And then I thought – that’s what’s wrong – many just accept that lam.e duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck, and “milk it”. I’m not putting Alaska through that…

There are states, like Virginia, where every governor is a lame duck because of term limits.  There is another option for a lame duck governor, other than accepting lame duck status.  That would be going to work every day.

I am determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is unconventional and not so comfortable.

So the right path for Alaska is you not running it?

I have given my reasons candidly and truthfully…

When? To whom?

I cannot stand here as your Governor and allow millions upon millions of our dollars go to waste just so I can hold the title of Governor.

I thought you said all ethics questions were behind you.

Let’s just say, this decision has been in the works for awhile…

Although, you gave no indication to others close to you, like Senator Paul Begich, during a 45 minute meeting two days before the announcement.

we can ALL learn from our selfless Troops… they’re bold, they don’t give up, they take a stand and know that LIFE is short so they choose to NOT waste time. They choose to be productive and to serve something greater than SELF

Yes, and troops don’t go AWOL without consequences.  They don’t give up and waste time, because leaving their commitment to serve would be doing just that; unless you think such commitment is wasting time.

I love my job and I love Alaska. It hurts to make this choice but I am doing what’s best for Alaska. I’ve explained why…

No you haven’t.

I am taking my fight for what’s right – for Alaska – in a new direction.

Would that be out of Alaska?

So God bless you, and from me and my family – to ALL Alaska – you have my heart.

That’s nice, now where’s the rest of you going?