Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, with husband Todd, waves to crowd upon arriving at the inauguration of Sean Parnell with wife Sandy at the annual Governor's Picnic in Fairbanks, Alaska, Sunday.
(Nathaniel Wilder/REUTERS)Photos (1 of 1)
For Palin, Act I closes, exit stage right
She resigned as Alaska's governor Sunday with her typical populist flare, blasting the president's policies and the press. But details of her future remain a mystery.
By Yereth Rosen | Correspondent/ July 27, 2009 edition
Anchorage, Alaska
In her last speech as Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin sought to leave America with no doubts that though she has retired from public office, the feisty hockey mom – aka “pit bull” in lipstick – who accepted the Republican vice presidential nomination last November remains.
Ms. Palin formally turned over the Alaska governorship to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, leaving her post 1-1/2 years early, at the annual governor’s picnic in Fairbanks Sunday. But some of her more pointed comments seemed aimed not toward the constituency she was leaving behind, but at the nation at large.
She took a shot at advocates of government programs, including President Obama and his economic stimulus: “We can resist enslavement to big central government,” she proclaimed.
She scoffed at those who questioned her decision to leave office early without having another position lined up. “It should be so obvious to you,” she said to applause. “With this decision now I will be able to fight even harder for you for what is right, and for truth. And I have never felt that you need a title to do that.”
And she had some “straight talk” for some in the press: “Democracy depends on you…. So how about, in honor of the American soldier, you quit making things up?” she said, to more thunderous applause. “Our new governor has a very nice family, too, so leave his kids alone.”
For Palin, Monday is the first day of a new career that remains a mystery to anyone outside her innermost circle of friends and advisers. For Alaska, it is a day simply to get back to business – including, perhaps, overturning some of Palin’s final decisions as governor.
Sunday, however, seemed more celebration – and anticipation – than retrospection. It was the third of three governor’s picnics – first in Palin’s hometown of Wasilla, then Anchorage, and last Fairbanks.
The picnics are a summer tradition that all Alaska governors have honored, but Palin’s celebrity and her impending departure drew thousands of backers, star-struck tourists, die-hard Alaska supporters, and the national news media.
Fans included Tammy Thompson, who braved a downpour at the Anchorage picnic to carry around a sign that proclaimed: “SARAH, YOU’RE AS GREAT AS ALASKA!”
Ms. Thompson said she was sympathetic to Palin’s decision to quit. “She’s got to do what she’s got to do,” Thompson said. She hopes that includes a run for president in 2012. “The time is right, because we need a good woman who knows what womanhood is all about. God bless her,” she said.
Alaska politics is expected to be much quieter with Mr. Parnell at the helm. The new governor, an attorney and former state legislator, is considered more workman-like and much less charismatic than his predecessor. An opponent once derided him as “Captain Zero.”
“He’s boring, I guess, as compared to Sarah Palin. But then I guess many people would be,” says Jerry McBeath, a political scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Even with Palin gone, however, the legislature is not quite done with her.
Lawmakers are set to hold a special session Aug. 10 to handle unfinished business left by the departed governor. The headliner: an expected override of Palin’s veto of $28 million in federal stimulus funds for energy-conservation projects that would be directed toward poverty-stricken rural areas.
Says state Rep. Mike Hawker, an Anchorage Republican who has expressed exasperation at what he considers Palin’s emphasis on national ambitions at the expense of state interests: “For all of us, quite frankly, it’s just going to be another day at the office.”
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Comments
2. Peter Jenkins | 07.27.09
Alaska has alway received more federal dollars than any other state in proportion to its population. When Palin was mayor of Wasilla she went after every federal she could get, mainly asking the congressional deligation for earmarks.
3. Mia | 07.27.09
Palin is worst than any media. She and her “fair and balanced” friends at Fox distort facts and inspire hatred. She is not what America needs!
4. Jim | 07.27.09
I still can’t believe this woman gets so much attention and news. She was just some half-brained choice by McCain to add “appeal” to his campaign…we see how that worked. I hope she just fades away!
5. Philip D | 07.27.09
aka “pit bull” in lipstick
I thought that was supposed to be lipstick on a pig?
7. John | 07.27.09
I know its too much to ask for but hopefully she can go away forever. If she were ever elected president this country would be in trouble. Just imagine the things she would do to us. Maybe start up camps for all non christians? Maybe start a oil drilling operation on every third acre of land?
8. Steve in Alaska | 07.27.09
The sooner we stop talking about her and allow her to disappear back into obscurity , the better off the world will be.
See ya Sarah!
11. Irene | 07.27.09
Obamaland fully vetted Palin for possible ethics violations in squeezing a cop and police department for a crony of Nepotism.
Now, we see a squeeze on police to end Domestic Violence protocals by Obama from the oval office, for his friend.
12. Mark Franko | 07.27.09
Sara Palin is an embarrassment to Alaska. I have lived here for the last 40 years and the state has not improved at all. She should have left her positional only after making a positive change on our state, which she did not.
Mark Franco, St. Charles, Alaska
13. just pixels | 07.27.09
“How about, in honor of the American soldier, you quit makin’ things up?”. That made me think of Bush and Cheney makin’ things up about Iraq and WMDs. Our soldiers and sailors — men and women whose bravery on our behalf is awesome — who will fight for us because we’re Americans, not because we’re Democrats or Republicans — those soldiers deserve the honor of untainted honesty from our leaders.
14. R. Atkinson | 07.28.09
I don’t know how Palin thinks she can spin this latest failure into a success. This “celebration” is just another glib facade trying to mask her absence of depth. She can’t negate that she’s folded under pressure.
15. Kevin | 07.28.09
CSM:
“But details of her future remain a mystery”.
You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
I wholeheartedly believe that the good Governor knows this.
16. Tom Macioszek | 07.28.09
I would like to see what any of you haters would do if you were being sued (unfairly, and proven to be falsely) every time you went to work and did your job and obtained legal bills three-times greater than your annual income. You democraps make as much sense as a box of rocks.
But you keep on hating. We’ll keep on admiring. Can’t wait for the book tour!
17. suzieQ | 07.28.09
If the pressure of being governor was too much for her, how on earth could she handle the pressure of being president? Run into the next room and cry? Pout and have all of the other governors and senators and government officials feel sorry for the hockey mom. In today’s world a weak, fold under pressure president is definitely not needed or wanted. I say good riddance. Plus, I think she left before all of her dirt could be brought to light while she is governor. Abuse of power. Picking on her daughters baby daddy to the point that he gets away from the nut family. Shooting animals from a plane. What a piece of work Sarah Palin is.
19. Chip | 08.03.09
She is awesome, an honest woman and politician. That makes her a rare gem in this country. That is why she can’t get a fair shake fm the press. I lived in Fairbanks for the past 4 years and the people love her for stopping the corruption of the past 2 gov’s and putting the people first. She was the only POTUS candidate on the ticket last NOV and I hope she runs again for Congress. Only fools who don’t know her will believe the crackpots that rally against her. She will win hands down.
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1. Temecula Duck | 07.27.09
I have no president, I’m waiting for Sarah.