Free Republic

Time for me to leave FR.

WASHINGTON -- A former Marine who fought in Iraq, joined the State Department after leaving the military and was a diplomat in a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan has become the first U.S. official to resign in protest of the Afghan war, the Washington Post reported early Tuesday. Matthew Hoh, who describes himself as "not some peacenik, pot-smoking hippie who wants everyone to be in love," said he believes the war is simply fueling the insurgency. "I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan," Hoh wrote in his resignation letter, dated...

WSVN just had a special report saying Mel Martinez was resigning...Crist could appoint himself to Senate.

From SarahPAC, via Governor Palin's Facebook: As repeatedly stated to several in the media over the last week, former Governor Sarah Palin is not committed to attend the Simi Valley Republican Women’s event at the Reagan Library and in fact is not attending the event. Neither the Governor’s state staff nor SarahPAC has ever committed to attending this event or speaking at this event, and even requested that the Governor's name be removed from the invitation several weeks ago. The Governor has other work and commitments to take care of at that time. She looks forward to visiting her friends...

Here is complete video of Gov. Sarah Palin's interview with CNN in which she said "I'm not a quitter; I'm a fighter." Palin granted the interview, her first since announcing she will resign as Alaska Governor on July 26. Palin explained that everything changed for her in Alaska when she was chosen as John McCain's vice-presidential nominee. She said a "new political bloodsport" began in Alaska that day - that of attacking Palin and her family. Palin would not say whether she plans to run for President in the future. . . . . (Watch Video)

<p>What can you say about a public official who ridicules those who would take the "quitter's way out" -- as she faces reporters to announce that she's quitting? A governor who claims that "the worthless, easy path" would be to serve out the remaining 18 months of her term? An ambitious politician who says that "life is too short" to worry about, you know, boring things such as responsibility or duty?</p>

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Sarah Palin's not a quitter, she wants the public to know. "I am not a quitter. I am a fighter," Palin told CNN on Monday while on a family fishing trip, on the heels of her Friday bombshell announcement that she was resigning as Alaska's governor. Palin did her interview standing on the shores of Dillingham, Alaska, wearing hip waders. She granted 10-minute interviews to CNN and three other news networks Monday. She resigned because of the tremendous pressure, time and financial burden of a litany of ethics complaints in the past several months, she said....

If you thought that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was going to just fade into the background you are very very wrong. One day after announcing her resignation, Palin became showed everyone what she meant by the little Hockey Mom/pit bull joke. On face book she released a message that smacked the mainstream media for its response to her resignation and hinted that she will be running in 2012..........Later in the day the Governor's attorney Thomas Van Flein on warned legal action may be taken against bloggers and publications that reprint what he calls fraudulent claims...

The jokes of David Letterman and the article in Vanity Fair perhaps were the straw that broke the camels back but it is the total lack of fairness the media showed that is a scathing indictment against them. If the country had a media czar it would seem appropriate that at this point he or she would be offering a public apology to Palin and that very humbly. Perhaps the czar could hang his head in shame as the proxy for the entire band of media thugs who reveled in the indignities. We have a media that thinks the story...

Why did Sarah Palin step down? Theories abound. But some of the people closest to the Alaska governor say she wanted to regain control of a political script that slipped out of her hands the moment she burst onto the national stage. She also wanted to shield herself and her family from the attacks that seem to have been aimed permanently at them in the 311 days since Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced her as his running mate, according to some former campaign aides and other advisers who speak regularly with Palin or her husband, Todd. The Sarah Palin who...

Here is video of Vice-President Joe Biden telling ABC's George Stephanopoulos with a straight face that he does not agree that Gov. Sarah Palin has been the victim of unfair political attacks. . . . . (Watch Video)

Opponents -- and even some former allies -- were quick to criticize Sarah Palin's announcement Friday that she will step down as governor of Alaska. The suddenness of the decision have some thinking that she's tired of political life; that she'll hit the lecture circuit to rebuild her financial fortunes; even that she'll become a "conservative Oprah" Palin, though, posted to her Facebook page yesterday that she has a "higher calling": "I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values . . . how sad that Washington and the media never understand; it's...

Even for a nonconformist, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin defies political logic with her sudden, stunning announcement to leave office more than a year early. Supporters and critics alike say the former GOP vice presidential candidate’s resignation, announced Friday afternoon and effective July 26, is an inexplicable move for a high profile Republican widely seen as a contender for a White House run in 2012. A half-term governor campaigning for president? --snip-- Pam Pryor, a spokeswoman for Palin’s political action committee, said the group continues to accept donations on its Web site, which saw an uptick in contributions Friday afternoon.(continued at...

Now, Sarah’s Folly By MAUREEN DOWD Published: July 4, 2009 WASHINGTON Sarah Palin showed on Friday that in one respect at least, she is qualified to be president. Caribou Barbie is one nutty puppy. Usually we don’t find that exquisite battiness in our leaders until they’ve been battered by sordid scandals like Watergate (Nixon), gnawing problems like Vietnam (L.B.J.), or scary threats like biological terrorism (Cheney). When Lyndon Johnson was president, some of his staff began to think of him as “a sick man,” as Bill Moyers told Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Moyers and his fellow Johnson aide Dick Goodwin even...

Reporting from Washington -- A day after Alaska Gov. Sara Palin resigned, a federal official in her home state dismissed one potential explanation for her sudden and unexpected resignation -- a rumored FBI investigation into the former Wasilla mayor on public corruption charges. Despite rumors of a looming controversy after Palin's surprise announcement Friday that she will leave office this month, some of them published in the blogosphere, the FBI's Alaska spokesman said the bureau had no investigation into Palin for her activities as governor, as mayor or in any other capacity. "There is absolutely no truth to those rumors,...

Sarah Palin: 'Time-out or flame-out?'The governor's resignation is an act of either liberation or self-destruction. Posted July 4, 2009 7:45 AM by Mark Silva Sarah Palin's stunning declaration of independence from "politics as usual,'' standing up for her "beloved state of Alaska'' while standing down as governor 18 months before the end of her first term, has been interpreted variously as a bold venture into a new realm of political leadership or as an irreversible, destructive act of political self-immolation. "Being right is better than being popular,'' Palin declared with characteristic defiance, standing by the dock of her lakeside home...

JUNEAU, Alaska – Outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday laid the groundwork to take on a larger, national role after leaving state government, citing a "higher calling" with the aim of uniting the country along conservative lines. A day after surprising even her closest friends by announcing she would step down as Alaska governor more than a year before her term was up, the controversial hockey mom was still keeping details of her future plans under wrap. But in a statement posted on Palin's Facebook account, she suggested that she had bigger plans and a national agenda she planned...

Ratcheting up her offensive against the news media, Gov. Sarah Palin’s attorney threatened Saturday to sue mainstream news organizations if they publish “defamatory” stories relating to whether Palin is under federal investigation. In an extraordinary four-page letter, Alaska-based attorney Thomas Van Flein warns of severe consequences should speculation that until now has largely been confined to blogs about whether Palin embezzled funds in the construction of a Wasilla, Alaska, sports arena find its way into print. “This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 4, 2009 On July 3rd, 2009, Governor Sarah Palin announced her intent to resign her gubernatorial duties and transfer the powers of Governor to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell. Almost immediately afterwards, several unscrupulous people have asserted false and defamatory allegations that the “real” reasons for Governor Palin’s resignation stem from an alleged criminal investigation pertaining to the construction of the Wasilla Sports Complex. This canard was first floated by Democrat operatives in September 2008 during the national campaign and followed up by sympathetic Democratic writers.1. It was easily rebutted then as one of many fabrications about...

On this Independence Day, I am so very proud of all those who have chosen to serve our great nation and I honor their selflessness and the sacrifices of their families, too. If I may, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the last 24 hours and share my thoughts with you. First, I want to thank you for your support and hard work on the values we share. Those values led me to the decision my family and I made. Yesterday, my family and I announced a decision that is in Alaska’s best interest and it...

The glee on Anderson Cooper's face was unmistakable. Charlie Gibson, Katie Couric, and that fathead from NBC are probably still up partying. A hearty fourth of July celebration? No, much better than that for the liberal left and their attack dog media: Sarah Palin has resigned. Chris Matthew's arms must be sore to the bone from patting himself on the back. Keith Olbermann has probably passed out from a sudden unexpected, and heretofore, never experienced sensation of happiness. N.O.W. and all the other so-called "women's groups" are giddy beyond their wildest belief. They've managed to beat down a woman. A...

Even for a nonconformist, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has defied political logic with her sudden, stunning announcement to leave office more than a year early. Supporters and critics alike say the former GOP vice presidential candidate's resignation, announced Friday afternoon and effective July 26, is an inexplicable move for a high profile Republican widely seen as a contender for a White House run in 2012. A half-term governor campaigning for president? "If she is thinking that leaving her term 16 months early is going to help her prepare to maybe go on to bigger and better things on the political...

At this point there is much speculation about why Sarah Palin abruptly announced her impending resignation from Alaska's governorship. Her critics are already calling her "erratic" but she is consistent in one respect: she cares little for the established ways of doing things when she thinks she has a better course of action. The conventional wisdom holds that you bury news when it is announced at 4 PM on Friday of a holiday weekend. But the comparative news vacuum seems to be only amplifying the echoes reverberating through the political world. Does anyone think that Sarah Palin minds the fact...

The Present: I wish those attacking Sarah and her family had to walk a mile in her shoes. She has been attacked without mercy by the liberal socialist left and the elitist RINO right. She has been besieged with petty ethics complaints. She and her family have been smeared by late night TV hosts. Never have I witness such a personal attack on a politician. And where are her defenders? Seems the GOP is just fine with Sarah, her husband and two young daughter taking the full fury of the Marxist propaganda machine. Seems the GOP is just fine with...

Gov. Sarah Palin will resign her office in a few weeks, she said during a news conference at her home Friday morning. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the Governor's Picnic at the end of the month, Palin said.

Sarah Palin can be the Republican nominee in 2012. I am not saying she will be, but she can be... 1. DUMP ALASKA. She doesn’t need to run for reelection for governor in 2010 for name recognition or to get media attention. And being a governor these days is like having a target on your back... Maybe you can see Russia from Alaska, but you can’t see Iowa and New Hampshire from Alaska. Alaska is too far away from where she needs to be. She can live, skimobile and hunt moose in Alaska, but she needs to spend a lot...

Watching Sarah's speech again on Fox. This woman isn't going anywhere...... I love her. And I have a feeling America's best days are ahead with her as our President. Can I get a hell yeah!!!!!

Like many here, I am a political prognosticator. I followed Sarah Palin here for almost 2 years and told friends last May if McCain only chance is to pick Palin. So what does Sarah Palin's latest move mean?

On July 26th, Palin begins her long, heroic quest for the Presidency to save the Republic from the Socialist dogs trying to bring her down. We are in trouble people and our "Joan of Arc" has taken up the challenge! RUN SARAH RUN!!!!!!

Republican Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska announced Friday that she will resign her office July 26, fueling speculation that she intends to spend the next four years pursuing her party's presidential nomination in 2012. Mrs. Palin made her stunning announcement at her Wasilla home with Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who will be sworn into office at the end of the month, she said. She did not take questions from reporters and only cryptically referred to her future plans. In her announcement, she said it "hurts to make this choice," but compared herself to a point guard in basketball. "A good...

Friday, July 3, 2009 Sarah Palin Crosses the Rubicon By Videmus Omnia In 49 BC, Julius Caesar led his army across the Rubicon River. As he did so, he reportedly muttered the phrase "Alea iacta est" - "the die is cast". It was the point of no return. Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon today. It's a gamble of incredible proportions. None of us saw it coming, and we're the most dedicated political junkies you will find anywhere. It took our breath away. I wish I had the eloquence of RAM, but for now it's fallen to me. All of...

My view of Sarah is that she is a decent moral citizen who decided to try to make a difference. And the Media Goon squad decided to take her down. I think a week of revenge would be good. For one week, buy as little as possible, work as little as possible, be a dick to every liberal you know. Spend you time harrassing every government agency you can. Make them drown in a sea of paperwork. I have had enough. I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore. And I don't even like Sarah that...

Just spoke to a consultant plugged in with a non-McCain Republican presidential candidate from 2008. His first words: “Steve Schmidt wins.” “I don’t think she’s toast (for future office). But this makes it more difficult. I’m trying to think of a candidate who launched a serious national bid after one term or less*… I guess the last one would be Romney, and he had done one full term.” On the theory that the scrutiny of her children was the straw that broke the camel's back, the consultant said, “From the interaction I’ve had with her, that would make some sense.”...

The Top Ten Reasons Sarah Palin is Resigning.... 10.Her mounting legal bills make it difficult to relax on her porch and stare at Russia. 9. She wants to raise Michael Jackson's children. 8. To pursue her goal of becoming a Tina Fey impersonator. 7. She wants to take time to learn all of her children's names. 6. Has an opportunity to teach "winking 101" at Harvard's political science department. 5. After returning all of her campaign attire, she's out of things to wear. 4. To start her own line of lip stick for pitbulls. 3. Wants to pick off David...

They didn’t expect this to happen. They, the wealthy inside the beltway liberals who were instigating one ethics charge after another against Governor Palin, were thinking that she would at least serve her first term as Governor. These endless ethics charges would not only cost Palin financially but would serve to bloody her up politically for her run for President in 2012. The ethics charges, while baseless were still costing the Palin family $500,000. More charges and more costs would definitely continue up thru 2010 and 2012. As a Governor, Sarah would be a sitting duck for the left to...

I admire Charles Krauthammer and usually agree with his take on the issues of the day, but I disagree with his recent dismissal of Sarah Palin as a serious candidate for 2012. It’s far too early in the game to declare anyone either out of the running or inevitable… well, except for you-know-who. As Allahpundit aptly noted, Krauthammer’s statement that “You cannot sustain a campaign of platitudes and clichés over a year and a half if you’re running for the presidency” is so powerfully contradicted by recent history as to be surreal. It would be a more defensible statement if...

Sarah Palin stepping down as Alaska governor. I can describe this move in three words: Stupid, stupid, stupid. And the reason doesn’t matter. She needs more time to run for President? What does she think holding the job is like, time-wise? President Obama could manage to serve as a totally undistinguished Senator while running for the White House; surely Palin could manage to govern half a million people a bit. She wants to protect her family? Heat, low tolerance, kitchen, stay out of. And again, if she wants to be President, how doe she think her family would fare in...

Just imagine Sarah Palin, not tied down to Alaska, traveling across the country hitting Blue Dog districts. Just imagine the crowds that she would bring out to our candidates. Could she do it?

Palin Announces No Second Term No Lame Duck Session Either Hi Alaska, I appreciate speaking directly TO you, the people I serve, as your Governor. People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing's more important to me than our beloved Alaska. Serving her people is the greatest honor I could imagine. I want Alaskans to grasp what can be in store for our state. We were purchased as a territory because a member of President Abe Lincoln's cabinet, William Seward, providentially saw in this great land, vast riches, beauty, strategic placement on the globe, and opportunity. He...

Andrea Mitchell reporting a number of sources tell her that Palin has notified her staff that she is done with political office for good.

Here is video of NBC News' Andrea Mitchell reporting that sources tell her that Sarah Palin is resigning as Alaska Governor to leave politics for good. . . . . . (Watch Video)

Knowing that many, many conservatives will absolutely dump on me for saying this, I can't help myself: Sarah Palin's resignation is an appalling dereliction of duty and a highly cynical move to set herself up for a presidental run for which she is manifestly unqualified.

So to serve the state is a humbling responsibility, because I know in my soul that Alaska is of such import, for America’s security, in our very volatile world. And you know me by now, I promised even four years ago to show MY independence… no more conventional “politics as usual”. And we are doing well! My administration's accomplishments speak for themselves. We work tirelessly for Alaskans. We aggressively and responsibly develop our resources because they were created to be used to better our world... to HELP people... and we protect the environment and Alaskans (the resource owners) foremost with...

Quick post while at work….Sarah Palin is resigning as Governor. Guess that’s it for her. UPDATE “Todd to FNC: Sarah to concentrate on doing things for Alaska and the country she can’t do as governor.” UPDATE She brings up the slams against Trig as being a reason her kids wanted her to do something. “It’s been in the works for awhile.” Said that her trips to visit the troops was a factor. Nice finish. “Don’t explain - your friends don’t need it, and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.” Not sure I get it. She could be planning to spend...

She does things her way as usual. What do you think she will do next?

"I know when it's time to pass the ball for victory," soon-to-be-former Governor Sarah Palin says at a press conference with her family, standing before a picturesque river and seaplane. She says she's looking forward to the swearing in of Lt. Governor Sean Parnell. "All I can ask is that you trust me with this decision," she says. "I cannot millions of dollars and time go to waste just so I can remain as governor of Alaska. "This decision has been in the works for a while. It comes after a great deal of prayer and deliberation." She said when...

GOVERNOR PALIN ANNOUNCES NO SECOND TERM NO LAME DUCK SESSION EITHER July 3, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin announced today that she will not seek a second term as Governor of the State of Alaska and will relegate the power of governor to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell in order to serve Alaska’s best interests. Lieutenant General Craig Campbell will move into Parnell’s current role. “People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing's more important to me than our beloved Alaska,” said Governor Palin. “Serving her people is the greatest honor I could imagine.” Standing outside...

Tuesday night on Hugh's program, we discussed the Vanity Fair article about Sarah Palin and why, eight months after the election, Palin still arouses such fury amongst liberals and so many rank-and-file Democrats. ...

Breaking News from CNN and other sources this afternoon says that Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has decided to not run for reelection as Alaska governor, and furthermore, has decided to resign as Governor effective July 26 . . . . (MORE)

I didn't think the latest post-mortem on Sarah Palin would cause much of a ripple. ..Well, I was wrong. Never underestimate the extent of the media's Palin fascination. The article has triggered another round of finger-pointing among conservative strategists and pundits. Yet another angle--a "sexier" one, if you will--comes under scrutiny from Atlantic's Ta-Nehisi Coates... "Purdum thinks the mere mention of this notion invites attacks from people who spend their days waiting to accuse people of sexism. He is wrong. They invite attacks from people who wonder why he's speaking as though there have been a parade of women who...