[sbMKE]

You only settle when you can’t be sure of winning or to limit your exposure when facing a likely loss.

If the facts are as presented, I can see RH pushing for a settlement but no reason why the Palin attorneys would. She stands to cash in and clear her name. No downside. She doesn’t need the money, but has high emotional desire for the latter.

[kevkrom]

I can see RH pushing for a settlement but no reason why the Palin attorneys would.

I can think of a few reasons:

• If Palin gets everything she really wants in a settlement, why bother going to trial?
• It gets the whole issue over with more quickly. Faster is better once the process starts.
• A settlement also prevents ongoing discovery against her side, which will be a major hassle even if (and especially if) there's nothing to hide.

[expat1000]

I guess the other side is if the book is pulled and she gets an apology like someone else said, plus a bunch of dough, that it is essentially the same thing. At any rate, it’s definitely break out the popcorn and watch the show on this one.