At this point Sarah Palin is a private citizen. Not public official, not political candidate and the rules-of-engagement are much different when it comes to slander.
Suspect a lawyer contacted them and they “rethought” their actions.
Actually you are wrong. Gov. Palin while not an offical or candidate is a public figure. That means the standards for libel against her are the same as when she was a govenor or candidate.