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Posted: July 3, 2009, 5:30 AM ET |
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Sarah Palin Rattles Political Establishment with Surprise Resignation |
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| Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced she's resigning later this month, instead of seeking re-election next year. |
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As the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008 and a sought-after speaker at GOP events, there was speculation that she might run for president in 2012.
Standing with the lieutenant governor outside her home in Wasilla, Alaska, Palin said, "We know we can affect positive change outside of government."
In a statement released by her office, Palin said once she made the decision not to seek re-election, she also decided that if she were to "embrace the conventional Lame Duck status," it would amount to "another dose of politics as usual."
She also said she did not want the state to continue to waste thousands of dollars dealing with "frivolous" ethics complaints.
A former high school basketball player, Palin used a sports analogy to explain her decision, saying she knows "exactly when to pass the ball so the team can win."
It has been a rough week for the Palins. A new Vanity Fair article describes her as the "sexiest and the riskiest brand in the Republican Party," and claims that top aides to presidential candidate John McCain worried about her "mental state" during the campaign.
News reporters had gathered at her press conference expecting that she would announce her decision not to run for reelection in 2010, and were shocked when she added that she would resign this month.
Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who praised her character and service to Alaska at the press conference, will be sworn in on July 25.
---- Compiled from wire reports and other media sources
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Hondurans Elect Conservative Rancher as President
