Palin's resignation catches Alaska lawmakers, delegation by surprise
Published Saturday, July 4, 2009
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Interior lawmakers and Alaska’s congressional delegation were uniformly surprised by Gov. Sarah Palin’s announcement on Friday that she will resign her post effective July 26.
Many had expected some sort of declaration about her future political ambitions — would she gear up for a second term as Alaska’s governor, or would the former vice-presidential candidate pass that up in favor of a 2012 presidential bid?
No one seemed to suspect her decision to give up the job 18 months early, as Alaska faces a host of challenges — crippling energy costs in rural communities, declining oil revenues that could leave the state in a deficit within a few years, and early participation but no real commitments to construction of a natural gas pipeline.
“Certainly it was a surprise to me, not so much that she would be making an announcement about her intentions, but the resignation,” said political ally Sen. Gene Therriault, a North Pole Republican.
The announcement caught the state’s Washington, D.C., delegation off guard.
“I’m as surprised as anyone by this announcement, but I support her decision and wish her well,” Rep. Don Young said in a statement released by his office.
A statement from Sen. Mark Begich opened a door to solid communications with Parnell, while noting some astonishment at Palin’s announcement.
“I’m as surprised as all Alaskans by Gov. Palin’s decision to step down with nearly two years left in her term,” he said “There was speculation she would not seek re-election, but she gave no indication of a resignation when I met with her for 45 minutes in her Anchorage office two days ago.”
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski issued a one-sentence statement: “I am deeply disappointed that the governor has decided to abandon the state and her constituents before her term has concluded.”
In Fairbanks, lawmakers were jolted by the news as they relaxed on the first day of a long, holiday weekend.
“It’s the only thing that pushed Michael Jackson off the national news,” said Rep. David Guttenberg, D-Fairbanks and House Minority Whip. “It’s been Michael Jackson 24 hours a day — now, it’s Palin.”
He called the governor’s behavior “bizarre” and said it’ll be tough for her to justify, barring a serious illness.
“If she’s decided not to run for president, I think she has an obligation to the people of Alaska at least to finish her term,” he said. “And I don’t think she is running for president. This is disastrous for running for higher office — she’s a quitter.”
Sen. Joe Paskvan was catching up on some yard work when he heard the news.
“It went from being a relaxing Friday to a political earthquake in the state of Alaska,” the Fairbanks Democrat said. “I would have preferred that the governor would have finished out her term; I think that’s what people voted for. But, there is obviously some reason that overwhelms that.”
He suggested the family could have accrued more debt and legal fees than reported, and speculated Palin could be eyeing financially beneficial pursuits out-of-bounds for an elected official.
Whatever the reasons, Paskvan said he’d expect some indication within the next 60 days.
During a speech announcing her resignation in Wasilla, Palin pointed in part to the intense media scrutiny of her family.
The reasons aren’t so important as what happens next, according to Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole.
“It is definitely surprising, but she made a good case that if she’s not going to run for re-election, she’d just end up defending ethics things for the several months left,” Coghill said. “But in some ways, I think our (state) departments lose a bit of the horsepower that she brings with her. I’m disappointed in that regard.”
Early in her administration, Palin launched the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act on lawmakers. She powered the proposal to what some say is success, awarding a state license to TransCanada, who has partnered with Exxon Mobil, while two other producers pair up on a competing project. She also restructured oil and gas taxes in a manner she said would benefit Alaska, but that oil and gas companies now say had better be changed if they’re going to commit natural gas to a pipeline.
The gas pipeline, a dream of many Alaskans since the 1950s, is increasingly seen as a necessity in order to free the stranded resource on the North Slope and fill state coffers with fresh funds as oil revenues and production drop. Alaska lawmakers tightened state spending in 2009, and warned of more penny-pinching in coming years unless revenue is diversified.
“The oil and gas issues are key,” Coghill said. “They are national, they are international. There are huge state management issues between the oil companies, and she (Palin) has done well at it. Now, we’ll see if the lieutenant governor can step up. I hope he does, and I will do whatever I can to help him be successful.”
Can Parnell do it?
“Intellectually, yes,” said Coghill, who hasn’t ruled out a run for statewide office in 2010 himself. “Politically, I guess we’ll see. I don’t know.”
Guttenberg said he’s hopeful Parnell can come through.
“You’re going to have people coming after AGIA,” Guttenberg warned. “As far as her other initiatives? Personally, I don’t think she’s got many. It was hard to tell what she wanted to do. She doesn’t work with legislators in Alaska.”
Therriault pointed to Parnell’s experience as an oil and gas division attorney at the state’s Department of Law, his tenure in the administration, and several years in the Legislature when the state’s finances were pretty bleak.
“He’s got a good suit of experience that will serve him well,” Therriault said. “I do feel very confident with Sean Parnell stepping into the governor’s office.”
Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez and former Speaker of the House, said the Legislature will have to adjust to a new governor when it reconvenes in January.
“I have no idea how Sean Parnell will act as governor,” Harris, a candidate for governor in 2010, said. “We’ll deal with that in the same way we dealt with Gov. Palin. If he’s willing to work with us, we’re willing to work with him. We need some reach-out from the third floor.”
Relationships between the Legislature and Palin were strained this year, and at times deteriorated to flurries of pointed press releases between the two branches.
Community Discussion
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Quitter is right. Finish what you start. I am so dissapointed in you Sarah!!
Political suicide. I have supported her until this point. I will never support her in anything further that she does. I will not buy her book.
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wonder if this ethics complaint stuff will go away now. it might just get ramped up to a whole new level. seems to have been mostly a liberal weapon of choice so far. but you know how it goes. somebody picks up a stick then the other person picks up a bigger stick. very interesting, but not very funny. oh well, watch and learn my friend, watch and learn.
what a looser!!!
Let's see if the legislature can do anything to make the open season work. Gas line is history, oil production is down and the State is never going to be able to continue to spend as it has without a State income tax and sales tax and every type of tax know to mankind and still that will not be enough. Lets see who the whole bunch of them will blame now for their own inability to achieve anything.
I dont normally agree with Hickel on much,but hes exactualy right
on us controlling our recourses by an all alaska line. Id recommend
a spur line to Cordova so we have more than one port, two if we hook up with kenai.
cosmos -- "what a looser!!!"
Before you make such an accusation, you should learn how to spell "looser" (sic).
In the interest of today's holiday, I watched the first two episodes of "John Adams" last night. Many of the comments that I've been reading on the DNM comments remind me of the scene where the tax collector is beaten, stripped, tarred and feathered by a criminal mob as John Adams is shouting at Samuel Adams "Is this what you want?!"
Hot_Reuben has it right. The stick will get bigger and bigger. The mud will get deeper and deeper.
Prospector, while you're watching "John Adams", please note Adams' superior intellect, his ability to rise above the constant natter of criticism that followed him his entire career, and his steadfast faith in his fledgling country. Compare that, please, to the soon-to-be-former governor of Alaska. She is, as we have been telling you for months and months, an empty vessel.
The State Personnel Board is governor-appointed, and thus suspect in their conclusions about ethics complaints against the governor. There have been some frivolous, malicious complaints filed, but there have been some with substance as well. I was surprised the last one didn't get substantiated. There is apparently an Alaska statute barring someone in public office from accepting donations for personal reasons, and pointing out that the website started to raise money to help her with her legal fees could potentially make her millions of dollars, thus making her more or less immune to lawsuits. It looked pretty solid to me. I read the part of the statute she referred to, and it looked pretty clear to me. I don't trust the Personnel Board to be unbiased, and this is a problem. They need to change the way that's set up.
Prospector ..............................Loser, Looser LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER!!!!!!!! Get it DAH!
Prospector your part of the intellectual elite no doubt HA HA HA LOL!
hobbes -- you have no argument with me on John Adams. The author of our constitution is a once in a millenium man. We have no political leaders today of the caliber we had yesterday. Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are houseflies compared to Adams, Jefferson, and Washington. But I put it to you, in all honesty, is this what you want? Is this how it's going to be from here-on? Look at the dolt-child "cosmos" above. Do you want this pathetic, mis-eduated thing as your ally?
cosmos - YOU'RE not your. Unless you are of course referring to some part of the intellectual elite that belongs to 'prospector'.
cosmos you are or you're not part of the elite. not yet anyway. maybe go back to the fourth grade and give it another shot.
........cosmos.........Ever heard of spell checker? There is a difference between "your" and "you are (you're)", loser and looser and loooooser (for emphasis), and it's Duh not "Dah" . You're welcome Prospector. :))
i think, maybe cosmos had to go back to work flipping burgers. his break time is, probably, over.
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/5857/sp...
time to lay off of poor cosmos. i'm sorry. this is starting to become border line child abuse. but, cosmos would you please try to abstain from picking your nose while you are bending over the grill?
we will be watching you too Oh_please. notice i didn't want to take a chance on blowing a contraction.
st,
I couldn't agree more with your statement "The first thing the legislature must do is ensure that people who bring frivolous ethics complaints are required to pay attorney fees for the winning side."
Under that premise, since Sarah initiated the Troopergate investigation against herself, and the bulk of the "frivolous ethics complaint" expenses are associated with that investigation, she would owe the state the bulk of what money has been spent on investigations.
Great idea!! Good thing, she could use her legal trust fund to pay back the state for her own frivolous ethics charge!
It's obvious that she has something to hide. Like maybe the FBI found something illegal that her and hubby had done - maybe the pain's cut a deal?
Maybe, just maybe, someone stood up to her, for the Alaska Constitution and the Alaskan people (not the wanna-be's) and found more than credible evidence to support impeachment proceedings?
The gist is, we may not know until it's too late.
I wonder if the "commissioners" and friends are going to have their jobs terminated too? Let's keep our fingers crossed!
oh_please..... flipping burgers and picking your nose that's funny.You've been reading again. When I'm flying, I'll be thinking of your perfect spelling and how very special all of the perfect people who post here are.
Ever make a mistake, or are you also part of the intellectual elite? Your so special aren't you!
You morons probably voted Palin for governor, and will probably vote for her lame run for president. You and prospector find anything wrong with the spelling this time? Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosers! Flip that!
Hilda the same goes for your perfect self jeeze!
cosmos.......So how did you manage to confuse Hot Reuben's comments with oh_ please?
Hilda you are so right and so very special. It was meant for Hot_Reuben, and prospector, and you. YOU'RE so perfect, jeez, I feel so honored to be corrected by all of you, I am truly blessed!
The next time you perfect people make a mistake, I hope people jump all over you and the other intellectual elite.
Thank you! :) Off to the grill now! Happy 4th everybody!
You know what they say about assumptions. When you make one you become the first three letters of the word. Seems like we have alot of three letter people out there. if you know it alls know the truth how come the national media isn't seeking you out for your story. Because you don't know a darn thing and all you are doing is spreading BS.
Hilda you are slipping, it is Hot_ Reuben NOT Hot Reuben you left out_.
There ya go perfect people. Lets all get Hilda the perfect speller and typist. You hit spell check and it took out the _ didn't you Hilda, you should really try to spell without using a crutch.
Boy, I thought this was a story about the affect of palin's resignation on the legislature? And all I see is "cosmos this" and "cosmos that".
Note to all potential candidates for 2010: Perception is in the eye of the constituency. Communicate openly and regularly, steer way clear of partisan politics, keep your ego and arrogance in check, and if someone throws a complaint your way- address it. You're a public servant, not royalty, and you answer to your constituents.
But is Don Young's surprise feigned?
Lets throw this out for fun. Don Young has spent a fortune keeping his ties to Abramoff as far under the radar as he can. The federal investigations may have started to find some real meat. Don resigns before Labor Day weekend (kind of like Sarah's 4th of July thing) and Parnell dutifully appoints Sarah Palin to fill out Young's term. She gets to have a D.C. address and could easily travel about the country. Missing votes and extended absences from Congressional duties would hardly be new behavior for the House rep from Alaska.
Stranger stuff has happened in AK politics ;-)
Hot_reuben when you grow up lets talk, only if you promise to change your diaper first, and take your finger out of your dairy air. Bad ignorant boy! Did I spell all that correctly? How about punctuation........most wise, did I pass muster.......Oh Wait, you have to take your finger out of your nose before you can read this. I'll Wait.
Didn't they change the law so it isn't an appointment anymore, after Lisa's daddy appointed her?
I just hope the national republicans are able to see our outrage at our nutjob governor. I use to be a strong supporter of her, but I'd perfer to have Frank Murkowski back.....
For years we the people have complained about how politicians will selfishly sacrifice all, including the needs of their State, just to hold onto a title. Look at the nonsense Ted and Don put us through just to try and hold onto a title.
They don't care how much it cost the State to fight those alligations. They don't care if it affected their job performance. They only cared about how they appeared and about holing a title.
So Sarah comes along and decides not to put the State through that nonsense and gives up the title so that the State could procede with business without her issues in the way. And what do the people of these United States of America do, they trash here.
Somebody finally does an honorable and selfless act and the people trash her. She knows that by stepping down she is posibly giving up future political possibilities. She said as much in her speech. Shes not stupid.
Perhaps the people have been lied to so much that they have no ability to accept or even see a good act by a politician. But either way it was good and honest and until the people start seeing the difference we are going to continue to be tricked by the political machines, and vote for the people they want us to vote for.
And by the way, Sarah is not in association with any political machine so she is catching hell from them and the ignorant people who have jumped to obscene conclusions on this matter.
This is not shame on Sarah, this is shame on us. We the people have the power to put a stop to the harassment of our political leaders and we continue to allow it. Shame on us! Shame on America. Shame on Alaska. And we say we protect our own, liars.
Put the shame where it belongs. Look in the mirror and take some personal responsibility for a change.
Today we can only celebrate the LIBERTY that we once had.
TJL
I wonder if Palin can be impeached for her reckless handling of office? She certainly owes the people more details. Or would it be a futile "I quit!" "No you can't quit we're firing you!" situation?
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