Palin Resigns as Alaska Governor

Sarah Palin went out just like she came in -- unexpectedly, with a bang -- just moments ago. She's quitting as governor.

Preceded by a long-winded laundry list of what the Palin administration has accomplished, and with the sounds of a baby fussing and the image of waterfowl swimming in the lake as her background, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced she will be stepping down at the end of the month.

According to CNN's Candy Crowley who described the press conference in which Palin dropped this bombshell, the soon-to-be-former governor gave four underlying reasons:

• She can work better outside government and accomplish more for the people.
• She has done what she says she wanted to do as Governor.
• She wants to spend more time with Trig and her family.
• She doesn't want to play 'politics as usual' as a lame-duck governor.

According to John King on CNN, it's a calculation - that due to the friction over her book deal and political friction, she thinks it's best to step down.

I just saw the press conference, and here's some quotes, blogged live, as best as I could capture them:

Life is about choices... I choose to work on a path for fruitfulness and productivity...Life is too short to compromise time and resources... I think a problem in our country today is apathy....only dead fish go with the flow...Productive fulfilled people know where to put their assets.... I won't do this from the governor's desk ... I've never believed anyone needs a title to do this, to make a difference, to help people....

As this is a breaking story, I'll follow up with more details later. What a gesture of independence on the eve of Independence Day. Is she crazy? Or crazy like a fox? Also read: Palin Quits, from US Conservatives Guide Justin Quinn