Sarah Palin reclaims her inner fisherwoman: 'Politically, if I die, I die. So be it.'

The governor of Alaska went fishing Monday, wearing those waders with suspenders that fishermen fancy, accompanied by her baby, Trig,  daughter Piper and her husband, First Dude for a Few More Weeks Todd Palin. Oh, and she alerted the media.

What a spectacle -- the stars of America's cable news personalities from Fox, NBC, CNN, ABC meeting the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on the shores of Kanakanak Beach in Dillingham, Alaska, while the governor brushed salmon slime off her suspenders and blasted the media, bloggers and anyone who would dare question her politically bizarre decision to quit in the middle of her first term.

To Fox, she expressed bitterness at those who peppered her with ethics accusations, saying  that their ridiculous charges had nearly bankrupted her family and brought Alaska's government to a grinding halt. "The critics want to put you on a course of personal bankruptcy so you can't afford to serve," she said, calling the attacks "bull crap."

She was coy about her plans for 2012, musing that it was difficult to know what the political future would hold, let alone the next salmon run. But she was quick to criticize President Obama. As she led reporters in a boat across Bristol Bay, she opined, "Average, hard-working Americans need to be able to get out there, unrestrained, and fight for what is right. Fight for energy independence and national security, fight for a smaller government instead of this big government overgrowth that Obama is ushering in."

As the Ticket noted over the weekend, Palin has a tendency to sound like former President Richard Nixon, who intoned in the middle of the Watergate scandal, "I am not a crook." Three days after resigning as governor of Alaska, effective at month's end, Palin told CNN,  "I am not a quitter. I am a fighter."

She told ABC she's pleased with her decision, damn the consequences. “I’m extremely happy," she said. "Politically speaking, if I die, I die. So be it.”

And when NBC's Andrea Mitchell said that some would say she didn't finish the job, Palin's voice rose. "You're not listening to me as to why I wouldn't be able to finish that final year in office without it costing the state millions of dollars and countless hours of wasted time," she snapped.

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Noting that "everything changed" last August when Republican presidential candidate John McCain asked her to be his running mate, Palin said she had no regrets about accepting the nomination. "Not in the least," she said. "It was a great honor to stand by a great American hero. I would have done all that again in a heartbeat."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: A previous Palin fishing trip.  Credit: Associated Press

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Comments

[No More Palin]

This clueless wonder Palin is so out of her league and seriously unqualified to be President it's insane anyone would even use her name and the word President in the same sentence. She couldn't even get elected Vice President, quit as Governor of an ice berg, how would she run the whole country? she thinks being qualified to be VP means keeping the Russians off her lawn, is against everything good and desperately needed in America including reversing Global Warming, the right of women to choose giving birth or not even if raped or a victim of incest, health care for all Americans, vital Government regulation to protect our food supply, our work place, our financial markets, against life saving stem cell research, so very much more she is against, would reverse and destroy. This woman is the worst thing that could ever happen to America at a time we are trying to desperately heal after what the idiot Bush did to destroy us, I seriously hope we have learned our lesson by now.

[Gene]

Can someone, anyone, please make Caribou Barbie go away?

[Carl Rove]

Guess she learned something from George W. Bush - when the going gets tough, take a vacation.....
What kind of an example is that? She cannot even run a state whose economy is less than that of Los Angeles. What would she have done as Vice President? Fine example for women everywhere.

[Angie]

I feel like the American people collectively dodged a bullet. I tried to give Palin the benefit of the doubt, but I think it is safe to say she is truly a nut job.

[steve rodriguez]

America will need Sarah Palin in 2012 to lead US out of darkness, into the Light!

She stands for God, Life and Country!!!!

[steve rodriguez]

America will need Sarah Palin in 2012 to lead US out of darkness, into the Light!

She stands for God, Life and Country!!!!

Three things Obama is not passionate about.

[B Clemenb]

She is, in a word, pathetic.
But hopefully she'll be gone soon.
On of the key reasons I became an independent was to not be associated with her.

[Robert]

What makes Ms. Palin think that she speaks for, or represents the thoughts of, "average, hard-working Americans"? Not only is she politically naive, she, like many of her supporters, seems to feel that because she has opinions that differ from mine, they are representative of the middle-of-the-road Americans. I only hope that the many of us out there will let this one-trick pony go softly into the night and fish to her heart's content.

[rogied]

Yet, despite the critique, the L.A. Times still covers her press ops...

[modestoscott]

last I recalled...they had $250,000 in savings, her 120,000 salary and his 60,000 salary, or so....and they have $500,000 legal bills....yes, quitting the Governor because of bankruptsy, financially is as good of a reason as it gets! Unless she is filthy rich, she should stay and fight on...but she is not.

[Billy Bob]

Palin is a strange on. How embarrassing it must be for the people of Alaska to have a crazy woman still representing them for a few weeks and what a betrayal it must be to all her supporters. Quitter, yes. Strange speech, yes. Political suicide, definitely yes!!

I wonder when does her reality show starts, sounds like she needs the money...

[Betty]

Sarah Palin was a brave woman who stood up for her beliefs. Some of the people who criticize her intelligence could not get elected dog catcher in their own town. The press and liberals proved over and over again with their witch hunt of Sarah Palin that politics is still a man's world. And where is Hillary Clinton these days? She who won 50% of her party's vote is kept under wraps as a Sec of State when Biden, who won only 2% of his party's vote is given an explanded role as VP. Talk about a glass ceiling. There is no moral right to chose killing a human being, just a right a women's right to kill her own children. The child certainly doesn't get a vote. Some of us women would prefer equal rights to pay and promotion for instance as well as safe day care for vulnerable children and affordable insurance for single working moms..

[Victor]

Los Angeles isn't good enough to be Palin's toilet.

[victor knopp]

so when you have nothing good to say about your guy the next best thing to do is attack the other,yea obama has been just great, how did we make it so far without him,must have been a miracle,oh thats right you guys dont believe in that stuff,,,,,but we still want marrage under god,,,,,,,,,,,,,,creeps,,,next election dems are done

[alex]

She is definitely more adept to fishing than politics. I think most Americans feel relieved that she is no longer in the political scene. It was painful and scary to see her almost become out VP. I would like to give her credits for her vitality, honesty, fearlessness and religious fever, but truely, she is not analytical enough to be in national politics.

[Dave Burns]

Dear Blogger/editor: Dillingham is in Alaska (spelled out), not ALABAMA (abbrev. Ala.).

(And the salmon probably aren't running that well in Alabama anyway. Thanks.)

[steve rodriguez]

Sarah Palin is eloquent, intelligent and exudes leadership!
America needs her and more like her!!!

[Marie]

As a woman, I'm embarrassed that she is even considering any sort of return to politics. I hope she only aspires to be PTA President of her local town. . Better yet, keep on showing her shinny objects and she'll be distracted for a while.

To Betty, give me a break, do you honestly think this dumb @$$ (Sarah Palin) is intelligent enough to represent us?? There are plenty of women (they do not have to Caucasian) that are far more educated with much more political clout to groom in the Republican party than Palin..

Your friend,

Marie

[Rolando Mike]

Palin is just the latest in a string of increasingly dim bulbs that the GOP has nominated for the Presidential ticket, beginning with Reagan (an actor), Quayle (an imbecil), Dubya (a puppet), and finally Palin.

One shudders to think what the Republicans will try to slip by the American public in 2012.

[Kenneth]

Saral Palin is a quitter! What do you call it when you leave 1 1/2 years before your term is up because it is too hard for you. This is all about money. She can "earn" more money not being Alaska's governor. With book deals and personal appearances she can get rich. Besides there aren't any ethiical investigators following her as a private citizen. Is there any truth to having an affair with her husbands partner? Was her house built by "friends" with materials meant for the Wasilla recreation building? I haven't heard these accusations addressed any where! Sarah Palin won't or can't understand that people aren't complaining about Alaskans, patriots or those in the armed services. They are questioning her abilities and ethics. I was voting for John McCain until he did a bone head thing by picking her for VP. I hope the Republicns don't make that mistake again!

[Andrew Burt]

I do not know who actually thinks this person has anything positive to offer, but those who do need help.
She needs to head to the place where all other washed up right wing extremists go - Fox News. That way I for one will never see her again.

[Mike Licht]

For Sarah Palin so loves Alaska that she's sacrificing her valuable TITLE.

See:

http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/sarahs-sacrifice/

[Christine Beatty]

Steve Rodriguez, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but the only "Light" that Palin is capable of leading us into would be the huge fireball of World War III. Of course, as a flat-earth, fundie "Christian" she'd be delighted to bring us to the Armageddon of the bible. I only hope she really is bowing out of politics for good, but somehow I doubt we'll be that fortunate.

[India Andrews]

Her political future definitely doesn't have a White House in it. She can't even hack one term as governor. How would she deal with the heat that she would generate as president?

[Susan]

Bankruptcy? Hardly. Her PAC has raised $600,000 in a legal defense fund. This is just another Palin lie, and lie she does. The woman is a pathological liar who will say anything to excuse her behavior or to play the martyr for sympathy.

The real reason she quit is that the job wasn't fun any more. She had mad so many enemies in the legislature, was losing her popular support, had nothing in the works as far as policy, so she just quit. She quit her job as Wasilla mayor. She quit her job on the petroleum ethics board (while stabbing the man that got her the job in the back). And now she's quitting her job as governor As an Alaskan, I say "Good riddance!".