So sue me!

I promise you that my blog isn't going to turn into all Palin, all the time. [shudder] Believe me, that will not happen. There are a couple of stories coming out, though, that I want to write about. (I'm including a picture I posted a while back when writing about Palin's office, just because I like the way I have the bear saying "Grrr." It makes me laugh.)

It seems that she posted on her Facebook page, and wrote a little more about her decision to resign. (Here is the full text of Palin's Facebook post.) One of the things she wrote was this:

Yesterday, my family and I announced a decision that is in Alaska's best interest and it always feels good to do what is right.

She then lists some of the things she has done for Alaska. If she's done so many great things, why is it in Alaska's best interest for her to step down? Wouldn't it be better for Alaska for her to stay in office and continue to work her magic? In her press conference, she spoke about lame duck legislators who just travel and don't really do anything. With a year and a half to go on her term, would she necessarily be considered a lame duck? Isn't a year and a half still plenty of time to accomplish things? It really doesn't make much sense. (I know...why am I trying to make sense out of this? I keep thinking there has to be some shred of logic in there somewhere.) She also writes this:

And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make.

Wow, sounds like she thinks it's all about her. This amazes me. She thinks somehow that she is judged differently by the media. I don't think that's the case at all. Yes, her qualifications and intelligence have been called into question. Whose fault is that? The media isn't making up the things that she says. You own them, Sarah. I'm also intrigued by her use of the phrase "higher calling." Delusions of grandeur? Then this:

I've never thought I needed a title before one's name to forge progress in America.

This is true, but I think it probably helps. I can't help but wonder in which capacity she plans on forging progress.

What really amazed me, though, was reading about Palin’s lawyer's plans to possibly pursue legal action against "Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times, and the Washington Post," as well as *gasp* bloggers who write defamatory pieces about Palin or the possibility that there might be some sort of scandal involved in her resignation. I don't know anyone who would write such a thing, do you? Nope, not here. Wait, I did write that any rumors I was hearing were just that, unsubstantiated rumors. Whew, I think I'm off the hook. But seriously, dude, what the hell? Just because someone speculates that there might be something more to this weird resignation, and that there could possibly be something a little deeper than what we're seeing and hearing on the surface, you're going to sue them for defamation of character?! Get real.

Good grief, even in my limited exposure in Blogtropolis, I've seen some pretty crappy things written about me. It's going to happen, and you just deal with it and move on (or quote refrigerator magnets to make you feel better). Good luck trying to sue someone for writing junk about you--you have to prove that it has affected your earning abilities, or damaged you in such a profound way that your livelihood and life has been affected. It's even worse when you're a public figure, so these idle threats from Palin's lawyer are really bizarre and pointless. And get this: the lawyer said that the New York Times and the Washington Post haven't written anything about any looming Palin scandal, but he believes they're asking questions. "What I've been informed is that they've been interviewing people in Wasilla about this, and have tried to interview the governor's parents about it," he said.

What? Journalists asking questions? Interviewing people? How dare they? Will the insanity never stop?

This is insanity, but on the lawyer's part, and since she has retained him, I have to presume on Palin's. Being a public figure does not confer immunity against probing questions from the press, and does not preclude criticism. It invites more, as it should. Just ask President Obama, who although he gets obviously good press and fairly favorable coverage from the "mainstream media" (Hey, does that mean that Fox News isn't mainstream? I guess so.), still has some bloggers and pundits calling for his head, sometimes literally. The Birfers are still out there, for Pete's sake. Get a grip, people, stop believing rags like The Globe. He won. He was born in America (Hawaii is part of America, if you recall). Put on your tinfoil hat and let it go. Anyhoo, it comes with the territory. You don't get to sue newspapers because they're asking questions about your conduct. That's what they do.

If your life and actions can't withstand public scrutiny, what are you doing running for office? Ken has a Big Dogs T-shirt that says "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch." Man, no kidding.