Going Rogue: An American Life (115 page)

Going Rogue

would do. How would a lame-duck session benefit Alaskans?

How would millions more in FOIAs and ethics complaints and lawsuits benefit Alaskans? I prayed hard because I knew that if!

resigned, it might very well end any future political career. But then I thought,
This is what’s

with our political system.

Too many politicians only

their next career move. They don’t put

the people they

serving first.

In the end, I decided, politically speaking, if I die, I die. I had to do the right thing. It might be the end of my career, but it wouldn’t be the end of my work to make a difference. No one can make

“sit down and shut up.” I don’t need a title to effect positive change.

On July 3,

announced our decision in a speech from my

backyard, with my cabinet members lined up alongside the Parnell family on one side and my family on rhe other. It was a gorgeous summer day and the waters ofLake Lucille shimmered behind me. I was thankful to have my family with me, because they had been there four years before, on Alaska Day, to begin this journey. Most of them had, anyway. Trig cuddled in Piper’s cooing and

squirming, until finally being handed off to his aunt Heather, then to his aunt Molly as his fourteen-month-old “talking” grew louder during the press event. Tripp slept in Uncle Chuck’s arms. As cameras rolled, I announced my conclusion that it was best for Alaska if I stepped aside. “We will be in the capable hands of our lieutenant governor, Sean Parnell. And it is my promise to you that I will always be standing by, ready to assist. We have a good, positive agenda for Alaska. In the words of General MacArthur, ‘We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction: ” Or, as my dad later put it, “Sarah’s not retreating; she’s reload. I”

mg.

I wanted ro leave no doubt that I wasn’t running from political shots. In my inaugural address, I had asked Alaskans ro hold me

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SARAH

PALIN

accountable. But I wanted co be held accountable fot doing my job. I wanted to be challenged co serve the state better, not have co prove that I’m Trig Palin’s mom.

We had invited only local press, and one station sent its lite truck out from Anchorage. I figured it must be quite a slow news day CO warrant that. The station blasted my speech across the country. Though we knew my announcement would make news, we did not expect the

national coverage that

exploded over the next week.

As Kris, Mike Nizich, and family members stood in my kitchen, my brother turned up the television just co get a read on what kind of bizarre theories the press was cranking out time. Before long we cold him CO just rurn off the news. And we jusr had to say it: “What a bunch of buffoons.” I knew resigning was the right thing to do, the same way I had known it was right co run for mayor, right co take on the party at the AOGCC, right to run for governor, and right to say yes co John McCain. I knew we had just done the right thing for Alaska. We were now going co get co fight for what is right for our state and our country. I was at peace and confident in my decision. I felt a renewed sense of excitement and freedom-so, of course, we ate cake.

The reaction to my announcement was instructive. The same
people who had wanted nothing more than to throw me out of office were suddenly outraged that I was obliging. Right away the scandal rumors broke. Leftwing bloggers began feeding stories to their friends in major media that the
FBI
was investigating me. NBC’s Norah O’Donnell was the first CO

us asking for

details about the embezzlement scandal that she’d heard would lead co my
FBI
indictment the following week. The
New York

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