Palin

It struck me during Gov. Sarah Palin's rambling resignation speech that she took time to criticise other "lame duck Governors": "I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks… travel around the state, to the Lower 48 (maybe), overseas on international trade – as so many politicians do. And then I thought – that’s what’s wrong – many just accept that lame duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck, and “milk it”. I’m not putting Alaska through that – I promised efficiencies and effectiveness! ? That’s not how I am wired. I am not wired to operate under the same old “politics as usual.” I promised that four years ago – and I meant it." I wondered whether Palin was referring to Alabama's own Bob Riley, who went on a whirlwind tour of three continents recently, just as the list of candidates for his job was forming up. But is Palin's criticism fair? What is a Governor who can't run for reelection supposed to do? Just because he or she will be leaving, does that mean the state suddenly doesn't need governing? Should they quit like her (or "step down" as CNN insisted on saying for the first hour or so of the story) and leave a leadership vacuum in state government? Among those columnists who rose to the challenge of writing about the speech on a holiday weekend is Gail Collins in the NY Times. Now the big question is whether SNL will pull together a live show just to take advantage of the developments.