Friday Night News Dump: Gov. Palin To Resign

Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican governor from Alaska, is stepping down. It had been rumored that she wasn't going to seek reelection, but this takes things to a whole different level.

Gov. Sarah Palin will resign her office in a few weeks, she said during a news conference at her Wasilla home Friday morning.

Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the Governor’s Picnic at Pionner Park in Fairbanks on Saturday, July 25, Palin said.

There was no immediate word as to why she will resign, though speculation has been rampant that the former vice presidential candidate is gearing up for a run at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Palin made the announcement flanked by Parnell and most, if not all, of her cabinet.

It's only a matter of time before word gets out as to the reason why she's resigning. It would be better if she had done so up front, so as to reduce the speculation that is sure to swirl.

She's going to have to explain her reasoning for resigning instead of serving out her term. You can bet that the left wing is salivating over possible reasons. I can only hope that it isn't something wrong medically or family related.

UPDATE:
It's one thing to prepare to run for the Presidency in 2012, which has long been rumored. It's quite another to step down from her current office to do so. It's not like other politicians have campaigned for higher office while serving in other political positions. We'll have to see what the real deal is here.