Sarah Palin's Higher Calling

Now that Sarah Palin has announced on Facebook that the pursuit of a "higher calling" is the reason she is stepping down as the governor of Alaska, all we have to do is figure out what job might qualify. POTUS? Talk-show host? Litigant?

That last one might be among her more immediate aspirations, according to her lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, who issued a statement Saturday denying that Palin or her husband profited from the construction of a sports facility in her hometown of Wasilla, and threatening legal action against anyone who suggests otherwise: "To the extent several websites, most notably liberal Alaska blogger Shannyn Moore, are now claiming as 'fact' that Governor Palin resigned because she is 'under federal investigation' for embezzlement or other criminal wrongdoing, we will be exploring legal options this week to address such defamation. This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and The Washington Post, that the Palins will not allow them to propagate defamatory material without answering to this in a court of law."

What Moore has written is that "For weeks the rumors of a criminal investigation against the governor have been brewing. They are rumors, but are swirling fresh again with Palin's resignation.'' Given that trying to prove there were no rumors seems a self-defeating exercise, that truth is an absolute defense against a defamation charge, and that as a public figure Palin would additionally have to prove actual malice, my (free, and worth every penny!) advice is that such a course of action seems an excellent way to rack up legal fees on top of the $500,000 she already reportedly owes as a result of various ethics investigations. And wasn't that mountain of bills one of the reasons she's leaving office? At least, I think that's what she said.

Though I didn't see how quitting halfway through her first term would set her up for a presidential run, her Facebook message does sound as if some sort of national leadership role is what she has in mind: "I shared with you yesterday my heartfelt and candid reasons for this change; I've never thought I needed a title before one's name to forge progress in America. I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint. I hope you will join me. Now is the time to rebuild and help our nation achieve greatness! God bless you! And I look forward to making a difference - with you!''

And whatever her plans, they definitely include continuing to run against the media, a tactic her base loves (and which liberal press-haters view no differently). "How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it's about country," Palin's FB posting said. "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." Which we in the media can only hope means she's cutting and running in order to run.