Rendell Lays Into Palin: Calls Resignation "Ridiculous," Accuses Her Of "Abandoning" State

Among the myriad questions raised by Gov. Sarah Palin's abrupt resignation, is how her excuse for leaving office -- mainly that lame-duck governors are ineffective -- would play among her peers who were, you know, actually lame-ducks governors.

The answer, not surprisingly, is quite poorly.

Gov. Ed Rendell, (D-Penn), who is constitutionally prohibited from running for re-election, laid into Palin for what he deemed a "ridiculous" rationale for resigning and for "abandoning" the state in a time of crisis.

"To resign after two-and-a-half years in office and somehow to say that she was going to be a lame duck and lame ducks can't get anything done and governors just go on junkets during her lame-duck period is ridiculous," Rendell told MSNBC. "First of all, she's a first-term governor, not a term-limited, second-term governor, and if she hadn't announced she was leaving, she wouldn't have been a lame duck, she would have been in a pretty strong executive position, number one. Number two, this is not the time for governors to abandon their states.... Everyone of us is facing severe financial challenges brought about by the international recession and this is not a time to leave. We pledged to our folks when we asked them to elect to us, we pledged that we were going to serve four years and we serve in the good years, but we also serve in the bad years as well. And for her to leave and turn the state over to a lieutenant governor with less than a month's notice, in the midst of difficult financial times, I think it's just dead wrong."

"Again," Rendell added, "had she just said I'm not running for re-election and announced that, I think that would perfectly fine. But she's really abandoning her state at a very difficult time. And I appreciate the pressures on family. All of us in public life have that. You guys in the media have the same pressures. I appreciate all of that, but I think she made the wrong decision to leave her state. If you want to help Alaskans, lead during tough and challenging times."

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While he's a partisan, Rendell's words still have resonance, in part because they hit at a criticism that even Republicans share, including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowksi. Palin, after all, is arguing that it is impossible for a governor to be effective when she or he has term limits and wider ambitions. But she arbitrarily imposed the term limits on herself and is also making the determination that she can't juggle the larger conservative cause with the provincial needs of Alaska. No one else made that judgment. Certainly Tim Pawlenty, who won't seek re-election but is considering a run for the 2012 Republican nomination, didn't.

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Comments

[livesinreality]

I think Sarah's witch doctor read the bones of the new skeleton that fell out the closet and told her its time to leave.

[drec1500Madrid]

Why isnt Rendell surrounded by his family with his kids crawling all over him like Palin has in her interviews.

[BlueDog1]

Not sure what the news is here last week we had one from SC who was in South America with his little tottsie and did not even tell his staff. Just goes to show you the mess will run just fine without neo-con Gov.

[hhayden]

Do you have any idea what a neocon is?

[scat]

As a PA resident.

Hey ED, instead of showing up on these shows or the Philly sports programming. How about you pass a budget in this state. One where you do not threaten to cut Austic services to scare people to accept your tax increase.

You bankrupted Philadelphia again as mayor, now the state. Nice job. Stuff another cheesesteak down your gullet.

[graceland9]

Why - did he put up a sports center that cost the city 20 million?! Shocking!

[hhayden]

Payoffs? Campaign contributions? Cronyism? Just a guess.

[hhayden]

What do you think of California spending millions for the send off of an over the hill pop star with a host of personal problems.

[CitizenT]

Here here! He's cutting all library funding when a record number of unemployed are taking advantage of the resume writing help and free internet access there. Way to jump-start our failing economy, Ed!

Of course he is right that there is plenty a lame duck can do. He has been busily feathering his nest with gambling liscense kickbacks.

[Angmorg]

Does Todd shoot at Lame Ducks

[DCinFrance]

About the lame duck thing. I'm torn between believing it was just another distortion of the truth, or she simply does know what is a lame duck. For the former to be true, she would have to be assuming re-election--given that governors are limited to two terms in Alaska which I'm not at all sure. She would have to be thinking, well when I get re-elected and then I will be a lame duck. Bingo! But, frankly, I think she just doesn't have a clue and that an ineffective politician is for her a lame duck. No, Sarah...you may be lame and ineffectual, but you are no lame duck.

By the way, I have read the Constitution yet to figure out the job description of a Vice President?

I thought not.

[hhayden]

Well, at least your post was thoughtful and not mean and hateful. A refreshing break.

[lauram]

The lame duck thing is utter nonsense. A governor NOT seeking re-election is in a perfect position to propose all sorts of great populist legislation in their state of the state address. They can campaign tirelessly for legislation that people would love, but business would hate. Then, when the legislature votes it down, they can say "See how hard I tried to work for you?" They can get mileage out of that all the way through the presidential primaries. No way Sarah doesn't know that. That's why I feel she was pushed out by something.

[hhayden]

That seems to be her position so far, that she can do better in the private sector and as she says herself, if it ruins her political career so be it. If there is some other reason, it hasn't been reveled. The left keeps bringing allegations against her and they keep getting dismissed. How many politicians could survive such relentless scrutiny. She has paved the way for the Lt, Governor who may be far more acceptable to the left, and if not they can just transfer their bile to him. I the left thinks her leaving does such a disservice to the state then it follows that they think she was doing a worthy job.

[nervousexpat]

She didn't now what an Achilles heel is (remember her "debate" with Joe Biden)... so I'm with you that she probably doesn't know what a lame duck is...

[hhayden]

And Biden thought FDR appeared on TV during the Great Depression. They mess up all the time on both sides of the aisle.

[SoClearToMe]

Before McCain, I hear she was quite an effective governor, though I'm not sure she did much that I would support. But then I'm not one of her constituents, and before McCain she had an approval rating in the 80s. Now she can't get anything done for the state except rack up legal bills for the state and herself and generate only bad publicity.

Sure she brought all this on herself by not realizing she wasn't professionally ready for the VP run, and by the way she attacked so many Americans like myself as not being truly American and for calling me a Socialist and other names. The arrogance and hostility of small town conservative Americans over medium-to-big city Americans, whether uneducated or educated, was and is palpable. But just let her be.

[hhayden]

Golly, two thoughtful posts in a row. Congratulations

I don't think she was calling the rank and file democrats socialists. Perhaps, like myself, when I say democrats I mean the elected officials who control policy. I think Obama is a big time socialist, but I wouldn't include you because I don't know you. Also, I don't think she brought this on herself. If answering your party's call means that, all politicians should be unmercifully attacked all the time. I guess her "crime" was being a real person. Obama wasn't ready either, and it shows.

[Whinger]

Yeah! It seems that Alaskans are expendable, but, ya gotta look at the bigger picture!

[LemonMeringue]

She would be better off, and her family would too, if John McCain had never come knocking at her door.

She'd still be enjoying all those perks without very much scrutiny. And Alaska, population 7, is a small enough pond that she could enjoy being a very big fish there without any watchdogging coming in from the lower 48. She bought off the population of Alaska with the socialist oil money gifts and most Alaskans were happy enough with the status quo.

[hhayden]

She stepped up and answered the call of her party and learned a bitter lesson I suspect. It should be a lesson to other honest, forthright people and we as Americans will be the losers, forever dragged down but the charlatans and the power hungry.

[SoCalNick]

did you SERIOUSLY use the words HONEST and FORTHRIGHT To describe PALIN??

even SHE doesn't have NADS to do THAT!! LOL

[graceland9]

I'll go with what the Vice President says - if she resigned for the good of her family, I have to support that. Kind of stinks for the state, though. But at least she wasn't "hiking."

[hhayden]

Indeed. She was doing wery well for her state before the lefd decided to make her their own personal wipping post.

[OB-GYN]

From Huffpo on AP:

"The Palin resignation was noticed in halls of the state Capitol in Juneau as well.

The "Time to Make a Difference" clock that counted the time left in Palin's term was taken down from the wall outside her office. And people from around the country called up her office to inquire about the situation, as did a few cruise ship tourists who made the trek to the Capitol.'

Amazing, Palin's out fishing and her staff take down her "TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE" CLOCK????
Why the heck isn't she in Juneau transitioning her Lt.Gov and trying to still "make a difference".

Palin will never receive a majority political vote from Americans again. It doesn't work like this in America.

[hhayden]

Who says she wants it? Why would any sane person?

[duchessofdork]

So I take it you're saying that she DOES want it.

[graceland9]

Nope, she's done. Just as I was about to buy shares in Orville Redenbacher stock, too. Dang!

[OB-GYN]

I'm glad to hear grown-ups call Palin's action for what they are.She was elected to serve, not duck and run.

[ashabot]

Sarah Palin, Good Time Gal. Hard times hit? She's gone.

[LemonMeringue]

Ed, Ed, she got everything she wanted for herself out of that job. There is nothing left in it for her but hard work.

They are even taking her perks away. She has to give the money back. No wonder she quit!

[FatBoysComedyClubs]

New Righty Ideas 101

It’s another blow to their collective ego.

The Press don’t have Palin to kick atound anymore. What other ‘rock stars’ are theri in the party?

Sure, they have a few people that actually know some of the constitution, the bill of rights, heavy of gun rights, light on all other rights. Sure they know they must say know to Obama and Shites.

Do they have any new ideas?

Can they save the world? Can they bring America back from this mess they created?
Can they admit, even, that they totally failed to Govern?

No, let’s just say ‘no’ to everything, and when something bad happens we can say

‘We told ya!’

Ladies and Gentleman, that’s the new Republican National Playbook.

[hhayden]

You took all that time to write nonsense?

[krisgarfield]

Actually, she did the state of Alaska a huge favor, Yes it was to cover her own a$$, but Alaska will benefit in the long run.

I mean really, was she of any use apart from being the laughing stock of the country? My money is on FOX hiring her to do the weather.

[hhayden]

I understand that giving up ones position for the good of others is a forign idea to democrats. She was only a laughing stock to Obamartons who can't see past their noses to see a real person on the political front for a change. I'm surprised others don't forsake thankless jobs working for the people they represn't. You just want her around as an object for your hatred.

[jhm1953]

The good of others? She has never in her life done anything for the good of otheres. it's always been about her and always will be. Time to change your meds Hayseed.

[hippietilidie]

Are you kidding me??? The people of Alaska elected her to be their governor. She quits halfway through her term for her own selfish reasons. I'll bet every gov. in the U.S. is facing challenges right now. You don't quit on people- unless you're Sarah Palin...

[The Wisest Weasel]

Wait, I'm truly puzzled here. So, she gave up her position for the good of others. Right.
But why? She is only a laughing stock to 'Obamartons' (I think that R was a mistake, if you're going for a reference to 'automatons', but these days, so many Rs are mistakes), because the reality is that she is on the political front (let's assume 'lines' goes here). She was making a change. Why quit? I mean, yes, we do want her around as a laughingstock, to illustrate the complete hollowness of her policy positions, and yes, she's hilariously ignorant to the eyes and ears of the educated/intelligent/sane. But since when do Barracudas flee from taunting? What happened to the tough, resilient woman ready to be the VP to ol' John '3/4s Dead' McCain?
"I am hereby resigning from the presidency of the United States due to my inability to continue to effectively govern under these hostile conditions. The Iranian government has made no fewer than seven mean photoshop pictures of Trig, proving that they belong in the axis of evil with North Korea, Something Awful and 4Chan. I leave confident that I am doing the right thing, leaving the nation in the competent, capable hands of Vice-President and now President Michelle Bachmann."

[ahoyhoy]

When you say "real person," do you actually mean "ridiculous hayseed"?

[duchessofdork]

Funny!