Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin might not be providing more insight into her surprise decision to resign, but she's wasted no time reacting to the reaction. In a message to supporters posted on her Facebook page, Palin expanded slightly on her rationale, and used the opportunity to attack establishment Washington and the press for the response to her announcement.

From the message:

First, I want to thank you for your support and hard work on the values we share. Those values led me to the decision my family and I made. Yesterday, my family and I announced a decision that is in Alaska’s best interest and it always feels good to do what is right. We have accomplished more during this one term than most governors do in two – and I am proud of the great team that helped to build these wonderful successes. Energy independence and national security, fiscal restraint, smaller government, and local control have been my priorities and will remain my priorities.

For months now, I have consulted with friends and family, and with the Lieutenant Governor, about what is best for our wonderful state. I even made a few administrative changes over that course in time in preparation for yesterday. We have accomplished so much and there’s much more to do, but my family and I determined after prayerful consideration that sacrificing my title helps Alaska most. And once I decided not to run for re-election, my decision was that much easier – I’ve never been one to waste time or resources. Those who know me know this is the right decision and obvious decision at that, including Senator John McCain. I thank him for his kind, insightful comments.

The response in the main stream media has been most predictable, ironic, and as always, detached from the lives of ordinary Americans who are sick of the “politics of personal destruction”. How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it’s about country. And 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. But every American understands what it takes to make a decision because it’s right for all, including your family.

(Hat-tip to Christian Heinze of GOP 12.)

Well, I certainly picked a hell of a day for a six-hour drive. When the news of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's resignation broke yesterday, I was stuck in traffic somewhere on I-95 and unable to blog.

Of course, the other way to look at it is that Palin picked a hell of a day for such a big announcement -- just one more odd element in what was, overall, a bizarre, inexplicable move.

But the drive (and a rental car equipped with satellite radio) did give me a chance to listen to the reaction on conservative talk radio and Fox News. And that confirmed my suspicions about the way the move will be received: Palin's base will, with a few exceptions, continue to love her. They may even support her all the more strongly now -- they were already primed to sympathize with the arguments she made in her speech, especially the ones about being victimized by the national media and about a different kind of politics.

The problem for Palin, assuming she still wants to be in politics, is that she already had a devoted base. The people she needs if she wants to make a run at the presidency in 2012 are the kind likely to be unimpressed by this move -- the Republican establishment, especially money men and veteran operatives, along with more moderate Republicans and independents.

Again, though, that's assuming she wants to mount a presidential campaign, or even stay in politics. NBC's Andrea Mitchell hears Palin's done, but the conventional wisdom -- buttressed by a few signs -- is that this is a preliminary move towards a future at the national level politically. If so, it'd be an unconventional move at best, a fatal one at worst, but that still seems like the most likely explanation.

Still, there are rumors flying about that some sort of scandal is behind all this, and that would make some sense, given the sudden rush to make the announcement. (Some local reporters, given very short notice, didn't even have time to get to the speech.) There will, undoubtedly, be no shortage of reporters looking into that once the holiday weekend is over, but for now, there's no solid reason to believe some bombshell is on its way.

Update: If you're curious about the scandal rumors going around, the two best places to learn about them are probably Max Blumenthal's article in the Daily Beast and the piece by AKMuckraker of Mudflats fame currently up on the Huffington Post.

The rumor getting the most currency on the left side of the blogosphere is that Palin's house was built for free by friends of her husband's looking for favors once she became governor. That could turn out to be true -- really, anything could at this point -- but I'd take it with a bunch of salt for now.

For one thing, as a colleague observed to me today, that sort of story just doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would make Palin quit, even if there was an investigation into it. Everything she'd done up to this point seemed to indicate that she'd stay in office and fight that kind of allegation.

Beyond that, the way Blumenthal outlines the story, the company that built the house would have been spending a lot of money for a very uncertain payoff. When the house was built, Palin wasn't even officially running for governor yet, and there was no guarantee she'd win once she did. That doesn't mean the story's not true -- the company could have decided it was a gamble worth making -- but it's definitely something to consider as these stories make the rounds.

Jenny Sanford, whose husband is South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, has put out another statement about the governor's affair and the state of their marriage. In this one, though she still sounds angry -- understandably so, of course -- she also says she's willing to forgive, and to work with her husband to try and save their marriage. She makes clear, however, that there'll be a lot of work involved.

The full statement:

The last week has been very painful for me, my family and for the people of South Carolina. However, throughout this terrible ordeal, the incredible outpouring of kindness, support, and prayer I've received from countless friends and folks I have never even met has been truly uplifting. I appreciate that more than I can say. Please know that my sons and I are doing fine, given the circumstances. We are surrounded by friends and family, and we will make it through this. I believe it is how we respond to the challenges we face in life, and what we learn from them, that is most telling about who we truly are.

There is no question that Mark's behavior is inexcusable. Actions have consequences and he will be dealing with those consequences for a long while. Trust has been broken and will need to be rebuilt. Mark will need to earn back that trust, first and foremost with his family, and also with the people of South Carolina.

The real issue now is one of forgiveness. I am willing to forgive Mark for his actions. We have been deeply disappointed in and even angry at Mark. The Bible says, "In your anger do not sin." (Psalm 4:4) In this situation, this speaks to the essence of forgiveness and the critical need to channel one's energy into positive steps that uphold the dignity of marriage and the family, and lead to reconciliation over time. My forgiveness is essential for us both to move on with our lives, with peace, in whatever direction that may take us.

Desmond Tutu said "forgiveness is the grace by which you enable the other person to get up, and get up with dignity, to begin anew." Forgiveness opens the door for Mark to begin to work privately, humbly and respectfully toward reconciliation with me. However, to achieve true reconciliation will take time, involve repentance, and will not be easy.

Mark showed a lack of judgment in his recent actions as governor. However, his far more egregious offenses were committed against God, the institutions of marriage and family, our boys and me. Mark has stated that his intent and determination is to save our marriage, and to make amends to the people of South Carolina. I hope he can make good on those intentions, and for the sake of our boys I leave the door open to it. In that spirit of forgiveness, it is up to the people and elected officials of South Carolina to decide whether they will give Mark another chance as well.

At least no one can ever accuse Our Country Deserves Better, a conservative political action committee, of being less than fully honest about its thoughts. The group has just released a new ad, which it says it wants to run next week but is previewing now in order to raise money for airtime, that compares President Obama to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and also compares both of them to Hitler.

The spot is a minute long, and nearly all of its sixty seconds are filled with wild accusations and ridiculous comparisons -- too many to list here. And it's doubtful that there'll be many stations that will be willing to air it, if any. (Of course, that could be part of the point; rejection of an ad like this gets them exposure and money from supporters.) But it's an interesting glimpse into the various memes and theories going around in a certain segment of the right.

He probably hasn’t crossed your mind in a while, but Vice President Biden is keeping busy.

On Thursday, the vice president landed in Iraq for a surprise visit. He’ll be dropping in on troops and meeting with top Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani. 

Biden’s visit is aimed at consolidating recent gains in the country, especially as they appear threatened. Just two days ago U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq’s major urban areas, an event marked by both celebration and a bombing that killed 27 people. 

The word is that Biden will take a leading administration role in the drawdown of American troops over the next few years, and the effort to keep Iraq stable. It’s a role that he probably relishes as an old foreign policy hand, which is the main reason he was on the Democratic ticket last year.

Via CNN's Political Ticker blog, a statement from the office of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, responding to the plethora of calls for his resignation:

The governor has no plans to step aside, temporarily or otherwise. He remains committed and determined to repair the damage he has done in his marriage and to building back the trust of the people of South Carolina.

He will be spending the long Fourth of July holiday weekend with his family, leaving for Florida tomorrow morning. The Sanford family asks members of the media to respect their privacy while they are together this weekend. The Sanfords also hope to take a longer family vacation toward the end of July.

He's spending most of the today at the Mansion, continuing to touch base with state officials, family, friends and supporters.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has been released from his book contract -- not too surprising, since his book seemed to be the traditional pre-presidential campaign tome. But a new parody video shows that at least he's still got a shot at selling movie rights for a story about his affair.

Of course, that's never actually going to happen. But it's nice to dream. The video's below -- hat-tip to Time's Karen Tumulty for it.

It seems even her fellow Republican members of Congress have given up trying to understand Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, much less her incoherent opposition to the U.S. Census. Bachmann has refused to fill out her census form based on her conspiracy theories about President Obama and her fears about the community development organization ACORN, and has even linked the collection of census data to the internment of Japanese civilians in the U.S. during World War II in an attempt to suggest that the same thing could happen.

But while Bachmann's views might not be too crazy for Glenn Beck, three of her Republican colleagues have clearly had enough. In a somewhat unusual step for the GOP, Wednesday, Reps. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., and John Mica, R-Fla., issued a highly condemnatory statement about Bachmann's position on the census. They argue that by not filling out the form, Bachmann and those who agree with her views on the census increase the risk that the government will use the data for partisan political purposes. The three wrote:

We share Ms. Bachmann’s concerns about ACORN’s involvement in the 2010 Census and will continue pressuring the Bureau to follow their own guidelines for partnering organizations and dump ACORN. However, we can not emphasize enough how important it is for every individual to fill out their census forms.

Every elected representative in this country should feel a responsibility to encourage full participation in the census. To do otherwise is to advocate for a smaller share of federal funding for our constituents. Boycotting the constitutionally-mandated census is illogical, illegal and not in the best interest of our country.

The unfortunate irony is that Ms. Bachmann’s boycott only increases the likelihood that ACORN-recruited census takers will be dispatched to her constituents’ homes. Anyone who completes and returns their census form will remove any need for a census taker to visit their residence.

Furthermore, a boycott opens the door for partisans to statistically adjust census results. The partisan manipulation of census data would irreparably transform the census from being the baseline of our entire statistical system into a tool used to wield political power in Washington.

As Steve Benen points out, Bachmann also continues to make an argument against the census that simply isn't true. Speaking recently to Fox News' Sean Hannity, Bachmann repeated one of her favorite complaints about the the American Community Survey part of the census, asking:  "Sean, you know the one question they don’t ask? They don’t ask, 'are you an American citizen?'" She then asked people to go to her website to look at the census form themselves and see the glaring omission.

Except, if you do go to her website and read the American Community Survey to which she was referring, you'll find that question number 8 reads: "Is this person a CITIZEN of the United States?"

Todd Purdum's Vanity Fair article on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has led to a wave of revelations about the inner workings of the McCain campaign, especially when it came to the issue of Palin herself. Now, CBS News has revealed a spat between Palin and the campaign's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, that was sparked by an article published here in Salon. 

The article, authored by Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert with research support from the Nation Institute Investigative Fund, detailed Palin's connections with the Alaska Independence Party, which advocates secession from the U.S. Todd Palin was a member for seven years, until 2002, and during her time on the Wasilla city council and as mayor of the town, Palin maintained an open door for the party.

But towards the end of the campaign, Palin saw a CNN report based on Salon's story, and heard from someone at a campaign event about the AIP. And she wanted something done, CBS reports. In an e-mail to Schmidt, campaign manager Rick Davis, senior advisor Nicolle Wallace and her husband, Palin wrote:

Pls get in front of that ridiculous issue that's cropped up all day today -- two reporters, a protestor's sign, and many shout-outs all claiming Todd's involvement in an anti-American political party. It's bull, and I don't want to have to keep reacting to it ... Pls have statement given on this so it's put to bed.

Schmidt didn't want distractions, though, and wisely wasn't about to let the issue get bigger. In response, he wrote:

Ignore it. He was a member of the aip? My understanding is yes. That is part of their platform. Do not engage the protestors. If a reporter asks say it is ridiculous. Todd loves america.

That, according to CBS, wasn't enough for Palin. She e-mailed again, this time adding more recipients, and writing:

That's not part of their platform and he was only a "member" bc independent alaskans too often check that 'Alaska Independent' box on voter registrations thinking it just means non partisan. He caught his error when changing our address and checked the right box. I still want it fixed.

But as CBS notes, that seems implausible -- the registration form includes the full name of the AIP, which identifies it as a party and not just as an independent option. Schmidt apparently didn't believe her 0n this, and thought she was lying about reporters asking her about the issue as well. In the final e-mail of the exchange, he wrote:

Secession. It is their entire reason for existence. A cursory examination of the website shows that the party exists for the purpose of seceding from the union. That is the stated goal on the front page of the web site. Our records indicate that todd was a member for seven years. If this is incorrect then we need to understand the discrepancy. The statement you are suggesting be released would be innaccurate. The innaccuracy would bring greater media attention to this matter and be a distraction. According to your staff there have been no media inquiries into this and you received no questions about it during your interviews. If you are asked about it you should smile and say many alaskans who love their country join the party because it speeks to a tradition of political independence. Todd loves his country

We will not put out a statement and inflame this and create a situation where john has to adress this.

Since he confessed his affair last week, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has let it be known that he has no intention of giving up his post. And at least one of his allies says Sanford will continue to be "defiant" and that if he goes out, it will be "in the ugliest, messiest way." But if he does remain in office, it will be in the face of ever-growing pressure from his fellow South Carolina Republicans, who are lining up to push him out the door.

Already, the chair of the South Carolina Republican Party has suggested that it's time for Sanford to step down, and more than half of the Republicans in the state Senate have called on him to do so.

On Wednesday, Sanford reportedly started hearing from Republicans in his state's congressional delegation, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, who's the godfather of his youngest son. Graham, Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Gresham Barrett all called Sanford, Politico reports, and they weren't just calling to chat or to offer him their help.

Politico quotes one unnamed "top Republican in the state" as saying the governor "was made aware that his support is getting to be dang-near nonexistent." Another source said the calls were "clearly geared toward, 'Do the right thing.'"