Sarah Palin Federal Indictment Fears Power Resignation

It now looks as if Sarah Palin might be looking at a federal indictment. A federal indictment on embezzlement charges. Sarah Palin facing federal indictment charges might not fit well into a basketball metaphor, but her resignation Friday might be because federal prosecutors have compiled a "slam dunk" case against her. Regardless, she's innocent until proven guilty (or, as in this case, innocent until charged and proven guilty, because the federal indictment is speculation), but one can see where resigning as Governor of Alaska might be "taking one for the team" when your "point guard" (Sarah Palin likes the basketball metaphor because she played the game rather well in high school) is about to be slapped with the "technical foul" of a federal indictment.

And that would also explain the seemingly impromptu and unrehearsed quality of the press conference, Sarah Palin's sometimes rambling and unclear asides and metaphors, and her allusions to doing what was best for herself, her family, and the people of Alaska by working "outside" politics. Ever the bombastic politician, Sarah Palin's resignation announcement not only left many puzzled and suspicious, it also answered absolutely no questions regarding any concrete reasons she might have for abdicating her position as governor halfway through her first term.

Not many people were buying into the "what's best for Alaska" and "knowing when to pass the ball" routines Sarah Palin was attempting to sell during her surprise press conference, so speculation ran wild through the night and many just knew that there had to be more to the story than Sarah Palin's usual blame-the-left-wing-media and blame-the-political-opposition. Shannyn Moore at Huffington Post was calling the situation the "Iceberg Scandal."

It looks as if all these people might have been justified in their suspicions. And for want of a better moniker, not to mention finally getting away from all the "gate" scandals, calling the Sarah Palin federal indictment following the attempted press conference subterfuge the "Iceberg Scandal" works on so many levels.

Several articles are saying that the Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Max Blumenthal at The Daily Beast, and Andrea Mitchell at MSNBC all broke the Sarah Palin federal indictment story at roughly the same time, so there may be just a little more than just speculation involved. Right Pundits jokingly said the timing looked almost as if the Obama staff had sent out a memo...

But what did the Alaska Governor Sarah Palin embezzle?

Max Blumenthal at the Daily Beast posits that the most likely candidate precipitating a federal indictment would be the Palins' relationship with Spenard Building Supplies, the building contractor that built the $13 million Wasilla Sports Complex. Sarah Palin awarded the contract to Spenard Building Supplies just before she left office as Mayor of Wasilla. Todd Palin told Fox News that he and some friends built his home on Lake Lucille, but he did not add that the building supplies came from Spenard Building Supplies. As mayor, Sarah Palin also blocked an initiative that require the public filing of building permits...

Rumor has it that federal investigators have been digging into records and documents concerning Spenard Building Supplies and its possible ties to the Palins as well. The Palins' home on Lake Lucille was built a couple months before Sarah Palin ran for governor of Alaska, a position from which she would have at least some potential leverage in awarding construction contracts.

And there are other ties between Sarah Palin, her husband, and Spenard Building Supplies. According to Village Voice's Wayne Barrett, they sponsored Todd Palin's snowmobile team and hired Sarah Palin to do a television commercial in 2004.

So, will there be a federal indictment of Sarah Palin?

At present, it is difficult to tell. But a federal indictment would explain Governor Sarah Palin's sudden shift from talking about her future dealings as governor of Alaska and showing absolutely no indication that she would resign as governor, or at least not until the Alaska Senate race or her first term as governor had ended. And up until yesterday, Sarah Palin looked as if everything was a "go" for a run at the 2012 presidency as well. Insiders are now indicating that she may be giving up politics altogether.

Over bad press? Hardly. There really does seem to be something large and looming underneath the surface, something not yet disclosed. "Iceberg Scandal" indeed...

Palin did admit that her decision to resign was partially based on how the media was treating her (and remember, the federal indictment is not a fact, but rumored to be in the works) on the "full-court press on the national level, picking apart a good point guard."

Not good enough, apparently. Giving up and heading for the showers (could this be a "cut and run" strategy?) is not the way to combat a full-court press. Quitting and "passing the ball" is not a very well-conceived proactive solution.

There is always a reason someone purposely chooses to forfeit a game...

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