WASILLA, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly
announced Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the
month, a shocking move that rattled the Republican party but left
open the possibility she would seek a run for the White House in
2012.

Palin, 45, and her staff kept her future plans shrouded in
mystery, and it was unclear if the controversial hockey mom would
quietly return to private life or begin laying the foundation for a
presidential bid.

Palin's spokesman, David Murrow, said the governor didn't say
anything to him about this being her "political finale." He said
he interpreted Palin's comment about working outside government as
reflecting her current job only.

"She's looking forward to serving the public outside the
governor's chair," he said.

And Pam Pryor, a spokeswoman for Palin's political action
committee SarahPAC, said the group continues to accept donations on
its Web site, with an uptick in funds after Palin's announcement.

In a hastily arranged news conference at her home in suburban
Wasilla, Palin said she will formally step down July 26, and Lt.
Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the governor's picnic in
Fairbanks. She said she had decided against running for re-election
as Alaska's governor, and believed it was best to leave office even
though she had two years left to her term.

"Many just accept that lame duck status, and they hit that
road. They draw a paycheck. They kind of milk it. And I'm not going
to put Alaskans through that," she said.

The 2008 vice presidential nominee was seen as a likely
presidential contender in 2012 and had proved formidable among the
party's base. But the last week brought a highly critical piece in
Vanity Fair magazine, with unnamed campaign aides questioning if
Palin was ever really prepared for the presidency.

The backbiting continued through the week, with follow-up
articles recounting the nasty infighting that plagued her failed
bid. Her advisers sniped with other Republicans, underscoring the
deeply divided GOP looking for its next standard bearer.

Meghan Stapleton, Palin's personal spokeswoman, shot down
speculation that ranged wildly from Palin dropping out of politics
altogether to eyeing runs against fellow Alaska Republicans U.S.
Rep. Don Young and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Palin's comment about
serving outside government refers to the present, she said.

Stapleton, however, said it's too early to say whether Palin
would seek the presidency. In the meantime, the governor will
continue to work "toward affecting positive change as a citizen
without a title right now," she said.

"Her vision is what's best for Alaska, which translates into
what's best for America," Stapleton said.

Palin's resignation, timed on the eve of the July 4 holiday when
many Americans had already begun a three-day weekend, seemed
designed to avoid publicity. She alluded to how she could help
change the country and help military members - code that she didn't
think her time on the national stage was over.

Jerry McBeath, a veteran political science professor at the
University of Alaska Fairbanks, called the pending resignation a
"smart move," both for Palin and the state.

"Alaska is an isolated stage from which to operate if you want
to figure in American national politics. I don't know what she has
in mind. Some TV show or some national radio show. There are
opportunities for her, I'm sure."

But political analyst Larry Sabato, in Charlottesville, Va.,
said Palin's announcement left many confused.

"It's absolutely bizarre, and I think it eliminates her from
serious consideration for the presidency in 2012," he said.

Palin said her family weighed heavily in her decision.

"I polled the most important people in my life, my kids, where
the count was unanimous," she said. "Well, in response to asking,
'Hey, you want me to make a positive difference and fight for all
our children's future from outside the governor's office?' It was
four yeses and one 'Hell, yeah!" And the 'Hell, yeah' sealed it."

Palin's decision not to seek re-election was a familiar one for
a potential presidential candidate. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt
Romney chose not to seek another term as he geared up for an
unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has
announced he won't seek another term, giving him plenty of free
time ahead of a potential 2012 bid.

Palin emerged from relative obscurity nearly a year ago when she
was tapped as then Republican presidential candidate John McCain's
running mate.

She was a controversial figure from the start, with comedian
Tina Fey famously imitating her elaborate updo and folksy "You
betcha!" on "Saturday Night Live."

In the presidential race, Palin became the butt of talk-show
jokes and Democratic criticism after news broke that the Republican
Party had spent $150,000 or more on a designer wardrobe,
accessories and hair and makeup services for her. The high-end
spending spree contrasted with the down-to-earth image she sought
to craft for herself and became an unwelcome issue for the McCain
campaign.

She didn't leave the limelight once McCain lost the presidency.
She recently led a public spat with "Late Show" host David
Letterman over a joke he made about one of her daughters being
"knocked up" by New York Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez
during the governor's recent visit to New York. Palin's 18-year-old
daughter, Bristol, is an unwed, teenage mother. Letterman later
apologized for the joke.

Palin also complained that her 14-month-old son, Trig, who was
diagnosed with Down's syndrome, had been "mocked and ridiculed by
some mean-spirited adults recently." She didn't elaborate.

Fred Malek, a Republican strategist who has advised Palin over
the past year, said Palin was "really unhappy with the way her
life was going."

"She felt that the pressures of the job combined with her
family obligations and the demands and desires to help other
Republican candidates led her to decide not to run again. Once that
decision was made, she realized, why not do it now and let the
lieutenant governor take over and get a head start on his
election," Malek said.

Palin was first elected in 2006 on a populist platform. But her
popularity has waned as she became embroiled in partisan politics
following her return from the presidential campaign. Her term would
have ended in 2010.

Palin expressed frustration with her current role as governor.

"I cannot stand here as your governor and allow the millions of
dollars and all that time go to waste just so I can hold the title
of governor," Palin said, referring to the alleged impact of
multiple ethics complaints against her, most of which have been
dismissed.

Palin remaining as governor is not good for Alaska, given the
"political bloodsport" by her critics, Stapleton said. Stepping
down is a "fighter's move," Stapleton said, essentially Palin
stepping around political barriers in her way and pursuing her
vision.

Her decision even took Parnell by surprise. He said he was told
on Wednesday evening, and was not aware that any presidential
ambitions were behind the move. U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska,
said Palin didn't inform him during a 45-minute meeting Wednesday.

Palin's announcement comes after several recent blows to the
Republican party. Ensign, a member of the Christian ministry
Promise Keepers, stepped down from the Senate Republican leadership
last month after admitting he had an affair for much of last year
with a woman on his campaign staff who was married to one of his
Senate aides. Ensign later disclosed he had helped the woman's
husband get two jobs during the affair.

A government watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and
Ethics in Washington, wants the Senate ethics committee and the
Federal Election Commission to investigate.

Just days after news of Ensign's affair broke, Sanford admitted
an affair with a woman in Argentina. Some lawmakers are now calling
for his resignation. Before the admission, Sanford had been missing
from the state for five days visiting his lover. He had slipped his
security detail, lied to his staff about where he was and failed to
transfer power to the lieutenant governor in case of a state
emergency.

The party's troubles seem to have left two prominent 2012
prospects, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and 2008 presidential
hopeful Mitt Romney, unscathed, however.

Palin has the potential to make far more money in the private
sector than the $125,000 or so she has been making as governor.

Palin already had a deal with publisher HarperCollins to produce
her memoirs, with publication planned for next spring. Terms of the
deal have not been disclosed.

Six-figure book deals are common for high-profile politicos -
President Barack Obama has made millions on his best-sellers - as
are lucrative speaking tours and even their own talk shows after
they leave office. One 2008 presidential candidate, former Arkansas
Gov. Mike Huckabee, landed his own show on the Fox News Channel. A Fox News spokesman said Friday that there have been no discussions with Palin.