Writer of the Deleted Huffington Post Story Apologizes

Update 2: Statement from the writer of the story, Erik Nelson:

Within 10 minutes of the post, I received 2 emails from special needs families, saw that it was hurtful and I pulled the post immediately. I apologize for offending you.

Since you wanted to know what I was going for, it was that Palin said that she was leaving the governorship because of jokes. What kind of President would she make if she couldn’t handle some bad jokes? I used her words to create a farcical situation where offensive jokes were meant to be ironic. I saw immediately that it was wrong and apologized on the site.

OK, it is at this point you have to decide for yourselves if you’re satisfied.  All the guy can do is apologize, go, and sin no more.  As a working writer in the touchy field of politics, I’m sure I’ve used poor judgment in the past, and the important thing is to grow from the experience.

I shared with Erik my thoughts on his story, somewhat productively, and I urge you to do the same, productively.  I’ll make sure he reads your comments here.  Personally, I hope Erik becomes a more successful, more sensitive writer from here.  I hope the same for myself.

Update: Official statement from HuffPo after the jump, at the end of the post.

There was a story posted earlier tonight at Huffington Post regarding the resignation of Sarah Palin, an offensive attack on children and people with disabilities. As soon as I was told about it, and the urge to vomit/punch something passed, I tweeted about it, copying a HuffPo editor:(Warning: Profanity below the fold)

Video: Sarah Palin Resignation Shocker: Part of a Conservative Purge?

Update 11: After the jump, my take on the revolting 23/6 article that has now been pulled.  Let me also add that the last sentence of the post, “Politicians don’t usually quit for so stupid of reasons,” immediately made me question whether an editor had even seen that post before it went up.  Based on its quick deletion, I’d guess not.

I do know that many liberals, myself included, complained immediately and loudly, and it was taken down immediately.  Will that stop people from smearing us?  We’ll see.

Update 10: Palin consulted with Ayers prior to resignation!

Update 9: Hot Air has Palin’s brother playing the martyr card.  Resonant, maybe, but no way she resigns over nuisance complaints.  No way in hell.

Update 8: Alaska’s Blue Oasis blog, hounder of Palin, thinks she resigned ahead of low poll numbers.  After reading the 2nd entry, I’m starting to think she resigned because Blue Oasis is such a pain in the balls. (JK, MODERATE REAPER!!)

Update 7: Rachel Sklar is jumping up & down on the couch.

Update 6: Rich Lowry is sitting limply on his couch.

Update 5: Oh, damn, now they’re blaming Letterman.  Maybe Palin is that stupid.  I still don’t think so, but it’s remotely

possible that they see this as the time to cash in on whatever goodwill was left after the Letterman thing. I thought it was that goodwill that caused the attack on Palin in the first place.

Update 4: Below the Beltway has an Andrea Mitchell report that belies the Governor’s spin.

Update 3:  While John McCain is certainly a moderate, and his people were in position to leak yesterday’s emails, many of those same staffers could fit easily into another, extremely well-funded moderate’s 2012 campaign.  Who else stands to benefit, and who’s next?  Pawlenty is the only other true moderate on the list, but I doubt he’s the Moderate Reaper.  Palin was the biggest fish, but as one tweep noted, Huckabee might want to keep an eye out.

Update 2: Video of the announcement: (transcript here)

Seriously, if she’s not being forced to do this, then this is the worst political move in history.

Update: From Palin’s Twitter feed:

We’ll soon attach info on decision to not seek re-election… this is in Alaska’s best interest, my family’s happy… it is good, stay tuned

Original Post: In light of yesterday’s Palin story, today’s announcement really blew me away. Sarah Palin is resigning as Governor of Alaska:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she was resigning her office later this month, a stunning decision that could free her to run for president more easily but also raises questions about her political standing at home.

Palin disclosed the surprise news Friday afternoon from her home in Wasilla with her husband, Todd, and Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, who the governor said would take over the state on Saturday, July 25th.

By not running for re-election, Palin liberates herself from the political constraints that come with running for president while still in elected office.

What? Running for President? Are you on crack? She can’t run for PEZident now.

The Last Word on Michael Jackson…From John Ziegler

I know we’ve already had Michael Jackson stories from Christina and Alex, and my own modest effort, but as my able colleagues pointed out, this is the model of restraint when compared to other media outlets.  Like CNN.

Even so, I was happy to close the book on MJ, until I got a glimpse of this farcical clip from the folks who put the FAIL in #CNNFAIL.  Thanks to uber-Tweep TenGrain for this:

Really? You “tracked Bubbles down?”  He’s in a cage in Florida.  It ain’t exactly “Hungry Like the Wolf.”  (On a side note, how much must it suck to be a chimp who doesn’t quite rate inclusion in the “Great Ape” category?  You get stashed in the “Mediocre Primate Hovel and Bait Shop?”)

Earlier this week, CNN also tracked down a rabbi who was Jackson’s friend.  Not Jackson’s Rabbi, for that might have actually been a story.

I touched on this in yesterday’s WaPo story, but after seeing this video, I had to go back and find the John Ziegler interview that I referenced.

Don’t Make Charlie Crist Angry, You Wouldn’t Like Him When He’s Angry

Earlier this week, Markos Moulitsas wrote a post about the possibility of Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist, seeing his path blocked by his more conservative opponent, former Florida House speaker Marco Rubio, will, like Arlen Specter, decide to run as a Democrat.

Currently Crist is believed to be politically dead, and he must let the world think that he is politically dead until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him. I, however, believe that the governor of my former state will not only stay a Republican, he will prevail.