After causing a sensation on the red carpet at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards Sunday evening on the arm of comedienne Kathy Griffin and then causing a stir as the pair walked out of a dinner date hand in hand afterward, we learn that Levi Johnston gave a short interview to RadarOnline to discuss his opinions on why former Governor Sarah Palin quit her job as the Alaska Executive. Earlier this month, AlaskaReport blogged that the Palins are planning to split due for various reasons, not the least of which was marital infidelity on both sides … while Johnston doesn’t make that claim in this new interview, he does insists that marital problems were part of the reason for Sarah Palin’s decision to quit her job as governor — and money was the other reason:

Sarah Palin’s marriage has been in trouble from the beginning, says Levi Johnston, the father of their grandson Tripp and ex-fiance of daughter Bristol. What’s more Levi told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive video interview that he believes marital problems were behind Palin’s decision to resign as governor of Alaska. When we asked if the couple had marital problems, Levi responded: “Oh yeah. There have been from day one.” RadarOnline.com then asked if Levi thought marital problems were the reason she stepped down from political office. Levi answered, “Oh yeah I do.” He didn’t stop there. He also told RadarOnline.com that he thinks Palin will be chasing an even bigger paycheck now that she’s out of public office and on the speaker circuit. “She took the money,” he said. “That’s what she’s talked about, that’s what I’m gathering and I think that’s what she’s doing.” He did add that he did not believe cheating was a factor in Sarah and Todd’s marriage.

While I contend that a 19 year old kid isn’t really the best source for this kind of information, it should be noted that Levi Johnston lived in the Palin home for many months last year and was privy to personal interactions that no one outside the family was privy to. Does the kid look like a famewhore? Yes. Does that mean that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about? No. My personal belief is that he is using true facts that he knows first hand in the hopes that he can parlay that information into a name for himself … Ricky Hollywood, I believe is what he’s going for. I’ve always been of the mind that Where there’s smoke, There’s fire. I don’t expect this is the last we’ve heard from Ricky, er, Levi Johnston … not by a longshot.

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Hold the phone, y’all!! Could it be that the reason that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin decided to quit her job and step down as governor before she even completed one full term in office is because she and hubby Todd Palin are getting divorced?! A new report going around today claims that the couple are headed for splitsville and that there have been extramarital affairs on both sides! Honestly, it makes sense that Palin would want to resign her governorship before announcing to the world that she is divorcing the former “First Dude” of Alaska. Could it really be? Could the Palins really be dunzo?!

AlaskaReport has learned this morning that Todd Palin and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin are to divorce. Multiple sources in Wasilla and Anchorage have confirmed the news. A National Enquirer story exposing previous affairs on both sides led to a deterioration of their marriage and the stress from that led to Palin’s resignation as governor of Alaska. The Palins were noticeably not speaking to each other at last Sunday’s resignation speech in Fairbanks. Sarah ditched Todd right after the speech and left without him. Sarah removed her wedding ring a couple of weeks ago. Sarah has recently purchased land in Montana and is considering moving the family there. Sarah Palin is originally from Idaho. Todd Palin told Fox News last week that he was heading back to his job in the oil fields of Alaska, yet Sarah recently signed a book deal reportedly worth $11 million. Breaking story, we’ll post more when we get it….

Editor’s note: AlaskaReport was the first website to report that Sarah Palin was running for governor of Alaska and the first website to report that Sarah was picked as John McCain’s VP candidate.

Click HERE to read the MSNBC report on how Sarah ditched Todd after her speech last weekend. Wowzers!! It’s amazing how those who purport to be in the “moral majority” are the ones with the most “immoral” sins hiding in the closet. First it was unplanned teenage pregnancy and now divorce … I mean, these sins alone make the Palins sound like human beings and not the flawless bastions of Christian perfection they like to claim they are. At this point, I’m not sure if I totally believe this divorce report but, really, would it be all that shocking if it turns out to be true?

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Sarah Palin has posted an official statement on her official Facebook page to deny this report of the Palin divorce:

Yet again, some so-called journalists have decided to make up a story. There is no truth to the recent “story” (and story is the correct term for this type of fiction) that the Palins are divorcing. The Palins remain married, committed to each other and their family, and have not purchased land in Montana (last week it was reported to be Long Island). Less than one week ago, Governor Palin asked the media to “quit making things up.” We appreciate that the more professional journalists decided to question this story before repeating it.

HMMM … I dunno … where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire … especially when it comes to politicians. I’m very curious to see where these allegations go from here. I bet it would make for a great BOOK deal ;)

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Earlier this month we learned the surprising and happy news that Sarah Palin decided to quit her post as governor of the State of Alaska before even finishing out one singular term as her State’s leader. Because she doesn’t feel the need to serve out even one full term of office, as she was elected to do by the people of Alaska and seems intent to shirk her responsibilities as the leader of her State to seek fame and fortune as a more marketable private citizen, Palin decided to leave office and move forward in the private sector. To me, this sounds like the best news ever. Palin formally quit her job yesterday at a State picnic in Faribanks, Alaska, turning over the reigns of governance to Alaska Lt. Governor Sean Parnell … but not without taking a few parting shots. But, no matter what her spin job is, the truth remains … Palin is a quitter and the State of Alaska is better off without a leader who does not have the mettle to live up to her responsibilities:

Sarah Palin stepped down Sunday as Alaska governor to write a book and build a right-of-center coalition, but she left her long-term political plans unclear and refused to address speculation she would seek a 2012 presidential bid. In a fiery campaign-style speech, Palin said she was stepping down to take her political battles to a larger if unspecified stage and avoid an unproductive, lame duck status. ”With this decision, now, I will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right, and for truth. And I have never felt that you need a title to do that,” Palin said to raucous applause from about 5,000 people gathered at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks. Her first order of business as a private citizen is to speak Aug. 8 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. She also wants to campaign for political candidates from coast to coast, and continue to speak her mind on the social networking site Twitter, one of her favorite venues to reach out to supporters. Free speech was a theme of her farewell speech at a crowded picnic in Fairbanks, as the 45-year-old outgoing governor scolded ‘’some seemingly hell-bent on tearing down our nation” and warned Americans to ”be wary of accepting government largesse. It doesn’t come free.” She also took aim at the media, saying her replacement, Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, ”has a very nice family too, so leave his kids alone!” And she told the media: ”How about, in honor of the American soldier, you quit makin’ things up?” She didn’t elaborate, but Palin said when she announced her resignation July 3 that she was tired of the media focus on her family and felt she had been unfairly treated by reporters and bloggers. Later Sunday, Palin posted her final message on her official Alaska account on the social networking site Twitter. ”Thank you Alaska!” she wrote. ”I love you. God bless Alaska. God bless the U.S.A.” Friend and foe alike have speculated that Palin may host a radio or TV show, launch a lucrative speaking career or seek higher office in Washington. Palin hasn’t ruled out any of those options, and her political action committee, SarahPAC, has raised more than $1 million, said Meghan Stapleton, a spokeswoman for the committee and the Palin family. Stapleton said Palin, of Wasilla, is still deciding what her future will be. ”I cannot express enough there is no plan after July 26. There is absolutely no plan,” she told The Associated Press. Palin’s surprise announcement she was stepping down 17 months before the end of her first term pushed her favorability rating down to 40 percent, according to a Washington Post-ABC poll. Fifty-three percent of those polled gave her an unfavorable rating. Last summer, almost six in 10 Americans viewed her favorably. The latest poll was taken July 15-18. Nearly 20 ethics complaints had been filed against Palin, and the outgoing governor cited the resulting investigation’s financial toll — both on her and the state — for stepping down. An independent investigator looking into the complaints found evidence she may have violated ethics laws by trading on her position as she sought money for lawyer fees, according to a report obtained recently by the AP. Parnell, 46, of Anchorage, was sworn in Sunday as the state’s new governor.

I cannot, for the life of me, get over the fact that by quitting, Palin thinks that she is doing right by the people she was elected to serve. That there are supporters out there who champion her decision to quit is even more insane. Governance is no easy task … it never has been … that is why we need leaders who can stand the test of time and work as diligently as possible to fulfill their responsibilities for the good of the office they have been entrusted with. It’s beyond me that anyone can put any sort of faith in a person who is plainly incapable of doing the job they were elected to do … it’s not even that she can’t do the job, it’s that she made the conscious decision NOT to do the job. One of the first things we learn as children is that quitters never prosper … and yet, this seemingly able-bodied politician decides not only to quit her post but do to so in exchange for the ability to earn millions writing a book which will benefit no one but herself — and still her supporters cheer her on?!? Sadly, I fear this is not the last we’ve heard of Sarah Palin but from here on out she will always have the title of Quitter attached to her name. Hopefully the smarter kids who remember their lessons from kindergarten will win out in the end and help keep Sarah Palin regulated to the loser section.

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Levi Johnston, the 19-year old dude who knocked up Bristol Palin and now wants to make a career for himself in Tinsel Town by changing his name to Johnny Hollywood, claims to know the real reason why Alaska Governor Sarah Palin decided to quit her job. As you may recall, Palin called a press conference late Friday afternoon (on the day before 4th of July weekend) to announce, without adequate explanation, that she would be quitting as governor of Alaska. According to Johnston, who lived with the Palin family last Winter and was privy to personal family conversations, the Palins need money and, apparently, her paycheck as governor isn’t enough anymore:

The former fiance of Gov. Sarah Palin’s 18-year-old daughter says he thinks he knows why the Alaska governor is resigning – concerns over money. Levi Johnston, 19, whose wedding to Bristol Palin was called off earlier this year, says he believes the governor is resigning over personal finances. Johnston says he lived with the Palin family from early December to the second week in January. He claims he heard the governor several times say how nice it would be to take advantage of the lucrative deals that were being offered, including a reality show and a book. “I think the big deal was the book. That was millions of dollars,” said Johnston, who has had a strained relationship with the family but now says things have improved. Palin has a book deal, but compensation details haven’t been disclosed. The governor has said she is facing more than $500,000 in legal fees. “It is interesting to learn Levi is working on a piece of fiction while honing his acting skills,” Palin family spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Johnston made his comments at a news conference Thursday at the office of his attorney, Rex Butler. Johnston came forward, Butler said, because Alaskans want to know why Palin has decided to resign. She made the announcement last Friday. Johnston also is pursuing his own book deal. He is working as a carpenter while also pursuing a movie deal.

Now, not that Levi Johnston is a bastion of truthful knowledge but his assertion that the Palins are after the big bucks does make sense. He lived with the family for quite some time while Bristol was pregs, so I absolutely believe that he was privy to this sort of family information. I think it makes sense that Sarah Palin would quit her responsibilities to the people of Alaska in order to ghost write a book that would make her millions. Depending on your feelings on Sarah Palin, you may or may not believe this assertion by Levi … to me, it makes sense and is very plausible. What do y’all think?

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In a surprising turn of events, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced today that she will be resigning her office as governor in about two weeks. No reason was given as to why Palin is resigning but I think it is safe to assume that she’s got her next career move all planned out. So now, in addition to being a loser in the 2008 Vice Presidential election, she is now a quitter as well. To be honest, this sounds like the best news EVER for the great State of Alaska:

Gov. Sarah Palin will resign her office in a few weeks, she said during a news conference at her Wasilla home Friday morning. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the Governor’s Picnic at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks the weekend of July 25, Palin said. There was no immediate word as to why she will resign, though speculation has been rampant that the former vice presidential candidate is gearing up for a run at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Palin made the announcement flanked by Parnell and most, if not all, of her cabinet. Parnell ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Don Young in the Republican primary last year. The stunning announcement by Palin opens the floodgates for the 2010 gubernatorial race. Speculation that Palin might not seek re-election had fueled further conjecture of who might run.

I think it’s no surprise that this news makes me exceedingly happy … I say, good riddance. But, I’m not really counting on never having to hear from Sarah Palin ever again. She’ll prolly end up on Fox News or some equally evil place spewing her You Betcha nonsense for many years to come. But, as I said, at least the beautiful State of Alaska doesn’t have to deal with being saddled with her any longer. Happy Independence Day, Alaska! You really deserve this :)

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It is with a heavy and sad heart that I have to report that Tina Fey’s impersonation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been retired. While I would be ecstatic if the real Sarah Palin retired from politics, I am very sad that Tina Fey has decided stop portraying the governor in her insanely hilarious way on Saturday Night Live. It is time to raise our glasses, pour one out for the faux (and IMHO superior) Sarah Palin and peace her the spork out:

Tina Fey’s hilarious turn as Sarah Palin put Saturday Night Live on the electoral map like nothing else in recent memory — viewership is up nearly 70 percent this season. But will Fey continue to moonlight as the gorgeous governor, who could be a parody-worthy public figure for years to come? “I have to retire just because I have to do my day job,” reveals the creator and star of NBC’s 30 Rock (which experienced a 20 percent ratings uptick for its Oct. 30 season premiere). “I think [Kristen] Wiig would do a really good job.” As for whether there’ll be an official Palin torch passing, she says, “Maybe we could get a real torch. Or I could give Wiig the Palin wig.”

While saddened by this news (I would *love* to see just one more SNL skit of Tina’s Palin reacting to the election outcome this week) I can absolutely understand Tina’s position. It prolly ate at her soul a bit every time she put that wig and those glasses on. And, to be honest, I’m really looking forward to not having to deal with anything Palin-related for a very long time or, you know, FOREVER. No offense to the fine folks in Alaska but, y’all can have that entire family. Please keep them up there … or sell them to the Russians, whatevs ;) Tina Fey is a genius … much love, props and kudos to her for giving us such comedic gold during this presidential campaign. I’d deffo vote Fey for VP once Obama completes his two terms in office. Wouldn’t a Hillary Clinton/Tina Fey 2016 campaign be awesome?!

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Comedienne and former Saturday Night Live castmember, Tina Fey, returned to the SNL stage last night in the guise of Sarah Palin, VP nominee for the Republican party, for the 4th time but this time was joined on stage (altho only in passing) with the actual Sarah Palin herself. Word came out late Thursday night that Palin would be making an appearance on SNL to try and score points with voters (much like Hillary Clinton did earlier this year) but it was not revealed in what capacity she might appear. Speculation ran from guesses that she might do an entire skit with the cast to guesses that she might appear alongside Tina Fey for a duel of the Palins. It turns out that Palin’s appearance was really nothing more than a short cameo. She essentially stood by while other people were funny around her (including Tina Fey, who was HILARIOUS again) offering only a few unfunny lines. Here is video of the opening skit that featured Palin and Tina Fey:

Seriously, Tina was freakin’ hilarious. It’s a shame that Palin didn’t get in on the fun because I think it might’ve helped her immensely. I didn’t find her standing around to be very funny at all. Palin did come out and appear on the SNL stage one more time during the Weekend Update. After the jump, check out that video — trust me, it’s not to be missed. Amy Poehler raps, ’nuff said …

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