WASHINGTON (CNN) — Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she will step down as Alaska’s chief executive by the end of the month. She will not seek election to a second gubernatorial term in 2010.

“People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing’s more important to me than our beloved Alaska,” Palin said at an announcement from her home in Wasilla. “Serving her people is the greatest honor I could imagine.”

Palin, a Republican, was elected governor in 2006. She was tapped as Arizona Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential running mate last year.

Palin said she was transferring authority to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who will be sworn in at the Governor’s Picnic on July 26.

A Republican source close to her political team told CNN’s John King that it was a “calculation” she made that “it was time to move on.” The governor’s “book deal and other issues” were “causing a lot of friction” in her home state, the source said, adding that he believes she is “mapping out a path to 2012.” (Source)

Wow.  Sarah Palin might be dumber than I originally thought.  She’s known for being the Vice Presidential candidate that rivaled Dan Quayle in the intelligence and experience category.  After losing horribly and being ridiculed to this day on her lack of foreign and domestic policy knowledge and experience, the smart thing would have been to go back to Alaska, keep her head down and pick up some “Politics for Dummies” books.  Instead she’s resigning from the one job that could at least attempt to redeem her at some point.  BRILLIANT!!!  I tell you, the GOP is having a really bad 2 – 3 weeks.  First there were the two sex scandals with Senator Ensign and the obviously bat shit insane Mark Sanford (Here’s a hint guys, duct tape does wonders).  Then Norm Coleman finally conceded(after a push from the Supreme Court) to Stuart Smalley…I mean Al Franken.  Now their star pupil decides to give up her reigns as the “Defender of U.S. Air Space from Russia.”  I swear, somewhere in a Utah Mormon church, Mitt Romney, surrounded by 12 old girls is smiling.

Anyway, while I really don’t see this move helping Palin in 2012.  It does give her time to focus on her book deals:  “How I Duped An Entire Party and the Media into Thinking I was Relevant and Politically Savvy”.  She’s still working on the title…