Sarah Palin has officially stopped pussyfooting around the whole question of will she or won't she declare candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. In an email to supporters she said she'd made the decision "out of respect for her family and the impact that a campaign would have on them." But speaking on a conservative radio show called The Mark Levin Show, Palin said she had made the decision because it will now free her to be her outspoken and amazing self, continuing to fight for what she believes is right. And "Not being a candidate, you are unshackled and able to be even more active,” she says, and insists she will continue to fight to bring down Obama and tell America what's what.

Of course, there's also the issue that she had not officially started raising campaign funds, with only three months to go before New Hampshire and Iowa primaries, and there's the whole electability thing... but some might argue she has more appeal and name recognition than any of the current candidates. She may also, of course, be angling to be someone's running mate at this point. Maybe Rosanne Barr would like to take her on? They both like to speak their minds!

[Caucus Blog/NYT]
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