Palin Poised to Rake It In

She says media sniping drove her from her job, but in fact, “the media invented Sarah Palin,” and now's her chance to cash in on that celebrity. “Can we stop pretending that Palin is interested in anything other than her own ambition?” Kathleen Parker asks in the Washington Post. “From her book contract alone, she never has to worry about money again,” and there’s talk of a TV show and a newspaper column.

“There's nothing wrong with ambition, of course,” Parker notes. “But claiming selfless virtue,” as she did in her resignation speech, “over personal preference is a herring of a different color.” Palin may really feel she can do more good from outside government—but “the sidebar reveals a convenient rationale. The usual rule applies: Follow the money.”