The title of a recently released CBS News article is "Bartlett: Palin Missed The Mark". Did she ever. This title could not be more appropriate/accurate.

The subtitle is: "Fmr Bush Aide Says Palin Was Not Straight About Resignation (and) Needs To Shore Up Her Political 'Achilles Heels'". The translation of "Not Straight" is not honest. And she has a lot of 'Achilles Heels'.

Announcing her resignation last Friday, Palin would say nothing more than "I have given my reasons". These "reasons" are INCREDIBLY vague.

"No more 'politics as usual' and I am taking my fight forn what's right - FOR ALASKA (?) - IN A NEW DIRECTION". Previously there had been a rumor floating around somewhere that Palin was aiming for Capitol Hill. Now PALIN is gunning for A WHITE HOUSE BID despite not even finishing one term as governor of a remote state? If the "new direction" of the US is President Sarah Palin we will collapse BECAUSE SHE IS ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON.

This next statement offers some compelling evidence: "Although it may be tempting and more comfortable to kind of just sit with your head down and PLOD ALONG AND APPEASE THOSE WHO ARE DEMANDING 'Hey, just sit down and shut up', BUT THAT'S A WORTHLESS, EASY PATH OUT. THAT'S A QUITTER'S WAY OUT". So what did Palin do? Just what she said. Sit with her head down AND LEAVE WITHOUT TRYING TO CONFRONT THE ISSUES FACING HER STATE LIKE SHE IS SUPPOSED TO. Someone who quits for no reason IS NOT FIT TO BE ON CAPITOL HILL, LET ALONE THE WHITE HOUSE. Most senators were members of the House of Representatives and took calculated risks. NONE OF THEM QUIT WHEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT THEIR NEXT STEP WOULD BE AND PALIN IS DOING EXACTLY THIS: taking the "quitter's way out".

Speaking to "The Early Show" anchor Harry Smith, Dan Bartlett, a top aide to former pesident George W. Bush, said "I kind of view this as a two-step process. SHE BELIEVES, PROBABLY (that) SHE HAS OUTGROWN THE GOVERNORSHIP OF ALASKA". This is a joke. What exactly has she done in the 2+ years that she has been Alaska's governor, EXCEPT FOR BECOMING A GRANDMOTHER, which by the way, is absolutely meaningless when it comes to political experience.

"She's going to spend some time getting her family affairs in order". THIS is surely the main reason for her sudden resignation.

"..and charting a course that will give her the opportunity, potentially down the road, to seek higher office". If Palin's performance in 2008 is anything to go by, if she runs against Obama in 2012, she will fall flat on her face. If she throws her hat into the race, SHE MOST LIKELY WON'T EVEN MAKE IT OUT OF THE PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES.

Smith asked "From your standpoint, is she an asset or a liability to the party?" This answer is too obvious. If last year's campaign was any indication, of course she is.

Here's Bartlett's answer: "I think it's too early to tell (Bartlett has officially lost his mind). I think there's a core part of our party that really (?) appreciates what she brings to the table. She generates a lot of coverage obviously and has become a lightening rod (of controversy and bad publicity). But IF she harnesses that in a positive direction and demonstrates over the next couple of years that she can be a positive force on the party AND SHORE UP SOME OF HER LIABILITIES, LIKE FOREIGN POLICY...SHE NEEDS TO DO A LOT IF SHE DECIDES TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT". Foreign policy was an absolute disaster for Palin. She had to meet Henry Kissinger (who was born in Germany) before she had exposure to a foreign leader. And Kissinger can't really count because he was Secretary of State under the late Richard Nixon WHICH MEANS THAT HE IS AN AMERICAN.

"So this is still an untold story, Harry". Politicians MUST be open to interpretation. The fact that so much about Sarah Palin is still shrouded in secrecy is not a good indicator if she wants to run for the Senate or the White House.

According to Roger Simon of Politico.com, "The rank and file of the Republican Party LOOK AT SARAH PALIN AND SEE PART OF THEMSELVES IN HER", but surely without all the "gotcha" "you betcha" and all the other major gaffes that was seen in the 2008 general presidential election. SHE WILL ATTRACT LARGE CROWDS OF REPUBLICANS JUST BY THE VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT SHE IS SARAH PALIN". This is one of the worst reasons/explanations that we've ever heard/read. It would surely take something spectacular for Palin to get into the White House if it were "just by virtue of the fact that she is Sarah Palin because then people would be supporting "gotcha" and "you betcha". If someone really was voting for Sarah Palin simply because she is Sarah Palin people would most likely react 'Holy crap You're voting for "Gotcha" and "You betcha"? That would not make any sense..

Palin, as expected, was laying low after her dramatic resignation announcement created such a stir: "I think of the saying on my parents' refrigerator: 'Don't explain (because) your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway'. Palin left out one critical group: people who have not yet made up their minds. As far as this group is concerned, Palin is a huge turnoff, because she just seems like a blabbermouth.

Finally, what would Bartlett tell Palin? "Going forward, what she needs to do is prove (that) she can be there for the party during the mid-term elections next year and then work on finding some way TO DEMONSTRATE THAT SHE CAN PLAY ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE". This will be very difficult, if not impossible, because Alaska is such a far-flung state which makes Sarah Palin think that the stage will always belong to her. This isn't the case on the international scene because truly international leaders must be willing and able to compromise, collaborate and negotiate. There is no evidence (so far) that Sarah Palin is able to do this.

"That's been one of her big Achilles' heels DURING THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE". This has been an issue throughout Palin's political career. Palin basically feels like she has to be in the spotlight. We said this before, but it bears repeating: if Sen. McCain had another running mate and Obama didn't choose Biden or Biden rejected him, McCain probably would have won because McCain could use the argument 'been there and done that'. PALIN PUT MCCAIN IN A HOLE THAT WAS JUST TOO DEEP TO CRAWL OUT FROM.

"I would tell her, over the course of the next 18 to 24 months, to find ways to demonstrate that she can have a seat at that international table table as well". To do this, Palin must shed the 'attack dog' image and make her comments relevant to the issues at hand. In other words, cut out all the "folksy" talk, which includes "gotcha" and "you betcha" because it doesn't tell anybody anything significant nor does it accomplish anything.