As Sarah Palin prepares to step down as governor, we salute her unforgettable time in the national limelight by looking back at her political life in pictures. OK, they're fake pictures, but they tell a story of a woman who is destined for a higher comedic calling.

Letterman Contributed to Palin's Resignation

Joking about Sarah Palin's resignation Monday night, David Letterman quipped, "Was it something I said?"

As it turns out, the answer is yes.

Sarah Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein said in an interview with CNN that Letterman's jokes about Palin and her daughter contributed to her decision to resign.

"When people don't accept normal bounds of decency making jokes like that about children, maybe this is not good for the state right now," Van Flein said. "And maybe somebody else who is not the subject, and whose family is not the subject of this scrutiny, can move the state forward."

So let's get this straight, Palin was prepared to stare down Putin and nuke Ahmadinejad, but a comedian proved too much for her? Lord only knows what she had in store for the likes of Letterman and Tina Fey if she were ever given the power to torture people.

'Department of Law' to Protect President Palin

Sarah Palin's says she resigned because she's been hounded by too many ethics investigations. So what if she were president?

Her answer to that question has been added to our list of the 10 dumbest Sarah Palin quotes of all time:

"I think on a national level your Department of Law there in the White House would look at some of the things that we've been charged with and automatically throw them out," Palin told ABC News.

Sorry, Sarah, there is no Department of Law, but you may have better luck with the Department of Homeland Hilarity.

More Sarah Palin Humor:
Top 10 Real Reasons Palin Resigned
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Sarah Palin may be leaving office, but she still holds the title of national laughingstock, and likely will for the foreseeable future.

The Palin jokes are sure to keep coming, especially now that she has supplied comedians with a fresh supply of fodder from her bizarre resignation announcement. Here's the first batch of what is certain to be a steady new stream of late-night jokes about the soon-to-be former governor:

"There was a surprising announcement over the weekend. The governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, is leaving office. She's stepping down. Something I said?" –David Letterman, referring to his feud with Palin

"President Obama right now is in Russia. Obama went there because from Russia you can actually see Sarah Palin cleaning out her office in Alaska." –Conan O'Brien

"I was talking to a lady here in the audience, she was from Alaska and we were wondering about this. How does a thing like this work? She steps down and she's no longer the governor of Alaska. And we figured it out: Miss Congeniality steps up and is now the governor of Alaska." –David Letterman

Read more Sarah Palin jokes...

Letterman's Top Ten Messages on Sarah Palin's Answering Machine

10. "Hi, it's George W. Bush. Why didn't anyone tell me resigning was an option?"
9. "It's John McCain--Why did I call?"
8. "Mark Sanford here. Ever been to Argentina?"
7. "I'm calling from Geico to see if you want to renew your dogsled insurance"
6. "It's Letterman. We still cool?"
5. "McCain again. Still no idea why I called"
4. "Hi, it's the dry cleaner. Having trouble getting caribou blood out of your Prada jacket"
3. "Hi, it's Sarah...Oops...Dialed my own number"
2. "Schwarzenegger here. If you want a job, California could use a new governor"
1. "Hey, it's McCain. Who would've thought you'd retire before I did"

Top 5 Best Quotes About Palin's Resignation

1. "I have said Sarah Palin's political ambition combined with her intellect is like putting a jet engine on a golf cart; lots of horse power and no steering capabilities. Today she proved it." --Alaska blogger Shannyn Moore, whom Sarah Palin is threatening to sue

2. "Sarah Palin decided to chuck her responsibilities but still wants to have an impact on public debate. So what does that make her, a community organizer?" –NPR's Michel Martin

3. "Watching Sarah Palin's press conference on Friday was like watching a drunk seal trying to land a plane, or in basketball terms (which Sarah prefers) like watching a grade-schooler try to score on Kobe while jabbering inanely." --Huffington Post blogger David Stemler

4. "Caribou Barbie is one nutty puppy." --New York Times columniust Maureen Dowd

5. "I think Sarah Palin is on the verge of becoming the Miami Vice of American politics: Something a lot of people once thought was cool and then 20 years later look back, shake their heads and just kind of laugh." --Republican media consultant Todd Harris

Read more devastating quotes about Sarah Palin...

More Sarah Palin Humor:
Top 10 Real Reasons Palin Resigned
Funny Sarah Palin Pictures
Sarah Palin Cartoons
10 Dumbest Sarah Palin Quotes

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10. She's pregnant again and is having John Edwards' baby
9. She's "hiking the Appalachian Trail" with Mark Sanford
8. She wants to spend more time teaching abstinence to her family
7. She's joining the cast of "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!"
6. She cracked under the strain of watching Russia from her house
5. She wants to devote herself full-time to making comedians apologize for the new wave of jokes they're about to unleash on her
4. Her daughter Bristol is actually having Alex Rodriguez's baby
3. She's taking up Playboy's offer to pose nude as part of their upcoming "Governors Gone Wild" issue
2. She came to the end of the Bridge to Nowhere that is her political career
1. She didn't resign at all. It was an elaborate hoax pulled off by Tina Fey

More on Palin's Resignation:
Comedians Mourn Palin's Resignation (Borowitz)
Sarah Palin Resignation in a Minute and a Half (HuffPost Comedy)
Insane Palin Threatens To Sue Entire Internet, Via Twitter (Wonkette)
Translating Palin (MadKane)
Palin Resigns Presidency To Lead Country Better, Better Effect Change (Opinions You Should Have)

More Sarah Palin Humor:
Best Palin Humor
Funny Sarah Palin Pictures
Sarah Palin Cartoons
Sarah Palin Jokes
10 Dumbest Sarah Palin Quotes

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