Now that Michael Jackson is gone, it looks like Sarah Palin is jockeying for the new "nutjob celebrity" title.   Her recent decision to celebrate our nation's birthday by resigning from public service -- and what country could ask for a better gift? -- is just the tip of the nutjob iceberg. 

Aside from being whiter than white, Ms. Palin shares a few other oddities with the former king of boy toys.  For one thing, she has a healthy persecution complex.  She knows the media is out to get her and she's not afraid to make daily press releases, twitter missives, pending book deals, and smoke signals (for those special hard to reach places in the wilds of Alaska), to let everyone know  it.  And she's not afriad to parade her family in front of the cameras to make the point that her family should be entitled to their private, dysfunctional lives.

 Ms. Palin, like Mr. Jackson, also has engaged in bizarre behavior when it comes to her body.  If you look at pictures of Michael Jackson over the years, you may notice subtle facial changes, the explanation for which is as mysterious as crop circles or Donald Trump's hair.  Many people believe that Mr. Jackson has had extensive plastic surgery over the years, perhaps to keep various children from identifying him in a line up.  Equally bizarre is Bail'n Palin's decision to appear buck naked in all media appearances, her body completly tattooed with a stolen red dress.Nice Tats!

 Finally, both Bail'n Palin and the manboy without a childhood who destroyed the childhood of others, share passion for turning a beautiful phrase:

MJ:  Why can't you share your bed? The most loving thing to do is to share your bed with someone. It's very charming. It's very sweet. It's what the whole world should do.

One facial peel too many Mikey!

Bailin:   "They are also building schools for the Afghan children so that there is hope and opportunity in our neighboring country of Afghanistan.

MJ:  And I remember going to the record studio and there was a park across the street and I'd see all the children playing and I would cry because it would make me sad that I would have to work instead.

Bailin:  "I'm the mayor, I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can't.'"

MJ:   "How much for the child?"

Balin:   "How much for the moose?"

As an optimist, I have faith that we have not heard the last of Ms. Palin.  I'm sure Fox News will add her to it's strange collection of oddities, which so far include Karl Rove, Glenn Beck, and the slogan "Fair and Balanced".    The question is, now that she has gotten a taste for not seeing things through, what will she bail out on next?  Her marriage to the man advocating for the violent succession (sp?) of Alaska?  Her belief in the power of prayer to battle witchcraft?  Her obsession with impersonating Tammy Faye?  Bailin Palin is on a slippey slope.  But if you want to be the next Michael Jackson, you have to be willing to take some risks and find a nurse, doctor or anarchist husband who is willing to take those risks with you.