WATCH Kyl on Palin: I wish she stuck it out

Republican Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) says he wishes departing Sarah Palin, who officially resigns her post as Alaska governor today, would have finished out her term in office. 

"I don't want to be critical because you never what a person's family situation is," Kyl told "Fox News Sunday." "I kind of wish she would stick out her term as governor. I think she was being very effective. The voters obviously had a lot of confidence in her. And once you start a job like that, it seems to me you should finish it, unless there are really extenuating circumstances. And she did talk about the difficulty on her family, and of course, our families should come first." 

Kyl presumed that Palin might be leaving to "get out of the limelight," although some observers are convinced her move is designed to ultimately increase her national profile.