Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell on Friday cited state ethics laws in stopping short of endorsing a potential presidential campaign by his predecessor, former Gov. Sarah Palin.

But Parnell had nothing but kind words for the woman under whom he served as lieutenant governor for two-and-a-half years.

"You're going to get me in ethical trouble because in my state, I can't speak to political races," Parnell said during a Q and A session with reporters at the National Press Club in Washington. "I can certainly tell you that I think Gov. Palin is qualified to serve and can do that if she so choses, but for me to make any kind of political statement, I am ethically obligated not to."

Parnell was in Washington to attend the National Governors Association's winter meeting and to meet with members of the Alaska congressional delegation and with Obama administration officials.

The Republican governor's National Press Club speech was designed to promote increased domestic oil exploration and production-a goal that he said was increasingly important to American economic and national security interests, in light of the recent uprisings in the Middle East.

Parnell is working with supporters in the Alaska state legislature to amend the tax structure for companies that drill for the oil that funds almost 90 percent of the state's budget.

The 2007 increase in taxes on oil companies, which Palin helped push through the legislature, was a signature achievement that she touted during her 2008 vice presidential run. But Parnell said that the tax increase had hampered the state's ability to compete economically.

"I believe that Alaska needs to make itself more competitive, so to do that, we are working to lower taxes," Parnell said.

The Alaska legislature has been holding hearings on the proposal for three weeks and the state House has been taking amendments on a bill to change the tax infrastructure.

"My hope is that a state House committee will be able to move that bill to the state Senate and we can create a more competitive environment in Alaska," Parnell said.

Parnell said that he has not been in touch with Palin to discuss the proposed changes to the current tax regime, which she would likely be compelled to defend if she were to run for president.

Asked about a former Palin aide's accusations in a proposed book manuscript that Palin had illegally coordinated with the Republican Governor's Association during her 2006 gubernatorial run, Parnell-who was Palin's running mate at the time-said that while he remembered the television advertisement in question, he did not recall being present when it was filmed.

"No, I mean, I read the news story, and I never saw that myself, so I couldn't offer a grounded opinion on it," he said.

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