(CNN) – When John McCain agreed to appear on the day-time talk fest known as The View, he may not have been expecting too many hard-hitting questions.
But the Arizona senator was aggressively pressed on VP candidate Sarah Palin's qualifications to be vice president, as well as his new negative campaign ads that several independent fact-checks have called downright misleading.
Co-host Barbara Walters immediately asked McCain about a remark he’d made that Palin might just be the most "marvelous running mate" ever, asking, "that's not a little strong?"
"We politicians are never given to exaggerations or hyperbole, as you know," McCain joked, before praising Palin as the most "popular governor in America" and one who has united a "spark in America."
Walters went on to press Palin's reformist credentials, noting McCain has served in Washington for more than two decades and asking repeatedly, "who's she going to reform, you?"
McCain began to answer by saying Democrats have held control of Congress for two years, before Walters quickly interrupted: “But tell me who she is going to reform - we aren't talking about the economy, we're not talking about housing, she was chosen to reform, who is she going to reform?"
"The Democrat Party, the Republican Party, even an independent," McCain said, appearing somewhat frustrated, "She'll reform all of Washington."
"How? What will she do," Walters appearing somewhat exasperated said. "What is she going to reform specifically, senator?"
McCain said Palin had a strong record on vetoing earmark spending. "The fact is she was a reform governor, she took on an incumbent governor of her own party and defeated him. She sold the airplane and fired the chef –" he began.
"She sold the airplane at a loss," an unrelenting Walters interrupted.
McCain was later pressed on the increasingly derisive tone of the campaign, and his new television commercial that carries the widely discredited claim Obama supported comprehensive sex education of kindergarteners as an Illinois state senator.
McCain defended the ad’s claims, as well as those of a Web ad that said Obama’s “Lipstick on a Pig” comments were directed at Palin. He added that if Obama had agreed to a series of townhalls he’d proposed, the tone of the campaign might have been more amicable.
"If we had done what I asked Senator Obama to do, I don't think you'd see the same tenor of this campaign," he said. “Why don't you ask Obama the next time he's on this show why won't he be in town meetings with me?"
"You bring us Sarah Palin and we'll ask Obama," Walters quipped.
From CNN Politics
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Well I'm sure John McCain didn't give the View a list of questions they weren't allowed to ask unlike Michelle Obama. Let's see Barack Obama on there without a list of questions they're not allowed to ask and let's see if Barbara Walters gives him a hardhitting interview.
The View is hosted by morons that cater to idiots who won't or can't think for themselves. Unbelievable that McCain would pander to this and unbelievable to see Walters today compared with the professional journalist she used to be.
Most of them are all democrates anyway. 1/2 of them were Hillary Clinton voters and then moved to Obama late in the game. Trying not to play the race card.
I'd much rather hear about what Elizabeth had to ask and say. She's the only republican in the group.
What's Obama changing? Absolutely nothing. He's shown his true colors these past few weeks with all these sexist and agist remarks. Of course he was joking about Palin in him "Pig/lipstick" remark.
I'm a democrate and I'm stupid enough to believe he was talking about something else. That's the difference. McCains attack was on Clinton's policy...not on Clinton as a person.
Some people are hilarious. The Republicans get grilled because they're lying, hypocrite cowards. Do you have any idea how insane it is to suggest that Obama gets special treatment? After everything him and his wife have been through this year? To think that a black man is getting an unfair advantage in the media and in politics is outrageous. There's a reason every President of this country has been an old white guy. And there's a reason the Republicans picked a white woman to be VP. They're not ready for a black man to be in charge. They weren't ready for a woman to be in charge until they figured out it was the only way to contend with the change a black man could bring to this country, which is in the toilet if you hadn't noticed. Trust me. If Obama had picked Hilary, the Repugs would have picked a hispanic veep to try to steal that vote. That's what they do. They lie and repeat the lies over and over. Shameless.
So, McCain is saying that since Obama wouldn't do what he wanted him to do (townhalls) he put out apparently untrue ads about him.
What are we, first-graders, here? Is this how he intends to conduct himself with foreign leaders? McCain and Palin are not just ridiculous, they're downright scary.
I love to see Obama also grilled in same way
KUDO's to Ms. Walters for asking the BIG question!!!! McCain can't answer how many homes he has. He only met Palin twice.....how can he defend her. As for most popular Governor....this isn't a popularity contest....this is the state of our nation and the world. Obama by far is the more ready and with the insight and knowledge of Biden they will be far more ready to lead than any McCain and lipstick packer.
Finally, some real questions.
John from PA September 12th, 2008 1:43 pm ET
The only other candidate with less foreign experience was before 1921. When less than 5 percent of the population had a college education and less than 20 percent of the population graduated from high school. Where are we going. Backwards….. Did it really take her 6 years to get a Bachelors degree.
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The one with less foreign experience is Obama. He served less than 150 days as a Sen. before he started running for the White House.
Know the facts.
I hope the dems keep bringing up the experience issue. It only shows Obama lack of it.
You bring us Sarah Palin and we'll ask Obama
I love it!!! Thank you Barbara for reentering the relevant world!!!
You are my hero for the day.
Wow Barbara.....
A little snotty aren't you. Look at your own views.
A sexual relationship with a married man that glorified in your book.
How seriously can we take you?
It seems like the View is not open to anyone elses view except their own.
shame on you Barbara for not being a fairer interviewer.
I am surprised that American people can vote once again republican. What do they think? Well, what I am just gonna say is that if you vote for someone, then you deserve it. The Americans voted for G. Bush: hence, they deserve high price gas, foreclosure and bad economy. If they vote for McCain, they'll deserve what's coming over their heads in the next few years.
Go on Barbara!
Ask those questions. The American voter deserves to hear who and what they will be voting for. Ms. Palin is not a bad person but I think the Obama/Biden ticket is much better suited for the problems of America today!
I used to like Barbara Walter's, Not any more. She has an attitude and believes she is always right. She has become another Rosy O Donald. She never lets others finish what they are asked and when they do, if she doesn't like their answer, attacts them. She has gone down hill. Thinks she is above everyone. She is not fare. One sided.
We need good decision makers. Leaders who can take the heat and can lead the nation. We don't need people tearing each other down. I see so much bias and hate that it has muddied the waters on the candidates' stances on the issues.
If you love Bush and Cheney, you will LOVE Sarah Palin.
He is not as cute as Obama.
What happened to democratic women this year?
They have become shallow and ugly and their own worst enemies.
And America will learn this time Karl Rove is the President of the world!!!!
But she sold the plane for a loss.
I would like to know if anybody out there can go to a car dealer and buy a new car today, use it for even a week, and then sell it for a profit, let alone even money.
See CNN???? THAT'S HOW IS DONE!!!!
You go girls!!!
If he can't handle Barbara Walters how can he handle Putin? Palin wouldn't even get close to the show because she might have to answer questions. We know she doesn't do that. It will be interesting to see how the Republicans can keep her away from questions for two months? This pick of mccain is such a pathetic joke. What's scarier is the hypocrites on the right are swooning over her. Could you imagine how they would be ripping her apart if she'd been a Democratic nominee?
Who even watches "The View" anyway??? The view of what??? Lefty nut jobs (Bahbawa Wawa). Who cares what these radicals have to say anyway....they are not living the lives of everyday Americans.....
Sarah Palin may not have known what the Bush Doctrine is, but now everyone knows what the Palin Doctrine is: Don't blink!!
Great job Mrs. Walters. Palin won't reform anything and neither will McCain.
McCain has over 150 professional lobbyists working in his campain with several as his TOP advisors.
How does McCain expect anyone to take him seriously about "reform" when he took the most $ from the Keating 5 scandal-implicated Senators and has all those lobbyists running his campaign???
Get em' ladies! Make him bring Sarah Palin front and center. If she thinks she's "Ready to Lead", let her answer questions and stop babysitting her!
OBAMA/BIDEN 08!