SEDONA, Arizona (CNN) – In a Tuesday interview on CNN’s American Morning, John McCain dismissed news reports about Sarah Palin’s pronouncement that the United States should “absolutely” attack terrorists within Pakistan as nothing more than “sound bite politics.”
But McCain refused to acknowledge that Joe Biden’s recent criticisms of clean coal - comments used by the McCain campaign in a radio ad and Web video - occurred under similar off-the-cuff circumstances.
John Roberts asked McCain about his joint interview with Palin on Monday’s CBS Evening News, in which both candidates asserted that Palin’s caught-on-camera remarks constituted “gotcha journalism.”
“But at the same time you have gone after Senator Biden for a comment that he made under similar circumstances about clean coal technology,” Roberts asked. “Your campaign even released a video of part of his comments. Was that gotcha politics?”
“Well, I believe it was at a town hall meeting that he said it,” McCain said of Biden. “This was - hers was in an encounter in a pizza parlor where the question was framed so that of course we're going to go after terrorists.”
But Biden’s comments dismissing coal as environmentally hazardous actually occurred on a rope line after a town hall event in Maumee, Ohio last week and were recorded by a voter’s hand-held camera and posted to YouTube.
Palin’s mention of Pakistan occurred at Tony Luke’s cheesesteak shop (not a pizza parlor) in south Philadelphia on Saturday night - a stop organized by her campaign. A CNN camera crew, acting as a representative of the five television networks, was brought to Tony Luke’s along with the campaign motorcade and, during the course of the event, recorded Palin’s conversation with restaurant patron Michael Rovito.
McCain, in the interview, suggested that Palin was responding to a general question about whether or not a McCain administration would go after terrorists.
However, Rovito, who had asked Palin two previous questions about her thoughts on Pakistan and Waziristan, asked the governor specifically: “So we do cross border, like from Afghanistan to Pakistan, you think?”
Palin’s answer: "If that's what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should.”
McCain’s final point was that his administration would never publicly declare a pending attack within Pakistan’s borders.
“What she said was that she was going to respond to terrorist attacks,” he told Roberts. “And I'm saying we're going to respond to terrorist attacks. I'm not going to announce that I'm going to attack Pakistan.”
From CNN Politics
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Still lying...
We are sooooo screwed if this idiot gets elected!
He has his chihuaha on a very short leash.
Nice picture Barbie.
Father McCain is now babysitting Sara how funny. He surely knows how to get out of a bag of rocks. He and Sara really looked funny there. LOL
which is it mclame?
McCain is so hypocritical.
Hey John...lipstick on a pig maybe?
All I can say is that you are making me dizzy Senator McCain. Spinning faster than a top.
McCain just can't resist a good opportunity to lie. It seem pathological for him. He lies all the time anymore; often when he doesn't even need to. So odd and so scary.
McCain and Palin are pathetic, morally bankrupt specimens. They are the kind of examples that make many of us ashamed to be part of the human species.
We need true leaders, leaders that go after issues rather then making up excuses, failing, and then blaming. McCain/Palin: The problem to all of our solutions.
Obama/Biden '08 For an America with integrity, virtue and success.
Unbelievable. How anyone can trust McBlame on anything is just incomprehensible.
BS
I'll bet that it's going to be such a relief to McCain and his supporters when he loses...they'll finally be able to speak the truth! All of their lying nonsense must be exhausting!
What an idiot.
It's gotcha journalism to ask a question? It doesn't matter where the question occurs, be ready to answer questions. It's what happens when you run for office. You get asked questions, wherever you are. You should be ready to give an answer, wherever you are. (Not to mention that since McCain's campaign keeps Palin under wraps the questions have to be asked wherever they can get a hold of her.)
McCain, McCain, McCain. What can i say? He sat beside Ms. Palin like a Grade 8 student who has been called to the principal's office accompanied by a parent. This is beyond belief. If she can attack all the other candidates on her own without the help of McCain, why can't she answer constructive questions/criticisms on her own? At the end of the day, once in office the vice-president will have to answer some question. Should we expect to see McCain with Palin once they win the white house answer questions together all the time? OH PLEASE.
Someone please put this disgraceful man to bed...
Sarah Palin should have only been the Key Note Speaker at the Convention. She would have done excellent. McCain has abused this woman and her life.
Another Republican voting for Barack Obama/Joe Biden.
Grandpa totally took control of that second interview with Palin. Sarah may as well have stayed home and dressed a moose. Really not a testament to how much faith McCain has to let this woman off her leash...or her muzzle. Now if he could only do something about her whiny tone.
What's the matter with John McCain? Does he not know that these events were recorded on tape?
To quote a rwally bad band....Hall and Oates...circa 1982..."Hes out of touch...shes outta time"
Only 36 days left until John McShame can retire!
Spin, spin, shuffle, turn, spin. McCain's little dance isn't fooling anybody.
and so John McCain had to be the white knight and ride to the rescue of the supposed "pitbull" of Alaska.
OOoooooo.... that Katie Couric is a mean one to be sure. Big bad pitbull can't handle an interview..... What happens when McCain kicks the bucket and she's expected to sit face to face with a world leader for more than a 20 minute photo op?
This is scary folks.
and a little sad.
REPUBLICANS, please, think objectively about this.
Are you ready for 4 years of this? 4 years of them?
John McCain picks and chooses what he wants to use. He is a liar and not a very good one.
It is exactly the same!