WASHINGTON (CNN) – A week after she stepped down as Alaska’s governor, Sen. John McCain is expressing support for his former White House running mate.
“I respect Sarah Palin,” McCain said in an interview that aired Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, “I appreciate her and her husband enormously. I think she will continue to play a major role in the future of the Republican Party. And I have to respect the decision she made."
Watch: McCain on Palin, GOP's future
“People make decisions, what they think is best for their own future, their state, the country and their family. And I'm not aware of all the influences,” McCain said of Palin’s surprise decision to step down 18 months before her first term as governor was up.
“And Sarah, I think, made, clearly, the best decision,” McCain told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King.
McCain also told King he continues to “be saddened by the fact that there are still such vicious attacks on her and her family.”
“I've never seen anything quite like it,” added McCain.
From CNN Politics
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Geez. John McCain must be suffering from Alzeimer's.
Remember the direct attacks on Barack Obama from Sarah's own lips? Remember John Kerry and the Swift Boat attacks? Remember Bill Clinton starting when HE was governor then dogging him every moment he was in office as President?
Oh. Guess not.
These attacks against Sarah, for the most part, are warranted. If you don't want ethics investigations you have to avoid even the APPEARANCE of violation of them. Sarah loves to toe the line and walk away on technicalities.
And as for intelligence? I'll take Clinton, Obama or you, John, any day, over Sarah Palin. You screwed the pooch when you chose her and you know it.
I think for John McCain to say anthing less about SP would be an admission that his selection of SP was a bad choice for him and his party.
John what were you thinking last year you old maverick?
Palin is divisive, like W Bush but way more so. She makes everything us vs them. She is arrogant, and she does not appear to be overly intelligent. (Conniving in a self-serving way, yes. Smart, not really.) Her academic background is truly non-impressive. Her accomplishments are really limited. She has no notable national or international experience, even as a governor. She can only repeat scripted lines and is terrified of free press. She resigned as governor of AK about half way through a four year term – call it what you want but that seems to be 'quitting' to me. If she is to play a strong role in the future GOP, I can only pray that the GOP remains out of power and leadership for a long, long time.
I think we have some real important issues going on in this country, economy, health care, etc. Sarah Palin in NOT one of them in my view.
Never seen anything like "THAT ONE". Remember that John – that was so demeaning.
Palin? What a joke. Taking her seriously is an insult to intelligent women everywhere.
Vicious media assults? I recall quite a few against Hillary Clinton in the 1990's and many against Jimmy Carter over the years.
"The biased liberal media" is a figment of the imagination. This phrase is trotted out whenver the media refuses to follow the party line of the extreme conservatives.
McCain knows full well he'll be a footnote in history. No only will he be the future answer to a trivia question about America's first black president, but he will also be intimately tied to the decline of the GOP.
He knows Sarah Palin was a huge mistake, even bigger than when he canceled his campaign because of the financial crisis, but he will never admit it.
Hey McCain. Let's follow Palin's recommendation in her "I quit" speech. You know, "in honor of the troops" and all: Quit making things up.
The majority of the stories covering Palin are a knee-jerk reactions to her endless arrogance and self-proclaimed victimhood.
Well, McCain, just defend her in order to hide your shame! We all expected you to use your wisdom and pick up the right person. You failed completely and now she has put your weaknes on the day light!
What's really sad is that McCain isn't saddened by the viciousness by his Republican party toward Obama (birthers, Beck's calling the president a racist, etc. Limbaughs rants)the list goes on. His silence on these attacks is deafening! SO glad McCain lost- he shows his bitterness in losing whenever he's given a public platform...
Is anyone else wondering why CNN is obsessed with Sarah, or is it just me?
Will CNN's papparazzi ever leave her alone? Will the CNN tabloids let her tend to her family with no distractions?
Answer: Never. They know she can rock if she's left alone to grow. That's why they keep tearing her down, they know she's awesome and CNN fears an attractive, articulate conservative woman.
That's why we like Fox News.
this weirdly jealous media and politicians that likes to put down Palin is quite commical, and yet they think they should tell other countries how to run their elections. why don't you have a CNN Comic Ticker – your news is more like a comic strip than it is news beneficial to running and improving a country
He ought to be sad. This is the future of his party, and he is responsible for putting her on the stage.
"Vicious attacks on her family"??? Please. She needs to saddle the blame for the exposure of her family – she paraded them around like stage props. If she would have kept them out of the spotlight like the Obamas did, she wouldn't have had a problem. (And if her family wasn't the modern day version of rhe beverly hillbillies, there wouldn't have been a problem. She dished out and stirred up a whole heck of a lot more on Obama than she had to take. This viciousness directed at her family is hooey – just another way for sarah to play the drama queen and the gop to play the victim card. Sell that nonsense to someone that's dumb enough to buy it.
This story's headline should read...
OLD GEEZER DROOLS OVER CURVY YOUNG VILLAGE IDIOT
it was mccain's campaign that leveled "such vicious attacks" against palin immediately after the election.
What vicious attacks? the ones Palin does on everyone including her ex-son in law?
John McCain, for you to be "saddened" by the attacks on Sarah Palin is truly rich. Have you noticed the attacks, racially, on President Obama and latino minorities from your very own republican party? Each and every day a new "nastiness" springs up. I'm sorry, "I can't hear you". Sarah Palin got what she gave; hateful, divisive, politics during the general election and now. You are responsible for unleashing this woman on Americans. Your judgement is not good. Where in the world would America be, at home, and overseas if you had somehow been elected president of the United States of America. Stop "whinning", John McCain and take a good look at yourself in the mirror. You should be ashamed of yourself. But you know what they say; "ain't no fool like an old fool".
Poor John. He is losing his memory.
Not only did the GOP troglodytes spread dirt and make fun of the Clintons and their daughter, they impeached him for a simple lie. One that I remind everyone, did not kill anyone. This unlike the ones Bush told.
The GOP started this burn earth policy of politics when Newt became the Speaker of the House. They haven't stopped since then.
Is this suppose to be a big news item CNN? Mc Cain has been making this same statement since they both cringed in defeat in Nov. He should just make a CD of it and send it around to all you "news" outlets so you can play his haunting words till hell freezes over. I personally don't think he gives a rats patootie about Pailin. I think he wishes she would sit down and shut her pie hole just like the rest of us do. Whom ever shoved her down his throat did him and the rest of the country AND the Republican party no favors and you can betcha he knows it.
When I hear the GOP complain of "vicious attacks" by the media, I'm always reminded of Harry Truman's response as to why he "gave the Republicans hell" so often: "I don't give them hell. I just tell the truth on them and it feels like hell."
McCain never saw anything like it only if he was completely asleep in the 1990s when the right-wing hacks like Limbaugh were constantly ripping into the Clintons, even making comments about how Chelsea looked – as a young teenager. This isn't new, and it's ridiculous hearing Republicans whine about how Palin's family is treated by the media when their own media did the exact same kind of thing to the Clintons and others.
OOOh old man...
Old John never misses a chance to show off his bad judgment.
Agree with McCain, libs have opened up the children to character assassination and defamation, no sense of decency (really rather typical of that political persuasion) They way the dope smokin, non workers and obamatrons attack her they must really be scared to death.