(CNN) – Nearly a year after the presidential race came to an end, it's a subject Arizona Sen. John McCain still can't avoid: Sarah Palin.
Appearing on the Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien Wednesday, the former presidential candidate was asked, as he has been several times before, whether he was shocked Palin chose to resign her post as governor of Alaska two months ago.
"Yeah I was because she didn't call me ahead of time," McCain said to laughter in the audience. "We all have families, we all have challenges, we all have issues in our lives. She did have huge legal debts because of these [ethics] charges."
Despite the at-times public bickering between aides to Palin and McCain since in the aftermath of the campaign's defeat, the Arizona senator insisted he still speaks with his former running mate "fairly often."
"We say hello. We ask about families. I wish her well," he said.
On the issue of health care, McCain indicated he may be willing to support President Obama's reform efforts, depending on what the president says in his joint address to Congress next week.
"I look forward to what he specific proposals are," said McCain. "I think the disappointment a lot of Americans display is that we are not working together more."
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Just admit it McCain, you blew your choice for a running mate- Big time.
That is mainly because you are not the brightest star in the sky yourself.
John McCain: always the one who gets to the point and clears up the air.
Actually, CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE HECK HE JUST SAID? As far as I can tell, he said nothing at all.
like a stone in the polls and Independents are dumping him in droves.....
It's all Sarah's show in 2012....can't wait.
I don't necessarily agree with John McCain, but he's a class act.
Now back to the wacko leftist hate mongers...
John McCain's credibility and that of the GOP is gone forever due to the Palin pick. What a joke.
It has been sad watrchng McCain be such a politician. I always thought he was better than that. Clearly he has no inteniton of supporting anything the President says unless it is "we will do whatever is best fo rteh republican party". Outside of that they have no intention of supporting anything and no concern for what is best for the country as all.
The problem is not what O'Bama will say but what will he do. The Administration can't be trusted due to inconsistencies of what was said before the Presidency and what and how they really believe now.
Very scary stuff...so bottomline, the vote will be casted with the belief the worse can happen so you can't say "I told you so".
I like McCain more today because he chose Palin to be his running mate. She sparked his campaign. He's a great man and we would all be better off if he was in the Oval Office today instead of Obama.
***On the issue of health care, McCain indicated he may be willing to support President Obama's reform efforts, depending on what the president says in his joint address to Congress next week.
"I look forward to what [t]he specific proposals are," said McCain. "I think the disappointment a lot of Americans display is that we are not working together more."***
This is the only substance of this article; and a very important one at that. It's nice to see McCain seemingly focused on reaching an actual result rather than simply standing in the way.
Work together........ pelosi has directed that democrats not work with Republicans. If obama is not willing to give up government control of our health care no-one should be working with him including democrats unless they do not care about re-election.
I think John McCain is a decent person who will be willing to work for a satisfactory health care reform agreeable tor both sides of the aisle. It is now critical and long overdue for better health care for ALL Americans. Sometimes I forget that he is still a Republican, LOL.
I am optimistic that some members of the GOP in congress will turn off the NO button and do what they are paid to do.......i.e.,what is best for all Americans. To be against any and everything the current administration proposes simply because of party affiliation is borderline treason!!!!!!!!
I'd like to know when McCain is going to apologize for unleashing this hateful woman on us. I've never seen such hate in this country, and I lived through the civil rights era, and remember the assasinations of JFK, MLK, and RFK.
Honestly, do you all think we would be any better off with these two numbskulls as president and VP? Really? Obama was far and wide the better choice, even with his flaws.
Boy am I glad people got this one right. You may disagree with Obama on some things, but at least he has the compassion and will to get the tough things done. McCain would still be recovering from his campaign at this point and Sarah would be sitting around wating for him to kick the bucket so she can run things. I shudder at the thought...
Please be patient with Obama. No president in recent memory has had to deal with the kind of mess that was given to him. The last one being maybe FDR. Patience, people, patience...
Is McCain rebelling again?
I believe McCain still has the opportunity to reshape this country even though he is not president. If he can work closely with Obama on healthcare reform, this can be a win win situation for both Obama and McCain.
If McCain thought that the American people wanted to see the two parties work together more, why in hell didn't he say that two years ago or three years ago? Why does he see it now? What light went off? . Together means everyone , not one standing on the side lines just saying "No" to everything and then pointing a finger at the other party that seeking a way to say yes.....
Steve
Clifton, VA
McCain is a joke. There is nothing "maverick" about him. He supporting going to war on false presentences after Bush lied to America. He's a typical partisan obstructionist who will do anything to oppose Obama's proposals. McCain has nothing constructive to offer to the political discourse. He should start a talk show like his friends OReilly, Beck and Hannity.
My disappointment is that the Democrats fell asleep at the wheel while the Republicans hijacked reality regarding the need for true health reform. My disappointment is that more "leaders" didn't step forward and disclaim the misrepresentations of the bills under consideration.
During the election campaign, I didn't think much of John McCain and even less of Sarah Palin but on this story, John seems very resonable. It's just too bad that the majority from his party aren't even willing to listen to their elected President.
I'm a Canadian reading these stories and it saddens me to see that so many Republicans – especially that so called pastor – hate their President so much. It makes the US look very similar to Iraq but instead of religous groups fighting, it's political parties.
In my mind, anyone can disagree with President Obama, but to fight him on every attempt he makes to make the USA "better" just beause they don't like/hate him is very unpatriotic. I'm so surprised that those Republicans that critize things like the President addressing school children, going on vacation with his family, etc. don't seem to realize how pathetic they look to the rest of the world.
Perhaps since the pressure of the election is off his shoulders, he can go back to being fickle.
I don't understand this. McCain sounds reasonalble in these quotes. Isn't he still a Republican???
Oh yes, they're best buddies; a notoriously cranky old man with a short fuse and a ditz without an original thought and the attention span of a gnat.
John McCain should issue an apology to us for unleashing that mess on the American public!
I hope John McCain can be a real maverick and bring the insanity on the conservative side to a halt. Our economy can not afford to go without health care reform.
The simple fact that Palin didn't tell McCain she was quitting shows just how deep the rift between the two really is. McCain can put as much window dressing around the relationship as he wants but he and Palin are from two different worlds. They have nothing but ambition in common. At least McCain has been successful in his career (although he probably doesn't know how to do "fancy pageant walkin' ")