McCain defends vetting of Palin
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/02/art.mccainpalin.ap.jpg caption="McCain is defending his choice of Palin."](CNN) - Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain defended his campaign's vetting of newly named VP candidate Sarah Palin Tuesday, amid a stream of revelations about the Alaska governor that could potentially harm the GOP presidential ticket.
"My vetting process was completely thorough and I'm grateful for the results," McCain told reporters in Philadelphia.
The comments come a day after Palin announced her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant and news surfaced the Alaska governor had hired a lawyer weeks ago to act on her behalf as state legislators investigate whether she may have abused her power in the firing of the state’s police chief for refusing to fire her ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper.
Watch: McCain defends vetting process
Speaking on Fox News earlier Tuesday, former top Bush aide Karl Rove echoed McCain's comments that Palin was fully vetted.
"They knew all of it," Rove said of the recent revelations on Palin.
McCain has previously faced fire from Democrats over the fact the Arizona senator only met with Palin once in person before offering her the No. 2 slot on his ticket.
Related: Top Republicans defend Palin and vetting process
UPDATE: Speaking with reporters in Ohio Tuesday, McCain reiterated his support for Palin.
"I just want to repeat again how excited I am to have Sarah Palin, the great Governor of Alaska, as my running mate," he said. "America's excited and they're going to be even more excited once they see her tomorrow night. I'm very, very proud of the impression she's made on all of America and looking forward to serving with her."
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McCain is not being honest, he's trying to save face now. He wanted Ridge or Leiberman for his VP pick but did what he thought was best to help him win (pick Palin as VP). It's starting to look like a stupid and rash decision. He's defending his pick, but what else can he do, things are desperate now.
As a democrat and an Obama/ Biden supporter, this is all just laughable to me, comparing the two campaigns. Obama/ Biden have what it takes to run to country effectively and produce positive change hands down...I hope America sees this!
All the Democrats can do is attack! attack! attack! It's just disgusting the crap that is being said right now about a good family. She has as much executive experience as Clinton had as governor when he ran for president. This is just dirty mud slinging and ugliness. The Democrats are experts at picking out a lie and repeating it over and over ...but the American people who are intelligent aren't going to buy into it. If all you liberals can do is attack a 17-year-old girl then you need to take a look at your own morals. Obama has less experience than she does and he's running for President! They VETTED her people!!! Stop drinking the Kool-aid. You all look like idiots.
Palin's daughter getting pregnant isn't the issue, the issue is Gov. Palin is a woman that preaches abstenence and doesn't believe in sex-ed....if her daughter had a little sex-ed, maybe she would have known what a condom is for. It's a hypocritical travesty!!
You are all making me sick! I'm a former undecided swaying to McCain because of the attitudes of all of you people.
CLEARLY she was vetted, just like anyone else. Clearly there are some issues because no one is perfect (including Obama, by the way!). YOu can say "McSenile" as much as you want but come on people, be realistic. He has a staff just like any other candidate – do you think they'd all go with a 'let's not vet her' approach?
Seriously – did you know the brother in law who was fired was in trouble with the department for threatening to kill people and tasering a kid? Let me see....if you were in charge wouldn't you can a chief of police who wouldn't fire a guy threatening to kill people? I think that was part of her JOB, to insure the safety of the citizens first and foremost, even if she was loosely related to the psychopath.
Betcha CNN won't post this – heaven forbid people actually have facts.
And I am SICK of everyone saying the family is hypocritical (note the proper spelling) for having a member of the family pregnant. Family values means accepting and loving your family with their mistakes, so I think she is showing excellent family values.
If Mccain had properly vetted this woman she would not be getting the vetting process in the media now.
The storieson her keeps coming, and I know there are more.
Mccain's judgement stinks . This is his first major decision, and it looks as though he's failing miserably.
All I can ask now is............. DOES JOHN S. McCAIN HAS THE RIGHT JUDGEMENT TO LEAD THIS COUNTRY?
People please think about that when your in the voting booth?
Ok so his first major decision on the road to the white house is a flop.. what does that tell us about what all his other decisions are going to be like?
great job setting the tone, mcpain.
first impressions count.. that was a real bad one
well even if McCain now realizes he picked the wrong VP do you really think he would admit it !!!!!!!
I don't think she was vetted at all, because I don't think she was who McCain wanted as the VP.
Pregnant daughter aside, what experience does she bring to the ticket. None that I can see.
Also, how much did we hear in the media. that the first display of Presidential leadership would be how and who Obama and McCain chose their running mates. Not hear that talked about much anymore, are we???
Experience is talking hahaha Mccain. You are in a deep hole!
Of course she was fully vetted. McCain figures to get the pro-life vote by showing that Palin's unmarried teenage daughter is keeping the baby rather than having an abortion, and - as frosting on the cake for evangelicals - she's even marrying the father. On top of that, of course, is the fact that Gov. Palin kept her Down syndrome baby, rather than having an abortion when she found out, while pregnant, that her son had Down's. Looks to me like a very calculated political move on McCain's part.
pathetic left. this will come back to haunt you. mccain/palin.
This whole plan the liberals (including the news media) have to try and destroy Sarah Palin, will only backfire on them, just watch.
I TRULY BELIEVE SHE IS A GREAT CHOICE ! WHAT EXPERIENCE DOES OBAMA HAVE IN; GOVERNING, IN FORIEGN POLICY, IN FAMILY ISSUES. WHO CAN PERDICT WHAT CHOICES OR MISTAKES HIS DAUGHTERS WILL MAKE. AT LEAST WE KNOW THAT SENATOR PALIN WILL STICK BY FAMILY AND EMBRACE HER DAUGHTER AND THE BABY THATS ON THE WAY INSTEAD OF ABORTING IT WHICH IS THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS MINDSET.
HEY CNN HOW ABOUT POSTING SOME OF THE POSITIVE COMMENTS IN FAVOR OF SENATOR PALIN AND NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF OBAMA.
Where was the fact check express when Palin was being chosen for the VP spot? She should have never been given this position,especially since she's carrying soo much baggage.
If Senator McCain can not vet his running mate properly, he does not deserve to win the election on November 4, 2008. Obama/Biden 2008
Palin should withdraw. She's putting her personal political ambitions ahead of her young family in turmoil. WHO is going to care for her youngest – apparently that task has been delegated to Bristol, as she was the one holding the child, and conveniently masking her own pregnancy. and WHO is going to mother Bristol in her time of need? Her shotgun husband? And is she going to pull all the kids out of their schools and away from their friends and support systems to move them all to DC? So much for Republican family values. NOT to say a woman can't do it all, but perhaps in stages and at this stage Palin needs to stay in Alaska as governor, take care of her family and slowly build her political career. Obama/Biden '08
If Karl Rove says it's true, it must be.
And if you believe that, you deserve four more years of Republican misrule.
Who picks someone they met one time to be Vice President of the United States of America? Do you Repbulicans really want someone with such poor judgement to be President?? Oh yeah I forgot. You gave us George Bush twice and put us in the abyss we're in now.
A secessionists Senator McCain?!?
No way, no how, no McCain!!!!!!!
You can't put America first when you support dissolving the Union.
Benedict Arnold was a war hero too and a far greater one than McCain but that doesn't mean his name is not synonymous with treason.
This is certainly not the kind of change we can believe in my fellow Americans.
I am an Obama supporter and I agree with him that the candidates families are off limits!
Ms. Palins daughter's pregnancy has no place in this race. She is not the first teen to become preganant and she wont be the last one either.
But the Republicans need to stop acting like they have the majority on the "Moral High Ground" and they dont.
ATTENTION REPUBLICANS:
Stop persecutting in public those who in private are no different from you.
I don't have a problem with her daughter being pregnant as it is a human condition that many families have to face and at least they are giving her loving support.
But I am sick of hearing about Palin's wealth of not only executive, but foreign policy experience because her state is close to Russia as though her experience outshines Obama's. And a lot of the claims that Palin is a "reformer" are being dispelled as her being for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it. Most of the MSM just goes along. Kudos to Cambell Brown the other night for having some grit!
One last thing, it is becoming more and more apparent that the McCain camp is all about projection. Obama is the "elitist" while McCain owns seven homes, Obama is "not ready to lead" while McCain picks a person of considerably less qualifications, Obama is trying to be "the One" while McCain tries to inject himself every chance he can, Obama was presumptious for talking overseas while McCain did the same in Canada and Colomia, etc...Sooooo tired of the double speak!
Obama/Biden '08!
No amount of explanation will convince me that Governor Palin was vetted by more than a few phone calls. And if she were vetted, is McCain saying this is the absolutely best candidate for the job? I think not. He claims she's a reformer, but she hired a lobbyist to secure millions in pork projects for her city and originally backed the Bridge to Nowhere "100%". She's an advocate for removing sex education from the schools, but is then willing to sacrifice her pregnant daughter to the blogs and media. And once and for all, her experience does not outweigh Obama - not even close. Add up years as a Senator (11+years), years as a community organizer (5), years as a lawyer and visiting professor at Chicago Law School (9), land you'll see it equals more than her 8. Oh - and he, too, is a member of the PTA.
I love the picture of the executive office where Palin received all that executive experience. I have to disagree with Carville because it looks more like a country diner than a bait shop.
The repugs are Sooooooo out of touch
Obama/Biden 08
One word for Republicans 'HYPOCRITES'!!! If this was Chelsey Clinton or any other Democrats daughter, they would call the Clintons demons!
How about those FAMILY VALUES? How about Palin wanting her ex-brotherinlaw fired? How about we want her talking to world leaders?
What were they thinking?
Maybe there is something in Moose Stew that has effected this.
To David S.
Accidents happen much less when children are taught about the responsibilities of pre-marital sex and ways of avoiding pregnancy... Bristol was taught about the virtue of abstinence .. you make my point perfectly...Kids are going to have sex...warn them and arm them with the proper education....
By the way they could charge the 18 y/o father with a felony sex offense in Alaska...