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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The Socialist Party is looking too desperate! Don't let the media be your spokespeople anymore if you really want to win. All the criticism in that primary debate for bringing up Obama's past is going to come back full circle if Palin's daughter's pregnancy is front page. Wow, if you don't look desperate then you look majorly arrogant and above regular people, not to mention brainwashed. The McCain camp isn't stupid enough, sorry!
Actually keep it up. I can't believe I just gave a pointer to you people.
There is no defense. After ALL the Negative Press released about Obama from this campaign............the very idea of chosing a candidate with the resume of Palin ...regardless of gender etc....is insulting to his party and to the American voter. I would have expected better .......especially when you consider the excellent candidates available to him.........probably deeper than the Democratic choices. A lost opportunity for this campaign. NOT MUCH TIME LEFT FOLKS.
You know what kills me? When Obama started his vetting process, even his vetters were being vetted and one of his vetters left the team so as to not become a distraction. But here we have McCain and the GOP who apparently did absolutely NO vetting and I'm speechless. If Obama had tried to pull something like this the Republican party would have had ads out on this 24/7. This is the first big decision a presidential nominee makes on his way to becoming commander in chief and McCain has proven once again that he does not have the judgement to lead. Country first – HA!
So Palin has more executive experience than Obama and Biden combined? I guess that also includes McCain since he has never "managed" anyone either. Someone with a BS degree has more "experience than a Harvard Law grad and former professor of constitutional law? Someone who was the mayor of a small town has more experience than a former 7 year state senator of Chicago, Illinois? Someone who has been Governor of the third smallest state has more experience than a US Senator who has served on the foreign relations committee and traveled the world? Someone who preaches family values and abstinance has a 17 year old unmarried daughter who is pregnant? I don't think so.
You democrats coupled with CNN should go a head and dig any dirt you think you can find on Palin. If you guys think that she does not have enough experience to be a white house deputy, then the same disqualifies Obama. You guys are so narrow minded it’s not funny anymore.
If Sen McCain knew that Gov Palin's unmarried teenage daughter was pregnant before tapping Palin to be his VP, does this indicate that he knowingly chose this 'Second Family' to symbolize his view of Conservative America? What does this say about McCain's judgment that he purposefully promotes promiscuity and unsafe sex among unmarried teens? And what does this say about Palin and her values? I don't blame the daughter, but I certainly question McCain and Palin....
I think McCain has a lack of competency.
It took him 3 tries to get his economic plan in place. He ran his campaign to the ground, he screwed up the war big time by saying "we will be seen as liberators". And now this.
Experience is nothing without competency..
I will be watching the Weather Channel for the rest of the week since there is nothing else of topical interest.
If Mrs. Palin was chosen with the aim of wooing some of Hillary's spurned supporters then I guess the Repubs are saying: "Hey, look at the face, and don't worry about the issues".
What a sad comedy!
If his vetting process was complete then why had no one involved with Palin been asked any questions prior to McCain's decision (fiscal, criminal, personal or otherwise)? This is a normal process of vetting and he simply didn't do it. Great first decision McCain. She's exactly who America needs leading us if you die in office. Irresponsible, ignorant and insulting.
I keep hearing Republicans say she is a mother when being asked about her qualifications. That's fine for the PTA not for the country. Just shows that McCain does not have good judgment!!
Palin claims to have said "thanks, but no thanks" to the Bridge to Nowhere. But (a) she was a supporter of the project before she was against it (her quotes in support are all over the place); and (b) she didn't save federal tax payers a dime! The money was re-directed to other pork barrel projects!
Two years ago, she was the part-time Mayor of a small town. If she was a man, would she EVER have been considered?
David Brooks claims McCain picked his political soulmate. Then why did he really, really want to pick Lieberman? The Maverick caved when the hard right said "no way." He then put politics first by picking someone at the last second, who he spoke with exactly once, who had not been thoroughly vetted, all in an obvious effort to placate the hard right and, perhaps, pick up a few Hilary votes (which is shocking, considering this woman's record and (lack of) experience). Country First??? I think not.
Maybe she was the only one left of the younger Republicans willing to risk her career on a losing campain.
Please don't come on here touting her 'executive experience'. By the GOP's definition that entails keeping a budget and managing people. Pretty much any homemaker or small business owner is therefore comparable.
If her experince was with a larger state with actual fiscal issues rather than oil dividends then I would consider it more a boon to her. Now it seems she's a liability.
Swing and a miss McCain.
So slap us in the face with good judgement and ready to lead qualifications, Tell us how this team is ready because one was a Governor of a State with a population of little over 600,000, the size of many middle size citys, tell us about the team with international experience. For 18 months we have been slap in the face about the other team not have experience and no one knows them, but in 2 months we are to be convince of how this new team member is known and more qualified than even Joe Biden 36 years of service. American do not fall for all tricks. the WORLD is watching again.
hahahah mccain is tosted. mccain you are a crook and your experiance is war thats it nothing else. warmonger
Tell me again how Rove could KNOW someting specific about the campaign and the vetting process and yet be on Fox news as an independant analyist?
SLIMSISTA September 2nd, 2008 12:56 pm ET wrote:
IT'S NOT ABOUT HER DAUGHTER BEING PREGNANT…BUT I THINK A BIGGER MESSAGE IS "UNPROTECTED" SEX….
And you were there when no condom was used??? Really, the level of superiority you guys are displaying is as bad as any ultra-conservative.
if he vetted her, as he says ,then he simply made a very bad judgement. not a presidential one.
obama'08
What vetting?
Lets be honest, when you send a team of 10 vetters to Alaska AFTER you announce the choice, you did not vett.
This was a poor choice and most likely one made out of anger after the right wing refused to have Delay or Lieberman, McCain first two choices.
The fact that McCain did not hold his guns is sad.
Then he went for the least experienced, most baggage candidate in the field.
What a mess you created John.
McCain: "My vetting process was completely thorough and I'm grateful for the results," McCain told reporters in Philadelphia.
So he knew she had no family values, an alcoholic for a husband and experience confined to a town of Reindeer and Carribou, and is 'grateful' for the results. This man has the WORST judgement ever seen by a mammal, and his running mate is a morally bankrupt and incompetent beauty pageant bimbo.
way to go McCain..Palin is a great choice and the conservatives are proud of your pick...You have guts to go out on a limb, and that is what will WIN in November
Why on earth would McCain pick someone who wanted to pull Alaska out of the United States? Wow, that is a sure fire way of building unity.
McCain has done as good a job vetting Sarah Palin as he did helping Bush figure out if there were WMDs in Iraq.
Heck of a job Johnnie!
I think the McCain campaign should release their vetting records for Sarah Palin. Show us exactly how complete the process was so that we can understand what McCain actually means. If they did their job then they should have no problem doing that imo.
Nothing will convince me McCain knew about Palin's daughter. The Governor hid her own pregnancy until she was 6 or 7 months along,
Everybody knows he wanted Leiberman. Whether she was vetted or not, McCain wasn't allowed to pick who he wanted.