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's judgment has proven to be lacking. He has a legendary temper, he makes impulsive decisions, he has a weakness for choosing pretty women just for window dressing and he's been wrong about every major decision he's made over the past few years.
He chose a political rookie who has been outside the US once to be second in command for a 72 year old cancer survivor. That's rediculous.
With Russia, China, North Korea and Iran watching our every move this is not the man we want with his finger on the big red button.
I'm VERY excited over his Pick!
She comes to us from a State as far away from the same "OLD WASHINGTON POLITICS" as you can get both physically and intellectually.
She is ready to be a "Maverick Girl" to his Maverick Boy"
Together they will be able to affect the kind of change we need.
McCain/Palin 08-By a Landslide!
Oh, well if Karl Rove says so, then it must be true.
Sarah Palin is the best thing to show up on ANYBODY'S presidential ticket in a very long time, that's for sure. And, when you compare her background to Obama's, she is pristine and squeaky clean.....as clean and refreshing as a breath of fresh Alaskan air compared to Obama's South Chicago roots, where the sooty, smoggy air is hardly fit to breathe.
And Palin has more experience than Obama. He only has the staggering total of 143 days in the Senate plus a handful of years in the Indiana legislature where he seems to have set a record for "Present" votes lest he offend anyone or damage his future political aspirations by making yea or nay decisions. He was as vague and fuzzy then in his voting as he is now in his telepromter speeches.
Also, Palin has run a state for a while.....Obama has run nothing. And yet Obama wants to become president and run an entire country. I don't think so. Not my country.
In short....Palin is is not perfect, but she is light years ahead of Obama in terms of expeience, character, judgment, and life choices. I'd much rather see her as president than Obama.
McCain-Palin – 2008
If blacks can vote for Obama, then women can vote for Sarah.
Whats the difference, neither is fully qualified!
I am very curious if she we still be the pick at the end of this week. She has, reportedly, energized the pro-life base which was very calm on McCain. While she seems nice, she does not appear to be ready for the role for which she has been selected. Moreover, McCain does not seem ready for her to be in the role – it raises huge questions about his judgment. Perhaps I am mistaken and the current discussion was entirely his intention (it avoids having to discuss his platform which in broad terms seems to be continue the Bush tax cuts, continue the Bush war, and rapid offshore drilling). If this was his intention, I would like him to come out and say that he is supportive of her and knowing everything he knows about her he still would have made this decision and that he stands by this decision.
Palin needs to go home and raise your kids.......She has to many things against her to be VP...Its a scarey thought that if something happens to McBush she would be second in command....
Poor Choice.....
Let us not talk about someone who is irrelevant in this election. A VP is required to complete the ticket; Republican gave us someone who does nothing more than that,
Republicans are refereeing Hillary so many times that McCain has become irrelevant in this election. Let’s follow Hillary’s lead in electing Obama the next President.
Let’s not talk about someone who does not deserve America’s attention, democrats are going to takeover Whitehouse for at least 16 years – 8 years for Barack and 8 years for Hilary.
Sure ... and this will look really foolish as more revelations roll out. He has two choices now: dig in and fortify his defenses, or bail out of the battle to have a chance of winning the war. It appears McCain is digging in.
Palin is a lot more qualified than Obama.
Dear CNN commentators:
I hope you guys will be fair and grill the Republicans just as much as you grilled Obama for months and months.
IF, IF the McCain camp really knew that this girl was expecting before he asked Palin to serve with him then why did they mishandle the story so badly? They should have rolled this information out there when they introduced her. No secret then no big shocking story. It's not the media's fought for reporting the story it's the McCain camp's fought for trying keep it covered up. When did thet think it would come out? By their own accounts she will be 7 or 8 months along by November.
McCain.....who's got bad judgement now??
I thought the interview usually came before the hiring. What a joke!
Obama / Biden '08
WOW! ...This is wonderful, great choice John McCain!!
....OBAMA/BIDEN '08!
McCain has shown that he has no judgement when it comes to decisions and yet wants to make harder decisions as president (I DON'T THINK SO). Sara Palin was not vetted and all evidence points to this. McCain I used to have respect for you, but you have fallen off the deep-end.
OMG! I HAVE to stop watching the news from down there! I just heard a woman on CNN Headline News say that she thought because Palin had raised a daughter strong enough to handle a pregnancy in her circumstances, that she just knew, should the need arise Palin would be able to handle the PRESIDENCY! What in the world is happening to the USof A? Believe me, it's very scary for the rest of the world.
I love how he put her on the ticket just so the extreme right would be happy. I'm a Republican and there is no way I can support a VP candidate who wants to dictate what I'm allowed to do in my own bedroom (ie. her support to ban condoms and other forms of birth control). I want LESS government, not MORE!
It is painfully obvious that Palin was the wrong choice., and so is McCain.
Vote for Obama!
Didn't he say that's not what he was doing, vetting her? Another lie?
Seriously. A man that doesn't at ~least~ look into if their VP has any ongoing investigations before choosing them? Will he attack other nations without really being sure they are our enemies? Will he sell weapons to countries without being 'sure' that they are on our side?
This man is completely naive.
I think it's funny that the republicans continue to throw out the "executive experience" line in defense of Palin's VP slot....no one so far that I have seen/read is asking them to define that, i.e. what has she done as an "executive" and/or how that compares to the bills, challenges and decisions Obama has made during his time in public office.....It seems obvious to me that this pick was not made by McCain; rather he was told by those on the extreme right that if he wanted their support this is who they wanted him to pick.....
We saw the clip about Obama's preacher about a million times. Let's play that clip once more when McCain said the number one priority in chosing a running mate is for him/her to be ready to be President on day one. Given who he selected, that ought to give Independents pause as they consider his judgement to be President.
I don't get it. Years ago, when my cousin became pregnant at 16 no one was running around saying how great it was. My aunt felt because she wasn't around enough because of work, it was somehow her fault.
I just don't get the moral majority. Are they now stating that because they back Bristol that it is fine for their sons and daughters to become sexually active? Bristol and her mother are no roll models for my daughter and I don't want her to look up to them.
So much for abstinence “education.”
I can't believe a mom (Sarah) would toss aside her son for political gain. I would NEVER allow my 17 year old to take my place in taking care of my young children.
Politics or family, Sarah chose the former.
Everyone else turned him down cold. Palin said 'yes.' Not even Jeb Bush would run with him. So now it's the Amateur Hour!
GOP Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia said it best: "The Republican brand is in the trash can. If we were dog food, they would take us off the shelf."
It is so bad that more than 10 percent of the GOP members of the US Senate aren't even bothering to attend their own party's convention. They recognize BAD dog food when they see it.
MY FELLOW DEMOCRATS LETS WIN THE WHITE HOUSE BACK!!!
OBAMA 08-16
HILLARY 16-24
LETS DO IT!