McCain camp denies Enquirer story, threatens lawsuit
ST. PAUL (CNN) - A senior adviser to John McCain’s campaign threatened a lawsuit against the National Enquirer Wednesday over “baseless attacks” in a cover story about Sarah Palin that included allegations of marital infidelity.
“The smearing of the Palin family must end,” said senior adviser Steve Schmidt. “The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Governor Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie.
“Governor Palin is the most popular governor in the country. She is a proven leader, an accomplished executive, a champion for ethics reform, and a fighter against corruption. The efforts of the media and tabloids to destroy this fine and accomplished public servant are a disgrace. The American people will reject it.
He also said that “legal action will be considered with regard to this disgraceful smear.”
Over the past few days, the McCain campaign has issued increasingly aggressive responses to rumors about the presumptive Republican VP nominee, including some detailed public statements denying sensational stories that had not previously been reported by any mainstream media organizations.
Great throw of the dice McCain. Any idiot could have seen this coming once you saw the baggage she brought to the table.
Oh wait, they didn't check her out until after the chose her. How Bushlike!
So why would this be false if the "rumors" about John Edwards were so true? Huh, Rethuglican hypocrites?
Oh please, they're taking the Enquirer seriously? Are there any famous people who _haven't_ had BS printed about them in the Enquirer? Just because they accidentally got the Edwards thing right doesn't suddenly make them credible or worth paying any attention to.
But hey, while we're threatening lawsuits for slander, can I and other Obama voters sue McCain for accusing us of being mindless "kool-aid" drinkers and being "the MTV crowd"? I've never felt as personally insulted and derided by a political campaign as I have by McCain's.
Is the National Enquirer scooping the MSM again? After the Edwards affair who knows.
Why doesn't McCain let the media interview Palin until she has been completely "madeover" by White House aides? Is it because she has so much to hide and they are experts at "hiding?"
This hurts the Democratic cause - the GOP can push her as a martyr, and the real issues - extreme anti-abortion stance, corruption, irresponsible financial management, earmark Queen, etc. - go away. Who cares who she sleeps with? Clinton screwed half of D.C., if you believe some, and the country was still ten times better off than under presumably faithful Bush.
That's what you get for not vetting properly and setting the table for your VP candidate. Now, your advisor's wish will come true-Sarah Palin WILL be vetted thoroughly by the American People-and the American Press, legitimate and otherwise. Fair or not, there it is. There is a price to be paid for being sloppy and reckless at this level of Politics JM, like it or not.
“ National Enquirer” broke so many information which happen to be true after..
Ronald Reagen must be turning in his grave to think that in 2008 this is the best that the Republicans can come up with. I believe he would turn back to being a Democratic.
People people please for the good of this country stop this now and declare Obama/Biden our next POTUS/VP.
Maybe they got it wrong and meant to talk about the numerous affairs of John McCain.
"Governor Palin is the most popular governor in the country."
LOL What the hell. Hardly anyone has even heard of her before.
I freakin love politics! Its better than Saturday Night Live or Mad TV Sometimes.
wow!!...we didnt see barack want to sue the new yorker....the repugs just laughed it off...when that guy from swiftboat wrote his book about barack saying he cant be president because all the lies about barack were true...repugs praised it....when repugs slamed michelle obama for being" unpatriotic" when she was only talking about the elction process and young people getting evovled... so u tell me now mcsame wants to sue ppl when they talk bad about his mistake of a vp.....the nerve....
I did not see them crying when they went after edwards.
Sorry but the NE is junk stuff, it's sad that McCain even has to make a comment about it. It is spiraling out of control, I guess the "BOLD" move of the maverick just came back to slap him in the face. Again I will pick Judgement over so called experiance.
Poor John McCain. You have to forgive him, he's having life problems. He can't seem to find one.
If i were McCain I will ask her to show me her pussssieeee so I can test it with my fingers and willie, just to make sure she has not slept with anyone apart from her husband.
logic is before he goes ahead with this, he measures the husbands willie....if her pussssieeee is any wider or deeper than her husband's willie....then I will vote for McCain as he is the greatest cheater cather ever
Elle September 3rd, 2008 6:45 pm ET
Oh no...not at all...Please leave her on the ticket...it's a dream come true for democrats.
I can't wait to see how the story about her marital affair turns out, or if it's true. Granted it's National Enquirer, but they are also the ones who broke some of the biggest news around (thats admittedly sad, which we can agree on).
She isn't the most popular Governor in the US, Schwartzenegger is. Until McCain announced her as the VP, nobody outside of Alaska had even heard of her.
McCain's Gonna sue? I think it's Palin that would have to sue.
How come the father of Bristol's kid isn'tlocked up for statuatory rape?
Maybe they don't have that law in Alaska ,they have to propagate the population so Palin get get 47 votes next time she runs for City Council.
Palin's gonna talk about McCain? What she's known him for a week.
Maybe that's who she had an affair with
With all the skeletons that have already come out of her closet, this one could be the next...wake up America, this lady is dangerous. Remember she could be just a heartbeat away!...OMG!
Is this the media the claim is out to destroy Palin? Because I haven't seen it from anyone else.
The same "paper," of course, has accused just about everybody in the world (and many mythical creatures) of sexual misconduct – including McCain and Obama. The fact that NE "broke" the Edwards story (ie got one story out of millions right – see blind squirrel finding nut), and the GOP spin cycle spent so long chastising the MSM for not following up on the NE's "reporting" on that issue must have some in Limbaugh/o'Reilly land terrified their base might believe it this time, too. I'm certainly not swayed by anything the Enquirer has to say – unless they find the Loch Ness monster in Vermont (again)!
Jeez, getting a little jumpy about your Veep pick? Lowly little National Enquirer, the least reliable rag on the check out stand, has angered the mighty GOP? Tells you where they get their news from...
Isn't this the party that say sueing is out of hand, and that liberals whine too much? Maybe this is McCain's version of bipartisanship.
You are kidding right? You think ANY democrat wants Palin off the ticket? Her being on the tickets practically guarantees a democratic victory. Democrats love this ticket.
“Governor Palin is the most popular governor in the country."
The only reason anyone even knows who she is is because McCain nominated her you idiot. Who's running the republican show over there?