Palin camp fires back over claims by some McCain aides
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/06/art.palin07.gi.jpg caption="Palin has been the target of tough leaks from some former McCain staffers."]
(CNN) - The war of words between supporters of each half of the Republican presidential ticket escalated Thursday, as a spokeswoman for Sarah Palin called charges circulated by former campaign aides to John McCain ‘sickening,’ and the Alaska governor herself said the advisers spreading the rumors were ‘small, evidently bitter’ people.
Former McCain campaign aides have been sources for a string of embarrassing stories about Palin that have become public since GOP defeat Tuesday night, including the charge that she spent thousands of dollars more on clothing for herself and her family than the $150,000 that has been reported.
There have also been reports of a somewhat distant relationship between John McCain and his running mate.
“This is so unfortunate and, quite honestly, sickening,” said Palin aide Meghan Stapleton in a statement. “The accusations we are hearing and reading are not true and since we deny all these anonymous allegations, there is nothing specific to which we will respond.
“We have the highest regards for Senator John McCain. Governor Palin was honored to be chosen as McCain’s running mate. And as Governor of Alaska, Governor Palin looks forward to working with President-elect Obama on securing energy independence for America.”
Back home in Alaska, Palin herself said she would not respond to individual accusations.
“If they’re an unnamed source, then that says it all,” she said. “I won’t comment on anybody’s gossip, or allegations that are based on anonymous sources. That’s kind of a small, evidently bitter type of person who would anonymously charge something foolish like that, that I perhaps didn’t know an answer to a question. So until I know who was talking about it, I won’t have a comment on false allegations.”
Palin seemed like a good choice until she violated the truism "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt." If Powell had wanted the VP, he would have been a good choice, for either candidate honestly. If he'd have been the republican candidate for prez, I'd have voted for him too. Bush stomped all over McCain when McCain was his competition, and McCain would have been a much better choice than Dubya. I still can 't believe all those idjuts out there who voted for Bush twice.
I am neither Democrat nor Republican, but this lady deserves our utmost respect instead of smearing her good name. These "aides" who are making these claims are attempting to find a scapegoat to blame for their collective loss; and who better to put the blame on than "the woman?" Instead of whinning sbout the outcome of this election and trying to find "blame," McCain's aides should simply "suck it up" and move forward; I know Sarah Palin has.
I have nothing but admiration for this woman. She is the first "real" politician this country has had since Teddy Roosevelt. She is a working woman who has worn many different hats over the course of her career and still kept herself real. She's one of us, a real person; not some plastic facsimilie of a person who lose themselves when they become politicians. She knows what it's like to have to work to achieve her goals and still have time to be a wife and a mother and not shirk any of her duties on any level.
For those who call her ignorant I say to you: When you are capable of governing a state, running for another office and campaigning all over God's green earth, and still take care of and provide for your famiily on a daily basis, then you can stand up and make your comments. Until then shut your mouths. She didn't ask for the position of candidate for the Vice-Presidency, but she accepted it and did everything she could to make the Republican party win. To sling mud at her now is what is truly "ignorant;" nothing else.
I already know that if I am alive in 2012 and she runs for POTUS I will vote for whoever else is running against her. I will vote early and often against her. The race is over and this woman still scares me just knowing that she is in Alaska. If only she would cross the waterway into Russia. Oh how I wish.
Jack Clack – So, Governor's govern land rather than people, eh? So, that means someone running a huge ranch in Wyoming would have more executive experience than, say, the mayor of a large city because it is *bigger*?
I'd have to say that Sarah Palin's IQ is probably 250 times 'bigger' than yours – which is sad, since hers isn't much higher than average...
Had this political ploy worked on the American people, the McCain advisors would be singin' Palin's praises and thumbing their noses at Obama and his supporters. This is simply a footnote in the volume of lies and deceitful practices used by the GOP and their fear-mongering political tactics. Now the "truth" comes out. They knew good and well Sarah Palin was not VP material, but used her as raw meat to catch the kill. Now the evil little trolls want toss her aside like a fatherless prostitute that's been used up. Now they want to blame her like Adam blamed Eve and God in the garden; "it was that woman YOU gave me!" I'm still trying figure out why most McCain/Palin supporters could'nt see through the smoking mirrors. This is so far beyond my level of understanding. I'm not a McCain/Palin supporter, by I'm ticked off at the way they used her and attempted to fool the American people. Their loss serves them well, but be it unto them what they deserve for using this woman the way that they did.
Bottom line, he should not have picked her and she should not have accepted. The way she attacked Obama, I am force to believe McCain side until I hear otherwise. She said the only difference between her and a pitbull was the lip stick and pitbulls are mean. She may have tamed the good ole boys in Alaska but the good ole boys in Washington will give you a bad name. Dealing with the good ole boys in Washington, never put on the lipstick.
How could any one who doesn't even know if Africa is a continent or a country be a person, leave alone being a Governor or a VP. Thank goodness she didn't get elected. What kind of a role model would she be? She would lend credence to the belief that you can be dumb and stupid but can still reach the second highest office in the US. We have living proof with our current W. She should just go and read a book ...... for the first time!
Hey Becky:
Sarah couldn't even a question like "What do to you like to read"? (from world reknowned hardnosed "gotcha journalist" Katie Couric.
To the contrary of your partisan soundbite mentality- most men LOVE powerful, intelligent women.
Just ask PRESIDENT ELECT Barack Obama
God I love watching this bunch of ninnies implode....this is comedy gold, I can't get enough of it.
BECKY OF THE MIDWEST.
YOU ARE SO ANGRY YOU HEAD IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE. YA GIRL LOST!!!!
WHY! BECAUSE SHE IS AN INCOMPETENT, BARELY HAVIN' A DEGREE, DIVISIVE, NO NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL KNOWLEDGE HAVIN' PROBABLE BIGOT. AS ARE YOU KNOW DOUBT.
Her whole campaign was an audition for a career in entertainment. Now, that makes some sense for her. Apparently SNL producer Lorne Michaels, asked if she were ready to do a developmental show, said, "Developmental show? We could give her her own slot next week!"
That might explain the wardrobe, too.
As for McCain, he could either replace Bob Dole as chief pitchman for Viagra–he looks as if he needs it–or turn "Joe the Plumber" into a weekday morning soap for the semi-retarded..
I thought that Governor Palin said it would be God's will that McCain and she would win the election. What gives?
gawd....i want palin to run in 2012. the democrats will have so much fun.
I am worried that she might appoint herself Senator if Ted Stevens wins the Alaska Senator race.
Given Palin's total lack of qualifications for the job, she should have the good grace and sense to respectfully decline McCain's offer.
Give an ignorant person a piece of rope and they always end up hanging themselves.
After 8 years without watching any presidential speech; because the only sentence Bush was able to pronounce was "make no mistake" :-), I will be able to follow politics again.
even though I didn't vote for the republican candidates this year, I have to implore GOP'ers to stop the blame game! It's time for you to figure out what direction you, as a party, want to go from here and why your constituents are shrinking... the more fighting, the bigger the turn-off it'll become.
First – I supported Obama and voted for him in a state that has it's head up it's rear that went totally Republican both Locally and Nationally.
Second, I am amazed at the "grade school" level of most of the people placing posts here.
Other than showing how narrow minded and petty you are – what is accomplished by the vitriolic criticism being leveled at Sara Palin.
I did not think her selection was wise – but the McCain Campaign selected her. The McCain campaign vetted her. The McCain campaign did their best to sell her as the ideal running mate for John McCain. Now all of a sudden she is a pariah of the Campaign.
Who is at fault here? The ones that did the selecting or the one selected? If you are going to rant about the "Palin effect" then hold the Campaign responsible.
Hey "No Hillary = No Obama", your nick seems a little trite now, wouldn't you say? Perhaps it really isn't sexism when you point out a dimwit, even if it happens to be a woman...
SHE SUCKS SOOOOO BAD !!! SHE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HERSELF !!!!
GO BACK TO ALASKA AND HIDE UNDER A ROCK !!! NEVER LEAVE ALASKA AGAIN !!! STAY THERE !!! PLEASE !!!
Ok. Really? Leave Gov. Palin alone. John McCain tanked his own campaign. He can keep his dignity now by holding his head high and working with President-Elect Obama (woohoo!). Allowing his campaign to blame Gov. Palin is the lowest of the lows.
Cathy November 6th, 2008 9:53 pm ET
"I don't believe these insipid attacks for a minute. Sarah Palin didn't get where she is by being stupid."
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Alaska just elected a convicted felon for Senator. Who's to say you have to be smart to get elected in that state? Apparently all you need is an (R) behind your name and you're in.
I'll grant you Palin has some smarts to manipulate people, but she has a lack of intellectual curiousity that makes her unqualified to play a role in national government. She obviously knew nothing about foreign policy/history/national social issues and only bothered to learn the talking points, not strive to truly understand what is going on in the world.
For those trying to defend her by stating is isn't her fault, McCain picked her, she only had a few weeks to learn – that is no excuse. If you are not up to the job, you do not accept. No more incompetence in the White House!!!
wow becky, you're ignorant there in the midwest
SO NOW THAT THE GOSSIP IS ABOUT PALIN SHE DOESN'T LIKE IT. PAY BACK TIME FROM ALL THE GOSSIP AND RUMORS SHE SPREADED WHILE CAMPAIGNING.