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In First Official Party Ticket Appearance, Palin Comes Out Swinging

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September 05, 2008 3:00 PM

ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala and Bret Hovell report: John McCain and Sarah Palin made their first appearance as the official Republican party ticket Friday, at an idyllic Main Street rally in Cedarburg, Wis.

Palin, the vice presidential nominee and governor of Alaska, came out swinging, criticizing rival Barack Obama for initially opposing the troop surge in Iraq, and, as the McCain campaign has repeatedly said, not admitting that it worked.

"But, just last night, Sen. Obama finally broke, and brought himself to admit what all the rest of us have known for quite some time, and that’s, thanks to the skill and valor of our troops, the surge in Iraq has succeeded," Palin said, referring to an answer Obama gave to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, Thursday. 

In his first appearance on "The O'Reilly Factor," Obama said that the troop surge succeeded "beyond our wildest dreams. ... I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated, by the way, including President Bush and the other supporters," he told O'Reilly.

Palin took issue with Obama’s response and reminded voters that McCain initially supported the troop surge.

"I guess when you turn out to be profoundly wrong on a vital national security issue, maybe it's comforting to pretend that everyone was wrong, too. But I remember it a little differently. It seems to me there was one leader in Washington who did predict success, who refused to call retreat, and risked his own career for the sake of the surge and victory in Iraq, and ladies and gentlemen, that man is standing right next to me -- Sen. John McCain," Palin said.

Despite the staggering job loss numbers released today by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, McCain largely glossed over the report that 84,000 jobs were lost in the month of August, giving it only a tiny mention in the middle of his speech.

"These are tough times.  Today, the job report is another reminder.  These are tough times.  They're tough times in Wisconsin, they're tough times in Ohio, they're tough times all over America," McCain told the large crowd in Cedarburg.

He did however, have a lot to say about his new running mate, Palin -- who has been credited with helping to energize the conservative base.

"Isn't she the most marvelous running mate in the history of the nation?” McCain asked the crowd.  "She's magnificent, and I'm so proud, I'm so proud, my friends."

McCain also had glowing things to say about Palin's professional snowmobiler husband Todd.

"Could I mention her husband Todd?  That guy is crazy!" McCain exclaimed.  McCain called his 2,000-mile treks in 40 degree-below weather "remarkable." "You'd have to be crazy to do that.  But what a guy, a commercial fisherman, union member and a devoted father.  What a  family."

September 5, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (382)

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McCain has a long record of contradicting himself. Its just McCain being McCain.

And people laud his straight talk and candor, particularly for moments when he admits his previous actions were self serving. For example:

"I didn't decide to run for president to start a national crusade for the political reforms I believed in or to run a campaign as if it were some grand act of patriotism. In truth, I wanted to be president because it had become my ambition to be president...In truth, I'd had the ambition for a long time."

Ah, what candor! What a straight-talking maverick! But also what a crock he's now running a campaign under the slogan "Country First."

Posted by: Paul | Sep 5, 2008 3:30:22 PM


Big trouble for Obama in november...
Today polls are EVEN AT 42% for both
the parties........
This year is "a democratic year" BUT
the polls show otherwise........
What's the problem with democrats????
Obama is the problem........
DEAN,PELOSI don't get it.......

Posted by: NICHOLAS | Sep 5, 2008 3:30:43 PM

If that "woman' comes to N Carolina I will personally bring as many people as I can to protest her speech. Gees I better start saving up bail money.

Posted by: linda n carolina | Sep 5, 2008 3:30:50 PM

==It's the economy stupid. Who gives a crap about the surge.==

Everybody who knows it worked.

Posted by: Mr. Incredible | Sep 5, 2008 3:31:21 PM

Obama is a Marxist, just read about his associations and mentors throughout his life...
He has no experience, simply a community organizer. If this qualifies for President, then let's have all the Community Organizers in the country who have good communication skills apply for the job.
He has radical friends.
He wants to bring socialism to America.
His proposals for Economy, Healthcare, & Energy are only going to increase the taxes on all of us.
His socialist healthcare proposal will bring down the quality of our hospitals and doctors. As you all know, government agencies and government jobs suck! It is a fact.
He has no idea on foreign affairs. Biden is worse. The other day Biden said that a nuclear Iran is OK.
Plus, imagine having PELOSI, REID, BIDEN,and OBAMA run our country.... A huge disaster!!!

Posted by: David | Sep 5, 2008 3:33:14 PM

Mr incredible

no lies here...they were all in her 2nd speech...er...that speech she read I mean.

stop one side lying at this point and not allowing anyone to question her on it...

sound familiar

yeah the last 8 years of cloak and dagger governing is showing it's ugly head... draw fire toward the press and the unpatriotic "left" while you destroy the country ...shut a black out on all information and keep the witness on script.

get rid of this evil empire that was rebuilt in the form of the Mccain leadership team.

Posted by: dl | Sep 5, 2008 3:33:21 PM

I watched it on CNN and almost fell asleep. She was reading from a paper the whole time. Reading from what was hand written for her. Another write up from a Bush speech writer..

Posted by: james | Sep 5, 2008 3:33:27 PM

You sure the Obama's wouldn't fit in Mary because there is so much white in Alaska?

Senator Obama purchased his own home from royalties earned from book sales.

If you want to start tossing that "crook" moniker around, then your new republican royal couple wear it well. Maybe they can use that song without Rod Stewart's permission for their next march.

Posted by: Just wondering | Sep 5, 2008 3:33:54 PM

It's funny how John McCain cant stand up to Obama- He has to get a woman to fight his battles. No wonder in his video last night- his mother called him Momma' Boy.

America is going down hill with it's reputation- he will have the first trailer trash in office

Posted by: chris | Sep 5, 2008 3:34:11 PM

When will she be on meet the press?

Posted by: James | Sep 5, 2008 3:34:26 PM

Obama has given the same answer to that question time and tiem again… his only admittance was that the surge worked beyond all of our wildest dreams…
Id like to ask palin about the anbar awakening and to ask her if she can explain it to me, and to explain if she thought this was a big or small reason that the surge has succeded.

You know the surge was suppose to be a couple of months and then the troops were suppose to come home… and we keep getting these stall tactics. Soon, next month, this july, this September… and now its like… hey the troops are going to come home in January…

But guess what happened today, Patreaus says we cant send more troops home because of stability issues. So how greatly did the surge work?


Posted by: Bhrandon | Sep 5, 2008 3:34:57 PM

If Palin is afraid of reporters, how can she take on the terrorists?

Posted by: AkaDad | Sep 5, 2008 3:35:24 PM

Oh yes.McCain you keep up the good wpork and tell everyone how your vee P is awsome not that she has much knowledge on the issues as well as you but how wonderful her hubby is freezing his butt all across Alaska and not working.She is being molded into a lady Bush my gosh does she have any ideas of her own...She should keep up the good work LMAO

Posted by: indp voter | Sep 5, 2008 3:35:45 PM

Mr. Incredible: "Everybody who knows it worked."

Let's assume for the sake of argument the surge did work and it was the major if not only reason for a less violent Iraq today. What have we won?

We spend hundreds of billions of dollars we don't have, we lost over 4,000 servicemembers lives, and who knows how many American contractor lives, and we did we get in return?

Are we in a stronger or weaker position, strategically, because of the invasion we invested so much blood and treasure for?

What exactly are we getting out of this?

Posted by: Paul | Sep 5, 2008 3:35:45 PM

McCain/Palin are doing their best to keep issues out of this election. According to them it's all about POW...Surge...POW...Surge...POW...Surge...throw in a 9/11 every now and then.

Posted by: Liz | Sep 5, 2008 3:36:10 PM

When Obama loses the only thing I'm looking forward to is Hillary in four years! and that's the only reason I'm voting for McCain.

Posted by: CC | Sep 5, 2008 3:37:42 PM

When are they going to talk about the jobs lost today. McSame..

Posted by: james | Sep 5, 2008 3:37:53 PM

This ia a very difficult year for GOP.Poor McCain/Palin. Nothing is going to change. same old Mcsame.Bush has messed up the economy of which McCain too is a Washington insider.No more same old story. GO OBAMA/BIDEN 08/12

Posted by: mike | Sep 5, 2008 3:38:57 PM

Mary,

You sound ridiculous. As a former Alaskan myself, I find your quaint anecdotes once again show the weakness of the Republicans' deluded political views. Making unsubstantiated little quips that you've parroted back from one of your many right-winged talking boxes does you no favors either. And I can't believe you actually said you need to be "honest to survive" in Alaska. Have you been watching the news lately? Laughable.

Posted by: really | Sep 5, 2008 3:39:12 PM

How dare Obama's supporters call someone from a small town 'trailer trash'. Bet they are the same ones living in govt. paid housing, on food stamps and use drugs or sell drugs or steal for their other expenses.
Go to You Tube, check out Obama's home district and town. GEEEEZZZZ-Trashy.
Obama's family and values to not represent those of most hard-working, honest Americans.
Obama has more dirt in his background than some people in jail.

Posted by: Mary | Sep 5, 2008 3:39:21 PM

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