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Palin a Diva? Ruffled Feathers in McCain Camp
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ShareOctober 25, 2008 11:07 PM
ABC News’ Kate Snow and Imtiyaz Delawala report: While Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin often speaks on the campaign trail of having “ruffled feathers” during her time as governor of Alaska, the Republican vice presidential nominee appears to have ruffled feathers within the McCain camp.
Aides to Sen. John McCain anonymously attacked Palin in several reports today, criticizing the Alaska governor for diverting from the McCain campaign’s message, suggesting Palin was unhappy with certain campaign aides and accusing her of thinking more about her political future than about the success of the McCain-Palin ticket.
In an interview with CNN today, one McCain adviser anonymously called Palin “a diva” and said “she is playing for her own future” political prospects.
“She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone,” the advisor told CNN. “She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else. Also she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: divas trust only unto themselves as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom.”
Another McCain aide anonymously told The Politico that Palin has been “going rogue” by criticizing strategic decisions by the McCain campaign, such as their use of robocalls against Sen. Barack Obama in recent weeks, and the decision to pull out of the state of Michigan in early October.
The report in Politico cited tensions between the Palin and McCain camps, saying that Palin had become frustrated with McCain top advisors Steve Schmidt and Nicole Wallace. The two aides were key in formulating the early media strategy for Palin, limiting her to two major interviews with network news anchors Charles Gibson and Katie Couric –- both of which were widely criticized.
Schmidt and Wallace do not regularly travel with Palin, although they have during critical moments, including when she returned to Alaska for her first network interview with ABC’s Gibson, and during her week of secluded debate preparation at McCain’s ranch in Sedona, Arizona.
Wallace told ABC News today, "If folks want to lay this at my feet and throw me under the bus, my belief is that the graceful thing to do is to lie there.”
Since the early limiting of Palin’s exposure to the media, Palin has now become far more accessible, answering questions from the traveling press twice last weekend, as well as conducting regular interviews with local television stations, conservative media outlets, and national news organizations with greater frequency in recent weeks.
Last Sunday, Palin took part in an impromptu media availability with traveling press on the tarmac of the Colorado Springs, Colo., airport -- without giving advance notice to her own advisers.
When Palin walked off the plane in Colorado Springs, the Alaska governor headed towards local television cameras on her own to answer questions, where she was quickly swarmed by national media.
One high-level McCain aide defended the decision to hold back on more exposure of Palin to the press in the early weeks after the Republican National Convention.
“I don't regret the campaign making those decisions,” the aide told ABC News, saying nothing would have changed if Palin had given a press conference in the early stages of the campaign.
"Sarah Palin is treated the way Sarah Palin is treated,” the aide said of media criticism of the Alaska governor.
The McCain aide also disputed the notion that Palin has been freelancing for the benefit of her own political fortunes, saying she has been a “team player” through the general election. The aide also defended the decisions that have been made in the Palin campaign, and says the criticism being tossed at the vice presidential nominee now are what happens as the campaign faces potentially losing the election.
Palin spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt responded to the Politico report Saturday morning, telling reporters aboard the Palin campaign plane in Sioux City, Iowa, that “unnamed sources with their own agenda will say what they want, but from Governor Palin down, we have one agenda, and that's to win on Election Day."
Another Palin aide said late today that the governor was aware of the reports of infighting on her staff and comments about her but had shrugged it off.
"She saw it and laughed and said, 'OK now where's our next rally?'" the aide said. The aide said Palin is focused on the next nine days and has shown no sign of preparing for a political future beyond the prospect of being vice president.
October 25, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (431)
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Malarkey. Sarah's ALL about Sarah.
Posted by: Lisa | Oct 25, 2008 11:14:53 PM
What would the day be like if we didn't have another negative Palin article. Sounds like a liberal media hit piece to me.
Posted by: Shelley | Oct 25, 2008 11:26:45 PM
They created a dumb monster and the laugh is on the GOP for bringing her to the national scene!
Posted by: Timko | Oct 25, 2008 11:30:05 PM
I'm shocked! Just shocked.
Posted by: doug | Oct 25, 2008 11:31:20 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA
Now THAT'S funny!
Posted by: See Ya Diva! | Oct 25, 2008 11:32:31 PM
You can put a designer original on an Alaska moose hunter but it is still an Alaska moose hunter
Posted by: Rose Szymanski | Oct 25, 2008 11:39:31 PM
You mean it just now dawned on them the she is running for president and not vice president some one better clue her in on the job she is applying for. It isn't a beauty contest.
Posted by: Rose Szymanski | Oct 25, 2008 11:42:08 PM
CNN: "In an interview with CNN today, one McCain adviser anonymously called Palin “a diva” and said “she is playing for her own future” political prospects."
----------------------------------
Anonymously?
And you have the audacity CNN - you the self proclaimed "most trusted news on television" - to waste your time on something like this (based on anonymous sources)! What happened to "it is the economy, stupid", hah??
Come on hypocrites of CNN...For weeks now you been trying to tell us that character and judgement (Obama's) are NOT important.
Of course, in your opinion - you pigs with the lipstick - decided that Palin's character and judgement are far more important than the character and judgement of the man, who is running for President! (top of the ticket, man...)
Jon Clown - as in Jon Klein - President of CNN - you and your "comrades" are nothing more than a bunch of biased partisan MORONS!
JON CLOWN; Leadership starts at the top. You and your "24-hour-news-for-dummies-network" are a disgrace to serious journalism.
You get it, baby??
P.S. My regards to Ms. Brownose!
Posted by: Natasha | Oct 25, 2008 11:45:31 PM
Well it looks as if she is hitting home with a lot of people. New poll out by one of the reliable pollsters. Keep it up Sarah!
ZOGBY SUNDAY: Single day of polling, 49% to 46% in favor of Obama... Developing...
Posted by: chuck | Oct 25, 2008 11:50:15 PM
What do you expect? McCain is doomed to defeat. He's down 10 in the latest composite of the trackers:
http://demockracy.com/tracking-poll-update-10-days-to-go/
What do you expect Palin to do. She obviously cares about her future. I say--go ahead, nominate her in 20012 and lose by even more. Go for it GOP!
Posted by: Kevin | Oct 25, 2008 11:50:52 PM
OK I am starting to get po'ed about this "liberal media" crap that the nut jobs blame for ALL their own damn mistakes ...
You ALL know McCain had a lapse of judgment when he picked this Palin woman and NO amount of "liberal media" bashing is going to mask that HUGE mistake ...
The media (aside from Faux) are looking out for the Nation as a whole and PUTTING COUNTRY FIRST, unlike some other nut jobs that exist in this country ...
Posted by: Blogger | Oct 25, 2008 11:50:58 PM
There you have it, McCain chose a person just like him, a mavarick! and now she's beign all mavericky all over him...
Posted by: Paul P. | Oct 25, 2008 11:51:51 PM
Palin is a ambitious person and I also suspect impatient. Arriving from Alaska and jumping aboard a speeding train must have been exhilarating. Such a transition played into her ambitions with no time to acquaint herself with the campaign, its people and details. It is apparent McCain brought her on board to firm segments of the base and to attract Clinton supporters. She did the first, missed on the second and now has become a huge negative for the McCain campaign. Palin's shallowness is remarkable and John McCain is the making of his own failing campaign effort. Of course in Republican land, its never the principal person who makes the bad choices, its the media, its this or that, its always something other than themselves.
Posted by: Lou R | Oct 25, 2008 11:52:07 PM
Gee, you have Biden talking about how he
has forgotten more foreign policy knowledge then his colleagues have ever known and alot of "me", "me", "me".
He tells us right before the election there will be a international crisis intended to test Obama and that we probably are not going to like the way the Obama administration will handle it but we should stick in there and be supportive. Say what? Of course he reassures us that he will be there. An occasional gaffe is no big deal and some of his gaffes have been pretty funny but he's beginning to look as erratic and impulsive as McCain does-
maybe it's age or maybe there needs to be more reviewal of his medical records.
Personally, I don't want to see Palin or Biden in a position to steer the ship and thumbs down to both Obama and McCain on their VP choices.
Posted by: Melissa | Oct 25, 2008 11:52:40 PM
Sarah Palin is all for herself...
In her administration, she would not allow anyone in her staff to talk to the media, she was the only one allowed to do so.
She is a person who needs to be the center of attention and in the spotlight constantly.
Let her be a rogue (by the way isn't that the reason she said she fired Walt Monegon ?) the more she talks the more damage she does to herself.
She has gone from accusing Obama of being a socialist to now being a communist... so that in itself tells you alot about how she understands policies.
How about she explains how her pipeline bidding was seriously flawed and now will not be stared for many years, if it ever will be started.
All other news media have been writing about this story except for ABC, they again are giving her a pass.
I say let her talk and then only will we see the true Sarah Palin.
Posted by: lmg | Oct 25, 2008 11:54:26 PM
roll your pant legs up, everybody...it's getting deep!!! this is all bulls***! who are these aids? obambi's aides? just one more may of trying to make everybody think it's over before it's over! they are all busy writing acceptance speeches and preparing for the party in Chicago on election night.
Posted by: robin | Oct 25, 2008 11:55:55 PM
Palin is already thinking about 2012. She knows McCain is going to lose so she is setting herself up for the next 4 years.
Sarah "the Diva" Palin.
Posted by: Joseph | Oct 25, 2008 11:57:12 PM
2012 ain't gonna make her any smarter. Fluff isn't going to turn into brains.She used her executive power illegally as a governor whjat do you think she'd do as president, even now she is going to change the duties of the vice president. This gal better go back and study her high school political science book maybe read what is in it this time.
Posted by: Rose Szymanski | Oct 26, 2008 12:04:35 AM
Palin may be thinking about 2012, but I doubt she will have much of a political career after November.
Posted by: jbd | Oct 26, 2008 12:06:03 AM
let's see....
liar, stupid, carabou barbie, hick, idiot, liar, ignorant, rogue, ditzy, stupid, liar, beauty queen, rotten mother, hypocrit, liar, airhead, loser, devil, careless, over her head, liar, adulterer, neo-con, bible thumper, war monger, ill prepared, corrupt, liar, redneck....those were just in the first two days.
if she jumped off a bridge tomorrow, would you all cheer? really? sad!
Posted by: robin | Oct 26, 2008 12:06:19 AM
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