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Palin Silent on Supreme Court Question

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October 01, 2008 7:53 PM

ABC News' Ariane de Vogue Reports: In an interview with CBS's Katie Couric on "The Evening News" Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin could not cite a Supreme Court decision she thinks was wrongly decided besides Roe v. Wade.

In the interview, Palin refereed vaguely to the "great history of America" but neglects to mention some of the most historic decisions that have troubled many Americans.

A few example might be:

--Dred Scott v. Sanford 1857 which held that blacks--slaves or free--could not be or become U.S. citizens
--Plessy v. Ferguson 1896 the court upheld racial segregation under the doctrine separate but equal
--Korematsu v. United States 1944 upheld the internment orders for Americans of Japanese descent during World War II

The vice presidential candidate seemed to have forgotten that three months ago she criticized the courts ruling in Exxon Shipping v. Baker which gutted a damages award after the 1989 oil spill. At the time she released a statement saying,

"While the decision brings some degree of closure to Alaskans suffering from 19 years of litigation and delay, the Court gutted the jurys decision on punitive damages."

Palin also failed to mention some cases recently decided which have troubled her running mate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. For instance last term, the court overturned a Louisiana law allowing the death penalty for someone who rapes but does not kill a child. McCain said the decision was "an assault on law enforcement efforts to punish these heinous felons."

And McCain called last term's Boumediene decision which found that detainees held in Guantanamo Bay had a constitutional right to challenge their detention in U.S. courts, "One of the worst decisions in the history of this country."

Palin did say she thinks there is an inherent right to privacy in the constitution, a notion that Chief Justice John Roberts shared in his confirmation hearing without commenting directly on Roe.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., who appeared on the Wednesday program in a separate interview, when asked which case he thought was wrongly decided, referred to but did not name United States v. Morrison in which the court overturned portions of the Violence Against Women Act, legislation that Biden had spearheaded.

October 1, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (348)

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Could ANY Obama supporters name one Obama's interview that had ANY substance besides his empty suit?
Think about this, he is very slick ONLY with "printed materials on the teleprompters." Otherwise, he is going to huh, huh, huh, oh, oh, oh...

Posted by: Voter In America | Oct 1, 2008 8:39:04 PM

Well she brought up Roe v. Wade. What did they want? For her to recite the ruling?

Posted by: PalinRocks | Oct 1, 2008 8:39:54 PM

"and, like, such as"

Posted by: rst | Oct 1, 2008 8:41:20 PM

Robert, you seem to know so much about Palin you must go to the same church.....

Posted by: PalinRocks | Oct 1, 2008 8:42:42 PM

liberati: I dislike Katie Couric, but I don't think Gov. Palin is being targeted on account of her sex or her political views.

Gov. Palin is being asked these questions because, until McCain chose her as his running mate, she was unknown outside of Alaska. We still know very little about her.

I guarantee you that if Barak Obama had selected a running mate as little-known as Gov. Palin, he or she would be get the same questions from Couric -- fluff, but an attempt to find out who that person was.

Posted by: Alex | Oct 1, 2008 8:43:00 PM

Neither the so-called journalist and monitor-head Couric or Gibson could carry Palin's dirty underwear. They are so full of themselves. Yet,neither brings much to the table on any given day. Just so much grade b Hollywood fluff.

Posted by: j greenlee | Oct 1, 2008 8:43:11 PM

I can see the moon from my house. I'm now qualified for space walk!!!!

You got to be kidding. Sarah Palin is the most unqualify VP candidate ever. What was McCain thinking. Certaintly not the country first.

Posted by: hoosier | Oct 1, 2008 8:43:43 PM

jimmy carter knew everything and was an ineffective president; obama claims to know everything--so did bush--and the latter was a disaster and i am betting the former would be too. can you define former and latter? who cares if you can? the press is out of control.

Posted by: ron | Oct 1, 2008 8:43:49 PM

Perhaps Joe 6 Pack could not answer that question but for someone who wants to be one of the top two leaders in this country? I find it sickening that she is not capable.
Someone said shame on Couric but there is no shame in knowing and doing your job..unlike Palin who can't do her's apparently. Reach a little too far there Queen of the Moose hunters?

Posted by: Debbie | Oct 1, 2008 8:47:33 PM

To you think tanks who believe this is another example of "gotcha journalism", what is so wrong about asking a VP candidate about past supreme court decisions? As someone who could conceivably become the President, don't you think it might be just a teeny weeny bit fair to ask her which decisions she might be in agreement with-particularly if she might have to one day appoint a justice or two? Nevermind, I'm just happy that she actually knew what the supreme court is. Have our standards for a candidate's insight and interest into national /world affairs sunk so far that we are okay with electing this no subtance cardboard cutout to the whitehouse?

Posted by: cbot2255 | Oct 1, 2008 8:47:39 PM

she could have cited Gore vs. Bush
a decision that has resulted in the bankrupting of America, an unnecessary war, and a President who now has the lowest level of approval in the history of the USA.

Posted by: Gus | Oct 1, 2008 8:48:05 PM

in miranda v arizona the supreme court ruled that those arrested must be read their rights. is this an absolute right? must the police read one's rights in every arrest? cameras blaring, millions watching...now you answer.

Posted by: ron | Oct 1, 2008 8:49:00 PM

Robert, sweetie I'm simply commenting on your asute personal knowledge of who Gov. Palin is. I figured if you knew that much about her you probably know her on a social level such as church outings and whatnot....

Posted by: PalinRocks | Oct 1, 2008 8:49:41 PM

time is up. the police are only obligated to read suspects their rights in felony cases. that is seventh grade social studies....and you didn't know it. what has this world come to?

Posted by: ron | Oct 1, 2008 8:51:17 PM

Voter in America,

It appears that you are a Palin supporter. Can you name something Palin said is intelligent in any interview she gave??

BTW, she did give a great speech that Bush's writer wrote for her during the GOP convention.

Posted by: A Voter | Oct 1, 2008 8:54:05 PM

Palin is woefully unqualified and unprepared for the office of vice-president. I am truly embarrassed for John McCain for picking this woman. She is a trainwreck.

Posted by: Gina | Oct 1, 2008 8:56:06 PM

For those of you who think this is gotcha journalism, how'd you feel about Palin's inability to name a single newspaper or magazine that reads regularly? Still more gothca? Quit apologizing and admit it: she's not qualified. She lacks the kind of curiosity about our country that is frighteningly on par with the person whose seat she seaks (and for those Palin apologists who think I just made a gaffe, think about who's really been running the joint up there the last 8 years and who's just been along for the photo-ops).

Posted by: Paul | Oct 1, 2008 8:56:48 PM

McCain's pick for V.P. is an embarrassment, and while the rest of the free world shakes its head in amazement we all shake in our boots at the spectre of this shrill,snotty airhead's finger on the nuclear button. God help America

Posted by: thorninurside | Oct 1, 2008 8:59:10 PM

Palin called herself a "Federalist". Isn't that the exact opposite of what she was trying to say. A Federalist is for a strong central government; not each state deciding its own laws. But then I'm not running for VP.

Posted by: bill | Oct 1, 2008 9:00:09 PM

Well Palin says it is a States issue then in the same breath she says she is a Federalist in repect to THAT ISSUE. She doesn’t even know what she is a blabben at Ya…
Federalist
Specifically: (a) Composed of states or districts which retain only a subordinate and limited sovereignty

Posted by: Kim | Oct 1, 2008 9:00:30 PM

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