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Palin Hasn’t Spoken to McCain in ‘Weeks’; Says ‘Department of Law’ Would Protect Her in White House
July 07, 2009 12:49 PM
ABC News’ Kate Snow and Rick Klein report:
A few more tidbits from ABC News’ interview with Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, shed light on her thinking surrounding her decision to announce her resignation -- and on her relationship with her former running mate.
Palin told Kate Snow that she didn’t give Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a head’s up about her bombshell announcement to leave her seat early.
Asked about the last time she spoke with him, she responded only that she “left him a message a couple of weeks ago” when Exxon announced June 11 that it would work to build a natural gas pipeline in Alaska.
Asked about whether she touched base with him in advance of Friday’s resignation announcement, Palin responded:
“Didn’t tell him I was going to do this, but he is very astute, he is very sharp, he knew too that the distractions in the state -- he knows me well enough to know that I am wired to not want to waste any time or any kind of resource. I want to get the job done.”
Asked if McCain would have had an inkling about her intentions, she responded, “don’t know if he could sense [that she was going to resign], but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he knows why I did it, and he knows how much I love Alaska. He and probably everybody else gets sick and tired of hearing how much I love Alaska.”
McCain didn’t put out a statement until the day after her Friday announcement. The statement read: “I have the greatest respect and affection for Sarah, Todd, and their family. I was deeply honored to have her as my running mate and believe she will continue to play an important leadership role in the Republican Party and our nation.”
Palin thanked McCain for his support in a Facebook posting over the weekend, and again in yesterday’s interview.
Snow also asked Palin whether, if she runs for president, she could avoid the “political blood sport” she cited as among the reasons she wanted to leave office.
“I don’t think it will be the day after day after day of ethics violation charges that are frivolous, that are ridiculous. I think on a national level your department of law there in the White House would look at this, the things we have been charged with, and automatically throw them out, not make somebody hire their own personal attorney to get out there and fight.”
There is no “department of law” at the White House, though Palin appears to have been referring to the White House counsel’s office.
--Kate Snow and Rick Klein
July 7, 2009 in Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain | Permalink | Share | User Comments (91)
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Why would anyone take this lady seriously is beyond me...She is all celebrity and no substance...the kind of person conservatives rail against. I guess they tout her because she is "regular folk" and like them. Man, I know plenty of regular folk I wouldn't want to run a Seven Eleven let alone a state.
Posted by: indy_voter | Jul 7, 2009 1:15:32 PM
Kate, Rick,
The point of this story is ... ?
Posted by: Terry | Jul 7, 2009 1:25:42 PM
Alaska has a Department of Law! Hope this keeps the Palin Bashers at bay and also helps the news people who don't know the judicial setup in Alaska!
Posted by: roger | Jul 7, 2009 1:32:58 PM
Hey Roger, if Alaska has a Department of Law, how was it that she still wasn't protected from all those "baseless" ethics complaints?
Posted by: elsie | Jul 7, 2009 1:39:31 PM
The point of this story is to make fun of Palin's reference to the 'department of law'. And yes, they succeeded -- I did chuckle! Palin is a ridiculous person. I know the type because I work around one just like her. Unaware of what she doesn't know.
Posted by: hang | Jul 7, 2009 1:44:16 PM
I absolutely hate ABC - this great lady is telling her story - so what do you do? Grab onto the department of law to demean and humiliate her. She has used that term in other interviews due to Alaska's department of law.
OMG - I wish ABC would just shut down!!!!
Posted by: jlpillinois | Jul 7, 2009 1:44:44 PM
ABC you are ignorant!!!
Posted by: jlpillinois | Jul 7, 2009 1:46:28 PM
One last word - what happened to your ratings ABC????
Posted by: jlpillinois | Jul 7, 2009 1:47:54 PM
What a moron.
Posted by: Matt | Jul 7, 2009 2:01:49 PM
Having lived in Alaska for over 20 years, SP is widely known for her gaffes. She is simply running while the running is good. CYA Sarah!
Posted by: mollymac | Jul 7, 2009 2:15:52 PM
There is no “department of law” at the White House, though Palin appears to have been referring to ... (Who knows ?!)
She is such a buffoon.
THANK GOD she is not our V.P. right now.
Just go ahead and leave already.
Posted by: Carl | Jul 7, 2009 2:23:54 PM
Unbelievable - she keeps on going and going, and speaking, speaking and saying nothing.
If its about the criticism of her family, who put them out there???? If its about ethics, then she should have watched what she was doing, and not denying everything.
It's amazing that she has any supporters now, and if she does WHY. To quit in mid office because of what her reasons are. What would she do as President?????
Posted by: smt | Jul 7, 2009 2:25:41 PM
She quit her job as city councilwoman to run for mayor of Wasilla. She quit her job as mayor of Wasilla to run for lieutenant governor. She quit her job as the head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to run for governor. And now she's quitting her job as governor to ... be a private citizen? Right.
The speculation is that, rather than returning to being a private citizen, Palin aspires to the presidency. Good luck.
Palin "Chavez called me satin, I quit thr presidency"
Posted by: watching | Jul 7, 2009 2:28:54 PM
I didn't think it was actually possible for the Republicans to find someone DUMBER than Dubya - but they did.
Thank you G.O.P. - thank you for giving us Sarah Palin.
Posted by: Carl | Jul 7, 2009 2:52:42 PM
Did you hear that there is a new race in Alaska ?
Yeah, it's called the "I-quit-arod".
You go halfway from Nome to Anchorage, then you quit, and blame it on the media.
(HAHAHA)
Posted by: Carl | Jul 7, 2009 2:54:28 PM
I simply cannot vote for my Republicans again until someone in the party gets a clue and calls this train-wreck what it is. It pains me to see the GOP in the grips of an ignorant, fanatical "base": The uneducated religious-wing who cheer for an incompetent, unqualified woman all because she's 'sassy.' Seriously, wake up and let's get someone qualified on the ballot.
Posted by: Paul | Jul 7, 2009 3:02:20 PM
And Obama just called Putin "President Putin". Putin is the Russian Prime Minister, not president. But, that's okay, because he's a liberal. Huh!
Posted by: lgccac | Jul 7, 2009 3:18:13 PM
Thank goodness we've got the super-brilliant genius Joe Biden instead.
Posted by: Jim Treacher | Jul 7, 2009 3:21:18 PM
How many states in the Union, Obama?
Posted by: jlpillinois | Jul 7, 2009 3:37:11 PM
"I think on a national level your department of law there in the White House would look at this, the things we have been charged with, and automatically throw them out, not make somebody hire their own personal attorney to get out there and fight."
was she not paying attention during the clinton years? they got accused of anything and everything the neocons could think of to throw at them, and they had to defend themselves against every bit of it for the eight years he was president and beyond. she really needs to get over the idea that she has been treated differently than other people in politics, or really, the public eye in general.
and if she wants to be left alone, all she has to do is quit inviting reporters and cameras into her life (like she did on her fishing trip).
Posted by: justsane | Jul 7, 2009 3:44:27 PM
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