[big campaign] Media Monitoring Report - Morning 09/18/08

podesta-emails 9,473 words email

P18 P17 P22 V11 V14

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*Main Topics: *Sarah Palin Interviewed, McCain Talks Sports, Palin's False Claims, McCain Flip Flops Summary of Shift: * *The Wall Street financial and housing crisis continues to be issue number 1, both within the media and according to voters. McCain and Obama continue to hit each other on their economic records, with Obama claiming McCain offers nothing more than a continuation of Bush's failed economic policies, and McCain claiming Obama wants to raise taxes. McCain flip-flops on the government bailouts and initial awareness of the housing crisis were scrutinized. But the biggest topic was Sarah Palin, appearing together again with McCain at events in Michigan, and debate over her false claims, popularity as mayor of Wasilla, and her record in Alaska. Palin's personal emails were also victim of hackers who were able to dig up, pretty much nothing interesting about the Governor. All eyes continue to be on Wall Street with no signs of an economic upswing in sight. Bush cancelled a trip South to stay at the White House and address the current situation, assuring American's that the recent Federal bailouts were helpful and necessary. Another military helicopter crashed in Iraq. The US embassy in Yemen was attacked. And the bridge Minnesota bridge that collapsed over a year ago, reopens today. Highlights: 1. Sarah Palin Sits Down for One-on-One Interview on Hannity & Colmes a. FNC: Sarah Palin Interview on Hannity & Colmes: Part I on Wall Street Crisis, Reform, Bailouts b. FNC: Sarah Palin Interview on Hannity & Colmes: Part II on Washington Gridlock, Taxes, Negative Tones c. FNC: Sarah Palin Interview on Hannity & Colmes: Part III on Change, Drilling in ANWR, Energy Independence 2. ESPN2: John McCain Talks Sports Heroes, Steroids Abuse and Government Regulation, and Boxing on ESPN2 3. NBC: Palin Continues to Stack Up False Claims About her Experience and Past 4. NBC: Meredith Vieira Drills Bill Bennett on Palin's False Claims and McCain's Change of Heart Over AIG Bailout 5. ABC: McCain Called Out For Flip-Flopping on Supporting Federal Bailout of AIG and Anticipating Housing Crisis 6. FNC: Author of Palin Biography Talks About Sarah's Meteoric Rise in Political Fame 7. CNN: CNN Investigates Palin's Popularity as Mayor, Her Sports Complex, and the Mistakes She Made 8. CMDY: Stephen Colbert Mocks McCain's Flip-Flop on "Fundamentals" and his Excuses for the Negative Tone of the Campaign Local Highlights: 1. WZZM13-ABC-MI: Local Michigan News Covers Progress Michigan's Protests Surrounding McCain-Palin Townhall, and How Palin Overshadows McCain Highlights – No *Clips*: 1. ABC - JOE BIDEN: "Look, when 82 percent of the people think the country is going in the wrong direction, when the same outfit's been in charge for the last eight years, when you're in a position when you have Wall Street crumbling before our eyes and we hope to God, we prop it up to prevent it from spreading to Main Street like a plague, the idea that they're going to re-elect somebody who doesn't have a fundamental disagreement with George W. Bush on the economy, taxes, healthcare, etc. I'm not nervous at all." 2. FNC - SAM BROWNBACK: "I think Barack Obama has been very consistent, he's been consistently for raising taxes. I don't think that's at all the route you want to go in a soft economy. The other piece is on energy, and the two candidates are very different. And the housing situation and reform of Freddie and Fannie are two things that John McCain's been after for some period of time, he said these things are not having the right kind of motivations, and look what blew up. He was for reforming that system before the thing blew up, before we had all these problems that have now rattled the world markets, and that's the sort of guy that looks at a problem early on as it's developing and says we got to get after it. And he had the right idea of what to do." 3. MSNBC 08:09am: BARACK OBAMA: "John McCain actually said that if he's President he'll take on the 'old boy network'. The old boy network? In the McCain campaign that's called a staff meeting." 4. MSNBC 9:32am: New CBS and New Your Times poll shows that 75% of those polled believe that Palin was chosen as McCain's running mate to win the election while only 17% think she was chosen because she is qualified. Clips: Headline #1 *Sarah Palin Interview on Hannity & Colmes: Part I on Wall Street Crisis, Reform, Bailouts* (FNC 09/18/08 9:04pm) SEAN HANNITY: All right. You said when you were asked to be Senator McCain's running mate that you didn't hesitate, you didn't blink. Tell us about the call when that came. SARAH PALIN: Well, I found out about the actual selection just a couple days before you guys all did. Getting that nod was quite an experience, of course, because I knew that Senator McCain and his team had been doing a heck of a lot of research and vetting of many names. So, of course, just the utmost honor is what I felt when he actually said do you want to help me do this and I said absolutely. Let's get in there and let's reform. Let's shake some things up. HANNITY: What was your family's reaction? Was that time to huddle and have a hockey team meeting? PALIN: It was a time of asking the girls to vote on it anyway. They voted unanimously yes. I didn't bother asking my son because is he going to be off doing his thing anyway so he wouldn't be so impacted by at least the campaign period here. I asked the girls what they thought and they are like absolutely, let's do this, mom. HANNITY: let's talk about, Governor, obviously the economy is on the mind of many Americans. We got Lehman, we got Merrill, we got AIG. Senator Barack Obama was attacking Senator McCain for saying that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. *Do you believe that the fundamentals of our economy are strong?* *PALIN: It was an unfair attack on the verbiage that Senator McCain chose to use. The fundamentals, as he was having to explain afterwards, he means our workforce, he means the ingenuity of the American people, and of course that is strong and that is the foundation of our economy. That was an unfair attack there again, based on verbiage that John McCain used. Certainly, it is a mess though. The economy is a mess. *And there have been abuses on Wall Street. And that adversely effects Main Street. And it's that commitment that John McCain is articulating today, getting in there, reforming the way that Wall Street has been allowed to work. Stopping the abuses and that violation of the public trust that too many ceos and top management of some of these companies, that abuse there has got to stop. It is, somebody was saying this morning, a toxic waste there on Wall Street, effecting Main Street, and we have got to cure this. HANNITY: Through reform? PALIN: Through reform, absolutely. Look at the oversight that has been lack, I believe. Here it's a 1930s type of regulatory regime overseeing some of these corporations. We have got to get a more coordinated and more stringent oversight regime. *Not that government is going to be solely looked to for the answers in all of the problems in Wall Street, but government can play a very, very appropriate role in the oversight as people are trusting these companies* with their life savings, with their investments, with their insurance policies and construction bonds and everything else. When we see the collapse that we are seeing today, you know that something's broken and John McCain has a great plan to get in there and fix it. HANNITY: Is senator Obama then using what happened on Wall Street this week, is he using it for political gain? Is there a danger of a presidential candidate is saying to the world that America's situation, economic crisis is the worst that we have seen in decades? Which were words that he was using yesterday? Is there a danger in terms of the world hearing that? PALIN: Well, there is a danger in allowing some obsessive partisanship to get into the issue that we are talking about today. That's something that John McCain, too, his track record proving that he can work both sides of the aisle, he can surpass the partisanship that must be surpassed to deal with an issue like this. It is that profound and that important an issue that we work together on this and not just let one party try to kind of grab it all, capture it all and pretend like they have all the answers. It's going to take everybody working together on this. HANNITY: Who is responsible for these failing institutions in your view? PALIN: I think the corruption on Wall Street, that is to blame, and that violation of the public trust. And that contract that should be inherent in corporations who are spending, investing other people's money, the abuse of that is what has got to stop. It's a matter, too, of some of these ceos and top management people and shareholders, too, not holding that management accountable, being addicted to, we call it opium. Opm, other people's money. Spending that investing that, not using the prudence that we expect of them. But, here again, government has got to play an appropriate role in the stringent oversight, making sure that those abuses stop. HANNITY: You know, both you and Senator McCain supported the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. You both opposed the bailout or government intervention as it relates to Lehman or Merrill but now we read this morning that AIG is going to get some type of government bailout. Was that the right call? PALIN: Well, you know, first Fannie and Freddie, different because quasigovernment agencies there where government had to step in because the adverse impacts all across our nation, especially with home owners is too impacting. We had to step in there. I do not like the idea of taxpayers being used to bail out these corporations. Today, with AIG, important call there though because of the construction bonds and the insurance carrier duties of AIG. But, first and foremost, taxpayers cannot be looked to as the bailout, as the solution to the problems on Wall Street. HANNITY: How connected is it, though, to Washington? You have 354 lawmakers got money from Fannie and Freddie. 354. If you look at the years from 1989 to 2008, second top recipient was senator Barack Obama. Should there be an investigation in terms of the relationship between the political donations and then, of course, the bankruptcy that ensued and the impact on the economy? PALIN: I think that's significant but even more significant is the role that the lobbyists play in an issue like this, also. And in that cronyism. It's systematic of what we can see right now in Washington, and that is just that acceptance of the status quo, the politics as usual, the cronyism that has been allowed to be accepted and then leads us to a position like we are today with so much collapse on Wall Street. That's the reform that we have got to get in there and make sure that this happens. *We have got to put government and these regulatory agencies back on the side of the people. It's what John McCain and I, we have very consistent track records showing that we are capable and we are willing to do this, ruffling feathers along the way, but it's what we are expected to do and what we are promising to do. * *Sarah Palin Interview on Hannity & Colmes: Part II on Washington Gridlock, Taxes, Negative Tones *(FNC 09/17/08 9:15pm) SEAN HANNITY: You have you talked about Senator McCain has talked about you want to eliminate earmarks, that you want to reduce government spending, that you want to keep taxes low, you want to reform government. You have used the term reform a lot. Senator McCain has used the term reform a lot. Many people have gone to Washington and they have made these promises, especially when it comes to cutting spending and it doesn't happen. How do you make this happen? Look how partisan it is in Washington right now. How do you get that accomplished? SARAH PALIN: Yeah, it's gridlock and that's ridiculous. That's why we don't have an energy policy. That's why there has not been reform of the abuse of the earmark process. Real reform is tough and you do ruffle feathers along the way. *But, John McCain has that streak of independence in him that I think is very, very important in America, today in our leadership. I have that within me, also. That's why John McCain tapped me to be a team of mavericks, independents coming in there without the allegiances to that cronyism, to that good old boy system. I'm certainly a Washington outsider, and I'm proud of that because I think that that is what we need also, as a team member on this new team promising the reform. Reform that actually happens is tough. You can't just talk about it, you can't just talk about your years of experience in a system, in a bureaucratic system. You have to show example. And what I have done is have been able to show example as a mayor cutting taxes every year that I was in office, as a governor now, suspending our fuel tax recently, getting our handle on the state's budget in Alaska, growing the surplus so that we can return that surplus right back to the people of Alaska, which we have recently done.* HANNITY: The people of Alaska get, for example, there is no income tax, there is no sales tax in Alaska. PALIN: There are in individual communities. HANNITY: But no state sales tax. The average citizen, if I was a resident of Alaska, you would write me a check every year for $2,069 dollars? PALIN: Depending on how the stock market is doing over the last five years, an average. HANNITY: And then you also gave recently an extra check for $1,200? PALIN: I did because the price of a barrel of oil is so high right now that state coffers is growing but the family's checkbook is being disseminated because of the high cost of energy. HANNITY: I have to move to Alaska. New York taxes are killing me. PALIN: Well, what we are doing up there, though, is returning a share of resource development dollars back to the people who own the resources. In our constitution up there mandates that as you develop resources it's to be for the maximum benefit of the people, not the corporations, not the government, but the people of Alaska. HANNITY: Senator Obama on the campaign trail and Senator Biden as well, they often criticize John McCain that his plan, he is going to continue the policies of tax cuts for the wealthy. For those that maybe buy into that class warfare agreement or think why shouldn't the rich pay more, my question is the converse. Why does everyone benefit if the rich pays less or if everybody pays less in taxes? Why is that good for the economy? PALIN: That is a great question. And everybody does benefit when government takes less from the people, no matter what their income bracket is because our businesses then and our families are able to keep more of what they are earning, reinvest in what they have as priorities. That's how jobs are created and that's how we are going to grow our economy. *Let me talk really quickly about our opponent's position on taxes. Barack Obama has had 94 opportunities to be on the side of the American taxpayer and 94 times he has chosen to be on the opposite side. He could have either voted for tax cuts or at least not for tax increases. And 94 times, he has chosen, I believe, the wrong position on those.* HANNITY: That's going to be a key issue in this campaign. Things have gotten pretty heated in the campaign trail, especially in the last two days. Two weeks where I think you were the focus of the attack. Now it seems that the focus of the attack is Senator McCain. Do you think these attacks and ratcheting up these attacks by Barack Obama, I don't know if you had a chance to see his speech yesterday and by Senator Biden, do you think these attacks will be effective? *PALIN: I think the American people are getting down to the facts. And they are looking at voting records and they are looking at allegiances and they are looking at what a vision is that each candidate holds and is sharing with the American people. And there is such stark contrast between Barack Obama and Senator John McCain.* And happy to talk about those contrasts because this is what it's all about. People are interested in what the issues are that are affecting their daily lives, Americans are. They want to know that government is going to be put back on the side of the people, and that it will be their will implemented in their government. The people of America realize that inherently all political power is inherent in the people. And government is to be implemented, policies are, on behalf of the people and the will that they desire that their government engage in. You can't underestimate the wisdom of the people of America. They are seeing through the rhetoric and they are seeing through a lot of the political cheap shots also. They are getting down to the facts and the voting records that are going to show that stark contrast. *Sarah Palin Interview on Hannity & Colmes: Part III on Change, Drilling in ANWR, Energy Independence *(FNC 09/17/08 9:20pm) SEAN HANNITY: Explain when you were governor and as governor of Alaska how you took on your own party. You still have a very high approval rating but there are people that still weren't happy about it. How did you take on your own party, specifically, and do you think you would be able to do that as well in Washington? SARAH PALIN: Well, I just recognized up there, as John McCain talks about on the campaign trail, also. It doesn't matter which party it is that is just kind of creating this good old boy network and the cronyism and allowing excessive partisanship of getting in the way of doing what's right of the people who are to be served. I just recognize that it's not just the other person party, sometimes it's our own party that starts taking advantage of the people. I felt compelled to do something about it. I decided to run for office, I got in there, and with that mandate that I believe the people had just given me, via their vote, they expected the changes to take place, that reform and we are living up to that as we do, we are ruffling feathers. HANNITY: Have Republicans in Washington lost their way in recent years? *PALIN: I believe that the Republicans in Washington have got to understand the people in America are not fully satisfied with all the dealings within the party. The same applies though for the other party, also. Americans are just getting sick and tired of the old politics as usual, that embracing of the status quo. Going with the flow and just assuming that the people of America are not noticing that we have opportunity for good change. *We have opportunity for a healthier, safer, more prosperous and energy-independent nation at this time. People are getting tired of a process that's not allowing that process, that progress to be ushered in. HANNITY: Governor, you have spoken with Senator McCain about your specific role in the McCain administration? PALIN: I sure have and very excited about the role that I will play as his partner. And I will focus on energy independence and reform overall of Washington and tax cuts for Americans and reigning in spending. HANNITY: These are specific roles that you have already talked about, that you will take on as vice president? PALIN: Yeah, absolutely. And I would like to talk about each one of them. I wish we had hours to talk about each one of these also. Because another thing that we will talk about also, is a role that I will play also, that is very near and dear too my heart, and that's helping families with special needs children and being able to strengthen the National Institute of Health and also find cures for presently incurable diseases. But first and foremost, an energy independent nation, we must get their, Sean. It is a matter of national security and of our future prosperity being able to quit relying on foreign sources of energy to feed our hungry markets. When we have the American supplies, we have the American ingenuity. We have the American workers to produce these supplies of energy. HANNITY: Let me ask you, Americans heard, for example, a lot of information, false information, misinformation, or incorrect information on ANWR. Some have said the drilling there is going to hurt the animals, it's going to ruin the environment; hurt the environment, hurt the landscape. It's clear, I have heard you talk passionately about your love for the state of Alaska. Why then would you support drilling in Alaska? Why would that be a good thing? Why would you want to do that? PALIN: I support drilling in Alaska because it's going to be good for our nation and our nation's. HANNITY: Including ANWR? PALIN: Absolutely. ANWR is a 2000-acre plot of land in about a 20,000,000-acre plot of land. It's about the size of LAX, that platform of land that we would need to explore. But no secret, John McCain and I agree to disagree on that one. I'm going to continue to keep working on him. HANNITY: Have you had discussions with him on that? PALIN: I have, we have. HANNITY: Is he softening? PALIN: I'm very, very encouraged, as we all understand, that John McCain knows, more so than any other leader in our nation today, that for national security reasons we must be an energy-independent nation. We must start taking the steps to get there. that's why he has embraced offshore drilling. That's why he has embraced the idea of the alternative fuels also. And I will keep working on him with ANWR. HANITY: There you go. There will be some spirited discussion, I assume, in the administration. PALIN: Sure, the nice thing about him, too, is he is not asking me or anybody else to check our opinions at the door. He wants that healthy deliberation and debate within. HANNITY: And you've talked about that too? PALIN: We sure have. It's been refreshing. HANNITY: T. Boone Pickens said we have a $700 billion-dollar annual transfer of wealth, we are importing 70% of our oil. Do you view this as a national security issue, an economic security issue? PALIN: Both. HANNITY: What is the impact for Americans down the road if we don't do something to solve our energy dependence? PALIN: Right. In that $700 billion-dollar transfer of wealth, that's when the price of oil was up as high as it was there at the $140 mark. *But, of course, that transfer of wealth still, that imbalance of trade is something that we need to tackle, also. Those dollars should be circulating within our own economy. It's a matter of national security. It is a matter of our future prosperity. Energy is inherently linked to security and prosperity.*More and more Americans are recognizing this, also. You can see the constituents putting pressure on Congress, to come on Congress, get rid of that gridlock that you are so engaged in now. We sort of have a do-nothing Senate right now where nobody is wanting to really pick up the ball and run with it and take the steps that we have to take to become more energy-independent. *And it's going to take a whole-a change in leadership to really crush that gridlock and get going on this.* Headline #2 *John McCain Talks Sports Heroes, Steroids Abuse and Government Regulation, and Boxing on ESPN2* (ESPN2 09/18/08 9:27am) JOHN MCCAIN: Good morning, Mike and Mike. Not only do I have to listen to you all the time, but I see you all the time, which is really an insult on the senses. So I'm really glad to be back on your show. Thanks for keeping everybody informed. I know there's a lot to talk about including the Arizona Cardinals being 2-0 for first time since 1991, I believe, if your fact checkers are in. So interesting times. MIKE GOLIC: Certainly, because that was my thought. I lived in Arizona for a while. So I thought, ok, what question do I want to ask? I want to ask something relevant to Arizona, or maybe relevant to the economy, the Lehman brothers. Maybe something with foreign affairs. Then I thought to myself, I don't really know anything about any of that stuff. So I figured I'd ask with your busy schedule right now, let's talk about it. How much do you get to see the Cardinals or Diamondbacks? *How much do you get to pay attention to that stuff?* *MCCAIN: I pay close attention. It's frankly a great diversion and way for me to relax in this very heavy schedule. It's very heavy, let's face it. But staying involved and keeping up with all that's going on in the world of sports, including listening to you guys all the time is a great way for me, frankly, to have a little relaxation.* By the way, Mike Golic, you and I go back to Arizona. I remember being with you several times back when you were there. I think it's a great way for me to relax and rest and enjoy and keep up and having been a mediocre high school athlete, there's nobody I admire more than some these athletes, including some great performances, like the Dallas-Eagles game the other night. Incredible. MIKE GREENBERG: We thought we would ask that, because we know that at one time, you were an athlete and a boxer, and things like that growing up. People would be curious to hear. Who were your sports heroes when you were young? Who were the athletes that you revered? MCCAIN: A lot of them, and they are role models and that's why I think we ought to make better use of them in these interesting and difficult times. But ted Williams was one of my greatest heroes because he was not only a fantastic and superb athlete, he also served in the United States Marine Corps in World War II and in the Korean War. He joined the Marine Reserves, he was a Marine pilot. And when the Korean War broke out, he was called back up. You could imagine what his record would have been if he hadn't have lost three or four seasons of the prime of his career. Remarkable. By the way, he didn't like being called up, but he did. He went back and he flew. And he flew with courage and bravery and he served his country. By the way, John Glenn told me one time that Ted Williams was the best natural pilot that he had ever flown with. They flew together in the Korean War. He's an incredible pilot, because, obviously the skills he played in baseball. I don't want to bore you with stories, but very quickly, Ted Williams was flying a Marine Corps jet in the Korean War, his plane was hit, on fire, and rather than eject he landed at an airfield, wheels up. A fantastic and incredible fete of aviation skills. I had the opportunity of meeting and spending some time with him one time and I asked him, I said, why did you want eject from your airplane? Why did you risk your life by landing it? He said, "I looked at the canopy, a metal canopy, then I looked at my knees. And I knew if I ejected, I would break my knee and maybe never play baseball again." GOLIC: There has been a convergence of sports and the government. We've seen the congressional hearings with the performance enhancing drugs and spygate and that. *What role do you think government should play in regulating the sports leagues?* *MCCAIN: As little as possible. Mike, there's always unintended consequences as well as intended consequences. I very reluctantly got into the steroid thing. But it was very clear that both the players union and the owners weren't going to be doing anything. The American people were becoming very disillusioned.* But I don't think that the government should get in. we can because of the antitrust exemption for baseball and other sports. But I'm reluctant for that to happen. I've always tried to stay away from it. The sports ought to be able to sort these things out. But, by the way, there's one area I've always been interested in. I'm sorry that I failed, not legislatively but for the good of the sport. *I believe boxers, professional boxers, need to have a union, because I think they're the most exploited athletes in professional sports.* GREENBERG: You have mentioned that many times. Been very public about that. I remember you going back and forth a little bit with Don Fehr, the head of the baseball players union. How would you describe him as a competitor in a debate scenario versus some of the other people you've debated with? MCCAIN: He's very good. He's excellent. He represents his clients. And he does an outstanding job. I've been frustrated, obviously, at the pace of their cooperation in that area. But I like Don Fehr, I've known him for many years. And I respect but am frustrated sometimes by the lack of progress. But we're moving in the right direction. I've watched you guys discuss this all the time, but there's somebody in a lab somewhere that's trying to invent something that will give somebody an edge so it's not something that will ever be really addressed adequate, totally. Maybe adequately but not totally. GOLIC: Yup. They are always going to stay one step ahead of the curve, it seems. We mentioned you being a boxing fan, there's a sport now, the m.m.a. phenomenon out there is really, I think it's overtaken boxing in popularity. I know you've had some comments on that as well. How well is that sport being regulated? MCCAIN: Better. I think it's better than it was. It's a little bit worrisome. *You know, you've got to respect also what the American people want to watch. I just want to make sure that athletes are not harmed, and some of these sports that we see, "extreme sports" and others are somewhat dangerous. But, you know, we live in a free country.* GREENBERG: A final thought for me would be your Arizona Diamondbacks, the team that you've certainly been known to root for. Won the World Series in 2001. That was an unforgettable world series in so many ways with the Yankees involved and it coming still within the shadow of the tragedies of September 11. I know that you were there for a lot of that, I think people will be curious to hear your recollections of it and maybe more to the point, cause Mike and I really experienced this here on our show, what role you felt sports played in the healing process for the country. That series and sports in general played in the healing process during that time. MCCAIN: I went to every game. It was memorable. It was an incredible series. I'll never forget being in our stadium in Phoenix and Rudy Giuliani sitting next to me with a Yankees hat on. As you know, he's the most avid Yankees fan, as everybody knows. They showed his face on the jumb-o-tron and nearly 50,000 people stood and cheered and cheered and cheered and cheered. America was united and he was America's mayor. And Americans reunited. We need a little more of that today. GOLIC: Well said. I have to ask you. A little earlier on the show, I'm just wondering your reaction, I put a live lobster in front of Greeny and he ran off the set. He literally ran off the set. I'm wondering what kind of reaction you would have to that. MCCAIN: Well, I would try to find someplace to throw him on the grill. […] Headline #3 *Palin Continues to Stack Up False Claims About her Experience and Past *(NBC 09/18/08 07:12am) SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Her running mate has said she knows more about energy than anyone in America: JOHN MCCAIN: She knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America. GUTHRIE: And in her first television interview since being nominated, Sarah Palin herself said this: SARAH PALIN: As the Governor of this state that produces nearly 20% of the US domestic supply of energy. GUTHRIE: A remark she refined a bit this week: PALIN: My job has been to oversee nearly 20% of the US domestic supply of oil and gas. GUTHRIE*: But no matter how you slice it, she is wrong. Alaska accounts for only 3.5% of America's total energy production, 7.5% of oil and gas.* A campaign spokesperson now the Governor was only talking about oil. SPOKESPERSON: When you look at the domestic oil production we do supply 15 to 20 %. GUTHRIE: On overseas travel, did she or didn't she go to Iraq. Campaign aides told a few reporters that she did. The McCain campaign later backtracked saying she visited a border crossing with Kuwait, going briefly into Iraq. But the Alaska National Guard says Palin never entered Iraq at all. An aid also said Palin visited Ireland, but the campaign had to backtrack again. Yes she had been to Ireland, her plane stopped at the airport to refuel. Another question about her foreign affairs credentials, has she ever met with foreign leaders? Palin said this in the ABC interview: "I have not and I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer that I just gave you. GUTHRIE: But historians say that facts tell a different story. HISTORIAN: Actually if you look at history since Pearl Harbor, every single vice presidential candidate of a major party has had some pretty serious exposure to foreign leaders, with the exception of Spiro Agnew. GUTHRIE: And then there's that bridge in Alaska. As NBC reported, Palin initially supported the bridge, and killed it only after congress pulled it's backing. The State kept the money. But the McCain campaign continues to tout Palin's opposition to the bridge […], and it's a line Sarah Palin rarely misses an opportunity to repeat. […] Even now the bridge project isn't dead. At Palin's direction Alaska's department of transportation is still considering alternatives to link the town of Ketchikan to its airport, including many bridge proposals with federal earmarked dollars. Headline #4 *Meredith Vieira Drills Bill Bennett on Palin's False Claims and McCain's Change of Heart Over AIG Bailout *(NBC 09/18/08 07:15am) MERIDITH VIEIRA: You have referred to Sarah Palin as an extremely strong candidate, even electrifying; you've called her electrifying. But what about her credibility? You just heard this report, she claims her state produced 20% of the energy in this country, not true, her campaign said she had visited Iraq, not true, and then there's that bridge to nowhere that she did support before she said she was against it. McCain has come out against Obama in terms of his trustworthiness, how about her trustworthiness? BILL BENNETT: *I think this is pretty small beer really, pretty small stuff. She was in Kuwait, did she step foot in Iraq, maybe, maybe not. Was she in Ireland? Yes because her plane landed in Ireland. This is not big stuff.* VIEIRA: How is that small stuff? How is that small stuff if she is defending her foreign policy credentials and she says look I've been there, I've been to Iraq. BENNETT: Because it is small stuff. These are very tiny things compared to decisions made in office. This is a woman who has taken on the Republican establishment, taken on the Republican Governor. She is extremely popular in the State of Alaska, that matters too. Lets just compare her record; look at everything that's completely fine, with Joe Biden's record. […] VIEIRA: When you hear from several of the conservative voices, David Brookes and George Will among them, they are questioning her credentials. *They wonder if she is really qualified to be Vice President*, what are you hearing from other people within the Republican Party? BENNETT: *Well they are intellectuals*, and you know sometimes people listen to intellectuals and sometimes they don't. She remains extremely popular Meredith. I saw an interview with her last night, she was very persuasive. We will have the debate between the all experienced Joe Biden and the supposedly inexperienced but not true, Sarah Palin. And we will sort; we will sort a lot of this out. I will tell you, 20 years of experience can mean learning and growing and figuring things out or it can mean making the same mistakes over and over again. VIERA: *Why do you use the word intellectual, it almost sounds like you are using it as a buzzword for elite?* BENNETT: Well they are elite. […] VIEIRA: Does that make their concerns less valid? * BENNETT: No. Hey I'm one myself, I got a PhD. But what it doesn't mean is that everybody has to fall in line.* And most Americans, most people that call my radio show, most conservatives I should say, most republicans are thrilled with Sarah Palin. And the more we see, such as in this interview last night, the more people like. VIEIRA: Lets talk about the economy. […] Voters want to know where the candidates stand. […] Which is why Senator McCain's comments over the next few days have a lot of people scratching their heads. *First he says the fundamentals of the economy are essentially strong then he says, he modifies that and says, that we are in a crisis. Talks about beefing up Wall Street regulation when last March he told the Wall Street Journal that he is always for less regulation. And yesterday he changed his mind about bailing out AIG, first he said he was opposed to it then he said no I'm not. So where does he stand?* Can you find a clear economic message in what he is saying? BENNETT: I think one is best not being ideological in these circumstances. By the way, let me explain, I am not a surrogate for the McCain campaign. I am an independent intellectual, Meredith. […] In general I think John McCain certainly has been a deregulator as I would be, but in this circumstance where you are looking at AIG, I think what Summers said is right and I think what Olsen did was right and notice the caution that a lot of people on all sides are exercising here. […] *But the argument that AIG had such tentacles, such reach into so many places, so many operations, in so many parts of the world, that you couldn't allow it to fail, would cause even a principled, generally principled deregulator to take a second look.* VIEIRA: So on that one you scratched your head? BENNETT: I'm sorry? VIEIRA: So on that one you scratched your head about Senator McCain's approach to AIG? BENNETT: *No, No, No I think it is exactly the right decision. Because this is not an ideological commitment to deregulation.* […] Headline #5 *McCain Called Out For Flip-Flopping on Supporting Federal Bailout of AIG and Anticipating Housing Crisis* (ABC 09/18/08 7:13am) JAKE TAPPER: Well the latest polling from the New York Times/CBS News shows that the race between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain remains a statistical dead heat as the two candidates get into a ferocious battle over the number one issue to voters, the economy. In dueling TV ads, both candidates are trying to look you in the eye and earn your trust that they can fix the economy. […] Obama urges what he calls, common sense regulations of the financial and housing markets, and mocks McCain as part of the problem. […] McCain, who says he'll bring reform to Washington and Wall Street, hammers Obama for proposing tax increases. […] *Heralding his foresight, McCain mentions a 2006 speech urging regulatory reform of the housing markets. But that's quite different told a New Hampshire newspaper about the housing crisis just last December.* JOHN MCCAIN: I'd like to tell you that I did anticipate it, but I have to give straight talk, I did not. *TAPPER: When it comes to the big news of the week, the Federal bailout of the insurance group, AIG, Senator McCain has flip-flopped, he originally opposed the bailout, now he says he supports it.* Senator Obama has refused to take a position, saying he wants to see the details. Headline #6 *Author of Palin Biography Talks About Sarah's Meteoric Rise in Political Fame* (FNC 09/18/08 9:55am) MEGYN KELLY: […] What exactly is the story behind her rocket rise to fame? […] The stunning truth is just twelve years ago Sarah Palin was sitting in the City Council, she wasn't even a mayor. And sixteen years ago she was a PTA mom. She's had a meteoric rise. KAYLENE JOHNSON: That's right. She has. And I think one of the compelling parts of her story is that an ordinary citizen made a big difference, not only in her state but now in the national scene. KELLY: How is it? You talk in the book that the main thing she did was bucking the party line. That she truly was a maverick in the political sense. JOHNSON: Well, that's right, she won the primary against incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski. And that was pretty astonishing, it was entirely a grassroots campaign. The Republican Party did not support her, she didn't get any money from the Republican Party, even though she ran on that platform. And even after the primary she had won, she was funding her campaign with five and ten dollar donations from people around Alaska. KELLY: Well not only that, but Murkowski had helped her initially, she had worked in his administration, but then she took on her boss when he was governor. Didn't she? JOHNSON: That's right. She stood up to her boss, and she stood up to the GOP chairman who she was working with on the same oil and gas commission. And she was seeing ethical violations and so she tried to go up through the chain of command to correct the situation, but wasn't getting any results. It was all being swept under the rug. So she quit, and then she blew the whistle, and said this is why I quit, and this is what is going on, and I'm telling you it catapulted her into the forefront of Alaskan's minds in terms of who should be our next leader. KELLY: What is it about her that makes Alaskans give her the highest approval rating in the country, when it comes to governors. JOHNSON: Well, it's that message of reform. It was a time when she was at that right place at the right time, with the right message. People were sick and tired of business as usual, as she said, they were tired of the entrenched politics going on in Alaska, and she really was a fresh face that was saying no, we need to do something different here, we need to be dramatically different. So people were ready for that message and thought she was the right person. KELLY: There were some quotes that came out on her that said, you know, she's not just a pretty face. Obviously, people know at this point that she had a limited history as a beauty queen and tried her hand in sports casting. But she is not just a pretty face. JOHNSON: No, no, she's a smart lady. One of the biggest mistakes people have made about her is to underestimate her. She's tough, and she's smart, and she knows how to move forward. Headline #7 *CNN Investigates Palin's Popularity as Mayor, Her Sports Complex, and the Mistakes She Made* (CNN 09/18/08 7:27am) RANDY KAY: The big attraction in the small town of Wasilla, Alaska is this sports complex. It has a soccer field, a running track, an indoor hockey rink with heated seats. It was Sarah Palin who pushed to build it when she was mayor here from 1996 to 2002. Supporters call it her lasting legacy, her crowning achievement. BRUCE URBAN: She really was very, very passionate about this right from the start. KAY: But Palin's passion, some residents say, clouded her vision. Missteps left the town paying a much higher price for the land, and huge legal bills. PATRICIA FAYE BRAZEL: She did leave it with debt, it wasn't done correctly, and now we have more debt, and more legal fees. More problems. KAY: In 2002, Palin urged residents to approve a 25 percent sales tax increase, to cover the 14.7 million dollar bond to build this place. They did by fewer than 20 votes. The problem, not all the land belonged to Wasilla, and it would cost a bundle to get it. DIANE WOODRIFF: I really think that there was quite a bit of money wasted there. KAY: Diane Woodriff has been a longtime critic of Sarah Palin. WOODRIFF: I'm curious as to why somebody in the previous administration didn't make sure that we had clear title before we started building. Because certainly, once we started building it was over a barrel. KAY: Over a barrel because someone else said the land was his. This man, Gary Lundgren. We tracked him down in South America. Turns out, in 1999, the nature conservancy was negotiating to sell the land to both Wasilla and to Gary Lundgren. Difference was, the town hadn't signed a purchase agreement for all the land it needed. Lundgren had. The town immediately sued. A Federal court finally sided with Lundgren, saying the city had never signed the proper papers. By then, construction was under way. That's right, even though the title to the land was being challenged in court, Mayor Palin gave the go-ahead to break ground. GARY LUNDGREN: When they started building the title to the land was in my name. Really, the city never had clear title to the property underneath the sports complex until this year, 2008. KAY: After Palin left office, Wasilla sued once more under Mayor Diane Keller. But getting the land would prove expensive. With construction underway, Wasilla really had no choice but to cut a deal. So it agreed to pay Lundgren over $800,000 and that's just for the land. The town also had to pay Lundgren's attorney fees, and interest on the land, another $700,000. Lundgren also says at least twice he offered to give the city at least some of the disputed land free, if they just stop suing. LUNDGREN: They turned the offer down, they said they needed more than 20 acres. KAY: Wasilla's former lawyer tells CNN he has no recollection of an acceptable offer from Lundgren. The rub for residents, records show the city originally paid $145,000 for part of the land. With the settlement and all those fees, Wasilla's bill so far is more than $1.5 million. WOODRIFF: She inherited the city with pretty much no debt, now all of a sudden we have a lot of debt. I don't think that that labels her as true fiscal conservative. MAYOR DIANE KELLER: I think this was a community dream. It may have been a part of Sarah Palin's dream, but it was not only her dream. KAY: Mayor Diane Keller see's Palin's signature project as a boon, because it's brought in more than $3 million for local businesses. Others agree. […] While the complex is getting plenty of use, Wasilla may have to open up its checkbook again. Gary Lundgren has appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court, challenging the value of the land. Headline #8 *Stephen Colbert Mocks McCain's Flip-Flop on "Fundamentals" and his Excuses for the Negative Tone of the Campaign* (CMDY: 09/17/08 11:31pm) STEPHEN COLBERT: Nation, it is day three of our little market correction. But I am not panicking because I know John McCain is on the case. Now, he got a lot of flak for saying this on Monday: JOHN MCCAIN: The, the fundamentals of our economy are strong. COLBERT: And, three hours later saying this: MCCAIN: The fundamentals of our economy are at risk. They're at risk. COLBERT: *Now, regardless of what you've heard, that's not a contradiction. You can be strong and also at risk. John McCain is just saying our economy is like a muscle man who refuses to wear a condom*. What's the worst that could happen? Of course, McCain is not just fixing the economy, folks, recently he has devastated Barack Obama by pointing out that he called Sarah Palin a fat, ugly hog and authored legislation requiring kindergarteners to watch their parents doing it doggie style. Well, thanks to these ads, *McCain's campaign is picking up steam. But, of course, the media's attacked him just because that steam is rising from a giant pile of fresh bulls**t. *Listen, yes, yes, you hear that chanting, "McCain '08." Listen to this liberal Smearmonger: KARL ROVE: McCain has gone in some of his ads beyond... beyond the... the 100% truth test. COLBERT: *What is worse, an attack came from the biggest McCain hater of all: John McCain who, when asked on Monday if he thought Obama called Sarah Palin a pig and said no. And to be fair, he might have thought the question was, do you understand the economy?* So why did McCain release those ads with such an ugly tone? Folks, he had no choice. MCCAIN: I wish that Senator Obama had agreed with my request to go before the American people in town hall meetings. I'm sorry, it might have changed the tenor of this campaign. *I think tone of this whole campaign would have been very different if Senator Obama had accepted my request for us to appear in town hall meetings.* COLBERT: Exactly! That is just Emily post 101. *If you don't accept someone's invitation, that person is obliged to destroy you with a brutal and bald-faced collection of lies.* Now, for the record, John McCain has not accepted my invitation to appear on this show. So unfortunately I have no choice but to spread horrible lies about him. Here we go. John McCain wants to harvest the organs of sleeping toddlers, injects red bull into his taint, and *is determined to run a campaign based on straight talk and decency. Whoo! Thank god none of that is true.* Local Highlight #1 *Local Michigan News Covers Progress Michigan's Protests Surrounding McCain-Palin Townhall, and How Palin Overshadows McCain* (WZZM13-ABC-MI 09/17/08 11:00pm) PHIL DAWSON: John McCain and Sarah Palin sometimes shared their answers to audience questions. […] The audience asked the candidates about offshore oil exploration, social security, healthcare, and the threat from Islamic radicals. […] The audience included a democrat who had supported Hillary Clinton who says now she's voting for Senator John McCain. […] A Vietnam veteran stood to salute John McCain's military service. […] And near the end a mother asked Governor Palin about juggling career and family. […] When the candidates adjourned the town hall meeting, after about an hour and a half there were still people in the audience with their hands raised to ask questions. Senator McCain promised that they would come back soon with some more answers. […] PROTESTERS: Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! John McCain has got to go! JULIET DRAGOS: McCain and Palin supporters were not the only people downtown tonight. Hundreds of protesters gathered and lined the street for a demonstration across from the Ford Field House. They chanted and waved signs. There were no major problems or confrontations. The protesters, part of a group called Progress Michigan, are taking issue with McCain's economic policies. LEE VANAMEYDE: The group's organizer blames both McCain and President Bush for the state's economic problems. DAN FAROUGH: We're very concerned about the job loss in Michigan. We've lost over 400,000 jobs, since Bush-McCain economic policies went into effect. We're here to say, look, we need to be investing in our workers, protecting people in their homes, we can't afford four more years of the same. VANAMEYDE: Farough blames the President and McCain for supporting economic policies that encourage the outsourcing of Michigan jobs. […] We asked our Poll 13 about the visit. DRAGOS: We want to know who you were more interested in seeing tonight – John McCain or Sarah Palin. The vast majority, as you can see, of participants 76 percent said they were more interested in seeing the Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. 24 percent said Arizona Senator John McCain. VANAMEYDE: John McCain's vice presidential pick is of course popular, Sarah Palin is drawing crowds and new supporters along the way. DRAGOS: A relative newcomer to politics, the world is still learning about Governor Sarah Palin. […] We found an Alaska native who shared her thoughts about Sarah Palin, and the person and the politician. LAMBRINI LUKIDIS: Well guys, Beth Pepper recently moved to South Haven, Michigan, she knows Sarah Palin since she was in high school and told us why the person she knows from the small town of Wasilla is the right woman for the job. The latest face of pop culture is Sarah Palin with her signature specs. Like any celebrity couple, the Maverick duo have a blended name, younger voters refer to the ticket as McPalin. Though Governor Sarah is the attraction. GREG SUTKA: There's no denying it, Governor Palin has jazzed, just like a shot of red bull for the Republican Party. BETH PEPPER: She is a woman of integrity and she definetly does what she says. LUKIDIS: Beth Pepper speaks from experience. PEPPER: I went to high school with Sarah Palin, she was two years ahead of me. […] I just said hi to her, she said we love the Pepper's in Alaska. My brother's been on of her pastors as well. LUKIDIS: Described as somebody who bucks her party, Governor Palin also says she wants government to work for the people. PEPPER: She definitely does what she says. My fuel bill of January of last year was $900. She gave the Alaskan people a fuel rebate because our fuel prices were so high, of $1,200. She does what she says. LUKIDIS: How she says it is also something those of us on the continental U.S. are starting to get used to. […] There wasn't just fans in attendance, there was Republican Party members who came to hear what McCain and Palin had to say. Most of the audience said that they were satisfied with what Palin had to say, what both of them had to say, they really felt that Palin did a good job unscripted. […] VANAMEYDE: Another viewer wrote that McCain is riding on Palin's coat tails. And that the Republicans are becoming a joke. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" group. To post to this group, send to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] E-mail [email protected] with questions or concerns This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or organization. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---