Fact Check: Palin Contradicts Her Own Version Of Events With Oprah

Topics: Republicans

(AP/Harper)

By special contributor Shushannah Walshe and CBS News' Scott Conroy, co-authors of the book "Sarah From Alaska: The Sudden Rise And Brutal Education Of A New Conservative Superstar"

In a segment of her interview with Oprah Winfrey, which was posted online but did not air on television, Sarah Palin was asked whether her family had voted on her decision to accept John McCain's offer to join him on the Republican ticket in August of 2008.

"This time, there wasn't a family vote," Palin told Winfrey. "Other steps in my political life, I've polled the kids, and I have abided by some of the results of the polls that the kids have partaken in. This time, no."

But in September of 2008, Palin told an entirely different story to Fox News' Sean Hannity.

"What was your family's reaction?" Hannity asked. "Was there time to huddle and have a hockey team meeting?"

"It was a time of asking the girls to vote on it, anyway," Palin told Hannity. "And they voted unanimously, yes. Didn't bother asking my son because, you know, he's going to be off doing his thing anyway, so he wouldn't be so impacted by, at least, the campaign period here."

"So asked the girls what they thought and they're like, absolutely. Let's do this, mom."

In our book, "Sarah From Alaska," we reveal that Palin actually instructed the McCain campaign's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, to tell her children that she was running for vice president, which Schmidt subsequently did.

"I have an announcement to make," the broad-shouldered senior strategist said as everyone in the now crowded room looked on. "Senator McCain has asked your mother to join him to be the Republican candidate for vice president."

This version of events has been confirmed by two people who were in the room at the time.

More Coverage of Sarah Palin's Book:

Exclusive: Palin Accounts Disputed by McCain Aides
Democrats Give Mixed Reactions to Sarah Palin Buzz
Sarah Palin: I Was "Annoyed" by Katie Couric's Newspaper Question
Bob Schieffer on Palin: No Future in Politics
Palin Book Roils Former McCain Aides
Palin "Vindictiveness" in Her New Book?
Sarah Palin's Book: The Fact Check
Palin Publicity Blitz Full Speed Ahead

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by RestoreAmerica November 20, 2009 2:18 PM EST: Is there nothing else happening in the world that this article is actually newsworthy?? are you kidding me?? good freaking grief! the mentality of the liberal press is amazing.; Reply to this comment


by Spanview November 19, 2009 12:01 PM EST: OMG, I couldn't help it..I read a little further...OMG..this is hilarious..WOW!! 2 people confirm that Schmidt made the announcement in the room!!! And this somehow contradicts exactly WHAT that Palin says happened in asking what her girls thought of it???

Wow, such hard hitting expose! I am literally laughing so hard I am crying!; Reply to this comment


by Spanview November 19, 2009 11:45 AM EST: Just read the first supposed "lie" by Palin..and no need to read further. The usual stellar reporting I have come to expect from CBS and Huffington on display again, along with the usual brilliant and incisive attention to factual details and analysis by their readers.

Read it again, folks.. note any difference between a "family vote"..which INCLUDES HER SON, and a "vote of just the girls"...which DID NOT INCLUDE THE SON?

What, exactly, is the inconsistency here?

Geez, folks..methinks you are too afraid of her, showing a desperation to create lies where there are none, and thus know she is our next President. Reminds me much of Reagan coverage before his rise. Gives me real hope for real change in our future. Thanks for cheering me up!; Reply to this comment

by azusnavy10 November 19, 2009 9:50 AM EST

Well lets take a close look at the past 20 yrs or so... shall we?

Spotlight... George Bush Senior (republican)... started the wars over in the sandbox of hell (middle east)... justifyable cause (not a strong one, but had a family history of involvement with the OIL industry... hmmm...?). Next we're followed by Bill Clinton (democrat) The US experienced a period of economic boom along with record numbers of real estate purchases... Then along comes everyone's favorite... George W. Bush (republican)... to say the least... de de dee.... though I have to give this man credit... as politically and socially retarted as this man was... he still got the majority of the US nation to vote for him for a second term... hmmm... maybe instead of throwing critisisms at this man, we should take a look in the mirror as a country as a whole (This man must have really been a freaking genious!!!)... Next comes the 2008 election... with lovely but airheaded and contradictory (republican) VP hopeful, Sarah Palin.... Do we see an emerging pattern here? Repulicans have a downhill trend forming.

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by RestoreAmerica November 20, 2009 2:45 PM EST: Actually the Arabs started the war. I used to work for the highest paid man on walstreet I will tell you that all Clinton had to sit back and reap the benefits from good policies and economic strategies of the previous administration. George W. Bush has backbone and kept us safe. Obama is starting to leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth and when he's done bankrupting this country will need a good 'ol Republican to fix everything again.


by egresor November 20, 2009 9:47 PM EST: azusnavy10

Then along comes everyone's favorite... George W. Bush (republican)... to say the least... de de dee.... though I have to give this man credit... as politically and socially retarted as this man was... he still got the majority of the US nation to vote for him for a second term...

====
the reason people elcted him to a second term is because americans are patriotic and the picture was painted as patriotic.

you can lead people almost anywhere if you can appeal to either their patriotism, or their prejudices, or their fears. karl rove and cheney were very adept at doing just that.....as long as the real truth doesn't comeout.

by shadow3210 November 18, 2009 11:07 PM EST

This is the problem with Palin and the others like her - they have no substance. They'll do and say whatever they think will further themselves, regardless of the facts or their true beliefs. Sen. John McCain is a good Christian conservative who publically defrauded the public trust $$$ as the leader of the Keating five, who publically (accidentally overheard and broadcast) called his wife a "cun _." VP Dick Cheney lied four times to avoid the Vietnam draft (of which I was a part of), told a publically elected senator to "Go Fuc - yourself" openly and with impunity because he was the big conservative and the Senator was just some liberal scum. These false leaders have got to go. We have better representatives for the public good in our High Schools than some of these nut jobs we send to Washington. Sarah Palin believes any media that seeks facts first and rhetoric second is anti-american - she restates this at every event. She is the cheapest of the cheap and there are still citizens that fall for her feel good speaches. My God people - our country is in serious need of an overhaul and you're picking the "C" team because they blow smoke up your dress. This has got to stop!

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by Spanview November 19, 2009 11:57 AM EST: Umm..please post anything that has had any good results at all that your dear leader has accomplished? Please tell us where the substance is in any of our current leaders? A Tax Cheat head of Treasury? A grossly obese Surgeon General? A subservient, kow-towing, President? 38 unconstitutional Czars busily doing Central Economic Planning for our country, and such a good job of it, too! An Attorney-General who has always defended terrorists, cheats and robbers?

At least they aren't "false" I guess. Better an open tax-cheater, or a terrorist defending AG, or an obese SG, or a Marxist POTUS, than someone who means her whole family when she says family!


by larryvgs November 17, 2009 8:31 PM EST: Our economy is tanking, with record unheard of unemployment that's gone on longer than any previous time in our nation's history, but nope, you guys have broken the story of the century. Other news sources have found the administration's web site stimulus numbers to be fraudulent, but nope, you've got the goods on Sarah all right. She has two different recollections of what she told or asked her kids.

I forgave Hillary for her "bombs exploding around her" recollection and I'll forgive Palin for this. But you guys are really stretching what is "news" and it's amazing people actually spent time to write this story.; Reply to this comment


by dionaan November 17, 2009 1:09 PM EST: Really? I believe a breaking news story might be the one where a politician does not lie...about anything!!!!!!!!!!!! I would be thrilled to see that on either side of the field, and would vote for that person. If you lie about the little stuff, you lie about the big stuff, and visa versa. It gets real old after a while.
Someone PLEASE find us an honest politician that is out for the good of America, not the good of their own pocket.; Reply to this comment


by mevans112 November 17, 2009 9:45 AM EST: Wait a minute....I watched her announcement on National TV by John McCain when they "rolled her out" as his VP candidate and Sarah Palin at that time, made a BIG DEAL about the VOTE with her family including something "SPECIAL" that one of the family members had said. BTW Palin NEVER did sa what the SPECIAL words were from that one family member. She was to share that with her audience at a later date??? Oh, give me a break...lie, lie, lie...The woman is full of herself and can't stop lying...what do they call those people?; Reply to this comment


by dpmol November 17, 2009 8:42 AM EST: Please notice that in Palin's photo she does not look at us...she's off day dreaming about something...photos tell all!; Reply to this comment

by LordDilly November 17, 2009 6:12 AM EST

Great job, CBS!! Did you guys do the happy dance when you discovered this Watergate-level of political malfeasance? I mean, sure it would be nice if you "serious journalists" spent even 1/10th of the time doing any kind of investigative journalism on our current president (like, say, during the election?) as you do on a private citizen currently not running for anything or elected to anything, but then again I wouldn't want you all to lose seating privileges at the cool kids table.

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by Spanview November 19, 2009 11:52 AM EST: Great post, LordDilly. Love it. You are so right. You know...something about BHOs parents not meeting if it weren't for Selma might have been a good place to start, moving onward, any coverage at all of the myriad web in his 2 "autobiographies" of accomplishments ( did you see any?), or how about his signature on the lawsuit with ACORN against CitiCorp, to force bad mortgages to people who can't pay them back? (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/special-editorial-reports/ACORN-Timeline-Corruption-and-community-organizing-from-the-outset-50151252.html)..or even any coverage at all of the iron fist of central planning by unconstitutional Czars destroying our economy?

Well, back to dreaming my father's dreams of a thriving America, I guess.