November 17, 2009 3:26 PM
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Fact Checking Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue"
Sarah Palin's new autobiography "Going Rogue" has recieved its share of media attention as well as a fair amount of criticism for including discrepancies with her own and her former campaign aides stories. CBS News' Scott Conroy, Republican Strategist Matt Mackoviac and the Huffington Post's Sam Stein debated these contradictions on "Washington Unplugged" Tuesday.
The Huffington Post's Sam Stein recieved emails from former McCain aides which contradict some of Palin's claims in the book. "It's minor stuff but it gets to the credibility gap that is sort of plaguing Sarah Palin right now," he told moderator Nancy Cordes.
One such e-mail disproves Palin's argument in "Going Rogue" that she was shielded from the press by the McCain campaign at large, campaign director Steve Schmidt specifically. On whether to appear on "Saturday Night Live," an e-mail from Schmidt shows Palin was hesitant because of the content of the sketch show and Schmidt says "do it if you want, don't do it if you don't."
"In the book she describes it much differently. She says that she was gung ho on the idea and that she was the one who had to convince Schmidt to do it," Stein explained.
Scott Conroy, co-author of "Sarah from Alaska" has also been fact checking "Going Rogue."
"From the reporting that we have done for our book. We reported for eight months. We had 190 interviews for our book. There is a lot of stuff in there that does not match up with what Sarah Palin has been saying and some of it is provably false," Conroy explained, noting Palin's claim that her stylist also worked with Katie Couric. "That is just one example that can demonstrably be proven false and does not really help Sarah Palin in her efforts to win this 'he said she said' battle with the McCain folks."
In a more personal incident, Conroy explains how he and his co-author, Shushannah Walshe, were falsely described in "Going Rogue." "I was just reading through her book and she mentions an encounter that she had with Shushannah and I, my co-author of 'Sarah from Alaska," when we were in Juneau and she says that she saw both of us, the first time she saw both of us in Alaska was at a press conference in Juneau. Well the problem with that is I have never been to a press conference in Juneau."
"Washington Unplugged" played two interview clips back to back which clearly illustrated an example of Sarah Palin contradictions. In her recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, Palin explains that while in the past she refered to "family polls" to make political decisions, the call to agree to serve as a running mate to John McCain was made by only her and her husband.
"This time there wasn't a family vote. Other steps in my political life I have polled the kids and I have abided by some of the results of the polls that the kids have partaken in...This was I am going to make the decision. Todd and I would make the decision," Palin told the talk show host.
But, months earlier, Palin had a different account for Fox's Sean Hannity. "It was a time of asking the girls to vote on it anyway. And they voted unanimously yes," she said.
Mackowiac, a Republican strategist, came to Palin's defense. "I am not the biggest supporter of Sarah Palin in terms of leading the Republican Party in 2012 based on what I know right now but I also like to leap to her defense when I think she is unfairly attacked as she has been really almost to an extent we have never seen in politics."
Whether unfairly attacked or not, the discrepancies could affect her political career.
"No one is really going to believe her if she can tell little white lies about 'Saturday Night Live' appearances and votes within her family," Stein explained. "Why would someone think she is a credible source on actual substantive policy? She is really just hurting herself and for no apparent reason."
Watch the full roundtable above.
"Washington Unplugged" appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.
More Coverage of Sarah Palin:
CBS News Poll: Fewer Than 1 in 4 Have Favorable View of Palin
Marc Ambinder: Palin Needs to Take Herself Seriously
Is Palin Selling Books or Settling Scores?
Exclusive: Palin Accounts Disputed by McCain Aides
Fact Check: Palin Seems to Misrepresent Timeline on Daughter's Pregnancy
Fact Check: Palin Contradicts Her Own Version Of Events With Oprah
Sarah Palin Calls Newsweek Sexist
Sarah Palin: I Was "Annoyed" by Katie Couric's Newspaper Question
Sarah Palin: My Life is Like a Reality Show
Bob Schieffer on Palin: No Future in Politics
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