Cindy McCain On Abortion, Creationism

(CBS)  CBS News anchor Katie Couric talked one-on-one with Cindy McCain about her husband's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. They also discussed social issues, such as abortion. Couric began by asking McCain if the governor has been rattled by the intense media scrutiny.

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Cindy McCain: No, she's not the least bit shell shocked. She's tough, she's smart. She's extremely on target with the job she needs to be doing. No she's a very - she's an amazing woman. She really is. I'm very impressed with her.

Katie Couric: When did you and your husband first discuss her as a possibility?

McCain: A while ago. We had, as you know, John and I pretty much discuss everything. And he brought her name up to me some months ago, after the primaries, of course. And then … as you get a lot of names, I mean we were thinking abut a lot of different people and Sarah was in that mix. I'm very happy he chose a governor, and I couldn't be happier. In fact, when he called me and said "ok, I think I'm going to do this," I was, if I could, I would have done back flips. I'm too old, but I could have.

Couric: Do you feel confident, Mrs. McCain, that the vetting process which is getting a lot of attention was as thorough as it needed to be and that Sen. McCain knew everything he needed to know?

McCain: Well, I was right in the middle of it. I know the vetting process was thorough. I knew that was going on, so absolutely, it was. She was vetted and she was thoroughly vetted. That's, you know, it's just something that, just because the media didn't know, doesn't mean we didn't vet her (laugh).

Couric: The scuttlebutt, if you will, behind the scenes is that Sen. McCain really wanted Joe Lieberman to be his running mate, but social conservatives would have found him unacceptable because of his position on abortion.

McCain: My husband and Joe are very good friends. And, wouldn't it be nice to work with your best friend? Of course. But we had to consider other things as well. And reform being the, as you know, my husband's most important issue, and my husband felt that Gov. Palin was a better fit for that.

Couric: Some, even Republicans, seemed surprised that Sen. McCain picked a running mate who opposes abortion even in the cases of rape and incest, and believes creationism should be taught in schools. And I'm just curious, do you agree with that?

McCain: What I agree with is the fact that she is a social conservative. She is a reform-minded woman. She is someone that will … shake Washington up, which is exactly what we want to do. We differ on many issues; we differ across the board with people. We don't have to agree on every issue.

Couric: Where do you stand on abortion?

McCain: I'm pro-life. I'm on the record as being pro-life, like my husband.

Couric: So do you oppose it even in cases of rape and incest?

McCain: No.

Couric: So that's where you two differ in terms of your position on that.

McCain: Uh-huh

Couric: And do you believe Roe V. Wade should be overturned?

McCain: No. no.

Couric: No. Why not? Your husband does.

McCain: No. I don't think he does.

Couric: He believes it should be overturned. That's what he told me, and that it should go to the states.

McCain: Well, in that respect. Yes, yeah, I do. I understand what you're saying now. It's a states issue.

Couric: So, you believe it should be overturned or shouldn't be overturned.

McCain: I believe it's a states issue. That I do believe.

Couric: How do you feel about creationism? Do you think it should be taught in schools?

McCain: I think both sides should be taught in schools. I think the more children have a frame of reference and an opportunity to read and know and make better decisions and judgments when they are adults. So, I think you know I don't have any problem with education of any kind.

[c8ann3r]

Come on CBS -- let''s get the lead out. Thanks Katie for asking the right questions. Now websmaster -- at least get your video to stream as fast as your ads... that is seriously tacky. You do Katie and all of CBS news a disservice with your below par web management.

Cindy don''t sound too sharp, does she?...lol...and she got handled by a kid''s glove....

[aggiekat2004]

For those of you who haven''t done your homework...

McCain has voted against funding for sexx education in our schools. McCain has voted against funding for women''s health coverage for low-income women that includes breast cancer and cervical cancer screening for low-income women. He has voted against teaching medically-accurate and scientifically-based sexx education, instead only teaching abstinence.

Palin''s views are the same, if not worse.

Oh, and if she had been available to her teenage daughter, and maybe knew where she was and what she was doing (like a good parent), her daughter might not have been sleeping around and getting pregnant. Hey Palin, this is what your abstinence-only education will get you...BTW.

[aggiekat2004]

Oh yeah...and some of those fanatics believe that the pill (or any other contraceptive that blocks the fertilization of an egg) is abortion as well?

The pro-lifers wonder why we don''t respect their arguments. Bush introduced legislation on August 22nd, 2008 that wants to restrict abortion, but purposefully doesn''t define abortion and it leaves it open for interpretation.

It also tries to give funding to "crisis pregnancy centers" which are typically faith-based and do not give women information about the choices to which they are legally entitled. What about separation of church and state? Sounds like a violation to me.

And McCain voted against requiring insurance companies to provide prescription coverage of contraceptives because he doesn''t believe in them...although he thinks they should cover recreational drugs such as Viagra.

[aggiekat2004]

I do not favor abortion as a form of "birth control", however, in the case of incest or rape, I am in favor. No one should be forced to carry a child that was created in such a way. Unless You experience it, you should not judge. As far as "mistakes", they should have to deal with it. But a victim of rape or incest should not be punished so. That is the only issue that I don''''t agree with in the Mccain/Palin campaign. I will still cast my vote for them.

Posted by tracylynn67 at 01:55 PM : Sep 05, 2008
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So you''re saying...if I drink too much tonight, and sleep with some guy that I pick up in a bar, and fear that I might get pregnant, and report it as a rape, then it''s okay if I get an abortion later when I find out that I''m pregnant?

Don''t you think this might cause women to falsely accuse people of rape?

And the religious fanatics who opposed abortion also feel that the morning after pill is ALSO abortion, but it''s not. It simply causes the egg to pass.

I''m tired of stuffy old white men telling women what they can and can''t do with their bodies.

[aggiekat2004]

What would Ms. Palin advise if her dautghter''''s pregnancy (God Forbid) came to a point where either Bristol would die in childbirth or the baby was aborted? We''''d see how strong her faith is there won''''t we. I can here the GOPigs saying unfair question. Totally fair - her policies would push many a family to make just that decision, therefore, the question is fair game.

Posted by usclimey at 02:34 PM : Sep 04, 2008
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No, she would want her daughter to die, because it was what "God" wanted. If she interfered with the will of God, that would be worse in her book.

This is all such a crock. Sarah Palin''s record on abstinence only education and John McCain''s voting record on women''s rights are appalling.

[tracylynn67]

I do not favor abortion as a form of "birth control", however, in the case of incest or rape, I am in favor. No one should be forced to carry a child that was created in such a way. Unless You experience it, you should not judge. As far as "mistakes", they should have to deal with it. But a victim of rape or incest should not be punished so. That is the only issue that I don''t agree with in the Mccain/Palin campaign. I will still cast my vote for them.

[rickwar]

Welcome to Oz "If I only had a brain"

Thanks Cindy and Katie for proving the song, only problem: There is no Wizard here to help either of them.

[shameonbush]

It never ceases to amaze me how people always ask Pro-Lifers if they support abortion rights when it comes to incest or rape. Why does this question have to be asked? If you establish that you are against abortion, doesn''t that make it clear enough? This is HUMAN life we are talking about, how is it any less human if they are born of rape? Good grief folks, look around, don''t you see children killing other children? This is because they are born into a world that does not uphold every human life. Human life is disposable, and easily disposable, how are we to teach the children that we CHOSE to have that human life is not to be destroyed, when they themselves know that they were at one time, a choice? Even an atheist would admit that allowing abortion, accepting abortion as any kind of alternative, will inevitably lead to our destruction. Also, let us comtemplate the difference between creationism and evolution. Evolution teaches us HOW and creationism teaches us WHY. What''s wrong with allowing religious theories into our classrooms? It can''t hurt a thing, knowledge never does. Truth should always be our final goal.

[clarity56]

When will the issue of Cindy marrying John McCain just one month after his divorce come up? And, what about her narcotics addiction for which she was caught stealing drugs from the medical charity that she had started, and her penalty was close down the charity, do community service at a soup kitchen and pay a fine... check out snopes.com I just find the change in attitude of the Republicans that spent millions on the Starr investigation regarding former President Clinton''s *** life something to behold. Politics do make strange bedfellows. Sarcasm intended.