Transcript: Palin And McCain Interview

More In-Depth Answers To Questions Katie Couric Asked McCain And Palin On The Broadcast

(CBS) 
Couric: Over the weekend, Gov. Palin, you said the U.S. should absolutely launch cross-border attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan to, quote, "stop the terrorists from coming any further in." Now, that's almost the exact position that Barack Obama has taken and that you, Sen. McCain, have criticized as something you do not say out loud. So, Gov. Palin, are you two on the same page on this?

Palin: We had a great discussion with President Zardari as we talked about what it is that America can and should be doing together to make sure that the terrorists do not cross borders and do not ultimately put themselves in a position of attacking America again or her allies. And we will do what we have to do to secure the United States of America and her allies.

Couric: Is that something you shouldn't say out loud, Sen. McCain?

John McCain: Of course not. But, look, I understand this day and age of "gotcha" journalism. Is that a pizza place? In a conversation with someone who you didn't hear … the question very well, you don't know the context of the conversation, grab a phrase. Gov. Palin and I agree that you don't announce that you're going to attack another country …

Couric: Are you sorry you said it?

McCain: … and the fact …

Couric: Governor?

McCain: Wait a minute. Before you say, "Is she sorry she said it," this was a "gotcha" sound bite that, look …

Couric: It wasn't a "gotcha." She was talking to a voter.

McCain: No, she was in a conversation with a group of people and talking back and forth. And I can tell you that I would say, if I was asked, of course we have to do what's necessary to protect America. The question is, is whether you make an outright public announcement the way that Sen. Obama did. And I don't think you do that. And … I'll let Gov. Palin speak for herself.

Palin: In fact, you're absolutely right on. In the context, this was … a voter, a constituent, hollering out a question from across an area asking, "What are you gonna do about Pakistan? You better have an answer to Pakistan." I said we're gonna do what we have to do to protect the United States of America.

Couric: But you were pretty specific about what you wanted to do, cross-border …

Palin: Well, as Sen. McCain is suggesting here, also, never would our administration get out there and show our cards to terrorists, in this case, to enemies and let them know what the game plan was, not when that could ultimately adversely affect a plan to keep America secure.

Couric: What did you learn from that experience?

Palin: That this is all about "gotcha" journalism. A lot of it is. (laughter) But that's okay, too.

McCain: We don't mind. We just …

Palin: That's okay.

McCain: That's life.

Couric: Gov. Palin, since our last interview, you've gotten a lot of flak. Some Republicans have said you're not prepared; you're not ready for primetime. A conservative columnist, Kathleen Parker, went so far to say that you should step down from the ticket.

Palin: Well, I don't know who she is, and I apologize for that. So, and I don't wanna offend her, but I don't know who she is. So I won't take …

Couric: But there has …

Palin: … her words necessarily to heart.

Couric: … people have questioned your readiness since that interview. And I'm curious to hear your reaction.

Palin: Well, not only am I ready but willing and able to serve as vice president with Sen. McCain if Americans so bless us and privilege us with the opportunity of serving them, ready with my executive experience as a city mayor and manager, as a governor, as a commissioner, a regulator of oil and gas, not only with my résumé proving that readiness, but I think the important thing here is that John McCain and I, we share a vision for America that includes energy independence.

It includes securing our nation, first and foremost. It includes an environment where we are cherishing every child in this country and we are providing them good education opportunities. And top of our agenda, too, in getting our economy back on track, we share a vision of job creation in America so the hard-working American families can start paying their bills, not worrying so much about their future, their retirements. I look forward to working with him on those items on our agenda.

McCain: Let me just … the end of that. This is not the first time that I've seen a governor being questioned by some, quote, "expert." I remember that Ronald Reagan was a cowboy. I remember that Bill Clinton was, ah President Clinton was a governor of a very small state that had no experience either.

I remember how easy it was gonna be for Bush I to defeat him. I still recall, (laughter) whoops, that one. But the point is, I've seen underestimation before. And that's fine. We understand that. We understand what this is all about. So, I'm very proud of the excitement that Gov. Palin has ignited with our party and around this country. It is a … level of excitement and enthusiasm, frankly, that I haven't seen before. And I'd like to attribute it to me (laughter.) But the fact is that she has done incredible job. And I'm so proud of the work that she's doing.

Palin: Thank you.

Couric: A former Bush speechwriter, David Frum, questioned your judgment of putting, quote, "such a neophyte second in line to the presidency."

McCain: Well, David, God bless you and good luck in your speech-writing ambitions (laughter.) And I will ask after … for our inauguration, we'll ask you to write the speech for us.

Couric: I want to start with climate change, if I could. What's your position on global warming? Do you believe it's man-made or not?

Palin: Well, we're the only arctic state, of course, Alaska. So we feel the impacts more than any other state up there, with the changes in the climates. And certainly it is apparent. We have erosion issues and we have melting sea ice, of course. So what I've done up there is form a sub-cabinet to focus solely on climate change. Understanding that it is real.

Couric: Is it manmade in your opinion?

Palin: You know … there are man's activities that can be contributed to … the issues that we're dealing with now with these impacts. I'm not going to solely blame all of man's activities on changes in climate. Because the world's weather patterns … are cyclical. And over history we have seen changes there. But kind of doesn't matter at this point, as we debate what caused it. The point is it's real, we need to do something about it. And like … Tony Blair had said … when he was in leadership position, he said, "Let's all consider the fact that it is real." So instead of pointing fingers … at different sides of the argument as to who is to blame, and if nature just to blame, let's do something about it. Let's clean up our world. Let's reduce emissions. And let's go with reality.

Couric: Because, if it's not man-made, then one might wonder, well, how can human beings contribute to a solution?

Palin: Well, human beings certainly are contributing to pollution today. And to some adverse effects on the environment. And it's all of our jobs to do to clean things up. And that's what we're committed to doing.

Couric: So you do believe … that man is contributing to global warming, because you just said they're causing pollution. Of course, pollution causes global warming.

Palin: I believe that there are a lot of causes. And there is one effect. And one is changes in the climate. And there are things that we can do to make sure we're cleaning up the environment. I also formed an integrity office that solely is focused on petroleum, on pipelines, on those things that we do up there in Alaska to contribute to the U.S. domestic supply of energy.

Where we can focus solely on environmental protections. There are a lot of things that I've done there in that arena of environmental protection that have kind of ticked off some in my own party thinking that I went too far. But I've always been of the mind that, you know, we gotta prove that we can do this right. Safely, ethically, environmentally friendly developments, or we're not gonna be allowed to unlock our lands and tap these supplies.

Couric: John McCain proposed legislation calling for mandatory caps on global warming gases or CO2 emissions. Do you agree with that?

Palin: I support his position on that. Absolutely.

Couric: But he somewhat backtracked on the campaign trail saying it wouldn't, they wouldn't, the caps wouldn't be mandatory, they'd be voluntary. So what do you think? Do you think voluntary caps go far enough? Or they should be mandatory?

Palin: He's got a good cap and trade policy that he supports. And details are being hashed out even right now. But, in principle, absolutely, I support all that we can do to reduce emissions and to clean up this planet. And john McCain is right on board with that.

Couric: Voluntary or mandatory in your view?

Palin: We're gonna keep working on how it can be implemented to actually make sense and make a difference.

[floras-2009]

" This is an unedited transcript of the interview portions broadcast on Sept. 30. "

An unedited transcript of THE PORTIONS BROADCAST. To show they are being honest, they should publish a transcript of the WHOLE interview, not just the portions they chose to broadcast.

[rcreed4]

There is nothing at this point that makes me happier than to see someone push politics into a different direction. What happens if politicians can''t talk in circles b/c they might actually have to face consequences?

Come on America, only we can make change stick. %u201CWe the people%u201D...not the government.

Unless we stand up and change our tolerance and expectations of politics, no change will last no matter who is elected.

Laughing is healthy and usually we do it when we are happy. It is also a natural reaction to fear. I laugh sometimes when my kids get caught in a fib but not the individual that 50% or so of you think can lead our country.

[bellatisha1]

Can''t find any articles in yr 2008, regarding Joe
Biden''s proclivity toward "plagiarism". Did his values
change?

[finchman6363]

Don''t forget that the VP casts the tie-breaking vote in the senate. I was an undecided voter until McCain appointed Sarah Palin. It is obvious from her interviews and her speeches that she lacks any intellectual depth or curiousity, much like the current president, who, I might add, also faltered when asked about the news sources he relied upon, at least admitting that he didn''t read a lot. Her answers are vague, off point and suggest that she is accustomed to getting by with brushing past real inquiry with bravado. It just doesn''t seem to work as well in the intense limelight of the national stage. I also have grave concerns regarding her education, or lack thereof. Again, not to say that she isn''t intelligent, but that when it comes to putting in the time to really learn the issues, she doesn''t have the "track record". Larry Sabato, who teaches political science at the University of Virginia put it best (and I am only paraphrasing)when asked if Palin could be ready for the debate tonight. His response was that he has seen students cram for exams and get satisfactory results on a single exam, but it didn''t mean that they had actually learned the material. Sarah Palin can learn the catch phrases taught to her, clearly, but is she truly ready to be the vice president and possibly the president of the United States? Certainly not as much so as a legion of other contenders for the VP nomination that were passed over for Palin.

[kc629]

i agree with many of the posts here but the one fact is we already know about the other candidates, we know what their answers would be to these questions!

she may personally not like Palin but she is still human. every journalist or piece of journalism for that matter is biased to at least some degree; everyone puts a little of themselves in their writing

i think Katie was trying to give those of us who want to see Palin answer for herself not one of Bush''s hand-me down spokesperson answer for her, as a journalist trying to "get the story" that frustrated her as it has many journalists

Palin set herself up for all this bad press!

[usafes]

Also not mentioned is the muslim influence that has been a constant in Obama''s life. Like all the, soon to be voters, I can''t help but want to know as much about what drives a potential president or vice president. If questions are asked about ones church envolvement, shouldn''t each be questioned on these matters? Why does Palin''s family life style draw interest and with Obamas request that family is of limits are rewarded. I think Catie Curic''s interview is very much biased and without forum to equal fact finding. In case you are wondering I have never voted Republican except for the second time Ronald Ragan ran. I did not vote for Clinton the first time but did the sencond time. Point is I did not have enough information provided by the media on the man the fist time he ran but considered his record the second time. NO I do not think Clinton was a good father, husband, or moraly good man.

[blues2003]

Palin is so unqualified it''s laughable.....
Thanks John McCain for pandering to the Hillary vote and putting yet another bullet in the gun that shoots the GOP in the foot come November.
Every election seems to be about the "lesser of two evils" in canidates.....Palin Makes my choice so much easier.!!!!!!

[blues2003]

Palin is so unqualified it''s laughable.....
Thanks John McCain for pandering to the Hillary vote and putting yet another bullet in the gun that shoots the GOP in the foot come November.
Every election seems to be about the "lesser of two evils" in canidates.....Palin Makes my choice so much easier.!!!!!!

[darrren12000]

to the snide person who wants to meet the individual who "chose" being gay -- a lot of gay and lesbian people do actually feel that it''s a choice. at the end of the day -- it doesn''t matter whether it''s chosen or not. it shouldn''t be the source of discrimination. give me a break. palin vetoed a law that would have allowed discrimination against *** and lesbians. what has obama done for glbt people? NADA

[darrren12000]

this wasn''t too bad. i''m VERY liberal, and i can see the discrimination. katie couric would never be so tough with a democrat. she asked three follow-up questions on ledbetter and a few on the abortion issue. usually they just let it go. obama is against gay marriage. why hasn''t that been an issue for katie?

[sawfingers]

Also, no mention of Obama receiving contribution from both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. No mention that McCain had warned Congress of the impending time bomb the financial industry had set up with the housing start frenzy and directly marketing those homes to people who could not clearly afford to own them. CBS and the other mainstream media outlets are so clearly biased, they have no credibility.

[sawfingers]

KC is no Walter Conkrite. CBS has made it clear that it supports Obama through the shaping of its stories and posturing Couric as a heavyweight anchor. I cannot believe she let Biden pass on FDR appearing on TV in 1929 when Hoover was president and before TV was invented. Generally, the media is a disgrace.

[rcreed4]

KC did a great job campaigning for one side, wasn''t that obvious? I am not surprised though...the media has always done a good job of assuming the American people are to dumb to see thru their attempts to sabotage those who have different sided opinions than they personally "claim" to have.

How important is "the freedom of speech"? What happened to our right to form an opinion based on non bias truthful reporting?

If you didn''t read the opening page interview and the "full un-edited interview%u201D you should...they are different.

For all you one sided close minded people out there, you only win if there is change that sticks and makes everyone stronger. If you can%u2019t hear the difference in our candidates and understand what it means to be a leader of change than please read the full articles.

There is a %u201Cright%u201D and a %u201Cwrong%u201D in everything and great leaders don%u2019t make decisions solely based off a personal opinion. They make decisions to impact the culture, values and visions of all those involved.

McCain and Palin have my vote and I choose to not hate or discriminate against anyone for having a different opinion. Some of my best friends are liberals and homosexuals and just because we may not see eye to eye does not mean I am against them or want to force them to change. Can you say this about yourself?

This is not about political parties, race or gender%u2026it%u2019s about making a choice that America must come first.

[f77111]

McCain voted against the Ledbetter Equal Pay Act , and Palins answer was pure BS. Do your homework Americans,these two are a couple of ignorant clowns,don''t let them anywhere near the White House.

[f77111]

Being Governor makes her a Geologist and a Scientist too, I guess that I''m a Dentist,an Engineer,and an IT Professional,and that''s just from playing poker today.At this rate I can be President in a week !

[dranreb4-2009]

I want to meet this gay best friend of hers who "chose" to be gay.

[spinner49]

Has anyone noticed that SP often sounds like she''s saying one thing, when she''s actually saying the opposite?

Like saying she wouldn''t want anyone put in jail for having an abortion, but never saying she wouldn''t want anyone put in jail for performing and abortion.

And again, she''s "not going to solely blame all of man''s activities on changes in climate." Huh? One wants to think she means she''s not going to blame climate change on man''s activities.

If she''s ever at the United Nations, the interpreters are not going to know what to do about her grammar!

[strandc]

There was a lead story buried in Palin''s response to Katie''s question about that Wasilla church''s quest to cure homosexuality.

Is the Republican base aware that Sarah Palin is not even a church member? She says she "gets to visit" a couple of churches when she''s home.

What kind of good Christian does not even join a congregation?

She goes on to say that she wishes she had the "time and consistency to be a more regular attendee of church, but no, have not."

No time to regularly attend church? Not a priority apparently. Sarah Palin has 5 children and those kids not been raised in a church atmosphere?

Does the Republican base know this about her??

See the quotes below.

Couric: Your church sponsored a conference that claimed to be able to convert *** into heterosexuals through prayer. Do you think that *** can be converted, governor?

Palin: Well, you''re absolutely wrong, again, on the facts. My church, I don''t have a church, I''m not a member of any church. I get to visit a couple of churches in Alaska when I''m home, including one, Wasilla Bible Church, and that''s the one that you''re talking about.

...

Palin: I wish I had time and the consistency to be a more regular attendee of a church but, no, have not.

[bux1fan]

I would much prefer to have a woman who loves and believes in America as vice-President, even if she might not be as polished or professorial as the media elite would like her to be, than to have a glib, blame America first, silver-tongued, Saul Alinsky-trained Marxist, as President. Further, Palin has MUCH more executive experience than does the community agitator Obama. She has actually accomplished things in the political world other than voting "present". And the above post that says "Palin is no Hillary by a long shot"? To that I would only say, Thank God. (Yes, I said God. So sue me.)

[chazzzman2]

http://www.cbsnews.com/
stories/2008/09/24/eveningnews/
main4476172.shtml