Palin, Biden Trade Views On Abortion

CBS Evening News: Biden And Palin Answer Katie Couric's Vice-Presidential Questions

(CBS)  Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin have put in some very long days preparing for their Thursday night debate. To give voters a better sense of who these candidate are, and where they stand on a number of issues, CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked Biden and Palin some "Vice Presidential Questions." This installment tackles Roe v. Wade and Supreme Court decisions.
Click here to read more of what the vice-presidential candidates had to say and see our series, "Presidential Questions."

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Katie Couric: Why do you think Roe v. Wade was a good decision?

Joe Biden: Because it's as close to a consensus that can exist in a society as heterogeneous as ours. What does it say? It says in the first three months that decision should be left to the woman. And the second three months, where Roe v. Wade says, well then the state, the government has a role, along with the women's health, they have a right to have some impact on that. And the third three months they say the weight of the government's input is on the fetus being carried.

And so that's sort of reflected as close as anybody is ever going to get in this heterogeneous, this multicultural society of religious people as to some sort of, not consensus, but as close it gets.

I think the liberty clause of the 14th Amendment … offers a right to privacy. Now that's one of the big debates that I have with my conservative scholar friends, that they say, you know, unless a right is enumerated - unless it's actually, unless [it] uses the word "privacy" in the Constitution - then no such "constitutional right" exists. Well, I think people have an inherent right.

Couric: Are there Supreme Court decisions you disagree with?

Biden: You know, I'm the guy who wrote the Violence Against Women Act. And I said that every woman in America, if they are beaten and abused by a man, should be able to take that person to court - meaning you should be able to go to federal court and sue in federal court the man who abused you if you can prove that abuse. But they said, "No, that a woman, there's no federal jurisdiction." And I held, they acknowledged, I held about 1,000 hours of hearings proving that there's an effect in interstate commerce.
Women who are abused and beaten and beaten are women who are not able to be in the work force. And the Supreme Court said, "Well, there is an impact on commerce, but this is federalizing a private crime and we're not going to allow it." I think the Supreme Court was wrong about that decision.

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Watch the vice presidential candidates' views on church and state separation

Read the transcript of the candidates' interviews on church and state

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Couric Why, in your view, is Roe v. Wade a bad decision?

Sarah Palin: I think it should be a states' issue not a federal government-mandated, mandating yes or no on such an important issue. I'm, in that sense, a federalist, where I believe that states should have more say in the laws of their lands and individual areas. Now, foundationally, also, though, it's no secret that I'm pro-life that I believe in a culture of life is very important for this country. Personally that's what I would like to see, um, further embraced by America.

Couric: Do you think there's an inherent right to privacy in the Constitution?

Palin: I do. Yeah, I do.

Couric: The cornerstone of Roe v. Wade.

Palin: I do. And I believe that individual states can best handle what the people within the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see their will ushered in an issue like that.

Couric: What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?

Palin: Well, let's see. There's, of course in the great history of America there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are those issues, again, like Roe v. Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know, going through the history of America, there would be others but …

Couric: Can you think of any?

Palin: Well, I could think of … any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But, you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a vice president, if I'm so privileged to serve, wouldn't be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today.

[jimlayton]

OMG. Please, America wake up!

[magnolia15]

Oh My! Oh My! God help us!!

[Onar]

I can''t believe this is even possible... And she could possibly be nominating judges to the Supreme Court?

How dare McCain say "country first" with this pick? He''s a gambler, and is apparently also willing to gamble this country away...

[expert47]

Congrats Sarah.. you didn''t let us down.. not one Supreme Court Ruling in that fluff ball you call a brain? not one?? come on baby.. you can do it..

[beap3]

wow. she knows nothing. where are all the republican women who know more than she does who are willing to speak out against her? This is crazy. SHE IS NOT READY. she may be a fantastic gov and great mayor and the smartest kid in her school, and best player on her team in her town. BUT SHE IS NOT READY TO BE PRESIDENT.

[Onar]

I can''t believe this is even possible... And she could possibly be nominating judges to the Supreme Court?

How dare McCain say "country first" with this pick? He''s a gambler, and is apparently also willing to gamble this country away...

[rayrobb13]

I am totally dumbfounded by what I have seen from Gov Palin. I can''t believe that there is a chance for this person to be one cancerous heartbeat away from the presidency. Comeon America, you are better than this. This country can ill afford to turn over the reins to Mccain/Palin. Please America

[expert47]

There''s another topic not posted yet.

When Katie asked Sarah about the separation of church and state, she said she agreed with Thomas Jefferson and having people have the right to choose their own religion.. She had ABSOLUTELY no concept that it was about religion not being involved with government.. Biden got it exactly correct.

For God''s sake, how is this woman even able to function on a day to day basis ???

[emelder]

Cute, but clueless. OMG ... she is definitely NOT Presidential material. No way. What was McCain thinking? He had so many better-qualified Republican women to choose from ... and then there are the men! Poor choice. Reflects McCain''s opportunistic instincts, rather than Country First!!! It''s Obama time.

[commuter16]

Un-belivable. How can she and McCain think that we, the American people, cannot see thru this giberish. She couldn''t say, Brown v Board of Education, Plesy v. Ferguson, Dred Scott (things we were all taught in high school). Un-belivable.

[willcaine]

Foundationally?

[Onar]

I can''''t believe this is even possible... And she could possibly be nominating judges to the Supreme Court?

How dare McCain say "country first" with this pick? He''''s a gambler, and is apparently also willing to gamble this country away...

[myiid4]

Waiting for Palin to say female politcal hero is Laura Roslin in Battlestar Gallactica. Come to think of it, I''d rather vote for her than any of them...

At least it''s entertaining...like watching the head of the student council interview the prom queen.

[minnick8-2009]

There have been about 30 million abortions in the United States since Roe vs. Wade. That is what a call a holocaust with five times as many innocent unborn potential human beings being slaughtered as the numbers of Jewish people who were slaughtered by Hitler during WWII.

The wholesale destruction of human beings needs to end. There are other ways to take care of birth control. Abortion should be the last resort in cases of rape and incest.

[truebluematador]

It''s a sad day in America when the vice-presidential candidate can''t even name one surpreme court case.

[dapple73]

As a lifelong Democrat from middle America I am aghast at watching Katie''s interviews of the VP candidates. Look at her body language! She reminds me of a 16 year old school girl talking to the Captain of the football team with one, and, the same 16 year old talking to the girl who just stole her boyfriend with the other.

I hope she doesn''t wonder why her ratings are poor. She is not a news anchor. She is an opinion commentator masquerading as a news anchor. Can''t she at least try to hide her disgust for those of us who still cling to moral values.

We have no good choices in this election. And, the only hope "we"* have for meaningful change is in the woman she obviously envies to death for becoming successful by following a model that is foreign to her.

If McCain wins, which there is no reason he should, she can take comfort in the fact that she helped put him over the top with her overbearing, condescending attitude.

* Anyone, regardless of political affiliation, who who wants to live a life where we are able to determine our own fate and future for ourselves.

May God Bless all who crave freedom,


A Proud Union Member

[charityl7793]

one word after seeing the Katie Couric interview: CLUELESS. She couldn''t even win "your smarter than a 5th grader" OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA!! Republicans, be smart, get Palin off your ticket for the sake of America.

[minnick8-2009]

how is this woman even able to function on a day to day basis ???

Posted by expert47

Expert, I would be interested to know what you have accomplished in the last 5 years, or the last 10 years.

[soose95]

GW breached the executive powers with the judicial powers when he stepped into the Teri Shibo case. I wonder if Palin even knows what 3 branches of government there are or what balance of power means. Would love CBS to have asked her that question.

[midvale3]

Abortion should be the last resort in cases of rape and incest.


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Posted by minnick8 at 07:22 PM : Oct 01, 2008

Uh, better check with your Prom Queen, she''s against abortion for any reason, including rape and incest.

[leeza34-2009]

This is terrifying :-(. In 5 minutes (!) he absolutely DESTROYED HER. I have lost all respect for John McCain. He is jeopardizing this country in ways that were not even perceptively fathomable two months ago. A complete disgrace. Can only hope we all wake up and come to our senses come voting time.

Congratulations to Katie Couric, however. If anyone had any doubt that this was a serious journalist, the last week has evaporated any doubts. Job extremely well done!

[minnick8-2009]

* Anyone, regardless of political affiliation, who who wants to live a life where we are able to determine our own fate and future for ourselves.

May God Bless all who crave freedom,

A Proud Union Member

Posted by dapple73

Thank you for your post.

[barbaraf4]

Palin. The less she knows about a subject, the longer her answer.

[midvale3]

With the abortion debate another thought occurs concerning Palin and all other "life begins at conception" folks. Fertilization of the female egg occurs in the falopian tubes and one of the things the pill does is prevent implantation in the Uterus. If conception is the beginning of life, every woman that takes the pill may well be having her own abortion each month.

The progestin in the Minipill may prevent ovulation; however it may not do this reliably each month. The Minipill works further by thickening the mucous around the cervix and preventing sperm from entering the uterus. The lining of the uterus is also affected in a way that prevents fertilized eggs from implanting into the wall of the uterus. The Minipill is taken every day. You may not have a period while taking the Minipill, if you do have periods that means you are still ovulating and your risk for pregnancy occuring is greater.

[hatter702]

PALIN: I''m, in that sense, a federalist, where I believe that states should have more say in the laws of their lands and individual areas.

Isn''t federalism is the exact opposite of what she''s saying here?

Maybe Alaska has some form of bizarro-federalism where it means more state''s rights.

[anokie]

McCain reaps what he sowed.

[dmoore801]

I believe the principal from the Adam Sandler movie Billy Madison said it best....

Mrs. Palin, "what you''ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

[dapple73]

Read the Federalist Papers. Then read the 10th Amendment. Abortion is not enumerated. It is a States'' issue and not under Federal jurisdiction. HWether you agree with the opinion or not (gee the Supreme Court once upheld slavery), it is not a Federal issue by definition of the framers of teh Constitution.

If you actually went to class in college, you should have learned that the Supreme Court has made various political decisons over the centuries. That is why future courts have the right to review previous decisions.

[truebluematador]

Katie asked Biden and Palin essentially the same questions. The outcome... Sarah, a second grade education is a terrible thing to waste.

[imjustsayin9]

The question was cite another Supreme Court Case you did not AGREE with, not just cite any case. Biden was able to pick a case related to a bill he was responsible for writing (and he didn''t say the name of the case). Why didn''t Katie press that issue? Or remind him That Roosevelt wasn''t President, nor were their TVs in the American home in 1929? They are not exactly the poster children of historical knowledge, either...

[dapple73]

"All men are created equal..."(Abraham Lincoln), from that point you are on your own (me).

WHen two cells become on, we are all equal. Once they divide into two, all bets are off.

[inventagod2]

Palin - living proof the RNC owns Diebold.

Vote by hand.
Count by hand.
Tell the media they can just wait.
Vote - it''s IMPORTANT!

[Onar]

What is this? Some sort of competition where we find the dumbest person in America to run as the VICE PRESIDENTIAL candidate?

This could be so bad if she ended up as president, I can''t even contemplate it...

[coolkat60]

What a blanking joke....speak of affirmative action...this women could not pass a seventh grade civics class. let''s see, she did not know any examples of Mcinsane''s regulations, could not name a major newspaper/magazine, could not name supreme court case and was absolutely clueless on the issue of "Federalism". McInsane has the nerve to equate her with Obama''s intelligence??? Country first???This country will suffer if they are elected.

[tiredmom3]

I''m tired of Katie''s biased reporting. As someone has already commented, it is obvious by her body language how she just can''t stand Palin. When Katie was interviewing Obama, I thought she was going to reach over and give him a big kiss. Whatever one''s politics, this is ridiculous. Brian Williams, here I come!

[ahumanright]

Women Want Safety, not Biden''s Abuse of Power

Senator Joe Biden proudly proclaims that he was beaten with impunity by his sister as a youth. This is the same sister that raised his two sons after his wife and daughter were killed in an auto accident.

Biden has often claimed that the Violence against Women Act is the greatest achievement of his career. Yet he fails to recognize the role women play as perpetrators of violence against men and children. Hundreds of studies show that women commit acts of domestic violence as often as, or more often than men. Many studies show that lesbian women physically attack their intimate partners at least as often as heterosexual men. It''s also a well established fact that a child is more likely to be killed by the mother than by the father, a neighbor, an acquaintance, a stranger or a *** offender.

[midvale3]

This could be so bad if she ended up as president, I can''''t even contemplate it...


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Posted by vikingstad at 07:41 PM : Oct 01, 2008


Picture W in a dress, glasses and a wig....

[melandre41]

WOW America, Palin just doesn''t get it.When you don''t have it you just don''t have it. Its time for her to come to her senses and give up. We feel sorry for her but I know more then she does. Maybe she should go back to wiping the Polar bears off the endangered species list,killing wolves,and dressing moose.

[dapple73]

Whoever wins, this is going to be fun to watch. If Obama wins, we are run by the Daley political machine and the people who supported him can join those of us who supported Ted Strickland thinking he was going to help the working man.

If McCain wins, I think Palen is just far enough off center to frog-march a bunch of Congressmmen and Senators right off the floor and to jail.

And, since Obama was the attorney of record in a case where NCB was forced to loan in areas where this mess started, he may be one of them.

Either way it''s going to be entertaining.

[midvale3]

I''''m tired of Katie''''s biased reporting. As someone has already commented, it is obvious by her body language how she just can''''t stand Palin. When Katie was interviewing Obama, I thought she was going to reach over and give him a big kiss. Whatever one''''s politics, this is ridiculous. Brian Williams, here I come!


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Posted by tiredmom3 at 07:43 PM : Oct 01, 2008


Katie had that look, as as intelligent people did, because she couldn''t believe that Palin could be the VP and possible President some day. Kind of "you have GOT to be fraking kidding me".

[oldsmartian]

Oh please, this excuse for a woman makes me ashamed to share the same gender. She must be the most incredibly stupid individual on the planet. Is she speaking in tongues? Amazing that a wonderful man, and a true hero, chose this brainless wonder as a running mate. Frightning scenerio.

[marshall65]

Palin doesn''t know what magazines she reads, agrees with the right to privacy and despite her personal stance on abortion thinks that issue is up to the states, and she apparently know about any Supreme Court cases. Katie is a narty person while smiling, but Palin isn''t much different except she isn''t as smart as Couric.

[myiid4]

What is this? Some sort of competition where we find the dumbest person in America to run as the VICE PRESIDENTIAL candidate?

This could be so bad if she ended up as president, I can''''t even contemplate it...


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Posted by vikingstad

George Bush Senior did it. Not to be outdone...well, you see where this is going. Anyway, she''s already won Miss Sasquatachwon or Moosilla or wherever she''s from.

All kidding aside, I''m just as scared as you. My fear is for the entire ballot we have in front of us, the pickin''s are nil.

[lyou-2009]

oh dear. Mrs. Palin proves more each day that she is horrifically unprepared, uneducated, and inexperienced. I am sorry that Palin and McCain''s insatiable drive for power has reduced their ability to realize that we are a country in need of extreme intelligence, diplomacy, and expertise in the laws and decisions of our most supreme courts in the United States and the critical world issues in which we live today. Ms. Palin needs to go back to Alaska and leave the real work to those who are prepared.

[fwiffo]

You can now conduct your own interview of Sarah Palin.

www.palinparrot.com

(For amusement purposes only)

[waterbird17]

soooo Palin believes in a constitutional right to privacy, but she believes that it should be managed by the states? Does she even understand what she''s saying and how little sense it makes? She is SO out of her depth.

I''m finding new respect for Ms. Couric.

[fwiffo]

You can now conduct your own interview of Sarah Palin.

www.palinparrot.com

(For amusement purposes only)

[midvale3]

Plain''''s problem is that she is trying to sound smart when she''''s far from it.

Why don''''t she just play dumb like George Bush.

It worked for him.




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Posted by langs13 at 07:52 PM : Oct 01, 2008


Has anyone seen Palin and W together? Maybe it IS Georgie in drag. With that hairstyle you can''t see her ears to tell and they certainly think alike.

[commuter16]

Let me get this straight...she''s a Federalist who believes in states rights. HMMMM! Poor Alexander Hamilton, he''s turning in his grave as I type.

Which "handler" do you think gave her the definition of Federalist?

[gmjh-2009]

the one desperate excuse Republicans have consistently moaned about is ''why don''t they ask Biden or Obama the same questions?! Not fair!''

(as if Biden or Obama wouldn''t be able to name which newspapers they read, for goodness sake)

Now even that desperate excuse has vanished as Biden and Madam were asked the same questions.

And the Reps now have absolutely no excuse.

They''re lumbered with a person who is no doubt a fairly pleasant person to meet at a bar but as a politician is without any doubt now an embarrassing idiot.

Simple as that. No excuses. No way out.