Palin: Couric was "Badgering" and Biased

Sarah Palin Writes in Book That There Were Tensions With McCain Aides; Criticizes "Evening News" Anchor Over Interview

(AP)  The rumors are true, according to Sarah Palin: The McCain-Palin campaign was not a happy family.

In Palin's new memoir, "Going Rogue," she confirms reports of tension between her aides and those of the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain. The vice presidential candidate confirms that she had wanted to speak on election night, but was denied the chance and says she was kept "bottled up" from reporters during the campaign.

Palin also writes harshly of CBS anchor Katie Couric, whom she describes as "badgering" and biased. Palin's series of interviews with Couric were widely regarded as disastrous, leaving the impression of an ill-informed candidate who was unsuited for the job.

The 413-page book with 16 pages of color photos but no index comes out Tuesday, Nov. 17. The Associated Press purchased a copy Thursday. "Going Rogue," with a first printing of 1.5 million copies, has been at or near the top of Amazon.com and other best-seller lists for weeks, ever since publisher HarperCollins announced that the book had been completed quickly and the release date was being moved up from next spring.

The book follows Palin from childhood to her departure last summer as Alaska governor. It includes much of what her admirers, and detractors, expected: tributes to family and faith and patriotism, and attacks against the media and other perceived opponents.

She writes about the "jaded aura" of professional campaign aides and how McCain's entourage limited her access to the media, leading to allegations - unfounded, she says - that she was avoiding reporters.

And she says that most of her legal bills were generated defending what she called frivolous ethics complaints, but she reveals that about one-tenth of the $500,000 was a bill she received to pay for the McCain campaign vetting her for the VP nod.

She said when she asked the McCain campaign if it would help her financially, she was told McCain's camp would have paid all the bills if he'd won; since he lost, the vetting legal bills were her responsibility.

Written with Lynn Vincent, "Going Rogue" is folksy in tone and homespun. For example, Palin says her efforts to award a license for a massive natural gas transmission line through Alaska was turning a pipe dream into a pipeline. She writes in awe about how the McCain campaign had hired a New York stylist who had also worked on Couric.

Taken aback by all the fussing, she wondered who was paying for the $150,000 worth of fancy clothes given to her and her family members by the campaign. Family members were told it was being taken care of or was "part of the convention." The designer clothing, hairstyling and accessories later grew into a controversy.

Palin shares behind-the-scene moments when the nation learned her teen daughter Bristol was pregnant, how she rewrote the statement prepared for her by the McCain campaign - only to watch in horror as a TV news anchor read the original McCain camp statement, which, in Palin's view, glarmorized and endorsed her daughter's situation.

Palin laments that she wasn't allowed to bring up loads of family members to the stage while McCain gave his election night concession speech, the vice presidential candidate having found out minutes earlier that she wouldn't be permitted to give her own speech.

She writes that ABC newsman Charles Gibson, who had an early interview with her, seemed bored by "substantive issues" stemming from her time as governor and that while speaking with her he "peered skeptically" at her over his glasses like a disapproving principal.

She writes at length about Couric. She says that the idea to meet with Couric came from McCain campaign aide Nicolle Wallace, who told Palin that Couric - also a working mother - liked and admired her. It would be a favor to Couric, too, whom Palin notes had the lowest ratings of the network anchors. Wallace said Couric suffered from low self-esteem. And Palin replied that she almost began to "feel sorry" for Couric.

She alleges that Couric and CBS left out her more "substantive" remarks and settled for "gotcha" moments. She writes that Couric had a "partisan agenda" and a condescending manner. Couric was "badgering," biased and far easier on Couric's Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden (watch the full Couric/Palin interview).

She writes warmly of her childhood and her mother's "nurturing, hospitable" personality. Her priorities were set early - faith (she would read Scripture each night before bed), hunting, current events and sports (she even dreamed of being a broadcaster alongside Howard Cosell). She remembers being a voracious reader, favorites including John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" and George Orwell's "Animal Farm." Long before Tina Fey parodied her on "Saturday Night Live," Palin enjoyed watching the show as a girl.

She met her future husband, Todd Palin, in 1982. He was good-looking and mature, like no one she had ever known. He was quiet, gruff, strong, spiritual.

[independentreformer]

CBS News, I used to respect the TV Anchors, but no longer. Walter Cronkite was the last of the unbiased bigger than life media people. Even though he was a democrat, he did not use his power to push an agenda--unlike Gibson and Couric. I believe every entertainer and news agency violated the campaign laws base on maximum dollars allowed to contribute by an individual or business through their power base and money invested in the media. The election committees and IRS should be after all of you and I believe it would hold up through the Supreme Court even if you hide behind the freedom of speach, because you have more money and free TV time that violates the law.

[bann65]

'Catie" is a SNOB, like all the democrat upper elite. Sarah should never have gone on this show with this biased snot. She didn't need that. she's too good of a person. Can anyone here really relate to "catie couric"?!

[element51]

I hear over and over about how "pretty" Sarah is. The problem is that looks are only skin deep. It is what is inside that really matters. And although she may have a pleasing outside she is as corrupt inside as she can be. The very first time she was trotted out as the VP choice, she lied only minutes into her speech. She said that she had flatly turned down the funding offered for the "bridge to nowhere" when in reality she had welcomed it with open arms. And the lies kept coming. Her appeal to the uneducated evangelical right wing southern trailer trash morons is not going to go away but that is not enough to get her the support she would need to be elected or even nominated. She knows this and what she is doing is cashing in while she can. She's smart enough to do that. She will walk away from all this hoopla a very wealthy woman and the joke will be on those republicans who support her. And just saying that you are "deeply religious" does not make it so. I could say that I am very handsome but I guarantee you that doesn't make it so. Take your money and go home, Sarah.

[Omni-Present101]

Gibson's Interview to me, was the Begining of her End...

Couric Simply Compounded the End and she was Not Badgering the Witch at all.

Simple Questions like what Books or Magazines do you Read ?

Is Tough Questioning ?

Crossing over to Pakistan to find Terrorist, which was President Obama's position. was Badgering Questioning.

Sarah Palin is a Hollow, Floating Bubble.

Palin is not even a Full 1 Term Governor of a State.

Mitt Romney Fulfilled his One and Only Term as Governor.

Romney gave that State State Run Health Care and He Banned All Assault Weapons, in his Words "Assault Guns are made to Kill People, Not for Hunting"

Had this been President Obama, he's be Called a [Marxist,Socialist,Leninst, Stalinist & Nazi]...

Wait a minute, that's what they call President Obama that Now and he had Nothing to do with the [Patriot Act] which took away Americans Right to Privacy and that's All Americans.

____________

You have Condoleeza Rice, Hillary Clinton, Lisa Murkowski and Elizabeth Warren, yet Talk about this Hollow, Floating Bubble, called Sarah Palin.

Jeesh

[P0STING_AWAY]

by mooksie1 November 14, 2009 12:23 PM EST
Is this news now? Katie Couric is a biased, left-wing loon, who will "badger" anyone who does not agree with her twisted, liberal ideology. So sorry the nation has these liberal loons reading the news. CBS is off my list for fair reporting.
============================================================================
Wow! You are right! Katie asking those doggone liberal media
questions like "What magazines / newspapers do you read" ....
"CBS is off your list for fair reporting????"
Could you also exclude them from your list of internet sites to peruse ????

BTW ... any member of Sarah's fan club has NO PLACE calling anybody a "loon".

[P0STING_AWAY]

by sarrab-2009 November 14, 2009 1:34 AM EST
Sara Palin is the new 'Joan of Ark', God has sent us a Saint to save our country.
===========================================================================
I am guessing you meant "Joan of ARC". A Saint indeed .... the first
saint (that I am aware of, anyway) who lies like a drunken sailor .....

[mooksie1]

Is this news now? Katie Couric is a biased, left-wing loon, who will "badger" anyone who does not agree with her twisted, liberal ideology. So sorry the nation has these liberal loons reading the news. CBS is off my list for fair reporting.

[filmguy107]

Really? Was it ever ON your list?

[sarrab-2009]

Sara Palin is the new 'Joan of Ark', God has sent us a Saint to save our country.

[Stop_the_crying]

Send her BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[watervliet]

PALIN!!!!PALIN!!!! PALIN!!!! YAK! YAK! YAK!

[CKouric]

The times has come for CBS to stand up. Release the unedited videos of Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin.
Let the public decide if there was badgering or mistreatment. Then it will be who are you going to believe me or your lying eyes.

[RandomUser1886]

Sarah Palin's daughter's ex-boyfriend's mother was vetted more than Obama was.
But no, there's no liberal bias in the Media.
I mean, if Dan Quayle had said he had been to 57 states with one to go, the Media would still be bringing it up today.
But their messiah Obama said it, and it's ignored.