Playing to the base
Posted: Thursday, October 09, 2008 4:18 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Sarah Palin
From NBC's Abby Livingston and Domenico Montanaro
These are the kinds of interviews Palin would rather do.
Palin sat down with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, who asked Palin about... born-alive fetuses... Ayers... ACORN.
Not a single question on the economy, the most important issue to voters in polls, on a day when the Dow dropped another 678.91 points.
This is the most extensively she's spoken since joining the campaign about abortion, in particular.
Here's most of the transcript:
INGRAHAM: Back in March in-- of 2001, when he was an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama was one of, actually the only senator to speak against legislation to protect infants who were born alive after an abortion. He called them "pre-viable fetuses," because if you call them "people," he said directly, "I mean, it would essentially bar abortions," because the equal protection clause doesn't allow somebody to kill a child, and if this was a child, then this would be an anti-abortion statute. Governor, what's your reaction to that?
PALIN: Absolutely atrocious. ... Barack Obama on abortion, not only saying that abortion is a fundamental right, but opposing banning partial birth abortion, but even moreso, more telling, his position on this and on life has been his vote against legislation. Three times voting against legislation that would provide medical care to a baby born having been a survivor of an abortion. It-it-It's very apalling, and I think, you know, if more Americans could understand how absolutely extreme that position is, there would be a heckuva lot more outrage than we- than we already see.
INGRAHAM: He calls it again, Governor, a "pre-viable fetus," that if defined as a person, would get protections under the US Constitution, and essentially he believes it would gut Roe vs. Wade. ... And the fact that he said he'd sign the Freedom of Choice Act, the first thing he does when he's president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act, what's the first thing you're going to do as vice president for life?
PALIN: Oh my goodness. You know, one thing, Laura, I think that getting elected is going to allow the, not just talking the talk but walking the walk, being elected with a family that is quite diverse, including the, you know, a special needs child. I would just hope that my life can reflect what it is that we will do to usher in that culture of life in our government. I hope that, you know, my family alone can just reflect that, because it-it is so extremely important. You said it best, Laura, and I give you credit when I go around and I use a line from your book when you talk about kind of living a messed up world right now, and what's the most promising and precious ingredient that we have in this world? It's a child.
That's- that's where our potential is. That's where America's promise is. It's in our children. And I use that, and I believe in it, and again, let me go back, though, to this born-alive legislation that Barack Obama could not support. It's apalling enough, I think, even for those who are pro-abortion to understand that Barack Obama opposes banning partial-birth abortion, because that's quite extreme.
But for him to have had an opportunity to vote to allow a child born as a result of a botched abortion to receive the medical care that he or she deserves, that it, born with that inalienable right to life, and yet he has sided on the wrong side three times, voting against legislation that would provide that medical care to the baby is the extreme position on, on abortion. Americans need to know that.
INGRAHAM: [On Obama's association with Wright and Ayers, who Ingraham said, "I believe they don't like this country. They don't like our traditions. They don't like our culture. They don't like capitalism."] When you form any alliance, whether it's professional, Governor, or personal or political with these types of people, what does this say about your own view of America?
PALIN: Good point. The issue of Ayers is an issue of judgment. And now it's an issue of candor also. And Barack Obama hasn't told the American people the total truth on that about his association. When? where? All the-- all the questions that are finally being asked about that association with an unrepentant domestic terrorist who did raise the campaign to bomb the United States Capitol and the Pentagon. Yeah, it's all about judgment, there, in the next president of the United States.
Doesn't it, Governor, go beyond judgment to a fundamental question, what did Bill Ayers see in a young Barack Obama? What did Bill Ayers understand was Barack Obama's view on education? A radical, Marxist view idea of how to indoctrinate young people at an early age? Venzuelan President Hugo Chavez is all for Bill Ayers. What does it say about the collision of world views on education?
Palin
Oh...also, what does it say when Barack Obama says that he would sit down unconditionally with Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong-Il and others. Unconditionally! And, I guess, sort of hand over some of the prestige of the United States presidency and validate, I think, validate some of the positions that these dictators have taken. It-- there we go again with the judgment and Laura, it's so important for your listeners to start asking those questions and demanding answers of candidates. We certainly, John McCain [Ingraham: So what--] and I our lives are an open book.
We're called on the carpet everyday. Demanded of us to answer the questions, and I don't see that on the other side. I don't see the other ticket being asked to be truthful and give these details that American voters are deserving. Your-your listeners have got to ask these questions too.
INGRAHAM: Governor Palin, what do you think it says, though, about Barack Obama's view on American education that they had that alliance, when it came to that Annenberg project? That radical view of how to approach teaching in America, what does it say?
PALIN: It says that, I think Barack Obama's position on that, thanks to his association with Ayers and the radicalism there with an education-- an education system that Bill Ayers, anyway, supports, I think shows you too that Barack Obama is so far out of mainstream America. And the policies, I fear that he would support that are so far left, that are maybe today in the campaign packaged up to look really pretty and mainstream, they are not.
And we cannot go into this election on November 4th blind. We've got to ask the questions, demand the answers. You know, we're, we're at some in the mainstream media are saying well, we're taking the gloves off unfairly. No. You know, there are only what? 26 days to go. We got to start getting answers to these questions that are paramount here. So that voters have the choice in front of them that's based on truthfulness and on candor. They deserve it.
INGRAHAM: Well, I hope Senator McCain asks that at the next debate: What did Bill Ayers see in you, Senator Obama? What was it about you that got Bill Ayers so excited politically? Do you think, Governor Palin, that ACORN, that group that's getting out the vote, multiple registrations, 10 investigations, states across this country, do you think what they're doing, this voter registration drive could amount to a criminal enterprise?
PALIN: It's- it's fraud that the connection there to ACORN and fraud has...I mean, that-- that too, it's another thing that's absolutely atrocious and you think, "Geez, doesn't anybody have a conscience anymore?" Allowing this group, perpetuating this problem of allowing people to vote illegally is just, it's one of those things, again, Laura, where I think, "Come on, America! Wake up! And ask these questions and get to the bottom of this, also." I'll tell you, Barack Obama, his answers have been quite curious also. His campaign's any way regarding his relationship with ACORN.
INGRAHAM: Hi $800,00. $800,000.
PALIN: Long standing ties to the group. Just like everything else. Doggone it, he fails to tell the American people with candor and with truthfulness, what his associations are, and we have to know.
Ingraham then invites her to appear on the show weekly when she's elected VP.
PALIN: You're cool. Thank you so much. Laura, appreciate you and all of your listeners.
Heart's "Barracuda" plays at the end.
