Sarah Palin questions John McCain's decision to pull from Michigan

[buttmunch]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Sarah Palin questioned Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s decision to abandon efforts to win Michigan, a campaign move she only learned about Friday morning when she read it in the newspapers.

In an interview with Fox News Channel Friday, the Alaska governor said she was disappointed that the McCain campaign decided to stop competing in Michigan. In an indication that the vice presidential candidate had not been part of the decision, she said she had “read that this morning and I fired off a quick e-mail” questioning the move.

“Todd and I, we’d be happy to get to Michigan and walk through those plants of the car manufacturers,” Palin said, referring to her husband. “We’d be so happy to get to speak to the people in Michigan who are hurting because the economy is hurting.”

Palin acknowledged the GOP ticket’s lackluster poll ratings in the state, but said: “I want to get back to Michigan and I want to try.”

Word of the McCain campaign’s decision to move staff out of Michigan and stop advertising in the state broke around midday Thursday — the same day as Palin’s vice presidential debate against Democrat Joe Biden. The campaign had decided Wednesday night that the $1 million a week it was spending in Michigan wasn’t worth it with internal polls showing Democratic nominee Barack Obama approaching a double-digit lead.

On Friday, Palin sought to re-establish herself as an asset for Republican John McCain’s struggling presidential candidacy, branding their Democratic rivals as liberals not ready to lead in a time of crisis.

Fresh off an upbeat debate performance, Palin told a ballroom full of $1,000 donors in Dallas that McCain advisers warned her that Biden was “a skilled debater.”

“Now I know what they meant,” she said. “He did his best to convince us that the two most liberal members of the Senate belong in the White House. But that was a tough sell, and especially in a time of crisis for our country.”

The Alaska governor’s fiesty tone came as she eased back into the campaign trail. She attended two fundraisers Friday in Texas and also meet privately with Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens to discuss energy policy. Pickens, once a major Republican Party donor, is sitting out this campaign to promote a plan to expand wind power.

As a governor of Alaska, Palin has dealt with a variety of oil and gas issues. She told the Dallas donors that as vice president, “one issue I will be leading is energy independence.”

The campaign has planned a series of rallies for Palin in other battlegrounds. Among the stops scheduled for the days ahead are Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. She will also be in California this weekend for a fundraiser and rally.

Based on the schedule, the campaign appears to be relying on Palin to invigorate Republican voters in Colorado and North Carolina, states that have reliably voted Republican in past presidential elections. Obama leads in polls in Florida and Pennsylvania.

Palin is hitting the road after being sequestered for three days of debate preparation at McCain’s Sedona, Ariz., compound and after interviews with ABC and CBS where she stumbled over foreign and domestic policy issues.

Palin told Fox News that she would spend more time speaking to reporters, a switch from the tightly managed media relations during the past month.

“I look forward to speaking to the media more and more every day and providing whatever access the media would want,” Palin said.

Palin said she had been “annoyed” in her interviews with CBS News anchor Katie Couric and had been caught off guard when asked what newspapers and magazines she read and to name Supreme Court decisions she disagreed with — questions Palin appeared not to be able to answer.

Her responses, Palin said, were “an indication of being outside that Washington elite, outside of the media elite also.”

But Palin held her own in the debate with Biden, displaying facility with some issues such as energy and comfort as an advocate for McCain and as a hard-hitting critic of Obama.

Later, in San Antonio, she let on that she was breathing a little easier now.

“Last night was fun, the debate,” she told donors at the Marriott Rivercenter. “I was glad it was over when it ended.” Palin questions McCain's concession of Michigan | Jackson County Floridan

A couple of things: does anyone believe she actually read a newspaper? Or is it more likely the McSame folks, sometime around lunch on Friday, said 'Crap, what if some reporter asks her about Michigan. God only knows what sort of shit she'll spout. Quick! Someone get her on the horn and clue her dumbass in!' A

I also wonder just how fucking mental McSame was when he heard her saying she questions the decision. I'm thinking the 'C' word came out of storage. Wouldn't it be great if she aggravated him so much he lost it in public?


And it's nice she was glad it was over when it ended, as opposed to it being over before it ended.

[RevellingInSane]

Finally, her true power-hungry inner demon is rearing its head.

[cmmdee]

Originally Posted by buttmunch

I also wonder just how fucking mental McSame was when he heard her saying she questions the decision. I'm thinking the 'C' word came out of storage. Wouldn't it be great if she aggravated him so much he lost it in public?

You know, I hadn't even thought about that. He probably did lose his shit.

Hopefully he was wearing his Depends.

[tkdgirl]

She should question it. Sarah is extremely popular here, especially with the working class hunters, etc. She, alone, could help carry this state.

[cmmdee]

I think it has something to do with Mccain running out of funds.

[McJag]

It does, but I question the wisdom of "firing off a quick email" to her boss!

[tkdgirl]

Originally Posted by cmmdee

I think it has something to do with Mccain running out of funds.

Not sure about that. He had a record Sept. for fund raising. And he was still running ads during football in Michigan this weekend.

[Grimmlok]

maybe he pulled out of michigan like he suspended his campaign

[sluce]

It had to do with the polls that showed him as much as 13% down. They are now saying he will pull out of PA too if it hits double digits. That could happen this week. Look who cuts and runs when things are not going his way.... Guess that's what mavericks do.

[Grimmlok]

McCain is crashing his campaign like he crashes planes.

Oh yeah. I went there.

[cmmdee]

Public funding limits pushed McCain out of Michigan
By Alexander Bolton Posted: 10/04/08 10:39 AM [ET]
Barack Obama’s decision to forego public funding for his presidential campaign helped force John McCain to withdraw from Michigan, abandoning an important strategic objective, said a McCain adviser. The withdrawal was a painful decision for Sen. McCain (Ariz.), the GOP presidential nominee, who spent nearly $8 million to advertise in the state.



McCain strategists decided, however, that they had to pull out of Michigan to keep up with Sen. Obama (Ill.), the Democratic nominee, who has been allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts on the general election because he opted out of public funds.
McCain has had to adhere to spending limits because he accepted public funds for his campaign after winning the GOP nomination in September.
“Part of it is they agreed to accept federal matching funds, which capped the money,” said Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), who has served as a regular adviser to McCain.
“Obama did not. Obama has access to a lot more money than we do,” stated the lawmaker.


TheHill.com - Public funding limits pushed McCain out of Michigan

[kingcap72]

Originally Posted by tkdgirl

She should question it. Sarah is extremely popular here, especially with the working class hunters, etc. She, alone, could help carry this state.

Palin should actually be questioning why McCain didn't bother to tell his running mate that he was pulling out of a battleground state.

[Grimmlok]

people should be questioning why they support Palin in the first place, given that she doesn't appear to know anything, lies constantly, and won't answer questions.

[WesCAdle]

How long before egomaniacal 'little King John' turns on the 'hokie' mom for questioning him? I suspect infighting has already begun and it won't take long for his displeasure becomes public. Her ambition may exceed King John's ability to control his temper and sense of great self worth. I'd love to see the spin on that self implosion.

[kingcap72]

Originally Posted by Grimmlok

people should be questioning why they support Palin in the first place, given that she doesn't appear to know anything, lies constantly, and won't answer questions.

She's pro-life. That's all that people care about.