McCain Defends Palin (Weakly)

AOL News

John McCain said Tuesday that Sarah Palin did not damage his presidential bid, and he dismissed as typical campaign sniping anonymous criticism aimed at her following their crushing defeat.

"I'm so proud of her and I'm very grateful she agreed to run with me. She inspired people, she still does," McCain told Jay Leno during an "Tonight Show" interview taped for broadcast Tuesday night. "I couldn't be happier with Sarah Palin."

Asked by Leno about griping about Palin from unidentified McCain operatives in the days following the election, the Arizona senator said, "These things happen in campaigns.

"I think I have at least a thousand, quote, top advisers," he scoffed. "A top adviser said? I've never even heard of ... a top adviser or high-ranking Republican official."

These things happen? These things happen?!?!

Let's run through this again, Mr. McCain. You run the weakest Republican campaign since Bob Dole. You lost Indiana (Indiana!) and North Carolina. You were outfunded 6 to 1 due to a stupidly principled stand for public financing.

When your supporters used Obama's freaking middle name; You said: "that's unacceptable"

When your campaign wanted to introduce the public to Obama's 20 year preacher who happens to believe that the US government invented AIDS. You said, "that's unacceptable."

But when your subordinates in an effort to deflect attention from your own ineptness onto the one bright spot of this horrible campaign. And in doing so, they willingly and knowingly trash an up and coming GOP star with lies and innuendo.... You say: "these things happen."

Pardon me, but given the evidence, I think McCain might have been, you know, angry, if the aides in question had been mean-spirited to a Democrat instead of his own ticketmate. But that's the McCain we all know and love. it's called bipartisanship I guess...

Sarah Palin meanwhile continues to defend him to the hilt. Be nice if he returned the favor.