McCain defends Palin: "I don't think she quit"

(GOP12).On Meet the Press, John McCain defends both Sarah Palin's decision to resign and his selection of her as his running mate in 2008.



GREGORY: You must have been shocked to see Governor Sarah Palin to resign as governor

MCCAIN: Well, I wasn't shocked. Obviously, I was a bit surprised, but I wasn't shocked. I understand that Sarah made the decision where she can be most effective for Alaska and for the country. I love and respect her and her family. I'm grateful that she agreed to run with me. I am confident she will be a major factor in the national scene, and in Alaska, as well.

GREGORY: But you said you were surprised a little bit. Why?

MCCAIN: Well, because she had not called me. We had discussed it since, and I better understand the reasons for her decision.

GREGORY: But Senator, you have a reputation of personal and professional toughness and sticktoitiveness . You sought the highest role in the land, President of the United States. You never quit.

MCCAIN: Well, I don't think she quit.

GREGORY:She made a promise to the voters to serve out her term, didn't she?

MCCAIN: I don't know if there was a quote, "promise". But I do know that she will be an effective player on the national stage, and I will say I have never seen the sustained personal, family attacks that were made on Sarah Palin and her family in my life..

But the fact is: she is very popular with our Republican base. She would be a strong voice. I chose her because she was a reformer, because she beat an incumbent governor. She was a popular Republican with her own party. She ignited our base. She did a great job as my running mate, even under the most sustained personal attacks in certainly recent American political history.

GREGORY: You think she's qualified to the seek the highest office...

MCCAIN: Sure. Absolutely... no doubt about it. She has all the right instincts, all the right principles, she was a mayor. She's a governor. She understands the challenges that families face. She has a great background, and I am confident that she will continue to play a major role.

GREGORY: If she seeks the presidency in 2012, you would endorse her?

MCCAIN: Look, I think it's way too early for that kind of thing, because she obviously has not made that decision yet, and traditionally, those of us who are the nominees have waited at least a long period of time before we got into that. We've got a lot of good, strong, young, attractive, articulate spokespersons for our party and our principles.

GREGORY: And yet you're not prepared to endorse her now?

MCCAIN: Well, I mean Ronald Reagan didn't endorse George Herbert Walker Bush -- his own Vice-President -- until the year of the election. I mean, it's just way too early. I'm confident she would make a fine President.