The Pink Flamingo :: Katie Couric Edited Interview to Make Palin Look Bad

The Pink Flamingo's regular readers know when I agree with Kathryn Jean Lopez we're getting a little disparate around here. This is one of those times. We all agree that Palin looked terrible in the CBS interview with Katie Couric. If the conservtive blogsphere had been willing to defend Palin maybe they would have found the edits from that interview:

"...(2:58) Couric: What, specifically, in your view, could be done to convince the new government in Pakistan to take a harder, tougher line against terrorists in that country?

Palin: At a time when new leadership comes in, that is the opportunity to forge better, tighter, more productive relationships and that’s what we’ll take advantage of with new leadership in the US and in Pakistan. And I’m sure that President Zardari, too, will agree with us as we commit to the support that Pakistan needs, that other nations in the region need, in order to win this war on terrorism. (3:32)

(5:39) Couric: But what lessons do you think you have learned as you’ve watched this unfold in terms of implementing the democracy and the challenges inherent in that goal?

Palin: Well, one is that America cannot be counted on to do this solely, to be the savior of every other nation, but we need friends and we need allies and we need this nation-building effort and we need to forge new alliances, and that is what a new election will provide opportunity to do.

Couric: What happened if the goal of democracy, Governor Palin, doesn’t produce the desired outcome, for example in Gaza, the US pushed hard for elections and Hamas won.

Palin: Especially in that region, though, we have got to protect those and support those who do seek democracy and do seek protections for the people who live there. And you know, we’re seeing today, in the last couple of days here in New York, a speaker, a President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, who would come on our soil and express such disdain for one of our closest allies and friends—Israel—and we’re hearing the evil that he speaks. And if hearing him doesn’t allow Americans to commit more solidly to protecting the friends and allies that we need, expecially there in the Mideast, then nothing will.

If Americans are not waking up to understand what it is that he represents, then nothing is going to wake us up and we will be lulled into some kind of false sense of security that perhaps Americans were a part of before 9/11.(7:25)..."

If you read the edits, Palin does not look like an idiot. That's the whole point. Couric had to make her look bad. And idiots like Kathleen Parker have fallen for Couric's lies.

Have you ever heard the old adage, if you tell a lie long enough, people will believe it. Well, that's happening to Sarah Palin. I don't mind admitting I'm so angry I'm in tears as I write this. I don't know when I've seen anyone so abused and mistreated by the press. Serial killers get more respect. I swear Hitler gets more positive headlines. Hugo Chavez is treated better. Fidel Castro is more revered. More members of the press defend OJ than defend Sarah Palin. It has reached the point where they are going to destroy a good woman and her family. Now "conservatives" have joined the fight, determined to destroy John McCain by demanding she withdraw as his VP nominee. If she does, he's done. Like Rick Moran wrote today:

"...Besides this, if Palin were to withdraw, McCain may as well pack it in and go back to Arizona. No sense in staying in a race you are going to lose hugely...."

I like Ace's take on things. Note to Kathleen Parker - get your panties out of a wad! My question is simple. Why the H-E-Double-Toothpick did the McCain Campaign even consider letting her go anywhere near bottom-feeder Katie Couric?

Do you want my take on things? Kathleen Parker (considered an Ann Coulter wannabe) needed a big headline so she went after an innocent victim, Sarah Palin. Now the whole MSM is using what "Conservative" Parker wrote in order to finish the evisceration of Sarah Palin. Maybe, though, Parker was intending to rally the troops around Palin, for that is what has happened. Read the comments on her Townhall Column (how the heck do some people get Townhall columns, anyway) and read Lucianne based comments. Did you catch the angry women on Rush today? Maybe we should be a little bitchy about Parker. Fortunately AJ Strata calls it the way I see it - she is an embarassment.

Naturally CNN is jumping on the bandwagon declaring that conservatives want to get rid of Palin. Parker is simply mimicing her alleged betters such as George Will (who is as much of a loyal Republican as my poodle is loyal to the cats), David Brooks (who is in a snit) and Davie Frum. When you consider that "hell hath no fury" it makes me wonder if Parker did not get a rebuff when she wanted to prove how important she is by landing an interview with Palin. (Just a thought). What she has done, by helping to destroy a good, decent woman, is elevate herself to the role:

"...Prominent conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, an early supporter of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, said Friday recent interviews have shown the Alaska governor is "out of her league" and should leave the GOP presidential ticket for the good of the party...."

Kathleen Parker can't be to prominent. I'm fairly familiar with the world of conservative columnists and I've never heard of her. But - by starting a firestorm that can only cause further damage to the McCain-Palin ticket, Parker is now important. So was Judas.

Now, thanks to the Ann Coulter wannabe, "nameless" Republican insiders are being quoted as saying that Palin is a disaster. Want to go on record anyone? The thing is, Republicans have never been shy to complain about anyone. No self-respecting Republican would be "nameless". They'd come out and broadside the candidate. It's the GOP way. There is one thing I do not understand about Parker. For someone who has columns on Townhall and RCP, she should know the "score", but obviously she is clueless for she does not even bother to mention that the Charles Gibson interview was edited to make Palin look as bad as possible. I have a feeling when we get down to the bottom of sewer, we're going to find Couric's interview was also edited that way. We do know Couric treated Palin very shabbily during the interview.

"...CBS New anchor Katie Couric ordered staff to drop all references to "Governor" or "Gov." from her interview with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. When a staff member pointed out that in other venues, Couric and CBS News had referred to Governor Palin's opponent, Joe Biden, using his title of "Senator" or the abbreviation, Couric, according to a CBS News editorial aide, sought approval from CBS News management to drop the "Governor" reference during her broadcast interview with Palin that began on Wednesday night...Couric is not the only member of the broadcast news corps who has sought to diminish Palin's professional position, though she may be the most high profile. Producers and editorial staff at both NBC and ABC report that fellow staffers have openly ridiculed Palin, her professional and personal background and her family during production meetings, in the editing bays during video editing for nightly news stories, and while covering Palin at political events...."

Bridgett Johnson is jumping on the anti-Palin bandwagon by promoting Bobby Jindal. She forgets that Jindal has been in office less than Palin and has less experience than Palin. He does though, have certain male anatomical features and does use a zipper. I gather that is the primary qualification for higher office. It certainly makes sense. That's why Hillary Clinton was treated like dirt. It also explains why Sarah Palin must be smashed to atoms, never to rise again.

There is one other difference. Having grown up in a small state that is usually ignored (South Carolina) and currently living in one that a goodly number of the ignorant Democratic voting masses do not realize is part of the United States (New Mexico) I understand the prejudice against Alaska. Bridget Johnson, of the Rocky Mountain News, (Colorado) should know better. The only reason the MSM (and I include Johnson in that league) even knows about the living human called Bobby Jindel is because he is the governor of a state that has been getting a little attention and is prone to natural disasters.

Maybe it's just that Bobby Jindel is a man. I think that's probably the real reason. The other reason is the fact that Sarah Palin is very pretty, talented, has a hunk of a husband, and a good life. She has it all - ergo she must be destroyed.

I rarely email the author of a column which angers me. This time, though I sent an email to Kathleen Parker.

"I was wondering when the gentle souls of NRO were going to turn on Sarah Palin. It was only a matter of time. I'm wondering if it is more of a way for certain conservatives to pull the rug out from under John McCain than anything else.

Frankly, I am getting sick and tired of these attacks on our VP nominee. I have been promoting and supporting her "cause" since August of last year. No one is more aware of her qualifications than am I. The truth of the matter is I have become physically ill over the attacks aimed at her. The more I watch the way she is handling things, the more positive I am that I made the right call - over a year ago.

How anyone could come out ahead with the MSM I just don't know. How anyone who claims the mantle of "conservative" does not comprehend this is something else I just don't know. I've reached the point where I don't see how the woman can win. She's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't. She has managed to survive this onslaught with style, class, and grace, which is more than I can say of her critics.

I am angry, extremely angry over this un-ending attack upon someone who doesn't deserve the attacks. You don't see this happening to Joe Biden. You don't see anyone delving into his private life (and perhaps they should). If Sarah Palin were to make the gaffs Joe Biden had made there would be a feeding frenzy.

How well would you handle the onslaught of the MSM? How well would you handle Charles Gibson or Katie Couric? I am impressed she did so well. No Republican can win in this situation, it doesn't matter who. I though her interview with Sean Hannity was excellent. Have you bothered to read the very few accounts of how well she has done in NY this week? I gather you don't remember the constant gaffs of GWB when he was running in 2000. I'm sorry, your vendetta against Sarah Palin is nothing but bias.

I have a question, just who do you think would be the perfect VP choice? If Sarah Palin were to gracefully withdraw, it would doom John McCain, but that's the whole idea, isn't it? Her withdrawal would also destroy the chance for any GOP woman to achieve anything more than the House, Senate, or just be the good little Republican woman serving punch and cookies for the really important men. I've been there, done that and have no intention of doing it again.

Reading your bio, I see that you live in Camden and come from Florida. I too was born in Florida. I spent most of my life in Oconee County, constantly involved in GOP politics there, to the point where I was county chair when Lindsey was running for his first term in Congress. I walked away because of the pervasive view of the punch and cookies theory."

A WARNING TO DECENT PEOPLE
I think the reason Sarah Palin must be destroyed is because she is the worst enemy the liberals could possibly have. Why? She's the power of the people. She's innocent. She's fresh. She's not perfect in a national interview. She doesn't do power lunches or cocktails within the Beltway (which is enough to have her hung). The whole mistreatment of Sarah Palin is akin to the horse head in the Godfather. It's a message. Stay the heck out of politics. Good, decent, honorable people are not wanted. If they to attempt a political career they will be destroyed. Ergo - Sarah Palin is good, decent, and honorable. She must be destroyed.

One other thing. If people like Kathleen Parker had their way, no woman would ever aspire to a political career. We would be relegated to the usual punch and cookies. Sarah Palin is inspiring college and high school age girls like crazy. That is the most frightening thing of all - she could be a roll model.