Palin blames Bush administration for Republican loss
The Associated Press
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
WASILLA, Alaska: Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, amid speculation she will run for president in four years, blamed Bush administration policies for the defeat last week of the Republican ticket and prayed she wouldn't miss "an open door" for her next political opportunity.
"I'm like, O.K., God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door," Palin said in an interview with Fox News on Monday. "And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door."
In a wide-ranging interview with Greta Van Susteren of Fox, Palin said she had neither wanted nor asked for the $150,000-plus wardrobe the Republican Party bankrolled. She added that she thought the issue was an odd one at the end of the campaign, considering "what is going on in the world today."
"I did not order the clothes. Did not ask for the clothes," the vice-presidential candidate said. "I would have been happy to have worn my own clothes from Day 1. But that is kind of an odd issue, an odd campaign issue as things were wrapping up there as to who ordered what and who demanded what."
"It's amazing that we did as well as we did," Palin, who was the running mate for Senator John McCain, said of the election in a separate interview with The Anchorage Daily News.
"I think the Republican ticket represented too much of the status quo, too much of what had gone on in these last eight years, that Americans were kind of shaking their heads like going, wait a minute, how did we run up a $10 trillion debt in a Republican administration? How have there been blunders with war strategy under a Republican administration? If we're talking change, we want to get far away from what it was that the present administration represented," Palin said in an article published Sunday.
Palin has scheduled a series of interviews this week with Fox, CNN and the "Today" show on NBC. She also plans to attend the Republican Governors Association conference in Florida this week.
Palin has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2012. She could also seek re-election in 2010 or challenge Senator Lisa Murkowski. Still uncertain is the fate of Senator Ted Stevens, who is leading in his bid for another term but could be ousted by the Senate for his conviction on seven felony counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts. If Stevens loses his seat, Palin could run for it in a special election.
Palin and McCain's campaign faced criticism over the tens of thousands of dollars spent at stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Republican National Committee lawyers are still trying to determine exactly what clothing was bought for Palin, what was returned and what has become of the rest.
Her father, Chuck Heath, said Palin had spent part of the weekend going through her clothing to determine what belongs to the Republican Party.
Heath said Palin was "just frantically" trying to sort stuff out. "That's the problem, you know, the kids lose underwear, and everything has to be accounted for. Nothing goes right back to normal."
Palin's father said his daughter told him the only clothing or accessories she personally had purchased in the past four months was a pair of shoes.
Republican National Committee lawyers have been discussing with Palin whether what's left of the clothing and accessories purchased for her on the campaign trail will go to charity, back to stores or be paid for by Palin, a McCain-Palin campaign official said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the campaign had not authorized comment.
The McCain-Palin campaign said about a third of the clothing was returned immediately because it was the wrong size, or for other reasons. However, other purchases apparently were made after that, the campaign said. |
