Thompson Defends Palin: She Hasn't Seen List Of Supreme Court Cases

Sarah Palin couldn't name a Supreme Court case that she disagreed with because she had yet to be given a "list of cases to see," Fred Thompson explained Thursda, on the Early Show with CBS.

"You know, I think you got the answer there of probably almost 100 percent of non-lawyer candidates if they have not been given a list of cases to see; `They might ask you about this one, they might ask you about that one.'"

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Thompson's odd defense came a the morning after CBS Evening News posted a clip of Palin unable to name a specific case she disagreed with other than Roe v. Wade. In a way, it was reflective of the tough bind in which the Alaska Governor has put her Republican defenders. While some conservatives have abandoned ship (calling on Palin to gently step out of the race), others have tried to lower the bar for acceptable standards for vice presidential candidate performance.

Thompson, for instance, suggested that it was okay for Palin not to have rudimentary knowledge of judicial history because she was not a lawyer. Of course, Palin is a journalism major but still couldn't name a news source she reads.

"Now, you could say she should have had time to go over that list," said Thompson, "and of course she will, and she'll have a chance to deal with the whole judicial side of things, which is new to people who are not lawyers."

Challenged by correspondent Maggie Rodriguez over the claim, the former Tennessee Senator -- as other members of the McCain campaign have -- turned his scorn on members of the media.

Mr. THOMPSON: She's coming in here with an array of things against her like nobody else ever has. There's a lot of people vested in her not doing well. The media...

RODRIGUEZ: But the Republicans want her to do well.

Mr. THOMPSON: She was not--she was not vetted by the media, she was not on the media short-list, the media does not like surprises, she's not giving the media access that they want. They're irritated about that.

Comments

[Yermammy]

Aw geez, who woke Fred up?

[kevinw]

Right only lawyers know about Bush Vs Gore, or Brown vs the Board of Ed. Or one that Thompson should know about from his old TV show , the one that conservatives always complain about during electoral periods, the Miranda decision. They did not ask her about a specific obscure case that you would find in trivial pursuits. They asked which court cases, that she thinks were decided by activist judges, bothered her the most. It means either that no court cases bothered her , or some one told her to be upset about activist judges but did not give her a list of cases to be upset about. It is true that Katie Couric surprised Sarah. Most interviewers these days usually take the talking point answer at face value and don't ask a follow up for the interviewee to be specific in their response. Most interveiwers would have settled for the "You know cases that could best be settled in the local area". Katie committed the sin of asking give me at least one.

[CeeJay1]

Gee, has she seen the Constitution? The Bill of Rights, or even a list of widely read newspapers & magazines, perhaps? I pray for the sake of our country this hapless, semi-literate, beauty queen never makes it past the debates! Wake-up folks, it's one thing to have her serve as the Governor of a sparsely populated state, it's another to have her a heartbeat away from the Presidency!!!

[hey0there]

all she had to do was disagree with that decision about not executing child molesters; and if that wasnt enough, she could have said some words about eminent domain.

that this woman couldnt even remember any other cases than roe v. wade which every kid knows after 5th grade is shocking.

[JFM]

A complete pile of garbage from Senator Thompson.

[2876]

Guess she didn't learn anything during her 18 years in school

[KansasWrangler]

I am sure that Roe v. Wade was just a sound bite...she probably doesn't have a clue what it was really about...only that it "legalized" abortion. I don't suppose it is extraordinary that she doesn't have a very good explanation. On a side note, I have known several people from Alaska (my cousin used to live there) and never heard an accent like hers except in Minnesota. What's up with that?

[Bitsko]

Can you believe this guy was taken seriously as a presidential candidate?

[phoenix2000]

Fred Thompson is a mediocre actor(at best) who ran a mediocre campaign for Pres.

[Yermammy]

Oh no... do you realize WHAT YOU'VE DONE! I can hear the Redstate haters foaming from here! LOOK OUT!! :) Poor Fred, someone tell his trophy wife that he's no longer running...

[mabinog]

this from the guy who got his list of supreme court cases from a law and order script...

[kfdan]

Fred Thompson reminds me Bullwinkle in disguise and ... watch out Fred; she'll be gunning for you pretty soon!

[Jingo]

..and until she started running for VP, Palin thought Roe vs. Wade was a decision on how to cross a shallow river.

[phoenix2000]

NOW that's funny...LOL!!!1

[CindyM2008]

LOL!!!!

[Yermammy]

:( :| :O :) good one!

[midknightryder13]

Just so you know -- 1) that's hilarious! and 2) I'm stealing it!

[GoldenOne]

Yeah, but my 17 year old son can name 6 cases off the top of his head. Call him smart, but isn't qualified to be president. And neither is Sarah Palin.

[fps dean]

I was reading Sarah Palin trying to cover up the fact that she does not know a Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade. She did a very poor job and I don't think she even fooled the most die hard republicans who vote for her no matter what she does or says (and I mean no matter what).

My friend's response matched my throughts: That's just bad. Presidential and vice-presidential candiates should be required to pass some sort of competency test, and in which case John McCain would be given a second chance to make a better selection for a running mate.

Now I read this: Sarah Palin couldn't name a Supreme Court case that she disagreed with because she had yet to be given a "list of cases to see," Fred Thompson explained Thursda, on the Early Show with CBS.

Oh I see, that explains it all to me.... just kidding of course! Obviously she did because she did not know another supreme court case. Perhaps she doesn't have interest in supreme court cases and their outcomes. Or perhaps she needs to re-read through them to make up her always changing mind daily and therefore does not know what she disagrees with. Whichever it is, is this someone you want one step away from being the President of the most powerful and in-debt country in the world? I don't think so...

[Gasparilla]

If you follow the news at all, read a daily newspaper, you should be able to come up with some cases.

[uc1000]

Thompson seems more idiotic than Palin.