Campbell Brown Defends Sarah Palin Against McCain Advisers' Scapegoating: "You Picked Her"

Campbell Brown used her "Cutting Through The Bull" segment Thursday night to defend Sarah Palin against "scapegoating" on the part of John McCain's advisers.

"I find it so stunning that the very people who introduced us to Sarah Palin, who told us she would make a great Vice President, have now turned on her with a vengeance," Brown said. "They are the top advisers to John McCain's failed campaign and they are desperate right now to find someone to blame for their long list of mistakes."

Brown, who reminded viewers that Sarah Palin was only in the national spotlight for nine short weeks, also reminded McCain's advisers that they are the ones who chose Palin for the #2 spot:

You are the ones who supposedly vetted her, and then told the American people she was qualified for the job. You are the ones who after meeting her a couple of times, told us she was ready to be just one heartbeat away from the Presidency. If even half of what you say NOW is true, then boy, did you try to sell the American people a bill of goods. If Sarah Palin is the reason some voters chose Barack Obama, that is no one's fault but your own. John McCain, as he so graciously said himself the other night, lost this election. He lost it with your help, your advice, your guidance, and yes, your running mate recommendations. And that is crystal clear to everyone, no matter how hard you try to blame Sarah Palin or anyone else.

Watch:

Brown's Full Comments

Tonight the scape-goating of Sarah Palin. Whatever you may have thought about John McCain's running mate... about whether she was qualified, prepared or experienced enough for the job... try if you can to put all of that aside for just a moment. Because Sarah Palin is who she is. She did not become measurably more intelligent or measurably less intelligent during this campaign. Remember, she was only part of the campaign for a matter of nine weeks. Sarah Palin is who she is.

Which is why I find it so stunning that the very people who introduced us to Sarah Palin... who told us she would make a great Vice President... have now turned on her with a vengeance. They are the top advisors to John McCain's failed campaign and they are desperate right now to find someone to blame for their long long list of mistakes. They have been launching grenades at Palin and her supporters... some of their allegations we at CNN have found to be patently false. You will hear people say "this is what always happens with a losing campaign"... and hopefully, this is the last time we will be talking about these people. But what they have done just in the last few days to save their own skins is worth a final comment.

To those top McCain advisors who leaked the little story about seeing Sarah Palin in a towel. To those who called her and her family "Wasilla Hillbillies" while using her to stoke class warfare with redmeat speeches and an anti-elitist message. To those who claim she didn't know Africa was a continent. To those McCain aides who say she is the reason they lost this election... can I please remind you of one thing: you picked her.

You are the ones who supposedly vetted her, and then told the American people she was qualified for the job. You are the ones who after meeting her a couple of times, told us she was ready to be just one heartbeat away from the Presidency. If even half of what you say NOW is true, then boy, did you try to sell the American people a bill of goods. If Sarah Palin is the reason some voters chose Barack Obama, that is no one's fault but your own. John McCain, as he so graciously said himself the other night, lost this election. He lost it with your help, your advice, your guidance, and yes, your running mate recommendations. And that is crystal clear to everyone, no matter how hard you try to blame Sarah Palin or anyone else.

Previously:

Campbell Brown Calls Out Double Standard On Palin Clothes Controversy
Campbell Brown Rips McCain Camp's "Sexist" Treatment Of Palin

Comments

[Jacqbear]

I absolutely agree with Campbell's assessment while also admitting I absolutely disagreed with Palin on everything she said. She was appalling choice for a vice presidential candidate. (So was Dick Cheney and more appalling he ended leading the executive branch.)

At the beginning and end of the day, the Republicans and McCain's campaign picked her even though she probably shouldn't have even made the list. If they'd wanted a woman so bad, it's reported there are actually women Republicans who would be well qualified. Sometimes I wondered if this was a case of self sabotage because Palin was so woefully underqualified.

By the way to the person who damned Palin for not being able to list the "three" countries in North America: there are three North American countries signed onto NAFTA. There are more than three countries IN North America. I googled it and was surprised by the answer. For example, Greenland is considered a part of North America. There are other surprises.

I'd forgotten what I'd learned several decades ago in school (or assume what I learned in school). Of course, I wasn't running for vice president... [:

[Alhaji78]

Does anyone still have any doubt that John McCain was the wrong man from the Job. This Sarah Palin bashing is just more proof that he's campaign did not have and still doesn't have any class, dignity, honor or principles. Now I'm not a Palin supporter by any means, but to come out and blame her, and insult her after they picked her truly shows the character of those guys. Thank God they will not be running the country.

[prostock69]

The fact they picked a woman with no character shows you the character of those guys. She's a bigot, thief (clothes) and a liar. She has fallen so far from the pedestal she was placed on, it'll be hard for her to come back. But hey, this is America. We have (I don't) short memories and love a comeback (Britney Spears).

[viewfromuphere]

the trouble with Palin is not that she didn't know "stuff"...she didn't seem care she didn't "know stuff"..
ultimately...the McCain people didn't vet this woman but Saran is responsible for what is or is not in her darn head.

For christ sake...she wants to be in govenment...there's is enough evidence that she wanted this spot..she didn't blink when asked...yet she couldn't be bothered with learning anything she didn't have to.

This is a forty plus year old woman who's a sitting governor....she didn't have not
"know stuff."
I think the McCain campaign is being hypocritical...and I think Palin is being disingenuious.

A pox on both their house as Willie Shakespeare might say.

[Carolab]

A pox indeed. Did we suddenly forget all of the "hate" rallies she inspired while she claimed not to hear the shouts of "k**l him" and "te*****ist" and the "n" word?

Puhleeze. No sympathy, no way.

[Gnrshrtd]

Hey Ms Brown, the wonks have it in for you. You must be doing something right :D

[sylar]

We can just sit back and watch them feast on themselves now folks...I've got my popcorn. :)

[chickenpieeggs]

I've got my popcorn, Reeses Pieces, and a large soda, scoot over.

Oh, and here's a little animated short for the kids before the adult action kicks in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo5cCmbnWTc

[SCBLUE]

McCain thought Palin was his trump card...he trumped Obama for not picking Hillary..with a woman..but, not a REAL woman, at least not a sane one. The longer Palin was in view, the worse it got. He nasty, mean and hateful retoric is coming back to her. KARMA, baby, KARMA

[YouDisgustMe]

well said!

[Carolab]

But patently false.

[sextonfan]

This woman is a complete waste of space--she trots out her insipid formulaic bull every week. It's pretty much, lets take everything the left or the right has been buzzing about and say something self-righteous and "neutral" about it. Meanwhile, wasn't her husband a talking head for the Bush Administration during the Iraq war?

[Carolab]

Yup. Dan Senor.

[RequiredReading]

Palin said: "Those were taken out of context and that's cruel. It's mean-spirited. It's immature. It's unprofessional and those guys are jerks if they came away with it, taking things out of context, and then tried to spread something on national news."

Unless, of course, you are talking about Barack Obama. Then it's okay. Palin said.

[Carolab]

Really--no double standard here, right?

[Plumblossom]

Campbell is right. If it is a fact that she was interviewed for only 15 minutes or even 1 hour what ddi they expect -- I mean most job interviews extend to atleast two meetings. This is just another example of the republican party making a bad choice and proceeding to try and sell the public rather than make a correction.

[Carolab]

Sarah had the right to just say "thanks but no thanks". She asked for it, she deserves whatever befalls her as a result.

[raggatt]

Everything Brown says is true. But, to be fair, McCain's people couldn't have foreseen how really stupid Palin is. I'm sure in their wildest dreams it never occurred to them she didn't even know the Canadian Prime Minister's name or the 3 countries in N. America.

[stop7997]

If that's the case then they did a REALLY poor job of vetting her.

[sklfcats]

Campbell
Shut the pie hole

[eden4barack08]

Campbell is right, of course. This is why the Republican party can never be trusted, they always try to sell the public stuff they know for sure is rotten, and do it with a straight face.
Many of us noticed early on, the mistake that Palin was, and even thought they were still in time to replace her with someone else on the ticket. Intrade had a bet at about 90%, that she would be asked to step aside, the week after she came on. Instead, the McCamp gambled on selling the lie that she was perfect. Sure, she energized the bigoted, ignorant base, but that would've never amounted to 51%. I never once believed McCain everytime he said he was "proud of her".

[Carolab]

Brown isn't right. Palin is as much to blame as those who picked her.

[lotion]

Amen.

[overcat]

Is this woman for real?!? At least now that Palin is out of the national spotlight we can look forward to this dolt for comic relief.