Transcript of Roll Call Interview With Palin
Roll Call Staff
The following are excerpts from an interview with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Aug. 14 in her Anchorage office. About two weeks later, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) picked Palin to be his vice presidential running mate.
Roll Call: What role did you play in encouraging your lieutenant governor, Sean Parnell (R), to challenge longtime Rep. Don Young (R) in the GOP primary?
Gov. Sarah Palin: I told him right off the bat, ‘Oh my goodness, the nation needs you. You would be a perfect fit in Congress and you would be great for Alaska,’ and great for his administration for him to be more fully utilized as a partner on the federal level for the state of Alaska.”
RC: How would you describe your relationship with the Congressional delegation? For example, when did you last speak with Sen. Ted Stevens (R)?
Palin: Just the other day. ... We have a respectful relationship. We’re from different generations of course, obviously different levels of experience, but I have respect for his contributions to this state.
Congressman Young, who I find quite abrasive, [is] someone who exercises a different manner of conducting himself and his politics.
I don’t remember the last time [I talked to Young]. It was a restaurant in Fairbanks a couple weeks ago with seven members of Congress, including [House Minority Leader John] Boehner [R-Ohio] and others who were up visiting the ANWR plain. So they stopped in Fairbanks and I had dinner with them. Don Young walked into the restaurant ... and walked right past us and didn’t say hello. His wife did come over and speak with us, which was very nice and cordial, but he did not. It kind of took me aback because these are his colleagues in Congress and they’re all the way up here in Alaska.
RC: Do you think Rep. Young does a poor job as a Member of Congress?
Palin: I think that he has served the state for many years and I do respect his years of service, but I do believe it’s time for a new ideas and new energy to be representing Alaska.
I believe that in our Congressional seat, also, it’s time for a very diplomatic, progressive approach to dealing with the challenges here in Alaska on a federal level. And also for Alaska to really start growing up and growing together and this is a good time for Sean Parnell to be running also. This is the 50th anniversary of statehood. And for me and for Sean, it’s time for our state to be allowed to produce more and contribute to the rest of the U.S. instead of being seen as takers from the federal government, because for so long we have been reliant on the federal government to pay our bills.
RC: Have you ever met John McCain?
Palin: I have. At a Republican Governors Association meeting, I don’t know how long ago, while I was a candidate [in 2006]. Sen. McCain had two different meetings and I met his wife.
RC: What do you think the possibility is of you being picked for the vice presidential ticket?
Palin: You know, I just think that’s so far out of the realm of possibility. I think, OK, I’m a hockey mom from Alaska and I’m very passionate about the need for our nation to become energy independent and for our nation to become more secure, and that’s going to be based on domestic supplies of energy being tapped. I do believe that Alaska, we can be the leader of energy policy — and energy policy has been sorely lacking in our nation. And I can think I can do that as governor. So, when I consider this out of the realm of possibility, hypothetical about ever being tapped for vice president, I don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it. I spend my time thinking about what Alaska can do to contribute. How can we produce? We’re ready to produce.
RC: Have you been vetted by the national party?
Palin: [T]raditionally a potential candidate goes through their state party to be vetted and have the information passed on. Our party chairman ... the machine within the state Republican Party ... we don’t have that kind of relationship where they would pass on any good information to McCain or the national GOP. I just acknowledge that and that’s fine.
[The national GOP has asked for old speeches] and that’s been kind of recent. But other than that, I don’t know anything about how they’re doing anything.
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