Palin introducing herself; GOP blasts questions
Even before McCain's plane landed, his campaign struck back heatedly at the persistent questions about his surprise vice presidential selection, who has been buffeted by political and personal revelations.
McCain will be nominated Wednesday night in a roaring roll call and will deliver his acceptance speech Thursday. Palin will address the convention Wednesday night.
She was waiting at the airport to greet McCain. He stepped off his blue-and-white plane, dubbed "Straight Talk Express," at noon — just as Democratic rival Barack Obama was in the middle of a campaign speech in Ohio. The dual scene was captured in split screen television shots.
McCain kissed his wife, Cindy, at the bottom of the steps, and then he moved down a line of family and friends with handshakes and greetings before he got to Palin. They hugged and McCain talked with her family. Levi Johnston, the boyfriend of Palin's daughter, Bristol, got a pat on the shoulder as well as a handshake.
She will give her address in prime time, at 10:30 p.m. EDT.
"She will speak as a governor, a former mayor and someone with both hands on the steering wheel of America's energy economy," said Tucker Eskew, a senior McCain adviser. "She will detail her record of shaking up the status quo in Alaska and standing up to entrenched interests to put the government back on the side of the people."
Wednesday night's speakers also include a trio of former McCain rivals, now supporters: Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani. "We are getting a little more political tonight," Davis said in a hint of the partisan barbs being sharpened for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
The campaign also lashed out at the media and called for an end to questions about Palin's background and her family. Senior campaign adviser Steve Schmidt decried what he called a "faux media scandal designed to destroy the first female Republican nominee" for vice president.
"This nonsense is over," Schmidt declared in a written statement.
Palin's experience — she has been mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, and has served as the state's governor for less than two years — has been questioned since McCain chose her last week. The process that led to her selection has been criticized as hasty because McCain had met her just once before he offered her the job.
Recent comments
Some of these people sound "jealous". Please stop criticizing Mrs…
Edna | Sept. 15, 2008 at 5:51 p.m.
Wherever willful ignorance and snark play well, Sarah Palin will…
Anonymous | Sept. 7, 2008 at 9:40 a.m.
The democrats embrace a candidate whose past casts a dark cloud over…
HCW | Sept. 6, 2008 at 6:29 p.m.
