Palin Funder In VA, The Robert Duvall Show
Pool report courtesy ABC News:
RNC Victory Fundraiser, Ritz Carlton in McLean, VA, Last night
Your pool was escorted into a large banquet room on the fifth floor of the Ritz Carlton in McLean, VA, where about 400 Republican donors dressed in business attire stood mingling with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
Gov. Sarah Palin entered the room around 6:50 p.m., along with Virginia Sen. John Warner, former Virginia Sen. George Allen, John McCain’s mother Roberta McCain, actor Robert Duvall, Palin’s husband Todd Palin, and four-time Iditarod champ Martin Buser who was on the campaign trail today.
Robert Duvall introduced Palin, and immediately began railing against Republicans who he said have been critical of the McCain-Palin ticket, starting with convservative columnist George Will and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson.
“So I’m here tonight to present a very special person that you all know. But it bothers me that certain people in the Republican Party are attacking the McCain-Palin ticket, like super-nerd George… What’s his name?” Duvall asked, prompting a few attendees to shout out George Will. “George… George, I can’t even think. George Will.”
“Tommy Thompson of uh, that original block of wood, from Wisconsin. He attacked the team today. I mean, that’s like being, instead of Monday morning quarterbacking, it’s during the game. It’s Friday and Saturday night quarterbacking. It’s like giving credence to the other side.”
Duvall then also went after some critics on the left, hitting both ... columnist George Will and feminist Gloria Steinem.
“And of course the other side of the aisle, you have some pretty despicable people in their opinions, and the way they attack people. You know, I can think of, you know, Frank Rich. He used to waddle up to the Café Central years ago, and say to all my friends, ‘now what can you teach me about acting, I have to know something about acting because I’m going to be the film critic for the New York Times.’ He knew nothing about acting, knows nothing about acting now.”
“And another time I met Gloria Steinem way back, and I had my lady with me, an important lady at the time. We talked for five or six minutes. She totally ignored the woman standing behind me. Totally ignored her. So so much for her feminism.”
“So tonight, you know, the McCain-Palin ticket, for me there’s no other option. There is no other option on the table as far as I’m concerned. As far as I’m concerned, we gotta keep this guy out of the White House.”
Duvall then finally introduced Palin, saying, “So it is my pleasure and great privilege to present a tremendous speaker and a wonderful lady, I think. I think you’re all gonna agree with me. Governor, I call her Miss Sarah, Governor Palin from Alaska.”
Palin’s response to the intro: “Robert, I thank you for that very kind introduction. And of course, he being so accomplished. I’ve met your wife and I really like your wife. And you know what they say, behind every accomplished man stands a very surprised woman.” (big laughs and catcalls from the crowd)
Palin then started her remarks, introducing Sen. John Warner and former Sen. George Allen, as well as Roberta McCain. She then introduced her husband Todd Palin, and four-time Iditarod champ Martin Buser, who traveled with the campaign today.
And then Palin went into a shortened version of her standard stump remarks from today, covering lines on the economy, energy independence, and the virtues of John McCain. She received a very enthusiastic response from the audience, who offered applause and cheers at all the lines that get positive response on the campaign trail.
Two highlights different from standard remarks are below. If you need any other highlights of the speech, which were all the same as her standard stump, please let me know.
On McCain’s speech in Virginia Beach this morning:
“He took the gloves off there a little bit today,” which drew a big applause. “See it’s been easier for me to be easier to say, ok, for me, it‘s heels on, gloves off. John, bless his heart, he gets criticized left and right when he tries to bring out the opponent’s record. There’s nothing mean spiritied or negative in talking about the opponent’s record. We’ve got to keep doing that — we’ve got to keep doing that. So many people have been whispering in my ear, “Pass on to John McCain - take the gloves off!” prompting a man in the crowd to hell, “Give ‘em Hell, Sarah.”
On getting people to accept “see more and more of the revelation.”
“And no condemnation here of our good senator, (referring to Sen. Warner) but we don’t believe that all the wisdom in the world is in those marble halls of Congress. No, we believe that the wisdom of the people should not be underestimated. And we’ve gotta trust in these next few weeks with your help that more and more of the revelation will (long pause) will be accepted by the people in terms of the contrasts of the two tickets. Stark contrasts in these tickets.”
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