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Rick's List

Palin Campaigns For McCain; Pope Benedict Under Fire

Aired March 26, 2010 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Here's what's making the LIST.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The rhetoric that we use in everyday language, battleground states, it's going to be a war, they are in the process. The fact is, this is a very emotional issue.

HOLMES: Senator John McCain leaves the partisan fighting in Washington for a tight campaign battle in Arizona, so today he's bringing star power, Sarah Palin. We're live at the event.

REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA), HOUSE MINORITY WHIP: Just recently, I have been directly threatened.

Enough is enough. It has to stop.

HOLMES: Was Representative Eric Cantor really a target of health care reform hate? What investigators are saying now.

Today, former NBA Wizard Gilbert Arenas finds out what happens when you bring a gun to the locker room.

And no baby killer shout-out here. What triggered this capitol slugfest in Missouri?

Your national conversation starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And welcome to the LIST, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in today for Rick Sanchez. And topping the list right now, John McCain and Sarah Palin.

We're going to take you live to Tucson, Arizona. This is going to be the first joint appearance we have seen with these two on the campaign trail since, of course, the 2008 presidential election.

You see them starting to get going there. A rally is taking place there. And what a difference a year-and-a-half makes. It wasn't too long ago that John McCain was the one introducing the country to Sarah Palin. Now he has to go ask for her help to help him get reelected out there for another Senate term in Arizona, going for a fifth term.

Now, a bunch of ironies there, yes, the fact that he's got to get through a primary, this very popular -- this man who was really at the head of the Republican Party a short time ago has got to get through a primary out there. He has a challenge in the primary.

Now, why would somebody challenge this popular Republican? Well, Sarah Palin was actually an advocate of such a thing. She's been out there encouraging Republican primary fights. Take a listen to her not too long ago at the Tea Party Convention in Nashville.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: This year, there are going to be some tough primaries, and I think that's good. Competition in these primaries is good.

Competition makes us work harder and be more efficient and produce more. And I hope you will get out there and work hard for the candidates who reflect your values, your priorities, because despite what the pundits want you to think, contested primaries aren't civil war. They're democracy at work. And that's beautiful.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, she asked for it and she has it now. You see our Jessica Yellin standing by.

Jessica, my goodness. It wasn't too long ago that we -- most of the country didn't even know who Sarah Palin was. He put her on the map. Now he has to ask for her help. Good afternoon to you, and tell us, who's the headliner out there?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's quite a turnabout.

I'll tell you, T.J., first of all, John McCain is such a fiercely contested primary that not only is he concerned about his future; he's moved to the right on a number of his positions to prove to his base that he's conservative enough to keep the seat.

That also helped win Sarah Palin to -- that helped him encourage Sarah Palin to come out here and support him. And, T.J., until about 10 minutes ago, we were told that Sarah Palin was going to be the headliner and John McCain would introduce her, but now there's been a change of plans. And it's going to follow the standard format.

HOLMES: Ah.

YELLIN: Yes, yes. Now Sarah Palin will be introducing John McCain, as usually happens at these events.

HOLMES: Now...

YELLIN: We're told there's no reason why, just a change.

HOLMES: No reason why, just a change.

Now, there was some sniping, some classic sniping that we know about, we didn't find out until later, that went on between their two camps during the actual campaign.

I imagine, like you said, they didn't say so, but is possible there was some sniping when they were talking about who was going to go first today? I mean, do we expect to see anything uncomfortable up there on stage?

YELLIN: These things can be like international negotiations when you figure out the lineup for political events.

But, no, will we see any discomfort? No. We're told what is going to happen is Todd and Sarah Palin will come out, along with Cindy and John McCain, so it's the first time we will see the two families together since the election.

And I'm sure it will be a very pleasant picture. Important to remember that it was the two campaign staffs that sniped at each other. John McCain and Sarah Palin never went head to head with each other personally. It was always their staffs that were bitter, so they say that their own relationship is just fine.

HOLMES: Now, we also played a sound bite leading in to you, listening to Sarah Palin back at the Tea Party Convention, saying that she encouraged that people should have these primary fights during the Republican primaries, but, of course, she's there for the incumbent today.

Now, is she doing this -- do people get a sense that clearly she has to do this in a way to return the favor? There was no way she could come out for J.D. Hayworth out there, could she?

YELLIN: Right. If she had, it would have been such a huge slap. The truth is, yes, J.D. Hayworth, the challenger here, seems to be more the natural standard-bearer for the Tea Party voters right now, simply because of the conservative message he has promoted through his entire political and radio career, but for Sarah Palin to endorse him at this stage, even J.D. Hayworth says, would be a sign of ingratitude. That wouldn't be right.

So, even Hayworth told CNN he thinks it makes sense that Palin would endorse McCain. And then he hopes that, after he wins, this is Hayworth, he will get Palin's support.

I will just add, T.J., there are plenty of voters here who say they're here for Palin, and their mind isn't made up on McCain, so we will see how much it helps.

HOLMES: All right. Yes, she is still a huge, huge draw, but, my goodness, what a difference a year-and-a-half makes.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: All right. I know we're going to be talking to you here in just a bit again. And, again, Palin first now. You said she's coming out first, and then McCain.

YELLIN: Yes. HOLMES: So, a switch there.

Jessica, thank you. We will talk to you again here shortly.

We will stay on a bit of the political front here. I want to tell you a story. If you were here yesterday, you recalled our reporting about the threats being leveled against House Democrats who voted for health care reform. We also aired a statement by Virginia's Eric Cantor. He's the number-two House Republican.

Now, listen to him here saying it's not just Democrats that are being targeted and threatened. He said he has been threatened as well. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA), HOUSE MINORITY WHIP: Just recently, I have been directly threatened. A bullet was shot through the window of my campaign office in Richmond this week, and I have received threatening e-mails.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right, you heard him there. He said, I have been directly threatened. He said a bullet was shot through the window of his campaign office in Richmond.

Now, that at the time certainly a big deal, reporters at the event, including CNN's own Dana Bash, trying tried to sound out for some details there.

You listened. A lot of people yelled out some questions when he walked out. He just read a statement, read a written statement, and then the number-two Republican just walked out.

So, going to tell you what police are saying now. The story has changed a bit. Police in Richmond, Virginia, where that office was, tell us that the bullet that pierced a window at Cantor's campaign office was fired randomly. Again, they are quoting -- directly from them. They say it was random gunfire.

And it happened at about 1:00 in the morning. Now, here's more of their statement. It says: "A bullet was fired into the air and struck the window in a downward direction, landing on the floor about a foot from the window. The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane, but did not penetrate the window blinds. There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the congressman."

Now, of course, we had some questions. We did want to reach out to the congressman, Congressman Cantor. We have reached out to him repeatedly today. We now have received a response. Going to share that with you here coming up in just a moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He reported to many people, Milwaukee police, St. Francis police, and no one helped him. No one helped him and his classmates and his friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: A man says he was abused by a priest and spent 30 years trying to convince the church. Now, here we are, three decades later. They are finally listening. That's ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Seriously? Things have been getting heated in political debate. This is not in Washington, folks. We will tell you which states where a couple of lawmakers just about came to blows. We have got the rest of that video you don't want to miss. That's next on the LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, topping our list of stories we're keeping an eye on right now, a rescue operation under way in the Yellow Sea near North Korea, after a South Korean navy ship sank, 104 crew members on board.

The defense ministry says at least 58 of them have been rescued. The ship sank in a flash point maritime border area between the two Koreas. The South Korean government issued a statement saying not clear exactly what caused this incident, but they are not ruling out some sort of military engagement.

To Iraq now on the election list. By a two-seat majority, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's Iraqiya coalition wins the most seats in Iraq's parliamentary elections. Now it's up to Allawi to build his coalition. He has got to get at least 163 seats to form a coalition government, those negotiations already happening.

Now, his bloc beat the coalition led by the current prime minister, you are seeing him there, Nouri al-Maliki. The final results can be appealed, and al-Maliki has pledged to do just that.

Back to the political list now. A lot of people, including you, maybe, have been begging for some kind of civility when it comes to politics, on a national stage at least. Well, it turns out the folks in the states, the state lawmakers, are following the lead of the national lawmakers and behaving pretty badly.

An ugly scene in Jefferson City, Missouri, yesterday. Lawmakers tried to finalize the state budget. Now, also keep in mind as we show this video you to, you know these galleries, these halls where these lawmakers meet? They have galleries up top for people to come visit. Oftentimes, schoolchildren come in to see the process. Look at what they had to watch. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually cuts our fund, our house contingency fund. People are mad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Be quiet. If you got something to say, then you stand up and...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentlemen

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: I'm embarrassed.

What you saw, the first you saw there at the podium, that was the Democratic whip, Jeff Roorda. Now, this was the face-off between the Democrats and the GOP over the expansion of tax credits. Got personal a bit when the Republican, the other guy he was pointing at off to the side there, Tim Jones, the Republican, he accused Roorda of missing budget votes.

Now, Roorda then came back to the podium. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF ROORDA, MISSOURI STATE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC WHIP: I apologize for that.

As I was speaking on the budget, I was accused by another member of walking on critical votes yesterday. Mr. Speaker, I think everybody in the body should be aware, based on my remarks Monday, that I lost a dear friend, Jamie Hagler, a state employee, the brother of the director of agriculture.

And I did leave to attend his funeral yesterday, Mr. Speaker. We all miss votes up here to take the time to remember loved ones that are lost. I don't apologize for that, Mr. Speaker.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Again, schoolchildren had to see our democracy at work.

Well, the mavericks, they are back at it, political reunion for Sarah Palin and John McCain. We are seeing -- that's a different picture there. That's an older picture. We have got another live picture we're going to show you here in a second.

We're waiting for them to step up to a podium. This is in Tucson, Arizona, a live picture. Waiting on them to come out. Yes, Sarah Palin is there to help her former running mate get elected or keep his seat there, get reelected in his Senate bid, going for a fifth term. We will bring you her comments live, Sarah Palin. When she steps up to the podium, we will bring those to you live. But, first, the Obama administration has a plan to slash mortgages for homeowners facing foreclosure. That sounds great to a lot of folks, so why is everybody not happy about the proposal? That's next on the LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: And welcome back, everybody.

Tell you what you're seeing on the right side of your screen there, what we're standing by for. That's a live picture out of Tucson, Arizona, where we're expecting to see something we haven't seen since the 2008 presidential election. We are going to see John McCain and Sarah Palin on the stage, on the campaign trail together for the first time since that campaign, and this time, once again, trying to get McCain elected, if you will, trying to get him reelected.

He's facing a pretty tough bid out there in the primary, the Republican primary, to win his fifth term as a senator from Arizona. And he is getting some help from the woman that he actually put on the national stage, and she has become quite a force in her own right on the politics of this land, so, getting her help. We expect to see her out in the next 10-plus minutes or so. But when she steps out, that event gets started, we will take you back there live.

We want to turn back now on the list of Washington's attempts to stop the foreclosure crisis, another plan now to help troubled homeowners. It's aimed at two groups, people who have lost their jobs and people who owe more on their homes than their houses are worth, and that's a lot of people.

This is actually an expansion of President Obama's signature homeowner help program, which hasn't actually helped that many folks so far.

Here to help us drill down, our business correspondent Christine Romans.

Hello to you, my dear lady.

All right, here, the government...

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, T.J.

HOLMES: .. pretty much just tweaking a program that a lot of people say didn't help that much in the first place.

ROMANS: Yes.

HOLMES: But this one is aimed, in large part, at the unemployed.

ROMANS: That's right, fine-tuning a yearlong initiative really to try to figure out how to stabilize housing prices and homeowners.

First to the component which is helping the unemployed. There would be a plan in here, people who do not have a job could get a forbearance on their mortgage, either pay a little bit of their mortgage payment or nothing at all for three to six months, the government encouraging lenders, often with incentives, encouraging lenders to make it so that people could pay 31 percent of their take- home pay, or of their gross pay, rather, you know, 31 percent of their gross pay, on their -- on their mortgage payment.

And if that is an unemployment check, then they just have to pay 31 percent of their unemployment check, so this would buy people more time if they are out of work until they can find a job, T.J.

HOLMES: OK. That is going to sound great to a lot of folks.

There's another part that's going to sound pretty good to some people, too, but this is one that everybody is kind of going back and forth a lot, bringing down the principals on some of these mortgages.

ROMANS: Right.

HOLMES: A lot of people are upside down right now. Now, this is -- like I said, this kind of the controversial bit of it.

ROMANS: You're right. And it is controversial. Here's why.

Until now, a lot of these plans they have been careful to avoid actually writing down the value of the loan, actually forgiving principal on the loan, for a couple of different reasons.

One, there was concern that the banks couldn't do it, that they didn't have the capital cushion to do it. There was also this concern about -- you will hear it again and again -- moral hazard. How can you cut the size of one person's loan, but not another person's loan, and at what point are you starting to entice people into maybe becoming late on their mortgage so that they could get a better deal from the bank down the road?

So, this is the tricky ground that the government has to walk. What this particular fine-tuning looks like, specifically, is that the government would have incentives and the like to help lenders consider writing down -- writing down a portion of this principal.

It's been something that's been debated for a very, very long time, more than a year now, and it looks as though the government wants to try to do that part.

HOLMES: All right.

Now, you call this -- we call this a tweak, if you will, so, in fact, if they are going back and tweaking what they already put in place, even if this isn't, if they won't make an explicit admission, is it at least a tacit administration the first round didn't work?

ROMANS: Well, look, they're -- widely, widely considered that the last year we have not found this golden combination to stabilize the housing market, right? And maybe that's because it's a very complicated problem, and, because, T.J., every homeowner and homebuyer is a little bit different. The circumstances are a little bit different. But we do know that, until now, I think about 170,000 homebuyers, struggling homebuyers, have had a permanent modification of their loan, 170,000. In the beginning, a year ago, the government said they wanted to help three million to four million homeowners, so the government is now trying this new approach to see if they can try to maybe keep their promise of helping three million to four million, just because it's a moving target trying to figure out to help people and who should be helped and under what circumstances.

HOLMES: Yes, who and what circumstances, that's a part a lot of people get upset about, the person who is there who is still making their payment on time.

ROMANS: Yes.

HOLMES: They look at their neighbor who has gotten behind maybe, and say, well, why should they be bailed out? Maybe I should get behind on mine as well.

But, if your neighbor who is behind is able to stay in their home, that helps you out as well.

ROMANS: That's absolutely right.

I mean, that's a very good point, too. When you think about people who might be saying, I'm responsible, why should government money be helping somebody who maybe drained all the money out of their home at the peak, maybe who used a crazy mortgage to get their place, they are living in a house that they are never going to be able to afford, why is that person getting helped and I'm not getting helped, well, the theory is if you stabilize the housing market and you stabilize the situation for everybody, everybody's home prices will be stable then.

You don't want -- you can be the responsible Roger, right, and then on both sides of you, you have got a foreclosure, well, now your home value is going to go down, too.

HOLMES: Well, it certainly helps if everybody stays in their home, fewer foreclosures. We're all supposed to benefit from this. So, just keep doing what we're supposed to be doing.

Christine Romans, it is always such a joy to see you.

ROMANS: Nice to see you, T.J.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They thought they got away with it. They thought they have had their best shot. Everybody looked at them. Everybody looked at them.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And they thought they were in the clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They thought they were in the clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, it took two generations of investigators 31 years to solve one of the oldest murder cases in New Jersey. So what, or who, helped them crack this case?

Also, the Iceland volcano that sat dormant for nearly two centuries. Check this thing out, now these incredible new pictures. It's just ripping a hole through a glacier of ice. That's ahead.

Also making our LIST, he says he was a victim of sexual abuse by a priest and felt his case was swept under the rug. After 30 years now, his story is finally heard. That is next on the LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: And a reminder, we're waiting and any moment we're expecting to see out on that stage Sarah Palin and John McCain, the two for the first time going to be out on the campaign trail together, first time since they campaigned together back in 2008.

This time, Sarah Palin there to help out John McCain, the man who put her on the map nationally a year-and-a-half ago, trying to help him there, since her popularity has soared. She's going to go help her old running mate out. He's in a pretty tough reelection bid. He's got a pretty tough fight in the primary, so we will go back to that live when it does happen.

We do want to check now the list of the most intriguing person in the news today. Well, he's 61 years old today, and he embodies the never- give-up philosophy. And, finally he says, people are learning about a long list of sexual abuses allegedly committed by a Catholic priest, including against him at the age of 12.

Our most intriguing person today has tried to inform Catholics in Milwaukee for over 30 years that a priest there was a child molester. And now his story is being told and heard at the highest levels of the church. The accused priest is now dead, but how his case was handled by his bishops and even the man who is now pope is the subject of the latest sex scandal rattling the Vatican.

Let's show him to you now. His name is Arthur Budzinski. He's deaf. He's one of 200 people who claim his priest at a school for the deaf molested him decades ago. He's never stopped fighting, and for that he is our most intriguing person of the day.

Coming up, the sentence for Washington Wizards star guard Gilbert Arenas. Being sentenced for what? Bringing guns into the team's locker room. We will tell you what happened to him in court today. Stay with us.

Also, McGruff took a bite out of crime. You remember McGruff, the Crime Dog. But this dog took a bite out of a crime fighter's car. And what would happen if you attacked a police cruiser? Well, the same thing that happened to this dog. You get your day in court. He goes before a judge. That's next on the LIST.

And, hey, you want to be on this show, you can do what I did. Just call this number, 1-877-4CNN-TOUR.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, fire and ice coming together for the photo of the day, our list of the day's best video.

Actually, I laugh every time I see it. Take a look, the volcanic ash and the crimson lava, but check out the backdrop. This is a volcano that's erupting in southern Iceland. It's forced evacuations amid flooding concerns as the lava meets snow and ice.

Let's take you to Chattanooga, Tennessee, check out this pooch, his name is Winston. That's a bad dog if he thought he could make a police cruiser a chew toy. He took exception with the cruiser. We don't exactly know why. He wouldn't give up. He tore the bumper off the car, went after the tires as well.

Now, nobody was hurt here. Winston doesn't have a history necessarily. This is just his first strike. He was released on his own recognizance to his owners. But he has to go through obedience training.

And to Oregon now. The patrons were the watchdogs in this robbery video. Check it out. The customers made it for the robber. They chased him out of the place. He's trying to grab the cash. The cashier said no, and those folks to exception to it and went after him as well. And those are photos.

A bittersweet ceremony on Hollywood's walk of fame, actor Dennis Hopper getting a star on the hall of fame, but this could be the last time he's seen in public. We'll explain. That is story coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. and Mrs. Salahi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Ah, you remember the Salahis, don't you? They looked like they belonged, but they didn't. They crashed the White House dinner in hopes of becoming reality TV stars. Well, do you know what? The stunt might have worked. That's next on "The List."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Again, just a reminder here, you will see Sarah Palin and John McCain live on that stage in just a few moments. The first time the two have campaigned together since, of course, their loss in that 2008 bid to become the president and vice president.

But Palin is there to help out John McCain in his reelection bid. We'll bring it to you live when it does happen.

In the meanwhile, we've got a follow-up list. Do you remember this pair?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. And Mrs. Salahi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The Salahis, you remember these two. They crashed the White House party. It was President Obama's first state dinner. They even met the president. Do you remember that picture as well?

And also the White House social secretary, she ended up being out of a job, maybe this had something to do it. "The Daily Beast" and "The Washington Post" reporting that Tareq and Mikayla Salahi will star in the latest series in Bravo's hit "The Real Housewives." They've had Orange County and New York and Atlanta and New Jersey, somewhere up there, but they've got "The Real Housewives of D.C.," expected to premiere in July.

And check this out as well, a tell-all book is reportedly in the works as well.

This is something that's happening this hour as we speak. Three-time NBA all-star and Washington Wizards' point guard Gilbert Arenas is in court, he's being sentenced. It's expected to come down at any moment.

Of course he's being sentenced on felony gun charges after pleading guilty in January for bringing four guns into his team's locker room. The dispute was between him and his teammate, and some say it was over a gambling debt. They were playing cards coming back from a game.

Arenas is suspended from playing NBA during this season. Don't know when he'll make a comeback. The prosecutors have asked that he spend at least three months in jail.

Take a look at this as well, tens of thousands of marchers in Miami Thursday. They're supporting Cuba's Ladies in White. The Ladies in White are wise mothers and other relatives of jailed Cuban dissidents. The Miami march was led my Cuban-born singer Gloria Estefan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLORIA ESTEFAN, SINGER: I think whenever you have a cause that's just, and this is not a political cause, this for human rights and freedom which we've enjoyed in this country, and it doesn't matter your political affiliation, how you think of things, we are one when it comes to freedom and human rights for every human being.

Today it's Cuba, some other day it might be another country. I know a lot of countries are going through right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: At the same time that the Miami march is taking place, about 20 of the Ladies in White marched in Havana yesterday. About 20 Ladies in White surrounded by 300 shouting supporters of the Cuban government. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They thought they got away with it. They thought they'd had their best shot. Everybody looked at them. Everybody looked at them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they thought they were in the clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They thought they were in the clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And for more than three decades, physics, even Ouji boards, teams of investigators could not figure out what happened here, could not find the criminals who killed five New Jersey teenager teenagers, until now. That compelling story is coming up on "The List."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, let's get back to what was on the top of our list today. This is something you have not seen for about a year and a half, these two on the campaign trail, John McCain on stage with Sarah Palin.

But a reversal of roles, if you will. This is out in Tucson, Arizona. Of course, McCain right now in a pretty tough reelection bid. He actually has a primary challenge out there from J.D. Hayworth, a guy who bills himself as being to the right, a real conservative, challenging McCain who has the moniker of being a maverick.

But he's in a tough spot, so who does he call on? Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and the first female to be the GOP nominee for vice president, but essentially the woman that John McCain put on the map. A lot of people in this country sitting right here watching me today, you might not know who Sarah Palin was if it was not for John McCain putting her on the map a year and a half ago.

But she has become a darling of the right, if you will, a social conservative, but has become a darling of some of those causes, and her popularity has grown. Of course, she gave up her seat out there in Alaska. She quit before the end of her term.

She has since been selling books. She has now -- she's now a pundit. She is getting paid to talk on TV these days. And she is speaking around the country makes gobs and gobs of money. But she has become quite popular and he has called on her to give his campaign out there in Arizona just a little kick.

You see Cindy McCain, John McCain's wife, at the podium right now. We're expecting Sarah Palin to be introduced shortly. We'll take a quick break and get back to you on the other side. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(APPLAUSE) SARAH PALIN, (R) FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Hey, for another thing -- another thing that has changed. I think this go-around when all the votes are tallied, I think he's going to win this one.

(APPLAUSE)

We've come a long way from the 2008 campaign, but one thing that has not changed is my deep respect and admiration for the McCains and my support of Senator John McCain.

(APPLAUSE)

It was such a privilege to be asked to run alongside him in 2008, and it's an honor to stand beside him now and ask that you, Arizona, for the sake of your state and the sake of our country, that you send the maverick back to the United States Senate.

(APPLAUSE)

John's a man of principle, he's a man of honor, he's a man of faith, he's a man of faith, and so importantly, he's a man of the people. He loves his state. He spent 30 years fighting for the good, patriotic, hard working Arizona residents who call this wonderful state home and the principles that you hold dear.

And that hasn't always won him friends in the Washington, D.C., elite machine. It hasn't always won him friends. And, you know, many, many years ago, I competed in a pageant, and -- yes, do you know what? Coming then from an expert, I can tell you, he could win the talents and the debate portion of any pageant, but nobody's ever going to dub him miss congeniality, not out of the Washington elite.

And we should be thankful for that. He's never been a company man. He's never one to go with the flow. I'm from Alaska, I'm a commercial fisherman, and we watch the way the fish run, and we see that only dead fish go with the flow.

(APPLAUSE)

He's never been one to do that. No. He's never been part of that good old boys' club, and he's not afraid to buck the political machine and even a president if it's the right thing to do.

(APPLAUSE)

For me, for me, as a young for me as a young mayor and then a city manager and an oil and gas commissioner and later as a not so young governor, I was inspired -- I've always been inspired watching John and knowing that he was there shaking things up in Washington.

And I admired his tireless crusade against the old pork barrel spending, earmarking, backroom dealing ways of D.C. that make a whole lot of us pretty ill. He always fought that part of the machine in Washington.

And today those issues are at the heart of a conservative movement that's sweeping this country. It's a beautiful grassroots movement that's putting government back on the side of the people.

Some parts of this is the tea party movement. And I want to clear the air right now.

(APPLAUSE)

Yes. God bless you. And let me clear the air right now. We might as well call it like we see it, right, and not beat around the bush. In respect to the tea party movement, a beautiful movement, -- you know what, everybody here today supporting John McCain, we're all a part of that tea party movement --

(APPLAUSE)

-- because I have had the privilege of traveling around the U.S. and meeting with everyday Americans who are that great tea party movement. And folks always ask me about my friend John McCain, everywhere I go.

And first, you got to think about it. We're all that tea party movement. Back then in 1773, remember it was the freedom fighters and those who protested tyranny and big government, throwing the tea in the harbor and saying, we're going to tell big government, intrusive government, no more. And that's what we're doing today.

When you think about that first tea party, shoot, some may claim that John was there at that first tea party movement.

(LAUGHTER)

And I'm kidding. But I got to remind people, before there were protests on Main Street or marches on Capitol Hill, there was the maverick of the Senate fighting for us. John's been leading the fight against waste and fraud and reckless spending for decades.

And today he's leading the loyal opposition in congress, standing up and speaking out against the Obama-Pelosi-Reid agenda, and what they are doing.

(APPLAUSE)

Remember, folks, when the Obama administration proposed a nearly trillion dollar stimulus bill, senator McCain gave them a little straight talk. And he said that bill is generational theft. And he voted no.

When the president began to waver on Afghanistan, it was John knowing that our men and women in uniform deserve better.

(APPLAUSE)

He asked the president -- he asked the president to listen to the advice of his commanders on the ground.

Now, when it came to Obama-care, when it came to Obama care --

(BOOS) By the way, I see today that Fidel Castro likes Obama-care but we don't like Obama-care. Doesn't that kind of tell you something?

When it came to this, John fought against a government takeover of one-sixth of our economy. And he told the president that transparency in the legislative process should be more than just another campaign promise and, in this case with Obama, another campaign promise that has been so broken.

Now, when the pundits and talking heads said conservativism, it's dead, no more. Will the conservatives will able to rise to power in this country? John McCain set out to put the fight back in the Republican Party.

He met with a young unknown state senator from Massachusetts for one, and he's the one who gave this Republican the support that was needed, some name recognition that was needed in the early support in order for this Republican to run for the U.S. Senate.

That state senator was Scott Brown, and today he's a critical vote against big government.

(APPLAUSE)

We've got huge challenges to overcome in this country. And, yes, we need these new Republicans. We need this new blood coming into the system and new party officials and those who are willing to stand up and speak out for common sense conservative solution.

But we also need statesmen and heroes like John McCain in there to help us get through these challenging times in these coming years.

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John McCain has the wisdom and the courage to lead this country and to help Arizona also get back on the right track, and that's why I'm here asking for your vote. Again, Arizona, would you send the maverick back to the United States Senate?

(APPLAUSE)

John spent his entire career fighting for this country, and he's spent his entire career fighting for common-sense conservative solutions that Arizona needs. That's what his campaign for the presidency was all about.

It was John McCain who warned us about this administration's plans for growing government and digging us deeper into debt and spreading the wealth around. It was John who warned us. It was John who gave us an alternative to the Obama-Pelosi-Reid agenda.

And hearing the news reports lately, kind of this ginned up controversy about us common sense conservatives inciting violence because we happen to oppose some of the things in the Obama administration.

(BOOS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do it with our vote.

(APPLAUSE)

Amen, brother. That's what you do it with. You do it with your vote. You got it right.

We know violence isn't the answer. When we take up our arms, we are talking about our vote. We're talking about being involved in a contested primary like this and picking the right candidate, too, John McCain. We thank you for that.

But this BS coming from the "lame stream media" about us inciting violence --

(BOOS)

-- don't let the conversation be diverted. Don't let a distraction like that get you off track. Keep fighting hard for these candidates who are all about the common-sense conservative solutions that we need.

And, in paraphrasing Louisiana's governor, John, I'm going to tell them this one, because it's hilarious. Louisiana's governor recently said, you know, we're being accused of being the party of no because we oppose some of the things that the administration's doing.

The Louisiana governor says, well, no, we're not the party of no, we're the "party of hell no!"

(APPLAUSE)

-- when it comes to those things that are not in our country's best interests.

Now even though our share of the votes didn't carry the day back in 2008, we got second out of two, didn't carry the day, well, John McCain hasn't stopped fighting for us. In fact the day he went back into office as a United States senator when campaign was over, he didn't hang his head, he didn't take a break. He got right back to work.

On first day back in Congress he introduced pieces of legislation, and that was just the start of his continued work for the great state of Arizona and America.

That doesn't sound like a party of no and having no solutions. That's not the party of no. It sounds to me like John McCain is leading the party of ideas.

And he's standing up, John McCain is standing up for the time-tested truths that have built this country into the greatest country on earth and is why we're so proud to be Americans and we don't apologize for America.

(APPLAUSE)

He has stood up for these truths -- the belief that the government that governs least governs best, and that the constitution provides the path to be on to form a more perfect union. It's the constitution. And that's why we fight to protect it.

(APPLAUSE)

The belief that only limited government can provide the opportunity, opportunity for prosperity for all equally. And that freedom is a God-given right and it's worth fighting for.

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And our belief that America's finest, our men and women in uniform, are a force for good in this world and have nothing to apologize for.

(APPLAUSE)

These are the principles that great men like Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, they embraced, they believed in. It's what John McCain is fighting for.