CBS’s Rodriguez: Critics ‘Having Fun’ With Palin’s Hand Notes

While discussing Sarah Palin’s Saturday Tea Party Convention speech with political analyst John Dickerson on Monday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez remarked: “She was really scrutinized because she wrote those notes on her hand during her speech....I want to show real quick....boy, are her critics having fun with that one.”

As Rodriguez mentioned the incident, a headline on screen read: “Helping Hand? Palin Seen Glancing At Notes On Palm.” Dickerson was forgiving: “Well, we all face a little difficulty getting our words together in public moments,” but added: “I think this will be the kind of thing the Democrats will use to pick at her, you know, the notion is that basically she doesn’t have the capabilities to be president.” Dickerson concluded: “I don’t think in the long term, though, this is – will cause her too much trouble.”

While Rodriguez made sure to point out Palin’s gaffe to viewers, during an interview last February, Rodriguez glossed over an obvious gaffe made by Vice President Joe Biden.

On the February 25, 2009 Early Show, Rodriguez asked about the transparency of the newly passed stimulus bill, Biden explained: “We’re going to put every bit of this transparently up on a website.” When Rodriguez later asked for the name of the site, a confused Biden replied: “You know I’m embarrassed, you know the website number. I – you know I should have it in front of me and I don’t. I’m – I’m – I’m actually embarrassed.” Rodriguez attempted to let him off the hook: “Alright. I’m going to call your office directly to and get it later.” Biden finally found the website name: “Well, excuse me, you know, it is – it is recovery.gov.”

Here is a full transcript of Rodriguez’s discussion with Dickerson:

7:12AM

MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: Joining us now from Washington, CBS News political analyst John Dickerson. Good morning, John.

JOHN DICKERSON: Good morning, Maggie.

RODRIGUEZ: President Obama bringing in the Republicans to hammer out health care reform. Could this really work? Is it realistic to think that they could meet in the middle?

DICKERSON: Well, it’s – it’s not that realistic after what we’ve seen in Washington. This is a bit of a show. But it’s an effort for the President to revive health care reform, which has been stalled a little bit. This is a moment where he can talk about this on a public stage again and maybe build a case against Republicans if health care doesn’t pass. He can he say, look, we tried and they just didn’t have any solutions.
                
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: I want to talk about someone who could potentially challenge the President in the next election, Sarah Palin. Let me play for you a bit of what she said at the Tea Party Convention this weekend and then afterwards in an interview.

SARAH PALIN: The Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda, it’s going to leave us less secure, more in debt, and more under the thumb of big government. And that is out of touch and is out of date.

CHRIS WALLACE: Why wouldn’t you run for president?

PALIN: I would, I would if I believe that that is the right thing to do for our country and for the Palin family. Certainly, I would do so.

WALLACE: You're basically saying you will consider it.

PALIN: I think that it would be absurd to not consider what it is that I can potentially do to help our country.

RODRIGUEZ: Why doesn’t she just say ‘I’m running in 2012'?

JOHN DICKERSON: Well, because she may still decide not to run. And it’s always better to kind of keep your options open and if she said she were running, then everything she says raises to a higher level. There’s a little bit more scrutiny. She’s being scrutinized plenty enough already, but it would raise things up a little bit more. Now she gets to sort of have it all ways.

RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, and she was really scrutinized because she wrote those notes on her hand during her speech. I don’t know if our viewers saw that. I want to show real quick, she had energy, budget, tax, and some other notes on her hand. And people immediately criticized her saying that she new her speech like the back of her hand. Do you think that’s a fair criticism?

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Helping Hand? Palin Seen Glancing At Notes On Palm]

DICKERSON: Well, we all face a little difficulty getting our words together in public moments. I think this will be the kind of thing the Democrats will use to pick at her, you know, the notion is that basically she doesn’t have the capabilities to be president. And, you know, this is a way to bedevil her. I don’t think in the long term, though, this is – will cause her too much trouble.

RODRIGUEZ: But, boy, are her critics having fun with that one. John Dickerson. Thank you so much, John.