Palin misreads First Amendment; Eagleburger: Palin's not ready
San Francisco Chronicle
October 31, 2008

First, she misstated what the Vice President's role with the Senate was, now Gov. Sarah Palin is misreading the First Amendment. That's OK -- she was wrapping it in a criticism of the "mainstream media" so all is forgiven, right?

Is there a civics teacher in the house? We've got a code red.

Palin told a conservative radio host Friday that it's not a negative attack when she criticizes Obama's associations with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Instead, says Sarah P., journalists are threatening her free speech if they say she's going negative when she makes those assertions.

"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Oh, lordy. The beauty of the First Amendment is that the governor can say whatever she wants about The O and the press is free to point out -- if necessary -- any errors in what she says. Or critique her, without fear of retribution.

Salon's Glen Greenwald's reaction: "According to Palin, what the Founders intended with the First Amendment was that political candidates for the most powerful offices in the country and Governors of states would be free to say whatever they want without being criticized in the newspapers. The First Amendment was meant to ensure that powerful political officials would not be 'attacked' in the papers. It is even possible to imagine more breathaking ignorance from someone holding high office and running for even higher office?"

Perhaps that's why Lawrence Eagleburger, during what was billed an ahem, "making the case" appearance for McCain Friday on NPR, dissed Palin. When asked if Palin was ready to step in as Prez, Larry -- one of the five secretaries of state McCain loves to tout that endorsed him -- went rogue:

"It is a very good question," he said, pausing a few seconds, then adding with a laugh: "I'm being facetious here. Look, of course not."

"I don't think at the moment she is prepared to take over the reigns of the presidency,'' he said. "I can name for you any number of other vice presidents who were not particularly up to it either. So the question, I think, is can she learn and would she be tough enough under the circumstances if she were asked to become president, heaven forbid that that ever takes place?

"Give her some time in the office and I think the answer would be, she will be [pause] adequate. I can't say that she would be a genius in the job. But I think she would be enough to get us through a four year... well I hope not... get us through whatever period of time was necessary. And I devoutly hope that it would never be tested."

Original Text