Friday's CBS Early Show previewed an upcoming "60 Minutes" interview with former McCain campaign adviser Steve Schmidt as co-host Harry Smith declared: "John McCain's former top adviser comes out swinging and tells "60 minutes" Sarah Palin often struggled with straight talk." A clip was played of Schmidt claiming "there were numerous instances" when Palin "said things that were not accurate."
Co-host Maggie Rodriguez later teased the interview by describing how Schmidt "gets tough on Sarah Palin" and referred to it as "explosive." While introducing a brief preview clip of the interview, set to air on Sunday's "60 Minutes", Rodriguez proclaimed: "the blunt-talking political strategist who ran John McCain's presidential campaign, is going rogue, speaking out for the first time since the election....And when it comes to Sarah Palin, he's not holding back."
In the featured clip, Schmidt attacked Palin's credibility and lamented how "...the campaign had to deal with and that opened the door to criticism that she was being untruthful and inaccurate." He added: "And I think that that is something that continues to this day." A headline on-screen read: "Going Rogue; Fmr. McCain Adviser Slams Palin on '60 Minutes'"
Guest "60 Minutes" correspondent, CNN's Anderson Cooper, conducted the interview and asked Schmidt if the criticism was "fair." After Schmidt argued it was, Cooper helped further the anti-Palin rhetoric: "After an ethics investigation of Palin, when the Alaska legislature issued a report, Schmidt says she mis-characterized that report." Schimdt claimed: "She went out and said that, you know, this report completely exonerates me and, in fact, it didn't....It was provably, demonstrably untrue." Cooper noted: "And Schmidt said it just kept happening."
Here is a full transcript of the segment:
7:00AM TEASE:
HARRY SMITH: John McCain's former top adviser comes out swinging and tells "60 minutes" Sarah Palin often struggled with straight talk.
STEVE SCHMIDT: There were numerous instances that she said things that were - that were not accurate.
SMITH: We'll have more from the controversial new interview.
7:16AM TEASE:
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: Still ahead this morning, a top John McCain adviser gets tough on Sarah Palin. We're going to tell you what he has to say in an explosive "60 Minutes" interview.
7:20AM SEGMENT:
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: Steve Schmidt, the blunt-talking political strategist who ran John McCain's presidential campaign, is going rogue, speaking out for the first time since the election in an interview on this Sunday's "60 Minutes." And when it comes to Sarah Palin, he's not holding back.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Going Rogue; Fmr. McCain Adviser Slams Palin on 60 Minutes]
STEVE SCHMIDT: There were numerous instances that she said things that were - that were not accurate, that ultimately the campaign had to deal with and that opened the door to criticism that she was being untruthful and inaccurate. And I think that that is something that continues to this day.
ANDERSON COOPER: And do you think that's fair criticism?
SCHMIDT: I think it's fair criticism.
COOPER: After an ethics investigation of Palin, when the Alaska legislature issued a report, Schmidt says she mis-characterized that report.
SCHMIDT: She went out and said that, you know, this report completely exonerates me and, in fact, it didn't. You know, it's the equivalent of saying down is up and up is down. It was provably, demonstrably untrue.
COOPER: And Schmidt said it just kept happening.
SCHMIDT: Stuff like the Alaska Independence Party that her husband had been a member of for seven years. She wanted to put out a statement saying that he was not a member of it. He was a member of it.
RODRIGUEZ: You can see the full interview on "60 Minutes" this Sunday night right here on CBS.
-Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.