Matt
Executives with AIG were vacationing lavishly in California, having a grand time, as the government began the process of trying to bail the company out with taxpayer dollars, should those corporate executives and those like them be imprisoned for their actions?
Sen. McCain
Oh, I don't know if they ought to be imprisoned because everybody has a right to a fair trial, but one of the things I insisted on when I came back to Washington was that taxpayers not pay for CEO salaries any more than the highest government official.
Matt
Do you believe any of their behavior has been criminal?
Gov. Palin
We'll find out, but, atrocious behavior, that is why we're thankful also for Senator McCain working so hard for reform. Remember a couple years ago, he was the one that led the charge in really ringing that warning bell with Fannie and Freddie.
Matt
Are you saying that you really warned that there were some catastrophic times ahead if we didn't change things?
Sen. McCain
Well, I and a number of other members of the Senate predicted exactly this, yes, and I'll give a copy of the letter we wrote. Because it was corruption. Because they were taking their money and they were the influence of the lobbyists, we all know that.
Matt
Four Philadelphia police officers have been shot and killed in line of duty since May of 2006, city officials say the big problem is the availability of guns and the city wants to pass its own gun laws, stricter than those of the state, would you support a locality passing stricter gun laws than that of its state?
Gov. Palin
Well, the city, the state, needs to keep the guns out of the hands of the bad guys, out of those who would not follow any law anyway even if you do add more laws on top of what's already there. I am a supporter of 2nd Amendment rights for those who are law-abiding citizens.
Matt
Should Philadelphia be allowed to pass stricter gun laws than Pennsylvania itself?
Sen. McCain
No, because 2nd Amendment rights are a right guaranteed by our constitution.
Also, McCain made a pledge about Social Security.
Sen. McCain
No, I would not privatize Social Security, but I would allow young Americans to put some of their own money, just as they can today, into a retirement account.
Gov. Palin
There's no presidential election cycle without the Democrat candidate coming into some of these states and putting the fear of God into us, especially, our esteemed elders' minds.
