It was 1952. Another Republican vice presidential nominee was in the middle of a scandal. I refer, of course, to Richard M. Nixon, Dwight Eisenhower's running mate.
From Wikipedia:
Nixon, having been accused of accepting $18,000 (about $140,000 in 2007 dollars) in illegal campaign contributions, gave a live address to the nation in which he revealed the results of an independent audit that was conducted on his finances, exonerating him of any malfeasance. The money, he asserted, did not go to him for personal use, nor did it count as income, but rather as reimbursement for expenses. He followed with a complete financial history of his personal assets, finances, and debts, including his mortgages, life insurance, and loans, all of which had the effect of painting him as living a rather austere lifestyle. He denied that his wife Pat had a mink coat; instead, she wore a "respectable Republican cloth coat."
The one contribution he admitted receiving was from a Texas traveling salesman named Lou Carrol who gave his family an American Cocker Spaniel, which his daughter named "Checkers." [2] Nixon admitted that this gift could be made into an issue by some, but maintained that he didn't care, stating "the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it."
Where is Sarah Palin's "Checker's Speech?" She's being investigated for abuse of power because she fired the Alaska public safety commissioner because he wouldn't fire her ex-brother-in-law, an Alaska state trooper. Her flip-flops on the "Bridge to Nowhere," her decision to sell the state plane on E-Bay (at a $600,000 loss) raise questions, as well. Shouldn't she have to explain her record? Instead, she is being shipped backed to Alaska and McCain's flaks are telling the press she's off limits for interviews.
Update:
Newsweek reports the McCain campaign is trying to shut down the Troopergate investigation.
Seems to be that someone who could deliver a speech that energized her party's base, derided Obama's service as community organizer and gave candidate McCain a bump in the polls, should have no trouble talking about her problems back home...Unless she has something to hide.
One would think that John McCain, who says he is running against waste and corruption in Washington, would want a running mate who is beyond reproach. It would be in Sarah Palin's best interest to come clean. Nixon did.
Party leaders were persuaded to keep him on the ticket and Ike went on to win. Nixon later was elected the 37th President. Of course, he resigned in disgrace because of the Watergate scandal, but that's another story that happened more than 20 years later. Even though he was despised by most progressives, one cannot deny that he was one of the most remarkable figures in 20th Century American politics.
So why are Republicans keeping Sarah Palin from public scrutiny? Seems like there is a double standard being applied here. Isn't there a word for that? Oh yeah! Sexism