Palin on Autism

[Guest guest]

Palin: 'Frugal' and plowing through

Transcript of Palin interview, calling the clothing controversy

'just, bad.'

Posted October 23, 2008 10:00 PM

The Swamp

by Jill Zuckman

PITTSBURGH -- Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president,

sat for an interview with the Tribune in which she spoke at length

about her advocacy for children with special needs, such as her own

son, spoke of the double-standards that women confront in politics and

spoke of that party-financed campaign wardrobe of hers.

" Certainly there's a double standard,'' Palin said. " But I'm not going

to complain about it , I'm not going to whine about it, I'm going to

plow through that because we are embarking on something greater than

that, than allowing that double standard to adversely affect us.''

Asked about the wardrobe, for which the Republican National Committee

reported paying more than $150,000 and pledges to donate to charities

when the campaign is finished:

" That whole thing is just, bad!'' Palin told the Tribune. " Oh, if

people only knew how frugal we are.

" The clothes that were loaned to us during the convention. And I don't

think it was anywhere near...What did they say... $150 grand? It

wasn't anywhere near that. Those are not ours. We give those back,

those go to charity or they'll be auctioned off or whatever. That's

not even my property. So to be criticized for that, that is not who we

are. "

See the report on the Tribune's Palin intervew.

And see the transcript of the interview here in the Swamp:

Q: Do you think that the federal government has not been doing right

by families with kids with special needs.

SP: " We can do better. And the federal government can play a very

appropriate role in making this country a more welcoming country to

those children with special needs to really make manifest our

commitment to these children to provide them with equal opportunity

with education, equal opportunity as they grow up to good employment

and a chance to contribute and be quite productive and fulfill, and I

think we can do a better job than where we've been.

Q: The federal government promised in 1975 to pay 40 percent of the

cost of educating children with special needs. Are you nervous about

making good on that commitment given how expensive it would be?

SP: " We have a $3 trillion federal budget and we're looking at a

miniscule amount of money in the grand scheme of things here. And it

is a matter of prioritizing the dollars that are already there. Not

necessarily asking for more funding, but re-prioritizing dollars that

are existing in federal budgets today, and then allowing some of that

to trickle down to our states and allow the states to prioritize also

according to the needs in our individual states and how they feel best

to, to provide services to special needs children.

Q: So, are you saying other things might not be funded in order to

fund this.

SP: " Out of $3 trillion I'm sure there are efficiencies we can find

all over the place and allow that reprioritization that I believe

needs to take place. And it needs to take place again so we can make

manifest that commitment that we have to provide opportunities to

special needs children and special needs adults also. That is what I

want to usher into Washington, DC, that spirit of inclusion in our

society and recognizing that these children are not a problem, they're

a priority. Ushering in that good heart of America. One way to do that

is by prioritizing budget.

" But it's not all about the money, it's not all about budgets, it's

about that spirit of acceptance and embracing that diversity that is

in the world with children who are special, they're a little bit

different from the norm, and that diversity is good and for us it's

exciting and it's a joyful challenge. "

Q: You have people with special needs coming to your events, people in

wheelchairs, how does that make you feel to see those faces in the crowd

SP: " I see, especially in the parents' face, I see a sense of finally,

finally we have someone who understands and will make this commitment

to assist. Todd and I have been in this position ever since our nephew

was diagnosed with autism, he's 13-years-old now. And when he was 2

and a half, Karcher was diagnosed with autism. It's been near and dear

to our heart, trying to do all that we could. As governor, I was able

to secure additional assistance of funding for our students with

special needs in Alaska. It was a good boost that we gave there. But

Todd and I have always had this mission within us to reach out and to

try to help our families who had special needs. And then when Trig

came along, it was Ok, now, even more of that connection that we have

to these families. These families are coming to these rallies and it's

such a great appreciation that they're showing to someone who is

promising that they will have this friend and advocate in the White

House who will help them.

Q: Some advocates for people with special needs have questioned

whether you could fully understand their issues considering you have

only had Trig for six months. Do you feel like you have more to learn

about the issues?

SP: " Everyone has more to learn about the spectrum of issues we're

talking about today. But again, Todd and I have been greatly concerned

and aware of children with special needs as a result of our nephew,

Karcher. We're very close to him and my sister, , and her

family. And my sister is the mother of Karcher, so it's been these

years of showing that concern. So it hasn't just been five months. I

think the significance of the last six months now has been that Trig,

for us, how do I explain it? He's been part of, what has been in our

heart all this time in desiring to assist these families with special

needs.

Q: Heard about your speech the other day about women. Do you feel like

you've been held to another standard?

SP: " I think Hillary Clinton was held to a different standard in her

primary race. Do you remember the conversations that took place about

her - say superficial things that they don't talk about with men, like

her wardrobe and her hairstyles, all of that, that's a bit of that

double standard. Certainly there's a double standard. But I'm not

going to complain about it , I'm not going to whine about it, I'm

going to plow through that because we are embarking on something

greater than that, than allowing that double standard to adversely

affect us. We're embarking on this mission that we are on to reform

government, put government back on the side of the people, get this

economy back on track and bring to light the opportunities that we

have for all of our families in this country, going back to our

families, too, and especially with children with special needs.

Q: You have amazing campaign crowds and yet still people are saying

'is she weighing down McCain.' How do you feel when you hear that

or when you see pollsters asking that question.

SP: " I think that those reporters asking those questions should come

to some of these rallies and ask some of those in the crowd why it is

they are enthused about - and it's not me personally that they are

coming to see that they would be excited about - it's what I

represent, representing hard working, every day, American families who

have... Every family has their own challenges of course. Our

challenges and our joys just happen to be out there in front of

everybody to see and to relate to, so it is what we represent. That's

what people are there to, I think, show their enthusiasm for.

Q: Do you see the special needs issue as one that, regardless of the

campaign, you will make your issue.

SP: " Absolutely. There is purpose in all of this, and there is

opportunity for greater needs to be met than just with my own family

and in my own state. Yes, I will continue to be an advocate. "

Q: There are also issues about what happens when the parents get old

that is not in your speech. Is that something you will address later.

SP: " Yeah, and personalizing this also, my sister, and I have

talked a lot about this. It kind of makes me cry thinking about it.

When Karcher was first diagnosed, knew that for and

Kurt, her son karcher was going to be her life.

" She's kind of put her career aside - she still works full time -

she'ss kind of put career aside so she can nurture and teach and help

Karcher. But she has asked to, I remember she asked with tears in her

eyes, she says, what happens when Kurt and I, though, are elderly,

then what happens to Karcher? Because he is autistic, his story, this

is the story of millions of Americans right now, because of the

prevalence of autism. I relate it to my own personal life, but I see

it all around America. With more and more children being born with

autism, this generation so affected, what does happen now when their

parents can no longer take care of them. Collectively, as

humanitarians, that is where we do unite

" And government can play an appropriate role in that assistance. So

that's what I want to work on, also. Especially with autism. We need

to strengthen the National Institute of Health. There needs to be

funding there. If reprioritizing it is the answer, we'll do that,

reprioritizing funds to make sure we're researching everything about

autism and trying to find out what it's cause is and what we can do to

help these children and then again, its humanitarian, how we can help

these families.

" Todd and I are very blessed. We have a large, close-knit, strong

family, a good network here. But we realize not every family has been

blessed with this large network and we want to reach out and help

them, those who do not have the aunties and the uncles and the

grandmas and the great-grandmas. We have this big family that is full

of help. "

Q: You're giving this policy speech tomorrow, but has this journey

been worth it to you when you're getting nitpicked on wardrobe and polls

SP: " It is all worth it because we know we are on the right path here

in providing Americans a choice on Nov. 4th. You can support a

children that will do all that we can for children with special needs

and we support policies that will create jobs and get the economy back

on track. Of course it's worth it. But I'm glad you brought up the

wardrobe.

" That whole thing is just, bad! Oh, if people only knew how frugal we

are. "

" The clothes that were loaned to us during the convention. And I don't

think it was anywhere near...What did they say, Tracey? $150 grand? It

wasn't anywhere near that. Those are not ours. We give those back,

those go to charity or they'll be auctioned off or whatever. That's

not even my property. So to be criticized for that, that is not who we

are. "

Q: So you're not carrying around cartons of brand new clothes that

people have gone out and bought for you

SP: No, I think some of them were in the belly of the plane. No, yeah,

that's not have we live.

Q:This must be painful for you

SP: " It's kind of painful to be criticized for something when all the

facts are not out there and are not reported. "

Todd Palin: " Going back to your question about Trig is only five

months, six months old, how can they know everything. Well, we'll

never know everything. And the bottom line is, the support base that

families have, and that's what we see as we travel the country and we

have these rallies and the kids are brought up to the front of the

rope-line, you can see that support for them, and so to be able to

touch on that, and encourage others to support...especially children.

SP: " We're on this journey with other families. It's where we are and

we'll learn a lot from those other families as they can count on us in

the White House doing all that we can for them also. It's going to be

a nice team effort here. But ushering in that new spirit in Washington

DC that says, these kids are a priority. Governor Casey from

Pennsylvania had said - how are we to be judged, how do we treat those

most vulnerable among us, including children with special needs, we

put them first in line. And that's what we're going to do. "