Going Rogue: An American Life (94 page)

Going Rogue

ceiving end: if there were any more leaks critical of anybody in the handling of Sarah Palin, then a lot more negative stuff would be said
about
Sarah Palin.

I knew none of that then, and Schmidt would later contradict Randy’s account. At the time, I was JUSt focused on finishing strong. I want to believe the tension between Schmidt and the B Team was a result of lessthan-ideal circumstances in the pressure cooker of a national campaign, and that it perBut as I back in my Wasilla mayor days, life is too

short to hold a grudge. If I ever see Schmidt again, maybe I’ll bring him a pretty white PeaCe Lily.

At the start· of the campaign, I had discussed with McCain senior staffers my giving three key policy

each

on energy, women’s issues, and people with special needs. But September sped by, then October. Finally, with just two weeks to go before the election, I was scheduled to present our policy on special needs issues.
Very good,
I thought, remembering what had actually first campaign promise: that ifJohn and I were

elected, the special needs community would have an advocate in the White House. I could write the speech myself, weave in a lot of
my
family’s experiences with Trig and with my nephew Karcher.

I heard ‘we were to give the

in a hotel ballroom. “We’ll

find a small campaign audience to show up,” headquarters said. The B team thought, come on, we can do better than that. What’s the point of getting forty Republicans in a room to listen to me talk? We’ve had thousands from the special needs community show up at our rallies, and surely there was such a community in Pittsburgh who would honor us with their presence at this event. Why not iflvite them co participate?

SARAH

PALIN

Headquarters was actually receptive to that idea and got to work on making it happen.

Then we found out, for the first time, that headquarters had employed a special needs coordinator who had provided a speech,. (The special needs coordinator also called the B Team to say that we should no longer use the term “special needs people” because special needs families find it offensive. I guess I was behind the times.) I looked the speech over and thought it was fine, but I also thought,
Anyone could give this speech.

my own connection to

it? Where’s Trig? Why should anyone care more about the issue after
hearing this?

So I reworked it and continued rewriting right up until the time I gave it, with the good people of the Woodlands Foundation, the Down Syndrome Center at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, AutismLink, the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, and others in attendance.

“Too often, even in our own day, children with special needs have been set apart and excluded. Too often, state and federal laws add to their challenges, instead of removing barriers and opening new paths of opportunity,” I began. “Too often, they are made to feel that there is no place for them in the life of our country, that they don’t count or have nothing to contribute.” I continued by saying that I loved it when the families of children with special needs came out to rallies and events. “You bring your sons and daughters with you, because you are proud of them, as I am of my son,” I said. “My little fella sleeps during most of these rallies, even when they get pretty rowdy. He would be amazed to know how many folks come out to see
him
instead of me.” I loved that fact!

“You know that there are the world’s standards of perfection, and then there are God’s, and these are the final measure,” I said.

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Going Rogue

“Every child is beauriful before God, and dear ro Him for rheir own sake. And rhe rruesr measure of any sociery is how ir trears rhose who are mosr vulnerable:’

I wenr on to discuss specific policies a McCain-Palin administration would implement for special needs kids. For example, we would reptioritize some of the $18 billion a year Congress spends on its pork projects and instead fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“We’re going to get our federal priorities straight and fulfill our country’s commitment to give every child opportunity and in life:’

I talked about my efforts as a governor. I told them I knew John’s and Cindy’s hearts were with me on this issue. I wanted White House people and policies to show the respect and dignity these families deserved. We still get e-mails about that speech today, saying, “This is why we connected with you. We felt you understood us:’